Lumen Field grass advocates finally get their wish. In the buildup to the Men's World Cup there's fresh grass down in SoDo, waiting. Those that preach caution also get their way – three matches in five days, all with light rain forecast.
In the first two weeks of play there are two back-to-back matchdays. With the USWNT opening the field versus Japan and then the Seattle Sounders hosting Tigres, international eyes will focus on round one.
Weekend two sees both the Reign and Sounders at home.
The grass will look amazing. These next several weeks will be a wonderful time to take the puritans in our midst down to the pitch to see local soccer on the greenest green.
With so much energy focused on the upcoming World Cup it'll almost certainly be maintained in ways that not even the NFL can do regularly.
We'll see dirt stains on shins. Grass stains will adorn shoulders. Blades of grass will stick photogenically to a face or brow.
Those little scuffing actions before a free kick will serve a purpose that is more than habitual.
And the smell... walking into Lumen with the mix of petrichor and fresh cut grass with a side of ocean breeze and garlic fries will be poetry.
These next 10 (or more, if Sounders can manage to upset Tigres) home matches by our local teams are a snapshot of a dream. Take the time to be thrilled by it. Who knows when we'll see this green again.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Wednesday, April 15 vs Tigres UANL at Lumen Field | 8:30 pm PT | FS2, TUDN | Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals Leg 2 (Seattle is down 2-0 after leg 1)
- Torched at El Volcán: Sounders limp home after 2-0 loss
- Petković placed on Season-Ending Injury List
- Realio’s Ratings: Right as rain
This newsletter was made possible through the support of Full Pull Wines, a boutique wines reseller that has been sponsoring us since 2011.
Reign
Next match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Utah Royals FC at Lumen Field | 5 pm PT | Victory +
Defiance
Next match: Sunday, April 12 at Vancouver Whitecaps II | 4 pm PT | MLSNextPro.com
- The only local pro team playing this weekend.
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
- Mia Fishel Has Never Followed the Usual Path and That’s the Point (Forty One)
- Tacoma hoping for tourism boost as Seattle hosts FIFA World Cup (KING5) Expected visitor numbers for Puget Sound are down more than 10% from initial projections.
- Kingdome's first sporting event, an exhibition soccer match (History Link)
- Sources: Neymar's camp, FC Cincinnati engage in preliminary talks (The Athletic) Cinci currently has three DPs, including Evander and Denkey.
- The data scientists trying to lift the USMNT to the World Cup (ESPN)
- Iran makes World Cup progress in talks with Infantino as war darkens June trip to US (AP)
- 'Hard to not feel scammed': World Cup fans say FIFA misled on tickets, seat map changes (The Athletic)
- FIFA creates new World Cup ticket category, deepening suspicions of deception (The Athletic) These two ticketing stories are about separate deceptions.
- FIFA faces new crisis as SoFi Stadium workers in LA threaten strike action (The Athletic)
- Why Montreal isn't hosting the World Cup — and FIFA's strict conditions for Toronto, Vancouver (CBC)
- White House wants FIFA to change transgender policy, with Women’s World Cup guarantees on the line (Yahoo)
- Nike’s high-tech 2026 World Cup jerseys have a shoulder problem (The Guardian)
- South American federation first to call for FIFA president Infantino's re-election (The Athletic)
Looking for something to do Sunday? Renton's Dragon Landing celebration is a free festival celebrating art and community in the city that is home to Sounders, Reign and Seahawks.
