Fifty-one acres of soccer and softball fields are open to play at Tukwila's Fort Dent. King County Parks purchased 4,000 feet of waterfront along the Green River with $3.6M in Forward Thrust funds, and the complex will maintained by Seattle Parks. One of the soccer fields is lighted and features an all-weather cinder surface and seating for 2,000.

Down 2-0 to Portland at home and winless in the first three games, Sounders coach Jimmy Gabriel inserts himself into the game in the second half, sparking a three-goal fight back. Paul Crossley ties it and David Butler scores twice, netting the winner in the 86th minute. It is Seattle's first comeback for a regulation win after trailing by two goals.

Mike Ryan resigns as University of Washington head coach after 11 seasons. Ryan cites growing pressures from his primary job and a desire to spend more time with his family. He guided the Huskies to four NCAA tournament berths and four conference championships. The program had seen declining financial support in recent years.

The Sounders' new play-by-play announcer is Wayne Cody, and his preseason call of Sounders-Aztecs is in Aberdeen, where trap-door entrance to Stewart Field press box is too small to accommodate Cody’s 325-pound girth. Instead, he is lifted through a window via a crane, featuring a basket marked “30-ton limit.”

Dan Vaughn completes his career as Washington’s scoring leader, getting his 16th of the year and 52nd overall to open the 4-1 victory over Seattle University at Husky Stadium.

A 60-minute game between two of the state league's most historic sides is played at Seattle’s Lower Woodland Park. E&E Meats and Black Diamond over-45 sides meet as the centerpiece for the Northwest Soccer Oldtimers Association picnic. Black Diamond wins the game, 2-0.

Skagit Valley College becomes the first unbeaten NWAACC champion by defeating Edmonds Community College, 1-0, at Memorial Stadium. Mark Kaufman scores in the 50th minute and Mark Thompson earns the shutout for the Cardinal, who go 13-0-3 through the regular season and playoffs.

Marty Shaw's penalty save late in regulation extends the NCAA Division II semifinal to overtime where Seattle Pacific's Todd Schilperoort stabs in the winner, 2-1 over Wisconsin Green Bay in Miami. The Falcons, who had been third-seeded in the Far West, advance to the national final for the third time in four years. Servando Rivera scores the opener, and Shaw stops the penalty kick in the 80th minute. The teams battle through two scoreless overtime periods before Schilperoort breaks the deadlock 8:13 into the third stanza.

Hundreds stand in line for hours in a steady rain to buy 8,500 tickets for Soccer Bowl in Portland. Some queue up immediately after the Sounders' semifinal victory over L.A., stationing themselves at the Kingdome box office window. Many of those able to buy tickets then dash to nearby King Street Station to buy tickets for the day-of-game Amtrak train to Portland.

Dan Vaughn scores for the 16th time in 17 games as Washington completes a sweep of the Sounders Cup series by beating Seattle University, 4-1, at Memorial Stadium. Vaughn closes his Huskies account with a career record 52 goals in four seasons. The Tacoma senior finishes fast, netting eight his final six outings. Although unbeaten in its final 15 games under new coach Mike O’Malley, UW is denied an NCAA berth. The Huskies did not face an opponent outside the Pacific Northwest.

First Division-bound Chelsea is blanked by the Sounders, 2-0, to open their four-game West Coast tour at the Kingdome. The red-clad Blues return to Seattle for the first time since 1967 and are playing their first game on artificial turf. Wingers Paul Crossley and Jimmy Robertson latch on to passes in behind the defense in the 30th and 65th minutes before 15,381.

Three red cards – players on each side as well as the Lancers’ trainer – and eight yellows are issued by referee Henry Landauer in Seattle’s 2-1 loss at Rochester. Dave Gillett, the Sounders’ ejection, needed a security escort past 50 belligerent fans. The game was halted for 10 minutes to restore order after Gillett and the Lancers’ Ibrahim Silva scuffled, before Mel Machin decked Silva. Adrian Webster had been stretchered off with a knee injury beforehand. A total of 55 fouls were whistled.

Scott Willsie’s curler nearly three minutes into overtime earns Bellevue the state championship, 3-2 over Edmonds at a rain-soaked Memorial Stadium. Bill Smith scores goals in each half for the Wolverines. Edmonds ties it by halftime through Alex McAdam, then takes a brief lead on Ron Patton’s penalty. Willsie brings down a Smith cross to score the winner. Both teams had advanced to the final with shootout wins in the semifinals.

Tacoma Tides cease operations after one season of play in the American Soccer League. General manager Stan Naccarato cites losses of $200,000 while averaging 2,873 in attendance at Cheney Stadium in 1976. The Tides made the ASL playoffs and reached the semifinal round after going 10-5-6. Naccarato added that lacking a suitable facility and ASL leadership, ownership could not go forward. Utah and Oakland also fold.

Seattle native Jimmy McAlister, 20, is voted NASL Rookie of the Year. McAlister, who grew up in West Seattle and attended Kennedy High School, was also named to the NASL all-star third team. “I didn’t come out of college like the No. 1 draft choices. I just came out of high school. Gabriel and Bobby Howe really put me in over my head, but they had confidence in me,” said McAlister.

An improbable playoff run continues with the Sounders somehow upsetting Minnesota, 2-1 in overtime, to silence a once roaring crowd of 35,000 in Bloomington. Only a goal down thanks to the heroics of keeper Mike Ivanow’s 11 saves, Seattle comes to life in the final five minutes. Super sub David Butler twice hits the crossbar, and Tommy Ord finds the equalizer with 3:36 remaining. An errant Kicks backpass is poked home by Butler just 21 seconds after the start of the sudden-death period. The Sounders get an Ord penalty in the return leg three days later to advance.

Seattle Pacific becomes first Northwest program to play a regular season game outside the Pacific and Mountain time zones, traveling to Wheaton, Illinois for a tournament hosted by coach Cliff McCrath’s alma mater. The Falcons first fall to Wisconsin Green Bay, 3-2, and then defeat Wheaton, 1-0.

Federal Way’s U14 Totem Tornado win a fifth straight boys' state cup, and Gregg Miller scores four goals in the U19 Continental Volvo Blues’ 7-4 overtime victory over Lively Market Crusaders during the state cup finals at Renton Stadium. The Totem Tornado blast Lake Hills Astros, 6-1. Walter Schmetzer’s Lake City Hawks are voted the outstanding team of the state finals after winning U16 title, 5-3, over Mercer Island Spartans.

Todd Schilperoort’s goal in the third overtime period gives Seattle Pacific a 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Green Bay in the NCAA semifinal in Miami. Marty Shaw had saved a penalty shortly after Green Bay canceled out Servando Rivera’s opener.

Mueller Barons win the State Challenge Cup over Ghirardelli following an 11-round penalty kick tiebreaker at Memorial Stadium. Ghirardelli erases a 2-0 halftime deficit on goals by Kit Zell and Dave Ellis. Barons had gone ahead through Kelly Gordon and Tim Allen. Ed Tonkin scores the decisive penalty.

Seattle gets a 13th-minute header from Jocky Scott, and Adrian Webster marks out L.A. star George Best as the Sounders defeat the Aztecs, 1-0, before a raucous crowd of 56,256 to advance to Soccer Bowl. A potential late equalizer by Des Backos bounces behind goal line but is ruled out. Two Slate Sounders goals, by Tommy Ord and Steve Buttle, are called back by controversial offside rulings. It is the fifth straight win in the playoffs and seventh overall.

In the final competitive game for legendary Pele´, the star-studded New York Cosmos defeat the underdog Sounders, 2-1, before a Portland record crowd of 35,548 in Soccer Bowl. Seattle’s tying goal by Tommy Ord is scored while the TVS broadcast is in commercial break. Steve Buttle hits the post with 7 minutes left after earlier equalizing attempts by Mike England and Dave Gillett hit the post and are saved, respectively. “David did not beat Goliath,” writes The Times.

Adrian Webster blankets George Best and a stout Sounders defense frustrates the high-scoring Los Angeles Aztecs during a 3-1 playoff triumph at the Coliseum. The visitors go in front in the 63rd minute following a remarkable effort by Steve Buttle. After winning the ball, Buttle the ball, makes two dissecting passes on the counterattack and heads in Jimmy McAlister’s cross. Less than four minutes later Micky Cave finishes a cross from Jimmy Robertson, who had scored the opener. The Aztecs entered the match with an NASL-best 65 goals. More than 500 fans greet the team on its arrival the next morning at SeaTac Airport.

Whitman College proves victorious in the debut of women's varsity play, defeating Seattle Pacific's club, 1-0, at Queen Anne Bowl. Tammie Lamus scores the historic first goal late in the first half. The Missionaries play at Western Washington and Washington the next two days. Both are 1-0 losses.

A flurry of eight shots in the final minutes does not produce the game-tying goal, and SPU succumbs to top-ranked Alabama A&M, 2-1, in the NCAA Division II championship game in Miami. The Bulldogs go in front, 2-nil, on deflection and a rebound. Servando Rivera’s penalty in the 82nd minute queued the late rally. Earlier, the Falcons miss a penalty attempt. Scott Chase is named the game’s defensive MVP.

Tommy Ord scores Sounders’ historic first hat trick in 4-1 win over Connecticut Bicentennials at New Haven’s Yale Bowl. All three goals from less than 6 yards out. Ord had been acquired from Vancouver only eight days earlier.

Jimmy McAlister becomes the first Washington native to earn a cap for the U.S. National Team. Fresh from being named NASL Rookie of the Year, McAlister, 20, comes on as a substitute in 2-1 win over El Salvador in San Salvador. He starts twice at Guatemala, Sept. 18 and 25.

Mike O’Malley, 27, is named the new University of Washington head coach. O'Malley, who succeeds Mike Ryan, played at Chico State and was assistant coach at UC Davis last season.

Jamie Adkins nets two first-half goals and Western Washington goes on to beat Washington State, 4-0, to retain the NCSC women's crown on an icy Sehome High School pitch. Beth Sneeringer and Chris MacDonald also score for the Vikings, who finish with an identical record (8-2-2) to Washington but won the season series.

Shorecrest completes a perfect season by winning the first Metro League girls' championship, 4-1 over Blanchet at Memorial Stadium. The Scots (12-0-0) get two goals from Kelly Kranda and finish with a 67-3 goal differential. There is no WIAA state tournament.

Seattle overcomes the early loss of goalkeeper Tony Chrusky to shock Vancouver, 2-0 in a first-round knockout playoff at Empire Stadium. Barely a minute after Chursky’s exit with a hamstring strain, Mel Machin makes it 1-nil in the 19th minute. Tommy Ord, who was acquired from the Whitecaps in midseason, has a goal nullified but then officially scores with six minutes left to leave no doubt. Mike Ivanow makes five saves in relief of Chursky.

TVS, which syndicates NASL national telecasts, instructs KIRO 7 to delay broadcast of the Sounders-Cosmos game for one week. Short of a sellout, crowd of 41,720 sees Seattle beat Pele´, Franz Beckenbauer & Co., 1-0. KIRO, which argued for an 11-hour delay, opts not to show week-old replay.

Sounders lose their third straight and remain scoreless through the first 296 minutes of the season following a 2-0 loss at San Jose. Seattle is awaiting British reinforcements and captain Adrian Webster is sent off after 20 minutes. They are so shorthanded both coach Jimmy Gabriel and assistant Bobby Howe start.

Seattle Pacific becomes the state’s first collegiate program to travel east of the Rockies for a regular season game. The Falcons face Wisconsin-Green Bay at the Wheaton College tournament, near Chicago. They lose, 3-2, but defeat Wheaton (coach Cliff McCrath’s alma mater) the following day, 1-0.

Newport Bombers take their fifth straight state U19 girls' title in penalty kicks at Renton Stadium over the Highline Dirty Dozen. The Bombers come back to force overtime in the final seconds, 5-5, after trailing 5-3 with two minutes to go. Jody McCarthy scores four goals for Newport. Patricia Breed and Beth Castagna scored two each for the Dirty Dozen, which had won three age group titles in a row. Also, Shirley Lusk becomes first woman to referee a girls' state cup final.

A second-half barrage of four goals in 14 minutes lifts the Sounders to a record winning margin and a playoff-clinching 5-0 home win over Team Hawaii before nearly 27,000. Winger Jimmy Robertson both creates and scores. His corner kicks lead to the first two goals and he adds the third. The lads repeatedly hit the crossbar and posts to start the second period before Micky Cave's 67' volley doubles the lead to 2-nil and the rout is on.

Whitman College president Robert Skotheim announces varsity women’s soccer will begin in the fall. The Missionaries will become the first varsity women's program in the state. They will play in the Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference against six club programs in Washington and Oregon. The squad includes Polly Sidwell and Patrice Lundquist, who had played with the Whitman men’s team. Greg Glenn, a recent graduate and former men's captain, will coach.

Jocky Scott continues his torrid stretch by scoring two first-half goals in Seattle's fourth straight win, 3-0 over Tampa Bay in the Kingdome. The Sounders (8-7) escape the Western Division cellar for the first time. Scott, known as the Black Pirate, arrived on loan from Scotland's Dundee three weeks earlier and has scored five times. Micky Cave, on loan from England's Bournemouth, gets his eighth goal.

Tacoma’s Franklin Pierce Stadium hosts North American Youth Championships for U16 boys. KCPQ airs nine hours of same-day telecasts with Bob Robertson delivering play-by-play. Virginia won the U.S. tournament and Ontario the Canadian. The Tacoma Kickers represent Washington and got four tournament goals from Chris Hellenkamp.