In the USL Championship game on 27 September 2026, Lexington beat Monterey Bay 2:3. Match numbers: shots on target 3:8, corners 4:13.
Match report
Lexington came from behind to beat Monterey Bay 3:2 in a Group Stage match at Cardinal Stadium on 27 September. The visitors took a shock lead in the opening five minutes before the hosts pulled level through Nick Firmino's strike. It was a result that left the table unchanged but added weight to the gap between sides.
Monterey Bay started brightly. Firmino found the net in the first minute, and by then the home crowd was already on its feet. Lexington responded with pace. Farnsworth equalised at the other end five minutes in, and here's the thing — it set the tone for a match that would be decided in the final quarter. Firmino headed in another for the hosts before 64 minutes, and the game looked balanced. Then came the late surge.
Goodrum pulled one back for Monterey Bay in the 74th minute, and you could sense the shift. Epps restored the visitors' lead eight minutes later, and the home side pushed for an equaliser. Otoya's goal in the 85th minute closed it out. Egwu's red card in stoppage time was the final note, and to be fair, the visitors had earned their win.
The statistics tell a story of control rather than dominance. Monterey Bay held 52 per cent possession and made 113 attacks, but only created two big chances. Lexington were more clinical with eight shots on target and four big chances. The home side had the numbers — 416 passes, 37 clearances — but the away side found the back of the net three times. Shots accuracy was similar at 43 and 47 per cent, but the quality of chances separated them.
Lexington move closer to the top four with this victory. They sit fourth with 40 points from 26 games, six behind the leaders. Monterey Bay remain twelfth with 18 points, still searching for consistency after a run of draws and defeats. The gap between the sides is not just on the table — it was visible in how they responded when the match opened up.
HT⚽1' Nick Firmino — Goal⚽5' Z. Farnsworth — Goal🟨23' Z. Farnsworth — Yellow card⇄46' F. Canete — Substitution🟨54' J. Garcia — Yellow card🟨55' K. Egwu — Yellow card⇄63' Nick Firmino — Substitution⇄64' Judson — Substitution⇄70' M. Fry — Substitution⚽74' P. Goodrum — Goal⚽80' M. Epps — Goal⇄83' S. Lletget — Substitution⇄85' B. Ferri — Substitution⇄85' M. Epps — Substitution⚽85' D. Otoya — Goal⇄86' N. Ross — Substitution🟨90' K. Egwu — Yellow card🟥90' K. Egwu — Red card🟨90+2' F. Barajas — Yellow card
0'45'90'
Match events
1'0:1Lexington⚽GoalNick Firmino assist: P. Goodrum
