USMNT goalkeeper Steffen loaned out to stay sharp for ’22 World Cup
American goalkeeper Zack Steffen was loaned from Manchester City to second-tier Middlesbrough for the 2022-23 season on Tuesday, a move he hopes will help him compete to start at the World Cup.
“Everyone knows his situation. He needed to play because of the World Cup,” Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder said. “He had an agreement with Man City, but he could have easily stayed there and sat comfortably as their No. 2. He wanted to go out and he’s agreed to come here. I think it’s a big coup for us.”
Steffen, a 27-year-old, has been Ederson’s backup at City since the start of the 2020-21 season after spending 2019-20 on loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf. He signed with City from Major League Soccer’s Columbus in July 2019.
Steffen played in just nine matches last season — one Premier League game along with four in the FA Cup, two League Cup, one Champions League and the Community Shield.
He agreed in November to a contract with City that runs until 2025.
“We knew we had to improve the goalkeeping department,” Wilder said. “We brought in Liam Roberts and now we’re adding Zack, who has just signed a 4 ½-year deal with Man City. Man City don’t hand out 4 ½-year contracts if they don’t think anything of them.”
Steffen is competing with Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath to start at the World Cup, where the U.S. plays Wales, England and Iran in the group stage this November. Steffen started six of 14 qualifiers and Turner started eight.
Turner, 28, left Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution to join Arsenal this month, and he figures to be a backup to Aaron Ramsdale.
Horvath, 26, was loaned from Nottingham Forest to second-tier Luton Town this month, also in a search of playing time.
• American right back Shaq Moore was acquired by Nashville of MLS and agreed to a contract through the 2025 season.
Nashville acquired the 25-year-old’s MLS rights from Montreal for $50,000 in general allocation money. The deal includes an option for 2026.
Moore spent the last three seasons with Tenerife in Spain’s second division.
• American forward Haji Wright is staying with Turkey’s Antalyaspor, agreeing to a three-year contract.
The 24-year-old from Los Angeles spent last season at Antalyaspor on loan from the Danish club SønderjyskE. He scored 14 goals in 32 league matches and had a seven-game scoring streak that ended in May’s season finale.
• Australia striker Sam Kerr will become the first female player to feature on the global front cover of the popular soccer video game, FIFA.
The Chelsea forward will feature alongside Paris St-Germain star Kylian Mbappé on the cover of FIFA 23 for the global edition.
“Two phenomenal forces up front. One ultimate strike partnership,” EA Sports FIFA wrote in the announcement on Twitter with a picture of the cover art.
While Kerr is the first female player to be featured on the cover of the global edition of the game, she’s not the first woman on a FIFA game cover as a whole.
Women players have appeared on regional editions of the popular game, including the USWNT’s Alex Morgan and Canada’s Christine Sinclair featured alongside Lionel Messi in their respective countries.
Kerr joined Chelsea in 2019, playing a key part in helping the club to three successive Women’s Super League titles since.
The 28-year-old won the Golden Boot last season with 20 goals in 20 league games, leading the club to a domestic double with the league title and an FA Cup victory.
She was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year. winning her opening match.
Putintseva beat Jaimee Fourlis 6-3, 6-1 and will face Diane Parry in the round of 16 after she beat Lauren Davis 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Trevisan was replaced by lucky loser Carolina Alves, who went on to lose 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to Elina Avanesyan in a repeat of their match in the final round of qualifying.
Avanesyan will next face Lucia Bronzetti, who eliminated Wang Xiyu 6-3, 6-3. with Mackenzie, and that’s what I need.”
Vanecek went 20-12-6 with four shutouts, a 2.67 GAA and .908 save percentage with the Capitals last year, splitting time with Ilya Samsonov.
• Former Kings defenseman Andrej Sekera announced his retirement after almost two decades in the NHL.
The Slovak played the past 15 full seasons since making his debut in 2006. Sekera played 888 regularseason and playoff games for the Sabres, Hurricanes, Oilers, Stars and Kings.
Sekera skated in the Olympics twice represented Slovakia eight times at the world championships, helping his country come away with the silver medal in 2012 and wearing the “C” as national team captain in 2019.