The keeper will remain here for “a decent amount of time”.

In another universe, Stefan Frei might have been an excellent reporter.

The Seattle Sounders goalkeeper broke a couple of enticing bits of news during his press conference Wednesday, one of which will keep him from pursuing a muckraking career for a couple of years yet.

Frei announced that he had come to terms with the Sounders on a contract extension, which will keep him in Seattle for “a decent amount of time,” according to Frei. He originally came to the Sounders via a trade with Toronto FC in December 2013, in exchange for a conditional first round pick in the 2015 SuperDraft. The Seattle Times reported the contract through at least 2023.

That trade, safe to say, was one of the more lopsided in recent MLS memory. Frei has gone on to backstop the Sounders to four MLS Cup appearances, with two victories to show for it, including the team’s first against his former team in 2016. Frei was named the MVP of that MLS Cup, with a memorable save against Jozy Altidore which will forever live in Sounders lore.

“I don’t make it a secret that my family and I, we love it here,” said Frei. “It was a no-brainer for me to try to stay here, if it was possible, and we were able to come to an agreement that keeps me here.”

Details of the contract were not immediately available.

Sounders proceed with vaccinations

Frei also disclosed that “most” of the team has received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, an important step in ensuring that the Sounders’ season will not be interrupted due to a member of the team testing positive for the virus.

While the Sounders would have been eligible to receive the vaccine in the next day or so, Frei said the team was able to take advantage of an opportunity to receive the vaccine from a soon-to-expire batch that would had otherwise gone unused. The Sounders have been adamant in their position that they would not jump the line, so to speak, given the optics of professional athletes getting vaccines that would otherwise be needed by vulnerable populations. Even with the team going through the vaccination process, Frei said that everyone still needs to be careful, and urged fans to get vaccinated when they can.

“We’ve still got to be very smart; the pandemic is not over,” Frei said.