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.
Michelle Akers may not play the inaugural season of America's new women's professional league, but she performs the ceremonial first kick for Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). Prior to the inaugural match at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Akers takes the ball from a parachutist and performs the symbolic commencement of play. The host Washington Freedom defeat the Bay Area CyberRays, 1-0, before a crowd of 34,148. Injured, Akers performs the kick with her right arm in a sling. Kent's Michelle French starts for Washington and Sandra Hunt of Bellingham is the match referee.
FC Seattle Storm reaches a loan agreement with U.S. Soccer for national team captain Ricky Davis. For the past two seasons Davis, 30, has played for the Tacoma Stars. He has 41 appearances and nine goals for Team USA but is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery.
A longtime staple of men's collegiate play, the Seattle intracity series is pared to a single match. Seattle Pacific defeats Seattle University, 1-0, on a Marcus Hahnemann shutout and John Heimbigner goal at Memorial Stadium. It's the fifth shutout win in a row for SPU. Washington has opted not to play either the Falcons or Chieftains for the first time since 1967.
Ian Chursky's penalty kick with 12 minutes remaining is the difference in Seattle University's 3-2 win over Seattle Pacific at Championship Field. It marks the first time the Falcons (2-4-0) have lost four straight games in a single season. Chursky finishes with two goals.
Great Northern Railway, which began transcontinental service to Seattle 18 months earlier, donates a silver challenge cup “at considerable expense” as a prize for teams representing the North Pacific Amateur Athletics associations located in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Port Townsend, La Grande, Astoria and other communities. The cup stands 16 inches and features a statuette of “Victory,” in the form of a female, from whose extended right arm depends the laurel wreath.
Seattle Sounders teen Obed Vargas starts in midfield for the United States in its quarterfinal vs. Uruguay at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina. It's the third start and fifth appearance for Vargas, 18. In October, he sees action in an Olympic Team friendly vs. Mexico.