As Sounders FC prepares to host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, June 4 at CenturyLink Field in a 7:00 p.m. PT kickoff, the team encourages fans to arrive early to take part in honoring the club's popular national anthem conductor, Dr. Stephen Michael Newby, who is being bestowed with a Golden Scarf during a special pre-match ceremony.
Dr. Newby - an accomplished composer, conductor and vocalist - has served as a regular part of the Rave Green's matchdays since the team joined MLS in 2009. His unique national anthem, which combines both his own vocals and at times conducting the crowd in its own performance, has become a beloved Sounders FC tradition. The Golden Scarf is being presented to Dr. Newby to honor his long, dedicated service to the team. Sunday's match marks Dr. Newby's final performance of the 2017 season, as he steps away from full-time matchday duty, but will return in the future for select matches.
Fans have a chance to hear from Dr. Newby about his career and Rave Green pride before the match, as he joins host Matt Johnson in The NINETY at 5:30 p.m. PT as the evening's Matchday Insider.
CenturyLink is also set to be on-site in Soccer Celebration pre-match, featuring this season's Scarf Sound Off designs. Fans can stop by to cast their vote on the top design of three options: Scarves Up Seattle (Heritage theme), Sounders 'Til I Die (Pacific Blue theme) or Sounders FC (Rave Green theme). At Seattle's July 23 match against San Jose, CenturyLink plans to distribute a limited quantity of the winning scarf design to fans.
In addition to arriving early to thank Dr. Newby and take advantage of Soccer Celebration activities, fans and media are also reminded of several weekend events and traffic conditions which may impact travel to and from the stadium on Sunday.
A new traffic pattern is scheduled to take effect on I-90 on Sunday, with permanent HOV lanes opening across Lake Washington in both directions. For those traveling to Seattle from the south, I-5 northbound is reduced to two lanes from Friday night through Monday morning from SeaTac to Tukwila.
Furthermore, the Seattle Mariners host the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game homestand through the weekend, with Sunday's first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PT. Those planning on attending Sounders FC's match should keep in mind that traffic and parking around Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field will be affected.
For additional details regarding traffic alerts, matchday transportation options and maps, please visit SoundersFC.com/Matchday/Transportation/Guide. Sounders FC's social media channels also continue to provide up-to-date information for media and fans as needed.
