For the second time in three seasons, Ballard FC and the Flint City Bucks will square off in the national semifinal. This year however, the match is in Ballard.
After Ballard FC’s 2-1 win in the Western Conference Final against the Ventura County Fusion, they are set up for a National Semifinal rematch tomorrow, Sunday, July 27th against the Bucks. In 2023, Ballard FC won 1-0 thanks to a Taketo Onodera thunderbolt from outside the box, and now they will be looking for a repeat result two years later.
Sunday’s match at Interbay Stadium will kickoff at 5:30pm. Tickets are still available, and fans can purchase single-match tickets now. The match is expected to sell out before kickoff, so get your tickets today!
Above is a look at the updated playoff bracket for the remaining playoff match at Interbay Stadium this weekend. Now let’s meet the opponents.
Flint City Bucks
The club with the most national titles in all of USL League Two is coming to Interbay Stadium tomorrow as they look to reach another national final.
Flint’s first match in Seattle was a 2-1 victory over Minneapolis City SC to claim the Central Conference Crown. Striker Donovan Phillip had a busy day for himself, scoring both goals and also having his penalty saved. Outside of those three moments, Phillip was still the most dangerous player in the Flint attack and the Ballard backline will need to keep him in check on Sunday.
Minneapolis took the lead first with a goal inside the first ten minutes. From there, Flint was the better team for the rest of the first half, scoring an equalizing goal and earning a penalty that could have put them in front. However as mentioned previously, Phillip’s penalty was saved by Daniel Sessler. The two teams went into halftime tied at 1-1.
In the second half, Minneapolis City SC regained control and created a lot of danger. However, the Flint defense held strong and looked to hit in the counter. Then with less than 10 minutes to play, the counter attack finally struck. A loose ball in midfield was picked up by Cole Werthmuller who immediately sent a through ball in for Phillip who sprinted past the Minneapolis backline and calmly slotted in the winner.
Now Flint will be looking for their seventh straight victory, as well as revenge against Ballard FC, to make it to the national final.
Sunday is sure to be another classic at Pagliacci Pitch. Get your tickets now before they are gone.
Match Details
Gates: Gates open at 4pm! We recommend arriving early to enjoy the food and beer offerings, 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, Sunday’s match will feature an array of food vendors, including KOTTU, Fry Bread, and Mainstay Provisions. Also, before you head to Pagliacci Pitch, you can take advantage of the Pagliacci Pizza BOGO slice deal on game days. Just show your ticket at any Pagliacci location (except UW) and get two slices for the price of one. Outside food is not allowed in the venue except for Pagliacci Pizza.
Ballard Food Bank: We also encourage fans to support the community by bringing donations for the Ballard food bank.
Merch: All jerseys will be 15% off at Sunday’s match! Additionally, we are now selling limited-edition match shorts at the merch tent.
Beer Garden The Bridges United Foundation Beer Garden is back at Interbay Stadium this season. Unlike at Memorial last season, fans will be able to watch the match from the beer garden. The beer garden proudly serves Reuben’s Brews and this year will feature a second service station and the Orgullo Ajeno Tequila Zone.
Transportation: Parking is extremely limited. We highly recommend alternative forms of transportation, including biking as we will have the Wombi Bike Parking area available at every home match this year. Please also 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 matches will be streamed on SportsEngine Play. The stream for the match this Sunday can be found HERE.
Written by Max Dresbach
