Freese or Turner? The U.S. Men's Goalkeeper Debate at Gold Cup Is A Hot Topic
AUSTIN, Texas – Without giving away his starting lineup, U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino hinted at where things stand with the goalkeeper situation ahead of the squad's Gold Cup match on Thursday against Saudi Arabia (9:15 p.m. ET on FOX).
"I think we all know Matt Turner, how good he is, he's an experienced player," Pochettino told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. "But it's a really tough moment for him after one year he didn't play too much [with his club at Crystal Palace]. I think it's also a good opportunity to take some of the pressure off of him and give an opportunity to another keeper to show it's possible to fight for a place in the World Cup [roster].
"The opportunity for Matt Freese is an opportunity that he deserves because he's played well in his club and of course he's played in two games [for the USMNT] now, and it's an opportunity for Matt Freese to see how he deals with the pressure to be No. 1 in the national team."
Pochettino did not say that Freese had unseated Turner as the Americans' starter. However, Freese, 26, has now started two of the last three matches. He earned his first cap in a narrow 2-1 loss to Türkiye in a tune-up friendly before Turner resumed his place in goal during a 4-0 loss to Switzerland. Pochettino went with Freese again in the Gold Cup opener, a resounding 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
Pochettino said ahead of that match that he trusted Turner, but wanted to give Freese more experience. Trinidad and Tobago weren't dangerous around the goal, though the New York City FC goalkeeper was forced to make a couple of big plays. Early in the second half, he got a hand on what otherwise would have been a goal for the Soca Warriors.
Earlier this month at the start of camp, Turner, 30, spoke frankly about his place within the USMNT's goalkeeper pecking order.
"I don't see myself as the 'No. 1 No. 1' all the time," Turner said. "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've 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.' And I think anybody could attest to the work that I've put in to earn each opportunity I get."
Turner was the USMNT's starting goalkeeper during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, at last summer's Copa América, and he played in both of the Concacaf Nations League matches in March, which ended in disappointing losses to Panama and Canada.
But his lack of club minutes has become concerning, especially with the 2026 World Cup on home soil now less than a year away. Aside from playing for the national team, his last competitive match for Crystal Palace was a 3-1 FA Cup win over Millwall on March 1 and he didn't play in a league match all season. Turner is reportedly expected to move to Ligue 1 club Lyon next season, the hope being that would result in more playing time.
Meanwhile, Pochettino could go with Freese again versus Saudi Arabia and potentially against Haiti in the team's third and final group stage match on Sunday in Arlington, Texas (7 p.m. ET on FOX). If the U.S. continues to advance in the Gold Cup, the opponents will get tougher, and then Pochettino's decision in goal will become even more fascinating.
Pochettino also mentioned on Wednesday that midfielders Tyler Adams (foot) and Johnny Cardoso (illness), who were not available for the last match, trained with the team this week and could be back on the pitch Thursday. It would benefit the U.S. to get two more experienced players back in the lineup as Saudi Arabia is a "really competitive" side, Pochettino said.
"They did very well, beating Argentina in the last World Cup, and they've improved a lot," said Pochettino, who is from Argentina. "The characteristics of the Saudi Arabia players is fast, good speed, good technique. Tomorrow will be a challenge for us. I think it's going to be a very good test against a very good team. They beat Haiti, and we both have three points.
"I think it's important for us to win the game and know that it's going to be a really tough game."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman .
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