Bay Cities FC emphatically ended its league scoring drought, but a sudden strike by Omar Nuño in the waning moments of stoppage time enabled the Cal United Strikers to escape with a 4-3 home victory on Saturday night.
Anthony Orendain scored a brace for Bay Cities, which had been shut out in their three previous NISA matches. But Nuño answered with a brace of his own.
The match was a seesaw affair that saw Cal United take the lead three times, only to have Bay Cities equalize each time.
Cal United’s Tony Lopez opened the scoring in the 7th minute, after a shot by 15-year-old phenom Marcus Lee hit the crossbar. Lopez grabbed the rebound, shifted the ball to his left foot, and beat goalkeeper Alonso Lara at the far post.
Orendain equalized for Bay Cities in the 29th minute, taking a corner kick from Rei Dorwart and sending a looping header that was just out of reach for goalkeeper Steven Barrera.
The two teams traded goals in the remaining minutes of the first half, as Nuño headed home a corner in the 39th minute and Iván Valencia equalized with a beautiful team effort in stoppage time. Valencia played a series of short passes with Dorwart and Orendain that set him up to blast the ball into the net from the edge of the 6 yard box.
The match quieted down early in the second half, and there was no further scoring until the 75th minute, when Cal United’s Felipe Liborio Jr. crossed the ball to Andy Contreras who was unmarked in the box. Contreras shifted the ball to his left foot and blasted a shot that tucked just inside the far post.
Orendain answered 4 minutes later, heading home a corner kick from substitute Edson Cardona.
Bay Cities appeared to be on their way to earning at least a point, but Nuño broke their hearts in the second minute of stoppage time on a header from close range that was set up by Ryotaro Kawashima’s cross from near the left touchline.
Bay Cities resumes its quest for its first conference win as they return home next Saturday night to take on ASC San Diego.
