El Farolito continued their marauding run in the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in no small part due to their striker in-form, Dembor Benson. The Honduran forward was able to clinch the equalizer just before halftime and also scored the winning goal for the second time in a row in an Open Cup match.
Benson’s inspired form in front of goal has catapulted El Farolito Soccer Club into US Open Cup headlines and earned himself TheCup.us Player of the Round award for the Second Round.
The Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.
Benson received 72% of the first place votes, running away with the award by a wide margin over second place Jonathan Jimenez (NYCFC II) and third place finisher Mark Hernandez (Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC).
Benson comes from a strong soccer family headlined by his older brother Honduran international Jerry Bengston. (NOTE: According to Benson, the two have different surnames due to a registration error that has yet to be fixed.) Bengston made 69 appearances for the Honduran national team and is the nation’s seventh all-time leading goal scorer. Dembor has undoubtedly lived up to his family name recently, scoring five goals in his last five games.
The in-form striker is not only scoring a high number of goals but scoring them in crucial moments, getting the winner against Timbers2 in Round 1, as well as a brace to knab the equalizer and the winner in the dying minutes against Central Valley Fuego.
After giving up an early goal, El Farolito came from behind to beat the Fuego thanks to Benson pouncing on a rebound from a long ball inside the box. Benson placed it on the right side.
Then, he was an 88th minute hero, scoring the equalizer at the far post following a pass from Sebastian Yabur inside the box.
Next up, El Farolito will face Oakland Roots SC who are not only local neighbors but were the team that knocked them out of the competition last year.
“To be honest that game, I take it as a ‘Clasico’ or something like that,” said Benson. “The truth is I’m feeling anxious, already visualizing what will happen (in the game) on Tuesday … It’s going to be a beautiful game as they are the favorites before the game but we have been showing that El Farolito isn’t just any team. El Farolito is a team that against whoever will fight, will give everything and that day will not be the exception.”