Goalkeeper Battle Takes a Turn

One Earns a Clean Sheet as the Other Makes a Big Error as the Battle Takes Another Turn

With the World Cup just weeks away, the battle for the United States men's national team's starting goalkeeper spot intensified on Wednesday night, and neither Matt Turner nor Matt Freese did their cause any straightforward favors.

Freese, widely considered the frontrunner for the number one shirt heading into the tournament, gave American fans a nervous moment during New York City FC's 1-0 win at Charlotte FC. The 27-year-old appeared to get caught by both an opposing player and his own defender while coming out for a save attempt, and was soon hobbling before going to ground in pain. After a trainer came out to assess the injury, Freese opted to play on and ultimately delivered, recording his fourth clean sheet of the season and his second in less than a week. NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen admitted he hadn't seen the collision itself but spotted a significant mark on Freese's shin at halftime. "They got him pretty bad, but he's a big boy. He'll handle himself," Jansen said, adding that there were "no worries" about the keeper's fitness going forward.

With the US opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles scheduled for June 12, that will come as a relief. Freese has been the primary starter since last summer's Gold Cup, though the race has tightened in recent weeks.

Turner, meanwhile, endured a difficult evening for New England Revolution against Nashville SC, conceding three goals and committing an error that led directly to one of them—playing the ball straight to an opponent while trying to build out from the back. He faced an xGOT of just 1.29, meaning he conceded significantly more than those chances warranted.

Statistically, the pair are remarkably level in MLS this season, with both keeping three clean sheets. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has two more international friendlies to make up his mind before naming his starting goalkeeper, and Wednesday's contrasting nights did little to make that decision any easier, especially after neither separated themselves during the March international break.