Nov 21, 2022 - Sports

Colorado's Horvath makes history in Qatar

Esteban L. Hernandez

Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath during the CONCACAF Nations League finals between Mexico and the United States on June 6, 2021, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. Photo: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ethan Horvath's path to representing his country on soccer's biggest stage started when he was 7 years old.

Context: He was raised in a soccer family in Highlands Ranch — his father had played in college, his mother in high school. But he still surprised his family when the young Horvath told his parents he wanted to be a goalkeeper.

His father, Peter, took his son's ambition seriously, and soon they started running backyard drills, according to a Mile High Sports magazine story from 2017.

Driving the news: The work paid off for Horvath, who last week learned he was among the 26 players chosen to represent the United States in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Horvath, who attended Arapahoe High School before dropping out to pursue a professional career, will be the first Coloradan to represent the U.S. on the men's national team in a World Cup.
He currently plays for Luton Town, a club in England's second-tier league.

Between the lines: It's unclear if Horvath will play in the tournament, since he's a backup goalkeeper on the squad.

Most outlets like The Sporting News, CBS Sports, Fox Sports and ESPN have Arsenal's Matt Turner as the USMNT's starting keeper, with Horvath as a strong No. 2 option.

Yes, but: That didn't stop TV's "Ted Lasso" from writing Horvath an uplifting message on a billboard in Denver: "You're the rock and a hard place. Ain't nothing is gonna get past you," the message reads.

What to watch: The USMNT will start its World Cup campaign against Wales at noon today.

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Colorado's Horvath makes history in Qatar

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