Orange County Blues

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: LA Wolves hand Orange County Blues 3rd straight loss to amateur team

May 22, 2016 by Dennis Pope

Luis Mora scored the game-winner on home turf as the Los Angeles Wolves (UPSL) held on to defeat Orange County Blues (USL), 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw, Wednesday night at Wilmington (Calif.) Banning High School.

“He lives around the block, the whole community is watching him; He takes the final kick and he buries it,” LA Wolves owner/head coach Yan Skwara said.

Skwara said Mora, a Banning High School graduate, wanted to be the fifth kick taker.

“He wanted it. He played on that field for four years for his high school, and he buries it,” Skwara said. “It couldn’t be more dramatic.”

Mora’s home-town finish punched the Wolves’ ticket to a third-round matchup against fellow UPSL side La Maquina. The winner plays at LA Galaxy (MLS) in the fourth round.

“(La Maquina) beating their opponents handily, I’ll say that,” Skwara said. “We’re not going in, by any means, with any sort of comfort level.”

Miguel Sanchez had a goal in the 72nd minute, and 20-year-old goalkeeper Kifi Kalani made two saves in the shootout win for Wolves, who continue to enjoy their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run.

“We have a blend of players and we’re in the (UPSL) playoffs,” Skwara said. “You want to come into any cup scenario in good form, and we are in good form right now. We’re on the rise.”

Sanchez started the shootout with a miss for Wolves, who were down 2-0 before Joey Chica and Gonzo Salguero scored to level.

Jeremiah Eglijie made it 3-2 but it was Kalani’s back-to-back blocks that gave Wolves a real advantage.

“(Kalani) had a (heck) of a game,” Skwara said. “He made two PK saves. That’s what happened.”

Grady Howe equalized in the 77th minute for OC Blues, which still suffered its fourth loss to an amateur side in its last six Cup entries, including its third straight. Blues previously lost to Ventura County Fusion in 2012, Fresno Fuego in 2014 and PSA Elite in 2015.

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: PSA Elite upset USL side for 2nd straight year, beating Orange County Blues

May 23, 2015 by Dennis Pope

Michael Salazar scored and had an assist, and Orange County-based amateur club PSA Elite of USASA withstood a late barrage to hang on for a 2-1 victory over the USL’s Orange County Blues FC at University High School.

It’s the second consecutive multi-point performance for Salazar, who had one goal and two assists in PSA Elite’s 7-1 First Round victory.

“We got the goals like we should have,” PSA Elite coach John Spencer said. “Two goals in the Open Cup when you’re playing a pro team isn’t easy.”

PSA Elite secured its second consecutive trip the US Open Cup Third Round with the victory.
“I don’t think we’re going to be a secret to anybody now,” Spencer said.

O.C. Blues had the best early chances but could not find a finishing touch. Amani Walker twice had shot attempts in the first five minutes, and Christofer Ramirez sent a 25-yard free kick just over the bar seven minutes later.

PSA Elite went on the counterattack in the 19th minute. Michael Sperber collected the ball near midfield and sprayed it to Will Lopez making a right-sided run. Lopez crossed the ball back across the face of the goal to Salazar, whose header hit the inside of the near post on its way in.

PSA Elite went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, and after again absorbing pressure early in the second half, went up 2-0 on Mats Bjurman’s second goal of the tournament.

“ slipped it past the defender and I was clear through,” said Bjurman, who plays collegiate soccer at UC Irvine. “This is the level we know we can play at.”

PSA Elite made some changes to its defense before the game, with Jamal Wallace and Mitchell Bell starting at right and left back, respectively, in place of injured wings Robert Amick and Chance Gasper. Wallace forced the team to play down a man after he was sent off in the 82nd minute for a poorly-timed tackle.

“The red card is unfortunately but if you had told us we’d be up 2-0 I think anybody in the world would tell us we’re in great position,” Spencer said.

O.C. Blues forward Tyler Feeley was brought on late in the game and produced a 90th-minute goal off a long throw from Jimmy Turner to make it 2-1, but PSA Elite goalkeeper Wade Hamilton kept his team out of any other danger.

“That was a of a throw,” Hamilton said. “He threw it from the far side all the way to the other side of the . We weren’t expecting that.”

Four minutes of additional time expired without another shot on goal.

O.C. Blues head coach Oliver Wyss declined to comment after the game.

“They’re pros they should beat us every week,” Spencer said. “For tonight, we’re the best team in Irvine. That’s good. We can be proud of that.”

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Fresno Fuego burns Orange County Blues for first upset in over a decade

May 17, 2014 by Nick Schiffler

The Fresno Fuego pulled off one of the upsets of the Second Round in the US Open Cup, knocking off professional side Orange County Blues 2-0 behind some solid defending and two opportunistic goals.

Abraham Campos and Jose Cuevas scored within three minutes of each other late in the first half, which was enough for the PDL side to knock off the USL-PRO Blues and move on to the Third Round. The amateur squad last defeated a professional team in the tournament in 2003.

“We defended extremely well,” said Fuego head coach Scott Alcorn, who was ejected in the final 10 minutes of the match. “It was the best defensive effort this season. But the difference tonight was that we won the 50-50 balls.”

Fresno ran into trouble before the match even kicked off, as three of their players were ruled ineligible. Alfred Edmonds and Elliot Hord were both forced into the starting 11 for the Fuego at the last minute, and the match kicked off nearly 45 minutes late as a result of the roster confusion.

Despite the early drama, and despite temperatures at kickoff nearly reaching 100 degrees, Fresno started the first half brightly, creating as many chances as their USL-PRO opponents. Fresno winger Paul Islas forced Blues keeper Mohammad Mohammadi into a good save, tipping a shot over the bar. Soon after, Orange County’s Enrique Cardenas zipped a shot just past the post and wide.

It was the Fuego who would get on the board first at the end of the first half. In the 41st minute, Campos lined up over a free kick about 25 yards out, and banged a low shot that beat Mohammadi, deflected off the post and into the net.

Three minutes later Fresno doubled their advantage. Tyler Reinhart forced Mohammadi into a save, but the rebound deflected right back to the forward. Reinhart nudged it to Cuevas, who slotted in the goal from about eight yards out for the 2-0 lead.

Desperate to find some kind of offensive spark, the Blues made substitutions early – they had used all three by the 60th minute. Orange County was able to turn up the pressure on Fresno, controlling the majority of possession as the second half wore on, but it couldn’t put any good chances on goal.

“To get the second goal right before half totally changed what we wanted to do. We wanted to still put pressure on them,” Alcorn said. “As the second half of the half moved on, obviously we dropped into a little more low-pressure, and the last 20 minutes we basically bunkered in.”

The Blues were given additional life when Fresno defender Trevor Spurgeon was shown a red card in the 85th minute, reducing the hosts to ten men. Five minutes of stoppage time were added, but Fresno defended well and held on for the shutout victory.

Fresno was making its third trip to the US Open Cup. Most recently, in 2012, they defeated Stanislaus United Turlock Express in the First Round, before getting hammered 7-2 by the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL.

Orange County, then known as the Los Angeles Blues, entered the US Open Cup in the Second Round in 2013. They defeated the Ventura County Fusion 5-1 before being knocked out of the tournament by Chivas USA of MLS for the second straight year.

Fresno will travel a few hours north for their next Cup match on May 28 to take on the Sacramento Republic, who defeated the Ventura County Fusion 2-1 in the Second Round. The winner of that game will get the chance to take on an MLS club in the tournament’s Fourth Round.

“We’ve played exhibition games against MLS teams, and we feel we can play with any of them,” Alcorn said. “We’re just not as deep as they are. win just earns respect for the PDL, and the PDL is such a high level that doesn’t get the respect it deserves. it just shows you that USL soccer is at an extremely high level.”