Post by epjr on May 15, 2009 13:09:58 GMT -6
With or without David Beckham, MLS is alive and well—even thriving in some places. Nowhere is that more evident than in Seattle, where the expansion Sounders FC have joined MLS as the league's 15th franchise. Sounders games are loud—really loud. Fans pack Qwest Field, with sold-out crowds approaching 30,000. (Only the lower bowl of the stadium is opened for MLS games.) More than 75% of the spectators are season-ticket holders. Virtually everyone in the stands waves a team scarf above his head and chants for the entire 90 minutes, cheering on internationally accomplished players such as former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden and goalkeeper Kasey Keller, a veteran of four U.S. World Cup teams.
"This is the way it's supposed to feel," says coach Sigi Schmid, a German native and two-time MLS Cup winner with the L.A. Galaxy and the Columbus Crew. "This is the way it is when you go to a game in Europe."
MLS's new crown jewel—which was 4-2-0 at week's end—has many factors working in its favor, not the least of which are deep-pocketed owners with a global vision. The group includes majority owner Joe Roth, a successful Hollywood producer; comedian and noted soccer freak Drew Carey; and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who also has a large stake in the NFL's Seahawks. That connection can't be understated: The Seahawks and the Sounders share office facilities, sales and marketing staff, a stadium—even a blue-and-green color scheme.
Seattle has been a hotbed for soccer dating to at least the 1970s and '80s, when the NASL team known as the Sounders routinely attracted crowds of 20,000. Youth participation in the state of Washington is among the highest in the country. Seattle was mentioned as a target for MLS expansion as far back as 1996, when the league began play.
But the return of pro soccer to the Emerald City couldn't have been better timed. The Sonics' move to Oklahoma City last year left Seattle without an NBA team after 41 seasons. Says Sounders minority owner and Seattle-area native Adrian Hanauer, "People had an emotional part of their beings ripped out of their hearts, and I think they were looking for something to embrace." With a pair of natural geographic rivals—Portland and Vancouver—scheduled to join MLS in 2011, fans in Seattle aren't likely to let go of that embrace anytime soon. - Jonah Freedman