With the W League season winding down, San Juan FC visited Oakland Soul at Merritt College, looking like the class of the Nor Cal Division. But it was Soul looking like the most dominant team in the division in a 4-nil drubbing of the visitors on Sunday, June 22. It marked Oakland’s fourth straight win.
Soul now has just two matches remaining in its season against Olympic Club at Merritt College on Thursday before visiting SF Glens in Treasure Island on Sunday, meaning Oakland can finish with a max of 26 points. The result helped clinch the division for Stockton Cargo, who remains undefeated at 9-2-0 with 29 points and completely out of reach of San Juan FC and Soul.
For much of the season, SJFC was looking like the Nor Cal favorite, but Sunday’s 4-goal shellacking showed the quality that has made Soul a top contender each season. With a fast-moving 12-game season and just one of nine teams qualifying for the postseason, things have to go as perfectly as possible to claim the Nor Cal crown.
Although that wasn’t the case for Oakland this year, they were able to make a statement in a 4-nil win over a team that entered Merritt without a loss.
“They are a great side, Gabrielle Ferraro is probably a future NWSL player. They have great players and were top of the table; this is a statement-type of win. I said this last year, for us to go undefeated last season required a lot of luck because there are some really good teams in our division,” coach Jessica Clinton said after the win.
Shae Murison got Oakland’s first goal in the 15th minute before Soul exploded with three goals in the second half. Murison bagged her brace in the 63rd minute after a pass from a free kick fell to her in front of the net, while Sydney Middaugh had the game’s most electrifying goal in the 72nd minute on a shot from 40 yards away from the net.
In the buildup to Middaugh’s goal, Oakland pressed San Juan into a turnover slightly before the midfield line. The St. Mary’s Gael forward took a few dribbles before launching a bomb to catch the opposing keeper off her line. Middaugh’s shot went straight to the top-right bin, batting off the keeper’s outstretched hand and into the net.
“We’re playing Syd on the left side, and she’s a righty. This is her getting out of her comfort zone and improving for her college season. That shot was unbelievable,” Clinton said.
Oakland’s final goal in the final 10 minutes was a product of two Stanford Cardinal. Charlotte Kohler, who was recently called to the U-20 USWNT camp, let a shot rip from outside the box that crashed off the crossbar. It opportunely fell to Allie Montoya, who skipped in a shot off the volley.
“Adding our Stanford players made a huge difference. We lose Charlotte for our last two games, but we have plenty of players who can step up. You can see us gelling, that’s another side of it,” Clinton said.
Soul looks ahead to playing Olympic Club on Thursday at Merritt College before playing rivals SF Glens at their new stadium in Treasure Island. Soul last defeated OC 5-nil on May 27, while the last time Glens and Soul played was in the season-finale of 2024, which Oakland won 3-1.
Match Recap
San Juan opened the action with a dangerous play behind Oakland’s defense in the seventh minute, but the ball rolled straight to Soul keeper Kate Plachy. Eight minutes later, Soul scored the opening goal when Kohler sent a sharp pass across the face of the goal to find Murison for the first-touch shot.
Soul stayed with the foot on the gas with Middaugh being found on a header in a dangerous position in the 23rd minute, Sam Tran had a shot in the box blocked two minutes later, while Tatiana Cunningham rolled a shot wide from outside the box in the 40th.
Middaugh nearly scored in the 42nd minute on a shot from a couple of yards in front of the net, but it was saved and pushed out for a corner.
In the second half, Murison nearly found Tran making a run in behind in the 57th, but San Juan’s keeper did well to gather the ball before Sam could get a shot off. Murson recorded a shot on target just seconds later.
Before Murison’s goal in the 63rd, Middaugh did well to draw a free kick along the left side just a few yards outside of the box. Audrey Lam whipped in a cross that eventually fell to Murison in close distance for a tap-in goal.
Nine minutes later, Middaugh ripped her longshot from 40 yards, making it 3-nil. Murison then had another shot deflected in the 75th.
Montoya scored Oakland’s last goal around the 81-minute mark after her college teammate Kohler clanged a shot off the crossbar. Instinctively, Montoya skipped in a volley on her first touch.