Seattle Sounders' Stefan Frei Leaves Field in Ambulance After Head Injury vs. Crew

Sunday's game between the Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew ended in a 1-1 tie after Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei suffered a head injury.

Frei reportedly sustained a knee to the head on a free kick toward the end of stoppage time, and an ambulance transported him off the field:

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer released a statement saying Frei is being evaluated for a head and neck injury and is "in the early stages of that evaluation."

Frei joined the Sounders in 2014 and was a member of two MLS Cup teams in 2016 and 2019. He was named MLS Cup MVP in 2016, and he earned an MLS All-Star selection the following year.

Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy was asked about the decision to stop the game after Frei's injury, and he told reporters, "When we see that, football is not important."

Frei had made a save in the third minute of stoppage time to preserve the tie. The injury occurred five minutes later, and after a lengthy delay, referees called the game in the 13th minute of stoppage time.

Neither team could get much going in Sunday's matchup. Only two of Seattle's eight shot attempts were on goal, and only three of Columbus' nine attempts were on the mark.

The Crew got on the board first when Diego Rossi found the back of the net in the 27th minute. Paul Rothrock answered for the Sounders in the 43rd minute off a through ball from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi.

The Sounders now rank fifth in the Western Conference at 8-6-6, while the Crew are fourth in the East at 10-8-3.