USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino says World Cup goalkeeper starting spot is 'open'

Mauricio Pochettino started Matt Freese at goalkeeper in 13 of the last 14 matches, but the U.S. manager reminded reporters Tuesday, May 26 that he has three goalkeepers on the World Cup roster that could play when the team opens the tournament against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.

Asked about the competition between New York City FC goalkeeper Freese and New England Revolution starter Matt Turner, Pochettino noted that he also has Chicago Fire shot-stopper Chris Brady on team and everyone will be challenge for the No. 1 job.

ARMOUR: Don't blow this, USMNT. USA needs deep run at World Cup

"Goalkeeper is open," he said in his news conference after announcing his 26-man roster for the World Cup. "It’s also seeing what they show, the form they’re in, the emotional state of each one and then making decisions."

Turner started all four matches for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup, but after Freese backstopped the U.S. to the 2025 Gold Cup final, memorably winning a penalty shootout against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, he has kept a hold on the No. 1 job.

Pochettino's comments set up a scenario of uncertainty about who will be the starter at the World Cup, something legendary U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said is a bit surprising given the country's long history of producing top players at the position.

"With our women, I think of the likes of Brianna Scurry and Hope Solo. I think of the men, you think of Tony Meola, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, myself," Howard told USA TODAY Sports last week. "What you had always going into the World Cup is a concrete knowledge of, ‘I’ve seen that goalkeeper play at the highest level and produce a performance that can get this team over the hump in a crucial game.' We’ve seen that so we have that confidence. With Matt Freese, we don’t know.

"There’s so much about Matt Freese that I like. And, by the way, that’s not his fault. He became the U.S. goalkeeper last July. He’ll go into the World Cup with about 15 caps. That’s a baby. So just by nature, he doesn’t have the body of work."

Pochettino will have two friendlies to assess his squad, including the goalkeepers, before the opening match of the World Cup, with the Americans facing Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31 and Germany in Chicago on June 6.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino says World Cup goalkeeper job 'open'