Cardinale Stadium | Seaside, CA — June 10, 2026
The Sporting JAX men’s team took to the West Coast on Wednesday night, falling to Monterey Bay FC, 2-1, in a match that saw surges of momentum for both sides.
Sadlier Strikes
A first-half goal saw Monterey Bay take the lead, but the Sporting JAX attack was hot on their heels seeking an equalizer. Aggression was on display, and it all came to fruition in the 70th minute.
Midfielder Wan Kuzain received a pass from defender Edgardo Rito as the squad entered the final third. Kuzain ripped a shot towards the net, forcing a save from Monterey Bay goalkeeper Jacob Jackson. The shot’s velocity prevented him from securing the ball, ricocheting back towards the Jacksonville attack. Midfielder Kieran Sadlier was there to finish it off, equalizing the match, 1-1.
“[Kuzain] got a good strike…I just followed in to see what would happen and it came straight to me; I was able to get a clean connection and score,” Sadlier said. “We had a really good bit of momentum in that part of the game and got something from it.”
Somersall’s Debut
It didn’t take long for Sporting JAX’s newest signing Raheem Somersall—coming from fellow USL Championship club FC Tulsa—to make an impact, appearing in the starting lineup and logging 57 minutes in his first match with the club.
“It feels good to get some minutes into the legs,” Somersall said. “Hopefully I can have a good impact going forward, building fitness and helping the team improve and just going forward from there.”
His new coach was pleased with the debut and also looks forward to what the midfielder can offer throughout the season.
“Raheem’s going to be good for us,” said head coach Liam Fox. “He’s Championship-level; he knows the league and all the challenges that come with it, and we’ll see him improve week-on-week.”
Despite it being Somersall’s first outing with the club, he showed impressive synchronization with his brand new teammates. Defense, the attack and ball movement in particular were among his contributions on Wednesday.
“I think it just goes to show the job that the coaching staff is doing,” Somersall said. “I’ve only been here for a few days, so I’m just trying to figure out each player’s strength and just work towards that.”
Looking Ahead
Sporting JAX continues a lengthy stretch of consecutive matches on Saturday, returning home to take on Detroit City FC in an Eastern Conference showdown. The club invites fans to join for an Inclusion Celebration, and tickets can be purchased by clicking below.
