SEATTLE – The Seattle Sounders’ triumph over the New York Red Bulls at CenturyLink Field on Sunday wasn’t just the Western Conference team's first win of 2017.
It was also a statement of intent as they embark on their MLS Cup defense.
The match was Seattle’s first inside the friendly confines of CenturyLink since their championship victory last December. The atmosphere for Sunday’s match was predictably raucous, as a celebratory crowd of 45,600 fans packed in to watch Seattle unveil their championship banner before gliding to a 3-1 victory thanks to a strong performance from their attackers.