Featured image: Easton Hoch earned Man of the Match for his two goal-performance against FC Minneapolis on Apr. 27. Photo courtesy of Michael Machuca-Memeti.
April 27th, 2025 | UPSL | Bob Pates Stadium, Burnsville, MN
Vlora Starting XI: Austin Gunkel, Oscar Alvarez, Deq Jama, Dane Hanks, Luis Rodriguez, Hugo Perez. Avery Larsson, Ibrah Ndaw, Robert Cooper, Miguel Leon, Easton Hoch
Vlora FC began their 2025 men’s premier division season on Sunday, Apr. 23, hosting FC Minneapolis at Bob Pates Stadium in a high-energy 2-1 win to claim the first three points of the 2025 UPSL season. The match was the first in the Midwest-West this spring.
A back and forth first half saw FC Minneapolis score first, an early strike from Aaron Mackall into the top right corner off a through ball. Aside from the early hiccup, Vlora’s defensive unit of Hugo Perez, Dane Hanks of Richfield, Oscar Alvarez of Lakeville, and Deq Jama of Burnsville did well alongside goalkeeper Austin Gunkel.
That 1-0 lead for FC Minneapolis lasted roughly 20 minutes before a cross from Robert Cooper down the right wing found Easton Hoch, who played on the left wing on Sunday. Hoch headed in a chance for Vlora and beat the keeper to make it 1-1 from close range. It remained 1-1 going into halftime despite promising chances for both sides, including some strong work in and around the box from Ibrah Ndaw, Miguel Leon, and Avery Larsson.
Hoch continued to play a major role in the second half, scoring the go-ahead goal for Vlora after receiving a pass from Miguel Leon, who had just won possession back deep in FC Minneapolis-territory. Hoch charged into the box with the ball magnetized to his feet, before slashing a diagonal shot with his left foot into the far corner of the net to make it 2-1. The California Baptist-forward and Swiss-American was one of the stars of the game and connected well with teammates both new and familiar to Vlora.
His two goals earned him the man of the match award, his first for the team this season. Hoch told club media that he’s excited to continue to get to know his new teammates and push forward this spring.
“I’m really happy with the performance. I’m blessed by God to be able to play with these guys,” Hoch said. “I’m looking forward to the season and glad for the good start. I’m new to the team, so learning names is the main thing. I’m just working on building connections. … [I want to] win here. That’s the goal. What’s the point of playing without it, right? I think we have the group to go far for sure.”
The remainder of the game saw both teams have chances. Club veteran Ibrahim Ndaw had a busy day as the number nine, playing physically confident soccer throughout the game along with Robert Cooper to complete the initial starting front three. Ciro Ottado and Ignacio Gonzalez made significant contributions off the bench against FC Minneapolis. Both almost scored goals on a day when Minneapolis goalkeeper Francis Chepsiror was hard to beat.
The midfield trio of Avery Larsson, Luis Rodriguez, and Miguel Leon worked well against the City Leons, with Rodriguez always anchoring play while Leon and Larsson set up several chances. Leon, who has previously played in the UPSL with Leon FC, assisted the second Hoch goal.
Vlora will return to the pitch on May 3 for their first away game this season, playing Rochester FC. They will also play the Minnesota Blizzard in Eagan on May 6 in the USA Amateur Cup, before hosting 18×26 Academy in league play on Sunday, May 11.
