Vancouver's Tina Frimpong Ellertson is named to the U.S. National Team for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in China. Ellertson joins former University of Washington teammate Hope Solo on the roster.

Danny Wenzel of Federal Way starts his fourth straight match for the U.S. U17 National Team as the close-out play at the FIFA Youth World Cup in South Korea. Wenzel, a defensive midfielder, is joined by Seattle's Ellis McLoughlin and Pasco's Brandon Zimmerman in the XI vs. Germany in the Round of 16. The Germans eliminate the U.S., 2-1. McLoughlin makes three starts and Zimmerman two. Each formerly played for Crossfire Premier and plays all four games during the tournament, won by Nigeria.

Longtime referee John Glore, 63, dies after falling ill during high school varsity match between Peninsula and Gig Harbor. Glore begins feeling ill and switches roles with an assistant referee about 15 minutes before collapsing. He dies at Tacoma General Hospital. Glore, who also worked for Boeing, had refereed more than 30 years and 500 matches.

Kate Deines proves to be the difference in Issaquah's successful defense of their 3A state title. After converting the deciding tiebreaker penalty in the semifinal, Deines scores the only goal the Eagles, ranked 12th nationally, defeat Seattle Prep, 1-0, for the second year in a row at Harry Lang Stadium. Deines scores with nine minutes remaining to secure Issaquah's third title in four years and 14th straight win.

Leah Wymer sparks the comeback as Seattle University beats Northwest Nazarene, 2-1, to all but clinch an NCAA at-large berth at Championship Field. At 76:24, Wymer scores her 44th career goal on a header from Ashley Porter’s record 48th career assist, a corner kick, to tie the score. For the year, Wymer has 17 goals, Porter 14 assists. Less than two minutes later Jasmine Wilson’s acrobatic effort from a Kara Kuttler cross caps the rally. The Redhawks win for the 15th time in 17 games, the only losses at the hands of unbeaten Seattle Pacific.

Eastlake gets a second-half tying goal from Emma Levy and two saves from Shelby Nilsen in the shootout to lift the girls' 4A state championship trophy over Todd Beamer, 1-1 (3-1) at Lakewood. Ranked No. 8 nationally the undefeated Wolves had not trailed during the season until their final two games. Lindsay Elston got the equalizer and deciding penalty conversion in the semifinal against Richland, then Elston serves the corner kick on Levy's goal and strikes the determining penalty kick versus the Titans. Holland Crook scores Beamer just before halftime.

On the eve of its second season, Tacoma's PDL franchise rebrands as the Tide. In a rushed first season, they had been known simply as Tacoma FC. The new brand pays home age to the city's first professional club, the 1976 Tides of the American Soccer League.

Bellingham Millwork Supply storm to the women's Over-30 title, and Bellingham FC win their fifth straight contest for the men's O30 crown at Northwest Soccer Park in Bellingham. Millwork Supply beat Indiana Allovers, 5-1, avenging a 3-1 loss three days earlier. John Fakkema scores a hat trick for BFC in a 5-2 win over Archer Ale house, another local side.

Washington senior forward Ely Allen from Kent is named Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year. Allen, who led the Huskies back to the NCAA tournament with 12 goals, is the third Husky in four years to be named Player of the Year, joining Forrest (2006) and C.J. Klaas (2004). He shares the honor with California midfielder Andrew Jacobson.

Hope Solo is reinstated to the U.S. National Team for a three-match series of friendlies with Mexico. Despite issuing another apology for her comments after the World Cup semifinal benching, she is not in uniform for any of the games. She finishes the year with a record of 13-0-2 in 15 starts and nine shutouts. On Oct. 22 U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati announces coach Greg Ryan's contract will not be renewed in 2008.

U.S. Women's National Team coach Greg Ryan suspends Hope Solo for the third-place match vs. Norway. Ryan says he consulted team leaders and barred Solo from training and attending the team's final World Cup match in Shanghai, which the U.S. would win, 4-1. Solo apologized to her teammates for her postgame comments about being benched for the semifinal loss to Brazil, and said she didn't intend to criticize Brianna Scurry, whom Ryan chose to start.

Kasey Keller becomes the most capped goalkeeper in U.S. National Team history in a one-sided, 4-1 loss to Argentina to open Copa America play in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Surpassing Tony Meola, Keller makes his 101st appearance behind a youthful USMNT side. It's 1-1 until the 64th minute, when Hernan Crespo's second goal breaks it open. Pablo Aimar and Carlos Tevez add late goals.

More than 1,000 men and nearly 100 women are expected to begin play at the All Nations Cup, at Starfire. Men representing 41 countries will participate in the main tournament, with 12 teams in the men's master division and four teams in the women's tourney. Play culminates July 29 at Memorial Stadium.

Puget Sound reaches the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the fourth time in six years as Janece Levien completes her hat trick 18 minutes into overtime for a 3-2 win over Wartburg in Wheaton, Il. Levien's second goal gives the Loggers their first lead with just 5:16 left in regulation, but Wartburg ties it 52 seconds later. The winner is her record 25th goal of the year. UPS succumbs to defending champion and host Wheaton, 2-0, the following day. It's Wheaton's 43rd straight win and the Thunder goes on to take another national title.

Ty Harden, a rookie drafted from Washington, is voted the LA Galaxy Defender of the Year. A second-round pick initially signed to a #17,900 developmental contract, Harden finishes with 24 starts and third-most minutes on the Galaxy. After two months, Harden received a raise to the league minimum of $30,000.

Kimberly Mitchell finds the net from out of a goalmouth scramble in the second minute of overtime, giving Whitworth a 2-1 victory over UC Santa Cruz in the NCAA Division III first round at Tacoma. It's the Pirates' first-ever postseason match. The Bucs trailed shortly in the first half until Lindsey Oakes connects on her 10th goal of the season in the 37th minute.

Marcus Hahnemann makes five key saves to help Reading hold defending champion Manchester United to a 0-0 draw in the Premier League opener for both clubs at Old Trafford. With Reading reduced to 10 men following the 73rd-minute ejection of Dave Kitson, Hahnemann goes to his right to save a 25-yard free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo and then recovers to save Paul Scholes's header. In injury time, he dives left to block a low shot from Michael Carrick. "He made some fantastic saves," says Man United manager Alex Ferguson. "He's experienced, he's confident. It was just one of those days."

Sarah Martinez opens the scoring with her record 49th career goal and later adds an assist, leading Seattle Pacific past Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-0, in an NCAA Division II second round game at Interbay Stadium. Meredith Teague assists on all three goals, and the unblemished Falcons (21-0-0) dominate play (18-2 shots). After Martinez scores connects in the fourth minute with her 17th of her senior season, super sub Amanda Johnson doubles the lead in the 40th and Jocelyn Charette closes out the scoring, heading in a cross from Teague in the 59th.

Sebastien Le Toux and the Sounders emerge atop USL with a 4-0 trouncing of California at Qwest Field. Seattle, rebounding from its U.S. Open Cup exit just two days earlier, is up 2-nil after 25 minutes on a pair of Le Toux goals. He then gets his 10th goal of the year to tie for the USL lead at 61'. The Sounders are now one point ahead of both Portland and Montreal with all three teams playing their final regular season match on the road.

Erik Gracey fuels Pacific Lutheran's fast start and second-half surge in a 5-3 defeat of George Fox at Newburg, Or. Gracey finds Mike Ferguson twice and then scores himself in the first 19 minutes. When the Lutes' lead is trimmed to 3-2, Gracey assists on a pair of goals during a three-minute span and his total of four ties a record. Ferguson finishes the year with 14 goals and ties the PLU career record of 49.

Former Sounders forward Maykel Galindo scores his first two MLS goals as Chivas USA tie a record for goal in routing Real Salt Lake, 4-0, in Carson, Ca. Galindo, the Cuban defector who was sold by Seattle Feb. 20, goes on to earn MLS Player of the Week. He will lead the team in season scoring with 12 goals and five assists.

Greg Howes scores a vital equalizer in extra time and opened the penalty shootout by converting for the Sounders to win their semifinal series with Puerto Rico at Starfire. Chris Eylander makes six saves then two more stops in the decisive tiebreaker after the aggregate score ends 3-3. All four Sounders score penalties.

Hope Solo stops five shots as the United States claims a record fifth Four Nations tournament championship with a 2-0 victory over host China in Guangzhou. Solo, who blanked Germany in Jan. 26, is also named the tournament's top goalkeeper. Defender Tina Frimpong leaves the China game in the 38th minute after a blow to the head.

Fifty teams of children ages 6-9 play in Magnolia Soccer Club's Mod World Cup at Seattle's Interbay Stadium. No scores are kept, and fun is the objective. Parents are warned not to yell. If they do, a lollipop supervisor is instructed to issue a sucker.

Gonzaga (9-6-4) receives a surprising NCAA men’s tournament berth, despite losing its final three regular season games. "I heard them say Gonzaga and I was trying to figure out who they were talking about that was in the tournament that we had played," said coach Einar Thorarinsson. "I looked up and saw and realized we were in."

Michael and James Keston of Encino, Calif., obtain temporary rights for an MLS expansion team in the Northwest. James Keston said he has used previous Puget Sound visits to begin negotiations for the use of Qwest Field and tour possible stadium sites in Renton and Tukwila. The exclusive agreement ends in July without the Kestons taking action in either Seattle or Portland.

MLS club leaders increasingly rave about potential for clubs coming to Pacific Northwest. Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer says he’s willing to be part of any of three investor groups circling Seattle.

A Spokane woman struck by lightning at an August 6, 2004 Spokane Valley soccer tournament sues River City Soccer Club, the Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Association and the Washington State Youth Soccer Association for alleged failure to enforce safety rules. She alleges tournament officials not only failed to use ordinary care but ignored the U.S. Soccer’s "30-30" rule for keeping players and spectators safe during thunderstorms.

Joe Roth, former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Film, joins a list of potential investors vying to bring Major League Soccer to Seattle. MLS leadership introduces Roth to Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer. While other groups have explored soccer-specific stadium sites, Roth and Hanauer are more focused on Qwest Field.

Taylor Graham and Roger Levesque of the Sounders are loaned to Vancouver for the Whitecaps' exhibition with David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy. Graham starts and plays the full 90 in the 0-0 draw before 48,172 at B.C. Place. Levesque is used as a 72' substitute.

Mount Vernon’s Tim Busch is inducted into the U.S. Adult Soccer Association Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. Busch has served as president of the Washington State Soccer Association since 1992. He has officiated amateur games since 1978.

Sebastien Le Toux scores and Chris Eylander makes four saves in a 1-0 home win over Charleston, extending Sounders’ unbeaten streak to 14 matches (12-0-2) in all competitions. It’s Eylander’s 12th shutout and Seattle’s sixth in seven games.

Kara Hamby and Becca Woods each score to assure undefeated and No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific at least a tie for the GNAC crown by defeating No. 10 Seattle University, 2-0, at Interbay Stadium. Hamby drills a penalty kick at 23:29 after teammate Jocelyn Charette is taken down following a 30-yard run. In the 48th minute Woods nods home Meredith Teague's free kick from the left corner.

Sounders’ string of wins over MLS clubs in U.S. Open Cup ends before 10,385 at Qwest Field with a 2-1 extra-time loss to FC Dallas. After a scoreless 90 minutes, Carolos Ruiz strikes in the first minute of overtime, before an Abe Thompson penalty kick doubles the lead in the 118th. Leighton O’Brien gets a stoppage time consolation goal for Seattle.

Marcus Hahnemann makes five saves to earn his 13th Premier League clean sheet in Reading's home 1-0 win over Newcastle. Hahnemann finishes third in EPL shutouts, and the Royals' first season back in the top flight is their best ever league season. Reading (16-15-7) ends eighth in the EPL table, just one place from reaching a UEFA Cup berth.

Ex-Sounders Craig Waibel and Brian Ching lift their second MLS Cup in a row after Houston comes from behind to defeat New England, 2-1, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Waibel earns his second assist in as many games on Dwayne De Rosario's winner in the 74th minute. Ching missed the match because of a strained left calf injured in the West final. He scored two goals and an assist in the Dynamo's first-round victory over Dallas.

Adrienne Folsom redirects Janece Levien's shot past Pirates goalkeeper Krista Dietz in the 29th minute and its stands as the game-winner in Puget Sound’s 2-1, NCAA Division III second-round victory over Whitworth at Tacoma. From 25 yards, Penelope Crowe puts the Pirates on the board first in 4th minute and fired the ball past Puget Sound. UPS responds at 13 minutes when Katie Gillette heads in Levien’s cross. Each of Whitworth's three losses come at the hands of the Loggers and all by one goal.

Sebastien Le Toux's move to forward is paying big dividends as the Sounders extend their unbeaten run to five matches with a 1-0 win at Carolina. Le Toux, the Frenchman who played in defense and midfield early on before going up front May 23, scores his sixth goal across all competitions for Seattle, now 5-3-4.

Two years after the Shadow's demise, the Spokane Spiders play their inaugural PDL match, defeating Tacoma Tide, 3-2, at Spokane Falls Community College. Grant Lundberg wastes little time in getting the club's first goal, scoring in the fifth minute. Jake Moug and Halver Mikkelsen add goals.

Six weeks after being beaten in an exhibition by Chivas USA, the Sounders flip the script and eliminate the Goats from the U.S. Open Cup, 3-1, in a third-round match at Qwest Field. Seattle falls behind early, but following a point-blank save on Maykel Galindo from Chris Eylander the first of two Sebastien Le Toux goals ties it just before halftime. Le Toux scores again in the 51st and Roger Levesque adds a third in the 81st. On June 2 Chivas USA defeated Seattle by the same score in a match that was arranged as part of the Sounders' sale of Galindo.

After 38 seasons and five NCAA championships at Seattle Pacific, Cliff McCrath, 71, is forced out as head coach following a 7-6-7 season. He is nine wins short (597) of the collegiate career coaching record for wins. The Falcons had 37 consecutive winning seasons since McCrath’s first year, 1970. SPU qualified for the postseason a D2 record 30 times. Mark Collings, an assistant coach and former Falcons player, is named McCrath's replacement.

Despite playing shorthanded the final half-hour of regulation and throughout overtime, Seattle Pacific halts tournament-bound Seattle University's 10-match win string with a 1-1 draw at Interbay Stadium. James Coggan's 85th-minute header brings the Falcons level. Jason Cascio's 13th goal opens the scoring just two minutes after an SPU player is sent off. Kellen Rosten makes nine of his 11 saves after halftime. It proves to be the final game with Cliff McCrath as the Falcons' head coach and secures a winning record (7-6-7) for the 37th consecutive season. Following a strong start, Seattle Pacific fades, going 0-3-2 down the stretch.

First-year coach Preki is voted MLS Coach of the Year after guiding Chivas USA to the league's second-best record (15-7-8). A Tacoma Stars legend, Preki served as Bob Bradley assistant in 2006. The Goats were eliminated by Kansas City in the first round of the playoffs. They featured former Sounders forward Maykel Galindo and Preston Burpo was the back-up goalkeeper.

Kasey Keller earns his record 102nd and final U.S. National Team cap, serving as captain for the Copa America match vs. Paraguay in Barinas, Venezuela. Paraguay wins, 3-1. Keller, 37, finishes his 18-year run in strong fashion, with two shutouts in six appearances. Since the 2006 World Cup he had been splitting time with Tim Howard.

Sounders co-owner Robin Waite shares his plans to build a 6,000-seat professional soccer stadium in Poulsbo with city leaders. Later, after Seattle's MLS franchise is granted, Waite indicates his interest in moving the Sounders' USL franchise to Kitsap County. Waite, who lives in Tracyton, said he has purchased land in Poulsbo for the stadium. He previously considered the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Bremerton as a potential site.

The O'Briens are all-in for an exhibition between the Tacoma Tide and Seattle Sounders at Curtis High School. Leighton O'Brien is again starring for the Sounders while younger brother Ciaran is a Tide standout and Fran O'Brien, their father, is the Tacoma coach. Ciaran's penalty kick put the hosts up 2-nil, but Seattle rallies to forge at 2-2 draw.

Seattle sinks to its slowest start of the USL era following a 2-0 loss at Montreal. At 1-3-3 the Sounders drop to ninth in the table, 11 points out of first. In 2006 they began 2-7-3 and missed the playoffs after winning the 2005 championship. Three of the next four league matches will be on the road.

Seattle University's Board of Trustees votes for a return to NCAA Division I athletics, which the Redhawks left in 1980. Seattle U will continue to participate in Div. II as a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and become a Div. I member as an independent in 2009-10. The fall of 2012 is the earliest the Redhawks would be eligible for D-I postseason play.

Spokane’s River City SC hosts a two-day clinic at Plantes Ferry Park featuring U.S. Women's National Team members Brandi Chastain, Tiffeny Milbrett, Danielle Fotopoulos and Jenni Branam.

Seattle Youth Soccer Association president Neil Callahan suffers a fatal heart attack. Callahan, 55, was known for his boundless energy and blunt style and was endeared to many players and parents. He had been involved with youth soccer for over a decade, beginning as a girls' coach on Queen Anne.

Janece Levien scores twice, both goals coming in the first 27 minutes, and No. 4-ranked Puget Sound comes from behind to win its record 18th in a row, 2-1, over Whitman at Walla Walla. Levien equalizes in the 17th minute, converting a cross from Katie Gillette. Her deflected shot 10 minutes later proves to be the difference. She scored all the goals the previous day at No. 14 Whitworth, a 3-2 win.

After a goal-line clearance by Danny Jackson, first-half, set-play goals two minutes apart from Taylor Graham and Zach Scott blow open Seattle’s Open Cup quarterfinal vs Colorado Rapids, and Sounders go on to advance, 5-0 – the worst loss by an MLS club in the competition to date.

The Seattle Pacific women win their 23rd straight game, 4-0 over Incarnate Word, to win the Super Regional and reach the NCAA Division II semifinals for the second time in three years. Jocelyn Charette scores twice, 56 seconds apart, in the match's first four minutes. With their third straight postseason shutout and 15th altogether, the Falcons become the first women's program in the state to win 23 games.

A new seven-team U.S. women's professional league is unveiled – and it's leader is from Everett. Tonya Antonucci is named commissioner of what will become Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) when it commences play in 2008. Teams will be based in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Antonucci played at Stanford before her career took her to online sports entities ESPN.com (previously located in Bellevue as Paul Allen's Starwave) and Yahoo Sports.

Adrienne Folsom delivers the decisive goal to give Puget Sound a 2-1, comeback victory over Whitworth in the second round of the NCAA Division III women’s tournament in Tacoma, the Loggers third win over the Pirates.

In the highest-scoring 4A boys' final in 28 years, Shayne Kelly gets the odd goal with 13:10 to go for Pasco to beat Federal Way, 4-3, at Lakewood. Kelyn Rowe scores twice to put the Eagles up at halftime. Shortly after Alfredo Farias ties it, Federal Way goes back in front, 3-2, through Lalo Morales Bryce Wilson, who also has two assists, levels it in the 61st minute, setting the stage for Kelly. Bulldogs coach Mike Pardini was a member of Pasco's 1998 state champions.

Chris Eylander secures another shutout and Roger Levesque's late first-half goal is the difference in the Sounders' 1-0 home win over Puerto Rico. Seattle, 8-0-1 across all competitions since June 23, is now tied with Portland for first place in USL. Eylander has five shutouts during the streak, and Levesque has tallied four goals and six assists in the last six matches.

Saint Martin’s plays inaugural men’s and women’s games at Cal State L.A., both falling by identical 5-0 scores. Both Saints teams compete in NCAA Division II and are coached by Rob Walker.

A benefit clinic at Everett’s Kasch Park draws more than 160 kids and raises more than $5,800 for a local 13-year-old scheduled to undergo treatment for leukemia.

Arica Slawson's score with 15 minutes remaining gives the Seattle Crossfire Sounders Women third place in the W-League finals, 2-1 over the host Rochester Raging Rhinos. Malia Arrant tallies the first Seattle goal for a lead after 51 minutes. Rochester ties it, and in the 75th Slawson, in her first appearance of the season, restores the lead. Crossfire Sounders had been beaten, 4-1, by Atlanta in a semifinal two days earlier. It equals the club's best national finish, first done in 2003.

Tina Ellertson makes her second straight start of the U.S. National Team in a friendly vs. Mexico at Portland. A former UW star from nearby Vancouver, Wa., Ellertson must be helped off the field in the first half of the 4-0 win because of a quadriceps injury. In all she started five matches and made 13 appearances in 2007, including three at the World Cup.

Jason Cascio bags two more goals and 6th-ranked Seattle University wins its 10th in a row, 2-1 in overtime vs. Incarnate Word at Championship Field. Cascio ties it in the 66th minute, then finishes a pass from Cameron Mertens following John Fishbaugher’s corner kick. He has four multi-goal games during the win streak. A senior, Cascio finishes the year with 13 and his career with 31 for fifth place on the SU all-time list.

Nearly 900 fans at Bomber Field see Tri-City Power host PDL Yakima Reds in exhibition.

Maryann Boddy’s brace, coming on either side of the interval, seals Seattle University’s 4-2 win over Western Washington at Championship Field. Boddy, on a comeback after tearing her ACL eight months earlier, also assists on Leah Wymer’s goal. She had a penalty kick and two assist earlier in the week at Montana State Billings. It’s part of midseason surge for SU, winning 13 of 14 games.

Hazen wins only its second state title in any sport, knocking off defending champion Camas for the boys' 3A crown, 2-1, at Lakewood. Guillermo Palomera gets the winner from 30 yards with five minutes remaining for the Highlanders’ (19-1-1) 15th straight win. Greg Beasley opens the scoring early for the Papermakers, but by the 15th minute Jacob Artman cancels that out for Hazen.

Al Brown and a group of local investors bring a PDL team back to Spokane, filling the void left by the 2006 demise of the Shadow. The Spokane Spiders will play initially at Spokane Falls Community College and be coached by Dan Philip. After 10 seasons the Shadow ownership refused to play at Joe Albi Stadium until the artificial turf was brought up to standard.

Whitworth is given an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III women’s soccer national tournament, the first national tournament appearance in program history. The Pirates also get an automatic men's berth by virtue of winning the Northwest Conference. Sean Bushey is head coach of both programs.

Lyndsey Patterson scores the winner in the 70th minute, and the Seattle Crossfire Sounders Women upset top-seeded San Diego, 2-1 on the road, for the W-League West championship. The SunWaves, who snapped the Sounders' six-game win streak five days earlier, open the scoring in the 30th minute. But Seattle quickly answers when Dani Bridges scores. Patterson gets her fifth goal in six games off a pass from Tafara Pulse. It's Seattle's first trip to the national semifinals since 2003.

Leighton O'Brien applies the finishing touch to the Sounders' drive to a third regular season championship in a 1-0 win at Minnesota. O'Brien takes advantage of a miscue in the Thunder defense in the 18th minute and finishes low and to the far post. Seattle goes 15-3-3 following a 1-3-3 start. It also won regular season titles in 1994 and 2002.

A third investment group vying to expand Major League Soccer into Seattle emerges. Atletico Seattle, fronted by California investors Larry Kosmont and Nevin Sanli and former French soccer star Frank Lebouf is investigating eight potential sites for a new privately funded soccer-specific stadium.

Seattle's Ellis McLoughlin scores what proves to be the winner in the United States's 2-1 victory over Costa Rica in Kingston, Jamaica. The win clinches first place in Group B for the Concacaf U17 Championships, and the U.S. qualifies for the FIFA Championships, to be held in August. McLoughlin, a product of Crossfire Premier, also scored in the April 30 win over Trinidad & Tobago.

Kasey Keller returns to the Premier League following a free transfer from relegated Borussia Moenchengladbach. Keller, who last played in the EPL with Tottenham in 2005, is immediately installed as the starter Aug. 25 at Aston Villa. He joins three fellow Americans – Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride – on the roster of so-called Fulhamerica.

An overflow crowd of 4,893 and national TV audience sees the Sounders win the USL championship, 4-0, over the Atlanta Silverbacks behind two goals of early substitute Greg Howes. It's Seattle’s fourth championship since 1995 – more than any other existing club. Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar adds a goal and an assist on Howes’s opener on the stroke of halftime. Howes replaced injured Leighton O’Brien in the 18th minute.

Hope Solo earns her eighth shutout in 14 appearances during the year, a 3-0 quarterfinal win over England in Tianjin, China. It’s her third straight clean sheet in World Cup play, with a 298-minute scoreless streak going into semifinal vs. Brazil. However, Solo is replaced by Brianna Scurry and U.S. loses, 4-0.

Major League Soccer grants an expansion franchise to Seattle that will begin play at Qwest Field in 2009. The announcement is made at a press conference on the 75th floor of the Columbia Center. Seattle is awarded a team after solidifying an agreement with Hollywood executive Joe Roth, the majority owner, and fellow owners Adrian Hanauer (USL Sounders owner who operates numerous local businesses), Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks/Portland TrailBlazers owner) and actor/comedian Drew Carey. Seattle will be the league’s 15th team.

Governor Christine Gregoire and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels are among the first 8,000 season ticket memberships sold in the first week after announcement of the city joining Major League Soccer in 2009.

Washington State Youth Soccer Association moves girls club soccer from the fall to the spring, February-April. It will impact roughly 2,000 players in the U15-U19 age groups in the Washington State Premier League and Washington State Youth Development League, and comes partly in response to the WSYSA seeing decreased participation in its older age groups.

Luck is not on Seattle Pacific's side in a semifinal exit from the NCAA Division II women's tournament in Orange, Beach, Al. The No. 2-ranked Falcons' perfect season is ruined by a 2-0 loss to Franklin Pierce. SPU (23-1) loses despite an 18-7 advantage in shots. The Falcons' Shannon Oakes and Jocelyn Charette hit the post and crossbar, respectively. Franklin Pierce goalkeeper Brittany Ester makes eight saves.

Sebastien Le Toux is voted MVP of the USL First Division after finishing co-leader in goals with 10. The Frenchman joined Seattle early in the season as a defender, then moved to midfield and finally forward. He also led all Open Cup scorers with seven goals.