Matt Turner slams USMNT's 'shameful' Copa America as goalkeeper speaks out

Matt Turner, the starting goalkeeper for the United States men's national team , spoke frankly to fans this week after a Copa America loss to Uruguay knocked his squad out of the competition.

Not mincing words, Turner acknowledged a "shameful feeling" the USMNT would try to use as motivation. Turner and Co. fell to Panama and Uruguay in their final two group games, preventing them from advancing to the knockout rounds on home soil. That disappointment has ignited an intense debate about head coach Gregg Berhalter's future, with fans and media members taking a harsh view of the USMNT's performance level .

"This a shameful feeling that we will use for years to come as fuel for what is no longer acceptable as players," Turner wrote on social media. "We need to hold each other and ourselves accountable and for all the good that we did, we didn’t get the results necessary in the end to achieve our ultimate goal."

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Added the goalkeeper: "I understand that for many, it was a difficult summer to support the USMNT. I just wanted to thank everyone for the love and energy we felt for all of it, nearly 60,000 people at all 5 games we played [including friendlies].

"We know it’s a huge opportunity missed to do something special on our home soil, we put so much into it emotionally, mentally and physically and although the results lacked I hope the fans felt that fight and desire from the team."

The USMNT began its Copa America campaign positively, defeating Bolivia 2-0 behind goals from Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. Many analysts expected its second match against Panama to be straightforward, considering the Stars and Stripes' historical dominance over their CONCACAF rival.

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Sure enough, the USMNT overwhelmed Panama in the early exchanges. Weston McKennie found the back of the net only for VAR to overturn the strike amid forward waves from Berhalter's group. Timothy Weah's 18th-minute red card changed the game , though, and Panama went on to win 2-1 before Uruguay put the final nail in the USMNT's coffin.

Despite having more players than ever competing for clubs in Europe - Turner is among them, currently at Nottingham Forest - the USMNT hasn't made gains at major international tournaments this decade. Its struggles to strengthen credibility on the global stage have caused concern for how the pivotal 2026 World Cup will go.

As the joint hosts of that tournament, the United States hopes to achieve a watershed moment in the popularity of soccer through a deep run. Right now, however, the makeup of the team and its coaching staff remains up in the air.