NEW YORK (Monday, June 21, 2021) – New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner has been voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for Week 8 of the 2021 MLS season.
Turner recorded a season-high seven saves in New England’s 3-2 win over NYCFC at Red Bull Arena on Saturday evening.
The 26-year-old came up big early in the game, saving a Valentin Castellanos penalty kick in the 12th minute to keep the score level. The penalty save was the second of Turner’s MLS league career.
Turner denied Castellanos again when he saved a point-blank effort from inside the six-yard box . In the second half, the Revolution goalkeeper made a double save to preserve his side’s 3-2 lead. He saved Ismael Tajouri-Shradi’s initial 1-v-1 opportunity and quickly got back up to block Jesús Medina’s effort on goal from the rebound.
As the game entered four minutes of added time, NYCFC looked to bypass Turner one more time from a set piece to level the game. Maxi Moralez met the incoming free kick with a well-hit volley, but the Revolution’s shot-stopper produced an agile one-handed save to stop Moralez’s effort from finding the back of the net and solidified the three points for his team on the road. Turner was credited with his league-leading sixth goalkeeper win of the season.
The Revolution host the New York Red Bulls (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+) on June 23 in their second meeting of the season before traveling to Texas to face FC Dallas (9 p.m. ET; ESPN+) on June 27.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
