The
2024 season is the sixteenth season for
Seattle Sounders FC in
Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club
soccer in the United States. It will be the 41st season for a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the
first incarnation of the franchise. The team remains under the management of
Brian Schmetzer in his eighth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The Sounders finished second in the Western Conference during the 2023 regular season and qualified for the
MLS Cup Playoffs after missing the 2022 edition.[1] The team were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by
Los Angeles FC, which ended a 19-match home unbeaten streak in the playoffs.[2] Throughout the year, Seattle had one of the best defenses in MLS but were unable to produce many goals, especially during the absence of
Cristian Roldan.[3] The roster had not changed significantly during the year due to
salary cap constraints and largely was retained from the
2022 season.[4]
The 2024 season is the first for the Sounders under their updated logo, unveiled in September 2023 as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations.[5] It is also the first season at their new headquarters and training facility, the Sounders FC Center at
Longacres in
Renton, which opened in February 2024 and replaced the
Starfire Sports complex in nearby
Tukwila.[6][7] The new facility, shared with the
Tacoma Defiance and academy teams, includes four full-size fields, a dedicated kitchen and lounge, and a players' clubhouse.[6]
Summary
Preseason
The team was expected to undergo major roster changes after the expiration of contracts for key players according to
Craig Waibel, who is in his second year as general manager.[8] Among the departures is former captain and midfielder
Nicolás Lodeiro, who has a
Designated Player contract that expires during the offseason.[9] He entered
free agency on December 12, 2023.[10][11] Seattle's two other Designated Players,
Raúl Ruidíaz and
Albert Rusnák, have contracts that run through the season.[12][13]
On December 4, 2023, the club announced that they would retain 22 players from the 2023 roster and declined the contract options for backup goalkeeper
Stefan Cleveland, midfielder
Ethan Dobbelaere, and forward
Héber.[14] Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei signed a new two-year contract the following day.[15] The Sounders selected three players in the
2024 MLS SuperDraft, including two from colleges in the Pacific Northwest, and acquired defender
Jonathan Bell in the
Re-Entry Draft.[16][17] Bell was signed on January 12 alongside forward
Braudílio Rodrigues, a former Tacoma Defiance player.[18] On January 24, the team announced the signing of Argentinian forward
Pedro de la Vega to four-year
Young Designated Player contract—the first in Sounders history.[19]
The Sounders opened their training camp in the Seattle area on January 16 and then traveled to
Marbella Football Center Spain for preseason friendlies and additional training.[20][21] The team played their first preseason opponent, Serbian club
FK TSC, on January 31 and won 3–2 over the course of two hour-long scrimmages with two different lineups.[22] The Sounders then defeated Swedish side
IFK Norrköping and lost to Danish side
Odense BK in two matches; all three matches in Marbella were played without the team's starting defenders due to injuries and national team call-ups.[23][24] The team returned to Seattle and opened the new Longacres training facility on February 13.[6] The Sounders played their final preseason friendlies against
Sacramento Republic FC and reserves from the Tacoma Defiance at Longacres on February 17; the team lost the first match against Sacramento and won the second match, which was split between Sacramento and Tacoma players. Following the matches, Schmetzer said that the Sounders "didn't play up to their potential" but said that new signing Pedro de la Vega's abilities "are as advertised".[25]
Regular season
The first match of the season, against
MLS Cup runners-up
Los Angeles FC, was played on the road due to the installation of new
FieldTurf at
Lumen Field.[10] The Sounders traveled without several injured starters, including goalkeeper
Stefan Frei, defender
Yeimar Gómez Andrade, and midfielder
Albert Rusnák. The team played with a modified two-forward formation and conceded two goals by the 55th minute; back-up goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas made four saves in his debut. Pedro de la Vega scored from a penalty kick in the 72nd minute that was awarded by the
video assistant referee for a foul on
Jordan Morris; the match ended in a 2–1 loss for Seattle.[26]
Former captain and midfielder
Osvaldo Alonso returned to retire with the Sounders and signed a
one-day contract on February 29, 2024.[27] The team's home opener ended as a scoreless draw with
Austin FC; the Sounders outshot their opponent 24–3 but were unable to score from their chances.[28] Pedro de la Vega left early in the second half with a right hamstrung injury, which the Sounders later announced would prevent him from playing for six to eight weeks.[29] The team traveled across the country to face the
Philadelphia Union at
Subaru Park, but the match was suspended in the sixth minute due to the waterlogged field. After an evaluation, the match was postponed to a later date; the Union's planned trip to Mexico for the
CONCACAF Champions Cup made a next-day rematch infeasible.[30]
Note: Sacramento was replaced by
Tacoma Defiance players for the second half of the match.[32]
Competitions
In addition to league play, the Sounders will also participate in several cup competitions. In July and August, MLS play will halt for the
Leagues Cup, an international competition with
Liga MX clubs hosted in the United States and Canada.[33] Seattle is one of eight MLS clubs that will participate in the
U.S. Open Cup based on the 2023
Supporters' Shield standings; other MLS teams will be represented by
MLS Next Pro squads as part of a compromise between MLS and U.S. Soccer.[34] MLS had previously announced their intention to not send any senior MLS squads to the competition due to fixture congestion and other factors.[35]
Updated to match(es) played on April 27, 2024. Source:
MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Updated to match(es) played on April 27, 2024. Source:
MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Source:
MLS A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Regular season
The 2024 regular season schedule was released on December 20, 2023. The Sounders will play 34 matches during the regular season from February 24 to October 19. Of those regular season matches, 28 will be played against teams in the
Western Conference; the six matches against teams from the
Eastern Conference will all be played before the Leagues Cup break in July.[33]
On March 1, 2024, the Sounders were confirmed as one of eight MLS clubs that will enter the
2024 U.S. Open Cup in the round of 32 with their full senior squad, while other MLS clubs will be represented by their
MLS Next Pro counterparts. Seattle qualified as one of the top seven clubs in the
2023 regular season standings that is not participating in the
2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.[37]
The
2024 Leagues Cup, the second edition of the expanded inter-league competition between MLS and
Liga MX hosted in the United States and Canada, is scheduled to begin on July 26. All MLS matches will be paused until the end of the tournament on August 25. The Sounders were drawn into group West 6 alongside
Minnesota United FC and Liga MX's
Club Necaxa; the competition's schedule was released on March 14, 2024.[38] MLS teams will play a minimum of two matches in the tournament, of which they host at least one; matches will not include
extra time and proceed directly into a penalty shootout if tied after regulation.[39]
First match(es) will be played: July 26, 2024. Source:
Leagues Cup Rules for classification:
Tiebreakers
Players
For the 2024 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players.[40] A base
salary cap of $5.47 million applied to the non-supplemental players with exceptions for certain categories, including up to three
Designated Players who counted for a set amount in the cap.[40] The Sounders were also allocated six
international slots that were filled by players from outside the United States who did not have a
green card. Two of these slots were traded in January 2024 to
Los Angeles FC for
general allocation money to be used in 2025.[41]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2024 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 24, 2024, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
For transfers in, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially signed the player to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.[44]
One-year contract with options for 2025 and 2026; college priority rights traded from
New York City FC for natural third-round pick in
2025 MLS SuperDraft[47]
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the
2024 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.
The
2024 season is the sixteenth season for
Seattle Sounders FC in
Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club
soccer in the United States. It will be the 41st season for a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the
first incarnation of the franchise. The team remains under the management of
Brian Schmetzer in his eighth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The Sounders finished second in the Western Conference during the 2023 regular season and qualified for the
MLS Cup Playoffs after missing the 2022 edition.[1] The team were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by
Los Angeles FC, which ended a 19-match home unbeaten streak in the playoffs.[2] Throughout the year, Seattle had one of the best defenses in MLS but were unable to produce many goals, especially during the absence of
Cristian Roldan.[3] The roster had not changed significantly during the year due to
salary cap constraints and largely was retained from the
2022 season.[4]
The 2024 season is the first for the Sounders under their updated logo, unveiled in September 2023 as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations.[5] It is also the first season at their new headquarters and training facility, the Sounders FC Center at
Longacres in
Renton, which opened in February 2024 and replaced the
Starfire Sports complex in nearby
Tukwila.[6][7] The new facility, shared with the
Tacoma Defiance and academy teams, includes four full-size fields, a dedicated kitchen and lounge, and a players' clubhouse.[6]
Summary
Preseason
The team was expected to undergo major roster changes after the expiration of contracts for key players according to
Craig Waibel, who is in his second year as general manager.[8] Among the departures is former captain and midfielder
Nicolás Lodeiro, who has a
Designated Player contract that expires during the offseason.[9] He entered
free agency on December 12, 2023.[10][11] Seattle's two other Designated Players,
Raúl Ruidíaz and
Albert Rusnák, have contracts that run through the season.[12][13]
On December 4, 2023, the club announced that they would retain 22 players from the 2023 roster and declined the contract options for backup goalkeeper
Stefan Cleveland, midfielder
Ethan Dobbelaere, and forward
Héber.[14] Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei signed a new two-year contract the following day.[15] The Sounders selected three players in the
2024 MLS SuperDraft, including two from colleges in the Pacific Northwest, and acquired defender
Jonathan Bell in the
Re-Entry Draft.[16][17] Bell was signed on January 12 alongside forward
Braudílio Rodrigues, a former Tacoma Defiance player.[18] On January 24, the team announced the signing of Argentinian forward
Pedro de la Vega to four-year
Young Designated Player contract—the first in Sounders history.[19]
The Sounders opened their training camp in the Seattle area on January 16 and then traveled to
Marbella Football Center Spain for preseason friendlies and additional training.[20][21] The team played their first preseason opponent, Serbian club
FK TSC, on January 31 and won 3–2 over the course of two hour-long scrimmages with two different lineups.[22] The Sounders then defeated Swedish side
IFK Norrköping and lost to Danish side
Odense BK in two matches; all three matches in Marbella were played without the team's starting defenders due to injuries and national team call-ups.[23][24] The team returned to Seattle and opened the new Longacres training facility on February 13.[6] The Sounders played their final preseason friendlies against
Sacramento Republic FC and reserves from the Tacoma Defiance at Longacres on February 17; the team lost the first match against Sacramento and won the second match, which was split between Sacramento and Tacoma players. Following the matches, Schmetzer said that the Sounders "didn't play up to their potential" but said that new signing Pedro de la Vega's abilities "are as advertised".[25]
Regular season
The first match of the season, against
MLS Cup runners-up
Los Angeles FC, was played on the road due to the installation of new
FieldTurf at
Lumen Field.[10] The Sounders traveled without several injured starters, including goalkeeper
Stefan Frei, defender
Yeimar Gómez Andrade, and midfielder
Albert Rusnák. The team played with a modified two-forward formation and conceded two goals by the 55th minute; back-up goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas made four saves in his debut. Pedro de la Vega scored from a penalty kick in the 72nd minute that was awarded by the
video assistant referee for a foul on
Jordan Morris; the match ended in a 2–1 loss for Seattle.[26]
Former captain and midfielder
Osvaldo Alonso returned to retire with the Sounders and signed a
one-day contract on February 29, 2024.[27] The team's home opener ended as a scoreless draw with
Austin FC; the Sounders outshot their opponent 24–3 but were unable to score from their chances.[28] Pedro de la Vega left early in the second half with a right hamstrung injury, which the Sounders later announced would prevent him from playing for six to eight weeks.[29] The team traveled across the country to face the
Philadelphia Union at
Subaru Park, but the match was suspended in the sixth minute due to the waterlogged field. After an evaluation, the match was postponed to a later date; the Union's planned trip to Mexico for the
CONCACAF Champions Cup made a next-day rematch infeasible.[30]
Note: Sacramento was replaced by
Tacoma Defiance players for the second half of the match.[32]
Competitions
In addition to league play, the Sounders will also participate in several cup competitions. In July and August, MLS play will halt for the
Leagues Cup, an international competition with
Liga MX clubs hosted in the United States and Canada.[33] Seattle is one of eight MLS clubs that will participate in the
U.S. Open Cup based on the 2023
Supporters' Shield standings; other MLS teams will be represented by
MLS Next Pro squads as part of a compromise between MLS and U.S. Soccer.[34] MLS had previously announced their intention to not send any senior MLS squads to the competition due to fixture congestion and other factors.[35]
Updated to match(es) played on April 27, 2024. Source:
MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Updated to match(es) played on April 27, 2024. Source:
MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Source:
MLS A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Regular season
The 2024 regular season schedule was released on December 20, 2023. The Sounders will play 34 matches during the regular season from February 24 to October 19. Of those regular season matches, 28 will be played against teams in the
Western Conference; the six matches against teams from the
Eastern Conference will all be played before the Leagues Cup break in July.[33]
On March 1, 2024, the Sounders were confirmed as one of eight MLS clubs that will enter the
2024 U.S. Open Cup in the round of 32 with their full senior squad, while other MLS clubs will be represented by their
MLS Next Pro counterparts. Seattle qualified as one of the top seven clubs in the
2023 regular season standings that is not participating in the
2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.[37]
The
2024 Leagues Cup, the second edition of the expanded inter-league competition between MLS and
Liga MX hosted in the United States and Canada, is scheduled to begin on July 26. All MLS matches will be paused until the end of the tournament on August 25. The Sounders were drawn into group West 6 alongside
Minnesota United FC and Liga MX's
Club Necaxa; the competition's schedule was released on March 14, 2024.[38] MLS teams will play a minimum of two matches in the tournament, of which they host at least one; matches will not include
extra time and proceed directly into a penalty shootout if tied after regulation.[39]
First match(es) will be played: July 26, 2024. Source:
Leagues Cup Rules for classification:
Tiebreakers
Players
For the 2024 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players.[40] A base
salary cap of $5.47 million applied to the non-supplemental players with exceptions for certain categories, including up to three
Designated Players who counted for a set amount in the cap.[40] The Sounders were also allocated six
international slots that were filled by players from outside the United States who did not have a
green card. Two of these slots were traded in January 2024 to
Los Angeles FC for
general allocation money to be used in 2025.[41]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2024 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 24, 2024, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
For transfers in, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially signed the player to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.[44]
One-year contract with options for 2025 and 2026; college priority rights traded from
New York City FC for natural third-round pick in
2025 MLS SuperDraft[47]
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the
2024 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.