Irvine Zeta FC blanks Ventura County Futbol Club in U.S. Open Cup 2nd-round match

CARSON – Irvine Zeta FC’s U.S. Open Cup dreams are still alive.

The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) club took advantage of an early red card to earn a 3-0 victory over the second-ranked Galaxy team, now known as the Ventura County Futbol Club, on Wednesday night in the second round at Dignity. Health Sports Park Athletics Stadium.

The draw for the third round will take place on Thursday.

“Excited, happy…all week we really believed that we could get a positive result and I think it showed today that we can play with anyone and that’s what we’re looking for do,” said IZFC coach Tyler Silva.

VCFC, who had beaten second-placed Irvine Zeta in the first round of the tournament, fell to ten men in the 16th minute when midfielder Nicolas Barros Schelotto received a red card.

Late in the first half, Irvine Zeta got on the scoreboard when Rafael Espinoza scored after a ball was sent in from the left and a Galaxy defender failed to clear it. clear.

“Obviously the red card is a game changer,” Silva said. “But I think we started off on the right foot and until the red card, if we weren’t better, we certainly weren’t worse.”

In the 61st minute, George Almeida’s shot from the top of the penalty area hit the crossbar and took a 2-0 lead, then Marcel Salceda put the game away in the 88th minute with a goal in counterattack.

“I think we managed the man advantage well. We didn’t force things, we waited for the goal to come, the goal came and then we chose our moments to score the second and third,” Silva said.

Irvine Zeta was founded in 2022 and in May 2023, the National Independent Soccer Association Board of Governors approved the club’s application for professional league membership.