NPSL Golden Gate Quarterfinals: El Farolito Wins Shootout, Davis Stunned by Sonoma

At Boxer Stadium in San Francisco, El Farolito beat Sacramento Gold FC by a score of 7-4 in a very entertaining match in which both clubs showed off their finishing skills. The match was also very physical at times, with Sacramento’s Steven Wright having to leave the match in the 5^th minute because his scalp was bleeding after a collision with a Farolito player.

The torrent of goals began in the 12^th minute, when Robert Viera opened the scoring for Sacramento on a quick counterattack. Farolito’s Erik Arias equalized one minute later with multiple headers to keep the ball away from the Sacramento defense and redirect it into the net. Dembor Benson gave Farolito its first lead with a near post header in the 23^rd minute. Former Farolito striker Edson Cardona evened it up again for Sacramento with a curving free kick from the right side that tucked inside the near post as Farolito goalkeeper Jonathan Barona scrambled in vain to keep it out. Gabriel Arias gave Farolito the halftime lead thanks to his 40^th minute goal. Barona kept it that way with an excellent save just before halftime on a Sacramento bicycle kick, extending himself to redirect the ball over the endline for a corner kick.

Paolo Alessio Pavone gave Farolito a two-goal lead on a long range shot from the left sideline in the 48^th minute that Sacramento goalkeeper Joseph Rivera couldn’t hold onto. Roberto Mendoza kept Sacramento in the match with his 70^th minute goal from close range, but Farolito’s Carlos Pertuz answered four minute later. Farolito’s Oscar Movil extended the lead to three with a shot from point blank range in the 83^rd minute, but Sacramento’s Christopher Cervantes answered two minutes later. Movil completed the brace with a 90^th minute goal on a soft header in the box.

The weekend’s biggest surprise came in Davis, when #1 seeded FC Davis lost to the eighth seeded Sonoma County Sol FC by a score of 3-1. Davis had lost only once in the regular season and Sonoma had earned only one victory.

Sonoma came out with confidence and got on the board in the 7^th minute when Edward Silverbush was left unmarked at the far post and headed the ball into the net from close range. Sonoma continued to assert themselves offensively and Davis goalkeeper Gerardo Perez-Plata made a series of excellent saves to keep his club in the match. Davis evened the match in the 29^th minute, when Ty Shikashio converted a rebound after a corner kick. The turning point of the match came in the 40^th minute, when Sonoma’s pressure in the offensive zone forced a turnover; Perez-Plata came out to cut down the angle, but Kyle Owings’ finish was lethal.

With their season on the line, Davis came out roaring in the second half, but were unable to convert their chances. Sonoma doubled their lead in the 67^th minute, stealing the ball in midfield and sending in a through ball that bounced off of the back of a Davis defender’s foot and into the path of Sonoma’s Sebastian Santos, whose soft shot toward the far corner was just out of Perez-Plata’s reach. Davis’s offense pressed forward, but were unable to get any closer, thanks to Sonoma’s defense and goalkeeper Elliot Pavis—as well as the post.

Sonoma will travel to San Francisco to take on El Farolito next weekend.

On the other side of the bracket, Napa Valley 1839 FC beat Contra Costa FC 3-2 in the most competitive match of the quarterfinal round. Napa got on the board first in the 10^th minute, when Javier Alcarria’s corner kick was headed toward goal by a Napa player and deflected off of a Contra Costa defender for an own goal. Contra Costa’s Ross Middlemiss evened up the match in the 20^th minute, as he positioned himself in front of the net and nudged a short cross into the net. Napa regained the lead in the 28^th minute on a direct freekick from 25 yards out by Dario Pavon that scaled the five man wall. Contra Costa goalkeeper Jeremy Zielinski got a hand on the shot, but it nestled inside the far post.

Contra Costa evened the match again in the 59^th minute, when Middlemiss stole the ball and passed it to Justin Wolfe, who sent in a cross to Armando Castro at the far post; Castro blasted it past Napa Valley goalkeeper Sucre Herrera. Neither club scored in the remainder of the second half, setting up 30 minutes of extra time.

Napa dominated the extra session, with substitute Emmanuel Johnson putting constant pressure on the Contra Costa defense. The game-winner came in the 115^th minute, when Johnson set in a cross that a Napa player headed over to Luis Ramirez on the left side; Ramirez took a couple of dribbles and sent a hard, low shot that made its way past several Contra Costa defenders and Zielinski at the near post. Contra Costa had one final corner kick, but were unable to get a shot on goal and Zielinski had to rush back from midfield to keep Napa from scoring a final insurance goal.

In Turlock, Academica SC defeated the Oakland Stompers by a score of 3-0, thanks to a first-half brace by Ramiro Ceja. His first goal came in the 14^th minute on a rebound from point blank range, after Oakland goalkeeper Marley Mascarenas made a diving save on Academica’s first attempt. Ceja struck again in the 38^th minute, pouncing on a cross at the far post and one-timing it past Mascarenas.

In the 76^th minute, Academica sent a through ball from its own half and Cody Golbad timed his run perfectly to beat Oakland’s offside trap. Mascarenas came out to the edge of the penalty area to cut down the angle, but Golbad’s strike was beyond his reach.

Academica will host Napa Valley next weekend in the other semifinal.