SUFC Team News #16 – Long Beach, CA
By Dan Minkoff
Playing with a depleted roster against the undefeated first-place team was always going to be tough. Making its longest UPSL Premier road trip of the season didn’t make it any easier. Add in the compounding effect of a couple unlucky bounces and some debatable calls that went against Shoreline United, and it all added up to a 4-1 loss to Coachella FC on Saturday at Rancho Las Flores Park in Coachella.
Shoreline United started the game strong. The hosts had trouble creating anything dangerous while Shoreline strikers Sebastian Rus and Aaron Minkoff tested goalkeeper Luis Valdez a couple of times in the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, one of Coachella’s first sustained attacks forced a Shoreline clearance that deflected directly to an unmarked attacker in the penalty area. Shoreline goalkeeper Alan Solorio came off his line to make a great save, but the rebound bounced right to Richie Meza, who slotted home in the 12th minute for the first of his three goals.
Coachella committed the first of several hard fouls in the 18th minute when one of its players caught Connor Borra on a tackle from behind that left him on the ground for several minutes.
“Connor was hurt, he was down and the ref didn’t stop the game or even check on him,” said Minkoff, Shoreline co-captain. “I asked the ref about it and he told me our player had ‘fake tears.’ I wasn’t happy about that.”
The game was fairly even for the next 20 minutes when Shoreline found itself on a counterattack with Rus dribbling down the left. He was tackled from behind on a clear attempt to stop the break. The referee awarded Shoreline a free kick, but players and staff were frustrated by the decision not to caution the defender.
“That was another one where I didn’t understand the ref’s decision,” Minkoff said.
Meza made the score 2-0 in the 40th minute, but Shoreline generated enough scoring chances to keep the game interesting. In the second half, while Borra was in control of the ball deep in his own half, he was shoved hard in the back, causing him to lose possession and setting up Coachella for its third goal, which effectively killed the game. It was yet another decision by the referee that Shoreline players disagreed with.
With only two subs on the bench, Shoreline’s ability to change the game in any meaningful way was limited, although Rus helped avoid the shutout, scoring his first goal of the season in the 85th minute.
Shoreline fell to 3-1-5 with 10 points and dropped to 9th place in the 11-team SoCal North division. Coachella remained undefeated at 7-2-0 and clinched first place with 23 points, four points ahead of second place Laguna United with one game remaining.
Shoreline’s final game of the fall season has been rescheduled and now will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10 against SoCal United at Dignity Health Sports Park, field #7.
Vamos Shoreline! #ForTheLBC
