Pochettino Considers Goalkeeper Rotation for the USMNT
The United States national team coach, Mauricio Pochettino, has expressed his intention to evaluate other goalkeepers besides Matt Turner in the upcoming matches, with an eye towards the 2026 World Cup.
Turner, who is not currently getting regular minutes with his club, Crystal Palace, could face competition for the starting position in the national team.
Turner’s last appearance in an official match was during the Concacaf Nations League in March, where the American team suffered a 2-1 defeat against Canada in the third-place match.
His last competitive match with Crystal Palace was in the 3-1 FA Cup win against Millwall on March 1. This season he has not seen action in the league and was a substitute in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
The United States has friendlies scheduled against Turkey and Switzerland in early June, followed by the Concacaf Gold Cup later in the month.
Pochettino’s team will begin the Gold Cup group stage against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, followed by matches against Saudi Arabia four days later and Haiti on June 22.
The Gold Cup will be the last competitive tournament before the United States co-hosts the 2026 World Cup along with Canada and Mexico.
“I think it’s true that [Turner] is not playing and we spoke with him and we conveyed the idea that, in the future, in a year, I think he needs to find a way to compete every week,” Pochettino said.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino added that, otherwise, Turner could fall behind his teammates.
“It’s open in our minds, it’s open for another player to challenge between [the goalkeepers] and maybe try to give the possibility to play to another player.”
The American coach was also asked about PSV defender Sergiño Dest, who recently returned to the field after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Dest is an important playmaker for the USMNT, and his absence was felt during the Nations League.
But Pochettino insisted that he will not rush to bring Dest back completely, and that he will make “the best decision for him thinking not only about the present, [but] also about his future and the future of the national team”.
Regarding the preparation for the Gold Cup, Pochettino indicated that the players involved in the upcoming friendlies will also be the ones who will play in the Gold Cup.
“I think that under our consideration, the percentage is going to be high, the players who are going to be involved in the first two friendly matches and then in the Gold Cup,” he said. “I think it’s a logical decision because I think if you want to prepare [for] the Gold Cup, I think you need your players to be in shape in the competition and in training.”
