RENTON — There’s nothing quite like a forced hiatus to inspire an aging professional athlete to consider his future.
Stefan Frei suffered a particularly scary injury on July 6 when he took a knee to the head and was briefly knocked unconscious, eventually being taken off the field in an ambulance. Although he was discharged from the hospital within a few hours, the concussion was serious enough that he missed nearly six weeks of action before returning to the field. He’s now in line to receive his second start since the injury when the Seattle Sounders host Sporting KC on Sunday.
But how many more he has before he decides to retire is an open question. The concussion was the seventh he’s had diagnosed in his career and at 39 he’s particularly disinclined to do anything that might jeopardize his quality of life once he decides to hang up his gloves.
“I’m not trying to sound dramatic, but sometimes when you have an experience like that, it puts things in perspective, where we are putting our bodies on the line, and sometimes some really ugly things can potentially happen,” Frei told reporters earlier this week. “I felt fine once I woke up again, but when you realize that people around you are exceptionally serious and you go to the ER and things are beeping and they’re checking very, very important things, you realize that it’s pretty serious. But I’m happy to be playing soccer.”
One thing that has given Frei some peace of mind is the time he was allowed to make his return. In the past, there was an intense pressure for players to rush back onto the field after concussions, sometimes before they were fully healed.
Now, players have to go through a strict protocol. Frei was first allowed to exercise on a bike and couldn’t progress to jogging until he didn’t feel any symptoms. He wasn’t allowed to progress from jogging to playing until he was symptom-free again. Then he had to work his way into taking live action without limitations. Only then was he cleared to play.
Similar to other injuries, Frei needed something like taking a shot off the head to feel like he was truly back. He said he’s now comfortable with his own body again.
While acknowledging that suffering seven concussions is “an alarming figure”, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer is confident Frei has the information necessary to make the decision that’s right for him.
“Stef is a very critical thinker,” Schmetzer said. “He’s a smart guy, he understands his role, his position, his career. I’m not as worried about him.
“I think nowadays the education behind the concussions — how they affect people later in life — I think that’s been pushed out there pretty well. Stef has all the facts. When he decides to retire, if it’s because of a concussion or the fact that he's had seven, well, that’s his decision.”
While perhaps a little shaken, Frei says he’s now feeling physically better than he has since at least preseason and is even more determined to play at least one more year.
“At some point, your body gets tired of the wear and tear to the point where you can’t do it anymore,” Frei said, noting that he sprained two fingers after trying to save a knuckling shot in training. “It’s every year of ups and downs with injuries and getting through things and mental challenges. Stuff like that does all add up.
“If you had asked me four months ago, I had Achilles tendinitis and every step felt like it was going to snap. But I’m great now. I feel really good.”
It’s the pursuit of winning trophies — what Frei calls “that ultimate high” — that keeps him willing to put up with the injuries and push aside the risks.
“We have good staff, we have dedicated staff that is willing to help players who are willing to be professional,” he said. “They’re willing to go above and beyond, but I also have to say the older you get, the more you have to go above and beyond.
“I choose to live somewhat far away in a place where mentally it’s good for me, but it requires me to wake up at 5:45 every morning to make sure that I can get my treatments in the morning and be ready for training. That combo has allowed me to play till I’m 39. My goal is to play until I’m 40. We've got it a little ways to go.”
Throughout his 16 MLS seasons, Frei has almost always been a starter. It’s how he has accumulated more than 500 appearances across all competitions, won eight trophies and established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in league history.
While the short-term plan seems to be that he’ll start league games, Andrew Thomas is slated to start the remaining two Leagues Cup games which might even include a final. Schmetzer has left the door open beyond that.
“Andrew’s going to get the rest of the tournament and then you never know what’s going to happen,” Schmetzer said on Saturday. “But Stef has saved us countless games. It’s a little unfair to compare because (Thomas) hasn’t had as many games.
“When you try and compare the two, you have to look at what has this person done? What has that person done? Where is this guy in form right now? Where is that guy in form? I will make the best decisions for the playoffs that I know how.”
Frei seems to be okay with that kind of uncertainty, even if he doesn’t plan to give up his spot easily.
“A team is everything, it’s the ultimate,” Frei said. “If you are in a supportive role, you have to relish that, you have to really love that role, and I do love that role, because it’s exceptionally powerful.”
