A USMNT star was heavily booed by MLS fans during his first game back after the World Cup this week. Of course, at one point, it looked as though football fever had completely taken over the country, with the Stars and Stripes expectant of a deep run at this summer’s tournament.

Back-to-back wins over Paraguay and Australia – 4-1 and 2-0 respectively – to kickstart their campaign under Mauricio Pochettino saw USA make history as they achieved that feat for just the first time since 1930. However, just as quickly as they thought they were going to make it all the way, their world came crashing back down onto them.

A 3-2 loss to Turkiye already showed signs that USMNT weren’t as imperious as they seemed earlier into the tournament, and a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 proved the final nail in the coffin.

In the aftermath of that exit, much of the blame fell on Christian Pulisic. However, when MLS action resumed this week, it was a different USMNT star who found himself in the firing line, as Columbus Crew supporters relentlessly booed him during their clash with New York City.

USMNT Star Relentlessly Booed Upon his Return to the MLS

USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese returned to action with New York City on Wednesday night, but it appears America isn’t ready to forgive him for his mistakes in the defeat to Belgium. Every time he touched the ball in Ohio, a chorus of boos rained down from the crowds.

Freese’s woes in midweek started from his first touch in the third minute of the match against Columbus. Some supporters appeared to be chanting “Shame!” at him, and others were giving him thumbs down, according to the Sun USA.

The 27-year-old didn’t appear bothered by the boos, as he put on a good performance, making three saves to win the game 2-1. And afterwards, his manager defended him from the brutal crowd reaction.

NYCFC Boss Defends Freese Amid Brutal Crowd Reaction

Brace Hemmelgarn | Imagn Images

NYCFC manager Pascal Jansen said Freese’s effort “speaks for itself,” after having technically been able to take more time off due to a FIFA rule, had he needed it. The boss continued (watch below):

New York City currently sits sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference, 12 points adrift of the top two, Inter Miami and Nashville SC. Their next match sees them take on Chicago at home.

Aston Villa have had a busy summer window so far, with several arrivals and several top players no longer available to Unai Emery.

The club lost Amadou Onana to a serious knee injury, meaning he will miss most of the season, while PSG and Man Utd triggered the release clauses of Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans within hours of each other in huge blows. Villa responded by signing Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes, before losing Morgan Rogers in a record-breaking £117m deal to Chelsea.

Emery has since added Alejandro Garnacho, and is pursuing deals to bring in Pervis Estupinan and Nicolas Jackson to fill the holes in the squad currently, but it has now emerged that he could be set for yet another backwards step this summer.

Emi Martinez Agrees to Join Juventus

REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

According to a report by Italian journalist Alessio Lento, Emi Martinez has agreed terms with Juventus over a move to the club in this transfer window.

The goalkeeper has been heavily linked with an exit from Villa Park for a number of summers now, but has continued to keep the net at Villa Park, and helped the team finish fourth in the Premier League and win the Europa League last season.

However, he is once again seemingly looking for a move away, and it’s reported that he has ‘locked in’ an agreement on personal terms with the Serie A side.

However, it’s also stated that there is a ‘significant’ gap between the clubs when it comes to Martinez’s valuation at this stage, and that needs to be bridged before any deal can be made formal.

As it stands, Juventus have not abandoned hope of getting a deal done, but there is a lot of ground to cover. Meanwhile, Aston Villa CEO has stated that a final decision has been made on Martinez’s future for this summer, and there are zero plans to let him leave.

Martinez is Irreplaceable for Villa

While Martinez is far from the perfect goalkeeper, there is no doubting that he is absolutely crucial to the way they play, and is probably the very best goalkeeper that Villa could have between the sticks.

The World Cup winner has a huge presence and is a leader, and with Villa undergoing a major summer of change, keeping his voice and standards will be vital to the team maintaining their success.

Replacing him would cost far more than any fee they would be able to bring in, and it still wouldn’t be a guaranteed hit, so keeping him is undoubtedly the best option for the club considering the current circumstances.