Monterey Bay Defeated in Miami

MIAMI, Florida (Saturday, August 31, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-12-7, 28 points) saw its struggles continue in a 1-0 loss to Miami FC (3-21-2, 11 points) at FIU Pitbull Stadium on Saturday night. Midfielder Jerry Ayon received his second yellow card of the match in the 40th minute for a reckless challenge, resulting in a red and an early dismissal. Ayon will miss Monterey Bay’s next match.

After feeling through the first quarter-hour of the match, Monterey Bay created its first solid opportunity in the 16th minute. Xavi Gnaulati rounded his defender into the box on the left side and looked to play the ball back towards Alex Dixon in the middle, but his pass was blocked out for a corner to no avail. Miami FC had a dangerous moment against the run of play in the 24th minute, but the shot from distance was saved at the far post with a diving effort by Antony Siaha. Gnaulati took a right-footed shot of his own in the 32nd minute, but it missed just wide of the left post. Five minutes later, Diego Gutiérrez came close to opening the scoring when he dribbled past three defenders and blasted the ball on frame with his right foot, but it was knocked away by the goalkeeper. 

With just a couple of minutes to play before the end of the first half,  Ayon received a second yellow for a reckless challenge and was sent off, leaving Monterey Bay down a man for the final 50 plus minutes. Miami FC came dangerously close to rubbing salt in the wound with a goal right after the send-off, but the shot from distance by Allen Gavilanes ricocheted violently off the right post and the sides went level into the break. Miami FC then scored almost immediately into the second half with a shot at the doorstep by Frank Lopez, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead to pair with their one-man advantage for the rest of the match. Monterey Bay earned four consecutive corners as the side continued to push for an equalizer in the 82nd minute, but could not convert and the match ended in favor of Miami FC.

Up Next

Monterey Bay welcomes San Antonio FC to Seaside on Saturday, September 7 for Marvel Night at Cardinale Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. local time. The match will be broadcast locally via KION on Central Coast CW (35.1 over the air, channel 14 Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Additional Notes

• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), and Jesse Maldonado (knee). Though he was available off the bench, forward Tristan Trager ultimately did not play as he nursed a lower leg injury that he sustained late in the week.

Information

Date: August 31, 2024
Venue: FIU Pitbull Stadium; Miami, Florida
Weather: Sunny and 83 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Miami FC 0 1 1
Monterey Bay F.C. 0 0 0
MIA: Frank Lopez (Nicolás Cardona) 48’

Lineups

Miami FC (5-3-2): Khadim Ndiaye; Daltyn Knutson, Alejandro Mitrano, Joey Dezart, Daniel Barbir (Junior Palacios, 72’), Nicolas Cardona; Roberto Molina, Allen Gavilanes, Gabriel de Freitas; Frank Lopez, Michael Lawrence (Mujeeb Murana, 72’)
Subs not used: Felipe Rodriguez, Lucas DePaula, Marco Santana, Manuel Botta, Rocco Genzano, Sebastien Joseph, Luis Pedro Leite da Silva

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-1-4-1): Antony Siaha; Grant Robinson, Carlos Guzmán, Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Jerry Ayon; Walmer Martínez, Adrian Rebollar (Mobi Fehr, 60’), Xavi Gnaulati (Max Glasser, 72’), Diego Gutiérrez; Alex Dixon (Michael Gonzalez, 60’)
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Alex Lara, Pierce Gallaway

Stats Summary: MIA / MB

Shots: 17 / 10
Shots on Goal: 7/ 3
Saves: 3 / 6
Corner Kicks: 3 / 9
Fouls: 11 / 8
Possession: 42.5% / 57.5%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 4’
MB: Jerry Ayon (caution) 22’
MB: Jerry Ayon (caution, dismissal) 39’
MIA: Michael Lawrence (caution) 45+2’
MIA: Antonio Nocerino, head coach (caution) 54’
MIA: Daltyn Knutson (caution) 88’

Officials

Referee: Esad Omanovic
Assistant Referee: Joe Suchoski
Assistant Referee: Robert Cordrey
Fourth Official: Edson Carvajal

Monterey Bay Takes to the Skies for Fixture with Miami FC

MIAMI, Florida (Friday, August 30, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-7, 28 points) travels to Florida for a 4:00 p.m. PT fixture Saturday against Miami FC (2-21-2, 8 points) at FIU Pitbull Stadium in Week 26 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on ESPN+.

Monterey Bay is making just its second-ever trip out to Miami this weekend and will look to take advantage of a Miami FC team that has struggled for form all season long. For Monterey Bay, a demonstrative win away from home in Miami could kindle a necessary run of wins needed for the Crisp-and-Kelp to remain in the playoff conversation. On the other hand for Miami FC, a win would snap both its current nine-match losing streak and its current run of 17 matches without a win overall.

In the previous meeting between Monterey Bay and  Miami FC, the Union lit up the Cardinale Stadium crowd with an incredible match-winning sequence; Antony Siaha saved a penalty and then immediately sparked a counter that ended with a goal by Christian Volesky in all of 15 seconds. In just a quarter of a minute, the moment turned from those in attendance bracing for a 1-0 deficit to an uproar of celebration over a sudden 1-0 lead. Prior to that, the sides played to a scoreless draw in the inaugural contest between the two clubs in Miami.

Miami FC vs. Monterey Bay F.C.

Venue: FIU Pitbull Stadium; Miami, Florida
Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024; 4:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Cloudy and 83 degrees

Access MIAvMB Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and Miami FC can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Steven Vargo in MBFC Communications via email at steven@montereybayfc.com.

2024 Records

Miami FC (2-21-2, 8 pts, 12th East); Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-7, 28 pts, 9th West)

Monterey Bay and El Paso Locomotive FC Play to Scoreless Draw

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, August 24, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-7, 28 points) earned a point in a scoreless draw with El Paso Locomotive FC (5-15-5, 20 points) at Cardinale Stadium on Back to School Night, presented by Montage Health. Diego Gutierrez made his Monterey Bay debut in the match, and Antony Siaha recorded the 200th save of his USL Championship career alongside the sixth clean sheet of the season and the 19th of his career.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

El Paso began the match with a high press that led to a few shaky moments to start the match for Monterey, but the Union withstood the pressure and responded with an attack of their own in the 8th minute, but Tristan Trager’s shot missed just wide of the left post. Locomotive FC intercepted a pass inside the Union box in the 26th minute, but the shot by Tumi Moshobane was saved by Siaha with a diving effort to his right. Chaos ensued in the 30th minute with the Crisp-and-Kelp applying intense pressure. Morey Doner whipped a low ball into the box that took a deflection before falling to the feet of Adrian Rebollar for a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper. Less than a minute later, Doner looped another ball into the box towards Alex Dixon, but his bicycle kick attempt was blocked. The ball once again fell to Monterey Bay – this time Trager – but his headed attempt was saved again by El Paso’s Jahmali Waite.

The Union came out of the locker room aggressive to start the second half. In the 47th minute, Mobi Fehr wrangled the ball away from two defenders to find Gutiérrez wide open on the right side of the 18-yard box. Gutiérrez fired off his first shot in Crisp and Kelp, but it missed just over the top of the crossbar. El Paso fired off a shot of their own from distance in the 67th minute, but Siaha stopped the shot from going into the top-right corner with a leaping punch. In the 77th minute, Rebollar placed a beautiful long ball over the top to Trager, who then looked to round the goalkeeper on his second touch, but he ran out of room near the endline and could not get his shot on frame. Five minutes later, Monterey Bay pushed ahead again and found another shot on goal for Rebollar, but it was saved. In the third minute of stoppage time, El Paso’s Noah Dollenmayer was shown yellow for the second time in the match for a tackle just outside the box and was dismissed from the match, leaving El Paso with 10 men for the final few minutes. In the dying moments of the match, Doner found space down the right sideline and fired one last low cross into the mix, but was unable to find a Monterey Bay attacker and the match ended in a scoreless draw.

Up Next

Monterey Bay makes a cross-country trip to take on Miami FC next Saturday, August 31 at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Week 26 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT with live streaming of the match available on ESPN+.

Additional Notes

• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), and Jesse Maldonado (knee).

Information

Date: August 24, 2024
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Sunny and 62 degrees
Attendance: 5,199

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay F.C. 0 0 0
El Paso Locomotive FC 0 0 0

Lineups

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-1-4-1): Antony Siaha; Grant Robinson (Max Glasser, 70’), Carlos Guzmán (Alex Lara, 45’), Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Jerry Ayon; Alex Dixon, Adrian Rebollar, Mobi Fehr (Xavi Gnaulati, 70’), Diego Gutiérrez (Walmer Martínez, 70’); Tristan Trager
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Pierce Gallaway, Michael Gonzalez

El Paso Locomotive FC (3-5-2): Jahmali Waite; Noah Dollenmayer, Wahab Ackwei, Brandan Craig (Tony Alfaro, 77’); Ricky Ruiz, Robert Coronado, Eric Calvillo, Amando Moreno (Nicholas Hinds, 90+5’), Lucas Stauffer; Tumi Moshobane (Boluwatife Akinyode, 77’), Andy Cabrera (Wilmar Rivas, 90+1’)
Subs not used: Ramón Pasquel, Miles Lyons, Ricardo Zacarias

Stats Summary: MB / ELP

Shots: 13 / 18
Shots on Goal: 2 / 6
Saves: 6 / 2
Corner Kicks: 5 / 5
Fouls: 11 / 13
Possession: 57.8% / 42.2%

Misconduct Summary

ELP: Brandan Craig (caution) 23’
MB: Mobi Fehr (caution) 25’
ELP: Robert Coronado (caution) 33’
ELP: Noah Dollenmayer (caution) 41’
MB: Alex Dixon (caution) 59’
ELP: Manager Andy Cabrera (caution) 90+1’
ELP: Noah Dollenmayer (caution, dismissal) 90+2’

Officials

Referee: Benjamin Meyer
Assistant Referee: William Aten
Assistant Referee: Melissa Gonzalez
Fourth Official: Michael Zapata

Monterey Bay Hosts El Paso Locomotive FC at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Friday, August 23, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-6, 27 points) returns to action Saturday at 7 p.m. PT for Back to School Night at Cardinale Stadium against El Paso Locomotive FC (5-15-4, 19 points) in Week 25 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season, presented by Montage Health. Saturday’s match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX 35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Monterey Bay F.C. is back at home tomorrow night against El Paso Locomotive FC – a team that finds itself at the bottom of the Western Conference, but also a team that has won two of its last three matches. On the other hand, Monterey Bay has not won a match of their own since July 6 in Pittsburgh, and has not won at home since June 22 against Oakland. Still freshly adjusting to Head Coach Jordan Stewart’s approach to the touchline, the Crisp-and-Kelp are primed to secure a big win this weekend, with hopes of sparking a playoff-securing run down the stretch.

As the Club continues to explore all avenues of improvement, Monterey Bay has added another reinforcement heading into the final 10 matches of the regular season. The Union acquired forward Diego Gutierrez on a permanent transfer from Charleston Battery this week, a player with MLS experience who is expected to make a positive impact in the attack for Monterey Bay.

Some noteworthy milestones were met in the Union’s match against New Mexico this past weekend. Alex Dixon’s first-half goal was his 16th for the Club, tying him for the current all-time lead in Club history for total goals scored with Christian Volesky. He also officially became the Club’s all-time leading goal scorer away from home. Morey Doner’s assist on Dixon’s goal was also of note as it was Doner’s ninth assist – tying him for the current all-time lead in Club history in that category with Sam Gleadle.

The last time the Seasiders faced Locomotive FC was in El Paso earlier this season. It was Week 2 in fact, and it ended in a draw after Tristan Trager stole the show as a second-half substitute and erased the Texas team’s lead with a strike into the roof of the net in the 87th minute. The previous matchup between the sides at Cardinale Stadium took place all the way back in July 2023 and ended in a scoreless draw. Monterey Bay then took the season series with a 2-1 win in El Paso that September. El Paso took the first-ever matchup in the fixture in blowout fashion with a 5-0 win just five matches into Monterey Bay’s inaugural campaign, however it has been all Union in the four matches since with the California club having earned two wins and two draws with only two total goals allowed in those matches.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. El Paso Locomotive FC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Sunny and 62 degrees

Access MBvELP Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and El Paso Locomotive FC can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Steven Vargo in MBFC Communications via email at steven@montereybayfc.com.

2024 Records

Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-6, 27 pts, 8th West); El Paso Locomotive FC (5-15-4, 19 pts, 12th West)

Monterey Bay F.C. Completes Transfer for Forward Diego Gutierrez From Charleston Battery

SEASIDE, California (Thursday, August 22, 2024) – Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay F.C.) announces today that the Club has acquired forward Diego Gutierrez via transfer from Eastern Conference side Charleston Battery in Week 25 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season, pending league and federation approval, terms undisclosed. The addition comes at a critical point of the season for Monterey Bay – with only 10 matches remaining in league play, Gutierrez will look to provide an additional spark in the attack down the stretch.

Gutierrez, 25, was selected 70th overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Portland TImbers on January 21, 2021, but chose to remain in school for his senior year at Creighton University before signing his first professional contract. He eventually signed and joined Portland ahead of the 2022 campaign, where he made his professional debut as a late substitute against Austin FC on March 12. Foot surgery then caused Gutierrez to miss a vast majority of the 2022 campaign, but he returned at the end of the season and made six appearances for Portland Timbers 2 in MLS NEXT Pro and recorded a brace in the season finale. In 2023, Gutierrez earned nine first team caps alongside 15 additional appearances (12 starts) with TImbers 2 before capping the year with a hat trick in early August against LA Galaxy II. The forward then signed with Charleston Battery in USL Championship for the 2024 season where he has earned 16 appearances (eight starts) thus far. Now, Gutierrez returns to the West coast with a midseason move to Seaside as the Union look to secure a spot in the playoffs.

“Diego brings a lot of experience having played in MLS,” said Monterey Bay F.C. Head Coach Jordan Stewart. “His quality in the attacking half is something that we need as a team and it gives us more options, especially since a few long-term injuries have us on the lighter side. Having someone of his quality is going to show through in our games.”

The Omaha, Nebraska native played collegiately for the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks from 2017-2019 and scored 10 goals in 44 appearances before transferring to Creighton in 2020. In two seasons with the Bluejays, Gutierrez tallied 15 goals in 30 appearances and earned back-to-back Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors alongside consecutive selections to the All-Big East First Team.

NAME: Diego Gutierrez
POSITION: Forward
AGE: 25
HEIGHT: 5’11
DATE OF BIRTH: January 5, 1999
HOMETOWN: Omaha, Nebraska
NATIONALITY: United States
PREVIOUS CLUB: Charleston Battery
TRANSACTION: Monterey Bay has acquired forward Diego Gutierrez from Charleston Battery via transfer for undisclosed terms.

The current roster heading into the 2024 season as of August 22 is listed alphabetically as follows: 

Goalkeepers (2): Carlos Herrera, Antony Siaha

Defenders (7): Morey Doner, Pierce Gallaway, Kai Greene, Carlos Guzmán, Alex Lara, Walmer Martínez, Grant Robinson

Midfielders (8): Jerry Ayon, Chuy Enríquez, Mobi Fehr, Max Glasser, Xavi Gnaulati, Miguel Guerrero, Diego Gutierrez, Adrian Rebollar

Forwards (8): Luther Archimède, Chase Boone, Ryan Dieter, Alex Dixon, Michael Gonzalez, Jesse Maldonado, Anthony Orendain, Tristan Trager

Monterey Bay Comes Up Short in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Saturday, August 17, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-11-6, 27 points) came up short in a 3-2 loss against New Mexico United (14-6-3, 45 points) at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. Alex Dixon and Adrian Rebollar each scored for Monterey Bay F.C. and Xavi Gnaulati recorded his first assist in Crisp-and-Kelp, but it was not enough for a result in Albuquerque.

New Mexico United took the first opportunity of the match in the 10th minute, but the shot by Daniel Bruce was saved by Antony Siaha. Just two minutes later, New Mexico earned a free kick from just outside the top of the box and Mukwelle Akale curled it perfectly inside the left post to put the hosts in front 1-0 in the 12th minute. Monterey Bay came back with a chance of their own in the 16th minute when Dixon played a lateral ball to Grant Robinson in space just inside the box, but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Mobi Fehr – donning the captains arm band for Monterey Bay since Kai Greene was unavailable for selection in the match – had a good look at an equalizer after his initial free kick attempt was blocked, but his powerful follow up missed just over the top of the crossbar. Then in the 29th minute, Jacobo Reyes doubled New Mexico’s lead with a grass-burner from inside the box on the end of a good ball over the top to bring the match to 2-0 at the half hour mark. Fehr immediately lined up another shot from distance less than a minute later, but the bend on the shot carried the ball just outside the left post. Monterey Bay then pulled one back in the 34th minute when Morey Doner whipped a perfect ball into the six-yard box towards Dixon, who was able to tap it into the back of the net at the end of a sly run to cut the deficit to one.

15 minutes into second half, New Mexico United’s Marco Micaletto let go on a bomb just beyond the midfield line with hopes of beating Siaha to the back of the net, but like a true center fielder at Isotopes Park, Siaha robbed the home run shot with a catch above his head just before the ball could cross the goalline. Trager then looked likely to level the match a minute later, but the goalkeeper beat him to the ball and forced the forward off with an injury. Despite Monterey Bay scrapping for an equalizer, New Mexico United eventually extended its lead with a header in the 79th minute on the end of a corner by Kalen Ryden to bring the score to 3-1. Second-half substitute Michael Gonzalez had a shot deflected out for a corner in the 82nd minute, but the corner kick opportunity went awry. Monterey Bay pulled one more goal back in the 88th minute of the match with Gnaulati finding Rebollar for the score, but the hosts held on for a 3-2 win.

Up Next

Monterey Bay returns home next Saturday, August 24 for Back to School Night against El Paso Locomotive FC. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. local time at Cardinale Stadium. The match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX 35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Additional Notes

• Morey Doner recorded his second assist of the season and has now recorded assists in back-to-back matches.
• Adrian Rebollar’s goal tonight marked his second consecutive year with a goal against New Mexico at Isotopes Park.
• With a full shift tonight, Alex Dixon moved past Taylor Mueller and into 7th all-time in USL Championship history with 20,118 minutes played.
• Mobi Fehr donned the captain’s armband in Kai Greene’s absence.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), Kai Greene (foot), Jesse Maldonado (knee), and Anthony Orendain (foot).

Information

Date: August 17, 2024
Venue: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Weather: Partly cloudy and 92 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

New Mexico United 2 1 3
Monterey Bay F.C. 1 1 2
NM: Mukwelle Akale 12’
NM: Jacobo Reyes (Sergio Rivas) 28’
MB: Alex Dixon (Morey Doner) 34’
NM: Kalen Ryden (Mukwelle Akale) 78’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (Xavi Gnaulati) 88’

Lineups

New Mexico United (4-2-3-1): Alex Tambakis; Arturo Astorga, Christopher Gloster (Abdi Mohamed, 45’), Will Seymore, Kalen Ryden; Zico Bailey, Mukwelle Akale, Marco Micaletto (Avionne Flanagan, 75’), Sergio Rivas (Dominick Hernandez, 86’), Jacobo Reyes (Houssou Landry, 75’); Daniel Bruce (Greg Hurst, 66’)
Subs not used: Kristopher Shakes, Jon-Talen Maples, Jace Sais

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-2-3-1): Antony Siaha; Grant Robinson, Carlos Guzmán, Alex Lara (Pierce Gallaway, 82’), Morey Doner; Jerry Ayon, Mobi Fehr (Xavi Gnaulati, 82’); Alex Dixon, Adrian Rebollar, Walmer Martínez (Michael Gonzalez, 72’); Tristan Trager (Ryan Dieter, 66’)
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Miguel Guerrero, Max Glasser

Stats Summary: NM / MB

Shots: 18 / 12
Shots on Goal: 6 / 5
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 9 / 3
Fouls: 11 / 10
Possession: 58.2% / 41.8%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 45+4’
NM: Will Seymore (caution) 52’

Officials

Referee: Ricardo Fierro
Assistant Referee: Matthew Rodman
Assistant Referee: Ricardo Ocampo
Fourth Official: Cuauhtemoc Delgadillo

Monterey Bay Heads to Albuquerque for Fixture with New Mexico United

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Friday, August 16, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-10-6, 27 points) travels to Albuquerque for a 6:00 p.m. PT kickoff on Saturday against New Mexico United (13-6-3, 42 points) at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Week 24 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on ESPN+.

Monterey Bay F.C. enters the match on the wrong side of the playoff line following the league’s midweek results, a shootout draw between New Mexico United and FC Tulsa that moved the latter above the Union as it currently stands. Now heading into the weekend, Monterey Bay will battle a United squad on short rest – a potential positive as the Seasiders enter New Mexico’s historically tough venue. Another positive for the Crisp-and-Kelp is the recent run of form for forward Tristan Trager, who has either scored or assisted in three consecutive matches and will look to continue that run with a contribution on the weekend. With his goal this past weekend, Trager has now officially moved up into the top five all-time for goals scored in the Club’s short history.

Sitting atop the Western Conference, New Mexico United will look to even the season series with a win at home after falling to the Union in Seaside back in June. Overall, the series has been dead even through five contests with two wins for each side and a draw, including an even difference with both sides having scored seven goals apiece. In addition, all four wins in the series thus far have gone the way of the home side. Monterey Bay will look to change that with three points on Saturday.

New Mexico United vs. Monterey Bay F.C.

Venue: RGCU FIeld at Isotopes Park; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024; 6:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Partly cloudy and 92 degrees

Access NMvMB Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and New Mexico United can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Steven Vargo in MBFC Communications via email at steven@montereybayfc.com.

2024 Records

New Mexico United (13-6-3, 42 pts, 1st West); Monterey Bay F.C. (7-10-6, 27 pts, 9th West)

Monterey Bay Falls at Home to Birmingham

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, August 10, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-10-6, 27 points) fell 2-1 to Birmingham Legion FC (10-8-5, 35 points) in Head Coach Jordan Stewart’s managerial debut at Cardinale Stadium, presented by Monterey Touring Vehicles. Tristan Trager scored his second goal in as many games – now his third consecutive match with a goal or an assist – to pull Monterey Bay within one for the final half hour, but Birmingham held onto its lead and took away all three points on the night.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

A slow start to the match saw little in terms of attack for either side in the first 10 minutes, but it was Birmingham Legion FC who put together the first long spell of possession in the match. The visitors forced a save from Antony Siaha amidst four consecutive corners earned before Monterey Bay managed to undo the attack. In the 22nd minute, the Union earned a free kick from a dangerous area when Morey Doner was taken down at the end of a deep run just outside the box on the right side. Walmer Martínez looked to curl the ball on frame with his attempt, but it was pushed offline by the outstretched glove of the goalkeeper. Birmingham Legion FC scored the opening goal of the match in the 33rd minute; a low shot from outside the 18-yard box by Kobe Hernández that ricocheted off the right post and into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at the halftime break. 

Legion FC came flying out of the gates to start the second half with a goal just three minutes in. Stefano Pinho received a high-ball just outside the six-yard box, popped it up to himself, and smashed it into the top right corner of the net with a sideways, right-footed blast to double the visitors lead to 2-0. With the Union looking for its first goal of the match in the 59th minute, Martínez fired a left-footed shot on target, but the goalkeeper knocked it away with a diving save. But the Crisp-and-Kelp would break through just a minute later when Doner whipped a low-ball across the box towards Trager, who calmly buried it past the goalkeeper to cut Birmingham’s lead in half. With Monterey Bay now in search of an equalizer, Alex Dixon found himself by the defense and in on goal, but he brought down just outside the box. The foul saw Birmingham’s Alex Crognale forced off with a red card for denying Dixon’s goal-scoring opportunity, leaving Legion FC down to 10 men for the remainder of the match, but the Union were unable to take advantage and the match ended in favor of Birmingham.

Up Next

Monterey Bay hits the road to Albuquerque for a 6:00 p.m. local time kickoff on Saturday, August 17 against New Mexico United at Rio Grande Credit Union Field in Week 24 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on ESPN+.

Additional Notes

• With a full 90 minutes played tonight, Alex Dixon became just the eighth player in USL Championship history to surpass 20,000 career minutes played.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), and Jesse Maldonado (knee).

Information

Date: August 10, 2024
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Sunny and 62 degrees
Attendance: 4,009

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay F.C. 0 1 1
Birmingham Legion FC 1 1 2
BHM: Kobe Hernández (Dawson McCartney) 33’
BHM: Stéfano Pinho 48’
MB: Tristan Trager (Morey Doner) 60’

Lineups

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-2-3-1): Antony Siaha; Carlos Guzmán, Alex Lara, Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Jerry Ayon (Miguel Guerrero,86’) , Mobi Fehr (Xavi Gnaulati, 63’); Alex Dixon, Adrian Rebollar, Walmer Martínez (Michael Gonzalez, 63’); Tristan Trager
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Grant Robinson, Max Glasser, Ryan Dieter

Birmingham Legion FC (4-3-3): Matt Van Oekel; Moses Mensah, Alex Crognale, AJ Paterson, Derek Dodson; Jacob Rufe, Kobe Hernandez-Foster, Enzo Martinez; Dawson McCartney, Stefano Pinho (Preston Tabort Etaka, 86’), Prosper Kasim (Miguel Perez, 67’)
Subs not used: Trevor Spangenberg, Finn Calloway

Stats Summary: MB / BHM

Shots: 17 / 14
Shots on Goal: 7 / 8
Saves: 6 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 5
Fouls: 14 / 10
Possession: 46.4% / 53.6%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 16’
BHM: Kobe Hernández (caution) 45’
MB: Mobi Fehr (caution) 54’
BHM: Alex Crognale (dismissal) 71’

Officials

Referee: Muhammad Hassan
Assistant Referee: Bennett Savage
Assistant Referee: Bruno Rizo
Fourth Official: Bhavik Dut

Monterey Bay Hosts Birmingham Legion FC in Head Coach Jordan Stewart’s Managerial Debut at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Friday, August 9, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-9-6, 27 points) welcomes Eastern Conference side Birmingham Legion FC (9-8-5, 32 points) to Cardinale Stadium for a 7 p.m. PT kickoff on Saturday in Week 23 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season, presented by Monterey Touring Vehicles. Saturday’s match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX 35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Jordan Stewart became the second head coach in Monterey Bay F.C. history this week and will now make his managerial debut for the Union this Saturday night in Seaside. This weekend’s match represents the official start of an exciting new era for Monterey Bay, and with the side coming off a solid performance against a top-tier Eastern Conference side in Tampa Bay last week, there’s real reason for optimism through the final 12 matches of the season. With just six of those 12 matches set in Seaside, securing as many points as possible in front of the home crowd will be crucial to the Club securing its first-ever playoff berth.

Birmingham is faring well in the Eastern Conference so far this season, sitting fifth in the table to date, with two wins and two draws in its previous five matches. Monterey Bay and Legion FC have met just once before with the Eastern Conference side coming out victorious with a 2-0 result in Birmingham last October. The fixture now turns to Seaside for the first time in the series’ history.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. Birmingham Legion FC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Sunny and 62 degrees

Access MBvBHM Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and Birmingham Legion FC can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Steven Vargo in MBFC Communications via email at steven@montereybayfc.com.

2024 Records

Monterey Bay F.C. (7-9-6, 27 pts, 8th West); Birmingham Legion FC (9-8-5, 32 pts, 5th East)