Albion San Diego successfully defended its NISA Independent Cup So Cal Region title after a 4-2 victory over Bay Area United FC on Wednesday night at Championship Stadium in Irvine.

After falling in the 5th minute on a goal from forward Abdulrahman Algabri, Albion got the tying score from midfielder Lennyn Carreon in the 15th minute after beating goalkeeper Victor Rosales with a right-footed shot from 10 yards out.

Albion San Diego looked to take control of the match with back-to-back goals from forward Aleksandar Gluvacevic in the 45th and 57th minute giving his team a two-goal advantage. NISA Nation representative Bay Area United kept pushing forward to get back in the game. Still, Albion goalkeeper Ryan Buckingham was up to the task with several critical interventions in the second half.

The visitors eventually capitalized on a breakaway opportunity in the 64th minute on a quick counter-attack where midfielder Ahmed Amara was able to get in between the defenders cutting the lead in half. Albion San Diego responded in the 69th minute with a goal from point-blank range by defender Anthony Patti who took a pass from teammate Cyrus Tran and was able to beat Rosales for the 4-2 final.

Albion now gets ready for regular season play with two road games starting with the Maryland Bobcats on Oct. 4 followed by a trip to Rochester, N.Y., to take on Flower City Union on Oct. 7 before returning home to close out against the Michigan Stars on Oct. 15 at Canyon Crest Academy.

Albion San Diego sits in second place in the NISA standings with 36 points, which is one point better than LA Force. The top-two seeds earn a first-round bye in the playoffs with the top-six making the postseason.

Photo by John Cocozza Photography