Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

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2024 US Open Cup Round 2: Luis Gil’s late goal sends Spokane Velocity past LA Force

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Luis Gil of Spokane Velocity celebrates his goal against LA Force FC in the Second Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Gerald Barnhart - InlandSoccerNews.com
Luis Gil of Spokane Velocity celebrates his goal against LA Force FC in the Second Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Gerald Barnhart – InlandSoccerNews.com

Spokane Velocity FC remains undefeated in the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after the club’s second ever match in the tournament, as they took down the Los Angeles Force 1-0.

The lone score of the match was banged home by Velocity striker Luis Gil in the 85th minute of the contest. A wild first touch missile from midfielder Andre Lewis ricocheted off of LA Force goalkeeper Seth Torman and Gil quickly turned into Velocity’s “Johnny-on-the-spot”, sending the ball into the net. 

“It was a great start by Andre, forcing the keeper to make a save and I was right there,” said Gil. “I know that you’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net no matter how so, that’s what’s gonna make us move on.”

This is Gil’s second goal of the season and his first in this year’s Open Cup. It was his second career goal in the tournament. His first came back in 2012 when he was a teenager with Real Salt Lake, scoring a goal in a 3-1 upset loss to the Minnesota Stars FC (NASL). Gil’s play outside of the game-winning score helped his team in a major way, as his team took control of the game from the LA Force. 

The Force seemed as though their gameplan revolved around hunkering down in the middle of the field and obstructing any path onto their third of the field. This created a slow tempo to the game, and only a single off-target shot from outside the box was recorded in the first 20 minutes of the game. 

“I think they wanted to be a little bit more aggressive defensively than they were,” explained Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman. “I think that we did a fantastic job with the ball and maintaining the ball, especially in the second half.”

The crowd watching the spectacle witnessed the game get physical at times, and were quick to cheer on or cheer against the referee’s calls. All 2,423 attendees did their best to aid the city’s newest professional sports organization, doing a splendid job according to Veidman.

“I’ll tell you something, a Wednesday night midweek game, regardless if it’s Open Cup or not, to have that many people here tonight was absolutely phenomenal,” said Veidman. The city showed up tonight and they are a massive reason why we pulled through that game and found a way to win. The fans are the heartbeat of every single football club.”

It was the first US Open Cup game for the city of Spokane since 2004 when the Spokane Shadow of the PDL (now USL League Two) dropped a first round game to the Sacramento Knights (USASA/NPSL).

The LA Force struggled to get going offensively, but keeping the Velocity off of the scoreboard for 85 minutes was a difficult task. Their chippy defensive prowess led to a couple of chances with the ball reaching deep into Velocity territory, but the club was only able to register a single shot on target throughout the match. 

Velocity goalkeeper Peter Swinkels has yet to be scored on in his two starts during the Open Cup, and came away with one save. On the other side, Seth Torman of the Force recorded three saves.

Spokane Velocity return to league play on April 14 as they take on Lexington SC before their Third Round matchup when they travel to take on the Las Vegas Lights (USL Championship) on April 17.

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: LA Force score late goal to earn first USOC win vs. Redlands FC

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LA Force FC pose for a team photo before their First Round match against Redlands FC in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: LA Force FC
LA Force FC pose for a team photo before their First Round match against Redlands FC in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: LA Force FC

In a struggle between aggression and keeping calm on the pitch in the First Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, LA Force was able to keep it’s formation and come out victorious, 2-1, over Redlands FC. 

“It was a tough one, you know, like they came to play, we knew that. They had a point prove,  playing with the semi pro NPSL team … but we got together, we did our thing and we made sure we got the results,” LA Force’s Joel Quist said.

At the sound of the whistle, it became apparent the first half would be a battle of possession. While LA Force demonstrated they could hold a 60/40 possession; Redlands FC showed a different type of play. When holding the ball, Redlands FC capitalize those moments quickly to get around LA Force’s defensive line and create opportunities with close finishes. 

However, both team’s defense held strong and deflected any shots out of range of the goal or out of bounds. With numerous attempts to gain the lead, both teams would remain scoreless. 

It wasn’t until the 40th minute, that LA Force would find its self taking the lead. An assist from Dante Brigida to Quist just inches in front of the goalkeeper would put them in the lead, but not for very long. 

A few moments later in the 42nd minute, Redlands FC Ethan Kovach would even the score with a shot in the far right corner or the goal. 

The half would end shortly after with the score remaining 1-1. 

As second half went underway, the game’s intensity amplified. Several minor fouls began to add up, tempers slowly were raising against each other and the calls being made by the referee were being questioned. Eventually two yellow cards would be tacked on to the two that were already awarded in the first half. 

“If you follow the game, especially in the beginning of the season, you know, it’s a  little bit rusty. But you have to be aggressive sometimes to win games,” head coach Dekel Keinan said. 

Much like the first half, both teams kept a consistent attempt at shots but none would bring them into the lead. Nearing the end of regulation period, in the 84th minute LA Force would see it’s second goal of the night. Another great pass from Brigdia to Quist, who would then find Jose Salvador Montes De Oca Gonzalez’s feet for a straight powerful shot to the back of the net. 

Raising the score 2-1, light more fuel into Redlands FC to create another equalizer. However, another four yellow cards would be awarded (Redlands – two; LA Force – two) in the duration of extra time to the second half and end with LA Force moving on to the next round and earning the club’s first-ever Open Cup win (in three tries). 

“It was a great experience for for our players for the good the Open Cup game. Credits for Redlands, you know they gave us all my players are really proud of them. They did great. And this is just our first step. Hopefully we’ll have more of those nights,” Keinan said. 

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Las Vegas Lights cruise into Round 3 with 4-0 win vs. LA Force

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Andre Zuluaga of the Las Vegas Lights makes a save against LA Force in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Las Vegas Lights
Andre Zuluaga of the Las Vegas Lights makes a save against LA Force in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Las Vegas Lights

Las Vegas Lights FC didn’t need any luck on Wednesday night, as the USL Championship club easily defeated LA Force FC (NISA) 4-0 in the Second Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

It was the third time in the team’s four US Open Cup appearances that they have won their opening game, but the first time they had defeated a professional opponent.

The game was played at Peter Johann Soccer Field on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) and fans of the home team didn’t have to wait long for the deadlock to be broken.

In the 16th minute, Azriel González lined up for a direct kick from the middle of the 18-yard box.  With the ball nearly resting on the chalk, González unleashed an absolute rocket directly into the lower left corner of the goal.  Cooly taken and cooly celebrated, the Las Vegas Lights were only getting started with their rout.

Less than ten minutes later, it was González again with the goal production. In the 23rd minute, he was able to get in behind the LA Force defense and slot the ball home to double the lead.  González would finish the match with a brace, but continued to threaten the goal every chance he could. His brace would also prove to be his first goals for the club across all competitions.

In the 37th minute, Justin Ingram used a magnificent one-touch shot to hammer the ball into the back of the net.  Ingram received a great set-up pass from Zach Carroll and left no doubt behind the shot. The goal was Ingram’s first goal for the Lights across all competitions, as well as Carroll collecting his first assist of the calendar year. The two sides would go to halftime with the Lights leading 3-0.

The second half seemed to echo the first half, but Las Vegas would wait until the 64th minute to extend their lead by another goal. Pablo Soares was able to connect with Erick Torres, who took a shot from the center of the box and placed the ball in the center of the net, too. Torres collected his first goal for the Lights this season and Soares earned his first assist of the season.  

Aside from the goal, the only other noteworthy event that took place in the second half was in the 55th minute when the Lights made three subs. The biggest was 2018 USL MVP Emmanuel Ledesma, who had been recently been signed by the club. He won the league MVP as a member of FC Cincinnati, a year before their move to Major League Soccer. After leaving Cincinnati, he played for a club in Finland (SJK), came back stateside to play with Indy Eleven (USL Championship) in 2021 before signing with Chilean club Barnechea.

With the result in hand, the Lights would play the remaining half hour without an additional goal, but would .  The win proved to be the first time the Lights advanced to the Third Round for the first time since 2019.

Lights goalkeeper Andre Zuluaga made his debut for the club, earning a clean sheet in his first career US Open Cup game.

For the LA Force it was the club’s second loss in as many US Open Cup game in club’s professional team history (their USL League Two team qualified three times from 2017-19). Both losses came on the road against USL Championship teams (last year, they lost at Orange County SC)

In the Third Round draw for the US Open Cup, Las Vegas learned that they will be hosting MLS club Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, April 26.  Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.

2022 US Open Cup Round 2, Day 1 Review: MLS Next Pro wins debut, one amateur side survives

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Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup
Toby Sims of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds dribbles against the Maryland Bobcats in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger | Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The first MLS NEXT Pro team to enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup scored the league’s first win in the Second Round of the tournament, and USL League Two scored an upset over a nearby USL League One counterpart Tuesday night as 11 teams punched their tickets to the next round of the 107th edition of the US Open Cup. 

Round 2 continues Wednesday with 13 matches, with seven more to be decided Thursday. All of the games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Several MLS clubs will join the competition in the Third Round, which will hold a draw Friday to determine the matchups. The draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. 

Here’s a look at all 11 Second Round matches from Tuesday.

Click here for a preview of all the Round 2 games on Wednesday and Thursday

North Carolina Fusion U-23s (USL League Two) 4:2 Charlotte Independence (USL League One)
American Legion Memorial Stadium – Charlotte, NC
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The North Carolina Fusion U23 pulled off the first upset of the second round, knocking off their professional USL League One opponent Charlotte Independence 4-2 in Charlotte.

Charlotte opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Shalom Dutey found the end of a Ayrton Paez free kick just in front of goal near the post, beating Fusion goalkeeper Josh Perryman. Twenty-three minutes later, a shot by Faisal Almabaslat was blocked by Charlotte goalkeeper Keegan Meyer, but Luis Neto was right there to put away the rebound to draw the Fusion level 1-1. It took Charlotte just five minutes to regain the lead, as Ivan Luquetta took the ball to the touch line in the penalty area, then passed back to Paez for the goal.

The Fusion tied things up minutes into the second half when Joao Silva took a shot at the top of the box that deflected off a Charlotte defender. Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute when Tresor Mbuyu was sent off for an altercation with a Fusion player after a hard tackle. With just a few minutes remaining in regulation, Charlotte goalkeeper Meyer fumbled an easy shot by Alexandre Horveno, and Tom Marriott scored on a wide-open goal. The Fusion cemented the upset in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Colton Sessoms easily scored on a 3-on-1 breakaway, the youngster’s fourth goal of the night, to book a spot in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Maryland Bobcats (NISA) 0:2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship)
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

On a rainy Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the USL Championship Riverhounds entertained the visiting Maryland Bobcats of NISA. A pair of goals from Toby Sims on either side of halftime was all the Riverhounds needed to see off the Bobcats 2-0 and advance to the third round. Simms’ first goal came in the 38th minute from the center of the penalty area off a Luis Argudo assist. Almost 10 minutes into the second half, Simms tallied from the left side of the penalty area on a Mohamed Sesay assist. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

St. Louis CITY 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) 2:0 Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI) – Indianapolis, IN
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

St. Louis City 2 notched the first-ever Open Cup win for a MLS NEXT Pro team with a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven of the USL Championship.

St. Louis drew first blood when Joshua Yaro sent an attempted clearance back into the box, where Era Armstrong collected the ball and beat Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk. The reserve club of the future St. Louis MLS club doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Armstrong passed to substitute Celio Martins, who then fed Wan Kuzain at the top of the box for the goal. From then on. Indy only managed a couple of chances on goal and the St. Louis reserves made their way to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Michigan Stars FC (NISA) 0:3 Detroit City FC (USL Championship)
Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

In a battle of former NISA rivals, the USL Championship Detroit City FC smoked the Michigan Stars 3-0 in Detroit.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Just as the first half looked to end scoreless, Detroit stuck twice on corner kicks. In the 45th minute, Connor Ruiz put away a Maximilliano Rodriguez corner kick. In the second minute of stoppage time, Rodriguez served up another corner, and this time Matthew Lewis headed the ball home for a 2-0 lead. For the rest of stoppage time, the air was filled with smoke from jubilant City supporters.

 

After a pair of crosses Detroit extended their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute. After Michigan headed away an initial cross, Michael Bryant sent the ball back into the box, where Connor Ruiz headed the ball to the feet of Matthew Lewis for his second goal of the game. From that point, Detroit easily saw out the remaining time to book their first ever appearance in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Villages SC (USL League Two) 0:6 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)
Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Villages SC of USL League Two were no match for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, with the hosts steamrolling to a 6-0 win. Lucky Mkosana quickly put the Rowdies ahead 2-0 with two goals early in the first half. Jordan Scarlett pushed the lead to 3-0 on a header from a Jake Areman free kick. In the 53rd minute Mkosana appeared to have completed his hat-trick, connecting on a cross from Jake Areman, however the goal was later credited to Kyle Greig.

The goals continued to flow in as Jake LaCava (63rd minute) and Laurence Wyke (73rd minute) finished the rout of their amateur opponents, and confirmed a spot in the third round for the Rowdies. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Des Moines Menace (USL League Two) 1:2 Union Omaha (USL League One)
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.) – Omaha, NE
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Menace opened the scoring in the 15th minute when a shot from Gabriel Rodriguez struck the crossbar and was swatted away by Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu. Corey Hertzog then slammed home the loose ball. Five minutes later, Union found the equalizer when John Scearce headed home a corner from Joseph Brito.

Union Omaha kept control most of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, Omaha gained the lead on a Menace mistake when Alefu Bertini accidentally headed a lobbed pass from Conor Doyle past his own goaleeper. Omaha withstood a desperate Menace search for an equalizer to win their debut Open Cup match and advance to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) 1:2 FC Tulsa (USL Championship)
ONEOK Field – Tulsa, OK
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The USL Championship’s FC Tulsa came out on top in the Tulsa derby, defeating the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, 2-1.

FC Tulsa wasted no time grabbing the lead, as Jorge Corrales sent a cross into the box that Brian Brown managed to put away while being pulled down by a Tulsa Athletics defender. FC Tulsa scored again in the 19th minute, this time on a Ronald Rodriguez header off a corner kick from Joaquin Rivas. Tulsa Athletic had a few promising free kicks in the rest of the half but the score remained 2-0 at the break.

Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Tulsa Athletic managed to cut the lead in half with thirteen minutes remaining. Halftime substitute Billy Nzojyibwami’s goal from the right side of the penalty area gave the amateurs a glimmer of hope. But FC Tulsa kept the visitors at bay in the final minutes to book their place in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

D’Feeters Kicks (USCS / The Roja League) 1:3 San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
Lynchburg City Stadium – Lynchburg, VA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

For 45 minutes, the amateur D’Feeters Kicks had hope of an upset over the professional San Antonio FC of the USL Championship. However, in four quick minutes that dream was interrupted.

San Antonio scored three goals in four minutes of the second half to separate themselves from their amateur guests en route to a 3-1 win. In the 53rd minute, Henrik Sakshaug scored from the top of the penalty area after a free kick pinballed between players from both teams. Just a minute later, a shot by Justin Dhillon deflected off a D’Feeters defender, allowing Connor Maloney to easily beat goalkeeper Anthony Rodriguez for San Antonio’s second goal. Three minutes later, Sakshaug struck again from the center of the penalty area, assisted by Shannon Gomez, and suddenly San Antonio were comfortably ahead 3-0.

D’Feeters regained a slight glimmer of hope when San Antonio goalkeeper Matt Cardone was unable to handle a long shot from the left side, allowing Sebastian Mendez to easily tap home the goal. With seven minutes remaining, D’Feeters were reduced to 10 men when Juan Ramirez was shown his walking papers after a hard foul. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) 0:5 New Mexico United (USL Championship)
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex – Albuquerque, NM
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends saw their luck run out in the second round as New Mexico United of the USL Championship rolled to an easy 5-0 victory.

The hosts set the tone in the seventh minute when Chris Wehan converted a penalty after Sergio Rivas was fouled by the Legends’ Hector Casillas. Jerome Kiesewetter scored the first of his two goals from close range in the 17th minute, and Randy Ovouka placed his shot in the bottom left corner of the goal five minutes from halftime for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Carl Sainte made it 4-0 from a shot outside the penalty area shortly after halftime. Eduardo Guzman was sent off in the 82nd minute, leaving Las Vegas with 10 men. New Mexico was awarded another penalty with four minutes remaining after another foul by Hector Casillas in the box. Kiesewetter stepped to take the penalty and New Mexico cruised to a berth in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

El Paso Locomotive (USL Championship) 1:4 Central Valley Fuego (USL League One)
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.) – Clovis, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Villyan Bijev scored a brace, and USL League One side Central Valley Fuego stunned El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championships, 4-1 at Lamonica Stadium in Clovis, California.

Nathan Smith and Christian Chaney also scored for the Fuego, which needed less than five minutes to score and never looked back.

Bijev opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, chipping the goalkeeper from the left side of the box to put Central Valley up 1-0 mere moments into the game. The goals kept coming, too, through Smith’s golazo in the 15th minute and a second from Bijev in the 44th minute en route to a 3-0 halftime advantage. Chaney added a goal in the 62nd minute for the Fuego.

Eric Calvillo scored in the 90th minute for El Paso, which turned out to be the first Open Cup goal in Locomotive history for the 2019 debutants. El Paso was playing its second of three games in eight days after a four-match winless skid to open USL Championship play, and had traveled up the California coast following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the San Diego Loyal in league play.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

LA Force FC (NISA) 2:5 Orange County SC (USL Championship)
Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Former Real Salt Lake homegrown signing Milan Iloski had a goal and an assist as Orange County SC of the USL Championship rolled by the NISA’s LA Force, 5-2 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, California.

Daniel Pedersen, Sean Okoli, Mikko Kuningas and Kobi Henry each added a goal for Orange County, which converted five of its six shots on target into goals and out-shot the Force 22-15.

Samuel Goni scored a brace for LA Force FC, including a 37th-minute strike that pulled the Open Cup debutants within 3-1 at halftime. But Iloski dished a pinpoint backheel pass to Kuningas to restore Orange County’s three-goal lead, and Henry’s goal in the 69th minute helped seal the win for good.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Orange County thumps LA Force in battle of Los Angeles

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Orange County SC 2022 US Open Cup
Players from Orange CountySC celebrate after scoring a goal in the club’s 5-2 home win over El Paso Locomotive in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orange County SC

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For the first time since 2017, Orange County SC advanced to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.A goal in the 90th minute had no effect on the outcome of the 2022 US Open Cup Second Round match as Orange Country SC topped LA Force, 5-2 and advanced to the Round 3.

“Delighted to obviously be in the hat for the next round. I thought it was a professional performance. Disappointed, though, I think to not come away with a clean sheet,” said Orange County head coach Richard Chaplow. “We’ve conceded two in the end, but we put ourselves in a silly position at halftime going in conceding a sloppy goal. But overall, obviously, the game is about winning. And we did that.”

The first 10 minutes of the match kept a steady pace before OC SC and L.A. Force were able to create opportunities.

Both teams held a 50/50 possession with no attempts at goal. It was until the 12th minute when OC SC’s Sean Okoli took his first shot on goal, but the shot just barely skimmed the goal post and lost the opportunity to put his team on the board.

OCSC used that close opportunity as more motivation to gain the first goal and they succeeded. In the 24th minute,  OC SC Daniel Pederson saw his chance with a straight shot to the back of the net and took the lead, 1-0.

Just six minutes later in the 30th minute, OC SC Milan Iloski was able to read the direction of the play that L.A. Force goalie Brandon H. Gomez was about to make causing hesitation and loss of the ball.

Iloski reacted to it quickly and raised the score to 2-0.

“My dad always told me growing up to read it through their eyes. So I know when I saw the ball go back to him and the center back open up. I saw his eyes look where the guy was and I was able to meet it and cut off the path,” Iloski said.

With OC SC in the lead, L.A. Force slowly lost their shape in the backfield and another minor mistake in the defense left another open chance for OC SC to capitalize.  Reading the movement of the ball OC SC’s Okoli was able to get a light touch on the ball as it moved past the defender and directed it to the net.

OC SC led 3-0, with plenty of time left in the first half.

Now that L.A. Force was trailing far behind, the team increased their pressure on OC SC’s offensive which resulted in L.A. Force, Kyle O’Brien receiving the first yellow card of the match.

The yellow card riled up both teams, but L.A. Force used that energy to gain their first goal in the half in the 36th minute. Samuel Goni had a straight shot from within the goalie box that shifted the score to 3-1.

OCSC was left a bit frazzled following the goal and lost sight of their formation for a few minutes, but was able to adjust right at the end of the first half.

Returning for the second half, OCSC was able to recuperate from the goal they had given up prior and regained their composure.

“We’re leading three zero and then they got the goal on our mistake and felt like it was the only way they could get back into the game was on our mistakes,” Pederson said. “So we just talked about to be a little bit better on the ball and take care of the ball. Don’t lose it in bad situations.”

However, that would cease when a foul in the 50th minute in the OC SC goalie box put one of its players in an unsafe situation. Immediately after the foul, players reacted to that situation in a minor scuffle as tension rose while they waited for officials to make a decision on the outcome of the play.

Both L.A. Force Jaime Chavez and OC SC goalie Patrick Rakovsky were awarded yellow cards once it settled.

“That happens in football. So of course, you know, it’s a little bit heated,” Pederson said. “I think it was a bad foul. I think it was dangerous and I think that should have been penalized a little bit harder than if I fall in the midfield because something bad could really happen there.”

It was a pivotal moment for both teams as aggression increased on the field. Yet, it would not phase OC SC as they continued to hold their formation and move offensively with one another.

Just three minutes after the commotion, in the 53rd minute, Mikko Kuningas would contribute to OC SC’s lead after clearing the ball right in front of the goalie line.

A 4-1 lead in the second half, allowed for fresh players to take the field. From the 62nd to the 66th minute, OC SC used all five of its substitutions which held positive effects for the remainder of the game.

Seven minutes after being substituted in, OC SC’s Kobe Henry added his name to the scoring list in the 68th minute after his shot brushed between the goalie’s hand and the top of the net.

OCSC would lead 5-1 with less than 20 minutes in the match.

The remaining time of the match would mirror much like the end of the first half. Emotions and intensity rose higher and OC SC would once again slowly feel the offensive push from L.A. Force; losing their formation.

In the final minute of the match, L.A. Force Clayton Torr would complete an assist from Jose Villareal during the moment OC SC would lose its structure. Yet, the score would remain in OC SC’s favor, 5-2.

OCSC will now move to the fourth round and learn who their next competitor is on Friday, April 8th.

Until then the team will focus on areas that Chaplow saw during the match that needed improvement not only for the next round but for their spring season.

“I think first and foremost being a little bit more defense defensively sound, you know, having a bit of a better defensive structure,” Chaplow said. “Naturally the players are excited, they want to go and score goals. So there’s probably, you know, focusing on having a little bit more control in those moments. That’s all that matters.”

 

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