The NPSL Golden Gate Conference is providing to be extremely competitive this season. Five clubs are bunched at the top of the table with 6 points in their first 3 matches, with Napa in first place on goal difference, followed by Sonoma, Sacramento, Oakland, and Davis. Academica and El Farolito are not far behind.
Late Goal Enables Farolito to Overcome Napa
Pedro Ferreira scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute, enabling El Farolito to deal co-league leader Napa Valley 1839 FC its first loss of the NPSL season. Herlbert Soto set up the goal by gathering in a cross and tapping it over to Ferreira, whose top shelf blast gave Napa goalkeeper Carlos Ayala no chance.
Ayala made two key saves with his feet to keep his club in the match, stopping a 16th minute header and a 36th minute shot by Soto off of a corner kick.
Soto was a difficult matchup for Napa throughout the match as he patrolled the right side of the field and sent in dangerous crosses.
Farolito goalkeeper Johan Lizarallde made key saves of his own, including stopping a shot by Dario Pavon in the 17th minute. His best stop of the match was a quick reaction save on a shot by Pol Monells from point blank range in the 63rd minute.
Oscar Ortiz had two shots for Napa, but one was blocked by a Farolito defender and the other saved by Lizarallde.
Farolito nearly added an insurance goal in the 89th minute, when Erik Arias found an opening in the Napa defense, but Ayala rushed over to make the save.
Strong Second Half Propels Academica Over Davis
In Turlock, Academica SC knocked off previously unbeaten FC Davis by a score of 3-1 on Saturday night.
Academica’s David Mejia opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, converting a penalty kick that he earned after being taken down in the box by a Davis defender. Goalkeeper Gerardo Perez-Plata dove to his right; Mejia placed the ball at the left.
Mejia scored a brace with his second goal in the 52nd minute, as he trapped a short cross and blasted the ball over Perez-Plata’s head.
Felipe Lopez added a third three minutes later, as he chased down a cross that had left two Davis defenders flatfooted and guided the ball past Perez-Plata.
Davis had a chance in the 72nd minute when Jorge Negrete’s shot went just over the bar. They finally got on the board 10 minutes later, when Adewumi Aladetimi was taken down in the box and he converted the subsequent penalty kick by sliding the ball just inside the right corner.
First Oakland Derby Goes to Oakland SC
A second-half comeback enabled Oakland SC to beat the Oakland Stompers by a score of 3-1 at Raimondi Park in West Oakland.
The Stompers held the lead at halftime thanks to Nissa Hatifie’s 11th minute goal, assisted by Jose Pineda. But Oakland SC came roaring back, thanks to second half goals by Julio Cervantes (48th minute), substitute Matt Fondy (53rd minute), and Francisco Mendoza (69th minute).
Carrasco’s Hat Trick Enables Contra Costa to Rout Sacramento
Nate Carrasco’s hat trick helped Contra Costa FC earn its first NPSL win of the season in a 5-1 shellacking of previously unbeaten Sacramento Gold FC at Mount Diablo High School in Concord on Sunday night.
The two clubs exchanged early goals, with Carrasco scoring in the 2nd minute and Sacramento’s Kody Duff responding in the 18th.
Carrasco added another goal in the 35th minute to give his club the lead at halftime.
Contra Costa poured it on in the second half, with Carrasco earning the hat trick with a goal in the 52nd minute. Braulio Maravilla added another two minutes later and Salifu Jatta closed out the scoring in the 87th minute.
Next Week
The Golden Gate Conference is taking a break until April 23rd, when Sonoma County hosts Napa and Sacramento hosts Academica. Both Oakland clubs are also at home, with the Stompers hosting Contra Costa at Raimondi Park and Oakland SC hosting El Farolito at Oakland Tech.
