SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today announced that due to increased demand, the club is expanding its available seating at CenturyLink Field ahead of the club’s MLS home-opener on Sunday, March 19. The match provides an exciting finish to a slate of events designated as Seattle’s Championship Celebration, presented by Western Washington Toyota. The Championship Celebration provides fans a selection of fun activities leading-up to March 19, connected by the theme of celebrating the team’s historic 2016 MLS Cup victory and gearing-up to help the Rave Green defend their title in 2017.
The match itself features an unveiling of the team’s championship banner and limited-edition Championship-themed matchday giveaways generously presented by the region’s local Toyota dealerships. Tickets from the newly-released inventory are currently available through SoundersFC.com, the CenturyLink Field box office or by calling 1-877-MLS-GOAL.
“We’re thrilled at the excitement surrounding our upcoming home-opener and, indeed, the entire 2017 season,” said Sounders FC Chief Operating Officer Bart Wiley. “We have the best fans in MLS and the demand for additional seating shows just how dedicated this region is to supporting its Sounders. The club is looking forward to providing a special Championship experience at the opener, in conjunction with the rest of the Championship Celebration events.”
Ahead of the home-opener, Sounders FC, in partnership with Western Washington Toyota, presents its Championship Celebration – a selection of events designed to celebrate the club’s 2016 MLS Cup Championship, while gearing fans up to help support the team to victory as the 2017 home slate begins.
Festivities start on Wednesday, March 1 with the Zach Scott Testimonial Match at Memorial Stadium, hosted by the Emerald City Supporters and Sounders FC. The testimonial – a long-standing tradition in soccer culture in which a club holds a special match to honor the service of a particular player – pays homage to the 15-year career of Seattle defender Zach Scott, who retired from professional play at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. PT, with pre-match events starting at 7:00 p.m. PT and kickoff shortly thereafter. Tickets are available for purchase via the following link: http://sndrs.com/k2am, with all proceeds benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Fund, RAVE Foundation and a college fund for Scott's three children. The match will feature teams coached by fellow Sounders FC originals Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans, and is set to feature teammates and friends across all 15 years of Scott's career in Seattle, including Kasey Keller, Roger Levesque and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, among others.
On Thursday, March 2, Sounders FC joins in the monthly Pioneer Square Artwalk. The NINETY – the club’s event space on Occidental Avenue – is set to highlight the team’s participation in the art community. The team’s Posters by the People, presented by Museum Quality Framing, will be on exhibit and offered for sale, with proceeds to benefit RAVE Foundation. Fans visiting can also take photos with the MLS Cup and enjoy live art.
As the team opens its 2017 campaign at the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, March 4, fans are invited to an official viewing party at the Atlantic Crossing (6508 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115) at 5:30 p.m. PT. The MLS Cup is scheduled to be on-site, and KIRO Radio 97.3 is set to broadcast live.
An official viewing party at The Westy (7908 35th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98126) is set to take place at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11 as Sounders FC travels to face the Montreal Impact. Once again, the MLS Cup and KIRO Radio 97.3 are scheduled to join fans.
Thursday, March 16 brings Men in Blazers, the wildly popular soccer podcast hosted by Roger Bennett and Michael Davies, to Seattle for a live show taped at The Showbox (1426 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. PT and the event begins at 7:30 p.m. PT. A number of special guests, including Sounders FC players, are scheduled to appear to chat with Bennett and Davies. Event attendees must be 21 or older.
Finally, the Championship Celebration comes to a head on Sunday, March 19, with the Rave Green hosting the New York Red Bulls. The match marks the first time that Seattle fans can see the defending MLS Cup champions back on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field since the close of the 2016 season. The match features an official pre-match unveiling of the team’s championship banner and a set of three collectible and commemorative championship postcards distributed to fans.
For fans interested in attending the home-opener or any additional Sounders FC matches this season, single-match tickets are available for all 17 MLS home matches and the club’s recently announced friendlies against both Mexican side Club Necaxa and Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. Seating for all games is subject to availability at time of purchase. Single-match tickets can be purchased via the following link: SoundersFC.com/Tickets/Single-Match-Tickets.
To save even more on single games, fans can pick a minimum of nine matches of their choice to receive further discounts over box office prices with a new Sounders FC Flex Plan. Fans can visit Soundersfc.com/Tickets/Partial-Plans for more information.
2017 Season Ticket Memberships, including new seat options in the upper bowl, are still available by calling 877-MLS-GOAL or emailing Sales@SoundersFC.com. Complete information on all Sounders FC ticket packages can be found at SoundersFC.com/Tickets.
2017 marks the ninth season in Sounders FC history and the club looks to defend its status as the reigning MLS Cup champion following its first MLS title in December, adding the Cup to a trophy case that already contains four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles and the 2014 Supporters’ Shield. For the ninth-consecutive season, Sounders FC is set to play all regular season home matches on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, a venue that has led the league in average attendance since the club’s inception and currently has Sounders FC positioned with the second-highest attendance mark in the Americas.
