The sweeping arches of Lumen Field have seen many things: Sold-out Seahawks games. The setting of a Guinness World Record for “loudest crowd roar,” twice. Also, apparently, Ed Sheeran. But avid soccer fans might know that this year, it’s seen a Seattle Sounders side with the best home record in the conference: 10 wins, six draws, and just one single loss. A loss at the hands of Minnesota United, who until this year had never been victorious at Lumen Field. Just another accolade to add to this season’s list of broken records.
Home Sweet Home
It’s no secret that the Sounders are one of the most successful franchises in league history, but their home record in particular is astounding. Lumen Field is a fortress, proof of the truth of home-field advantage.
In all their seasons in MLS, Seattle has never lost more than five matches at home in any given season. They’ve always won more than they’ve lost, never dipping lower than a 27-point threshold on their home turf. In 2017, they managed 38 points at home with 11 wins. But no season in the last five years has been quite as successful at Lumen Field as this one, with only one regular-season loss to your intrepid Loons breaking the long-standing trend of Minnesotan struggle in Seattle.
Part of it may well and truly be the fans. The stadium broke the record for Sounders event attendance in their clash with Inter Miami in August 2025, with 69,314 fans filling the sea of blue seats. In contrast, Allianz Field has a capacity of 19,400. As much as I do think the Wonderwall holds its own against any group of MLS fans, the hard numbers are difficult to ignore. There’s something to be said for the psychological benefit of having the Sounders’ average of thirty thousand fans cheering you on.
Lumen Field has gone by many names over the years — Seahawks Stadium, Qwest Field (not a typo, just a strange branding choice), CenturyLink Field — but it’s all the same venue, and it’s been the home of the Sounders since their entry into the league in 2009. Whereas the Loons started out at TCF Bank Stadium (back in the olden days, when it was still called TCF Bank Stadium) and only moved into their home at Allianz Field in 2019, the Sounders have had a solid 15 years to get comfortable.
Of course, the 2025 Sounders roster hasn’t been playing together since the ancient year 2009, but the current team does have the benefit of familiarity with their home turf/grass. Aside from a brief stint of real grass for the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer, the stadium is one of only five MLS fields to use FieldTurf rather than real or hybrid grass. Say what you will about turf technology, but anyone who’s played competitive soccer knows it just doesn’t feel the same as a real grass field. The Sounders are accustomed to playing on this terrain, which might be a large part of what gives them a leg up on their grass-dwelling opponents.
Loons on the Road
Hope is not all lost. In fact, Seattle’s “home field advantage” might just play into the Loons’ hands. Or wings. Whatever. Minnesota United has been wildly successful on the road this year, with 30 of their record 58 points coming outside of Allianz Field. The only two teams in the league with a better 2025 away record are West-winning San Diego (37 points) and FC Cincinnati (35).
The boys weren’t always the best on the road, but in the last two seasons, they’ve scored more points on the visiting side than the home one. This year in particular, history has been made on the move.
June 1, Seattle. Tani Oluwaseyi scores a brace at Lumen Field, bracketing a solid penalty goal by Robin Lod, and the Loons win in Seattle for the first time in history.
August 2, Leagues Cup. The Loons take on Club Ámerica, the best of Mexico, all the way down in Houston, and hold their own in a historic 3-3 draw. They lose in PKs, but they’ve just gone toe to toe with one of the biggest clubs on the continent.
September 13, San Diego. Nectarios Triantis makes his debut against the top of the West and hits the ground running with an assist to Carlos Harvey and then a stunning longshot in stoppage time to cement the Loons’ victory.
The Loons also logged a massive 0-3 win on the road in Austin earlier this year and booked their first victory in Salt Lake City. It’s truly been a year for the history books, with your favorite Minnesotan birds proving they know how to fly south, or west, or anywhere at all.
All that to say, Game 2 of the Round One Best-of-Three series is a match made in heaven for both the Loons and the Sounders. The Rave Green get their home audience, and the Black and Blue get their chance to double down on the season’s earlier Lumen Field victory. Three times this season, the Loons have frustrated Seattle with their ability to play out of possession. We’ve seen the effectiveness of Ramsay’s purposeful low-possession and strong set piece strategy over and over. Now back home with their backs against the wall, Seattle has even more incentive to lean into their aggressive playstyle, and that’s exactly what the Black and Blue are counting on.
This one has the potential to make even more history and rocket the Loons into the Western Conference Semifinals. Whether you’re a superfan making your way to Seattle or a loyal Loon watching from the comfort of the Twin Cities, this will be a matchup you just can’t miss.
