MLS Preview: Seattle Sounders

Hooligan Soccer

·19 February 2025

MLS Preview: Seattle Sounders

Club History

As you can see on the club badge, the Sounders were founded back in 1974 when they competed in the NASL through the league’s 1983 folding. After a decade-plus hiatus, the club was resurrected in 1994 and they competed in the second division American Professional Soccer League and A-League/USL First Division until 2008.

In 2009, the third (and current) incarnation of the Sounders joined the MLS as the 15th franchise. Their debut season set the tone and a high bar for the club. They finished third in the Western Conference and also won the U.S. Open Cup. They are perhaps the most successful expansion franchise in terms of postseason appearances, having only missed one since their founding. In terms of trophies, they have a Supporters Shield from their 2014 campaign, won the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019, were runners-up in 2017 and 2020, and appeared in the U.S. Open finals five times between 2009 and 2014 (winning four times). In their 2022 season, when they did not make the playoffs, they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

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Clearly, this is a franchise used to being at the top.

This will be a grueling season, as the club will be participating in FIVE different competitions, including the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, potentially playing upwards of 45 games!

Ownership

There are three owners, plus an ownership group of different investors who have shares in the club. The three owners include majority shareholder Adrian Hanauer, a local businessman who also has stakes in the NHL Seattle Kraken and was an investor in the NWSL team Reign FC. The estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and comedian Drew Carey are the other two. Original majority owner Joe Roth divested all his shares in 2019 in favor of the ownership group.

Significant Players

DeAndre Yedlin (United States) – Defender A product of the Sounders academy, he went on to have a distinguished career with Sunderland, Newcastle United, Inter Miami and the USMNT.
Clint Dempsey (United States) – Forward Spent his final five years with Seattle before retiring in 2018. Scored 47 goals in 115 games.
Fredy Montero (Colombia) – Forward Former all-time goal scorer (79) and three-time season goal leader.
Raúl Ruidíaz (Peru) – Forward Known as “The Flea” (due to his small stature and speed) Current all-time goal scorer record holder (82).

Other Facts

Lumen Field (Source)

Share their home stadium, Lumen Field, with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. The stadium was built to accommodate regulation soccer pitch dimensions.
The club awards a “Golden Scarf” to honor community members involved in improving Seattle soccer.
The only MLS expansion team to have won their first three matches (all were shutouts as well).
The Sounders FC Alliance is a fan association that has voting say on team matters such as who is the general manager.
They are the only club to have an in-house marching band, the Sound Wave.
Their 2025 away kit displays weaving patterns from the local Coast Salish tribes.

2024 Season Recap

16W – 9D – 9L for 57 points. Finished 4th in the Western Conference; 7th overall.
Postseason Run Defeated the Houston Dynamo in two penalty rounds, then upset conference champs LAFC on the road with a 2-1 extra time win. Lost to eventual MLS Cup winners LA Galaxy in the conference final.

Who to Watch 2025

It was a slow offseason for the Sounders, with limited personnel shifts. They added two quality veterans in Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola, and renewed playmaker Albert Rusnák’s DP status. Their relatively old squad was boosted with a number of homegrown prospects. It will be interesting to see how the club holds up in a VERY busy and competitive season.

Jordan Morris (United States) – Forward [DP] A graduate of the Sounders academy, Morris has played his entire career for Seattle (except for a brief loan with Swansea). He has 117 contributions (84 goals; 33 assists) in 245 games.
Albert Rusnák (Slovakia) – Midfielder [DP] Transferred from Real Salt Lake in 2022. Has scored clutch goals in elimination games to keep Seattle alive.
Stefan Frei (Switzerland) – Goalkeeper Club captain who made critical PK saves to keep the Sounders alive in the postseason.