Photo by @PNWmf
Next: CONCACAF
With every choreo we strive to motivate our players in the last seconds before they take the field of battle. We remind them of the club’s history, ambition, and values. An occasion as important as the CCL championship called for a strong message, to remind them of the who we are, and of what comes next. And that’s what we set out to do with this display.
We have won so many Cascadia Cups, we had to have a new plaque made this past offseason to add room to list them all. Seriously. We have been so dominant since we joined MLS that we’ve filled the downtown Seattle trophy case and had to buy half of Renton to build another one. Every other club in the league measures their success by comparison to us.
But this match was about expanding to a new level, going where no MLS team had ever gone before. This display shows the Sounders as the center of the universe, with circles around the crest demonstrating the continued expansion of our dominance. We set our eyes on this next objective, and 90 minutes later our boys brought it to us.
So now that we’ve captured CONCACAF, who’s ready to take on the world?
More information on the forums about how you can be part of making these and next time you'll be able to say: "I helped make that happen!"
It’s (almost) time to play for another Cup on our home pitch.
For the seventh time in our MLS history, the boys qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. In the past two months, they defeated Motagua, avenged the 2021 Leagues Cup loss to Leon, brushed aside defending MLS Cup champs NYCFC, and earned the right to host the second leg of the finals against Pumas.
These boys know this pressure. To paraphrase Stefan Frei after advancing against NYCFC, this is why they are Sounders: to play for trophies. ALL the trophies.
But this time it isn’t just for a trophy. It’s also an opportunity to set another standard for the league. To show the other MLS teams that winning CCL isn’t just for Liga MX.
“There are very few select opportunities to make history,” Frei said. “There’s still one elusive one for the MLS. If you can be that one, it’s going to be massive. … This franchise has a high standard. Sometimes that means pressure but the players enjoy that pressure. We appreciate the fact that we have opportunities to be in pressure moments.”
Since 2016, we’ve played for a Cup of some sort every year but one. Going back even more, to our 2009 MLS debut, we have played for a Cup every year but three. Our success is our legacy. It’s also our expectation. Be there to fight for our boys on as they fight for another trophy.
4.22.22
Photo by @PNWmf
Take Your Spot Among the Stars
Throughout history humans have looked to the stars for inspiration. Humans have named these formations after legends, gods, and heroes that they aspire to be like. For the 2022 home opener we wanted to create a “constellation map” honoring a few of the club legends from our MLS history.
We honor Sigi Schmidt as the Sounders first MLS head coach and steward, who guided the club to 4 Open Cup Trophies, a Supporters Shield, and an unheard of 6 playoff appearances for any expansion club. Next to Sigi is our own Fredy Montero, the club’s first MLS goal scorer and leads the team with 68 goals across all competitions, so far. Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey represent our “Gemini” twin constellations of sorts, because as a pair they rival any forward combo to ever grace the MLS universe. To the “love of our life” we needed to include Roman Torres and him celebrating the penalty kick to win our very first MLS Cup in 2016. Above Roman, is a special star formation, that of Tom Dutra who has been the Goalkeeping Coach and mentor for the Sounders since 2006. He has shaped the careers for some of the greatest Goalkeepers in the Northwest including: Chris Eylander, Ben Dragavon, Kasey Keller, Terry Boss, Bryan Meredith, Marcus Hahnemenn, Michael Gspurning, Andrew Weber, Josh Ford, Troy Perkins, Stefan Frei, Tyler Miller, Stefan Cleveland, Spencer Richey, and Alex Roldan. On the final constellation curtain we wanted to include two of our most recent stars, Nico Lodeiro and Raul Ruidiaz celebrating goals in their most famous manners.
These constellations don’t represent EVERY Sounders legend by any measure. But for 2022 these players and coaches represent the high bar in which we desire our club to aspire. To that end, we added the overhead message of “Take your spot among the stars.” This phrase makes the display more personal to the audience on the field, because those are our future legends.
As always, thank you to our amazing tifo volunteers - this one took a lot of hands to help produce and deploy. If you are an ECS member, come out and help with the next one! More information on the forums and next time you'll be able to say: "I helped make that happen!"
Photo Credit Max Aquino
The start of CCL 2022 is here and the boys are almost back in town, ready to fight for more trophies.
If you haven’t seen it or made your purchase already, check out the 2022 ECS Membership Kit and make sure you’re ready to cheer the boys to victory as a member. While you’re signing up, don’t forget to designate your subgroup!
Feeling like you want to jump in and get ready for the season opener a little early? You know our tifo folks will be busy getting ready before the first match. After your membership is squared away, log into the forums and sign up to help out with tifo production. Check out the post about helping out on matchday tifo crew while you're there! If you can't help until the match, sign up for deployment help – we WILL need your hands!
Can’t help out in person or tifo not your thing? You can also donate to the tifo fund in the ECS store (they like to buy paint and fabric) or sign up for other volunteer opportunities like writing match previews, packing and shipping merch (already purchased memberships are on their way to you as of this week!), member engagement and partnerships, or numerous other options.
In the meantime, warm up those pogo legs and we’ll see you on the terraces soon.
2.17.22
Photo by @PNWmf
Fortune Favors the Bold
As is the case in tarot readings, the cards tell a bigger story. They show you the potential in your path, but it’s up to you to fulfill it. In this reading, there was one clear message we wanted to send to our boys before the first whistle: Seize Your Fortune.
While second in the West and extending the playoff streak is nothing to be scoffed at, these 2021 Sounders must carve their own future. As we’ve established, nothing is given; everything is earned. And when it comes to Royal Brougham Park, there’s a special kind of magic in the air when the regular season ends and the playoffs begin. The nights are darker and colder, the flags are wetter, and the boys have a penchant for the dramatic.
On the cards, we didn’t skimp on detail. The Fortress, as Stefan Frei calls it, is card XIII (13) for our 13th season in the playoffs. The Chorus is 121-122-123 for the ECS sections. And The Steward (and his coffee cup) is 74. Beyond that, the remaining six cards are numbered for the players featured on them: Cristian Roldan (The Ironman), Raúl Ruidíaz (La Pulga), Yeimar Gomez Andrade (Strength), Nicolas Benezet (Confidence), Nouhou (Chaos), and Frei (King of Gloves).
Each of the nine cards also includes a blue and green checkered pattern as a nod to our 2019 Cup Final display.
This display couldn’t have been done without our amazing tifo volunteers. From the planning and design, to sewing and painting, to deployment, we needed all 50+ folks who came out and helped. Want to be part of what’s next? Sign up for the Tifo mailing list to be looped in once the work for 2022 begins.