Ballard FC announced its U.S. Open Cup first round game roster ahead of their matchup on Wednesday, March 20th, against Spokane Velocity FC at Memorial Stadium.
Ballard FC, the defending USL League 2 National Champions, have a squad of 26 players made up of key returners from the 2023 league title team and some exciting new additions. These 26 players were selected by Head Coach James Riley from a larger pool of eligible players. Of these players, 18 will be selected for the game day roster.
Many players that Ballard FC have announced for the USL2 season were not available for the U.S. Open Cup due to various circumstances. Some players participating in the U.S. Open Cup will not be participating in the USL2 season. This is the nature of the tournament and putting an amateur roster together months in advance of the traditional USL2 season.
Now, let’s examine the roster from back to front:
Between the pipes, Ballard High School graduate Pierluca Carnovale is returning to Ballard FC after a successful college season with Willamette University. After playing at Interbay last summer, Carnovale will return to the stadium after transferring to Seattle Pacific University for the 2024 season. Competing with Carnovale for the starting spot is goalkeeper Charlie Lanphier. Lanphier started for Western Athletic Conference champions Seattle University, and has USL2 experience with FC Olympia (formerly known as Oly Town FC). Local players Jackson Buck and Ryan Saunders join Pierluca and Charlie to round out the Goalkeeper group in the 26-player roster.
In defense, key returners include Christian Engmann and Demian Alvarez at center back. Engmann is entering his third year with Ballard FC and has been a defensive stalwart and constant set piece threat. Alvarez was a key member of last season’s title team due to his positional versatility and followed up a USL2 title with a WAC championship at Seattle University last fall. Captain Lesia Thetsane returns after a USL2 “Team of the Year” season in 2023. The Lesotho international has been Ballard FC’s captain since the club started and will now help lead the team into its first Open Cup run. On the right side, Khai Brisco returns. The University of Washington graduate was drafted by the Tacoma Stars in the first round of the Major Arena Soccer League draft and will provide a combination of athleticism and defensive prowess to the right flank. One of new additions to the backline is University of Washington’s Chris Meyers, who made the PAC-12 Second-Team last fall, playing alongside Brisco. Local talents Isaac Ketcham, Derek Shoring, and Arjun Venkat complete the defending group eligible for this first round match.
The battle for minutes in the middle of the pitch will be a tough one with returners that include Peter Kingston, Taketo Onodera, Bailey Letherman, Joe Dale, and Bryan De La Rosa. Four of these five players have been with Ballard FC since the club’s beginning. After winning USL2 National Final MVP, Kingston played his first collegiate season with the University of Washington where he was immediately an impact starter. Kingston will likely float all around the pitch, sometimes in midfield and other times in the attack. Onodera scored one of the biggest goals in Ballard FC history last season in the National Semifinals to secure a 1-0 win against the Flint City Bucks. After a successful summer, Onodera went on to win the WAC with Seattle University last fall. Amongst the new names joining this midfield are University of Washington duo Richie Aman and Sean Sent, as well as Grand Canyon University’s Cameron Cruz. Aman was recognized as a PAC-12 Honorable Mention selection in the fall and Cruz started 15 matches as a sophomore with GCU. Abner Hernandez, Ray Mendez, and Iaser Turcan round out of the midfield unit.
Up top, the frontline is headlined by the return of Alex Mejia. After a season of top flight professional soccer in Honduras with Real España, “El Tigre” is back in Seattle to terrorize goalkeepers all over the Pacific Northwest. Mejia will be joined in attack by Austin Brummett and Seyi Adekoya. Brummett is college teammates with Engmann and a usual starter for San Diego State, winning PAC-12 player of the week in September. Adekoya is a local soccer hero coming from Lakeside, starring for Crossfire Premier and the Sounders Academy before playing college soccer. Eventually, Adekoya would go on to play professionally, including a stint in the MLS with the Seattle Sounders. Adekoya will continue his Seattle soccer legacy with Ballard FC’s Cup run this spring.
Ballard FC U.S. Open Cup First Round Roster
| Number | Name | Position |
| 1 | Jackson Buck | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Christian Engmann | Defender |
| 4 | Adeseyi Adekoya | Forward |
| 5 | Sean Sent | Midfielder |
| 6 | Taketo Onodera | Midfielder |
| 7 | Chris Meyers | Defender |
| 8 | Joe Dale | Midfielder |
| 9 | Alex Mejia | Forward |
| 10 | Peter Kingston | Midfielder |
| 11 | Richie Aman | Midfielder |
| 12 | Lesia Thetsane | Defender |
| 14 | Bailey Letherman | Midfielder |
| 20 | Isaac Ketcham | Defender |
| 21 | Demian Alvarez | Defender |
| 24 | Khai Brisco | Defender |
| 25 | Austin Brummett | Forward |
| 28 | Iaser Turcan | Midfielder |
| 30 | Charlie Lanphier | Goalkeeper |
