USA goalkeeper discussion thread - Episode IV: No Hope

Yea, see, the the big problem is right at the end there where Guzan falls off right when Howard does…

Guzan was suppose to finally be the dude post 2014 WC and he turned into a pumpkin for some reason instead.

Guzan could/should have been an EPL quality keeper for the 2018 and 2022 WC cycles and maybe even still one today.

 

I suspect that Freese and/or Brady will get a game in the group phase.
But when the games matter, it'll be Turner in the nets.

By the time WC26 is over, Matt Turner will be sitting 3rd all-time in wins for a US keeper.
Behind only Howard and Keller.

 

He did play over 200 games in England, mostly for Premier League clubs.

When their careers are over Turner versus Guzan will be a close call. You could easily lean it towards Turner.

Turner played well at WC22. We've also won two Nations Leagues and a Gold Cup with him as the starter.

 

Which speaks a lot for a guy who wasn't even starting in MLS til he was like 25 and not even with the NT til 26.

 

All those relegation battles for AV did a number on him. Still even at 33, he was good enough to have remained in the Championship and started but he chose to return to MLS.

 

The fate of Matt Turner in the transfer window will be the biggest factor in our World Cup success, IMO. GK is arguably the most important position on the field. He stops shots. He organizes the defense. He distributes the ball. He takes goal kicks. He saves PKs. And yet our most talented GK is not playing for his club. Most nations would not even call him up, but our pool is so weak that Poch has little choice. A successful move to Lyon could give Turner a lifeline to become the player that we know he can.

I take you back to Euro 1992. Denmark, playing at home and with the best GK in the world, Peter Schmeichel, was able to defeat the more talented Dutch and Germans on the path to victory. The Netherlands, reigning Euro champions, was loaded with talent: Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Bergkamp. The Germans, reigning World Champions, had Klinsmann, Rudi Voller, and Thomas Hasler. But they could not stop a Danish side who was united, fearless, and playing without pressure.

I take you forward to Euro 2004, where the Greeks, playing at home and led by GK Antonis Nikopolidis (Olympiacos legend), were able to defeat Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and Rui Costa.

Will WC 2026 be a repeat of these cups? Expectations are already being lowered for the American side that seems to be in disarray. We got 'em where we want 'em.

 

"He said 'I know Matt Turner's ability, we trust him, but I wanna see how Matt Freese handles this tournament opportunity'."@JennyTaft shares her conversation with USMNT's Mauricio Pochettino after giving Freese the start over Turner at GK ⬇️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/EzRlaueqe1

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 15, 2025

On Freese starting today.

 

We could have had Belinda Carlisle in goal for about 80 minutes of that game. Belinda Carlisle lounging in a lawn chair.

When we needed Matt Freese to be awake for a few moments, he was.

We'll see how serious Pochettino is about Freese based on the rest of this event. If Turner is back in goal for Saudi Arabia, that tells us something. It won't surprise me if Turner gets Saudi Arabia, and we're back to one of the alternative keepers for the Haiti game.

 

How good is Belinda with her feet? Can she handle a back pass? That's what I want to know.

 

If Poch is really serious about Freese (and/or Brady) challenging Turner, we need to see him in the knockout phase against better opponents. [Putting the cart before the horse.] We need to see him against the Canada, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica level opponents.

We'll know soon enough.......................

 

Hush,I was envisioning Belinda from back in the day lounging and you're ruining it.
Yes,I'm old ,thanks for noticing.

 

How's Brady performances for Fire compared to Slonina's (during his time at the club)?

Real curious who'll be the next MLS keeper to make the move abroad (Brady or Freese or Schulte or Celentano or someone else)?

 

I wonder if anyone else gets the same impression of Brady that I do, and that’s he’s really good but still to manic to be great. Needs more experience to calm his mind and his feet.
Slonina might be in the other direction, a little more detached and lacking concentration. Still, I’ve seen this guy be great and he’s a baby for a keeper.
Neither will make the team next summer, so no help now.

 

I heard she was head over heels.

 

You are dating yourself, dude. Only a few on here will have any idea who that is. She was a fine, fine woman back in the early 80s and she still looks great today.

 

Not just dating yourself, also repeating yourself... I remember making a "Dottie Danger" comment last time.

 

Freese only had to do one big thing against TNT. But guess what? Unlike Turner for a long time now Freese actually did the one big thing. He's stays in the net tonight.

 

Matt Turner was in the nets for........................the 6-0 victory at the last Gold Cup against T&T. He'd have been fine.

Heck, his debut for the USMNT came against T&T. That was 7-0.

We might have been able to put any MLS starting keeper into that game earlier in the week, and gotten a shutout. Maybe a portion of the backups too.

That was a noncompetitive performance from T&T, so we basically learned nothing.

If Freese gets another start tonight against Saudi Arabia, hopefully it's a sterner test.

 

Her new album is coming out in August.

 

Not entirely correct.

1. Freese did make one very good save and didn't give up a gimme rebound goal.
2. Freese clearly showed he's better with the ball at his feet than Turner.

 

I want to see Freese. And honestly he could have a gaffe or two before I think you go right back to Turner.

 

Update for this list of starts by goalkeepers in the 2026 cycle in matches during international breaks:

Matt Turner - 28 starts
Matt Freese - 3 starts
Sean Johnson, Ethan Horvath, and Patrick Schulte have 1 start each.

It's an unambiguous positive that Pochettino has taken the risk on somebody else. Turner has ranged between fine and okay for the US, but with his club struggles since 2023, it is critically important to test at least one other option out for the goalkeeper position.

I would be okay with Turner getting a start against Haiti with the US having advanced, but Freese should be in goal for the Quarterfinal.

 

Hard to make much of a judgment on Freese... barely been called into action the first two games

 

I’d sort of like to see Brady get a chance against Haiti. Not because he’s surpassed Turner but just so he gets an opportunity.

 

But we can see from how Brady performs in MLS that he's just not USMNT level yet. Freese is top five in MLS this year, Brady is just around average (a big improvement from 2024 when he was bad).
The odds of Brady surpassing even a rusty Turner for #2 before the World Cup seem very low.