Oliviera leads with another hat trick, Utica City FC Falls to San Diego Sockers in Overtime Thriller

OCEANSIDE, CA — In a thrilling matchup at Frontwave Arena, Utica City FC pushed theSan Diego Sockers to the brink but ultimately fell 6-5 in overtime. Utica City’s relentless effort was highlighted by a hat trick from Kelvin Oliveira and a gritty all-around performance, but a controversial overturned goal in overtime paved the way for Luiz Morales’ game-winning strike.

Utica City entered the game with a 1-0 record after an impressive season-opening win and faced one of the league’s toughest opponents in the Sockers. From the opening whistle, the game was a back-and-forth battle filled with dramatic moments and clinical finishes.

The Sockers struck first when Luiz Morales converted a feed from Christian Gutierrez at 13:29 of the first quarter. Just 40 seconds later, Kelvin Oliveira answered for Utica City, continuing his hot streak with a one-touch finish off a perfectly placed pass from Logan Roberts. The first quarter ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Utica City took the lead midway through the second quarter with a beautifully executed set piece drawn up by head coach Hewerton Moreira. Gordy Gurson found the net with a clean strike, assisted by Vinicius Dantas, giving Utica a 2-1 advantage. San Diego’s Morales responded at the 13:02 mark, tying the game 2-2 heading into halftime.

San Diego came out firing in the third quarter. Kraig Chiles scored in the opening minutes, followed by a goal from Luis Ortega to extend the Sockers’ lead to 4-2. But Utica City refused to back down. Oliveira added his second goal of the night, taking a feed off the wall from Gurson and burying it to cut the deficit to 4-3.

In the fourth quarter, Utica’s Ronaldinho Diniz showcased his determination, battling through traffic to score off his own rebound and tie the game at 4-4. The Sockers regained the lead minutes later through Keko Gontán, but Oliveira’s persistence paid off again when an official review overturned a shot initially ruled no goal, tying the game at 5-5.

The intensity carried into overtime, where both teams traded chances. A controversial overturned goal for Utica City left the visitors frustrated, and the Sockers capitalized moments later. Morales completed his hat trick with a strike at 3:38 of overtime, sealing the victory for San Diego.

Utica City FC, now 1-1 on the season, is on the road again next weekend. The team will look to build on its offensive momentum while tightening up defensively to secure another win.

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