Today was supposed to be a great day for soccer in the Northwest as Cascadia Summit tickets went on sale to the general public. The summit, a preseason mini-tournament between the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, was meant to bring supporters of the three teams together in a fun event at Starfire Athletic Complex in Tukwila. Instead, the mess of a ticket situation on Ticketmaster this morning, left many disenfranchised and unable to secure tickets to the event.
The two-day pass, allowing entry into both Sounders games, was in highest demand, yet the general public was never able to purchase it because of a snafu in the ticket process. Single-game tickets to the Seattle-Portland game sold out immediately, leaving those looking for a pass to all the games stuck with nowhere to turn. Shortly thereafter, the Seattle-Vancouver game also sold out as fans scrambled to secure tickets to single games.
The official word for the team was that the high-demand for tickets snarled the system, as it does so many times with Ticketmaster. Though the Sounders can't release more tickets to the Cascadia Summit, they have moved up the Community Shield sale date, allowing the public to purchase those tickets beginning Wednesday, Feb. 2. That match will be held at Qwest and features the Sounders and Colorado Rapids.
It's disappointing, and frustrating, for fans that were looking forward to what promises to be a great event. What was once a unifying event showcasing the superb brand of soccer in the Northwest is now just another example of the ticketing process gone wrong.