By Jacob Maddaford
Cardiff City goalkeeper Ethan Horvath is targeting three wins from their last three games as he looks to secure a spot on the plane for the Copa America this summer.
The American has kept four clean sheets in 13 appearances for the Bluebirds, as is eyeing a place in the USA squad this summer, as his country host the tournament in June.
“We want to go out on a high, for ourselves and our fans especially,” Horvath said, ahead of his club’s game at home to Southampton on Saturday.
“We have three tough games coming up, two at home and one away, but we know if we perform at our best we can win.”
https://twitter.com/CardiffCityFC/status/1780959470035599579
The 28-year-old will finish the campaign with Cardiff and then turn his focus to making sure he is in the USA squad ahead of the Copa America.
“We have two friendlies, before the tournament at the start of June, and then we go into the tournament.
“If I get called in, it’ll be a really proud moment for me, I’m really looking forward to it.
“My first camp in 2016, which was the 50th anniversary of Copa, you can see how big it was.”
“We’re building something special there, and hopefully we can go on a good run in the tournament.”
The competition is the first of two tournaments the United States are hosting over the next few years, as they are one of the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup.
Ethan Horvath was in goal for Cardiff City's win over Coventry and USMNT players Kristoffer Lund and Gianluca Busio scored in Serie B. https://t.co/K5STNodHrM
— US Soccer Players (@ussoccerplayers) April 2, 2024
Horvath added: “I wouldn’t say that there’s pressure on us, but we want to go as far as possible and do the same thing come 2026.
“Our season ends May 4, and other seasons don’t end until two or three weeks after.
“My first camp was unbelievable. We played Argentina in the semi-finals, played in front of 75,000 people, when they had Lionel Messi and other top players.
“They breath, eat, sleep football, there, so it’ll be unbelievable.”
Ethan Horvath on USA chants:
“Hearing those chants puts a smile on my face! It’s nice to hear, because I want to do my best for the club and for the fans.”#CardiffCity pic.twitter.com/WZ2twepMZK
— ccfcinsider (@ccfcinsiderr) March 9, 2024
With Cardiff’s season ending earlier than others across the Atlantic, Horvath has already made plans for what he will do with his brief time off before the tournament.
“I’m going to take some time off, spend it with my wife and my daughter, just take it easy.
“Some time before the camp, I’ll start training and get myself fit.”
Horvath has also spoken about his own form at Cardiff since signing on loan from Nottingham Forest.
“It’s never easy coming in half way through the season. To get thrown at this stage, there are positives and negatives.
“As a whole, I’m really happy with how I’ve done. I’ve tried to do the best I can for the team, so I’m pleased.”
https://twitter.com/RenatoSosua/status/1778320298741211324
