Ballard Clinches Playoff Berth and Third Consecutive Division Title With 3-0 Win Over Midlakes

Ballard FC once again proved why they are one of the premier sides in USL2 play. The team clinched their fourth straight playoff appearance – and third straight Northwest Division championship–with a win at home against Midlakes FC.

Although Midlakes was looking for revenge after Ballard's 5-0 win against them earlier in the year, the home crew in Interbay Stadium shut them down. The match saw three Ballard players score while Ballard keeper Stockton Short kept a clean sheet – the seventh shutout of the season for Ballard.

The first ten minutes of the game were played around the midfield, with Ballard FC having the majority of the possession but staying back and looking for windows. Midlakes played a relatively low block during these spells but were able to generate counterplay each time Ballard attempted to penetrate.

Both sides had half-chances early but were unable to capitalize and turn them into good shots on goal. Ballard had several moments where they started to put together attacks, but often a player would step over the touchline or miss a connection. Meanwhile, Midlakes played reactively much of the time and had similar quality control issues as Ballard when they did put together an attack.

In the 12^th, Ballard right wing back Khai Brisco got the ball on the near side and worked into the box before attempting to cross over to number ten Austin Brummett by the goal, but the ball pinged around for a corner that Midlakes successfully deflected.

Jon Brennan / Area Sports Network

A free kick in the 17^th minute for Midlakes provided a good opportunity for the visiting side. Patrick Cayelli delivered a great ball towards a crowd in the right half of the box, but the header came in well offline and an ensuing foul sent it the other way. The visitors got another free kick in the 21^st but this time it was an aerial deflection from Christian Engmann followed by further repulsion on the following throw-in that kept the score knotted at nothing apiece.

Then it was Midlakes who began to put together something of an attacking phase, but the brief flip of the script was ended in the 22^nd as Midlakes midfielder Jack Ryan Jeremiah tripped a Ballard player and was shown the yellow card by referee Deniz Muhittinoglu, who also gave Midlakes defender Philip Kleemann a warning after a 29^th minute collision with Brummett.

There were some further notable plays in the next few minutes – such has a 34^th minute slide tackle by Sasaki to deny Ballard an entry into the final third – but a 36^th minute takeaway by striker Charlie Kosakoff in Midlakes territory changed the flow of the game. That led to a corner and a few minutes of Ballard possession in the final third to follow before the home crew finally struck, as a shot from Joe Dale up front caromed off the woodwork to defensive midfielder Andre Philibbosian, who booted it into the net to break the opening tie.

At this point, Ballard FC took control of the game, but it did not end up becoming one of the truly lopsided tallies that have peppered this team’s regular seasons.

The home crew nearly doubled up in the 39^th, as Brisco rushed up the field and then tapped it off to Dale on the right, but Dale’s cross fell behind the end line. Then Midlakes had an opportunity to equalize in the 41^st minute as a corner came in to attacker Franscisco Magaña, but his header for the right side of the net was saved on a dive by Stockton Short.

After a couple good aerial catches by Bieber, Ballard had a corner in the 43^rd. Richie Aman took the corner, sending the cross in the crowd. Kosakoff headed it into the right corner of the net. A beautifully elegant and simple set piece goal – just like they draw it up in practice – and Ballard FC led 2-0 going into the half.

Jon Brennan / Area Sports Network

Ballard FC opened the second half with a strong chance, getting into the final third early on. Dale sent a screamer in the 47^th minute that barely fell outside the post and Aman sent a 49^th minute corner beautifully to Engmann, who headed it towards the goal – but Bieber batted it away with great effort.

By this point in the game, Ballard had much more of a say in how far down the pitch they got, clearly wearing Midlakes down with constant pressure, all while Midlakes needed to net two in order to scrape a point out of the match.

Ballard had a corner in the 52^nd and another in the 54^th, both deflected by Midlakes. In the 55^th, Dale worked into the side of the box on a breakaway and nearly had an excellent chance on goal, but Kleemann deflected it over the endline with an excellent tackle. The corner came in the 56^th, but Dale’s shot went over the crossbar. The home crew had another excellent shot in the 60^th as Aman got a cross beautifully placed for him in the box with few defenders around, but his header went outside the right post.

Coach James Riley then did practically an entire line change, bringing on seven substitutes in the 61^st: Beto Apolinar, Rafi Otero, Cameron Cruz, Omar Yehya, Zach Ramsey, Nii Engmann, and Elliot Spatz came on. Philibbosian, Dale, Kosakoff, Brummett, Aman, Brisco, and Christian Engmann went off.

Midlakes had their first really strong opportunity of the second half in the 65^th as a foul just outside the box gave them a free kick from a very close range. But it went right to Short, who easily made the catch. Still, Midlakes had a spell of possession for the next couple minutes and won another free kick, but it didn’t go anywhere. Neither did a following spell of Ballard ball control, nor a 72^nd minute shot on goal by Brunell that went straight to Short.

Ballard FC was hunting hard for a third goal that would put the game out of reach. Spatz entered the final third for Ballard later in that minute and crossed to Ramsey in the middle of the box, but Ramsey took a couple seconds wriggling free of his defenders and his shot went into Bieber’s hands. A shot by Spatz in the 73^rd went over the crossbar and an attempt by Yehya flew outside the right post.

With time running out, Midlakes needed to score and fast. They had some spells of possession in the late minutes but struggled to enter the final third or put goal-scoring chances together. Meanwhile, Ballard kept putting strong attacking pressure together near the Midlakes goal but being prevented from having good shots by some clutch positioning and strong tackling from the Midlakes back line as well as some breakdown in structure up top.

But in the 87^th minute, the home side finally got that insurance. The team broke away on transition up the far side, Yehya charging down the line and circling into the box before sending it back for Spatz at the top of the box. Spatz knocked it into the left side of the goal. 3-0, Ballard. This was another potential play that had been talked about pregame:

“Props to Omar, we talked about it before the game, ‘if you’re in line, you cut it back out, I’ll peel back and put that in,” Spatz said.

Despite some further pressure from Ballard – culminating in a stoppage time breakaway that would have resulted in a fourth goal had the kick not gone just a foot outside the post – the score remained as such until the final whistle blew.

Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC 

Thus, Ballard FC has made the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, with its ninth win on the season. Ballard has zero losses and three ties, and so has thirty points on the table, eight ahead of Lane United FC. With only two games left in the regular season, this means that not only are the playoffs clinched, but the division championship is also sealed.

“Clinching when we know what we have the target on our backs was the challenge to the group, and they stood tall to it,” Coach Riley said. “That’s just step one. We obviously have bigger goals for the season, but we should celebrate this, celebrate each other, and then we’ll get back to business next."

With the history of success that Ballard FC has, the goal is clearly to win another USL2 Championship in August. But to do that, the team will have to play their absolute A-game. There were times during the match against Midlakes where the team let a budding opportunity slip by, and Coach Riley notes that they’ll have to be more clinical.

“Just making sure we take our chances and at least put it on frame to make the keeper make a save – it’s going to be critical,” Riley said. “We know from last year: you don’t get a lot of chances in playoff games.”

Cover Photo: Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC