When people think Seattle, instantly the Seahawks and Sonics spring to mind. But increasingly, they’re hearing the Sounders, too.
Although the FIFA World Cup in the United States might have been invisible in some parts of the country three decades ago, that’s certainly no longer the case.
And over the next two years, football in the USA is about to explode across the country like never before.
“I think everyone knows the World Cup in ‘26 is going to be transformational,” former Sounders star turned head of commercial Taylor Graham tells The Roar.
Speaking high up in the stands in the media box of Lumen Field in Seattle, Graham, who once donned the shirt and was part of the rise of football in America, beams with excitement about the transformation and growth of the game.
Fireworks erupt during the national anthem before Seattle Sounders’ game at Lumen Field. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
At that point 30 minutes out from kick-off, the best part of 35,000 people have already rolled through the gates at one the finest fields in the USA to watch the Sounders battle archrivals Portland Timbers for the Cascadia Cup.
Already 500 travelling fans have been ushered high up into the stands hours before kick-off to ensure there’s no unruly tension between the two rivals.
For good reason, too.
In the hour before kick-off, thousands of Sounders fans marched down the streets through Occidental Square and Occidental Avenue chanting songs and expletives about their hatred towards Portland.
This is no place for a Timbers fan.
Seattle sports atmospheres are like nothing else. Check out more at VisitSeattle.org
It’s all civil enough but these are scenes you thought would be on the streets across England, not the US.
“I think there’s a lot of factors for today’s rivalry,” Graham says.
“I think from Seattle, there was a void in the sports market. The Sonics had just left. The Seahawks and the Mariners and UW weren’t very good and there was a hunger for something new.
“Cascadia in the Pacific Northwest is a little bit counterculture. And soccer’s a little bit counterculture. At least, it was at the time. It was novel, it was new, it was different, and there was a perfect storm.
“These markets have an authentic global football connection because the Sounders started in 1974 in the NESL, Vancouver was in ‘74 and Portland was in ‘75. So, this is our 50th anniversary. Next year’s the 50th anniversary of Portland. So while they joined Major League Soccer in 2009, 2010, 2011, it wasn’t the start of something new. They had a history and a legacy to fall back on. The Sounders have been here for 50 years.”
It shows too, with the Sounders’ fanbase stacking up against the richest and most prestigious clubs on the world stage.
Seattle is ready.
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 4, 2024@LumenField will play host to 6 matches, including a @USMNT group stage match, during the 2026 @FIFAWorldCup! pic.twitter.com/Z0EdOGz8FW
Indeed, all 22,000 season tickets were snapped up in the club’s inaugural season. They then held the highest average in the MLC every year from 2009-2016 and averaged more than 44,000 in 2015 – a figure that ranks them third in Italy’s Serie A, fourth in Spain’s La Lia, and fifth in the English Premier League.
On the field, the rivalry is already being played out.
The Sounders dominated the first half but only had one goal to show for it, with Yeimar Gomez Andrade’s goal in the 37th minute putting them ahead.
But then the frustration kicked in, with the referee, in particular, copping the brunt for coming down hard on the home side while seemingly turning a blind eye to others.
In the first half, it didn’t matter. But that changed in the second half when Antony scored against the run of play and Obed Vargas received a second yellow card in quick succession to be sent off.
In the end the Sounders settled for a 1-1 draw, much to the disappointment of the home fans who relentlessly bellowed out “Hey ref, you suck! You suck ref!”
Ultimately, it was their wastefulness in front of goal that cost them as they managed just one goal from their 17 shots, including seven on target, to the Timbers’ seven shots in total.
Rubbing salt into an already wounded crowd was that the draw was enough for the Timbers to lift the Cascadia Cup to make the two-hour drive or three-hour train trip worth it.
Sounders forward Jordan Morris at Lumen Field in Seattle. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What the spectacle revealed though was the growing love of football in Seattle, as the sports-mad city’s reputation grows even further ahead of next year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
By hosting the tournament next July and August, where the city will host six games, the United States will get an early taste of what’s in store 12 months later with the FIFA World Cup to return.
Seattle, having qualified for the tournament after winning the Champions League in 2022, is set to be one of the host cities and will have a spotlight shined on its pristine lakes, wondrous woods and its jewel in the crown – Lumen Field, the home ground for the Sounders, Reign and Seahawks that attracts thousands for its tour.
“We now get to participate in this groundbreaking tournament, and we get to host it and we get to compete in it,” Graham said.
“So you think about these waves of throwing gasoline on the fire.
“If you throw in the FIFA Club World Cup and the World Cup in the next two years, the growth of the sport is always on the rise, especially with younger audiences.
“I’ve played in Kansas City, I’ve played in New York, I’ve played in Seattle, I grew up in California. There’s honestly no better place than the Pacific Northwest during the summer. It’s beautiful, it’s light, it’s not humid, the weather’s awesome, there’s water everywhere. You can have one of the best meals, or you can go get lost in the woods in 30 minutes, right? And so it’s got the best balance of everything.”
For a congested sports market where everyone is fighting for attention, the Sounders, as well as their female colleagues the Reign, are making a dent at a venue they share with the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s set for an explosion over the next two years.
This writer was a guest of Visit Seattle, where he dived into the city’s electric sports vibe, outdoor wonders, and renowned food scene. Christy checked out the city’s packed sports calendar, played pickleball where it originated on Bainbridge Island, enjoyed the vibrant lights of the city on water and stayed at The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Seattle’s mix of nature and urban edge makes it a magnet for pro athletes and fans alike. This visit was all about checking out the sporting pulse ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the city gearing up to host six games on home turf.”
Christy Doranhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2024/12/10/gasoline-on-the-fire-the-transformational-events-in-seattle-that-will-change-football-in-the-usa-forever/‘Gasoline on the fire’: The ‘transformational’ events in Seattle that will change football in the USA forever
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