SEATTLE, Wash. — Against all odds, and on the back of an outstanding overall team performance, West Seattle Junction FC secured a hard-fought point last night against division leaders, Ballard FC. The Blues recorded just their first clean sheet of the season thanks to the goalkeeping heroics of Niclas Isensee, as well as an impressive defensive performance from the entire Junction FC backline. Ballard, now winless in their last three games, sit just one point ahead of newcomers Snohomish United in the Northwest Division standings.
It was clear right from the kickoff that the Blues were up for the challenge posed by Ballard, with the visitors finding themselves through on goal in the first minute but a wayward touch from Alex Mejia saw his opportunity poked away by Khai Brisco. Mejia, having been a staple in the Ballard FC lineup over the past few seasons, seemed to be playing with an added chip on his shoulder, looking to get the better of his former club.
The hosts settled into possession in the opening minutes of play, forcing West Seattle to play long in search of Mejia, Jacen Stein, and Joschi Schelb. Despite the lack of possession, the visitors did well to maintain their shape defensively while looking to catch Ballard on the counter attack.
As expected, tempers quickly began to flare. Following a well-timed tackle to prevent a Ballard scoring opportunity, Asher Hestad was brought to the ground by Austin Brummett in the 22nd minute, resulting in a coming together of both teams on the pitch in a heated moment.
Tensions remained high, with both teams having opportunities to break the deadlock. Junction’s best chance of the half came in the 31st minute, as Jake Larson got on the end of a freekick from Schelb and tried to steer his effort towards goal, but saw his shot go wide. This led to Ballard’s best chance of the half, with Richard Aman and Brummett nearly combining to cap-off the counterattack just a minute later.
The contest continued to grow more physical as the second half progressed, with Hestad being brandished an early yellow card for a foul on Aman in the 46th minute. The home side looked quick and decisive in their play as they looked for an opener, with a header from Ray Mendez just two minutes later being crucially blocked by Cameron Yriondo to keep things all square.
Tensions rose again in the 63rd minute, after Christian Engmann committed a foul on Isensee, again resulting in a heated coming-together of both squads. The resulting bust up saw both Engmann and Larson awarded yellow cards for their involvement.
The visitors continued to hold strong throughout the final minutes of the contest, with the Blues nearly capitalizing on a gorgeous counterattacking opportunity as Stein found Schelb in acres of space on the far side of the box in the 77th minute, with the midfielder firing his first-time effort high and wide of the goal.
The heroic defensive efforts of Junction’s backline were on full display as the contest came to a close, with Jack Maguire’s diving effort proving to be enough to block Charlie Holmes’ goal-bound shot in the 79th minute. The hosts had one final attempt on goal in the 94th minute, which in turn ended up being a tame effort that was calmly collected by Isensee in net.
In what served to be a drama-filled evening at Interbay Stadium, it was West Seattle Junction FC who walked away feeling like the victors, having held the division leaders to a scoreless draw. With seven games still to play, fans are hoping that last night’s result is the exact boost that Junction FC needed to turn their season around.
The Blues will look to use the momentum from tonight’s result to secure their first win of the season when they host the Tacoma Stars on Sunday at 2:00 pm. Junction FC fans are in for a treat, as matchday meets creativity in this year’s Local Artists Celebration Match. Fans are encouraged to head to Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex ahead of kickoff for an afternoon spotlighting West Seattle’s vibrant art scene. Local artist pop-ups, a community mural wall, live music, and the official debut of Junction FC’s third kit, designed by West Seattle’s own Desmond Hansen, will all be on display. Gates and art vendors open at 12:45 pm, with tickets available for purchase HERE.
