Seattle Sounders Put on a Show for MLS Cup
Seattle Sounders teammates celebrated after win over Toronto FC in the MLS Cup championship.
Victory in championship match brings record-breaking crowds to the city of Seattle
It was the chance the Seattle Sounders and Seattle soccer fans everywhere had been waiting for. Just under 70,000 people packed the stands of CenturyLink Field on Sunday for the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup championship game between the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC.
Normally recognized as the home of the Seattle Seahawks—a National Football League (NFL) team known for their large crowds and record-setting noise levels—CenturyLink Field belonged to the Sounders on Sunday.
Instead of NFL, it was MLS fans setting the record for the largest sporting event in the stadium history, the largest crowd in Seattle soccer history, and the largest soccer crowd in the history of Washington state.
News like this should have soccer fans across the country excited. Normally, soccer highlights don’t make national sports headlines. Sports news stations around the country like to talk about the “four major sports leagues”—referring to the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL—but the MLS is almost always left off the list.
“Soccer is the sport of the future in America. . . and always will be,” goes the cynical old jest towards U.S. soccer fans. And until recently, that statement has been relatively true. While soccer was growing, there were no significant numbers to suggest it would catch any of the four major sports leagues any time soon.
However, with the popularity of U.S. Women’s National team and the attention and excitement they have brought to soccer in America, along with “soccer hubs” around the country such as Seattle, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, popularity for the world’s most popular sport seems to be gaining traction in the U.S. In fact, more teenagers are playing soccer in the U.S. than ever before and the average per game attendance of MLS games has risen to just under 22,000 as of last year—more than the NHL and NBA.
Despite the increasing popularity, people looking to find a soccer crowd similar to one they may find in Europe are bound to struggle. Yet, ask any soccer fan in Seattle and they will tell you the Sounders have one of the most exciting and energetic fanbases in the entire country.
On Sunday they had a chance to back up their claims. They did not disappoint. Throughout the first half, Toronto was the better team.
They controlled the ball and seemed more comfortable, despite being the visiting team in front of such a large crowd. The Sounders on the other hand, seemed more uncomfortable, not quite able to put together a smooth string of passes or a lengthy possession.
Maybe it was a hangover from the previous times these two teams have met in the finals in 2016 and 2017. Both times Seattle had to travel to Toronto.
Both times they failed to score a goal in regular time. Seattle won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw to take home the trophy in 2016 while they were shut out 2-0 in 2017.
Nevertheless, Seattle was able to keep the ball out of the net and remain tied heading into halftime.
In the 57th minute, Seattle saw a slight opening on a momentary breakdown from Toronto and capitalized on their opportunity. Sounders’ Kelvin Leerdam’s shot from the right side of the box deflected off two defenders and found its way into the back of the net to put Seattle up 1-0.
19 minutes later, Victor Rodriguez sent the crowd into a frenzy when he took a beautiful touch from Nicolas Lodeiro and blasted a right-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner.
A subsequent 90th minute goal from Raul Ruidiaz on a breakaway put the Sounders up 3-0. Jozy Altidore, the forward on Toronto as well as the U.S. Men’s National Team, completed a beautiful header to score three minutes into stoppage time for Toronto, but it was too little too late for the visiting team.
“The players and the fans deserve this,” Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said. “The players persevered because again it was a first-half we needed to make some adjustments and they never quit. And the fans never stopped believing. I’m very happy and proud for the city and the fans.”
The on and off-field success of the Seattle franchise—along with other similar clubs such as Atlanta, Portland, and Los Angeles—are examples of soccer’s growing presence in the United States.
It is no longer at the place it was nearly ten years ago, but instead has seen incredible growth towards becoming one of the most popular sports in the country.
“The Sounders in 2009 thought they'd have 12,000 season tickets and 20,000 per match,” said Dave Clark, founder of SounderAtHeart.com and current writer with TacDefiance.com, when asked about the perspective of this match.
“And now they're at 36,000 season tickets, 40,000 per match and 70,000-plus for an MLS Cup. The numbers are proving that soccer isn’t an outsider’s game. It’s just a game.”