Seattle Sounders MLS Cup 2016: Where are they now?
By Matt Coles
In 2016, the Seattle Sounders won a remarkable MLS Cup after being bottom of the Western Conference. But where are those 18 men now?
December 10th, 2016. The day the Seattle Sounders lifted the MLS Cup for the first time in their ten-year history. Halfway through the regular season, the Sounders were bottom of the Western Conference. They then battled back to win eight of their last 14 games, losing only twice, to finish in fourth to qualify for the postseason.
Seattle then overcame Sporting KC at CenturyLink Field in the Knockout Round, before knocking out the Supporters’ Shield winners, FC Dallas, in the Western Conference semi-finals. They then defeated the Colorado Rapids in both legs of their Western Conference finals tie, before beating Toronto FC on penalties to win the MLS Cup at BMO Field on December 10.
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But where are those 18 men now?
GK – Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders
The goalkeeper for the Seattle Sounders the day they lifted their first MLS Cup title was Stefan Frei, a former Toronto FC starter. The shot-stopper played 39 times for the Rave Green in the 2016 season, including all 570 minutes of their postseason campaign.
The goalkeeper was born in Altstätten in Switzerland and moved to the States in his early teenage years. He was part of the California Golden bears side at college, and was named as part of the All-Pac-10 first team in 2008. During his time in college, Frei also played for the San Francisco Seals and the San Jose Frogs, both in the USL Premier Development League.
Frei was drafted by Toronto FC with the13th overall pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and took the starting role between the sticks immediately. He was a part of their Canadian Championship-winning side in for four consecutive seasons, from 2009-2012, but suffered a season-ending broken leg at the start of that final campaign.
After suffering another injury at the start of the 2013 season, which ruled him out for several months, Frei was traded to the Seattle Sounders. In his six seasons with the club, the Swiss-born shot-stopper has played over 200 times and was part of both Seattle’s 2014 U.S. Open Cup and their 2016 MLS Cup-winning sides.
Frei was named MLS Cup MVP for his performance in the final against his former side, making eight saves, including the decisive one in the shoot-out. He remains Seattle’s number one goalkeeper.