After a shocking 1-0 loss to Panama on Thursday in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals that saw Cecilio Waterman score in the fourth minute of stoppage time, USMNT fans swiftly attributed part of the blame to goalkeeper Matt Turner's positioning.
Waterman scored the game-winning goal from the right side of the penalty area, slotting a powerful diagonal shot past the diving Turner and inside the far post.
Comments by former USMNT goalkeeper Tony Meola on the CBS Sports postgame telecast contributed to fans blaming Turner on social media.
"My first inclination is the ball can't end up in the back of the net," Meola said. "I look at the angle that Matt Turner took… the distance of the shot… it (had) a little bit of pace… (but) Matt Turner is a little bit tucked in that near post."
Meola also added that from his vantage point, he noticed a slight hop from Turner before the shot, causing his feet not to be planted and preventing him from having the necessary explosion to move right.
Matt Turner's positioning for the USMNT on the stoppage time goal conceded to Panama. pic.twitter.com/N0ddZYodY6
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) March 21, 2025
Fans expressed similar views to Meola on X.
"Tony Meola, USMNT keeper legend calling out Matt Turner for not being sharp on the goal. Thank you and exactly," one fan commented.
"Matt Turner is so far out of position the goal was wide open. The players are NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Blame Poch but these players look the same it doesn't matter who is the coach," another added.
"I understand that Matt Turner can't score goals for the #USMNT. But it's his job to keep us in the match. By making saves. But my goodness move over to the right of goal. How can you not understand placement?" a third person asked.
"Matt Turner just cost the #USMNT with his positioning. Absolutely glued to the near post. You've got to find a GK playing regular minutes!!" someone else chimed in.
Overall, USMNT fans echoed similar concerns about Turner's positioning, with many calling for better decisions and more consistency from their goalkeeper moving forward.
The U.S. team will face Canada in the third-place game at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:05 PM.