The United States men's national team's journey to Wednesday's Gold Cup semifinal against Panama has been uneven, but Matt Turner has been anything but. The goalkeeper was the star of Sunday's quarterfinal triumph over Canada after saving two penalties in the shootout. In addition to padding his penalty record that includes a save in the USMNT's Gold Cup opener against Jamaica, Turner has served as the picture of consistency as a young team eyes continental silverware.
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Turner's reliability comes as no surprise since he's one of the few first-team regulars competing for the United States at this year's Gold Cup, but his importance to the USMNT serves as a stark reminder of what so many of the American goalkeepers are facing come next season: A club situation that could put a dent in his -- and the team's -- potential.
Turner is a USMNT standout despite his lack of playing time at Arsenal, and his second season in England seems destined to resemble the first. He only earned the nod over the team's first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in cup competitions with only seven starts during the last campaign. He might play even fewer matches as the team trades last season's Europa League berth for a spot in the Champions League.
It makes sense for Turner to search for regular playing time at the club level as the USMNT prep for the 2026 World Cup by hosting next year's Copa America, which will serve as an all-important check-in on the team's prospects before 2026. The goalkeeper would be taking a page out of his teammates' book by eyeing a transfer -- Christian Pulisic's move from Chelsea to AC Milan should be official any day now, while the likes of Brenden Aaronson and Ricardo Pepi have already joined Union Berlin and PSV, respectively.
Consistent club play seems crucial to the USMNT's collective and individual plans to level up after impressing as the youngest squad at last year's World Cup, with the hopes of impressing on home soil in three years' time.
It's part of a bigger problem
Turner isn't the only USMNT goalkeeper without a starting gig for his club. The same is true for Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen.
Horvath served as a backup to Turner at the 2022 World Cup and was the starter for Luton Town as they clinched promotion to the Premier League last season, but the club reportedly declined an option to sign the goalkeeper after his season-long loan. Horvath heads back to parent club Nottingham Forest, but the Premier League club is eager to sign Dean Henderson on a long-term deal after he spent the 2022-23 season there and looked the part.
As for Steffen, he was the first-choice keeper for Championship side Middlesborough last season but returned to Manchester City after his loan ended. He's currently recovering from knee surgery last month, which will keep him out for another month or two and paints an uncertain picture about his transfer prospects this summer.
Regardless of how this summer pans out for any of the USMNT's goalkeepers, Turner's starting spot will likely remain safe for the foreseeable future. A lack of regular playing time at the club level for the national team's shot-stoppers, especially for the first-choice in the position, could serve as the one blemish during a summer transfer window that's delivering for the USMNT so far.
