Why Crew's Wilfried Nancy agreed to end game vs Sounders after Stefan Frei's injury

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7 days ago

The Crew's 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders ended with a frightening scene: Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei was taken off the field in an ambulance, leading both coaches to decide to end the game prematurely.
More than seven minutes into stoppage time, the Crew took a free kick from outside the Sounders' box. As multiple Crew and Sounders players, including Frei, attempted to make a play on the ball near the Sounders' goal, Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic's knee collided with Frei's head.
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Frei went to the ground. Sounders players immediately indicated the 39-year-old needed medical attention. After being helped by medical staff for more than five minutes, an ambulance was brought out at Lumen Field.
Medics gather around Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Given that the previous play had ended with the Crew being awarded a corner kick, the game was technically supposed to continue despite passing the announced seven minutes of stoppage time.
Crew coach Wilfried Nancy and Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer agreed the severity of Frei's injury warranted the game ending there.
"When we see that, football is not important," Nancy said. "I asked what happened because I didn't see. After that, I told them that I am ready to stop the game because this is not important, that's it."
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Following the game, Schmetzer stated Frei was being evaluated for a head and neck injury but was alert while leaving the field. Frei himself later posted on social media that he was "still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game." He added he was "back home resting."
The draw marked the end of the Crew's three-game winning streak.
Forward Diego Rossi recorded the Crew's lone goal in the 27th minute, and Sounders midfielder Paul Rothrock evened the score two minutes before the end of first-half regulation.
Diego Rossi continues to lead Columbus Crew in offensive production
Rossi was making a run on the right side of the Sounders' box toward the goalpost when forward Ibrahim Aliyu launched a cross in his direction. Getting the ball with Frei slightly out of position, Rossi converted the pass into his team-leading 10th goal of the regular season.
Crew forward Diego Rossi, here passing the ball against the Sounders July 6, leads Columbus with 10 goals.
Rossi has been counted on to take over offensively since striker Cucho Hernandez transferred to La Liga's Real Betis during the offseason, and while the 27-year-old Rossi does lead the team, he has hit occasional dry spells.
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"This is about trust and being patient," Nancy said. "He didn't train well, I would say, this week because he had a bit of pain somewhere. After that, he told me that he was ready to go. To be honest, my plan was to play him only 45 minutes, but he felt good. The goal that he scored ... if he doesn't score here, we have an issue."
Rossi ranks in the top 15 for scoring in MLS.
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Columbus Crew failed to capitalize on Seattle Sounders being down to 10 players
Prior to the final free kick, the Crew had five minutes in which Seattle was down a player. Defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi had been shown his second yellow card, ejecting him from the matchup.
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The Crew controlled the possession by over 82% when Seattle had only ten players on the field, but Columbus struggled to create any solid scoring opportunities, recording just one shot during that span.
Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei made two saves against the Crew before an ambulance took him off the field with a head/neck injury.
"They made some changes and brought some speed on the field," Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe said. "So, I think we were maybe cautious of that. I think we could have pushed a little bit more to get more numbers in the box. It's just the weird balance of getting the point on the road versus potentially losing the game."
Seattle Sounders' turf field impacts Columbus Crew's approach to matchup
For the first time since facing Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium on May 24, the Crew were playing on a turf field rather than grass.
Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush described the turf in Seattle as being like "playing on sand."
Seattle has one of the six turf fields in MLS, but the stadium switched to grass to host FIFA Club World Cup games last month. Crew players hoped in vain that the field would remain grass for their matchup.
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"Those little things on grass fields you get used to are a little bit more difficult for the teams that don't play on turf regularly." Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush said. "I think we dealt with it pretty well for the most part. This turf also was a little bit softer and a little bit thicker with the rubber in it. A lot of guys had some lower leg, calf, type of stuff because that explosion out of it. It's almost like you're playing on sand at times."
The Crew go back on the road for a Hell is Real rivalry matchup against FC Cincinnati on July 12.
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This story was updated with new information.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew-Seattle Sounders game called after Stefan Frei injury