Monterey Bay Hits the Road for Inaugural Fixture with Eastern Conference Expansion Side North Carolina FC

CARY, North Carolina (Saturday, Jun 15, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (5-6-4, 19 points) travels to Cary, NC for a 3:00 p.m. PT road fixture on Sunday against North Carolina FC (3-5-5, 14 points) at WakeMed Soccer Park in Week 15 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on CBS Sports Golazo Network via Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Monterey Bay’s next opponent is North Carolina FC, one of two USL Championship expansion sides in the Eastern Conference this season. Having already played the other expansion club in Rhode Island FC earlier in the campaign, Monterey Bay will have officially played every active USL Championship club come Sunday night. The upcoming inaugural fixture between the Crisp-and-Kelp and North Carolina FC follows a difficult three-match home stand for Monterey Bay in which the Club went 1-1-1 against three of the best teams in the league this season. Still currently in third place in the Western Conference ahead of the weekend, Monterey Bay will want to secure all three points on the road at WakeMed Soccer Park to further maintain its position in the table.

North Carolina FC enters the match on the heels of a 2-1 away loss to Louisville City FC after enjoying a bye weekend the week prior. Before that, the expansion side secured a 4-0 road win over Miami FC. Having previously played in USL League One, North Carolina FC has played a fair first season in Championship thus far with 14 points through 13 games and a hold on the eighth spot in the table. Now, the Cary-based side will host Monterey Bay F.C. for the first ever time with every intention of remaining above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.

North Carolina FC vs. Monterey Bay F.C.

Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, North Carolina
Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024; 3:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 87 degrees

Access NCvMB Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Sunday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and North Carolina 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

North Carolina FC (3-5-5, 14 pts, 8th East); Monterey Bay F.C. (5-6-4, 19 pts, 3rd West)

Monterey Bay Handed 2-0 Home Defeat by Sacramento Republic FC

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, June 8, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (5-6-4, 19 points) fell 2-0 to Sacramento Republic FC (6-1-6, 24 points) at Cardinale Stadium in Week 14 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

Monterey Bay’s Adrian Rebollar intercepted a pass deep in Sacramento Republic FC territory in the 1st minute of the match, but his ball across was behind the run of Alex Dixon, and the opportunity fell apart. Sacramento countered immediately with a dangerous attack of their own, but the attempt was saved by Antony Siaha. Monterey Bay earned a corner just before the end of the first 45 that ended in a right-footed volley from Rafa Baca, but it was saved at the near post, and the half ended without a score for either side.

Nine minutes into the second half, Sacramento took the lead when Kieran Phillips chipped the goalkeeper from just outside the six-yard box after sneaking past the Monterey Bay back line. Monterey Bay looked to equalize on the counter when a long ball from Baca played Chuy Enríquez down the left sideline in the 60th minute. Enríquez then played Dixon into the box, but the ensuing shot missed just over the top of the crossbar. Two minutes later, the visiting side doubled its lead with a play started with goalkeeper Danny Vitiello and ended with Cristian Parano sliding his shot past the goalkeeper’s right to bring the match to 2-0. In the 74th minute, Dixon earned a penalty on his attempt to shoot from inside the box. Tristan Trager stepped up to the spot for the Crisp-and-Kelp, but his shot down the middle was unlucky to be saved by the foot of Vitiello despite the goalkeeper diving fully to his left. Monterey Bay combined for a nice look in the 85th minute with Trager diving into the left side of the box, but his shot was kept out by the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper. Then, in the 88th minute, Enríquez had a subsequent shot saved when his curling effort was popped up and over the crossbar and the match ended 2-0 in favor of Sacramento Republic FC.

Up Next

Monterey Bay hits the road for an Eastern Conference fixture next Sunday, June 16 against expansion side North Carolina FC at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match kicks off at 3 p.m. PT with live streaming of the match available on CBS Sports Golazo Network via Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Additional Notes

• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Jerry Ayon (foot), Chase Boone (knee), Simon Dawkins (knee), Jesse Maldonado (knee), Anthony Orendain (ankle), and Grant Robinson (foot).

Information

Date: June 8, 2024
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Clear and 60 degrees
Attendance: 3,309

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay F.C. 0 0 0
Sacramento Republic 0 2 2
SAC: Kieran Phillips (Damia Viader) 54’
SAC: Cristian Parano (Nicholas Ross) 62’

Lineups

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-2-3-1): Antony Siaha; Walmer Martínez, Carlos Guzmán, Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Rafa Baca, Mobi Fehr (Xavi Gnaulati, 58’); Chuy Enríquez, Adrian Rebollar, Michael Gonzalez (Tristan Trager, 65’); Alex Dixon
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Alex Lara, Pierce Gallaway, Miguel Guerrero, Max Glasser

Sacramento Republic FC (5-3-2): Daniel Vitiello; Jack Gurr (Rafael Jauregui, 90+1’), Damia Viader (Aldair Sanchez, 90+1’), Lee Desmond, Conor Donovan, Jared Timmer; Nick Ross (Jonathan Ricketts, 83’), Justin Portillo, Luis Felipe; Kieran Phillips (Trevor Amann, 83’), Juan Sebatian Herrera (Cristian Parano, 45’)
Subs not used: Shane Wiedt, Jared Mazzola

Stats Summary: MB / SAC

Shots: 12 / 11
Shots on Goal: 4 / 6
Saves: 4 / 4
Corner Kicks: 8 / 5
Fouls: 10 / 16
Possession: 59.2% / 40.8%

Misconduct Summary

SAC: Sebastian Herrera (caution) 45+1’
MB: Walmer Martinez (caution) 82’
SAC: Jack Gurr (dismissal) 90+2’

Officials

Referee: Matt Thompson
Assistant Referee: Nicholas Balcer
Assistant Referee: Bruno Rizo
Fourth Official: Alberto Azpeitia-Palomino

Monterey Bay Hosts Western Conference Foes Sacramento Republic FC at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside

SEASIDE, California (Friday, June 7, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (5-5-4, 19 points) remains at home Saturday for an exciting 7 p.m. PT showdown at Cardinale Stadium against Western Conference foes Sacramento Republic FC (5-1-6, 21 points) in Week 14 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season. Saturday’s 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+.

Monterey Bay enters the match against its NorCal rivals Sacramento Republic FC on the heels of a four-point week against top opponents Charleston Battery and New Mexico United, including the Club’s first win since April 20 against the latter this past weekend. The third of a three-match home stand, the upcoming contest against Sacramento is an important one for the Crisp-and-Kelp to ensure the side’s favorable position in the table. Currently in third, Monterey Bay drew level against the top seed in the East in Charleston and followed it up with a victory over the number one team in the West in New Mexico four days later, shutting out both sides. Next up for the Union now is second-place Republic FC, who has sputtered a bit lately with three draws and most recently a loss at home in its last four matches. Also dealing with key injuries, Sacramento, like Monterey Bay, will look to maintain its spot near the top of the Western Conference table with a result in Seaside on Saturday. One of the names on the injury list for Monterey Bay is former Republic FC forward Luther Archimède, who is expected to miss the remainder of this season – ultimately delaying his first league contest against his old club to 2025.

The previous meeting between the Northern California club’s came back in early May as part of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Monterey Bay made the trip to Heart Health Park and saw its Open Cup journey end with a 2-0 loss to Republic FC, who are still currently alive in the final eight – one of three USL Championship clubs left in the tournament. In league play, Sacramento Republic FC leads the all-time head-to-head with three wins to Monterey Bay’s two, including a +1 goal differential.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. Sacramento Republic FC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 59 degrees

Access MBvSAC Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and Sacramento Republic 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. (5-5-4, 19 pts, 3rd West); Sacramento Republic FC (5-1-6, 21 pts, 2nd West)

Monterey Bay Tops New Mexico United 1-0 in Seaside, Secures Second-Consecutive Shutout

SEASIDE, California (Sunday, June 2, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (5-5-4, 19 points) defeated the current Western Conference leaders New Mexico United (7-3-1, 22 points) by a score of 1-0 on Paws at the Pitch Night at Cardinale Stadium, presented by Taylor Farms. Chuy Enríquez opened his goalscoring account for the Crisp-and-Kelp with the game-winning score in the second half, while Antony Siaha saved a penalty and influenced another PK miss enroute to a season-high seven save night.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

Monterey Bay employed a high press from the first whistle in this one, a decision that led to some dangerous chances early, however none came closer than Walmer Martínez in the 9th minute. After breaking past the New Mexico back line, Martínez’ initial attempt was thwarted by the onrushing goalkeeper, only for the ball to spill back into his path. With an empty net in his sights, Martínez attempted to chest the ball down for an attempt at the opening goal, but his first touch was slightly too heavy and the ball rolled out for a goal kick. In the 22nd minute, a blunder by the New Mexico goalkeeper left the net empty after Adrian Rebollar beat him to a long ball. Rebollar worked his way around several defenders at the top-left corner of the box, but his attempt to get a shot off towards the open net was blocked. MBFC earned three consecutive corners in the 27th minute, with the third resulting in a header by Kai Greene, but it was cleared off the line despite appeals from the home side that it fully crossed the line. New Mexico United came back with three rapid fire chances of their own just past the half-hour mark, but Siaharesponded with three incredible saves to keep the visitors off the board. Michael Gonzalez fired off a shot from the top of the box that was deflected high up into the air by a New Mexico defender and looked to sneak inside the crossbar on its way down, but the goalkeeper managed to tip it up and over the bar to keep the match scoreless at the halftime break.

The home side found the opening score nearly 20 minutes into the second half. Following a leaping save in the box, Siaha perfectly distributed the ball ahead to Morey Doner down the right sideline. As he neared the top of the box, Doner whipped the ball across to Enríquez. With three defenders lurking, Enríquez saw his first attempt blocked, before quickly firing in a second attempt that beat the goalkeeper to give the Crisp-and-Kelp the 1-0 lead. Now a goal behind, New Mexico United pushed forward for the equalizer and won a penalty with a hand ball called against the hosts. Zico Bailey stepped up to the spot, and with Siaha diving in the same direction, the shot was pulled just enough to ricochet off the left post and out. Monterey Bay unluckily conceded a second penalty in the 81st minute. This time, Mukwelle Akale stepped up for New Mexico, but the result remained the same. Having heavily influenced the previous penalty, Siaha now dove in the opposite direction and stonewalled the attempt to keep New Mexico United off the board once again and secure a second consecutive clean sheet amidst a seven-save performance.

Up Next

Monterey Bay wraps up the homestand next Saturday, June 8 against the current Western Conference leaders and fellow NorCal rivals Sacramento Republic FC on Pride Night at Cardinale Stadium. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast locally on KION (46 & 23 over the air, 46 Dish, 27 DirecTV and 5/705 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Golden Memorial Man of the Match

Without a doubt, Antony Siaha earns the night’s Golden Memorial Man of the Match for his heroic performance in the Club’s pivotal home win over New Mexico United. Facing a top team in the conference, Siaha broke his season high for the second match in a row with seven saves. He was unbeatable from the spot as well, as he greatly influenced a missed penalty and then saved another to maintain Monterey Bay’s clean sheet in four days. In addition, Siaha becomes the first player of the season to earn back-to-back Man of the Match awards for MBFC.

Additional Notes

• Chuy Enríquez scored his first goal as a member of the Crisp-and-Kelp in the match, the game-winner in the 64th minute.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), Simon Dawkins (knee), Jesse Maldonado (knee), Anthony Orendain (ankle), and Tristan Trager (ribs).

Information

Date: June 2, 2024
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Clear and 62 degrees
Attendance: 3,419

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay F.C. 0 1 1
New Mexico United 0 0 0
MB: Chuy Enríquez 64’

Lineups

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-1-4-1): Antony Siaha; Grant Robinson (Chuy Enríquez, 45’), Carlos Guzmán, Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Rafa Baca ; Walmer Martínez, Adrian Rebollar, Mobi Fehr, Michael Gonzalez (Max Glasser, 79’); Alex Dixon (Pierce Gallaway, 89’)
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Alex Lara, Miguel Guerrero, Xavi Gnaulati

New Mexico United (4-2-3-1): Alex Tambakis; Abdirizak Mohamed (Will Seymore, 90+1’), Christopher Gloster, Anthony Herbert, Jon-Talen Maples; Zico Bailey, Dominick Hernandez (Mukwelle Akale, 45’), Nanan Houssou, Avionne Flanagan (Dayonn Harris, 60’), Jacobo Reyes (Harry Swartz, 60’); Greg Hurst (Daniel Bruce, 60’)
Subs not used: Kristopher Shakes, Arturo Astorga

Stats Summary: MB / NM

Shots: 9 / 17
Shots on Goal: 3 / 7
Saves: 7 / 1
Corner Kicks: 4 / 3
Fouls: 17 / 11
Possession: 43.2% / 56.8%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Kai Greene (caution) 7’
NM: Greg Hurst (caution) 39’
NM: Avionne Flanagan (caution) 43’
NM: Anthony Herbert (caution) 61’
MB: Rafa Baca (caution) 68’
MB: Anthony Siaha (caution) 83’

Officials

Referee: Servando Berna
Assistant Referee: Clarence Clark
Assistant Referee: Ryan Jung
Fourth Official: Adam Zarrin

Monterey Bay Welcomes Western Conference Leaders New Mexico United to Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, June 1, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (4-5-4, 16 points) remains at home for a 4:00 p.m. PT matinee match this Sunday, June 2 against New Mexico United (7-2-1, 22 points) on Paws at the Pitch Night at Cardinale Stadium in Week 13 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season, presented by Taylor Farms. Sunday’s match will be broadcast locally via KION on Central Coast CW (35.1 over the air, channel 14 Xfinity), with live streaming available on CBS Sports Golazo Network via Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV or listen live on SiriusXM FC Channel 157.

After three consecutive Eastern Conference matchups, Monterey Bay is now set to face two Western Conference sides in New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic FC – both of which happen to be the only two teams above the Crisp-and-Kelp in the Western Conference table as things stand. MBFC secured a shutout in its previous match against the defending Eastern Conference champions Charleston Battery, earning a point on the back of a season-high, six-save night from goalkeeper Antony Siaha. Monterey Bay boasts a solid 3-1-3 record at home in all competitions this season and with another home fixture quickly approaching this Sunday, the maritime side will aim to continue that home record with its first win in league play since April 20 in Memphis.

New Mexico United is in the midst of a three-match winning streak, all 2-1 results against fellow Western Conference opponents. Though currently sitting atop the table in the West with an impressive 22 points through 10 matches, New Mexico perplexingly has an even goal difference. With Sacramento Republic FC on their heels, New Mexico will want to take as many points as they can get from their trip to Seaside. The Albuquerque side owns the all-time head-to-head with a 1-2-1 record over Monterey Bay, though both wins in the series for United have come at Isotopes Park in New Mexico. In the two occasions that the matchup has made its way to Seaside, Monterey Bay has come away with four out of a possible six points.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. New Mexico United

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2024; 4:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 60 degrees

Access MBvNM Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Sunday’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

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-5-4, 16 pts, 3rd West); New Mexico United (7-2-1, 22 pts, 1st West)

Monterey Bay Earns a Point at Home Against Eastern Conference Leaders Charleston Battery

SEASIDE, California (Wednesday, May 29, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (4-5-4, 16 points) earned a hard-fought point at home in a scoreless contest against the current Eastern Conference leaders Charleston Battery (8-1-3, 27 points) on Hospitality Night at Cardinale Stadium, presented by Coastal Roots Hospitality. Antony Siaha was credited with his third clean sheet of the season on the back of his season-high six save performance.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

The visitors came dangerously close to the opening score of the match just six minutes in when Arturo Rodríguez attempted a shot from inside the box. Though the initial shot was saved by Siaha, it was spilled back into play and right to the feet of another Charleston attacker. With the previous stop leaving the net all but empty, Nick Markanich fired off a second attempt only for it to be cleared off the line by Carlos Guzmán. Monterey Bay earned its first chance of the night a few minutes later with Alex Dixon driving into the left side of the box, but his shot was parried out for a corner at the near post. Charleston knocked on the door again in the 24th minute, but Siaha stonewalled the right-footed shot by Rodríguez. The home side saw a chance of its own in the 26th minute, but Dixon’s ball across the six-yard box to Michael Gonzalez was knocked away by the goalkeeper before the forward could properly connect. Two minutes later, the ball bounced perfectly to Gonzalez in space on the right side of the box, but his shot was saved. 

Then in the 32nd minute, Gonzalez managed to escape beyond the Charleston back line for yet another attempt on goal, but his shot was saved once again. Making things happen, Gonzalez made a move between two defenders to enter the box from the right side a minute later, but this time his attempt missed just wide of the near post. Charleston earned a corner in the 45th minute that resulted in a header on frame, but the ball was cleared off the line by Morey Doner with his chest to keep the match scoreless at the halftime break. The 70th minute of the match brought with it a chance for Monterey Bay with a whipped-in ball into the box towards Dixon, but his header missed wide of the left post. Monterey Bay earned a corner in the 82 minute, but it was cleared away by the visitors. In the 85th minute, Guzmán whipped a ball in towards a streaking Grant Robinson down the middle of the box, but the pass was just a bit too high and both sides ultimately took a point away from a 0-0 draw in Seaside.

Up Next

Monterey Bay remains at home for a matinee match this Sunday, June 2 against New Mexico United on Paws at the Pitch Night at Cardinale Stadium. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. PT and will be broadcast locally via KION on Central Coast CW (35.1 over the air, channel 14 Xfinity), with live streaming available on CBS Sports Golazo Network via Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Golden Memorial Man of the Match

Antony Siaha is tonight’s Golden Memorial Man of the Match for his clean sheet performance in tonight’s scoreless draw. The Monterey Bay keeper was crucial in denying Charleston Battery’s high-scoring offense from finding the back of the net, with his six saves setting a new season high.

Additional Notes

• Forward Michael Gonzalez and midfielder Miguel Guerrero each earned the first start of their professional careers.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (knee), Chase Boone (knee), Simon Dawkins (knee), Jesse Maldonado (knee), Anthony Orendain (ankle), and Tristan Trager (ribs).

Information

Date: May 29, 2024
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Sunny and 59 degrees
Attendance: 3,423

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay F.C. 0 0 0
Charleston Battery 0 0 0

Lineups

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-1-4-1): Antony Siaha; Grant Robinson, Carlos Guzmán, Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Rafa Baca; Walmer Martínez (Chuy Enríquez, 78’), Miguel Guerrero (Adrian Rebollar, 55’), Mobi Fehr, Alex Dixon; Michael Gonzalez
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Alex Lara, Pierce Gallaway, Xavi Gnaulati, Jerry Ayon

Charleston Battery (4-4-2): Daniel Kuzemka; Mark Segbers, Leland Aarcher, Graham Smith, Nathan Dossantos; Aaron Molloy, Emilio Ycaza (Jackson Conway, 79’), Arturo Rodriguez (Robbie Crawford, 69’), Juan David Torres; MD Myers, Nicholas Markanich
Subs not used: Enzo Mori, Josh Drack, Juan Sebastian Palma, Diego Gutierrez, Jake LaCava

Stats Summary: MB / CHS

Shots: 12 / 15
Shots on Goal: 3 / 8
Saves: 6 / 3
Corner Kicks: 2 / 3
Fouls: 12 / 8
Possession: 40.5% / 59.5%

Misconduct Summary

CHS: Nathan Dossantos (caution) 25’
MB: Grant Robinson (caution) 78’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 90+1’

Officials

Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Assistant Referee: Stephen McGonangle
Assistant Referee: Matthew Schwartz
Fourth Official: Robert Vincze

Monterey Bay Welcomes Eastern Conference Leaders Charleston Battery to Seaside for Midweek Clash

SEASIDE, California (Tuesday, May 28, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (4-5-3, 15 points) returns to Seaside for a three-match homestand, beginning with the current Eastern Conference leaders Charleston Battery (8-1-3, 27 points) at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday for Hospitality Night at Cardinale Stadium in Week 13 of the 2024 USL Championship regular season, presented by Coastal Roots Hospitality. Wednesday’s match will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network with live streaming available on Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Monterey Bay will look to end its five-match winless slide against the current Eastern Conference leaders Charleston Battery at home in Seaside. Though injuries have taken a toll, the Crisp-and-Kelp are slowly getting players back into the lineup. This week, Alex Dixon re-joins the side and is expected to provide an attacking spark to a side that has scored just three goals in its last five matches. Though still above the playoff line in fifth place in the West despite recent results, a much-welcomed, three-match homestand should provide Monterey Bay with ample opportunity to regain some lost ground in the West.

After beginning the campaign with an 11-match unbeaten run, Charleston Battery was handed its first defeat by El Paso Locomotive at home over the weekend, its second consecutive loss in all competitions after falling to Atlanta United in U.S. Open Cup play a few days prior. Among that Charleston squad is Robbie Crawford, a familiar face for Monterey Bay fans. Crawford, who was a member of the Union’s inaugural team, is making his first return to Cardinale Stadium and will also be the first former player to play for the opposition at home in MBFC history.

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. Charleston Battery

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2024; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Sunny and 58 degrees

Access MBvCHS Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2024 Match Guide in advance of Wednesday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and Charleston Battery 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. (4-5-3, 15 pts, 5th West); Charleston Battery (8-1-3, 27 pts, 1st East)

Monterey Bay Comes Up Short Against Hartford Athletic, Falls 2-1 On the Road at Trinity Health Stadium

HARTFORD, Connecticut (Friday, May 24, 2024) – Monterey Bay F.C. (4-5-3, 15 points) came up short in a 2-1 defeat to Hartford Athletic (4-6-0, 12 points) after striking first at Trinity Health Stadium in Connecticut. Adrian Rebollar scored his first goal of the season – his seventh overall for the Club – to put Monterey Bay in front just 18 minutes in, but the hosts ultimately came from behind to take all three points on the night.

The first chance of the match for the hosts came in the 13th minute when Michee Ngalina volleyed a shot on frame, but it was caught by Monterey Bay’s netminder Antony Siaha. Monterey Bay earned its first corner of the match in the 18th minute. Walmer Martínez whipped the ball into the box with his left foot, and Alex Lara rose up like a salmon to head the ball towards goal, but his attempt smacked the crossbar and fell back into play. With the ball now pinballing around the six-yard box, Rebollar used his strength to fight through defenders and tap the ball into the back of the net to give the Crisp-and-Kelp the 1-0 lead. Hartford created a turnover near the midfield line and jumped out on an immediate counter in the 33rd minute and Ngalina let the ball fly as he approached the box on the left side. The ball took a big deflection off of a defender on the shot, and with Siaha headed towards its initial trajectory, the ball found its way inside the near post to level the match at 1-1 heading into the halftime break.

Five minutes into the second half, Hartford took advantage of a scramble inside the box to take the 2-1 lead. The Union failed to clear the ball four times as it pinged around the box before Deshane Beckford managed to curl it inside the right post from the top of the six-yard box. Monterey Bay responded with a spell of possession that ended with Martínez seemingly being taken down inside the box, however the referee opted not to call a penalty and the resulting corner was cleared away by Hartford without trouble. Desperately in search of the equalizer, Monterey Bay earned another corner in the 87th minute of the match that led to a corner on the opposite side as they continued to pin Hartford back. The ball in was redirected on frame by Mobi Fehr, but his shot aimed just under the crossbar was tipped up and away by the goalkeeper to preserve the hosts one-goal advantage. Xavi Gnaulati put the moves on his defender to enter the box from the right side in the 4th minute of stoppage time, but his ensuing shot was blocked before it could cause any trouble and the match ended 2-1 in favor of the home side.

Up Next

Monterey Bay returns to Seaside for a three-match homestand, beginning with the current Eastern Conference leaders Charleston Battery on Wednesday, May 29 for Hospitality Night at Cardinale Stadium. The midweek match kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network with live streaming available on Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Additional Notes

• Watsonville’s Adrian Rebollar scored his first goal of the season, the opening score of the match.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archiméde (knee), Simon Dawkins (knee), Alex Dixon (illness), Jesse Maldonado (knee), and Tristan Trager (ribs). Anthony Orendain missed the match to serve his red card suspension from his dismissal in the Club’s match against Loudoun United FC.

Information

Date: May 24, 2024
Venue: Trinity Health Stadium; Hartford, Connecticut
Weather: Sunny and 74 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Hartford Athletic 1 1 2
Monterey Bay F.C. 1 0 1
MB: Adrian Rebollar 18’
HFD: Michee Ngalina (Thomas Vancaeyezeele) 33’
HFD: Deshane Beckford (Thomas Vancaeyezeele) 50’

Lineups

Hartford Athletic (4-3-3): Renan Ribeiro; Rece Buckmaster, Tristan Hodge, Jordan Scarlett, Thomas Vancaeyezeele; Joseph Farrell, Jay Chapman, Beverly Makangila (Joseph Schmidt, 86’); Marcus Epps (Emmanuel Samadia, 70’), Michee Ngalina, Deshane Beckford (Romario Williams, 82’)
Subs not used: Greg Monroe, Joey Akpunonu, Danny Barrera, Dieng Mamadou

Monterey Bay F.C. (5-4-1): Antony Siaha; Walmer Martínez (Grant Robinson, 69’), Carlos Guzmán, Alex Lara (Pierce Gallaway, 84’), Kai Greene, Morey Doner; Adrian Rebollar (Michael Gonzalez, 76’), Mobi Fehr, Rafa Baca, Jerry Ayon (Xavi Gnaulati, 69’); Chase Boone
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Chuy Enríquez, Miguel Guerrero

Stats Summary: HFD / MB

Shots: 14 / 9
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 0 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 7
Fouls: 12 / 14
Possession: 44.6% / 55.4%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Ramiro Corrales, Assistant Coach (caution) 35’
MB: Carlos Guzmán (caution) 55’
HFD: Joseph Farrell (caution) 55’
MB: Alex Lara (caution) 61’
MB: Mobi Fehr (caution) 68’
MB: Grant Robinson (caution) 89’
HFD: Romario Williams (caution) 90’
HFD: Tristan Hodge (caution) 90+4’

Officials

Referee: Ricardo Montero Araya
Assistant Referee: Justen Lopez
Assistant Referee: Christian Little
Fourth Official: Jonathan Luk

MBFC’s Week 16 Match vs Oakland Flexed to ESPN2, Kickoff Set for 3 p.m. Local Time on June 22

SEASIDE, California (Friday, May 24, 2024) – The United Soccer League (USL) Championship and Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay F.C.) have announced today that the Crisp-and-Kelp’s matchup against Oakland Roots SC on Saturday, June 22 at Cardinale Stadium has been flexed and will now air live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. local time.

In addition to the league’s eight previously announced ESPN2 contests this season, Monterey Bay’s match against Roots SC now officially joins this season’s slate alongside another freshly-flexed match, Sacramento Republic FC vs New Mexico United on September 29. Today’s additions firmly round out the slate at 10 total league matches on ESPN2 this season – up from nine in 2023.

In the past three years, Monterey Bay F.C. and Oakland Roots SC have joined Sacramento Republic FC to form a triangular rivalry across NorCal, but the battles between the two clubs separated by a couple of hours on the California coast have already delivered some memorable meetings of their own. Roots SC will make the trip South to scenic Cardinale Stadium on June 22 for the second meeting of the season after Monterey Bay took a 1-0 win in Oakland earlier this year, a result that left some lingering bad blood between the two sides. As both teams take aim at a postseason berth, the intensity will be high.

Single match tickets, group tickets, and parking passes for the 2024 regular season are available now. Visit www.MontereyBayFC.com/tickets for more information. Match times are subject to change. Learn more about Monterey Bay F.C. by following @MontereyBayFC on X, Instagram and Facebook, as well as online at MontereyBayFC.com.