Mobile ticketing continues to be a big focus for the Seattle Sounders. The MLS club just revamped its iOS and Android app with a redesign and a host of updated features. Sounders COO Bart Wiley told GeekWire that one of the most important changes was giving season ticket holders an easier way to access tickets on their smartphone. Last season, the Sounders made a big shift toward mobile ticketing, asking season ticket holders to use their phone as a ticket, instead of plastic “MatchPass” cards used in the past. Seattle was the first MLS team to adopt full-on mobile ticketing for season ticket holders; this… Read More
It was the save heard ’round the soccer world. Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei pulled off what Sports Illustrated called “the greatest high-stakes save in MLS history” on Saturday when he miraculously fended off a late-match shot that ultimately helped Seattle win its first MLS Cup. Frei, who was named MVP of the final versus Toronto after racking up eight saves, almost defied physics with the acrobatic, one-handed save that required quickness, flexibility, strength, soccer IQ, and much more. It not only kept the match tied at 0-0 in the second overtime period but also preserved what ended up being a historic season. To… Read More
Data and analytics surely aren’t the only reason for the Seattle Sounders’ remarkable late-season run that’s resulted in a chance to play for an MLS Cup title on Saturday. But it’s clearly helped. As Seattle’s professional soccer club faces off against Toronto in its first-ever MLS Cup this weekend — 5 p.m. kickoff on Saturday; you can watch the action in virtual reality — GeekWire spoke with head coach Brian Schmetzer and Sport Science and Performance Manager Dave Tenney to learn more about the team’s use of data and analytics to improve the performance of its players on the pitch. The Sounders… Read More
If you can’t make it to Toronto this weekend for the MLS Cup, FOX can get you there — kind of. The cable giant will stream Saturday’s MLS final between Seattle and Toronto in virtual reality for the first time, partnering with a company called LiveLike to broadcast the action in VR. Viewers will have five camera angles to pick from; there’s also a “virtual suite” you can enter that shows rosters and live stats. You can watch via the FOX Sports VR app — for iOS, Android, Gear VR — and you don’t need additional hardware to check out VR stream, though those with a… Read More
Growing up in Hawaii and working in pineapple fields, Zach Scott probably didn’t think he’d spend the first 15 years of his professional career playing soccer. But with perseverance, determination, a little luck, and a lot of hard work, Scott has defied stereotypes during his remarkable career with the Seattle Sounders FC. The 36-year-old will play his final professional soccer match Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. Known as “Mr. Sounder,” Scott spent his entire career — 15 seasons and 349 games — with the Sounders organization, starting in 2002 when the team was part of the United Soccer League, to when the club entered… Read More
