The giants of Europe and South America have been around seemingly forever. Man United turned 136 years old this year, Real Madrid is 106 and Argentina’s River Plate is 113.

The tendency of these ancient institutions is to celebrate their centennials and major anniversaries with some all-time selections. Take England’s Derby County, for instance. A few years back the Rams marked 125 years by honoring Alan Hinton and 10 other greats.

That’s great for our Alan, of course. He got a trip home to hear the applause. One of the other chaps, however, couldn’t make it; he’d passed on four years before Alan was born.

It seems a shame to wait and extol the virtues of people. Instead, how about paying tribute sooner rather than later?

That’s the tact undertaken in selecting Seattle’s all-time top professionals over the past 40 years. It’s prime time to recognize most of the Sounders giants while they still walk the earth. Better still, each of the Seattle managers are able to contribute, and let’s face it, the most authentic all-time selection is best left to the men who filled out the team sheets.

Of course not all eras equal. That is to say that while they each

represented this region, they operated on distinctly different terms. But whether they were first division, second tier or in a fledgling regional league, they all played a part in creating this cauldron of passion for the world game on Occidental Avenue.

Beginning last spring a ballot was circulated for each of the three representative eras: NASL Sounders (1974-83), FC Seattle (1984-90) and A-League/USL-1 Sounders (1994-2008). There was 100 percent participation by the coaches voting for both the NASL and USL selections. Three managers deferred to Tommy Jenkins for the FC Seattle selection, Jenkins having been associated with the club for six of its seven seasons. NASL and USL voting was weighted, with each coach’s vote multiplied by the number of years served.

To those who followed those teams over the years, the outcomes were largely predictable. Still, there are surprises. But without a doubt each of the selections (there are second teams and honorable mention for the NASL and USL Sounders) is truly representative. Perhaps they will spark discussions, even debate. Hopefully they will also generate and renew appreciation for the forerunners of Sounders FC.

My thanks to The Seattle Times for providing a forum and support of this project. Beginning this week the selections will be published online. You’re encouraged to get to know your Sounders history and enjoy.