The fog was thick, and so was the tension in the stands as San Ramon FC narrowly emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Olympic Club to punch its ticket to the 2026 US Open Cup for the first time in club history.
Olympic looked threatening from set pieces throughout the match, but it was the goal in the fifth minute that showed just how dangerous they could be.
A wide free kick found the head of Andrew Ellis, who knocked it down for Kaya Fabbretti. Fabbretti took full advantage of his opportunity and finished with a half volley at close range, giving his side the early lead.
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An external factor that ended up having a big effect on this match was the rampant fog. Those among the crowd complained often about not being able to see the play happening on the far side of the field. In no moment was the fog more impactful than in the 22nd minute, when SRFC midfielder Roberto Gonzalez took advantage of the limited visibility and blasted his free-kick straight into the center of the goal. The Olympic keeper strafed to his right as the kick was taken, then watched as the ball went in where he had just been standing.
When asked about whether or not the heavy fog was a factor for his team, SRFC Head Coach Bejam Esmaili said it was.
“Because the way we play, we like to keep the ball, we like to switch play, we like to go to the other side,” Esmaili said. “When you can’t see the other side and you don’t know you have a player available … it’s an effect.”
Just before halftime, Olympic Club demonstrated its set-piece prowess yet again with a free kick from Daniel Kirkland, once more making its way to Ellis in the box, but it was not to be, and the score remained 1-1.
Though SRFC played a possession-oriented game, Olympic Club proved to be a very formidable counter to its style of play. The midfield pairing of captain Stefan Clemmens and Kirkland, who exhibited a powerful combination of experience and physicality, was complemented by winger Kaya Fabbretti, who offered blistering pace in counterattacks.
Once the fog began to clear, SRFC started to find rhythm.
In the 58th minute, 19-year-old Carver Jensen latched onto a poor clearance from the defender and drove at the off-balance defence. Jensen sized up his man before cutting in sharply from the left and expertly placing the ball into the far bottom corner. A composed finish from Jensen — despite being the youngest player on the pitch — to score what would ultimately be the winning goal. Jensen continues his streak of getting at least one goal contribution in his last three US Open Cup appearances.
Fog or not, what is clear is that as a result of this match, San Ramon FC qualifies for the US Open Cup for the first time.
On this accomplishment, Esmaili beamed.
“I’m so proud of them, the boys. They worked so hard all year,” he said. “They’re such great people. I am just beyond happy for them and so proud of them.”