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Asking and Answering 4 Monterey Bay FC Questions

With half of the 2026 USL Championship season in the books, there are still unanswered MBFC questions

Monterey Bay FC is playing some of the best soccer in recent memory, having not lost in five of their last six USL Championship matches. Despite the substantial uptick in results, the team is still very much coming together and figuring out their identity. This means that there are still lingering questions surrounding the club, including these four.

1. What happened to Goalkeeper Fernando Delgado?

The 19-year-old started nine of the first 10 league matches of the season between the pipes to mixed results. He flashed potential, both with his shot stopping and playing with the ball at his feet. However, his 1–2–6 record and 63.2% save percentage were not what a team typically wants to see at the position from their starter.

Since Monterey Bay brought in Jacob Jackson on loan from San Diego FC, Delgado has seemingly landed in the dog house, sliding all the way down to the third spot on the depth chart. He has not appeared on the injury list, and last dressed for a match during the June 10th game against Sporting JAX.

Dog house is almost certainly too strong a term to use in the case of Delgado. Despite his up and down season, the team had no better options to compete with and challenge him in the early going. He’s literally still a teenager and it appears that the club has opted to rapidly slow down his development plan to ensure he doesn’t have his confidence shattered by forcefeeding him too much responsibility too soon. Jackson is due to be returned to San Diego by the end of theyear, while Delgado is signed through the 2027 season. Fans should expect to see the young keeper, who by all accounts is a very hard worker, again before it’s all said and done.

2. Can the club find an attacking identity without Riley Bidois?

Bidois, the 23-year-old native of New Zealand, has been spectacular as a striker in his first season with Monterey Bay. He’s notched four goals and had an assist in six appearances. Unfortunately, he’s also been hampered by injuries, including at the present time, with him last appearing in action a month ago on June 10th.

A major issue that has emerged is that Monterey Bay has clearly struggled to achieve attacking consistency when Bidois isn’t available. The team has scored ten times in the six games in which he’s played but had only a total of four in the other nine matches.

MBFC doesn’t seem to have another home run hitter they can lean on at the striker position to shore up the effectiveness of their attack with Bidois out. Wesley Leggett has had impressive spurts with three goals but has been most effective as a change of pace coming off the bench (two of his three goals have been as a sub).

Ilijah Paul has three goals and three assists but his style as a striker doesn’t fit as well with how the team has aimed to play. Instead, when he’s been employed in a winger position and given the freedrom to run and create, he’s proven to be an elite weapon. It behooves the team to keep him there. Giorgi Lomtadze hasn’t panned out into a rotation player yet, and Eduardo Blancas hasn’t been able to secure a starting spot after making the jump from League One. Accordingly, it seems highly likely that Monterey Bay will look to add an attacking option sooner rather than later to bolster their offense.

3. Will any current Monterey Bay players here on loan possibly return to the team in 2027?

While it’s certainly too early to do anything but speculate on this question, there are already some signs to suggest possible answers.

Chris-Kevin Nadje had shown flashes of brilliance, highlighted by his superior size and athleticism. Coming from the Eredivisie and having previously played in the UEFA Champions League, it’s most likely he will be returned or flipped by his loaning club (Feyenoord) into a different situation to try and recapture some of the rumored $500,000-$700,000 they paid as a transfer fee for him when he was brought on board in 2024. His contract with Feyenoord also runs through 2028.

Jacob Jackson has an MLS pedigree, having been drafted in their first round in 2022. However, he only appeared in 17 MLS matches in parts of five seasons and was loaned to Monterey Bay to get playing time. His success so far may be opening eyes for a 2027 job opportunity in the upper tier, but a solid contract and the lure of a guaranteed full-time starting role might be enough to keep him in the USL.

20-year-old Belmar Joseph has played sparingly (506 total minutes) since being loaned by FC Sion of Switzerland’s Super League. He is signed through their next season, and at this point, getting instruction and experience are essential to his development. It would be a surprise at this point if he returned to the Central Coast.

Everything said about Joseph could also apply to 18-year-old striker Anisse Saidi, who recently arrived from San Diego FC. It’s hard to imagine a substantial MLS role for him next year, even with his noticeable talent. If enough playing time was available, an extension of his loan could be a possibility.

Defender Quinton Eliot just arrived, appearing in his first match with Monterey Bay this past weekend. He’s shown himself ready for a jump up after consecutive stand-out seasons at the MLS Next Pro level. He’s in town to get playing time against higher competition. He’ll likely get a strong look by MLS teams in 2027, whether that be his loaning club of Columbus Crew or someone else. Otherwise, he’ll seek a starting role in USL or overseas as he seeks to advance his career.

Finally, we get to Omari Glasgow. On loan from MLS side Chicago Fire where he’s logged nearly 600 minutes in the past, he had a bit of a rough start with Monterey Bay playing winger until he became a dynamic two-way force after he was moved to a defensive back position. His non-stop motor and dizzying handles have really been showcased with MBFC, giving the talented 22-year-old a new path forward with his career. The all-time leading scorer for the Guyana National Team is showing he can be effective as a playmaker or on defense. If he keeps this up, it’s much more likely he’ll be back in MLS, perhaps playing with Robert Lewandowski and Chicago, than it is having him return to the USL.

4. Can Monterey Bay possibly secure a 2026 playoff spot?

After starting this season 0–2–7, prospects appeared uterly bleak for the club. However, after going 4–1–1 since, they have made up a great deal of ground over the past six weeks.

Monterey Bay currently still sits in last place in the Western Division with a total of 15 points after 15 matches, but they are also incredibly only six points out of third place (although a number of teams in front of them do have 1–2 games in hand).

The Western Conference is very congested this season, much like 2025. Last year, Colorado Springs was able to capture the eighth and final playoff spot with a total of 37 points. Assuming that this season could possibly play out in a similar fashion, that means Monterey Bay would need to capture at least 22 points over the final 15 matches to be reasonably in the conversation for the postseason.

22 points during that span is no laughing matter but certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Finishing 6–4–5 and 5–7–3 are both sample scenarios that could land the club within the ballpark of what it would take to make the playoffs. They also play Western Conference foes in 13 of their final 15 matches, giving them plenty of opportunity to flip the points script on opponents. Postseason dreams may still be a long shot but things are far from over.

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