A sparse but loyal crowd welcomed Monterey Bay FC (USL League One) and visitors El Farolito (NPSL) for the opening night of the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. El Farolito entered the round as the sole-remaining club representing the National Premier Soccer League, as the other six were all eliminated in Round 1 by professional opposition.
They would keep their latest Cinderella run alive with a 2-1 win over Monterey Bay. The game was decided in dramatic fashion with an chaotic 84th minute goal by Edgard Kreye. With the win, the 1993 US Open Cup champions claimed their fourth upset of a pro team in the last two years.
“I am very proud of the team’s character throughout the game,” said El Farolito head coach Santiago Lopez. “We knew we were up against one of the best USL teams in the country but they showed no fear.”
The “Burrito Boys” entered the round having bested MLS NEXT Pro side Real Monachs 3-1 after extra time in Round 1 on the road.
Monterey Bay FC entered the night on a 4-game win streak, including their 4-0 opening round victory over International San Francisco (SFSFL).
El Farolito, unlike many amateur sides, has a much older group of players, with an average squad age of 28.5, The pros in the 18 for MBFC averaged just 25.5 years of age.
MBFC would start the match generally on the front foot, with El Farolito attempting long clearances and fast break attempts from early on in the contest.
In the 8th minute, El Farolito keeper Johan Lizarralde would attempt to spring his side on the attack with a quick punt that he harshly sliced into his team’s bench. This brought a round of ovation and several laughs from his teammates on the bench who were about to put on their raincoats just a few minutes later.
Lizarralde would make another mistake in the 18th minute when attempting to send the ball upfield from within his own 6 as pressure mounted on. The ball would travel just 30 yards and land at the feet of MDFC’s Xavi Gnaulati who dribbled forward and delivered a through ball into fellow midfielder Mobi Fehr who had his attempted cross snuffed out.
The next near miss would go through Gnaulati as well, who would pop the ball over El Farolito captain Johnatan Mosquera and deliver a volley from 8 yards into the glove of Lizarralde. The ball would trickle it’s way towards the goal line before being hacked away by Andres Zuluaga, only to be volleyed at goal again from the top of the 18, with a deflection up and off the crossbar, and down safely into the keeper’s hands.
Looking the more composed of the two sides through the first quarter of match, MBFC would win a penalty kick in the 27th minute of the match after a headed corner hit Dembor Benson’s arm on a bang-bang play at the near post.
Xavi Gnaulati would convert the kick for his third goal of the tournament, moving him temporarily into a tie at the top of the goalscoring list for the competition.
This is when the momemntum would change, however.
El Farolito started to command possession, and would dictate several attacks before the break, missing chances in the 35th minute but winning corner kicks.
Play would slow going into the break as Mosquera would have to exit the match in the 39th minute with an injury, being replaced by Omar Quiroga.
Rain would let up in the second half, but the field would remain slick, and El Farolito would show the few hundred in attendance that they knew how to manage a game going forward.
In the 54th minute, Johnatan Perez would deliver a cross into Benson who would show his special athleticisim with a leaping headed effort that would force a equally spectacular save MBFC’s GK Samuel Gomez.
In the 57th minute, Gabriel Arias would deliver a free kick deep to the back right post that would find Zuluaga ready to hack the ball again, this time into his team’s scoring goal.
With the game now level, El Farolito would not let their foot off the gas and nearly scored again two minutes later with Benson sliding into a Perez cross that would hit the wrong side of the post.
Winger Herlbert Soto would be the next to connect with with Benson in the 83rd minute, chipping a ball from the endline to the back right post. Benson would fail to convert with his head, forcing a brilliant reaction save from Gomez who would deflect the ball up and off the underside of crossbar. Perez woulld then deliver a left footed shot on the rebound, deflected back by a diving header from MBFC’s Joel Garcia Jr. The ball would then find Edgard Kreye twice: first, blasting the ball into the chest of another MBFC defender on the line, and then sliding the ball calmly past the two almost-hero defenders now in splits on the turf.
The match would end 2-1 giving the Burrito Boys another win over a professional opponent, and yet another upset on the road. MBFC head coach Jordan Stewart immediately went to shake hands with the El Farolito staff and players, and El Farolito players ended the night either dancing on the field, lying in star-pose, crying tears of joy, or carrying babies.