When Seattle Sounders FC joined MLS in 2009, it felt a little bit different from most of the expansion clubs that had come before. This wasn’t some new franchise that had been built especially for the occasion – the Seattle Sounders had decades of history.
Technically, the Major League Soccer era Sounders are not the same club as the one that came before, but in reality, the stadium, most of the staff, the players, and crucially, the fans were the same. Legally, it was a new club, but their identity and culture was deeply embedded.
The MLS Sounders skipped the struggle for relevance that most new clubs go through. They already had a solid connection with their home city. The Rave Green attracted 32,000 fans to their first home game, and they came with expectations.
Because the Seattle Sounders of old were a club who always challenged for trophies, the new Seattle Sounders FC were expected to do the same – and they did not let their fans down.
Club Statistics and Key Info
Date founded: 1974 (MLS era began 2009)
First Game: March 19, 2009 – Seattle Sounders 3–0 New York Red Bulls
Stadium: Lumen Field
Capacity: 37,722
Nicknames: Sounders, Rave Green
Rivals: Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps
Biggest Win: 7–0 vs. Cruz Azul (July 31, 2025)
Biggest Loss: 1–6 vs. Santos Laguna (March 15, 2012)
Player With Most Appearances: Stefan Frei (426 and counting)
Top Goal Scorer: Jordan Morris (91 and counting)
Most Notable Players
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Marcus Hahnemann (1994-1996, 2012–2014), Kasey Keller (2009–2011), Stefan Frei (2014–present) |
| Defenders | Zach Scott (2002–2016), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (2009–2014), Brad Evans (2009-2017), DeAndre Yedlin (2013-2014), Chad Marshall (2014–2019), Nouhou Tolo (2017–present) |
| Midfielders | Osvaldo Alonso (2009–2018, 2024), Mauro Rosales (2011–2013), Cristian Roldan (2015–present), Nicolás Lodeiro (2016–2023) |
| Forwards | Fredy Montero (2009–2014, 2021–2023), Roger Levesque (2003–2012), Obafemi Martins (2013–2015), Clint Dempsey (2013–2018), Jordan Morris (2016–present), Raúl Ruidíaz (2018–2024) |
Trophies Won
| Trophy | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| U.S. Open Cup | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 |
| Supporters’ Shield | 2014 |
| MLS Cup | 2016, 2019 |
| Concacaf Champions League | 2022 |
| Leagues Cup | 2025 |
When Seattle Became A Soccer City: The NASL Years
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The original Sounders were formed in 1974, part of the North American Soccer League (NASL) who were attempting to build soccer as a sport across the United States.
In many cities it didn’t really take off, but in Seattle, people loved it. Memorial Stadium, the Sounders’ home at the time, was always sold out, so the club moved to the Kingdome – a much bigger stadium shared with the Seahawks (NFL) and the Mariners (MLB). In fact, it was the Sounders who played the venue’s first ever sporting event.
In these early years, players like Micky Cave and Roger Davies – both Englishmen – became cult figures. Players from England were prominent in Seattle probably due to the English coaches Alan Hinton and John Best – the squad had an English top scorer in nine out of ten seasons, and the other one was Scottish.
The team always finished in the top three, winning their conference twice, and making it to the Rose Bowl game in 1977. However, they were up against the New York Cosmos, a team that included the likes of Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Giorgio Chinaglia, and lost.
They got there again in 1982, once again facing the Cosmos and losing. They never won the NASL Cup, but they did find some consolation in beating the Cosmos to the Transatlantic Cup in 1981.
Sadly, the original Seattle Sounders folded in 1983 due to financial issues, and the NASL collapsed a year later. However, interest in soccer remained high in Seattle.
Sounders Re-Born – The USL Years
The fate of soccer in the United States was uncertain for many years after the NASL folded, but there was hope for the sport when the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) launched in 1990. It re-branded to the A-League in 1995.
The Seattle Sounders weren’t re-established until 1994, but they came back with a bang, finishing first in overall standings in their first season, but falling short of the trophy.
However, they won it the next two years in a row, and even though the league was small at the time, the fans loved it. Seattle were dominating the highest level of professional soccer in North America. Names like Peter Hattrup and Mark Baena will be fondly remembered by those who were there.
It was in 2002 though, that the cub as we know it began to take shape. Adrian Hanauer became the majority owner, Brian Schmetzer began his first stint as head coach, and legends like Roger Levesque and Zach Scott joined the squad. Seattle won two more titles in 2005 and 2007, although by then the league had merged with USL and was known as USL-1.
By now of course, Major League Soccer had been around for over a decade, so the Sounders might have been bossing it, but USL-1 was the second tier of football in the country.
The Sounders wanted more recognition, and there was only one way to get it.
Joining Major League Soccer
In 2007, MLS awarded the Seattle Sounders a franchise, and in 2009, they began their first campaign under new manager Sigi Schmid.
However, in order to join MLS, which operates a closed franchise system, the club had to restructure. This meant that, on paper, Seattle Sounders had to cease trading and start again.
In reality, this was a technicality, but with new investors on board alongside Adrian Hanauer, questions were asked about the brand and club identity. There were discussions about making changes, including the name of the club, but in the end, they decided to ask the fans.
The new name, decided by a public vote, was Seattle Sounders FC.
Fans did not want a new identity or a rebrand. They wanted the club they loved. Unchanged. And that is what they got. The owners listened, and the fans respected them for that. This is why the club feels like such a tight unit. There is mutual respect between the club, the players, and the fans.
The Sounders won their opening match in Major League Soccer. The club was not wary of the higher stakes, they believed 100% that they belonged in MLS, and they played that way. The team did well in the league in their first few seasons, consistently finishing high, but it was in the US Open Cup that they got their first trophies. They won it in 2009, 2010, and 2011 – the first team to win three on the bounce since 1969.
They didn’t dominate the league immediately, but the Sounders were never a team the opposition relished facing. They were never far from the top and always made the playoffs. If there is one word to describe their long term performance, it is consistency. They picked up a Supporter’s Shield in 2014 along with another US Open Cup, but the MLS Cup remained out of reach.
That is, until Brian Schmetzer came back.
Brian Schmetzer
If there is one single unifying figure that ties all of this together, it is Brian Schmetzer.
Brian played for the Sounders back in the NASL days, and briefly during their time in the A-League. Then he was head coach during their most successful period in USL-1, before being replaced just before the team joined MLS.
He was re-appointed in 2016 after the dismissal of Sigi Schmid, and instantly won the MLS Cup. The Holy Grail of North American soccer.
He was already a hero in the eyes of long time Sounders fans, but this achievement gave him God-like status. Especially since he took over with the club at their lowest point in years.
But this was no lucky strike. Schmetzer coached the team to the final the next season too, ultimately losing out to Toronto FC in their odds defying 2017 season. He then went on to win it for a second time in 2019, and came runner up again in 2020. By now, the club had won 7 trophies in 12 seasons and were firmly established as one of the best teams in the league, then came 2022.
Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer won’t let players disrespect fans. pic.twitter.com/pTuvqaEK2b
— Noah Riffe (@NoahRiffe) March 18, 2026
In a commanding performance at Lumen Field, Seattle Sounders FC defeated Mexican club Pumas UNAM 3-0 to win the CONCACAF Champions League (now Cup). They were the first US team to do so since 1998, and the first to win the modern version of the competition.
Schmetzer added the Leagues Cup in 2025, making Seattle Sounders FC the only club to have won every available trophy in North America: the MLS Cup, Supporter’s Shield, US Open Cup, Leagues Cup, CONCACAF Champions League/Cup.
Brian Schmetzer remains the head coach in Seattle. He is one of the major reasons for the club’s success, and their stability.
Fan Culture and The 12s
If there is one thing the Sounders are known for – besides winning trophies – it’s the fans.
The fan culture in Seattle is one of the strongest in the entirety of MLS. There are several supporters groups, but The Emerald City Supporters are the best known. These guys make the atmosphere at Lumen Field something else. Louder and more intense than almost any other stadium.
The idea of the 12s – the fans being the 12th man on the pitch – is taken very seriously in Seattle, so the crowd do everything they can to spur their own team on, and put the visiting team off.
It starts way before the game though. In Seattle, the March to the Match is a well known tradition in which the fans all gather to walk to the stadium together as one through the city, banging drums, waving scarves, singing and chanting. A unifying experience that gets everyone in the right frame of mind. It’s all tied together through the Sounders Alliance, an elected body representing the season ticket members. The club has direct contact with the alliance, who are the voice of the fans, and can influence major decisions at the club.
If you want to see what an organised, passionate, American fanbase looks like, go no further than Seattle. These guys are properly part of the team.