Fan guide to Starfire and Tukwila

Starfire Sports is a great little youth and amateur soccer venue that also hosts Seattle Sounders FC (training and US Open Cup), Sounders 2 (training and all home matches) and the Sounders Academy. Today's match against the Sacramento Republic is the first competitive match of S2's short existence and a reminder that this season there will be much more Starfire in 4,000 people's lives.

Where is it?

It is nestled in a bend in the Green River just south of where the confluence of the Black and Green Rivers where they become the Duwamish. It is just about 1000 feet north of I-405 on Interuban Avenue and a half mile east of I-5. The address is;

Starfire Sports
14800 Starfire Way
Tukwila, WA 98188

There isn't much parking there. What can I do?

Arrive early, but there's not much to do on the campus (Mad Pizza, a cafe and high school sports style concessions). Better options are available this year.

• You can take the 150 or the light rail and a short taxi ride
• Bus from Fuel. "Join Emerald City Supporters at Fuel Sports in Pioneer Square for pre-match festivities. Then take the Fuel Bus to Starfire Stadium, leaving Fuel one hour before kick-off.
• Shuttle from Southcenter Mall "The Beeline shuttle picks up just off Strander Blvd. between the Olympic Parking Garage and shopping center entrance on the southwest side of the shopping center."
• Shuttle from Odin Brewing where Gorilla FC and Sacramento's Tower Battalion will pregame.

Southcenter isn't a great place to pregame, is it?

Almost certainly not now, but with 14+ matches it could change. BJ's Brewpub is a mass market brewpub that once changed a TV to soccer for me, but is certainly going to be NCAA tournament stuff this year. Duke's Chowder House is a bit pricey for chowder, but it's damn delicious. There's also a typical mall food court, Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, an Olive Garden and other American chains.

So tell me about Odin

It's relatively new to the area. Just south of Acme Bowl the new location for a classic Seattle brewery it is usually spacious, but with two SGs (including a visiting one) it should be hopping. They've got some unique beers that use juniper and other spices small amounts.

I'm not into partying, I'm going for soccer. What's the stadium like?

Starfire Stadium is a lot like a decent high school football stadium. The covered grandstand is a concrete structure with bleachers, but now the center three sections have green or white seatbacks that say SFC when they are empty. We'll find out how those do with a standing crowd tonight. The General Admission section with the flags and crazies is on the east end of that stand. On the bench side the stand is not covered and is a steel structure. There are also a lot of standing areas, a beer garden and a stand of trees that block the sight of the train tracks.

I can't go. How do I watch?

The team will have all games on YouTube. That link will be all over social media and it will be embedded on Sounder at Heart as well. SaH will also treat the gamethread more like a livethread where staff will tell you what they see. We'll also have a recap and player ratings posts.

Who is going to play?

Sounders 2 have a shallow roster that will be supplemented by loans down from the 1st Team and U18 players playing up (though that will be a small number today as they play Crossfire). The direct to S2 players are F/RW Andy Craven, RM/LM/CM Sam Garza, F Qudus Lawal, CB/CDM Aaron Long, CDM/CM Duncan McCormick, CB Nick Miele, CAM/WF Pablo Rossi, and CDM/RB Amadou Sanyang. Many of the 1st Teams' youngest players will get playing time down with S2. Expect to see the HGPs Kovar, Jones and Mansaray; GA players like Roldan and Lowe, draftees like Remick, Ockford and Fisher; and international signee Andreas Correa.

Sacramento is slightly weakened from the USL Championship winning side last year.

This sounds like fun during the bye week. When is it again?

The match starts at 7:30 PM at Starfire Stadium. The gamethread will be up 90 minutes prior to kick.