Matt Freese's shootout heroics could give USMNT a lasting emotional lift

New York Times

4 days ago

As the pressure rose and the margin for error shrunk to nothing, Matt Freese stood tall.
Again.
And again.
And then once more.
In a penalty shootout that will long be remembered by U.S. men's national team fans as a turning point — or perhaps, more accurately, a launching pad — Freese didn't just stop Costa Rica. He saved three penalties, putting on a performance that any goalkeeper, anywhere in the world, would be proud of. He didn't just keep the U.S. alive in the Gold Cup. He seized a moment that could reshape the arc of his career and redefine the U.S. goalkeeper picture heading into a critical 12 months.
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And the most impressive part? He did it with a level of calm that belied the stakes.
Penalty shootouts have always held a kind of mystique. To outsiders, they feel like a coin flip, chaotic, nerve-wracking, and random. But for goalkeepers, that perception couldn't be further from the truth. Penalties are a science, an art, and most of all, a mental duel. They reward preparation, psychology, and presence. They reward the ability to stand still while the world spins around you — not just physically, but emotionally, too.
Watch Freese during the shootout and you'll see it immediately. There's no dramatic arm-waving or kinetic energy spilling out of him. He's not trying to intimidate the taker with any crazy movements or antics. His power comes from poise. He makes himself big and waits calmly, patiently, even invitingly, for the taker to show his hand.
Matty 'Ice' Freese 🥶 pic.twitter.com/Ri6RwsD55f
— Gold Cup (@GoldCup) June 30, 2025
His approach is exactly what Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma did to England in the Euro 2020 final. Standing tall in goal like a statue while the England takers danced their way through a series of stuttering run-ups, Donnarumma never flinched. He held his ground, watched them closely, and forced the England takers to make the first move. That pressure — the silence, the stillness — is often more unnerving than any exaggerated motion.
Freese channeled that same energy. He didn't guess. He didn't dive early. He read the body cues: plant foot, hip alignment, shoulders, stride cadence — and made decisive, well-timed reactions. These are the details that can tip the scales, details that most viewers never notice but that goalkeepers live by.
And when a goalkeeper gets it right, the effect ripples well beyond the goalmouth. It doesn't just change the scoreboard, it changes the temperature of the team. Because here's the thing: in a shootout, confidence is contagious. When your goalkeeper is in control, the rest of the squad feels it, they all sense that security in goal. It frees them to shoot with more bravery, to embrace the moment rather than shrink from it.
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That's why Freese's performance wasn't just a personal breakthrough. It was a team-wide shift in energy. He turned a moment of tension into one of belief. His saves weren't just stops; they were statements. And for a U.S. team that has seen instability at the goalkeeper position for the better part of a year, that clarity matters more than ever.
The door is open. Matt Turner's club form has wavered. Ethan Horvath has struggled to secure consistent playing time. Gaga Slonina is still very much a work in progress. There's been a vacuum of certainty, a rotating cast of options, but no clear No. 1. Freese, coming off a strong MLS season with NYCFC and now this defining performance, is offering something different: momentum. He's offering presence. He's offering belief.
These are the kinds of performances that stick with you, not just because of the result, but because of how they unfold. A 'keeper saving three penalties isn't just about reflexes or luck. It's about controlling a moment most players dread. In tournament football, that kind of performance can fast-track a career.
The timing couldn't be more important. With both the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup being played on American soil this summer, the spotlight on goalkeepers will only intensify. These are knockout competitions. As the USMNT prepares to face Guatemala on Wednesday and Mexico takes on Honduras in the Gold Cup semis, and the Club World Cup prepares for its quarterfinal stage, it seems inevitable that some ties will go the distance and shootouts will follow. That means more moments like these, more high-stakes duels at 12 yards, where everything hinges on a single act of stillness and split-second decision-making.
Freese won't be the only one hoping to seize that opportunity. Paris Saint-Germain's Donnarumma remains the modern standard. At just 26, he already carries the aura of a veteran. In the past 50 years, only three goalkeepers who have participated in at least six penalty shootouts at the professional level have a better win rate than the towering shot-stopper — he has an 85.7 per cent success rate, winning six of seven shootouts. Former Bayern Munich 'keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff (eight out of eight) and Bayer Leverkusen's Lukas Hradecky (six out of six) occupy rare air as undefeated shootout 'keepers with a sizable body of work behind them.
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Donnarumma has secured victory from the penalty spot three times for his boyhood club Milan, twice for Italy — in the semifinals and final of Euro 2020 — and most recently for PSG in the Champions League round of 16 against Liverpool. He saved two penalties at Anfield, just as he did four years ago for Italy against England at Wembley Stadium. His only defeat in a penalty shootout came in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Nice in January 2022. Donnarumma has an almost unnerving ability to remain motionless as takers make their approach. His presence is part technique, part theatre. He forces doubt. But the Italian is far from alone.
Yassine Bounou is another who has built a reputation on composure under pressure. During Morocco's historic run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals, Bounou was immense, saving two penalties against Spain in the round of 16 and becoming a national hero in the process. His anticipation, timing, and body control are textbook. Just last week, now with Saudi side Al Hilal, he saved a late penalty against Real Madrid to secure an impressive 1-1 draw in this summer's Club World Cup, the most recent reminder of his big-game pedigree.
Manuel Neuer, the elder statesman of this group, has long been synonymous with penalty expertise. His track record for Bayern Munich and Germany speaks for itself. What sets him apart, even now at 38 years old, is his mental durability. Neuer doesn't blink. He waits. He reads. And his ability to pull off the big moment hasn't waned with age.
Gregor Kobel, meanwhile, represents the next wave of intelligent, disciplined 'keepers. For Borussia Dortmund, he has developed into one of the Bundesliga's most dependable goalkeepers in penalty situations. He's methodical in his preparation, calculated in his decision-making, and rarely allows the moment to dictate his actions.
All of these goalkeepers share the same foundational trait: they stay big. They stay calm. They don't flinch first. In a shootout, that's everything.
The temptation as a goalkeeper is to do more, to make yourself look like you're doing something. But often, those dramatic gestures only serve the taker. They are very difficult to time well and often reveal your hand too early. The best 'keepers know that minimalism wins. Let the taker think. Let him wonder. Let him guess. And then react.
Freese got that balance just right. On each of his three saves against Costa Rica, he held his position long enough to pick up the aforementioned subtle cues and moved with explosive efficiency. His set position was clean, his footwork was crisp, and his dives were purposeful.
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Technically, he looked as sound as we've seen him. Psychologically, he looked even better.
And that's the part that may matter most. Because the truth is, saving penalties isn't just about knowing the scouting report or diving correctly. It's about handling the weight of the moment. It's about staying inside the eye of the storm while everything swirls around you. Some goalkeepers shrink from that pressure. Others feed off it. Donnarumma does. So does Bounou. Neuer made a career of it.
And now, maybe, so does Matt Freese.
One shootout does not define a career. But sometimes, it reveals what's been building beneath the surface: confidence, readiness, belief. In the same way that Donnarumma's breakout on the Euro stage launched him into a new tier of recognition, Freese now has the chance to do the same. His name is in the conversation. Not just as a shootout hero, but as a legitimate contender for the U.S. No. 1 shirt.
Whether he holds onto that role long term will depend on consistency. But this moment — three saves, unwavering presence, and a team lifted by one man's calm — might just be the start of something.
Because in the end, the beauty of a penalty shootout lies not in the chaos, but in the clarity it offers. You either make the save or you don't. You hold your nerve or you flinch. You rise to the moment or the moment swallows you.
On Sunday night, Freese didn't just rise to it.
He owned it.