Academica SC captured the NPSL Golden Gate Conference championship with a 2-0 win over El Farolito, thanks to two goals in the final 10 minutes by veteran striker Coby Golbad, a native of nearby Merced who has been with the club since 2016.
Despite 100-degree temperatures, the clubs battled in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd, many of whom sought the shade of the tall trees that surround the Academica Soccer Fields. It was a festive afternoon, with Turlock also hosting the San Joaquin Valley Portuguese Festival. Academica SC was founded in 1972 by members of the local Portuguese Cultural Center.
Missed Chances from Both Teams
El Farolito had much of the possession in the first 15 minutes, with Dembor Benson as their primary target man. Benson had scored three times in the club’s previous two playoff matches.
But as the half went on, Academica started to assert itself at the offensive end. They had two excellent chances on a corner kick in the 21st minute. Farolito goalkeeper Jonathan Barona made a kick save on Jahrie Gray’s shot from the six-yard line and Gray’s one-timer on the rebound was blocked by Carlos Pertuz and cleared away.
The clubs traded chances for the remainder of the half.
- In the 27th minute, after a period of sustained possession, Farolito sent in a long ball that found Benson with space at the far post, but his soft header trickled wide of the open net.
- In the 30th minute, Academica’s Felipe Lopez’s shot from the top of the box was partially deflected by Farolito defender Danny Mititelu and was heading for the top left corner until Barona tipped it away.
- In the 41st minute, Farolito’s Irving Garcia was yellow carded for a rough tackle on Manuel Villegas just outside the penalty area. On Bryan Manriquez’s subsequent free kick, Barona charged out to punch away the cross. Ramiro Ceja grabbed the rebound and his shot was headed for the back of the net, but Pertuz cleared the ball off the line.
- Farolito’s Erik Arias had a shot on goal just seconds before the halftime whistle, but it was an easy save for Academica goalkeeper Alonso Lara.
Frustration for El Farolito
The early part of the second half was frustrating for Farolito’s offense, particularly for Benson.
- In the 46th minute, Farolito substitute Jhonatan Perez had a chance along the left wing, but his shot was smothered by Lara as Benson stood at the far post, calling for the ball.
- Three minutes later, Farolito’s Oscar Movil had another chance on the left side, but Daniel Gomez deflected his shot over the goal line, while Benson stood a few feet away, hoping for a rebound.
- In the 57th minute, Benson had an opening on the counterattack, but his shot went over the crossbar.
- In the 60th minute, Farolito’s Gabriel Arias got his head on a cross over the middle, but it sailed over the crossbar.
Academica’s best chance in the early part of the half came in the 61st minute. A series of passes led to Ramiro Ceja finding himself open at the top of the box, but his shot went high over the crossbar.
Academica Takes Charge
As the match went on, Academica took control, and much of the final 20 minutes was played in El Farolito’s end of the field.
In the 74th minute, Lopez sent a longball from the back that found Golbad alone with Mititelu, but he and Barona were able to stop Goldbad from getting a shot off.
In the 79th minute, Academica appealed for a handball in the box, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
By then, a goal seemed inevitable, and it finally came in the 81st minute, on a deft give and go. Goldbad sent a pass into the open space on the right for Gray and made his run to the near post; Gray’s short cross was perfectly placed for Goldbad to head into the net, as the fans sitting under the trees behind the goal joined in the players’ endline celebration.
Jorge Carmona sealed the match for Academica with a great individual effort in the 87th minute, as he made his run along the left sideline, dribbled around Mititelu and sent a short cross that Goldbad tapped into the net.
Immediately after the goal, Farolito’s Pertuz was red carded for arguing with the referee.
Shoving Match at the Final Whistle
Golbad left the match in the 93rd minute to give the home fans a chance to celebrate his accomplishment, but there was still animosity between the two teams. Just seconds before the final whistle, Farolito’s Jehimy Arias was yellow carded for a hard foul on Academica’s Jose Luis Rodriguez. And as the final whistle blew, Arias fell as he collided with Academica’s Jorge Lara, who taunted him as he was getting up off of the pitch. Several players from both sides got into brief scuffle as Academica’s ultras set off smoke flares on the field and ran onto the pitch. Jorge Lara continued yelling at Farolito players as team staff separated them.
After the Farolito players had left the field, the team gathered together with their fans and posted for photos and drank from the cup that they’d just won. In winning the tournament, which featured all eight members of the Golden Gate Conference, Academica had overcome the loss of six key players who had left the team in order to begin training for the upcoming college season.
The match was also Academica’s first win over one of its most intense rivals since both clubs joined the NPSL in 2018. Since then, Farolito has won four times, including a memorable U.S. Open Cup first round match in Turlock in 2019. There have also been two draws, including the clubs’ regular season meeting earlier this season.
