Seattle Sounders: History, Squad, Rivalries, Honours & Future Plans

Seattle Sounders are an American professional soccer club based in Seattle. The Seattle Sounders compete in Major League Soccer as a member of the Western Conference. The Club was established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team. The Sounders are a phoenix club, replacing the second division franchise that played in the American professional soccer league, A-League, and the USL First Division from 1994 to 2008, and carrying the same name as the original Sounders franchise that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1983.

The Sounders are nicknamed the Rave Green by their domestic fan base, and internationally, its famous as the Sounders. The Seattle Sounders played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, winning 3-0 over the New York Red Bulls. Seattle Sounders are among the top-flight clubs in the MLS, winning the U.S. Open Cup four times, the Supporters' Shield in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019. From its MLS inception until 2022, the team qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs and competed in the CONCACAF Champions League seven times, becoming the first MLS team to win the expanded version of the tournament in 2022. The Sounders were the first team to qualify and compete in the FIFA Club World Cup from Major League Soccer.

Seattle Sounders: Key Facts

Seattle Sounders were founded on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team. The Seattle Sounders have been one of the successful clubs in Major League Soccer. Seattle Sounders are nicknamed the Rave Green by their domestic fanbase, and internationally, its famous as the Sounders. The Sounders were the first team to qualify and compete in the FIFA Club World Cup from Major League Soccer. Let's take a look at some key facts about Seattle Sounders.

Seattle Sounders Sponsors, Net Worth & Value

The Seattle Sounders FC are currently valued at approximately $825 million, making it the seventh most valuable club in Major League Soccer. The primary jersey sponsor is Providence, and they also have a stadium naming rights partnership with Emerald Queen Casino. The valuation of the club has recently been on the upper side, with a 4% increase in the valuation than the previous year. In the club's initial days, the owners paid $ 30 million to bring the Sounders to the MLS in 2008. The Sounders' estimated value is $83 million, and their market value has been on the upper side, with increasing a 10% year-over-year

Seattle Sounders Rivalries

Although there are no official rivalries between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, the two teams have met several times in the Major League Soccer Cup Playoffs. The relationship between former head coaches Bruce Arena and Sigi Schmid, the two most successful managers in the history of the MLS, also played a factor in the clubs' rivalry. Schmid later served as the Los Angeles Galaxy's head coach from 2017 to 2018, shortly after he departed from the Sounders.

Historically, the rivalry between Seattle and Portland, including Seattle and Vancouver rivalries, formed among the respective NASL teams in the mid-1970s and carried on through to the USL and MLS. In 2004, the fan-based Cascadia Cup was created to formalize the competition between the Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver USL teams.

Seattle Sounders Trophies and Achievements

The Seattle Sounders played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, winning 3-0 over the New York Red Bulls. Seattle Sounders are among the top-flight clubs in the MLS, winning the U.S. Open Cup four times, the Supporters' Shield in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019. From its MLS inception until 2022, the team qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs and competed in the CONCACAF Champions League seven times, becoming the first MLS team to win the expanded version of the tournament in 2022. The Sounders were the first team to qualify and compete in the FIFA Club World Cup from Major League Soccer. Let's take a look at the Seattle Sounders' trophy cabinet.

History of Seattle Sounders

The Seattle Sounders were established on November 13, 2007. In the FIFA World Cup 1994, which was hosted by the United States of America, more than 30 cities were pursuing the rights of an MLS team; Seattle was one of them. However, despite being a strong soccer fan base in Seattle, the absence of a soccer-only stadium was the major drawback for the MLS. In an announcement on June 14, 1994 first seven cities to be awarded an MLS team, Seattle was not one of them.

In 2007, Adrian Hanauer teamed up with a Hollywood producer and made another bid for the Seattle Sounders to make them an MLS club. In 2007, the owner changed the name of the team, and the new name was Seattle Sounders. And MLS allowed the Sounders to play in the main division of American soccer, which is the MLS. Seattle Sounders FC entered the MLS as the league's 15th team and played its first home match on March 19, 2009. The first match was played between the Seattle Sounders and the New York Red Bulls, and the match ended with a 3-0 score line. The Seattle Sounders won that match in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,523. On December 16, 2008, after the departure of their head coach Columbus Crew, Sigi Schmid was introduced as the club's first head coach, and that season under Sigi Schmid's management, the Sounders won the MLS Cup.

Since 2008, the Sounders have been among the most successful clubs, winning multiple trophies and building their legacy. Also, they hold the record of becoming the first team to qualify and compete in the FIFA Club World Cup in the Major League Soccer. Seattle Sounders FC plays home matches at Lumen Field in Seattle, also home to the Seattle Seahawks.

Future Goals

Seattle Sounders are currently focusing on growing the team's valuation and sponsors; however, their market value and net worth are growing day by day. However, they should be more focused on their youth academy; they need to grow more young talents, and currently, they are focused on developing their young talents. And they are currently competing in the major International tournament, so if they start focusing on their youth academy, the youth prodigies will help them more to win the titles with the marquee players.