Nickname(s) La Máquina Founded 2011 | Ground Capacity 0–9000 | |
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Stadium Santa Ana College (UPSL)Orange County Great Park (UPSL)Lake Forest Sports Park (UPSL)Mater Dei (Training)Westminster High School (Open Cup) Home grounds Santa Ana College (UPSL) | ||
La Máquina is an American amateur soccer club, based out of the Santa Ana, California area, in central Orange County, competing in the United Premier Soccer League. The club takes its name and identity from Cruz Azul of Liga MX, and was formed as a branch of the Irvine Premier Soccer Club's FC Golden State, for competing in the UPSL. The club's founder, Alex Uribe, played in a Cruz Azul youth squad in Mexico before emigrating to the United States as an adolescent.
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Current squad
The following players formed La Máquina's 2016 U.S. Open Cup squad:
Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth. Squad correct as of June 7, 2016.
U.S. Open Cup record
La Máquina entered the 2016 U.S. Open Cup, in the first round against the Portland Timbers U-23 of the Premier Development League, and advanced to the second round by defeating the Timbers by a score of 2–0. La Máquina qualified to the First Round of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup by defeating 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Chula Vista FC by a score of 4–0.
La Máquina defeated the Sacramento Gold of the National Premier Soccer League by a score of 2–0 in the second round of the Open Cup on May 18, 2016 at Westminster High School in Westminster, California and advanced to face fellow UPSL side LA Wolves FC in a historic face off putting two new clubs and leagues in the third round. This was the first Open Cup for both teams.
On June 1, 2016 La Máquina defeated L.A. Wolves in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup and advanced to the following round to face the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center on June 14, 2016.
On June 14, 2016 La Máquina faced the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA and fell in extra time by a score of 4-1, after a controversial goal was allowed by the referee in favor of the Galaxy. The match commentators said that the final score was not reflective of how the match played out, given that La Máquina held the Galaxy to a 1-1 tie for 90 minutes. Although there were questionable calls in the match, La Máquina had a man advantage for about 70 minutes of regulation time, after Galaxy midfielder Rafael García was ejected from the game upon receiving a straight red card on a foul to La Máquina's midfielder Rosendo Castro Pérez. La Máquina were incapable of closing the game in regulation time.
Year by year
La Máquina was suspended from Spring 2016 UPSL play for being involved in a brawl with fellow league club San Nicolas FC in 2015, however, La Máquina is scheduled to return to the UPSL after serving a six-game suspension.