Bruce Corrie

2026 US Open Cup Qualifying: Espinoza’s late free kick helps Valley 559 FC finally qualify

November 23, 2025 by Bruce Corrie

Valley 559 FC celebrates after a 1-0 win over Ballard FC in the final round of the 2026 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Bruce Corrie

Valley 559 FC traveled nearly 900 miles for one more shot at US Open Cup history, and on a windy Saturday night at Interbay Stadium, the Fresno side finally claimed it. A late, curling free kick from Ernesto Espinoza carried Valley to a 1-0 win over Ballard FC and into the 2026 tournament for the first time.

Espinoza delivered the breakthrough in the 87th minute after Josh Zambrano was tripped just outside the penalty area. The left-footed strike skipped toward the lower-left corner, beating Ballard goalkeeper Lars Helleren’s outstretched hand and settling the tense match.

Ballard, coming off a 5-1 qualifying win a round earlier led by former MLS player Lamar Neagle, surged forward in response. Seven minutes of stoppage time stretched to twelve as the home side threw numbers ahead, but Valley’s back line held shape and cleared danger after danger to preserve the result.

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The match had opened with flowing play and heavy challenges. Valley tested Ballard early through Espinoza, whose 18th-minute shot grazed the post before another easy save for Helleren at the half-hour mark. Ballard briefly believed it had an opener in the 31st minute when Nii Engmann tucked in a loose ball inside the 6-yard box. A deflection, however, had pushed him offside, wiping away the celebration.

Ballard came out of halftime pressing relentlessly, forcing Valley into hurried clearances, contested goal kicks and tense moments in their defensive third. The hosts nearly paid for their aggression in the 77th minute when Quincy Amarikwa broke free behind the back line but the former MLS player pushed his 1-on-1 attempt wide.

That miss proved costly, and Valley made the most of its late opportunity.

“They have pace,” Valley head coach and former pro Milton Blanco said. “Usually we send a lot of numbers forward, but we knew with them we had to be careful. We didn’t want to stop playing our game, but we needed to protect ourselves in the back.”

Valley 559 FC Defender Mason Gonzalez said the team leaned on its identity.

“If we don’t give up a goal, we have the attacking talent to find one eventually,” he said. “When we were trying to see the game out, I had complete confidence we weren’t going to concede. That’s a real strength of ours.”

After two straight years of falling short in qualifying, Valley 559 FC finally broke through, earning a long-awaited place in the 2026 Open Cup. The club now turns its attention back to UPSL NorCal South play while awaiting its first-round draw.

2026 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Sharktopus FC wins rainy replay with Bellevue Athletic

October 29, 2025 by Bruce Corrie

Sharktopus FC pose for a team photo after a 5-0 win over Bellevue Athletic FC in the Second Round of the 2026 US Open Cup Qualifying tournament. Photo: Bruce Corrie

Sharktopus FC approached Tuesday night’s 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifier with renewed excitement. The Second Round game at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Wash. Was against Bellevue Athletic FC felt all too familiar.

When the teams met 16 days ago, Sharktopus FC lost 4-3 in extra time in what would have been their chance at redemption against their pesky Eastside foe (Bellevue had beaten them 3-0 in the 2024 Fall UPSL Washington Playoff Finals last December). But after discovering that the referee for the Oct. 12 qualifier had recently played for Bellevue Athletic, a protest was filed and the United States Soccer Federation ordered a replay.

On Tuesday night, on a typically rainy night in the Pacific Northwest, Sharktopus finally earned that redemption with a 5-0 win. The team from Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer (SRATS) were powered by a brace from Kwame Appiah, and another by Gabe Kellum. They also received a strong performance in goal by Jimmy Forde who made a number of stops on the night, most notably a second half penalty kick save.

“Beyond proud of the Sharks for stepping up under pressure and delivering a classy performance both on and off the field,” said player/manager Leo Ohannesian. “It feels like every Open Cup match we play is in the pouring rain and cold, and tonight was no different. We had a shaky start, but once the legs got warm, we began combining well and making smart plays against a very motivated opponent.”

With the win, Sharktopus FC advances to the Third Round of qualifying where they will play USL League Two power Ballard FC on Saturday at Interbay Stadium in Seattle.

The rain starts pouring down as the match kicked off. Bellevue Athletic started with energy and focus, pinning the ball into Sharktopus’ final third within the first two minutes. Nothing is more emblematic of the duress Bellevue put on the home side.

In the 4th minute, Sharktopus captain Justin Soto made a crunching late tackle 10 yards outside of his box, with it taking about 80 seconds to restart play. The ensuing shot was flared wide, as a weakness in Bellevue’s press began to show early in the game.

Unlike the Oct. 12 match, it took nearly 30 minutes for the scoring to open up. Sharktopus pressed Bellevue to win the ball back near the left side touchline. Then, the ball was sent to Nuha Ceesay’s feet who whipped in a cross toward the far post where it found Peder Bakken’s head and gave the hosts an early 1-0 lead in the 29^th minute.

As halftime approached, the rain continued to fall in Redmond. In the 43rd minute, Bellevue were unable to clear their lines effectively allowing Sharktopus’ Kwame Appiah to jump at the opportunity. The former Love Is Blind reality show contestant stripped the unsettled ball from the Bellevue midfielder’s feet, created a yard of space, and fired a shot past Bellevue goalkeeper Matt Janke. The half closed with a 2-0 advantage to Sharktopus.

Players from Sharktopus FC and Bellevue Athletic FC play in the pouring rain in a Second Round match in the 2026 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Bruce Corrie

When Will Niccolls, the head referee for the match, blew the whistle to start the second half, it was clear that Bellevue knew they had a hill to climb. A first half of near-misses and should-haves ignited the Bellevue players into dominating control of the match.

Bellevue right back Eyal Schetman found a backdoor run from a quick succession of passes in the box only to have his legs taken out from Sharktopus’ Forde in net. Niccolls blew his whistle again, this time for a penalty kick in the 51^st minute.

Bellevue’s Jacen Stein stepped up to take the penalty. Unlike their Oct. 12 meeting where Stein slotted home the awarded kick from the spot, Forde guessed correctly and dove to his left to make the save to keep the clean sheet intact.

As the hour mark ticked past, signs of fatigue become more and more apparent. At the 64-minute mark, Bellevue Athletic swung the ball around their back line to find a seam forward. Bellevue’s Liam Raney squared the ball right to left, but Sharktopus’ Appiah, just like his first goal, jumped the pass to get clear through on goal. Appiah’s options become singular, a charging Janke forced Appiah to continue his run around the goalkeeper, who calmly slotted it home to make it 3-0.

Sharktopus did not look back.

Kwame Appiah (left) and Jimmy Forde of Sharktopus FC celebrate after a 5-0 win over Bellevue Athletic FC in the Second Round of the 2026 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Sharktopus FC

With Bellevue pressing high to find a way back into the match, Sharktopus relieved some of the pressure by finding their targets on the break. Just 7 minutes later, in the 74th minute, a Sharktopus break was created from a failed clearance in the middle by Bellevue. Sharktopus’ Gabe Kellum grabbed his first goal of the night, receiving a through ball and dribbling past Janke to make it 4-0 and fizzling any hope for a Bellevue comeback.

Ball movement became much more direct and the pace of the match slowed down. Kellum would find his second goal of the night on a cross-field switch which he made a run into the Bellevue penalty area and poked it past Janke’s shoulder to seal the deal.

Sharktopus FC knew Tuesday night’s replay would be one of their toughest matches yet, but they remained steadfast in preparing and executing against Bellevue.

“We really just wanted to make sure we capitalized on opportunities, follow the game plan from the manager ahead of the game … execute from an individual level, winning our battles, but also (execute the coach’s game plan) as a team,” said Sharktopus captain Justin Soto. “(Bellevue Athletic FC are) a good side, very well-organized, they have great players,” he added.

Sharktopus has a post-game tradition where they award a “Hustle Suit” where the player who exibits the most hustle puts on a shark costume. With his two goals and one assist, Appiah donned the shark costume afterwards.

“Handing out the Hustle Suit after the game was tough because it was truly a team effort,” said Ohannesian. “Kwame led the charge with a masterclass performance. He was our spark plug all night with relentless pressure on their back line and an absolute monster strike to put us up 2-0, plus another goal and an assist.”

The player who makes the most “memorable play of the game” puts on an octopus suit and Tuesday night’s winner was goalkeeper Jimmy Forde.

“Jimmy took home the memorable play of the game for his huge PK save early in the second half,” said Ohannesian. “(If they would have scored) it could have shifted momentum, but instead it sealed our control of the match. Every player contributed, and it was the kind of night that showed who we are as a club: resilient, disciplined, and not afraid to have a little fun along the way.”

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Portland Timbers’ comeback avoids Tacoma Defiance upset bid

May 7, 2025 by Bruce Corrie

Andrew Guerra of the Portland Timbers celebrates after scoring a goal against Tacoma Defiance in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Portland Timbers FC

The Portland Timbers came within inches of what could have been considered an embarrassing loss in their squad’s history on Tuesday night. To make matters worse, it nearly came at the hands of its bitter rivals’ reserve squad.

Facing elimination at Starfire Sports Complex, the Timbers narrowly avoided becoming the first MLS team to fall to an MLS NEXT Pro side — and not just any side, but the Seattle Sounders’ Tacoma Defiance — before a stoppage-time penalty salvaged a dramatic 3-2 victory in Round 4 of the US Open Cup.

Kevin Kelsy buried the decisive penalty in the 93rd minute, sealing the Timbers’ escape after a back-and-forth clash that saw both sides trade late blows.

Zac McGraw opened the scoring for Portland with a first-half header, while Tacoma stormed back in the second half behind goals from Osaze De Rosario and Yu Tsukanome. Gage Guerra pulled Portland level in the 80th minute before Kelsy’s spot kick sent the MLS side through to the Round of 16.

The Pacific Northwest was treated with a balmy 75 degree evening and a packed stadium as fans packed in looking for a dream result against the Sounders organization’s historic Cascadia Rival in Portland.
Seattle once again sent netminder Andrew Thomas, full back Reed Baker-Whiting, and right-side winger Georgi Minounga to support Tacoma in the clash. Cody Baker was unavailable after seeing a second yellow in Extra Time against Oakland Roots in Round 3.

The first half hour only showed glimmers of chances. Long balls by Portland and frustrating spurts of possession as Tacoma played with an intensity synonymous with success to try and catch its opponents asleep.

In the seventh minute, the Timbers earned a free kick from the left center of the pitch from 30 yard out. The first shot of the match is on frame from Cristhian Paredas was easily dealt with by Thomas. In the 14th, Tacoma’s de Rosario broke down the left side, finding the cross into the feet of teammate Snyder Brunell only eight yards out. Tacoma’s moment of magic had to wait; however, as Brunell’s effort waslofted into the trees.

Tacoma’s work rate begin to show cracks in Portland’s shape; Tacoma dropping into a well-organized 4-1-4-1 had Portland resorting to long vertical balls and firm square passes into a crowded midfield. But it wasn’t to say their methods weren’t paying off. In the 33th, Portland earned a corner from the right side and the ball was whipped in to the back of the 6-yard-box by the Timbers’ Ariel Lassiter onto the head of McGraw who helped it in for the first goal of the match and a 1-0 Portland lead.

After halftime, each side made changes, bringing on Tsukanome for Tacoma and Daniel Nunez for Portland. This was the revitalization the home side was looking to earn out of the break. Georgi Minoungou of Tacoma began testing the Portland wing in the first five minutes of the second half as he received the ball down the right side in the 48th minute, taking it to the end line and cutting the cross to the back post to the right foot of De Rosario. De Rosario didn’t make a mistake as Brunell had in the opening moments, finishing into the bottom left of the goal to square the match at 1-1.

Two minutes after the goal, Baker-Whiting slipped a ball into a charging Minoungou at the end-line. Minoungou shifted the ball back towards the penalty marker and gave Tsukanome a perfectly weighted ball to redirect into the back of the net.

Tsukanome’s goal was his third in two matches, and fifth in the 2025 Open Cup campaign to bring Defiance ahead, 2-1.

In the 79th, the Timbers substituted Guerra — a Timbers II contracted player coming off a hat trick in his last match on April 23rd against Ventura County in MLS NP — hoping to make a difference and come from behind. His involvement is immediate as the Timbers worked the ball back to their box, shifted out wide to the right to Cristhian Paredes who found Ian Smith on a long diagonal ball in the left corner. Smith picked his head up as Tacoma tracked back to find the head of Guerra, smashing the header past Thomas and leveling up the match with ten minutes remaining in regulation.

Tacoma continued its pressure and intensity as another Extra Time result seemed imminent. Three minutes were given for stoppage time, and as Portland pushed forward for a result, the home side was forced to keep a deep line and clear any danger coming their way.

In 93rd minute, a lifeline appeared.

Minoungou put in a late challenge on Portland’s Eric Miller and the officials were left with no choice but to award a penalty kick. Kelsy stepped up to take the spot kick, converting to his right and sealing the victory for Portland on the final whistle just seconds after the restart.

Tacoma showed its talent and earned the respect of many around the country.

Peter Kingston of Tacoma was confident in the quality Tacoma can show week after week. “(Tonight’s match) was a great learning experience for everyone on the team and it kind of just shows that we’re able to keep up with these guys” said Kingston. “I think (MLS NP teams) should know now that we can play with any (MLS) First Team, and for sure play with any (MLS) Second Team.”

The culture of the Sounders organization does not discriminate for age, seeing an average age difference of the starting XI 6.6 years younger than Portland’s senior team as four teenagers appeared in Tacoma’s lineup.
The Timbers now await the Round of 16 draw to find their next opponent. Portland will host a Western Conference MLS match on Saturday May 10 as favorites by the bookmakers against Sporting Kansas City. They sit in third in the Western Conference after 11 games, but only three points off of FC Dallas in ninth. Tacoma Defiance look ahead at two away Cascadia matches in MLS NEXT Pro as they sit second in the table, first in the West. Tuesday’s match gives the team a taste of what is to come against Vancouver Whitecaps II and Portland Timbers II come May 14 and 18, respectively.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: Tacoma Defiance holds off Spokane Velocity in OT to reach Round 3

April 3, 2025 by Bruce Corrie

Edson Carli of the Tacoma Defiance dribbles the ball against the Spokane Velocity in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Sandra Agbotse - Sounders FC Communications — Edson Carli of the Tacoma Defiance dribbles the ball against the Spokane Velocity in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Sandra Agbotse – Sounders FC Communications

The Tacoma Defiance continued their march in the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 extra time win over the Spokane Velocity in the Second Round on Wednesday night.

Kang Joon-Mo opened the scoring for Tacoma in front of their home fans at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. in the 3rd minute to give the MLS NEXT Pro side the early lead. Former MLS standout Luis Gil would tie the game in the 78th minute for visitors from USL League One. The game would remain tied into extra time when an own goal from Spokane would deliver the game-winner for Tacoma and send them into the Third Round for the first time since their inaugural Cup run in 2015.

Making the drive to Tukwila, Spokane would have their hands full against a fortified Tacoma Defiance squad. Spokane would have hoped to make tonight look more like their 4-0 victory against Greenville Triumph over the weekend. Luis Gil and Anuar Pelaez of Spokane both collected a brace in the March 29 league match, and earn starting spots to lead the charge in disrupting a Defiance cup run.

Tacoma Defiance approached the Velocity draw with only the Open Cup to focus on following their 3-1 dismantling of Washington Athletic Club in the opening round two weeks prior. The Defiance wouldn’t be without action in the interim, setting up a friendly with local UPSL juggernauts, Bellevue Athletic FC; sailing 5 goals past the semi-pro side in a 5-2 victory at Longacres Sports Complex. A precise, high-tempo structure runs deep through the Sounders’ organization playing philosophy; fans at Starfire Sports Complex were treated to just that on a brisk PNW evening.

Starfire Sports Complex has a special place in the hearts of soccer fans across the region. It has long hosted Open Cup matches for Tacoma Defiance’s parent club, Seattle Sounders FC. Sprawling fields surround the main stand, ahead of kickoff as fans filter in they were treated to a serenation of Over 60 men’s league matches, youth trainings, and the ever-active indoor league all in one. Wednesday’s game was the 30th US Open Cup match hosted at Starfire in the Modern Era (1995-present). Only three venues in the country have hosted more Open Cup games during that span.

Tacoma took the win on the coin flip and the ball got rolling at 7:04 p.m. local time. Spokane put on the pressure right away. Attempting to keep the ball moving and probe Tacoma’s midfield inside the first two minutes. A foul in the 2nd minute was conceded by Spokane off of an errant touch at midfield giving Tacoma possession in their attacking half for first time in the match. No time was wasted by the home side; they worked the ball back to Jacob Castro in goal who split a pass into the middle. Precise short passing allowed Tacoma to cut through the Spokane press allowing Travian Sousa to charge down the left wing. Sebastian Gomez pulled the Spokane full back into a half space with a parallel run into the box, receiving the through ball, cutting the ball back to Osouze De Rosario from the left-side end line where it was redirected on the first touch to Joonmo Kang waiting patiently on the far post to rifle Tacoma ahead in just a few ticks past two minutes. 1-0 Tacoma.

Tacoma’s energy was undeniable; taking advantage of a perceived weak point down Spokane’s right flank for the next 20 minutes. However, Tacoma was showing vulerabilities in the back. Tacoma goalkeeper Jacob Castro received a ball at the top of the D from his right side as Spokane’s Anuar Pelaez closed him down on his first touch. Castro only managed a short pass out but the pressure misplaced it onto Spokane’s Mark Hernandez Peneda’s left foot. His one-time chipped effort, to Spokane’s dismay, was entirely mis-hit and bounced out for a goal kick.

It would take another 10 minutes for Spokane to get a free kick opportunity just outside of the penalty area. Spokane’s Nil Vinyals whipped the attempt low to the right corner of the goal but Castro’s quick feet help him push the attempt onto his defenders’ head. On the popped up ball, Castro settled his feet to punch wide right but it fell to Spokane’s Bryce Meredith’s feet. Poking the ball back into the 6 yard box, Tacoma finally cleared the scramble to hold their advantage.

The efforts of Spokane to absorb pressure carried them to halftime without further incidents. Tacoma’s Cody Baker and Peter Kingston undoubtedly controlled the midfield and disrupted Spokane’s counter-attack phase after phase. Kingston going a step further to draw Spokane’s Bryce Meredith into a crunching tackle in the 40th minute; and a second consecutive Open Cup match to be booked inside the first half.

Second half action got underway after the break. With level heads, both teams seemed determined to play low-risk football. Tacoma opted to keep working the ball on the ground and methodically spreading the pitch to their advantage. In moments of possession for Spokane, they found success advancing the phase of play when Tacoma’s midfield was caught strong-side. Efforts toward goal were not nearly as successful however.

The visiting side only needed a flash to bring the match level. While Tacoma had done brilliantly for 78 minutes keeping the tempo and momentum in their hands, Spokane’s patience paid dividends. Spokane’s Javier Martin Gil gathered the ball through build-up play at the right touchline just inside his own half. Tacoma’s Edson Carli was spotted sitting high thru the midfield by Javier; exposing the seam between Tacoma’s center back and Travian Sousa for Spokane’s Nil Vinyals to take advantage. Sousa was forced to step high and wide to man-mark Spokane’s Shavon John-Brown, albeit a late step. Chalking his heels on the right-side touchline, Javier found John-Brown’s feet who then slipped Vinyals down the line for a cross against a spread Tacoma back four. Instictually, Spokane’s Luis Gil darted across the front of the goal to put a deft-toe onto Vinyals’ cross and leveled the match at 1-1.

Spokane goalkeeper Ryan Bilichuk ended the night with no officially designated saves, but that shouldn’t reflect too much on the defensive fortune of Velocity. To close out regulation, Tacoma drove numbers forward and kept a high tempo in Spokane’s half to force a favorable result. In the 83rd minute, Carli hit a curled effort from the right side of the penalty area. It dipped into the crossbar, down onto the far post and back to the center of the 6 yard box; ultimately being headed wide. At the 90-minute mark, Tacoma’s Yu Tsukanome was left free 5 yards out on an ensuing cross from the left. The ball found his head but once again rung the crossbar and cleared out wide.

Extra time began with an ominous change in weather. The whistle to restart was a sign for the heavens to open up. The pace of the game picked right back up where it left off with Tacoma on the front foot. Four minutes into extra time, Tacoma’s Sebastian Gomez separated from his mark to get on the end of a cross from the right side. Crossbar. Woodwork saved Spokane for the third time in 10 minutes of play. Tacoma’s pace and unrelenting pressure stoked Spokane into complacency; absorbing pressure and clearing balls deep for moments to catch their breath.

Nine minutes into extra time, to the joy of the home crowd, Defiance Magic. Sebastian Gomez fenangeled his way into the penalty box from the left side. Staying composed, he played a firm ball on the ground across the box to the feet of Edson Carli. Carli beat his center back to the end line, creating space and firing a shot at Spokane GK Ryan Bilichuk. Carli’s shot is too square to be on target, but the outstreched leg of Bilichuk deflected the ball onto the knee of Spokane’s Marcelo Lage to roll over the line. 2-1 advantage Tacoma.

First half of extra time closed out, after the short intermission the game kicked off. Spokane had to throw numbers forward to have a chance to send the match to penalties. Tacoma dropped all 10 players behind the ball defending in a 6-3-1 and 5-5 to handle the pressure. Tacoma’s back line dealt with all the efforts until the 121st minute. Spokane won a throw near the left side corner and got it to the feet of Colin Fernandez. Fernandez hits a hopeful cross that got popped up in the air in the center of the penalty area. Anuar Pelaez, who scored the winner against Ballard FC in the dying minutes of Spokane’s Round 1 match, threw himself in the air at the dropping ball and connected with a bicycle kick. Fatefully, history wasn’t to repeat tonight – the kick lacked the power needed to trouble Jacob Castro in net. Castro collected the ball safely.

After the game, Tacoma goalkeeper Jacob Castro reflected on the victory and looked ahead to the next round.

“ot gonna, lie it was a bit scary in there… pushed our line back… sat and let them attack us. I would have liked to see us get a bit higher and… keep the ball,” said Castro about the challenge of keeping together, compact, and moving as a unit in the last phase of the game. “We like to keep the ball, we like to control the game.”

2025 US Open Cup Round 1: Spokane Velocity scores in final seconds of OT to edge Ballard FC

March 21, 2025 by Bruce Corrie

Players from Spokane Velocity and Ballard FC (red) battle for the ball in a First Round match in the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Spokane Velocity FC

Spokane Velocity made the trek across the Evergreen State Wednesday night for their second straight opening matchup against The Bridges of Ballard FC. These two sides have become familiar foes in the last two renditions of the Open Cup.

In the 2024 Open Cup First Round, Ballard FC found themselves in a deadlock through 97 minutes before Andre Lewis of Spokane dealt the final blow. Spokane took the result in stride, sneaking through to the USL League 1 playoffs only to lose out in the league Final vs Union Omaha 3-0 in their debut season; paired with an Open Cup exit in the Third Round against Las Vegas Lights in a 2-1 loss.

Ballard FC brought a roster bolstered with some of the best amateur players the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Former Seattle Sounders legend and Ballard Coach James Riley would face yet another test getting his squad up to speed in their toughest match of the season against the fully professional in-state foes.

Ballard would not be out of their depth in the slightest. Big-game pedigree runs in the Ballard veins coming off of a USL League 2 National Title in 2023, and 2024 Northwest Division Champions in their first two seasons. With excitement in the air for a 2024 Open Cup Round 1 rematch, late addition Kelyn Rowe, former Seattle Sounder and USMNT player, joined the ranks of Ballard’s midfield to bring the experience and stability of an experienced professional to hopefully turn the tide.

You couldn’t have asked for a better night of classic PNW soccer. Wind and rain would never stop the Ballard Faithful packing Interbay Stadium. The sellout crowd was mixed with Spokane’s traveling possie who hoped to see success following a weekend match and with eight new signings taking part in the game.

The match kicked off at 7:36pm. Ballard approached the game with physicality and work rate at the forefront of their tactics.

In the 11th minute the newfound rivalry showed its colors. Charlie Kosakoff stuck right in with a crunching tackle on Spokane Captain Colin Fernandez. Kelsey Harms under center as the night’s match official had her hands full moments later, in the 14th minute, she found herself managing a shove-scuffle with Spokane providing an equally bold sliding challenge that couldn’t feel any more retaliatory to Kosakoff’s antics just a few minutes prior.

It took 20 minutes until attacking football could shine through. Spokane had Ballard pinned in their defensive third, working the ball around from right to left before service was whipped into a busy penalty area. Unfortunately for Spokane, Ballard blocked several attempts ultimately clearing the box with a shoulder-ed deflection. Ballard goalkeeper Charles Lanphier easily scooped the deflected ball and found the counter down their right side indicating that until they could relieve the forward pressure of Spokane, this would be their main success to disrupt Spokane’s high position.

Spokane kept pressure on in the 24th Minute. Bryce Meredith got the positioning edge over Ballard captain Joseph Dale on the left flank. Reaching to stop the advance, Dale caught Meredith on a sliding challenge. Spokane kept possession so advantage was played, but it wouldn’t be long before the official returned to Dale to take his name down awarding a rightfully earned yellow card.

Ballard’s disruptive and aggressive challenges began to take a toll on Spokane. Spokane’s reliance on direct action played into Ballard’s hands. Previously victimized Bryce Meredith didn’t forgive the force shown against him minutes prior; and in the 28th minute chopped down Andre Philibbosian in a late tackle from behind after losing the ball at his feet.

The first half saw both sides level at 0-0. Aside from Spokane’s intermittent advances and Ballard’s hopeful counter-attacking runs, it remained a fairly uneventful first 45.

The second half kicked off at 8:41pm, Ballard having the chance to close the match out attacking toward their standing supporters on the East–end of the stadium.

It was relatively quiet in the first quarter of an hour in the second half; however with the score in a deadlock and both teams antsy to find the net, the field began to open up giving the Ballard faithful all the more reason to will their club into an advantage.

Ballard saw their countering pay off in the 65th minute. Davis Mungomba cut off a Spokane probing pass through the midfield. With Spokane caught spread out, he found Philibbosian on the counter with a ball, completely taking Spokane out of the defensive phase. Alex Mejia took a run across Spokane’s right back, settling the ball on his left foot at the top of the box and with a quick-snap strike forcing Spokane goalkeeper Ryan Bilichuk into a decisive save down to his left.

Spokane was woken right back up. Bilichuk’s save injected the confidence and momentum they needed to get back on the front foot. Wave after wave of testing crosses and advancements down the wing ensued from then on.

Even through the Spokane pressure, Ballard was adamantly refusing easy play in their defensive third. Ballard goalkeeper Lanphier was called on to punch a 70th minute cross clear through traffic, but as the clock neared 90 minutes it was destined to see extra time. The Bridgekeepers and the rest of the Ballard faithful would be treated to free soccer.

In the first half of extra time, Spokane connected down the right side of the pitch as Ballard gave away a questionable throw in. In the 100th minute Masango Akale was found through the center of the 18 yard box and taken down after a heavy touch put him out of reach to do anything more in the attack.

The ensuing clearance allowed Ballard to work down their right side immediately. Alex Mejia beat the Spokane defenders on the end line after a failed clearance, serving a cutting ball across the 6 yd box. To the anguish of the Ballard Faithful, Mungomba scuffed the shot to relieve Spokane for the time being.

It appeared both sides were content going to penalties. For the next 18 minutes, going into the 120th minute, threats toward goal didn’t amount to more than half-chances.

Then, to the horror of Ballard, Spokane’s Nil Vinyals took advantage of a high-stepped Ballard midfield getting the ball to the feet of Neco Brett 30 yards out in the center of the pitch. With an easy turn to goal, Brett slipped a pass to Anuar Peláez sitting at the top of the penalty area – who fired toward goal. Ballard’s Harrison Bertos reached for the block, which took a nasty spinning deflection down into the turf and over Lanphier’s top hand.

1 – 0 to Spokane.

Ballard pushed back with seconds as a luxury. Throwing numbers forward. Desperation hanging in the air at Interbay Stadium.

In the 123rd minute, Ballard collected the ball in the middle of the field and into the path of Austin Brummett. Brummett had a window from 25 yards out, and smashed the ball toward the back post. Bilichuk used every inch of his wingspan and tipped away the ball just as it seemed to be dipping in for a sure-fire goal.

In a last gasp as the clock ticked into the 125th minute, Ballard’s Lanphier collected a recovered pass at the top of his box to distribute to Sean Sent in acres of space in the center-circle. With a driving run forward Sent picked out Nii Engmann with a driven ball onto his head, bypassing Spokane’s exhausted midfielders. Engmann’s deft flick forward found the overlapping run of Harrison Bertos. Bertos beat his defender, redirecting the ball in the back of the net! To Ballard’s dismay, the checkered flag shoots up for offside amid a chaotic, celebratory, Interbay Stadium. Heartbreak…

Following two hours of soccer, nail-biting late drama, and Bilichuk’s heroics, the victory was sealed for Spokane.

After the match Spokane’s netminder was “buzzing” with the result after celebrating the victory with the Velocity away supporters.

“It was a tough game, tough conditions, but we just grinded through the game. Props to the team for fighting through 120 minutes” said Ryan; ultimately highlighting the intensity and skill Ballard brought to Interbay Wednesday night.

Once again, Ballard had come within a hair’s breadth of open cup glory. Once again, it was snatched away at the death by the Spokane Velocity. For Nii Engmann, the brother of Ballard FC veteran Christian Engmann, it was his first experience in what is becoming a macabre tradition for The Bridges.

“We brought it right from the start. came out with an energy that I don’t think was matched. At the end of the day the professionals had their say and even though it was a pretty fair game, sometimes the football gods are not on your side…”

“It’s a tough way to lose.”