This Saturday Ballard FC take on Lane United at Memorial Stadium for the club’s annual Youth Soccer Day. With only two home matches left in the season, Ballard FC will be looking to finish strong on front of the home crowd.
Parents and kids, make sure that you wear your youth soccer jersey to get a free sticker upon entrance to Saturday’s match. Before kickoff, kids can enjoy free face painting from Creative Faces from 1:30 to 4:30 PM. Now let’s look at Saturday’s opponent.
Previous Encounter
Last month, Ballard FC defeated Lane United 2-1 in Eugene with two goals from Austin Brummett.
In the first half, the match was very slow-paced with both teams passing the ball around the back but failing to create. However, Ballard FC did have the majority of the chances. Set pieces from Peter Kingston provided the majority of the danger until the opening goal. In the 36th minute, Charlie Gaffney’s cross found Brummett who quickly turned and finished with his left foot into the bottom corner. The teams went into halftime with the scoreline at 1-0.
In the second half, the “reds” got off to a red hot start and Lane United equalized in the 48th minute. Oregon State forward Sergi Solans headed home a cross to the back post to bring the match level. The scoreline though would not stay tied for long as Ballard reacted quickly. In the 54th minute, Gaffney headed it on to Demian Alvarez who sped down the left flank and delivered the ball on a platter for Brummett’s second goal of the night.
Ballard FC was then able to see out the match. Lane United pressed hard for an equalizer but their chances diminished massively in the 82nd minute when Josue Biueghe was shown a red card for a poor tackle on Elliot Spatz who was through on goal.
Preview
Lane United currently sit in seventh place in the division standings with nine points from nine matches. Lane United’s most recent match was a 2-1 victory over third placed Tacoma Stars. Lane’s attack is led by Ede Gramberg and Yoshiki Igarashi. Gramberg has two goals and one assist, and Igarashi has three goals on the season.
Lane will be looking for their second-straight victory as they visit Seattle. The hosts however will be eager to get back to winning ways after a disappointing draw on Sunday, especially with a title race on their hands. If United PDX win their match on Friday, they will be tied with Ballard FC at the top of the table with only three matches to go for both sides. With every match, point, goal, pass, and clearance mattering so very much as we come to the business end of the season, Ballard FC will need the Memorial crowd to cheer them on and boost their spirits.
Get your tickets to Saturday’s match!
MATCH DETAILS
Gates: Gates open at 1:30pm! We also recommend arriving early to beat the food and beer lines, watch the players warm up, beat the hassle of traffic and parking, and to enjoy all of the prematch festivities. Also, the first 150 fans will get the above match poster FREE.
Food Vendors: Beyond the thrilling soccer action, Saturday’s match will feature an array of food vendors, including Kottu, Katmandu, Mainstay Provisions, Bake Shop, Seattle Pops, and the Dick’s Drive In Food Truck.
Ballard Food Bank: We also encourage fans to support the community by bringing donations of rice and pasta for the Ballard food bank.
Beer Garden: We’re proud to offer the Reuben’s Brews beer garden this season at Memorial Stadium, featuring Up The Bridges Pale Ale! The beer garden can only be accessed through the stadium but please note that the field is not visible from the garden. We understand this is disappointing and please trust that we’ve done everything possible to make the most of the situation. Seattle Public Schools does not allow alcohol on facility grounds. We recommend you arrive early to the stadium to grab a prematch brew or head to Reuben’s Brews Taproom in Ballard and catch the shuttle to the match.
Shuttle: This season we have a ticketed shuttle ride option for all matches this regular season at home! Tickets are now available for individual purchase for our shuttle program at an affordable rate of $8.50 per person round trip from Reuben’s Brews in Ballard to Memorial Stadium and back.
Transportation: Parking is extremely limited and is all paid. We highly recommend alternative forms of transportation. Please consider riding King County Metro on game day, where youth through age 18 always ride free! Check out transit mode in Google Maps, the TripPlanner.kingcounty.gov website, or an app like OneBusAway.
Live Stream: Can’t make it to the match? All Ballard FC home matches will be streamed to our YouTube channel. The stream for the match this Saturday can be found HERE. Our live stream is proudly presented by Albert Lee Appliance and Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants.
