SUFC Team News #11 – Long Beach, CA
By Dan Minkoff
In a UPSL Premier match that showcased resilience and determination, Shoreline United FC earned its first point of the season by coming back twice to tie, 3-3, with Inland Empire FC. With both teams looking for their first win in the SoCal North division, the draw kept Shoreline (0-1-3, 1 point) ahead of IEFC (0-2-3, -1). IEFC was the 2024 UPSL national playoff finalist, although has struggled without its college players during the fall campaign. Current college players are ineligible to play UPSL until their college season ends.
Early Mistakes Put Shoreline in a Hole
Shoreline United struggled early with key turnovers, two of which turned into counterattack goals for Inland Empire and put the host in a 2-0 hole. Shoreline kept fighting, however, and found a breakthrough just before halftime. Right back Nick Sailer came down the side and floated a beautiful cross to James Obleda, who headed in for his first goal of the season to cut the deficit in half.
The team went into the break with a much more positive outlook. “Yeah, I think that goal kind of changed the game,” Obleda said. “We were down, and then that goal kind of brought some life to the team. We changed formation, started pressing more, and it uplifted the team.”
Second Half: The Comeback
The second half saw Shoreline United come out with renewed vigor and a belief that more goals would come. “Yeah, we knew after that there were some gaps in their defense, and we could, through the game, we could penetrate,” Obleda said. “It felt good to get the point. But after we scored that third goal, we grabbed the ball because we knew in this game, we could have gotten even more.”
Jhoel Sarraude, Shoreline’s leader this season with four goals, was instrumental in the comeback, scoring the equalizer in the 53rd minute to make it 2-2. Unfortunately, another breakdown let Inland Empire score four minutes later against the run of play with striker Daniel Reynaga completing his hattrick. Shoreline United continued to pressure, hitting the crossbar three times before Sarraude struck again, this time in the 76th minute, to level the score at 3-3.
“Super, super important to go into the half with the goal,” Shoreline United Assistant Coach Jaime Corpus said. “Just our mentality, it motivated us. We switched the formation to a 4-3-3, and that really helped. Also, amazing saves by [goalkeeper] Julian [Lau] today. The post said ‘No’ today; we were just unlucky with that. It probably feels like a win for them, but a loss for us, even though we got a point.”
Encouraging Signs
Despite climbing out of a hole twice, Shoreline United seemed like the team most likely to win, especially in the second half. While the draw felt bittersweet, it marked a significant step forward for Shoreline United FC.
“It’s a super frustrating point,” Corpus said. “The goalpost said, ‘Not today,’ but overall, we’ll take it. It’s an important point, and I think we’re finding our rhythm slowly. It’s crucial to keep [IEFC] below us on the table.”
Looking Ahead
As they continue to improve, fans can look forward to more exciting performances in the upcoming matches.
Shoreline United FC’s next challenge will be to build on this momentum and secure its first win of the season. The team will travel to face Ocelot Academy (based in Colton, CA) this weekend, although the day, time and location is still TBD (check here for a schedule update). After that, Shoreline will host San Fernando Valley FC at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the LBCC soccer fields.
Vamos Shoreline! #ForTheLBC
