Edwyn Mendoza (left) scored his first goal of the season against Ventura County FC, an 88th-minute penalty kick to give The Town FC its initial lead.
MORAGA, Calif. — A day after the first-team Earthquakes hosted the LA Galaxy, The Town FC took a turn at facing its SoCal rival, Ventura County FC.
After a 1-1 regulation that saw both TTFC and VCFC score goals during the dying moments of the match, the teams faced off in a shootout, in which The Town FC came ahead. The 4-3 shootout saw Nonso Adimabua, Wilson Eisner, Nick Fernandez and Ariel Mbumba all hit their targets while goalkeeper Francesco Montali stood his ground in the net, as Ventura County FC missed two of its five shots.
Solid defense was the story during the first and most of the second half for TTFC. In The Town FC’s last match against St. Louis CITY2, TTFC uncharacteristically allowed three goals; the defensive showcase against VCFC displayed attention to detail in recovering against a competitive rival. In The Town FC’s last eight matches, the club has only allowed more than one goal once.
The final few minutes of regulation were when things got interesting offensively. After Fernandez was tripped up inside VCFC’s 18-yard box, TTFC was awarded a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Midfielder Edwyn Mendoza took the penalty shot, and he sailed it past goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.
Marcinkowski, an Alamo native, less than 10 miles from The Park at Saint Mary’s Stadium, was a member of the Earthquakes for five seasons. He won a USL Championship regular-season title with Reno 1868 FC in 2020, the former affiliate partner of the Quakes.
Mendoza’s goal was his first of the season. He scored once with three total goal contributions in 2024.
Ventura County didn’t quit during stoppage time. In the 96th minute, just moments before the final whistle, VCFC found the equalizer off a prayer corner kick that found the head of midfielder Christopher Rindov, forcing the shootout.
The Town FC’s shootout victory earned the club two points in the table. The positive result is vital considering Ventura County FC — the second-place team in the Western Conference — had been unbeatable in June.
While TTFC sits in 11th in the West, with 20 points, the club has played at least one fewer match than most of its foes. The Town FC is also within striking distance, only four points out of third place.
TTFC’s next test will be Tacoma Defiance. Both teams have 20 points and will be looking to rise in the loaded West as the regular season rolls on. Tacoma bested The Town FC 3-1 in the first match of the year, so TTFC will aim to forget the past and continue its upward momentum in Washington.
The match will kick off on July 3 at 7 p.m. at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington. TTFC will return to California for a three-match homestand following the bout up north.
Follow Kasey Kazliner (@KaseyKazliner) on X for more The Town FC updates.
MEDIA ASSETS
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MATCH INFORMATION
2025 MLS NEXT Pro Season
The Town FC 1[4] – 1[3] Ventura County FC
The Park at Saint Mary’s Stadium
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Scoring Summary:
TTFC (1-0) — E. Mendoza (PK) 88’
VCFC (1-1) — C. Rindov 90 + 6′
Misconduct Summary:
TTFC — N. Fernandez (Caution) 52’
TTFC — M. Rodríguez (Caution) 77’
VCFC — H. Miller (Caution) 90’
TTFC — E. Mendoza (Caution) 90 + 7’
The Town FC: F. Montali (GK), A. Mbumba, A. Cano, R. Roberts, W. Eisner, N. Fernandez, E. Mendoza, C. Medina (R. Rajagopal – 82’), J. Ricketts, J. Donnery (N. Adimabua – 62’), M. Rodríguez (K. Walwyn-Bent – 82’)
Substitutes not used: D. Baptista, S. Chavira, C. Cowell, R. Ibarra, K. Spivey, L. Ulrich
SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 14; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4
Ventura County FC: J. Marcinkowski (GK), R. Dalgado (L. Saribekyan – 90 + 1’), C. Rindov, J. Mangana Jr., H. Miller, J. Kocevski (G. Vicente – 90 + 1’), T. Musto, N. Sullivan (J. Bucknor – 83’), D. Vanney, T. Lepley, S. Karani
Substitutes not used: O. Pratt, M. Middleby, G. Arnold, E. Martinez
SHOTS: 12; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 13; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 3