Helendale, CA – On a windy afternoon in the High Desert of California, a young Desert Communities SC Pathfinders proved to themselves and the local soccer community that they are good enough to compete at any level, winning a contested game against a very good Villarreal Las Vegas side.  

Forward Chris Garcia scored the go-ahead goal after a tussle in the opponent box within 10 minutes of the 2nd half kick-off.   Villarreal came on strong with clever foot work from their mids and forwards, leading to a few fouls within striking distance of DCSC Pathfinders Captain Pedrito Zequeida’s goal.  The veteran goalkeeper expertly cleared his lines and kept a clean sheet, despite losing a player with 25 minutes of game left.  Showing grit and determination, DCSC Pathfinders endured everything thrown at them by Villarreal, and when the end game whistle blew, the youth club players rushed the field to celebrate with the senior team.  

After the game, Goalkeeper Pedrito Zequeida said “I’m a lucky guy to get to play with these strong young men...We played a strong team and the guys did good.  Very Proud and honored to be a part of this team…round 3 here we come!”.    

Head Coach Javier Arellano, delighted with the performance of his team, confidently stated post game “other teams are underestimating the power of this young team.”  

From ninety-two to sixty two and now to a pool of 31 teams, Desert Communities SC Pathfinders is due to play the 3rd round of Qualifiers on November 20-21st, opponent and location to be announced soon by USSF. 

Dating back to 1913, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in United States soccer and is among the oldest in the world. Open to all affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States, the annual U.S. Open Cup is the second-oldest continually-operating cup competition in the world (Irish Cup is the oldest).

DCSC Pathfinders is showcasing a roster of 21 talented High Desert Players with an average squad age of 17 years.  Under the close tutelage of Head Coach Javier Arellano, the team roster for DCSC Pathfinders includes:

-Midfielder Rafael Andrade
-Midfielder Devin Arellano
-Midfielder Kevin Barragan
-Defender Nizier Bobadilla Romero
-Midfielder Jesus Cabrera
-Forward Adrian Carranza
-Defender Dylan Clark
-Defender Rudy Espinoza
-Forward Christopher Garcia
-Forward Humberto Gonzalez
-Defender Lance Hooper
-Defender Jesus Lopez Jr
-Midfielder Anthony Mendoza
-Midfielder Geovanni Neri
-Defender Javier Ortega III
-Forward Diego Perez
-Defender Luis Piceno
-Forward Orlando Benavidez Jr
-Defender Gonzalo Zavaleta
-Defender Diego Zavaleta Penaloza
-Goalkeeper Pedrito Zequeida

Desert Communities Soccer Club (DCSC) is a non-profit youth soccer organization established in 1978 in Barstow, CA, serving the High Desert of California.  It’s purpose is to revolutionize grassroots competitive soccer by providing an affordable and accessible soccer experience for all players.  DCSC Pathfinders is it’s adult affiliate playing in the UPSL, a 4th Division League of the US Soccer Federation.