The mistake and the performance of USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath against Burnley do not help in the case of Mauricio Pochettino

The start of the season has not been particularly favorable for the goalkeepers at the top of the US men's national team roster. Matt Turner was benched for Nottingham Forest Opening game of the season and Ethan Horvath had a game to forget Cardiff City was beaten 5-0 by BurnleyHorvath not only converted a simple back pass into an own goal to forget, but also conceded five goals from four shots on goal and an xG of 0.83.

Look at the own goal:

Now that you have cleared your mind of that, it is safe to say that it was not a good day for the goalkeepers who should be at the top of the USMNT depth chart, which will be a cause for concern for expected new coach Mauricio PochettinoThis is a nation that has a long tradition of strong goalkeepers, but since the retirement of Tim Howard, Europe has seen a rotation of goalkeepers fighting for playing time. Given Horvath's performance and Turner's lack of playing time, Pochettino may have to dig a little deeper if he wants to prioritise a goalkeeper for his club.

At the Olympics, the goalkeeper dream was starter Patrick Schulte and substitute Gaga Slonina for the USA U23 team. Schulte had a slow start to the tournament but showed a strong finish. One of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer for the Columbus CrewSchulte is someone who is not far from getting a serious chance in the senior national team, but he may have to prevail over Slonina to do so.

He recently moved on loan from ChelseaSlonina has only made two appearances for the Tykes so far, but has impressed in both games as they battle for promotion. Slonina saved two penalties in the EFL Cup shootout before scoring in his first league game, a 2-1 win over Lincoln City.

Slonina had to fend off 15 shots and only conceded one goal, with an xG of 1.52. After a mixed loan spell at Eupen in Belgium last season, this is exactly the start the 20-year-old needs for his development. Being at a club where he constantly plays under pressure will push Sloninia to give his best every day and at the end there will be concrete short-term and long-term goals for him.

Helping Barnsley to promotion alone would be an accomplishment, but if he continues to perform like he did on Saturday, there is no reason why Slonina could not be the USMNT's starting goalkeeper in 2026, especially given that others have failed to perform to their desired standards.