Monterey Bay Comes Up Empty in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Saturday, June 14, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (5-5-4, 19 points) came up short in a 2-0 defeat to Western Conference side Las Vegas Lights FC (4-6-3, 15 points) away from home at Cashman Field. The loss was the Crisp-and-Kelp’s first against Las Vegas since the club’s inaugural season in 2022, and the result snapped a five-match losing streak for Lights FC in the process.

Monterey Bay earned a corner six minutes into the match after a drive into the box by Alex Dixon was knocked away over the endline, but Las Vegas defended it well. Two minutes later, Ilijah Paul won a free kick in an advanced position after a nice move to beat his defender. Anton Søjberg stepped up to take the free kick, and fired it dangerously with aim towards the top left corner, but the attempt ricocheted off the crossbar to deny the Danish midfielder the opening score. Sami Guediri enjoyed a long run into the box on the left side in the 23rd minute, but his shot was saved at the near post. A minute later, Miles Lyons fired off a missile of a shot from distance, but it was tipped over the top of the bar for a fruitless corner. In the 36th minute, Las Vegas earned a free kick right off the corner of the box on the right side. The set piece was taken short to Valentin Noel in the middle, but his low-driven shot was saved by Nico Campuzano. Lights FC looked likely to score in the second minute of first half stoppage time when a whipped in ball cleared the visitors’ back line, but a last-ditch effort by Carlos Guzmán deflected the shot inches wide of the right post. The ensuing corner resulted in a header on frame, but Campuzano was there to parry it away and the half ended scoreless.

Las Vegas’ Johnny Rodriguez collected multiple second balls on his way to a shot on frame from the right side of the box, but Campuzano was there to deny it at the near post. Then in the 60th minute, Rodriguez drove forward once again and lifted the ball up and over Campuzano into the far netting from the right side to give the hosts the 1-0 lead at the hour mark. Five minutes later, Rodriguez doubled the lead for Las Vegas with a header on the end of a free kick, sneaking it past Campuzano at the near post. Second-half substitute Luke Ivanovic saw an opportunity inside the box on the right side after he was picked out by Grant Robinson, but his low-driven shot missed just wide of the left post. Furiously attempting to pull one back, Monterey Bay put together a decent possession in the 88th minute that saw five different players touch the ball around the box, but the pass back across the box by Mayele Malango was blocked and the match ended 2-0 in favor of the hosts.

Up Next

Monterey Bay FC returns home for FAN FEST on Saturday, June 21 against El Paso Locomotive FC. Kickoff from Cardinale Stadium is set for 7 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming 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 was Joel Garcia Jr. (lower body).

Information

Date: June 14, 2025
Venue: Cashman Field; Las Vegas, Nevada
Weather: Clear and 99°F

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Las Vegas Lights FC 0 2 2
Monterey Bay FC 0 0 0
LV: Johnny Rodriguez (Patrick Leal) 60’
LV: Johnny Rodriguez (Gennaro Nigro) 65’

Lineups

Las Vegas Lights FC (3-4-3): Raiko Arozarena; Nate Jones (Maliek Howell, 66’), Elias Gärtig, Younes Boudadi; Gennaro Nigro, Daouda Peeters (Vaughn Covil, 82’), Patrick Leal (Christopher Pearson, 73’), Shawn Smart (Joe Gyau, 66’); Christian Pinzon, Johnny Rodriguez (Stefan Stojanovic, 82’), Valentin Noel
Subs not used: Nicholas Ammeter, Nighte Pickering

Monterey Bay FC (4-1-3-2): Nico Campuzano; Sami Guediri (Grant Robinson, 59’), Carlos Guzmán, Nico Gordon, Miles Lyons; Wesley Fonguck (Pierce Gallaway, 82’); Alex Dixon (Mayele Malango, 59’), Anton Søjberg (Xavi Gnaulati, 66’), Adrian Rebollar (Luke Ivanovic, 59’); Adam Larsson, Ilijah Paul
Subs not used: Sam Gomez, Jacob Muir

Stats Summary: LV / MB

Shots: 10 / 12
Shots on Goal: 6 / 5
Saves: 5 / 4
Corner Kicks: 5 / 3
Fouls: 14 / 11
Possession: 49.2% / 50.8%

Misconduct Summary

LV: Nate Jones (caution) 7’
LV: Elias Gärtig (caution) 37’
MB: Wes Fonguck (caution) 63’
LV: Vaughn Covil (caution) 87’

Officials

Referee: Cristian Campo Hernandez
Assistant Referee: Cameron Siler
Assistant Referee: Noah Kenyawani
Fourth Official: Killian Richardson

Monterey Bay Visits Las Vegas for Bout with Lights FC

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Friday, June 13, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (5-4-4, 19 points) hits the road to Sin City for a Western Conference showdown against Las Vegas Lights FC (3-6-3, 12 points). Showtime is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday at Cashman Field in Week 15 of the 2025 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 enters the match in the midst of a three game winning streak in all competitions after securing a 2-1 victory over Lexington SC at home in Seaside this past weekend. Adam Larsson scored his second goal in as many games and his first of the year in league play, while Anton Søjberg later secured all three points on the night, calmly converting a match-winning penalty kick in the 75th minute. For Las Vegas, the fortune has been quite the opposite, with the club having lost its previous five league matches by a combined score of 15-1. In response to the poor run of form, Lights FC announced the departure of its head coach earlier this week, adding a slight layer of mystery into the Crisp-and-Kelp’s preparations for the match ahead.

Monterey Bay and Las Vegas last competed to a scoreless draw at Cashman Field on September 14, 2024 and will meet for the first time in 2025 tomorrow night. Monterey Bay FC owns the all-time head-to-head with a 4-1-1 record over Lights FC, including an undefeated record at home and a currently more relevant 1-1-1 mark in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Monterey Bay FC

Venue: Cashman Field; Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025; 7:30 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 99°F

Access LVvMB Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2025 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay FC and Las Vegas Lights 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.

2025 Records

Las Vegas Lights FC (3-6-3, 12 pts, 9th West); Monterey Bay FC (5-4-4, 19 pts, 6th West)

Monterey Bay Comes Back to Beat Lexington SC 2-1 in Seaside

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, June 7, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (5-4-4, 19 points) came back from a goal down to win 2-1 over Western Conference foes Lexington SC (1-6-5, 8 points) at Cardinale Stadium. Adam Larsson scored his first USL Championship goal and his second in as many weeks in all competitions in the first half. Then, Anton Søjberg got back onto the scoresheet in his own right, converting the eventual game-winning penalty late in the match.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

The visitors landed the first blow just six minutes into the match when Nick Firmino curled the ball inside the left post on a free kick outside the box to give Lexington SC the very early 1-0 lead. In the 20th minute, Monterey Bay responded with an equalizer. After a brief scramble in the box at the end of a Lexington SC free kick, the Crisp-and-Kelp were off to the races on the other end. With Lexington SC caught in a two-on-one, Alex Dixon perfectly drew the defender in before playing a nicely weighted through ball to Larsson, who then drove down the pitch with the defender on his back before rounding the keeping and burying the ball into the back of the net to level the score. Monterey Bay closed the half with a flurry of pressure inside the box, but Lexington SC managed to clear back-to-back crosses into the mixer and the half ended square at 1-1.

Monterey Bay earned a free kick right out of the gates of the second half, but the shot by Søjberg was saved by the goalkeeper at the right post. Lexington came right back with a shot of their own in the 48th minute, but Michael Adedokun’s grass-burning shot was saved by Nico Campuzano at the bottom corner. The Seasiders saw some build up play develop nicely in the 50th minute, but the low cross back into the box after a switch to Adrian Rebollar was blocked. Monterey Bay pushed again in the 55th minute with a ball into Ilijah Paul at the center of the box. Surrounded by defenders, Paul looked to find Larsson to his left, but the pass was knocked away for a corner kick. The hosts went right back to Paul on the ensuing corner, but his header was mishit and the goalkeeper managed to collect it. A minute later, Paul drove down the left sideline, beating his defender with a series of nifty moves before whipping the ball into the box towards Larsson, but the cross was blocked away for a fruitless corner.

Then in the 74th minute, super sub Mayele Malango executed a powerful run, blowing past his defender into acres of space near the endline. Malango then crossed the ball into the box, but the defender knocked it down with his hand and the ref pointed to the spot to award Monterey Bay with a penalty. Stepping up to the spot with his final touch of the match, Søjberg buried the ball into the left side netting to complete the comeback and give the Crisp-and-Kelp the 2-1 lead.

Five minutes later, Malango drove with pace down the left sideline once again before rounding his defender and playing yet another ball into the box towards Paul, but Paul was unable to bring it in cleanly and the chance went awry. Minutes later, the Crisp-and-Kelp attacked on the left side of the box once again. This time it was Larsson, but his curling effort missed wide of the far post. Paul looked to have a third for Monterey Bay in the 86th minute on the end of a great ball in from Sami Guediri, but Paul was ruled to be in an offside position and the match ended 2-1 in favor of the Seasiders.

Up Next

Monterey Bay heads to Las Vegas to take on Lights FC at Cashman Field on Saturday, June 14. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT, with live streaming available on CBS Sports Golazo Network via Paramount+, the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, and Pluto TV.

Additional Notes

• Team captain Nico Gordon is currently on international duty with Montserrat participating in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and was unavailable for selection in the match.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (lower body), Joel Garcia Jr. (lower body), and Alex Lara (lower body).

Information

Date: June 7, 2025
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Partly cloudy and 61°F
Attendance: 2,420

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay FC 1 1 2
Lexington SC 1 0 1
LEX: Nick Firmino 6’
MB: Adam Larsson (Alex Dixon) 20’
MB: Anton Søjberg (penalty) 75’

Lineups

Monterey Bay FC (4-1-3-2): Nico Campuzano; Sami Guediri, Carlos Guzmán, Jacob Muir, Miles Lyons; Wesley Fonguck; Alex Dixon (Luke Ivanovic, 76’), Anton Søjberg (Xavi Gnaulati, 76’), Adrian Rebollar (Mayele Malango, 67’); Adam Larsson, Ilijah Paul (Pierce Gallaway, 88’)
Subs not used: Sam Gomez, Grant Robinson, Mobi Fehr

Lexington SC (4-4-2): Brooks Thompson; Kendall Burks, Joe Hafferty, Xavier Zengue (Michael Adedokun, 45’), Kieran Sargeant; Sofiane Djeffal, Nick Firmino, Alfredo Midence, Devon Williams; Marcus Epps, Forster Ajago
Subs not used: Danny Barbir, Daniel Wu, Jacob Greene, Gael Gibert, Edrey Caceres, Hugo Mbongue

Stats Summary: MB / LEX

Shots: 10 / 12
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 2 / 3
Corner Kicks: 3 / 12
Fouls: 16 / 17
Possession: 43.3% / 56.7%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Jacob Muir (caution) 6’
LEX: Nick Firmino (caution) 14’
LEX: Sofiane Djeffal (caution) 30’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 37’
LEX: Marcus Epps (caution) 54’
MB: Ilijah Paul (caution) 85’
LEX: Joe Hafferty (caution) 89’

Officials

Referee: Mark Verso
Assistant Referee: Christian Clerc
Assistant Referee: Andrew Hanks
Fourth Official: James Ewer

Monterey Bay Hosts Lexington SC in a Return to USL Championship Play

SEASIDE, California (Friday, June 6, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (4-4-4, 16 points) returns to league play as hosts to Western Conference side Lexington SC (1-5-5, 8 points) on Saturday at Cardinale Stadium. Kickoff in Seaside is set for 7 p.m. PT in Week 14 of the 2025 USL Championship regular season. The match 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+.

Monterey Bay is currently sixth in the Western Conference with 16 points through 12 games but is just one point shy of third and three shy of second in an extremely congested table that is primed for a fascinating finish later in the year. The Crisp-and-Kelp won both of their matches over the past week, however both of those games were USL Jägermeister Cup fixtures, meaning they did not count towards the league standings. However, the momentum from the offense waking up over the weekend is sure to spark the team in its return to league play this coming Saturday.

Ilijah Paul returned to the scoresheet with two more goals, bringing his total to a team-high seven in all competitions, with four of those goals now coming in two matches against Orange County SC alone. His strike partner Adam Larsson got in on the action as well, adding his second assist of the season on Paul’s first goal of the night before officially opening his Monterey Bay FC account with his own score, the eventual game-winning goal in the 85th minute. Look for both of them to be involved early and often against Lexington.

The previous and only other fixture between Monterey Bay FC and Lexington SC took place at Lexington SC Stadium in Kentucky earlier this year on April 19 and ended in a scoreless draw. The series now moves to Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, California for the first time this weekend, with Monterey Bay looking to continue its good run of form in all competitions.

Monterey Bay FC vs. Lexington SC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Partly cloudy and 61°F

Access MBvLEX Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2025 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay FC and Lexington SC 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.

2025 Records

Monterey Bay FC (4-4-4, 16 pts, 6th West); Lexington SC (1-5-5, 8 pts, 12th West)

Ilijah Paul, Adam Larsson Named to USL Jägermeister Cup Team of the Round for Round 2

SEASIDE, California (Tuesday, June 3, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC began its 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup run with two matches in three days and secured victory in both. First was a win over Spokane Velocity and then the Crisp-and-Kelp followed it up with a 3-2 win over Orange County SC. For his dominant, two-goal performance in the match, Ilijah Paul has earned starting XI honors in the USL Jägermeister Cup Team of Round for round two, while Adam Larsson snags a spot on the bench for his impressive one goal, one assist outing.

Paul’s Team of the Round performance featured a brace on four shots, bringing his total goals for the season to seven in all competitions, four of which have come against Orange County SC. In addition, Paul completed 17 of 20 passes for a 87.5% passing accuracy and recorded one clearance and three recoveries defensively.

Larsson’s performance included an assist on the opening goal for Monterey Bay FC and was highlighted by the game-winning goal – his first official goal for the club in the 85th minute of the match. In addition, Larsson recorded three chances created with two shots on target, five duels won, and three fouls won.

Below is the USL Jägermeister Cup Team of the Round for Round 2 lined up in a 3-4-3 formation:

Goalkeeper – Gunther Rankenburg (GVL)
Defenders – Shawn Smart (LV), Morey Doner (OAK), David Garcia (SPK)
Midfielders – Ilijah Paul (MB), Jay Tee Kamara (PHP), Samuel Careaga (HFD), Hope Avayevu (PHX)
Forwards – JC Obregon Jr. (WES), Christian Chaney (CLT), Francisco Bonfiglio (MIA)

Coach – Bobby Murphy (PHP)

Bench – Adam Larsson  (MB), Jared Mazzola (SAC), Josh Ramos (CHA), Lee Desmond (SAC), Diego Mercado (MIA), Abdellatif Aboukoura (LDN), Natty James (POR)

Monterey Bay Earns Exciting 3-2 Jägermeister Cup Win Over Orange County SC at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, May 31, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (6 points, 3rd in Group 1) earned an exciting 3-2 victory over Orange County SC (0 points, 7th in Group 1) in the club’s second match of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup at Cardinale Stadium, presented by Central Coast YMCA. Ilijah Paul bagged a brace and Adam Larsson opened his Crisp-and-Kelp account with the game-winning goal in the 85th minute to add to a first-half assist.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

minutes in. Back in the eleven for the first time since April 23 due to injury, Anton Søjberg got right back to action with a whipped in ball aimed towards the far post from the left side, but Orange County SC’s goalkeeper Colin Shutler manager to snatch the ball out of the air before Larsson could get his head on it. Continuing to push forward, a run down the left sideline by Alex Dixon created an opportunity in the 12th minute, but his ball across the six from the end line was blocked by a defender. Following a foul by the visitors that stopped a counter attack, the Crisp-and-Kelp restarted play quickly. Joel Garcia Jr. played the ball over the top to Paul in the midst of a dangerous run, but his ensuing right-footed shot dipped too late and missed just over the top of the crossbar in the 25th minute. Two minutes later, Orange County struck on the counter with a goal from Pedro Guimaraes to take a 1-0 lead, but Monterey Bay responded with an equalizer not long after. In the 36th minute, Larsson played a wicked ball through the defense and into the box towards Paul, who snuck it past the keeper to level the match at 1-1 into the halftime break.

Monterey Bay FC earned a free kick from just outside the box in the 64th minute, but Diego Gutiérrez’ curling effort missed just inches wide to the left. A minute later, Grant Robinson pushed the ball ahead on the left sideline before finding Larsson across the pitch, but the shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Keeping the pressure on in the 68th minute, Robinson showed his skill with a nifty move to beat his defender before whipping a left-footed ball into the box towards Paul, who then rose up high and headed the ball into the top corner of the far post to put Monterey Bay ahead 2-1. In the 85th minute, Jacob Muir played the ball out in front of Larsson amidst a long run behind the defense and straight down the center of the pitch. One-on-one with the keeper, Larsson lifted the ball over the top and into the back of the net to extend the Crisp-and-Kelp’s lead to 3-1. Then in the dying moments of added time, Orange County SC pulled one back to bring the match to its final score of 3-2.

Up Next

Monterey Bay FC remains in Seaside for a return to league play on Saturday, June 7 against Lexington FC at 7:00 p.m. PT. The match 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+.

Additional Notes

• Defender Jacob Muir recorded his first assist for the club, setting up Adam Larsson’s game-winning score in the 85th.
• Xavi Gnaulati made his official return to the pitch as a second-half substitute after missing the previous seven matches in all competitions due to injury.
• Missing the match due to injury were Luther Archimède (lower body), and Alex Lara (lower body).

Information

Date: May 31, 2025
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Clear and 62°F
Attendance: 3,006

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay FC 1 2 3
Orange County SC 1 1 2
OC: Pedro Guimaraes (Nico Benalcázar) 27’
MB: Ilijah Paul (Adam Larsson) 36’
MB: Ilijah Paul (Grant Robinson) 67’
MB: Adam Larsson (Jacob Muir) 85’
OC: Cameron Dunbar (Mouhamadou) 90+3’

Lineups

Monterey Bay FC (4-1-3-2): Sam Gomez; Sami Guediri (Grant Robinson, 45’), Carlos Guzmán, Nico Gordon, Joel Garcia Jr. (Jacob Muir,, 76’); Wesley Fonguck; Alex Dixon (Mayele Malango, 76’), Anton Søjberg (Xavi Gnaulati 62’), Adrian Rebollar (Diego Gutiérrez, 62’); Adam Larsson, Ilijah Paul
Subs not used: Nico Campuzano, Ethan Bryant

Orange County SC (4-5-1): Colin Shutler; Koa Santos, Nico Benalcazar, Pedro Guimaraes (Nicola Ciotta, 87’), Vuk Latinovich, Ashton Miles (Ousmane Sylla, 77’); Chris Hegardt (Gavin Karam, 87’), Kevin Partida, Cameron Dunbar, Bryce Jamison (Benjamin Barjolo, 68’); Lyam MacKinnon (Mouhamadou War, 68’)
Subs not used: Tetsuya Kadono, Oliver Kurnik

Stats Summary: MB / OC

Shots: 13 / 11
Shots on Goal: 8 / 5
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 6 / 5
Fouls: 17 / 17
Possession: 52.9% / 47.1%

Misconduct Summary

MB: Sami Guediri (caution) 16’
MB: Carlos Guzmán (caution) 32’
OC: Pedro Guimaraes (caution) 51’
MB: Ilijah Paul (caution) 71’
OC: Colin Shutler (caution) 71’
MB: Grant Robinson (caution) 82’

Officials

Referee: Calin Radosav
Assistant Referee: Darren Bandy
Assistant Referee: Bruno Rizo
Fourth Official: Andrew Hanks

Monterey Bay Continues Play in the USL Jägermeister Cup with Fixture Against Orange County SC in Seaside

SEASIDE, California (Friday, May 30, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC quickly returns to action Saturday for an exciting 7 p.m. PT showdown at home against Orange County SC in the second group stage fixture of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup, presented by Central Coast YMCA. The match 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+.

Monterey Bay enters the match just days after securing a 1-0 home win over USL League One side Spokane Velocity in the club’s first-ever USL Jägermeister Cup match. Orange County is coming off a 3-1 win last weekend in league play over the defending USL Championship title winners Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. In their previous USL Jägermeister Cup match, however, OC fell by that same 3-1 scoreline to Las Vegas Lights FC. As it currently stands in the Jägermeister Cup, Monterey Bay is sitting in 2nd place in Group 1, while Orange County is in sixth out of a possible seven.

In the previous fixture between OC and the Crisp-and-Kelp, Monterey Bay stormed into Irvine and ended the night with a demonstrative 3-0 win away from home. Because the sides are now set to meet in the Jägermeister Cup this weekend, there will be a total of three contests in the head-to-head series this season as opposed to the usual two. The third meeting of the greater 2025 campaign will take place in Seaside on national television on Friday, July 11.

All-time, Monterey Bay FC and Orange County SC have faced each other a total of seven times, with the Crisp-and-Kelp taking victory in the most recent matchup to even the head-to-head series at 3-3-1, including an advantage in goal difference with seven goals scored to OC’s six. Saturday in Seaside will be the eighth contest between the sides, and the fourth at Cardinale Stadium.

Monterey Bay FC vs. Orange County SC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 62°F

Access MBvOC Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2025 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s USL Jägermeister Cup contest between Monterey Bay FC and Orange County SC 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.

USL Jägermeister Cup: Group 1 Table

Team	Points	Record	GF	GA	GD
Las Vegas Lights FC	6	2-0-0	5	2	+3
Monterey Bay FC	3	1-0-0	1	0	+1
Spokane Velocity	3	1-1-0	2	2	0
Sacramento Republic FC	3	1-0-0	1	0	+1
Oakland Roots SC	0	0-1-0	1	2	-1
Orange County SC	0	0-1-0	1	3	-2
AV Alta FC	0	0-2-0	1	3	-2

Monterey Bay Tops Spokane Velocity in USL Jägermeister Cup Debut

SEASIDE, California (Wednesday, May 28, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC (3 points, 2nd in Group 1) defeated Spokane Velocity (3 points, 3rd in Group 1) 1-0 at Cardinale Stadium in the club’s USL Jägermeister Cup debut. Pierce Gallaway scored his first professional goal and the first for his hometown club in all competitions with the lone, game-winning score just four minutes into the match.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

Monterey Bay earned a chance right out of the gates in the opening minute of the match with Luke Ivanovic intercepting a pass inside the box. Ivanovic cut to his left past the goalkeeper, but his shot on target was cleared off the line by a Spokane Velocity defender. Keeping the pressure on, Monterey Bay bagged the opening goal just three minutes later on the end of a set piece. Ethan Bryant whipped the ball towards the far post and Gallaway neatly tapped the ball home to give the Crisp-and-Kelp the nearly immediate 1-0 lead. The visitors looked to even the score with a chance inside the box in the 24th minute, but the close-range shot missed wide to the right by Anuar Peláez. 

Opportunities were hard to come by for either team over the next half hour, but some early substitutions for Monterey Bay seemingly rejuvenated the side in the second half. On his return to the pitch, Anton Søjberg was on the receiving end of a ball into the box from Malango, but his shot in the 55th minute was blocked. Spokane Velocity created their most dangerous opportunity of the match to that point in the 71st minute, but could not capitalize. With Monterey Bay’s defense in a bit of a scramble, a shot by Luis Gil hit the post, leading to a quick follow-up attempt that was saved by Sam Gomez. Malango sliced another great box into the box towards Diego Gutiérrez in the 87th minute, but the ball got caught under his feet before he could shoot and Spokane managed to take it away. The visitors countered quickly for another decent look in the 89th minute, but the shot by Shavon John-Brown missed wide of the left post and Monterey Bay held on to win 1-0 in the club’s opening match of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup match.

Up Next

Monterey Bay continues Jägermeister Cup play with a weekend match against Orange County SC on May 31. Kickoff from Cardinale Stadium is set for 7 p.m. PT. Saturday’s match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Additional Notes

• Diego Gutierrez made his first appearance of the 2025 campaign as a second-half substitute in the 62nd minute of the match, his long-awaited return from an injury he suffered in the preseason.
• Anton Søjberg returned to the pitch to record his first minutes after missing the previous four matches due to an injury he suffered in New Mexico on April 23.

Information

Date: May 28, 2025
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Clear and 57°F
Attendance: 2,014

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F

Monterey Bay FC 1 0 1
Spokane Velocity 0 0 0
MB: Pierce Gallaway (Alex Lara) 4’

Lineups

Monterey Bay FC (4-4-2): Sam Gomez; Grant Robinson, Jacob Muir, Alex Lara (Nico Gordon, 53’), Miles Lyons (Joel Garcia Jr., 45’); Alex Dixon (Diego Gutiérrez, 62’), Ethan Bryant, Pierce Gallaway, Luke Ivanovic; Adam Larsson (Anton Søjberg, 53’), Luther Archimède (Mayele Malango, 24’)
Subs not used: Dallas Odle, Mobi Fehr

Spokane Velocity (5-4-1): Carlos Merancio Valdez; Javier Martin (Lucky Opara, 80’), Davíd Garcia, Camron Miller, Ish Jome (Shavon John-Brown, 64’), Derek Waldeck; Nil Vinyals (Masango Akale, 45’), Luis Gil, Jack Denton (Collin Fernandez, 80’), Andre Lewis; Anuar Peláez (Neco Brett, 64’)
Subs not used: Ryan Bilichuk, Marcelo Lage

Stats Summary: MB / SPK

Shots: 8 / 24
Shots on Goal: 3 / 1
Saves: 1 / 1
Corner Kicks: 0 / 3
Fouls: 9 / 17
Possession: 42.3% / 57.7%

Misconduct Summary

SPK: Jack Denton (caution) 7’
SPK: Nil Vinyals (caution) 16’
MB: Anton Søjberg (caution) 57’
MB: Grant Robinson (caution) 71’
MB: Sam Gomez (caution) 90+6’

Officials

Referee: Brandon Stevis
Assistant Referee: Matthew Schwartz
Assistant Referee: Peter Hanson
Fourth Official: Robert Vincze

Monterey Bay Begins Hunt for 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup

SEASIDE, California (Tuesday, May 27, 2025) – Monterey Bay FC begins its hunt for the USL Jägermeister Cup with a midweek fixture against USL League One side Spokane Velocity. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Cardinale Stadium. The cup match will be broadcast locally via KION on FOX35 (46.2 over the air, 35 Dish, 47 DirecTV and 3/702 HD Xfinity), with live streaming available on ESPN+.

Despite having played the most league games in all of USL Championship thus far, Monterey Bay is one of only two teams yet to play its inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup match. In the midst of a disappointing stretch in league play, the Crisp-and-Kelp will shift its focus to this brand new in-season tournament, a perfect opportunity for the club to regain its early-season form. On the other hand, Spokane Velocity has already played one Jägermeister Cup match this season, a 2-1 win over Oakland Roots SC that currently has them sitting in second in the Group 1 table.

The 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup features all 38 professional men’s clubs competing in a World Cup-style tournament throughout the regular season, with Monterey Bay set to play its first two cup matches this week. Adding more meaningful matches to the annual calendar, the USL Jägermeister Cup includes fan-first modifications to encourage attacking soccer, such as penalty shootouts to determine match winners during the group stage and goals scored as the first tiebreaker in the group standings. After the group stage, a draw will set the matchups for the single-elimination knockout rounds. The winners of the six total groups will advance alongside the teams with the next two highest number of goals scored. The USL Jägermeister Cup will conclude with the Final on the weekend of Oct. 4.

Monterey Bay FC vs. Spokane Velocity

Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025; 7:00 p.m. PT
Weather: Clear and 57°F

Access MBvSPK Match Notes

The Adobe PDF version of the 2025 Match Guide in advance of Wednesday’s USL Jägermeister Cup contest between Monterey Bay FC and Spokane Velocity 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.

USL Jägermeister Cup: Group 1 Table

1. Las Vegas Lights FC: 6 pts, 2-0-0, 5 goals for, 2 goals allowed, +3 goal difference
2. Spokane Velocity: 3 pts, 1-0-0, 2 goals for, 1 goal allowed, +1 goal difference
3. Sacramento Republic FC: 3 pts, 1-0-0, 1 goal for, 0 goals allowed, +1 goal difference
4. Oakland Roots SC: 0 pts, 0-1-0, 1 goal for, 2 goals allowed, -1 goal difference
5. Orange County SC: 0 pts, 0-1-0, 1 goal for, 3 goals allowed, -2 goal difference
6. AV Alta FC: 0 pts, 0-2-0, 1 goal for, 3 goals allowed, -2 goal difference
7. Monterey Bay FC: 0 pts, 0-0-0, 0 goals for, 0 goals allowed, 0 goal difference