US Men’s National Team goalkeeper Matt Turner has been no stranger to adversity throughout his soccer career. At Fairfield University in 2013, he made an audacious error that featured on SportsCenter Not Top 10. He then went undrafted in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft before eventually signing with the New England Revolution, who immediately sent him out on loan. In 2019 he was buried on the depth chart as their 3rd string goalie.
But, through it all, Turner has persevered again and again to reach the highest levels the beautiful game has to offer, going from New England star to Arsenal backup, to a Premier League starter at Nottingham Forest. Now, with criticism coming from multiple angles once again over his poor play, the US star will need to scratch and claw to keep his spot as a GK in the best league in the world.
Turner’s up-and-down play has been a big influence on Nottingham Forest betting lines throughout the season affecting sportsbooks with betting offers. But, is there still time to reclaim his place next season?
After a single season at Arsenal, where he made seven total appearances including multiple exceptional performances in the Europa League, Turned showed enough promise for Nottingham Forest to name him their starting keeper for the 2023-24 season.
For a player who was in the MLS less than two years before, it must have been a dream come true for Turner, who recorded his first Premier League clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 2nd, 2023.
But, the good times wouldn’t last for Turner, as Forest languished near the bottom of the table, and weren’t helped by his multiple high-profile errors that cost the team points. Always a reliable shot-stopper with good hands, the American GK routinely struggled with the ball at his feet, getting caught in compromising situations multiple times and struggling to distribute effectively.
As a result, Turner lost his starting spot for good in mid-January, and it doesn’t appear that he’ll get another shot this season behind Matz Sels and Odysseas Vlachodimos.
At this point, Matt Turner has only one chance of regaining the starting spot at Nottingham Forest for the 2024-2025 season, dominating at the international level. Turner is still the #1 option for the United States Men’s National Team, and the 29-year-old shot-stopper from New Jersey will have a major chance to prove himself at this summer’s Copa America.
International tournaments have long been a place for players to prove their worth and, if Turner can help lead the US on a serious run while playing well against elite teams like Brazil and Argentina in the process, Nottingham Forest might reconsider their decision to bench him earlier this season.
But, as it stands now, Turner is highly unlikely to start the 2024-25 season in net for Forest unless he makes a serious international impact.
