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Northwest Sports Update: US advances to Round of 16 in Seattle, M’s eye sweep, WWU softball star turns to hoops and more

Northwest Sports Update: US advances to Round of 16 in Seattle, M’s eye sweep, WWU softball star turns to hoops and more

United States' Folarin Balogun (20) kicks during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Photo: Associated Press


World Cup News

The US is coming back to the Pacific Northwest after their historic win last night.

Team USA topped Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to secure their second-ever World Cup knockout round win.

Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the tournament before being sent off with a red card in the second half. Malik Tillman converted on a free kick in the 82nd minute to secure the win for a shorthanded US squad that was playing with 10 men after Balogun’s exit.

They now advance to the Round of 16, where they’ll face Belgium in Seattle on Monday. FIFA confirmed that Balogun will miss that match for his red card and could miss more games, though the US has said they intend to appeal any further suspension.

Belgium’s coming off an absurd comeback win over Senegal in Seattle yesterday, where they rallied from a two-goal deficit with just five minutes left in regular time to steal the match in extra time.

Their Round of 16 matchup will be one of the most expensive sporting events to attend in the state’s history, with the cheapest tickets currently selling for over $3,000 on Ticketmaster.

Elsewhere in World Cup action today, Spain shut out Austria 3-0. They’ll now play the winner of Portugal and Croatia, who play at 4:00 in Toronto.

The nightcap also takes place up north, as Switzerland and Algeria face off in Vancouver at 8.

Tomorrow marks the final day of the Round of 32 before the next round kicks off on Saturday with Canada vs. Morocco and Paraguay vs. France.

Mariners News

The Mariners are back after their day off to watch the World Cup as they now set their sights on sweeping the Angels.

The M’s are currently tied with the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West after Texas had their six-game win streak snapped yesterday.

Bryce Miller is starting tonight as he looks to avoid his third straight loss on the mound. Coverage begins at 5:30 and first pitch is at 6:40 on KPUG.

Elsewhere in the division, the Athletics just lost a major part of their lineup. The team announced yesterday that designated hitter Brent Rooker will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee.

The 2x All-Star entered this year having hit 30+ home runs in three straight seasons, but was largely disappointing in his limited time with the A’s here in 2026. 

Bells News

While the Mariners are aiming to secure a sweep, the Bells are looking to avoid one of their own.

They’re in Edmonton tonight for their final game against the Riverhawks.

The Bells fell 8-3 last night for their fourth loss in five games. They’ll now look to avoid getting swept for the first time this season.

First pitch is at 6:05 from Edmonton. After that, the Bells will head off on a three-game weekend trip to Nanaimo before returning home for a stretch of non-league games starting on Tuesday.

Kraken News

Another original member of the Kraken is heading off.

Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks worth an average annual value of $5 million. It came after Jaden Schwartz signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche.

Both had played in Seattle since the team’s inception in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Kraken made a giant signing with the addition of forward Curtis Douglas.

Standing 6-foot, 9-inches tall, he’s one of the tallest players to step onto the ice in the NHL. He was also part of 10 fights last year in his rookie season, tied for the most of any player despite playing barely half the season.

WWU Vikings News

One of Western’s top athletes is switching sports.

Vikings women’s basketball coach Carmen Dolfo announced her five-player incoming class for the upcoming season, with one striking addition. Senior Hailey Rath will be suiting up for the Viks, fresh off playing a storied four-year career with the school’s softball team.

Student athletes have five years of college eligibility and since Rath didn’t redshirt in softball, she’s allowed to play one more year of another sport.

Rath was a three-time All-West Region selection and a key member of a Vikings squad that made two trips to the College World Series. She’ll now turn back to hoops where she excelled at Eatonville High School, setting a single-game scoring record as a sophomore.

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