TUKWILA, Wash. – Following the Seattle Sounders’ Monday training session at Starfire Sports Complex, goalkeeper Stefan Frei talked to reporters for the first time since Saturday’s controversial 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City, offering up his perspective on the fateful penalty kick call that led to Benny Feilhaber’s game-winning goal.
The Seattle ‘keeper was whistled for a foul in his own penalty box in the 83rd minute of Saturday’s contest after colliding with Kansas City’s Dom Dwyer while both players were going after a loose ball.
Frei was calm and measured speaking on Monday, but still maintained that he was completely within his rights to go for the ball and that the penalty kick should not have been called.
“That was a 50-50,” Frei said. “I think Dom [Dwyer] knows it was a 50-50. I know it was a 50-50. Most of the time, 50-50s end up in contact. That being said, I didn’t make contact [with Dwyer] until I hit the ball. I hit the ball before I made contact with the player. At the same time, he made contact with me. It’s not like I’m the one charging and he’s not. We’re both going for it. We both have a right to the ball.”
Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid echoed the sentiments of his goalkeeper, saying that viewing the replay only confirmed Seattle’s contention that the penalty kick shouldn't have been called.
“I didn’t think it was a PK, and even watching replays, I still don’t think it’s a PK,” Schmid said. “I think Dwyer heads it first, and then Frei gets it off his head. If the guy heads it, you’ve got to make a save. You should be allowed to make a save, which is what [Frei] did. He punched it clear after it came off his head. It’s one of those calls that generally doesn’t get made against the goalkeeper.”
Frei – who was shown a yellow card by referee Ismail Elfath after his animated protests – stated that he is normally not prone to such emotional reactions on the field, but he felt that the situation and timing of the call simply made his frustration boil over.
“I think I’m usually pretty level-headed and calm,” Frei said. “But it sucks when it’s a tough environment for us to play. It’s humid, they have a really good crowd behind them, they’re a good side, we put in a solid shift. I think I’d rather lose 3-0 than something like that. … I thought we deserved more than to lose that game.
“That’s probably the most frustrating call I’ve had called against me.”
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Schmid also addressed the game’s other disputed call, which occurred in the 66th minute when Lamar Neagle was called offside after finishing a cross from Marco Pappa. After viewing that replay, Schmid felt that Neagle was behind the ball when Pappa made his pass, which would have given Seattle a 1-0 road lead.
“Once a player’s behind the ball, he is not offside,” Schmid said. “The problem was that the AR kept up with the last defender. Well, the last defender was unimportant. All he had to do was keep up with the ball because the ball was ahead of Neagle. So even if Neagle was ahead of the last defender, he was never offside because he’s behind the ball.”
Even with the frustrating circumstances surrounding the result, Schmid said the hope is that the poor fortune his team experienced on Saturday will balance out somewhere down the line.
“It evens out at the end of the day,” Schmid said. “At least, you hope it evens out.”
Ari Liljenwall covers the Seattle Sounders for MLSsoccer.com.
