SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC is set to open CenturyLink Field to its full capacity Sunday evening for a home Cascadia Cup clash against the Portland Timbers (6:30 p.m. PT / FS1, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM), presented by Alcatel, the official smartphone partner of Sounders FC. Sunday’s pre-match ceremonies include a Golden Scarf presentation by former honorees Kasey Keller and Michelle Akers to Washington Youth Soccer in honor of its 50th anniversary, with the pair representing the first half-century of the organization, symbolically passing the torch to the next generation of athletes, including Akili Kasim and Kaylene Pang, both of whom recently represented Washington at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships. Prior to Sunday’s match, CenturyLink Field is set to play host to the second leg of the Special Olympics Unified Cascadia Challenge Series, with Special Olympics Washington taking on Special Olympics Oregon following the first leg in Portland on July 16.
Keller enjoyed a decorated 20-year professional career across the highest levels of European football, capped by three successful campaigns with Sounders FC from 2009-2011. The Olympia, Washington native played 102 games for the U.S. Men’s National Team between 1990 and 2007, participating in four FIFA World Cups and holding a USMNT all-time record with 47 shutouts. After joining his hometown club before its inaugural MLS campaign in 2009, he earned three MLS All-Star selections, as well as 2011 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award and MLS Best XI honors in his final season. Keller now serves as broadcast analyst for Sounders FC and ESPN.
“It’s just fantastic to be a part of something that was such an integral part of my development as a soccer player,” said Keller. “I have a ton of fond memories from Washington Youth Soccer and I am extremely grateful for everything they provided for me to further my career.
“The Sounders have been able to recreate professional soccer in Seattle and then push it to new levels, inspiring not only local kids, but those across the country and internationally,” Keller continued. “I am proud of being associated as a Sounder, both as a player and now as a broadcaster. It gives one more inspiration for all those young soccer players out there.”
Akers, a Shoreline, Washington native, starred for the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1985-2000, where she earned 153 caps and 105 goals and led the Stars and Stripes to the 1991 and 1999 FIFA World Cup titles, as well as a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The three-time All-American at Shorecrest High School was voted FIFA Female Player of the Century (along with China’s Sun Wen) and was elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004.
“As a soccer-crazy kid growing-up in the great Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Sounders were my heroes. I was in awe at the intensity of play and the amazing things they could do with the ball,” said Akers. “I realize now how huge the Sounders were in developing the incredible soccer culture we have here in the Seattle area. They opened the eyes of what is possible on the field and inspired generations of kids to dream and be their best, me being one of them.
“Now, years later, the Sounders are still making an impact on young players and the community,” Akers added. “I am proud to be honored by them and to be a part of the legacy they have achieved and continually strive to uphold as a team and an organization today.”
Additionally, a TOPSoccer play day is being hosted at CenturyLink Field on Sunday morning, with over 100 kids and their families expected prior to the match against Portland. TOPSoccer – a Washington Youth Soccer-driven program for children four years of age and older with developmental and/or physical disabilities – includes players, coaches and volunteers paired with each player to assist with the game.
Washington Youth Soccer and Sounders FC have also partnered to host a soccer equipment and cash donation drive, with volunteers stationed at all entrances throughout the stadium to collect new and gently used soccer gear and equipment, as well as cash donations. Fans can also drop-off donations in Occidental Park from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, with all donations benefiting another Washington Youth Soccer program, Soccer for Success. This program uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in low-income urban communities.
Prior to Sunday’s match, the second leg of the Special Olympics Unified Cascadia Challenge Series kicks-off at 1:00 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, featuring athletes from Special Olympics Washington and Oregon representing Sounders FC and the Timbers, respectively. The Special Olympics Washington Sounders edged the Special Olympics Oregon Timbers 6-4 when the teams met in the first leg in Portland on July 16.
Special Olympics Unified Sports® is an inclusive sports program that combines an approximately equal number of Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) on teams for training and competition. MLS WORKS, Special Olympics Washington and Sounders FC are working together to leverage the power of sports to promote an environment of social inclusion and acceptance, by uniting people with and without intellectual disabilities through Special Olympics Unified Sports.
Leading-up to the weekend’s Cascadia Cup fixture, Sounders FC players are set to be out in the community throughout the week. Jordan Morris is appearing at the Kirkland Wing Dome on Tuesday, August 16 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT, while Brad Evans is set to be at the QFC in Totem Lake on behalf of Columbia Crest from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT on Thursday. Also occurring on Thursday, fans in Seattle can come check out The RAVE Foundation’s Soccer Octagon – a transportable, Sounders FC / RAVE Foundation-branded enclosed field that promotes technical soccer through free play – at Westlake Park during lunchtime from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. PT.
The work-week concludes on Friday with a pair of appearances, including Cristian Roldan and Tyler Miller participating in a Fred Meyer Bag Off on Friday from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT at the Aurora Avenue location in Shoreline. Meanwhile, Stefan Frei is appearing at McDonald’s in Sammamish on Friday from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. PT, greeting customers, working the drive-through and learning how to make the official French Fries of Sounders FC.
Additional matchday elements on Sunday include a Rave Green DJ Party exclusive for Season Ticket Members at 5:00 p.m. PT on the Toyota Fan Deck, located in the 300 level in CenturyLink Field’s south end zone, as part of STM Appreciation Month. Sounders FC and The RAVE Foundation are hosting street soccer and soccer-themed shuffleboard in Occidental Park from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PT, as well as a charity beer garden in The NINETY pre-match. Fans interested in biking to the match on Sunday can utilize the club’s free bike valet, presented by CHI Franciscan Health and operated by Bike Works, located in the NW corner of CenturyLink Field. Complete information on all matchday activities can be found via the following link: http://sndrs.com/POR821.
Seattle’s own Kris Orlowski is set to perform at the March to the Match on Sunday, beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT. The band begins its west coast tour on August 24, but their current single ‘Walking in My Sleep’ is currently airing on the radio. Following the band’s performance, catch KIRO Radio 97.3 FM’s Jason Rantz live on-site with special guests for a pregame analysis. The March itself, one of the best traditions in American sports started by the Emerald City Supporters, departs from Occidental Park at 5:30 p.m. PT for CenturyLink Field.
Unbeaten over its past three MLS matches (2-0-1) under Interim Head Coach Brian Schmetzer, Sounders FC now turns its focus to archrival Portland Timbers, beginning with the club's lone home contest against Caleb Porter's side on Sunday, August 21. Kickoff for the full-stadium match is slated for 6:30 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, with FS1 televising the match nationally, and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM providing regional radio coverage.
