Inter San Francisco moved one step closer to U.S. Open Cup qualification with another dominant performance in their 4-0 win over perennial Open Cup entrant Real San Jose at PAL Stadium on Saturday night.
As in their previous qualifying match, a 5-0 win over Marin County Union SC, they relied on their group of former professionals to secure the victory.
Former Oakland Roots’ midfielder Dylan Autran was key to all four goals, scoring in the 31st and 41st minute and assisting on Inter’s other two tallies. Gamal Compaore scored the third goal just before halftime.
Matt Fondy added the final goal in the 65th minute, and also assisted on Autran’s first goal. Fondy’s career includes successful stints in MLS, the USL Championship, and the Oakland Roots.
The first 25 minutes of the match were relatively even, with few clear chances on either side, as Inter struggled with San Jose’s pressure and difficult field conditions. But as the match wore on, Inter’s superior technical skill shone through, and the second half was a mere formality.
The host side’s offense was largely confined to direct balls into the offensive zone, while Inter dominated possession, especially in the second half. Inter goalkeeper Mason Kealy only had to make one difficult save in the full 90 minutes, shooing a San Jose shot over the crossbar late in the first half.
The San Francisco club still needs to survive two more rounds of qualifiers in order to make it into the tournament proper. The third round is scheduled for the weekend of November 19-20, with opponent and location to be announced next week.
