Seattle Sounders (1994–2008)
Starfire Sports Complex | |||
Capacity | 4,500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Chairman | Adrian Hanauer | ||
Manager | Brian Schmetzer | ||
League | USL First Division | ||
|
The Seattle Sounders were an American professional
The team generally used blue and white jerseys. They played at
History
The club was founded in 1994 and named after the original Seattle Sounders team, which played from 1974 to 1983 in the North American Soccer League.[1][2] Former coach Alan Hinton had acquired rights to the Sounders name after the club folded and began a campaign to bring an American Professional Soccer League (APSL; later the A-League) team to the city in 1992.[3][4] The league previously had another Seattle team, the Seattle Storm, that had joined from the Western Soccer Alliance and played for one APSL season in 1990 before they folded.[5]
A bid for a new APSL team, to be named the Sounders and owned by former
The Sounders played their inaugural season at the Tacoma Dome and Memorial Stadium.[7] The Sounders finished the 1994 season with a 14–6 record, the best in the A-League, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Colorado Foxes.[9] Hinton resigned as head coach and club president in 1996 and transferred the rights to the Sounders name to Oki.[7] The Sounders played in the 1996 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and advanced to the final round in Guatemala City, where they finished at the bottom of a four-team group. They were the second Seattle-based team to play in the continental championship, after the Seattle Mitre Eagles in the 1988 edition, who also lost to Cruz Azul.[10]
For the 1999 season, the team played at
The Sounders formed a partnership with the German side
The Sounders earned four A-League championships, 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. In addition to their titles, the Sounders finished as runners-up in the league cup to Montreal in 2004. In 2005, Seattle drew the
The team primarily played at Memorial Stadium, which was aging and in need of repairs,[14] and later Seahawks Stadium (Qwest Field) beginning in 2003 despite their low average attendance.[15] Seahawks Stadium had been designed to be used by a future MLS team, but an expansion team had not been granted after it opened.[16] In the early 2000s, the team considered plans to build a soccer-specific stadium with approximately 15,000 to 20,000 seats and a complex of fields in various suburbs, including Fife and Kent.[17][18] In 2006, the Sounders proposed a stadium at the Kitsap County Faigrounds in Bremerton, one of Seattle's western suburbs in Kitsap County.[19] A 6,500-seat stadium was proposed again in 2007 as the home of a possible Major League Soccer franchise.[20] A move to Tacoma or folding the club were also considered in the event that a rival MLS bid won rights to an expansion team in Seattle, according to Hanauer.[21]
MLS expansion and final season
The Sounders looked to earn an MLS
The team's name,
Year-by-year
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2022) |
This is a complete list of seasons for the A-League/USL club. For a season-by-season history including the current Seattle Sounders FC MLS franchise, see History of professional soccer in Seattle#Sounders season results.
Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name | Goals | ||||||
1994 | 2 | APSL | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 16 | +22 | 42 | 2.10 | N/A | 1st | SF | DNE | Ineligible | 6,347 | Jason Dunn | 12 | |
1995
|
A-League | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 40 | 24 | +16 | 54 | 2.25 | 2nd | W | SF | DNQ | 4,571 | Peter Hattrup Chance Fry |
11 | |||
1996 | A-League | 27 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 35 | 25 | +10 | 48 | 1.78 | 3rd | W | QF | CONCACAF Champions' Cup
|
4th | 3,750 | Jason Farrell | 7 | ||
1997 | A-League | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 42 | 19 | +23 | 54 | 1.93 | 2nd | 5th | QF | R2 | DNQ | 2,873 | Mike Gailey | 11 | ||
1998 | A-League | 28 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 63 | 28 | +35 | 54 | 1.93 | 2nd | 6th | QF | DNQ | 2,902 | Mark Baena | 24 | |||
1999 | A-League | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 56 | 36 | +20 | 57 | 2.04 | 4th | 6th | QF | R3 | 2,243 | Mark Baena | 21 | |||
2000 | A-League | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 56 | 38 | +18 | 57 | 2.04 | 3rd | 4th | QF | R2 | 2,143 | Greg Howes | 18 | |||
2001 | A-League | 26 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 40 | 1.54 | 5th | 11th | DNQ | R2 | 1,885 | Leighton O'Brien | 11 | |||
2002 | A-League | 28 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 71 | 27 | +44 | 70 | 2.50 | 1st | 1st | QF | R3 | 4,087 | Brian Ching | 17 | |||
2003 | A-League | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 45 | 24 | +21 | 53 | 1.89 | 2nd | 3rd | SF | QF | 3,357 | Kyle Smith | 8 | |||
2004 | A-League | 28 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 43 | 1.54 | 4th | 9th | RU | DNQ | 2,874 | Welton Melo
|
7 | |||
2005 | USL-1 | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 44 | 1.57 | N/A | 4th | W | R3 | 2,885 | Welton Melo
|
5 | |||
2006 | USL-1 | 28 | 11 | 13 | 4 | 42 | 48 | –6 | 37 | 1.32 | 7th | DNQ | R3 | 3,693 | Cam Weaver | 19 | ||||
2007 | USL-1 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 23 | +14 | 54 | 1.93 | 1st | W | SF | 3,396 | Sébastien Le Toux | 15 | ||||
2008
|
USL-1 | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 40 | 1.33 | 6th | QF | SF | 3,386 | Sébastien Le Toux | 19 | ||||
Total | – | – | 407 | 234 | 128 | 45 | 675 | 442 | +233 | 747 | 1.84 | – | – | – | – | – | – | Mark Baena | 41 |
^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 3. Points and PPG have been adjusted from non-traditional to traditional scoring systems for seasons prior to 2003 to more effectively compare historical team performance across seasons.
Honors
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2022) |
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
- Winner (2): 2006, 2007
Individual player honors
MVP
- 1995 – Peter Hattrup
- 1998 – Mark Baena
- 2002 – Leighton O'Brien
- 2007 – Sebastian Le Toux
Leading scorer
- 1995 – Peter Hattrup
- 1998 – Mark Baena
- 1999 – Niall Thompson
- 2006 – Cam Weaver
- 2007 – Sebastian Le Toux(tied)
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
Stadiums
- Tacoma Dome, Tacoma (1994)
- Memorial Stadium, Seattle (1994–1998)
- Renton Memorial Stadium, Renton, Washington(1999), due to construction at Seattle Center
- Interbay Stadium, occasional matches (2002)[30]
- Memorial Stadium, Seattle, Washington (2000–2003)
- Huskies Soccer Field, U.S. Open Cup match (2003)[30]
- Qwest Field(formerly Seahawks Stadium and CenturyLink Field; now Lumen Field), Seattle, Washington (2003–2007)
- Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Washington(2005–2006 occasional games, 2008)
The Sounders originally played at
Various exhibition matches against A-League and MLS opponents were played at local high schools, including Marysville Pilchuck in 1998 and Mount Vernon in 1999.[32][33]
Ownership and management
In 2007, the team had eight owners: general manager Adrian Hanauer; former Microsoft executives Scott Oki, Neil Farnsworth, and Josef Bascovitz; tour operator Paul Barry; real estate developer Robin Waite; tech executive Rick Cantu; and investor Tor Taylor. The Sounders had been unprofitable for most of their existence in the second division of American soccer.[34]
Head coaches
- Note: A-League/USL First Division did not have draws until 2000.[35]
Name | Nation | Tenure | Record | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | D | |||
Alan Hinton | England | April 6, 1994[8] – January 22, 1996[36] | 37 | 15 | – |
Neil Megson | United States | March 1, 1996[37] – April 19, 2001[38][39] | 89 | 47 | 3 |
Bernie James | United States | April 19, 2001 – November 9, 2001 (interim)[40] | 13 | 12 | 1 |
Brian Schmetzer | United States | November 28, 2001 – 2008[41] | 122 | 69 | 46 |
Affiliated teams
During their first years in the USISL/USL, the Sounders were affiliated with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.[42]
The Sounders founded a developmental
A women's team, named
Rivalries
The Sounders had local two rivals—the
Supporters
The original Seattle Sounders were supported by the Seattle Sounders Booster Club in the 1970s and early 1980s.[
References
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- ^ Smith, Lauren (November 6, 2019). "Seattle's rich soccer history has had many defining moments, but none quite like this". The News Tribune. p. B1. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Peoples, John (September 29, 1993). "Kicking back in Seattle". The Seattle Times. p. C1.
- The Vancouver Sun. p. D10. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Smith, Craig (February 21, 1992). "Curtain closes on Seattle Storm". The Seattle Times. p. E2.
- ^ Knight, Bill (January 31, 1994). "U.S. tie with Russians brings Kingdome roar". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D2.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Smith, Craig (April 7, 1994). "Hinton answers call to coach soccer again". The Seattle Times. p. C8. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ Lawrence, John (March 2, 1995). "After successful first year, Sounders looking for more". The News Tribune. p. D2. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ MacDonald, Frank (March 14, 2018). "When the Sounders lost 11-0". Sounders At Heart. SB Nation. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ Rice, Micah (December 16, 1998). "Sounders to call Renton their new home stadium". The News Tribune. p. C2. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Saperstein, Aliya (August 31, 1999). "Money woes threaten Sounders' ambitions". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E6.
- Eastside Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via NewsBank.
- South County Journal. Archived from the originalon December 5, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ Ruiz, Don (April 19, 2003). "Sounders prepare for Earthquakes". The News Tribune. p. C3. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bruscas, Angelo (May 28, 2003). "Getting our kicks". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ Milles, Todd (August 9, 2000). "A Sounders stadium in Fife?". The News Tribune. p. A1. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ruiz, Don (August 5, 2003). "Sounders eye Kent for MLS-friendly stadium". The News Tribune. p. C2. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Massey, Matt (March 24, 2006). "Sounders consider move to Kitsap Co". The Seattle Times. p. C7.
- ^ Stark, Chuck (October 24, 2007). "The Kitsap Sounders?". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
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- ^ Bruscas, Angelo (October 30, 2000). "Soccer has a place in new stadium". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C5.
- ^ Romero, José Miguel (July 14, 2004). "Seattle group plans for MLS in 2006". The Seattle Times. p. C4. Archived from the original on March 19, 2005. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
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- ^ Massey, Matt (April 18, 2008). "Sounders open 2008 USL season, eye MLS in 2009". The Seattle Times. p. C3. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
- ^ Miller, Andrew (August 13, 2008). "Battery stuffs Sounders". The Post and Courier. p. C1.
- ^ Gaschk, Matthew (October 2, 2008). "End of the line for USL Sounders". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D4. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ Gaschk, Matthew (October 28, 2008). "Sounders set to sign super Swede". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E4. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ Falk, David (December 24, 2008). "The year in Seattle soccer: goodbye Sounders, hello Sounders FC". Seattle Examiner. Retrieved December 25, 2022 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b Crow, Robert (July 24, 2003). "Sounders make pitch, keep match in Seattle". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C10.
- ^ Nolen, John (August 7, 2002). "Soccer Notebook: Sounders a big draw at new stadium". The Oregonian. p. B2.
- ^ Sando, Mike (June 20, 1998). "Sounders face big-league test with Rapids". The News Tribune. p. C8. Retrieved December 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sounders set preseason schedule". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. March 4, 1999. p. D7.
- ^ a b Meisner, Jeff (January 21, 2007). "Profit eludes the Sounders". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Litterer, David A. (June 16, 2011). "USA – United Soccer Leagues". RSSSF. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Craig (January 23, 1996). "Hinton: I've met my goals". The Seattle Times. p. C6.
- ^ Farnsworth, Clare (March 2, 1996). "Sounders hire Megson to be new player-coach". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1.
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- ^ Liljenwall, Ari (November 8, 2019). "Nice guys can finish first: Brian Schmetzer's story a quintessential Seattle journey". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
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- ^ Robledo, Fred J. (July 12, 2001). "U.S. Open Cup: L.A. rallies for victory". Los Angeles Daily News. p. S8.
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- ^ Massey, Matt (June 9, 2000). "Sounder women debut in Spokane". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ a b Bird, Liviu (July 6, 2012). "W-League: Sounders Women Carry the Flag". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
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