As reported by TheCup.us last week, another significant change is the elimination of the sealed bidding process for determining the host team for each round through the quarterfinals. This year, each team can apply to host each round and if both teams’ venues meet USSF’s standards, the federation will conduct a blind draw to determine the host. In the past, in addition to meeting USSF venue standards, teams would have to submit a financial bid, and the team that bid the most was awarded the home game. That process, a sometimes controversial method profiled in depth recently by TheCup.us, will remain in effect for just the Semifinals and the Final this year.

“USL is thrilled with the modifications made to the tournament format and structure for 2012,” said USL President Tim Holt. “Certainly, the greater level of participation by professional and amateur teams alike will attract the most attention and deservedly so; yet, just as importantly as the tournament expansion are the reforms to the determination of which teams host in each round.  This will favorably impact competitive equity and expose this special tournament to a greater variety of markets.”

Another change for 2012 will be the dates for the competition, which will start earlier and will be much more condensed than in previous years as to minimize fixture congestion, and conflicts with the CONCACAF Champions League. The match dates for the Open Cup remain scheduled for Tuesday nights to avoid conflicts with weekend-heavy league schedules. The qualifying deadline is April 29, which only really applies to the USASA, which is the only organization who still has not solidified it’s entries into this year’s tournament.

As was reported by TheCup.us, the first four rounds of the 2012 Open Cup will be fast and furious with each stage taking place on consecutive weeks. The tournament will begin on May 15, the earliest the Open Cup has begun in the Modern Pro Era, with the 32 amateur clubs (also a Modern Pro Era record) matching up in geographic fashion. The teams will be separated, like in recent years, into groups of four, with no teams from the same qualifying pool sharing a group. The winners of those games will move on to Round 2 the following week, May 22, where the 16 NASL and USL PRO clubs will enter. The week after that, on May 29, Major League Soccer will take on the Second Round winners as the Seattle Sounders will begin their quest to win an unprecedented fourth straight Open Cup title. With the number of teams, a fourth round will added and will take place June 5. The Cup hasn’t had a fourth round since a four-year run from 2003-06.

Three weeks later, the tournament will hold the Quarterfinals on June 26, followed by the Semifinals on July 10, and the Open Cup Final on either August 7 or 8. Holding the championship game in early August will mark the earliest it has been held since 1994 when Greek American AC (San Francisco) defeated Bavarian SC (Milwaukee) 3-0 on July 30.

It was not part of US Soccer’s announcement, but according to sources, the Third Round, Fourth Round and Quarterfinals will require a hosting fee of around $15,000. If both teams in a particular matchup are interested in hosting, they must meet USSF’s venue standards, and submit a check for the hosting fee. If both teams do that, then a blind draw will determine who hosts with the winner having their check deposited and the loser having their check sent back.

“Playing the tournament within a tighter period will keep the Open Cup continuously in the consciousness of American soccer fans through the summer as well as allow PDL and other amateur teams to remain intact if they were to pull off what would be a remarkable run to the Final,” said Holt, who also serves as the co-chair of the Open Cup committee. “We applaud US Soccer Federation leadership for endorsing and enabling these changes which will help further raise the credibility, visibility, and relevance of the competition.  Our USL PRO and PDL teams once again look forward to matching up against the other best soccer teams in the United States this summer.”h

With the earlier schedule, this makes it impossible for amateur clubs that depend on college players like the PDL, NPSL and US Club Soccer to hold qualifying, so as previously reported by TheCup.us, the PDL teams that will take part will be the 2011 division winners, and the runners-up. If any of the teams aren’t US-based, then the next eligible club will be taken. The list of teams who will compete for the PDL are as follows:

Central Conference
Michigan Bucks – 1st place in Great Lakes Division – record 9th appearance (9-7-1 all-time), last appearance: 2008
Chicago Fire PDL – 2nd place in Great Lakes Division – 5th appearance (6-4-0), 3rd straight appearance
Des Moines Menace – 2nd place in Heartland Division* – 6th appearance (6-5-1, 1-0 in PKs) – Last appearance: 2010
Real Colorado Foxes – 3rd place in Heartland Division * – 2nd appearance (1-1-0), 2nd straight appearance
*Canadian club Thunder Bay finished 1st

Eastern Conference
Long Island Rough Riders – 1st place in Mid Atlantic Division – 5th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (3-5-0 all-time, 1-2-0 as a PDL team) …  Last appearance: 2010
Reading United AC - 2nd place in Mid Atlantic Division … 6th appearance, 4th as a PDL team (0-5-0 all-time, 0-3-0 as a PDL team) … 4th straight appearance (tied for the amateur record)
MPS Portland Phoenix – 1st place in Northeast Division … 1st appearance
Carolina Dynamo – 1st place in South Atlantic Division … 8th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (10-8-0 all-time, 5-3-0 as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance

Southern Conference
Laredo Heat – 1st place in Mid South Division … 2nd appearance (0-0-1, 0-1 in PKs … lost to Dallas Roma FC in 2006, who went on to make their magical run) … last appearance: 2006
El Paso Patriots – 2nd place in Mid South Division … 10th appearance, 5th as a PDL team (8-7-3, 1-2 in PKs all-time, 2-3-2, 1-1 in PKs as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance
Mississippi Brilla – 1st place in Southeast Division … 2nd appearance (0-1-0) … last appearance: 2009
Orlando City U23s (previously Central Florida Kraze) – 2nd place Southeast Division … 5th appearance (0-4-0) … 3rd straight appearance

Western Conference
Kitsap Pumas – 1st place in Northwest Division…. 4th appearance (2-3-1, 1-0 in PKs), 4th straight appearance (Amateur record) … have qualified in every year of their existence
Portland Timbers U23s – 4th place in Northwest Division* … 1st appearance
Fresno Fuego – 1st Southwest Division … 2nd appearance (3-1-0) … last appearance: 2003 (advanced to the Fourth Round and lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy. 1 of only 3 PDL teams to ever advance beyond the Third Round)
Ventura County Fusion – 2nd Southwest Division … 3rd appearance (1-1-1, 0-1 in PKs), 3rd straight appearance
*Canadian clubs Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps U23s were 2nd & 3rd

The entries for the NPSL will be determined at the league annual general meeting currently being held at the NSCAA convention in Kansas City. The entry for US Club Soccer is unknown at this time.

“US Soccer is excited about the changes made to the US Open Cup,” said USSF spokesperson Neil Beuthe. “In recent years, an increasing number of teams have shown a greater commitment to participate and win the tournament, which definitely played a factor in these changes. By having professional teams and a larger field from the amateur ranks allows for more opportunities for some intriguing match-ups throughout the competition. We hope these changes will create more overall interest and excitement.”

The prize money remains the same for 2012, with the winner taking home $100,000, the runner-up receiving $50,000 and the three teams that advances the furthest among Division 2, Division 3 and amateur clubs will be awarded $10,000 each.

US Open Cup Best 11 Performances of 2011

11 – Eric Kronberg & CJ Sapong (Sporting KC):

Qualifying for the tournament during and after a long road stretch to start the season due to stadium construction was no easy task, and the club could not be faulted if they chose to pass on playing in the event. Instead, the team dominated in qualifying with a pair of Kronberg shutouts and three goals from Sapong to top Houston, 1-0 in overtime, and New England, 5-0. Kronberg would go on to get a third shutout in the Third Round tournament opener for KC, blanking Chicago Fire’s PDL side, 3-0.

10 – Stefan Dimitrov (NY Pancyrprian Freedoms):

After being one of the club’s leading players in qualifying, he continued his stellar performance in the tournament. He struck the opening goal in the team’s 2-1 First Round win against Brooklyn Italians and nearly saw his team upset USL Pro’s FC New York in the Second Round, falling in penalties after a scoreless draw.

9 – Kitsap Pumas:

The best performance by a club from the fourth tier of US Soccer, Kitsap survived a difficult road trip to El Paso in the First Round, advancing on penalties after a scoreless draw. They then dominated fellow PDL side Real Colorado, 3-1, before giving the MLS Sounders a tough test on their home turf before exiting in a 2-1 decision.

8 – Jackson (FC Dallas):

The midfielder was the game MVP in the club’s first two contests, tallying a goal and assist in the thrilling 3-2 victory against Orlando City in the Third Round and finding the back of the net once again in their win at home against Real Salt Lake.

7 – Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas):

Filling in for the regular starter at the last minute, the netminder came out on top in a goalkeeping duel on the road against the El Paso Patriots. After a scoreless 90 minutes, he made a fantastic double-save in overtime and then stopped a penalty in the shootout to send the Pumas onto the Second Round.

6 – Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire):

A maligned start to his MLS campaign resulted in a trade to Chicago, where he would revive his reputation with some success in the Open Cup. Part of the success included game-winners in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches against Richmond and New York. Oduro, Player of the Round for the Semifinals, also finished second behind Seattle’s Fredy Montero for TheCup.us Player of the ‘Tournament.

5 – Chicago Fire:

A club struggling in league play (and ultimately missing the postseason), the Fire advanced from pre-tournament MLS qualifying, kicking it all off with a win over defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids, 2-1, before topping San Jose in penalties after a 2-2 draw to earn the berth. In the tournament they edged perennial upset-power Rochester, 1-0, before clobbering a second-string Red Bulls, 4-0, and ending the amazing run of Richmond, 2-1, to reach the championship, where they fell, 2-0, to Seattle.

4 – Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders):

The Sounders played four games en route to the title. He netted the game-winner in the last three as they topped three consecutive MLS opponents, earning Player of the Tournament honors.

3 – David Bulow (Richmond Kickers):

He finished as the leading scorer of the tournament with six goals, doubling the tally of those behind him. The effort propelled Bulow into the all-time scoring leader for the Modern Pro Era with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City. Unfortunately he had to watch his team play without him in the Kickers’ Semifinal loss to Chicago when he received a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation when he was cautioned late in the Kansas City match.

2 – Seattle Sounders:

Any other year and Seattle would have been in the top spot, which is undoubtedly where they would be for a team of the decade vote. You do not need to say anything more than Three-Peat.

1 – Richmond Kickers:

What can you say? In the 17 years of the Modern Pro Era of the tournament you can count on one hand the kind of lower division club performances equal to what the Kickers accomplished this year, becoming the first-ever team to win back-to-back road matches versus MLS opponents. They topped Columbus at Crew Stadium, 2-1, in the Third Round and stunned Kansas City, 2-0, in a thunderstorm-plagued match in the Quarterfinals. The run, which started with a pair of games against fellow USL Pro clubs and no amateur sides, did not see the team trail until it came to an end on the road in Chicago during the Semifinals.

All Competitions Best of 2011

Major League Soccer Club: Los Angeles Galaxy

It was not an easy choice between the star-laden Galaxy and the Open Cup darling Sounders as both were excellent across nearly all competitions. LA won MLS Cup as Seattle crashed out early in the playoffs again. On the other hand, Seattle knocked LA out of the early rounds of the Open Cup yet again on its way to winning their third consecutive title, making those two events basically even. In the end, that left the MLS Supporters’ Shield and CONCACAF Champions League, both of which the Galaxy were the better side. LA won their group in CCL action while the Sounders were second in theirs – both advancing to this spring’s Quarterfinals. And in the regular season, the Galaxy finished four points better as they finished one-two with LA having the better of Seattle on the narrowest of margins, 1-0 on aggregate, in their two league contests on the year – making the season opener back on March 15 the possible deciding factor in this honor as the point swing would have made Seattle Supporters’ Shield winners instead.

Major League Soccer Player: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)

With three goals in the Open Cup, he was tied with several other players for second in scoring. In MLS, he finished tied for fifth in both goals (12) and assists (9). He was also tied for sixth in CCL scoring with three goals.

Lower Division Professional Club: Orlando City

Based on Open Cup performance, selecting Richmond would have been the obvious choice. However, Orlando City dominated USL Pro this season, finishing with a 15-3-6 record and going on to capture the league double with a playoff championship in equally dominating fashion. In the Open Cup, the Floridians blew past amateurs ASC New Stars, 4-0, before becoming the first non-MLS team to oust Charleston, 1-0, in the Second Round. They gave CCL club and MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas a tough outing in the Third Round, finding themselves on the wrong end of a thrilling 3-2 contest that saw both clubs score in stoppage time.

Lower Division Professional Player: Miguel Gallardo (Orlando City)

If David Bulow was the star of the Open Cup, it was Gallardo during the USL Pro season. The netminder controlled the box with a league-leading 0.681 GAA, finishing first in shutouts (11) and tied for first in wins (12). He allowed only one goal in postseason contests against Charleston and Richmond and had a shutout in the works during the final before mistakenly taking down a Harrisburg player outside of the box, receiving a red card for the foul and allowing the City Islanders to force a 2-2 draw that saw the Lions take the title in penalties.

Amateur Club: NY Pancyprian Freedoms

The perennial USASA giants came into the tournament as defending USASA Open Cup champions and as reigning Cosmopolitan League title holders, suffering only one loss in a 11-1-4 campaign. The Freedoms topped the NPSL’s Brooklyn Italians, 2-1, in the First Round and nearly upset USL Pro FC New York in the Second Round. They took the pro club to penalty kicks in a scoreless contest before being eliminated in sudden death penalties. The club would go on to capture a second straight USASA championship, downing AAC Eagles, 6-0, in the semifinal and claiming the title in penalties after a 2-2 draw against ASC New Stars.

Amateur Club Player: Milton Blanco (Fresno Fuego)

He finished first in the league in assists (14) and tied for sixth in goals (12) to finish first overall in total points with 38. He helped lead Fresno to an unbeaten 13-0-3 season that came to an end in the second round of the playoffs, 1-0, by the professional Kitsap side that went on to win the league title. Four of Blanco’s goals came in the opening four Open Cup qualification games of the season, leading the team to a perfect 4-0-0 record that was not quite enough as they missed out on the division’s berth in the tournament to Ventura County on tiebreakers.

Professional Women’s Club: Western NY Flash

Dominant from start to finish, the newcomers to WPS finished 14-3-2 on the season and went on to win the league double with the playoff championship.

Professional Women’s Player: Abby Wambach (MagicJack)

It was a tough decision with WNY’s Christine Sinclair finishing tied for first in goals (10) and assists (8). Wambach, however, was tied for third in goals (9), having played in three fewer games. More importantly, the US international was the standout performer in the FIFA World Cup over the summer while Canada’s campaign fell flat.

Amateur Women’s Club: Atlanta Silverbacks

The W-League champions suffered only one loss on the year, an early season defeat to rival Charlotte, 3-1. Since that game, the Silverbacks gave up only two more goals during the regular season, finishing the campaign with seven shutouts. After a wild 3-2 opening round playoff win against the New Jersey Wildcats they went on to blank Charlotte, 1-0, and dominate the two Canadian giants. They topped Vancouver, 3-1, in the semifinal and shockingly crushed the perfect Ottawa Fury (12-0-0, 3-0-0) in the championship game with a stunning 6-1 result.

Amateur Women’s Club Player: Edite Fernandes (Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

With players on Canadian sides dominating the scoring charts it was Edite Fernandes that stood out in the W-League. She finished with nine goals and five assists on the season (fourth in goals, assists and points)  to help guide the second-year club to a regular season title in the Western Conference, a group home to powerhouses like Pali Blues, Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders.

Note: Pro clubs (and their players) in amateur leagues were ineligible for amateur awards. For men, they were categorized with Lower Division Professional Clubs and for women, they were categorized with Professional Women’s Club, etc.

Here is a breakdown of the tree. Each of the champions from the Modern Pro Era are represented on the tree with an ornament designed with the team logo and year in which they won the tournament. Clubs with multiple titles also have stars on the ornaments in which they won their additional championships (Sounders 2009 – no star, 2010 – two stars, 2011 – three stars). All the ornaments feature the logos of the club from that season, including FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City’s previous identities. The décor for the pair, however, does include the sides’ current colors as part of the design.

As you can see, the tree also features a few soccer balls and also has 10 drums, representing the supporters from each of the 10 clubs that have won the tournament in the Modern Pro Era.

The basic tree design itself is designed to represent the flag of the USA. The tree is a blue field with white stars (lights) adorned with red and white alternating stripes.

At the base of the tree are ornaments representing the best clubs from the earlier eras of the tournament, incorporating the very first champion, Brooklyn Field Club, and each of the clubs that have won three or more tournaments prior to the Modern Pro Era with stars representing each title. In silver are Bethlehem Steel and Maccabi LA, the only two teams to win the tournament five times. In bronze are Fall River Marksmen, Greek American Atlas, Philadelphia Ukrainians, NY Pancyprian Freedoms and Stix, Baer & Fuller along with Brooklyn FC.

Oh, and under the base… the scarves of the 2011 Final Four.

Share your soccer themed holiday décor with us on our Facebook page or share on our Flickr account!

Happy Holidays!!!

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TheCup.us has learned from multiple sources that the Premier Development League, the amateur division of United Soccer Leagues, will receive 16 berths for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The expanded number of berths will be dispersed, with one exception, to the top two clubs from the 2011 standings in each division.

The news, coming from the USL Annual General Meeting being held currently in Clearwater, FL, is further confirmation of TheCup.us’ earlier report about upcoming changes for the tournament which will see an expansion of teams from 40 to 64 and an accelerated schedule that shifts the calendar too close to the start of the PDL season for the league to continue utilizing its four-match qualification format used since 1997. The report also noted that the expansion revolved around the inclusion of all Major League Soccer teams.

The one alteration to the PDL’s two-berth format, a total of four per conference, is in the Eastern Conference, which consists of three divisions. Based on the number of teams per division, the Mid Atlantic (9 teams last year) will receive two berths while the Northeast (5 teams) and South Atlantic (6 teams) will each receive one spot in the tournament.

With the USL AGM in the midst of planning the 2012 season, the final composition of clubs set to play next season has not been announced. Reading United AC and reigning PDL champion Kitsap Pumas are headed to a fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament, matching a record for consecutive entries from an amateur flight league set by Mexico SC (Fresno, CA) of the USASA.  The Michigan Bucks are adding a league-record ninth appearance to their ledger. The Portland Timbers U23s and the MPS Portland Phoenix (Maine) are the only two teams who will make their debut in the 2012 tournament.

The 16 PDL clubs are expected to enter the 2012 competition in the opening round, along with 16 other amateur clubs, according to an earlier report. The distribution of the remaining amateur teams, between the USASA, NPSL and possibly US Club Soccer, has yet to be unveiled.

2012 PDL Entries – Based on 2011 Standings (official 2012 alignment unknown)

Central Conference
Michigan Bucks – 1st place in Great Lakes Division – record 9th appearance (9-7-1 all-time), last appearance: 2008
Chicago Fire PDL – 2nd place in Great Lakes Division – 5th appearance (6-4-0), 3rd straight appearance
Des Moines Menace – 2nd place in Heartland Division* – 6th appearance (6-5-1, 1-0 in PKs) – Last appearance: 2010
Real Colorado Foxes – 3rd place in Heartland Division * – 2nd appearance (1-1-0), 2nd straight appearance
*Canadian club Thunder Bay finished 1st

Eastern Conference
Long Island Rough Riders – 1st place in Mid Atlantic Division – 5th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (3-5-0 all-time, 1-2-0 as a PDL team) …  Last appearance: 2010
Reading United AC - 2nd place in Mid Atlantic Division … 6th appearance, 4th as a PDL team (0-5-0 all-time, 0-3-0 as a PDL team) … 4th straight appearance (tied for the amateur record)
MPS Portland Phoenix – 1st place in Northeast Division … 1st appearance
Carolina Dynamo – 1st place in South Atlantic Division … 8th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (10-8-0 all-time, 5-3-0 as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance

Southern Conference
Laredo Heat – 1st place in Mid South Division … 2nd appearance (0-0-1, 0-1 in PKs … lost to Dallas Roma FC in 2006, who went on to make their magical run) … last appearance: 2006
El Paso Patriots – 2nd place in Mid South Division … 10th appearance, 5th as a PDL team (8-7-3, 1-2 in PKs all-time, 2-3-2, 1-1 in PKs as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance
Mississippi Brilla – 1st place in Southeast Division … 2nd appearance (0-1-0) … last appearance: 2009
Orlando City U23s (previously Central Florida Kraze) – 2nd place Southeast Division … 5th appearance (0-4-0) … 3rd straight appearance

Western Conference
Kitsap Pumas – 1st place in Northwest Division…. 4th appearance (2-3-1, 1-0 in PKs), 4th straight appearance (Amateur record) … have qualified in every year of their existence
Portland Timbers U23s – 4th place in Northwest Division* … 1st appearance
Fresno Fuego – 1st Southwest Division … 2nd appearance (3-1-0) … last appearance: 2003 (advanced to the Fourth Round and lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy. 1 of only 3 PDL teams to ever advance beyond the Third Round)
Ventura County Fusion – 2nd Southwest Division … 3rd appearance (1-1-1, 0-1 in PKs), 3rd straight appearance
*Canadian clubs Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps U23s were 2nd & 3rd

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The Battery Park Gunners defeated Boston Olympiakos 2-0 in the other semifinal to punch their own ticket to the championship game.

MPS had the lion’s share of the chances in the first half, but could not find the net, as MUFC keeper Steven Liechti was able to handle the shots that were on target. After a very sluggish start, United finally picked up some steam on the counterattack, but were equally as unsuccessful with scoring chances. Possession and chances were more even in the second half, as Untied switched to a 4-4-1-1 formation, and Premier kept firing away. MPS caught a huge break around the 85th minute, when MUFC midfielder Christopher Sharpe was sent off for a hard challenge on Figueiredo in front of the box. Figueiredo took the kick himself, and sent it past Liechti to finally break through. Short on time and short a man, United was unable to mount any serious challenge to equalize, leaving MPS the victors.

The other semifinal featured a pair of champions as the Battery Park Gunners from the Bay State Soccer League (BSSL) and Boston Olympiakos from the Massachusetts State Soccer League (MSSL) squared off. The difference in the game was a pair of first half goals by Joe Annese and Jesse Milling. The first came in the 26th minute when the Olympiakos goalkeeper, Renato Paivo Barbosa, picked up a back pass from one of his teammates, giving the Gunners an indirect kick from about eight yards out. Ben Shuleva touched the ball to Annese, who found a gap in the wall, and put Battery Park up, 1-0.

Just two minutes later, the Gunners added a second when Mark Parshley attacked from the right wing and found the head of Milling who nodded it into the back of the net to double the lead.

Battery Park, one of the top defensive teams in the BSSL (allowed 10 goals in their last 21 matches in all competitions), had to hold off the pressure put on by Boston as they tried to get back in the game. In the 40th minute, Denivaldo Da Silva connected on a bicycle kick which rattled off the post. In the 75th minute, the Gunners watched another Olympiakos shot strike the post, but their defense, led by goalkeeper Phil Nelson, kept the clean sheet and emerged victorious, 2-0.  The two teams will meet again, in the Massachusetts Amateur Cup final on Sunday, Dec. 18.

MPS will play the Gunners in the Final which will be scheduled at a date to be determined. The two clubs met in the BSSL regular season, where they split the series at a game a piece. The Gunners were victorious in the second game, which clinched the league championship for them in the season finale. The winner of that game will advance to play in the USASA Region I Open Cup Qualifying Tournament, to be held in the Spring of 2012. Both clubs are trying to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time.

Battery Park Gunners 2:0 Boston Olympiakos

SCORING SUMMARY:

BPG: Joe Annese (Ben Shuleva) – 26th minute
BPG: Jesse Milling (Mike Parshley) – 28th minute

LINEUPS:

BPG: Phil Nelson (GK), Joe Annese, Jason Pan, Steve Hepburn, Myles Gerraty, Jesse Milling (James Begen 88th), Ben Shuleva, Greg O’Neil, Mike Parshley, Aaron O’Neal (Bobby Linaberry 60th), Joe Vitale (Kevin Griffith 70th)

BOS: Renato Paiva Barbosa (GK), Queivon Correia, Russell Guidici, Allen Ashenfelter, Thomas Smith, Jessey Fernandez, Baffour Boateng, Geoffrey Walker, Admilson Miranda, Alenca Ventura, Denivaldo Da Silva

Mass Premier Soccer 1:0 Mass United FC

SCORING SUMMARY:
MPS: Nick Figueiredo (Unassisted) – 86th minute

LINEUPS:

MUFC: Steven Liechti; Christopher Sharpe, Daniel Antonio Jr., Adrian Kawuba, Anton DaSilva; Christopher Bedi, Bruno (James Grant 1st), Rafael Santos, Enco Lika (Gerry Munani 2nd), Victor Costa (Austin Reed 2nd); John Bavota

MPS: Jeff Newman; Nick Christman, Matt Cross, Sam Brill (Pumele Maqubela 2nd), Matt Handy; Desmond Mitchell, Harris Smriko, Matt Lemire, Derek Nobrega (Mariano Arrua 2nd); Nick Figueiredo, Matt Hoff

Boston Olympiakos needed overtime, while Mass Premier Soccer survived an eight-goal thriller that required penalty kicks to punch their ticket to the final four. Meanwhile, Battery Park Gunners had no trouble with Strela Negra, hammering them 7-0, while Mass United FC got a free pass when CF Canon Sportif were unable to field a full squad and forfeited.

Olympiakos faced a stingy defense in Boston Cambridge Somerville Eleven (BCS XI), but they came away with a 1-0 extra time victory. According to the Olympiakos website, they launched 73 shots at the BCS XI goalkeeper with 32 of them on goal, and only one found the back of the net. The breakthrough came in the 8th minute of extra time when Quievon Correia served a cross into the penalty area and found Samuel Appiah for the game-winning goal.

Boston Olympiakos  are looking to return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2008. Last year, they won the Massachusetts Open Cup championship, but lost to Danbury United (Connecticut) 2-1 in the opening round of the Region I tournament. The year before, they lost to Emigrantes Das Ilhas in the Massachusetts Open Cup final. In 2008, they qualified for the Open Cup but lost to the Western Pass Pioneers (USL-2 , Third Division professional) 2-0 in the First Round.

Olympiakos will face off with the Battery Park Gunners in the semifinals, a team that cruised through their opening round match with Strela Negra, 7-0.  The two will play at Madison Park High School in Roxbury, Mass. at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 with a spot in the state championship game on the line.

The other semifinal will take place at the same field and on the same day at 11:30 a.m. It will feature Mass United FC, the beneficiaries of a first round forfeit by CF Canon Sportif, and Mass Premier Soccer.

Mass Premier Soccer won last year's Massachusetts Open Cup championship

Mass Premier Soccer reached the final four in thrilling fashion, defeating East Providence Sports in the eighth round of penalty kicks, 7-6, after finishing extra time tied at 4-4. The contest was a rematch of last year’s Region I opening round contest in which MPS advanced, 4-1, to the semifinals. East Providence advanced to the regionals a year ago as the lone entry from Rhode Island, but were placed into the Massachusetts qualifying tournament this year due to the club’s participation in a league based in the neighboring state.

Most of the action took place in back-and-forth seven-goal second half after the first 45 minutes finished with MPS clinging to a 1-0 lead. Matt Hoff scored the lone first half goal on a bending ball from the left wing.

That lead didn’t last long as East Providence countered a couple of minutes into the second half by sending a ball across the box to the onrushing Anthony Petrarca. The former Cape Cod Crusader (PDL) and Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) midfielder tracked it down and volleyed it into the back of the net with an acrobatic scissor kick. Shortly after, Hoff gave MPS the lead once again when his low cross was redirected by a defender and ended up beating his goalkeeper for an own goal. About 10 minutes later, East Providence leveled the match when MPS defender Derek Nobrega took down Kyle Teixeira in the penalty area and the spot kick was awarded. Teixeira, another former USL-2 Pioneer, converted the penalty kick to make it 2-2.

For the remaining 30 minutes of the match, East Providence pushed several players into the attack, trying to go for the win, but the MPS defense held strong and the game went into overtime. Key in the effort was goalkeeper Nick Armington, who made a fantastic diving save in the final minutes of regulation.

As if the opening 90 did not have enough drama, the visitors from Rhode Island amped up tension with a strike two minutes into extra time. Teixeira schooled the MPS defenders, popping the ball over the midfield before touching it around the centerback and firing a volley past Armington.

Approximately eight minutes later Nick Christman put the match on level terms again when he drew a penalty created by an excellent individual effort when he snared the ball while speeding by a defender attempting to shield the ball out of play. Christman would have to wait for the celebration as the East Providence goalkeeper made a dramatic save, but followed up the attempt and put in the rebound.  Three minutes later, Yoshio Kaneko picked up the ball at the top of the box and sent a floating cross to the back post where Nick Figueredo buried a volley for a 4-3 MPS advantage two minutes before the two clubs switched sides for the final 15.

With both sides exhausted, MPS was looking to keep East Providence from creating more fireworks. But the December evening continued to resemble the Fourth of July. With five minutes remaining, hearts skipped a beat on the MPS bench when a shot rang off Armington’s post. Two minutes later, however, another mistake proved costly as Teixeira got another crack from the spot when Pumelele Magubela took down an East Providence striker dribbling through the box. Teixeira completed his hat-trick by slamming the ball into the roof of the net, sending the contest onto penalties.

Neither goalkeeper had much luck in the early stages of the tiebreaker, though Nobrega’s attempt went in off the underside of the crossbar in the fourth round and Cross’ shot trickled in over the netminder’s hand in the fifth. Still tied, Magubela was first up for MPS in sudden death, but his chance at redemption went horribly wrong when he attempted an unusual stutter-step attempt and missed the goal three yards wide. East Providence, however, failed to take advantage as the next shooter missed high.

With both converting in the seventh round and Bedig tallying for MPS in the eighth, Armington made the final statement of the night with his head, literally, as his save sent the ball ricocheting off his head and away from the goal.

New York Greek American Atlas: 4-time Open Cup champions (1967, 1968, 1969, 1974)

On a cold November evening , the New York Greek American Atlas, four-time US Open Cup winners, reclaimed their Eastern New York title with a 4-0 win over 3-time Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms. It was their second meeting in nine days, and it took place at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University. The Greeks won the last meeting in league play 2-0 and with the win in the championship game, they have booked a place in next spring’s USASA Region I tournament, with a spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the line.

Keith Detelj scored a pair of goals for the Greeks who, with the win, earn their first Eastern NY Open Cup title since 2007, breaking a string of four straight by the Freedoms.

Play became chippy right from the kick off, as it was obvious that these two shared a fierce rivalry. Throughout the first 20 minutes of the contest, the teams had an equal share of possession, with both teams fighting through the midfield, hoping to take a much-wanted lead.

The Pancyprian Freedoms had the first real scoring opportunity when Stefan Dimitrov hit a low cross sent in by Anastasios Polydefkis wide off the mark.

It was the Greek AA who made the first breakthrough about nearly midway through the half. A cross from the left flank found it’s way to Keith Detelj who put it past Freedoms keeper Chad Calderone and gave put the Greek Americans up 1-0 after 22 minutes.

Neither keeper saw much action after Detelj’s goal, but the midfield battle that had begun at the start of the game continued until the ref blew the whistle for halftime, no yellow cards given, though there were plenty of opportunities.

The second half of the contest picked up right where it left off for Greek AA. They held a majority of the possession and created more goal scoring opportunities by consistently winning the ball in the midfield. The game’s first yellow card finally came in the 56th minute, as midfielder John Koutsoundis came in hard on one of the Greek AA players. The Greeks continued to press forward, trying to increase their one-goal lead and they were rewarded. A handball in the box led to a penalty kick and Ben Arikian stepped up to the spot and beat Calderone to the right, as the keeper dove the opposite way to make it 2-0 in the 62nd minute.

Greek AA didn’t have to wait long for their next goal, as Detelj fought off two Freedoms defenders to slot home his second of the night and the third for the Greeks in the 64th minute. Shortly afterward, the Greeks received their first yellow card of the night, as Josh Trott came in with a hard tackle a few yards from the penalty area, but the Greek AA were unable to capitalize.

Down three with a little more than twenty minutes to play, the Freedoms attempted to fight back. In the span of five minutes,  Freedoms attacker Julio Cesar Dos Santos struck from about 3 yards from goal, but it was handled by Greek AA keeper Steven Diaz. Dos Santos’ second attempt, a volley from about the same distance as his previous attempt, was also kept out by Diaz with some ease.  The Freedoms fought hard in the game’s last minutes, with a header by Dimitrov sent just wide of Diaz’s goal.

The Greeks made the Freedoms pay with a counter attack, with Paul Shaw chipping the ball from a few yards out past  Calderone to seal the victory and make it 4-0 Greek AA in the 72nd minute. With that goal came the final whistle, and with it advancement to the USASA Region I tournament. The Greek Americans will continue their quest to return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2005 as Region I tournament begins in the spring of next year.

Round 1
NY Athletic Club 3:1 NY Olympiacos
NY Greek American Atlas 4:2 Manhattan Kickers

Round 2
Barnstonworth Rovers 2:1 NYC Albania
NY Athletic Club 0:1 NY Greek American Atlas

Semifinal (winner plays NY Pancyprian Freedoms in the championship game)
Barnstonworth Rovers 0:1 NY Greek American Atlas

Final
NY Greek American Atlas 4:0 NY Pancyprian Freedoms

Past Eastern NY Open Cup champions (US Open Cup finish)
2003: Greek American Atlas (Did not qualify)
2004: Greek American Atlas (US Open Cup Round 1)
2005: Greek American Atlas (US Open Cup Round 1)
2006: Pancyprian Freedoms (Did not qualify)
2007: Greek American Atlas (Did not qualify)
2008: Pancyprian Freedoms (US Open Cup Round 1)
2009: Pancyprian Freedoms (Did not qualify)
2010: Pancyprian Freedoms (US Open Cup Round 1)
2011: Pancyprian Freedoms (US Open Cup Round 2)
2012: Greek American Atlas (?)

The source tells TheCup.us that the changes are the result of a compromise. The lower division teams wanted a greater chance to face an MLS team in the tournament, while MLS teams were looking to begin and end the competition earlier in the year to avoid scheduling congestion in the second half of the season. In addition to the playoff chase at the close of the regular season, some MLS teams also participate in the CONCACAF Champions League Group Phase. International competitions featuring MLS players have also been part of the juggling act for clubs, particularly in June and July.

The goal is to have the Open Cup completed by August, the starting point of the CCL Group Phase which runs August to October. The last Open Cup tournament to hold a championship game before the month of September was in 1995 when the Richmond Kickers won the title in penalty kicks over the El Paso Patriots, the year before MLS joined the competition.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) declined to comment until any proposals have been confirmed.

The 64 teams and rounds of play would be broken up as follows:

The First Round would begin with 32 amateur teams playing off to produce 16 winners. The 16 that advance from Round 1 will take on the 16 US-based lower division professional teams from the North American Soccer League (NASL), pending sanctioning, and USL Pro. The 16 winners from Round 2 would face the 16 MLS sides awaiting them in Round 3.

There is, however, no certainty that the NASL will be fully sanctioned as a Division 2 league, but the proposal was constructed with the possibility that they would be. Last year, the NASL was excluded from the Open Cup, according to USSF, due to the fact that the 2011 format was already finalized prior to the NASL being awarded a one-year provisional sanctioning.

How the 32 amateur teams will be divided up between the Premier Development League (PDL), National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and US Club Soccer will be determined at a later date.

Another ripple effect from moving the start of the tournament to the middle of May is the expected elimination of the longstanding in-season qualifying process for the PDL berths. Throughout the Modern Professional Era, the PDL has featured regular season games which double as qualifiers for the US Open Cup, adding additional value to the early part of the league schedule. Since the vast majority of players on PDL and NPSL rosters are college players, the earliest they are allowed to start training with their club is May 1, but with two weeks until the first Open Cup game, it is highly unlikely that the leagues will try to squeeze in any kind of qualifying process.

In fact, a sign that the new format is expected to be adopted has already surfaced. USASA regional and state associations have been informed that they need to make arrangements to have regional qualifying completed by May 1. Based on previous tournament formats, that is usually the same deadline PDL and NPSL teams are given to determine their entries.

For the first time since 2006, every MLS team will enter the US Open Cup, putting an end to five years of play-in tournaments for the top division. The numbers would suggest that MLS qualifying will not be missed as average attendance for the competition, held on midweek dates, had been on a steady decline since 2008. After averaging 6,479 fans per game in 2007 (four games) and 6,764 in 2008 (five games), 2009 (six games) dropped to 4,724 and 2010 hit rock bottom with 2,487 over seven games. Last year, the average climbed to 3,803, but much of that is attributed to the Portland Timbers who drew an MLS qualifying record 11,412 to watch their 1-0 extra time loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in the semifinals.

MORE ANALYSIS: Extreme Makeover – US Open Cup edition: What it all means (Extra Time @ TheCup.us)

From Wisconsin Soccer Central

Ilya Ksenidi (West Allis Hale/UW-Green Bay) scored late in extra time and was one of five Croatian Eagles players to convert during penalty kicks as they got past the Milwaukee Kickers 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the Wisconsin Open Cup final Sunday at Croatian Park in Franklin.

It’s the first state title for Croatians since 2006, the last time they entered the tournament – that year, they also beat the Kickers 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in the championship game. As state champions, the Eagles earn a spot in next spring’s US Adult Soccer Association Region II tournament, which traditionally is a qualifier for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The match was scoreless through 90 minutes and the first 15-minute session of extra time before Danny Bauer (Marquette) gave the Kickers the lead in the 106th minute, poking a shot past Croatians goalkeeper Bryce Boyd (Milwaukee Marquette/UW-Milwaukee).

But the Eagles found an equalizer with approximately three minutes remaining. After the Kickers cleared the ball out, Croatians midfielder Scott Raymonds (Brookfield East/UW-Green Bay) got it back on the right side and fired from about 25 yards out. Ksenidi was cutting across the box and got a touch on the shot, redirecting it past Kickers keeper Kevin Strong (West Allis Hale).

The Croatians made all of their penalty kicks, with Aaron Schroeder, Mike Narciso, Ksenidi, Jason Willan and Mohammed Sethi (Mequon Homestead) – who scored a last-minute winner to beat Bavarian SC 2-1 in the semifinals – each successful from the spot.

Craig Charlton, Niels Berg (Plymouth), Ryan Richgels (Madison Memorial/UW-Whitewater) and Thomas Sweeney (Milwaukee Marquette/Marquette) converted their attempts for the Kickers before Brian McGuire’s shot went over the crossbar.

The Kickers nearly went ahead in the first period of extra time, but Mike Vukovic went down his knees to clear a ball off the line for the Croatians.

For the most comprehensive coverage of soccer in Wisconsin, visit www.WisconsinSoccerCentral.com

RWB Adria - 2011 Illinois Open Cup champions. Photo: Ninos Alexander

Sixteen days after the Seattle Sounders were crowned Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions for a third consecutive year, qualifying for the 2012 tournament kicked off in earnest with the Illinois State Final. In a meeting of two well-known clubs, RWB Adria became the first team to advance to a USASA regional tournament, posting a 2-0 victory over rival AAC Eagles Thursday in front of a reported crowd of 400-plus.

The Chicago duo of RWB Adria and AAC Eagles have long been powers in the region, representing USASA Region II in the US Open Cup on eight occasions during the modern professional era (1995-present). While the Eagles have been the more successful club in advancing to the US Open Cup by qualifying five times since 1995, RWB was the dominant side of the two in the Illinois championship.

Two years ago, the Eagles snapped a three-year streak of RWB winning the state crown, winning the Illinois Final, 2-0, to reach the regional tournament. AAC then blitzed Minnesota’s Fire SC, 8-3, before being edged out in the ‘Win and You’re In’ semifinal via penalties, 5-3, after a 3-3 road draw against KC Athletics.

After coming so close to reaching the 2010 tournament, the Eagles dominated in the Region II first round last year with a 7-2 win over FC Indiana that was just short of earning the first berth, setting up a Illinois showdown with RWB, who won a 6-4 overtime road thriller against Detroit United. After falling behind on an early seventh minute Boris Smoljan strike, AAC answered back via a surprise player – center back Piotr Kolasinski. He nodded home the equalizer in the 14th with Mark Golik giving the club the lead before the break. Kolasinski would convert from the spot in the 55th to double the advantage and locked up the match on a curling 19 yard free kick in the 75th minute for a hat-trick to give AAC Eagles a 4-1 victory and a spot in the 2011 US Open Cup.

This year though, the Eagles will need a second chance via an invitation to the regional tournament after falling to RWB Thursday. One of the changes that may have turned the table was the move of the standout Kolasinski, who helped lead RWB to the victory this year.

Igor Stijepic was the key figure in giving RWB the advantage in the match, collecting a throw-in on the right wing and driving up the flank before crossing the ball in to Charlie Trout for the finish in the 20th minute.

The contest livened up with a pair of penalty kicks in about a five minute span in the late stages of the match. The AAC netminder and his left back collided with an RWB attacker, sending Adria to the spot. Semir Mesanovic would convert the penalty to give RWB a two-goal command with 20 minutes remaining.

Five minutes later, a handball gave the Eagles a chance to start a rally, but Pawel Otachel’s attempt right at the keeper was stopped by Igor Dimov, smothering AAC’s hopes of a comeback.

RWB Adria pose for a team photo after winning the 2011 Illinois Open Cup championship. Photo: Ninos Alexander

While Illinois is the first to finish its 2012 US Open Cup qualifying, several other states are also under way. In Region I, Eastern Pennsylvania and Eastern New York started their tournaments over the weekend and the semifinal of the Wisconsin state tournament is already complete.

Scoring Summary

RWB: Charlie Trout (Igor Stijepic) 20
RWB: Semir Mesanovic (penalty) 70

Lineups
RWB – Igor Dimov; Robert Younger, Charlie Trout, Joey Carver, Piotr Kolasinski, Admir Ljeljak, Igor Stijepic, Vlad Baciu (Alex Loncar 85), Taylor Bond (Ifeanyi Okorie 45), Semir Mesanovic, Jani Galik (Boris Smoljan 60)
AAC – Not available