Sonoma County Sol Defeats Napa Valley 1839 FC 3-1

April 18, 2023

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By Napa Valley 1839 FC

Napa Valley 1839 FC kicked off their home opener Saturday, April 15 when they hosted Sonoma County Sol at Justin Siena Dodd Stadium.

Over 800 fans were in attendance for the mid-April game. The majority of the fans were supporting the home team, yet the Sonoma fans made a good showing in their trip to Napa. There was a great energy from the fans on both sides.

The game kicked off at 7:00 pm with the typical hype of the Wine Country Derby. Napa Valley 1839 FC and Sonoma County Sol have had a rival series of games annually when they play one another. This rivalry has been in place since Napa’s inception in 2017.

Sonoma County Sol was the first on the scoreboard, scoring off a header from Antony Gonzalez in the 16th minute.

In the 42nd minute, Sal Gomez entered the penalty box and was fouled to win a penalty kick opportunity for Napa 1839. Napa equalized from the penalty spot with a goal thanks to Dario Pavon.

Napa Valley 1839 had many more chances to go ahead at the end of the first half but came up short. Sonoma Sol and Napa entered the locker rooms at halftime tied 1-1.

A beautiful spring evening turned chilly for the weather and the home team as the game continued with the kickoff of the second half.

Sonoma took a 2-1 lead with a goal by Omar Nuno in the 73rd minute. Napa began to attack more to try to get the game back in their hands. Although Napa dominated in possession they were unable to convert another goal before Sonoma struck again.

Nuno created a problem for Napa defenders and played a ball through the middle to Ivan Barba who scored to claim a 3-1 lead.

Despite the efforts of Napa’s mascot Napa Snappa the Crocodile, Napa was unable to gain control back in the game. When the final whistle blew, Sonoma County Sol emerged with a 3-1 win on the road. The Sol now have 1 win and 2 losses, while Napa has 1 win and 1 loss.

Napa Valley 1839 FC head coach Mark Corbett shared his thoughts on the match.

“It was a tough loss tonight, as we failed to finish many chances, but fair to Sonoma County Sol, they played hard and finished when they needed it,” Corbett said. “This is a great league, and the season is just starting so we have a lot to build off. Now we look forward to traveling to Sacramento for our game next week against the Gold.”