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.
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.
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.
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.
UPSL Men's Round Up: Week 3
Saturday
Worthington Community FC 0-6 Superior City FC
The Navy rolled into the home of 2-0-0 WCFC and left with all three points courtesy of a devastating display of attacking. Ryan Tomsche scored twice and David Lopez Perez, Henrico Zena, Siji Gonzalez and Bruce Boldt all claimed solo tallies.
St Paul Blackhawks 2-2 Mpls City U21
Mikaelle Daniel and Sam W Kaeding scored for the Young Crows. Liam K Hafenbrack and Samuel C Hoyt scored for the Hawks.
18x26 Academy 1-2 Vlora FC
Vlora's goals were scored by Suad Suljic and Franklin P. Schwendimann. 18x26 returned with a goal by Mubashir A Nour.
Austin Villa 7-1 Granite City FC
Villa saw a hat trick by Jose Valladares and single goals by Lucas Monteiro, Sergio Traitel, Julio Hernandez and Luis Armando Lofego. Granite City could only muster one goal in response, from Eli B De Jongh.
Sunday Spotlight Match
St Croix Legends II 3-2 FC Minneapolis
The first half saw a number of Legends corners and the ball in the net more than once, only to be ruled offside. In the end, FC Minneapolis went down to ten men in the first half an hour and subsequently broke the deadlock in the 51st minute through Pedro Belmont.
Legends equalized at the hour mark with a scrambled effort by Porter Ball off a long throw into the penalty area. With only 10 minutes left, Luca Contestabile scored a free kick, after consultation between the referee and his assistant, to put the Legends back ahead. The Lion Kings levelled it with a screamer from the top of the box in the fourth minute of stoppage time, courtesy of Andrei Filho but there was still enough time for a last sting in the tail as Will Kidd finished, from a Contestabile corner with the stopwatch reading 90+12.
Wednesday
Mpls City U21 5-3 St Croix Legends II
Mitchel M Munzing and Tomas S Menna scored two each and Camel Htoo got a single goal for the Crows. Gora G Gora scored twice and Carter E Thiesfeld scored a solo effort for the Legends.
FC Minneapolis 1-1 Austin Villa
Austin Villa survived a red card to claim a point on the road.
Thursday
Granite City FC 0-1 Worthington CFC
The Toros stole a late winner on an own goal.
Friday
Vlora FC 1-1 Leon FC
A strange evening in Burnsville, where a match only lasted 70 minutes due to bad weather. In between the interruptions, a match broke out, with both sides notching breakaway solo efforts. Franklin Schwendimann scored for Vlora, Medo had the reply.
Coming Up:
Saturday:
18x26 Academy v Granite City FC
Worthington Community FC v FC Minneapolis
Austin Villa FC v Minneapolis City U21
Sunday:
St Croix Legends II v St Paul Blackhawks
UPSL Men's Round Up: Week 2
Spotlight Match:
Vlora FC 0-3 Worthington Community FC
It took 5 mins for either side to find a shot on target and only a minute after Vlora had their first look, Worthington really should have gone ahead with theirs as the ball was intercepted in midfield from a high press by WCFC but the shot from the top of the box sailed high and wide. The Toros continued to press high and force Vlora into defensive miscues. A long ball over the top in the 11th minute was missed by Jesus Galvan-Garcia attempting to head it back to Austin Gunkel in the Vlora net, and the Worthington shot was just fractionally wide. In the 18th minute, a snapped header by Robert Cooper from close range was plucked out of the air by Worthington keeper Ricardo Maldonado. A free kick in the 23rd minute was a good chance for Vlora, claimed by Maldonado.
The break through came only two minutes later as Worthington made a strong diagonal pass from right to left which was slide tackled out for a corner. Chris Cerda's delivery was whipped in from the left and Miguel Perdomo rose to nod it home.
Only one minute after scoring their first, another WCFC counter attack led to a shot wide from the top of the box. Vlora returned fire up the other end, a shot off a corner was deflected out for another corner, a sequence repeated almost exactly a second successive time but while Vlora maintained possession, it could not threaten the goal again.
The second goal came after a scrappy passage of play where the ball was ineffectively cleared a number of times before falling to Juani Mackrey, who swept it home from close range with half an hour gone.
Mackrey netted his second and Worthington's third when after a period of back and forth play, a cross was driven in from the right wing by Cerda and tapped in by Mackrey in the 39th minute.
The second half saw neither side firing on all cylinders as it took 15 minutes for either side to muster a further corner and Vlora saw their best chance of the second half go begging as a corner was whipped in from the right but missed everyone's head and was claimed in a scrum by Maldonado. Worthington's own corner from their right was comfortable for Gunkel.
Vlora managed to hit a shot off the gridiron crossbar and saw another shot deflected over, with a third shot just wide in the 75th minute. Esteban Badillo applied some pressure of his own for the home side but his shot was wide. As the home side pressed forward, a ball was lofted in in the 86th minute for Vlora, but another header went wide. Ortega had a strong shot on the Worthington goal in stoppage time, but it was secured by the goalie.
Vlora FC fall to 0-2 on the young season, with their visitors ascending to 2-0.
Worthington CFC #19 Juani Mackrey celebrates with #21 Anton Cordes and #20 Alex Ruiz Garcia during the Vlora Football Club v Worthington Community Football Club match on Saturday, May 5, 2024 at Bob Pates Stadium in Burnsville, Minnesota. (Photo by Jason Morales Ortiz)
Other Results:
Sunday:
Superior City FC 4-1 Austin Villa
Bryce Boldt opened the scoring for the Navy in the 5th minute, Austin Villa equalized but Boldt puts the home team back ahead soon after. Ryan Tomsche made it 3-1 in stoppage time and the scoring was completed by Mally Lumsden in the 84th minute.
Granite City FC 0-9 St Croix Legends II
The Legends put up a touchdown at St Cloud Tech, and didn't stop at that. Nathan Donovan got a hat trick (and two assists!), Will Miers scored two and there were single goals for Porter Ball (and a assist), JT Olson, Carver M. Tierney (and an assist) and Minneapolis City's all-time leading goalscorer Will Kidd. Will Heinen got two assists and Alex Paredes and Agostino Quadrio Curzio also got assists.
Thursday:
Superior City FC 1-2 FC Minneapolis
The Lion Kings opened up the scoring through Yushi Nagamatsu in the 17th minute. Superior City equalized late in the first half through center back Matti Sysimaki from a corner. The visitors were reduced to ten men after Ayodele Gafer was sent off for handling outside the penalty area in the 65th minute, with Michael taking over as goalie. Aerial Gbalenchey then followed him into the away showers in stoppage time. Mally Lumsden finally broke the deadlock in the fourth minute of stoppage time, off a long cross-field pass from David Lopez Perez. The match ended with 11 yellow cards, 4 of which turned into 2 red cards.
Coming Up:
Saturday
Worthington Community FC v Superior City FC
St Paul Blackhawks v Mpls City U21
18x26 Academy v Vlora FC
Austin Villa v Granite City FC
Sunday
St Croix Legends II v FC Minneapolis
Wednesday
Mpls City U21 v St Croix Legends II
FC Minneapolis v Austin Villa
Thursday
Granite City FC v Worthington CFC
Friday
Vlora FC v Leon FC
UPSL Men's Round Up: Week 1
Saturday
Austin Villa 1-0 Vlora FC
CJ Tree, the 2023 Post Bulletin All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year, provided the decisive tally for the home team, late in the match.
St Croix Legends II 4-2 Superior City FC
It only took ten minutes for St Croix Legends II to break the deadlock as Nathan Donovan received the ball, shrugged off a defender and unleashed a ball from 20 yards out, across the goalie and in. Five corners are indicative of the strength of the Legends in the opening half-hour, capped by a second goal - Agostino Quadrico Curzio from a Luca Contestabile cross. Carter Thiesfeld made it three in stoppage time before half-time, as a Legends high press forced an interception in the City penalty area.
The second half started with a few minutes where St Croix were happy to cede possession to Superior City and play, very effectively, on the break. The home side scored their fourth when Thiesfeld blasted a rocket from fully 25 yards out at the hour mark. City finally got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute, Henrico Zena with a burst down the left wing and a solo finish on the second attempt after the first shot was parried. It was 4-2 in the 70th minute as a cross field diagonal from the right side of defense landed on the City left wing. Henrico Zena reversed the ball into the middle of the box and Mark Fehringer deeked a defender and planted the ball firmly into the roof of the Legends net.
Worthington Community FC 4-3 Leon FC
WCFC opened the scoring against last year's D1 winners in the 16th minute through Anton Cordes. Juani Mackrey made it 2-0 with a header off of the cross from Prince Lebbi. In a back and forth second half, Leon scored through Eric Contreras before Isaac F. Correa assisted a second Mackrey goal for the Toros and the home team made it 4-1 when Cordes scored his second. Leon put together a furious late rally, with further goals by Eric Contreras and Luis Contreras but in the end, the visitors fell just short.
Coming Up:
Sunday
Vlora FC v Worthington Community FC
Superior City FC v Austin Villa
Leon FC v 1826 Academy
Granite City FC v St Croix Legends II
Thursday
Superior City FC v FC Minneapolis
2023 Minnesota Super Cup Preview
This Friday night a brand new tournament will kick off when Minneapolis City SC hosts Minnesota United FC's U19 Academy side at Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis. Six clubs representing four different leagues will make up the field for the competition's first season of play in 2023.
The MNSC isn't a unique idea, I feel versions of it have been talked about for years.
This version grew out of the idea of bringing the fractured pre-professional leagues in Minnesota together in meaningful competition, something more that friendlies or closed door matches.
A competition that would hopefully excite the clubs, players, and supporters, bringing more energy and growth to the already vibrant Minnesota soccer community.
- Jon Martinson on the creation of the Minnesota Super Cup
The 2023 format of the Minnesota Super Cup will see the six teams broken up into two groups of three, with each team playing the others once in the group stage. Group A will consist of Duluth FC (NPSL), Minneapolis City SC (USL2), and MNUFC U19 Academy (MLS Next), while Group B is made up of Med City FC (NPSL), St. Croix Legends (USL2), and Vlora FC (UPSL). Following the group stage the top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals to be played July 21-23, the semi-final winners will advance to the Minnesota Super Cup Final to be held at Macalester Stadium in St. Paul on July 29th.
The Minnesota Super Cup first season will see some very notable and unique first time matches, a short lived derby revived (in a way), and a bitter rivalry continue. Group B is entirely made up of first time matches as the three sides have never faced any team in the group in competitive play. Group A on the other hand has a little bit of everything, the tournament opening match between Minneapolis City SC and MNUFC U19 will see the Crows face a Loons side in competitive play for the first time since the 2016 Premier League of America season. The second group match and fourth match overall will pit Duluth FC against an MNUFC side for the first time in club history. Rounding out Group A and the fifth match overall, a bitter rivalry will continue with Minneapolis City SC hosting Duluth FC as the only match of 2023 between the Crows and BlueGreens.
The MNSC is not a one and done tournament. Like I previously mentioned this is being built to be a long term, cornerstone event for Minnesota soccer.
We are obviously very focused on this summer, but we do have a number of initiatives in progress. For example, we are in the process of finalizing the entry rules for the 2024 tournament. Clubs eligibility for the MNSC will be based on their league performances much like Champions League. Look for more details on that soon.
My goal for the tournament is to create a platform to showcase Minnesota soccer talent, from clubs, to players, to referees, while fostering community and support for that talent. (And maybe starting a few good rivalries at the same time).
- Jon Martinson on the Minnesota Super Cup going forward
In 2024 the Minnesota Super Cup will see a format change, expanding to eight clubs from the present six. The top two finishing Minnesota based clubs in both USL League Two and NPSL will gain entry to the tournament. The other four sides entering will be the top finishing UPSL, MLS Next, and MASL Division 1 sides from Minnesota along with a single open qualifying team. The open qualifying path for the 2024 MNSC is open to all Minnesota based "pre-professional clubs that meet the minimum standards for entry into the competition" and will have a playing window of August 1st, 2023 to March 1st, 2024.
Minneapolis City SC will stream the opening Minnesota Super Cup match on Eleven Sports. For more MNUFC centric Minnesota Super Cup coverage you can head over to Northland Soccer Journal to read the preview on the U19's in the tournament.
