On the eve of one of the biggest soccer games to ever be played in Seattle, USA vs Australia, Ballard FC provided some stage-setting fireworks in a dominant win over Bigfoot FC.
Six first-half goals, five coming for the hosts, set the tone as Ballard went to 6-1-1 on the season and 3-0-0 all-time against Bigfoot.
The scoring started early, with a third-minute strike from Anton Hjalmarsson getting the party started in his return to the 11. The goal was set up by a lovely spinning Zach Ramsey backheel flick, and the Swede dispatched his one-on-one chance calmly to open things up.
Despite on-the-ball dominance from the hosts, Bigfoot would make things interesting, getting one back through a familiar face in ex-Ballard FC centerback Davis Mungomba. The veteran defender went on a run of his own through the Ballard defense and finished off an equalizer in the 21st minute.
Ballard would respond to their first attack after kicking back off. Cianole Nguepissi launched a lofted ball for Jordan Dierks, whose low cross was sent into the back of the net on an attempted clearance by Bigfoot defender Nigel Hinkulow for an own-goal, 2-1.
Ballard made it three in the 27th, with a lovely through ball from Etienne Veillard breaking lines ahead to Juan Alvarez, whose first shot was blocked, but dispatched the rebound.
The onslaught wouldn’t end there, as in the 30th minute, Emmett Layman scored the goal of the night. The winger intercepted a back pass in his own defensive third, winning a footrace to the loose ball not once, not twice, but three times, with the third challenge beating the keeper and giving Layman an open net to complete a coast-to-coast worldie.
Ballard’s final strike of the half would come once again from Juan Alvarez, who picked up the ball at the top of the box on a short Hjalmarsson serve and drove his shot past Bigfoot’s sun-blinded goalkeeper.
The teams would go to the locker rooms with the result all but decided as Ballard led 5-1.
The second half would go much slower than the first, with Bigfoot slightly deflated from the deficit, and Ballard happy to hold possession and look for their best chances.
Bigfoot shored up the defense in the second 45, doing a better job of stopping through balls and quick attacks from the hosts, but Ballard would find one more goal in the 68th. Jack-Ryan Jeremiah found a ball between the lines for Elliot Spatz to run on to, and Spatz calmly slotted home the sixth and final goal of the night.
Not too many fireworks would occur for the remainder of the 90, as Ballard cruised to another three points ahead of their upcoming back-to-back rivalry matchups with the West Seattle Junction.
Emmett Layman was named man of the match for his outstanding strike in the first half
Match Facts
- Six goals is the highest scoring output for Ballard in 2026, with second place being the three they scored in their season-opening win against FC Olympia and in their last home match against Portland Bangers
- Six goals is also the most goals scored by any NW Division team in a single match this season
- Juan Alvarez has three goals in his last two matches at Interbay Stadium
- Anton Hjalmarsson has three goals in 2026, all of them coming at Interbay
- Emmet Layman picked up his first assist in Ballard’s last home match vs Portland, and now has his first goal for the club
- Ballard sit in second place in the NW division, behind only Snohomish United on points per game, and have now officially leapfrogged the Portland Bangers for a playoff spot.
- With Portland and Snohomish playing Friday, 6/19, Ballard are guaranteed to remain in a playoff spot going into their weekend matchup with the West Seattle Junction
- Etienne Veillard and Jack-Ryan Jeremiah both picked up their first Ballard FC assists
Scoring Recap:
- 3’ (BFC): Scored by Anton Hjalmarsson (3), assisted by Zach Ramsey (2)
- 21’ (BIG): Scored by Davis Mungomba
- 23’ (BFC): Own-goal
- 27’ (BFC): Scored by Juan Alvarez (2), assisted by Etienne Veillard (1)
- 30’ (BFC): Scored by Emmett Layman (1), unassisted
- 40’ (BFC): Scored by Juan Alvarez (3), assisted by Anton Hjalmarsson (2)
- 68’ (BFC): Scored by Elliot Spatz (2), assisted by Jack-Ryan Jeremiah (1)
Starting 11:
Stockton Short, Tanner Dutra, Beto Apolinar, Cameron Cruz, Anton Hjalmarsson, Zach Ramsey, Emmett Layman, Jordan Dierks, Cianole Nguepissi, Juan Alvarez, Eteinne Veillard
Subs Used:
Andrew Myerson, Jack-Ryan Jeremiah, Elliot Spatz, Dunes Nielsen, Ray Mendez, Isaac Ketcham, Sean Sent
Written by Adam Race
