World Cup: USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino yet to name starting goalkeeper

OAKLAND, Calif. - The U.S. Men’s National Team is entering the final stretch of its World Cup preparations with its biggest positional question mark still unanswered: Who will start in goal?

World Cup play starts on June 12, for the USMNT. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has yet to name his primary goalkeeper for the first match against Paraguay in Los Angeles. 

The decision has narrowed down to a tight two-man race between veteran Matt Turner and rising challenger Matt Freese, making Saturday's final pre-World Cup friendly against Germany in Chicago a critical competition. 

A Tightly Contested Two-Man Race

While Turner started the team's friendly—a 3-2 victory over Senegal last Sunday in which Chris Brady played the second half—Freese did play. However, Freese has earned the majority of international starts since Pochettino took over the national team program, leading many to believe Freese will be tapped to start. 

Experience Versus Recent Form

Freese, a scrappy player who climbed through the Major League Soccer ranks, has zero World Cup experience on his resume. Turner was the anchor for the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, playing every single minute of the tournament.

Former Canadian National Team goalkeeper and current Apple TV MLS analyst Paul Dolan believes Turner’s experience on the world stage gives him the advantage.

"I think Matt Turner is the one you want to go with because of the experience he has having played in the World Cup before," Dolan said. "Though I have to say Matt Freese has done really well recently. Both have done well in the MLS this year, though I have to say Matt Turner [has the edge]."

The Final Evaluation in Training and Match Play

According to Dolan, Pochettino’s ultimate choice will not rely solely on match performances, but will heavily weigh day-to-day training sessions. 

The final decision will likely come down to consistency, specialized experience, and which goalkeeper commands the most confidence from the defensive backline playing in front of them.

U.S. soccer fans may get one final look at both candidates under match conditions this weekend. 

Dolan noted there is a strong possibility that Pochettino splits the workload, playing Turner for 45 minutes and Freese for 45 minutes against Germany to finalize his decision before the matches count.