There are 16 players on the Sounders' roster who either came through the club’s pathway program or played college soccer locally. Here's why that is.

Archive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20260227100452/https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/why-sounders-have-more-players-from-wa-than-any-seattle-pro-team/

It’s cuz Adrian says so:

The headlines can make it hard for a Sounders fan. Majority owner Adrian Hanauer is known for his insistence on a different approach, developing talent through the club’s pathway system. It’s a result that often seems to leave the Sounders in the shadows of flashy signings under the leadership of Craig Waibel, the team’s general manager and chief soccer officer.

In those shadows, seedlings have been growing and the club is seeing them blossom all over the field. The Sounders are expected to start the season with nine players who were born in Washington. There are 16 players on the roster who either came through the club’s pathway — academy and/or MLS Next Pro side Tacoma Defiance — or played college soccer locally in the Roldan brothers, Cristian (University of Washington) and Alex (Seattle University).

We’ll see if the new investors we’re courting feel the same way.