Seattle Sounders fans. Photo by Michael Mitarnowski.
This past Saturday there was another Cascadia Cup clash between Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders at Century Link Field. Portland had a chance to claim this cup with a win over the talented Sounders . Both sides had a starting lineup worthy of this meaningful rivalry.
Portland had a solid start to the game and even managed to apply some pressure on the Sounders who seemed to be lying low. It didn’t take long for the the home side get out of their funk though. After Mamadou Danso deflected the flying Adam Johansson‘s cross into his own goal you had a feeling that the 66 000 chanting Seattle fans would simply carry their team to victory. Eddy Johnson and Fredy Montero both were dazzling with their quality finishing and one could even argue that the game was finished after the 28th minute when Eddy Johnson polished off Brad Evans’ cross. Seattle’s dominant performance was no surprise as they took the lead in the Cascadia Cup table.
What was remarkable to see this past weekend was the support shown from the Sounders fans not only in numbers but also through their marvelous tifo banner. This was quite an exquisite piece of art and it was simply impressive to see fans show their passion for their team. We can definitely say that the Sounders have become just as popular or even more popular than the sub-par Seahawks and are probably the hottest ticket in town.
The Seattle fans started doing tifo’s for big games to not only pump up the crowd but also pump up the players. We see many of these fan art banners in Europe. It is very popular in Italy and even small clubs will show their love for the team with these creative pieces of art. Recently I was watching a game in the Serie A that featured the newly promoted Torino FC. Their return to Italy’s top flight surely pleased their fans and to show their appreciation the fans made a beautiful caricature of a bull which is the team’s logo. “Toro” actually means “bull” in Italian for those who do not know.
It makes for a unique atmosphere especially at a NFL stadium. The combination of European style chants and fan art displays united with the sounds of a college football style band not only makes for an interesting spectacle but also proves that we have added our own twist to the sport. This is partly why the game was so captivating
The Emerald City Supporters which are the Sounders die-hard fan base unveiled another mesmerizing banner this past Saturday. This particular tifo (which is not the one you see in the featured image) said “Tonight we go all in.” It was composed of four parts. The central one was a picture of the Sounders coach, Sigi Schmidt, holding playing cards. One of the cards had the Sounders’ logo on it. The banner just under that depicted a poker table. Just to make it more spectacular, the fans that were not holding the banner in that particular section of the field were holding up some glossy green and gray panels.
This sort of support warms my heart because soccer fans in North America are finally starting to become attached to their local clubs and not just cheering for the top team in the EPL table. These marvelous displays not only make the players on the field feel good about their club but they also bring every supporter together. Apparently the Timbers fans present also applauded this giant spectacles. This display made every fan in Century Link Field proud to be a fan of the MLS.
It seems like the Emerald City Supporters have set a new standard for team appreciation in the MLS.
