A Look Back at Monterey Bay Football Club’s Second Annual Military Appreciation Night

Monterey Bay Football Club hosted its second annual Military Appreciation Night at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside on Saturday, July 8 against Western Conference foes El Paso Locomotive FC. The Union recorded their fifth shutout of the season and fourth in the previous eight matches, marking the occasion as yet another night that the 831 was successfully defended.

The players wore the latest addition to the Club’s kit rotation, the Light Fighter kits, which are an ode to the U.S. Army’s Light Fighter division (7th infantry) that occupied Fort Ord before it closed down in 1994. The Dune yellow that accentuates the kit is one of three colors in the Club’s original brand package and was created as a nod to the sand dunes here on the peninsula. Because black and yellow are the colors of the U.S. Army, the presenting sponsor on Military Appreciation Night, the Light Fighter kits gave MBFC a chance to formally introduce Dune yellow as a Club color.

As fans entered the gates to the stadium, the first 2,000 received Dune yellow rally towels that were waved in unison throughout the match. The 191st Army Reserve Band played in the lead up to kickoff, while the United States Army Recruiting Command presented the colors and performed the National Anthem. In addition, Military vehicles such as the Wrecker and a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) were on display in the plaza throughout the match and several active local Military members participated in a halftime penalty kick contest.

Monterey Bay Earns Point at Home Against El Paso, Now Unbeaten in Seven Consecutive Matches at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Saturday, July 8, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-6-6, 27 points) earned its fifth clean sheet on the season in a scoreless draw over El Paso Locomotive FC (9-4-4, 31 points) on Military Appreciation Night at Cardinale Stadium, presented by the U.S. Army. With the result, Monterey Bay is now unbeaten in seven consecutive matches at Cardinale Stadium.

Access the postgame quote sheet here

El Paso came close to shell-shocking the Union with a goal in the first minute when a low cross into the middle from the left side of the box was tapped on frame, but Antony Siaha kept it out with his leg to deny the visitors an early goal. Sam Gleadle beat the goalkeeper to the ball at the end of a deep run in the 15th minute and found Alex Dixon making a run to join him, but his shot was blocked by a Locomotive FC defender. The Union earned a second-consecutive opportunity two minutes later, but Morey Doner’s cross aimed for Christian Volesky at the far post missed just over his head and out for a goal kick. In the 20th minute, Gleadle collected a miscleared ball inside the box, but his ensuing right-footed shot was caught by the goalkeeper and the match remained scoreless. Walmer Martínez whipped a ball into the box in the 45th minute. Gleadle rose up and flicked it on with his head, but it was saved by the goalkeeper and the sides entered the break scoreless.

Right out of the gates of the second half, Doner pushed forward for Monterey Bay down the right side of the pitch, but his shot was caught by the keeper at the near post. El Paso sprung a counter attack in the 58th minute that resulted in a one-on-one with Siaha, but the shot from point blank by Emmanuel Sonupe was skied over the crossbar. Martínez fired a shot from distance seven minutes later, but it also missed over the top. Two minutes later, James Murphy fired a cross into the box toward Volesky who attempted to score with a diving header, but missed just over the crossbar. Despite a late push for the winner, El Paso managed to keep Monterey Bay out of the net and the match ended scoreless.

Up Next: Monterey Bay F.C. remains home next Saturday, July 15 for a fixture against Oakland Roots SC as part of the second match of a double header with MBFC2 on Fan Fest at Cardinale Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, with live streaming available on Hulu, YouTubeTV, and FuboTV.

Match: Monterey Bay F.C. vs El Paso Locomotive FC
Date: July 8, 2023
Venue: Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 57 degrees
Attendance: 3,711

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Monterey Bay F.C.  0 0 0
Locomotive FC 0 0 0

Lineups:
Monterey Bay F.C. (4-2-3-1): Antony Siaha; Mobi Fehr (Alex Lara, 78’), Hugh Roberts, Kai Greene; Walmer Martínez, James Murphy (Chase Boone, 87’), Adrian Rebollar (Simon Dawkins, 73’), Morey Doner; Alex Dixon, Sam Gleadle; Christian Volesky
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Grant Robinson, Chuy Enríquez, Ugo Okoli

El Paso Locomotive FC (4-4-2): Benny Díaz; Marc Navarro (Miles Lyons, 81’), Eder Borelli, Erik McCue, Bence Pavkovics; Liam Rose, Denys Kostyshyn (Louis Herrera, 87’), Eric Calvillo, Aaron Gómez (Petar Petrovic, 81’); Luis Solignac, Nicholas Hinds (Emmanuel Sonupe, 58’)
Subs not used: Javier Garcia, Diego Abarca, Christopher Garcia

Stats Summary: MB / ELP
Shots: 12 / 18
Shots on Goal: 3 / 6
Saves: 6 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 8 / 13
Possession: 53.8% / 46.2%

Misconduct Summary:
ELP: Eric Calvillo (caution) 35’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 42’
MB: James Murphy (caution) 54’
MB: Mobi Fehr (caution) 57’
ELP: Benny Diaz (caution) 69’
ELP: Eder Borelli (caution) 88’

Officials:
Referee: Brandon Stevis
Assistant Referee: Christian Clerc
Assistant Referee: Alberto Azpeitia-Palomino
Fourth Official: Peter Hanson

Monterey Bay Aims to Defend the 831 Against El Paso Locomotive FC on Military Appreciation Night at Cardinale Stadium

SEASIDE, California (Thursday, July 8, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-6-5, 26 points) returns home to Seaside on Saturday for an important 7 p.m. PT kickoff on Military Appreciation Night at Cardinale Stadium against El Paso Locomotive FC (9-4-3, 30 points) in Week 18 of the 2023 USL Championship regular season, presented by the U.S. Army. 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+.

The Crisp and Kelp last met El Paso Locomotive FC on August 6 here at Cardinale Stadium. In a tightly-contested match, Adrian Rebollar scored a game-winning goal to break the scoreless deadlock in the 89th minute to secure three points for the MBFC. Head-to-head the series is split at a win apiece, but El Paso Locomotive FC owns the advantage on goal difference (+4). However, El Paso has yet to win in Seaside and the Union will aim to keep it that way.

Monterey Bay’s four-match winning streak was snapped over the weekend with losses to Orange County SC and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Now just a match beyond the halfway mark of the campaign and plenty of season left to play, the Union will look to bounce back with a win at home over one of the Western Conference’s best sides so far in 2023. El Paso enters the match in second place in the conference after putting together an impressive first half of the season, albeit directly on the heels of a 1-0 loss to New Mexico United a week ago, their first loss since March 18 in Week 2 of the regular season.

“It was a disappointing road trip,” said Monterey Bay midfielder Simon Dawkins. “We hoped that we’d get something from both of the games, but we just have to dust ourselves off now and focus on the home games that we have coming up. We need to get six points from the next two to propel us up the table.”

“We didn’t play to the best of our capabilities, we had our struggles both offensively and defensively,” explained Monterey Bay defender Kai Greene. ”We made a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes, but that’s part of the game sometimes. Coming off our four-game winning streak, we lost two games back-to-back and obviously that’s never something we want to do.”

He continued, “we see those who support us day in and day out regardless of wins and losses. And those who talk down on us, we see you too – thank you for the motivation. We understand there are always going to be those that criticize us when we’re down. But we’ll bounce back, and we’ll do it for the fans who support us no matter what.”

Monterey Bay F.C. vs. El Paso Locomotive FC
Cardinale Stadium; Seaside, California
Saturday, July 8, 2023; 7:00 p.m. PT

Access MBvELP Match Notes
The Adobe PDF version of the 2023 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.

FiveThirtyEight Predictor
MBFC 36%, ELP 36%, Draw 28%

2023 Records
Monterey Bay F.C. (7-6-5, 26 pts, 5th West); El Paso Locomotive FC (9-4-3, 30 pts, 2nd West)

Monterey Bay F.C. Falls to Western Conference Foe Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Tuesday, July 4, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-6-5, 26 points) wrapped its second match in three days with a 4-0 defeat to fellow Western Conference foe Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (9-9-1, 28 points) at Weidner Field.

The fireworks began right out of the gates for Colorado Springs. Jonas Fjeldberg made a run deep down the right sideline in just the 2nd minute of the match before rounding his defender and whipping a cross into the box toward Juan Tejada who was making a run at the near post. With his first touch, Tejada fired the right-footed volley past the goalkeeper’s left to put the hosts on top 1-0 in the blink of an eye. Monterey Bay continued to absorb pressure from Switchbacks FC for the next several minutes before managing to grab a true footing in the match. In the 37th minute, the Union created a turnover in the hosts side of the pitch that led to a couple of crosses into the box, but Colorado Springs managed to thwart both looks.

Colorado Springs did it again just 15 seconds into the second half. Pushing down the right sideline, a cross into the box by Deshane Beckford was pushed away by Carlos Herrera, but it deflected off Kai Greene and landed perfectly at the feet of Steven Echeverria for the tap into the open net and the 2-0 lead. A chance came for the Union in the 56th minute when Chuy Enríquez and Ugo Okoli each headed the ball up inside the box, but the final header on frame by Nevello Yoseke was caught easily by the goalkeeper. With just over 15 minutes to play, Colorado Springs was awarded a penalty for a dive in the box and Romario Williams converted to bring the scoreline to 3-0. In the 82nd minute, Grant Robinson let go from beyond the box to force the goalkeeper into a diving effort, but his shot missed just wide of the left corner. Two minutes later, Switchbacks FC extended the lead from long distance and the match ended 4-0 in favor of the hosts.

Up Next: Monterey Bay F.C. returns home this Saturday, July 8 for a fixture against El Paso Locomotive FC on Military Appreciation Night at Cardinale Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 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 Paramount+, Hulu, YouTubeTV, FuboTV, and ESPN+.

Notes:
– Juan Tejada’s goal for Colorado Springs in the 2nd minute became the fastest goal allowed (1:31) in Monterey Bay’s short history. The previous record was held by Manuel Quezada who scored for Phoenix Rising FC just 1 minute and 32 seconds into the Union’s inaugural regular season opener a year ago.
– Mobi Fehr (groin) missed the match due to an injury suffered in the club’s match over the weekend.

Match: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs Monterey Bay F.C.
Date: July 4, 2023
Venue: Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colorado
Weather: Foggy and 66 degrees
Attendance: 8,023

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F 
Switchbacks FC   1 3 4
Monterey Bay F.C.  0 0 0
COS: Juan Tejada (Jonas Fjeldberg) 2’
COS: Steven Echeverria 46’
COS: Romario Williams (Penalty) 73’
COS: Steven Echeverria 83’

Lineups:
Switchbacks FC (4-1-4-1): Christian Herrera; James Musa, Matthew Mahoney, Oskar Aegren; Jay Chapman (Tyreek Magee 61’), Patrick Seagrist, Devon Williams, Steven Echeverria; Juan Tejada (Maalique Foster, 61’), Romario Williams (Aaron Wheeler, 87’), Jonas Fjeldberg (Deshane Beckford, 44’)
Subs not used: Joe Kuzminsky, Dennis Erdmann, Marco Rios

Monterey Bay F.C. (4-2-3-1): Carlos Herrera; Grant Robinson, Hugh Roberts, Kai Greene (Alex Lara, 76’), Morey Doner; James Murphy (Adrian Rebollar, 62’), Nevello Yoseke; Chase Boone, Simon Dawkins, Chuy Enríquez (Sam Gleadle, 62’); Ugo Okoli (Christian Volesky, 62’)
Subs not used: Antony Siaha, Walmer Martínez, Alex Dixon

Stats Summary: COS / MB
Shots: 12 / 6
Shots on Goal: 5 / 1
Saves: 1 / 1
Corner Kicks: 2 / 4
Fouls: 11 / 7
Possession: 50.6% / 49.4%

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Matt Thompson
Assistant Referee: Rhett Hammil
Assistant Referee: Ethan Buege
Fourth Official: Patricia McCracken

Monterey Bay Travels to Colorado Springs for 4th of July Matchup Against Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Monday, July 3, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-5-5, 26 points) continues its road trip with a visit to Colorado Springs for a Western Conference clash against Switchbacks FC (8-9-1, 25 points) at 6:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday, July 4 in Week 18 of the 2023 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on ESPN+.

The all-time record is even at one win apiece, but Monterey Bay owns the goal difference battle at +1 behind a 4-2 win at home last May at Cardinale Stadium. However, the Union have not yet won at Weidner Field after losing its road fixture against the Switchbacks in 2022. The Crisp and Kelp and Switchbacks FC last met on May 28, 2022 at Cardinale Stadium in a contest that ended in a 4-2 rout by Monterey Bay. Goals from Hugh Roberts II, Sam Gleadle, Adrian Rebollar and Chase Boone handed Switchbacks FC its first road loss of the campaign at the time. It was the Union’s second victory in a row and third win in four matches during that stretch. 

Following Saturday’s loss to Orange County in which Monterey Bay faltered after having had the lead through 70 minutes, it is important for the Union to bounce back with a positive result against Colorado Springs. The Union are currently sitting in fourth place after sliding down a spot over the weekend, just one spot and one point above their next opponents, albeit with a game in hand. Now fully healthy and having played less than 72 hours prior, expect Frank Yallop’s side to make some changes to the lineup ahead of this clash. Switchbacks FC on the other hand just snapped a two-match losing streak with a 2-0 home win over Miami FC, and will look to fully regain its footing in the Western Conference by giving the fans more than just a post-game fireworks show with a win over Monterey Bay.

Switchbacks FC vs. Monterey Bay F.C.
Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tuesday, July 4, 2023; 6:00 p.m. PT

Access COSvMB Match Notes
The Adobe PDF version of the 2023 Match Guide in advance of Tuesday’s contest between Monterey Bay F.C. and Colorado Springs Switchbacks 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
Switchbacks FC (8-9-1, 25 pts, 5th West); Monterey Bay F.C. (7-5-5, 26 pts, 4th West)

Monterey Bay’s Winning Streak Snapped at Four, Falls 3-1 to Orange County SC at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine

IRVINE, California (Saturday, July 1, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-5-5, 26 points) saw its four match winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss after a late collapse saw Orange County SC (6-8-4, 22 points) come from behind at Championship Soccer Stadium. Hugh Roberts II scored the opening goal of the match for Monterey Bay in the first half, but three goals in the final 20 minutes secured the win for OC.

With the hosts on the front foot to begin the match, Orange County SC earned a clear opportunity inside the box when the ball whipped in from the right found Marc McNulty in the 8th minute, but his header missed way wide of the right post. A minute later, Orange County fired another shot, this time on frame from the top of the 18-yard box, but it was covered up by Antony Siaha. After settling into the match, Monterey Bay began to control more of the possession as the half went on. In the 35th minute, Morey Doner earned a free kick in a dangerous position deep down the right sideline. James Murphy whipped the ball into the box from the set piece toward Roberts II, who rose up above everyone to get his head on it. The ball looped up into the air, over the goalkeeper and down just inside the top-right corner of the frame to give the Crisp and Kelp the 1-0 lead. Orange County SC nearly equalized twice in first half stoppage time, but a shot from Brian Iloski ricocheted off the crossbar and a laser less than a minute later from Kyle Scott missed just over the top, sending the sides into the halftime break with the Union on top.

Monterey Bay pushed forward on the attack in the 53rd minute with a run from Sam Gleadle that was complemented by Christian Volesky and Murphy to his left, but the defense closed it down and Gleadle’s shot from the right side was saved at the near post. A corner kick for Orange County in the 55th minute almost got the hosts on the board, but after dropping inside the box the ball was stopped at the near post and cleared away by the Union defense. Pressure began to build on Monterey Bay with Orange County SC continuing to push for the equalizer, but back-to-back saves by Siaha in the 56th and 58th minutes kept the hosts off the board through an hour of play. But in the 70th minute, Monterey Bay’s shutout streak came to an end at 282 minutes when Thomas Amang snuck a low ball past the outstretched foot of Siaha to level the match at 1-1. Eight minutes later, Orange County jumped in front 2-1 with a shot from Owen Lambe from close distance. Suddenly behind, Monterey Bay began to pile on the pressure in search of an equalizer. Second-half substitute Nevello Yoseke crossed the ball into the box from the left side, but Roberts’ header missed wide to the left. Amang then earned a penalty for the hosts in stoppage time when Siaha was late to challenge for a save. He converted the PK to the goalkeeper’s right to put the match away 3-1 in favor of Orange County, ending Monterey Bay’s league-leading winning streak at four.

Up Next: Monterey Bay continues on the road with a quick stop in Colorado Springs for a fixture with Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field on Tuesday, July 4 at 6 p.m. PT. The match can be streamed live on ESPN+.

Notes:
– Hugh Roberts II scored his first goal of the season for the Union and his first since May 28, 2022 in a 4-2 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Cardinale Stadium. On the play, James Murphy recorded his first regular season assist of the campaign.
– MBFC saw its shutout streak end at 282 minutes when OC scored in the 70th minute and saw its league-leading four-match winning streak come to an with the loss as well.
– The match marked a special return for Ugo Okoli, who has played more matches with Orange County SC (70) than any other club in his career to date.
– Monterey Bay came into the match with no names on the injury report for the first time this season.

Match: Orange County SC vs Monterey Bay F.C.
Date: July 1, 2023
Venue: Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, California
Weather: Clear and 70 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F 
Orange County SC   0 3 3
Monterey Bay F.C.  1 0 1
MB: Hugh Roberts II (James Murphy) 35’
OC: Thomas Amang (Marc McNulty) 70’
OC: Owen Lamb (Ashish Chattha) 78’
OC: Thomas Amang (Penalty) 90+1’

Lineups:
Orange County SC (4-1-4-1): Colin Shutler, Ryan Doghman, Dillon Powers, Markus Nakkim, Owen Lamb; Kevin Partida; Milan Iloski (Daniel Pedersen, 86’), Kyle Scott (Ashish Chattha 72’), Seth Casiple (Oluwakorede Osundina, 86’), Brian Iloski (Thomas Amang, 55’); Marc McNulty (Andrew Fox, 86’)
Subs not used: Cody Cropper, Alex Villanueva

Monterey Bay F.C. (3-4-2-1): Antony Siaha; Mobi Fehr, Hugh Roberts, Kai Greene; Walmer Martínez (Grant Robinson, 66’), James Murphy, Adrian Rebollar (Chuy Enríquez, 84’), Morey Doner; Alex Dixon (Nevello Yoseke, 79’), Sam Gleadle (Simon Dawkins, 84’); Christian Volesky (Ugo Okoli, 79’)
Subs not used: Carlos Herrera, Chase Boone

Stats Summary: OC / MB
Shots: 25 / 8
Shots on Goal: 11 / 2
Saves: 1 / 8
Corner Kicks: 9 / 5
Fouls: 12 / 11
Possession: 51.4% / 48.6%

Misconduct Summary:
OC: Dillon Powers (caution) 33’
MB: Adrian Rebollar (caution) 52’
MB: Walmer Martínez (caution) 56’
MB: Mobi Fehr (caution) 64’
MB: Morey Doner (caution) 75’
OC: Milan Iloski (caution) 83’

Officials:
Referee: Alex Beehler
Assistant Referee: Cameron Siler
Assistant Referee: Darren Bandy
Fourth Official: Servando Berna

Monterey Bay Heads South to Irvine for Fixture Against Orange County SC

IRVINE, California (Friday, June 30, 2023) – Monterey Bay F.C. (7-4-5, 26 points) heads South to Irvine, California for a 7:00 p.m. PT fixture against Orange County SC (5-8-4, 19 points) at Championship Soccer Stadium on Saturday, July 1 in Week 17 of the 2023 USL Championship regular season. Live streaming of the match will be available on ESPN+.

Monterey Bay owns the all-time record 2-0-0 over Orange County SC after completing the season sweep in the Club’s inaugural campaign, including wins at both Cardinale Stadium in Seaside and this weekend’s venue, Championship Soccer Stadium, in Irvine. In addition to the season sweep, the Union have yet to concede a goal to Orange County as Monterey Bay managed to record shutouts in both contests as well.

The Crisp and Kelp and Orange County SC last met on September 7 at Cardinale Stadium. Sam Gleadle scored the lone goal of the match in the second half, his third in two matches at the time to lift Monterey Bay to a 1-0 win. At the back, Antony Siaha recorded the sixth clean sheet of his young career in the contest. This time around, the Union will look to continue its success against Orange County SC with a third consecutive head-to-head win. Overall, Monterey Bay will be looking to secure its fifth win in a row on the season and bring its unbeaten streak to six. A win in Irvine would also be a third consecutive road victory for the first time in the Club’s short history – a feat that is possible following back-to-back wins in Las Vegas and Sacramento earlier this month. 

Monterey Bay’s return to Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine will be Siaha’s first time back since making his professional debut last July in which he recorded his first career clean sheet. It will also mark a special return for Ugo Okoli, who has played more matches with Orange County SC (70) than any other club in his career to date. Despite a short stint with Austin Bold FC, Okoli spent the majority of the past three seasons in Irvine from 2020-2022 before signing with the Crisp and Kelp this past April.

Orange County SC vs. Monterey Bay F.C.
Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, California
Saturday, July 1, 2023; 7:00 p.m. PT

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

2023 Records
Orange County SC (5-8-4, 19 pts, 9th West); Monterey Bay F.C. (7-4-5, 26 pts, 3rd West)