Perhaps the U.S. is a proper soccer nation now, or at least, that it is the silver lining Matt Freese has chosen to find.
The starting goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s national team had put in a solid 2026 World Cup campaign leading up to the round of 16, but everything changed in the clash with Belgium. To be fair, no U.S. player was at his best in the 4–1 thrashing; however, Freese’s error proved to be the most obvious and most costly of the night.
Just before the hour-mark, Freese took a poor touch outside of the box, allowing Belgian striker Charles De Ketelaere to regain possession and pass the ball to teammate Hans Vanaken, who fired it into a relatively open net for Belgium’s third of the night.
That one mistake, putting the visitors two goals ahead, proved to be the nail in the coffin for the USMNT, who no longer had the confidence to respond. It was a heartbreaking moment for the fans too, many of whom had come to believe the Stars and Stripes were bound for the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.
Fans have been not been quick to move on from the incident, and when Freese returned to action for MLS’s New York City FC last week, he was met with heavy boos at Columbus Crew’s stadium every time he touched the ball. The 27-year-old, oddly enough, was actually grateful for it.
Freese Speaks Out on World Cup Criticism
“Criticism is part of this job,” Freese tells Sports Illustrated during 2026 MLS All-Star week. “If people weren’t criticizing you, then it means they didn’t care. And that’s also an honor.
“That’s weird to hear I’m sure, but it’s an honor to get criticism because it means they care. It means the fans want more, and believe me, we want more too. We want to be the best team in the world. We want to win the World Cup, and with New York, I want to win the MLS Cup.
“So anytime there’s criticism or negative pressure, it means that people care, and believe me, I agree with them. I have high aspirations for myself and for every team that I’m on.”
The pressure from the fans is actually a welcome feeling for Freese, who feeds off of it. “I hate losing, so I think it’s an honor to to play with that pressure. It doesn’t affect me in a bad way. If anything, it motivates me. It inspires me...It leaves you wanting to repay that support.”
Freese will have an opportunity redeem himself on Wednesday night in Charlotte at the MLS All-Star Game, before returning to regular MLS play on Friday. The USMNT will return to action in the September international window, where Freese will be eager to reinforce his starting position despite what happened against Belgium.
