Every team lays an egg every once in awhile. With their recent money-back initiative, Seattle Sounders FC are trying to make an omelet.
The headlines on Monday weren’t about Seattle’s 4-0 home loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Instead, they tackled the decision to offer season-ticket holders some recompense in the wake of the blowout. The club announced Sunday that it would give season-ticket holders a credit for the price of one match if they renew their season tickets for 2011.
General manager Adrian Hanauer, who proposed the initiative, said he doesn’t plan to make a habit out of refunds for losses. In an interview with 950 KJR-AM, host Ian Furness asked Hanauer about the statement the move makes for the players.
“Whether it was a direct statement or not, certainly it’s gotten a lot of attention,” Hanauer said. “I’m sure players have seen it and know what’s going on. I would expect training tomorrow to be active and guys to be motivated.”
The league acknowledged the club’s intentions but also looked to disapprove any precedent that might be set by the Sounders’ actions.
“Since launching the team in 2009, the Seattle ownership group has always shown a commitment to their fans," MLS president Mark Abbott told MLSsoccer.com. "That being said, however, the circumstances of this situation are unique, and I would not expect this type of offer to be made by Seattle or any other MLS teams in the future.”
Seattle’s move is certainly a rare gesture. The only example in recent memory came earlier this season, when Wigan Athletic players agreed to refund fans’ travel expenses following a 9-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. While Seattle’s stumble doesn’t quite match that lopsided score line, it was a rout for a team that has a history of keeping it close at home.
Before Saturday’s match, they had surrendered multiple goals in a league match at Qwest Field only once previously—a 3-3 draw against D.C. United on a nationally televised match in 2009. The only team to beat Sounders FC 4-0 at Qwest Field was Barcelona in a friendly.
Fans greeted the announcement positively. While nearly all of the fans MLSsoccer.com contacted would have preferred a victory, the credit seemed to appease them for now. The current results of a poll being run by the Seattle Soccer Examiner have most respondents saying the move is appreciated, but not necessary.
"I think it's a great gesture by the team," Sounders fan and season-ticket holder Paul Nelson told MLSsoccer.com. “It made the loss sting a little less on Monday morning and shows the Sounders' commitment to winning for the fans."
After a reserve match on Sunday, Sounders players had Monday off but several addressed the situation tangentially on their Twitter accounts, namely, through quotes.
Steve Zakuani quoted Charles C. Noble: "You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures."
Defender James Riley opted for Winston Churchill: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
He then added his own comment: “We begin a new day tomorrow.
