Soccer Game Preview: Nogales vs. Cienega

Nogales and Cienega are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but likely not for long. The Nogales Apaches will look to defend their home pitch on Wednesday against the Cienega Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Cienega took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Nogales, who comes in off a win.

Nogales took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Maricopa 2-1.

Meanwhile, Cienega faced Catalina Foothills in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. Cienega came up short against Catalina Foothills, falling 4-1. The Bobcats' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Nogales' victory bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Cienega, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3-1.

Nogales was able to grind out a solid win over Cienega in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, winning 5-3. Will Nogales repeat their success, or does Cienega have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.