After spending way too much time negotiating the maze that is the Sounders-Ticketmaster interface yesterday, I can now tell you with authority that the answer to all your ticket-buying problems is: Ignore TicketMaster and the Sounders site and the online stuff, and instead have your ticket rep’s phone number tattooed on whatever part of your body is easiest to see when you make a phone call.

I called my rep this morning and was able to purchase tickets in the same row as my season tickets, for the same price — which was only $25 for my midline seats. (Seats which I’d pay $35 for in a league match. Or $50 if I were a new ticket holder.)

If you’ll remember my saga yesterday, these are tickets which for some reason TicketMaster didn’t list as available. (Along with all the other 100 level seats.) Apparently this is not true.

To be honest, though, I was kind of shocked the ticket rep thing worked. Mostly because I have a hard time imagining TicketMaster allowing Sounders to keep a separate a system that bypasses them and their fees for a match they (TicketMaster) are selling tickets to. (Yes, my transaction was free of TicketMaster fees. I was shocked too.)

But also because buying these tickets was so unbelievably easy. I mean, c’mon, Sounders, why don’t you just explain this to us in the first place? Why do you make us hop on one foot while spinning a hula hoop to buy tickets when you can just say, “Contact your ticket rep”?

But I guess that would be too easy. So instead I’ll ’say it:

Contact your ticket rep.

What’s that you say? You don’t have a ticket rep?

Here, take mine. I’m not using him anymore.

Will, 425-203-8140.

So now you have no excuse for not buying extra tickets tomorrow. I expect to see you there, along with all your friends. And your family. Including your know-it-all brother-in-law, who will drive you crazy telling you how Keller is past his prime and Montero is a punk, and who will get really drunk and spend the evening explaining the offside rule to the guy next to him based on the authority he got from spending half a season as a U-5 coach.

Okay, fine, maybe not your brother-in-law. But definitely everybody else.

See you tomorrow!

When I heard the 13,000 number, I thought, “What the hell is wrong with our fans, that we would abandon our team for our first experience in international play?”

After trying to buy two extra tickets today, I’ll tell ya: There is nothing wrong with our fans. The problem is with the ticket sale process.

Like a lot of hardcore Sounders people, I took advantage of the presale for season ticket holders and bought my three tickets for the match as soon as they went on sale. I wasn’t real happy about the extortionate TicketBastardMaster fees, but this is my team, and my seats are great, and the price was cheaper than regular-season tickets, and I wanted this match to be just like any other. Got my tickets in the mail a few days later. So far so good.

This morning, after I heard about the low sales, I decided to try to pick up a couple of extra tickets for my daughter and her friend. My hope was, with ticket sales so low, that we could at least find some in the same vicinity as our season tickets.

Here’s how it went.

1) Went to the Sounders FC site. After wandering around for awhile, finally found the link to click to get to Ticketmaster. (You’d think that when you’re trying desperately to increase sales, you’d make the link big and obvious. But…no.)

2) Went to TicketMaster. Put in my request for 100-Level tickets on the same side of the field as my seats. It gave me 200-level tickets five sections away. Tried again. These tickets were 200-levels even further away. Gave up.

3) Went back to the Sounders FC site to try to find a person to talk to on the phone. They’re apparently moving away from phone help, so I had to search all over for the phone number. Finally found it under “Season Tickets.” (1-877-MLS-GOALS. But don’t call till you’ve finished my story.)

4) Called the number. It sent me to… (Wait for it, you’ll never guess…) The Ticketmaster automated line. Which took me through exactly the same process as the online ticket ordering process, except approximately 2,000 times less efficient.

Robot: If you want the first option, say, “First Option.”

Me: First option.

Robot: You have said, “Fourth Option, General Admission tickets.”

Me: No! I said, “First Option! First! 100-level tickets!”

Robot: We have two tickets in General Admission. To purchase these tickets, say…

Me: NO! That’s not what I want!

Robot: To purchase these tickets, say…

Me: NO! Real person! Operator!

Robot: I’m sorry, I don’t recognize that request.

Me: Click.

And for this kind of service we pay how much in TicketMaster fees?

(No, really, that’s not a rhetorical question. I noticed that they didn’t include an itemized receipt with my original tickets, and I’d really like to know.)

Now I can’t decide whether to purchase the extra two tickets at the gate or say, Screw it and just go with our original three and not take the two other people who would have liked to come with us.

Dear Sounders: All I wanted was two minutes with a real person to find out if there are two tickets anywhere in the vicinity of our seats. Is that really too much to ask?

P.S. When I was searching for the dollar amount of TicketMaster fees, I logged into my Sounders account. Did a password request and lo and behold up on my screen popped the number of my ticket rep, Will. 425-203-8140. Too late to call now, but I’ll let you know if he helps me out tomorrow.

The match is set for Wednesday, September 1st at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. Kickoff is slated for 730p.

• Ticketmaster ($37 cheapest)
• From Season Ticket Holders ($27 cheapest)
• StubHub ($21 cheapest)

The match will be held on July 7th at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. All seats are $15.

The match will be at Portland’s PGE Park on Wednesday, June 30th. Kickoff is slated for 730p and will be broadcast on FSN.

Last year, the two clubs met in the 3rd round in front of 16,382 in Portland- a 2-1 win for Sounders FC.

The winner of the match will play the Chivas USA-Austin Aztex winner in the Quarterfinals. That game would be on July 6th or 7th.

But lucky you- An email to Sounders FC Fans went out announcing a Pre-Sale Ticket Opportunity that begins today @ 10a for the CCL match against El Salvador’s Metapán.

Just head to Ticketmasterand use the password… CHAMPIONS.

The Pre-Sale ends at 5p on Saturday the 19th.

Seattle will host the El Salvador club on Wednesday, July 28 at Qwest Field. Kickoff is slated for 7p.

Update from the Front office:

“As a Sounders FC season ticket member, you have priority to purchase your regular season seats for all Champions League Preliminary and Group Stage home matches.  Unfortunately, the all-inclusive program will not be available for Champions League matches.”

Check your account as soon as possible – the deadline is less than 48 hours away, 5pm on Thursday the 17th.  It looks like the tickets are $10 each so you have no excuse to not be there!

GoSOUNDERS.com is  giving away a pair of tickets to the Seattle Sounders FC vs. Boca Juniors international friendly on May 26th.

All you have to do is…

Logging into Facebook, Twitter, etc.

1) LOGIN to GoSOUNDERS.com via Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, FriendFeed, or Blogger (see below)

2) Leave a Comment in this thread. Anything. Type something nice, always remember lady Karma…

To Login all you have to do is click on the face or the From drop down box, select the social media site, and log in. [Detailed Instructions]

That’s it!

Here’s some of the fine print – PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.

• The winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Seattle Sounders FC vs. Boca Juniors match on May 26, 2010.
• 1 entry per social media account. For example, if you have a Twitter and Facebook account and place a comment from each, you are entered twice.
• You must be at least 18 years old to win.
• The winner will be announced on GoSounders.com, the GoSounders Facebook page, and @GoSounders Twitter accounts, on May 20, 2010.
• This contest is void where prohibited by law. The contest is open to anyone, world wide as long as you live in a country where contests such as this one are legal. If you live in Quebec Canada for instance, you may not participate since contests like this one are illegal there without payment of a bond. It’s your responsibility to ensure that contests like this one are not prohibited by your local law.
• To determine the winner, we will check the thread and all comments. We’ll assign all commenters a number, then throw all of the numbers at a random number generator and pick a winner.
• The winner will need to provide an email before 5/21 to claim the tickets.
• The winner will be contacted via email or social media.

If any part of this makes you uncomfortable, or if you don’t like the fact that we do these giveaways, please don’t participate.

Thanks for your support.

The GoSOUNDERS.com Team.