Ballard FC’s first-ever U.S. Open Cup Qualifying match will be Saturday, November 1st at 12:00pm as they host Bellevue Athletic FC at Interbay Stadium.
After getting a bye through the first two rounds, Ballard FC enter qualifying in the third round needing two straight wins to book their ticket to the Open Cup itself for the third consecutive year. The next and final round of qualifying will take place on November 22nd or 23rd with matchup details to be determined after the completion of the third round.
Let’s meet the third round opponents.
Bellevue Athletic Football Club
Bellevue Athletic Football Club is a local UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) club that has been dominant over the past two years with multiple league and PNW titles. This past weekend, they defeated Sharktopus FC 4-3 in extra time to advance to the third round, courtesy of a hattrick from Jacen Stein and a matchwinner from Tyler Hopp.
Their roster includes many players with USL League Two experience such as Stein and Bryan de la Rosa who both played for West Seattle Junction FC this summer while Kaydin Wall was a member of the 2025 Ballard FC squad. In addition to some current USL 2 players, Bellevue Athletic’s squad also includes former Gambian international Abdoulie Kenny Mansally who made over 150 MLS appearances throughout his career with the Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake, and the New England Revolution.
This will be the first meeting between the two clubs as they battle not just for an Open Cup spot, but also local bragging rights. Additionally, this will be the first match with Mutanda Kwesele as Head Coach of Ballard FC after he was named to the position earlier this month, replacing James Riley.
The Ballard FC roster will be announced in the coming weeks. It is primarily composed of post-college Ballard FC alumni and other experienced players in the Seattle area. The roster will not include any current collegiate players, even those playing at local universities as it is prevented by NCAA rules.
Check out U.S. Soccer’s announcement to see the full Third Round Qualifying Schedule.
Now let’s review the important info for the upcoming match.
Match Details
Gates: Gates open at 11:30am. Entrance is FREE, however we strongly encourage donations. The Ballard Food Bank will be accepting food and hygiene products, while the Bridges United Foundation is accepting donations of soccer gear as well as Venmo donations to help support their free soccer programming across greater Seattle.
Food & Drink: There will be concessions inside Interbay Stadium including hot dogs, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Outside food is also accepted. There is NO Beer Garden for this match, and no alcoholic beverages are allowed inside the stadium.
Live Stream: A stream will likely be available for this match with the link posted on social media prior to kickoff.
Written by Max Dresbach
