Sounders Fans Will Get 800 Tickets For Portland, Vancouver Away Matches

UPDATE: The Alliance Council has released a statement confirming the reports of Sounders fans being allocated 800 tickets for their four away Cascadia Cup matches. The statement also revealed that unaffiliated Sounders fans will receive 74 of those tickets, meaning unlike last year you won't have to be a member of a supporters' group to sit in the visitor's section. Those 74 tickets will be distributed via lottery conducted by the Sounders with further details announced at a later date. (Full statement here)

Seattle Sounders fans will receive 800 750 tickets for each of the four away matches at the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, it was revealed on Thursday. This represents a more than 50 percent increase over last year's visitor-allotment.

The dramatically increased number still falls a bit short of the respective supporters' groups desire to see 5 percent of the available seating set aside for away support, but it shows an undeniable move in that direction. It also makes good on the respective front-office's promises to increase away-support allotments as long as the groups behaved themselves. All six 2011 Cascadia Cup games went off without a significant incident between rival fans.

This year, there will be nine games between the three teams, with the Sounders visiting Portland and Vancouver twice each. There have been rumors that the Sounders will open the entire stadium for at least one of the two Cascadia Cup games they host. As part of that, the Sounders would likely allocate even more than 800 750 tickets for away supporters.

Aside from the 600 tickets that will apparently be allocated through ECS, it's not entirely clear how the remainder of tickets will be dispersed. Last year, only members of supporters groups were able to buy tickets in the designated visitor's section. With so many more tickets available, unaffiliated fans could be allowed access to those tickets as well.