2022 US Open Cup Round 1: San Fernando Valley wins UPSL battle 6-2 vs. Escondido FC

“It’s very hot outside,” SFV captain Richard Minaian said. “We started a little slow but we always usually do and then we got in our groove after a while and the calls just kept flowing in and we just stuck together and then we won.”

Early into the match, the battle to maintain possession was evident between the teams. However, it would be SFVFC that would find themselves keeping it to a 60-40 possession. The intensity of the match would lead to a yellow card award to Omar Rodriguez from Escondido FC in the 15th minute.

In the 30th minute, SFV FC’s Bosuel beat a defender for a breakaway. Facing the goalie one on one, he ended with a straight floor shot to the back of the net. Putting SFV FC on the board first, 1-0.

It wasn’t long for SFV FC to raise the score again. In the 42nd minute, on a long run cutting in front of the goal, Irvin Lopez was able to get the ball past the goalie for his first goal of the match to make it 2-0.

“It’s really nice when they see work is paying off. The challenge is when sometimes it doesn’t happen, but we were lucky enough,” SFV FC head coach and owner Carlos Cortez said.

However, at that same moment, a foul was called on the play. Escondido FC’s Erik Papke would be awarded a yellow card, but Escondido FC would still be given a penalty kick for the foul made within the box.

Escondido’s Raymond Soro would complete the penalty kick and change the score to 2-1 in the 43rd minute.

The remaining minutes of the half continued with the fast pace play and battle for possession, but halftime arrived with the score 2-1 in favor of the home team.

Just two minutes into the second half, San Fernando Valley’s Giancarlo Ponciano lengthened the team’s lead to 3-1.

“When the wind is blowing, just used it to keep pushing, and try to go as far as you can, basically capitalized on it,” Cortez said.

With the lead getting father ahead, Escondido FC seemed to be slowly losing its formation as frustration between players was rising. This intensified the match which SFV FC responded back but led to the team’s first and only yellow card awarded in the 49th minute to Fabricio Alvareng.

“Frustration happens of course, but we always stick together no matter what,” Minaian said. “We’re together literally every single day. So things like that always happens, like with brothers, of course family, and we just always stick together no matter what. We may bicker, but we just let it go and just move forward.”

However, that did not stop SFV FC from adding to the scoreboard in the 62nd and 66th minutes. The first goal came on a long ball from Rivas which was headed by en Escondido defender, fell to Bosuel and he made no mistake. Four minutes later, Cristo Deras served up Bosuel to complete his hat trick. Bosuel was the only player in the First Round to score three goals in a game and the 63rd player in the Modern Era (1995-present) to complete a hat trick in the US Open Cup. He is also the first Argentine to score a hat trick in the Modern Era.

With a 5-1 lead, the momentum and urgency to tie the match were the prime focus on Escondido FC, but that led to two more yellow cards awarded during the match  (71st minute, Robson Rolim De Moura, and 81st minute, Josue Hernandez).

In the 79th minute, Escondido FC, David Achaerandio, finished the opportunity his teammate Christan Bahera created to alleviate the score to 5-2.

However, with all their efforts, at the 90th-minute SFV FV Ramiro Hermida, in a moment of pure luck, his shot which seemed to be heading past the outside post of the goal ended up skimming on the inside. Leaving SFV FC on top with a 6-2 win.

SFV FC will now travel to face the California United Strikes FC (NISA) in the next round on April 7 in Irvine, Calif., but the team see this as another opportunity to showcase their skills.

“​​Obviously its a huge opportunity for all the players, you know, for us as a staff to, for me such a young team,” said Cortez. “As I mentioned before, nothing to lose, a lot to gain.”