Seattle Sounders FC
Encyclopedia
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States
and Canada
. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team
, making it the 15th team in the league. Fans chose the Sounders name through an online poll in 2008, making the Seattle Sounders FC the third Seattle soccer team to share the moniker.
The club's majority owner is Hollywood producer Joe Roth
, and its minority owners are Adrian Hanauer
, Paul Allen
and Drew Carey
. Two-time MLS Cup
winner Sigi Schmid
is the team's head coach. Sounders FC home matches are played at CenturyLink Field. Along with several organized groups, a 53-member marching band called the 'Sound Wave' supports the club at each home game. Former BBC
announcer Arlo White
calls the play-by-play for local broadcasts. Seattle competes with rival MLS clubs Portland
and Vancouver in the Cascadia Cup
.
Sounders FC played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, a 3–0 win over the New York Red Bulls. In their two seasons, Seattle has sold out every league match, set MLS records for average attendance, and led the league in season ticket sales. The club qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs
in each of its first three seasons. In 2009, Sounders FC became the second expansion team in MLS history to win the U.S. Open Cup
, and in 2010 became the first ever MLS team to repeat as Open Cup champions. On October 4, 2011, the Sounders became the first ever MLS team to win the U.S. Open Cup
three times in a row, defeating the Chicago Fire 2–0.
teams, Seattle was considered a viable location for a professional team. In 1994, as the U.S. was preparing to host the FIFA World Cup
, more than 30 cities were pursuing the rights to an MLS team, Seattle being among them. However, despite the strong soccer fan base in Seattle, the absence of a soccer-only stadium was a drawback to establishing an MLS team. Cities seeking consideration for an inaugural MLS team were also expected to secure 10,000 assurances from fans for season tickets. By the June 3, 1994, deadline for MLS team bids, Seattle organizers had only secured a little over 1,300 such assurances. These low numbers were a result of competition between the ticket campaign for the MLS expansion team and for the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) Sounders expansion team.
In a June 14, 1994, announcement, Seattle was not included among the first seven cities to be awarded an MLS team. Five more teams were to be announced later in the year, and to improve their chances, Seattle MLS organizers began working with the University of Washington
to secure use of Husky Stadium
as an interim stadium while they pursued the construction of a permanent soccer-specific facility. In November 1994, the start of the first MLS season was postponed until 1996, and it was noted that the absence of an "adequate grass-field facility" in the area and the presence of the new APSL Seattle Sounders team had thwarted Seattle's MLS bid. In the end, Seattle was not among the cities chosen to establish a team during the first season of the MLS.
In 1996, as Seattle Seahawks
owner Paul Allen
worked with the city to build a new football stadium for his team, the potential of an MLS expansion team that could be a co-tenant helped drive public support for the effort. Many of the state's voters supported the referendum to construct Seahawks Stadium because it was expected to be a professional soccer venue. While the stadium problem was being resolved, a new issue emerged. By 2000, the MLS was moving away from league-operated teams to investor-operated teams, so wealthy individuals would need to step forward for Seattle to obtain an MLS expansion team.
In 2002, Seattle was again listed as a possibility for an MLS expansion team when the ten-team league announced plans to expand into new markets. In 2004, MLS commissioner Don Garber
indicated that Seattle had been "very close" to receiving the expansion team awarded to Salt Lake
. Adrian Hanauer
, then-owner of the United Soccer League's (USL) Sounders (formerly the APSL Sounders), was in discussions with MLS about an estimated payment of $1 million to secure rights to a Seattle franchise for 2006. However, when Seattle was passed over again in 2006, Hanauer announced that he would not be able to secure an expansion team without the help of more investors willing to help cover the increasing MLS franchise fees which had grown beyond $10 million.
to make another bid for MLS expansion into Seattle, at a cost of $30 million. Paul Allen, whose First and Goal company operated Qwest Field (now CenturyLink Field), joined the ownership group that same year, making the bid the most promising yet for Seattle. During the first week of November 2007, rumors began to build that the MLS would be announcing an expansion into Seattle the following week and that the ownership group had taken on a fourth member: TV personality Drew Carey
. In a press conference on November 13, 2007, it was announced that Seattle had been awarded an expansion team. The announcement provided a return of top-level soccer to Seattle for the first time since the dissolution of its North American Soccer League (NASL) team
in 1983. The announcement also meant that the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division would play their final season the year before the new MLS franchise was formed.
. The "FC" in the team moniker stands for Football Club, but the team name is officially Seattle Sounders FC. The badge design resembles a heraldic shield and consists of two layers which represent "the partnership between the ownership, the community, the players and the fans." The logo incorporates the Space Needle
, an internationally recognized Seattle landmark. The official team colors are Sounder Blue, signifying the waters of the Puget Sound
; Rave Green, representing the forests of the Pacific Northwest
; and Cascade Shale, representing the Cascade Range
to the east of Seattle.
Fans chose a name for the team in an online poll held between March 27 and March 31, 2008. The initial list of possibilities – Seattle FC, Seattle Republic and Seattle Alliance — deliberately did not include Seattle Sounders in order to provide a "fresh start." Despite the names having been selected through fan research and internal committees, the omission of the traditional Sounders name embittered many in the Seattle community. In response to the backlash, the team added a fourth "write-in" option for the team name, allowing for any name to be suggested on the ballot. Of the over 14,500 votes received for the new team name, 49% of the votes included some form of the name Sounders. Upon announcing the name, Hanauer acknowledged the significance of keeping with tradition: "The team playing at the highest level in our region has always been called Sounders. Starting with the NASL and then the USL 1st Division, we now have the chance to create a separate and distinct identity with the new MLS team."
Team ownership revealed the first Sounders FC jersey on May 28, 2008, and announced Microsoft
as the team's sponsor in a five-year deal worth approximately $20 million. As part of the agreement, the Xbox 360
and Xbox Live
brands appear on the front of Sounders FC's jerseys and throughout the stadium.
with FC Barcelona
, a record which was later broken when they hosted Manchester United in front of 67,052 fans.
On September 2, 2009, Sounders FC became the second MLS expansion team in league history (Chicago was first) to win the U.S. Open Cup
tournament in their first season. They did so by defeating D.C. United
2–1 on the road at RFK Stadium
. In winning the U.S. Open Cup tournament, they qualified for the preliminary round of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
.
On October 17, 2009, Sounders FC became the second MLS expansion team in league history (again, Chicago had been first) to qualify for the playoffs in their first season. They clinched a playoff berth with a come-from-behind victory over the Kansas City Wizards
3–2 at Kansas City. Seattle finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins, 7 losses, and 11 ties. The club set a new MLS record for average attendance at 30,943 fans per game. Their inaugural season came to an end in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
when they lost in the conference semifinals to the Houston Dynamo
with a 1–0 aggregate score in a two-legged series
. During the 2009 season, all 15 Sounders FC MLS regular season home matches, their home playoff match, and their 4 home U.S. Open Cup matches (played at Starfire Sports Complex
) were sold out.
with a 3–1 aggregate score. The club broke their own single season attendance record averaging 36,173 per match and again sold out every league match.
Sounders FC also competed in two additional competitions in 2010–the CONCACAF Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup. In the Champions League, Seattle progressed through the preliminary round beating Isidro Metapán
2–1 on aggregate, but were eliminated in the group stage. In the U.S. Open Cup, Seattle won games at Portland and at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy
and Chivas USA before reaching the final, hosted at CenturyLink Field against the Columbus Crew
. On October 5, 2010, Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup final
2–1, becoming the first team since 1983 to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions. The final was played in front of a U.S. Open Cup record crowd of 31,311, and the victory ensured Seattle's return to the Champions League in 2011
.
Seattle Sounders FC plays home games at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, also home to the Seattle Seahawks
. Sounders FC minority owner Paul Allen is also the owner of the Seahawks who have a 30-year lease on CenturyLink Field. Because of this relationship, Sounders FC makes use of CenturyLink Field without paying rent. For Sounders FC games, the pitch
is called "The Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field" as part of the sponsorship deal with Microsoft.
CenturyLink Field is a 67,000-seat stadium designed for both American football
and soccer. Sounders FC artificially limits the stadium's capacity for MLS games with certain seating sections covered with tarpaulins to provide "a more intimate atmosphere" and opens the entire stadium for international friendly matches. Capacity for the stadium was originally limited to 24,500 before the start of the inaugural season. However, due to high demand, capacity has been increased multiple times with it currently set at 38,500 for the 2012 season.
While Seattle Sounders FC currently plays on FieldTurf
, CenturyLink Field has previously had temporary natural grass installed for international soccer events. If an MLS rule change requires natural grass playing surfaces, the field will be permanently replaced with natural grass. For Seattle's international friendlies against Chelsea on July 18, 2009 and FC Barcelona on August 5, 2009, a temporary natural grass field was installed.
The team's training facilities and offices are located at the Starfire Sports Complex
in nearby Tukwila
. Smaller than CenturyLink Field, Starfire is also used to host U.S. Open Cup games. Sounders FC representatives have said they prefer the more intimate atmosphere for smaller cup matches.
The Sounders FC Alliance was established at the request of minority owner Drew Carey
. Based on the fan association at FC Barcelona, members of the Alliance have the ability to vote on the removal of the General Manager and on other team decisions. Season ticket holders become automatic members while non-season ticket holders may buy into the Alliance for a fee. Membership benefits include voting privileges, invitation to an annual meeting and other team perks. Members can also be elected to the Sounders FC Alliance Council by receiving at least 25 nominations from other members annually. The first vote on the General Manager is scheduled to be held in November 2012 following Seattle's third season. Drew Carey is the chairman of the Sounders FC Alliance.
Carey also requested that Sounders FC have their own marching band, the first in MLS . This led to the creation of the Sound Wave, a 53-member marching band consisting of brass and marching percussion. The band plays music from multiple genres such as Latin, rock and pop, and sits on the north end of Royal Brougham Park. The March to the Match, in which fans march from Occidental Park
to CenturyLink Field before each home game, is led by the Sound Wave.
Besides the Alliance, there are currently five recognized, independent supporters groups
for Sounders FC. Emerald City Supporters
(ECS), which formed in 2005 to support the USL Sounders, is the largest supporter group and sits in the south end of the stadium in sections 121–123. SoCal Sound is an off-shoot of ECS based in Southern California, that attends Sounders games played at The Home Depot Center
in Carson, California
. Gorilla FC
is a Sounders FC supporters group that sits in the south end of CenturyLink Field in Sections 120 and 119. The North End Faithful sit in the north end of the stadium beneath the "Hawks Nest" in sections 100 and 144–152. Immortal Fury, formed in the fashion of South American torcida
s, focuses on bringing color to the south end of the stadium by displaying the national flags of several countries.
and Seattle–Vancouver rivalries formed in the years that the NASL-Sounders and USL-Sounders were playing in Seattle. In 2004 the fan-based Cascadia Cup
was created to formalize the competition between the Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver USL teams. This geographic rivalry was renewed when the MLS expansion teams in Portland and Vancouver began play in the 2011 season.
The fan-created Heritage Cup competition with the San Jose Earthquakes
was begun in the 2009 MLS season. MLS teams that carry on the names of their NASL predecessors are eligible to compete. The results of their league matches determine the winner.
, with minority owners Adrian Hanauer
, former owner of the now defunct USL-1 team Seattle Sounders; Paul Allen
, Microsoft co-founder and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers; and Drew Carey
, comedian and game show host.
Sounders FC officially introduced Sigi Schmid
as their first coach on December 16, 2008. Schmid had previously led the Los Angeles Galaxy
to a MLS Cup in 2002
and the Columbus Crew
to a MLS Cup in 2008
. Brian Schmetzer
is the top assistant coach and Tom Dutra is the goalkeeper coach. Retired MLS veteran defender Ezra Hendrickson
joined the Sounders as an assistant coach in January 2009. Former MLS player and Everett, Washington
native Chris Henderson
was named technical director on January 24, 2009. Longtime Seattle Seahawks executive Gary Wright is the senior vice president of business operations.
SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily recognized Seattle Sounders FC as the Professional Sports Team of the Year for 2009 because of the team's record setting success in attendance as well as making the playoffs in their inaugural season. Former Seahawks and Sounders FC CEO Tod Leiweke was recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal as the newspaper's 2009 Executive of the Year.
or KONG-TV
, except those nationally telecast matches on Fox Soccer Channel
or ESPN2
/ABC
. KONG-TV also airs a program devoted to interviews, highlights, and other features on Sunday evenings called Sounders FC Weekly.
Former Seattle SuperSonics
announcer Kevin Calabro
and former U.S. soccer star Greg Vanney
called the play-by-play for the local broadcasts during the inaugural season in 2009. However, they were replaced by former BBC
cricket and general sport commentator Arlo White
for the 2010 season, who calls both the English language radio and television broadcasts without a partner. Matches are televised in Spanish on THIS-TV with Jaime Mendez and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
calling the action. On radio, Sounders FC matches are aired in English on KIRO-FM and in Spanish on Ke Buena
AM.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
, making it the 15th team in the league. Fans chose the Sounders name through an online poll in 2008, making the Seattle Sounders FC the third Seattle soccer team to share the moniker.
The club's majority owner is Hollywood producer Joe Roth
Joe Roth
Joe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
, and its minority owners are Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer is an American businessman and minority owner and general manager of the Seattle Sounders FC.- Business history :Hanauer's family owns Pacific Coast Feather Co., a down pillow, feather bed, and high-end bedding products manufacturer that was originally founded in 1884 in Germany, but...
, Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
and Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
. Two-time MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
winner Sigi Schmid
Sigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each...
is the team's head coach. Sounders FC home matches are played at CenturyLink Field. Along with several organized groups, a 53-member marching band called the 'Sound Wave' supports the club at each home game. Former BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
announcer Arlo White
Arlo White
Arlo White is an English sports presenter and commentator, originally from Leicester.-Early career:He began broadcasting at the age of 27, after gaining experience covering non-league Football for Radio Derby and also while travelling in Australia....
calls the play-by-play for local broadcasts. Seattle competes with rival MLS clubs Portland
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011....
and Vancouver in the Cascadia Cup
Cascadia Cup
The Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps have roots dating to the days of the...
.
Sounders FC played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, a 3–0 win over the New York Red Bulls. In their two seasons, Seattle has sold out every league match, set MLS records for average attendance, and led the league in season ticket sales. The club qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
in each of its first three seasons. In 2009, Sounders FC became the second expansion team in MLS history to win the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
, and in 2010 became the first ever MLS team to repeat as Open Cup champions. On October 4, 2011, the Sounders became the first ever MLS team to win the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
three times in a row, defeating the Chicago Fire 2–0.
History
Even before the first cities in the United States were chosen to host Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
teams, Seattle was considered a viable location for a professional team. In 1994, as the U.S. was preparing to host the FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, more than 30 cities were pursuing the rights to an MLS team, Seattle being among them. However, despite the strong soccer fan base in Seattle, the absence of a soccer-only stadium was a drawback to establishing an MLS team. Cities seeking consideration for an inaugural MLS team were also expected to secure 10,000 assurances from fans for season tickets. By the June 3, 1994, deadline for MLS team bids, Seattle organizers had only secured a little over 1,300 such assurances. These low numbers were a result of competition between the ticket campaign for the MLS expansion team and for the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) Sounders expansion team.
In a June 14, 1994, announcement, Seattle was not included among the first seven cities to be awarded an MLS team. Five more teams were to be announced later in the year, and to improve their chances, Seattle MLS organizers began working with the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
to secure use of Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
as an interim stadium while they pursued the construction of a permanent soccer-specific facility. In November 1994, the start of the first MLS season was postponed until 1996, and it was noted that the absence of an "adequate grass-field facility" in the area and the presence of the new APSL Seattle Sounders team had thwarted Seattle's MLS bid. In the end, Seattle was not among the cities chosen to establish a team during the first season of the MLS.
In 1996, as Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
owner Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
worked with the city to build a new football stadium for his team, the potential of an MLS expansion team that could be a co-tenant helped drive public support for the effort. Many of the state's voters supported the referendum to construct Seahawks Stadium because it was expected to be a professional soccer venue. While the stadium problem was being resolved, a new issue emerged. By 2000, the MLS was moving away from league-operated teams to investor-operated teams, so wealthy individuals would need to step forward for Seattle to obtain an MLS expansion team.
In 2002, Seattle was again listed as a possibility for an MLS expansion team when the ten-team league announced plans to expand into new markets. In 2004, MLS commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
indicated that Seattle had been "very close" to receiving the expansion team awarded to Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
. Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer is an American businessman and minority owner and general manager of the Seattle Sounders FC.- Business history :Hanauer's family owns Pacific Coast Feather Co., a down pillow, feather bed, and high-end bedding products manufacturer that was originally founded in 1884 in Germany, but...
, then-owner of the United Soccer League's (USL) Sounders (formerly the APSL Sounders), was in discussions with MLS about an estimated payment of $1 million to secure rights to a Seattle franchise for 2006. However, when Seattle was passed over again in 2006, Hanauer announced that he would not be able to secure an expansion team without the help of more investors willing to help cover the increasing MLS franchise fees which had grown beyond $10 million.
MLS expansion arrives
In 2007, Hanauer teamed up with Hollywood producer Joe RothJoe Roth
Joe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
to make another bid for MLS expansion into Seattle, at a cost of $30 million. Paul Allen, whose First and Goal company operated Qwest Field (now CenturyLink Field), joined the ownership group that same year, making the bid the most promising yet for Seattle. During the first week of November 2007, rumors began to build that the MLS would be announcing an expansion into Seattle the following week and that the ownership group had taken on a fourth member: TV personality Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
. In a press conference on November 13, 2007, it was announced that Seattle had been awarded an expansion team. The announcement provided a return of top-level soccer to Seattle for the first time since the dissolution of its North American Soccer League (NASL) team
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.-Stadium:The Sounders played at Memorial...
in 1983. The announcement also meant that the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division would play their final season the year before the new MLS franchise was formed.
Team name, badge and colors unveiled
"Seattle Sounders FC" was announced as the team name on April 7, 2008, along with the team logo, colors, and badge design, in a presentation held at the Space NeedleSpace Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
. The "FC" in the team moniker stands for Football Club, but the team name is officially Seattle Sounders FC. The badge design resembles a heraldic shield and consists of two layers which represent "the partnership between the ownership, the community, the players and the fans." The logo incorporates the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
, an internationally recognized Seattle landmark. The official team colors are Sounder Blue, signifying the waters of the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
; Rave Green, representing the forests of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
; and Cascade Shale, representing the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
to the east of Seattle.
Fans chose a name for the team in an online poll held between March 27 and March 31, 2008. The initial list of possibilities – Seattle FC, Seattle Republic and Seattle Alliance — deliberately did not include Seattle Sounders in order to provide a "fresh start." Despite the names having been selected through fan research and internal committees, the omission of the traditional Sounders name embittered many in the Seattle community. In response to the backlash, the team added a fourth "write-in" option for the team name, allowing for any name to be suggested on the ballot. Of the over 14,500 votes received for the new team name, 49% of the votes included some form of the name Sounders. Upon announcing the name, Hanauer acknowledged the significance of keeping with tradition: "The team playing at the highest level in our region has always been called Sounders. Starting with the NASL and then the USL 1st Division, we now have the chance to create a separate and distinct identity with the new MLS team."
Team ownership revealed the first Sounders FC jersey on May 28, 2008, and announced Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
as the team's sponsor in a five-year deal worth approximately $20 million. As part of the agreement, the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
brands appear on the front of Sounders FC's jerseys and throughout the stadium.
Inaugural season
Seattle Sounders FC, the league's 15th team, began play in the 2009 season. All 22,000 season ticket packages offered by the club for their inaugural season were sold, giving them the most season ticket holders in MLS. They played their first home match on March 19, 2009, to a sold-out crowd of 32,523, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3–0. Seattle was the first MLS expansion team to win their first three games, and they did so with a shutout in each. The club set a state record for attendance at a soccer match on August 5, 2009, when 66,848 attended a friendly matchExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
with FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, a record which was later broken when they hosted Manchester United in front of 67,052 fans.
On September 2, 2009, Sounders FC became the second MLS expansion team in league history (Chicago was first) to win the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
tournament in their first season. They did so by defeating D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
2–1 on the road at RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
. In winning the U.S. Open Cup tournament, they qualified for the preliminary round of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
The 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League was the 3rd edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 27, 2010 and ended on April 27, 2011. Monterrey of Mexico won their first title, defeating Real Salt Lake of the United States 3-2 on aggregate in the...
.
On October 17, 2009, Sounders FC became the second MLS expansion team in league history (again, Chicago had been first) to qualify for the playoffs in their first season. They clinched a playoff berth with a come-from-behind victory over the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
3–2 at Kansas City. Seattle finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins, 7 losses, and 11 ties. The club set a new MLS record for average attendance at 30,943 fans per game. Their inaugural season came to an end in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
The 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2009 season. MLS Cup 2009 concluded the season on November 22, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. Real Salt Lake won the Cup in penalties over the L.A...
when they lost in the conference semifinals to the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
with a 1–0 aggregate score in a two-legged series
Two-legged match
In sport , a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or legs, with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum of the scores of the two legs...
. During the 2009 season, all 15 Sounders FC MLS regular season home matches, their home playoff match, and their 4 home U.S. Open Cup matches (played at Starfire Sports Complex
Starfire Sports Complex
Starfire Sports Complex is a sporting facility in Tukwila, Washington, on the banks of the Green River, near Seattle. It is operated by the non-profit corporation Starfire Sports. At the time of its opening, CEO Chris Slatt believed it to be "the largest synthetic-turf soccer complex in the...
) were sold out.
Golden Scarf
During the pre-game ceremonies of the inaugural home match of the Sounders FC, a Golden Scarf emblazoned with the team name was awarded to MLS Commissioner Don Garber. This began a tradition where, before each home game, the club likewise honors a member of the community who has contributed to soccer or society more generally in the Seattle area. The recipient and the fans then raise their scarves over their heads together. The presenter of the Golden Scarf, usually a representative of the club's owners, is also acknowledged as part of the ceremony.2010 season
Before the first game of Sounders FC's second season, the club increased the season ticket holder limit to 32,000. The first game of the season was played at CenturyLink Field (then called Qwest Field) with Seattle hosting the new MLS expansion team, the Philadelphia Union. Sounders FC won 2–0. However, the 2010 season began poorly for Seattle with the club losing 8 of its first 15 games (30 games in the season). In the latter half of the regular season, Seattle was able to reverse its fortune, winning 10 of its last 15 matches, and clinching a playoff berth for the second consecutive year with a 2–1 win on October 10, 2010, at Kansas City. In the playoffs they were eliminated in the conference semifinals, by the Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
with a 3–1 aggregate score. The club broke their own single season attendance record averaging 36,173 per match and again sold out every league match.
Sounders FC also competed in two additional competitions in 2010–the CONCACAF Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup. In the Champions League, Seattle progressed through the preliminary round beating Isidro Metapán
A.D. Isidro Metapán
Asociación Deportiva Isidro Metapán, also known simply as Isidro Metapán, is a Salvadoran football club based in Metapán, El Salvador. The club currently plays in the Primera División, which is the top tier football league in the country...
2–1 on aggregate, but were eliminated in the group stage. In the U.S. Open Cup, Seattle won games at Portland and at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
and Chivas USA before reaching the final, hosted at CenturyLink Field against the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. On October 5, 2010, Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup final
2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
The 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 5, 2010, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The match determined the winner of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. This...
2–1, becoming the first team since 1983 to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions. The final was played in front of a U.S. Open Cup record crowd of 31,311, and the victory ensured Seattle's return to the Champions League in 2011
2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
The 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League is the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 26, 2011 and will finish with the second leg of the final April 24–26, 2012. Monterrey is the defending champion...
.
Stadium
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. Sounders FC minority owner Paul Allen is also the owner of the Seahawks who have a 30-year lease on CenturyLink Field. Because of this relationship, Sounders FC makes use of CenturyLink Field without paying rent. For Sounders FC games, the pitch
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
is called "The Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field" as part of the sponsorship deal with Microsoft.
CenturyLink Field is a 67,000-seat stadium designed for both American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and soccer. Sounders FC artificially limits the stadium's capacity for MLS games with certain seating sections covered with tarpaulins to provide "a more intimate atmosphere" and opens the entire stadium for international friendly matches. Capacity for the stadium was originally limited to 24,500 before the start of the inaugural season. However, due to high demand, capacity has been increased multiple times with it currently set at 38,500 for the 2012 season.
While Seattle Sounders FC currently plays on FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
, CenturyLink Field has previously had temporary natural grass installed for international soccer events. If an MLS rule change requires natural grass playing surfaces, the field will be permanently replaced with natural grass. For Seattle's international friendlies against Chelsea on July 18, 2009 and FC Barcelona on August 5, 2009, a temporary natural grass field was installed.
The team's training facilities and offices are located at the Starfire Sports Complex
Starfire Sports Complex
Starfire Sports Complex is a sporting facility in Tukwila, Washington, on the banks of the Green River, near Seattle. It is operated by the non-profit corporation Starfire Sports. At the time of its opening, CEO Chris Slatt believed it to be "the largest synthetic-turf soccer complex in the...
in nearby Tukwila
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Smaller than CenturyLink Field, Starfire is also used to host U.S. Open Cup games. Sounders FC representatives have said they prefer the more intimate atmosphere for smaller cup matches.
Supporters
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
. Based on the fan association at FC Barcelona, members of the Alliance have the ability to vote on the removal of the General Manager and on other team decisions. Season ticket holders become automatic members while non-season ticket holders may buy into the Alliance for a fee. Membership benefits include voting privileges, invitation to an annual meeting and other team perks. Members can also be elected to the Sounders FC Alliance Council by receiving at least 25 nominations from other members annually. The first vote on the General Manager is scheduled to be held in November 2012 following Seattle's third season. Drew Carey is the chairman of the Sounders FC Alliance.
Carey also requested that Sounders FC have their own marching band, the first in MLS . This led to the creation of the Sound Wave, a 53-member marching band consisting of brass and marching percussion. The band plays music from multiple genres such as Latin, rock and pop, and sits on the north end of Royal Brougham Park. The March to the Match, in which fans march from Occidental Park
Occidental Park (Seattle)
Occidental Park, also referred to as Occidental Square and Occidental Mall , is a 0.6 acre public park located in the Pioneer Square district of Seattle, Washington. Created in 1971, it essentially consists of the Occidental Avenue S. right-of-way between S. Washington and S...
to CenturyLink Field before each home game, is led by the Sound Wave.
Besides the Alliance, there are currently five recognized, independent supporters groups
Supporters groups
Supporters groups or supporters clubs are independent fan clubs in association football, particularly in English speaking counties.Supporters groups in Europe are generally known as Ultras which derives from the Latin word deriving from ultrā, meaning beyond in English, with the implication that...
for Sounders FC. Emerald City Supporters
Emerald City Supporters
Emerald City Supporters is an independent supporters' group for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC.-History and name:Emerald City Supporters was founded in 2005 by the supporters of the now defunct Seattle Sounders soccer team that played in the United Soccer Leagues First Division...
(ECS), which formed in 2005 to support the USL Sounders, is the largest supporter group and sits in the south end of the stadium in sections 121–123. SoCal Sound is an off-shoot of ECS based in Southern California, that attends Sounders games played at The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
. Gorilla FC
Gorilla FC
Gorilla FC is an independent supporters' group for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC.-Organization:Gorilla FC was formed in 2009 to support Seattle Sounders FC. It is the reincarnation of the anti-globalization activist group, Guerrilla FC...
is a Sounders FC supporters group that sits in the south end of CenturyLink Field in Sections 120 and 119. The North End Faithful sit in the north end of the stadium beneath the "Hawks Nest" in sections 100 and 144–152. Immortal Fury, formed in the fashion of South American torcida
Torcida
Torcidas organizadas are formal associations of football fans in Brazil in the same vein as Argentine hinchadas and European ultras. The name is based on the verb torcer, which means "to root for" but also "to wring" and "to turn"...
s, focuses on bringing color to the south end of the stadium by displaying the national flags of several countries.
Rivalries
The Seattle–PortlandSeattle Sounders – Portland Timbers rivalry
The Seattle–Portland rivalry is a soccer rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers soccer teams. The rivalry pre-dates the current teams in both cities, back to the North American Soccer League days, and has since grown into one of the largest and most bitter rivalries in...
and Seattle–Vancouver rivalries formed in the years that the NASL-Sounders and USL-Sounders were playing in Seattle. In 2004 the fan-based Cascadia Cup
Cascadia Cup
The Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps have roots dating to the days of the...
was created to formalize the competition between the Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver USL teams. This geographic rivalry was renewed when the MLS expansion teams in Portland and Vancouver began play in the 2011 season.
The fan-created Heritage Cup competition with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
was begun in the 2009 MLS season. MLS teams that carry on the names of their NASL predecessors are eligible to compete. The results of their league matches determine the winner.
Ownership and team management
The team ownership group is composed of four investors. The majority owner is Hollywood producer Joe RothJoe Roth
Joe Roth is an American film executive, producer and film director. He co-founded Morgan Creek Productions in 1987 and was chairman of 20th Century Fox , Caravan Pictures , and Walt Disney Studios before founding Revolution Studios in 2000.-Life and career:Roth was born in New York, New York,...
, with minority owners Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer
Adrian Hanauer is an American businessman and minority owner and general manager of the Seattle Sounders FC.- Business history :Hanauer's family owns Pacific Coast Feather Co., a down pillow, feather bed, and high-end bedding products manufacturer that was originally founded in 1884 in Germany, but...
, former owner of the now defunct USL-1 team Seattle Sounders; Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
, Microsoft co-founder and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers; and Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
, comedian and game show host.
Sounders FC officially introduced Sigi Schmid
Sigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each...
as their first coach on December 16, 2008. Schmid had previously led the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
to a MLS Cup in 2002
MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular...
and the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
to a MLS Cup in 2008
MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
. Brian Schmetzer
Brian Schmetzer
Brian Schmetzer is a retired U.S. soccer player who played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer League. He coached the Seattle Sounders in the USL First Division for seven seasons, winning two championships. He was the 2002 USL-1 Coach of the Year...
is the top assistant coach and Tom Dutra is the goalkeeper coach. Retired MLS veteran defender Ezra Hendrickson
Ezra Hendrickson
Ezra Hendrickson is a retired Vincentian footballer. He played professionally in the United States' Major League Soccer with New York MetroStars, Los Angeles Galaxy, Dallas Burn, and Chivas USA, and was also a member of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team...
joined the Sounders as an assistant coach in January 2009. Former MLS player and Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
native Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson
Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...
was named technical director on January 24, 2009. Longtime Seattle Seahawks executive Gary Wright is the senior vice president of business operations.
SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily recognized Seattle Sounders FC as the Professional Sports Team of the Year for 2009 because of the team's record setting success in attendance as well as making the playoffs in their inaugural season. Former Seahawks and Sounders FC CEO Tod Leiweke was recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal as the newspaper's 2009 Executive of the Year.
Broadcasting
Seattle Sounders FC matches are televised in English by either KING-TVKING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
or KONG-TV
KONG-TV
KONG, virtual channel 16, is a television station based in Seattle, Washington. Owned by the Belo Corporation, KONG's city of license is Everett, Washington...
, except those nationally telecast matches on Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
or ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
/ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. KONG-TV also airs a program devoted to interviews, highlights, and other features on Sunday evenings called Sounders FC Weekly.
Former Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
announcer Kevin Calabro
Kevin Calabro
Kevin Calabro is an American play-by-play announcer and talk show host for 710 ESPN Seattle. The Kevin Calabro Show airs from 3-6p PT and features cohost and Seattle P-I columnist Jim Moore, as well as ESPN Senior NFL Writer and Analyst John Clayton...
and former U.S. soccer star Greg Vanney
Greg Vanney
Greg Vanney is retired American soccer defender who last played for the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS...
called the play-by-play for the local broadcasts during the inaugural season in 2009. However, they were replaced by former BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
cricket and general sport commentator Arlo White
Arlo White
Arlo White is an English sports presenter and commentator, originally from Leicester.-Early career:He began broadcasting at the age of 27, after gaining experience covering non-league Football for Radio Derby and also while travelling in Australia....
for the 2010 season, who calls both the English language radio and television broadcasts without a partner. Matches are televised in Spanish on THIS-TV with Jaime Mendez and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar
Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar is a Mexican footballer who most recently played for the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division.Alcaraz-Cuellar initially began playing soccer with the San Diego Flash in 2001...
calling the action. On radio, Sounders FC matches are aired in English on KIRO-FM and in Spanish on Ke Buena
KTBK
KMIA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish hits format. Licensed to Auburn, Washington, USA, it serves the Seattle metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Adelante Media Group. The station began as KASY in 1958 , running an MOR format until 1989...
AM.
Players
Current squad
As of November 30, 2011.Honors
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
- Winners (3): 20092009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup FinalThe 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on September 2, 2009, at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. The match determined the winner of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States...
, 20102010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup FinalThe 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 5, 2010, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The match determined the winner of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. This...
, 20112011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup FinalThe 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 4, 2011 in Seattle, Washington for the second consecutive year. The match saw the Seattle Sounders FC defeat the Chicago Fire 2-0 to be crowned champions in three consecutive years of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open...
- Winners (3): 2009
- Minor Cups
- Cascadia CupCascadia CupThe Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps have roots dating to the days of the...
: 2011 - Heritage Cup: 2010, 2011
- Cascadia Cup
External links
- Seattle Sounders FC – Official site
- Seattle Sounders FC – Academy homepage
- Major League Soccer – Official site