Flashback: Tide not afraid of Spiders

Here's a slide show of Jenni's photos from 2007's 4-1 Tacoma win over the Spokane Spiders.

Flashback: Tide swamp Yakima 5-0, earn playoff spot

Tacoma Tide FC finished an undefeated 2007 home campaign with the 5-0 rout over Yakima Reds on July 14th at University Place. Below are a video highlight reel and a photo slide show from the match. The Tide earned their first-ever playoff spot with the win.

Flashback: Tide beat BYU 2-0

One of the highlights of the 2007 Tacoma Tide FC season was beating the BYU Cougars for the first time. Goals by Ciaran O'Brien and Rory Agu sealed a 2-0 win last May for TFC. See a slide show of photos from that match by Jenni Conner uploaded to YouTube.com:

A Puget Sound Soccer Summer

Beach soccer at Alki, Seattle.

The summer of 2008 will offer many options for soccer fans to take in a high-level local match. The Seattle Sounders, Sounders Women, Tacoma Tide FC and Seattle Wolves FC all have their home schedules out.

GOALSeattle.com has a Local Match Calendar for you to use as your guide to soccer entertainment this season.

The USL-1 Seattle Sounders open their final home campaign in that league with a Saturday May 10th meeting against arch rival Portland Timbers at Qwest Field at 7:05 PM. It will be the last scheduled match in Seattle between the two sides for the known future.

In South Sound Tacoma Tide FC kick off their home slate the next night, Sunday May 11th, at 1:05 against Salem Oregon's Cascade Surge at Curtis High School in University Place, Tacoma.

The Sounders Women of the W-League will play exhibition matches on May 6th and 8th before starting their league home fixture list against the Ventura Fusion on Thursday night May 15th at 7:00 PM at Starfire.

Seattle Wolves FC are moving up a year earlier than expected to the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL). The Wolves open their home schedule on Saturday May 17th at 2:30 PM when they host Victoria United.

In far North Sound the Puget Sound Soccer Academy Rapids (PSSA) tackle another PCSL schedule with a home opener on Saturday May 10th at Whatcom Community College against Seattle Wolves FC.

Here are some other highlights to watch for this summer...

* Tacoma Tide FC usually draw their biggest league crowd when the BYU Cougars come calling. That visit from the Utah club comes this year on Saturday May 24th.

* Tacoma Tide FC play 6 of 8 home matches by June 7th. Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders schedule is the opposite, back-loaded with 7 straight home matches late in the season.

* All three local Men's clubs will be at home the same night on June 7th. The Sounders host Minnesota at 8:00 PM. The Wolves will be across the walkway at Starfire hosting Kamloops at 7:30 PM. Meanwhile, down in Tacoma the Tide will play the new Vancouver Whitecaps PDL club for the first time at 7:05 PM.

* The Sounders Women play their biggest rival, the Vancouver Whitecaps Women, on Monday June 30th at Starfire.

* Seattle Wolves FC will host the Vancouver Whitecaps prospects on Saturday May 31st at 2:30 PM.

* The Sounders Men will host Vancouver twice, Wednesday August 20th and Saturday September 20th. The latter will be the last-ever regular season league match between the two historic rivals.

Tacoma Tide 2008 Schedule Is Out!

The 2008 schedule for the Tacoma Tide has been released, and it features a prominence of early-season home matches.

Fri. May 9........at Spokane (5 PM)
Sun. May 11.......Cascade Surge (1:05 PM)
Sat. May 17.......at Yakima (7:05 PM)
Fri. May 23.......Ogden Outlaws (7:05 PM)
Sat. May 24.......BYU Cougars (7:05 PM)
Sat. May 31.......Spokane Spiders (7:05 PM)
Fri. June 6.......Abottsford Mariners (7:05 PM)
Sat. June 7.......Vancouver Whitecaps Residency (7:05 PM)
Fri. June 13......at Ogden (6:00 PM)
Sat. June 14......at BYU (6:30 PM)
Fri. June 20......Spokane Spiders (7:05 PM)
Sat. June 21......at Cascade (7:35 PM)
Sat. June 28......at Vancouver (3:00 PM)
Sun. June 29......at Abottsford (1:00 PM)
Tues. July 8......Seattle Sounders (7:05 PM)
Sat. July 12......at Cascade (7:05 PM)
Sat. July 19......Yakima Reds (7:05 PM)

Tacoma Tide FC release promo video

South Sound in the house!

Here comes the Tacoma Tide Football Club with a brand new video that features their sharp new crest and highlights their hopes and accomplishments in South sound semi-pro soccer.




The Sounders and Tide hope to play each other again in 2008. The clubs drew 2-2 in a thriller in Tacoma last July.

UPDATE: Our Boys at MLS Combine

Ciaran O'Brien (red, left) hustles during MLS Combine.
3rd Degree photo. / Andy Mead, YJCphoto.com

Buzz over at 3rd Degree has posted some final observations of the recent MLS Combine heading into Friday's MLS Superdraft.

He likes what he saw from Washington Husky Ely Allen and Federal Way native and Tacoma Tide midfielder Ciaran O'Brien. He came around to seeing the better parts of Kevin Forrest's game, too.

On Allen:
"A forward in college but I think he’s best as a high wing in a 4-3-3 or wide mid in a 4-4-2. He’s got terrific energy and has enough game to separate from a defender. Quick burst and first step. Fantastic motor he goes hard all game, great range."

On O'Brien:
"A class midfielder who plays better deep in the midfield. Great passer who reads the game well and can dictate pace of play. Great awareness. Got better as the combine progressed."

On Forrest:
"Wonderful work rate, energy, and tenacious as hell. He never, ever stops working or moving. He’s smart too, know where he’s supposed to be. The problem is he doesn’t have any way to separate from defenders. He spent the entire combine up top, I really wish he would have tried it wide in midfield cause I think he could be terrific there."