Photo: Javier Gallegos plays against Karen FA.
Vlora FC versus St. Croix SC | UPSL Men’s Premier Division | May 26, 2026 | Saint Paul, MN
Starting XI: Oscar Alvarez, Alvaro Arce, Simon Echeverry Morales, Javier Gallegos, Liam Johnson, Jan Lagares, Avery Larsson, Justin Martinez, Tomas Menna, Francisco Nava Gomez, Jeronimo Zelaya Diaz
Vlora’s men’s premier team took part in a blistering but scoreless 0-0 draw against St. Croix SC on Tuesday. The game, a rematch of last season’s division championship game, saw St. Croix look to improve on a 3-2-1 start to their season, while Vlora arrived with a perfect 5-0-0 record and just one goal conceded along the way.
St. Croix started the game well, holding a sizable amount of possession and earning a long string of corner kicks to provide different angles of attack. Vlora’s backline handled it all well in the end, with Oscar Alvarez and Francisco Nava Gomez marshaling a strong response and goalkeeper Liam Johnson making some strong interventions. Jeronimo Zelaya Diaz also had his hands full at right back, tasked with the job of marking former Vlora teammate Easton Hoch, now playing for St. Croix. The matchup was one of the highlights of the game, with both players getting the jump on one another, though Zelaya Diaz emerged in the end with the clean sheet.
A few solid chances for Justin Martínez (including three bicycle kicks on target on the night) and a hit off the crossbar for Tomas Menna were not enough to unlock the game in the first half and it sat at 0-0 at halftime.
Both teams made changes through the second half, looking to adjust as the day’s hot weather pushed players to their limits. Vlora brought on Adonay Hanns, who provided some new energy on the right side. The Vlora midfield continued to work hard and everyone from Avery Larsson to Alvaro Arce and Simon Echeverry Morales made big interventions, while Javier Gallegos had another game of impressive passes.
The game’s turning point came in the 77th minute, when a ball out from Nava Gomez found its way past a St. Croix defender to leave Martínez with space to run in on goal. Martínez did just that, sprinting into the box, before brought down by a heavy tackle and being given a penalty kick. Martínez delivered a solid shot on the penalty, but the St. Croix keeper’s trailing foot smartly stopped the shot and it remained 0-0 through to full time.
Vlora are now 5-1-0 and remain top of the standings in the UPSL men’s premier Midwest-West Division.
