BELLEVUE, WA — Calling the first ever home regular season match for Midlakes United a success would be quite the understatement. The hard-working character of the team was on
display during their 1-0 victory over United PDX on Friday night. The victory made
impressive by the fact that, for most of the match, they were down to 10 men.
On a near-perfect late spring evening, Midlakes United played its first home
regular season match at the Bellevue College Soccer Complex. The Eastside was
officially ready to welcome its brand-new team. As the match was getting close to
starting, fans of all ages began arriving, some even donning newly minted Midlakes
United merchandise. Some fans sat on the bleachers while others, using their own
chairs, sat on the hill adjacent to the pitch. The anticipation was high, and the pitch was
ready for some Friday night soccer.
For the early part of the first half, it was United PDX that enjoyed most of the
possession, which led them to some early scoring chances. The match being played on
the pitch was a physical one, causing Midlakes United some trouble in getting out of
their own end. The physicality reached its boiling point in the 32 nd minute, when
Midlakes United’s Habib Barry dealt a hard challenge to a United PDX player near the
touchline at midfield. After some deliberation, the referee reached for his back pocket
and gave Barry a red card, forcing Midlakes United to play a man down.
Despite the man disadvantage at such an early stage of the match, Midlakes
United did not back down. During first half stoppage time, the team earned a well-
positioned free kick, which Bailey Letherman stepped up to take. At the referee’s
whistle, Letherman delivered a beautiful ball into the box. The cross found Kevin
Galiano, who neatly headed the ball into the back of the net. “[Bailey] put it on a golden
plate for me. So, all I really had to do was move my neck and then it went in. All props
to Bailey for that one” said Galiano after the match.
Though not as eventful as the first half, the second half was just as intense.
Through sustained possession, United PDX tried to level the game but the defensive
discipline of Midlakes United remained unblemished. Head coach Justi Baumgardt
stated, “I just told them that we needed to be organized defensively and make sure that
we are sitting lower. We didn’t want to start chasing and get pulled out.” Midlakes United
was bringing the hustle as the second half carried on. Players were being assertive
defensively and they fought for every inch on their side of the pitch.
During the last 15 minutes of the match, one could feel a glimpse of the home
field advantage that Midlakes United will boast at the Bellevue College Soccer Complex.
“Let’s Go Midlakes” chants were started in the bleachers. The Midlakes United bench was amped up at every challenge and clearance. Even with close to 10 minutes of
stoppage time, the Midlakes United side held strong and earned the three points in front
of their faithful.
The match allowed Midlakes United to show their fans that there is no shortage
of character. Coach Bamgardt said postgame, “[The team] showed a lot of character
tonight, you know, that they can fight, they can compete, they can fight for each other
and can represent Midlakes United.” Being down a man for over 65 minutes is no small
task. The team’s grit and determination were what got them in the victory column
tonight.
How the team moves forward with this momentum remains to be seen, but for
now, knowing that this kind of performance was showcased in front of their fans is a
tremendous feeling. “It feels great to be in front of the home fans. [It’s our] inaugural
season so we want to build something special here. First of many hopefully. It’s
something to build off so it’s really encouraging to get that first result in front of the home
fans” Galiano stated. The willingness to set the tone by the players is an encouraging
sign as Midlakes United navigates its early stages as a club. Midlakes United’s next
match will be at home on Sunday, June 2nd at 2pm as the team takes on FC Olympia.
All Photos by Ryan Hampton / Area Sports Network
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