On Saturday, October 11, Peter Kingston became the first Ballard FC player to play in Major League Soccer (MLS) when he subbed into the second half of the Seattle Sounders’ 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
In the 79th minute, Kingston replaced Pedro de la Vega and helped secure all three points for the Sounders. He played just over 15 minutes when you include stoppage time, and he looked right at home alongside MLS veterans like Jesús Ferreira.
After playing over 2,200 minutes for the Tacoma Defiance in MLS NEXT Pro this season, Kingston earned a call-up to the first team and the opportunity to step up with many first-team midfielders either injured or on international duty.
Before signing with the Defiance earlier this year, Kingston played three seasons with Ballard FC while also competing collegiately with both Seattle University and the University of Washington.
In his three summers with Ballard, Kingston made 49 appearances and 43 starts. He finished with 11 goals and 22 assists for the club while winning two Northwest Division titles, a Western Conference Championship, and a USL League Two National Championship. In the 2023 National Final, Kingston was selected as the USL 2 Final MVP after scoring a match-winning free kick in stoppage time.
During the 2023 season, Ballard FC and Red Element partnered to create the short film Up The Stakes, featuring Kingston and teammate Lesia Thetsane as they navigated their paths to professional soccer. Today, Thetsane is playing in the MASL (Major Arena Soccer League), where he is captain of the Kansas City Comets. His most recent season earned him a spot on West Ham United’s TST (The Soccer Tournament) team.
Ballard FC could not be more proud of Peter and is deeply grateful to be part of his soccer journey. Everyone at the club is excited to continue supporting him as his career keeps blooming right here in Seattle.
Written by Max Dresbach
