Richland native Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe are among the seven national team players assigned to the Seattle Reign FC for its inaugural NWSL season. Solo and Rapinoe are accompanied by USWNT teammate Amy Rodriguez. Seattle gets Canadian internationals Kaylyn Kyle and Emily Zurrer, plus Mexico's Jenny Ruiz and Teresa Noyla.

Seattle rises to poll position in the Supporters' Shield race by virtue of its fifth straight victory, 2-0 over Real Salt Lake before a throng of 55,107 at CenturyLink Field. Obafemi Martins gets Sounders FC off to a flying start in third minute and Lamar Neagle scores in his third consecutive match in the 38th. With wins in eight of the last nine, Seattle is averaging 1.81 points per game.

A capacity Starfire Sports crowd of 3,855 is treated to a Jessica McDonald first-half brace as Seattle Reign FC extends its unbeaten run to five games by beating Washington, 2-1. McDonald, acquired just two weeks earlier, scores in the 30th and 33rd minutes to go in front after the Spirit had scored an 11th-minute penalty. Christine Nairn, who assists on the tying goal, has a goal or assist in all five games during the run of four wins and a draw.

A brace from Miguel Gonzalez earns Seattle University a 2-1 upset of Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament amidst snow flurries in Omaha. Seven minutes after a missed Creighton penalty, Gonzalez scores his 15th goal of the season in the 71st minute to snap the tie. He had pulled SU even in the 31st minute. Jake Feener makes eight saves for the Redhawks, who advance to face crosstown rival Washington. It's the first SU Div. I postseason victory in any sport since men's basketball in 1964.

A raucous CenturyLink Field crowd of 40,847 helps energize the U.S. National Team to a 2-0 victory over Panama in Seattle's first World Cup qualifier since 1976. Jozy Altidore scores in his third straight match and Sounders forward Eddie Johnson adds another in the 53rd minute. The Yanks take over first place in the qualifying group . It's the seventh-largest crowd for a home qualifier in U.S. soccer history, and much of the huge pro-American crowd stands the entire match, played on a temporary grass surface costing $100,000.

Despite an away goal from Lamar Neagle, Sounders FC goes out of the Concacaf Champions League at the semifinal stage, 2-1, on aggregate at Santos Laguna of Mexico. Seattle became just the third MLS club to reach this stage of the tournament. the visitors face a tall order when Santos, winners at CenturyLink, go up 2-nil in a 21st-minute free kick. Neagle bangs home a rebound in the 73rd minute and his potential series winner slides just wide of the post moments before the final whistle.

Hope Solo makes three big saves in the first half, moving closer to the USWNT career record in a 4-0 friendly win over Australia at San Antonio. Solo finishes with five saves and her 67 shutouts is second only to Brianna Scurry's 71. She earns eight caps in 2013 despite missing three months after undergoing surgery to repair an injury to her left wrist.

Josh Heard ignites an early second-half surge by Washington and the Huskies proceed to dispatch crosstown rival Seattle University, 4-2, before a standing room-only crowd in the second round of the NCAA Division I tournament. After Darwin Jones sends UW to intermission with a lead, Heard doubles it on a rebound in the 48th minute. He then combines with James Moberg to free Cristian Roldan for a 3-nil lead in the 66th. The crowd of 3,100 is the largest in 13 years on Montlake.

Seattle Reign FC finally finds the winning combination, registering their first NWSL victory, 2-1, at Boston. With USWNT stars Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe together in the lineup for just the second time, Seattle snaps an 11-match winless start. Reign FC get both goals late. Jess Fishlock ties it in the 78th minute and Christine Nairn takes the cross from Liz Bogus and beats Breakers keeper Alyssa Naeher in the 86th. Solo stops eight shots, including a diving save off Heather O’Reilly from 18 yards.

Eddie Johnson's second goal enables Seattle to pull away from Dallas, 4-2, and extend an unbeaten run to six matches at CenturyLink Field. After Michel ties it, 2-2, on an Olimpico, Johnson responds a minute later, juking a defender and ramming his shot into the roof of the net. Obafemi Martins adds the final goal. Sounders FC, which beat San Jose, 4-0, in its last outing, scores four goals in consecutive matches for the first time.

Fernando Monge of Seattle is chosen 18th by Montreal in the MLS Super Draft. Monge was all-Pac-12 as a UCLA senior. He played for Eastside Catholic, Crossfire Premier and, later, Sounders U23. In 2011 Monge was a member of U.S. Beach Soccer National Team.

A trademark Michael Harris flip-throw leads to Ian Lange's winner as No. 2 seed Washington advances to its first NCAA Elite Eight, 1-0 over Stanford before 2,690 at a windy Husky Soccer Stadium. Harris launches the ball deep into the Cardinal box and Lange heads it home in the 84th minute. Lange had missed eight games with a knee injury. The Huskies' run ends six nights later on a frozen, 25-degree pitch. They manage just eight shots in a 1-0 loss to New Mexico. UW's two losses is the fewest since 1982.

Christine Nairn scores the historic first goal that earns Seattle Reign FC a 1-1 road draw against Chicago in both clubs' inaugural NWSL match at Lisle, Ill. Nairn, a rookie from Penn State, puts the Reign ahead in the 10th minute, and the Red Stars' Lori Chalupny knots it 15 minutes later. Michelle Betos, starting in place of the injured Hope Solo, makes eight saves to preserve the result. Seattle proceeds to go winless (0-9-2) in the first 11 matches.

Djimi Traore scores the latest regulation goal in Sounders FC history to bring home a 1-0 victory from Sporting Kansas City. The goal, scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time, gives Seattle seven points on a three-match road trip. A mishit clearance attempt from a long throw falls to Traore to slot home. Michael Gspurning saves three shots, all in the first half.

Scoring just six minutes into the quarterfinal, Catherine Miles starts Western Washington through to the NCAA Division II semifinals for the first time with a 2-0 win over No. 10 St. Edward's at Orca Field. The 9th-ranked Vikings' 20th win is sealed by an own goal shortly before halftime. They will fall to defending national champion West Florida, 2-1, in overtime Dec. 5 in Evans, Ga.

Sounders scoring king Fredy Montero departs after 60 goals in four seasons. Montero, 25, goes to Colombia's Millonarios on a loan agreement, and he moves along to Sporting Lisbon during the summer transfer window.

In the club's biggest signing to date, Clint Dempsey, captain and star of the U.S. National Team, comes home to America to sign for Sounders FC. Dempsey, 30, returns from England after a U.S.-record 57 goals with Fulham and Tottenham of the Premiership. His 35 goals for the USMNT ranks No. 2 all-time. Majority owner Joe Roth introduces Deuce to the crowd before a 3-0 win over Dallas, and he debuts a week later at Toronto.

More than 600 people attend the Northwest Communities of Burma’s annual soccer tournament at the Wilson Playfields in Kent. A total of 14 teams hailing from all over the Pacific Northwest, are comprised of immigrant refugees from the different ethnic groups of Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. They make headway toward breaking barriers of religion, politics and generations of tribal dispute through one universal language: soccer.

The Tacoma Rainiers and Cheney Stadium host the Sounders FC reserves and Orlando City before 2,174. Orlando City prevails, 2-0, while the Rainiers and Sounders evaluate the prospect of perhaps bringing a USL franchise to Pierce County someday.

Brad Evans scores the all-important first-half opener and Eddie Johnson delivers the final blow as Sounders FC beats Colorado Rapids, 2-0, in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs at CenturyLink Field. With the win, Seattle advances to the conference semifinals against Portland. Evans connects in 28th minute, bringing down a rebound and firing inside the far post. Johnson's insurance tally comes in stoppage time on a feed from Clint Dempsey. The Rave Green get their ninth win in 13 all-time meetings with the Rapids. However, the Timbers sweep the next round, scoring a 5-3 aggregate win.

Keidane McAlpine leaves the Palouse for Hollywood after two successful seasons at Washington State. McAlpine, who led WSU to two NCAA tournament appearances in as many seasons as head coach, is lured by Pac-12 rival Southern California. He led the Cougars to a program-best second-place finish and 14-3-4 mark in 2013, earning conference and region coach of the year honors.

A Cascadia derby crowd of 53,679 roars and Sounders FC responds with a rallying 3-2 home win over Vancouver. Trailing since the 26th minute, Seattle finally draws level when Lamar Neagle is dragged down for a penalty and Servando Carrasco scores on the resulting spot kick in the 69th minute. Neagle gets the winner with nine minutes remaining off a short cross from Obafemi Martins. It's the fifth win in six games.

An own goal proves to be the difference in Bonney Lake's first WIAA boys 3A title. A free kick by Zach Jones from midfield skips off the head of a Shorecrest defender and into the net in the 78th minute at Puyallup. It's an unlikely finish to a season that started 3-3, with all three losses to 4A schools in non-league games. Moxie Oseland stops three Scots shots to record his 14th shutout of the year.

No. 2-ranked Western Washington takes a big step toward women's conference and regional supremacy with a 2-1 road victory over Seattle Pacific. Caitlyn Jobanek's right-wing cross caroms off a defender's head for the deciding goal in the 37th minute. The Vikings, now 11-0-0, go ahead at 2:01 on Catherine Miles's goal before Ali Martin responded for SPU.

Two second-half goals put Seattle University in the promised land of the NCAA Division I men's tournament for the first time as the Redhawks come from behind to defeat San Jose State, 2-1, for the WAC tournament title and automatic berth. Down 1-nil, SU ties it in the 57th minute on a Miguel Gonzalez header from Ian Hines-Ike free kick. A Hines-Ike feed finds Hamza Haddadi for the winner in the 71st minute. Tournament MVP Jake Feener makes a late save to preserve the outcome.

Eastside FC produces the state's first USYSA championship in 15 years, winning the girls' U14 title, 2-1 over Pennsylvania's YMS Xplosion at Overland Park, Kan. Joanna Harber and Ellie Bryant score for Eastside. It's Harber's fourth goal of the finals, earning her the Golden Ball. She and Kaylene Pang make the all-tournament team. The last Washington side to win a USYSA trophy was FC United U18 boys in 1999.

Sounders FC Reserves complete the season in strong fashion by beating Portland, 4-1, at JELD-WEN Field behind David Estrada's goal and assist. With the victory, Seattle vacates the basement of the MLS Western Conference on points per game, finishing 4-6-2. The reserves go 3-1-1 over the final five matches.

Although they miss an opportunity to further improve their seeding, the Sounders secure home-field advantage for their knockout playoff opener versus Colorado with a 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy. A huge crowd of 66,216 sees Clint Dempsey score from point-blank range. Robbie Keane replies for the Galaxy with 12 minutes to go. The MLS season attendance record falls for the fifth year in a row, with a CenturyLink Field average of 44,038.

For the second time in as many nights Puget Sound works overtime to advance in the NCAA Division III soccer tournament, beating Hardin-Simmons, 1-0, at Thousand Oaks, Calif. Amalia Acorda-Fey nets the winner at 101:47, collecting her own rebound and finding the far post. It's the 15th win in a row for the Loggers and sixth consecutive shutout. They had upset host Cal Lutheran the night before, 1-0, on Jill Shimabuku's golden goal in the 102nd minute. Washington (Mo.) knocks-out UPS in the third round, 3-0.

Thomas Jefferson wins its record eighth state 4A boys' championship, 3-0 over Union at Puyallup's Sparks Stadium. Matthew Cruz gets things started for the Raiders in the 20th minute. TJ out-shoots Union 34-2 but does not get comfortable until Brandon Madsen doubles the lead in the 56th, knocking in the rebound of Alvaro Osornio's shot. Osorino adds the final tally in the 76th. It is Jefferson's first title since 2005.

Central Valley rallies for the late equalizer, then prevails in the shootout to become the first Spokane school in 20 years to raise the girls' 4A trophy at Puyallup. Jessie Kunz-Pfeiffer saves two tiebreaker penalties, and Madison Kinsolving delivers the decisive third conversion for the Bears to defeat Issaquah, 2-2 (3-2), for their first state championship. Juliana da Cruz puts the Eagles in the lead after 70 minutes, but with a minute left in regulation CV's Hailey Spooner strikes back, forcing overtime and eventually the shootout.

A predominantly green-clad crowd of 28,354 backs Mexico in its 2-0 win over Canada in as part of a Concacaf Gold Cup doubleheader at CenturyLink Field. Raul Jimenez's diving header and Marco Fabian's penalty account for the scoring. In the first match, Panama defeats Martinique, 1-0, on a Gabriel Torres penalty.

For the first time in 11 years Puget Sound is moving beyond the first round of the NCAA Division III men's tournament, 2-1 victors over Hardin-Simmons in San Antonio. Vincent McCluskey scores the decisive goal 5:31 into overtime, connecting with a cross from Eneko Bereziartua. Moments earlier in overtime Nathan King makes two saves for UPS. The Loggers' Sam Zisette opens the scoring in the 16th minute, but the Cowboys answer in the 37th. Host Trinity (Tx.) sends UPS home, 4-0, the following night.

Sounders FC becomes the first MLS club to oust a Mexican team from the Concacaf Champions League, coming from two goals down to win, 3-2, on aggregate, behind a pair of long-distance drives at CenturyLink Field. Tigres UANL had won the first leg, 1-0, and adds another goal in the 23rd minute of the second leg before Seattle catches fire. DeAndre Yedlin, 19, blasts his first career goal in the 53rd minute on a 30-yard volley through a crowd. Djimi Traore then cracks a vicious shot from well outside the box, off the crossbar, at the hour mark. Eddie Johnson caps the comeback at 75' and Tigres, down to 10 men for the second half, succumbs.

A Seattle man attempting to dribble a soccer ball 10,000 miles to Brazil in time for the 2014 World Cup dies after being hit by a pickup truck on the Oregon Coast. Richard Swanson, 42, is killed while walking south along Highway 101 in broad daylight. Swanson set out May 1 on the trek to promote the One World Futbol Project, which donates durable soccer balls to people in developing countries. An avid runner, he picked up soccer just five years ago and played on club teams and rooted for the Seattle Sounders.

Sean Bushey, one of the most successful men's coaches in Northwest Conference history, exits Whitworth following 17 stellar seasons. Bushey takes over as coaching director for Colorado Rush. In 2012, he took the Pirates to a seventh NWC championship in nine years and finished with a record of 209-86-35. In addition to his duties coaching the men, Bushey also served 12 concurrent seasons as the Whitworth women's coach from 1997-2008, compiling a record of 123-90-16.

Still two months shy of joining Seattle Reign FC, Megan Rapinoe scores for the USMNT in a 3-3 draw with Germany at Offenbach. The friendly, played on the 100th anniversary of U.S. Soccer's founding, features the top-ranked U.S. and No. 2 Germany. Rapinoe, who joins the USWNT late due to commitments with Olympique Lyonnais, puts the visitors up 2-nil in the 58th minute. She scores four goals and three assists in seven 2019 appearances.

In a rematch of the 2012 Division II women's West Regional championship, Western Washington scores late to upset NCAA runner-up and No. 3 UC San Diego, 1-0, at La Jolla, Calif. Jessica Bertucci takes a through ball scores in the 89th minute, and Alyssa Beauchamp gets the shutout while making four saves.

An early Olimpico from Eneko Bereziartua paves the way to Puget Sound's Northwest Conference-clinching victory, 2-0, over George Fox at Peyton Field. On a blustery day, Bereziartua bends his corner kick directly into the net after 96 seconds of play. Carson Swope buries a 27th-minute penalty, his conference-leading 12th goal of the season. It's the first NWC title since 2006 and comes with two regular season games remaining.

Federal Way's Kelyn Rowe scores the game-winner in his first career MLS playoff match for New England, a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Gillette Stadium. It's Rowe's 12th goal in his second season with the Revolution.

Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin, 19, becomes the first Sounders FC Homegrown signing, joining the senior team after two seasons at the University of Akron. Yedlin had attended O'Dea High School and played for Emerald City, Northwest Nationals and Crossfire Premier before joining the Sounders Academy in 2010. He was all-MAC right back each season at Akron.

Chad Bodnar, following a successful 10 years at Walla Walla Community College, is hired as women's head coach at Eastern Washington. Bodnar, 36, was 210-15-11 at Walla Walla, winning an unprecedented three straight NWAC championships from 2009-11. He replaces George Hageage.

Danny Olivas strikes with 12 minutes left, lifting Seattle Pacific to a 2-1 upset of top-ranked Simon Fraser at Interbay Stadium. Olivas fires far post from 17 yards. He assists on the Falcons' first score, by David Karaica, in the 12th minute. It's the first SPU win over the Clan, a 2012 NCAA Division semifinalist, in five tries.

Seattle secures a striker of true pedigree, signing Nigerian international and 12-year European veteran Obafemi Martins, 28. Martins comes to MLS from Levante in La Liga. In all, he scored 103 goals for Newcastle, Inter Milan and Levante, plus another 18 for Nigeria, including two during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. To make room for the new Designated Player, Sounders FC shed German midfielder Christian Tiffert.

Sami Harrell breaks the tie in the 53rd minute to send Liberty past Kamiakin, 2-1, for the girls' 3A state title in Puyallup. It's the Patriots' first WIAA championship. Harrell also sets-up Sydney Abel for the game's first goal after just 37 seconds. Alicia Nguyen scores from the penalty spot in the 16th minute to tie it. Liberty had been runner-up two years earlier and reached the semifinal stage on four other occasions.

Washington State and Illinois battle through 110 scoreless minutes at Pullman, and for the second year in a row the 21st-ranked Cougars go out of the NCAA Division I women's tournament on penalties. Three inches of snow are shoveled off the field beforehand. WSU had won five straight, four by shutout, but Illini keeper Claire Wheatley makes 11 saves, plus another two to start the shootout, and the visitors advance, 0-0 (3-1). Top scorer Micaela Castain launched four of the Cougars' 29 shots

Puget Sound closes out the regular season by winning its 13th straight game, 2-0 at Lewis & Clark. The Northwest Conference champion Loggers break open a scoreless stalemate early in the second half when Kylie Beeson and Annie Jonsson score 96 seconds apart. Casey Thayer makes one save to complete the fourth straight UPS shutout and ninth in 10 games. Puget Sound had started the season just 2-2-2 after six outings.

Former MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall comes to Seattle and two fan favorites exit amidst a flurry of activity to close the calendar year. Marshall, 29, comes from Columbus for allocation money and a third-round draft pick. two days earlier, goalkeeper Stefan Frei was acquired from Toronto for a 2015 conditional first-round draft pick. The Sounders also get forwards Kenny Cooper from Dallas and Chad Barrett from New England. Outbound are Mauro Rosales, Eddie Johnson and Steve Zakuani. Rosales, to club's co-assist king (34) goes to Chivas USA. Johnson heads to D.C. United after scoring 29 goals in two seasons across all competitions. Zakuani was the MLS No. 1 SuperDraft pick in 2009 but had seen limited action since a broken leg in 2011.