New turf ready for Sounders opener Tuesday

A little over a year ago the Sounders signed a new CenturyLink Field lease that guaranteed them a new turf for this season and no less than after every four seasons of play thereafter.

Today, the club and the stadium confirmed that the new field -- still FieldTurf -- is down and ready for the Sounders’ home opener Tuesday against Club America in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.

Here’s the release:

First & Goal, Inc. announced today that the installation of the new FieldTurf Revolution 360 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field has been completed. The new surface is ready in time for Sounders FC's first match of the 2016 campaign on Tuesday, February 23 against Club America in the first leg 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal Round (7:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, KIRO Radio 97.1 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).

"We are very excited about having brand new turf installed for the 2016 season," said Sounders FC Owner Adrian Hanauer. "FieldTurf has been a great partner for us and they are rightly recognized as the global leader, having the highest amount of FIFA-certified pitches in soccer stadiums and training facilities around the world."

Named after the concept of completeness, Revolution 360 is an improved version of the market-leading Revolution fiber. Revolution 360 maintains the high-performing UV and softness properties of its predecessor, while significantly improving its durability and resilience.

Revolution 360 achieved a score of 83 on the Fiber Performance Index (FPI). Recently introduced by Labosport as part of their Certification Program, FPI establishes the rating of an artificial turf fiber, to help prospective turf buyers understand and weigh the individual qualities of a turf fiber. In a Fiber Wear test conducted by Penn State's Center for Sports Surface Research, Revolution 360 showed no signs of wear after 150,000 Lisport cycles; an unprecedented score achieved by no other fiber on the market.

The FieldTurf Revolution system is built with the Revolution fiber and is the result of innovative science, engineering and technology that will provide a playing surface that features a soft and strong monofilament fiber. A proprietary fiber polymer formulation resists splitting and degradation and includes an industry-leading ultraviolet inhibitor technology. A state-of-the-art extrusion process provides intricate concave and ridged construction to eliminate breaking points in each fiber blade.

"We could not be more thrilled that the Seahawks and Sounders FC continue to put their faith in our product and in our company," said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere. "We are very excited to introduce Revolution 360 to the market. We've been working on the 'next generation' since we launched Revolution in 2011. We believe that Revolution 360 is the first fiber since Revolution to push boundaries and change the game."

CenturyLink Field is one of four NFL stadiums to utilize FieldTurf, along with Detroit's Ford Field, Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium and New England's Gillette Stadium. Aside from the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field, there are two other MLS stadiums that use FieldTurf (New England's Gillette Stadium and Portland's Providence Park).

The two organizations have a long history with FieldTurf. In 2000, when the Seahawks played at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium, they became the first NFL team to play their home games on FieldTurf. The partnership has continued at CenturyLink Field and at both teams training facilities (Starfire Sports and VMAC).

ABOUT FIRST & GOAL, INC.

First & Goal Inc. (FGI) was formed by Paul G. Allen in 1997 after voters in Washington State approved the proposal to build a new Football/Soccer Stadium and Exhibition Center. FGI was the private partner in the development along with the public partner, the Public Stadium Authority. FGI now serves as the operator of facility.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 12:34 PM with the headline "New turf ready for Sounders opener Tuesday."