Starfire Sports Stadium

The ground holds its history in the way it was assembled. Starfire Sports Stadium sits inside a complex that opened in 2005, replacing the old Fort Dent Park. It was designed to serve as a hub for youth and professional football, a role it took up immediately. The site is not a single building but a cluster of pitches.

The capacity of 4,500 was never a limit for the venue. In 2007, the attendance record was set for a USL Championship Game between Seattle Sounders and Atlanta Silverbacks, drawing a crowd that exceeded the official seating. The 2014 NWSL Championship was moved here because the usual venue was booked for a music festival. Below it, the artificial turf is a consistent green, marked with white lines.

Tacoma Defiance play here. They used to play at Cheney Stadium, but moved to Starfire for their inaugural 2015 season and returned for 2023 and 2024. Seattle Sounders FC also used the facility for training and U.S. Open Cup matches from 2009 until 2024. The venue is not quiet. It is a working ground, shared with rugby teams like the Seattle Seawolves, who have played there since 2018. The address, 14800 Starfire Way, is a marker of the complex’s location in Tukwila, Washington. It is a place that does not distinguish itself by age or beauty, but by its function.