NORTHWEST PREMIER LEAGUE

After the first week of play for the Northwest Premier League, Yakima United lead top at the table on goal difference. The team from Central Washington defeated Blackhills FC 5-1. Meanwhile, in their long-awaited league debut, AC Chehalem Valley gave up one goal at home to Vancouver Victory but failed to find the back of the net after a defensive player-of-the-week display by goalie Makenna McClellan. Yakima’s Grace Terrill, who scored in the 6th, 16th, 79th, and 84th minutes won offensive player-of-the-week.

With six of the ten teams dropping out of the competition this year, only these four above-mentioned sides will be contending for the league title. This Saturday, the two winners from week one will matchup with Yakima United visiting Vancouver Victory; then AC Chehalem Valley travel to Olympia, Washington to take on Blackhills Football Club.

WESTERN WASHINGTON PREMIER LEAGUE

Eight weeks in and the Wenatchee All-Stars are league leaders with 19 points and +14 Goal Difference. They travel to South Sound Stadium and will take on third-bottom Lacey Pocket Gophers. The league is hitting the mid-way point this weekend and Snohomish County, Nido Seattle, and Harbor aren’t so far out of the picture to call the title race done yet.

At the bottom, Lacey, Kirkland, and Grays Harbor Gulls still have enough time to make a run at a respectable finish and avoid relegation – however somebody will have to go and division two is turning out to be a heckuva fight, with Seattle Umoja on 13 points, Northern Peninsula on Nido Seattle Two on 8.

EVERGREEN PREMIER LEAGUE WA

For 2021, the EPLWA will be split into two divisions of four clubs each. Currently only two weeks in, Bellingham United Hammers are leading the North Division with 6 points from two matches and are followed closely by Washington Premier, who have only played once – beating Everett Jets 3-0. The two will face off this Saturday at 3:00 pm.

All four clubs in the South Division, Yakima United, Oly Town Artesians, Vancouver Victory and Tacoma Narrows, have played twice. Yakima United top the table with 6 points and +7 Goal Difference. They take on Oly Town Artesians at the SOZO Sports Complex in Yakima at 6:00 pm

USL L2

Portland Timbers U23s, PDX FC, OVF Alliance, and Lane United FC make up the Northwest Division of the USL League 2 this year. PDX FC and Timbers U23s are tied in the table after two matches with 4 points each. OVF Alliance have 3 points on the board and Lane United will be looking for their first points when they host Timbers U23s at Civic Park in Eugene this weekend. OVF Alliance will be taking their squad to Portland to take on PDX FC and try to take over the top of the table.

OREGON WOMEN’S OPEN CUP

Last night on the Protagonist Weekly Podcast, the first-round matchups were drawn and have NWPL side CFC Atletica of Salem, Oregon headed to Tualatin to take on Crossfire United on the 18th of June. OVF Alliance, in Albany will host AC Chehalem Valley on the 24th. Both WPSL sides, Westside Timbers and Eugene Timbers Azul will have bye weeks and free entry into the Semifinals, set to take place at the end of the month.

NISA INDEPENDENT CUP

Two teams from the Pacific Northwest will be participating in the NISA Independent cup; Space United of Seattle and PDX FC from Portland, Oregon. The tournament schedule was released this week and it has PDX headed to Renton, WA to take on Space United on July 10th – 8:00 pm kickoff.

CASCADIA ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL FEDERATION

CAFF’s men, who participate in CONIFA, were recently bested by Kernow FA in an international exhibition. Kernow were coming off previous international wins, 5-0 over Barawa and 10-3 over Chagos Islands. Cascadia thought they could make a go of it at the neutral ground in London but lost heavily 1-8 – their only goal, a penalty in the first half.

The women’s team debuted their new “Rhodies” kits earlier this week and intend to open the pre-sales back up to raise enough funds to host a match before the summer is up.

- Joshua Duder