Sounders

Major League Soccer tests video assistant referee during Sounders match; full rollout set for August

by Taylor Soper on July 12, 2017July 14, 2017 at 1:31 amComment

VAR made its debut at CenturyLink Field in Seattle this past weekend. VAR, also known as “video assistant referee,” is new technology that Major League Soccer is piloting to help… Read More

Why U.S. soccer star DeAndre Yedlin invested in this ‘intelligent workout’ sports tech startup

by Taylor Soper on June 20, 2017June 23, 2017 at 11:50 amComment

At just 23 years of age, DeAndre Yedlin has built quite the resume. The Seattle native was the first “homegrown” player to sign with Sounders FC; he made his first… Read More

How the Seattle Sounders use data and analytics to create an ‘evidence-based’ soccer culture

by Taylor Soper on June 11, 2017June 16, 2017 at 12:50 pm1 Comment

As a former lawyer, Garth Lagerwey knows about the value of evidence-based reasoning. Now he’s trying to apply that same line of thinking to the professional soccer club he helps… Read More

As Sounders FC looks to defend MLS Cup title, use of sports science remains a ‘competitive advantage’

by Taylor Soper on March 19, 2017March 19, 2017 at 3:57 pm 2 Comments

For the Seattle Sounders, sports analytics remains an important part of winning matches and keeping players healthy. The defending MLS Cup champions will make their 2017 home debut today at 4… Read More

Sounders FC revamps smartphone app to make mobile ticketing easier for soccer fans

by Taylor Soper on February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 at 11:33 amComment

Mobile ticketing continues to be a big focus for the Seattle Sounders. The MLS club just revamped its iOS and Android app with a redesign and a host of updated features.… Read More

Physics professor analyzes Stefan Frei’s epic save that helped the Sounders win their first MLS Cup

by Taylor Soper on December 14, 2016December 15, 2016 at 1:06 pm 5 Comments

It was the save heard ’round the soccer world. Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei pulled off what Sports Illustrated called “the greatest high-stakes save in MLS history” on Saturday when he miraculously… Read More

How sports analytics helped the Seattle Sounders make it to their first-ever MLS Cup

by Taylor Soper on December 9, 2016December 9, 2016 at 12:13 pmComment

Data and analytics surely aren’t the only reason for the Seattle Sounders’ remarkable late-season run that’s resulted in a chance to play for an MLS Cup title on Saturday. But… Read More

FOX to broadcast MLS Cup in virtual reality for first time with new custom replay feature

by Taylor Soper on December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 at 3:28 pmComment

If you can’t make it to Toronto this weekend for the MLS Cup, FOX can get you there — kind of. The cable giant will stream Saturday’s MLS final between Seattle and… Read More

‘Mr. Sounder’ Zach Scott reflects on 15-year pro soccer career and prepares for sales analyst job

by Taylor Soper on October 23, 2016October 24, 2016 at 4:45 pm 4 Comments

Growing up in Hawaii and working in pineapple fields, Zach Scott probably didn’t think he’d spend the first 15 years of his professional career playing soccer. But with perseverance, determination, a little… Read More

GeekWire Trivia: Win tickets to see the Sounders take on Real Salt Lake

by Clare McGrane on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 at 12:55 pmComment

The GeekWire Trivia Challenge is back this week as part of the GeekWire radio show and podcast. Up for grabs: a pair of tickets to the October 23 Sounders match… Read More

Sports and technology innovation collide as Sounders and Sportradar host hackathon in Seattle

by Taylor Soper on September 6, 2016September 6, 2016 at 6:02 pmComment

The next great sports technology innovation might just be invented in Seattle this weekend. The Seattle Sports Tech Meetup is hosting the first-annual Seattle Sports Tech Hackathon Sept. 10-11 at Galvanize.… Read More

Microsoft inks deal with Seattle Reign soccer team for jersey sponsorship

by Taylor Soper on April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 at 6:40 pmComment

Microsoft is becoming the de-facto jersey sponsor for professional soccer teams based in Seattle. Seattle Reign FC today announced that Microsoft will serve as its presenting partner for the 2016 season,… Read More

Detlef Schrempf, Brad Evans, Adrian Hanauer talk sports tech at the 2016 GeekWire Bash

by Taylor Soper on March 30, 2016April 10, 2017 at 8:31 amComment

On one end of the CenturyLink Events Center at last week’s GeekWire Bash, former NBA star Detlef Schrempf sank jumpers like it was the 1996 NBA Finals. Nearby was Sounders FC defender Brad Evans… Read More

Sounders debut ‘DeskSite,’ a DVR-like desktop platform for highlights and interviews

by Taylor Soper on March 28, 2016March 28, 2016 at 10:55 amComment

Sounders fans have a new tech tool available to watch on-demand highlights, interviews, and other team-related videos. As part of a new deal with DeskSite, the Sounders recently launched the “Sounders… Read More

Interview: Soccer star Clint Dempsey on gaming, wearables, and the top Sounders FIFA players

by Taylor Soper on February 23, 2016February 25, 2016 at 11:47 amComment

“Crazy that a kid from Nacogdoches, Texas made the cover of FIFA 15 #StartedFromTheBottom.” That was a caption Clint Dempsey penned on an Instagram post after the Sounders striker shared the… Read More

How the Sounders learned from Delta and Starbucks for club’s mobile ticketing rollout

by Taylor Soper on February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 at 3:59 pm 4 Comments

The Sounders will sport a new look in more ways than one when the soccer club kicks off its 2016 campaign on Tuesday evening in Seattle. For one, star striker Obafemi… Read More

Soccer with smartphones: How the Sounders are ditching traditional tickets and moving to mobile

by Taylor Soper on February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 at 1:40 pmComment

The Sounders are betting big on mobile. For the past four years, Seattle’s professional soccer club mailed physical “MatchPass” plastic cards to season ticket holders, replacing paper tickets the team… Read More

Sounders partner with Kitman Labs to use injury prevention technology

by Taylor Soper on December 10, 2015December 10, 2015 at 11:21 amComment

The Seattle Sounders FC is adding yet another technology tool to its arsenal of gadgets and software that help players perform at their highest level while preventing injury. The soccer club… Read More

Photos: Seattle Sounders debut new Halo-themed jerseys as part of Microsoft sponsorship

by Taylor Soper on September 29, 2015October 7, 2015 at 11:36 pmComment

Video games and soccer will meet like never before on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Seattle Sounders FC players will don a custom jersey design for their home match against Los Angeles that’s… Read More

Sounders tease ‘huge’ announcement with mysterious Halo 5 connection

by Taylor Soper on September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 at 9:50 pmComment

Seattle Sounders FC is prepping for a Halo 5-related announcement tomorrow. The soccer club today posted a short video and tweet teasing a “huge announcement” being made on Tuesday. The tweet… Read More

Soccer and tech: How the Sounders separate noise from signal with wearable tracking data

by Taylor Soper on September 19, 2015September 24, 2015 at 7:56 amComment

While many soccer clubs now use wearable trackers to gain additional insight into player performance, the Seattle Sounders FC was largely ahead of the curve, utilizing new gadgets and software to gain… Read More

From Microsoft to the MLS: Ravi Ramineni crunches data to help the Sounders win

by Taylor Soper on August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 at 11:45 am 2 Comments

Having worked at Microsoft for seven years on projects like Bing and fraud management, Ravi Ramineni understands how to extract relevant information from massive datasets. He also happens to be a huge soccer fan… Read More

Earthquake fears in Seattle; Amazon rants; and other top stories from July

by John Cook on August 2, 2015August 2, 2015 at 10:33 pmComment

The sun is shining. The Blue Angels are soaring. And Seattle is enjoying (or complaining about) the dog days of summer. And, yes, we have still not found Amazon.com’s mysterious… Read More

Sounders exec Adrian Hanauer: ‘We want to be the most innovative franchise in North America’

by Taylor Soper on July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 at 9:12 amComment

Whether it’s using wearable devices to track fitness performance or hiring an in-house developer to whip up custom mobile apps, the Seattle Sounders are placing a priority on technology. That… Read More

What to know if you’re coming to Saturday’s sold-out GeekWire Sounders Day bash

by John Cook on July 17, 2015April 10, 2017 at 9:56 amComment

Soccer and sunshine on a beautiful Seattle summer day That’s right, Sounders fans, match day is almost here. The third annual GeekWire Sounders Day — hosted on the amazing rooftop… Read More

Microsoft’s executive shake-up and new mission, a DIY air conditioner and other top posts for the month of June

by John Cook on July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 at 8:21 am1 Comment

Things certainly heated up at GeekWire during the month of June. We reported live from the U.S. Open golf tournament, part of our expanded coverage of the collision of sports… Read More

These wearable trackers help the Sounders dominate professional soccer in the U.S.

by Taylor Soper on April 16, 2015April 16, 2015 at 2:54 pm1 Comment

The Seattle Sounders FC has consistently been one of the most dominant MLS soccer squads in its six years of existence. While the team has yet to win an MLS Cup, it has qualified for… Read More

Microsoft Xbox extends Sounders jersey sponsorship through 2016

by Taylor Soper on December 18, 2014February 8, 2015 at 4:01 pmComment

Microsoft will sponsor the Seattle Sounders FC jerseys for at least two more seasons. The MLS team confirmed with GeekWire that Xbox will continue to print its logo on the Sounders… Read More

Sounders use drones at soccer practice to film new vantage points

by Taylor Soper on November 7, 2014February 8, 2015 at 4:35 pmComment

The Sounders are now using aerial robots to help them win soccer matches. Seattle’s professional club is testing the use of drones at practice to record new vantage points of… Read More

Swype debuts MLS-branded, soccer-themed Android keyboards

by Taylor Soper on August 20, 2014February 8, 2015 at 4:35 pm 4 Comments

The popular Android-based Swype keyboard is getting a soccer makeover. Starting today, Swype users will be able to personalize their keyboards with Major League Soccer-branded team themes. Whether you’re a Sounders or Timbers… Read More