Featured photo: Vlora players Benjamin Peña (left), Rodolfo Batisti (center), and Jony Olivera (right) celebrate one of Batisti’s two goals against Superior City. Photo courtesy of Michael Machuca-Memeti.
May 25, 2025 | UPSL | Bob Pates Stadium, Burnsville, MN
Vlora hosted three games last Sunday, May 25, including games for the men’s premier and women’s UPSL teams. Sunday marked Vlora FC’s Mental Health Awareness Triple Header, in collaboration with team sponsor the US Center for Mental Health & Sport. The US Center for Mental Health & Sport provides resources and training about how mental health specific to sports environments.
Men’s Premier
Vlora Starting XI: Holden Waldrum, Jeronimo Díaz, Oscar Alvarez, Rodolfo Batisti, Easton Hoch, Ignacio Gonzalez, Ibrahima Ndaw, Luis Mencia, Jony Olivera, Redouane Baarab, and Benjamin Peña.
Following a close loss by the U21 squad, the Vlora men’s premier division team hosted Superior City in an explosive 4-0 victory to improve to 4-1-0 in league play. Combined with two National Amateur Cup wins, the Vlora men are now unbeaten after seven matches.
The game against Superior City was a test between two good teams from the jump. Superior City, who are competing for a playoff spot, exchanged chances with Vlora early on and tested Holden Waldrum, who plays with the U21’s and stepped in for Vlora on Sunday, multiple times. Waldrum, a Maple Grove-alum, impressed with several one-on-one saves. Help from defensive pairing Batisti and Alvarez, the latter of which at one point blocked an open shot on goal himself, and midfield work from the likes of Hoch, Mencia, Baarab, and Diaz, helped keep the clean sheet alive.
It was clear both sides needed and perhaps deserved a goal heading into halftime and it was Vlora who found a moment. Easton Hoch sent a corner in from the left side and found Oscar Alvarez at the far post. Alvarez smartly headed the ball back into the area, where he found the rising form of Rodolfo Batisti, who slammed the ball in with a header of his own to make it 1-0 just before the break.
A tense, physical half of soccer had taken its toll on both sides, but Vlora made the most of the high-energy nature of the game with a flurry of action in the second half to extend their lead. Hoch played a big role in all three. His only goal of the day came following an error by the Superior goalkeeper, who had picked up a ball after Hoch was flagged offside but not whistled. Ruled a play-on situation due to the goalkeeper’s possession, Hoch was now not offside and able to poke the ball into the net when the keeper set the ball down to take what appeared to be a free kick.
Vlora won an offensive free kick 15-yards out from the corner flag and Hoch was there to take it quickly, finding Ibra Ndaw, who calmly slotted home a shot to make it 3-0. It was a well-earned goal for Ndaw, who had worked hard up front all day, particularly battling center back Mally Lumsden. The final goal saw Hoch step up for another corner kick, this time finding Batisti directly, who headed in his brace to wrap the night up at 4-0.
Batisti’s work maintaining a clean sheet and scoring two goals earned him Man of the Match honors on Sunday. The Carl Sandburg College-player spoke to club media about a busy day at the office in a game that changed in tone multiple times.
“I felt comfortable early in the game because our team was getting a lot of time on the ball,” Batisti explained. “So, I knew today I would have space to attack. That was God, God was with us today. I’m really happy to score twice today with two great assists from Easton and Oscar. … After the first goal, our team changed. We knew we had the game in our hands and just had to control it. We almost conceded twice in the first half, but we survived and then once the goals started coming in the second half we knew we could control the rest of the time.”
Women’s
Vlora Starting XI: Claire Acker, Maggie McAlister, Andrea Delius, Kiera Olabode, Olivia Peal, Lexi Johnson, Julia Lindow, Tina Million, Gabi Medeiros, Hannah Hagman, Halima Bigirindavyi
Sunday’s triple header wrapped up with a UPSL Women’s game between Vlora and Superior City, resulting in a 4-0 win for the visitors at Burnsville High School.
The night presented Vlora with another chance to get important work done refining a talented group that has yet to take command of a game this spring. That work was clear and Vlora showed considerable signs of improvement from their last game against the Minnesota TwinStars. Returning goalkeeper Claire Acker still looked strong, but the defense around her was more confident and involved and had as much to do with silencing Superior City as Acker. The group, marshaled by Hagman, Olabode, and Johnson, held Superior City to a 0-0 scoreline going into halftime.
Superior City scored early in the first, pushing for a goal after an initial clearance by Million, and made it 1-0 in the 47th minute. Vlora nearly scored soon after, but the post played its part. Vlora’s attack did get a jolt of energy from the visitor’s goal. Peal, who had pressured the backline all night, continued that work and got some help from McAlister and Medeiros to make it more effective late on. Ellie Nhean came on and joined the midfield, immediately setting a tone with some hard, physical work harassing Superior City.
Goalkeeper Kaylie Krueger played a portion of the second half following an injury to Acker. Both made good saves but could not contain goals that came from a corner, a counter attack, a penalty, and a turnover. Superior City walked with a 2-0-1 record and having shown their exciting squad and new coaching pair of Cole Gewerth and Mally Lumsden. Morgan Eckerle, Anna Tobias, Elaina Shromoff, and Gwendolyn Lily scored for the visitors.
Vlora’s next home game is set for Sunday, June 1st, when they will host the Karen Football Association at Bob Pates Stadium at 8:00 pm.
