Seattle is the jewel of the Pacific Northwest, a place that is lovely to visit and welcome to cultures and visitors from all around the world. Seattle is also a soccer haven, a place that has loved the sport decades before it became popular to do so. It was the perfect place for a potential groundbreaking moment for the U.S. national team.
This year’s World Cup adventure for my fiancée, Johanna, and me extends to five of the 16 host cities, four in the U.S. and one in Canada. Throughout the past few weeks, I took readers behind the scenes at what it was like to be a fan in each city and each stadium — what the city was like and what the stadium experience was like to make the fan experience as seamless as possible.
Our fifth and final stop was Seattle, a place we’ve visited multiple times and always enjoyed thanks to the hospitality from the wonderful people at Visit Seattle. From the beginning of the tournament when picking tickets, we selected the Round of 32 and Round of 16 games intentionally, hoping the U.S. would win its group and knowing that would be its path in the knockout rounds. Once it came true and we got to enjoy seeing a 2-0 win over Bosnia in San Jose, the excitement and anticipation would be even more increased in Seattle.
When the gates were opening with three hours before kickoff, there were thousands already there to enter and enjoy the fan activations, the usual sponsorships plus a massive crowd surrounding the Fox set outside the Seattle Stadium. Given Belgium’s relative struggles going into the Round of 16 and the dominant way the U.S. beat Bosnia, there was unbridled hope throughout the stands.
That hope led to disappointment early when it was 0-1; a temporary release of celebration at 1-1 off another Malik Tillman free kick; and then a quick silence when Belgium retook the lead. The anticipation in the second half turned to disappointment, then depression, at 3-1 and eventually 4-1. The effort from the U.S. team was not what was needed to win, even if the crowd was ready to, as it often is in Seattle, the 12th man.
The final whistle came, mercifully instead of celebratory in this case. The crowd, stunned for most of the second half and quieted by the professional nature of Belgium’s performance, filed out in resignation. They could at least have one tiny comfort in that there is plenty to do around the stadium for those who wanted to drink and eat their sadness away.
The Fan Experience
Getting to the Game: From our hotel, we walked a few blocks to get the free Match Day Shuttle that was running throughout downtown. We got on the shuttle at 2:11 p.m. and were by the drop-off spot 10 minutes later, starting the fan process into Seattle Stadium at 2:27 and inside the gates by 2:30. Super efficient and easy to get through the process.
Leaving the Game: We started to leave our seats at 7 p.m. and were out of the stadium within 15 minutes after walking down the fan concourses. We took the free shuttle back to the hotel as well.
One more thing … is where Johanna can say what she thinks about the experience. Here are her thoughts: Lumen Field, I mean Seattle Stadium, is definitely a unique experience. While I loved how the crowd noise and atmosphere was contained in the open-air stadium, the steep climb up to our seats and sharp look straight down definitely sparked a fear of heights. We also stood in the merch line pregame that wrapped around the lower concourse, which gave me flashbacks to Houston. Alas, this one moved so much more efficiently and we had plenty of time to get food before hiking up to our seats. I would have ranked this game and experience even higher had the USMNT showed up. If I was rooting for Belgium (remember how I did in Vancouver?), I would have given this a 100/10.
Where We Ate
Von’s 1000 Spirits: This is always our first stop when we get into town. Open late, great selection of drinks and the fish taco appetizer is big enough that some would even consider it a main entrée. They were, typically, terrific. We also then ordered the Beecher’s macaroni and cheese to split, and it was amazing before the two pizzas that we got came to the table. It never disappoints.
Proper Fish: On Bainbridge Island, the wait is worth it for this seafood restaurant. I’ve had fish and chips plenty of times in London and this spot has the best fish and chips I’ve ever had, the perfect balance of beer batter and fish. The table also featured fish tacos that were stuffed deliciously.
Clockwise from top left is the food we had at Vons 1000 Spirits; the fish and chips and clam chowder from Ivar's; the clam chowder and rolls we had at Pike Place Chowder; pepperoni pizza at Serious Pie; and fish & chips from Proper Fish.
Ivar’s: This Seattle institution has been at the waterfront since 1938 and is famous for its clams and oysters. We had fish and chips (again) and seafood linguine, which was solid, but the winner is always the clam chowder appetizer. And the atmosphere outside, sitting by the water with an ice cream cone and seagulls begging for bites, is perfect.
Serious Pie: It was across the street from our hotel, so we figured why not? And then we realized why it’s so packed at night, and we were lucky to be having it for lunch to avoid a crush of people. It makes a salad appetizer elevated and the pepperoni pizza we split was tremendous.
Pike Place Chowder: The classic spot at Pike Place Market, which we walked around on Tuesday before leaving, is the best clam chowder I’ve ever had. Between that and the rolls we ordered, one shrimp and one crab, it was a lunch that completely satisfied for the rest of the day.
What Else We Did
Watch Party: We bought tickets for the floating barge on the Seattle waterfront, which was an interesting experience. The food and beverages were a bit of a disappointment and while it was still good to have that experience, from the multiple fan events we went to, they were the least essential part of the fan travel experience.
Mariners Game: T-Mobile Park is one of my favorites and the atmosphere for a game against the Blue Jays and the neighboring Canadian fans is terrific. We enjoyed the seats behind home plate and a dominant Mariners performance, with only one Blue Jay base runner the whole afternoon. If the Mariners are at home when you’re in town, it’s a must to enjoy.
The Seattle waterfront was the scene for a Watch Party for selected games. Right situated in the downtown area is both the home of the MLB's Mariners and WNBA's Storm. And you always have to visit the Pike Place Market.
Storm Game: Seattle has a deep women’s sports bond between its WNBA and NWSL franchises and the Storm’s success is well-documented. Climate Pledge Arena is a great place with clear sight lines from anywhere on the lower bowl and the only disappointment was the home team losing to the regional rival Portland Fire.
Bainbridge Island: Taking the ferry to Bainbridge starts off by giving you the best views on a clear day of the downtown Seattle skyline. Once off the ferry, a short walk to the main street showcases different foods, crystal shops, vacation merchandise, small businesses and no big-box stores whatsoever. It’s a great stop to spend a few hours and browse, shop, sip on a coffee and enjoy some ice cream as well.
Where We Stayed
Hotel Ändra is one of the many downtown hotels that are convenient to doing anything that you want in the surrounding area. It was clean, modern and well-staffed. The rooms were terrific and it’d be a place that we definitely return to stay at again.
Comments ()