When the Sounders signed Osvaldo Alonso in 2008, he was a 23 year-old with one year of professional experience in the United States. He was relatively unknown at the time, but over the 8+ seasons he has played for the Sounders, Ozzie has earned the reputation for being one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS history. Earlier this year, he surpassed 20,000 minutes (about 14 DAYS) played in his MLS career, and on Saturday in Yankee Stadium he played in his 300th Sounders match. In that time, he's filled his personal trophy case with 4 US Open Cups, a Supporters Shield, and an MLS Cup.
This display celebrates Ozzie’s 300th match and plays off the nickname earned by his fierce gameplay and leadership of the team: "El Corazon de los Sounders" (The Heart of the Sounders). The display is 3 panels, each one 34’x15’ and our tifo production team completed this in 3 days. In a fun twist, due to the uncertainty of when Ozzie would reach 300, this display was designed and produced with flexibility to be deployed at either Starfire or RBP.
Photo Credit: Brendan Vaughn