USMNT’s goalkeeping crisis has become the defining issue of the 2025 Gold Cup

The expression on Matt Freese’s face said it all. Having just cost the USA a goal in their Gold Cup group game against Haiti, the 26-year-old looked to the Arlington sky in exasperation at his own blunder. This tournament was meant to be Freese’s opportunity to prove he is national team quality. He might have blown his chance.

Fortunately, the good news for Freese is that he will likely keep his place for Sunday’s knockout game against Costa Rica. Mauricio Pochettino shrugged off the error by the New York City FC goalkeeper, strongly suggesting Freese will remain in goal for the duration of this summer’s Gold Cup.

“The best way to [show] trust in a player is not to tell nothing,” said Pochettino when asked about Freese’s mistake. “Be careful with this or that? No! Move on. Remember: the most important action is the next one. If you’re thinking on the last one, you are dead. You’re going to [make] another mistake. No, nothing to say, because this type of accident happens, and it’s going to happen in the future, but we’re so happy with him and with the quality of our keepers.”

Many USMNT supporters and experts aren’t so happy with the goalkeepers at Pochettino’s disposal right now. What was once an area of strength for the USA over a number of decades has become a weak point with no one candidate making themselves undroppable since the 2022 World Cup when Matt Turner held the position.

Turner is the most experienced option, but the 31-year-old hasn’t played regular first team soccer for the best part of two seasons. He failed to make a single Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace last season and has essentially been frozen out by the FA Cup winners after suffering a similar fate at Nottingham Forest.

Lyon reportedly plan on signing Turner this summer, but the 31-year-old has looked shaky in recent performances for the USMNT, including the 4-0 friendly defeat to Switzerland when a goalkeeping error led to a preventable goal. It’s no wonder Pochettino lost faith in Turner when he is so devoid of confidence.

Freese has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer over the last two seasons, but had it not been for injury, Zack Steffen might have been the domestic-based goalkeeper given a run at the Gold Cup. The Colorado Rapids shot-stopper was called up by Pochettino, but sustained a serious injury. He is watching from home.

Patrick Schulte is another standout MLS goalkeeper currently injured and so Freese’s opportunity in the first team for the Gold Cup was a product of circumstance. Nonetheless, he looked solid in the matches against Trinidad & Tobago and Saudi Arabia before disaster struck in the win over Haiti on Sunday.

Tim Ream’s pass back to Freese was slightly awkward, but any USMNT number one goalkeeper should have the ability to deal with such a situation. “”It was just [me] trying to over-complicate a scenario that I probably shouldn’t have,” said Freese. “Probably a moment to be smart, be safe, and put it out, especially in a tournament setting, especially when you’re changing pitches every single day, everything like that changes.”

Even the best goalkeepers make mistakes. Freese is widely considered to be adept with the ball at his feet and so the NYC number one possibly deserves the benefit of the doubt. His Gold Cup should be judged on the tournament as a whole rather than one mistake in a game the USMNT didn’t even need to win to make the next round.

The position is merely one element Pochettino has to concern himself with. While the USA have won three out of three at the Gold Cup so far, the knockout rounds will present a much tougher test starting with the quarter-final against Costa Rica on Sunday. Pochettino has issues to ponder in defence, midfield and attack. His USMNT is very much a work-in-progress.

A solid performance by Freese against Costa Rica, however, would still settle some nerves with the 2026 World Cup on home soil under a year away. No matter what happens in that timeframe, the USMNT won’t have a Tim Howard, Brad Friedel or Kasey Keller at the World Cup. Between Freese, Turner and the others, Pochettino needs someone to be reliable.