January 23, 2023, was a somber day for New York City fans. It marked the departure of club legend Sean Johnson to Toronto FC, the goalkeeper who led NYCFC to their first and only MLS Cup in 2021.
But something else happened on that same day that nearly went unnoticed: The acquisition of goalkeeper Matt Freese from the Philadelphia Union. Freese was a backup with just 12 starts over four years, the understudy to Andre Blake who didn't make a single appearance in 2022.
Freese started the 2023 season on the bench as the backup to Luis Barraza. But Barraza’s disappointing performances that year – along with NYCFC’s persistent struggles – eventually led to Freese taking the starting spot. Since then, Freese has been lights out in goal, especially this season. He made a name for himself as a strong candidate for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, with a save rate of (73.4%) and 8.9 goals prevented. But the award went to Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina, who led the league in clean sheets (13), save percentage (76%), and goals prevented (13.1).
