SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC is encouraging fans to arrive early ahead of Sunday’s 2015 MLS regular season-opening clash against the New England Revolution. Sunday’s match kicks-off the club’s seventh MLS campaign after a historic 2014 in which the Rave Green captured both the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield. Ahead of the 6:30 p.m. PT kickoff, Sounders FC is putting on a number of fan-centric events to welcome the most dedicated supporters in MLS back CenturyLink Field.
The NINETY is Sounders FC’s new gathering space, and will be open to the public for the first time on Sunday beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT. Fans are invited to swing by The NINETY to experience the atmosphere, mingle with other supporters and hear from new General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey, who is making an appearance. The NINETY is located at 406 Occidental Ave S. Seattle, WA 98104 directly along the March to the Match route.
WATCH – Sounders FC introduces The NINETY
Also being unveiled at The NINETY is the first edition of Posters by the People, a series of commemorative matchday posters representing each Sounders FC home contest throughout the 2015 regular season. Sunday’s poster was designed by local artist Mary Iverson, whose paintings focus on the maritime shipping industry and its influence on culture and the environment.
POSTERS BY THE PEOPLE – Mary Iverson’s matchday design
Sunday’s March to the Match festivities begin at 4:45 p.m. PT in Occidental Park and include a performance by Seattle-based band Smokey Brights, as well as an appearance by recent S2 signing and Sounders FC Academy product Duncan McCormick. The march to CenturyLink Field commences at 5:30 p.m. PT ahead of a 6:30 p.m. PT kickoff.
Fans are also encouraged to support Roger Levesque as he represents Sounders FC in the 24th annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb at Columbia Center in downtown Seattle. Levesque, who spent nearly 10 seasons with the club as a player and now serves as Director of Community Outreach, will climb 69 flights of stairs in full firefighter gear to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To learn more and donate, please click here.
For the fifth time in Seattle's seven-year MLS history, the club begins its season in front of a nationally televised audience, this time on FOX Sports 1. A sold-out crowd is expected at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, marking Seattle's 108th consecutive MLS sellout.