However, despite the strong soccer fan base in Seattle, the absence of a soccer-only stadium was a drawback to establishing an MLS team. was preparing to host the FIFA World Cup, more than 30 cities were pursuing the rights to an MLS team, Seattle being among them.
See also: History of professional soccer in SeattleĮven before the first cities in the United States were chosen to host Major League Soccer teams, Seattle was considered a viable location for a professional team. The Sounders also operate a players' academy and lower-division teams that have produced homegrown players, including forward Jordan Morris and defender DeAndre Yedlin. The team's players have included former US international Clint Dempsey, top goal scorer Fredy Montero, as well as long-time captain Osvaldo Alonso, and current captain Nicolás Lodeiro. The Sounders are ranked as one of the most valuable franchises in North America. The team set a new MLS record for average attendance in each of its first five seasons. The team has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of its 12 seasons and competed in the CONCACAF Champions League six times, becoming the first MLS team to win the modern version of the competition in 2022.
Open Cup four times, the Supporters' Shield in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 20. Seattle has been among the league's most successful teams, winning the U.S. The Sounders played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, winning 3–0 over the New York Red Bulls. Seattle has longstanding rivalries with fellow Pacific Northwest clubs Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with whom it competes for the Cascadia Cup. Along with several organized groups, a 53-member marching band called "Sound Wave" supports the club at each home match. The Sounders play their home league matches at Lumen Field, with a reduced capacity of 37,722 seats for most matches. Former USL Sounders coach and assistant coach Brian Schmetzer took over as head coach in July 2016 after the departure of Sigi Schmid. The club's majority owner is Adrian Hanauer, and its minority owners are the estate of Paul Allen, Drew Carey, and 14 families from the Seattle area. The Sounders are a phoenix club, carrying the same name as the original Sounders franchise that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1983. The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle.