Matt Freese
Matthew Andrew Geary Freese (born September 2, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club New York City FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Andrew Geary Freese | ||
| Date of birth | September 2, 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Wayne, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | New York City FC | ||
| Number | 49 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2016–2017 | Philadelphia Union | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Harvard Crimson | 16 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017 | Bethlehem Steel | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Philadelphia Union | 13 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Philadelphia Union II | 30 | (0) |
| 2023– | New York City FC | 3 | (0) |
| 2023– | New York City FC II | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 30, 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 27, 2019 | |||
Club career
Born in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Freese went through the Philadelphia Union youth academy before appearing on the bench with Union reserve side, Bethlehem Steel, during the 2017 season. Not long after, Freese enrolled at Harvard and played college soccer for the Harvard Crimson.[2]
Professional career
Philadelphia Union
On December 21, 2018, it was announced that Freese would leave Harvard early and join Major League Soccer club Philadelphia Union at the beginning of their 2019 season.[3]
Freese made his professional debut on April 19, 2019, coming on as a 54th minute substitute for Andre Blake in a 3–0 home win against the Montreal Impact.
On November 8, 2020, Freese made his lone start of the 2020 season against the New England Revolution on MLS Decision Day. He made one save and kept a clean sheet as the Union clinched their first trophy in club history, the Supporters' Shield.[4]
New York City FC
On January 27, 2023, Freese was traded to New York City FC in exchange for a guaranteed $350,000 of General Allocation Money, with a possibility of an additional $400,000, as well as a percentage of a future transfer fee.[5]
International career
Freese has represented the United States at the U-19 and U-23 levels. Freese was named to the final 20-player United States under-23 roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship in March 2021.[6]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bethlehem Steel | 2017 | United Soccer League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Philadelphia Union | 2019 | MLS | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | MLS | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | MLS | 6 | 0 | — | — | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | MLS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Philadelphia Union II | 2019 | USL Championship | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2020 | USL Championship | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | MLS Next Pro | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||||
| New York City FC | 2023 | MLS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Career total | 46 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | ||
- Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs
- Appearance(s) in Leagues Cup
References
- "Matt Freese". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- "Matt Freese". Harvard. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- "Philadelphia Union sign Matt Freese to homegrown deal | Philadelphia Union".
- "Recap: Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution 11/08/2020 | Matchcenter".
- "NYCFC land goalkeeper Matt Freese in trade with Philadelphia Union | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- "U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team Head Coach Jason Kreis Names Roster for Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship". www.ussoccer.com. March 11, 2021.
- Matt Freese at Soccerway
- "Matt Freese – MLS Profile". Major League Soccer.
- Major League Soccer [@MLS] (November 8, 2020). "SUPPORTERS' SHIELD WINNERS @PhilaUnion win their first trophy in club history! #DOOP" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Sigal, Jonathan (November 5, 2022). "Hollywood ending! LAFC win legendary MLS Cup 2022 over Philadelphia Union". Major League Soccer. Retrieved April 27, 2023.