Remarking that the announcement of the new ownership structure of the organization was bittersweet, Hanauer recalled his first meeting with now-departed investor/operator Joe Roth at the MLS All-Star game in Colorado, where Roth said he wanted to bring a MLS franchise to Seattle. The club signed a new Designated Player, Peruvian forward Ral Ruidaz, that month and began a long unbeaten streak that resulted in a playoff position in late August. In 2004, the fan-based Cascadia Cup was created to formalize the competition between the Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver USL teams. But with new teams coming in almost every year and existing teams building newer facilities, the Sounders are probably no better than the top of the bottom third in that regard. The club's majority owner is Adrian Hanauer, and its minority owners are the estate of Paul Allen, Drew Carey, and 14 families from the Seattle area. Someone really good at math must be able to figure out what the Sounders are worth, right? [35], Before the first match of the Sounders' second season, the club increased the number of season ticket holders to 32,000. A twice weekly roundup of Seattle Sounders and OL Reign news from Sounder at Heart, By submitting your email, you agree to our, A Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign Blog, Everything you needed to know about changes to Sounders ownership. But the working plan, he said, is for the Sounders to continue to field a team in Seattle in 2008. Beyond specifically talking about that possibility during the press conference, the Sounders have also been promising an announcement along those lines sometime in the relatively near future. However you get there, a source indicated that valuation is at least in the ballpark.. Nov. 17 (UPI) --Seattle Mariners legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has joined the Seattle Sounders' ownership group, the Major League Soccer club announced Tuesday. Hanauer has made it known that to the degree all teams would ideally have their own stadium, he would love to have the Sounders playing in a soccer palace on par with the great teams of the world. [286] The academy fields teams in four age levels in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy system,[287] and is affiliated with youth clubs in Washington, North Carolina, and Central California. [162] Seattle then faced Club Len in a rematch of the Leagues Cup Final, winning 30 at home in the first leg and drawing 11 in the second leg to advance to the semifinals. [174] Fans chose a name for the team in an online poll held between March 27 and 31, 2008. [134][135], The 2019 season began with the loss of team captain and inaugural season player Osvaldo Alonso, who was released into free agency and signed with Minnesota United FC before the season began. [147] The team then resumed hosting matches with no spectators at CenturyLink Field (renamed Lumen Field near the end of the season) and primarily played against West Coast teams due to limited travel. Seattle has longstanding rivalries with fellow Pacific Northwest clubs Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with whom it competes for the Cascadia Cup. A source said that an estimated team valuation of about $350 million was in the ballpark. Its unclear if Hanauer is the outright majority owner (i.e., 50%+1) at this point, and given these changes, he indicated there will be some organizational initiatives to provide for input from the new ownership group. Vulcan Sports Group, operated by Jody Allen, the sister of the late Paul Allen, will continue to control a 25% share. [255] Roth departed the club's ownership group in 2019. By 2000, MLS was moving away from league-operated teams to investor-operated teams, so wealthy individuals would need to step forward for Seattle to obtain an MLS expansion team. [136] Defender Chad Marshall, who had joined in 2014, announced his retirement from professional soccer on May 22, leaving unexpectedly mid-way through the season. Procurement & Supply Chain Manager at Lumen Field. It was a pretty clever way to market this, I must admit. [102] The club set a new attendance record during the 2015 season, with an average attendance of 44,247. The Seattle Sounders made plenty of headlines Tuesday morning, with the announcement that 11 new families have joined the club's ownership group. I suspect that this figure came from Googling (person x)s net worth and adding it all together. All right, level with me Is this change good? [66], During the 2013 preseason, the Sounders signed their first homegrown player, right back DeAndre Yedlin,[67] veteran defender Djimi Traor,[68] and forward Obafemi Martins, who paid his release clause to his Spanish club. The biggest share is still owned by Hanauer, who actually increased his holdings by buying some of Roths portion. Griffey's 22-year Major League Baseball career included 13 seasons in Seattle. [208] The field was renamed in 2022 to the "Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field". [298], From 2014 to 2022, television rights in English for regionally-broadcast matches were held by Fox owned-and-operated station KCPQ and sister station KZJO within the Seattle market. [53] In 2011, Seattle again broke its own league record for average attendance at 38,496. For the league, the Kings/Seattle news is _____. [243][244], The fan-created Heritage Cup competition with the San Jose Earthquakes began in the 2009 MLS season. To some degree, we simply have to take Hanauer at his word. [170], On November 22, 2022, Lagerwey departed the club after a seven-year tenure to assume the role of President and CEO at Atlanta United FC. We are confident that any scheduling issues can be mitigated over the course of time.. [8] In the end, Seattle was not among the cities chosen to establish a team during the first season of MLS. [113], At the end of the regular season, Jordan Morris was named the MLS Rookie of the Year after scoring the most goals of any American rookie in MLS (12),[114] and Nicols Lodeiro was named MLS Newcomer of the Year for his 4 goals and 8 assists in 13 appearances. If Hanauer really increased his holdings by 16 percent which would give him a true majority this offering would have placed the Sounders value at about $360 million. In fact, Hanauer said that while there were other groups of non-locals interested in buying Roths stake and possibly even more than that he felt they all shared his vision of what has made the club great. Griffey, in his first year on the ballot, was elected to the. [129][130], On September 1, the club broke the MLS record for most consecutive wins in the post-shootout era, having won eight consecutive matches. [152] In the playoffs, the Sounders defeated Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas to host Minnesota United FC in the Western Conference Final. Yeah, quality sleuthing by GeekWire on that one. Try A Little Soccer", "Seattle at 'top of list' for MLS team in 2006", "Seattle's chances for MLS team take a hit", "Several groups contending for MLS expansion in Seattle", "It's official: Seattle to get MLS team in 2009", "New Soccer Team Stokes Seattle's Passion", "Sigi Schmid becomes Sounders FC's first coach", "Sounders FC fans' passion bowls over commissioner", "Keller ejected as Sounders FC lose for first time", "Messi Leads FC Barcelona to Friendly Win over Sounders FC", "Manchester United schools Sounders FC 70 before record crowd", "Seattle Sounders FC Become Second MLS Expansion Team to Claim U.S. Open Cup Crown", "Sounders Clinch Playoff Berth With 32 Win", "Sounders explain why season tickets capped at 32,000", "Dynamo advance to Western final vs. Galaxy", "Sounders clinch a playoff berth with second-half surge", "Fans motivate Seattle to 21 win over Chivas", "Sounders FC release Chivas USA preview & broadcast info", "Fucito's 2 goals boost Sounders past Marathon, 20", "Nyassi is nice: Seattle Sounders defeat Columbus Crew, 21, to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions", "Nyassi scores twice, Seattle beats Columbus 21", "Seattle claims first berth in 20112012 CCL", "For the third-straight year, Sounders FC to host stand-alone opener to kick off MLS season", "Juninho scores as L.A. beats Seattle 10", "Passionate fans keep Cascadia Cup alive and well", "Fredy Montero scores twice as Seattle claims Cascadia Cup", "Sounders' Zakuani has fractured tibia, fibula", "Give Sounders FC advantage entering Game 1", "Seattle Sounders Win Third Consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in Front of Record Crowd", "Sounders win, come close, but won't move on in playoffs", "Mauro Rosales named MLS Newcomer of the Year", "Sounders on pace for eighth-largest MLS playoff crowd? [256] He was replaced by Seattle Futbol Club LLC, formed by 11 families with ties to the Seattle area including former Microsoft executive Terry Myerson and his wife Katie Myerson, Russell Wilson, Ciara, Macklemore and Tricia Davis, Satya Nadella and Anu Nadella, Amy Hood and Max Kleinman, Joe Belfiore and Kristina Belfiore, S. Somasegar and Akila Somasegar, Chee Chew and Christine Chew, David Nathanson and Sabina Nathanson, Brian McAndrews and Elise Holschuh, and Mark Agne and Tomoko Agne. Well, kinda. [196][197] The club's first sleeve patch sponsor, WaFd Bank, was announced in July 2020 ahead of the MLS is Back Tournament. In 2015, Hanauer and Roth essentially swapped their stakes, making Hanauer the new majority owner among the group. But how exactly did so many people come. [31], On October 17, 2009, the Sounders became the third MLS expansion team in league history to qualify for the playoffs in its first season. After an up-and-down 2022, Morriss opened the 2023 campaign with one of his best-ever performances. [281] The team, initially named Seattle Sounders FC 2 (S2), began play at the Starfire Sports Complex in 2015, under the management of former assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson. Despite the names having been selected through fan research and internal committees, the omission of the traditional Sounders name embittered many in the Seattle community. [257] Peter Tomozawa and Donna LeDuc joined the new minority ownership group shortly afterwards, with Tomozawa taking over as president of business operations. The team won 10 of its last 15 matches, and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive year with a 21 win on October 10, 2010, at Kansas City. [105] Lagerwey also traded Marco Pappa and Lamar Neagle to other clubs in the offseason. Gambling problem? The deal put the team's value at $700 million, by far the most for a franchise. [48] On April 22, 2011, in a match against the Colorado Rapids, Seattle's star midfielder Steve Zakuani suffered a broken leg in a challenge by the Rapids' Brian Mullan, which ended his season. SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle Sounders are adding Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and wife Ciara, hip-hop artist Macklemore and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to the MLS club's ownership group. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Is it perfect? The following season saw capacity gradually increase from 7,000 in March to normal capacity in June, along with required proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to comply with state guidelines. But nothing heard during the press conference or in off-the-record conversations afterward gave me much cause for concern. The team will hold an introductory event next week showcasing the new ownership group. It was fitting, then, that Hanauer had the stage to himself. If those numbers haven't changed, Carey owns AT LEAST 7.5% of the Sounders, though it's probably more in the neighborhood of a 10% stake (or even higher). By late August, Martins had recovered and led the team to an eight-match unbeaten streak to secure a playoff spot, finishing fourth in the Western Conference. [273], SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily recognized Seattle Sounders FC as the Professional Sports Team of the Year in 2009 because of the team's record-setting success in attendance, as well as making the playoffs in its inaugural season. Following a 30 loss on July 24 to Sporting Kansas City, in which the Sounders had only one shot,[107] Schmid left the club on mutual terms and was replaced by long-time assistant coach Brian Schmetzer. [64] The 2012 season ended without a major trophy for the Sounders, for the first time in their MLS history, and the team failed to qualify for the 201314 CONCACAF Champions League. [193][194], The Sounders contracted talent firm WME-IMG to explore new jersey sponsorship and other advertising opportunities in 2017, shortly before the expiration of the Microsoft contract. Are Macklemore and Russell Wilson the new Sounders owners? This marked the first time the club had failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs and ended a 13-year streakthe longest active streak in MLS and second-longest in major North American sports. What does this news mean to the league, its fans and the Kings' franchise? [10] Many of the state's voters supported the referendum to construct Seahawks Stadium because it was also expected to be a professional soccer venue. Gorilla FC is a Sounders supporters group that sits in the south end of Lumen Field in Sections 119 and 120. [36] The first match of the season was played at Qwest Field, with Seattle hosting a new MLS expansion team, the Philadelphia Union. Manager Brian Schmetzer switched to a 352 formation that led to only eight conceded goals during the streak. #16 Seattle Mariners Team Value 1 $1.7B Calculated March 2022 Owner (s) John Stanton, Chris Larson Championships 0 Year Purchased 2016, 1992 Price Paid $1.2B, $100M Revenue 2 $313M Operating. Alejandro Bedoya. [128] Without Morris and several injured starting players, the Sounders lost nine of their first 15 matches and were placed bottom of the Western Conference by June. Seattle's 0.833 win percentage at home against Colorado is the highest in MLS history among fixtures played at least 10 times. The official team colors are Sounder Blue, signifying the waters of the Puget Sound; Rave Green, representing the forests of the Pacific Northwest; and Cascade Shale, representing the Cascade Range to the east of Seattle. [212] Based on high initial demand, capacity for the stadium was limited to 24,500 for the beginning of the inaugural 2009 season. 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