TUKWILA, Wash. ā He may never win the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award. He may not frequently find himself at the forefront of the national conversation when it comes to the top netminders in MLS.
But when it comes to a consistent presence between the goalposts, who comes up big in the most important moments, few in the league have more credentials than the Seattle Soundersā Stefan Frei.
In a way, it makes sense that Frei is often overlooked when you consider the star power on Seattleās roster that includes Nicolas Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris. However, as Seattle general manager Garth Lagerwey pointed out on Friday, the Sounders probably arenāt hosting the 2019 MLS Cup final at CenturyLink Field against Toronto FC on Nov. 10 if not for the exploits of their veteran netminder.
āHeās played literally every game,ā Lagerwey said. āFor a goalkeeper to do that is pretty remarkable. Itās a testament to how well he takes care of his body, how well prepared he is, both mentally and physically.
āStef is really smart and I think heās very perceptive and heās able to constantly assess situations and manage things. Look, heās one of the big leaders in our locker room as well. ⦠Make no mistake, if he doesnāt make two or three massive saves in extra time against Dallas, weāre not even out of the first round. Thatās what heās like. Heās stepped up consistently in big game after big game, and weāre really lucky to have him.ā
For Frei, this yearās MLS Cup represents an opportunity to add to what is already an impressive postseason legacy.
He made the iconic save in the 2016 final in Toronto, with his sprawling denial of Jozy Altidore in extra time that preceded Seattleās penalty-kick triumph instantly becoming the stuff of legends.
In the rematch at BMO in the 2017 final, the Sounders fell 2-0, but the scoreline could have been even more lopsided if not for a clinical display of goalkeeping from Frei in the first half of the match.
Asked at Starfire Sports Complex on Saturday if thereās anything in particular that has led to his propensity for elevating his game under the bright lights, Frei said it simply comes down to experience, and learning how to manage the emotions that come with pressure moments.
āI donāt know, I wish I had a list to check off to make sure I have a good game, but thatās not how it goes,ā Frei said. āI think with experience, you learn how to really handle butterflies and obviously the bigger the occasion, the more the butterflies really are an integral part ā how do you deal with those?
āTheyāre starting already now ā how do you deal with the emotions that are coming up, the possible outcomes, how you feel about it, what does that mean? Those questions have to be answered before the game starts. If you havenāt answered those questions in your head and dealt with those emotions, youāre going to be in trouble. I think Iāve been able to take care of those emotions well,ā he continued.
Now 33 years old, Frei knows there are only so many more opportunities like this heās likely to get. Itās part of why he said he was so gutted after the 2017 final defeat to TFC, with the knowledge that there was no guarantee he would ever find himself back on that stage.
Heās back now, just two seasons later ā a development that Frei said left him feeling jubilation following Seattleās Western Conference Final upset over LAFC, but also cognizant of the reality that these are precious moments that arenāt to be taken lightly.
āThe fact that weāre getting to play for another star is a huge, huge opportunity,ā Frei said. āThereās players who have terrific careers, amazing careers and never have a chance to win a championship. So, it says a lot about all the things that are not really in the hands of an individual player. Thereās so much that needs to happen for this moment to occur to be in this situation and have this opportunity. On top of it now, for us to be able to possibly do it at home, itās an opportunity. I really want us to realize that without being afraid of that moment at the same time.ā