MNUFC2 rallied from down two goals in the first half when First Team forward Mamadou Dieng equalized the game against Ventura County FC with a brace. After a scoreless second half, the game went into added extra time at Dignity Health Sports Park on Friday night. Minnesota conceded a goal in added extra time, fought hard until the very end, but fell just short of advancing in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs, losing 3-2.
3’ - MNUFC2 created a dangerous scoring chance quickly at the start of the match. Defender Alpha Kabia gained and briefly held possession atop Ventura County FC’s box. His shot from distance struck the right post and bounced back into play.
11’ - In an offensive attack from the left wing, First Team forward Darius Randell received a give-and-go pass before beating the outside back on a run towards goal. Randell’s run ended in a shot from inside the box, but it fell right into the hands of goalkeeper Sebastian Conion.
21’ (0-1) - VCFC opened the scoring. Julian Placias controlled the ball from within MNUFC2’s box, drawing the defenders to him before he passed the ball to the left and connected with an unmarked Daniel Ittycheria. Ittycheria, one-on-one with Twos’ goalkeeper Kristers Bite, scored from just a few feet out.
35’ (0-2) - The home side doubled their lead when Riley Dalgado beat defender Sam Vigilante on the left side and tucked his shot past Bite on the far side of the net.
39’ - First Team defender Kieran Chandler was fouled inside Ventura County’s box, and the referee awarded a penalty kick to MNUFC2.
41’ (1-2) - First Team forward Mamadou Dieng converted the penalty kick attempt to put the Twos within one goal ahead of half time.
44’ (2-2) - Dieng scored his second and the equalizer from a diving header. Vigilante sent a ball into the Ventura box and Dieng perfectly connected on the header to bring MNUFC2 level near the final moments of the first half.
50’ - Randell, on a transition play, sent a through ball to the left side of the pitch that connected with Dieng. The Senegalese forward took the ball into VCFC’s box, but Conion came off his line and made the stop to prevent a Dieng hat trick.
56’ - Placias again found himself unmarked inside MNUFC2’s penalty area, but his shot from short distance was blocked by a sliding Twos’ defender Jack Clarkson to keep the score level.
73’ - Bite made a diving save to prevent Ittycheria from scoring the go-ahead goal.
85’ - Minnesota defender Philip Tarnue made a run toward goal from the right flank and sent a ball into the middle of the box, where a number of MNUFC2 and Ventura County players were crashing toward the net. Dieng and VCFC defender Palmer Bank both slid to the incoming ball, and the ball deflected off their boots and onto the right post before the rebound went back into play.
92’ - In the opening minutes of added extra time, First Team forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith drove the ball into VCFC’s defending third and took a shot that forced Conion to make a punch save.
96’ (2-3) - Arnau Vilamitjana scored the third goal for Ventura County off a header in front of the net.
113’ - Bite made another crucial save to keep the scoreline as-is when Placias struck a shot from the right side of the penalty area.
GOALS
0-1 VCFC - Daniel Ittycheria (Julian Placias) - 21’
0-2 VCFC - Riley Dalgado - 35’
1-2 MNUFC2 - Mamadou Dieng (penalty) - 41’
2-2 MNUFC2 - Mamadou Dieng (Sam Vigilante, Alpha Kabia) - 44’
2-3 VCFC - Arnau Vilamitjana (Jeremi Djieze, Brett Phan) - 96’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
VCFC - Enrique Martinez (caution) - 73’
VCFC - Sebastian Hernandez (caution) - 88’
MNUFC2 - Alpha Kabia (caution) - 89’
VCFC - Jose Magana (caution) - 107’
VCFC - Julian Placias (caution) - 113’
MNUFC2 - Luke Hille (caution) - 120’
NOTABLE STATS
2 - Mamadou Dieng recorded his second brace of the season during tonight’s Western Conference Quarterfinal match. His first MLS NEXT Pro brace came against Austin FC II on July 12, 2026.
LINEUPS
MNUFC2 XI: GK Kristers Bite; D Nick Dang ©, Kieran Chandler, Sam Vigilante (Philip Tarnue 77’), Jack Clarkson (Anderson Farris 106’); M Jakob Friedman (Jordan Adebayo-Smith 46’), Hector Cruz (Luke Hille 91’), Luciano Pechota (Max Harwood 71’), Alpha Kabia; F Darius Randell, Mamadou Dieng
Substitutes Not Used: GK Keane Perkins; D Brody Schauf; M Kage Romanshyn Jr.; F Troy Putt
Ventura County FC XI: GK Sebastian Conion; D Riley Dalgado (Palmer Bank 81’), Sebastian Hernandez ©, Enrique Martinez, Mason Vanney; M Luis Mueller (Jose Magana 91’), Gabriel Arnold (Arnau Vilamitjana 73’), Brett Phan, Vicente Garcia (Jeremi Djieze 73’), Daniel Ittycheria (Angel Alexander Villatoro 106’); F Julian Placias
Substitutes Not Used: GK Nathan Enriquez; D Mateo McLean; M Christian Vanney
