page_title: Seattle Sounders FC
section_title: Supporters
hierarchical_section_title: Seattle Sounders FC / Supporters
caption_attribution_description: Supporters of the Seattle Sounders unveil a tifo during a March 2009 home game.
context_page_description: Seattle Sounders FC are an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team. The Sounders are a phoenix club, carrying the same name as the original franchise that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1983.
  The club's majority owner is Adrian Hanauer, and its minority owners are the estate of Paul Allen, Drew Carey, and 11 families from the Seattle area. Former USL Sounders coach and assistant coach Brian Schmetzer took over as head coach in July 2016 after the departure of Sigi Schmid. The Sounders play their home league matches at CenturyLink Field, with a reduced capacity of 37,722 seats for most matches. Along with several organized groups, a 53-member marching band called 'Sound Wave' supports the club at each home match. Seattle has long-standing rivalries with nearby clubs Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with whom it competes for the Cascadia Cup.
  The Sounders played their inaugural match on March 19, 2009, winning 3–0 over the New York Red Bulls.
context_section_description: The Sounders FC Alliance was established at the request of minority owner Drew Carey. Based on the fan association at FC Barcelona, members of the Alliance have the ability to vote on the removal of the general manager and on other team decisions.  Season ticket holders become automatic members, while non-season ticket holders may buy into the Alliance for a fee. Membership benefits include voting privileges, an invitation to the annual meeting and other team perks. Members may also be elected to the Sounders FC Alliance Council by receiving at least 25 nominations from other members on an annual basis. The first vote on retaining or replacing Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer was scheduled to be held between October to December 2012. After 13,775 votes registered, Hanauer was retained by the Alliance. Drew Carey is the chairman of the Sounders FC Alliance.
  Carey also requested that the Sounders have their own marching band, the first of its kind in MLS. This led to the creation of the Sound Wave, a 53-member marching band consisting of brass and marching percussion. The band plays music from multiple genres, such as Latin, rock and pop, and sits on the north end of CenturyLink Field. The March to the Match, in which fans march from Occidental Park to CenturyLink Field before each home match, has been accompanied by the Sound Wave.
  Besides the Alliance, there are currently four recognized, independent supporters groups for the Sounders. Emerald City Supporters (ECS), which formed in 2005 to support the USL Sounders, is the largest supporter group and sits in the south end of the stadium in sections 121–123. Eastside Supporters is a group which can be found in section 150 which they call "The Pod". Gorilla FC is a Sounders supporters group that sits in the south end of CenturyLink Field in Sections 119 and 120. The North End Faithful sit in the north end of the stadium beneath the "Hawks Nest" in sections 100 and 144–152.
caption: Emerald City Supporters unveil a tifo prior to the club's inaugural match.
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