Valley 559 FC Made History for Fresno
It took Valley 559 FC three tries to reach the U.S. Open Cup. Once the Fresno club got there, it didn’t waste the chance.
After two earlier runs at qualifying, Valley 559 traveled nearly 900 miles to face Ballard FC at Interbay Stadium on a windy Saturday night in November 2025. Ballard had a goal ruled out for offside, and the game stayed scoreless until the 87th minute, when Ernesto Espinoza curled in a free kick. Seven minutes of stoppage time stretched to twelve, but the 1-0 lead held.
Built on experience
Head coach Milton Blanco, a Fresno native and former pro, built the squad around experience. Captain Jose Carrera-Garcia had played for Forward Madison, Chattanooga and the Las Vegas Lights, and defender Elijah Martin brought nearly 150 USL appearances.
A historic first win
That experience showed in the First Round at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, against AV Alta FC of USL League One. Goalkeeper Mark Gamez made a string of saves, and Alfredo Ortiz hit the upright with an AV Alta penalty in the 31st minute. In the 65th, substitute Michael Gonzalez crossed for Quincy Amarikwa’s diving header, and Valley 559 had the only goal it needed. Alex Culwell made a last-ditch tackle late on, and Aaron Huerta blocked a shot on the goal line in stoppage time.
Asked about facing a professional side, Blanco kept it simple: “We all bleed the same.”
A professional opponent in the Central Valley
The Second Round brought USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC to Clovis East on March 31, giving Fresno fans a professional opponent on home soil. Valley 559 created chances of its own, with Jose Tovar hitting the post and Lucas Ribeiro forcing a goal-line clearance.
What it meant
It was an important run for the club. Valley 559 earned its first Open Cup win and brought a professional opponent to the Central Valley. Any return will come through qualifying, something this group already knows how to do.
About the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Founded in 2011, the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) serves as the unofficial fourth tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. With over 900 teams competing across its Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Academy, and Women’s divisions, the UPSL is the largest semi-professional soccer league in North America.
A National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), the UPSL is made up of independently owned and operated clubs. Through its USSF affiliation, UPSL teams are eligible to compete in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds.
For more information, visit www.upsl.com or follow @upslsoccer on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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