Matt Freese is one of three finalists for the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, the league announced earlier today.
The New York City FC shot-stopper is joined by Dayne St. Clair of Minnesota United FC and Yohei Takaoka of Vancouver Whitecaps FC as the three finalists.
Freese is the only New York City FC player or coach to be among the named finalists across the complete slate of MLS end-of-year awards, which you can see in full at the bottom of this post. The awards are voted on by MLS players, MLS club technical staffers, and select members of the media covering the league.
It was controversial that Freese did not earn a place among the three finalists for the 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year award, which ultimately went to Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina. In 2024, Freese ranked fourth in MLS in save percentage, third in saves, and fifth in goals prevented (PSxG-GA). He was “criminally underrated,” as described by Hudson River Blue‘s Matthew Mangam while covering Freese’s 2024 snubbing by MLS awards voters.
Now in 2025, he’s among the three finalists following a season in which Freese placed 10th in saves, 13th in save percentage, and 11th in goals prevented (PSxG-GA) – an impressive season, though not hitting the same statistical heights of his 2024 campaign.
His inclusion among the final three might come at the expense of the reigning winner, Kahlina of Charlotte, which maybe adds just another layer of drama to the imminent best-of-three series between Freese’s NYCFC and Kahlina’s Charlotte in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Freese and NYCFC won’t complain, though, because Freese is overdue for some recognition for being among the top goalkeepers in MLS for now multiple seasons. He turned his strong play for New York City into an opportunity with the United States men’s national team, one that he’s run with and turned into nine consecutive starts and, at present, the inside track to starting in goal for the USMNT in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Goalkeeper of the Year finalist spot isn’t the only end-of-season honor Freese is up for, as he also earned a nomination for Save of the Year. The league nominated Freese’s sprawling cross-goal diving save to deny Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar, a play that was and remains controversial given that Nashville appear convinced the ball crossed the goal line and should have been Nashville’s third goal.
You have through Friday, October 24 to cast an online vote for Freese’s save in the Save of the Year race, which you can do here. The voting window for the main MLS awards like MVP and Goalkeeper of the Year closed on Monday, October 21.
The league will be rolling out winner announcements for each of the individual end-of-season awards throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs, and as promised, here are all those nominated.
Landon Donovan MLS MVP
- Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
- Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
- Evander (FC Cincinnati)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF)
- Sam Surridge (Nashville SC)
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
- Bradley Carnell (Philadelphia Union)
- Jesper Sørensen (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
- Mikey Varas (San Diego FC)
MLS Newcomer of the Year
- Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
- Son Heung-Min (LAFC)
- Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC)
MLS Young Player of the Year
- Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC)
- Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
- Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC)
MLS Defender of the Year
- Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
- Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union)
- Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
- Matt Freese (New York City FC)
- Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC)
- Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
- Lawrence Ennali (Houston Dynamo FC)
- Nick Hagglund (FC Cincinnati)
- Richie Laryea (Toronto FC)
Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award
Honors an MLS player who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community during the 2025 season.
- Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC)
- Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
- Brad Stuver (Austin FC)
