BERKELEY, Calif. – The No. 22 California Golden Bears (8-3-0, 2-2-0 Pac-12) defeated the San Diego State Aztecs (6-6-0, 0-3-0 Pac-12), 4-3, at Edwards Stadium on Sunday afternoon behind goals from four different Golden Bears. SDSU made its way on the board first, but senior forwardStefano Bonomo opened the scoring for Cal in the 21stminute. California entered the half with a 3-1 advantage, thanks to goals from senior co-captain Omid Jalali and redshirt freshman midfielder Matt Chasman, but the Aztecs evened it up in the second frame with fifteen minutes left to play. The resilient Bears powered through as freshman forward Paul Salcedo landed the game-winner just minutes from the conclusion of regulation, to lead Cal to its second-consecutive Pac-12 victory of the season.

“Looking at the weekend, it has been a fantastic response for the group,” said head coach Kevin Grimes. “We have dealt with some difficult circumstances that have pushed us to our limits, and we simply responded marvelously.”

SDSU came out of the gates strong as freshman midfielder Jeff Rhodes tallied the opener in the 11th minute. The ball fell inside the box before the Indiana native finished on the volley to find the back of the net.

The Bears looked for the equalizer over the next 10 minutes and created two quality chances in the 12th and 13thminute. Cal broke through shortly after, when sophomore midfielder Christian Thierjung played the ball through to Bonomo, who netted his team-leading eighth goal of the year with a low shot to the far post.

Jalali entered the game for Bonomo in the 32nd minute, and immediately went on the attack. Eloi Vasquez played the ball to Chasman, who served in a low cross that was finished first-time by Jalali for his second goal of the season to give Cal a 2-1 advantage.

The Golden Bears held SDSU to just one look on goal for the rest of the half, and Cal extended its lead to 3-1, before entering the break. Vasquez set up the goal once again as he found Chasman in space and his shot slipped into the net by way of the far post.

SDSU came back fighting early in the second frame, cutting the deficit to just one goal after freshman midfielder Kevin Baboyian beat two Cal defenders and his shot from outside the area found the upper far post. 

In the 51st minute, freshman midfielder Brady Blackwell was sent off for a late challenge on Cal freshman defenderJoshua Morton, leaving the Aztecs with 10 men on the field. The Bears looked to take advantage of the extra man and double their lead, when the rebound from a blocked shot fell to Vasquez to the right of goal, but his effort went just wide.

SDSU continued to rally down the stretch, and knotted the score in the 76th minute after sophomore midfielder Casey Macias picked up a loose ball at the top of the box and finished low past Cal junior goalkeeper Alex Mangels to tie the match, 3-3.

Looking to end the game in regulation, sophomore defender Nick Lima made a great run down line for the Bears and crossed the ball into the six-yard box to Paul Salcedo who tapped in the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. The goal marked Salcedo’s third in just as many games.

The Golden Bears kick off a three-game road tour on Monday, Oct. 20, when they take on rival No. 15 Stanford in the first edition of the Bay Area Derby. The game will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks with a 7 p.m., start time. Fans are encouraged to interact with @CalMensSoccer on Twitter during the matches and can stay up to date on statistics and live updates during the games. 
 
                          1          2           F
SDSU               1          2          3
No. 22 Cal       3          1          4

Scoring Summary
SDSU – 10:43 Rhodes, Jeff (unassisted)
Cal – 20:22 Bonomo, Stefano (Thierjung, Christian and Hallisey, Connor)
Cal – 32:00 Jalali, Omid (Chasman, Matt and Vasquez, Eloi)
Cal – 35:04 Chasman, Matt (Vasquez, Eloi)
SDSU – 48:58 Baboyian, Kevin (unassisted)
SDSU – 75:21 Macias Casey (unassisted)
Cal – 80:45 Salcedo, Paul (Lima, Nick)

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Favorite Picks of the 2025 MLS Draft

Commitments: Bradley Heads to the Big East

TeamRank Presented By TeamSnap - Girls