New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freeze has been named a finalist for the MLS Award

Matt Freese is not one to brag about himself or care much about individual accolades.

So it should come as no surprise that the New York City FC goalkeeper didn’t even know he’d been named a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, or that he only learned of the news through a text message from his girlfriend.

“It’s a really big honor to be a finalist for it, but honestly, I didn’t even know the award was coming out,” Freeze told The Post after practice Thursday as NYCFC prepared for its first-round playoff series against Charlotte FC. “I didn’t think about it too much, and I definitely focused a lot on the win over Charlotte on Tuesday.”

But what also shouldn’t be a surprise is that Freeze is in contention for an MLS year-end award. Freeze has been one of the best goaltenders in the league over the past two seasons — controversially not being named a finalist last year — and has stepped up to become a regular on the U.S. men’s national team less than a year away from the 2026 World Cup.

Playing in the league this season, Freeze has kept eight clean sheets, made 96 saves, and allowed 42 goals in 31 appearances for New York City FC, with head coach Pascal Janssen crediting the goalkeeper with helping to create the “consistency” with which the club has played this season.

“It’s a big part of that factor that makes us more consistent,” Jansen said. “He joined the national team and became the No. 1 player, which is also very good for your self-confidence,” he added. But Matt, as a person and as a player – how I got to know him – when you think about a growth mindset and trying to develop yourself as an athlete, one of the people I would mention first is Matt Freese. “And that goes hand in hand, if you ask me.”

Freese will be a big part of how far New York City goes once their playoffs begin next week in Charlotte, but there is another factor that could play into their success as well.

Hannes Wolf, New York City’s second-leading scorer, did not practice on Friday.

The club had some players out with the flu earlier in the week, but Janssen said Wolff’s absence had to do with “some physical issues”, though he did not specify what that meant.

Wolff will be monitored over the next few days, and if he is unable to play on Tuesday, that will not change Jansen’s approach in the first game.

“We have some other good strikers who can take his place if he is not available,” he said.