On Sunday, California Natives overpowered FCC 4-1 in the Raul Briones Cup group stage.
Pre-game
This matchup is the first time both teams have faced each other in competitive play. For the hosts, the Cali Natives have a W-L-L-W-L record in the SoCal Premier League and the RB Cup. The visitors, FC Cypress, are on a W-L-T-L-W record in the SoCal Premier League and the RB Cup.
Match-Recap
On a beautiful evening at Indian Springs High School in San Bernardino, the crowd of 35 witnessed both teams’ kickoff in the RB Cup group stage. The hosts, Cali Natives, play in blue while the guests’ FCC is in grey.
The contrast between both sides couldn’t be more evident; FCC looked older and slower and invited pressure. The boys in blue were mainly young with pace, using the width of the field and intensity. They opened up with a goal in the 14′ from a mistake by FCC that landed nicely for Santos Valenzuela and finished it to the right.
In the meantime, FC Cypress struggled to respond; they applied no offensive pressure, bunkered two lines of defense, and couldn’t connect passes to transition for an attack. However, they did play their cards right in the 22′ when one of the Cali Natives overstayed with the ball in his own box and got nicked for the boys in grey to tie it up.
Despite the tie, Cali Natives continued their dominance of possession, but chances and shots on target were few and far between as the referee blew his whistle for halftime.
The second half continued at the same pace as the first half; there was no difference in the game. The blue team’s continued dominance of possession made the game a platform for the players to improvise a team strategy. They took their time and experimented from this point on.
Meanwhile, FCC got a player who suffered a critical injury that forced him to step off the field. Making matters worse, FCC had no subs or an athletic trainer to step in, so they were forced to play with ten men.
It pays off in the 67′ when Cali Natives win a corner kick on the left side. They lob it to Leonel Avila 30 yards out of the box and do a lob shot that rainbows over the keeper and in the back of the net. The small crowd cheered in excitement and disbelief, thinking the ball would be an easy grab for the keeper. 2-1 for Cali Natives.
The hosts now slow down the game’s intensity, playing from the back and defenders contributing to the attack from the halfway mark. They strike again in the 76′ by Erick Torres. He receives a bouncing pass and chips the ball over the keeper to get the insurance goal.
Moments later, the injured FCC player returns to play, and now the visitors are at full strength. Unfortunately, the game dynamic doesn’t change. With 5 minutes left before stoppage time, Miguel Marroquin receives a defense-breaking pass and slots it low and to the right from the half circle.
The final whistle blows and the home team gets a deserved and predictable win over FCC with a score of 4-1.
Post-game
With that result, the hosts California Natives will host Olympiacos CA on the 15th for the final group stage match. For the boys in purple, their next opponent is again on the road to face Buena Park FC on Sunday the 15th.
All videos are done by my partner, Logan Walsh. Follow him on his Instagram and YouTube channel for more IE highlights.