Downingtown’s Zack Steffen, 20, future U.S. goalie?

A dozen days.

That constituted an offseason for Zack Steffen this summer, home in Downingtown. That many days between returning from a successful stint as the starting American goalkeeper at the Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand and heading off to another continent, to his professional team in Germany.

If a keeper from Chester County eventually represents the United States in a World Cup, remember the dues he is paying now. Steffen spent his winter and spring as the reserve goalkeeper on a German Bundesliga team's reserve squad. Of the experience, Steffen said, "From the start, it was awesome."

He also doesn't deny the obvious when talking about being a year-round pro: "It's grueling, it's just a grind."

Each step of his path, the 20-year-old picks up admirers. You hear the words "next Tim Howard" attached to Steffen's name a lot, referring to the American goalkeeping star. Past greats such as Kasey Keller show Steffen great respect.

Steffen graduated from Downingtown West High and played two years at the University of Maryland, then started his professional soccer journey last year. Years ago, his coach at powerhouse FC Delco, Alan Mezger, got a close look at the teenage keeper joining his club. He said to his assistants, "We need a goalie coach for this kid."

Not because Steffen needed help. Steffen was so advanced that Mezger decided the 13-year-old already knew everything they could teach him.

"You could just see what he was going to end up being," said Mezger, who pointed out that FC Delco has had other goalkeepers and many field players go on to great college and even productive pro careers. "He is the best player this area has produced in a long time," Mezger said.

The world got glimpses this summer at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Big penalty saves. Chatter about European clubs being interested.

"I don't pay attention to it," Steffen said about transfer rumors. "I keep my mind straight."

On Day 9 of his dozen at home, Steffen returned a message through Mezger in response to an interview request. He was apologetic that it took him a whole day to text back, saying he'd be glad to talk.

In person? His schedule was crazy. He had only 36 hours left. He'd prefer to do it on the phone.

He had Day 10 fully booked already, joining high school buddies at a lake in Chester County. They brought a friend's canoe and tied it up to a tree that had fallen into an inlet. They just hung out. It sounded perfect, given the craziness of his other 111/2 months. He called that afternoon using a buddy's cellphone. (His cell is on a German plan.)

Back in high school, Steffen convinced his mother to let him transfer from Malvern Prep to Downingtown West because all of his friends were there. It turned out great. His path on the soccer field was already set by then.

As a little guy, Steffen had been a defender. He filled in at keeper on an under-10 team when the starter couldn't make it to a tournament, held out by his parents because of grade issues. He never turned back.

If Steffen really makes it big, there will be knowing nods from those that saw him play for West Chester United, the FC Delco Cannibals, and the Philadelphia Union's academy team. Malvern Prep and Downingtown West teammates all must expect it.

"He was a born leader," Mezger said. "I haven't seen kids have such respect for a player. We've had some great leaders, but his teammates [the same age] almost looked up to him."

The coach also said he never had a keeper before "who I was surprised when he got scored on," even on deflections or a rifle shot to the upper left corner. "Some of the saves I've seen him make, you shake your head at," Mezger said.

Deciding to go to Germany, signing a contract right after his sophomore season at Maryland, turned out to be the right move, Steffen said. There was no hazing of the American when he got to Freiburg. He's still learning German, but his goalkeeping coach speaks English. He talked of different styles of keeping, "the South American style, the American style kind of coming into its own," and how the German style includes a lot of kick saves, foreign to him. He's adding that to his repertoire.

He understood going in last December that nothing would be given to him, that he would be the backup on the reserve team. This season, the top reserve keeper has moved on, so the job is open. Freiburg was relegated from the first to second division, but Steffen said that doesn't impact his status.

He said that going to the U-20 World Cup straight from a reserve role with just a couple of warm-up games made him nervous. He didn't feel he was as sharp in the beginning as he wanted to be. Still, he earned raves as the U.S. team reached the quarterfinals and came into his own as the tournament progressed.

He's back in Freiburg now, set up in a "very nice" three-room apartment, Steffen said.

His mind-set remains overwhelmingly positive. Even in his truncated offseason, the keeper was glad he "was able to take 12 days off."

@jensenoffcampus