US men’s national team’s Esperanto Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina eyes his starting role in goal at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, offering a reminder that competition for the spot could be competitive as Mauricio Pochettino begins his high-profile stint as head coach of the team this month.
The 20-year-old is considered one of the top prospects in the goalkeeping pool after representing the United States at youth levels, and became the youngest shooter to play for the senior team when he earned his first cap in January 2023. Slonina has tried to step up the ranks later through his play at club level and for the youth national teams, which included a roster spot on the U-23 team that competed at the Olympics in Paris over the summer.
“June 2026, I want to be the starting goalkeeper for the men’s national team,” he said on the latest episode of Call It What You Want, a CBS Sports Golazo Network podcast. “I think that’s the goal that I’m going to aim for, I’m going to work my hardest and I want to see myself. I want to realize that vision that I have in my head, so I’m just going to work my hardest to be the starter goalkeeper, to be part of that squad and make history with the United States”
Slonina said he has yet to speak with Pochettino, who was officially hired last month and said he is aiming for the USMNT’s first quarter-final in two decades as he leads the team to the 2026 World Cup. The goalkeeper’s comments, however, highlights the squad shake-up that is expected after Pochettino’s arrival, especially for first place.
Matt Turner was the long-time favorite for Pochettino’s predecessor Gregg Berhalter, winning the starting spot ahead of the 2022 World Cup and holding it through the 2024 Copa America, when the United States surprisingly exited in the group stages. Between a lack of playing time at club level and inconsistent performances over the last two years, however, Turner’s grip on the starting role feels looser than ever and could prompt Pochettino to explore his options.
Slonina will be one of those options and already has an advantage over the 30-year-old Turner at club level. He joined League One side Barnsley on loan from Chelsea in the summer and has 10 games in all competitions, boasting a 67.9% save percentage in the league so far this season. He hasn’t been part of a senior team camp since November 2023, though, and probably isn’t even the favorite to challenge Turner for the USMNT’s starting spot.
The most likely immediate candidates to compete with Turner are Patrick Schulte and Ethan Horvath, who are at different stages of their careers. The 23-year-old Schulte is the heir to the role and started the USMNT’s September friendly against Canada, a few short weeks after serving as the starting goalkeeper during the run to the Olympic quarterfinals for the US U-23 side. He has also been an important part of the Columbus Crew’s success in recent years, winning the starting role in 2023 and winning MLS Cup the same year.
The 29-year-old Horvath, meanwhile, has long been Turner’s understudy at international level and has 10 caps to his name, including a memorable performance in the 2021 Concacaf Nations League final. Although he has four appearances for Championship side Cardiff City – more than Turner’s zero for Crystal Palace so far this season – he is now locked in a battle to start against Jak Alnwick, who has been preferred in recent weeks.
Other contenders include 18-year-old Diego Kochen, who plays for Barcelona’s reserve teams, as well as MLS goalkeepers Drake Callendar and Roman Celentano, who have participated in senior team camps over the last year.
A first look at Pochettino’s thoughts on the goalkeeper position is expected this week when he names his first list since becoming the USMNT boss. He will play his first national team match on October 12, when the United States face Panama in a friendly, before traveling to Mexico for another friendly on October 15.
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