Albion San Diego was crowned champions of the NISA Independent Cup Southern California Region on Sunday night after a hard-fought 3-1 win over NISA Nation representative Capo FC at JSerra Stadium in San Juan Capistrano.

The team, led by head coach Ziggy Korytoski, started in impressive fashion dominating the early part of the match and was about the take the lead after just 90 seconds when forward Mayele Malango was taken down inside the box, but the referee gave no penalty call.

Malango got his revenge in the 37th minute on a header from point-blank range courtesy of a beautiful cross from teammate Tyler Gabarra. The two would connect again in the 51st minute when Gabarra sent a quick pass down the middle of the field that found the streaking Malango who chipped it over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Nate King.

Midfielder Walter Varela almost put the game away in the 59th minute with a shot from 25 yards out, but King was up to the task with an incredible diving save.

Albion goalkeeper Ryan Buckingham came up big himself in the second half with two spectacular saves back to back in the 69th minute first off a header from two yards out that he deflected going against his body’s momentum followed by a rebound from close range that he smothered before the ball crossed the line.

Albion put the game away in the 71st minute when forward Eddie Benito scored the goal of the match off a pass from Malango when his right-footed shot from just inside the box lobbed over the head of King who had left his line.

Capo FC scored their lone goal of the match in the 76th minute on a turnover in the midfield that became a breakaway opportunity for the 3-1 final. Albion finished with 10 men after an 87th minute red card was issued to midfielder Luismel Morris.

Albion now gets ready to return to NISA league play at Canyon Crest Academy Stadium in a rematch versus Syracuse Pulse on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The two teams last faced each other on June 15 with Albion coming out with a 3-0 win.

SAN DIEGO LOYAL

San Diego moved into second place in the USL Championship standings thanks to a 2-1 victory over Rio Grande Valley Toros on Saturday night at Torero Stadium. San Diego appeared to take the lead in the 16th minute when forward Tumi Moshobane found teammate Nick Moon running down the left side, but his goal was disallowed on a close offside call.

Goalkeeper Koke Vegas kept the visitors off the scoresheet with two spectacular saves first in the 26th minute followed by a diving fingertip deflection that ended up bouncing off the post in the 37th minute from a shot by forward Ricky Ruiz.

The Loyal would take advantage moments later when Moshobane shot an absolute missile with his left foot that beat goalkeeper Tyler Deric. After RGV tied the match in the 49th minute courtesy of former Liga MX player Erik Pimentel it looked like shades of the match back on May 21 where the Toros came out with a 2-1 win after falling behind in the first half. That was not the case this time as Moshobane found Evan Conway forward on a free kick in the 55th minute to give San Diego Loyal the lead they would not relinquish.

The team, led by head coach Landon Donovan, now has 40 points in 21 matches with a goal differential of plus 12, same as the Colorado Switchbacks, with San Diego holding the tiebreaker.

The Loyal next faces reigning USL Championship title holder Orange County SC on Saturday, July 30 at Championship Stadium in Irvine before they take on the conference and league leader San Antonio FC on Aug. 6 at Torero Stadium. It will be the first time the two teams played since San Antonio knocked out San Diego in the first round of the 2021 USL Championship playoffs.

Hector Trujillo has been covering soccer starting with the San Diego State University men’s soccer team in 2003 for The Daily Aztec. A graduate of SDSU where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees, Trujillo has a lifelong passion for playing and writing about the beautiful game.

Photos courtesy of Albion San Diego and San Diego Loyal SC