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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Explore our history. Click on any of the panels below to learn what happened that year.
Bakers Rally For 1st Title
February 22, 1953

Buchan Bakers win their first state league championship with a 3-2 extra time victory over Norselander Vikings at Lower Woodland Park. Jim McGilloway gets the winner. Twice the Bakers were forced to pull a goal back. Hewitt McCloskey canceled out Tommy Grieve’s opener and Bill Phillips sent the game into extra time after Erling Hansen put the Vikings in front again.

Cruz Azul Crushes Seattle Amateurs
May 11, 1988

Cruz Azul, featuring five Mexican internationals, drubs Seattle Mitre Eagles, 9-0, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Eagles’ flights are delayed and connections missed. Instead of arriving the night before, their bus arrives at the stadium 20 minutes before kickoff, in 100-degree heat.

Falcons Clinch First GNAC Since 2001
November 1, 2014

A gritty road performance from Seattle Pacific, highlighted by Seth Russell's goal midway through the second half, separates the Falcons from Montana State Billings, 1-0, to give the Falcons their first outright GNAC championship since 2001. SPU was coming off its first loss in 16 games, 1-0 at Northwest Nazarene Oct. 30.

Huskies Extend Win Streak to 8
October 5, 2014

Washington wins its eighth in a row, completing a sweep of the Bay Area schools by beating No. 18 Stanford, 3-1, at Husky Soccer Stadium. The No. 5-ranked Huskies put away the Cardinal when Darwin Jones converts a turnover into his eighth goal of the season.

Sounders Silenced in MLS Cup Rematch
December 9, 2017

For the second year in a row Seattle is unable to generate much of an attack in the MLS Cup final at Toronto, but there are no game-saving heroics this time around. Toronto gets second-half goals from Jozy Altidore (67') and Victor Vasquez (90+4') to win the championship, 2-0, before 30,584 frozen fans at BMO Field. Stefan Frei makes nine saves to keep the Reds at bay before Altidore breaks through. Sounders FC had not allowed a goal in six previous regular season and playoff matches. They are out-shot 22-7. Temperature at first kick is 34 degrees and dropping.

After Cup Win Seattle Begins Tailspin
July 24, 1981

Just when the Seattle Sounders' season was tracking upward, it begins devolving with a 3-1 home loss to lowly Dallas. Wolfgang Rausch scores two penalties versus 10-man Seattle, which loses goalkeeper Jack Brand in the 13th minute after he overtly protests referee Ian Foote's first penalty decision. Big screen replays indicate Ian Bridge's foul occurred two yards outside the box. Brand is judged to have pushed Foote. In the dying minutes, Bridge is sent off for his second caution. These are the first career red cards for Brand and Bridge.

Tacoma Heidelberg of the State League, ca. 1971. (Courtesy Shanaman Museum)
1971
To the delight of more than 56,000, the Sounders take a victory lap after beating the Aztecs in the playoffs.
1977
(Courtesy The Seattle Times)
1970
New York's Giorgio Chinaglia loads to fire at Tony Chursky, Sounders keeper. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
1978
On the eve of Ford Motor Company replacing the Model T with the Model A in 1927, auto dealer Hugh Baird first sponsored a team in the Seattle Soccer League, made up of two youth divisions. (Courtesy Seattle Times)
1949
Marcus Hahnemann returns to the USMNT for his first start in over two years, a 1-0 win at Switzerland In October.
2007
Gonzaga won a program record 12 games under Shannon Stiles to make their first postseason appearance in 2005. (Courtesy Gonzaga Athletics)
2005
Marcus Hahnemann announces his retirement after completing his second season with Sounders FC and his 21st overall. (Sounders FC photo)
2014
Marcus Hahnemann thwarts Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. Reading finishes 8th in its first Premier League season.
2007
Frank Barton of the Sounders fends off Omar Gomez of the Dallas Tornado as Alan Hudson looks on. (Frank MacDonald Collection)
1979