Newly rebranded Ventura County FC kicks off U.S. Open Cup play

The Galaxy has a strong history in the U.S. Open Cup.

The franchise is one of seven MLS clubs with multiple championships (2001 and 2005) and a pair of runner-up finishes (2002, 2006).

“This is the one of the few trophies that you can win over the course of the year. It’s been an important tournament, it’s the oldest tournament in the history of our sport in North America and we’ve always valued it,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We like the capacity to manage ourselves through it. Sure, some of the earlier games, we’re not going to use the top end of our roster because we don’t want to run them out and as the games get closer, then OK, you start to integrate the top end of your roster as you get closer to playing for the quarterfinals, semifinals, finals … with this ruling, we’re one less opportunity to get into (CONCACAF) Champions Cup.”

The “ruling,” which came after Major League Soccer said it wasn’t going to have teams in the competition, leaves the Galaxy as one of the MLS clubs that will enter their MLS Next Pro team into the field.

Only eight MLS clubs will be competing in the tournament, entering at a later stage.

“I guess we have to focus on league stuff, which is not the worst thing in the world, but it wasn’t necessarily by our choice, it was dictated to us, so that’s the part that’s a little bit hard to take,” Vanney said.

So instead of the first team kicking off the tournament in the later rounds, Galaxy II, now known as Ventura County Football Club, will start in Thursday’s first round (7:30 p.m.) against Irvine Zeta II at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“I think it’s an exciting opportunity for our guys to really get an opportunity to play in some meaningful competition,” said Matt Taylor, who is in his first year as coach of the club formerly known as Galaxy II. “You get these games that will have some fire in them. These local teams, UPSL, NISA, they’re trying to make a statement, playing with probably a lot of older, experienced pros, so for our guys, getting in that situation where they have to compete with an older group, that’s looking to fight a Cup dream, I think that’s a great opportunity.”

In its debut under the new name Sunday, VCFC defeated Town FC, 2-1. Galaxy first-team players Gino Vivi, Mauricio Cuevas and Jonathan Perez played into the second half. Academy products and teenagers Riley Dalgado (17), Ruben Ramos Jr. (17) and Harbor Miller (16) also played.

“I see it as a positive experience,” Taylor said. “I think they get an opportunity to learn here and I’m confident in the group that we got. We played some of these teams already in the preseason, now you just have to turn it up a little bit. They know enough of what to expect, now when the lights turn on at night and you’re playing for something, the games change. But I think the guys have done well so far and they have some good confidence and I’m hopeful and confident that they will come out and have a good performance.”

Taylor won the Open Cup in 2004 with the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City).

“Any time you get an opportunity to play for a Cup, it’s fantastic,” Taylor said. “Some of my best moments in Germany, I played there for 10 years, were playing in the (German) Cup. One of my teams now (FC Saarbrucken), a good friend of mine is coaching, they’re in the semifinal of the German Cup. They beat Bayern Munich, ’Gladbach (Borussia Monchengladbach) and they’re a third-division club … these are the moments that you play for, especially if you’re a second- or third-division team. This is where you get to make a run, fight, make a name for yourself and this is where those wonderful stories are made in the Cup.”