They grow up so fast . . .
Ten years ago, playing in the FIFA World Cup was just a dream for Matt Turner. The former Fairfield goalkeeper would probably have done well just to avoid his classmates’ glare back then, because Turner was better known for a faux pas than footballing ability. He was an unfortunate victim of Americans’ insatiable desire to scapegoat even the most unknown of individuals.
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Unlike many of the ‘keepers wearing the mits for their national team at this year’s World Cup, Turner was something of a late bloomer. He didn’t start playing the sport until 16, preferring baseball and basketball instead.
The lanky teenager found that he possessed enough qualities to make himself a solid soccer player. So he plugged away in net, earning conference honors as a high schooler before taking his talents to Division I side Fairfield.
Turner didn’t get much playing time his first few years with the Stags. One of the few times he did get a chance in the sticks, Turner waffled an unusual carom off the crossbar. It was the pure definition of an ESPN “Not Top 10” play, and the video appeared on “SportsCenter” later that week.
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One look at the howler and you can understand why it got all that attention. A wonder strike by the attacker soars into the stratosphere after colliding with the crossbar. Turner, in a position no goalkeeper wants to be, miscalculates the flight of the ball and pushes it into his net. Heartbreaking.
It is the sort of moment when one’s heart sinks to the canvas, and it could easily have destroyed everything that Turner had worked for. But he kept plugging away.
As Fairfield began to rejuvenate itself across the pitch, Turner nabbed the No. 1 jersey as a senior.
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He parlayed that success into a trial with MLS’s New England Revolution, impressing enough to earn a contract to be the team’s third-string keeper. The rest, as they say, is history. Turner went from earning spot minutes in his first few years to becoming one of MLS’s best goalies. From there, he earned a move to Arsenal, where he has looked all the more comfortable even while playing limited minutes.
It has been a long ride for the 28-year old Turner. He didn’t plan on playing soccer, yet alone for the national team, but now he’s in the prime of his career and has been one of the USMNT’s standout performers in Qatar, giving up just one goal, on a Gareth Bale penalty.
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A big step in that journey was taken on a brisk day in 2013, when Turner batted the ball into his own net in the most hilarious of ways. And for that, he’s thankful.
Matt Turner didn’t start playing soccer until he was 16. Before playing in MLS for the New England Revolution, he played college soccer at Fairfield University.
Now, he’s at Arsenal and set to become the starting USMNT goalkeeper at the World Cup.
His story is incredible 👏 pic.twitter.com/cd5wC7YV8s
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 9, 2022
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