Photo provided by Rocha Multimedia

 

Written by Scott Matulis

 

Fixture: ALBION San Diego (4-1-1) vs Bay Cities FC (5-2-4)

Date & Time: Sunday, June 5 | 1 pm PST

Venue: Canyon Crest Stadium | San Diego, CA

To watch live: https://www.nisasoccer.com/watch-live

Twitter and Instagram for in-game updates: @BayCitiesFC

 

Bay Cities FC goes back on the road to take on ALBION San Diego Sunday, June 5 at Canyon Crest Stadium in San Diego.  Bay Cities has played 11 fixtures so far this season and occupies second place in NISA’s West conference with 17 points.  ALBION San Diego has played six matches and sits in third with 14 points.  This is the second meeting of the season between the clubs, the first, on April 3, ended in a 3-1 victory for Bay Cities, giving the Redwood City club its first win in NISA league competition. 

“This rematch will be business as usual for us, but it will definitely be a fight,” said Bay Cities FC head coach Anders Perez. “They’re looking for revenge from our last game.”

Bay Cities FC is coming off a dominant 3-1 home victory over Flower Cities FC.  Andrew Paoli, Josiah Romero and Jacob Penner each scored a goal in that one. Romero now has five goals on the season to lead the team.  He is second in NISA in goals scored, trailing only Chattanooga's Markus Naglestad who has six.  

Competing in its first season in NISA, Bay Cities has seen its team gel as players get to know each other and learn their roles on the team.  Despite a rash of injuries that includes normal starters Anthony Orendain, Rei Dorwart and Jonathan Partida, and the departure of starting goalie Ian McGrane to MLS Next Pro side St. Louis FC 2, Bay Cities has scored 20 goals while letting in only 14. And while Orendain and Edson Cardona have each scored three goals on the season to go with Romero’s five, Perez credits his midfield with being the strength of the side. 

Andres Jimenez, Carlos Gomez-Zavala, Ivan Valencia and Tony Jimenez have rotated throughout the midfield along with early-season acquisition Andrew Paoli. Each brings high soccer IQ, passing range and composure on the ball which, along with solid man-to-man defending on the backline, allows Perez to institute his possession-based style during games. 

“My playing style is predicated on having technical midfielders,” said Perez. “All our guys in that position including Andrew, Ivan, Tony, and Carlos all have this skill set. That is the strength of our team. Having solid defenders in the back gives us the luxury of being able to play an attacking style. We know our guys can defend 1v1 and also impose their will on the ball. ”

In the two games it has played since its loss to Bay Cities in Redwood City, ALBION San Diego has beaten LA Force 1-0 and played Valley United to a 1-1 draw. The team has scored 12 goals in six games for an average of two goals per game. Congolese striker Mayele Malongo leads the team with two goals on the season.

 

Series History

This will be the second meeting between Bay Cities FC and ALBION San Diego.  The first, an April 3 home game for Bay Cities FC ended 3- 1 in favor of Bay Cities. 

 

Next Home game: Bay Cities FC returns home to Sequoia Stadium on Wednesday, June 18 to take on Chattanooga FC.  For tickets, click here.