"This is gonna be a big f'ing game!"
That's the rallying cry former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch provided as Seattle Sounders FC's two-legged Concacaf Champions League Final series against Liga MX's Pumas UNAM arrives over the next week-plus.
Seattle play Leg 1 down in Mexico City on Wednesday, before returning to Lumen Field on May 4 for Leg 2 – at which point Lynch expects all seats to be filled for what could be a history-making occasion.
The Sounders' home venue can seat upwards of 72,000 fans, which would be an MLS record for a CCL final after CF Montréal had just over 61,000 fans attend their 2015 final vs. Liga MX's Santos Laguna. Seattle's MLS Cup 2019 win over Toronto FC featured 69,274 fans in attendance.
Lynch's video, which features a surprise appearance from a "tiny f'ing dog," borrows a line from Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer that's become the club's motto heading into the matchup.
To reach this point, Seattle knocked off Motagua (Honduras) in the quarterfinals and Club Leon (Mexico) in the semifinals before beating fellow MLS side NYCFC in the semifinals. The two-time MLS Cup champions have made a final all but one year since 2016, when Schmetzer took over.
This is the fifth time an MLS team has reached the continental tournament's final stage, with Real Salt Lake (2011), Montréal (2015), Toronto (2018) and LAFC (2020) all falling to Mexican foes. But with Lynch noting "we about to make history," perhaps a new chapter arrives in the Pacific Northwest.
Lynch, of course, made his name in Seattle as one of the most beloved Seahawks ever, endearing himself to fans with his physical running style and affable personality off the field. With the Seahawks, the man affectionately known as "Beast Mode" ran for over 1,000 yards in four different seasons and helped the team win Super Bowl XLVIII.
