Twentieth-ranked Pacific Lutheran takes down No. 4 Virginia Wesleyan, 2-0, in just the third outing of the year, at Newport News, Va. The Lutes get an early second-half header from Alyssa Leong, and Kayden Hulquist doubles it seven minutes later. Abby Winkler makes eight saves in the shutout.

Brad Evans scores the all-important first-half opener and Eddie Johnson delivers the final blow as Sounders FC beats Colorado Rapids, 2-0, in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs at CenturyLink Field. With the win, Seattle advances to the conference semifinals against Portland. Evans connects in 28th minute, bringing down a rebound and firing inside the far post. Johnson's insurance tally comes in stoppage time on a feed from Clint Dempsey. The Rave Green get their ninth win in 13 all-time meetings with the Rapids. However, the Timbers sweep the next round, scoring a 5-3 aggregate win.

Seattle returns home from an East Coast trip with two more shutout wins after silencing New England, 2-0. It's the fourth consecutive clean sheet and eighth in nine games to begin the season. Goalkeeper Jack Brand and the back four of John Ryan, Ian Bridge, Bruce Rioch and David Nish own a 405-minute scoreless run. Brand makes a point-blank save on Keita to keep the Tea Men blanked before Roger Davies scores the first goal and his fifth in three games.

Heavy rain and poor drainage leaves Interbay Field unplayable for a state league doubleheader. Over two inches of precipitation has been measured in December's first three days, and more is on the way. Another series of storms two weeks later make both White Center and Lower Woodland unplayable and postpone state league matches until the New Year.

Behind Chance Fry's brace, FC Seattle Storm closes ground on a playoff berth by scoring two second-half goals to beat Northern Division leader San Francisco Bay, 4-2, at Memorial Stadium. Peter Fewing, who set-up Fry's first goal, puts the Storm in front to stay in the 50th minute. Fry's breakaway in the 73rd assures Seattle (9-5) all nine possible points. With two games left to play it trails the Blackhawks by nine points and Portland by eight.

Seattle Sounders are returning to downtown following a one-year stay in Renton. The club, citing a need for more field availability, will go back to Memorial Stadium, its home from 1994-98 and, in the NASL era, from 1974-75. Attendance fell by 23 percent, to 2,243, in the first year of a year-to-year, three-year lease at the renovated Renton Memorial. However, the club reasoned it needs greater field access with the addition of the PDL Sounders Selects and the potential of adding a women's team.