The Seattle Sounders issued the following statement on Wednesday, announcing that their home game against FC Dallas on March 21 has been postponed amid ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus):

As the developments surrounding COVID-19 in our region evolve, Seattle Sounders FC has been working in real time with regional health authorities and government officials to do our part in combating this public health crisis. Our organization must remain flexible in these efforts, and at this time, that includes heeding Governor Inslee's call to postpone our home match on March 21 versus FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field.



Throughout this process, Sounders FC has stated that nothing is more important than public safety and the wellbeing of our fans. With that in mind, we respect the difficult decision that has been made today, and our club will continue following the guidelines set forth by our public health authorities and government agencies. We will maintain our consistent dialogue with elected leadership, public health officials and Major League Soccer, and as more information becomes available, the club will continue to provide public updates. This includes details about rescheduling the FC Dallas match for a later date.

The statement came shortly after Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced on Wednesday morning that the state government would be prohibiting events of more than 250 people in three Seattle-area counties including King County, where the city of Seattle and CenturyLink Field are located.