In the opener of the USL League Two Western Conference playoffs, Southwest Division champion Ventura County Fusion and NorCal Division runner-up Project 51O squared off in a knockout round match. The game was scoreless until the 78th minute when Niklas Thanhofer struck the ball into the net in the 78th minute accounting for the only goal of the match. The score stood as a 1-0 final in favor of the Fusion and handing 51O their second straight loss at Kezar and ending their 2026 campaign.
The southern California club will face off against the winner of SF City/FC Tucson on Sunday July 19 at 4:30pm.
