Sounders FC 'superfans' will be cheering in Houston

TUKWILA — Their presence is felt at Sounders FC matches, always at home and quite frequently away.

Loyal fans pack Qwest Field, and a few of the devoted find their way to destinations around the country in support of the Rave Green.

They took up a corner section at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and the grass berm at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. They showed up by the busload to PGE Park in Portland for a U.S. Open Cup match, and they were loud and proud — and bummed after a 4-0 loss — at San Jose.

At least 200 chanted and clapped and celebrated on Sept. 2 in Washington, D.C., rewarded for their investment in plane tickets and hotel reservations by a Sounders FC victory in the U.S. Open Cup final at RFK Stadium.

Seeing Sounders FC fans walking around the nation's capital, on subways, at historical sites and gathered together in an upper-deck area of seating isolated from the home fans in the lower deck showed how Seattle had truly fallen head over heels for its soccer team. Those "superfans" will also make sure there is a swath of green in the seats at Robertson Stadium Sunday when Sounders FC plays the Houston Dynamo in the second leg of their Major League Soccer Western Conference semifinal.

Patrick Mead of West Seattle will be there. So will Tacoma's Bryce Yadon — with three friends.

"This will be my sixth away trip, and so far we are a perfect 5-0-0 on my away trips with the Sounders scoring at least two goals each game," Mead said in an e-mail. "I am going partly because I honestly am starting to believe it is lucky for me to make these away trips and also because I flat-out love this team. ... Anyone who can spend the time and money to make it down there that loves this team is doing it."

Yadon's biggest reason for making the trip is to show the team that the fans "really do care." It will be his first away game of the season.

"There is such a sense of community when you put on the Rave Green and Blue, people smile and say 'hi,' you get random high-fives, and best of all, you see support in the community," Yadon said via e-mail.

The players notice and acknowledge those who have come from afar, win or lose. It's part of the charm of soccer, where players thank fans with applause while walking around the pitch when the game is over.

"Every single stadium we've been to, there have been some fans there," midfielder Steve Zakuani said. "It's great. When you come out from the walkway you see rave green flags and shirts and stuff, it lifts you. Not too many teams get fans into Qwest Field, so when we go away that helps us a lot. We just feel them behind us."

Ianni knows

the Dynamo

Patrick Ianni came back to haunt Houston, his former team, with a second-half goal in Seattle's 2-1 win over the Dynamo at Qwest Field in July. The Sounders FC reserve defender almost did it again on Oct. 29, coming ever so close to a goal on two occasions after being pressed into a starting role at practically the last minute,

"It was good to go out there and contribute," Ianni said. "It's one of those situations where you've got to be ready."

Ianni, who spent his first three MLS seasons with Houston before being traded to Seattle, practiced most of the week as a starting center back. But Tyrone Marshall, the typical starter, took part in all of practice Friday at Starfire Sports Complex, his first since early last week after suffering a knee injury. Marshall's status will be determined on Sunday.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com