Soccer
Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei is “back home resting” after suffering a head/neck injury in second-half stoppage time of his team’s 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew on Sunday.
The 39-year-old collided with Crew midfielder Amar Sejdić when looking to collect a floated-in free kick, prompting medical personnel to rush onto the pitch during the Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire clash.
Frei was eventually removed from the Lumen Field turf in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now,” Frei wrote on social media.
“What resonates is all the messages, calls and love I’ve received from so many of you. Thank you – truly. It means more than I can put into words.”
Thank you — truly…. It means more than I can put into words.
I feel the support, and I’m thankful for every single one of you. ????????????
— Stefan Frei (@Stefan24Frei) July 7, 2025
On the sequence where Sejdić’s knee inadvertently hit Frei, Sounders defender Jon Bell headed the ball away for a corner kick in the 98th minute.
While play could have continued, Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer and Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy encouraged referee Ismir Pekmic to end the match.
With only seconds remaining, both clubs agreed a final push for all three points wasn’t worth it.
“Wilfried, I appreciate what he did because the ref wasn’t going to stop the game,” Schmetzer said. “Everybody knew that the game should have been stopped. Good on him. So thank you, Wilfried.”
“I hope that everything’s going to be okay with [Frei],” Nancy said. “Our job is not easy. When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important. We stay positive, and hopefully everything’s going to be good for him.”
As for the game itself, Rossi (27′) opened the scoring for the Crew before Paul Rothrock (43′) equalized for the Sounders just before halftime.
After Matchday 22, both clubs remain in the hunt for home-field advantage in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Seattle are fifth in the Western Conference (30 points), while Columbus are fourth in the Eastern Conference (38 points).
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