SEATTLE, Wash. — After having secured consecutive scoreless draws against Ballard FC and the Tacoma Stars, West Seattle Junction FC faced a pair of setbacks with back to back losses away against Snohomish United and at home against Portland Bangers FC.
Junction’s narrow 1-0 loss against newcomers Snohomish was a tightly-contested affair, with the Blues struggling to find a way back into the game after conceding to a penalty kick in the 11th minute. Thursday’s contest was a feisty one right from the off, with eight yellow cards dished out between both teams by the time the final whistle blew.
West Seattle had opportunities to find their way back into the game, with their best chance of the first half coming in the 18th minute through Alex Mejia, but the forward had his shot saved after being picked out by Jacen Stein on the wing. The Blues continued to gain momentum with a flurry of chances just two minutes later, as Cameron Yriondo and Marcos Bravo both saw their shots parried away by Jadon Bowton and the Snohomish backline.
The wet surface clearly impacted Thursday’s contest and played a role in Junction’s struggles going forward. On the defensive side, center backs Jake Larson and Connor O’Keefe, alongside goalkeeper Niclas Isensee, did well to deal with the hosts’ pressure and keep Snohomish from extending their lead any further.
It was unfortunately more of the same for Junction FC on Sunday afternoon, as the Blues fell 3-1 at the hands of the Portland Bangers, despite looking better going forward in the second half.
The visitors set the tone early with a goal in the just the first minute of the contest, handing the hosts an early setback with lots of soccer still to be played. Portland managed to double their lead just before the halftime whistle, presenting the hosts with a significant mountain to climb in the second half if they had any hopes of finding a way back into the contest.
After a brief stoppage of play in the second half, West Seattle managed to cut the deficit in half with a goal against the run of play from Mejia in the 68th minute. The forward powered his shot into the side netting from some distance, leaving Marcus Norris stunned in goal for the visitors.
Despite that moment of momentum, Portland answered back with a third and final goal to seal the contest just two minutes later, with the hosts falling to 0-6-4 on the year.
Up next for the Blues is the fourth rendition in club history of the Lake Washington Derby, as West Seattle Junction FC hosts east side rivals, Midlakes United at 7:00 pm this Wednesday, July 2nd. In what has proved to be one of the most premier derbies in the Western Conference, Junction FC will look to right the ship with a win at home. Tickets are available for purchase online just $15, with fans also able to stream Wednesday night’s contest on SportsEngine Play.
