Seattle Sounders

The club was founded on November 13, 2007, and started playing in 2009 as an expansion team for the MLS. The Sounders replaced a previous club that competed in lower divisions from 1994 to 2008 and shares the same name as the original Sounders franchise that was active from 1974 to 1983 in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Adrian Hanauer is the majority owner of the club, with minority ownership held by the estate of Paul Allen, Drew Carey, and 14 local families. Brian Schmetzer took over as head coach in 2016, succeeding Sigi Schmid. The team's home games are held at Lumen Field, typically accommodating 37,722 fans. The club is supported by various organized groups and a 53-member marching band known as "Sound Wave" during home matches. Seattle Sounders FC has fierce rivalries with other Pacific Northwest clubs like Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, primarily competing for the Cascadia Cup. The team made its debut on March 19, 2009, defeating the New York Red Bulls with a 3-0 victory. Seattle Sounders FC has been notably successful, clinching the U.S. Open Cup four times, the Supporters' Shield in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019. The team stood out by qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs consistently until 2022, which was the longest streak in league history, and participating in the CONCACAF Champions League seven times, eventually winning the tournament in 2022, a first for an MLS team. Also, the Sounders were the initial MLS team to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup. The club secured record-breaking average attendance numbers in the initial five seasons in MLS and is counted among the most valuable sports franchises in North America. Notable players associated with the team include Clint Dempsey, Fredy Montero, Osvaldo Alonso, and Nicolás Lodeiro. Additionally, the Sounders operate a player academy and the Tacoma Defiance for nurturing local talent, with players like Jordan Morris and DeAndre Yedlin emerging from their development programs.