Seattle to host June 11 World Cup qualifier

It's news that has been expected for a while, but U.S. Soccer made it official Thursday, announcing that Seattle will host a World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Panama on June 11 at CenturyLink Field.

"Going to Seattle for a World Cup Qualifier was very high on our list because of the fantastic atmosphere," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a press release. "It was a no brainer. We knew we had to go to Seattle and the sooner the better because it will hopefully give us an advantage in our game."

The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m., and with the Mariners playing a night game across the street, CenturyLink Field will be set up with a 42,000-seat configuration to mitigate traffic and parking concerns.

Tickets for the game go on sale Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000 or at the CenturyLink Field Box Office.

This will be the U.S. national team's first World Cup qualifier in Seattle since it beat Canada in 1976 at the Kingdome. The U.S. team has played at CenturyLink in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2005 and 2009, winning games against Cuba and Grenada, respectively. The U.S. national team has a 6-2-1 all-time record in Washington and has won five straight.