Two Sounders veterans with health questions hanging over them gave the team some performances it needed to see in a 1-0 loss to the Columbus Crew here in Charleston, S.C. to close out the preseason.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei made several difficult stops in going the full 90 minutes and showed no signs of being hampered by the ankle injury that had sidelined him throughout training camp. As for Dempsey, trying to play himself back in to game shape, he looked so strong later in the game that the team allowed him to go an additional five minutes beyond the 75 he’d been slotted to play.