FC Monmouth Men Set for Regular Season Home Finale Tonight
Written by Chris Dailey
The FC Monmouth men’s team is set to conclude their regular season home campaign tonight against First State FC. The Blue and Gold are positioned first in the northeast conference and need a win or draw to secure a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
FC Monmouth enter the fixture fresh off their first tie of the season, drawing 1-1 against Kingston Stockade in a heated away match. Despite the draw, the club is still 6-1-0 on the year and ranked second in The League for Clubs’ national power rankings. They further cemented their status as one of the top teams in the country with a dominating 3-0 win against Met Oval FC two weekends ago.
The Blue and Gold will face a First State FC team that is starving for a win. First State’s last win came May 31st in a surprise victory over Kingston Stockade, however, they have struggled to find form since.
Although First State have found success at putting the ball in the back of the net, they’ve struggled on the defensive front – highlighted by their recent 4-3 loss against NY Braveheart SC. The team is comprised mostly of international players, with a large portion of their squad from Japan.
First State’s defense will have to work vigilantly against FC Monmouth’s star attacker, Patrick Shaw. The Marlboro native has scored a goal in each of the last four games, becoming the difference-maker in FC Monmouth’s attack. Shaw is tied with Rutgers winger Lenny Aviles for the most goals on the season, while FDU midfielder Andrew Araya is just shy with three goals.
Those three superstars, alongside the rest of the squad, are eager to get back on home turf. Head coach Hugh MacDonald emphasized this sentiment, stating, “We’re excited to come home to our fans after a difficult trip up to Kingston where we suffered together for a result in front of a great crowd. We know First State’s quality, so the boys will do their best to perform.”
With a playoff spot in sight and Met Oval FC lurking close behind, MacDonald is remaining focused on the immediate task at hand.
“There’s still a lot of soccer to be played so our sole focus is the match in front of us,” said MacDonald.
2023 was the last of four all-time fixtures between FC Monmouth and First State FC. The Blue and Gold were victorious 3-1 with David Caputo picking up two assists in the first eleven minutes of the match. Caputo has not slowed down one bit this year, and he will be another pivotal piece to MacDonald’s game plan to secure three points.
FC Monmouth will host their annual fan appreciation night hosted by the 732 Supporters Club. Over $1,000 in prizes from local businesses will be raffled off throughout the game.
Tickets for the match at Count Basie Park in Red Bank can be purchased at fcmonmouth.com/tickets. Updates for all things FC Monmouth can be found on social media @wearemonmouth.