Matt Freese and the USMNT are moving on in the Gold Cup, which is good for NYCFC | OneFootball

On Sunday, New York City FC players Matt Freese and the USMNT and Alonso Martínez and Costa Rica faced off in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Entering the game, fans knew that one of the players would be back for Thursday's match, for one of the national teams had to be knocked out of the tournament.

In the end, the match finished in a crazy 2-2 draw and went into a penalty kick shootout. The USMNT came out on top, winning the shootout 4-3.

Many NYCFC fans were likely cheering for the USMNT and wanted to see the team move on. However, it is easy to feel sorry for Martínez since he plays for the Boys in Blue. There are likely some supporters of Costa Rica as well who were upset about the result.

Matt Freese leads the USMNT to victory

In regulation, Freese, who arguably should have saved the first goal he allowed, had only one save. Then, Martínez scored the tying goal in regulation and scored in the shootout. The goal in regulation came after a rebound ball bounced right to him, and he was able to pounce and stick it into the back of the net. His shootout goal was one right down the middle. It was odd to see the NYCFC striker put the ball past his teammate, but of course, they were not teammates on the night.

It was the penalty kick shootout where Freese shined in his performance. The goalkeeper had three saves, including one where he had to guess correctly and reach far to his right.

Damion Downs might have scored the winning goal, but Freese kept his team in the shootout and is a major reason why they are moving on. Congratulations are in order for the NYCFC keeper.

At the same time, and for selfish reasons, having Costa Rica and the USMNT face one another meant that someone would be coming home. While NYCFC proved they could play without Freese and Martínez in the Atlanta United FC win, their struggles against CF Montréal reminded everyone why it is always important to play the best players on the team.

Although, the biggest issue against Montréal was that NYCFC could not score. So, having Martínez back is perfect for the Pigeons. He makes the attack better and at least gives them a chance to score. Plus, Mounsef Bakrar is not reliable despite being better this season.

So, the result worked in NYCFC's favor. Plus, the USMNT is moving on. Hopefully, Freese will continue to shine and prove he is worthy of being considered in the future.