3 reasons why Matt Freese must start at the World Cup (even with Matt Turner’s experience)
A little over a year ago, Matt Freese was interviewed by FIFA about being called up to the USMNT for the first time. He said, “I definitely have ambitions on being called back in and growing within that group. Whatever is asked of me, it's important I'm ready to do that.”
Three months later, he started his first game, a friendly. Eight days later, he started in the 2025 Gold Cup, the premier soccer tournament for men's national teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Since then, he’s started all but two of USMNT’s games, and with the 2026 World Cup weeks away, he is battling the experienced Matt Turner for the right to wear the gloves. Life’s coming at him fast, but Freese has handled the challenge with sure hands.
Matt’s a mental warrior
On June 7, 2025, Freese made his first appearance in a USA shirt against Turkiye, who will be in the same group in the upcoming World Cup. Unfortunately, they put two behind Freese that day, but one was a self-inflicted howler by midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who took two (!) touches in the box before kicking it against a Turkiye knee and behind Freese.
There was nothing much Freese could do in that game to overcome the USMNT defensive frailties, but Freese’s strength is his mentality.
His Harvard education is often used when talking about his abilities. But it’s not merely the “Harvard” of it all, but what he did to get the diploma. He spent two years there, backstopping The Crimson, before leaving to play with MLS’s Philadelphia Union. Since education is so important to him and his family, he’d planned to transfer to Penn or Villanova to complete his degree. Then Covid hit, and he took two semesters online, but Harvard ended this, so he took the initiative to work with professors remotely.
In the FIFA interview, he picks up the story. “The first year-and-a-half as a pro hit me really hard. You're not prepared for the whirlwind of emotions, the training schedule and the regime. I got injured a lot as my body and mind weren't ready for it. I had no concept of how to get my mind off the field. I would get off the field and work out and watch film all day... but classes enabled me to compartmentalize my life. They got my mind for two hours a day off the sport, which allowed me to have a healthy balance, which is something I was missing in that first year-and-a-half.”
Matt Freese found gold in the Gold Cup
The Gold Cup ended in disappointment when the USMNT were defeated by Mexico in the finals. The game-winning goal was not on Freese, rather, fullback Alex Freeman failed to execute the off-side trap on a set piece. But Freese was a standout for the Gold Cup.
Most memorable was the quarterfinals, where he saved three penalty kicks in a dramatic 4-3 shootout win against Costa Rica, allowing the US to advance to the semis. He was Man of the Match, and his coolness and composure may have been due to having studied the penalties beforehand.
As an international goalie, Matt Freese is a blank slate, which can be a positive, especially when it comes to penalty kicks. Opponents like info on a goalie’s tendencies; some have hired coaches for that purpose. Well, that’s not going to work because at Harvard, Freese did a “very long research project” (his words) on penalty kicks. Perhaps as part of the World Cup prep, Pochettino should have someone dig up that research project and pass it along to all the goalkeepers.
While keeping, Matt Freese also sweeps
Competing against Freese is USMNT stalwart Matt Turner, who is 31, has been a regular keeper since 2018, and has 53 international appearances. Turner is generally considered a traditional shot-stopper who possesses high-level reflexes and shot-stopping ability.
However, his distribution and comfort in playing a high line have been suspect. There's some concern about his proactivity, especially when the back line is under pressure, a situation where the keeper needs to be aware of his surroundings and not just watch the ball.
Freese is excellent at claiming high balls in the area and equally adept at getting low and steering the rebounds. His distribution is a work in progress, but he’s got the athleticism to be a sweeper-keeper who plays far outside the penalty area to intercept through balls, acting as an extra defender behind a high defensive line.
This is where Freese can be a USMNT difference maker. By being an extra defender, he can reduce the threat behind the high line that Pochettino prefers. If Freese is proactive, one-on-one threats can be stopped by intercepting through balls. By being a passing option in the build-up phase, when his side is under pressure, the USMNT can effectively move the ball upfield.
Experienced Matt versus Brainy Matt
Which brings us to the cold calculus of international tournaments, where there is no tomorrow and experience trumps potential. Fifty-three caps is a formidable number, and “Experienced Matt” Turner has had the shirt in the World Cup 2022, where he got the USMNT out of the group with a record of four appearances, one win, two draws, and a loss, with one clean sheet.
However, “Brainy Matt” Freese has started 14 of the USMNT’s last 16 games. He was 4-1-1 in the Gold Cup with two clean sheets and 16 saves on 21 shots. In this year’s friendlies, he was 4-1-2, with one clean sheet. (No shots on goal numbers were available.)
This year, the World Cup 2026 is expanding to 48 teams, adding an extra knockout round, and giving more “wildcards” for teams to get out of groups. It is time for Brainy Matt due to his all-around ability, analytical abilities, and recent USMNT statistics.
Is he the best goalkeeper in the world now, or even the best in MLS, is the wrong question. How about, is he the best American goalkeeper in the world right now? Yes. And you don’t need a Harvard project to get that answer.