I have liked Steffen going back to the U20 World Cup a few years back. I am glad he is looking good at the Senior level so far. Hopefully he keeps it up. The MLS playoffs last year showed me that if he gets hot he is really tough to beat.
Hey, that could be matches vs Italy and Netherlands. If you think we feel bad, imagine how it is in those countries.
Steffen is definitely in the lead for the number 1 spot. But theres a lot of time till we start playing meaningful games. I wonder how much longer he stays in the MLS or if he's ready to go back to Europe now.
I can't speak for others, but I have Dutch friends who were expecting not to qualify, given the nosedive post-2014 and their failure to qualify for Euro 2016. So while they were disappointed, they weren't too heartbroken, and they feel that the federation needs an overhaul, fast. My Italian sister-in-law is actually happy Italy didn't qualify, as she feels it's the wake up call the FIGC need. They had been coasting on 2006 for way too long and had become too much of an "old boys club"
Unless our goalkeeping corps is truly the pits, Guzan shouldn't be the number 1 choice for this next cycle -- especially if he's giving up soft goals. His specialty used to be going on a streak of making amazing saves and even stopping some PKs. However, after all this time, he's never learned how to properly distribute the ball -- became a liability with the poor distribution, in fact. I haven't watched him this year with Atlanta, though I'd be shocked if his distribution fundamentals have dramatically improved.