Joe Curley

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Late PK save helps “dream come true” for Moreno Valley FC in debut

May 15, 2017 by Joe Curley

Will Vicente has never been to Oklahoma.

But that’s where the Moreno Valley FC owner/coach is headed with his team after Wednesday night’s 2-1 win over the host Ventura County Fusion (PDL) in the First Round of the US Open Cup.

“I think it’s the beauty of soccer,” Vicente said. “We started a project and we have big goals. It’s just amazing that we won a game in the US Open Cup.”

Javier Castro and Norberto Ochoa scored goals in the opening 20 minutes and Jose Mirada saved a late penalty kick as the two-year-old United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) club hung on to advance to a Second Round trip to face the United Soccer League’s Oklahoma City Energy.

“That’s the best thing ever,” Vicente said about advancing to play a professional team. “It’s a dream come true for us.”

The loss was a bitter reunion for Ventura County, who was making its eighth straight US Open Cup appearance, as they fell to a team that started four former players at its home at the Ventura College Sportsplex.

Miranda, Castro, fullback Ruben Rodriguez and midfielder Edgar Gonzalez were the former Fusion players playing in Moreno Valley’s orange jerseys.

Castro put Moreno Valley on the board in the 16th minute after latching onto a misplaced backpass and finishing simply.

Four minutes later, Moreno Valley doubled the lead when Ochoa smashed home a volley from 12 yards after the Fusion failed to clear a corner kick.

“That was what we wanted to do,” Vicente said. “The first two times we attacked, we scored. And then we were able to defend the game until the end.”

After a slow start, the Fusion gradually built some momentum, outshooting Moreno Valley 16-3.

“We created plenty of chances, there’s no doubt about that,” Ventura County coach Rudy Ybarra said. “But we didn’t finish them and, you know, we end up even missing a PK.”

Two minutes after Miranda saved an 89th minute penalty kick, Fusion attacker Kevin Feucht capitalized on a defensive mistake to pull Ventura County within 2-1 late.

The Fusion won a free kick in the sixth and final minute of stoppage time, but it flew over the crossbar.

Falling behind early was just as troubling to Ybarra as the missed chances. “But you look at the two big mistakes we made and they capitalized on them,” Ybarra said. “Those are two big blunders. Those guys finished them well. Yeah, he ripped that second one with a volley, but it
should have been taken care of before then.”

Miranda was excellent, making seven saves plus the PK stop. “Pepe is one of a kind,” Vicente said of his goalkeeper. The loss was the second straight to start the season for the Fusion,
who opened USL Premier Development League play Saturday with a 3-0 home loss to San Francisco City FC.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Cal FC shuts out Valley United to open tournament play (video)

October 30, 2015 by Joe Curley

Cal FC may not be a professional team. Prior to Sunday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup open division qualifying match, they had never hosted a tournament game of any kind.

But its name means something in the competition, especially in the early stages. The opponent was a highlight for coach Laura Garcia in Valley United SC’s 4-0 loss against Cal FC in the first round at Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, Calif.

“For us, this was great,” Garcia said. “To play against a team like this, that has a history of going all the way, was special.”

Of course, Cal FC has never won the US Open Cup. But it did perhaps achieve the USASA club equivalent in 2012, when it upset the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer to earn a fourth round trip to Seattle to play the Sounders.

Michael Friedman is only part of Cal FC who remains from that run. The general manager was proud to see his club host its first Open Cup home match in his alma mater’s stadium.

The event went smoothly in front of a nice crowd for a Sunday night. The only snafu was a lack of corner flags, which were locked away for the weekend.

TJ Fairchild scored two goals and Max Madrigal had a goal and two assists as Cal FC advanced to a second-round qualifying date with the Los Angeles Wolves on Nov. 21.

“We weren’t perfect,” Cal FC head coach Ross Greaney said. “They had a few chances and we missed a few chances.

“We have work to do, but I think the familiarity and the overall talent took us through tonight.”

Madrigal set up the opening goal in the 26th minute by slipping Fairchild, his former Oxnard College teammate, through on goal. After his initial shot was saved, Fairchild pounced on the rebound from close range.

“TJ got up and down the field,” Greaney said. “Max just had a really great night. He was all over the place.”

Madrigal scored the second goal in the 31st minute before setting up Pacifica High product Albert Anguiano for the third goal three minutes before halftime.

“(Anguiano) was a constant threat all the time,” said Greaney, who added that former professional Gabriel Gonzalez ran the game for Cal FC from a playmaking position.

Valley United had their moments. Striker Gerardo Espinoza nearly capitalized on a Cal FC turnover at the back to put the San Fernando Valley-based club ahead in the 10th minute. Irvin Morales sprinted down a ball over the top to earn a great chance on the half hour mark, but his finish rolled wide.

Cal FC goalkeeper Osvaldo Vallodolid, made two highlight-caliber diving saves in the second half, combined with the back four of Diego Ortega, Juan Vallodolid, Stevie Trujillo and Jamie Alvarado to keep the clean sheet.

Fairchild added the fourth goal on another rebound three minutes before full time.

“It’s a lot of fun to get back together, see everybody play and get a win in the US Open Cup,” Greaney said. “Collectively, we did well.”

Highlights (VCStar.com): Valley United SC at Cal FC

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: PSA Elite’s 2-1 win over Ventura County earn them $15,000, another shot at MLS

May 28, 2015 by Joe Curley

The $15,000 match was decided by dueling substitutes Wednesday night at the Ventura College Sportsplex.

Abdullah Adam scored three minutes into his Ventura County Fusion debut to equalize with 18 minutes to play.

But Justin Dhillon answered with an 80th-minute winner seconds after coming on as a substitute to lift the United States Adult Soccer Association club PSA Elite to a 2-1 win in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Irvine, Calif.-based club advances to a Fourth Round showcase against Major League Soccer champion Los Angeles Galaxy on June 17 at the Stubhub Center.

It also earned US Soccer’s prize money as the top amateur side in the competition.

“From back to front, they’re a quality team,” Ventura County captain Javan Torre said of PSA Elite. “They have plenty of (youth) national team experience, plenty of ex-professionals. They did well together and they hung onto that win.”

Three of the five amateur clubs left in the tournament entering Wednesday were based in Southern California. After the Jersey Express and Chattanooga FC were eliminated earlier in the day and Chula Vista FC fell behind early, US Soccer’s $15,000 may as well have been pushed into the center circle.

Both clubs were all in.

The field was littered with some of Southern California’s finest NCAA Division I talent. PSA Elite goalkeeper Wade Hamilton and Ventura County midfielder Matt LaGrassa, as well as Dhillon, play for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, now for former US men’s national team coach Steve Sampson.

The matchup pitted collegiate teammates against each other. Ventura County’s Torre, Abu Danladi and Jordan Vale rode north to the match from UCLA with PSA Elite’s Chase Gasper and Nathan Smith.

“That just goes to show you the higher level it is,” Ventura County midfielder Matt LaGrassa said. “I think both teams did a good job limiting chances. We turn off for one second and they find the game winner on us.”

The Fusion enjoyed most of the possession, but PSA Elite carved out the better chances during a balanced first half. Will Lopez split the Fusion defense, but left his cleaver chip wide of the Fusion goal in the 12th minute. Seven minutes later, Michael Salazar nearly caught Ventura County’s Justin Vom Steeg off his line, but the future UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper made an excellent diving save.

Ventura County’s best save of the first half followed in the 29th minute. Set up by a pretty feed from UC Santa Barbara star Ismalia Jome, striker Javier Castro spun a 18-yard bid just wide.

Jinho Kim, Ventura County’s impressive South Korean import, then pulled a highlight-reel save out of PSA Elite goalkeeper Wade Hamilton from 30 yards.

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute, when PSA Elite midfielder Mats Bjurman converted from the penalty spot after Ventura County defender Michael Mercado handled in the penalty area.

Chasing the game at the break, the Fusion turned to Danladi, whose second half stoppage time goal had upset LA Galaxy II in the second round.

The 2014 Gatorade National Player of the Year nearly equalized inside four minutes, but his rebound chance from yet another Hamilton save came from too tight an angle and it fluttered agonizingly wide.

The Fusion finally drew level three minutes after Adam was introduced as a substitute in the 69th minute.

Kim’s free kick found the head of defender Sola Abolaji. After Hamilton dove to swat Abolaji’s header away from the goal line, Adam raced forward to slam the rebound into the net.

PSA Elite responded eight minutes later, off a seemingly harmless free kick on its own side of the field.

Dhillon came on the field and immediately converted the winner after Salazar took down a long ball forward that eluded the sleepy Fusion defense.

“I think we were trying to push for a win ourselves,” Torre said. “We left ourselves a little exposed.”

The Fusion had one real chance for another equalizer, but LaGrassa’s header crashed against the crossbar after Kim sliced open the PSA Elite defense with a through ball to Julian Zamora.

“Just one of those days,” LaGrassa said. “I hit the crossbar. We miss an open net. We had a penalty appeal (turned down) in the second half.

It’s frustrating, but they’re a good side.

“Credit to (PSA Elite). I think they’ll do well in the next round.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Ventura County Fusion set unbeaten mark with ‘wild’ PK win over Cal FC (video)

May 18, 2015 by Joe Curley

The Ventura County Fusion celebrate with their fans after defeating Cal FC in penalty kicks 6-5. Photo: Ventura County Fusion

No other amateur team, much less Premier Development League team had won a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match in four straight seasons.

No US Amateur Soccer Association club had made as many headlines, in recent years, as Cal FC.

So when these two teams faced each other in the first round of the US Open Cup Wednesday night at the Ventura College Sportsplex, there was the potential for a memorable Ventura County derby.

The result was delightful madness.

Three times in regulation and five more times during the decisive penalty kick shootout, host Ventura County took the lead only to be pegged back by Cal FC.

It wasn’t until, after 120 minutes and 16 penalty kicks, when Edgar Espinoza couldn’t answer Matt Sheldon’s spot kick in the third round of sudden death, that the Fusion survived 6-5 on PKs after a 3-3 draw.

Espinoza had forced extra time in the first place with a 25-yard rocket in second half stoppage time, spoiling a 3-2 Fusion lead.

“These are the type of games that you have to find a way to win,” Fusion coach Rudy Ybarra said. “It’s a cup game with all the excitement, the fans are fantastic and you’re saying to yourself,
‘Man, how are we going to win this game?’ Because every time we went ahead, they came back.”

Ventura County, now the first amateur team to advance in the Open Cup in five straight years, will visit the Los Angeles Galaxy II (USL) in Wednesday’s second round.

Cal FC, after its memorable run to the Fourth Round in 2012, which included an upset of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, miss out on a chance at a rematch with Los Dos, the team that eliminated them 6-1 in last year’s second round.

But with former star Danny Barrera back in the No. 10 role, Cal FC flashed some of its former giant-killing verve.

The Thousand Oaks-based adult club, which now plays in the Adult Soccer League of Simi Valley, should have taken a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes. But Jhonny Bravo missed a sitter and Justin Vom Steeg, the Fusion’s 17-year-old UC Santa Barbara-bound goalkeeper, made a huge one-on-one save.

The Fusion’s reply was swift and sharp. Former Louisville attacker Michael Roman drove a diagonal ball that Carlos Martinez tucked inside the far post in the 14th minute.

Barrera answered in the 30th minute, turning in space and curling home a 25-yard beauty to tie the match at 1-1.

“Unbelievable goal,” Cal FC coach Ross Greaney said. “He’s a great leader… Both teams had a lot of very good attacking players on display.”

Javier Castro took down Michael Mercado’s cross and patiently finished in the 39th minute to give the Fusion a 2-1 halftime lead and the home team pushed for more before the break.

“We had to fix some stuff at halftime because they were all over use towards the end of the first half,” Greaney said. “It was an open game, which I think we wanted. They are training every day. We wanted a little bit of chaos, so our maturity could help.”

Cal FC capitalized on the chaos to make it 2-2 in the 51st minute, when fullback Chris Cummings finished a rampaging 30-yard run with a blast that Vom Steeg failed to punch over the bar.

About 12 minutes later, the Fusion put on substitute Julian Zamora to change the game and he obliged, heading the Fusion into a 3-2 lead with his first touch of the season.

Just when it looked like the Fusion would see out its lead, Espinoza let rip and forced extra time.

But not before Cal FC substitute Johnny Lopez nearly ended it with the last kick of regulation, forcing a point blank save from Vom Steeg.

Lopez also had a goal disallowed in the first half of extra time.

“We didn’t give up,” Lopez said. “That was the thing…. It was a good game. We gave it our all.”

Ventura County hung on for PKs and prevailed, despite two saves by Cal FC goalkeeper Bryan Hill, who was between the sticks when the Fusion won the PDL championship in 2009.

Two other members of that PDL championship team, Barrera and defender Dylan Riley, also converted PKs for Cal FC in the shootout against their former club.

“It was a wild game,” Hill said. “Give credit to both sides for being able to stick to their game plan, execute and put the effort in. At the end of the day, it was anybody’s ballgame, as we saw.

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: LA Galaxy II crush tournament darlings Cal FC, 6-1

May 17, 2014 by Joe Curley

“Los Dos” had the antidote for Cal FC’s big heart and bigger dreams.

A early goal and domination on set pieces lifted Los Angeles Galaxy II to a relatively simple 6-1 win over the USASA team from Thousand Oaks, Calif. Wednesday night in the Second Round of the US Open Cup at the Stubhub Center’s track stadium.

Alejandro Covarrubias drove in the opening goal from a sixth-minute free kick and Travis Bowen scored twice as the Galaxy’s first-year USL Pro team built a 5-0 lead by the break.

“That’s what it’s about, being a professional,” Bowen said. “You have to come out and put in a performance, no matter who you are playing, no matter how many people are in the stands.”

Covarrubias drove a low, powerful free kick inside the base of the left post for an early Galaxy lead and “Los Dos” piled on from there to progress to a Third-Round matchup with another southern California USASA side, PSA Elite.

The last time Cal FC was in the US Open Cup, they a pretty big splash on the field, and on social media. — The last time Cal FC was in the US Open Cup in 2012, they a pretty big splash on the field, and on social media.

Defender Bradley Diallo headed in a corner kick to double the lead in the 24th minute. Bowen scored twice in three minutes to make it 4-0.

First beating two defenders to tap in Bradley Jamieson’s shot, then roofing a chance from 10 yards after Jamieson was close in the 33rd minute.

“They’re super well-organized and they came out really quickly,” said Cal FC coach Nick Webster. “It was disappointing that four of the goals were set pieces. That was something that we wanted to be on top of.”

Cal FC, who pulled off upsets of USL Pro and Major League Soccer opposition in its run to the Fourth Round in 2012, found reality in its return to the 101-year-old national competition.

Several players the Tri-County Soccer League team hoped to add for the competition didn’t receive international clearance in time to bolster the squad. It also arrived to find an opponent of a different caliber.

“That was the most structured team that we’ve played all three years,” said Cal FC defender Kai Werring. “That was a big difference. Previous have been scraps. You could tell a couple of those guys are going to go places.”

Cal FC scored its goal five minutes after the break. Midfielder Kramer Runager put Reymundo Reza through on goal with a defense-splitting pass and the halftime substitute slotted home the finish.

“I was really proud of the second half,” Webster said. “The team showed a lot of character and heart. They refused to lay down. That could have gotten really out of hand.”

2014 US Open Cup Round 1: Ventura County Fusion rallies to beat CD Aguiluchos to set amateur win record (video)

May 8, 2014 by Joe Curley

The Ventura County Fusion became the first Premier Development League team to win US Open Cup matches in four straight seasons Wednesday night with a 2-1 win over the NPSL’s CD Aguiluchos USA.

Kennedy Chongo and Peter Gregory scored second half goals as the Fusion reversed a 1-0 deficit before 200 fans at the Ventura College Sportsplex.

“If we’re making history, it’s because the organization is getting great leadership,” Fusion coach Rudy Ybarra. “That starts at the top with ownership. We’re seen as one of the best PDL teams in the country.”

Since falling on penalty kicks to the Arizona Suaharos (USASA) in 2010, the local Premier Development League has beaten Doxa Italia (USASA), Fullerton Rangers (NPSL), FC Hasental (NSPL) and Aguiluchos (NPSL) in consecutive years.

The Sacramento Republic, an expansion team in USL Pro that have five Fusion alumni on its roster, will visit Ventura in Wednesday’s second round.

The reunion was in jeopardy after the opening 45 minutes.

Two giveaways at the back within seconds of each other allowed Aquiluchos forward Jorge Ruiz to slot the opening goal into an empty net in just the fifth minute.

The Oakland-based National Premier Soccer League side put forth a starting XI that included striker Rudis Corrales, who had 77 appearances and 17 goals for El Salvador over the past decade. His resume includes a record five goals in a World Cup qualifier against Anguilla and a goal against the US national team in a 2010 friendly.

Aquiluchos’ solid first half forced Ybarra to use two of his three substitutes at the break.

Chongo and midfielder Steve Palacios opened the second half on the field, transforming the Fusion attack by combing with Gregory, winger James Kiffe and playmaker Johnny Lopez.

They earned the Fusion an equalizer in the 53rd minute as Chongo flicked a ball forward for an on-rushing Lopez. The ball was batted out of the air by the hand of a defender and Chongo slotted home the resulting penalty kick with ease.

Ventura County took the lead 12 minutes later, when Chongo’s rebound fell for Gregory to tap in at the near post.

Aquiluchos argued that the goal was offsides even more fervently than they did the earlier penalty decision. The visitors were even more unhappy when Francisco Mendoza’s potential equalizer was nullified by the offsides flag in the 70th minute.

Ybarra refused to render an opinion on the match’s controversies. But did argue that the Fusion proved to be the better team by creating more chances.

“You saw the difference in the second half,” Ybarra said. “We controlled the tempo. We had to withstand the little storm there, but the game should have been over prior to that. We created plenty of chances and that’s a good sign.”

Game highlights

Full game replay