SMOKEY POINT, WA—In April of 2018 the Snohomish County FC Steelheads traveled to Aberdeen to face the Grays Harbor Gulls in a preseason friendly. It was a fun trip and a good day for men’s elite regional soccer. Two areas in need of clubs were meeting for the first time, giving players a chance to test themselves against guys from another part of the state. It’s sort of incidental that the Steelheads won that match, 2-1.
Then and Now
The two clubs will meet again under very different circumstances on Saturday July 13 at Lakewood High School in Smokey Point. (Kick off is at 4 PM. Tickets are $5, general admission.) The Steelheads have joined the Gulls in the Western Washington Premier League. Now it is Grays Harbor’s turn to make the nearly 3 hour (one way) drive — and this time the match is not a friendly. The Steelheads are challenging for a league title and need to win to stay in the race. Meanwhile the Gulls are battling to earn a spot in the WWPL’s new Top Division for 2020.
Steelheads can still win it all
Things have to fall just the right way for them, but the Steelheads know that they also MUST win on Saturday to stay in contention for the 2019 WWPL Championship. The graphic below tells the tale of where the race is at right now. Snohomish have to win their last two matches and get some reasonable help from Kirkland, Tacoma, and perhaps Federal Way.
18-man roster for 7.13 versus Gulls:
Gulls hanging on
On the other side of the pitch Grays Harbor are leading Federal Way FC 13 standing points to 12 in the race for the final spot in the new Division One that will be launched in 2020. The Gulls have just this match to gain more points. Federal Way have two matches, both at home. They play Nido Aguila Seattle on July 21, and have a match against Lacey FC that doesn’t have a rescheduled date announced yet. In their most-recent match the Gulls dropped an important one to WWPL leaders XF Redmond at home.
Final chance to see SnoCo at home in 2019
If you haven’t been out to a Steelheads match yet, this is your last chance to do so at Smokey Point this season. The Fish will complete their inaugural WWPL slate next Thursday night at Redmond High School Stadium against XF Redmond. But the last home match is this weekend. SnoCo FC are hoping to continue their unbeaten league record and give their home supporters something more to cheer about in a very solid first year in the WWPL.
Fans pick the kit, and it’s Hexy
The Steelheads are using an online poll on the club’s Facebook page to pick the kit they will wear on Saturday against the Gulls. It sure looks like the Hex Grey shirt with black shorts and socks is going to be the big winner. The combo is ahead something like 80% to 20% with a day to go in voting.
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