Turner, Buchanan home in time for grudge match against Nashville SC

After their successful “tournament of the Americas” in opposing camps at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, keeper Matt Turner and forward Tajon Buchanan are back in the MLS fold.

The league-leading Revolution (11-3-3) will have their FIFA World Cup candidates back on home turf when they host Nashville SC (6-1-9) in a grudge match at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.

Nashville beat the Revolution 2-0 on May 8.

“Certainly, there is no reason to believe they are not going to help our team,” said Revolution head coach Bruce Arena. “We are happy to have them back. But we’ve filled some good depth so it will be nice to continue to rotate players in and hopefully be more efficient than we have been.”

Turner, 27, backstopped the U.S. National team to its seventh Gold Cup championship, which included a clean sheet in a 1-0 extra time victory over Mexico in the title game Sunday in Las Vegas. Center back Henry Kessler earned his first international cap as an 11th-hour substitute for the match against Mexico.

Turner started six games and posted five shutouts and was presented with the CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Goalkeeper Award. Turner allowed only one goal in the tournament, registered 26 saves and copped Man of the Match recognition with five stops against Mexico. He also got to wear the captain’s armband in the title game.

Turner likely solidified a roster spot on the U.S. National team that begins 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September. That will be Turner’s second excused absence of the season.

“I would say it was everything I had hoped for in terms of results and in terms of winning,” said Turner following team practice on Tuesday. “The individual awards and all that stuff were all great but I’ll let the coaching staff be the ones to really evaluate my play and decide my place on the roster.

“It’s not my place to sit here and tell where I think I stand. That’s for the coaches to decide but I think I put my best foot forward throughout the tournament and obviously it was all worth it.

“All I cared about was the feeling I got when I got to lift the trophy.”

Buchanan, 22, was the catalyst of the Canadian National team’s run to the Gold Cup semifinals. The native of Brampton, Ontario, led the team with a goal and five assists and was handed the CONCACAF Gold Cup Young Player Award. Buchanan owns nine international caps with the Canadian squad and is being eyed by teams in Europe as a possible transfer.

“Obviously it is a huge goal of mine to play overseas and with all the rumors out there it is hard to take in,” said Buchanan. “I just try and keep performing every time I get on the field but I’m focused on tight now on our next game.”

The U.S. secured the cup on a header by Atlanta United FC defender Miles Robinson in the 117th minute. Robinson grew up in Arlington, Mass., and played collegiately at Syracuse.

“I got to talk to Miles a lot and we really developed a great relationship throughout the camp and the summer,” said Turner. “We definitely talked a lot about Boston and Massachusetts and the love the we have for the state and the region of New England.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3Ccihl1