Male Player of the Year

Making The Case: Matt Turner for U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year

Now a three-time nominee for U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year, goalkeeper Matt Turner is once again in the running for the annual honor after backstopping the squad through the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup tournaments. Turner delivered another reliable year in net, with his shot-stopping expertise on display throughout his team-high 13 appearances for the USMNT.

READ MORE: 2023 Male Player of the Year Nominees

Fans will have the opportunity to vote on select Player of the Year Awards, with the fan vote comprising 15% of the total vote. Nominees for all awards are selected by U.S. Soccer’s technical staff. Voting for the awards began on Monday, Dec. 11 and closes on Monday, Dec. 18. The winners will be announced in the weeks that follow.

VOTE NOW: Fan Voting for 2023 Player of the Year Awards

Highlights from Turner’s year include:

  • The 29-year-old matched his 2022 tally of shutouts with seven across 13 appearances, a total that’s equal to the third-highest all-time in a calendar year among USMNT net-minders and two behind the record of nine he recorded in 2021.
  • With 17 career clean sheets in official competitions at year’s end, Turner holds the third-highest amount of competitive shutouts among goalkeepers in USMNT history behind only Kasey Keller (34) and Tim Howard (29).
  • Turner received a pair of honors for his play in Concacaf Nations League during the spring, winning the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper award for the second time in his career as well as a spot in its Best XI.
  • He came up big in the team’s run to its second-straight title in the regional tournament, piling up three clean sheets across four matches, which included a four-stop performance in the group’s 2-0 victory against Canada in the final on June 19.
  • Turner then captained the squad during this summer’s Gold Cup. In the tournament’s quarterfinal round, Turner’s shot-stopping ability was on full display when the team’s match against Canada went to penalty kicks. In the opening two rounds, Turner parried away back-to-back attempts from Steven Vitoria and Liam Fraser to help power the USMNT through to the semifinals on a 5-4 finish in penalties.
  • On the club level, Turner made an $8 million move within the English Premier League from Arsenal to Nottingham Forest in early August. He recorded his first clean sheet for his new club on Sept. 2 in a 1-0 road victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and has earned two clean sheets overall across 12 appearances in all competitions.
  • This year marks Turner’s third-straight as a nominee for U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year after previously earning nominations in 2021, when he finished as runner-up for the award, and again in 2022. 

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Matt TurnerMNTMale Player of the Year