CARSON, Calif-- The LA Galaxy’s chances were plentiful against one of the few PDL sides left, FC Golden State Force, in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup but a lackluster performance in the final third gave life to a team on a Cinderella run.
Galaxy missed seven chances but still managed to edge out a gritty FC Golden State Force side in a 3-1 victory. Forward Ariel Lassiter scored two great goals but missed a couple clear chances, two of which grazed the post and were to FC Gold State Force goalkeeper Jose Miranda.
“My overall play I don’t think was all there as I wanted it to be, but that’s just me being a perfectionist,” Lassiter said. “At the end of the day I bagged in two goal and that’s the important part, won the game and we’re moving onto the next round.”
FC Golden State Force took full advantage of the missed opportunities as they pulled a goal back early in the first half. A goal in the 48th minute by Pedro Fonseca gave life to a Cinderella team that has already overachieved by beating Orange County SC and Las Vegas Lights in the process of facing off with the Galaxy.
The early second half stretched the game out for Galaxy as FC Golden State Force started to take more chances in the final third and caused havoc for Galaxy’s back four. FC Golden State forced Galaxy goalkeeper Justin Vom Steeg into several big saves as he finished with three on the night and on several occasions saw many shots go just wide of his goal.
Schmid subbed on some veteran leadership in Midfielders Sebastian Lletget and Servando Carrasco to slow the game down and it paid off. Lassiter iced the game in the final minutes with a clinical finish into the side netting.
“We made it more exciting than it needed to be,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “We had chances where we could have ended the game in the first half. It was a little more of a battle that I would of have wanted in the second half, but it was okay.”
