Pro Soccer: Depleted Union earn scoreless draw with Charleston
SEASIDE – The month of May will be one to put in the rear-view mirror for Monterey Bay F.C. Winless in six matches equals its worst month in franchise history.
Yet, despite a 0-4-2 mark — including a loss in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — if the season ended today, the Union would be playoff bound, closing the month Wednesday with a scoreless draw with defending league champion Charleston.
While the draw stretched the Union’s winless streak in the United Soccer League Championship to six matches, they currently sit in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with 16 points at 4-5-4.
Injuries have crippled the Union over the last month, as six players sat out their showdown with the defending USL champions, who came into the match 8-1-3 and in command of the Eastern Conference, with a league best 28 points.
The Battery have been in a mini slump since opening the season unbeaten in their first 11 matches, dropping their first USL match last week to El Paso, as well as falling in the U.S. Open Cup to Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United.
Monterey Bay F.C. played the match without its leading scorer in Tristan Trager and Chase Boone, who led the team in goals in its first season in 2022.
Not surprisingly, their offensive struggles against the league’s top ranked team continued. The Union have produced just one goal in their last three matches. Salvaging a tie, however, gives them a 2-1-3 record on the pitch at Cardinale Stadium.
Arguably the most challenging portion of the season continues for Monterey Bay F.C., who will host Western Conference leader New Mexico United on Sunday, before hosting defending Western Conference champion Sacramento on June 9.
One of the Union’s losses during their seven-game winless streak, which dates back to April 27, came at Sacramento in the U.S. Open Cup, where they were beaten 2-0.
Before injuries riddled Monterey Bay F.C., it had gotten off to its best start in its three-year existence at 4-1-2, even holding the Western Conference lead for about two hours.
Goalie Antony Siaha picked up his third shutout between the pipes for the Union.
