Latest news with #StefanFrei
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Crew's Wilfried Nancy agreed to end game vs Sounders after Stefan Frei's injury
The Crew's 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders ended with a frightening scene: Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken off the field in an ambulance, leading both coaches to decide to end the game prematurely. More than seven minutes into stoppage time, the Crew took a free kick from outside the Sounders' box. As multiple Crew and Sounders players, including Frei, attempted to make a play on the ball near the Sounders' goal, Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic's knee collided with Frei's head. Advertisement More Columbus Crew: Columbus Crew 3-game winning streak snapped with draw vs Seattle Sounders: Replay Frei went to the ground. Sounders players immediately indicated the 39-year-old needed medical attention. After being helped by medical staff for more than five minutes, an ambulance was brought out at Lumen Field. Medics gather around Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Given that the previous play had ended with the Crew being awarded a corner kick, the game was technically supposed to continue despite passing the announced seven minutes of stoppage time. Crew coach Wilfried Nancy and Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer agreed the severity of Frei's injury warranted the game ending there. "When we see that, football is not important," Nancy said. "I asked what happened because I didn't see. After that, I told them that I am ready to stop the game because this is not important, that's it." Advertisement Following the game, Schmetzer stated Frei was being evaluated for a head and neck injury but was alert while leaving the field. Frei himself later posted on social media that he was "still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game." He added he was "back home resting." The draw marked the end of the Crew's three-game winning streak. Forward Diego Rossi recorded the Crew's lone goal in the 27th minute, and Sounders midfielder Paul Rothrock evened the score two minutes before the end of first-half regulation. Diego Rossi continues to lead Columbus Crew in offensive production Rossi was making a run on the right side of the Sounders' box toward the goalpost when forward Ibrahim Aliyu launched a cross in his direction. Getting the ball with Frei slightly out of position, Rossi converted the pass into his team-leading 10th goal of the regular season. Crew forward Diego Rossi, here passing the ball against the Sounders July 6, leads Columbus with 10 goals. Rossi has been counted on to take over offensively since striker Cucho Hernandez transferred to La Liga's Real Betis during the offseason, and while the 27-year-old Rossi does lead the team, he has hit occasional dry spells. Advertisement "This is about trust and being patient," Nancy said. "He didn't train well, I would say, this week because he had a bit of pain somewhere. After that, he told me that he was ready to go. To be honest, my plan was to play him only 45 minutes, but he felt good. The goal that he scored ... if he doesn't score here, we have an issue." Rossi ranks in the top 15 for scoring in MLS. BLACK & GOLD: Sign up for our weekly Columbus Crew newsletter Columbus Crew failed to capitalize on Seattle Sounders being down to 10 players Prior to the final free kick, the Crew had five minutes in which Seattle was down a player. Defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi had been shown his second yellow card, ejecting him from the matchup. Advertisement The Crew controlled the possession by over 82% when Seattle had only ten players on the field, but Columbus struggled to create any solid scoring opportunities, recording just one shot during that span. Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei made two saves against the Crew before an ambulance took him off the field with a head/neck injury. "They made some changes and brought some speed on the field," Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. "So, I think we were maybe cautious of that. I think we could have pushed a little bit more to get more numbers in the box. It's just the weird balance of getting the point on the road versus potentially losing the game." Seattle Sounders' turf field impacts Columbus Crew's approach to matchup For the first time since facing Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on May 24, the Crew were playing on a turf field rather than grass. Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush described the turf in Seattle as being like "playing on sand." Seattle has one of the six turf fields in MLS, but the stadium switched to grass to host FIFA Club World Cup games last month. Crew players hoped in vain that the field would remain grass for their matchup. Advertisement "Those little things on grass fields you get used to are a little bit more difficult for the teams that don't play on turf regularly." Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush said. "I think we dealt with it pretty well for the most part. This turf also was a little bit softer and a little bit thicker with the rubber in it. A lot of guys had some lower leg, calf, type of stuff because that explosion out of it. It's almost like you're playing on sand at times." The Crew go back on the road for a Hell is Real rivalry matchup against FC Cincinnati on July 12. bmackay@ @brimackay15 This story was updated with new information. Advertisement Get more Columbus Crew content by listening to our podcast This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew-Seattle Sounders game called after Stefan Frei injury
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stefan Frei Injury Update- First Words Revealed After Horrible Head Crash
Stefan Frei Injury Update- First Words Revealed After Horrible Head Crash originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Seattle Sounders fans were distraught after their home MLS game against the Columbus Crew, as goalkeeper Stefan Frei suffered a head and neck injury. Advertisement The worrying scenes led to the end of the game as the head coaches for both teams told the referee to end the game. The referee was set to continue the game, but Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer wanted the game to end after the injury. Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy agreed to end the game, and the referee blew the final whistle. An ambulance eventually drove onto the field to help Stefan Frei off the field, and he was alert when being transferred into the ambulance. Schmetzer spoke after the game and mentioned that Frei was feeling better. The Swiss keeper and the captain of the Seattle Sounders has finally given his first message to the worried fans after the injury he suffered. All signs suggest that he is fine and is expected to return soon. Advertisement Stefan Frei's message to the fans Stefan Frei sent a message to the fans and the people who wrote kind words on his social media pages. The goalkeeper thanked the medical staff who helped him recover quickly. Stefan Frei: "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game, 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. 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." Reports surrounding the Seattle Sounders suggest that Frei is already home recovering from the injury after spending time at the hospital. Seattle Sounders will inform of the extent of the injury the captain suffered. Schmetzer thanks Wilfried Nancy After the game, Schmetzer thanked Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy for agreeing to end the game for the safety of Stefan Frei. Schmetzer held back tears as he thanked the French coach, as the gesture was appreciated greatly. Advertisement The game was tied 1-1 at the moment of the injury and was minutes away from finishing. Brian Schmetzer: "I appreciate what he (Nancy) did, because the ref wasn't going to stop the game. And everybody knew the game should have been stopped. So good on him (Nancy), so thank you, Wilfred." Seattle Sounders' next MLS game is against Sporting KC in Kansas City. The Sounders have four MLS games after last night and one Leagues Cup game at the end of the month against Mexican side Cruz Azul. Related: Devastating Jamal Musiala Injury Left Everyone Teary-Eyed: What Happened To Bayern Munich Star? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
France 24
07-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Swiss MLS goalie Frei resting at home after on-field collision
The 39-year-old Swiss collided with Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic in the final seconds and went down after being struck in the head by the attacker's knee, prompting medical personnel to race onto the field. Frei was went in an ambulance and taken to a Seattle hospital for evaluation. "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game," Frei posted on X. "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. 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." Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer and Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy asked to halt the contest without playing the last seconds. "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." Nancy agreed the game should be stopped. "When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important," he said. "We stay positive, and hopefully everything is going to be good for him." Both clubs are fighting for MLS playoff berths.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Swiss MLS goalie Frei resting at home after on-field collision
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei said he was home and resting after being kneed in the head in the final moments of an MLS home draw against Columbus (JUAN MABROMATA) Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was resting at home on Monday after suffering a head injury in a stoppage-time collision Sunday in a 1-1 MLS draw with Columbus. The 39-year-old Swiss collided with Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic in the final seconds and went down after being struck in the head by the attacker's knee, prompting medical personnel to race onto the field. Advertisement Frei was went in an ambulance and taken to a Seattle hospital for evaluation. "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game," Frei posted on X. "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. 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." Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer and Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy asked to halt the contest without playing the last seconds. Advertisement "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." Nancy agreed the game should be stopped. "When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important," he said. "We stay positive, and hopefully everything is going to be good for him." Both clubs are fighting for MLS playoff berths. The Sounders are fifth in the Western Conference with 30 points while the Crew are fourth in the Eastern Conference on 38 points. js/pb
Axios
07-07-2025
- Health
- Axios
Sounders goalie Frei resting after on-field head injury
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei is recovering at home after a head and neck injury led to him being taken off the field in an ambulance on Sunday. Why it matters: The 39-year-old is a cornerstone of the Sounders' defense and his absence could hurt the club's playoff hopes in a tight Western Conference race.
