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USL1 Central Valley Fuego FC

Central Valley Fuego Loses Round 5 of USL Jägermeister Cup, But Not Without Putting up a Fight

July 1, 2024 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Central Valley Fuego FC News Release


FRESNO, CA - In a thrilling encounter at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium, Central Valley Fuego FC faced off against South Georgia Tormenta for the first time in the USL Jägermeister Cup. The match ended in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time, with Tormenta emerging victorious.

The first half saw Tormenta take an early lead in the 16th minute with a goal from Daniel Steedman. Fuego responded with substitutions in the 27th minute, bringing on C. Ávilez and I. Yaya for A. Zuluaga and Z. Vazquez, respectively. As the half progressed, Steedman received a yellow card for a reckless foul in the 43rd minute, followed by a yellow card for Fuego's Clayton Torr for a similar offense in the 44th minute. Fuego continued to adjust their lineup, making two more substitutions right after halftime, with J. Carrera replacing R. Coronado and A. Midence coming on for A. Apollon.

The second half was marked by strategic changes and intense play. In the 55th minute, Tormenta substituted T. D'Almeida for N. Watson. Tormenta then made a double substitution in the 64th minute, with M. Tunbridge replacing P. Spengler and A. Wehner coming on for S. Vivas. Fuego managed to equalize in the 67th minute with a goal from Alfredo Midence, assisted by Shavon John-Brown. Tormenta's Alsadiq Hasan was booked for a tactical foul in the 75th minute. More substitutions followed in the 77th minute, with Tormenta bringing in P. Campos for D. Steedman and Jackson Khoury for Pedro Fonseca, while Fuego replaced Omar Lemus with Abdul Razak-Cromwell. In the 92nd minute, Midence received a yellow card for a reckless foul.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

In the shootout, Dembor Benson scored for Fuego, followed by Jake Dengler equalizing for Tormenta. Issa Yaya put Fuego ahead again, but Joshua Ramos missed his shot for Tormenta, hitting the woodwork. Alfredo Midence's attempt for Fuego also hit the woodwork, and Jackson Khoury missed his shot for Tormenta, sending it off target. Chris Heckenberg scored for Fuego, while Mason Tunbridge kept Tormenta in the contest with a goal. Javier Mariona missed his penalty for Fuego, hitting the woodwork. Austin Wehner then scored for Tormenta, leveling the shootout once more. Clayton Torr found the net for Fuego, followed by Preston Kilwien scoring for Tormenta. Abdul Razak-Cromwell missed his shot for Fuego, sending it off target, and Pedro Campos sealed the victory for Tormenta with a successful penalty.

The final score was Tormenta 1 (5) - Fuego 1 (4). Tormenta clinched the victory in a tense shootout, advancing in the USL Jägermeister Cup after a well-fought match from both sides.

"The first change, I had to do it. Andre wasn't in the game. He was not really getting it. After halftime, we had to change our style. We had to win back our mid-field. Alfredo is a good player, he has his ups and downs. It's his first time in a professional environment, and its a learning process for him." - Coach Jermaine Jones

"I think we started off a little slow, but we had a lot of chances to create, which is what we want. We have to build off of it, next week we have a league match and we want to make it to the playoffs. We see the team getting better so we are ready for Wednesday." - Jose Carrera-Garcia

"It was a good match for us, unfortunately we lost in the PKs, but I think first half we came out a little flat but it's part of the game, second half we came out strong, we should have won this game but it's football." - Atch Yaya

About Central Valley Fuego FC: Established in 2002, Central Valley Fuego FC is the region's sole professional soccer club. Competing in USL League One, the club made its professional debut in April 2022. In 2024, all home matches will be hosted at Fresno State Soccer Stadium. Central Valley Fuego FC is dedicated to uniting the community through the love of soccer. For more information, visit www.fuegofc.com.

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