Thursday’s match against Eastern Conference leaders New York has already sold over 43,000 tickets. That would be an MLS Sounders FC record. Seattle’s front office decided to open thousands of extra seats for the game, which is part of an enjoyable 3 game ticket package that includes the June 23rd Red Bulls tilt, a friendly vs. Manchester United on July 20th, and the home regular season finale against the San Jose Earthquakes on October 15th.
Originally this game had all the makings of being big on many levels. The ESPN family decided to put it on the air. The front office finally thought opening extra seats is a good idea. (Wish they’d open the Hawks nest but its position is too good for advertising on TV though.) Both teams were expected to be at the top of their respective tables. Star power on both sides had plenty of time to round into form, etc. A lot has happened between that idea’s inception to the present.
Ninety-Nine options but Henry ain’t one! That seems to have brought down quite a bit of the excitement for Thursday’s matchup. When Thierry got a red card last weekend, there were some Sounders fans that might have been more upset than NYRB folk. Quite a few people were looking forward to seeing the star in action. Of those 99 options, here’s some others to mention: Juan Agudelo, Tim Ream, Rafa Marquez (in Gold Cup competition)and Luke Rodgers (plantar fasciitis) are all out and who would’ve thought that De Ro and Dane Richards would be the faces of the franchise on Thursday?
This should still be a great match to watch. The Red Bulls have not lost in their last six games, but only have one win to show for that run. Both sides are well coached, and play an entertaining brand of soccer. Fredy Montero has seen great success scoring goals against NYRB, netting four in the last five meetings. Both are known as deep squads, and they’ll be out to prove that in front of a national audience and a large crowd. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and you’re a soccer fan, I strongly urge you to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the game. Make it a family affair and walk up to the ticket booth. Tickets are available as low as $15 plus tax. CenturyLink Field has great sight lines throughout, so this will be a great opportunity for non season ticket holders to take in all of the fun at an un-beatable price.
There will be a team sponsored block party in the north lot for all to enjoy. The “Summer Block Party” begins at 5 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans will get a free pulled pork slider. How could you say no to that offer?
(image courtesy of soundersfc.com)
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