USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen vents about World Cup snub from Gregg Berhalter but says therapy helped him get over 'tough' situation

• Steffen a surprise omission from squad
• Berhalter wanted Matt Turner as his No. 1
• Goalkeeper using snub as motivation

WHAT HAPPENED? Gregg Berhalter's decision to omit Steffen from his squad raised eyebrows, with the coach opting for Matt Turner, Sean Johnson and Ethan Horvath instead. Steffen, who spent much of the pre-World Cup cycle as a starter, has previously admitted he was "heartbroken" at not being at the tournament and has now opened up further on how it felt to be left behind.

He claimed Berhalter's reasoning for his omission didn't sit right with him, but that he's been able to get over the disappointment in recent months.

WHAT THEY SAID: Berhalter wanted an undisputed No. 1 in Arsenal's Matt Turner, rather than a potential goalkeeping controversy in Qatar, something the goalkeeper says he wasn't aware of at the time. He told ESPN: "I didn't hear about that until a couple of months later. I heard someone say it but I thought it was a rumour. He and I have a long history and, yeah, I thought it was a little bit different than it was. That was a tough pill to swallow for sure but if that's the way it is then that's the way it is.

"It was really tough. But I wanted to support the boys because the brotherhood we have is so special and that's something you don't really let anything get in the way of. It was tough to watch it with family and friends and not be there but that's football and that's life and everything happens for a reason."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Steffen also has revealed how he spoke to family, friends and a therapist to cope with the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup.

"In the past I would bottle things up but that's never a good thing to do so this time, I spoke about it to my family and my friends," he said. "I have a life coach I spoke with, and a therapist. By getting it all out there and getting your feelings off your chest, that helped. It still took some time to get over but in time it just makes you stronger and you can use it as motivation to keep working and keep moving."

AND WHAT'S MORE: Steffen returned to USMNT camp last month and is hopeful he can reclaim his starting place from Turner before the 2026 World Cup.

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IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Steffen is due to return to action on Friday for Middlesbrough against Norwich City in the Championship. The goalkeeper has already said he has no plans to return to parent club Manchester City at the end of the season.