Ballard FC held on to beat Snohomish United 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in the USL2 Western Conference Semifinals at Interbay Stadium.
This was the two sides’ third meeting of the year. They battled to a 1-1 draw in June, and Snohomish got the best of Ballard 2-1 in the final game of the season. It was that win that propelled Snohomish to the playoffs in their inaugural season, knocking Eugene, Ore.’s Lane United out of the second spot in the Northwest Division by a single point.
The Snohomish roster is loaded with talent, including two former Ballard FC players, Declan McGlynn and Eric Lagos, both of whom played in the epic 2023 USL 2 National Final. Snohomish defeated Utah United 2-0 in Friday’s quarterfinal, while Northwest Division Champions Ballard FC took down Colorado Storm 6-0 to set up this semifinal matchup.
The opening moments of the match seemed fueled by pure adrenaline, with the teams ranging up and down the pitch and trading early yellow cards for reckless challenges in the first ten minutes. That theme would persist throughout the afternoon, with the center ref going to his pocket a total of ten times, a statistic that says more about the tenor of the match than the refereeing itself, which was balanced and well-handled. Somehow, no player managed to pick up a second caution despite the flurry of cards.
Ballard FC broke through in the 8th minute to open the scoring. After some chaotic attempts by Snohomish to clear the danger in the box, Joe Dale found Sean Sent drifting in from the 18, and Sent slammed it home for the early lead.
By the 15th minute, the match settled into a back-and-forth affair, with the teams trading attacking chances, but neither was particularly goal-dangerous until former Ballard player Declan Mcglynn found the net for Snohomish in the 20th minute to bring the sides level.
Ballard would get three more good attacking moments before the half, including a beautiful searching through-ball from Joe Dale to Charlie Kosakoff. But Charlie couldn’t quite bring it down in the box before being bodied off by a pair of Snohomish defenders.
Dale and Kosakoff would combine for another half-chance in first half stoppage time, but Kosakoff’s shot was saved by Snohomish keeper Jackson Ozburn, who had a very good night under a good amount of pressure.
Ballard ended the first half by dominating the ball and looking very threatening, and the second half continued that trend. After the match, head coach James Riley told Sounder at Heart that their halftime adjustments were focused on managing the match and controlling the game tempo, avoiding an up-and-down affair. On short rest from Friday's quarterfinal, a track meet was not in Ballard's best interest.
While there were no personnel changes at the half, the messaging clearly got through to the players. The Bridges came out determined to control possession and play the game at their pace, and for most of the second half, they did just that. Snohomish had a hard time breaking Ballard’s lines in the second frame, settling mostly for a few counterattacks and set-pieces.
Ballard played excellent, disciplined soccer throughout the last 45 minutes. Kai Brisco got forward several times from his right back position and served two wonderful crosses that were just left wanting for a little more finishing quality. Richie Aman consistently pulled the focus of several defenders on the Snohomish right side, including right back Carter Gay, who battled hard all afternoon with the speedy winger for Ballard.
Ballard took the lead for good on a beautifully executed 63rd-minute goal, when Joe Dale notched his second assist of the night, feeding Rafi Otero at the six for a tidy finish.
Down the stretch, it was the Ballard defense that held the game together. Christian Engmann stood tall and won nearly every aerial duel in the box, ultimately earning Man of the Match honors for his standout performance. “Engmann was a beast,” Riley said post-match. “He dealt with their direct balls and aerial duels and truly stood up.”
Kai Brisco played stout defense and fought for every second ball, earning a Ballard throw-in with a perfect sliding tackle as his last action of the night in the 65th.
In the 74th minute, Ballard looked to have increased their lead, but a goal-scoring move was brought back after Kosakoff fouled a Snohomish defender to create the chance.
Ballard had to hang on over the last ten minutes as Snohomish poured everything forward looking for a late equalizer, earning several corners and deep throw-ins while keeping the Ballard defense pinned back.
After 7 minutes of added time, with Ballard controlling the ball in the Snohomish end, the referee blew his whistle for full-time, sending Ballard FC on to the Western Conference Final.
The quality of play and the physicality of this match are a testament to the overall Puget Sound soccer environment. Many of these players came up playing in the same academies or competing against one another, and most are local college players who will face off again in the coming fall season for their respective university teams. The depth of both teams’ rosters would not be possible without a truly robust youth and college soccer scene in the area. If it feels like you are watching the next generation of professional players in these matchups, it’s because you are.
With this result, The Bridges not only advance to face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the conference finals, but will host the Western Conference Final on Friday and a National Semifinal match on July 27th at Interbay Stadium. The team has announced that tickets will go on sale on Monday at 9 a.m. through their website goballardfc.com.
