Neha Patil (Editor)

Seattle Sounders (1994–2008)

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Full name
  
Seattle Sounders

Dissolved
  
2008 (MLS 2009)

Chairman
  
Adrian Hanauer

Ground
  
Starfire Sports

Nickname(s)
  
Sounders

Ground Capacity
  
4,500

Manager
  
Brian Schmetzer

Founded
  
1994

Seattle Sounders (1994–2008)

Stadium
  
Starfire Sports Complex

Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's staff and resources were directed to the new Major League Soccer franchise, Seattle Sounders FC.

Contents

They played their last season at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington, having previously played for many years at Qwest Field (now CenturyLink Field). The team was last coached by Brian Schmetzer. The team's colors were blue and white. The team had a sister organization, the Seattle Sounders Women, who play in the women's USL W-League.

History

The club was founded in 1994 and named after the original Seattle Sounders soccer team, which played from 1974 to 1983 in the North American Soccer League.

The A-League/USL-1 Sounders have four championships to their credit, winning the league cup in 1995, 1996, 2005, and 2007. Seattle finished with the best regular season record in the league in 1994, 2002, and 2007. The Sounders have numerous division titles and advanced to the league finals in both 2004 and 2005. In 2004 the Sounders lost the championship 2–0 at Montreal. In 2005 Seattle drew the Richmond Kickers 1–1 at Qwest Field before claiming the championship 4–3 in penalty kicks. In 2007, the Sounders defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks 4–0 to claim their fourth championship title.

The Sounders formed a partnership with English side Cambridge United in 2006 due to Adrian Hanauer's involvement with both clubs.

In 2006, the Sounders considered a move to the Kitsap County Faigrounds in Bremerton, one of Seattle's western suburbs in Kitsap County, at a new, soccer-specific stadium that would be smaller than Qwest Field. A 6,500-seat stadium was proposed again in 2007 as the home of a possible Major League Soccer franchise.

MLS expansion

On November 13, 2007, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced that it had selected Seattle as the recipient of an expansion team that would begin play at Qwest Field in 2009. USL Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer would become one of the team's owners, along with Drew Carey, Paul Allen and majority owner Joe Roth.

The team's name, Seattle Sounders FC, was unveiled on April 7, 2008, continuing the Sounders name into MLS. The USL team would play their last season in 2008.

Team honors

League Championship

  • Winner (4): 1995, 1996, 2005, 2007
  • Runner-up (1): 2004

    • Commissioner's Cup (Top of the Regular Season Table)

  • Winner (3): 1994, 2002, 2007

    • Pacific Division Champion

  • Winner (3): 2000, 2002, 2003
  • Runner-up (2): 1997, 1998

    • Western Conference Champion

  • Winner (1): 2004

    • Cascadia Cup

  • Winner (2): 2006, 2007

    • Individual Player honors

    MVP

  • 1995 Peter Hattrup
  • 1998 Mark Baena
  • 2002 Leighton O'Brien

    • Leading scorer

  • 1995 Peter Hattrup
  • 1998 Mark Baena
  • 1999 Niall Thompson
  • 2006 Cam Weaver

    • Goalkeeper of the Year

  • 1994 Marcus Hahnemann
  • 1995 Marcus Hahnemann
  • 1997 Dusty Hudock

    • Defender of the Year

  • 2005 Taylor Graham

    • Coach of the Year

  • 1994 Alan Hinton
  • 2000 Neil Megson
  • 2002 Brian Schmetzer

    • Rookie of the Year

  • 1994 Jason Dunn
  • 2000 Greg Howes
  • 2006 Cam Weaver

    • First team All Star

  • 1994 Marcus Hahnemann, Neil Megson, Shawn Medved, Chance Fry
  • 1995 Marcus Hahnemann, Peter Hattrup
  • 1996 Wade Webber
  • 1997 Dusty Hudock, Mark Watson
  • 1998 Mark Baena
  • 1999 Mark Baena
  • 2000 Darren Sawatzky
  • 2001 Leighton O'Brien
  • 2002 Andrew Gregor, Leighton O'Brien, Brian Ching
  • 2003 Danny Jackson, Andrew Gregor
  • 2005 Taylor Graham
  • 2008 Taylor Graham

    • Head coaches

  • Alan Hinton (1994–1995)
  • Neil Megson (1996–2000)
  • Bernie James (2001)
  • Brian Schmetzer (2002–2008)

    • Stadiums

  • Qwest Field (formerly Seahawks Stadium and now CenturyLink Field); Seattle, Washington (2003–2007)
  • Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Washington (2005–2006 occasional games, 2008 entire season)

    • The Sounders had played at Qwest Field full-time since 2003. The Sounders played the first-ever sporting event at the stadium on July 28, 2002 before 25,515 fans. Before this facility was built, the team played at Memorial Stadium. When the second generation Sounders first formed in 1994, they also played a few home matches at the Tacoma Dome. After opening the 2008 season May 10 at Qwest Field, the Sounders played their remaining 14 league home contests at Starfire Sports Complex.

    Rival clubs

    The Seattle Sounders had two bitter rivals – the Portland Timbers to the south and the Vancouver Whitecaps to the north. These three teams competed in the yearly Cascadia Cup, which is now contested by the teams' MLS successors. The Sounders won the trophy in 2006 and 2007.

    Supporters

    The original Seattle Sounders were supported by the Seattle Sounders Booster Club in the 1970s and early 1980s. When the second club was formed in 1994, another supporters group started called "The Pod", honoring the club's Orca whale mascot. In 2005, after the earlier group went moribund, the Emerald City Supporters were born. They drafted the motto No Equal that same season as the club won the USL-1 title. In 2007, a social group called the Sounders Legion was started.

    References

    Seattle Sounders (1994–2008) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA