Hines’ Late Goal Lifts LBFC to Crucial Win, Top of the Table

By Davis Ramage
May 17, 2025

LONG BEACH, Calif – Substitute forward Jay Hines’ 82nd-minute goal pushed Long Beach FC past visiting Inland Empire FC 2-1 at Cabrillo High School Jaguar Stadium and back to the top of the table despite two injuries and five yellow cards.

“Always good to get the win, the team battled hard man… this was a testament to everybody that played,” Hines said.

• Hines selected as the Legends “Legend of the Match.” See his postgame interview here.

LBFC started the weekend in second place in the UPSL Premier SoCal North conference on goal difference behind Coachella Football Club, which dropped points earlier in the day in a draw. The win pushed LBFC (8-0-2 with 24 points) to the top of the table, one point ahead of Laguna United FC and two ahead of Coachella FC with two games remaining for all three teams.

LBFC broke through in the 36th minute when midfielder Michael Mckibbin won the ball in the middle of the field and found Connor Borra out wide on the left. Borra’s hard cross on the ground deflected but landed in front of forward Michele Somenzi, who tapped it in for his sixth goal of the season to give LBFC a 1-0 lead.

Both Borra and right wing back David Forde went down with injuries early in the second and had to be replaced. 

Shortly after, IEFC tied the game 1-1 on a second-chance opportunity from a failed LBFC clearance in the 58th minute. 

Without the starting wing backs, LBFC struggled in attack, with players keeping the ball a split second too long, resulting in IEFC winning back possession on multiple occasions. 

“The wing backs are an integral part of the system," LBFC head coach Art Caballero said. "The good thing about this team and the talent and the players that we have is that a lot of them can play different positions, so it's just a matter of making some adjustments.”

When it appeared a draw was likely, Hines found himself one-on-one with the goalie, and the lefty lifted it over the keeper’s extended arm just below the crossbar to give LBFC a 2-1 lead. 

“I know my role, I come in, I bring the energy from the bench,” Hines said. “We trust coach’s system, we’re doing really well.”

LBFC will continue the momentum when it faces SoCal United on May 31 (time and location TBD). Long Beach will close out its regular season at home on Youth Club Night at 7 p.m. on June 7 against AMSG FC. Tickets for all home games, including a season Shorepass can be purchased online or at the gate. The full schedule and past results can be found here.

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