March 1, 2025
By Dan Minkoff
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — New players, a new head coach and returning players adjusting to a new formation came together for Long Beach FC in an impressive 1-0 season-opening victory over San Fernando Valley FC in the UPSL Premier SoCal North conference at Gol Soccer Complex.
David Forde, one of the new additions on the Long Beach roster, scored the game’s only goal in the 9th minute. Center defender Diego Venegas hit a beautiful crossfield diagonal pass and Forde skillfully guided the ball into the net.
“I honestly haven’t scored in a few years,” Forde said. “I usually play fullback, so finding myself in the wingback position was pretty fun. I just found myself up there and didn’t expect it, but we gotta get it how we get it.”
That wasn’t the only thing new for LBFC. The team lost its debut opener last spring in Division 1 and also lost its fall season opener in its first UPSL Premier match. So, starting this season with a win and a shutout shows progress.
“I’m happy with the performance,” said coach Art Caballero, who was announced a month ago to lead the team. “I think, more importantly, just two trainings, not a whole lot of time, a lot of new faces in the team, and just coming out here playing probably one of the top teams in league, and performing well, guys adjusting to the game and then understanding roles and responsibilities. I think that was huge.”
Long Beach already matched its shutout total from last season, which also came in a 1-0 victory over San Fernando Valley FC. Long Beach’s defense was solid and only allowed two clear-cut scoring opportunities despite SFVFC having 57% possession and a 12-6 edge in shots. Venegas made a critical block in front of the goal in the 13th minute and goalkeeper Charlie Murray made his only tough save on the last kick of the game.
“Yeah, we definitely made it difficult on the opponent,” Caballero said. “We were able to defend well, we were able to stay organized, and then obviously we’re walking away with the goal. With the quality and the talent that we have on the team, it’s just going to be a matter of time and understanding the responsibilities so that this system can become even more effective.”
- Watch the whole game here.
LBFC’s home opener will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 against Laguna United FC at Cabrillo High School Jaguar Stadium. Tickets for all home games, including a season Shorepass (buy five games, get one free) can be purchased online or at the gate.
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