Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner has been the USMNT's Gold Cup hero - but is Gunners backup role going to become a problem?

Turner, like nearly all of his Nations League teammates, could be returning from vacation right now. He could have spent the last few weeks in the Bahamas, Miami or with his family back home. Having already lifted the Nations League trophy after the USMNT's win over Canada, Turner could have done anything but this.

However, as confirmed by interim coach B.J. Callaghan, Turner asked to be a part of this roster, foregoing the chance of a much-needed break to play more games for the USMNT.

In theory, Turner should be at Arsenal right now, gearing up for the club's American pre-season tour. The Gunners are set to participate in the MLS All-Star Game, where Turner would no doubt receive a hero's welcome. As of now, though, his participation is up in the air, as he prepares to lead the U.S. into a semifinal on Wednesday, and then a potential final on Sunday, in hope of landing more international silverware.

Turner started two of the USMNT's group-stage games, playing in the draw against Jamaica and the win over Trinidad & Tobago to help his side finish top of the group. Sean Johnson, meanwhile, started the middle game: a one-sided win over St. Kitts & Nevis.

The Arsenal goalkeeper, though, is the guy and was, of course, named starter for the quarterfinal match against Canada. In that game, he went largely untested, with Canada's only two shots on target hitting the back of the net. The first was a penalty from Vitoria, who put his shot straight down the middle, and the second was a knuckleball from Jacob Shaffelburg that took a slight deflection on the way in.

Turner's big moment, though, came in the penalty shootout. Up first was Vitoria, who Turner dared to go back down the middle again. He did, and the Gunners goalkeeper pushed the shot away before unleashing the aforementioned stare down.

After a Brandon Vazquez miss, Turner stopped Canada's second shot from Liam Fraser, and the USMNT seized the momentum from there.

In the end, Charles-Andreas Brym's effort missed the target to seal the USMNT win, but it was Turner that made the difference on the night.

“With Matt, I didn't have to say much. He goes right into his preparation mode,” Callaghan said postgame. “He has a great team of people that are preparing him for the penalty shootout. He's going to be prepared and that's what he was focused on. And then he had the last word before we went out to midfield. It's just encouraging the guys to stay calm, stay committed to what they've practiced.”

Turner's penalty shootout heroics shouldn't come as a surprise, as the USMNT goalkeeper has been something of a penalty specialist for some time.

Excluding shootout scenarios, Turner has saved 11 of the 25 spot-kicks he's faced in his career from the USL Championship right up to the World Cup. That means only 56 percent of penalties he's faced have actually hit the back of the net.

He's had several notable stops, including one against Leon Bailey earlier in this Gold Cup run. That wasn't his first Gold Cup penalty save, though, having previously stopped Hasan Al-Haydos in a 1-0 win over Qatar back in 2021. In MLS, Nani has seen two penalties saved by the ex-New England Revolution man, while former NYCFC star Taty Castellanos was also among his victims.

Prior to Vitoria, the most recent player to score a penalty past Turner was, of course, Gareth Bale, who barely beat him in the World Cup opener between the USMNT and Wales.

Regardless, a 44 percent save rate is about as good as it gets.

Back to Turner's decision to be at the Gold Cup. The goalkeeper had several reasons for wanting to play on in the summer, with the chance to lift another trophy obviously one of them.

The biggest, though, was Turner's need for playing time because, looking at his club situation, games will be few and far between this year.

Turner remains Aaron Ramsdale's backup at Arsenal, with the England goalkeeper likely to remain the No.1 at the Emirates for quite some time. Last season, that wasn't the worst thing for Turner, who was given some time to adapt to the team while also featuring seven times across the FA Cup and Europa League.

However, there is no Europa League on the horizon this season, with Mikel Arteta's side having booked their return to the Champions League. Europe's premier club competition isn't the time to turn to your backup goalkeeper, meaning it's almost certain that Ramsdale will start all those games.

That, of course, limits Turner's chances to get on the field. Arsenal don't enter the FA Cup until January while the Gunners' Carabao Cup campaign won't begin until late September.

Because of that, after the Gold Cup, the next time we see Turner on the field for a match will almost certainly be the USMNT's friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman in September. Then, there may only be one or two appearances before games against Germany and Ghana in mid-October.

It's the exact same scenario that Turner himself took advantage of last cycle. While Zack Steffen was serving as a backup at Manchester City, Turner dominated in MLS, eventually leapfrogging Steffen to become the USMNT's World Cup goalkeeper.

Now, Turner finds himself as the backup with no real playing time in sight as the U.S. truly begins this 2026 cycle after Gregg Berhalter's return.

For the USMNT, Turner remains the clear No.1 for the time being. Still, things change very quickly, which Steffen can attest to.

The Manchester City goalkeeper should feature this cycle, despite shockingly being left off the USMNT World Cup squad. He played at Middlesbrough last season and looks set to move again this summer, this time on a permanent deal.

Sean Johnson and Ethan Horvath look set to remain as veteran backups, with neither really equipped to challenge Turner for that No.1 spot. Still, both are good options to have around and both can do a job if called upon.

Gaga Slonina, meanwhile, is the USMNT's goalkeeper of the future. He's already been compared to the likes of Gianluigi Buffon and is currently developing at Chelsea. He was included in this Gold Cup squad, although hasn't played yet, and earned his first USMNT cap earlier this year. With Slonina, it seems to be a matter of when, not if, he takes that No.1 shirt.

Looking at that list, it seems there's a real chance that there won't be any USMNT goalkeeper getting consistent minutes in a top-flight European league this year. At this point in the cycle, that's generally okay. However, down the line, it'll be important that someone - anyone - is getting big minutes at a high level.

For now, Turner's job is about as safe as can be, especially considering his Gold Cup heroics. Regardless of his club situation, Turner has always been incredibly reliable with the USMNT, and the hope is that he will be for years to come.

Still, his club future is something to watch, especially as the U.S. continues to march toward the 2026 World Cup. Turner will be 32 that summer, basically in the prime of his career, and everything indicates that he'll be a key piece of the puzzle leading right up to that moment, regardless of what's going on in his club career.