The Boston Globe - 31.08.2019

(Joyce) #1

AUGUST 31, 2019 3


By Hayden Bird
BOSTON.COM STAFF
It seems fitting that Matt
Turnerwouldfindhissoccer
home in New England, since
the region has witnessed more
than its share of players who,
like Turner, have emerged from
unlikelycircumstances.
The 25-year-old New Eng-
land Revolution goalkeeper has
had to fight for his place in the
starting lineup since 2018.
Since May, he’s also been a cen-
tral component in the team’s
turnaround, and will be count-
ed on during the crucial up-
coming stretch of games as
New England fights for a play-
off spot. Yet his path to this
point was anything but ordi-
nary.
He first signed with the club
in 2016 after going undrafted.
Both before and after that mo-
ment, he’s been an example of
the quintessential underdog
story. It began with a late start.
“I was 16 when I really got
into soccer,” Turner said in a re-
cent interview. “Most profes-
sional goalkeepers would have
been in training for years be-
fore that.
“I played when I was really
young,” he said. “Then I just
kind of threw it to the side. My
sisters played, so I was always
kind of around it, but I was
playing football, basketball,
baseball.”
After picking up the game
again in high school, Turner on-
ly made the team as a goalkeep-
er, acknowledging that he was
nowhere near the level of his
peers in both technical and tac-
tical abilities. Still, his love of
the sport continued to grow, in-
spired mostly by soccer’s big-
gest event.
“After the World Cup in
2010 in South Africa I really fell
in love with the game,” said
Turner. “I was just dumbfound-
ed by how much passion there
is. And mind you, I’m a huge
sports guy. I’ve been around
some pretty crazy atmospheres

in sports, but I’ve never seen
something similar to soccer. It’s
something I just felt like I really
want to be a part of that, and I
think I have the tools to be a
part of that. And around 16,
halfway through my junior year
of high school, is when I joined
my first club team and started
playing year-round.”
In college, Turner played on-
ly two games in his first two
years at Fairfield University in
Connecticut. Once again, he
was a late-blooming success,
emerging in his third year.
“My junior year was kind of
my breakout season, for lack of
a better expression,” Turner re-
called. “We just had a pretty
special season.”
It was also the first inkling
he had that the world of profes-
sional soccer might be within
his grasp.
“That was kind of my first
moment where I thought, ‘I
think I might be able to do this,’
and I loved soccer, wanted to be
a part of it, and thought I was
good enough,” said Turner. “So I
passed up on an internship op-
portunity and just decided that
summer before my senior year
that I was going to dedicate
more time to soccer.”
It led to a contract with the
Revolution, but another diffi-
cult road. As part of his devel-
opment, Turner was loaned out
to the Richmond Kickers in
USL League One for two sea-
sons to gain more experience.

The only catch was that instead
of living and training full-time
with Richmond, he was expect-
ed back in New England each
week to train with his MLS
team.
“It wasn’t easy at all times,
because I was doing a ton of
traveling since I was training
with New England during the
week,” said Turner. “I would fly
wherever Richmond was play-
ing, then turn around and fly
back for training again on Mon-
day.”
In 2018, he proved he could
handle the next level. Under
then-coach Brad Friedel, Turn-
er surprised by winning the
starting job in goal. But after a
strong start to the season, he —
like the Revolution as a team —
struggled in the second half of
the season. By the start of the
2019 season, Turner had lost
his spot in the lineup.
Opportunity knocked again
after Friedel was fired in May
and the Revolution were near
the bottom of the Eastern Con-
ference. Interim head coach
Mike Lapper named Turner as
his starting goalie. Lapper’s
faith was rewarded, as Turner
has been instrumental in the
Revolution’s season-saving
turnaround.
Now under new coach Bruce
Arena, Turner has become a fix-
ture in the team’s weekly setup.

Hayden Bird can be reached at
[email protected].

Late start didn’t slow Turner


Withexperience,theRevolutiongoaliehasflourished


By Dan Shulman
GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
Having gotten back to winning ways last
weekend, the Revolution enter a stretch run few
imagined would have been possible after a 2-8-2
start to the season. The push for a playoff spot be-
gins with one of the biggest games of the season
Saturday against Toronto FC at home.
New England sits in sixth place in the Eastern
Conference with 38 points, just 1 point ahead of
eighth-place Toronto. The Revolution also hold a
1-point edge over seventh-place Montreal.
The Revolution have two games in hand on
fifth-place D.C. United (39 points) and one in
hand over the fourth-place New York Red Bulls
(41 points), putting them within distance of a
home playoff spot.
While optimism remains high, there’s work to
be done for New England to get there, starting
with a tough Toronto team. Here’s how the Revo-
lution can earn another win:


Notsodisappointing


Can you believe New England sports fans vot-
ed Gustavo Bou the team’s most disappointing
player? Somehow, five goals in seven games — in-
cluding a game-winner against Chicago last Sat-
urday — wasn’t enough.
Bou’s addition has allowed the Revolution to
add a dynamic dimension to their attack. Bou is
versatile — playing on the wing, in midfield, and
up top as a striker — and he has built a pretty nice
partnership with midfield playmaker Carles Gil.
It’s clear that when Bou is on, so is the Revolu-
tion offense. And with goals in three straight
games, he seems to have found his stride. He’ll
need to be in form with Teal Bunbury (hamstring
injury) set to miss time.
“We’re definitely happy to have him,” said Gil
through a translator. “He adds a different dimen-
sion to our attacking front. If he was here since
the beginning of the year, he’s certainly a player
who could score over 20 goals a year.”


Keepingittight


While the defense has shown some shakiness
in recent weeks, newly re-signed goalkeeper Matt
Turner has gotten stronger. The Revolution were
missing defender Antonio Delamea and allowing
plentiful chances in his absence. Delamea return-
ing to full strength this week certainly will help.
Fortunately for New England, Turner has
stood tall and the defense has patched things to-


gether. Turner made a game-saving stop in Seat-
tle Aug. 10 and had a career-high nine saves at
Red Bull Arena Aug. 17. Last week was no differ-
ent, as Turner came up big on various occasions
to keep a goal-hungry Chicago at bay.
But Toronto presents a stern test for the de-
fense.
“It’s going to be a challenge for our center
backs,” said Delamea. “In the last couple of
games, I think we really improved in a defensive
aspect.”

Second-halfsurge
Over the last few weeks, Toronto has been
largely dormant over the opening 45 minutes be-
fore flipping the switch in the second half. The
Reds have a ton of attacking weapons, with Ale-
jandro Pozuelo and Jozy Altidore at the center of
things.
What Toronto thrives on is quick ball move-
ment in the final third. The team’s conditioning
shows it can outlast opponents and press hard on
the attack during the final, vital minutes of the
match.
“They have very good players in important po-
sitions on the field,” said Revolution coach Bruce
Arena. “They have key players down the middle
of the field.”
...
Former Revolution defender Chris Tierney is
returning to the club he spent his entire 11-year
career with, but in an off-field role. Tierney has
been added to the Revolution’s technical staff as a
player recruitment manager.
A native of Wellesley, Tierney will serve under
sporting director and coach Bruce Arena and
technical director Curt Onalfo, with a focus on
scouting.
Tierney announced his retirement from MLS
in November 2018 after a knee injury in May
forced him to miss the remainder of the regular
season. The former left back ranks third in club
history with 246 games played and fourth in both
starts (220) and assists (40).

Dan Shulman can be reached at
[email protected]; follow him on Twitter
@DanielRShulman.

Playoff push


continues for


Revolution


RWhen, where:Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Gillette Stadium,
Foxborough.
RTV, radio:NBCSB, WBZ-FM (98.5)
RCoaches:Revolution — Bruce Arena; Toronto — Greg
Vanney
RFormations:Revolution — 4-2-3-1; Toronto — 4-1-4-1
RGoalkeepers:Revolution — Matt Turner; Toronto —
Quentin Westberg
RReferee:Timothy Ford
ROut:Revolution — D Edgar Castillo (rib), F Teal Bunbury
(hamstring); Toronto — none.
RMiscellany:The Revolution lead the all-time series, 13-
8-9, including 10-2-4 at home... Toronto F Jozy Altidore
has five goals and two assists in his last seven games...
Revolution M Carles Gil also has been hot, with five goals
and seven assists in his last nine games.

Revolutionvs.TorontoFC


FILE/JOHN RAOUX/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Revolution goalie Matt Turner emerged as a star in his
third year on the team at Fairfield University.
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