Match Info: Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Opponent: vs San Diego Loyal SC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. PT

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 63 degrees

TV: Monterey Bay vs San Diego Loyal SC will be broadcast locally via KION on Central Coast CW (35.1 over the air, channel 14 Xfinity). The match will also stream live on ESPN+ and is available to watch here.

Ref: Melvin Rivas

Kits: The Kelp Kit

Learn everything there is to know ahead of our midweek matchup against San Diego Loyal SC by accessing our in-depth matchday preview here.

For information on tickets, stadium guidelines, food & beverage vendors, and more, visit our Game Day Hub here.

Monterey Bay Hosts San Diego Loyal SC at Cardinale Stadium on Wednesday to Kickoff Critical Two-Match Week

SEASIDE, California (Tuesday, September 19, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (11-11-7, 40 points) turns around quickly with a midweek match in Seaside. Kickoff for Hospitality Night at Cardinale Stadium is set for 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday against San Diego Loyal SC (12-9-7, 43 points) in Week 29 of the 2023 USL Championship regular season, presented by Coastal Roots Hospitality. Wednesday’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+.

After erasing a two-goal deficit to complete the largest comeback in the Club’s young history over the weekend, Monterey Bay finds itself above the playoff line once again – and this time in a three-way tie for sixth place in the table. With a midweek match against San Diego who is currently three points ahead of the Union in fifth place, the Crisp-and-Kelp are poised to control their own destiny for both a spot in the playoffs and with seeding.

The Union and San Diego Loyal SC last met in September of last year. The match took place in Seaside and despite the visitors taking an early 1-0, Monterey Bay bounced back with three unanswered goals to win 3-1 behind a brace from Sam Gleadle and a goal from Christian Volesky. It was the second of two matches played against San Diego last season, with the first being a 1-0 win for Loyal SC on their home field. 

The upcoming match will be the first meeting between the sides so far this season, with a second clash looming 10 days later in San Diego on September 30. Overall, Monterey Bay has the slight edge in the all-time series head-to-head thanks to a 3-2 advantage in goals scored, with a 1-0 matchup record in Seaside. Due to the unfortunate news that Loyal SC is folding at the end of the 2023 campaign, this next match will be MBFC fans’ last chance to catch the San Diego side at Cardinale Stadium barring a playoff meeting.

SportsClubStats Playoff Predictor (66.0%)
Chance of playoffs with a WIN: 81.9% 
Chance of playoffs with a DRAW: 59.4% 
Chance of playoffs with a LOSS: 48.3% 

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. San Diego Loyal SC
Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Wednesday, September 20, 2023; 7:00 p.m. PT

Access MBvSD Match Notes
The Adobe PDF version of the 2023 Match Guide in advance of Wednesday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and San Diego Loyal 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.

2023 Records
Monterey Bay F.C. (11-11-7, 40 pts, 8th West); San Diego Loyal SC (12-9-7, 43 pts, 5th West)

Monterey Bay Erases Two-Goal Deficit, Wins Fourth Match in a Row with 3-2 Victory Over Las Vegas Lights FC

Union Extend Unbeaten Streak to Five, Host San Diego in Midweek Match on Wednesday

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, September 16, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (11-11-7, 40 points) scored three unanswered to erase a two-goal deficit in a 3-2 victory over Las Vegas Lights FC (3-18-9, 18 points) on Hispanic Heritage Night at Cardinale Stadium, presented by PUMA. Ugo Okoli bagged a goal in the first half, while Alejandro Lara and Rafael Baca each scored their first goals as members of the Crisp and Kelp in the second half to earn the Union the full three points on the night. Walmer Martínez recorded his first two assists of the campaign while Christian Volesky tallied the game-winning assist for his team-high fourteenth goal contribution of the year.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

Both sides settled into the match quickly in this one, with possession even through the first 15 minutes of the opening half. Then in the 17th minute, Las Vegas earned a corner that was cashed in for the first score of the night off the head of Marcelo Lage. Less than a minute later, the visitors improbably doubled their lead with a tap-in goal from inside the six-yard box by Azriel Gonzales to bring the score to 2-0. In the 21st minute, Alex Dixon earned a free kick for Monterey Bay for drawing a foul just outside the box. James Murphy fired a perfect shot aimed just inside the top-left corner, but it was tipped over the bar by the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper. The Crisp-and-Kelp came close to scoring its first in the 27th minute, but the shot inside the box by Okoli was also saved at the top-left corner. Then two minutes later, Martínez whipped a ball into the box from the left side to a wide open Okoli at the far post for the header into the back of the net to cut Monterey Bay’s deficit in half. Back-to-back headers by Hugh Roberts II in the 43rd and 44th minutes both looked to be the equalizer, but they were both denied by Las Vegas to send the sides into the break at 2-1 in favor of the visitors.

Within seconds of the second half getting underway, the Union pushed forward with urgency to earn a couple of chances right away. Dixon ripped a shot from distance in the 46th minute that missed just wide of the left post a minute before Okoli missed with a curling effort of his own from the top of the box. Then in the 62nd minute, Monterey Bay found what felt like an inevitable equalizer. After an attempt on goal was cleared away, the Union reset possession. From the left side once again, Martínez whipped a ball into the box, this time towards Lara, who smashed it across the line to level the match at 2-2. But the Union were not done. Five minutes later, Sam Gleadle turned on the jets down the left sideline before finding Volesky above the box. Volesky then calmly laid it off for Baca, who was making a strong run through the center of the box, and the newest member of the Crisp and Kelp buried it into the back of the net to give Monterey Bay the 3-2 lead, fully erasing the earlier two-goal deficit.

Up Next: The Crisp-and-Kelp remain in Seaside this Wednesday, September 20 for a midweek fixture with San Diego Loyal SC. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT. 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+.

Notes:
– Rafael Baca recorded the game-winning goal in the 74th minute, his first goal as a member of the Union since joining the Club in July.
– Alejandro Lara scored his first goal in Crisp and Kelp against his former team, a header to equalize in the 62nd minute of the match.
– Walmer Martínez tallied his first two assists of the 2023 regular season on service to Ugo Okoli and Lara to help push the Union onto victory.
– Missing the match due to injury were Chase Boone (thigh), Simon Dawkins (knee), Mobi Fehr (hamstring), Jesse Maldonado (knee), and Grant Robinson (abdomen).

Match: Monterey Bay F.C. vs Las Vegas Lights FC
Date: September 16, 2023
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Mostly cloudy and 61 degrees
Attendance: 4,617

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Monterey Bay F.C.  1 2 3
Las Vegas Lights FC 2 0 2
LV: Marcelo Lage (Daniel Rios) 17’
LV: Azriel Gonzalez (Lucas Stauffer) 18’
MB: Ugo Okoli (Walmer Martínez) 29’
MB: Alex Lara (Walmer Martínez) 62’
MB: Rafa Baca (Christian Volesky) 74’

Lineups:
Monterey Bay F.C. (3-4-3): Carlos Herrera; Alex Lara, Kai Greene, Hugh Roberts II; Walmer Martínez (Christian Volesky, 68’), Rafa Baca, James Murphy, Morey Doner; Sam Gleadle, Ugo Okoli, Alex Dixon (Adrian Rebollar, 79’)
Subs not used: Antony Siaha, Max Glasser, Nevello Yoseke, Chuy Enríquez

Las Vegas Lights FC (3-5-2): Alan Diaz; Timothie Zali (Jordan Ayimbila, 45’), Zach Carroll (Josh Dolling, 83’), Marcelo Lage; Lucas Stauffer, Alejandro Mitrano, Azriel Gonzalez (Eric Oteng, 67’), Jacob Bushue (Justin Ingram, 83’), Andres Jimenez; Daniel Rios (Alexander Romero, 67’), Tyler Bagley
Subs not used: Andre Zuluaga-Silva, Pablo Soares

Stats Summary: MB / LV
Shots: 17 / 15
Shots on Goal: 8 / 8
Saves: 6 / 6
Corner Kicks: 9 /
Fouls: 10 / 14
Possession: 50.5% / 49.5%

Misconduct Summary:
MB: Alex Lara (caution) 8’
LV: Timothie Zali (caution) 31’
MB: Walmer Martinez (caution) 56’
LV: Eric Oteng (caution) 68’
MB: James Murphy (caution) 90’

Officials:
Referee: Corbyn May
Assistant Referee: Darren Bandy
Assistant Referee: Peter Hanson
Fourth Official: Michael Zapata

Match Info: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Opponent: vs Las Vegas Lights FC

Venue: Cardinale Stadium

Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. PT

Weather: Mostly sunny and 61 degrees

TV: Monterey Bay vs Las Vegas Lights FC 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 Hulu + Live TV, Paramount+, YouTubeTV, FuboTV. The match will also stream live on ESPN+ and is available to watch here.

Ref: Corbyn May

Kits: The Kelp Kit

Learn everything there is to know ahead of our matchup against Las Vegas by accessing our in-depth matchday preview here.

For information on tickets, stadium guidelines, food & beverage vendors, and more, visit our Game Day Hub here.

Monterey Bay Welcomes Las Vegas Lights FC to Hispanic Heritage Night at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Friday, September 15, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (10-11-7, 37 points) returns home Saturday for an electric 7 p.m. PT showdown at Cardinale Stadium on Hispanic Heritage Night against Las Vegas Lights FC (3-17-9, 18 points) in Week 28 of the 2023 USL Championship regular season, presented by PUMA. Saturday’s 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 Hulu, Paramount+, YouTubeTV, FuboTV, and ESPN+.

Monterey Bay enters the weekend on a three match winning streak and a four game unbeaten run overall following two impressive wins away from home in El Paso and Memphis, pushing the Union back over the playoff line for the first time since July 21. Recent midweek results have since pushed the Union into ninth place (tied for eighth), however, leaving the Club on the outside looking in again for now. Getting back above the line and securing a playoff berth in the Club’s second season would be a feat on its own, but Monterey Bay suddenly finds itself in position to potentially climb even higher up the table with six matches left to play in the regular season. On the other side, Las Vegas is in full spoiler mode the rest of the way after being eliminated from playoff contention.

“The team is in a very good spot right now, the energy in the locker room is very positive,” said Monterey Bay goalkeeper Carlos Herrera. “We have momentum going from these past four games, so the overall feeling in the team right now is confidence. Both in ourselves and confidence that we can go out and get a good result against anyone. After getting a couple of wins on the road, we’re looking forward to coming home and hopefully getting a win in front of our fans on Hispanic Heritage Night.”

The Union and Lights FC last met on June 10 in Las Vegas. After Morey Doner scored the opening goal just before the halftime break, Las Vegas scored early into the second half to tie it up at one apiece. In the end, Sam Gleadle scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute to give Monterey Bay the 2-1 win, its first-ever win at Cashman Field. Monterey Bay owns the all-time series a 2-1-0 head-to-head record – including a 1-0-0 record in Seaside – though Lights FC owns a 5-3 goal difference in the series thanks to a lopsided 4-0 victory in a rescheduled match in Las Vegas at the end of last season.

SportsClubStats Playoff Predictor (55.2%)
Chance of playoffs with a WIN: 66.2% 
Chance of playoffs with a DRAW: 42.9% 
Chance of playoffs with a LOSS: 33.5% 

Week 28 Fixtures to Watch:
New Mexico vs Indy (Friday – 6 p.m. PT)
→ Best outcome: IND win = MBFC +1.3%
Orange County vs Colorado Springs (Friday – 7 p.m. PT)
→ Best outcome: OC win = MBFC +3.0%
Oakland vs FC Tulsa (Saturday – 7 p.m. PT)
→ Best outcome: TUL win = MBFC +2.7%
Sacramento vs El Paso (Saturday – 7 p.m. PT)
→ Best outcome: SAC win = MBFC +2.5%

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Saturday, September 16, 2023; 7:00 p.m. PT

Access MBvLV Match Notes
The Adobe PDF version of the 2023 Match Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. 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.

2023 Records
Monterey Bay F.C. (10-11-7, 37 pts, 8th West); Las Vegas Lights FC (3-16-9, 18 pts, 12th West)

Monterey Bay Grinds Out 1-0 Win Over Gritty Memphis 901 FC, Jumps Back into Playoff Position with Third Consecutive Victory

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Saturday, September 9, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (10-11-7, 37 points) ground out an impressive 1-0 win at AutoZone Park in its first-ever match against Eastern Conference side Memphis 901 FC (11-8-9, 42 points). Alex Dixon converted an eventual game-winning penalty kick in the first half for his 11th goal of the season, while Carlos Herrera anchored the defense in a shutout on the road to help secure Monterey Bay’s third consecutive victory. The win lifts the Union back above the playoff line with six matches left to play, pending the night’s league results.

The hosts came flying out of the gates offensively with a dangerous chance just two minutes in. Following several quick passes for Memphis 901 FC around the box, Rodrigo da Costa blasted a half-volley shot on frame, but it was punched out by Herrera to deny the hosts an early goal. In the 18th minute, Alex Lara created an opportunity for Monterey Bay with a long ball over the top towards Ugo Okoli, but his shot missed wide of the far post. In the 30th minute, James Murphy played Chase Boone in with an impressive pass through the heart of the Memphis defense that led to a penalty for the Union due to a handball inside the box by the hosts. Dixon stepped up to the spot and buried his 11th goal of the season to the goalkeeper’s right to put the Crisp-and-Kelp in front 1-0 on the road. Memphis had an opportunity to level the match in the 37th minute with an apparent two on one, but Kai Greene stood his ground and cleared the ball away to end the chance. Then just before the half in the 42nd minute, Sam Gleadle turned on the jets to get beyond the defense on the counter. Looking to double the lead for Monterey Bay, Gleadle lifted the ball over the goalkeeper with the outside of his right foot, but the shot missed inches wide of the near post and the sides entered the halftime break with the Union ahead 1-0.

Memphis began the second half with yet another chance just minutes into the action, but the curling, left-footed shot from inside the box by Luiz Fernando was caught by Herrera. In the 50th minute, another counter attack for the hosts led to a shot by da Costa, but it missed wide of the far post. Monterey Bay pushed forward on a counter with a pass over the top by Rafael Baca in the 60th minute, but the Memphis goalkeeper beat a streaking Morey Doner to the ball and cleared it out to thwart the attack. Possession for Memphis 901 FC in the Monterey Bay side of the pitch led to a shot from the left side of the box by Bruno Lapa, but the attempt was blocked with a sliding effort by Doner in the 75th minute. With the hosts pushing everything forward to find an equalizer in stoppage time, Okoli found himself one-on-one down on a counter down the left side, but the ensuing shot missed over the top of the crossbar and the match ended 1-0 in favor of Monterey Bay.

Up Next: Monterey Bay returns to Seaside to host Las Vegas Lights FC on Hispanic Heritage Night at Cardinale Stadium on Saturday, September 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 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 Hulu, Paramount+, YouTubeTV, FuboTV, and ESPN+.

Notes:
– Monterey Bay F.C.Head Coach Frank Yallop and Memphis 901 FC Head Coach Stephen Glass both played under the late legendary English manager Sir Bobby Robson; Yallop played under Robson at Ipswich Town, while Glass played for Robson at Newcastle United.
– Unavailable for selection in the match were Simon Dawkins (knee), Mobi Fehr (hamstring), Jesse Maldonado (knee), Grant Robinson (abdominal), and Nevello Yoseke (international duty).

Match: Memphis 901 FC vs Monterey Bay F.C.
Date: September 9, 2023
Venue: AutoZone Park; Memphis, Tennessee
Weather: Clear and 77 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F 
Memphis 901 FC 0 0 0
Monterey Bay F.C. 1 0 1
MB: Alex Dixon (Penalty) 31’

Lineups:
Memphis 901 FC (4-2-3-1): Andrew Romig; Akeem Ward, Lucas Turci, Graham Smith, Aiden McFadden (Nighte Pickering, 85’); Aaron Molloy, Leston Paul (Rashawn Dally, 85’); Jeremy Kelly, Bruno Lapa, Luiz Fernando; Rodrigo da Costa
Subs not used: Aren Seeger, Jelani Peters, Carson Vom Steeg, Samuel Careaga, Laurent Kissiedou

Monterey Bay F.C. (5-4-1): Carlos Herrera; Sam Gleadle, Hugh Roberts, Kai Greene, Alex Lara, Morey Doner; Alex Dixon (Adrian Rebollar, 71’), Rafa Baca, James Murphy, Chase Boone (Walmer Martínez, 45’); Ugo Okoli 
Subs not used: Antony Siaha, Max Glasser, Chuy Enríquez, Christian Volesky

Stats Summary: MEM / MB
Shots: 23 / 5
Shots on Goal: 7 / 1
Saves: 0 / 7
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 8 / 11
Possession: 72.2% / 27.8%

Misconduct Summary:
MEM: Graham Smith (caution) 39’
MEM: Aiden McFadden (caution) 42’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 90+3’

Officials:
Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
Assistant Referee 1: Rhett Hammil
Assistant Referee 2: Austin Holt
Fourth Official: DeShun Beard

Match Info: Saturday, September 9, 2023

Opponent: at Memphis 901 FC

Venue: AutoZone Park

Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. PT

Weather: Sunny and 76 degrees

TV: Monterey Bay at Memphis 901 FC will stream live on ESPN+ and is available to watch here.

Ref: Abdou Ndiaye

Kits: White Kit

Learn everything there is to know ahead of our matchup against Memphis 901 FC by accessing our in-depth matchday preview here.

For information on watch parties, live stats, tickets to our next home match against Las Vegas and more, visit our Game Day Hub here.