Diary from the States, Day 9 | Seattle, here we are

The Los Angeles sun saw us off one last time. Final sprints, final plays on a pitch that had become familiar — every day, surrounded by the comings and goings of students and future athletes. But our thoughts were already on what’s next. Bags packed, eyes lifted toward the clear sky. A farewell to a city we lived in fully, day after day.

Then it’s time to go. A couple of hours in the air, heading north — from the heat of California to the lighter air of the Pacific Northwest. Toward the city that will be ours for the next few days, where our next two matches await: Urawa Red Diamonds and River Plate. Matches to give everything for.

Seattle greets us with its sky — you expect it grey, but there are breaks of blue. Steam rises from the street vents, traffic moves to a different rhythm, and distances suddenly feel smaller. The city is quieter, taller, more compact. You walk and see people living it — on foot, by bike, sitting at sidewalk tables. Everything feels close.

Ferries cross the bay, boats sit docked below the big waterfront wheel. Time seems to slow down here, even though everything works. Mountains line the horizon, nature is everywhere, and the colors are deep. They don’t call it the “Emerald City” for nothing.

Seattle is the city of coffee and music — where the sound of the ’90s was redefined. But it’s also one of the capitals of soccer in the U.S. And the stadium? You always see it. Rising between buildings, it almost seems to watch you as you move through the city.

Now we’re here for one thing: two matches, one goal.