USMNT Goalkeeping Situation, Turner Continue To Be Big Question Marks

It’s no fun or easy being a U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper these days.

Two keepers who were selected to the team for training camp and the Concacaf Gold Cup later this month have been sidelined with injuries.

On May 24, Columbus Crew keeper Patrick Schulte suffered an oblique injury during pregame warm-ups against Charlotte FC on May 24 and will be sidelined from two to six weeks.

On Wednesday, June 4, Colorado Rapids goalie Zack Steffen was sent home after suffering a knee injury in training the previous. Steffen has the second most appearances of any USMNT goalkeeper with 30, and there seemed to be signs pointing that would get an opportunity to play this month.

That left veteran Matt Turner (51 caps) and a pair of international virgins in camp as the team prepares for the Concacaf Gold Cup – Matt Freese (New York City FC) and Chris Brady (Chicago). That’s right. They have never played for the USMNT.

From strength to potential weakness

For a national team program that is known for boasting such stalwart netminders as Tony Meola, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard over the past three decades, the U.S. faces quandary these days.

Once a strength in the USA arsenal, it is now considered a giant question mark, if not a potential weakness, in some quarters.

With precious national team playing dates dwindling as we are on a year out to the 2026 World Cup, it sometimes feels like the goalkeeping situation will be determined by attrition. Who knows? Perhaps it will be the last one standing who could wind up backstopping the USA next year.

Given his national team experience, Turner at the present time is in the driver’s seat, but he has issues, as in not playing enough. While on loan from Nottingham Forest, the 31-year-old keeper did not see any action for English F.A. Cup champion Crystal Palace during the Premier League season. He did play in four cup matches – three in the F.A. Cup and one in the League Cup.

That’s nowhere near enough and not exactly what any national team head coach would want from his top goalie.

Goalkeepers need to play regularly to keep their sharpness.

Training every day will take you only so far.

USMNT supporters were reminded of Turner’s questionable decision making in the 1-0 loss to Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in March. If he had been playing regularly for a club, perhaps Turner would have been sharper.

Who’s number one?

Then again, Turner claimed he wasn’t number one.

“I don’t see myself as the number one, number one all the time,” he said during a Wednesday Zoom press conference. “I think that’s my mindset going into every camp right now, is that every inch, every opportunity needs to be fought for. And every opportunity that I’ve had under this current staff, I’ve earned by my performances within training and the opportunities that I had this past season with Crystal Palace. I never think to myself, ‘Oh, I’m going to come in and I’m going to play, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that. I think anybody could attest to the work that I put in to earn each opportunity that I get.

“So, in terms of the pecking order, listen, there’s lots of good goalkeepers in the pool right now. I think a lot of guys are performing well, especially some of the guys here in MLS. It’s nice to be around them, to train with them, and to just keep pushing myself and for them, and pushing them to get better and hold the standards true to what we want to build on this national team.

“And hopefully I will have some news for you, for in terms of my future this summer.”

It could be in Europe or could be back in MLS.

“I think I’d always be open to coming back home,” he said.

But let’s face it. It is more lucrative and more prestigious playing abroad, especially in Europe.

Turner, who starred for the New England Revolution before signing with Arsenal in 2022, needs to find a team in which he will play regularly with that big tournament coming around at this time next year.

Any time an American ventures to play across the pond, it is always a gamble on whether he or she will get playing time. If you’re a field player, a coach will find room for you. You can play only one goalkeeper at a time.

Turner said that finding the right team and situation is much easier said than done.

“I’ve had a lot of positive talks with a lot of different clubs,” Turner said, adding that “the important thing for me is finding the right situation for me to play in and to maximize what I feel is, is my potential as well.

“It’s not as cut and dry anymore in player movement in general. If you look around the European soccer world especially, a lot of new financial rules and regulations are in place. Clubs have to do business and get creative … in certain situations. It’s not always just, I point my finger to this club. ‘This is a good situation. I want to go here. Let’s make that happen.’ There’s other factors at play. You have to weigh up the family side. You have to weigh up the personal side, and then obviously the playing side. And then what works from club to club as well.”

Many questions to answer

It may be a while before the USMMNT’s goalkeeping puzzle will be solved. won’t be solved.

With friendlies with Turkey (June 7) and Switzerland (June 10) looming and then the Concacaf Gold Cup starting against Trinidad & Tobago on June 15, perhaps Mauricio Pochettino will get some answers by then.

There are still plenty of questions ahead.

Will he play Turner in all five matches?

Will Freese or Brady get some much-needed international experience?

How will any of those three keepers fare in pressure situations?

Can the USMNT go deep in the tournament behind some impressive goalkeeping performances?

So many questions and so few answers, at least for now