Tyler Cox comes to the Sounders from Arsenal of the Premier League. (Jane Gershovich Photo via Sounders FC) The Seattle Sounders have a new numbers guy. Sure, it could be a player who scores a lot of goals this season, but this numbers cruncher won’t be on the pitch with the Major League Soccer team. Tyler Cox is the Sounder’s new director of analytics, in charge of how the team uses data behind the scenes to better understand individual and team performance, scout upcoming opponents and find talent worth pursuing. A Seattle-area native who grew up in Woodinville, Wash., and went to college at ..read more

The co-founders of the Ballard FC minor league soccer team, from left, Sam Zisette, Chris Kaimmer and Lamar Neagle. (Ballard FC Photo) As the Seattle Sounders FC have risen to a place of prominence among the city’s professional sports teams, the Major League Soccer team has done so with co-owners, investors and a dedicated fan base heavily rooted in the technology community. A new minor league team in the city’s Ballard neighborhood is hoping to follow a similar path to success. Ballard FC officially launched on Wednesday, announcing the formation of a neighborhood-based semi-pro soccer team t ..read more

GeekWire Sounders Day attendees gather on the First Mode rooftop deck, before the Sounders FC match on Tuesday in Seattle. (GeekWire Photos / Kevin Lisota) It was so much fun getting the GeekWire community back together on Tuesday with the return of Sounders Day as we enjoyed great networking, tasty BBQ, cold beverages, and another Sounders FC victory. The festivities kicked off Tuesday afternoon on the spectacular deck at First Mode in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from Lumen Field, where the Sounders would later pull off a 1-0 victory over Santos Laguna with a t ..read more

Brad Evans during his days with the Seattle Sounders FC. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota) Brad Evans, the onetime Seattle Sounders FC star, said he never experienced any nerves in his years playing professional soccer. He went to bed at a normal time, slept well and woke without any worries. In front of 100,000 fans, he had a singular, calm focus. In his first foray into running a tech startup, Evans is experiencing a range of new emotions. “I’ve never had a problem sleeping until this past year and I think I know why,” Evans said. “Playing soccer for 12 years was great, I was just used to ..read more

A match-up poster for the Seattle Sounders FC vs Atlanta United contest on May 22. (MLS Image) Major League Soccer is taking its first shot at the NFT craze this week, launching a collection of street art to celebrate two weekend matches and four teams, including Seattle Sounders FC. The non-fungible tokens will be tied to nationally televised matches on Saturday between the Sounders and Atlanta United (1:30 p.m. PT on FOX) and the Portland Timbers and L.A. Galaxy (3:30 p.m. PT on ABC).  On Friday, soccer fans and street art enthusiasts can go online at 3 p.m. PT to watch artists represen ..read more

“Fortnite” characters rendered in Sounders FC ‘Kickoff Set” outfits. (Epic Games Image) The Seattle Sounders FC are getting in on a different sort of “beautiful game” as the club is one of a handful selected to participate in a global celebration of soccer within the popular video game “Fortnite.” Epic Games chose the Sounders as one of three Major League Soccer teams, along with Atlanta United and LAFC, to face off in competitive tournaments and experience new creative modes of gameplay. Twenty other top teams from around the world are also involved. A “Seattle Sounders Cup” will be held ..read more

The Seattle Seahawks in action at what was CenturyLink Field. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Seattle’s CenturyLink Field, home of the Seahawks and Sounders FC, is being renamed Lumen Field, the Seahawks announced on Thursday. The new name comes after a rebranding of CenturyLink to Lumen Technologies, which was previously announced in September. The new stadium name was unanimously approved in action taken later Thursday by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority (PSA), the Washington state public corporation owner of the stadium. “The funds generated by the naming rights agreement wit ..read more

Seattle Sounders FC players, coaches and family members celebrate at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on Nov. 10 after the professional soccer team — with an ownership group loaded with big names in tech — won its second MLS Cup title in three years. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Liosta) Two Seattle brands are joining forces as the Sounders FC announced a new deal with Amazon on Tuesday in which Prime Video will be the exclusive digital streaming platform for the professional soccer team’s games. Prime members will have access to all non-nationally televised Sounders matches throughout the team’s region ..read more

CenturyLink Field in Seattle during a Seahawks game. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Next time you head to a Seahawks game or Sounders FC match, or to a concert or any other event at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, don’t bother bringing cash with you for concessions, parking or retail items — the stadium is going entirely cashless. CenturyLink will now only accept credit, debit and prepaid cards in an effort to remove the need to handle cash and speed the transaction process throughout the venue. Cards are already used for approximately 75 percent of all concessions sales and 90 percent of re ..read more

Sounders players join fans in a boom, boom, clap. (GeekWire Photos / Kevin Lisota) Seattle Sounders players, coaches, staff and fans took to the streets of downtown Seattle today to celebrate the team’s second MLS Cup victory — a resounding 3-1 win over Toronto FC on Sunday in front of a record crowd at CenturyLink Field. The team held a parade from Westlake Center to a fan rally at Seattle Center. Two special guests, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and singer Ciara introduced the team at the rally. The couple are new members of the Seattle Sounders ownership group. A group of players actually coul ..read more