Aodhan Quinn scored the lone marker of the match in Redmond on Sunday evening as Washington Crossfire hosted and fell 1:0 to the Sounders U-23’s.
Washington Crossfire’s heartbreak weekend continued at Redmond High School where the club battled the Sounders U-23’s all the way to the bitter end. After losing the lead and the match on Friday in Bremerton against Kitsap in the 85th minute, Crossfire took it to the 88th before surrendering the Sounders’ winner.
Dale Garvey Sounders-Crossfire match photos / Match Box Score
The U-23’s now have 27 points in the standings, guaranteeing them of no worse than 4th place (they own the tiebreaker with the Vancouver Whitecaps U-23’s). This year the PDL Northwest will do its own playoff series of 1 v. 4 and 2 v. 3 to see who is sent on to the Conference Finals.
Washington Crossfire is close to joining the Pumas and Sounders in the post-season. Still sitting on 25 points after two weekend heartbreakers, Crossfire can clinch a spot with one win or one Whitecaps loss.
Washington has a home and away with the 3rd place Portland Timbers left to play. Vancouver is home for three matches that they will be strongly favored to win (North Sound, Victoria, Fraser Valley).
The last time a club from Seattle made the PDL playoffs was back in 2009 when Crossfire were called the “Seattle Wolves FC.”
The Sounders U-23’s represent the Tacoma / South Sound soccer market. The last time a team from that area made the PDL post-season was when Tacoma Tide FC qualified back in 2008.
The Kitsap Pumas have made the playoffs four straight seasons after Sunday’s 2:1 win over North Sound.
We’ll look at the playoff and positioning race more this week. Lurking ahead is a Sounders FC visit to Kitsap that might just decide who takes the division title…
Remaining matches…
Sounders U-23:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/4480101.html#SCHEDULE
Kitsap Pumas:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/13598692.html#SCHEDULE
Portland U-23:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/13598694.html#SCHEDULE
Washington Crossfire:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/13598705.html#SCHEDULE
Vancouver U-23:
http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/8986445.html#SCHEDULE