Sunday evening’s USL League Two semifinal matchup between Ballard FC and Flint City Bucks was one of a handful of Ballard matches I’ve gone to since the club’s launch in 2022.
It was a great night for the Bridges, who got a 2-1 win at Interbay Stadium to punch their ticket to the USL2 national title game for the second time in three years. They’ll now head to face Vermont Green in Burlington, Vt. in pursuit of another league championship, an undeniably impressive accomplishment for such a young club. Vermont Green, by the way, went 11-0-3 in the regular season and will likely pack around 5,000 fans into their stadium for the game.
Aside from the on-field success, I always come away from those games appreciative of the gameday experience at Interbay. On Sunday, they packed a couple thousand people in the stands and beer garden, creating as raucous an atmosphere as you’ll find at the League Two level.
There was also a novel concept to be found: Reasonable prices for both merchandise and concessions! A Seattle dog and a bottle of water cost me $6, a purchase at Lumen Field that would likely put me into financial ruin for multiple weeks. I also got a shirt for a similarly shockingly reasonable price. It’s amazing how much that aspect alone enhanced the gameday experience. If you’ve yet to head to Interbay for a match, I can’t recommend it enough (even if you’ll have to wait until next year).
Best of luck to the Bridges as they look to bring home another title. We’ll certainly be heading to more matches next season.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here's what you missed on the site this week.
Sounders
Next match: Thursday, July 31 vs. Cruz Azul | 7:30 pm PT | MLS Season Pass | Leagues Cup 2025 Phase One
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- Postgame pontifications: Almost again
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Reign
Next league match: Friday, Aug. 1 vs. Angel City FC | 7:30 pm PT | Prime Video
Defiance
Next match: Friday, Aug. 1 vs. Ventura County | 7 pm PT | MLS Season Pass
Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
- Leagues Cup 2025 tiers: Sounders considered a top contender (MLSsoccer)
- Women’s EURO 2025 Finances (SwissRamble)
- Women’s soccer summer returns stateside. Plus: U.S. disaster in the pool? (The Athletic)
- England’s Euro 2025 win defies logic; Spain's curse continues (ESPN)
- Lucy Bronze reveals she played with a fractured tibia throughout Euro 2025 (Guardian)
- Venezuelan Little League team denied travel visas to U.S. for World Series (Washington Post)
- How Inter Miami signed De Paul, fit him in MLS roster rules (ESPN)
- Why MLS Had to Ban Lionel Messi – and the Potential Fallout That Could Come (Sports Illustrated)
- MLS Power Rankings: Cincy on the up after draw vs. Miami (ESPN)
- Exclusive: LAFC advancing in talks to sign Son Heung-min from Spurs (GiveMeSport)
