Know Your Opponent 2026: Monterey Bay FC
The Republic will be hoping a return to cup competition reignites their form. A HellaCup clash between them and Monterey will be pivotal in the group standings.
Monterey comes into this match after a dismal start to their season. They've let go of manager Jordan Stewart and replaced him with Alex Covelo. And Monterey has been on a new manager bounce since then. After a couple more losses, Monterey won their last two matches. They got their wins against Birmingham and Loudoun. And thanks to that, they're sitting just five points below the playoff line. It will be interesting to see how much of a priority Alex Covelo places on this competition after taking over this side.
Monterey will be hoping to get a win here and some other results to go their way in this round of matches to keep their cup hopes alive. But a Sacramento win in 90 minutes, paired with Boise failing to pick up a point, will guarantee the group for the Republic. This is because Sacramento holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Spokane. These two sides played to a draw in their last contest. Forster Ajago got the opening goal, but a late goal from Wesley Leggett equalized the contest to snatch a point for Monterey.
Monterey Bay FC
Manager: Alex Covelo
Formation: 5-3-2 / 4-4-2
Regular Season W-L-D: 2-7-2
Last 5 Games: LLLWW
USL Cup Results: W1(4)-1(3) vs. Oakland, L 3-4 at Boise
Players to Watch: Ilijah Paul, Sebastian Lletget
Top Goalscorers: Riley Bidois and Wesley Legget - 3 goals each in USL Championship
Top Assists: Omari Glasgow and Ilijah Paul - 2 assists each in USL Championship
Top Yellow Cards: Zackery Farnsworth - 5 yellow cards
Top Red Cards: Belmar Joseph - 1 red card
Wesley Leggett brings us to 2-0 in the 12th minute!!
— Monterey Bay FC (@MontereyBayFC) May 31, 2026
MBFC 2 - 0 LDN pic.twitter.com/FXxTKqFS35
What a clean finish by Eduardo Blancas!! #MBFCvsBHM pic.twitter.com/nl1p4vMcRB
— Monterey Bay FC (@MontereyBayFC) May 24, 2026
This Monterey attack looks rejuvenated under new head coach Alex Covelo. Prior to dismissing former manager Jordan Stewart, Monterey had scored only three times in seven league matches. Since the appointment of Covelo, they've scored eight goals in four league matches. A complete change of fortune for Monterey. They had a scoring outburst in their last match, putting four goals past Loudoun. There is a lot of verticality with this attack, with Ilijah Paul serving as the primary target. His work rate, effort, and drive to win the ball on headers and long passes will keep the Republic's defense in constant battles throughout the 90 minutes. The Republic defenders will need to watch when they press, because long balls from the Monterey backline will look to get Ilijah Paul running into the space left behind them. Paul is also willing to drop back into the midfield to receive the ball and then turn upfield to make marauding runs forward. But, if Paul can occupy one of the centerbacks while he's in possession, look for Monterey to send supporting runners in-behind for Paul to pass the ball onto. Wesley Lleget, Sebastian Lletget, and Riley Bidois will all act as secondary targets for Monterey. Another thing to note is that Omari Glasgow is a threat when running down the left flank. The Chicago Fire loanee is versatile and can play in a variety of positions, so he will be another player that the Republic will need to keep an eye on.
THERE GOES THAT MAN @pgoodrum22 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rUJLGXY4Jn
— Lexington Sporting Club (@LexSporting) May 9, 2026
Talk about a fast start 👀
— Prinx Tires USL Cup (@USL_Cup) May 17, 2026
Dominic Gasso bags a goal only five minutes into the second half for @ac_boise 🫡#PrinxTiresUSLCup pic.twitter.com/kosZGFf2js
This is another one of those teams that has a different formation when they aren't in possession. When sitting in defense, Monterey sits back in a 4-4-2. And their two banks of four stay compact in front of the box. Nick Ross will be the man in the midfield who acts as cover in front of the backline. This defensive unit is comfortable on the ball, even under duress, and that extends all the way to their keeper. Monterey brought in Jacob Jackson from San Diego FC, and he is a solid keeper who can act as both a shot-stopper and a distributor. Watch for counterpressing from the midfield to create quick opportunities. But this defense will be happy to sit back and test the Republic's attempts to try and break them down.
Republic's Way to Victory: It will take a coordinated effort from every player on the field to get a win in this contest. You can't just rely on individual talent to create opportunities. The Republic attack will need players like Jack Gurr and Mayele Malango to be more than just threats, but be lethal on the ball to help pull apart the Monterey defense. And if there's space, be accurate with their passes to get to any runners in the Monterey box. On the other end of the field, half the battle is won by winning that initial duel. If Ilijah Paul is the target, battle him. Win the ball in those aerial duels. Man, it's games like this where we miss Freddy Kleeman and his dueling ability. But whoever steps in will need to confront Ilijah Paul, with the rest of the backline rotating behind to watch any runners coming off him. Don't let Sebastian Lletget dictate the tempo. This is a game that will require all the focus, and the Republic will need to sweat the details. Monterey may be at the bottom of the conference, but they surely aren't playing like it.
All Is Quail Blog Author/Co-Host
The “numbers guy”, Riyan! Riyan is a native of Sacramento and has been following the Republic since day one. He has covered the team across different media outlets including now his own, All is Quail Soccer. Aside from putting numbers in spreadsheets, he has a love of video games and finding a good book to put in his ever growing to-read pile.
2026 Match Recap: Phoenix Rising FC 2, Sacramento Republic FC 0
