No one can fault Matt Turner if he’s still buzzing.
The New England Revolution goalkeeper saved a penalty kick Sunday night at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla. in his United States men’s soccer team debut. Turner’s unforgettable moment came in the 65th minute when he denied Trinidad and Tobago’s Alvin Jones’ effort from the penalty spot.
Turner largely had been a spectator until that point, as Team USA was crushing Trinidad 7-0, and he preserved the eye-popping scoreline with his save.
The 26-year-old’s heroics prompted joyous reaction from some of his Revolution teammates past and present.
United States head coach Gregg Berhalter described Turner’s save as “storybook” stuff after the game.
“A late bloomer,” Berhalter said, per The Boston Globe’s Christopher Price. “Really performs well in the league, gets his opportunity with the national team, debuts, saves a penalty to keep to maintain the shutout? It’s a storybook, a storybook type of saga.”
Turner played all 90 minutes of Trinidad-USA. His performance likely will keep him in the running for future appearances in the USMNT’s jam-packed 2021 calendar and perhaps beyond.
