Seattle Sounders FC plays home matches at Lumen Field in Seattle, also home to the Seattle Seahawks. The stadium was formerly known as CenturyLink Field and (before that) Qwest Field.

The 2011 season saw the entrance of the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps into MLS, allowing for the revival of the Cascadia Cup. The Sounders won the cup that season with an unbeaten record against both clubs.

Eddie Johnson led the Sounders in goals scored during the 2012 MLS season, netting 14 total and finishing sixth in the league's Golden Boot race. For his performance, Johnson was named "Comeback Player of the Year." MLS Commissioner Don Garber said of Johnson receiving the award: "Eddie Johnson had a great resurgence with Seattle. Eddie joined our league when he was 17 years old and had one of his best years with us at 28. I still think he has a number of good years left in him." It was the second time Johnson received the award, previously winning in 2007 as a player with Kansas City.

On October 4, 2011, Seattle won its third consecutive U.S. Open Cup, becoming the first club to do so in 42 years, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-0 in front of a tournament-record crowd of 35,615 at CenturyLink Field.