Monterey Bay F.C. concludes inaugural season with 4-1 loss to Rio Grande Valley F.C.

EDINBURG, Texas (KION-TV)- Monterey Bay F.C. (12-18-4, 40 points) saw their inaugural season come to a close Saturday night with a 4-1 loss to Rio Grande Valley F.C. (14-13-7, 49 points) in their season finale.

Looking to snap a three match losing streak, the Union ran into trouble early at H-E-B Park. Only minutes into the match, a red card against Monterey Bay F.C. changed the course of the showdown.

Defender Hunter Gorskie was dealt a red card, resulting in a Rio Grande Valley F.C. penalty kick. Toros defender Erik Pimentel missed the attempt but was redeemed by his teammate Juan Torres. The midfielder scored off the deflection by Union goalkeeper Carlos Herrera.

By halftime, the Toros extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to a goal from forward Frank López off a skillfully placed cross by defender Jonathan Ricketts.

The second half yielded more frustration as the Monterey Bay F.C. scoring drought continued.

In the 60th minute, the Union finally found the back of the net, but instead of cutting into the lead, Jiro Barriga-Toyama extended it. The midfielder, attempting to break up a pass, accidentally scored an own goal making it Toros 3, Union 0.

Even by stoppage time, both teams were far from finished. The Toros recorded their fourth goal as defender Akeem O'Connor-Ward scored unassisted in the 92nd minute. The goal marked his second of the season.

On the verge of two straight scoreless matches, Monterey Bay F.C. avoided a clean sheet thanks to some late game heroics. The Crisp and Kelp's lone goal came from forward Jesse Maldonado in the third minute of stoppage time. Maldonado entered the game in the 76th minute and managed to net his first professional goal by the end of his stint.

With the 4-1 loss, Monterey Bay F.C. finishes the season with a 12-18-4 overall record. Rio Grande Valley F.C. will continue their season in the Western Conference Playoffs.