Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken to the hospital by ambulance Sunday night after suffering a head and neck injury during the final moments of a 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew at Lumen Field.
Frei was injured when he leapt to defend a free kick and collided midair with a Crew player’s knee.
He immediately collapsed to the turf, prompting urgent calls for medical assistance from teammates.
“He was alert,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said after the match. “His fingers were moving, so he was OK in that regard. No paralysis, nothing major, but obviously I don’t want to downplay it.”
The incident occurred deep in stoppage time.
As Frei lay on the turf receiving treatment, both Schmetzer and Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy asked the referee to end the match.
The Crew had just been awarded a corner kick, but Nancy agreed to stop play for Frei’s safety.
“I appreciate what he did, because the ref wasn’t going to stop the game, and everybody knew the game should have been stopped,” Schmetzer said.
Nancy responded: “So good on him. So thank you, Wilfried.”
Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game 😜
— Stefan Frei (@Stefan24Frei) July 7, 2025
but I’m incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now.
What resonates is all the messages, calls, and love I’ve received from so many of you. pic.twitter.com/fE9JqNgE3P
Frei, 39, has played for the Sounders since 2014. He has been one of the league’s most consistent goalkeepers, helping Seattle capture MLS Cup titles in 2016 and 2019.
He earned MVP honors in the 2016 final and was an All-Star in 2017.
In Sunday’s match, Frei reached another milestone, making his 1,000th regular-season save for the Sounders.
Only Nick Rimando, formerly of Real Salt Lake, has more saves with one MLS team (1,128).
As Frei was taken from the field on a stretcher, fans in the stands chanted his name.
Frei was born in Switzerland and moved to the U.S. as a teenager.
He played college soccer at the University of California before starting his professional career.
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