The Villages SC 6–0 Orlando FC Wolves
We are through to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, and this one was over long before the end.
It was the Wolves' first ever appearance in the competition and our seventh consecutive first round. From the opening minutes the ball barely left their half.
By the hour it was a question of how many rather than whether.
6–0. Anderson's eighth season in charge and one of the most comfortable nights we have had in this tournament.
This competition has given this club a stoppage-time winner against Kraze United, a penalty shootout in Charleston, two one-goal defeats in Jacksonville and a professional opponent at our own ground. Tonight it gave us six.
First Half: Quick Attack and Early Command
The Villages SC took control of the match right from the opening whistle at The Villages SC Complex. Facing an Orlando FC Wolves team making its tournament debut, the home side exploited gaps early:
12' — Juan Felipe Rojas opened the scoring early, finishing a sharp sequence to make it 1–0.
21' — Rafael Vacas Barba doubled the advantage shortly after, keeping the momentum firmly with the hosts.
41' — Daniel Farias de Oliveira found the back of the net right before the break, sending The Villages into halftime with a comfortable 3–0 lead.
Second Half: The Onslaught Continues
Rather than sitting back on their lead, the home side pressed further forward in the second half, allowing them to rotate their roster and give valuable experience to academy players.
57' — Jose Victor Rua France added a fourth goal to effectively put the match out of reach.
63' — Rafael Vacas Barba secured his brace, slotting home his second goal of the night to push the scoreline to 5–0.
84' — Payton Rausch, a local high school senior called up from the academy, capped off an unforgettable 15-minute cameo by scoring the final goal to make it 6–0.
The Wolves struggled to establish possession (holding just 38%) against the highly disciplined USL League Two side and were unable to mount a comeback.
MAN OF THE MATCH, Felipe Rojas, for our first game of the year. Coming back from an injury that kept him out of the lineup last season he showed how much he wanted to be here. No matter the score he never stopped sprinting to create goal opportunities. Ready to go until the very last minute.
Two of the players on that field came through our own youth system.
Andrew Muller kept goal. Payton Rausch scored the last one.
When this club started there were no youth players to build on. Six years later, two of them were on the field in a U.S. Open Cup tie, and one of them scored.
6–0. Anderson's eighth season in charge, and one of the most comfortable nights we have had in this tournament.
This competition has given this club a stoppage-time winner against Kraze United, a penalty shootout in Charleston, two one-goal defeats in Jacksonville and a professional opponent at our own ground.
Tonight it gave us six.
Second round: Tampa Bay Rowdies — the club that knocked us out in 2019, when Vandyke Gyau scored ours.
We would like another go at that.
