Matt Freese Has The Hot Hand But Won't Let World Cup Talk Distract Him

Editor's note: U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese had a massive showing against Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarterfinals on Sunday. This story was originally published on June 27.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Matt Freese admittedly was trying to "overcomplicate a scenario." 

In the 19th minute of the U.S. men’s national team’s eventual 2-1 win over Haiti in its final Gold Cup group stage match on Sunday, Freese received a pass back from defender Tim Ream in a precarious situation. Ream had chased a ball back near his own goal with Haitian striker Louicius Don Deedson on his heels and figured he’d play it to Freese, who had a better angle to clear it. Instead, Freese mis-hit the ball, which was intercepted by Deedson, who proceeded to score and tie the game 1-1. 

The Americans responded and came back to win the match – and Group D in the process. But it was a learning moment for Freese, who is striving to state his case for the USMNT’s starting goalkeeper job at the 2026 World Cup.

"It’s probably a moment to be smart, be safe and put it out," Freese told reporters after the game.

Freese, 26, has started every match for the USMNT at this Gold Cup – a 5-0 defeat of Trinidad and Tobago, a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia, and the 2-1 result vs. Haiti. He is expected to be in goal on Sunday, too, when the squad faces Costa Rica in the quarterfinal (7 p.m. ET on FOX). But the competition between him and incumbent Matt Turner has been a hot storyline so far this summer.

Freese entered this camp without a cap to his name. His expectations were just to "push myself, push my teammates and be the best version of myself on the field and off the field." He said his objective is to win the Gold Cup like everybody else, and also build relationships with his