After two weeks of play, Sacramento and Sonoma County have jumped to the top of the table, with wins in their first two matches of the season. Davis FC made an impressive season debut, while Academica recovered from last week’s loss to Sonoma.
Academica Overwhelms Shorthanded El Farolito
A dominant second half performance enabled host Academica SC to win the rematch of last season’s conference final, beating El Farolito by a score of 3-0. But it was a rematch in name only, as both clubs were missing numerous players that will be integral parts of their teams later this season.
The two clubs have developed an intense rivalry over the past few years and the matches between them are often very physical. Six Academica players were yellow carded, but it was Farolito that bore the brunt of the referee’s punishment.
The turning point of the match came just before halftime, when Farolito’s Juan Ortiz was red carded. Academica took advantage two minutes into the second half, when Juan Flores converted a penalty kick.
Adrian Yepez added a second goal for Academica in the 52nd minute.
Things got worse for Farolito in the 82nd minute, when Werner Santos and Head Coach Salvador Lopez were ejected. Manuel Romero soon took advantage of Farolito’s nine-man crew, adding a third in the 88th minute to seal Farolito’s second consecutive defeat.
Oakland SC are Blown Out in NPSL Debut
Sacramento Gold FC took the lead late in the first half and poured it on in the final 20 minutes to earn a 4-0 home victory over Oakland SC.
While Oakland’s roster is primarily made up of younger players, they have added several familiar faces including two former Oakland Roots forwards, Julio Cervantes and the well-travelled Matt Fondy.
Dalton Pando got Sacramento on the board in the 44th minute to give his team the lead heading into the dressing room.
Oakland remained hopeful for a result until the Manolo Pina put the match out of reach with a goal in the 72nd minute. Nicolaus Medina added a third goal seven minutes later, and Pina completed a brace in the 85th minute.
Sonoma First Half Barrage is Barely Enough To Beat Stompers
Sonoma County Sol FC jumped out to a big lead and hung on to beat the Oakland Stompers 4-3 at Raimondi Park in Oakland.
Allan Estrada opened the scoring in the 10th minute for Sonoma and Maurilio Lopez added another on a penalty kick 4 minutes later. Zane Stromberg made it 3-0 by heading home a corner kick in the 35th minute.
Former Afghanistan U23 national team member Suliman Khorami gave Oakland a glimmer of hope in the 43rd minute, scoring on an assist by veteran midfielder Prince Bere. But the Stompers gave up an own goal one minute later and headed into the locker room down 4-1.
Khorami helped get Oakland back into the match when his corner kick was headed home by Hasseb Babacarkhial in the 71st minute. And Khorami completed a brace, scoring his second goal of the match in the 80th minute. But the Stompers were unable to find an equalizer.
Davis Tops Contra Costa in Seesaw Battle
FC Davis had an auspicious start to the 2022 campaign with a 3-2 road victory over Contra Costa FC on Sunday night.
Contra Costa completed its week with a pair of tough losses, after falling short by a 2-1 margin against Portland Timbers U23 in their first round U.S. Open Cup match. Contra Costa was the dominant team for much of the first half and rallied in the waning moments of the second half in hopes of sending the match into overtime.
Cal’s Nate Carrasco got Contra Costa on the board first with a goal in the 11th minute. But the Lions’ Aaron Schten evened the match 4 minutes later.
Carrasco completed a brace in the 25th minute, converting a penalty kick. Carrasco was able to play for Contra Costa in this week’s matches because UC Berkeley is on spring break.
But Alec Sundly’s 33rd minute equalizer gave Davis the momentum heading into halftime and Adewumi Aladetimi scored the game-winner in the 57th minute.
Next Week
A battle of unbeatens highlights Saturday’s schedule, as Davis hosts Sonoma County. And Napa Valley 1839 FC hosts Academica, in a rematch of last season’s playoff semifinal.
Oakland SC celebrates their first home match as a member of the NPSL, when they take on Contra Costa. And El Farolito hosts the Oakland Stompers at Boxer Stadium, with both clubs seeking their first win of the season.
