Stefan Frei facts for kids
Frei playing for Seattle Sounders FC in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stefan Frei | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Altstätten, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2008 | California Golden Bears | 47 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | San Francisco Seals | 6 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | San Jose Frogs | 18 | (0) |
| 2009–2013 | Toronto FC | 82 | (0) |
| 2014– | Seattle Sounders FC | 343 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Switzerland U15 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 July 2025 | |||
Stefan Frei (born April 20, 1986) is a Swiss-American soccer player. He is a goalkeeper for the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Seattle Sounders FC. A goalkeeper's job is to stop the other team from scoring.
Frei was born in Switzerland but moved to the United States with his family when he was a teenager. He has played his entire professional career in Major League Soccer.
Contents
Early Life and College
When Frei was 15, he moved from Switzerland to the United States with his parents and brother. He went to De La Salle High School in Concord, California.
He played college soccer at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008, he was recognized as one of the best players in his college conference. During his college years, he also played for two teams in the USL Premier Development League: the San Francisco Seals and the San Jose Frogs.
Professional Career
Toronto FC
In 2009, Frei was chosen by Toronto FC in the MLS SuperDraft. This is where professional teams select the best college players. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper.
In his first season, Frei won the MLS Save of the Week award four times. He also helped Toronto FC win its first trophy, the 2009 Canadian Championship. A key part of winning was that the team had to win a game by at least four goals, and Frei's saves helped make that happen.
In 2010, Frei had another great season. He earned his first clean sheet of the year, which means he played a whole game without letting the other team score. By 2011, he was named the team's vice-captain.
Frei's career faced a major challenge in 2012. He broke a bone in his leg during practice and needed surgery. He had to miss almost the entire season to recover. When he returned in 2013, another goalkeeper, Joe Bendik, had taken over the starting spot.
Seattle Sounders FC
On December 10, 2013, Frei was traded to Seattle Sounders FC. This move gave him a fresh start and he became one of the best goalkeepers in the league.
The Famous 2016 MLS Cup Save
The 2016 season was special for Frei. He helped the Sounders reach the MLS Cup Final against his old team, Toronto FC. The game was tied 0–0 and went into extra time.
During extra time, Toronto's star player Jozy Altidore headed the ball toward the goal. It looked like a sure goal, but Frei made an incredible, leaping, one-handed save. Many people call it one of the best saves in MLS history. The game went to a penalty shootout, and Seattle won. Frei was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the match.
Continued Success
Frei continued to be a top goalkeeper for Seattle. In 2017, the Sounders again faced Toronto in the MLS Cup Final. Although Seattle lost this time, Frei made many amazing saves.
In 2019, Frei and the Sounders won the MLS Cup again, beating Toronto FC 3–1 at home in Seattle.
In 2022, Frei led the Sounders to win the CONCACAF Champions League. This is a major tournament for the best teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. He was named the tournament's Best Player and Best Goalkeeper.
On June 3, 2023, Frei recorded his 100th career clean sheet in the MLS. He is only the third goalkeeper in the league's history to reach this milestone.
International Career
As a teenager, Frei played for the Swiss U-15 national team.
In January 2017, after becoming a U.S. citizen, he was invited to a training camp for the United States national team.
Personal Life
Stefan's second-cousin is Alexander Frei, a famous retired Swiss soccer player who was the captain of the Switzerland national football team.
Frei officially became a U.S. citizen on June 13, 2017. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle. In his free time, Frei is a talented painter and sometimes works with companies and charities on art projects.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto FC | 2009 | MLS | 26 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 28 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 2011 | 27 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 82 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 99 | 0 | ||||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2014 | MLS | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 2020 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | 27 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2025 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 343 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 411 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 425 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 510 | 0 | ||
Honours
Toronto FC
- Canadian Championship: 2009, 2010, 2011
Seattle Sounders FC
- MLS Cup: 2016, 2019
- Supporters' Shield: 2014
- U.S. Open Cup: 2014
- CONCACAF Champions League: 2022
Individual
- NCAA First-Team All-American: 2007
- Red Patch Boys Player of the Year: 2010
- MLS Cup MVP: 2016
- MLS All-Star: 2017
- MLS Save of the Year Award: 2018, 2021
- CONCACAF Champions League Golden Ball: 2022
- CONCACAF Champions League Golden Glove: 2022
- CONCACAF Champions League Best XI: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Stefan Frei para niños
