The opening weekend of the NPSL Golden Gate Conference season featured two return matchups from the first round of last season’s playoffs, as well as the debut of last season’s champion.
The Golden Gate Conference is starting seven weeks earlier than the rest of the NPSL regions this season. Coaches face the challenge of playing matches with a significant percentage of their roster not yet available, particularly current college players.
Sacramento Stuns El Farolito with Late Penalty
Kody Duff converted an 88th minute penalty to enable Sacramento Gold FC to snatch three points with a 2-1 win over El Farolito at Boxer Stadium in San Francisco. Duff earned a brace on the day, having previously scored in the 53rd minute to even the match for Sacramento.
Early in the match, Sacramento had a slight advantage in possession, but El Farolito scored first, on an 11th minute goal by Francisco Cordoba. Both clubs struggled to create clear chances on a cold, overcast afternoon and a slow field after intermittent rain. Both defenses put in an intense physical effort, with 5 yellow cards issued to Farolito players and Gold players receiving 4.
After Sacramento evened the match early in the second half, Farolito goalkeeper Johan Lizarralde made a pair of difficult saves, coming out to deflect away a pair of shots from close range.
Farolito had a couple of chances to retake the lead. In the 75th minute, Jesus Moreno tried a one-timer off of the break that was off target. A few minutes later, substitute Erik Arias made a run along the right side with an opening at the near post, but his shot went wide.
Napa Wins Seesaw Battle with Contra Costa FC
Napa Valley 1839 FC opened their season with a 3-2 home win over Contra Costa FC, the same score as in their first round playoff match last year.
The only goal of the first half came in the 23rd minute, when a long ball out of the back found Napa’s Oscar Ortiz streaking along the left side, with one defender to beat. Contra Costa goalkeeper Jeremy Zielinski rushed out to the edge of the box to try and poke the ball away, but took Lopez down instead. Zielinski guessed correctly on the penalty kick, but Pol Monells’ effort was just out of his reach.
Contra Costa evened the match in the 60th minute, when former USF star Gabriel Bracken Serra converted a penalty after a Contra Costa striker was taken down in the box.
There was a flurry of goals in the final 20 minutes of the match. Napa’s Dario Pavon gave his club the lead in the 72nd minute, sprinting past a Contra Costa defender to intercept a back pass to the goalkeeper. Zielinski came out to challenge him, but Pavon was able to muscle it into the empty net.
In the 77th minute, confusion in the Napa Valley backline enabled former Cal star JJ Foe Nuphaus to tap in a corner kick at the near post.
Off of the subsequent kickoff, Miguel Galvan sent a pass to newly arrived substitute Billy Biondini as he made his run along the right side, then dribbled it along the goal line and crossed the ball back to Galvan at the near post. Galvan was able to deflect the ball past two Contra Costa defenders and into the net.
There was a scuffle involving several players at the final whistle and Napa’s Ian Reis was red carded.
Sonoma County Stuns Academica
Host Sonoma County Sol FC defeated defending champion Academica SC by a score of 4-3 on Saturday night.
Sonoma’s Maurilio Lopez opened the scoring in the 27th minute by converting a penalty kick. Academica evened up the match 11 minutes later, when Roberto Mejia’s curving ball tucked inside the far post, on an assist by Adrian Yepez.
The second half was a golazo, with Sonoma retaking the lead on Alex Climaco’s goal in the 51st minute, and Juan Flores answering for Academica in the 62nd.
As the clocked ticked down, Sonoma broke the match open, with Lopez earning a brace with another goal in the 73rd minute, and Kyle Owings scoring seven minutes later to give them a two-goal advantage.
Flores closed out the scoring for Academica in stoppage time to earn a brace of his own.
Next Week
Next week’s matches are highlighted by a rematch of last season’s final, with El Farolito traveling to Turlock to play Academica SC. The #1 seed in last season’s playoffs, FC Davis, makes its season debut on Sunday, traveling to Concord to play Contra Costa FC. Contra Costa also has its first round U.S. Open Cup match on the road to Portland Timbers U23 on Wednesday evening.
Both Oakland SC and the Oakland Stompers make their season debuts on Saturday, with the Stompers hosting Sonoma County and Oakland SC traveling to Sacramento.
