The US Club Soccer Semifinals in the path for the organization’s lone berth into the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup could not have any more different as the Fresno Fuego Future cruised to an easy win while Los Gatos Storm emerged from a near two full overtime game standoff with San Ramon following a replay in which both games went to extra time.
The winner of the final will face a yet-to-be named National Premier Soccer League team in the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-In Round on May 7.
Fresno Fuego Future 10 Cap FC 2
Forward Tyler Reinhart scored a hat trick to help the Fresno Fuego Future dominate Cap FC 10-2 Saturday at Clovis East High School in Clovis, Calif on April 6.
Reinhart scored in the 11th, 44th, and 55th minutes, while also setting up two goals to help the Fuego cruise to the US Club Soccer US Open Cup qualifying tournament final on Saturday at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, Calif.
The Fuego started off the game fast with Eligio Morales breaking the deadlock after being sent behind the defense by Reinhart in just the eighth minute.
Three minutes later the Fuego doubled the lead when Reinhart beat the keeper from 18 yards out off of a scuffed clearance from a Cap FC centerback.
Gatson Cignetti and Paul Islas each put one in the back of the net in addition to first half braces from Reinhart and Morales to push the score to 6-0 at the break.
Islas completed a brace of his own shortly after halftime to push the game even more out of reach. After Reinhart completed his hat trick in the 55th minute, the Fuego opted to sub out some of their players, even going down to 10 men for the last few minutes of the game.
Nevertheless, there was still scoring to be done. Cap FC exposed the Fuego’s new recruits with two quick goals from Uriel Guevara and Luis Arce in the 53rd and 62nd minutes respectively.
But it was too little, too late as the Fuego capped off the night with a fourth and final brace, this time from prospect Jose Segura.
Los Gatos Storm 2 San Ramon FC 0 (after extra time)
The Los Gatos Storm also booked their ticket to the final, albeit in much different circumstances.
After play was suspended when the lights at Tiffany Roberts Park in San Ramon, Calif. went out with the score tied 1-1 in the second period of extra time with 13 minutes remaining on April 6, the teams were forced to reschedule their game to Sunday.
Sunday’s game also went beyond the initial 90 minutes, resulting in the two sides ultimately playing 227 minutes to decide who would advance to the final.
On Sunday, Enrique Tovar broke the deadlock in the 109th minute of play at Evergreen College in San Jose, Calif. Andy Moya added an insurance goal for the Storm in the 118th to cap the belated victory.
#USOC100