Optimism and enthusiasm seem to have gone into hiding lately, overtaken by the evil twins fear and recession.
But not tonight. Excitement — exhilaration, even — will be plentiful at Qwest Field when the Seattle Sounders FC play their maiden game in front of a sellout crowd. It will mark the return of major professional soccer to a region that once embraced it, but was left without it 26 years ago.
Washington, and Snohomish County in particular, have been soccer hotbeds for generations. Doubts about whether thousands of recreational soccer players would translate into a viable fan base were answered by the huge success of the old North American Soccer League’s Seattle Sounders, who started play in 1974. Those mostly-English Sounders, fondly nicknamed “The Lads,” consistently drew some of the league’s biggest crowds, especially after leaving Seattle’s cramped Memorial Stadium for the Kingdome.
Alas, the nation’s love for the world’s game didn’t equal ours, and the league folded in 1983.
But the fans here never let go. When Seattle’s new Major League Soccer team asked fans last year to choose from three names for the club — Seattle Alliance (yawn), Seattle FC (snore) and Seattle Republic (zzzz…) — they overwhelmingly wrote in “Sounders.” Ownership added the superfluous “FC” (for football club) at the end, apparently compelled to have some say in the name.
That ownership group has made some very savvy moves otherwise, including bringing comedian Drew Carey into its circle. Carey brings a fan’s perspective and enthusiasm to the front office: he heads a fan association that will have a voice in how the team is run, and he launched the team’s marching band. He’s drawn national attention to the region this week, touting the new team and its rave-green-and-blue color scheme in network TV interviews.
They signed a major international star, Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, and a local favorite with serious international experience, goalkeeper Kasey Keller of Olympia. As head coach, they lured in Sigi Schmid, who has coached two teams to MLS titles, including last year’s Columbus Crew. They hired Everett native Chris Henderson, a star at Cascade High School, UCLA and the pro ranks, as technical director.
They signed a local broadcasting deal that ensures every game will be televised live. And they’ll host the league championship game at Qwest Field in November.
These Sounders have not only brought big-league soccer back to the Puget Sound region, they’re bringing with it a dose of optimism we can all use right now. Go Lads … er … Sounders!
Tonight’s game: New York Red Bull at Seattle Sounders FC, 6 p.m., ESPN2 and KIRO radio (97.3 FM).
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