The Seattle Sounders' widespread popularity is already well known among those that follow Major League Soccer, whether from up close or afar. The league-leading attendance numbers are only the tip of the iceberg for the Emerald City team.
Seattly is truly a soccer city, in every sense of the term. But American soccer fans already know that.
On Tuesday night, many sports fans that aren't particularly keen on soccer — much like Sounders minority owner Drew Carey, interviewed for the feature, was at one time — will be exposed to the phemomenon that is the Sounders in Seattle. HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (10 pm ET, HBO) will feature the team and its footprint in the city.
"We've had Barcelona come here, Chelsea, Manchester United, and they all say the same thing," Sounders majority owner Joe Roth says in the released preview of the feature (above). "They say, 'We would never believe this could take place in America.'"
And Carey's reason for getting involved with a soccer franchise in the first place? He wanted to bring the fan vote to American sports. In his words, "That was the only reason."
