Defending USL2 National Champions, Ballard FC, will host the newly formed USL1 side, Spokane Velocity, at Memorial Stadium this Wednesday, March 20th for the first round of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup. Gates open at 6:00 PM with kick-off set for 7:30.
Wednesday’s match will be one of many firsts. This will be Ballard FC’s first Open Cup appearance in the club’s short history. With Interbay Stadium undergoing renovations, it will also be Ballard FC’s first match at Memorial Stadium. It will be the first competitive match for new Ballard FC head coach, James Riley, as he looks to add on to a storied Seattle Soccer career.
Be one of the first people to view this match of firsts by getting your tickets now! If you can’t make it to the match, tune into the live stream at USLsoccer.com/watch.
With a new stadium, there are some important new things that fans should know. Although there is some limited street parking and lot options available, we encourage utilizing public transportation, biking, or carpooling. Additionally, Memorial Stadium is a card-only facility and only small bags are allowed in. Now for the fun stuff, Wednesday’s food vendors will be Mainstay Provisions, Bake Shop, Kottu, and T’Juana Tacos, and the Reuben’s Brews Beer Garden will still be part of the match day experience.
Check out the map below to get familiar with Memorial Stadium before you go.
Now let’s look ahead to the match itself. Two Washington clubs, separated by the high mountain passes of the Cascade Range, vying for regional supremacy. A new derby, “El Pássico,” has been born.
Ballard FC will go into Wednesday night’s cup match after almost 140 days of no competitive matches. However, if coach Riley’s team can find a level similar to their performance in the famous “Thrilla in Tukwila,” then they will be a tough out for any of the cup favorites. Although the team may have a new head coach and new stadium, there will be many familiar faces on the pitch this season. Christian Engmann and captain Lesia Thetsane will aim to build a wall in defense with Bailey Letherman and Taketo Onodera bossing the midfield. up top, Alex “El Tigre” Mejia will look to score goals alongside 2023 USL2 Final MVP Peter Kingston. These returners from last season’s USL2 title team will team up with new additions such as the University of Washington trio of Richie Aman, Chris Meyers, and Sean Sent. For a deeper dive into the roster, check out our player preview. With key returners and new exciting additions, Ballard FC aim to be even stronger than last season.
Washington’s newest USL League One club, Spokane Velocity FC, will look to help get their first competitive season off to a good start with an Open Cup victory over their in-state rivals. The Velocity, like all USL1 sides, are fully professional and compete all year-round, unlike their USL2 opponents. However as a new team, the Velocity are yet to establish a year-round schedule and may not have that competitive advantage. So far, Spokane have played two matches in their USL1 season with one win and a loss. In the home opener on Saturday, the Velocity got their first win in front of a sold out crowd. Spokane earned a 2-1 victory over the Richmond Kickers with goals from Romain Métanire and Luis Gil. Métanire was named man of the match and will look to continue that fine form in Wednesday’s cup match. With the regular season underway, Spokane will have to balance both the USL1 season and U.S. Open Cup at the same time, unlike their opponents as Ballard FC’s USL2 season will not kickoff until May. Head coach Leigh Veidman will hope to get that balance right on Wednesday to start the Velocity’s Open Cup run on the right foot.
March is a month known for single-elimination tournament madness. On Wednesday night, we will have two sides fighting to punch their ticket to the second round and the opportunity to keep on dancing into April. Memorial Stadium awaits!
