By Davis Ramage
June 11th, 2025
Long Beach FC secured the #2 seed in UPSL SoCal Premier Playoffs with its 1-1 draw thanks to a late goal from center back Aiden Bengard against AMSG FC.
LBFC started the match out controlling possession and spreading the ball out to both wings, reaching the AMSG FC box twice in the first five minutes.
Without both regular wingbacks, David Forde and Connor Borra, it was Victor Casillas on the right and Mason Cookus on the left who stepped up.
AMSG struck first in the 21st minute when a cross squirted past LBFC keeper Alan Solorio and right to the foot of an AMSG player who scored on an open net with Solorio down and injured.
After about ten-minute delay for Solorio’s injury, LBFC picked right back up on the attack, but was still lacking a clinical finish within the 18–yard box as midfielder Lucas Gonalez found himself with an open net and the keeper behind him, but could not bend it around a defender and find the far post.
Missed chances became the narrative of the first half as LBFC center back Aaron Minkoff pinged a ball that curled around the AMSG defender and into the path of Jakob Singh, who failed to convert on a 1-on-1 opportunity with the keeper, and LBFC went into halftime down 1-0.
LBFC winger Michael McKibbin started the second half with two beautiful passes, creating chances down the left side, but LBFC was unable to convert.
In the 55th minute, Michele Somenzi was inserted up top, leading to two immediate LBFC chances that were generated from the left side, but again, to no avail.
It was LBFC who dominated for the remainder of the second half, and it finally paid off.
LBFC finally struck gold in the 86th minute when Aiden Bengard, a central midfielder playing at center back, drifted into what seemed like acres of space and received a pass that was cut back to him and fired a left-footed rocket into the top left corner to tie the match at 1-1.
With the fans as loud as ever, LBFC was not able to muster up a title-winning goal.
Now with the #2 seed, LBFC will host #3 seed Coachella FC in the quarterfinals of the UPSL SoCal Premier Playoffs this Saturday, 7 pm at Cabrillo Jaguar Stadium.
Adult tickets can be purchased with the link here for $8, and youth tickets here for $5. Kids 12 and under are free.
#ForTheLBC
https://longbeachfootballclub.com