Matt Turner not assured of starting in CONCACAF Gold Cup, Pochettino says

Matt Turner isn’t assured of remaining the United States’ starting goalkeeper for the CONCACAF Gold Cup after failing to play for Crystal Palace for the past two months.

Turner has started 14 consecutive competitive matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 dating to the 2022 World Cup, the lone exception a Gold Cup group stage game against St. Kitts and Nevis in 2023.

“Of course, until now Matt was our number-one choice but that can change,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Tuesday during a Zoom news conference. “In our mind it’s open for another player maybe to challenge.”

Turner is among six goalkeepers on the 60-man preliminary roster, joined by Zack Steffen, Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Diego Kochen and Chris Brady. Pochettino intends to pick four for his training camp ahead of games against Turkey and Switzerland that precede the tournament.

Turner, who turns 31 next month, has played just four matches for Crystal Place this season, one in the League Cup and three in the FA Cup. Dean Henderson was in goal when Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final last weekend for its first major trophy.

Turner’s last game was on March 23, the Americans’ 2-1 loss to Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game. His last club match was on March 1.

Since leaving Major League Soccer’s New England for Arsenal in the summer of 2022, Turner has played just 31 club matches in three seasons for the Gunners, Nottingham Forest and Palace. Regaining a starting club job is essential if Turner is to be the U.S. starter at next year’s World Cup.

“We were talking with him,” Pochettino said. “In one year time, I think he needs to find a way to compete every week.”

The U.S. plays Turkey on June 7 at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meets Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup.

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