Thank you to all the teams who came out to participate in the 2014 Starfire Spring Classic, and congratulations to all our champions! Download the full results.
The pitch was roasting hot and fighter jets thundered through the skies above Starfire Stadium this Sunday, June 1st. It was a tough match for the Sounders, as they lost a few players to injuries and they ended up losing 1-0.
In a regular-season Reserves game, the Seattle Sounders faced the LA Galaxy. Misfortune struck early for the Sounders as Tristan Bowen was helped off the field after getting fouled on a breakaway.
Both teams fought hard in the middle of the field and neither team had many opportunities to get a shot on frame. Then in the 30th minute, Sounders midfielder Andy Rose was injured when he slid to try to keep the ball inbounds.
After the first half the Reserves did not appear to be anywhere near as cohesive as the Sounders looked yesterday afternoon against Real Salt Lake.
The Galaxy knocked on the door early in the second half but the Sounders defense held up. However, in the 76th minute Galaxy midfielder Chandler Hoffman scored off a beautiful counterattack cross that would ultimately be the game’s deciding goal.
To make matters worse, Sounders defender Dylan Remick left the game with 5 minutes remaining after making a pass that caused some sort of strain to his leg. Nonetheless, it was a great effort by the Sounders after being down a few players.
A big thank you to all the teams who participated in the 2014 Seattle Memorial Day Cup, presented by Starfire Sports and Greater Seattle Soccer Leagues! We hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did.
After days of grueling play, Fuego FC and Boise battled it out in the championship. The hard-fought match ended 1-1, sending the teams to PKs. In a thrilling fashion, Boise took home the prize! Check out the video recap of the finals and pictures of the event below.
Matt Besler, Nick Rimando, DeAndre Yedlin and Dax McCarty were out at Starfire today for a commercial shoot. They took a moment to give Starfire a little love, and leave a message for all the kids out there playing towards their dreams.
This Friday evening, the Sounders Women played their second exhibition match versus the University of Washington. The University of Washington started strong, pressuring the Sounders with a wide header from Jaclyn Softli in the 7th minute and a cross-turned-shot from Chelsea Archer hitting the crossbar in the 10th minute. UW’s pressure resulted in an early goal from standout Softli, finishing a bouncing ball in the box for a goal in the 16th minute of the match.
The rest of the first half was characterized by more offensive threats from the University of Washington, with the Sounders keeper Jamie Arturs making impressive saves on attempts from Softli and Bennett in the 24th and 30th minute, respectively. Lydnsey Patterson produced the Sounders’ most dangerous attempt in the 38th minute, connecting with a cross from Kenya Cordner.
Following halftime, both teams held each other offensively, and there were no attempts on goal until Arturs made a beautiful save in the 68th minute, blocking an 8 yard shot from the University of Washington’s Amanda Perez.
The Sounders finished out the half with a strong offensive presence led by Cordner, and almost equalized in the final minute of the game on a wide shot from Patterson.
The early goal from Softli ended up being the lone goal of the game, and the University of Washington topped the Sounders in a 1-0 win. The Sounders continue to prepare for their W-League Season as they head in to their final preseason game versus Washington State University on April 27th.
The sun was out and shining for the pre-season match between the Sounders Reserves and the Seattle University Redhawks on Monday. Hosted at the Starfire Soccer Complex, this game gave both teams a chance to face competition during the before their regular seasons begin. While the Reserves easily won 4 – 1, the game was hard fought and there was a sense of respect between the players.
For the beginning of the game the possession favored the Reserves, but the Redhawk defenders managed to keep them scoreless for the first 30 minutes. Until, however, Marco Pappa found the back of the net to put the Reserves up 1 – 0. Through the entire half the Reserves kept the Redhawks to only a single shot on goal, which was certainly the most impressive showing of the game. Center defender Zach Scott commanded the field with his voice, telling his teammates how much space they had, where to swing the ball to, and who they should cover. By the end of the half the Reserves had a 2-0 lead, but there were many missed opportunities.
At halftime the Reserves’ coaches told the players to clean up the offense and to work on the mental toughness of playing a full 90 minutes without any mistakes.
A minute into the second half the Reserves scored off a beautifully cross, which set the tone for the remainder of the game. The Redhawks eventually found a way to place the ball on frame and nearly scored on a few corner kicks. Yet the reserves continued the offensive onslaught as Cam Weaver took full advantage of his height by scoring his second header of the game. Nearing the end of the game, the crowd erupted when Redhawk forward Jeff Rose scored a laser of a shot into the upper left corner of the goal. But it was too little, too late for the outmatched Redhawks.
After the Reserves managed to score once more, the game ended with a score of 5-1. Both teams seemed to enjoy the friendly competition as they prepare for their own seasons ahead. Plus, it was sunny and warm outside so it really was a win-win for everyone!
In 2013, Starfire Sports began working with the Highline Community College ACHIEVE program. Since then, we have been fortunate enough to work with several exceptional candidates. Click below to hear the story of one of our longest-serving interns, Jonathan Jacoby.
The Men’s Competitive Championship of the 2013 Winter Warmer is featured in this special edition Game of the Week. Panda’s Randys would take home the shirts after topping Gunners. Check it out!
The Boys and Girls High School Competitive Championship matches of the 2013 Candy Cane Challenge are featured in this special edition Game of the Week. Check it out!
Steve Zakuani trains with Crossfire Select B02 Taylor as thanks for their Kingdom Hope fundraising efforts during the 2013 Starfire XTREME Cup.
TUKWILA, Wash.—October 24, 2013—From August 23rd to the 25th, thousands of youth soccer players flooded the Starfire Sports campus for the annual Starfire XTREME Cup, benefitting Kingdom Hope. This year, the players were competing for more than just trophies. As part of the event, teams were encouraged to start their own Kingdom Hope fundraising efforts for a chance to win a team party with Sounders FC midfielder and Kingdom Hope Founder Steve Zakuani at Starfire. On October 23rd Crossfire Select B02 Taylor collected their prize after having raised $1,830.
How the team claimed the top prize in the competition was a combination of inspiration and dedication. “They were really inspired by the vision that Zakuani has to reach kids that may not have the opportunity at younger ages to get out and play some soccer,” said coach Rob Taylor. “Everybody should get to play soccer,” added player Chaz Cavallo, age 11. “We wanted to help make that a reality.”
Many members of the team took to the streets, including Cavallo, who collected nearly $250 as one of the team’s biggest contributors. “I went door to door,” Cavallo said. “I asked my grandparents, asked my aunt, asked my uncle, asked my mom, asked my dad. Everybody that would listen to me.”
“These kids definitely earned their top spot in the fundraising competition,” said Starfire Tournament Director, Teddy Mitalas. “The Starfire XTREME Cup is focused on showing youth athletes that they can make a difference through soccer, both on and off the field. This team clearly embraced that idea and truly deserves to be recognized.”
The team’s day of recognition included a training session and team dinner with Steve Zakuani at Starfire. “This is the best day of my life!” exclaimed player Tamaki Nakamura, age 11. “Playing with Steve Zakuani was the awesome part,” added Cavallo.
Between earnings from team fundraisers and Starfire’s $50 donation per registered team, The XTREME Cup generated $10,966 for Kingdom Hope. “I am extremely proud to have been a part of this great event, and am overwhelmed with the amount of money that was raised,” said Zakuani. “This money will help me tremendously in my efforts to help inspire young kids and teenagers in the local community through my Kingdom Hope organization. I will be able to put together more soccer based program’s that will serve and inspire the community.”