Walker Zimmerman ruled out of Gold Cup

Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman has been ruled out for the remainder of the Gold Cup with a hamstring injury and will withdraw from the squad ahead of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s quarterfinal against Jamaica on Sunday. The centerback will be replaced by New England Revolution defender Henry Kessler.

Zimmerman captained the U.S. in their final two group stage matches, and was a standout performer as the squad won Group B. A strong showing at the Gold Cup could put Zimmerman in the mix for minutes in World Cup qualifying this fall. With a starting spot seemingly up for grabs, Zimmerman’s strong showing made a case to be included in manager Gregg Berhalter’s plans going forward.

Zimmerman is the second Nashville player to withdraw from the Gold Cup due to injury. Midfielder Aníbal Godoy also picked up a hamstring injury before the tournament began and was unable to play for Panama in their campaign.

While it’s obviously disappointing news for Zimmerman, it’s fortunate that the injury wasn’t as severe as initially feared. He’ll return to Nashville, where he’ll likely be out for several weeks instead of several months.

Author: Ben Wrightis the Director of Soccer Content and a Senior MLS Contributor for Broadway Sports covering Nashville SC and the US National Team. Previously Ben was the editor and a founder of Speedway Soccer, where he has covered Nashville SC and their time in USL before journeying to Major League Soccer since 2018. Raised in Louisville, KY Ben grew up playing before a knee injury ended his competitive career. When he is not talking soccer he is probably producing music, drinking coffee or hanging out with his wife and kids. Mastodon

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