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Battle for NPSL West-Northern Championship

Bay Area Ambassadors Battle Sonoma Sol for Top Spot
by Paul Sheirich
 
Update 7/22/2012:  Ambassador's win the West title 4-1. The team will travel San Diego where the winners from the Northeast, South, and Midwest will come to compete in the quarter finals.
 
Original Story: 7/18/2012:
The Bay Area Ambassador’s beat the Santa Clarita Storm 3-2 last Saturday in the first round of the NPSL Western Conference playoffs.  Next up for the East Bay team is the Western Conference championship match against the long standing NPSL powerhouse team - the Sonoma Sol.


The first half was hard fought as Santa Clarita started the scoring in the first half with help from a combination play that was put away by the Storm.  Shortly after that the Ambassadors responded as Emrah Klimenta finished a cross from Stefan Clemens to tie the game 1-1.  Prior to the end of the first half Santa Clarita received a free kick within range of the net, and finished it neatly, taking a 2-1 lead as the first half closed.

The Ambassadors, division winners in the West - Northern Conference, were not done.

In the second half former SF Seals player Yousef Samy scored on a penalty kick that was awarded after a Santa Clarita player blocked a shot with his hand.  “That PK was the difference,” stated Gary Brunner, Santa Clarita team official.

With a tie score, and only 20 minutes left to play the Ambassadors bore down on the Storm defense.

With just eight minutes of regulation time left on the clock, Francis Lopez crossed the ball in to Brayan Walle’s feet and he finished it off for the lead and the winner, as the Ambassadors took home the win, 3-2.
 
The Santa Clarita Storm have been in the NPSL since the 2010 season, after leaving the United Soccer Leagues PDL division, and are the former Lancaster Rattlers.   The Ambassador's were founded in 2008, by SF Seals investor and Bay Area business man Arif Khan, and Chabot Soccer Coach and former Nigerian International Tony Igwe.


The Ambassador’s climbed to the number 11 spot on the U.S. Soccer Report Rankings this week, and will host number 14, the Sonoma Sol this Saturday, July 21st at Raimondi Park in Oakland at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available through the Amabassadors website at:  http://www.fcbayarea.com/tickets