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Sound FC (women)

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Sound FC
Full nameSound Football Club
Founded2019
StadiumStarfire Sports Stadium
Capacity4,500
OwnersCliff McElroy
Lane Smith
General managerJason Prenovost
Head coachScott Ford
LeagueWomen's Premier Soccer League
Websitehttp://sounderswomen.com/

Sound Football Club is an American women's soccer team in the Women's Premier Soccer League. Sound FC play its home games at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Washington, six miles south of downtown Seattle.

The team was founded in 2000 as Seattle Sounders Select Women, a sister organization of the men's team in the USL First Division. The Select Women competed in the original USL W-League until the league was disbanded in 2015. Following the men's team's departure for Major League Soccer, Mike Jennings, owner of the United Soccer League franchise Tacoma Tide, took over the Sounders Women's ownership. In 2011, Cliff McElroy and Lane Smith of Datec Inc. became majority owners, while Mike Jennings has maintained a minority stake.[1] In January 2020, Seattle Sounders FC terminated its branding agreement, leading to an affiliation and rebrand with Sound FC, a youth soccer club based in Woodinville, Washington.[2]

The team most notable for having signed five U.S. international players, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Sydney Leroux, and Stephanie Cox, following the collapse of the Women's Professional Soccer in 2012.[3]

History

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The Seattle Sounders of the second-division A-League announced plans for a women's team in April 2000 and hired Chance Fry as head coach.[4] The organization had planned for a women's team for several years and named them Seattle Sounders Select Women as part of their development system, which already included the men's Seattle Sounders Select in the USL Premier Development League.[5][6] The team held an open tryout at the end of the month that included 55 players, mostly from Washington state. They played exhibition matches in the provisional Pacific Northwest Division of the USL W-League, with home games primarily at Memorial Stadium in Seattle that would precede men's Sounders games.[4][6]

The Select Women played their inaugural match on June 10, 2000, against the Spokane Chill at Joe Albi Stadium and won 5–0 with two goals by forward Janelle Munnis.[7] The team finished the 2000 season with an undefeated 8–0–3 record and outscored their opponents 40–4 in provisional league matches and friendlies.[8] The women's team drew approximately 5,000 total spectators at Memorial Stadium, including 2,222 at the home opener on June 29 against the Vancouver Lady 86ers; an additional exhibition game at Mount St. High School in Snoqualmie drew 1,300 in attendance.[9] The Select Women formally joined the W-League's 1st Division in 2001 and was placed in the Western Conference alongside the Portland Rain and Vancouver Breakers (successor to the Lady 86ers). Seattle played their home matches at Issaquah High School and finished second in the conference with a 12–4–4 record, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.[10]

The Select Women started their 2002 season with a four-match losing streak but recovered to a 7–5–0 record to qualify for the W-League Playoffs.[11] It was their first season under head coach Dick McCormick, who was also an assistant coach for the men's team and played several matches during the year.[12] They were the first team to play at the new Seahawks Stadium (now Lumen Field) as part of a doubleheader with the Sounders against their respective Vancouver opponents on July 27, 2002. The Select Women won 4–3 in overtime.[13][14] The team won 5–1 in their opening playoffs match against the Arizona Heatwave in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with four goals scored by Shelby Brownfield.[15] The Select Women advanced to face hosts Denver Lady Cougars for a semifinal berth, but lost 2–1 in overtime.[16]

The team finished second in the Western Conference in 2003 behind the Vancouver Whitecaps, who they met in the Western Conference Finals.[17] The match was tied 2–2 through regulation and extra time and won by the Sounders Women in a penalty shootout; goalkeeper Meghan Miller made three saves in the shootout to clinch the victory for Seattle.[18][19] The Sounders Women made their first appearance in the W-League Semifinals and lost 4–1 to the Hampton Roads Piranhas.[20] Seattle won the third-place match against the Ottawa Fury in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and earned their first league honors.[21]

The Sounders Women merged with the women's team of amateur club Hibernian Saints in 2006 to form the Seattle Sounders Saints Women.[22] The club was sold to the Tacoma Tides in December 2008 and continued to use the Sounders name following the men's team move to Major League Soccer.[23] The Sounders organization expressed interest in fielding a team in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) prior to its folding in 2012.[24] The team signed several professional WPS players, including U.S. national team members Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Sydney Leroux, for the 2012 season. The national team players trained separately and did not travel for away matches, but helped the Sounders Women draw sold out crowds at Starfire Sports before they left for National Women's Soccer League teams, including the new Seattle Reign FC.[25] After the W-League folded in November 2015,[26] the Sounders Women moved to the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). They won a WPSL championship in 2018.[27] The team terminated their branding agreement with the MLS Sounders in January 2020 and were renamed Sound FC.[28]

Stadiums

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Current players

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As of May 21, 2019.[30]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA Laurel Ivory
2 DF United States USA Alyssa Conarton
3 DF United States USA Kaylene Pang
4 DF United States USA Jodi Ulkekul
5 MF United States USA Kristina O'Donnell
6 FW United States USA Morgan Weaver
7 FW Australia AUS Melina Ayres
8 FW United States USA Kaylee Dao
9 MF United States USA Summer Yates
10 MF Japan JPN Yuuka Kurosaki
11 DF United States USA Kirsten Pavlisko
12 DF United States USA Jordan Thompson
13 DF United States USA Kimberly Hazlett
14 MF United States USA Taylor Nielsen
15 DF United States USA Emily Madril
16 DF United States USA Samantha Hiatt
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF United States USA Sianna Siemonsma
18 DF Philippines PHI Alicia Barker
19 MF United States USA Taylor Radecki
20 MF United States USA Sophie Hirst
21 MF United States USA Olivia Van der Jagt
22 FW United States USA Leahi Manthei
23 MF United States USA Holly Rothering
24 FW United States USA India Jencks
25 FW Jamaica JAM Mireya Grey
26 DF United States USA Stephanie Spiekerman
27 MF Japan JPN Hikari Yamada
28 DF United States USA Rachel Bowler
29 MF United States USA Anna Henderson
30 GK United States USA Riley Travis
31 GK United States USA Madeline Nielsen

Year-by-year

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Year League Reg. Season[10] Playoffs[10] Head coach
2000 None — — Chance Fry
2001 USL W-League 2nd, Western did not qualify
2002 USL W-League 4th, Western Western Conference Finals Dick McCormick
2003 USL W-League 2nd, Western National Semifinals (3rd Place)
2004 USL W-League 2nd, Western Western Conference Finals
2005 USL W-League 5th, Western did not qualify Shawn Percell
2006 USL W-League 2nd, Western National Semifinals (3rd Place) Teddy Mitalas
2007 USL W-League 2nd, Western National Semifinals (3rd Place)
2008 USL W-League 3rd, Western National Semifinals (4th Place)
2009 USL W-League 4th, Western did not qualify
2010 USL W-League 3rd, Western did not qualify Leighton O'Brien
2011 USL W-League 5th, Western National Semifinals (4th Place)
2012 USL W-League 2nd, Western Western Conference Finals Michelle French
2013 USL W-League 3rd, Western did not qualify Hubert Busby Jr.
2014 USL W-League 3rd, Western did not qualify
2015 USL W-League 1st, Western Conference Playoff
2016 WPSL 1st, Northwestern Conference Playoff
2017 WPSL 1st, Northwestern Conference Playoff Scott Ford[31]
2018 WPSL 1st, Northwestern WPSL Champions
2019 WPSL 1st, Northwestern Championship Semifinals[32]

References

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  1. ^ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". wleague.uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10.
  2. ^ "Sounders Women to re-brand". Sounders Women. January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  3. ^ Bird, Liviu (July 6, 2012). "W-League: Sounders Women Carry the Flag". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Moschetti, Mark (April 29, 2000). "Fry welcomes task of building women's program". King County Journal. Retrieved December 24, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  5. ^ "Sounder Selects to field women's team". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 22, 2000. p. C9.
  6. ^ a b Howells, Emily (June 9, 2000). "Seattle has select group of players". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C8.
  7. ^ "Select Women win inaugural game, 5-0". The Seattle Times. June 11, 2000. p. C16.
  8. ^ "Select Sounders wrap up season". Snoqualmie Valley Record. August 31, 2000. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Moschetti, Mark (September 4, 2000). "Stellar start for Sounders women was no joke". King County Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  10. ^ a b c Litterer, David A. (June 16, 2011). "USA – United States Women's Interregional Soccer League (W-League)". RSSSF. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Moschetti, Mark (August 2, 2002). "Women's soccer". King County Journal. Retrieved December 27, 2022 – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ Massey, Matt (August 17, 2002). "Sounders' McCormick out with broken leg". The Seattle Times. p. D7.
  13. ^ Rouse, Jo'el Steven (July 28, 2002). "Sounders christen Seahawks Stadium before 25,515". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. E1. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  14. ^ Massey, Matt (July 29, 2002). "New stadium gets kick-start". The Seattle Times. p. D5. Archived from the original on October 14, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  15. ^ Rowland, Daniel (August 3, 2002). "Loss ends Heatwave's season". The Arizona Republic. p. C12. Retrieved December 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Ewen, Steve (August 7, 2002). "Breakers take on Boston". The Province. p. A47. Retrieved December 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Ewen, Steve (August 1, 2003). "Sounders embracing role of the underdog". The Province. p. A49. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Ewen, Steve (August 3, 2003). "Caps fail to finish". The Province. p. A58. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Sounders Women reach league semis". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. August 5, 2003. p. D2. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  20. ^ White, Paul (August 9, 2003). "Piranhas to face Chicago in W-League Final". The Virginian-Pilot. p. C3.
  21. ^ Desaulniers, Darren (August 11, 2003). "Fury season ends with loss". The Ottawa Citizen. p. D6. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Massey, Matt (May 20, 2006). "Soccer star Baumgardt now a mom, playing for kicks". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  23. ^ "Owner of Tide buys Sounders Women". The News Tribune. December 19, 2008. p. C2. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Bell, Jack (December 15, 2011). "Did W.P.S. Pin Federation in a Corner?". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  25. ^ Pentz, Matt (October 1, 2020). "How a group of USWNT stars found a temporary home on a Seattle amateur team". The Athletic. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  26. ^ "W-League Statement" (Press release). USL W-League. November 6, 2015. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  27. ^ Kennedy, Paul (July 23, 2018). "Seattle Sounders Women win first WPSL championship". Soccer America. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  28. ^ "Sounders Women to re-brand" (Press release). Sounders Women. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  29. ^ Taylor, Bob (February 21, 2001). "Issaquah new home for Sounder Select soccer team". The Issaquah Press. p. B4. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via SmallTownPapers.
  30. ^ "Home | Women's Premier Soccer League".
  31. ^ "Scott Ford". Pacific Lutheran Lutes. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  32. ^ "WPSL". Soccerway. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
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