One of the club’s major storylines of 2014 began on October 14 beneath intricate glass art hung at Chihuly Garden and Glass, as Sounders FC doubled-down on player development with the creation of S2, the new squad that will compete in USL PRO beginning next season.
Not only will the new team bridge the development gap between the Academy and the First Team, but S2 will also be owned in part by supporters via the Sounders Community Trust, a fan-owned organization that holds 20% interest in the team.
“S2 is hopefully the next evolution in fan engagement,” said Sounders FC Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer. “There’s probably more to come. We’re sort of at the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we can do with the Trust, with the supporters groups, to make sure that we’re connected at the hip, and that when S2 succeeds, the fans succeed and enjoy the relationship, and vice versa. It’s a reflection of our fans as well.”
Since the announcement, S2 has been preparing to take 2015 by storm by naming Sounders FC Assistant Coach Ezra Hendrickson as Head Coach, already selling 1,100+ season tickets for the inaugural campaign at Starfire Stadium and holding open tryouts in Las Vegas where players came to compete for an opportunity to earn a spot on the S2 roster.
