TULSA, Oklahoma >> There will be a lot of conversations in the off season, with changes sure to come for Monterey Bay F.C.
Whether the expectations were realistic or not for a third-year franchise, the Union didn’t live up to the hype, resulting in a mid-season coaching change and its worst season on record.
The Union closed the 2024 season Saturday, falling 2-1 at Tulsa, finishing the campaign with their fewest wins (8) and points (34), missing the postseason for the third straight year.
Monterey Bay F.C. will finish the 34-game season in 11th place in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League Championship, its worst finish in team history.
The Union, who were sitting in a playoff spot after a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh on July 6, went a team-record 11 straight matches without a win to fall back in the pack.
A winless stretch that last 90 days, ended on Oct. 4 when Monterey Bay F.C. showed a pulse after a win over defending USL champion Phoenix.
But it closed the season 0-2-1, having been eliminated from the postseason with two matches left in the regular season.
The firing of sporting director and head coach Frank Yallop did not light the fire Monterey Bay F.C. management had hoped for as the franchise won just one match under Jordan Stewart.
Stewart, a former San Jose Earthquake standout, will have an entire off-season to evaluate his personnel and rebuild the roster going into the 2025 season
While injuries crippled Monterey Bay F.C. throughout the second half of the season, its lack of production sent them spiraling, as it failed to score in 16 matches this year.
Missing leading scorer Tristan Trager and the Union’s single-season goal record holder Alex Dixon over the final six matches left the offense searching for an identity.
Going forward, a strength for the Union is that their goaltending where keepers Antony Siaha and Carlos Herrera were steady.
In fact, Siaha went into the final week of the season as the USL leader in saves with 102, despite missing the last six matches of the season.
One of those scoreless adventures for the Union was a scoreless draw with Tulsa earlier this year. A goal from Diego Gutierrez in the second half cut into a 2-0 deficit.
The Union will finish the season 8-16-10, while Tulsa was four points ahead of them at 9-14-11, and also didn’t make the playoffs.
Tulsa has never lost to Monterey Bay F.C. holding a 3-0-1 overall record.