Monterey Bay F.C. Positional Preview: Defenders
by Eli Corona & Steven Vargo
Next up, a breakdown of the defense heading into 2023. With nine clean sheets in the Club’s final 18 matches, including a run of five consecutive shutouts that extended for a total of 558 minutes (ninth longest in USL Championship history and third longest for a first-year club), the backline proved to be the strength of the Union in its second half surge.
Monterey Bay F.C. retained the services of talisman Hugh Roberts, as well as his centerback partner Kai Greene. This pairing proved effective over the past season and the re-signing of both defenders to new deals allows for an optimistic outlook for the defense in the upcoming season. The most dynamic part of the defense last season was the play of both fullbacks, Morey Doner and Grant Robinson. These two defenders combined for eight goal contributions in 2022, highlighting their dual importance in the attacking phase of play. While the starting back line from the inaugural season is back under contract for 2023, there have also been a couple of offseason additions to the defensive unit in young defenders Alex Lara and Max Glasser.
Morey Doner
Doner won 64.5 percent of his defensive duels over the course of the season, representing his important contributions on the defensive front. Doner started in all 34 regular season matches in 2022, leading the team with 3,047 minutes played. Flying up the right sideline, Doner recorded a team-high five assists and led the team in non-set-piece chances created with 30.
Max Glasser
A regular starter for the Aggies in the final two seasons of his collegiate career, the Novato, California native will be looking to impress in his first professional season. At UC Davis, Glasser became known for his intelligence on and off the ball and his skillful dribbling ability. In his debut with the Crisp and Kelp against the San Jose Earthquakes this preseason, Glasser made quite the impression. Do not be surprised to see the 22-year-old challenge for meaningful minutes throughout the campaign and earn plenty of opportunities to play this season.
Kai Greene
Greene started in all 31 of his appearances for the Union last season and recorded an impressive 107 clearances on the year. Greene also added two assists last season, including the game-winning assist to Roberts in the club’s first-ever victory. With nearly 170 appearances and over 13,700 minutes played in his USL Championship career, Greene’s experience and prowess make for an invaluable combination.
Alex Lara
Former Las Vegas Lights FC defender Lara has been brought in and will provide reinforcements on the backline, filling a much needed role heading into the new campaign. The addition of Lara allows for greater positional flexibility as well, as a back three can now be a viable option for Head Coach Frank Yallop while still maintaining the midfield setup.
Hugh Roberts II
Roberts returns to Seaside as the captain of the Crisp and Kelp in 2023. He started in all 30 of his matches played for Monterey Bay F.C. while donning the armband and recorded a team-high 124 clearances. In addition to scoring the goal that secured the first win in Club history, Roberts climbed the individual rankings among league history. During the campaign, Roberts moved to third all-time in USL Championship history with 18,627 minutes played and seventh in league history in total games played with 233. His unrivaled experience in the USL Championship will prove vital to the team’s success this season.
Grant Robinson
In addition to his dynamism in the attack, Robinson averaged 5.9 interceptions per 90 minutes, showcasing his ability to both read opposition play and position himself defensively to cut off passing angles. He appeared in 27 matches for the Union in 2022, created a total of 15 chances and scored his first professional goal in a match at Cardinale Stadium in September.
The Club created previews for each position group going into 2023. Each breakdown can be read here:
