Let's go Sounders!

For the first time tonight, a major-league soccer team representing Seattle will step out onto the pitch and the buzz couldn't be any better. Sure the MLS kind of screwed the pooch by starting their season the same day that the NCAA Tournament starts (Screw you Butler for ruining my bracket), but it's hard not to get excited about the Sounders.

Now I'm not a big fan of soccer. In fact, I hate soccer parents, 20-something guys that try to tell me that soccer (or Futbol) is way better than football and watching soccer on TV. 

But that's mainly because I don't have anything really invested in it. I can't get behind Manchester United because it's in freakin' GREAT BRITAIN. The only matches I'll watch is when the USA gets needlessly hyped up for the World Cup and sucks a ton. 

It's different though when you have a local team to root for now. Now I can actually invest into something emotionally and it's even more fun to say you were there from the start. Seattle apparently thinks the same as they've sold more than 20,000 season tickets and expect a sell-out crowd tonight against the New York Red Bulls at Qwest Field. If the 12th man can show up to soccer games as well, MLS players aren't going to know what hit them.

"What's all this noise coming from off the field? Is somebody landing a jumbo jet next door? And what are all these people doing sitting in these seats, don't they know we're playing soccer?"

And Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid couldn't be happier about the fan buzz.

Schmid said he's counting on the Seahawks 12th Man to carry its spirit on through soccer season. "Up until now, in Major League Soccer, there's no real cauldron that you worry a lot about going in to and playing. I think we could be the first here in Seattle. I think we could make this a place where teams don't like to visit because it's a very tough place to play in." Schmid added the fans are an integral part of the game, "it's one of those sports where I think fans definitely play a big role. They can definitely motivate the players. They're almost in-sinc with each other and connected. That's something that makes soccer special. That's a connection I want to see us get between our fans and our players."

The team has already sold more than 20,000 season tickets and will host the 2009 MLS Cup. "This has always been a very vibrant soccer market. Being able to be here and return big time, major league soccer to this area, I think, is fantastic for the fans," said Schmid.

Casey will be at the game tonight, I'll be watching the thing on TV. And we'll be giving you our reactions afterward. We'll probably be giddy as school girls, so you've been warned.