In the opening round of the USL League Two playoffs, Ballard FC faced off against Project 51O at Interbay Stadium in a rematch of the 2022 fixture. Ballard FC started strong, controlling the tempo and taking the lead with a deflected cross. However Ballard failed to find a second, and Project 51O took advantage. The visitors equalized in the 83rd minute and secured a dramatic winner in stoppage time, upsetting the reigning champions by a final score of 2-1 and ending Ballard FC’s playoff run in heartbreak.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Friday night at Interbay Stadium, Ballard FC took the field in front of a sold-out crowd, ready to take on Project 51O in the round of 32.
The match kicked off with excitement as Richie Aman found space in the box and narrowly missed the target within the first minute. The visitors responded with their first shot from the top of the box in the sixth minute, which flashed over the bar. The opening minutes saw fast-paced action with both teams creating a few half chances, setting the tone for an eventful match.
In the 11th minute, Charlie Gaffney found space on the right, cutting a cross back into Peter Kingston whose shot deflected inches wide, marking the best opportunity so far. Shortly after, Project 51O countered with their first shot on target, forcing Charlie Lanphier to make an excellent save to keep the score level.
Aman continued to threaten down the left hand side and in the 16th minute, his cross led to an Alex Mejia shot that was blocked in the box. A few minutes later Project 51O’s Cam Wilkerson received the first yellow card of the match for a foul on Aman at the edge of the box. A minute later, Project 51O came close with a header from a corner. The match continuously featured back-to-back chances, with both teams playing very direct and at high speed.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute. Aman played the ball out wide to Luke Hammond, who fired a ball across the goal that was deflected into the net by a 51O defender. Ballard FC had the lead and the Interbay crowd went crazy.
Project 51O tried to quickly level the score as Lanphier made a crucial save in the 30th minute, diving at full-stretch to push the shot out for a corner. From that set piece, Project 51O seemed to score, but it was disallowed due to the attacker being just offside. As the half progressed, Ballard began to control the tempo, though Project 51O continued to pose a threat on the counter.
Lanphier made another strong save from a powerful shot at the top of the box in the 39th minute. Aman showed great skill in the 42nd minute, driving from halfway into the box and executing a perfect 1-2 with Mejia, and firing a shot that was saved by Project 51O keeper Edwin Rodriguez. Charlie Gaffney floated a cross to the back post in the 45th minute, with Christian Engmann’s header flew just over the bar.
In the final moments of the half, Lanphier tipped a Project 51O shot narrowly over the bar with an amazing save. Juan Alvarez received a yellow card right before the halftime whistle. The Ballard fans rose to their feet, applauding the team’s effort as they headed into the break with the lead.
Ballard FC made one change at the break, bringing on Chris Meyers for Hammond.
The tempo of the game slowed slightly, but aggression was building, resulting in a few yellow cards in quick succession being shown to two Project 51O players, Arik Duncan and Ulises Esquivel, as well as to Mejia in the 54th minute.
Project 51O made two attacking changes, while Ballard brought on Joe Dale and Taketo Onodera for Gaffney and Juan Alvarez.
In the 61st minute, Kingston delivered a deep cross to Mejia, who brought it down beautifully but failed to connect strongly, with the shot rolling wide. Ray Mendez came on for Kingston in the 66th minute.
Substitute Joe Dale, working tirelessly on the right wing, contributed significantly to the defensive efforts. Meyers received a yellow card in the 75th minute, adding to the list of cautions.
With Project 51O making two more changes in search of an equalizer, the match entered its final 10 minutes. In the 80th minute, Aman broke through and went down in the box after contact from the 51O defender, but no penalty was awarded, causing the crowd to erupt in disagreement.
Ballard FC’s inability to convert a second chance throughout the match allowed Project 51O to remain hopeful, and it paid off in the 83rd minute. Project 51O found space on the side of the box and cut a low cross to Jude Stone, who slotted it away to level the score.
Ballard responded with two more changes, bringing off Mejia and Aman for Rafi Otero and Isaac Ketcham. Seven minutes of additional time were announced, as tensions continued to rise. In the 93rd minute, Project 51O found space down the left again as Juan Sanchez drove at Lanphier and placed it around him into the back of the net, giving Project 51O a 2-1 lead with minutes left.
In the 97th minute, Otero delivered a dangerous long cross, but the Project 51O keeper came out to claim it. The full-time whistle blew shortly after, ending the match in heartbreak for Ballard FC.
HOW WE LINED UP?
STARTING XI : Lanphier, Hammond, Engmann, D. Alvarez, Brisco, Sent, J. Alvarez, Kingston, Aman, Gaffney, Mejia
SUBS: Meyers, Dale, Onodera, Mendez, Otero, Ketcham
WHAT’S NEXT?
Interbay Stadium will host the Western Conference semifinal between United PDX and Project 51O at 2:00 PM on Sunday, July 21st. Gates will open at 1:00 PM and tickets are available online and at the gate.
For Ballard FC, the offseason begins. Fans should follow the club on social media to stay tuned for offseason events and any other club news. Although it is now the offseason, there will be plenty of news still to come as the official brand release for the women’s team will arrive later this fall.
