Vlora FC v FC Milwaukee Torrent : Men's US Amateur Cup (Midwest) QF Review
Vlora FC (Burnsville, MN - MASL/UPSL) 3-5 FC Milwaukee Torrent (Wauwatosa, WI - NPSL)
Bob Pates Stadium at Burnsville High School, Burnsville, MN. Thursday at 7pm.
This didn't feel like an 8 goal game, but Vlora's window closed fast as their go-ahead goal in the 49th minute became a tie game in the 57th minute and then a man down for 20 minutes.
FC Milwaukee Torrent travelled to Burnsville having not conceded a point in league play and put their foot on the throttle and the ball in the net twice through Javier Steinwascher in the space of 3 minutes, as a right wing attack was finished off and then an errant pass in the area by a defender was picked off.
However, the hosts ralllied, Nacho Gonzalez finishing off a neat spell of Vlora possession to make it 2-1 in the 26th minute and Hurtado sliding in at the far post to finish off a move sparked when Easton Hoch beat his defender on the left. That left it at 2-2 in the 29th minute and that was the half time score.
With the stiff wind at their back, Vlora pressed on in the opening minutes of the second half and went ahead in the 49th minute when Miguel Leon scrambled in a ball served from the left wing. The lead would only last five minutes as a Vlora defender slid recklessly in, and a penalty kick was awarded. Javier Steinwascher took a monumental run up and then slid the kick under Austin Gunkel and relatively down the middle for his hat trick and another tie.
Another five minutes passed with Vlora on the attack but Torrent countered clinically and took the lead in the 62nd minute through Gabe Voung. When they look back on this game, the hosts will probably need to analyse a two minute spell where a shout for a Vlora penalty kick went unheeded and Torrent went straight up the other end and were cut down by Rodolfo Batisti for a red card denial of a goalscoring opportunity in the 71st minute.
From that point, while Vlora did not look undermanned, the visitors were more than happy to play on the counter and the game's final goal came in the 73rd minute, a calmly executed coup de grace by Voung.
FC Milwaukee Torrent move onto the Region II semifinals of the Amateur Cup, to face RWB Adria in Wisconsin.
Men's US Amateur Cup (Midwest) Quarter-Finals Preview: Vlora FC v Milwaukee Torrent
Vlora FC (Burnsville, MN - MASL/UPSL) v FC Milwaukee Torrent (Wauwatosa, WI - NPSL)
Bob Pates Stadium at Burnsville High School, Burnsville, MN. Thursday at 7pm.
The Twin Citians won a coin toss to host the supposedly seeded Torrent, who enter at this point. Vlora FC has already played two matches in this year's tournament, beating MN Blizzard in regulation fashion and then United Serbian SC in a less orthodox match . They are 3-0-2 in Division 2 of the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League, but 5-1-3 in the UPSL Premier Midwest West Division. Last year, they lost to the Torrent in the regional semifinals. The key men are the Zürcher Easton Hoch, who has 6 goals, Bahian Rodolfo Batisti anchors the defense and has 4 and the Senegalese striker Ibrahima Ndaw has 3.
Milwaukee Torrent are 5-0-0 in the Central States Conference of the National Premier Soccer League, the #4 ranked team overall in the national league. Last year, they won the Bill Davey Cup for the Region II Amateur Cup and made it to the Fritz Marth Cup Final for the overall US Amateur Cup title, but lost 6-0 to NY Pancyprian Freedoms, one step shy of a berth in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Their leading goalscorers are the former pro Michigander Alejandro Steinwascher, Stuttgarter Max Ludwig and the New Zealander Jamie LeComte with 3 goals each.
Women's US Amateur Cup preview
The United States Adult Soccer Association runs Amateur Cup competitions for both men and women.
Milwaukee Torrent plays in both, with the women's tournament much less extensive. Only two teams are in the first round. Their opponents are fellow WPSL Lake Michigan Division club Green Bay Glory and both are undefeated after two rounds of play. Torrent finished last season 8-0-0 before falling to eventual National Semifinalist FC Pride in the Midwest Conference Final. Glory finished second in the division.
The match will take place on Wednesday at 7pm, at Lawrence University's Banta Bowl in Appleton, Wisconsin. Stay tuned to Northern Lights Football for coverage.
Men's US Amateur Cup (Midwest) Round 2: Vlora FC advance from a whacky one
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.
Photo Gallery: MN Blizzard vs Vlora FC (Amateur Cup, Round 1)
Tournaments
With two goals in the opening minutes, Vlora FC cemented an eventual 5-1 victory over Minnesota Blizzard in Tuesday’s 2025 National Amateur Cup Round 1 match at Eagan High School. Here are our photos from the pitch.
MN Blizzard host Vlora FC in an early season Amateur Cup test
Burnsville-based Vlora FC make the short trip to Eagan to face Lakeville-based Minnesota Blizzard FC as this regionalized, national tournament makes its opening visit to Minnesota for this year.
Vlora operates a UPSL squad, but they entered the draw as Minnesota Amateur Soccer League members. In that league, they finished third in the third division and won promotion to the second division for this upcoming season. They are two games into their UPSL season and are currently 2-0 with a 2-1 win over FC Minneapolis at home followed by a 5-0 drubbing of Rochester FC on the road. The squad will presumably be more UPSL than MASL because the latter schedule clashes with this match.
Minnesota Blizzard reserves also play in the third division of the MASL, and share a player pool with the first team NPSL squad from which the club will select their USAC squad. This match is the season debut for the team from the South Metro, who will follow up with a friendly against Wisconsin Conquerers. The NPSL season begins May 17th against Sioux Falls Thunder FC.
The US Amateur Cup has been played since 1923. The country is divided into the four regions of the United States Adult Soccer Association. There's a fuller explanation here, but for our purposes, it's only relevant that Northland falls in Region 2. 24 teams enter in the first round, and those winners face another round before the 6 left standing are joined by Milwaukee Torrent and Bavarian United for the quarter-finals. Torrent and Bavs received seeded entry because of their progress in last year's tournament.
The ultimate winners of Region 2 win the Bill Davey Cup and qualify for a national semifinal against one of the other three regions' winners. Whoever emerges from the national semifinals and the final the same weekend takes the National Amateur Cup title and a guaranteed spot in the 2026 US Open Cup.
So 5 wins (or 2, if you're the Milwaukee clubs) and you get a trophy. 7 (or 4) and you get a second trophy and qualification for a third.
Check back after the game for a photo gallery from the game by our Photography Director, Michael Lake.
US Open Cup Second Round Review
Des Moines Menace 1-2 Union Omaha
The Menace again fielded a star-studded line-up, as they welcomed Union down I-80 to Des Moines but the current pros of Omaha strolled out to a comfortable 2-0 lead. A slick piece of passing and a wicked cross from the right was blasted home by Dean Acoff to make it 1-0. The lead was doubled after a goalkeeping error as a shot from Josue Gomez was parried softly back to the Union player. The hosts staked a claim with a 54th minute penalty kick, which also saw the Nebraskans reduced to ten men, Benny Feilhaber with the goal.
Leroy Enzugusi had a golden chance to tie the game in the 81st minute, but after rushing onto a ball behind, he chipped it marginally wide of the keeper and Union Omaha did not face any other challenges.
Defeat for the Menace means $50,000 goes to defending NPSL champions El Farolito as the amateur side which has gone the furthest in this edition of the Cup.
Also of note:
Forward Madison 1-3 FC Tulsa. The Roughnecks make it two home losses for teams from the Northland in this round and conclude our coverage of this year's tournament. Thanks for following along. A reminder that Minnesota United join in the fourth round. Details on our sister site Northland Soccer Journal
US Open Cup Second Round Preview
Having proven that they can beat a team of developmental professionals from an MLS club and still facing the recruitment battle that amateur sides all face in the Cup's early rounds, Des Moines Menace now play a second division 3 professional side in Union Omaha. The Owls are the defending USL League One champions and secured their first win of the young league season, cruising to a 3-1 win on the road against South Georgia Tormenta.
Forward Madison moves on from their victory over Duluth FC in the first round to face FC Tulsa of the USL Championship. The Oklahoman club is 3-0-1 in their league and their hosts are 1-0-1 in League One.
Looking forward, the remaining Championship clubs will join for the third round, and the clubs MLS has deigned to include in the tournament will join in round four - including our own Minnesota United. Both Menace and Forward play on Wednesday night. Stay tuned to this site for full coverage, and follow us on Bluesky for live posts.
US Open Cup First Round Review - Forward Madison FC see off the BlueGreens
Forward Madison 5-1 Duluth FC
Forward Madison finished with a fistful of goals and a comfortable score-line but the course of the match may have been very different had Duluth FC’s Alex Mihov not raised his hands into the face of Nico Brown for a straight red card in the thirty-fifth minute. It only took Forward 5 minutes with the numerical advantage to score, through Ferrety Sousa but that was the extent of the damage at the half, in part because of a goal line clearance by Jake Starling in first half injury time.
A long-ball over the top of the Forward defense in the 63rd minute saw home defenders obstruct each other and Mario Fernandez swept the ball home after the on-rushing goalkeeper couldn't fully stop a shot. Ten minutes later, the home advantage was restored as Eddie Munjoma finished a passage of passes in close on the right wing. The final score gained an unrepresentative gloss in the 85th minute as Juan Galindrez broke out on the counter and settled the bouncing ball before half volleying it into the corner. John Murphy Jr slotted away Forward's 4th after Tristan Adams missed a cross, and it was 5 after Adam Braman in goal for Duluth conceded a PK and Galindrez saw his penalty saved but the rebound nestle in the net.
Coming Up:
Forward move onto the 2nd round, where they host FC Tulsa of the USL Championship on April 2nd at 6:30pm.
US Open Cup First Round Review - Sporting Kansas City II pay the penalty against Des Moines Menace
Sporting Kansas City II 1-2 Des Moines Menace
Des Moines Menace brought an experience-laden squad to the maelstrom of Swope Park, with a 15-year age gap between the two squads' average ages.
https://bsky.app/profile/lightsfootball.com/post/3lkrbga62vc2n
https://bsky.app/profile/lightsfootball.com/post/3lkrbpzls2s2n
However, even with the aid of wind gusting up to 45 mph at their backs, the home side failed to make their advantage count in the first half. SKCII accumulated 6 corners and hit the crossbar twice (within a minute).
With the visitors gaining the wind advantage in the second half, they might have been expected to stroll away. Still, neither team asserted themselves and it took until near the hour mark for the deadlock to be broken, from a penalty kick by Sacha Kljestan (52 caps for USA and 13 years in MLS, amongst other things) as Bradley Wright-Phillips (twice MLS golden boot winner) tiptoed through the minefield at the top of the SKCII area and Benny Feilhaber (150 games for SKC, 44 caps for USA and a former head coach of SKCII) burst through, only to be halted by a foul by Jacob Bartlett. Their lead would only last 5 minutes, as SKCII loaded the box and Beckham Uderitz slotted home the equalizer. In the 74th minute, a lightning fast attack down the right by Leroy Enzugusi for Menace set up the winning goal as he wriggled his way into the penalty area, stopped by a foul by an SKCII defender and despite a solid appeal for offside. The penalty kick, taken and scored by Kljestan for his second goal and last touch of the game, would be the winning goal.
Coming Up
The Menace, who will still be without a lot of their college-athletes and therefore likely to repeat the All Star trick, will enter the second round draw scheduled to take place after all the games are over this week (or most, since we have an anomalous Friday match due to weather). Stay tuned to our social media channels for more.
Tonight sees Duluth FC v Forward Madison in the capital of Wisconsin. Full coverage of that on our Bluesky, and here tomorrow.
Update:
The second round draw is out, with Des Moines Menace hosting Union Omaha , who won on the road against Flatirons FC
US Open Cup First Round Preview
A jam-packed mid-week schedule sees the return of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after the conclusion of qualifying. With US Soccer deciding that every tie would feature an amateur club and a pro side, the Des Moines Menace of USL League Two faces Sporting Kansas City II of MLS NEXT PRO on Wednesday, and Duluth FC of NPSL travels to Forward Madison of USL League One. Since this is amongst the first match for everyone, there are precious few roster details available (apart from Menace, but more about that below)
The tournament structure has been revised yet again, with only 16 MLS sides competing (their NEXT PRO sides will represent the rest). The Loons are one of those 16.
Menacing the opposition since 1994
Des Moines Menace are the designated amateur side in their match. However, this is a weak distinction given that the Menace organization is pros-in-waiting (as USL Pro Iowa) and that they will field a roster thick with former pros who have reinstated as amateurs. Oh, and they are a two-time champion of their league, amateur though that is.
In their 13 year history of matches in the USOC, they have been knocked out by a panoply of professional sides, most recently Union Omaha last year.
SKC II have four players from the MLS club on their roster (Ian James, Jack Kortkamp, Jacob Bartlett and Stephen Afrifa) and 7 academy players from a 30 man squad and have started the season 0-2. Check out the action from SKC II vs MNUFC 2 last year for a snapshot of their recent past, via our sister sister site Northland Soccer Journal.
The Flamingos host the BlueGreens
Forward Madison will host Duluth FC for a second year in a row, having secured a 2-0 win in Wisconsin last year. The hosts began their season tonight, with a surprisingly blunt 2-0 defeat on the road against a resolute smash-and-grab effort from first year club FC Naples. The margin of defeat equals any of the 6 they suffered last season across four tournaments as they reached the semifinals of the USL League One playoffs and the final of the Jägermeister Cup, losing both on penalties.
Their guests are in the off-season but also reached the semifinals of their league, winning the Midwest Region on the way. The match will mark the first competitive outing for new head coach Thomás Pazo. The Carioca man joins following Sean Morgan's move to lead coaching for the Gitchi Gummi youth club. They played Dakota Fusion in 2018 to a wild PK shootout and played the Menace in the 2019 competition (reports courtesy of our predecessor, E Pluribus Loonum).
We will be live on BlueSky and will have a full recap on both these matches later.
A new North is unveiled by NPSL
There are no brand-new clubs to the North Conference of the NPSL, but it is getting longer and shorter at the same time with Dakota Fusion's hiatus and the entry of former Gateway Conference members Iowa Demon Hawks.
Of the four playoff qualifiers from the North in 2024, two (Dakota Fusion and Minnesota TwinStars) are not part of 2025's festivities. The TwinStars leave after 20 years at this level and a 30-year history overall that made them by far the oldest club in this division.
Duluth FC will be defending their region with a new head coach for the first time since 2020, with the departure of Sean Morgan. Their fellow playoff team, Joy Athletic Club, is joined by Lakeville's Minnesota Blizzard (who also play in MASL2 alongside the Demon Hawks) as the only presence in the Twin Cities metro.
The Demon Hawks arrive in the North, having lost in the Regional Semifinals to Duluth FC (as Des Moines United). The Demon Hawks are also an established MASL2 indoor team. There is a possible fresh rivalry between the Des Moines-based Demon Hawks and the Sioux City-based Siouxland United. On the subject of the latter, the Outlaws bring in Alex Trent as head coach off the back of his undefeated regular season with Fusion. Lastly, Sioux Falls Thunder remain in the conference and at Bob Young Field as another potential rival to the Iowans.
Also, a little note about the US Open Cup. The tournament saw Duluth FC seize a priority bid as regional winners and it turns out that Fusion were offered a spot (turned down because of hiatus) as spectacular regular season participants. The BlueGreens are on the road against Forward Madison of USL League One for the second consecutive year, largely as a consequence of two things: Relatively close proximity and a desire to match all amateurs against a pro side in the 1st round. We will be covering that for you.
NISA Independent Cup Update
It took a few months, but Milwaukee Torrent have clarified their stance on the NISA Independent Cup which they won (by default). The default cost the club a game for which tickets had been sold, a sequence which left the club feeling aggrieved and a lingering impression of a mess behind the scenes.
Torrent offered three dates for the final at the club's home pitch of Hart Park in Wauwatosa, WI and NISA were ultimately responsible for the decision to award hosting of the final to Milwaukee but Inter Detroit took the forfeit.
There was active communication between Torrent and Inter with NISA as intermediaries which began with the league asking the Wisconsin club a finite question about the date and location of the final, with an implication that they would be hosting. The league then countered that the date offered (Wednesday July 31st) was unsuitable because of the long road trip, but that the following weekend might work. Torrent had an existing (and long planned) date for the inaugural Wisconsin Cup Final on that Saturday evening and that was repeated when Inter came to the table with a suggested 1pm Saturday kickoff. Only hours after the 1pm kickoff was suggested, Inter withdrew from the competition.
What of their accusations? They claimed that they "were not given a fair opportunity to host". NISA named Torrent hosts as it traveled to Inter for the 2023 tournament. On Torrent's part, they firmly believe that Hart Park was the best venue available.
They added that they were "forced to accommodate" Torrent's schedule, but as outlined above, repeated attempts were made to accommodate the travelling side. There is a complaint of the length of travel, but that appears to be torpedoed by the 1pm kick off suggested above.
Lastly, Inter suggest that 90% of their roster would have left for college, but their situation is mirrored across the amateur soccer landscape, including in Wauwatosa.
Torrent, for what it's worth, lost the Wisconsin Cup Final by a Mally Lumsden goal to Superior City FC.
NISA Independent Cup Review
Five amateur sides (Vlora FC, Dakota Fusion, Milwaukee Torrent, United Stars Soccer and Inter Detroit) joined metro Detroit's Michigan Stars in the Great Lakes region of this year's NISA Independent Cup. The regional champions get a trophy but do not meet in any kind of play-off.
Vlora FC traveled out to Fusion in the opening game of the tournament, but lost 2-1 despite having taken the lead. They also competed in the National Amateur Cup.
Torrent lost 6-0 in the National Amateur Cup Final, having won the Region 2 (Midwest) Trophy. They were eliminated from the NPSL playoffs by Des Moines United/Iowa Demon Hawks in the Gateway Conference Final.
Fusion had an unbeaten regular season, despite massive roster turnover and a new head coach, but were also beaten in their Conference Final. The Independent Cup was then left as their only chance of silverware.
Unfortunately for the Fargoans, they also lost to Torrent. Full details of that match can be found at Beyond the 90's NISA Today
Michigan Stars are 8-1-4 (W-D-L) with their NISA season ending on Sept 21st. They lost their first round match in this tournament, to Inter Detroit.
United Stars Soccer lost their only match of the tournament, also to Inter Detroit.
Inter Detroit withdrew from the tournament on the precipice of the Final. Here is their statement:
https://twitter.com/InterDetroit/status/1817724627210150122
This piece will be updated when we receive a reply from Milwaukee Torrent, who have won by default.
NISA Independent Cup : 1st Round
Less than 24 hours after an away game with MN Blizzard ended 8-0 to Dakota Fusion, the #1 seed in the NPSL Midwest Region faced an altogether more challenging opponent in UPSL/MASL side Vlora FC on Sunday afternoon. Despite missing the UPSL Premier Division playoffs, Vlora have made a season of eye-catching cup contests - often on the road.
This was the first round of the Great Lakes Region of NISA Independent Cup, a cluster of regional mini tournaments which each have a winner and a participating NISA professional side. In the case of the Great Lakes, that is Michigan Stars FC - although they are on the 'other side of the bracket' from tonight's combatants.
After an opening 18 minutes dominated by Fusion, the hosts went ahead through Nicolo Lai, finishing a passage of pinball in the box. Five minutes later, the visitors took advantage of an errant header by a Fusion defender across the box to head themselves level through Tensing Walker.
Vlora goalkeeper Mitchell Wolff then kept his team in the game before the visitors ended the first half in the ascendency but tied on goals, including hammering the ball off the crossbar from 20 yards away.
Oliver Benson dribbled through multiple defenders but Wolff blocked his shot, point blank.
Fusion began the second half on the front foot, and a shot across the goal very nearly resulted in an own goal, ricocheting off the post. In the 50th minute, the referee missed a Fusion penalty kick - instead ruling that the foul took place outside the area. He placed the ball literally on the penalty area line.
There was a 20 minute period of back and forth pressure before a defense splitting pass was squared to James Narke for the cushioned tap in to put Fusion back on top in the 76th minute. Both sides had free kicks but no clear chances and it was Fusion who moved on.
Speaking to us after the match, Dakota Fusion head men's coach Alex Trent said
While I would have liked for us to play better and finish our chances in the first half, finding a way to get a result and overcome more adversity is a good sign that the guys are growing and maturing. A lot of guys stepped up today with us putting out a completely different lineup than in our game last night. Really proud of James Narke getting the winner after the long journey he has been on this summer with us to get back into playing after several years out of the game - he has been a huge part of our success day to day during the season and now on the field recently which is a testament to his hard work and commitment to this summer experience.
Coming Up in the Independent Cup
Dakota Fusion face a road trip to Wauwatosa, WI to play Milwaukee Torrent (who play in the Gateway Conference of the NPSL) on Friday 19th.