The Sounders FC invite fans to plan ahead to avoid traffic congestion and delays due to the closure of SR 99 this weekend. Both directions of SR 99 between Denny Way and South Spokane Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. This section of SR 99 will reopen two hours before the start of Sounders match to give fans plenty of time to reach the stadium; however, drivers should expect increased congestion in and near downtown Seattle during these closures and plan accordingly.

Kikcoff for the Sounders FC versus Montreal Impact is 7:30

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The Sounders have concluded their training session today, which also was their first this season at CenturyLink Field.

Coach Sigi Schmid said he told his players to look around at the empty stadium and imagine how it will be when it’s filled Saturday for the season-opener against Montreal.

“Our thing is always to start the season well,” he said. “Three points are March 2 are just as valuable as three points in October. You want to get points whenever you can, and you certainly want to win your games at home. As I told the team this morning when we stepped out here: You’ve got to look around and say what’s it going to feel like again on Saturday when this whole place is filled up and we’re ready to go. It’s something that makes you excited. We know Read more »

This just in from the Reign:

Lyndsey Patterson, a midfielder and native of Puyallup, Wash., has signed for Seattle Reign FC, pending approval by the National Women’s Soccer League. Per club and league policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Being from here I always wanted to play professional soccer and to play in front of my family of friends is a dream come true,” said Patterson. “I love the fans here and the great atmosphere they create. It’s an unbelievable feeling to be joining the Reign FC.”

Patterson, 30, has played five seasons for the Seattle Sounders Women

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Sounders FC revealed new uniforms tonight in a ceremony at the Cinerama in downtown Seattle. The primary kit retains the familiar rave green jerseys with blue shorts. However, a green stylized silhouette of the Space Needle is included on the right chest. The secondary kit is cascade shale, and the jersey includes a 2-inch stripe in team colors running vertically above and below the Sounders crest. Uniform developer Adidas also stressed that the kits weigh less than previous versions.

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Central defender Djimi Traore took part in his first training session as an official Sounder today. Afterward he met the media and said after a couple of days of training he should be ready to go … including as early as Saturday if asked.

Here’s some of the transcript (some quotes possibly not perfectly exact to a fairly heavy French accent) of the first local interview with new Sounders central defender:

On how the deal came together: A few week ago I got a phone call from my agent and he talked to me a bit about MLS and things like that. He said it was Seattle, and that was exciting because from Europe I know it is a very great club, you know, and I am so pleased to join the MLS.
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This just in from the club:

Seattle Sounders FC fans are encouraged to plan ahead and arrive early for the Sounders FC versus Montreal Impact match on Saturday, March 2. The CenturyLink Field gates open at 6 p.m. and kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Other activities include the following:

Friday, March 1
2:30-4:30 p.m. - Track the flight of the 30′ x 100′ Sounders FC scarf.

The scarf will fly over Seattle and Bellevue pending amenable weather. Fans are encouraged to share sightings and images via Twitter using the following hash tags: #SoundersRave and #ScarvesUp.

Saturday, March 2

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Midfielder Mario Martinez watched today’s training session from the sidelines at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.

“His knee was a little bit sore so we decided to go easy on him today,” coach Sigi Schmid said. “He bumped knees yesterday. We don’t think it’s anything serious. Today was just a day we thought we could be easy with him and see where he’s at tomorrow.”

I’ll have more from Schmid soon.

Second-year Sounder Babayele Sodade tweeted his goodbye to the club today. And although the Sounders say they do not yet have a personnel move regarding Sodade to announce, that seems mostly a matter of time and paperwork.

The club also clarified that Supplemental Draft pick Kevin Durr has returned to the Air Force Academy and Supplemental Draft pick Jenning Rex — whom Sigi Schmid once likened to Roger Levesque — is no longer training with the club. Read more »