Freese: “Devastated” after losing the Gold Cup, but hungry for the 2026 World Cup

Matt Freese: “Devastated” after the Gold Cup final defeat

The goalkeeper for the United States national team and New York City FC, Matt Freese, expressed his disappointment after the 2-1 defeat against Mexico in the Gold Cup final. Despite the result, Freese emphasized that the team will use this experience as motivation for the preparation towards the 2026 World Cup.

“I was devastated. It was a great opportunity for the group and an opportunity to make a statement,” Freese stated. “Maybe we made some statements along the way, but the ultimate goal was to win the final and the trophy, and we didn’t achieve that.”

Matt Freese

The American team, after finishing first in the group stage, defeated Costa Rica and Guatemala to reach the final against Mexico. Although the United States took the lead with a goal by Chris Richards, the efforts of Raúl Jiménez and Edson Álvarez gave Mexico the victory.

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The USMNT arrived at the tournament after a streak of four defeats and criticism for the lack of experience in their squad, due to injuries and commitments to clubs. Freese, for his part, highlighted that the team focused on their performance and not paying attention to external criticism. Freese started in all six Gold Cup matches, replacing Matt Turner in the starting lineup. The 26-year-old goalkeeper debuted with the senior national team days before the tournament, in a friendly against Turkey.

Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, Freese has been informed by the coaching staff that he must maintain a consistent level to compete for a starting position. Freese also highlighted the importance of MLS in preparing players for tournaments due to travel and the demands of the schedule. Freese has played 62 matches in MLS with NYCFC, keeping 17 clean sheets in two and a half seasons.