Bruce Arena expects Revs to be without goalkeeper Matt Turner for extended time
The New England Revolution already knew they’d be without Matt Turner for some time in July, after their starting goalkeeper was named to the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2021 Gold Cup tournament. Now, there’s a more clear timeline, and it’s a long one.
Revs Head Coach and Sporting Director Bruce Arena told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand show on Friday that he is proceeding with the assumption that Turner will miss the entire month of July for New England. The goalkeeper is expected to report to Kansas City for training camp for the USMNT on July 5, and the team is expected to go on a deep run in the tournament.
“We think [Turner’s] gonna miss the whole month of July – there’s no reason to believe the U.S. won’t reach the semifinals or the finals of the Gold Cup, so that’s basically the entire month of July,” Arena said. “We’re prepared for that. We have two goalkeepers in Brad Knighton and Earl Edwards that have been preparing to play the month of July, so we’ll be fine in the goal.”
Arena not only isn’t concerned about the next man up in goal for the Revs, he’s fully supportive of Turner’s achievements as a USMNT player.
“For Matt personally, it’s a great honor,” Arena continued. “He’s improved greatly over the last two years here, and I believe he’s the best domestic ‘keeper in our country right now. And I think he’ll prove that, and hopefully he can move forward with the national team program and be a candidate for the [2022] World Cup roster if they qualify.”
Arena also discussed the Revs’ unusual scoring depth, the approach he took after the team had a rare loss against FC Dallas, and an upcoming match against the Columbus Crew. Listen below for the full interview.
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