New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese was met with audible boos from the home crowd every time he touched the ball during his team's 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday. The reception at Lower.com Field marked Freese's first match back with NYCFC following the World Cup break and a significant misstep by the U.S. men's national team. Fans in Columbus appeared to hold Freese accountable for a costly mistake during the USMNT's Round of 16 loss to Belgium, which led to Belgium's third goal in that match.
The jeers began in the third minute of the game and escalated when the ball was passed back to Freese. Some spectators were observed chanting "SHAME!" and displaying thumbs-down gestures. Despite the hostile environment, Freese made three saves to help his club secure the win.
NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen acknowledged the boos but expressed confidence in Freese's resilience. "He's not worried about these things. He has to go through it," Jansen stated. "Everybody is apparently still very disappointed either with the performance from the national team as one, and maybe in particular Matty’s performance, given the last game that he played, and what happened in that game."
Jansen added that Freese would overcome the challenge with support from his team. "But that is something that Matty has to deal with, and he’ll get through that with the support of everybody around him, but especially the locker room. We’re not worried one bit." The coach commended Freese's ability to maintain his composure and performance under pressure, calling it a "massive compliment" to the goalkeeper. Freese, who was not available to the media after the game, had previously expressed a desire not to let the World Cup mistake define his career, noting that he had also received support from other American soccer fans during his time back in New York.