TUKWILA, Wash. – It wouldn’t be a discussion about CenturyLink Field without a little bit of talk about turf, would it?
The Seattle Sounders announced a new 10-year extension on their lease of CenturyLink on Monday – a move that will keep the club at the field they’ve called home since their inaugural MLS season in 2009 through at least 2028. But now that we know for sure that Seattle won’t be getting a soccer-specific stadium anytime soon, questions remain on how to improve CenturyLink’s oft-discussed playing surface.
The quality of the turf at CenturyLink has been a point of contention for Seattle opponents in the past. Last season, former Toronto FC coach Ryan Nelsen was critical of the field leading up to one of his team’s games against Seattle.
“You've got not just an artificial field," Nelsen said. "It’s a bad artificial field."
Veteran players like Thierry Henry and David Beckham have also taken games off at CenturyLink, citing the physical toll that the surface can take on their bodies.
Sounders minority owner Adrian Hanauer and head coach Sigi Schmid each discussed their reactions to the extension, with both expressing hope that a compromise can be reached with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks – with whom the Sounders share CenturyLink – on how to keep the turf in condition that works for both clubs.
Hanauer said that the field will have new turf installed prior to next season and indicated that there could be an agreement that would see the surface replaced every four years.
“Certainly the turf is on its last legs and for us, we’re excited about a new installation,” Hanauer said. “As part of our agreement, the turf will get replaced every four years or earlier – if the two organizations agree – which is a step in the right direction for us."
Speaking with reporters after Seattle’s training session on Tuesday, Schmid also discussed his thoughts regarding the surface.
“As long as we get new turf every so often, I’m okay with [the extension],” Schmid said. “This’ll be the last year of the turf that’s there now, so we’ll get new turf next year. As long as they keep looking at options as to maybe ‘can we put grass on that thing one day?’ – that’d be great.”
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In the end, however, the gaudy attendance numbers and notable home-field advantage the Sounders have developed at CenturyLink were enough to convince the club that staying was the right long-term move. The Sounders have sold out 109 consecutive matches at the stadium and have established a reputation for one of the most raucous fanbases in MLS.
“I think the atmosphere is fantastic, the location is great,” Schmid said. “It gives a lot of options for growth to the club, so I’m glad the organization felt good enough about the extension to come to an agreement.”
Hanauer added that the team’s ultimate goal is to continue selling out every home game – while also fully opening the top decks at CenturyLink that increase the stadium capacity to 67,000. The Sounders perennially lead MLS in attendance, drawing almost 40,000 fans per game.
“We eventually want 67,000 people in CenturyLink for every single match,” Hanauer said. “And thankfully, we don’t have a 22,000-seat stadium in the suburbs because we wouldn’t have as big as a home-field advantage as we do today. And we have lots of room to grow.”
