Sounders’ Frei has Sixth Shutout in Draw with Real Salt Lake

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Stefan Frei finished with three saves to help the Seattle Sounders earn a scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

Frei's league-high sixth clean sheet of the season helped Seattle (6-2-2) earn a point for just the second time in its last 11 trips to Sandy.

Zac MacMath turned away the only shot on goal he faced for Real Salt Lake (3-5-1). RSL was trying to win back-to-back matches for the first time in its last nine attempts, instead falling to 0-5-4 following a win.

The Sounders improve to 4-1-1 in their last six matches. Seattle's only loss was a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Portland Timbers, conceding four goals in an 18-minute span after grabbing a 1-0 lead. Frei and the Sounders have yielded just three goals in their other 882 minutes of play this season.

Seattle moved a point ahead of expansion St. Louis City atop the Western Conference standings thanks to the Timbers' 2-1 victory over SLC earlier in the night.

Real Salt Lake travels to play the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Seattle returns home to host winless Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.