There are multiple contenders in camp and multiple left out of it, but each will feel that they can be a part of next summer's squad
Plenty of spots are up for grabs ahead of next year’s World Cup, but the goalkeeper position is the one spot that remains in focus. For years, it's been a traditional strength of American soccer, and while there are some talented players in the pool right now, there are still questions over who will be the No. 1 next summer. For years, there has been a clear hierarchy, and while there is a favorite to start, Matt Turner, several players will feel that they have a chance to make their cases before the World Cup kicks off.
“I think now is the moment to, I think, to show – because it’s a fight between them – to show ‘That I am the No. 1,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said on the podcast. “The two friendly games are good because I think we have the opportunity to see different opportunities and different keepers. But I think I am not worried about that because, like you say, we have quality, and also in behind we have another keeper that can perform.”
So, with one more friendly against Switzerland upcoming before the USMNT kicks off the Gold Cup, who are the goalkeepers in the mix and, realistically, where do they stand one year out from the World Cup? GOAL looks at the state of the goalkeeper race and its contenders…
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty ImagesMatt Turner
The favorite at the moment, although he'll have to prove it this summer.
Turner has been the USMNT's starter since the latter stages of the 2022 World Cup cycle, having used the 2021 Gold Cup as a springboard to become the No. 1 in time for Qatar. However, after featuring just four times this past season while on loan at Crystal Palace, there's a very real discussion centering on how the lack of minutes impacts Turner's starting gig. It's a fair discussion, too. At a position that relies so much on quick decision-making and sharpness, there's rarely ever time for a goalkeeper to work off the rust when they do step back in between the posts.
With the transfer window approaching, Matt Turner understands the importance of making the right club move to stay in contention for the U.S. men’s national team’s No. 1 goalkeeper role. Fortunately for him, that opportunity appears to have arrived: Turner is reportedly set to join French giants Lyon in an $8 million deal. While the move hasn’t been publicly confirmed, he’s expected to link up with fellow U.S. international Tanner Tessmann at the club next season.
Heading into the Gold Cup, Turner knows he needs to make the most of his minutes – a strong showing could help him solidify his place atop the depth chart.
"For me, I don't see myself as the No. 1 all the time," Turner said of the competition. "That's my mindset going into every camp right now: every inch, every opportunity, needs to be fought for. Every opportunity I've had under this current staff, I've earned by my performances in training or the opportunities I've had with Crystal Palace. I never think to myself, 'Oh, I'm going to come in and play' or do this or do that. I think everyone can attest to the work that I put in to earn each opportunity I get.
"In terms of pecking order, a lot of guys are performing well, especially the guys here in MLS, so it's nice to be around them and to keep pushing myself to get better and hold true to the standards of what we want to build on for this national team."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMatt Freese
A standout with NYCFC this past season, Freese was handed the start against Turkey for his USMNT debut and, while he did concede two goals, it was clear that neither was particularly his fault. In the end, he made three saves and was generally good on the ball even when Turkey pressed high.
What Freese has going for him is that he has been truly elite at the most important stat in goalkeeping: saves. He was among the league's leaders in save percentage (73.7 percent) and third in saves at 121 last season. His strengths are, in many ways, similar to Turner's: both are more known for their shot-stopping than their ability to dictate a game with their feet.
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He, like Turner, was also something of a late bloomer, with last season being his true breakout at age 25.
“Patience has definitely been the story, from 2018 to 2023,” he told MLSSoccer.com last year. “It was kind of my first exposure to it and it was definitely hard. But it's an important attribute for someone who wants to rise through the ranks as a goalkeeper, because it's not like any other position.”
Can he replicate Turner's path by using a Gold Cup to vault his way into USMNT contention? It's ironic, yes, but Turner may have laid out a real path for Freese to make his own late run towards a World Cup.
Getty Images SportChris Brady
The third goalkeeper on the roster, it seemed that Brady was one for the future but, due to injuries to Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen, he's here in the present.
At just 21, Chris Brady is already in his third season as the Chicago Fire’s starting goalkeeper, racking up 77 first-team appearances despite his youth. While he has yet to earn a senior cap, Brady brings extensive experience with U.S. youth national teams. He’s played at every level, won the Golden Glove at the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, and featured for the U-23s. Though he was left off the Olympic roster in favor of Patrick Schulte and former Fire standout Gaga Slonina, Brady has worn the U.S. crest plenty of times.
Now, though, he's with the big team, and he's already impressed.
"He's a hard worker and he's got quite a bit of talent on him," Turner said. "It's been nice to get to know him, because I think he was the only goalkeeper that I hadn't been in a camp with that was on the 60-man roster. He's young and I think he's got a lot of potential, so it'll be nice to work with him for a while. Hopefully, I can learn from him, and he can learn from me in some ways as well."
AFPPatrick Schulte
Schulte looked set to really push Turner this summer, but an oblique injury just days before camp ruled him out for the USMNT's summer.
It's a tough break for Schulte, who has been a standout in MLS and done well in his USMNT appearances so far. After starting at the Olympics last summer, Schulte has earned two more caps for the USMNT, taking his total to three after debuting in the January 2024 camp. Although he hasn't played in a senior USMNT tournament, he has proven he can handle the big stage, having earned Best XI and Best Goalkeeper awards for the Crew's run to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup finale.
"You have to be Mr. Reliable," Schulte told GOAL in the spring. "You have to be the guy who is going to save points or save wins. Not that it's pressure, but more so a confidence booster. You have to be that guy and, if you're not that guy, it's going to cause questions…That expectation is sometimes different than with your club. When you go [to the USMNT], you have to be that guy. You have to be that standout, that stud, that can go out there and earn the team wins."
Unfortunately for him, he didn't get a chance to prove it this summer and will now look towards the fall for his next chance in a U.S. shirt.
"The World Cup is in a year, and there's nothing more that I want than to be on that squad and be able to represent the U.S. at a World Cup," he said in the spring. "I want to be the starter, but at the same time, I'd accept any role. I just want to be a part of that group."
