The Sounders and the Triple-A PCL Tacoma Rainiers have "agreed to become partners in the management" of the Sounders' USL affiliate Sounders 2, who will "play their home matches at a not-yet-built 5,000-person stadium next to Cheney Stadium, where the Rainiers play their home baseball games," according to Todd Milles of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE. Rainiers President Aaron Artman said that the next step is for the Rainiers to "jointly work with the city of Tacoma, Metro Parks and Tacoma Public Schools on not only the best location for a new stadium, but how it will be funded." Artman "estimated a best-case scenario to when the Sounders 2 -- or whatever the franchise will be renamed with a Tacoma moniker attached to it -- would be playing in its new home" is '20 (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 5/7). In Seattle, Geoff Baker reported the new stadium "will be designed" by Populous. Sounders Principal Owner Adrian Hanauer said that he thinks '20 is a "workable completion date for the venue if negotiations go well and that his team is taking the Rainiers' 'lead' on talks." The venue "would be on city-owned land adjacent to Cheney Stadium" (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/7). Sounders 2 "currently plays" at the 4,500-seat Starfire Sports complex outside of Seattle (ESPNFC.us, 5/6).
SOUNDING OFF: ESPN's Taylor Twellman noted the Rainiers will "run the business side of things" for Sounders 2, while the MLS club "will run the soccer side." Hanauer said, "This is a long game for us. It's about building facilities, building legacy." He added, "We're doubling down. We want to continue to invest, build out the infrastructure and help develop the game." Hanauer noted beyond player development, Tacoma is the "third-biggest city in Washington state," and there are "a lot of Sounders fans down there." Hanauer: "If we continue to grow the game anywhere in this state, it leads to more Sounders fans and we want to sell this building out one day." Meanwhile, Hanauer said of possibly playing in a soccer-specific stadium instead of CenturyLink Field, "It certainly comes up from time to time. But we love our building here" ("Toronto FC-Sounders," ESPN, 5/6).
