Sounders FC today announced that it will face USL side Sacramento Republic FC in a road preseason friendly on Thursday, February 15 at Papa Murphy’s Park (7:30 p.m. PT). The friendly comes one week before Seattle’s 2018 campaign begins in El Salvador with the first leg of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 match against Santa Tecla FC on Thursday, February 22. Seattle hosts the return leg on Thursday, March 1 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, with both matches set for 7:00 p.m. PT.

“As we build toward a rigorous season that begins with CONCACAF Champions League action in just a matter of weeks, we’re excited to add a quality opponent in Sacramento Republic FC to our preseason schedule,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. “Our players will experience a strong atmosphere in Sacramento in front of their passionate fans, and playing a quality USL side is valuable to our overall preparations for the 2018 campaign.”

Sacramento Republic FC enters its fifth season in USL, having made the postseason in each of the last four years and winning the 2014 USL title under the direction of current Sounders FC Assistant Coach Preki, who served as SRFC Head Coach from 2014-2015. Sacramento is coming off a 2017 campaign in which it finished eighth in the Western Conference with 46 points (13-12-7). In the 2017 USL Western Conference Playoffs, SRFC upset top-seeded Real Monarchs FC via penalty kicks before falling to Swope Park Rangers in the Conference Semifinals.

This marks the fourth scheduled preseason match in Sounders FC’s 2018 preseason presented by adidas. The club concluded its latest preseason trip at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center with a matchup against Club Tijuana’s U-20 squad on Sunday, January 28, resulting in a 3-1 Seattle win. Sounders FC is set to play the Cascadia rival Portland Timbers on Saturday, February 3 at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, followed by an exhibition match versus Columbus Crew SC on February 4 in Arizona. Complete information on the 2018 Sounders FC preseason presented by adidas can be found via the following link: http://sndrs.com/preseason.

2018 marks the 10th season in Sounders FC history, with the team coming off a 2017 season that saw it achieve a berth in its second-consecutive MLS Cup. After beating Toronto FC for the 2016 league title, the Rave Green fell to the Reds in the championship rematch last year, but Seattle looks to achieve another deep run in 2018. The new MLS campaign begins on Sunday, March 4 as Sounders FC hosts new expansion side Los Angeles FC on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field in a 2:00 p.m. PT kickoff. Seattle also hosts Salvadoran side Santa Tecla FC in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play on Thursday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Sounders FC season tickets are still available, including new 2018 seating options in the 300 level, with full information available at SoundersFC.com or by calling 877-MLS-GOAL. For complete information, details and pricing on 2018 Sounders FC season tickets, fans should call 877-MLS-GOAL or email Sales@SoundersFC.com. Complete information on all Sounders FC ticket packages can be found at SoundersFC.com/Tickets.

Single-match tickets are available for all 17 MLS home matches and the club's Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League matchup on March 1 vs. Salvadoran side Santa Tecla FC. Seating for all games is subject to availability at time of purchase. Single-match tickets can be purchased via the following link: SoundersFC.com/Tickets/Single-Match-Tickets.