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Man City Goalkeeper Zack Steffen Becomes Fourth American to Win League Cup
Zack Steffen became just the fourth American player to win the League Cup when Manchester City defeated Tottenham 1-0 in front of a limited-capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The former University of Maryland star keeper started each of the club's five League Cup matches and recorded three clean sheets, including the memorable final win.
Steffen, the starting U.S. men's national team keeper, is the first U.S. international in 19 years to win the League Cup after goalkeeper Brad Friedel won the 2002 League Cup with Blackburn Rovers. Sheffield United midfielder John Harkes (1991) and Leicester City goalkeeper Kasey Keller are the other two Americans to take home the trophy.
Steffen made a critical save in the 47th minute on a low curling shot from Giovani Lo Celso to keep the game scoreless until Aymeric Laporte's match-winning header in the 82nd minute. The win gives Manchester City's its fourth straight League Cup title under Pep Guardiola.
Not too busy of a day for former Maryland men's soccer goalkeeper Zack Steffen, but this save to start the second half was key in helping lead Manchester City to its 1-0 Carabao Cup Final victory over Tottenham.
— Wesley Brown (@W_Brown21) April 25, 2021
The victory marks the USMNT goalkeeper's first English trophy. pic.twitter.com/LOpqu6atCb
The 26-year-old Steffen usually serves as the backup to starting keeper Ederson but has featured as Guardiola's top choice in club competitions this season. Along with one start each in the Premier League and Champions League, Steffen made five FA Cup appearances before the club's loss to Chelsea last weekend in the FA Cup semifinals.
Steffen arrived at Manchester City in a $7.5 million move from the Columbus Crew in July 2019 before spending the year on loan at Fortuna Düsseldorf. He was named the U.S. Soccer Federation's Male Player of the Year in 2018.
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Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.