The Interview: Matt Turner
The written Q&A of a really enjoyable conversation with the USMNT keeper about the Japan game, his experience at Arsenal so far, Mikel Arteta, the possibility of starting at the World Cup and more.
MURCIA, Spain — You always know you’re going to get a good interview when you sit down with Matt Turner. And the U.S. and Arsenal goalkeeper didn’t disappoint when we caught up at the team hotel ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia, the last game for the USMNT before the World Cup. We hit on a lot here, from the Japan loss aftermath to his quest to be the No. 1 keeper at the World Cup to lots of detail on what it’s like inside Arsenal and going through so many huge life changes—getting married, becoming a father, moving to England—in the last year.
The entirety of the written interview below is reserved for paid subscribers. As always, you can still get the entire free audio version of my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to go for your pods.
Grant Wahl:
We are here in Murcia, Spain, with the U.S. men's national team, and our guest now is US goalkeeper Matt Turner. Great to see you, Matt. Thanks for coming on the show.
Matt Turner:
Yeah, thanks for having me back.
Grant Wahl:
We're in Spain. It's definitely warmer here than it was in Germany. Tough loss on Friday to Japan. What's the mood in the team now that you've had a couple days here?
“One of my [Arsenal] teammates was talking about how he used spend vacation in Florida a little bit when we were down in Orlando. And he was like, ‘Man, I love Lucky Charms.’ So next time my parents came over, I had them bring a box of Lucky Charms, and I left them in his locker.” — Matt Turner
Matt Turner:
Yeah, I think the message is pretty clear. It's not a performance that we can accept, but at the same time it's sometimes important to have games like that, to sort of show you the way forward. So I think the reaction to that game is going to be pretty telling for this team, especially in World Cup tuneups. If you have a bad game in the World Cup, obviously, margins are thin, but you have to be able to bounce back, and you can't compound things. So I think it's important for this group to learn lessons, given how young we are, and it's not all sunshine, butterflies, and rainbows out there in the world game.
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Grant Wahl:
Are there any additional thoughts on the Japan game? Have the coaches had you watch any of it?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, yeah, we watched it back. I think there's loads of individual meetings, and then we also have meetings as a full team, where the coaching staff gives their thoughts on things. And the players return the favor, and we have a platform where we can give our thoughts on things, and I think it was a really useful exercise to talk about it, go through it, and then put it in the past and put it behind us and learn and move forward.
Grant Wahl:
Is there anything that came out of those, in the sense of if we in future games here see pressure like Japan came with, of ways to deal with it?
Matt Turner:
For sure, yeah, for sure, different ways. I think the big thing is identifying how the pressure's coming, where it's coming from, and then just being able ourselves on the field to implement those strategies. We can't as players rely on our head coach to move us around like chess pieces all game. It has to come from the players a bit while we're out there, and I think the overhanging theme of the whole thing is to compete. I think Japan fouled us almost 20 times, and we maybe fouled them five or six times the whole game.
So we definitely lost the physical edge, which is something that this team pretty much has never done in its entirety, especially throughout the World Cup qualifying cycle, for the most part. But you see in those games that you can think about, in World Cup qualifying, where we didn't match or exceed the physicality, we usually struggled to get the results that we deserved. And that was the same message from the Japan game.
Grant Wahl:
It is an interesting one. I visited the Japan Federation a few years ago, and they actually had a trophy case with all their Fair Play trophies from tournaments over the years. And it's a stereotype that Japan plays a certain way, but they actually fouled you quite a bit in this game.
Matt Turner:
Yeah, they definitely were. They're a physical team, a lot of experience, super organized. But a lot of times, they're fouling us in tactical areas on the field, and then they help you up. So yes, they play fair. They play within the boundaries of the game. But honestly, credit to them. They were organized, disciplined, and like I said, they fouled when they needed to. They got physical when they needed to, and they really brought it to us in the game.
Grant Wahl:
Individually, what did you think of your performance?
Matt Turner:
Individually, happy with the performance, mostly. I'm the type of person that never likes to see the ball hit the net, so things that I can maybe tweak a little bit. I think maybe I could organize the defense better after we turned the ball over on the first goal, and then I think the second goal was actually a really special goal. The window that the player had to shoot and be able to score from that angle was super tight, and he was able to thread it through there. So that's one that you tip your cap to.
So overall I'm happy. I think it's a good building block. It was nice to be able to come into the team and fit back in and feel confident about the performance that I put forward. And hopefully more opportunities afoot.
Grant Wahl:
There's going to be one starting goalkeeper at the World Cup. I don't envision that there will be a platoon. I guess that's possible, but I think there's going to be a number one for the World Cup. What is the scenario that you could see earning you the job?
Matt Turner:
I think obviously, this window is a big indicator. From my perspective, to be able to go out there and show that even though I haven't been playing as consistently as I was in MLS, I can still go out onto the field and be mature and show confidence, show consistency, and keep it simple most of all and help my teammates out and be a guy that my teammates can trust. And I think that that's a big thing, because if you look at the successful World Cups that the US has had in the past, goalkeeping had a pretty strong or big part in those World Cups going so well.
So it's an important position. I think that this window is important for me to help continue that trust, because trust is earned, and you have to maintain it. It's not something that you can just do once and then leave and expect it to be the same. So you have to build up that credit. You have to maintain that credit with the guys around you, and they really need to feel that trust if they're going to play to the best of their ability, as well.
Grant Wahl:
I still remember covering that '02 World Cup. Brad Friedel saving two penalty kicks.
Matt Turner:
Two penalties, yeah.
Grant Wahl:
I don't know if anyone's done that in a World Cup before.
Matt Turner:
Yeah, well, if there was ever a guy, it was probably him. So no, I remember him doing that.
Grant Wahl:
Do you think you'll get enough games at Arsenal to be sharp?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, for sure. Between now and the World Cup starting, there's 13 games for Arsenal. Six of them are in alternate competitions: five Europa League and one cup game. So that's six really good opportunities for me to get on the field, not including the seven Premier League games, where obviously, Aaron's playing really, really well right now, in the Prem. We're top of the table, so obviously, you can't expect much to change, in that sense, when it comes to that. But being ready for the opportunities that present themselves.
Plus, I'll be training and working hard every day. That's just who I am, and I know that there's areas in my game I need to always continue to improve upon, and being at Arsenal is helping me to improve upon those things. And if I was in MLS right now, I would end the season in the beginning of October, and then I would have a month off before the World Cup. So there's arguments to be had on both sides, where at least I'll be training and playing some games, and I'll probably play more games than most between now and then.
Grant Wahl:
You played in the Europa League game for Arsenal. Has there been a specific communication with you from Arsenal that you can expect to play in Europa League games and cup games?
Matt Turner:
That's not really the way they operate. They're not just the type of club, and Mikel is not the type of coach to tell you, "Yes, no matter what, you have all these games." So I think the conversation before the first one was that I've been training well, been working really hard. They're very pleased with where I'm at, and I've earned the right to play in this game.
And then from there, I can't just stroll out there and do whatever and expect to play all of them. I have to continue to, like I said before, build that credit, build that trust with my teammates around me, and most of all win games. So I think they're never the type of staff or club to deal in absolutes, and so for me, it's just taking the opportunities that I get and making the most of them on the field.
Grant Wahl:
Was it cool to play for Arsenal in Europe and make your competitive debut in that game?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, absolutely. It was definitely really cool, and I'm not sure it really hit me until I was there and seeing the fans and everything. I was just trying to play it in my mind as like, "Ah, it's just another game. It's just another game." But then you get there and you see the traveling support that Arsenal has is amazing. You see the fans that Zurich had out there. The stadium was super loud. It wasn't a Central American stadium, but it was pretty dang loud, and that was pretty cool.
So yeah, I think I didn't really have the chance to soak it all in, because at halftime, we get told that Queen Elizabeth II had passed, and then that puts it all into perspective. And being an outsider amongst all that was pretty interesting, because in America, we don't have a monarchy. We don't have that, but to see how much she meant to a lot of people and to see how it affected people in different ways was pretty eye-opening. And I think that that's what my debut turned into, was a period of mourning, really.
Grant Wahl:
Yeah. What has the overall adjustment been like? You've had a lot of changes in your life over the last year. You got married. You're a father. You've moved to London. You're playing for Arsenal. What stands out to you about the move and the adjustment?
Matt Turner:
I'd say the biggest thing for me is I've always been so close to my family and my friends, and being apart from them is more challenging than I thought it would be. Because yes, even though I was in Boston, everyone else is in New Jersey, it was still close enough where my parents could come to most of my games. My friends could make a quick trip up via train or car and come see me. But obviously, I think if it was just Ashley and I that had moved to London, I would have no complaints, nothing bad to say. But being away from family, coming from where I grew up, 30, 40 family members, all within 10 minutes of each other.
So what I'm used to is when someone has a baby, people go over. They take the baby off your hands for an hour or two. You can go and do whatever you want. So honestly, it's been challenging to adjust to that period, especially right after we first got home from the hospital. But I just give so much credit to my wife for making such a big sacrifice, really, to come over. We knew that we would be isolated a little bit, so obviously, that's been hard for her, and especially when I'm traveling around and that. So she's been my rock through it all, and I owe her a lot. I owe her a lot.
Grant Wahl:
And what part of the city in London are you living in? Is there a particular location, and what have you learned about it?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, we live in North London, so they still call it London, but I have sheep in my backyard. Over the fence, I have sheep back there, so it's pretty far out there, but they still call it London, for some reason. I think anything inside the M25 is technically London. I think that that was pretty eye-opening, as well. You think of England as this place that's been inhabited for so long, but there's really a lot of open area of farmland, and that's been pretty cool to see.
So we live close to the training ground, which has been nice. Only 10, 15 minutes away, so getting to and from training is really, really easy, which is nice. So I don't have to drive that much on the other side, and then we have a few places in London that we like to go to. We're not far from a train that is on the Piccadilly Line, so it can take us pretty much anywhere in London, just in a few stops.
Grant Wahl:
Obviously, Arsenal's off to a great start in the league. What are some of the things you've observed about how things are run inside the team on a day-to-day basis, that have stood out to you the most?
Matt Turner:
I'd say one of the big things is organizationally, from top to bottom, everyone's on the same page. Everyone understands their role and how they can best help the team, and I think even the physios and the guys in the weight room, they want to win. It means just as much to them to win as it does to the players. So everyone's bought into the same message, and I think that that's been a huge culture shift. It feels like in America, sometimes people can ...
And I hate to do this England-versus-America thing, because I never wanted to be that person. But I think sometimes, at least from my experience of where I was, you might not have somebody within the organization. Doesn't really care whether or not you win or lose, and in England, that's been the big difference. So because of that, the intensity of training is super, super high, and I think that's from Mikel. He really wants trainings to be intense, and he wants people to compete. So that way, in games, it's just second nature. You don't even have to think. It's like a chip is in your brain already, of how things are going to go.
Grant Wahl:
I've been watching the All-or-Nothing on Arsenal. I'm a Mikel Arteta fan after watching this, know more about him. Have you watched it, and I don't know, learned anything from it?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, I watched it. It was very interesting, because I signed at the end of January, and so because of that, I was watching every single game religiously the rest of the season. And then I would have almost a weekly check-in with the goalkeeper coach, and we'd talk about Arsenal's game, my game, blah, blah, blah, and go forth.
So then obviously, then you go through an entire pre-season, and then the documentary comes out. So now, I remember my feelings from the outside. Now, I know the people, and then I get to watch a documentary, so it was pretty cool to watch it that way, and what you see there and on that is pretty much what you get. This guy, the gaffer, he cares so much about the team and about each individual, and it's a really good feeling to play for a guy like that.
Grant Wahl:
And I'm also wondering, in my observations, whether it was with the Revolution or with this US team, you get along with a lot of the players in the team and seem to be very well received everywhere you go. Are there any particular guys at Arsenal on the team that you've bonded with so far?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, I hang out a lot with Rob Holding, on and off the field. At first, when I got to Arsenal and I didn't have a car, he lived not too far from me, so he was picking me up, bringing me to and from training, which is really nice, because we got to know each other pretty well. And because of that, sitting around with the other English guys, with Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Kieran Tierney. He's not English; he's Scottish. I feel like I have to say that, for the record. So those guys are the ones I sit with on the bus. We play card games and things like that.
But I think in general, as I've said about my story, it's always been why I love this game. Part of why I love this game is how it brings people together, so you don't always want to just hang out with the people who are the most like you or get to know the people who are the most like you. So for me, I like to try to break down the barriers of people who I might not normally talk to, get to know them a little bit better, understand their culture, their story.
Me and Tomiyasu are actually very friendly. We eat lunch together, dinner together at the training ground. And we'll just talk, especially when we had this friendly coming up, and we started hanging out even more and just talking. And creating those relationships and bonds and people is so special, and for me, getting to know people from different backgrounds, their stories and their cultures, is special to me. So that's part of why I love the game.
Grant Wahl:
And we've talked at length before about your remarkable story to get from where you were to where you are now. How often do you step back and actually think about that?
Matt Turner:
Not too often, really. I think for me, the injury I had at the beginning of this year was the perfect amount of time for me to really process everything, because the move had been made. We had qualified for the World Cup, and obviously, with the personal life things, my wife was getting ready to leave, and my son was getting even closer to being born. So I think during that period was really, career-wise, the time I needed to just take a breath, because if I didn't get hurt then, I would have been going non-stop now for almost two-and-a-half years, with really no off-season. It can burn people out, without having that little bit of break. But to have that, even though it was spent recovering an injury, which is mentally taxing within itself, it at least allowed me the opportunity to reflect a little bit on how far I'd come. So that was good, and I could leave that behind afterwards and focus on the family stuff that was coming up.
Grant Wahl:
Have you told many people in England your story and explained? I don't know whether it's teammates or anybody or media or whoever?
Matt Turner:
Yeah, no, not a whole lot yet, not a whole lot yet. Some of the teammates, yeah, and I don't think anybody really knew that my story was like that. But I'm always kind of a thoughtful person, like, yes, caring. I won't name any names, but for example, one of my teammates was talking about how he used spend vacation in Florida a little bit, when we were down in Orlando. And he was like, "Man, I love Lucky Charms." So next time my parents came over, I had them bring a box of Lucky Charms, and I left them in his locker. So just little things like that.
But I analyze things from a very cerebral side, and having gone to university for four years is a pretty rare thing in the locker room, the locker room I'm in right now. So it's part of who I am, so I'm not afraid to talk to people about it here and there. But yeah, when people hear my story, or at least a little excerpt from it, they're pretty dumbfounded. So it's pretty cool to see that.
Grant Wahl:
What would it mean to you to be on the field at the World Cup?
Matt Turner:
I think it would mean a lot to me, but more so for people out there, just to see that anything is possible if you really, really care. And I hate to sound cliche, but if you really care about something, you can forge a pathway forward in that field, in whatever it is. It's not just about soccer. It's not just about football. It's about life. So for me, I dedicated my life to continuing to improve on something that many people had told me I didn't really have a chance in and getting addicted to continuously defying what people's expectations of me were.
And that's just all what I want my message to be. I want people to look at my story and think that they can do whatever they want. And I've always said if in 10, 15 years, if one person comes forward and says, "I heard Matt Turner's story, and it really inspired me to just keep going in a difficult moment," then I'll look back on that, and I'll think to myself, "That's all you ever really wanted. You just wanted to help people and show people that things were possible."
Grant Wahl:
Matt Turner is here in Spain with the US men’s national team. Matt, thanks for coming on the show.
Matt Turner:
Again, thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.
As an American and a lifelong Gooner, I’m proud to see Turner wearing an Arsenal kit. Wishing him all good things and much success for club and country.