Matt Turner emerges as Revolution hero after PK stop

In the 53rd minute of Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rapids, goalkeeper Matt Turner was staring down Jack Price. Price, who was with the Wolverhampton Wanders before joining the Rapids in 2018, was about to take a penalty that would tie the game. Situations like this favor the kicker but Turner defied the odds and made a game-changing save.

“No one really expects you to make the save, and when you do it’s a huge moment for your team,” Turner explained. “Obviously you want to make the save really badly, because you know it can be a huge turning point emotionally in the game.”

Diving to his right, Turner pushed away Price’s bid. The rebound fell to Price, who sent the ball over an empty net.

As the Rapids fell back into their defensive shape, Revolution players gathered around Turner to celebrate. Some of the comments used shouldn’t be repeated because as Turner said they aren’t “good for cameras,” but rest assure they were all upbeat.

“I think Matt was the most excited for us,” Kelyn Rowe said. “He was a kid in a candy store, and it was great because he made a great save and he kept us in this game.”

The Revs would go on to win 2-1 with Chris Tierney scoring the game-winner in the 93rd minute. It was the Revolution’s first win of the Brad Friedel era.

The club now has two weeks to prepare for New York City FC’s trip to Gillette Stadium on Mar. 24. Although Turner was the hero on Saturday, he will continue to face stern competition in the form of Cody Cropper and Brad Knighton. This isn’t a shot at Turner, but rather a reminder of the culture that coach Brad Friedel has installed.

“Every position is always still fluid,” Friedel said. “The shirt is right now Matt’s to lose, but Brad and Cody are both excellent goalkeepers and they’re going to try to put as much pressure on Matt as possible. That’s what makes you better.”