A great start and relentless pressure made the difference for Lansdowne Yonkers in a hard-fought 3-0 win over Atlético Los Toros in the USASA Region 1 Amateur Cup final Saturday night. Lansdowne won their third Region 1 title and their first since 2021, when they also won the national amateur championship.
With only minutes before kickoff, the sky opened up at the Ukranian Nationals Club in Horsham, PA, delaying the start for nearly two hours. With players and fans scrambling for shelter and a restart unknown, the first ten minutes of the game were going to be even more crucial. Lansdowne set the tone early with a number of crunching tackles then found the back of the net for the dream start.
Three minutes in, Lansdowne broke through the Los Toros lines and hit Nikolas Parajas out on the wide left. Parajas cut outside and whipped in a dangerous cross that found Danu Kinsella-Bishop at the back post for the early lead. The goal was Kinsella-Bishop’s tournament-leading fourth of the regional competition.
The goal appeared to stun Los Toros, who scored first in both their quarterfinal win over defending national champions West Chester United (3-0) and EPSA runners-up Vereinigung Erzgebirge (4-2) on their way to the final.
Minutes after the goal, Lansdowne had another great look at a second when Seamas Keogh’s free kick from outside of the box missed his teammates and the far post by no more than a foot. A minute later, Los Toros almost responded after Alejandro Neira got on the end of a cross and pushed his header wide.
The game settled throughout the middle of the first half with both teams creating chances but not enough to force much action from either keeper. Oswualso Cruz had the best look for Los Toros following a recycled free kick, but he sailed his shot over the bar from the top of the penalty area. Lansdowne found a little more joy on the counter, contesting the Los Toros back line and drawing them in to a number of fouls that eventually proved costly.
Lansdowne’s pressure paid off in 33rd minute, reducing Los Toros to ten men. Liam Salmon broke free on a long pass over the top, splitting two Los Toros defenders for the race to the ball. Aaron Uribe finished second and ran through Salmon with a shoulder, knocking the Lansdowne winger to the turf. In what was eventually ruled a DOGSO situation, the referee sent Uribe off, a harsh decision so early in a final but ultimately arguable given Salmon’s positioning going forward. Keogh’s ensuing free kick beat the wall but not keeper Travis Basso, allowing the Northern Virginia side to take a breather and find some composure. Lansdowne continued to attack, trying to find a second, but Los Toros held on until the break despite playing a man down.
When the second half began, Los Toros put all their efforts into an equalizer and almost caught Lansdowne off guard in the opening minute. Creative midfielder Nelsar Castillo cut inside from the wide left and slipped a pass to Neira, whose tight-angled shot took a deflection before Luis Granados made the save. Los Toros had multiple attempts on the ensuing corner, the best one coming from Jordy Santana, but again Granados had good positioning to make the routine stop.
Six minutes into the half, Lansdowne’s fortunes increased with a second Los Toros red card and a resulting penalty. A combination of Lansdowne pressure and a poor touch from Santana led to Parajas getting on the ball in front of the goal. Santana gave a tug as Parajas spun away, sending him to the ground. The referee pointed to the spot and showed Santana his second yellow, reducing Los Toros to nine. Keogh stepped up and buried the penalty to give Lansdowne a comfortable 2-0 lead.
With the two-man advantage, Lansdowne controlled the pace and the action for the duration of the game, yet Los Toros held on until the very end. Basso made a great stop on a sitter from Luis Del Pozo. Kinsella-Bishop had a chance minutes later but sent a difficult volley over the bar. Substitute Joao Delgado ripped a volley from the top of the box that Los Toros defender Kevin Cruz blocked with his body, keeping the Yonkers club from running away with the game.
With time winding down, Aidan Mahoney nearly pulled a goal back from distance after a rare Lansdowne mistake in the back caught Granados way off his line and sprinting toward goal. But the Los Toros striker’s attempt at the open net from almost fifty yards missed by several feet. That was as close as Los Toros came to getting back into the game, and Lansdowne added a third in stoppage time with Parajas once again playing the role of creator. This time on the wide right, he cut inside, beating two defenders, and chopped a pass across the grain to substitute Manuel Espinosa, who had time to settle the ball and pick out the far corner to extend the lead to 3-0.
Lansdowne will now travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin the weekend of July 25-26 for a chance to win their third national amateur championship. The three-time Werner Fricker National Open Cup champions will also have an opportunity to win their second amateur-cup double after earning a forfeit in Sunday’s Open Cup final against Atlético Boston. Lansdowne also earned a forfeit win in the semifinal against West Chester. Lansdowne won the national cup double in 2021.
