IN THIS ISSUE
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CLOSER LOOK Nightfall comes to life, Sigi Schmid is honored and Nicolás Lodeiro celebrates a win with his son
2019 SCHEDULE Check out this year’s full slate
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MEET THE TEAM
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KIM KEE-HEE
Sounders players spill on who has the messiest locker on the team
The Sounders’ South Korean center back is making a name for himself in MLS WORDS BY ARI LILJENWALL
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
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10 QUESTIONS: CRISTIAN ROLDAN
Catching up with former Sounders defender DeAndre Yedlin INTERVIEW BY STEVE ZAKUANI
Cristian Roldan opens up about his favorite player as a kid, the new Seattle NHL team and more
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ryan Krasnoo CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rachel Johnson CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS
Claire De Rocco Kristin Sheetz
ASSISTANT EDITORS
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER
COMMUNICATIONS
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Danny Ciaccio Pablo Mendicuti Alex Caulfield Kelly Schutz Brian Verdi Matt Winter
Jane Gershovich
Mike Fiechtner Jane Gershovich USA Today Lindsey Wasson Charis Wilson
© 2019 BY MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, LLC AND SEATTLE SOCCER, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT OF SEATTLE SOCCER, LLC IS PROHIBITED. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 159 SOUTH JACKSON, SUITE 200 SEATTLE, WA 98104 887-MLS-GOAL SOUNDERSFC.COM
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CLOSER LOOK
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
A mural of the Sounders’ new Nightfall kit painted by local artist Weirdo is on display in Capitol Hill.
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MARCH 2, 2019
Members of the inaugural 2009 MLS Sounders team share a moment with the family of the late Sigi Schmid, who was recognized prior to Seattle’s 4-1 season-opening win over FC Cincinnati. The former Sounders head coach passed away on Dec. 25, 2018. 4
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MARCH 9, 2019
Sounders midfielder Nicolรกs Lodeiro celebrates with his son, Leandro, after a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. 6
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AD 8
2019 SCHEDULE DATE
OPP ONENT
TIME
WATCH
SATURDAY, MARCH 2
VS FC CINCINNATI
7:00 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
W
4-1
SATURDAY, MARCH 9
VS COLORADO RAPIDS
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
W
2-0
SATURDAY, MARCH 16
AT CHICAGO FIRE
10:00 AM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
W
4-2
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
AT VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
D
0-0
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
VS REAL SALT LAKE
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
AT COLORADO RAPIDS
6:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
VS TORONTO FC
1:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
AT LAFC
4:00 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
VS SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
7:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, APRIL 28
VS LAFC
12:30 PM
ESPN, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, MAY 4
AT MINNESOTA UNITED FC
5:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, MAY 11
VS HOUSTON DYNAMO
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
VS ORLANDO CITY SC
7:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, MAY 18
AT PHILADELPHIA UNION
4:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, MAY 26
AT SPORTING KC
3:00 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
AT FC DALLAS
5:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
AT MONTREAL IMPACT
4:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
VS VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
AT NEW YORK CITY FC
4:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, JULY 6
AT COLUMBUS CREW SC
4:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, JULY 14
VS ATLANTA UNITED FC
1:00 PM
ESPN, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, JULY 21
VS PORTLAND TIMBERS
6:30 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, JULY 27
AT HOUSTON DYNAMO
5:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
VS SPORTING KC
7:00 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10
VS NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
1:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14
AT REAL SALT LAKE
7:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
AT LA GALAXY
7:00 PM
ESPN2, YOUTUBE TV
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23
AT PORTLAND TIMBERS
7:00 PM
ESPN, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
VS LA GALAXY
3:00 PM
FS1, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
VS NEW YORK RED BULLS
12:30 PM
ESPN, YOUTUBE TV
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
VS FC DALLAS
7:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
AT D.C. UNITED
5:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
AT SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
4:30 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6
VS MINNESOTA UNITED FC
1:00 PM
JOETV, YOUTUBE TV
RESULT
Match dates and times subject to change. All time pacific. More info at soundersfc.com/schedule.
PRESENTING PARTNER OF THE 2019 SOUNDERS FC SEASON
S TRE A M ALL M ATC HES LIVE ON YOU TU BE T V 9
MEET THE TEAM
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1
Jordy Delem Midfielder
Trey Muse Goalkeeper
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Stefan Frei Goalkeeper
Víctor Rodríguez Midfielder
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A: Gustav
Kim Kee-hee Defender
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Kelvin Leerdam Defender
Cristian Roldan Midfielder
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Alex Roldan Midfielder
"WHO HAS THE MESSIEST LOCKER ON THE TEAM?" A: Nico
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Nouhou Defender
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Román Torres Defender
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Henry Wingo Midfielder
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Saad Abdul-Salaam Defender
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Nicolás Lodeiro Midfielder
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Will Bruin Forward
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Handwalla Bwana Midfielder
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Chad Marshall Defender
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Bryan Meredith Goalkeeper
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Harry Shipp Midfielder
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Jonathan Campbell Defender
A: Román
A: Román and me
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Jordan Morris Forward
A: Román
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Raúl Ruidíaz Forward
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Brad Smith Defender
Gustav Svensson Midfielder
TECHNICAL STAFF Garth Lagerwey
General Manager & President of Soccer
Chris Henderson
Sporting Director & VP of Soccer
Brian Schmetzer Head Coach
Gonzalo Pineda Assistant Coach
Preki
Assistant Coach
Tacoma Defiance Head Coach & Academy Director of Coaching
Marc Nicholls
Director of Player Development
Tom Dutra
Club Director of Goalkeeping
Damian Roden
High Performance Director
Djimi Traore
Assistant Coach
Chris Little
Ravi Ramineni
Grant Clark
Team Administration Director
Vince Johnson
Team Services Director
Director of Soccer Analytics
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KIM KEE-HEE WOULD LIKE A WORD The Sounders’ humble South Korean center back is making a name for himself in the United States
QUIETLY
BY ARI LILJENWALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JANE GERSHOVICH
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ABOUT THESE PHOTOS Kim poses with iconic Seattle landmarks at the historic Pike Place Market downtown.
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TAKE A LOOK AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS DEFENDER KIM KEE-HEE, AND IT’S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY THE MAN PLAYS CENTER BACK. The 29-year-old South Korea international is tailor-made to play the position at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. He’s a physical defender, not afraid to clean out opposing attackers when necessary, but also nimble, athletic and an underrated passer, frequently finding his midfielders with pinpoint feeds to kick-start attacks. Playing alongside three-time MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall, Kim is part of one of the most imposing central defender duos in the league. He’s played consistently from nearly the moment he arrived in Seattle from Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League prior to the 2018 season. Whether Kim would adapt to MLS quickly was an open question upon his arrival, given the cultural adjustments and language barriers with which every player arriving in a new league and new country has to deal. Kim became only the third Korean to ever play in MLS, and the first since 2013. Once Kim started playing, though, Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer and General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey couldn’t have imagined a more
seamless transition. “I didn’t speak English well at that time [when I first arrived in Seattle], but I speak soccer,” Kim said through a translator. “Soccer is one language. [My teammates] speak soccer, I speak soccer, so it’s easy to understand each other. That’s the common language.” Kim and Marshall jelled from the start, with Marshall learning a few words of what he would later describe as highly basic Korean, just enough to help the two better communicate on the field. Their games complement one another, too. With Marshall’s abilities as one of the league’s preeminent defensive stoppers, Kim has freedom to roam when the situation calls, perhaps more than an average center back. “He’s ultra-aggressive, likes to go, so then I can be the guy in behind when he wants to check off and run in the midfield with the forwards, so I think we have a good understanding,” Marshall said of his back line partner. “It took us a little bit to understand each other and play on the same line, but I think we have that understanding now despite the language barrier.”
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SOCCER IS ONE LANGUAGE. [MY TEAMMATES] SPEAK SOCCER, I SPEAK SOCCER, SO IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
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Kim sent Sounders fans into bedlam at CenturyLink Field in an October 2018 match against the Houston Dynamo. After winning the ball in the attacking half, he split two defenders with a twirling pirouette before dashing toward goal. A few weeks prior in a match at Providence Park against the Portland Timbers, Kim charged down the right flank and into the penalty box before sending in a cross that deflected off Portland defender Julio Cascante and into the net for an own goal and a 1-0 Sounders win. “Kim Kee-hee scored that,” Schmetzer said wryly after the match. Still, Kim had only been to the United States one time before his move to MLS, when his South Korea national team played against the U.S. in a 2014 match in Los Angeles. Communicating with teammates, many of whom speak different languages, is one thing. Adapting to entirely new surroundings in
an unfamiliar community comes with its own set of challenges, but Kim is tackling those, too. While his English is still a work in progress, he’s become acquainted with his neighbors and his family is enjoying the new experience. “I’ve gotten to know a little bit more of how to live in Seattle,” he said. “Everybody’s nice to me. [Seattle has] clean air, [it’s a] clean city. I love it. My family loves it here, my two kids, they love it here. “I’ve been living overseas many years, but here in the United States it’s a lot easier because people are very nice and friendly to me,” he continued. “The language part is hard to learn, but other than that, it’s easy to settle here.” Kim started watching soccer at age 10, when he watched the South Korean team he would one day play for take on Mexico in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. South Korea lost, but that match was a pivotal one in Kim’s desire to play soccer.
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WHEN I CAME OUT [AT CENTURYLINK FIELD] FOR THE FIRST TIME, I COULD FEEL THE PASSION FROM MY FELLOW PLAYERS.
He has 23 caps for South Korea, including a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. With a substitute appearance in the final five minutes of a 2-0 win over Japan, Kim, and every teammate who played in the Olympic Games, was given an athlete’s exemption from the 21 months of compulsory military service required of able-bodied South Korean males. It was after those Olympics that Kim truly refined his game. “I spent those two years developing myself as a soccer player so I can play better, so I can pay back the fans and my country, too,” he said. After professional spells in South Korea and Qatar, Kim joined Shanghai Shenhua in 2016. He was teammates with legendary Sounders forward Obafemi Martins, who Kim said put in a good word for the team and the city. Kim made his first Sounders start last year against LAFC on April 29 and has
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started nearly every match since. “When I came out [at CenturyLink Field] for the first time, I could feel the passion from my fellow players,” Kim said. “The older MLS players, I can feel they have a lot of pride in their profession. I also have that passion and pride. I’m glad I’m playing in MLS right now.” With the Sounders’ attack off to a blistering start to their 2019 campaign, Kim and Marshall aren’t likely to garner the lion’s share of headlines. That’s the life of a defender, but it’s also the way Kim likes it. He hopes that the fans will appreciate his willingness to do the dirty work that sets the stage for Seattle’s high-powered attackers to make their mark. “I want fans to know that I’m not a [flashy] player, like some other players,” Kim said. “But I’m a really good supporter for the team that supports me. I want to be known as a passionate player for the Sounders and I’ll do my best to not disappoint the fans.”
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Catching up with former Sounders defender DeAndre Yedlin INTERVIEW BY STEVE ZAKUANI
A S PA RT O F O U R “ 1 0 Y E ARS IN ML S” CAM PAI G N, F O R M E R SE AT T L E S O UNDERS WING ER S T E V E Z A KUA NI SAT D OWN WITH S OME OF TH E C LU B’ S M OS T I N F LU E NT I A L PL AY ERS OF THE PA S T DECAD E. I N I S S U E 2 , Z A KUANI SP OKE WITH SE AT TL E N AT I V E AN D C UR R E NT NE WCA S TL E UNITED AND UN I T ED S TAT E S N AT I O NA L T E A M DEFENDER DE ANDRE YED L I N. S T E VE Z A KUA NI: How did you
SZ: Walk us through how you got to your
originally get into soccer?
Sounders First Team debut.
D E A ND RE YE D L IN: Growing
DY: I think I was on the oldest team at
up, my uncle played and that’s originally why I started playing. I lived with my grandparents and my uncle was also in the house. He was kind of like my father figure. I wanted to do what he was doing. I was always pretty good, but anytime something bad would happen, like if I got scored on, even if I fell, I would start crying when I was younger. My grandpa would get annoyed with it, so my grandma would have to take him away from the sideline to calm down. It was like that all through youth soccer. We had to put a mute button on that [laughs].
Sounders Academy the first year it started. It was a great experience. It was like all the best players from the state coming into one team. I went off to college, went to Akron. That was an experience. A lot of highs and a lot of lows. Of all the places that I’ve been, maybe besides Tottenham, that was the most influential on me in terms of shaping me into the player I am and mentally the person I am today. I needed it for sure. I made my debut for the Sounders at CenturyLink Field, and that was a dream come true. I was in front of my family. I didn’t really know what to expect. One thing I’ve always been pretty
Use the Sounders FC app to unlock exclusive content using augmented reality. Tap the “AR” button at the bottom of the homepage and scan any image with the AR logo.
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Zulily is proud to team up with local youth from Sounders FC community partners to present the Zulily Dream Team! 24
good at is staying pretty calm when I’m out was thinking, ‘Uh oh. This is it.’ I just tried there [on the pitch] in my debuts, and I don’t to play like I knew I could and did pretty know why because I feel nervous, but when I well. start playing, it’s just like any other game. SZ: What was the scouting report on SZ : What was your first season like as a DeAndre Yedlin as a Seattle Sounder? pro? DY: A defender who didn’t always know DY: When I went into that preseason, he was a defender. A young kid with a lot I wasn’t expecting to go into the season of energy and every time the ball went starting. I expected to just learn the ropes. forward, I was going. Every time. It didn’t I was pretty nervous, but I also knew there matter if it was in a good position or not. wasn’t a huge expectation on me, which It could be on the opposite side of the took a bit of pressure off. Then I remember field in the corner, if it’s forward, I’m going. Adam Johansson got injured in a preseason Positionally, I wasn’t really that sound. As game, then I was the one who got called up an attacking player, it’s a lot easier to play to the ‘A’ group and did pretty well. I think there when you’re younger because it’s Brian Schmetzer told me I was going to be more of a position where you can be free. starting the first game. The practice before Younger players need that freedom. For me the match, I was in the starting group, and I as a defender, I didn’t really understand
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the whole positioning part of it. It was something I’ve had to learn, and I’ve learned with experience.
SZ: When did you know you could make
SZ : What changed after you played in the
DY: After my year at Sunderland. When
2014 FIFA World Cup?
I was at Tottenham, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a different level. This is crazy.’ What I didn’t know obviously is that Tottenham is up there. There’s different levels within the Premiership. Tottenham was definitely an eye-opener. Sunderland was a good move for me. It allowed me to get some confidence and really show that I belonged.
DY: Confidence. Even when I have a bad game, the thing I tell myself is, ‘Those kind of performances that got you to the World Cup are always in you.’ It’s not like that’s a rare thing. Mentally you have to get to the right state. When I came back, I was on a high. I was very, very confident. I remember the feeling. I felt like I could do no wrong. It felt like you were almost too good for the pitch, which sometimes isn’t the best thing.
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the jump and you belonged in the English Premier League?
SZ: Is the goal you scored for Seattle in the CONCACAF Champions League against Liga MX’s Tigres still the best goal of your career?
DY: 100 percent. It’s not my favorite goal, though. My favorite goal is the one at Manchester City just because it was at City. But the best goal is definitely the Seattle one because I don’t score many.
SZ : What was it like to play week in and week out in Seattle at home in front of your family?
DY: It’s a great feeling, but it does come with a lot of expectations. It comes with some pressure. I don’t know what everybody is thinking back home when I play in England now. If I don’t play, I don’t know if people are disappointed or worried. I don’t know. All I know is that every time I go onto the pitch, if I’m not working my hardest, if people see me slacking off,
that’s when I know they’ll be disappointed. When I was at Tottenham and I wasn’t playing, I know people were like, ‘Where is he? Is he lost? Did he get injured?’ For me, I hate seeing that because I’m here and I’m trying. It was a good pressure playing in Seattle. It pushed me to be the best I could be.
SZ: What was it like to win the 2014 U.S. Open Cup??
DY: It was a great feeling, that was my first trophy with Seattle. That year I was the person who would take all the selfies of the team, so I always had the phone. I was running around the field with the trophy, and Clint Dempsey was acting goofy as well, which the fans don’t always get to see. 27
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“ E VE N WHE N I H AV E A BAD GA ME , T HE T HIN G I T E L L MYSE LF IS, ‘ T HO S E K I ND O F PE RFORMA N C ES T H AT G OT YOU TO T HE WO R L D C U P AR E A LWAYS IN YOU.’ ” - DeAndre Yedlin
SZ: What did it mean to lift the club’s first Supporters’ Shield in 2014?
DY: The one thing I don’t get about MLS is that the Supporters’ Shield should be the most important trophy, hands down. I know it’s an American thing to do the playoffs, but if you’re talking about the most consistent team over the whole year, that should be the winning team in MLS. That should be the champion. That was an important trophy to win because it meant we were the best team over the whole year. It was awesome because we got to lift it at home in front of our fans. That was my last year in Seattle, and obviously we would have liked to have won the MLS playoffs as well, but that was a good goodbye to everybody. It was a good note not to end on, but to take a little break, and hopefully in the future … we’ll see what happens.
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10 QUESTIONS with Cristian Roldan
01 WHO IS THE FUNNIEST PL AYER ON THE TEAM?
02 WHAT ARE YOU BEST ON THE TEAM AT D OING?
03 IF YOU WERE NOT A PROFESSIONAL SO CCER PL AYER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
04 WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE SO CCER PL AYER GROWING UP?
05 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT MATCHDAY?
06 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SO CCER MEMORY?
07 WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN?
08 WHAT SHOULD THE NAME OF THE NEW SEAT TLE NHL TEAM BE?
09 WHO WOULD PL AY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
10 WHAT IS THE BEST GIF T YOU’VE EVER GIVEN SOMEONE?
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SOUNDERS FC SUMMER CAMPS J U N E 24 - AU G U S T 3 0 A v a i l a b l e w e e k l y fo r age s 3 -1 6 a n d a l l a b i l i t i e s 25+ locations throughout Greater Seattle
Full Day: $285 Half-Day: $200 Advanced: $305 Emergence (Ages 3-5): $190
REGISTER TODAY AT SOUNDERSFC.COM/CAMPS
CAMPERS WILL RECEIVE One complimentar y ticket to a Sounders FC match
C a m p j e r s e y, s o c c e r ball and giveaways
Curriculum created by Sounders FC Academy Staf f
Chance to meet Sounders FC players and receive autographs
Camps are also supported by
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