TUKWILA — As contrasts go, the setting of the Seattle Sounders’ last two home games could not be starker.
A week after playing in front of nearly 70,000 fans for a continental championship, the Sounders were facing the San Jose Earthquakes with fewer than 4,000 in attendance at a soccer stadium that is most often used for youth tournaments in an early round of the U.S. Open Cup.
In a sense, it was a welcome relief, even if the result did not go the Sounders’ way.
“I’ve played in this complex many times as a kid, especially on this field,” said Federal Way native Kellyn Rowe, who was playing here for the first time as a member of the Sounders.