Tacoma draws Crossfire at Interbay, Kitsap can clinch playoff spot tonight

The faces tell the story Saturday night at Interbay as Tacoma Tide FC drew 1:1 with Washington Crossfire. (Marshall Hollis)

TONIGHT: Portland Timbers U23's at Kitsap Pumas, 5:00 PM, Bremerton Memorial Stadium. Tickets $5 & $10 at the gate. Internet audio  / radio broadcast at www.KITZ1400.com.

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TacomaTide FC fought hard all the way and tied the match late, but their 1:1 standoff Saturday night against Washington Crossfire has given the Kitsap Pumas a chance to clinch the final PDL NW Division playoff spot tonight in Bremerton. Details of the match are not yet online.

The Pumas are on 32 points with three matches to play this week. Tacoma edge up to 30 points, but have only this coming Saturday's Narrows Bridge Bell derby match with Kitsap left to play. See current standings.

Kitsap will attempt to clinch the spot tonight at 5 PM at Bremerton Memorial Stadium against the club with the best record in the entire 60+ team PDL, the Portland Timbers U23's. Saturday night in Victoria the Timbers improved to a perfect 15-0-0 with a 4:1 win over the Highlanders. The Pumas have only one loss in league play, a comprehensive 3:0 defeat to the U23's in Oregon in June. The last time a PDL side won all 16 of its regular season matches was back in the year 2000.

The Tacoma draw gives the Pumas some wiggle room. Kitsap needs two points to insure Tacoma can't catch them. So two draws or one win over the last three matches would do it. The Pumas play at Vancouver Wednesday and at Tacoma Saturday. The one thing Kitsap hopes to avoid is having the Tide still in it when they host the Pumas in the derby match.

Marshall Hollis was at the Tacoma-Crossfire match and shares the gallery of photos below.

Crossfire defense is challenged at Interbay by Tacoma and the bright evening sun. (Marshall Hollis)