The Sonoma County Sol are headed back to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after a dramatic 2-1 win over CD Aguiluchos USA in the championship game of the NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference qualifying tournament. The Sol, playing in front of a home crowd at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif., took a 1-0 lead into the 89th minute but CDA tied the game just before stoppage time. However, with less than a minute to go in stoppage time, Simon Wheatley sent the Sol to the US Open Cup for the first time since 2010 with a goal in the 93rd minute.
The Sol have qualified for the tournament for the fifth time in team history, having made the Open Cup in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010.
The Sol opened up the scoring just before halftime as Trevor Hurst sent a cross into the box that found Brandon Boone. Boone volleyed it home in the 44th minute.
Sonoma County managed to hold CD Aguiluchos in check for most of the second half and were mere minutes away from punching a ticket to the tournament when CDA found an equalizer. As CDA was throwing everything forward, a long ball was played from midfield into the penalty area. The goalkeeper stayed home to guard the net and a scrum ensued as players battled for the loose ball. Eventually the ball fell to CDA’s Matheus Freire who blasted it into the back of the net.
However, due to a lengthy injury stoppage earlier in the half, more time was added to the end of the game, giving the Sol five extra minutes to find a game-winning goal. A few minutes into stoppage time a ball was played in behind the defense and after the initial shot was saved a CDA defender attempted to clear the ball to safety. Unfortunately for CDA, a club seeking its second straight Open Cup berth, the defender’s clearance was a poor one and it fell to second half sub Wheatley who pounced on it and scored the game-winner.
Assistant coach Ben Zeimer, who was filling in for head coach Vince Cortezzo, was proud of his team’s effort.
“I think we were in control for most of the game,” said Zeimer, who guided the Sol to a pair of US Open Cup tournaments as head coach in 2009 and 2010. “Generally we dominated possession and as we tired a bit, they started to chase the game more and put us under pressure.”
Zeimer was particularly proud of how his defense held former Sol player, and 2013 NPSL player of the year Ross Middlemiss in check.
The NPSL’s final spot in the 2015 US Open Cup will be determined on Sunday night (Mar. 22) when FC Tacoma 253 hosts the San Diego Flash. The game will be played at Memorial Stadium in Seattle with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
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Sonoma County Sol lineup: Doeland (GK), Ferreira, Vardnadore, Bailey, Ortiz, Daly, Larson, Tyler Hurst, Trevor Hurst, Acevedo, Boone
Subs: Spann, Wheatley, Hernandez, Bamba, Amador, Paravicini, Rodd
CD Aguiluchos USA lineup: Majano (GK), Dodrill, Prieto, Leon, Gutierrez, Martinez, Sanchez, Helmy, Collins, Morales, Middlemass
Subs: Gomez, Dubose, Scafani, Guerua, Jauregui, Rawmsley, Freire