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MLS New York City FC

New York City Football Club Acquires Goalkeeper Matt Freese for $350K in General Allocation Money 

January 27, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City Football Club (NYCFC) can announce that it has acquired Goalkeeper Matt Freese for $350K in General Allocation Money (GAM) from the Philadelphia Union.

The Club will pay $200,000 in 2023 GAM and $150,000 in 2024 GAM. Philadelphia could receive up to an additional $400,000 in GAM if certain performance-based incentives are met. Philadelphia retains a percentage of any future transfer either inside or outside of MLS.

NYCFC Sporting Director David Lee said: "We are delighted to have been able to finalize this acquisition and would like to welcome Matt to New York. He is an extremely talented American goalkeeper who is coming into the best years of his career. He is an excellent shot stopper, and we believe is ready to take the next step in his career and we are excited to see his continued development at NYCFC.

"We knew there was a possibility that we would need to add a goalkeeper to our group this season and Matt has been our priority target and will provide excellent competition for Luis Barraza and Cody Mizell. We believe that Matt complements our strong core of keepers at the Club, while also having the talent and opportunity to compete for the starting role."

Freese rose through the academy ranks of the Union becoming the 10th player in Union history to move from the Academy to the First Team in 2018. The Wayne, Pennsylvania native has featured in 16 games logging 1,334 minutes for the Union across all competitions. Last season, Freese started for Philadelphia Union II in MLS NEXT Pro making 31 appearances, accumulating six clean sheets along the way.

Matt Freese said: "I am excited to be joining New York. They are a Club with a rich history of success and player development. I'm buzzing to work with Nick Cushing, Rob Vartughian and the rest of the coaching staff to be able to reach my full potential. I look forward to ‚ working as hard and as smart as possible every day in order to contribute to the team and continue to hone my craft." ‚

Freese became the first Homegrown goalkeeper in Union history to record a shutout on Decision Day against the New England Revolution, that win helped the Union clinch the 2020 Supporters Shield. The American has also represented the United States at the U-19 and U-23 levels.

Transaction: New York City Football Club acquires Goalkeeper Matt Freese from Philadelphia Union in exchange for $350,000 in General Allocation Money ($200,000 in 2023 GAM and $150,000 in 2024 GAM) and up to an additional $400,000 in performance-based incentives. Philadelphia retains a percentage of any future transfer either inside or outside of MLS.

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