HOBOKEN, N.J. — Through the developmental years, from club soccer in eastern Pennsylvania and two sterling seasons at the University of Maryland to a first pro contract in Germany, Zack Steffen modeled his goalkeeping work after Tim Howard, the longtime U.S. national team starter.
“He was a huge idol,” Steffen, 23, said Tuesday.
As he and a young U.S. squad gathered this week for friendlies against Brazil and Mexico — blockbuster tests in the continuing rehabilitation of a bruised program that missed the World Cup for the first time since 1986 — Steffen is here and Howard is not.