While Scott said he didn’t instantly earmark a teenaged Freese as a future World Cup goalkeeper, he wasn’t surprised that it happened, given Freese’s outstanding work ethic, intelligence, maturity and meticulous focus on improving his weaknesses.
“I actually remember before Matt joined us, I saw him play one of his last games for his former club, he got injured in the first half and he hurt one of his arms,” Scott recalled. Freese was at Radnor Soccer Club and FC Europa before Penn Fusion. “He proceeded to play the whole game one-armed and he was still pulling off incredible saves. He’s just such a great athlete, a great goalkeeper.”
Scott recalled that Freese would be the player winning all the fitness tests at Penn Fusion, which was not something you’d expect from a goalkeeper. Freese also built a brotherly relationship with fellow Episcopal student AJ Marcucci, now a goalkeeper with New York Red Bulls, that made them both constantly strive to improve their game.
“Sometimes when you have players of that talent, it’s more making sure you don’t mess anything up with them, isn’t it?” Scott said. “It’s providing the right environment where they can prosper and learn with each other, with us and their teammates. The right experience to set up to be successful.”
U.S. national team goalkeeper Matt Freese (third from left) while his was playing youth soccer with Penn Fusion Soccer Academy in West Chester. (Courtesy of Jamie Scott)
After Freese played for Penn Fusion and the Union’s academy, he was convinced to pursue academics and soccer at his father’s alma mater, Harvard University. Freese left college to go pro after three semesters, joining the Union on a homegrown deal in 2018. Freese was a back-up for Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake, but was on the field for the team’s Supporters’ Shield-clinching win in 2020.
In 2023, he was traded to rivals New York City FC, where he has faced off against the Union regularly, being on the losing side of the Union’s second-ever Supporter’s Shield win last October, but getting some revenge in the Eastern Conference semifinals and in the Union’s home-opener this season in March.
Not content with just a career between the goalposts, Freese did later get his Harvard degree, by taking online classes during the pandemic. He also serves on the executive board of Major League Soccer’s Player Association, and gives time and resources to Penn Fusion and other youth programs in Pennsylvania and New York.
Penn Fusion held a World Cup watch party to cheer on the U.S. team and celebrate Freese, as well the three other Union products on the team. Fortunately, it was for the team’s 2-nil win over Australia, where Freese kept a clean sheet.
Soccer can be cruel towards goalkeepers. While a striker’s missed shots get easily overlooked by the goals that they scored, a goalie’s great saves are quickly negated by the ones they let in.
United States’ Matt Freese reacts after Belgium scored their fourth goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Couple that with an online environment that needs to be constantly fed hot takes, while setting poor barriers from thoughtless, reprehensible comments and young people’s access to those, and it’s enough to make someone feel like the whole world is against them.
However, Scott isn’t worried about Freese.
“He’s built to bounce back. He’s built to learn and — as much as it’s a cliché — I know he’ll be better for his experience of playing this World Cup.”
Freese returns to club soccer by being selected on the roster for the league’s All-Star game.
“This hurts,” Freese said after the game. “This moment stings more than probably any other moment in my life. But I know that this is a step in a longer journey, and I know that there’s big things to come from this federation and from this group.”
Scott said this doesn’t diminish Freese’s place as a role model at Penn Fusion for the current crop of local youth players. It just adds another story of struggle and a coachable moment to an already stellar example.
“This sport for us is not just about winning games, is it? It’s about teaching players and teaching young athletes, young people, how to deal with adversity and how to really want something and how to go about getting it,” he said.
“I hope that a couple of moments don’t take away from what’s been a really positive World Cup, for not just for Matt, but for for the whole U.S.”
U.S. national team goalkeeper Matt Freese (top left) while his was playing youth soccer with Penn Fusion Soccer Academy in West Chester. (Courtesy of Jamie Scott)
