Like theme park travel, traveling for sporting events is not something I’m into. I’ve caught a few San Francisco Giants games over the years and a single Rockies game. That’s the extent of my sports travel. Once every couple years has been enough for me. People I know have sports travel goals like visiting every Major League Baseball Stadium. Which is cool, I guess. Not my sort of travel goal. I’ll stick to countries and airlines.
I’ll let the die-hard fans keep their stadium checklist. I like to think of myself as a casual fan, although this is far more debatable now than in previous years, thanks to a renewed interest in soccer. The last soccer games I caught were in Costa Rica, one at the Saprissa stadium (La Cueva del Monstruo) and the Estadio Nacional. The former was the far better atmosphere and match.
It’s a rare occasion for me to catch an MLS games on TV, but when I realized that our trip to Seattle aligned with a Seattle Sounders Home Game, I worked the professional soccer match into our plans.
Not Your Average Day At Lumen Field
I’m not a devoted Sounders fan. I have watched some of their games, including part of their historic CONCACAF Champions League win last year. But if I had to pick a Western Conference Team, they’d be the leader (along with the Philadelphia Union in the East). Sadly, the Sounders had a rough following season.
This didn’t affect the emotion at Lumen Field back on that July afternoon. The Sounders faithful were out in force. I felt out of place not dressed in bright green. My older son likes to fill his wardrobe with electric colors, so he was closest.
The charged atmosphere enveloped us by the time the banner unveiling ceremony started. And some ceremony it was. Parachutists entered the stadium from the sky, and fireworks crackled out of the corners of the field. Wonder filled my sons’ faces. It was some show, and the main event hadn’t even started.
Everyone received commemorative pins to remember the day. Of all the games we could have attended, I’m glad it worked out for us to be at this one.
The amazing banner-unveiling ceremony screeched to a halt with the singing of the national anthem before the match. Apparently you don’t have to carry a tune to get this job. I’d assumed that would be the primary qualification. But what do I know about professional sporting events.
What is Lumen Field Like?
Lumen Field is shared by both the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders. Unlike professional soccer stadiums in many leagues outside the U.S., it has artificial turf instead of grass. We walked around the stadium for a while before the game, enjoying views of the players warming up. Lumen Field is known for being loud, something that is more of an issue at Seahawk Games. I didn’t find it excessively loud during this match.
For the Sounders home game against the Portland Timbers, I selected seats in section 128. We’d be in the shade for early afternoon game and were high enough to have a decent view of the pitch. These seats are in a corner, but both high enough and close enough to have a good view at one end. This did put us dangerously close to the Sounders Supporters section.
This Soccer Religion
Sports are a religion. Doubt that claim? Hear me out.
Professional matches are a central part of many people’s weeks. Teams require devotion and inspire fervor. Ditto for individual players. Many fans have their own rituals, which can vary among sports and among teams. In-depth knowledge of team history and key statistics is highly regarded.
If your team wins, you rejoice. If they lose, you’re in the dumps for the week. Or season. Or always if you support the likes of the Detroit Lions or Cincinnati Reds.
It’s clear they are a particular system of faith and worship.
The Seattle Sounders are no exception. Before kickoff, a hush fell over the huge crowd. Everyone in the stadium raised their hands in unison. I had no idea what was going on. A drummer would beat and everyone would clap in unison. Over and over again this repeated, the time between drumbeats and claps shortening until we were guided into wild, mass applause.
Like I said, rituals.
But what energy. Baseball games are tame compared to this. It is next level as far as U.S. sports go, but likely pretty typical in the international soccer (erm, football) world.
Soccer isn’t the only sports religion, although it may be the largest worldwide. The U.S. is the king of variety. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey. Pick one, or pick all.
As Luck Would Have It
How did the game go? It’s a sad tale. A perfect attack by the Timbers put them up by one goal early in the game, Sounders first half domination notwithstanding.
The second half started with a terrible tackle that left Seattle with only ten men on the field. I don’t even know what happened that resulted in a late penalty for the Timbers, bringing it to 2-0. Then a third goal was pounded home in a great counterattack, which sealed the coffin.
It is their worst home loss to the Timbers, their bitter rivals, in club history. What a way for the CONCACAF Champions to lose after just unveiling their title banner.
Final Thoughts
But we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a rare treat to enjoy a professional sporting event. Attending an English Premier League Match in probably the highest on the list. My older son is a Manchester United fan, so this is who we’ll have to catch.
Do any of you travel for sporting events? What is your favorite aspect?
Awesome write up. I love traveling for sporting events. Best ever was flying CX first class to the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament in 2017. Planning to fly Polaris UA EWR-CPT for Cape Town Sevens this December.
Nice!! Hope you have an excellent time. And what a route to enjoy Polaris on!