SEATTLE, WA (WTKR)- It's been a historic season for Lionsbridge FC. Now the club looks to cap it off with a championship.
Lionsbridge arrived in the Seattle area on Thursday night as Saturday's USL League Two title match with Ballard FC nears. The team comes in after four postseason victories and has picked up those wins in many fashions.
"Penalties, up, down, coming back into games, we've seen a whole repertoire of things to go on," noted head coach Chris Whalley. "Now let's win one on the road and it would be nice if we could win the biggest one."
"In the playoffs alone we've been through every possible scenario," added defender Sam Hall. "We've been up by three goals within the first 20 minutes, we've been down 1-nil at halftime, 2-nil over the first 10 minutes, so for us these are not negatives. These are just things that we had to experience and learn them and we use these tools to go forward."
After nipping the Charlotte Eagles, 1-0, in the opening round, Lionsbridge cruised past North Carolina Fusion in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The squad would trail the Ocean City Nor'Easters after 17 minutes, 2-0, but charge back for a 4-2 victory in extra time to claim its first ever conference title, then held off The Villages SC in penalty kicks to earn a spot in the championship match.
Now the team will play its first playoff match of the year away from home. Sure, it's a big one with the chance to claim the first title in franchise history, but players and coaches will also make sure they take the time to digest the entire experience.
"Not everyone's fortunate enough to be in a situation where they come to Seattle, which is an amazing place, and do something they love," Hall said. "I think it's important to find that balance, just like anything in your life, and then when it comes to what we're here for, then we focus down, but for now we just relax and enjoy being around each other and the things around us."
"We're going to go out for dinner in downtown Seattle tonight and we're going to go show them the seafood market area and go hang out," Whalley added. "In some ways, by doing those things, we're taking the guys' minds off the game a little bit. When it's all said and done, it doesn't matter what happens between now and then. At 10:00 PM eastern time, as long as the guys are ready to play, that's all that really matters."
Lionsbridge enters the match with an overall record of 12-2-2 and won the Chesapeake Division for the second straight year. Ballard FC claimed the Northwest Division with a 10-1-1 regular season mark and picked up four postseason victories to earn a spot in the final. It will be a tough test in a hostile environment for the Newport News-based club, but a win would mean the world.
"The whole Tidewater area has backed us so much," Whalley pointed out. "I'd love to bring back a championship for that town and for our area because I think it means so much to all the people who sacrificed so much for this group, and not just this group, over the six years getting here."
"Everyone's on board," Hall said. "Everyone's wanting the same thing just as much as each other and if we turn up and play like we know we can and that we have done, I have no doubts."
Lionsbridge FC and Ballard FC kick off at 10:00 PM eastern time. Fans can enjoy a watch party at Coastal Fermentory in Newport News, which will be showing the game on a projector screen. Whalley and Hall both acknowledged the passionate fanbase and are excited to play in front of those who made the trip and put on a show for those watching from home.
