Seattle Sounders (1974–1983)


The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer. The team folded after the 1983 NASL outdoor season.

History

A Seattle expansion team for the North American Soccer League was proposed in early 1973 as part of a new Western Division that would include Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vancouver. On December 11, 1973, the league awarded an expansion team to Seattle that would be owned by a group of local businessmen led by Walter Daggatt of the Alpac Corporation; the team would play at Memorial Stadium in the Western Division alongside new teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver. A naming contest was held in January 1974, with a shortlist of six finalists: Cascades, Evergreens, Mariners, Schooners, Sockeyes, and Sounders. "Sounders" was announced as the winner of the contest on January 21, having been chosen in 32 percent of the 3,735 votes cast by the public.
The franchise folded on September 6, 1983, after majority owners Frank and Vince Coluccio struggled to keep the club afloat until the team did not qualify for the playoffs. The Coluccio family bought the franchise in 1979.

Stadium

The Sounders played at Memorial Stadium for their first two seasons before moving to the Kingdome. On April 25, 1976, 58,218 watched the Seattle Sounders and the New York Cosmos in the first sports event held in the Kingdome.
From 1979 to 1982, they competed in three NASL Indoor campaigns, playing their home games also at the Kingdome.

Supporters

The Seattle Sounders were supported by the "Seattle Sounders Booster Club" in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Year-by-year

Honors

Team honors

NASL Championships
NASL Conference Championships
NASL Division Championships
NASL Division Titles '
  • 1980 Western Division, National Conference
  • 1982 Western Division
Trans-Atlantic Challenge Cup
  • 1981 Winner
Europac Cup
  • 1982 Winner
League MVP
Rookie of the Year
North American Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
NASL Leading Goalkeeper
All-Star First Team Selections
All-Star Second Team Selections
All-Star Honorable Mentions
NASL Indoor All-Stars
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame'''