Pochettino still – With World Cup play set to begin June 12, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has not announced who will start in goal against Paraguay in Los Angeles. The choice appears to be narrowed to a two-man race between veteran Matt Turner and World Cup rookie Matt F
There’s a countdown already running for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and it doesn’t stop at kickoff times or travel days.
World Cup play starts on June 12. The U.S. first match comes against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Yet one of the biggest questions for Mauricio Pochettino still hasn’t been answered: who will start in goal.
Pochettino has not named his primary goalkeeper for that Paraguay match. Instead. the decision has narrowed into a tight two-man race between Matt Turner. a World Cup veteran. and Matt Freese. a World Cup rookie. Saturday’s final pre-World Cup friendly against Germany in Chicago has become the most important audition yet.
Turner and Freese are both already on the radar for different reasons. Turner started the team’s friendly last Sunday—a 3-2 victory over Senegal in which Chris Brady played the second half. Freese, though, did play in that same match. And since Pochettino took over the national team program. Freese has earned the majority of international starts. a factor that has pushed many to believe he could be the one to get the first-call nod.
That’s where the tension sits: experience versus momentum.
Freese, described as a scrappy player who climbed through Major League Soccer ranks, has zero World Cup experience on his resume. Turner, by contrast, was the anchor for the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, playing every single minute of the tournament.
Paul Dolan—former Canadian National Team goalkeeper and current Apple TV MLS analyst—gave his take on why Turner may be the safer bet.
“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].”
Dolan’s view didn’t stop at past tournaments. He also pointed to how Pochettino could weigh the details that happen every day, not just what happens in a single match.
According to Dolan, the choice won’t rely solely on match performances. Pochettino is expected to heavily weigh day-to-day training sessions. The final decision. Dolan said. 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, with Germany in Chicago as the last major test before the games count.
Dolan also floated a specific possibility for how Pochettino could handle it: splitting the workload by playing Turner for 45 minutes and Freese for 45 minutes against Germany, then using that window to finalize his decision.
Right now. Pochettino’s goalkeeper situation is still unresolved—one big uncertainty hanging over a World Cup stretch that begins June 12. The next time the lineup is confirmed, it won’t just be a roster call. It will answer the question the U.S. has been living with for weeks: who will stand between the posts when the tournament finally starts.
USMNT Mauricio Pochettino starting goalkeeper Matt Turner Matt Freese World Cup 2026 Paraguay Los Angeles Germany friendly Chicago Paul Dolan