MLS Stadium Tour #1: Seattle Sounders

To learn more about how the MLS Stadium Tour came to be, read more here.

Our first stadium tour was a two-fer for soccer: Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. We figured if we were spending the money on plane tickets to the Pacific Northwest, we may as well get our money’s worth! We tried to loop Vancouver into the trip, but the MLS scheduling gods weren’t with us. We did see the Whitecaps play against the Timbers though!
The Sounders game was our first night in town. BIL scouted the pre-game activities for us, and found a sports bar, Swannies, in Occidental Square for some pre-game food and drink. The location was key because the March to the Match is a must for anybody attending a Sounders game. It was overcast but not yet raining, so we sat outside while we ate, and we were able to take in all of the pre-game festivities.

There was an emcee hosting various contests and leading cheers, but it was difficult to hear everything he said from our spot at the bar, especially as the crowd swelled. This didn’t matter though, because the highlight of the pre-game was Sound Wave. Sound Wave is the band of the Sounders. When I say band, I mean marching band – drums, trumpets, trombones, etc. They play all types of music, and have choreographed dances for some of the songs and drumbeats. We could hear and see them perfectly from our spot at Swannies, and by the time we started marching, we were ready for the game!

The March to the Match is just a few blocks from the park to the stadium, and the entire march is one large, mobile pep rally. The fans sing, chant, and cheer while waving their scarves proudly in the air. Sound Wave brings up the rear, playing and dancing their way to CenturyLink Field.

The atmosphere inside the stadium lived up to the pre-game hype. CenturyLink Field is, unfortunately, not a soccer specific stadium. They share the stadium with their NFL counterpart, the Seahawks. During soccer games, the upper level of seats are covered so there aren’t random fans scattered in the “cheap seats” like you often see in sparsely attended sporting events, which helps create better atmosphere during the game. The upside of using a larger stadium is that even with the covered upper level, they have a much larger capacity than most of the other MLS stadiums – and they’ve used it. Sounders have led the league in attendance since joining in 2009, and there were more than 38,000 in attendance on our game day. Also, because most of the seats are covered and the roof is curved, the design of the stadium amplifies the cheering that so often escapes into the open air at most soccer stadiums.

The supporter sections were packed, and the fact that they have multiple groups says a lot about the team and the ambiance. Sound Wave contributes to the atmosphere during the match as well, but it’s the fans that are not in the supporters groups that differentiates Seattle from many other MLS teams. They are just as engaged as the supporters groups, and they stood the entire game, holding their scarves proudly. We were somewhat surprised by this, but happily stood and cheered with 38,000+ other fans.

The game itself was disappointing from a fan perspective – the Sounders lost 0-2 to Columbus Crew. But maybe because they were trailing, the fans kept up their chants, songs, and cheers the whole game. None was louder than one side of the stadium yelling “SEATTLE!” and the other responding, “SOUNDERS!”

Thinking back, we didn’t eat at the stadium which is very odd as it seems the stadium food is now considered an integral part of our stadium experience. I’ve heard the food selection is excellent so I’m disappointed (five years later) that we didn’t try any. However, I do know that they sell Beecher’s at the stadium and that is a MUST. We had Beecher’s “World’s Best Macaroni and Cheese” while we were at Pike Place Market and it lives up to its name – and this is coming from a Cheesehead. If you have recommendations to share, please comment below!

I think it’s fair to say that we set the bar very high with our first MLS stadium tour stop in Seattle. In fact, with five official stadium tours and other stadium visits in hand, we unanimously agree that Seattle had the best atmosphere of any MLS stadium. From the March to the Match, to Sound Wave, to the die-hard fans standing during the whole match throughout the stadium, to the thunderous SEATTLE…SOUNDERS cheers, the Seattle Sounders games at CenturyLink Field are a must-see for not just soccer fans, but any sports fan.

To read more about our other stops on the MLS Stadium Tour, read this post!