Vlora FC (MASL/UPSL) 6-2 United Serbian SC (WSL)
Vlora FC began this game in control but it took a succession of yellow cards to tip the scoresheet in their favor as decisively as the final score would suggest. Vlora came into this match 1-0-2 in the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League Second Division (from where they qualified) but 3-1-0 in UPSL Premier Midwest West play. Their opponents were 5-1-1 in the Wisconsin Soccer Leagues’ Milwaukee Premier League. Neither team will have prepared for the chaos that followed.
It was only 1-0 at half time of regulation, the red-hot Easton Hoch driving in from the left for Vlora and hitting a shot hard across the Serbian keeper, who could only parry the ball into Benjamin Peña’s path for an easy finish in the 18th minute. In the 35th minute, it could easily have been 1-1 but University of Northwestern goalkeeping coach Austin Gunkel was equal to a shot, and Oscar Alvarez laid out to block the second shot. Three minutes later, Ibrahima Ndaw challenged the Serbian goalie, who nearly conceded a goal. Vlora had 9 corners in the first forty-five minutes but had been held to the one goal. It was a mismatch of stats they could have regretted.
In the 52nd minute, Oscar Gonzalez intercepted a poor pass inside the Serbian penalty area and slotted the ball across to Hoch, who notched a second goal of the tournament and a sixth of the season to add to his earlier assist.
Four minutes more had elapsed before the first of a number of second-caution red cards, this one for United Serbian SC’s Reyes Perez. Soon after, Hoch went down in the Serbian box, looking for a penalty kick but not receiving one.
In the 65th minute, the game turned as the referee awarded a penalty kick for United Serbian SC for a stamp by a Vlora defender. Litigation and Risk Management lawyer Aleksandar Prpa, who is the vice-chair of USSC, stepped up and hammered the penalty home into the side netting to halve the deficit. Prpa then added a free kick (cleared for a corner) and a subsequent corner which was headed hard into the ground and up into the roof of the net by Vladimir Petrović for the equalizer in the 70th minute. Both teams had chances, including a Sohail Ebrahimi bicycle kick which cleared the Serbian goal in the 80th minute. In the 82nd minute, Prpa received a yellow card and he was lucky to remain on the pitch, given a final warning after another tough challenge before regulation was up. The Serbians chipped Gunkel from 40 yards out and it was only just saved.
Extra Time began with Ebrahimi heading over the crossbar from inside the 6 yard box and just failing to connect on a pass in the 94th minute. Two minutes later, he whipped a ball in from the left and Benjamin Peña slotted it home for his second goal. His joy would turn to despair in six minutes as was shown a second yellow card for a reaction to the referee after he himself had been fouled. One minute of even numbers had passed before Jeronimo Zelaya Diaz chested down and volleyed in the home team’s fourth of the day.
In the 104th minute, Milorad Kosanović was issued a second yellow of his very own, for raising his hand into an opponent’s face and United Serbians were down to 9 men for the remaining half of Extra Time. As Redouane Baarab came off the bench to score in stoppage time, the visitors were also down 5-2.
It remained a 3 goal lead until the last touch of the game as Petrović attempted a clearance and sliced the ball into his own goal.
Vlora FC move on to the Quarterfinals of the Region II Amateur Cup, two wins from the Bill Davey Cup and four from the National Amateur Cup title outright. They will face Milwaukee Torrent, who enter at this stage. Bavarian United are also entering at the Quarterfinal stage, and will be joined by 5 other winners from Round 2. Stay tuned to Northern Lights Football for further coverage of this tournament and others across the Northland.