U.S. Defender Walker Zimmerman Celebrates Trip to World Cup: ‘Praising God’
By Movieguide® Staff
After the U.S. men’s national team defeated Iran in a group stage match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar 1-0, the team will advance to the knockout round.
The U.S. tied both their previous matches against Wales (1-1) and one of the tournament favorites, England (0-0).
Their strong defensive showing thus far in the World Cup could be the key to their success, after only conceding one goal through the entire first round; off a penalty against wales.
The defense is led by Walker Zimmerman at center back, who is the only MLS (Major League Soccer) to start for the U.S. national team in the World Cup.
“Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup, and in order to do that, we have to get to the knockout stages,” Zimmerman told reporters ahead of their game versus Iran. “For us, our knockout game comes one game earlier. … We have no problem with that, starting our knockout a little bit earlier.”
Zimmerman made a crucial play on a ball shot by England superstar Harry Kane, a block which helped escape England with a draw.
MLS players are not normally being top prospects for the FIFA World Cup, but Zimmerman called his participation in this year’s cup a dream come true.
“It’s always been the dream. Really, when you take a step back, realizing that you’re living out your dream, it’s something that’s really special. That’s when I think you start to feel really proud about all the hard work that you put in and all the sacrifices that you made along the way.”
When he learned the news of his starting role on the U.S. team, Zimmerman thanked God.
“A lifelong dream come true. Praising God for this opportunity. Here we gooo!” he wrote.
“From a very early age, I think I had a very strong understanding of not only having morals and what it’s like to love other people, but also it created a foundation for me spiritually, where I think my faith has played a huge role in kind of my development over the years,” Zimmerman told Sports Spectrum on a recent podcast episode.
In 2021, Zimmerman became a father to his first son, shared with his wife, Sally.
“Really, it’s about finding the patience and learning about how sacrificial God’s love is for us through my love for my son,” Zimmerman added. “It really kind of changes the picture for me and helps you realize actually what a great sacrifice Jesus was on the cross when you think about God giving His only Son for us.”
Zimmerman and the U.S. take on Netherlands on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:00am.
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