Monterey Bay FC gave the Peninsula its own professional soccer team, and a match at Cardinale Stadium is one of the best-value nights out around. Win or lose, the atmosphere in Seaside on a match night is the closest the region comes to big-league sport.
The club plays in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer, from spring into fall, drawing a loyal local crowd. Cardinale Stadium sits on the CSUMB campus in Seaside, an intimate ground where you are close to the action and tickets stay affordable, a fraction of what a big-city match costs. The supporters’ section brings the noise, and the whole thing runs family-friendly.
Buy ahead for the bigger matches, arrive early for parking on campus, and bring a layer, since Seaside evenings cool off fast once the sun drops. Concessions and local food trucks handle dinner.
The season runs long enough to fold a match into a Peninsula weekend, and a Sirens or CSUMB game makes an equally cheap night out when the soccer schedule does not line up.
Find the match schedule on our events calendar, and our Sports coverage follows the club through the season. For tickets and fixtures, Monterey Bay FC has everything.
