The Concacaf Gold Cup may have revealed an unexpected hero for the United States men`s national team in goalkeeper Matt Freese. This unlikely star saved three penalties in a sudden-death shootout against Costa Rica, playing a crucial role in the USMNT`s progression to the Gold Cup semifinals. His mere presence on the field, let alone a starring performance, was highly improbable. Entering the training camp, Freese was considered the third-choice keeper, ostensibly behind the established starter Matt Turner. Former starter Zack Steffen was also expected but had to leave the national team camp due to injury, and Patrick Schulte, a potential replacement, was also unavailable due to injury. Already familiar with Turner`s capabilities, coach Pochettino turned to Freese as part of his ongoing squad evaluation.
Sunday`s match against Costa Rica clearly demonstrated Freese`s unique value to the manager. Freese has a long-standing practice of studying penalties extensively. After accurately predicting most shots and coming close to saving Francisco Calvo`s attempt during regular time, his confidence was palpable. Even more impressively than his near-save in regulation, Freese outright stopped Calvo in the shootout by remaining central as the Costa Rican player struck the ball directly at him. Freese credited his goalkeeping coach, Toni Jimenez, for the save on Calvo`s penalty during the shootout, but acknowledged that his detailed studies of the opposing team`s tendencies were highly effective.
`Penalties are my specialty,` Freese stated after the game. `On the plane ride over here to Minnesota, I was studying them. I`ve been studying them all week and was ready for it if we needed it, and the one that I didn`t move on was a suggestion from my goalkeeper coach, Toni Jimenez.`
Who is Matt Freese?
Originally from Wayne, Pennsylvania, Freese is one of several players on the current USMNT squad with ties to the Philadelphia Union organization. After being involved with Bethlehem Steel in the USL, Freese chose to enroll at Harvard University, playing soccer there from 2017 to 2018 before returning to sign a homegrown deal with the Union in 2019. This period at Harvard proved significantly formative for Freese, ultimately paying dividends in the Gold Cup.
`I actually conducted a very long research project on penalty kicks in college,` Freese revealed. `To be able to rely on that kind of preparation, dealing with statistics and data, reading the game, reading their hips, and similar cues, is incredibly important.`
Combining this academic study with the practical experience he has accumulated throughout his career makes it evident why Freese possesses such a particular aptitude for saving penalties.
Freese made his senior debut for the Union in April 2019 as a substitute in a 3-0 win over CF Montreal. He would go on to make 13 first-team appearances for the Union, though the majority of his playing time came with their MLS Next Pro side, Union II. Opportunities with the first team were naturally limited playing behind three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake, but one specific aspect of play in MLS Next Pro helped Freese prepare for his recent starring moment.
In MLS Next Pro, any game that finishes in a draw proceeds directly to a penalty shootout. This system awards two points for a shootout win and one for a shootout loss, aiming to provide young players with valuable real-game experience in high-pressure shootout situations that are difficult to replicate in training. In 2022 with Philadelphia Union II, Freese played 16 games and emerged victorious in 3 out of the 4 shootouts he participated in.
In January 2023, Freese was traded to New York City FC following the departure of Sean Johnson. He quickly earned the starting role there, ascending to become one of the top goalkeepers in MLS over the past few years. Freese was a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in the 2024 season, a season where he also won a penalty shootout in the playoffs against Cincinnati FC and had a 1-1 record in U.S. Open Cup shootouts. Although he ultimately lost the award to Kristijan Kahlina, this season undeniably put Freese firmly on the map.
For those keeping track, Sunday`s shootout win against Costa Rica brings his professional shootout record to an impressive six wins from eight attempts.
Emergence into the USMNT Picture
First called into a USMNT January camp under Pochettino in 2025, Freese did not make an appearance but performed well enough to earn a return call-up for the July friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland. Freese made his senior international debut in the loss to Turkey and has now retained his place for the Gold Cup, where he has received extended consideration from coach Pochettino. Despite having few youth USMNT appearances due to the depth of talented young goalkeepers vying for spots, Freese has fully capitalized on his opportunity and rapidly risen through the ranks on the national stage.
Can Freese be the Starting Keeper at the World Cup?
If Matt Turner doesn`t secure a club move where he can consistently get playing time, the starting goalkeeper position for the USMNT could become highly competitive. Pochettino has repeatedly stressed that players must be playing regularly for their clubs to earn opportunities with the national squad, and that he values performance regardless of the league`s specific level. Giving Freese this extended look further reinforces that philosophy. However, it remains difficult to definitively say how high Freese has climbed the depth chart based solely on his Gold Cup performance.
While the shootout was undoubtedly a strong moment, Freese`s performance from open play during the tournament has been fairly average, with a 66.7% save percentage and -.18 goals prevented. Not all defensive issues or conceded goals are solely his responsibility, as defenders have rotated and made mistakes, but he is primarily making the saves expected of him rather than single-handedly propelling the USMNT to victory with spectacular stops from open play. This dynamic could change if the confidence gained from the shootout victory translates into stellar performances in subsequent matches during this tournament. However, healthy returns for Schulte and Steffen will provide significant competition, especially if all three players remain in MLS by the time the 2026 World Cup approaches.
This situation presents Pochettino with a challenging decision, particularly given that over the years, the goalkeeper position hasn`t typically been a major area of concern for the USMNT. Faced with similar quality options, the final decision may come down to which goalkeeper`s style Pochettino and his staff prefer. Freese is certainly not harming his case by being involved in three consecutive camps. However, if the World Cup were starting tomorrow, it would likely still be Turner`s job. There is just under a year for Freese and other contenders to change that, and they are clearly doing their utmost to push Turner for the spot.
Nevertheless, even if he doesn`t earn the starting role, having a penalty shootout specialist as a backup is a valuable strategic tool for any manager. Freese`s unique history and specialized skillset mean he can be a valuable asset to this team, even if he doesn`t start. This is an exciting development and one that demonstrates the positive outcomes of Pochettino`s willingness to experiment and Freese`s dedicated pursuit of a specific goalkeeping expertise.
