Sport: Soccer
Born: June 24, 1994
Town: Park Ridge, New Jersey
Matthew Charles Turner was born June 24, 1994 in Park Ridge, NJ. Matt’s father’s family emigrated to the US from Lithuania and changed heir name from Turnovski at Ellis Island. Tall and agile, Matt gravitated to baseball and basketball as a boy. Soccer wasn’t on his radar until he entered St. Joseph’s, a Catholic high school in nearby Montvale. Matt joined the freshman soccer squad, mostly to stay in shape for the next two sports seasons. When the team’s goaltender was injured, he volunteered to fill in and soon found that the skills he had developed on the diamond and the hardwood were very translatable.
Matt enrolled at Fairfield University in Connecticut and developed into a first-rate keeper. As a senior in 2015, he was named to the All-Metro Athletic Conference team. By then, Matt was playing for the Jersey Express in the Premier Development League. They finished in first place in 2014. The MLS SuperDraft came and went in early 2016, but Matt did not get picked. He was given a tryout by the New England Revolution and made the club as a backup—and then was loaned out to the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League.
It took Matt several years to find his footing as a pro but, in 2020, he had a breakout season for the Revs. He started all but one of the team’s games and helped them reach the playoffs for the first time in five years. Matt served up 5 clean sheets and was a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors. He was named team MVP and Player of the Year.
In 2021, Matt was called up to the national team and shut out Trinidad & Tobago in his first match, stopping a penalty shot for good measure. Matt went on to be named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and also garnered the All-Star MVP after stopping two penalty shots against the Mexican League (Liga MX) All-Stars. He also turned in five clean sheets during the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including a 1–0 blanking of Mexico in the final.
Following his 17-win MLS campaign, Matt agreed to join Arsenal, his longtime favorite team in the Premier League for the 2022–23 season. He was at the top of his game at this point, playing his best in Europa League competition for Arsenal against top-flight opponents.
Matt was selected by Team USA coach Gregg Berhalter to be his starting goalie for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Matt was one of 10 Arsenal players to suit up for their respective national teams. He made some terrific saves in draws against England and Wales, and shutout Iran in a do-or-die group final. The young American played with spirit and confidence, but in their first knockout match, they lost to the Netherlands, 3–1.