Sounders GK Frei taken from field in ambulance

Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei took an accidental genu to the caput with seconds remaining successful stoppage clip and was taken disconnected the tract successful an ambulance during his team's 1-1 gully with the Columbus Crew connected Sunday.

Frei jumped guardant to marque a play connected a escaped kick, and arsenic helium came down, his caput collided with the genu of a Crew player. Frei dropped to the turf astatine Lumen Field and teammates signaled to the sideline for help.

Frei said successful a societal media post Sunday nighttime that helium was location resting and "incredibly grateful to each the unit that looked aft me."

"What resonates is each the messages, calls, and emotion I've received from truthful galore of you," helium wrote. "Thank you -- truly.... It means much than I tin enactment into words. I consciousness the support, and I'm thankful for each azygous 1 of you."

Seattle manager Brian Schmetzer and the Crew's Wilfried Nancy agreed to telephone the crippled with Columbus owed for a country kick.

As Frei was stretchered to the waiting ambulance, Seattle fans chanted his archetypal name.

An affectional Schmetzer thanked Crew manager Nancy aft the lucifer for being adamant astir stopping the match, saying: "Everybody knew the lucifer should person been stopped. So convey you Wilfried."

Frei, 39, has played for the Sounders since 2014. He helped Seattle triumph the MLS Cup successful 2016 and 2019, and helium was named MLS Cup MVP successful 2016. He was an All-Star successful 2017.

Born successful Switzerland, Frei's household moved to the United States erstwhile helium was a teen and helium was a standout astatine the University of California.

Paul Rothrock scored a extremity for Seattle successful the 43rd infinitesimal arsenic the Sounders, portion Diego Rossi scored for the Crew.

Frei, who is retiring astatine the extremity of the season, had 3 saves for Seattle (8-6-6).

Columbus (10-3-8), which had won 3 successful a row, are unbeaten successful 4 straight.

Rothrock enactment distant a one-touch shot, disconnected a provender from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, from the left-center of the country to marque it 1-1.

Rossi gave Columbus a 1-0 pb successful the 27th minute. Ibrahim Aliyu, connected the counter-attack, slipped a perfectly-placed transverse betwixt 3 defenders to a charging Rossi for a first-touch decorativeness from point-blank range.

The Sounders are 8-4-6 each clip against Columbus, which includes a 4-0 roadworthy triumph successful the lone gathering betwixt the clubs past season.

Kossa-Rienzi was shown yellowish cards successful the 87th infinitesimal and the 2nd infinitesimal of stoppage and the Sounders played the last fewer minutes a antheral down.

Evan Bush stopped 1 changeable for Columbus.

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.