West Seattle Junction FC Impresses with a 4-0 Victory in First-Ever Scrimmage

By Owen Cameros

Sunday, May 5th, will be remembered for the hundreds of fans who traveled to Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex to watch West Seattle Junction FC play their first game. Junction FC faced off against Cultures United, which plays soccer in the United Premier Soccer League and regularly scrimmages USL 2 clubs in the Seattle area.

Approximately 300 fans poured into the stadium to watch Junction FC’s scrimmage, and supporters were treated to delights from Castillos Supermarkets and Cafe Calaveras. As part of Junction’s mission to represent the community, the club has partnered with local eateries that will provide concessions at every home match.

Sunday’s scrimmage not only allowed fans to see Junction FC in action for the first time but also allowed opposing teams to see the club. Scouts from several USL 2 teams in the area were spotted sitting amongst the supporters, eager to dissect the first-year club.

And West Seattle’s performance certainly gave scouts a lot to mull over. Junction FC were the aggressors in the first half, but despite their best efforts, the Cultures United defense held the hosts scoreless through 45. However, midway through the second half, West Seattle broke the deadlock after Joel Demian attempted to cross a ball from the left wing, which nestled into the side netting over the head of the Cultures goalkeeper. From there, Junction would add three more goals from Will Maschmedt, Reed Henley, and Mani Diop in minutes 85′, 90’+2′, and 90’+4′, respectively.

West Seattle’s 4-0 win was a dominant showing filled with great individual performances, but the squad is not fully complete. The club is still waiting on a number of additional players who have not finished their spring collegiate seasons. The anticipation of seeing the team at full strength adds to the excitement for Junction FC’s inaugural USL League Two match on Sunday, May 19th, at 2 p.m.