MLS Fans, You Can Vote Sounders--Write-In!

When voting for the new MLS team name starts at midnight, there will be four options:

-Seattle Alliance
-Seattle FC
-Seattle Republic
-Write-in

So, while "Sounders" doesn't have the benefit of being one of the names that earns a ballot slot, if people care enough to organize a write-in campaign, they'll get their Sounders name.

Tod Leiweke of the MLS group says that negative fan reaction to the three choices definitely played a part in the team's decision to provide a write-in option, telling TNT's Don Ruiz.

"It’s been interesting for us since this whole thing was announced. We’ve certainly followed the blogs and we’ve heard a whole lot of other people say, ‘You know, why shouldn’t the Sounders count for something?’ So, by way of this fourth option that our fans are going to have – write-in – we think we’re going to land on absolutely the right name.”

Ruiz points out that the San Jose MLS team had a similar issue--there was an existing name for a soccer team, "Earthquakes", but the franchise picked the name Clash. After a few years, they went back to Earthquakes.

You'll vote at mlsinseattle.com.