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Tim Howard & Landon Donovan Disagrees On Matt Freese's USMNT Future Vs Costa Rica
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Tim Howard & Landon Donovan Disagrees On Matt Freese's USMNT Future Vs Costa Rica

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Marcelo Cartaxo  |  Last updated Jun 26, 2025 4:17 PM ET

Tim Howard and Landon Donovan don't agree about Matt Freese playing versus Costa Rica, as the New York City goalkeeper made a mistake that almost cost the USMNT the win over Haiti.

The USMNT is playing the Gold Cup, and the next fixture will be against Keylor Navas' Costa Rica. The former Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain goalkeeper has been in great shape at 38 years old. 

Against Mexico, he delivered one of the best performances of a goalkeeper in the tournament so far, and that's something that worries Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.

While discussing the next game of the USMNT in their podcast Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan & Tim Howard, Donovan suggested that, after the mistake Freese made against Haiti, Matt Turner should take his place.

"He's a fine goalkeeper[Freese]. But now you need to win the Gold Cup. And I know Matt Turner's not been great, he's not been playing a lot, but that's the guy you need to have in the goal. We saw what Keylor Navas did yesterday against Mexico. You need the guy who can make the play. So that's my bet. No one cares what I have to say. You're the goalkeeper. So that's kind of the back and forth we have. So I think Matt Turner should start going forward. I just I want to hear your opinion on all that." - Donovan said 

Howard didn't like the fact that USMNT started the tournament with Freese and switch to Turner because of the mistake. On the other hand, he suggested a move that would have avoided the mistake made by Freese since the game wouldn't change a thing on the board.

"This was my point to you: you’d have been better off playing Matt Freese in Game 1, Game 2, right? Yesterday, on the board, was a nothing game, right? Play Matt. Turner. You can then actually go back to Matt Freese, because he's cooking, and he plays in the quarterfinal. Now, off the back of that mistake — which, again, whatever — you win the game, and those are the best times to make mistakes: when your team wins a game." 

Tim Howard analyses the mistake made by Freese

The USMNT was winning 1-0 until Matt Freese accidentally handed the Haiti forward the ball. The play left everything even, but the national team managed to find a way to win with a late goal from Patrick Agyemang.

Howard during the podcast explained the way those type of situations should be handled, but also how different it is from the time he was playing.

"So one way or another, that ball needs to end up in the stands. He can't ever take that risk. But what I would say is mistakes happen, and there's a learning process, LD, and so he'll learn from that. I still think you can play in moments, but that ball has to go, and he needs to make a simple decision." 

The former USMNT and Everton goalkeeper also stated that things would be handled differently if this happened to him in Everton.

"The problem is for all those people at home, football now is taught in a way on the training ground where it's play no matter what. See for me, when goalkeepers make mistakes now, they're just patted on the back, oh play again, keep playing. Where before, if I'd have done that, and you were in the dressing room, David Moyes would have absolutely throttled me, right? And so that plays a role, whether he should be playing or not."

For now, Matt Freese continues as the starter for the USMNT game versus Costa Rica in the Gold Cup quarter-finals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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