With USMNT GK role in flux, Freese stops Costa Rica cold with PK heroics

New York Times

2 days ago

MINNEAPOLIS – Any college advisor will try to guide a pupil to find a thesis topic that'll both lean into their interests while setting themselves up for success once they enter their respective workforce. Thankfully for Matt Freese, who graduated from Harvard in 2022, his focus was on the art of the shootout.
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'I actually did a very long research project in college about penalty kicks,' Freese said after his trio of saves helped the U.S. men's national team edge Costa Rica on penalties following a 2-2 draw and advance to the Gold Cup semifinals. 'To be able to rely on that type of thing and deal with a lot of statistics and stuff like that, read the game and read their hips and things like that, is massive.'
Historically, the successes of the USMNT hasn't been determined by Harvard men. A quick survey of their alumni finds just one U.S. international: Shep Messing, the goalkeeper-turned-commentator who earned one cap in the early 1970s. With the program in a continued state of flux following last summer's Copa América group stage exit and Mauricio Pochettino working to find his best squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Freese has gotten an extended run-out this summer as a possible alternative to Matt Turner.
Turner, 31, claimed the program's starting goalkeeper spot during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and was among the team's top performers during the tournament in Qatar. Given the usual longevity of players in the role, expectations were that he would remain atop the depth chart when the tournament came to the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. However, Turner made just four appearances for Crystal Palace in 2024-25, all in domestic cups, leaving him with little form and momentum entering the Gold Cup.
'I think we have plenty of good players and good keepers,' Pochettino said after the win. 'Matt Turner has the experience because he played in the World Cup in 2022. He's a great keeper. But the only problem, in this tournament, was that Matt didn't play in the whole season, and for different reason: we wanted to see another keeper. But it was a good conversation. I think it's important for our coaching staff to have the possibility, for the future, to have different options, because you never know.
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'That is the moment now, one year to the World Cup. I think … I don't want to say nothing wrong, but I think maybe one of the few, or the only players, that proved to deal with with this type of responsibility and stress was Matt — playing in different competition, in the World Cup. I think it's good for Matt Turner, (and) for the rest of the keepers, to see that they can have the possibility and deal with the pressure — because you never know what is going to happen in one year. Now is the moment to test or to give the possibility to show that they can deal also with the stress, and perform.'
Turner is hardly the only member of the 2022 World Cup squad whose club careers have yielded little playing time in recent seasons. Many MLS teams depend on a domestic option in net, and Freese has arguably been the best of the bunch since the start of 2024.
A surefire starter for New York City FC, Freese broke out after replacing World Cup selection Sean Johnson at the club and came up big in the postseason, thwarting favored FC Cincinnati in a memorable nine-round shootout to advance in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Given his serious advantage of involvement at the club level, Freese started the USMNT's group-opening 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago and hasn't ceded his spot all Gold Cup. Freese and his team have conceded three goals, including a pair against Costa Rica. The first, a penalty converted by Francisco Calvo, is one that goalkeepers aren't expected to save. The second, a second-half equalizer from Alonso Martínez, fizzed past Freese with precision and velocity that made it a difficult one to stop in a congested box.
Still, no goalkeeper will feel good about conceding a pair goals in a knockout game. Freese had a golden opportunity to make amends in the ensuing shootout, outlasting arguably the greatest goalkeeper the region has produced this century, Keylor Navas.
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'No disrespect to him: I think he is everything I strive to be in being a goalkeeper,' Freese said of his storied opposite number. 'He's one of the best in the history of the world. To share that moment, share that pitch with him, is very special. But yeah, in the moment, I'm not really thinking about that. I'm very much so just focused on myself and helping my team.'
Throughout the sequence, Freese's studiousness was evident as he proved to be difficult for Costa Rica to exploit. After Sunday's earlier game saw Guatemala eliminate Canada on penalties, including an excellent panenka, Freese stood his ground as Calvo returned to the spot and attempted to fire his shot right up the middle. While many goalkeepers' instincts are to dive — a proactive show of effort if not always a wise pick depending on the kick — his resolve was immediately rewarded as the USMNT advanced to its 17th semifinal in 18 Gold Cups. (Freese gave credit to U.S. goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez for the strategy in his postmatch remarks.)
It was Freese's third save of the sequence, following two of the diving variety. While many goalkeepers are demonstrative after making saves, from Canada starter Dayne St. Clair to reigning World Cup champion Emiliano Martínez, Freese is far more stoic. That level-headedness helped weather his own team's pair of misses that extended the shootout to a sixth round.
'In the moment, not really,' Freese said when asked if he allows himself a moment of satisfaction after a save. 'After the first save, I went over to the corner, and I kept repeating to myself: 'I want another, I want another.' And then after the second save, I did the same thing, kept telling myself 'I want another.' You can't get too happy with yourself.'
Freese will understandably be wanting another start under Pochettino, as well. He's rewarded his coach's trust in him by helping his team overcome a strong challenge by a longtime regional rival and held his resolve when needed the most.
That's all one can ask for from such a singular figure on the field, especially after letting two go past him in regulation.
'I think it's a very special place,' Pochettino said of Freese and goalkeepers at large, 'and for me, the most important position on the pitch. The objective for the opponent is to score goals, and for you, for us, try not to concede goals. You need to, for some mistake, you cannot change when you make your decision. Maybe it's different if you compare when a striker miss a goal — OK, the next game, not playing because (they) miss a goal. It's true that it's really important when a keeper maybe have not a good action, but I think we really trust in our keepers, and when we made a decision to play (Freese) and give the confidence to him.
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'I think any keeper can make a mistake. The most important is to make a decision and translate the confidence and trust, and be sure that your decision was a good decision for the team.'
It's a message that strongly conveys that Freese will be given an opportunity to see this tournament out. What follows will largely be up to the club form of Freese, Turner and other hopefuls for the World Cup roster like Chris Brady, Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen. Turner's transfer to Olympique Lyon hit a potential snag before he arrived as the club faces relegation into Ligue 2 (pending their appeal) for financial violations. The step from the Premier League to Ligue 1 is already seen as one down the ladder a bit, but that's far more pronounced dropping into France's second division.
Coupled with the fact that Lyon, for now at least, still rosters last year's starter, and it's unclear whether he's in a better position to start regularly and rebuild his case to start in 2026. While that situation resolves beyond his control, Freese is learning valuable lessons in this extended camp and tournament training alongside Turner.
'I mean, Matt is obviously incredibly athletic, a fantastic goalkeeper,' Freese said. 'I think the biggest thing I've picked up from him is how to be a part of a team and and how to create relationships in a national team camp. Obviously, this is newer for me than him, and so he's done a fantastic job. I'm super, super grateful for the support he's shown me, and likewise: he's someone I would always support. We have each other's backs, and the team is what's important at the end of the day.'
Only time will tell whether the two Matts will both be on Pochettino's World Cup squad, and how they (and others) will have their starts assigned in the lead-up to next summer. Freese will hope to sustain his strong form with NYCFC, which sits ninth in MLS' Eastern Conference and struggled in his absence this weekend.
As Freese said when asked about facing Calvo twice, and if he took cues from the defender's converted attempt in regulation, 'each one is independent from the last.' Each start provides another chance for him to make his case to stay in goal for the USMNT's biggest games. A semifinal against an inspired Guatemala will be another test of his resolve. Rather than be stressed by the burden of responsibility, it's an opportunity that Freese is relishing having been handed to him by Pochettino.
'I've just got to be ready for whatever game I get, whatever moment is there for me,' Freese said. 'He's shown a lot of faith in me, and that's something I'm really grateful for. It's my job to repay him and help the team win.'