FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Henry Kessler have been called in for the United States Men’s National Team’s annual January Camp, with Turner joining the senior team and Kessler joining the Under-23 side. The senior team, comprised of 12 MLS players, will train alongside the U-23 USMNT at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. from Jan. 9 through Jan. 24, at which point several U-23 players will be elevated to the full USMNT roster in advance of a planned match at the end of the month.
Turner, 26, earns his third career call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team, following his participation in Concacaf Nations League group stage play in November 2019, as well as last year’s January Camp. He will be seeking his first international appearance when the USMNT returns to play with a planned match at the conclusion of January Camp. The United States is preparing for a 2021 slate that includes the Concacaf Nations League Final Four, the Gold Cup, and the start of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
A native of Park Ridge, N.J., Turner is set to join the USMNT on the heels of a prolific season in goal for New England, which saw him finish second in Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year voting and take home Revolution Team MVP and Players’ Player of the Year honors. He finished the 2020 campaign ranked inside the top five among all MLS goalkeepers in saves and saves percentage, and set a club record with a 1.09 goals against average on the year. Despite the shortened season, Turner also submitted a single-season career-high six shutouts. Poised to enter his sixth MLS season, all with New England, he owns a 24-21-23 record with 238 saves since signing with the Revolution as an undrafted college player ahead of the 2016 MLS season.
Kessler, 22, is poised to join the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team following his debut professional season. A native of New York, N.Y., this marks his first call up to the United States at any age level. Head Coach Jason Kreis’ U-23 MNT is convening for the first time since March 2020 in preparation for the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.
Kessler appeared in all but one game across all competitions at center back for the Revolution in 2020, including four starts in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. He paced New England in interceptions (34), tackles won (21), possessions won (123), and clearances (83), and became the first rookie to win Revolution Defender of the Year since 2011. Selected by New England with the sixth-overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft following an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Virginia, Kessler led all selections in games played (22), starts (19), and minutes played (1,823). Among all rookies, he finished second in minutes played and games started, and tied for second in games played.
The full rosters for the United States Men’s National Team and United States Under-23 Men’s National team can be found here.
