Washington State
Legends of Soccer

Curated by the Washington State Legends of Soccer, providing information and history of the Beautiful Game in Washington State. Just as the game evolves, so will this site. We continuously add new content, so be sure to return often.

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Mike Ryan Dies at 77
November 20, 2012

Mike Ryan, the storied coach of so many local teams, most notably the University of Washington men and three U.S. amateur champion women's team, dies at age 77 of a rare autoimmune disorder. Ryan also served as the first U.S. Women's National Team head coach. Locally, he was co-founder and first president of Washington Youth Soccer and also was the first president of the Washington State Women's Soccer Association. He served in those roles and countless youth, high school and senior amateur coaching positions with little if any compensation. In 2009 he was one of the first Sounders Golden Scarf recipients.

Seattle U Edges Washington
September 24, 2015

Hazma Haddadi scores out of scramble from a corner kick, and Seattle University posts its first win over Washington since returning to Division I six years earlier before a record crowd of 1,700 at Championship Field. David Olsen put the Redhawks ahead in the 28th minute, but 24 seconds later Ian Lange's penalty brings the 10th-ranked Huskies level. Haddadi's seventh goal in eight games comes in 47th minute.

Lavelle, Flaws Score to Lead Sounders Women
July 7, 2015

Rose Lavelle and Janelle Flaws find the net as the Sounders Women all but clinch the W-League Western Conference with a 2-1 win at Colorado Rush. It's Lavelle's seventh goal and the sixth for Flaws. Seattle clinches the conference title four days later via forfeit over Arizona. However, eventual league finalist Colorado Pride defeat Sounders Women, 2-1, in the first-round playoff at Starfire Stadium.

Valdez Ignites Sounders' Playoff Run
October 27, 2016

Never mind that Nelson Valdez hadn't scored in a year, the Paraguayan veteran striker comes off the bench to score in the 88th minute for the Sounders to beat Sporting Kansas City, 1-0, in a first-round playoff knockout match at CenturyLink Field. Sporting KC is the stronger side for much of the match, forcing Stefan Frei to make seven saves. Seattle's sole shot on-target comes when a driven Joevin Jones cross is head home by Valdez. His last (and only) Sounders goal in league play came 364 days earlier, in a knockout win over LA.

Amputees Rally in Portland
July 12, 1986

Kevin Wilson scores four times and Linda Pederson has three assists as the Athlete’s Foot amputee team from Seattle wins at Portland, 5-3.

Seattle's Monge Drafted 18th
January 18, 2013

Fernando Monge of Seattle is chosen 18th by Montreal in the MLS Super Draft. Monge was all-Pac-12 as a UCLA senior. He played for Eastside Catholic, Crossfire Premier and, later, Sounders U23. In 2011 Monge was a member of U.S. Beach Soccer National Team.

Opening ceremonies for the 1971 Canadian Exchange. (Courtesy Washington Youth Soccer News)
1971
Megan Rapinoe acknowledges a standing ovation from the record crowd at Lumen Field following her final regular season match in Seattle on Oct. 6, 2023, after 11 years with the Reign. (Courtesy Seattle Reign FC/Jane Gershovich)
2023
Former Seattle Pacific coach Cliff McCrath was presented jerseys by SPU (coach Kevin Sakuda, left), the Kraken and Sounders (coach Brian Schmetzer, right) at the Washington State Legends of Soccer scholarship fundraiser. (WA Legends/Colleen Colley)
2024
Gonzaga won a program record 12 games under Shannon Stiles to make their first postseason appearance in 2005. (Courtesy Gonzaga Athletics)
2005
Program cover fo the first sporting event in the Kingdome. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
1976
Action from Newcastle United vs. SeaTac SC at Memorial Stadium. (Courtesy Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
1970
Chelsea's Tommy Baldwin (r), goes past Heinz Ritter at Memorial Stadium.
1967
Federal Way's Totem Trappers, winners of the state U11 championship.
1975
Moments after scoring the winning goal in overtime vs. N.C. State, Washington's Harrison Bertos grasped the NCAA championship trophy. (UW Athletics)
2025
Andy (left) and Walter Schmetzer congratulate their older brother and Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer at Washington Legends of Soccer's This Is Your Life: Brian Schmetzer event at Seattle's Market Arms. (Courtesy WA Legends)
2017