- 22 hours ago
Revolution & USMNT Goalkeeper Matt Turner chatted with the guys about the popularity of the World Cup in the United States, his contract extension with the Revolution, and is asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Tom Brady!
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00:00Mr. Matt Turner, who plays, of course, for the New England Revolution.
00:03He is their goalie, and a big congrats to him.
00:06Just got a big extension.
00:07It was announced on Monday.
00:09It looks like he's going to be in New England long term.
00:12Hey, Matt, thanks for joining us, man.
00:13I appreciate it.
00:15Yeah, thanks for having me on.
00:16Yeah, quite the intro there.
00:18But, yeah, happy to be here long term and, you know, settle down
00:24and then, you know, ultimately compete for what the people of New England expect,
00:28which is trophies.
00:31So, Matt, first of all, you know, you being on the U.S. men's national team,
00:34I mean, this was a great ride, you know, despite the way that it ended.
00:38You know, that was, it was obvious, you can tell by the ratings, you know,
00:41everyone in America, it was a huge story.
00:44How does it feel to, like, every four years to be on a stage
00:48where over a billion people are watching each one of your games?
00:52We talked about that Argentina game, 2.6 billion people, like, worldwide watched it.
00:58How does it feel to be part of something that huge?
01:01Yeah, you feel it.
01:03You know, you feel it.
01:04It's soccer's the most global sport.
01:06It really is.
01:07And, you know, when the World Cup's going on, the whole world stops to watch your game.
01:12There's no overlap.
01:13There's just one game on TV to watch.
01:16And everyone's tuned in.
01:17And the stakes are never higher than they are, you know, at the World Cup.
01:21And this one has been so spectacular.
01:23The venues have been great.
01:25The play has been fantastic.
01:28It's been competitive.
01:29There's been upsets.
01:30There's been, and most importantly, there's been the superstars being, you know, the superstars.
01:35And I think that's what a lot of people want to see when the tournaments are happening.
01:40Matt, I was wondering if you could take us kind of, you know, into the locker room,
01:43behind the scenes, if you will, when, you know, Balagan's red card was reversed, right?
01:48And he was determined that he could play in your match against Belgium.
01:51I'm just curious, that news that he was going to be able to play,
01:55how was that received in the locker room?
01:58What were guys thinking about that fortune that went your way?
02:03How was that kind of processed in the locker room when it was determined he could play against Belgium?
02:08Yeah, I don't think, I mean, from the outside, I think there was a lot more noise than from the
02:13inside.
02:13I think for us, we did a great job of just, you know, adapting to whatever was thrown our way.
02:19Whether it was in the Bosnia game, you know, defending with 10 men or just anything in the past.
02:24I think for us, it was just another decision that was outside of our control.
02:28And then from there, it's like, you know, the guy that's scoring some goals is available to play.
02:32So I think, you know, we were happy for him because obviously the red card was a bit unjust.
02:38But we knew that no matter what the final say was, whoever was going to play,
02:43the coach was going to select to play, was going to be ready to compete at the highest level.
02:47How much of a shock was it?
02:49Like, were you guys shocked or did you think that there was indeed a chance that Baligan would be back?
02:54I mean, for us, it was obviously an unprecedented decision.
02:58So I don't think anybody was expecting.
03:00None of us even knew there was a possibility, I think, for that to take place or to happen.
03:06So when we got the news, I think we were all pretty shocked.
03:11And I think there was, you know, the locker room talk, a little bit of teasing of,
03:14we didn't know that Balow had the poll like he had.
03:18You mean the presidential poll?
03:20Yeah, yeah.
03:20Oh, listen, I don't know who called who, but I hold my hands up.
03:27I don't know who called who, but I do know that whatever happened was unprecedented.
03:33And we were able to have an extremely important player on the pitch.
03:37And, of course, we wanted the best chance to win.
03:40This question's been asked for 20 years, Matt, but now it kind of feels like there actually is an advancement
03:45in soccer in America and with the U.S. team.
03:48Did you feel that just, you know, travel around from city to city and playing in these matches?
03:53Do you feel like it's got to the next level?
03:56Oh, certainly, certainly.
03:58It's been overwhelming at times, really.
04:01You know, you kind of, I remember when I first saw my games, you know, with the single Matt back
04:06in the day.
04:07And, you know, you're going into Boston and you're on a game and you're walking in and you're waiting in
04:13line like everybody else.
04:14You're paying the cover charge and people are asking you what you do for a living.
04:18And you don't even tell them you play soccer because sometimes they ask, like, hey, can you do that full
04:23time for a living?
04:27It's changed a lot in the last 12 years, you know.
04:30But, no, just seriously, outside of the jokes, it is insane how much it's changed.
04:37I mean, it's been the most popular youth sport in America for years and years and years.
04:41And now, you know, for it to be here, so tangible for fans to see the players that they love,
04:47whether it be the U.S., other countries.
04:53Hey, Matt, Matt, we're going to put you on hold for just a second, if you don't mind.
04:57And we're going to have you just move to a different spot so you can get the phone worked on.
05:01Yeah, I want to hear his answer.
05:01Yeah, I want to hear his answer.
05:03We're going to put him on hold for just a second.
05:04By the way, the Revolution's doing something very smart, is now that everyone's got soccer fever.
05:10You know, even I've been like, eh, maybe I want to go to a match.
05:13Have you seen those ads they've had for have a game on us?
05:15No.
05:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:16It's kind of cool.
05:17I guess they're doing this thing.
05:18It's like next match on us.
05:20So they say that basically if you've never been to a Revs match, they're going to give you two free
05:23tickets to Saturday's match, which is smart, which is good.
05:26All right, Matt, turn his back with us.
05:27Hey, Matt, sorry about that.
05:28Your phone was just going on for a second.
05:30Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's on me.
05:31That's on me.
05:32But, yeah, it's been immense.
05:34And you feel it when you go from place to place.
05:36And then, most importantly, you know, the tangibility of theirs for the kids and the next generation is huge.
05:42So, Matt, okay, let me take you into a conversation that I heard at a bar when we were watching
05:47a game the other night.
05:48And it's something that I've heard before.
05:49And there's even part of me that has thought it.
05:52And that is that, you know, when you have these shootouts at the end of games, first of all, there
05:55aren't many more exciting things in sports than a World Cup shootout for all the marbles.
06:01And it does seem like I heard some people saying, well, man, it's like a 50-50 shot.
06:06You know, the goalie's just going to jump one way or he's going to jump the other way.
06:09And I could do that.
06:11I could score on a World Cup goalie.
06:14And as a matter of fact, there was a poll that came out that 28% of all people watching
06:18the World Cup think that they could score on a World Cup goalie.
06:23Now, I have had something like this happen before with Brian Scalabrini, who played for the Celtics, where people were
06:29saying, I could beat that guy.
06:30He's the last one on the bench.
06:31And Brian Scalabrini schooled those guys.
06:34Can you kind of put in perspective and say something to the people that think they could score on a
06:40World Cup goalie in one of those shootout situations?
06:43The only thing I'll say, in a World Cup situation, there's just absolutely no chance.
06:49But the thing is, in soccer, you can get lucky with, like, a random toe poke or you're trying to
06:55kick it one way and it somehow comes off your foot the other way.
06:57So when people don't know how to kick, it can be random.
07:00But now, in general, I back a World Cup-level goalkeeper to save it from an average show, you know,
07:06nine and a half times out of ten.
07:08Have you ever taken on an average show before?
07:11I did a TikTok recently with some guy, his name's Frank Michael Smith, and he was supposed to be the
07:18average Joe.
07:19And he said he practiced for, you know, a couple weeks, and then he took a penalty and I dove
07:25and basically caught it.
07:28All right, so if I had a hundred kicks on you, how many do you think I would make in?
07:33And I never played soccer at any level.
07:36I think one or two, because I think you'll kind of get the hang of it.
07:41But I think after about ten, your leg might fall off.
07:44Sure, you might be right.
07:45Right, it's like, oh, this is way more physical than I thought it was.
07:47Real quick, Matt, yesterday's match, did you think England screwed up strategy-wise?
07:52I can't begin to, like, X's and O's know what was going on, but were they not aggressive enough at
07:57the end of the match?
07:58It's hard to say.
08:00I mean, of course, hindsight, it's easy to say, yeah, of course, they weren't aggressive enough.
08:06But I think they definitely invited the pressure that presented itself on them.
08:11And then after they conceded one goal because of the changes that were made, it was always going to be
08:16difficult for them to regroup themselves tactically.
08:19I think there was more time for them to really go for the game.
08:23But, you know, you look back at their game in Mexico with ten men, you know, they defended the box
08:30brilliantly.
08:30And I just think they thought they would be able to do that again.
08:33So I see it from both sides.
08:34But obviously, hindsight, it looks like maybe a tough decision from the manager.
08:38But, dude, those are the big money calls, you know.
08:43That's why we get paid to do what we do.
08:44And it didn't pay off this time.
08:46All right, Matt Turner, you are obviously a New England guy.
08:49So I have to ask you, whose career is more impressive, Lionel Messi or Tom Brady?
08:57I think if Messi wins this World Cup, I will have to go with Messi.
09:03Wow.
09:04Okay.
09:04So he is because when you talk Tom Brady, you think that there's almost no way anyone can reach his
09:09level.
09:10Like it would be really almost insane to get even closer to that.
09:13Is that kind of where Messi is in soccer?
09:16Yeah.
09:17I mean, you have to think.
09:18Messi has won so many different things.
09:20You know, two Copa Americas, which happens once every four years.
09:23Potentially two World Cups, which only happens once every four years.
09:27So many league titles.
09:28So many Champions League trophies.
09:29He's been voted the best player however many times.
09:32I mean, just doing things unprecedented, you know, in the world of soccer.
09:38So I know Tom Brady has done the same.
09:40Like you said, I'm a New England guy.
09:42I love Tom.
09:43I think he is basically new, like synonymous, his face with New England.
09:49But I think if Messi wins this World Cup, I'll have to go with him.
09:52All right.
09:52So, Matt, who's winning on Sunday?
09:54Who is winning the final?
09:56It's hard to root against Argentina.
09:58It really is because they've been, you know, knocked down and counted out in many games and they just fight
10:06and claw and they don't give up and they really believe in themselves.
10:09But the Spanish team has looked like the most complete team this entire tournament.
10:13They haven't really been, no one's really laid a glove on them all tournament.
10:17So, you know, if Argentina are able to do that, you're not really sure how they're going to react.
10:23But the way they've been playing, I like to say Spain, but so hard to root against the best player
10:28in the world.
10:29Well, Matt Turner, it's, I bet you're excited to get back to things here at, now you can call it
10:35Gillette Stadium and not Boston Stadium anymore.
10:37It's back.
10:38It's back.
10:38That's right.
10:39You got two home games.
10:41The cover's been shaved off.
10:42That's right.
10:42Those gigantic, it's funny.
10:44I saw somebody took a picture of every seat at Gillette Stadium has a little Gillette logo on it.
10:49And somebody had to go with a little blue piece of tape on every seat and put it over that
10:54for the World Cup games.
10:57And then go take it off, by the way.
10:58Take it off and then put that artificial turf back in.
11:01Oh, man.
11:02I know.
11:02I know, guys.
11:03Come on.
11:04Don't get me started on that.
11:04Listen, we won eight out of nine games at home on the grass.
11:07What else can we do?
11:08There you go.
11:09There you go.
11:09All right, Matt Turner, thanks for coming on with us, man.
11:11We appreciate it.
11:12We got two home games, July 22nd and July 25th for New England Revolution.
11:16Appreciate it, Matt.
11:17Thanks for coming on.
11:18Thank you, Matt.
11:18Yeah, thank you.
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