Freese 'devastated' but hungry after Mexico loss

United States men's nationalist squad and New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese said helium felt devastated pursuing the 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Mexico successful the Gold Cup final, earlier insisting the squad volition lone usage the effect arsenic information erstwhile heading into preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

"I was devastated. It was a monolithic accidental for the radical and an accidental to marque a statement," Freese told ESPN. "And possibly we made immoderate statements on the way, but again, the eventual extremity was to triumph the last and triumph the trophy, and we fell abbreviated of that.

"It's thing that I cognize each of america volition privation we had different changeable astatine and hopefully we bash person different changeable astatine it astatine immoderate point. But besides it adds substance to the occurrence and it keeps you hungry."

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The USMNT emerged successful archetypal spot from the radical signifier aft defeating Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, earlier going connected to triumph implicit Costa Rica and Guatemala to scope the coveted last against Mexico. Though the United States earned the aboriginal pb successful the 4th infinitesimal with a Chris Richards goal, the squad yet fell to their Concacaf rival owed to efforts from Raúl Jiménez and Edson Álvarez.

The USMNT entered the tourney connected a four-game losing streak and with disapproval from the fanbase implicit an inexperienced squad missing respective elder players owed to fatigue, wounded and Club World Cup commitments.

But Freese maintained each subordinate saw the contention arsenic a accidental to impressment caput manager Mauricio Pochettino.

"Many of america viewed it arsenic an opportunity, an accidental to get minutes to amusement the coaching unit what we tin do," said Freese. "But to beryllium honest, for the astir part, we purposefully truly conscionable focused connected ourselves, focused connected the radical that we had successful the locker country and successful the hotels.

"We didn't truly wage excessively overmuch attraction to the extracurricular sound that was going on, peculiarly astatine the opening of the tournament."

Freese started successful extremity for each six matches of the Gold Cup, replacing long-time USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner successful the starting lineup. The 26-year-old entered the tourney with conscionable 1 quality for the United States, making his debut for the elder squad days anterior connected June 2 successful a affable against Turkey.

Now, starring up to the 2026 World Cup, Freese said helium has been told by Pochettino that helium indispensable support a accordant level successful bid to vie for that starting relation adjacent summer.

"Obviously, I spoke with [the coaching staff] and they said it was a large measurement for me," Freese said. "I evidently got an accidental and I wanted to marque the astir of it and marque them arrogant and beryllium myself successful there.

"They thought it was a large step, but they besides said that that is present the minimum modular for maine and I request to proceed to physique upon that instauration that I acceptable this summer."

Freese, who has spent his full vocation successful MLS aft coming done the ranks astatine the Philadelphia Union, besides stressed that regular-season MLS enactment prepares players for the demands of a tourney owed to the question and congested schedule, giving teams conscionable a mates of days to plan.

"There's ever the question of MLS versus different leagues, but I deliberation it's decidedly important to notation that the MLS is decidedly a precise competitory league with prime players," helium said. "Obviously you're playing a pugnacious schedule, traveling each astir the country, and two, 3 games a week.

"You person periods of clip wherever it's 3 games wrong six days. You're traveling thousands of miles crossed that. So these types of challenges truly assistance you hole for a abbreviated tourney wherever there's a batch of games and a constricted magnitude of days and a batch of travel."

Freese boasts 62 MLS games for NYCFC, managing 17 cleanable sheets crossed two-and-a-half seasons.