Ballard FC Wins Second USL League Two Western Conference

A mob of pinstriped cream shirts jumps up and down and throws their hands in the air. The glass trophy gleans in the stadium lights as it passes between the hands of the winning players. For the second time in three years, the Western Conference trophy belongs to Ballard FC.

It was a game where both sides started out about evenly matched – unusual for the Northwest Division-dominating Ballard FC – but in the end, it was the home crew who wore down their opponents enough to punch two goals into the net and punch their ticket to the USL2 National Semifinal.

“We told the guys, we have to learn how to win different ways,” Ballard FC head coach James Riley said after his team’s victory. “Sometimes it’s ugly, sometimes it’s pretty, sometimes it’s in between, the goal is to just be result-oriented in the playoffs.”

As the match kicked off underneath a setting Seattle sun, both teams kept a quite high press on defense and looked to rely on potential counterplay to create their best chances. Although each side had some early half-chances, little of note ended up being created by either side for the first 17 minutes.

Then both teams got some premier chances on net starting in the 18^th, though neither punched them through. Richie Aman worked into the box from the left in that minute and tried to cut back for left wing Joe Dale, but the pass went five feet in front of the recipient.

A minute later, Ballard took a corner short into play, but Fofanah took advantage of an errant pass to create a dangerous transition. The Fusion nearly scored almost immediately, but their connection up top lacked that last bit of quality.

The tactics ultimately differed with regards to possession, however. The Fusion opted for a possession-based strategy on offense, slowly building up attacks with the idea of wearing down Ballard into allowing them through the cracks. Meanwhile, Ballard’s attacks more rapidly went through the midfield and into the final third as James Riley’s side sought to impose their will on the game.

One of these attacks nearly struck in the 25^th. A swift Ballard attack starting at midfield rapidly got into the box and the ball got to Kosakoff with just McCune between the ball and the net. But the Ballard striker booted the ball high over the crossbar.

It was the 30^th minute when the opening tie finally broke, and it was Ballard who drew first blood. Otero created an opening with Aman on the left side and then went up ahead of Aman and sent it into the box for the rushing Ballard attackers. The ball caromed into a no-man’s land for about a second before Dale ran in from the right rocketed the ball towards the goal – but off the crossbar. Not satisfied with “almost”, the captain got to the ball again in the chaos and tapped it into the left edge of the net.

Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC

The sellout crowd roared to life. Ballard was ahead, 1-0.

The home side kept up the pressure in the following minute, but it soon went across the pitch into Ballard’s territory. A couple shots by Ventura County went well offline; it came back soon after for a Ballard corner that didn’t result in much. Ballard created another shot in the 40^th, but the touch from Dale was not strong enough to get it by McCune.

Ventura County rapidly transitioned into an attack in the final third. The ball got to midfielder Angel Iniguiz with an excellent lane on net – but the attempted equalizer went two feet outside the right post. Another deep push in the 43^rd minute was thwarted by Christian Engmann, who stole the ball from Tamir Ratoviz deep in the 18 box.

The Fusion’s spell of possession up top in the late first half continued with a free kick in the 45^th minute. Left wing Marley Edwards tried to shoot it through everybody into the net, but again, a Ventura County shot was off target.

The half ended soon after with the home crew clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Looking to add some insurance to their National Semifinals ticket, Ballard opened the second half with a big attack. The first push culminated in a shot that McCune saved on a dive. But Ballard won the ball around midfield. Aman sent a beautiful service up the field for Kosakoff in the 47^th minute.

McCune tried to cut the ball off. Kosakoff got to it and knocked it forward. McCune got a light tap to the ball, but it kept rapidly rolling towards the net. Before anyone on either side could get to it, the ball bounced off the inside right post and rolled over the goal line.

The lead was doubled, 2-0.

But that is the most dangerous lead in the sport. The last time these two sides met, in the 2023 Western Conference Final, it was Ventura County who went ahead 2-0 – but Ballard came back for the victory in that contest. A reverse of that result was something that sat in the back of Riley’s mind as his team sought to close the game out.

A little after the 60^th minute, midfielder Beto Apolinar sustained an injury and Andre Philibbosian came on as Ballard’s first substitute. By this point By this point the Fusion were beginning a long buildup of possession, looking to win back a goal and the momentum of the match. But the attack ended up fizzling out by the 65^th.

Ballard picked up a free kick in the 67^th minute about ten meters away from the box. Otero’s ball in was strong, but the visitors cleared it away before a Ballard man could get his head to it. The ball quickly transitioned to the other side of the pitch where Engmann had another excellent defensive play to nix the Fusion’s attack.

Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC

Again, momentum swung between the two sides in the next few minutes. Ventura County had a free kick in the 72^nd minute where the ball went straight to Short. Fofanah collided with him soon after – getting a yellow – and a minor scuffle looked on the verge of breaking out, but the situation calmed and no more cards were shown.

Kosakoff went off in the 75^th minute and Omar Yehya came on as Riley’s second substitute. A corner in the next minute for the Fusion ran into the brick wall known as Christian Engmann; one a minute later for Ballard ended at the keeper’s glove.

Zach Ramsey and Khai Brisco came on in the 80^th for Dale and Grey as Riley continued to rotate his men. Ballard was now just ten minutes away from their ticket to the National Semifinal.

Ventura County repelled a free kick in the 83^rd and quickly brought the ball up on the attack, but again, the visitors couldn’t keep up consistent pressure as an intended cross flew over the endline. Ballard filibustered with the ball as their play slowed down to wind out the remaining clock.

But it slowly went up the pitch towards the near side. Brisco left all the spectators in awe as he sliced Fusion substitute left back Papa Sow into pieces twice in the 87^th and then won a free kick, and although it didn’t lead to a goal, it shortened Ventura County’s window even further.

There were five minutes of stoppage time in the second half, but it was still a tough ask for a visiting team that had been held scoreless for all of regulation time. There was a near-breakaway by Aman followed by frantic attacking from Ventura County, but as Short leapt up and snatched the ball in the 94^th, the end result was crystallizing.

Although the visitors finally broke forth in the 96^th as Khai Brisco was turned around defensively and Bridger Baltes tapped the ball into the net, the final whistle blew less than a minute later. It was too little, too late for the Ventura County Fusion.

“We were hyperactive about the fact that we couldn’t let them get one. Fortunately for us, it was later in the game,” Riley remarked. “At the same time, we want to be able to manage a 2-0 lead. We [also] want to be able to manage a 1-0 lead, right? Great teams can find a way to win 1-0.”

Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC

For Ballard FC, the win contains the promise of a return to championship glory. For the fourth time in four playoff games, it will be held at home at Interbay Stadium, this Sunday, July 27.

Having that home field advantage has been a big help for a Ballard team that boasts an electric fanbase.

“To play [Sunday] at home is certainly a plus and advantage – but it’s only a plus and advantage if we take advantage of it, of the opportunity,” Riley said.

Cover Photo: Blake Dahlin / Ballard FC