Matt Freese, goalkeeper for the United States men's national soccer team and New York City FC, was met with audible boos and chants of "Shame!" from Columbus Crew supporters in his first club appearance since the USMNT's elimination from the World Cup. The jeers, which began in the third minute and continued throughout the match on Wednesday night at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, appeared to stem from Freese's performance in the Round of 16 match against Belgium.
During that World Cup game, Freese made multiple errors that contributed to goals, including a misplay where he was dispossessed of the ball while attempting to dribble, leading to a Belgian goal. The crowd's reaction suggests that the public has not forgiven these perceived mistakes.
Despite the hostile reception, Freese managed to make three saves during the match, contributing to NYCFC's 2-1 victory. NYCFC manager Pascal Jansen defended his goalkeeper, stating that Freese's performance on the night "speaks for itself" and that he is not worried about the external criticism.
"He has to go through it," Jansen told the New York Post. "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. 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."
Freese himself has previously expressed a desire not to let the World Cup errors define his career.