Zack Steffen’s name was probably the least surprising entry in the roster of players called up for the U.S. men’s January camp. In 2018, Steffen was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year. He recently signed for Manchester City, and new coach Gregg Berhalter knows him well after several seasons together in Columbus. However, with Ethan Horvath and Brad Guzan set to miss out due to club commitments and a need for rest after winning MLS Cup, respectively, the other the goalkeeper spots seemed completely up for grabs.



Three likely candidates were Tim Melia of Sporting KC, Stefan Frei of the Seattle Sounders and Bill Hamid of DC United—all had strong seasons in 2018 and are regarded as some of the best goalkeepers in MLS. Additionally, all three players fit the description of the type of player historically called into January Camp: fringe national team players looking to break through.



But when the roster was...