TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Signing
The Philadephia Union announced Friday that goalkeeper Matt Freese has signed a contract with the club, making him the seventh Homegrown player on their roster.
Freese, a 20-year-old from Wayne, Pennsylvania, played two years at Harvard University, recording 77 saves in 16 matches, and was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team following the 2018 season. Freese has also featured three times during the 2017 season for the Union's USL affiliate, Bethlehem Steel FC, as a member of the Union Academy.
He is also part of the US international youth pool, last called up in February 2017 to U-19 National Team training.
Freese joins Brenden Aaronson, Anthony Fontana, Derrick Jones, Mark McKenzie, Matthew Real and Auston Trusty as Homegrown Players in the Union senior squad, becoming the 10th player in the Union's history to move from the Academy to the first team.
“It is a tremendous achievement for Matt to join our first team, and of course, as a Homegrown Player, it is for sure an extra special moment for his family,” said Ernst Tanner, Union Sporting Director. “I saw Matt in person for the first time when he played for Harvard against Penn, and he made a fantastic impression to me, one that has only grown with further study. We have observed immense progress throughout his time in our Academy, with Steel FC, and for Harvard, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him take this next step.”
