CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Goaltender Matt Freese admitted he still hasn’t fully gotten over the United States’ sudden withdrawal from the 2026 World Cup. Lost to Belgium 4-1 In the round of 16.
And, frankly, he’s not sure that will happen in the future.
“When you suffer a big loss in a difficult time, you never recover, because it stays with you throughout your career,” Freeze told The Associated Press before the game. major league soccer The All-Star Game will be held in Charlotte on Wednesday. “They keep you motivated for the rest of your career.”
Frees made a painful mistake as he darted wide from the penalty area to clear a long ball, but hesitated to kick the ball away under pressure.
Belgium quickly turned that mistake into a goal, taking a 3-1 lead in the 57th minute and all but sealing America’s fate.
American soccer fans haven’t let Freese forget that.
In his first MLS game since the World Cup last week, New York City FC’s goalkeeper was reportedly booed by fans every time he touched the ball during a game in Columbus, Ohio.
“It’s important not to let the bad things define you, but I also think it’s important not to let the good things define you,” Freeze said. “It’s important to be a consistent presence with consistent energy.”
Freeze is one of four U.S. players selected for the MLS All-Star Game.
Tim Ream, another veteran defender, openly admits that he is. There’s no secret formula What will it take for the Americans to someday reach the World Cup quarterfinals?
All he can say is the only thing he knows will lead to success: hard work.
“You just keep your head down and do the best you can,” Ream said. “And at some point, you’re going to break through that wall, and it’s going to take more effort and more effort. … Before you know it, you’re over that wall.”
Despite the loss, Ream said he believes better days are ahead.
Wing-back Max Alfsten believes the increased fan attention to the World Cup, where the majority of matches will be played in the United States, will only motivate more athletes in the country to take up the sport.
He said that’s a good thing.
“Our next step is to continue to grow the sport,” Alfsten said. “The more people we play, the better players we have. The more competitive we are, the more players we have playing in Europe’s top leagues, which is also important. We feel that all of those things combined will lead to success.”
Reem added that two things could be true when it comes to the World Cup. While the players can be disappointed with their performance and the “disastrous defeat” against Belgium, they can also be excited about what they achieved in the previous matches.
“We can be proud of how much it galvanized the country, the people around it and the sport, and how much fun it was,” Ream said.
Friese agrees.
“For us it is important to recognize the positive results that happened in the tournament and use it to inspire the new generation to improve even more. To get through the round of 16, get through the quarter-finals and get to the semi-finals and final,” Freeze said.
Messi will not play in the All-Star Game
Charlotte will host the MLS All-Star Game for the first time at Charlotte FC owner Dave Tepper’s Bank of America Stadium, but the league will once again be without its biggest star for the showcase event.
Messi, who helped Argentina reach the World Cup finals where they lost to Spain, is taking advantage of his allotted time off before returning to football and Inter Miami CF.
He was replaced on the roster.
Messi has scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in MLS this season.
Get excited about the World Cup
Several players, including Ream, said they have noticed a huge increase in fan interest in MLS games and soccer in general since the World Cup.
“You could see it while playing in the World Cup, but now it’s like you can’t leave the house,” Ream said.
he’s not complaining.
“Being able to inspire more people to play is obviously secondary to our job of competing and winning games, but it’s very rewarding to know that more people are paying attention to our sport,” Ream said.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage
