Seattle Sounders is uniting with Delta Air Lines to celebrate soccer in the sport’s most storied tradition: the tifo display. Dubbed “The Fabric of Sounders FC, ” the tifo collaboration is led by the Sounders’ goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, who is also an artist. For those unfamiliar with the term, tifo is an Italian word describing the phenomenon of supporting a sporting team. Typically, tifos are held high by fans seated in the stands of an arena to display the name of a team as a declaration of love and support. Throughout the course of the 2016 season, the Sounders and its fans will work together to create a multi-piece banner that will span 200 feet long and 75 feet wide. Each piece will have its own special design showcasing support for the Sounders FC.

The first piece of the tifo was initiated on May 18th at Starfire Sports in Renton, where Frei, a couple of Sounders FC players, a group of Voyager Middle School students, and Delta Air Lines employees decorated the tifo piece by kicking around paint-covered soccer balls. It was a fun and messy time partially documented in photos below. Check out the photo gallery, and tune in on September 28, 2016 at the Sounders FC home match against Chicago at CenturyLink Field, where the completed tifo will be unveiled!