The only two perfect teams left in the Northwest Division are going head to head this weekend as Ballard FC host the Portland Bangers for Music Night presented by KEXP.
Saturday’s match is the nightcap in a double header as Salmon Bay FC will host the Portland Cherry Bombs earlier in the afternoon. Salmon Bay FC will kick off at 3pm while Ballard FC will start at 7pm. Get the double header ticket bundle!
The back-to-back-to-back Northwest Division Champions face their biggest challenge of the season as they host the 6-0-0 Portland Bangers this weekend. These teams have some history as both teams won their respective home matches 1-0 in 2025. Now, let’s preview this year’s matchup.
Portland Bangers FC
The Portland Bangers entered USL League Two in 2025 alongside Snohomish United. The club had a good first season, and caught on fire towards the end of the summer which was almost enough for them to secure a playoff spot.
The Bangers are part of the same organization as the Portland Pickles, a popular minor league baseball team. This alongside their viral sensation of mascot, a ten foot tall sausage named “Saucy”, has made the Bangers one of the more popular teams in all of USL 2.
This year the Bangers have been really good in close games, winning four of their six matches by just one goal. Fortunately for Ballard FC, they just got to experience their first nail-biter of the season, beating FC Olympia 2-1 on the road.
The Bangers are led by Vala Saghafi in attack who has three goals already this season. The Bangers offense as a whole is the best in the division, averaging 2.5 goals per match. However, the Ballard backline has only allowed one goal all season and will look to shut Portland down on Saturday.
Get tickets to Saturday’s match!
MATCH DETAILS
In addition to all the information below, fans should read this year’s “Know Before You Go” matchday guidelines and all of the below information to learn everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s match.
Double Header Tailgate: For those with tickets to both matches, once the Salmon Bay FC match is over, fans will need to leave before the gates reopen at 5:30pm for the Ballard FC match! In between matches, we recommend checking out the tailgate at Pagliacci Pizza which will have music from KEXP as well as drinks from Stoup Brewing.
Music Night: To celebrate Music Night with KEXP, enjoy music from DJ Atticus during the tailgate, a performance from the Ballard High School Band, and more!
Gates: Gates open at 5:30pm! 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. There will be a happy hour on Friday with all drinks half off from 5:30-6:15!
Food Vendors: Beyond the thrilling soccer action, Friday’s match will feature an array of food vendors, including Eva’s Wild, Kathmandu Momocha, Big Boy’s Filipino, 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 and get two slices for the price of one. Outside food is not allowed in the venue except for Pagliacci Pizza. Fans can also purchase snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, and hot dogs (including the famous “Ballard Dog”) from the concession stand.
Ballard Food Bank: We also encourage fans to support the community by bringing donations of canned vegetables for the Ballard Food Bank.
Beer Garden: The Bridges United Foundation Beer Garden is back and better than ever this season. The Beer Garden proudly serves Stoup Brewing. In addition to beer from Stoup, fans can purchase tequila from Orgullo Ajeno Tequila, cider from Incline Cider, N/A beer from Athletic Brewing, and wine from Vino FC. The Beer Garden is all ages, however there is a 21+ zone in the southeast corner of the stadium, which includes the new bleachers that were installed during phase one of the Interbay Stadium Expansion, which was completed earlier this month. Although alcohol can only be purchase inside the Beer Garden, fans can now take beer, wine, and cider outside of the Beer Garden and back to their seats or standing room area. Check out the Beverage Map below.
Transportation: Parking is extremely limited and will not be available in the parking lot by the time gates open. Street parking can be found to the north, east, or west of the stadium. 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. For more information, check out our full matchday transportation guide.
Live Stream: Can’t make it to the match? All Ballard FC home matches can be found on the Ballard FC homepage and will be streamed live on SportsEngine Play.
Written by Max Dresbach
