July 16, 2022
USL Championship League Match
Cardinale Stadium, Seaside CA

Zippo

Back-to-back clean sheets on the road for Nate in Indy and Monterey Bay

With a decade of history, it is hard to conceive of Detroit City FC as an expansion franchise.  But they are, this their first season in the USL Championship.

The Fresno Football Club played two seasons in the USL Championship (2018, 2019) before folding on December 19, 2019, citing the lack of a soccer specific stadium as the reason.  Keeping the franchise rights, owner Ray Beshoff began the search for a new location.  He found a home and on February 21, 2021, it was announced that Monterey Bay F.C. (not Monterey Bay FC or Monterey FC or Monterey as the team’s match notes declare) would begin play in the USL Championship in 2022.  Frank Yallop was named the team’s head coach and sporting director.  Yallop, a Canadian national who capped 52 matches for country and played 13 season with Ipswich Town FC in the English Championship, coached the San Jose Earthquakes to two MLS Championships (2001, 2003).

Card #56 of 1993 Upper Deck World Cup USA 94 set of Frank Yallop

The 2022 USL Championship debutantes took to the pitch against each other for the first time this evening. It was also Monterey Bay’s first home match against an Eastern Conference team.

City entered the match in 5th place in the East, rolling on a three-game unbeaten run, with two wins and a draw, conceding only one goal.  Monterey Bay had found life in the USL Championship rather difficult.  They sat at the floor of the Western Conference table, with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses.  They had won their previous match, 2-nil over Orange County SC after a five-match winless streak (four losses and a draw).

Detroit City FC
Starting XI

Nate Steinwascher – GK
Matt Lewis – D
Michael Bryant – D
Karl Ouimette – D
Rhys Williams – D
Deklan Wynne – D
Maxi Rodriguez – M
Abdoulaye Diop – M
Pato Botello-Faz – F
Connor Rutz – F
Antoine Hoppenot – F

Monterey Bay F.C.
Starting XI

Antony Siaha – GK
Grant Robinson – D
Hugh Roberts – D
Kai Greene – D
Morey Doner – D
James Murphy – M
Mobi Fehr – M
Hunter Gorskie – M
Simon Dawkins – F
Christian Volesky – F
Adrian Rebollar – F

Mark Allatin, the referee, has been the head official of USL Championship matches since 2018.  On June 25th of this year, he made his debut as a ref in an MLS match; a nil-nil draw between Real Salt Lake and Columbus Crew SC in Utah, showing two yellow cards.  His two assistants this match were Baboucarr Jallow and Bhavik Dutt.  The fourth official was Adam Zarrin.

When you watch football, every once and a while a match just doesn’t deliver.  This was one such match.  It had a promising start when Christian Volesky slotted in a shot from a tight angle that zipped past Nate Steinwascher, but was saved on the line by a sliding Rhys Williams in the 8th minute.

Then, in the 20th minute, Antoine Hoppenot delivered a ball to the front of goal where Pato headed it on target but into the arms of Antony Siaha.  Beyond that, the teams played an even match, generating little offense.  Monterey Bay made three subs – a double sub in the 70th minute bringing in Seku Conneh and Jason Johnson in for Christian Volesky and Simon Dawkins, respectively, and an 84th minute exchange of Chris Cortez for Adrian Rebollar.  City’s only change was introducing Francis Atuahene for Pato in the 83rd minute.

STATS

Monterey Bay F.C. 0, Detroit City FC 0

ATTENDANCE:  3,357

Possession: Monterey Bay 44.7%, DCFC 55.3%
Offsides:  Monterey Bay 0, DCFC 2
Corners:  Monterey Bay 5, DCFC 4
Passes:  Monterey Bay 441, DCFC 544
Passing Accuracy: Monterey Bay 76.9%, DCFC 80.5%
Shots:  Monterey Bay 9, DCFC 7
Shots on Target: Monterey Bay 1, DCFC 1
Blocked Shots:  Monterey Bay 2, DCFC 1
Fouls: Monterey Bay 10, DCFC 13
Yellow Cards:  Monterey Bay 4 (Simon Dawkins, Morey Doner, Adrian Rebollar, James Murphy), DCFC 1 (Abdoulaye Diopl)
Red Cards:  Monterey Bay 0, DCFC 0

KEEPER KIT RECORD (Both USL Championship and Open Cup)

A draw and clean sheet in yellow.

• Purple Kit:  3 draws
• Yellow Kit: 5 wins, 3 draw, 1 loss 4 clean sheets
• Blue Kit: 6 wins, 1 draw, 4 loss, 3 clean sheets.

IN OTHER USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES TODAY:

Loudoun United 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 4
Charleston Battery 3, Hartford Athletic 1
Orange County SC 0, The Miami FC 0
Memphis 901 FC 1, Louisville City FC 2
New Mexico United 1, Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1
San Antonio FC 5, Atlanta United II 0
Oakland Roots 4, El Paso Locomotive 0
Sacramento Republic 0, Birmingham Legion 1