Freese, the penalty shootout hero who propels the United States to the Gold Cup semi-finals
American goalkeeper Matt Freese showed his composure under pressure, stopping three penalties in the dramatic 4-3 victory over Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals.Freese revealed that he prepared conscientiously, thoroughly studying the possible penalty takers. “I studied the penalties during the plane trip to Minnesota. I have been studying them all week and I was ready for when it was necessary,” he added. The match at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was a constant exchange of blows. Costa Rica took the lead with a goal by Francisco Calvo in the 12th minute. The United States responded with goals from Diego Luna and Max Arfsten, but Costa Rica tied the game at the end with a goal by Alonso Martínez, taking the match to a penalty shootout.“Penalties are my thing,” Freese declared after the match, which was decided in the penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
Matt Freese
Pochettino also praised the team’s reaction, which not only overcame Costa Rica’s opening goal, but also faced Malik Tillman’s missed penalty in the 37th minute. “We missed a penalty, but the team kept going and believed in their game,” added the coach. Freese, in his fifth international appearance, became the hero by stopping three penalties, securing the pass to the semifinals thanks to Damian Downs’ decisive goal.“I am very happy for them. They showed great character, I think it’s good for this group of players to have this kind of experience,” commented the United States coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino’s comments make it clear that the goalkeeper position for the 2026 World Cup is open. “I think perhaps one of the few or the only player who showed he could deal with this type of responsibility and stress was Matt playing in a different competition at the World Cup,” he added. With this victory, the United States reaches its seventeenth appearance in the Gold Cup semi-finals, and the thirteenth in a row. The next challenge for Pochettino and his team will be the semi-final against Guatemala on July 2 at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri.“I think we have many good players and good goalkeepers. Matt Turner has experience because he played in the 2022 World Cup. He is a great goalkeeper, but the only problem in this tournament is that Matt didn’t play the whole season, and for different reasons, we wanted to see another goalkeeper,” explained Pochettino.
Mauricio Pochettino
