Seattle Sounders 1-1 Columbus Crew: Hosts fight back before Frei suffers head injury
Stefan Frei suffered a concerning head and neck injury, as the Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew drew 1-1 at Lumen Field.
The Seattle Sounders recovered from a goal down to draw 1-1 with the Columbus Crew in MLS, in a game overshadowed by a head and neck injury suffered by Stefan Frei.
Seattle were reduced to 10 men after Kalani Kossa-Rienzi received his second yellow card in second-half stoppage time, before Frei was injured when coming out to smother an Aziel Jackson header, causing both coaches to call for referee Ismir Pekmic to blow the full-time whistle.
The Sounders should have gone ahead when Jesus Ferreira blazed over in the third minute. Instead, they fell behind in the 27th as Ibrahim Aliyu's centre was steered home by Diego Rossi.
Seattle got back on level terms shortly before half-time, with Kossa-Rienzi gliding infield from his right-back position to find Paul Rothrock, who slotted home from the left side of the area.
Evan Bush made a huge one-on-one save to deny Rothrock a second goal six minutes after the restart, in the best chance of a low-key second half.
Seattle were left hanging on for a point when Kossa-Rienzi, already on a yellow card, was dismissed for cynically blocking the run of Jackson two minutes into stoppage time.
The game ended in sobering fashion, however, as Sounders captain Frei was carried to an ambulance at pitchside after rushing off his line to deny Jackson. Both Brian Schmetzer and Wilfried Nancy called for the full-time whistle to be blown after the incident.
Schmetzer subsequently confirmed Frei was conscious and on his way to hospital, with the goalkeeper later using social media to confirm he had been given the all clear.
Data Debrief: Crew's slump over, Seattle record intact
The Crew entered Sunday's game having lost back-to-back away matches for the first time in almost two years, being trounced 5-1 at Inter Miami last time out on the road.
They managed to stop the rot at Lumen Field, but Seattle remain unbeaten in the team's last six head-to-head meetings, the second-longest active unbeaten streak against the Crew after Miami's seven-match run.
There was not much to call between the sides, though Seattle will point to having the better chances, with 1.68 expected goals from eight shots, compared to Columbus' 0.84 from nine attempts.
While Columbus remain fourth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind leaders FC Cincinnati, Seattle are fifth in the West.
