October 7th was a night to remember for fans of soccer in the US. The second largest crowd in MLS history (66,452) cheered on the Seattle Sounders in a rout against Cascadia arch-rivals Portland Timbers to a final score of 3-0.
The noise in CenturyLink Field after each of the three goals and the final whistle was deafening. The atmosphere was unmatched in MLS. During halftime, I rode the elevator from the press box back down to the field with a MLS videographer. He had just been in New York the day before for the Red Bulls and Chicago Fire match and said there was no comparison in the environment. Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said to his assistant coach, Brian Schmetzer, as they entered the stadium, “This is what heaven must be like.”
Needless to say, once again I had a great time shooting the match. There were many memorable moments throughout the match, below are some of the ones I was able to capture. But still photos just can’t quite properly describe the noise. So, here’s a clip from Eddie Johnson’s goal. It still doesn’t do it justice, but you get a better feel for the craziness that erupted throughout the entire stadium.
And now, on to my photos…
The picture of the March to the Match are looking a little “riot-y.”
What a great game and a great night. As always, you captured it all beautifully.
Thanks! Yeah, shooting the March feels kinda like being in a riot. Ok, no not really. But I do love how it looks!