MLS heads north- a look inside soccer in Seattle

After a stirring 4-0 drubbing of the Atlanta Ruckus in the A-league championship finals, the Seattle Sounders added yet another title to their trophy laden history. But perhaps most exciting for soccer fans in the northwest was the recent confirmation that Seattle will play host to MLS’s 15th franchise.

With the starpower of Drew Carey, the logistical brilliance of Microsoft’s Paul Allen and the stability of Sounder’s owner Adrian Hanauer, the sky is the limit for this yet to be named team, the question with such an array of characters however is how will it be run?

For Hanauer, whose involvement with the Sounders began watching games at Seattle’s old King dome, MLS is only the latest twist in a dream which began at the tender age of seven.

“I never missed a game”, he recalls. “I also went to the after game parties, and all of the soccer camps. It was a very influential part of my childhood,”

Determined to share this experience with others, he “jumped” at the chance to make soccer a success in Seattle. After first becoming involved with the Sounders seven years ago, he says his “super competitive” fueled success on and off the pitch

“When I got involved, the club was losing 850k per year. This past year, we lost approximately 350k. This has been a steady improvement from year to year. A group of committed owners have made up these losses, because of their love of the game and the community.” he said.

Despite the difficulties of running a minor league franchise in a major league market—a task he likens to “hand to hand combat”, Hauaner is optimistic that the leverage and contacts gained with the Sounders will prove invaluable in meeting the team’s goals.

After selling over 7,000 season tickets in the first fifteen days of his new venture, one goal well underway is the selling out the lower bowl of QWest stadium for 2009. But with fan expectations riding high, will they accompany big names on the pitch?

“I'm not a believe that there are very many coaches out there who sell tickets and are hugely marketable. explained Hanauer. “As for a designated player... we will wait for the right opportunity.”

With roughly 2.1 million dollars to spend on players, the Sounders will have blend of more well known players, and young players who we attempt to develop. A big believer in culture and system, Hanauer says Sounders players will need to be part of the unique culture of soccer in Seattle.

After acquiring first refusal to draft Sounders players’ for the 2009 season, Hanauer also expects to retain the majority of the Sounders’ front office personnel.

“Players will have to WANT top play in Seattle. he said. We will play an attacking style of play. We will play with a lot of speed... offensively and defensively. We will spend a lot of time analyzing and knowing all of the college players and current MLS players. Additionally, we will spend a lot of time in other parts of the world scouting and building relationships.”

Hanauer is adamant that the right players and staff are crucial to branding soccer in Seattle. For hardcore Sounders fans, this means keeping Seattle’s rich soccer traditions alive thru the name with has become a legacy. Since the days of the NASL, this market has associated the name “Sounders” with soccer, but question marks still remain over the face of the new franchise.

Since expansion efforts began in 2004, numerous petitions have circulated by Seattle soccer supporters after a statement in the press by Hanauer:

"My feeling is that we need it (possible MLS team name) to be something huge and new, and not have it just be that the (current) Sounders are adding four players and moving up to MLS. That's not to say there won't be a way to keep some of the tradition and refer to that nostalgia. But I'm leaning toward a new brand."

When asked how MLS will impact tradition, Hanauer explained that while nostalgia and branding are reasons to keep the name, lingering perception of the team as a minor league brand for fifteen years could handicap marketing efforts. “We will never abandon the history of the Sounders in Seattle. he said. “We will deal with this in different ways with/without retaining the Sounders brand,” he said.

While firmly rooted in tradition, Hanauer also says Seattle MLS franchise will draw from successes and best practices from franchises in MLS as well as from around the world.

“As you have seen, we are already working on a fan involvement program which will allow fans to be involved in major decisions within the club.... including the ability to vote me out of my job after 4 years. he said. “This is a system used around the world, so we are not averse to going out and finding the best practices, anywhere we can find them.”