At 39 years old, Stefan Frei finally got his first taste of free agency. It was a brief taste.
Just about a month after the Seattle Sounders' season ended, the team announced Frei was going to return for one more go. Although it was a relatively quick decision, Frei gave it some serious consideration.
Before agreeing to a contract extension that guarantees him through December 2027, and understanding that Andrew Thomas was likely to be the No. 1 goalkeeper, Frei wanted to make sure he had a real role to play.
"The biggest thing was, 'what is my purpose?' I need that purpose," Frei explained about his decision to return. "Purpose doesn’t necessarily mean that you're the guy on field 24/7, is the No. 1 starter, and playing every game.
"I really enjoy the fact that there's so many little parts that need to come together, and so many people pulling in the same direction; we have so much auxiliary staff that is vital to our success. I think the Sounders, in particular, have always taken great pride in thinking that our success comes from the unit, not from individuals. That was a big, big discussion for me, with coach and others."
As it has turned out, Frei's role is significant.
As expected, Thomas claimed the starting goalkeeper spot, albeit with a slight twist. Although Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has been known to rotate goalkeepers for non-league competitions, the normal starter usually gets Concacaf Champions Cup matches. This year, however, Schmetzer has already announced that Frei will start CCC matches.
In his first appearance of the season, Frei rewarded that faith, making three saves to preserve the shutout and allowing the Sounders to take a commanding 3-0 lead into tonight's Leg 2 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Among the standout plays Frei made in Leg 1 was a diving stop of a Matias Laborda header that could have made the score 2-1 and dramatically changed the complexion of the series. Instead, the Sounders immediately took the ball the other way and scored their third goal.
"He's always going to be ready," Schmetzer said about Frei following last Thursday's game. "I've told you guys I have two No. 1 goalkeepers. I'm blessed at that position."
It also helps that Frei has a good relationship with Thomas, who first joined the Sounders in 2021. Frei said he's been impressed with Thomas even before that, when the then-Stanford goalkeeper trained with the Sounders.
"I think that's important that they all get along, and I think you heard that," Schmetzer said about the goalkeepers. "Stef, when he's talking about Andrew, and Andrew would say the exact same thing.
"The respect they have for each other, the work environment, and that actually filters into all the field players."
Despite that lopsided result, the Sounders aren't taking anything for granted, least of all Frei, who will be making his 28th career start in Concacaf play – the most among MLS goalkeepers.
"We know that the job is not done," he said. "It's 180 minutes. We had great result in Vancouver, but we scored three in that game. Obviously, they can score three in this game too. We saw what they were able to do over the weekend (when the Whitecaps beat Minnesota United 6-0)."
That the Sounders are also having to travel across the state to play this game at ONE Spokane Stadium only serves to raise the stakes in their mind.
"We always play to win, otherwise we're wasting time," Frei said. "There's fixture congestion, there's travel, there is a lot of effort exerted, and if you're doing all that, then you might as well go and try to win.
"At home, you have the comfort of sleeping in your own bed and making your own meal and all those things. We're really happy to be here, but it added a little more for us, right? We had an extra effort, and we want to make sure that counts."
