On Sunday, Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei made his MLS Cup Playoffs debut in the First Leg of the Western Conference Semifinals against FC Dallas. The 28-year-old played the match like a seasoned postseason veteran.
Eight days after recording a clean sheet against the highest-scoring team in MLS, Frei made a number of clutch saves to keep Dallas from earning a home victory. The only goal he allowed in the 1-1 draw was a penalty kick that he nearly saved. In addition to his four saves, Frei cleaned up numerous crosses by a Dallas side that is dangerous on set pieces.
The performance earned Frei some high praise from his coaches and teammates.
“I told him after the game that this was by far his best game,” center back Zach Scott said. “It’s been a steady progression with him as the year’s gone on, that he’s just been better and better. And you can see that confidence building with him. It gives us defenders that much more confidence knowing that he’s going to come up and back us up on anything that gets over our heads.”
Scott and fellow centerback Chad Marshall each missed parts of the regular season with injuries, but their chemistry with Frei has shown in the past few weeks.
Frei has been in MLS since 2009, yet this season was his first chance in since 2011 to be a starting goalkeeper on a consistent basis. He made just one appearance while playing for Toronto FC in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Last December, Head Coach Sigi Schmid and the Sounders acquired him from Toronto. While there is still room for Frei to grow, Seattle’s coaches think their keeper is only improving as his career goes on.
Schmid used the analogy of keepers Tim Howard and Nick Rimando, who both represented the U.S. at the World Cup at age 35.
“For goalkeepers, games are most important. And that’s why you see keepers get better and better as they get older,” Schmid said before the start of the playoffs. “So it’s something you can grow with, but you need those games. He had a few years in Toronto where he wasn’t getting those games and those experiences. Now I think his character is good, and his mentality is good."
Frei’s best save of the night from Sunday came in the 90th minute, when Dallas forward Fabian Castillo beat Leo Gonzalez on the right flank and struck a shot in between Scott’s legs and toward the upper right corner of the net.
To complete his memorable outing, Frei leapt and got his left hand on the ball, preserving a positive road result for the Sounders.
“It was a difficult game, but I’m happy with the way we fought back,” Frei said after the match. “I was able to make a couple of saves and help my teammates out by coming out on some of those crosses. So overall I’m happy with that, but the most important thing is we set ourselves up for a good game at home. I think we fancy our chances at home. I think we can play better than we did today.”
Frei was first in MLS with 20 wins and third with nine shutouts during the regular season, seven of which were at CenturyLink Field. With a clean sheet on Monday, he and the Sounders would advance to the Conference Finals.
