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Ventura County FC

Ventura County FC Wins 2024 Opener

March 19, 2024 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Ventura County FC News Release


LOS ANGELES (Sunday, March 17, 2024) - Playing in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season Opener, Ventura County FC earned a 2-1 victory over The Town FC at Dignity Health Sports Park's Track & Field Stadium on Sunday night.

LA Galaxy Academy

Seven LA Galaxy Academy Products appeared in the match against The Town: Mauricio Cuevas, Carson Klein, Marcus Ferkranus, Riley Dalgado, Harbor Miller, Ruben Ramos Jr. and Jonathan Pérez. Sixteen-year-old LA Galaxy Academy defender Harbor Miller made his professional debut, logging 13 minutes off the bench as a second-half substitute.

Goal-Scoring Plays

VCFC - Riley Dalgado (Aaron Bibout), 27th minute: Jonathan Pérez won a header inside the penalty area and the ball fell to the feet of Aaron Bibout. The Cameroon youth international took a touch before laying the ball off to 17-year-old LA Galaxy Academy defender Riley Dalgado, whose left-footed shot was rifled past the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner.

TTFC - Riley Lynch, 55th minute: Riley Lynch forced a turnover inside the 18-yard box and fired in his shot into the far corner of the goal.

VCFC - Ascel Essengue (Tucker Lepley), 77th minute: Tucker Lepley's in-swinging corner-kick delivery was headed in from close range by Ascel Essengue.

Postgame Notes

Ventura County FC head coach Matt Taylor won his career game as a manager in the win over The Town FC.

Seven LA Galaxy Academy Products appeared in the match against The Town: Mauricio Cuevas, Carson Klein, Marcus Ferkranus, Riley Dalgado, Harbor Miller, Ruben Ramos Jr. and Jonathan Pérez.

Seventeen-year-old LA Galaxy Academy defender Riley Dalgado scored his first professional goal, won three possessions and finished the match tied for a game-high four interceptions.

Sixteen-year-old LA Galaxy Academy defender Harbor Miller made his professional debut, logging 13 minutes off the bench as a second-half substitute.

Ascel Essengue tallied his first professional goal, completed 76 of 79 passes (96.2%), won four of six duels, won a game-high 10 possessions and notched a game-high four interceptions.

Tucker Lepley recorded his first professional assist, won seven possessions, completed 62 of 69 passes (89.9%) and notched two chances created in the win over The Town.

Aaron Bibout recorded his first assist of the 2024 campaign.

Next Game

Next up, Ventura County FC will play host to United Premier Soccer League side Irvine Zeta FC II in the First Round of the U.S. Open Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park's Track & Field Stadium on Thursday, March 21 (7:30 p.m. PT).

2024 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season

Ventura County FC (1-0-0, 3 pts) vs. The Town FC (0-1-0, 0 pts)

Sunday, March 17, 2024 - Dignity Health Sports Park's Track & Field Stadium (Los Angeles)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Ventura County FC 1 1 2

The Town FC 0 1 1

Scoring Summary:

VC: Dalgado (Bibout), 27

TTF: Lynch 55

VC: Essengue (Lepley), 77

Misconduct Summary:

VC: Ferkranus (caution), 65

VC: Essengue (caution), 71

VC: Leroux (caution), 75

TTF: Edwards (caution), 83

Lineups:

VC: GK Brady Scott; D Mauricio Cuevas (Carson Klein, 63), D Marcus Ferkranus, D Ascel Essengue, D Riley Dalgado; M Tucker Lepley, M Isaiah Parente, M Gino Vivi (Harbor Miller, 77), M Ruben Ramos Jr., M Jonathan Pérez (Sean Karani, 63); F Aaron Bibout

Substitutes Not Used: GK Owen Pratt; D Carlos Diaz, M Gabriel Arnold, M Javier Corona, M Nicolas Barros Schelotto, F Sergio Villalpando

TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Ascel Essengue, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Ascel Essengue, 1); FOULS: 15 (Marcus Ferkranus, Ruben Ramos Jr., 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: 2

TTF: GK Mikolaj Bieganski; D Ricardo Ibarra (Alejandro Cano, 88), D Sean Bilter, D Casey Walls, D Jamar Ricketts; M Beau Leroux (Daniel Fregoso, 88), M Edwyn Mendoza (Joel Garcia, 75), M Will Richmond, M Eduardo Blancas, M Riley Lynch (Aaron Edwards, 69); F Julian Donnery (Jermaine Spivey, 69)

Substitutes Not Used: GK John Nicolson, M Roka Tsunehara

TOTAL SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 16; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 0

Referee: Servando Berna Rico

Assistant Referees: Eric Krueger, Fernando Fierro Rodriguez

Fourth Official: Juma Abdu-Razzaq

Weather: Clear, 70 degrees

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

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