New England Revolution 2 - Minnesota United 1: 3 thoughts

The New England Revolution beat Minnesota United 2-1 on Sunday evening but all that anyone was really focused on was Matt Turner.

Turner will be heading to England to play for Arsenal in the English Premier League and continue his quest to be the starting goalkeeper for the USMNT.

Turner didn’t get the start in net with Djordje Petrovic starting between the sticks. Matt Polster was replaced by Tommy McNamara and A.J. DeLaGarza replaced Brandon Bye. Jozy Altidore got the start at striker.

So what do you need to learn about Matt Turner’s final game in a Revolution uniform? Here are three thoughts.

1 - Matt Turner is the greatest goalkeeper

Apologies to my colleague Seth Macomber but this writer thinks that Turner is the best goalkeeper to ever wear a Revolution uniform.

In 102 starts, Turner made 347 saves and registered 22 shutouts. He led New England to their first-ever Supporters’ Shield in 2021 and was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after tallying five clean sheets and a 17-4-7 record. His 17 wins were a club record.

In 2020 Turner had another career year with a career-high six clean sheets and a 1.09 goals against average. He was named Team VP as well as the Players’ Player of the Year.

Turner has the best winning percentage of any goalkeeper in Revolution history and is second in goals against average, save percentage, and saves. His win percentage is also eighth among goalkeepers in MLS history with a minimum of 20 wins.

But it’s not just about what Turner has done in a Revolution uniform. The goalkeeper burst onto the USMNT scene in 2021 with 13 caps, the most for a goalkeeper in their debut season. Turner led the USMNT to a Concacaf Gold Cup victory with five clean sheets and was named the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament and was a part of the tournament’s Best XI.

It’s also about what he will be able to do. Every time Turner starts, he will be described as an American goalkeeper who formally played for the Revolution. When he eventually starts for the USMNT in Qatar he will be the former goalkeeper for the New England Revolution.

Turner will forever be remembered among Revolution fans and whether it be on or off the field, he will be missed greatly.

2 - Petrovic is legit

Petrovic had a great performance in net for New England. and made some impressive saves.

With Turner departing, New England will be missing his pure shot-stopping ability. While Petrovic has some way to go, he also appears to do quite well in this area of the game.

Petrovic did show that he is indeed not Turner as he was unable to stop a penalty shot from Emanuel Reynoso in the 36th minute.

New England is in good hands with Petrovic but the goalkeeper is still young and needs to improve. If the Revs want to be successful, the players in front of him will need to do much better and play much more consistently.

3 - Bou Beauty

Gustavo Bou showed why he gets paid the big bucks as he struck a free kick in the top left corner in the 69th minute to score a nice goal to give New England the lead.

The free kick was put in the perfect place. Dayne St.Clair got a hand on the rocket but it was not enough to stop the shot.

In the last four games, Bou has been playing quite well with three goals and an assist. With Adam Buksa gone, it’s perfect timing for the Argentinian.

The Revs need Bou to constantly be finding the back of the net. There were some points where Bou seemed hesitant to shoot which was a little concerning.

But the Revolution were able to pick up three points and that’s all that matters. New England is now 6th in the Eastern Conference and will head on the road to play Vancouver Whitecaps FC on June 26th.