The 39-year-old Swiss collided with Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic in the final seconds and went down after being struck in the head by the attacker's knee, prompting medical personnel to race onto the field.

Frei was went in an ambulance and taken to a Seattle hospital for evaluation. "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game," Frei posted on X. "I'm incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now.

"What resonates is all the messages, calls and love I've received from so many of you. Thank you truly. It means more than I can put into words. I feel the support and I'm thankful for every single one of you."

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer and Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy asked to halt the contest without playing the last seconds.

"Wilfried, I appreciate what he did because the ref wasn't going to stop the game," Schmetzer said. "Everybody knew that the game should have been stopped. Good on him. So thank you, Wilfried."

Nancy agreed the game should be stopped. "When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important," he said. "We stay positive, and hopefully everything is going to be good for him."

Both clubs are fighting for MLS playoff berths. The Sounders are fifth in the Western Conference with 30 points while the Crew are fourth in the Eastern Conference on 38 points.

S. Frei

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