Mauricio Pochettino will have plenty of key roster decisions to make ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup opener against Paraguay and one of them will be deciding who his starting goalkeeper is.
Matt Turner and Matt Freese have continued to jostle for the No. 1 job as training camp continues from Irvine, California. Turner has World Cup experience under his belt after starting all four of the USMNT’s matches at Qatar 2022 but Freese has played more under Pochettino’s time as head coach.
Both goalkeepers confirmed that Pochettino has not named a starter yet for the Paraguay showdown on Friday, with Turner admitting that spots are still up for grabs until gameday arrives.
“I think everyone has understood that as long as we’re training, spots are up to be jockeyed for,” Turner said to media about fighting for his opportunity.
“You might have to wait until the day of the game to find out,” he added. “So I think for us it creates a really great environment of competition. Everybody knows that if you train well and you’re ready, your number could be called at any moment.”
Both Freese and Turner have remained MLS starters in 2026 which has led to their continued inclusion in Pochettino’s plans. Both of them earned one start apiece in the March window against Belgium and Portugal before also earning minutes, alongside Chris Brady in the recent final tuneups against Senegal and Germany.
Turner may have the edge in terms of age and overall experience but Freese played a major role for the USMNT in 2025, holding the advantage in starts last year over Turner by a 13-to-3 margin.
Freese and Turner have continued to support for one another on the field while not listening to the chatter going on from American fans and pundits alike.
“There’s a healthy mutual respect between us,” Turner said. “Whatever the coach ultimately decides, we owe it to each other to respect that decision and support each other all the way till the end.”
“I don’t hear it,” Freese added about the noise surrounding the No. 1 goalkeeper position. “I’m not really listening to anyone outside of the guys with me and the coaching staff. I’m focused on just doing my thing, each and every day, and being present.”
The USMNT will have two final training sessions before opening Group D play up against the Paraguayans on Friday night.