While the U.S. Men’s National Team still has two very capable goalkeepers at the helm in Tim Howard and Brad Guzan, Ethan Horvath is making waves in Europe with Norwegian side Molde FK.
Horvath, 20, signed his first professional contract with Molde in 2013. Like most young players, the American took some time to develop, however, Horvath has since captured the club’s starting goalkeeper spot and even appeared in European competition on Thusday.
After making 17 appearances for the club this season, Horvath is in line to help man the net for the U.S. Under-23 National Team when it takes on Colombia in March. The sides will first meet on March 25 in Colombia, before returning to the U.S. four days later, meeting again in Dallas.
For USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Horvath’s experiences in Europe have helped prepare him for such an occasion.
“Another big talent on the horizon for us is definitely Ethan Horvath, playing at Molde FK, playing in the Europa League against Sevilla,” Klinsmann said. “It’s wonderful to watch. It’s encouraging because obviously we have Tim Howard and Brad Guzan, but we also need a new younger generation of goalkeepers coming through.
“Ethan is the No. 1 on that team, for our Olympic team, and having him play week in, week out in the league in Norway, and especially in the Europa League, is big. We’re going to go there and watch him and keep our fingers crossed that things go well. Having Ethan play international football at that very young age is big time.”
While Horvath has been a revelation for Molde, currently sixth in the Norwegian Eliteserien, the netminder isn’t the only young American impressing overseas.
Nobody was been more touted over the past year than Matt Miazga, who made his high-profile transfer abroad to English Premier League side Chelsea. After working his way up in the ranks of the New York Red Bulls, the centerback turned his attention to the national scene, eventually making his senior debut during November’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Klinsmann expressed he has no doubt that Miazga and other Americans playing in Europe will serve integral roles next month, but the issue of their clubs releasing them does remain a major concern.
“Obviously having our U-23 players involved in several clubs in Europe right now is very important to us,” Klinsmann stated. “Even more important to us will be that they are released by their clubs for Olympic qualifiers at the end of March, which is not mandatory. We really rely on the willingness of their clubs to let them go.
“Players like Matt Miazga from Chelsea, Emerson Hyndman from Fulham, Ethan Horvath and so on. We have a good group of young players coming through the ranks in Europe and fighting their way through, but we have the issue that they are not mandatory on the release issue, so hopefully we can get that done.”