[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 135 (Friday, September 19, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 19, 2014

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Seattle 
Sounders Football Club (FC) on the 40th anniversary of its founding. 
Since its formation in 1974 as a member of the North American Soccer 
League (NASL), the Sounders have consistently brought world-class 
soccer to our region.
  After decades of play in other leagues, Sounders FC was added as a 
Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team in 2007. As a nod to the 
team's history, the notoriously loyal Sounders fans voted to keep the 
traditional team name alive even after changing leagues.
  Since joining the league, the Sounders and their fans have set MLS 
records year in and year out. In every season of their tenure in the 
MLS the Sounders have led the league in both average attendance and 
number of season tickets sold. This loud and passionate fan base at 
every game has spurred the Sounders on to stellar play, and they have 
reached the playoffs in each of their four seasons as a result.
  The soccer pitch is not the only place that members of Sounders FC 
have achieved excellence. Many members of the organization have 
undertaken efforts to better the community they call home. Through 
partnerships with organizations focused on youth and sports, and 
through a 2013 trip by team members to Tanzania with the Washington 
Global Health Alliance, the Seattle Sounders have done much more than 
just play outstanding soccer--they have made a difference in our region 
and across the world.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration that I recognize the Seattle 
Sounders FootballClub on forty years of excellence, both on and off the 
soccer pitch.