Sounders FC opens up about 4,000 more seats

Adrian Hanauer worries for a living. The more crowded and lively each Sounders FC home match becomes, the more Hanauer, the team's minority owner and general manager, worries that Seattle's relationship with its new Major League Soccer team could end up as only a fling.

"I swear, I kid you not, I'm paranoid from game to game," he said Friday, after the team's training session at Qwest Field. "I think it's a healthy paranoia, because it forces us to try to improve, do things well, and make sure we're in touch with our fans."

That might help explain the caution with which Sounders FC has added available seating at Qwest Field this season. As the team walks a fine line between meeting the demand for tickets and maintaining an intimate atmosphere, one of its primary concerns is that it keeps fans coming back once the novelty wears away.

"A big portion of our philosophy is centered around sustainability," Hanauer said.

In today's 1 p.m. match against Colorado, Sounders FC is opening up about 4,000 more seats in the south end zone, essentially making the entire lower bowl available. With a capacity of approximately 32,500, Hanauer said it is "highly unlikely" any more seats will become available during the regular season.

"We're pretty much maxed out on the lower bowl, and there are not a lot of options for us," Hanauer said.

The tarps covering the seats in the upper deck and the Hawk's Nest section will almost surely not come down. For starters, there are economic concerns; the tarps have been sold to the team's sponsors, and more open sections would require more staffing. But Hanauer also stressed the importance of also not messing with what he feels is the best game experience in the MLS.

"We want the best atmosphere, we want intimacy, we want the seating packed — we don't want patches of people here and there," Hanauer said. "We want to try and match supply and demand."

Demand has been extraordinary, so much so that only scattered seats remain unsold for the rest of the regular season. Even before it added the seats that become available today, Sounders FC was likely to break the MLS season attendance record set by the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1996, the league's first season.

After today, any changes to the Sounders FC seating plan will likely come next season.

"We are very comfortable going through the season, and regrouping at the end of the year," Hanauer said. "And then making decisions based on conversations in the offseason."

Confederations Cup

on the big screen

Fans attending the Sounders FC match can watch the first half of the U.S.-Brazil Conferedations Cup final live on the Qwest Field jumbotron. When the half ends, there will be a complete blackout on the game — no video or scoring updates — until the Sounders FC match has ended. Then the second half will be shown on the jumbotron to any fans would who like to stay and watch.

"There were just too many obstacles to try and reschedule three days before," Hanauer said. "We know we're not going to make everyone happy, but we tried to find the best solution given the circumstances."