SEATTLE — In a recent Major League Soccer match against the Columbus Crew, Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken off the field in an ambulance due to concerns over head and neck injuries.
Coach Brian Schmetzer reported that Frei was alert as he left the pitch. “His fingers were moving, so he was OK in that regard. No paralysis, nothing major, but obviously I don’t want to downplay it,” Schmetzer stated.
The incident occurred when Frei jumped to make a play on a free kick, only to collide with a Crew player’s knee upon landing. He fell to the ground at Lumen Field, prompting teammates to immediately signal for medical assistance.
With the match score tied at 1-1 and time winding down, both Schmetzer and Crew coach Wilfried Nancy urged the referee to end the game out of concern for Frei. As Frei was taken away, Seattle fans expressed their support by chanting his name.
Schmetzer expressed gratitude toward Nancy for agreeing to call off the game, especially since the Crew had just been awarded a corner kick. “I appreciate what he did, because the ref wasn’t going to stop the game, and everybody knew it should have been stopped,” Nancy remarked.
Frei, who turned 39, has been a key player for the Sounders since 2014, contributing to the team’s victories in the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019, and earning the title of MLS Cup MVP in 2016. He also reached a milestone of 1,000 regular-season saves with the Sounders during the first half of the match, placing him second for saves with a single team, only behind former Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Originally from Switzerland, Frei moved to the United States as a teenager and made a name for himself at the University of California. His experience and talent have made him a valuable member of the Seattle Sounders.
