Seattle Sounders break ticket record, on doorstep of MLS history

Seattle Sounders FC has officially broken the record for the highest-attended match in CONCACAF Champions League history, with more than 67,000 tickets sold.

Fans eagerly await the club to make history tonight, as the Sounders look to become the first MLS team to win this iteration of the CONCACAF Champions League when it faces off against Liga MX’s Pumas UNAM.

“After winning MLS Cup, myself and Jordan [Morris] had a conversation,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said in an interview with MLS Extratime, with a 2-2 aggregate scoreline lingering from Leg 1. “We were talking about how winning Champions League would be like the cherry on top of everything. When we had this draw, when we saw León in front of us, we thought we could do some damage. Cherry on top of everything is the right phrase, I think, for that.”

MLS teams have made four previous CCL finals and lost each time.

“It’d be really massive for our fans and then I’d probably reach for the next level and say it’s pretty cool for MLS, it’s finally happened,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “It’ll probably open the door for more success, I believe. I’m a firm believer that we’re getting closer. Somebody has to do it.”

A Sounders win could be a legitimate turning point for, not only the club, but all of MLS. Before MLS can even dream of achieving its goal of becoming one of the best leagues in the world, it needs to first become the best league in CONCACAF, according to Sam Stejskal of The Athletic. Stejskal believes MLS would need not only this title, but several stacked together. The Sounders can’t achieve all that on Wednesday, but they can jumpstart the process.

The Sounders’ unprecedented success includes a postseason appearance in every year of its existence, (now a league-record 13-season streak), a Supporters’ Shield victory, two MLS Cups, and four U.S. Open Cups.

The ownership team of the Seattle Sounders FC is in full swing drawing support from the city. Part-owner Drew Carey helped raise the Sounders flag over the space needle this morning and all state ferries are flying Sounders flags as well.

Part-owner and Seattle sports icon Ken Griffey Jr. narrated a 90-second video on Twitter celebrating Seattle sports ahead of the match.

“They say it’s just a game, until it’s so much more”

Narrated by Ken Griffey Jr. pic.twitter.com/Q5d9QUrYvi

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) May 4, 2022

The city was bathed in “rave green” last night while the Fremont Troll dons the Sounders’ scarf.

(Seattle Sounders Twitter)

Check out Marshawn Lynch’s video in anticipation of the CONCACAF Champions League match.