Soccer Game Preview: Palma vs. Salinas

The Palma Chieftains will take on the Salinas Cowboys at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Neither team made it on the board the last time they hit the pitch, so they've probably got a bit of extra motivation.

Palma is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering King City just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Thursday. Both finished up on equal footing with a 1-1 draw. The result (or lack thereof) was the first time the Chieftains have been dealt a draw since back in December of 2024.

Meanwhile, Salinas fell victim to Rancho San Juan and their airtight defense on Thursday. They fell just short of the Trailblazers by a score of 1-0. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Cowboys came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' California soccer rankings (they are ranked 441st, while the Trailblazers are ranked 912th).

Palma's draw gives them a new season record of 8-3-2. As for Salinas, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-5-4 record this season.

Palma skirted past Salinas 1-0 in their previous matchup on January 7th. Will Palma repeat their success, or does Salinas have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.