The latest buzz in the Seattle sports sphere is not the new coffee beans being imported from Sumatra. No, this import is from around the world, the most popular game in the world. Soccer, as we Americans call it, is coming to Seattle.
To be accurate, soccer has never left Seattle. There has been a Sounders team since the defunct North American Soccer League in 1974 to 1983. The Sounders were then reborn into the USL first division in 1994 to 2008.
In 2007, Joe Roth, Adrian Hanueur, Paul Allen, and Drew Carey put up a reported $30 million to buy into the Major League Soccer, the full blown professional league. The team launched an online poll to have fans name the team. Trying to get a fresh start, the options didn’t include the Sounders, nor did it allow for write in suggestions. A public outcry led to a write in slot and the results showed that 49% of the votes had some variation of the Sounders name. Bowing to the supporters, the team became the Seattle Sounders Football Club, or FC.
Thanks to Paul Allen owning the Seahawks, the Sounders will be playing their home matches at the beautiful Qwest Field, which was built from the ashes of the Kingdome in Seattle with an eye towards being a dual American football and soccer stadium. Allen's Microsoft connections helped secure sponsorship with XBox 360 Live as well.
Season ticket holder perks are an easy way to endear fans, as the Seahawks and Mariners have found over the years. The Sounders best one so far is the scarf they included in all season ticket holder packages. At first glance, it’s an ordinary supporter’s scarf but look closer and see the bar code on it. Yes, it’s also the ticket for the first ever Sounders FC match.
Cool marketing and ticket techniques are all well and good but it’s on the field where the teams are made and the casual fans won and lost. Seattle is notorious for being a bandwagon fan city, so the Sounders have to put in a good team to have a chance of holding the more casual fans past the honeymoon period. No need to worry though, because the owners and management have put their money into this side as well.
Starting at the top, the owners went out and got a big name for the first manager. Sigi Schmid was signed from the Columbus Crew, the team he led to a MLS Cup victory in 2008 after taking the LA Galaxy there in 2002. There was controversy with the signing in that Columbus believed the Sounders were talking to Schmid before he was allowed, but the MLS investigated and found no evidence of tampering. The league did fine the Sounders however.
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
Ljungberg is a great signing. Remember him well from his years with Arsenal, where he was a fan favourite and helped them win many trophies. Hopefully he gets fit soon: if so, the Sounders can look forward to some special things.
2 - Douglas Mays
Yes, a great match last night. Sounders FC are actually a very good team. They play attractive soccer, the first MLS team to do so.
They have an actual playing style. Much like the 'total soccer' the Dutch came up with in the 70s. No matter where the ball was on the field, the Sounders were a threat offensive and defensive.
Fredy Montero.... Oh man, a future superstar on a world-wide basis.
Russ, help me out with this. I have a bone to pick with the way things are run by the management. They call 32,000 a sell out in a 67,000 seat stadium that us taxpayers are paying for. Tens of thousands of the real soccer fan base cannot get tickets.
Basically very few single game tix are available. I know many people that sat on the phone with ticketmaster for hours, only to be humiliated and burned with no ticket.
Last night could have and should have been sold out at 67,000 seat.
OK, if you go to www.seattletimes.com, click on 'sports' the Sounders FC, then click on 'forum', then click on the article 'single game tix' (amaysing is the handle i use), you will see what my gripe is. It is legit.
Portland and Van BC were awarded franchises. Now the USA will see what REAL soccer culture is a;ll about. Mania up and down I-5
best,
DM