Salinas Valley Samba
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| Full name | Salinas Valley Samba | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Samba | ||
| Founded | 2004 | ||
| Ground | Watsonville High School | ||
| Chairman |  Cain White | ||
| Manager |  Mark Cisneros | ||
| League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
| 2009 | Regular Season: 6th, Western Playoffs: did not qualify | ||
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Salinas Valley Samba was an American soccer team based in Salinas, California, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the Western Division of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team spent the majority of its history playing on the campus of Salinas High School, though they moved to Watsonville High School in nearby Santa Cruz County, for their final season in 2009. The team's colors were silver, black and white.
History
The Samba joined the Men's Premier Soccer League in 2004, one of five expansion teams for the league's second season. They were the first soccer based in Salinas that played in a national league since the California Jaguars folded in 2000.[1][2] They joined along with the Albuquerque Asylum, the Sonoma County Sol, the Sacramento Knights, and the Idaho Wolves.[3] During their first season of play, the Samba finished the league in 5th place, five points behind the Utah Salt Ratz, who ultimately finished the season as league champions.[4]
The 2005 season saw the development of location-specific conferences as more teams were added to the league, which changed its name to the National Premier Soccer League. This placed Salinas Valley in the Western Conference, with a majority of California teams (with the exception of the Las Vegas Strikers and the Albuquerque Asylum). The Samba finished the 2005 season in 4th place. Also in 2005 the Samba advanced to the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before being defeated by the Seattle Sounders.[5][6]
The expansion of the league in 2006 brought further development of the conferences, as the Western Conference split into "Northwestern" and "Southwestern", and a Midwestern conference was added. The Salinas Valley Samba were in the Northwestern Conference of the NPSL from 2006 through 2008. In 2006, they finished the year in 6th place.[4]
Players
Last roster
as at June 7, 2009 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Reg. season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 | MPSL | 5th | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | 4 | NPSL | 4th, Western | Did not qualify | Second Round |
| 2006 | 4 | NPSL | 6th, Northwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 4 | NPSL | 4th, Northwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4 | NPSL | 4th, Northwest | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | NPSL | 6th, Western | Did not qualify | Did not enter |
Head coaches
- Artie Cairel (2004–2008)
- Mark Cisneros (2009)
Stadia
- "The Pit" at Salinas High School; Salinas, California (2004–2008)
- Stadium at Watsonville High School; Watsonville, California (2009)
References
- ^ Delgado, Joey (February 2, 2004). "Soccer team to play at The Pit". The Californian. p. 1. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ Guzman, Isaiah (June 9, 2005). "The Samba sensation - team loaded with Santa Cruz players". www.santacruzsentinel.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Team plans to involve residents". The Californian. February 2, 2004. p. 3. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ a b Litterer, David (October 30, 2011). "National Premier Soccer League". The American Soccer History Archives. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Gaschk, Matthew (June 29, 2009). "Sounders dance past Samba". seattlepi.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ^ "2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Bracket". www.usopencup.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2026.