'A star was born tonight' - USMNT legend Landon Donovan praises goalkeeper Matt Freese after Costa Rica penalty shootout heroics

USMNT icon Landon Donovan praised Matt Freese's performance in goal during a tense penalty shootout win for the Americans. The NYCFC goalkeeper saved three spot kicks, and guessed correctly on several to keep his side alive in sudden death after the U.S. blew a late lead in regular time.

His heroics set the table for Damion Downs to smash home the winning penalty in a dramatic 4-3 shootout win.

The U.S.'s starting goalkeeper spot was up in the air due to Matt Turner's lack of playing time on the club level and subsequent struggles in recent national team appearances. Freese appeared to have nailed down the role for the Gold Cup, but a mistake against Haiti last week led to some questions about his readiness for the role. Pochettino silenced those fears by handing him the start Sunday night. The Argentine was rewarded with a memorable performance, and Freese has certainly made a strong argument for why he should be considered for the 2026 World Cup roster.

Speaking on FOX Sports' post-match coverage, Donovan hailed Freese's showing.

"Matt Freese should be the goalkeeper. After that error [against Haiti], you wanted to see a response. A star was born tonight," he said. "It's not hyperbolic to say that. He was fantastic. A lot of soccer fans, sports fans, and American fans will know the name Matt Freese after tonight. He was fantastic, and you have to give him a ton of credit."

Former U.S. midfielder Maurice Edu also tipped his hat to Freese's heroics.

"Matt Freese deserved to start this game, and I love the fact that Pochettino trusted him to start this game," he said. "He gave him the chance to make amends for the error [against Haiti], and it wasn't just the penalty saves. It was a couple of big saves he made against the run of play. This is his shining moment, the moment we're going to talk about and celebrate."

Freese outlined his strategy heading into the shootout: "Penalties are my thing. The plane ride over here to Minnesota, I was studying the penalties, and so all week I was ready for it if you needed it. And the one I didn't move was suggested by... the goalkeeper coach."

Freese had a solid record in penalty shootouts coming into Sunday's clash, his side winning five of the six he had been involved in over the course of his career. This victory, then, made it six out of seven.

With the win, the U.S. will advance to the Gold Cup semifinals. They will face Guatemala, who made history with some spot-kick heroics of their own, beating Canada in Sunday's earlier fixture.