After getting permission from El Jefe (she had to watch the kid), I joined about 66,000 other people downtown today for the Seattle Sounders FC game against English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC. Gorgeous day, in the low 80's and sunny. Chelsea started Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Nicolas Anelka and John Terry - pretty fun to watch those stars live in action. I just bought the ticket yesterday, and was lucky to get a seat. I was in the upper deck, but still had a great view of the pitch.
Seattle ended up losing 2-0, which isn't too surprising considering we faced one of the best teams in the world (scores were Sturridge 12', Lampard 35'). Even though Chelsea was hardly in mid-season form (there were a few of their passes which weren't on the money) - they were still a great team. And fast. Chelsea closes FAST. A lot of the Sounders' passes were probably pretty good for the MLS, but against "the Blues" most of them were picked off.
It was a fun game though, and Seattle had a few good looks and a few chances to score, but just couldn't convert.
After the game I walked to Pioneer Square and took Seattle's brand-new, never-before-used Link Light Rail to the Mount Baker station fairly close to our neighborhood. Then caught a bus up to Union and the quick walk home. Today was the grand opening day of the light rail, and I'm very excited about Seattle's newest mass transit option. Having ridden the underground in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Berlin, Vienna, hell even Istanbul and Prague; I have been waiting for this to come to Seattle since I moved here. At 14 miles, it's not a terribly long line right now, but it's a start. It is underground through the length of downtown and then becomes at-grade near the stadiums. It bores through Beacon Hill underground and emerges in the Rainier Valley were it becomes at-grade again until almost Tukwila, the remaining few miles are elevated. And by the end of the year the line will go all the way to the airport. By 2016 it will stretch to the University District, and by 2021 it is supposed to go north to Northgate, south to Federal Way, and east across Lake Washington to Bellevue and Redmond (Microsoft) for a total of 55 miles. I, for one, am very pleased. I'll even be able to use it to go to work occasionally. I can ride my bike down to the Mount Baker station, take the rail to Tukwila and then bike to the office in Kent.
KJT - Seattle (2009)
18 July 2009
Chelsea FC & Link Light Rail
28 March 2009
Suite - uh, Sweet Game!
"Looking through the bent backed tulips
to see how the other half lives
looking through a glass onion"
- The Beatles, "Glass Onion" (1968)
One of our (Raleigh's) vendors scored me an extra ticket to tonight's Seattle Sounders FC game. Turns out it was in the club level. Got to see how the "other half" lives.
Seattle beat Real Salt Lake 2-0. The crowd was amazing once again. Another sell-out with almost 30,000 fans in attendance. And that was with very cold weather and constant drizzle - of course, that didn't bother me - being in the club level and all.
Nate Jaqua scored first in the 17th minute, and the wonderkid Fredy Montero scored his third goal in two games in the 77th.
Two games, two wins, two shut-outs, two sell-outs. Not a bad way to start your inaugural season.
Extra special thanks goes out to Dean and the guys at ESP - thanks so much for the ticket, the hospitality, and the great time!
KJT - Seattle (2009)
19 March 2009
Sounders FC
"The Beautiful Game" comes to Seattle.
We took Sennet to his first soccer game tonight, though I doubt he'll remember it.
The Seattle Sounders FC opened their inaugural season against the New York Red Bulls in front of a sell-out crowd of almost 34,000. Our good friends (Karen & Greg) have season tickets, but unfortunately (for them) they couldn't go to the home opener. Their bad luck was our good luck. Karen emailed me and asked if Stacie and I wanted to go? Umm, YES!! We jumped at the chance.
It had been raining all week, but as we drove downtown around 5pm the skies were overcast but dry. The temperature cool, but not cold. Perfect game weather.
We found free parking on the street several blocks away and walked to the stadium. Their seats were great, about 15 rows up from the field in the SW corner.
We stayed for the entire game (a slight worry before-hand, with Stacie being 6-months pregnant) and had a blast.
Seattle scored two goals in the first half (Fredy Montero: 12´, Brad Evans: 25´) and another in the second (Fredy Montero, again: 75´). Final score 3 — 0.
This won't be the last time we go to a game. We're thinking of buying the half-season package for next year. And later this year we'd love to see the Sounders play the L.A. Galaxy at home May 10th, and an exhibition game against venerable English Premier League team Chelsea FC on July 18th.
Seattle welcomed Major League Soccer with a bang - setting a new standard for soccer and the league in America. Here is more on the story from www.MLS.net.
