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Pro Soccer Welcomes New Team By ESPN Kids Writer

Fans of Major League Soccer will have the chance to watch something new this year. The Seattle Sounders are starting their first season in the league, playing in the Western Conference. On March 19, the Sounders won their first game, a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls in Seattle. Over 32,000 people attended the game, which is a very big crowd for MLS. The size of the crowd showed that people are excited to watch this new team help the league become more popular. MLS, which currently has 15 teams, is already talking about adding a new team in Philadelphia in 2010. In 2011, the league is also discussing adding new teams in Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Oregon.

It is common for a league to expand to include new teams. In 1998, pro baseball added the Tampa Bay Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Houston Texans, which joined the NFL in 2002, are the newest team in pro football. The NHL has also added a lot of expansion teams recently, including the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2000, the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999 and the Nashville Predators in 1998. The Charlotte Bobcats are the newest team in pro basketball, joining the league in 2004.

It always creates a buzz when a new team joins a pro league. Lots of people like to buy the new team's hats and jerseys and fans go to the games to see them in action.

Seattle is off to a good start in Major League Soccer. One of their star players, Fredy Montero, was named the MLS Player of the Week. Montero, who is from Columbia, had two goals and one assist in the Sounders' Opening Day win. Not bad for a 21-year-old playing in his first Major League Soccer game!

With players like Montero, the Sounders should be fun to watch all year. They will also be easy to spot, as they'll be the ones wearing the brand new green jerseys.

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