The Sound and the Glory: How the Seattle Sounders Showed Major League Soccer How to Win Over America

In this detailed account of the Seattle Sounders’ 2016 season, sportswriter Pentz breaks down how the franchise won its first MLS championship. The book opens with the mid-season firing of Sigi Schmid, who had been the team’s only coach since its establishment in 2007. Pentz smoothly transitions into a brief history of the team, its connection to the Seattle community, and its partnership with NFL’s Seattle Seahawks (they share a stadium) that has made it one of the best-managed and best-supported soccer clubs in the country. Pentz builds tension with the personal narratives of the players and coaches—including Jordan Morris, a Seattle local playing his first season with the team; interim coach Brian Schmetzer; and Uruguayan midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro, who was brought on just as the season began—before taking readers through the Sounders’ improbable late-season run of success that culminates in a nail-biting recap of the championship game against Toronto FC, which Seattle won in penalty kicks. Sure to be snapped up by the same enthusiastic crowds that pack the stands for Sounders games, this book will also appeal to general soccer fans, as well as anyone interested in the inner workings of a successful sports franchise. ([em]Mar.) [/em]