Andrew Wenger (top) and Chris Estridge have scored in the US Open Cup

The Chicago Fire PDL team reached the Third Round in the 2011 US Open Cup and Second Round in 2009, making it no surprise that among the 11 players selected from their development program were four players that saw action during the club’s run this past summer.

Among them was Chris Estridge (21st, Vancouver Whitecaps), who tallied a goal and assist. The defender scored the 1-0 game-winner in the opening round with three minutes remaining, edging the Iowa Menace (USASA entrant of PDL Des Moines Menace). He went on to add an assist on the second goal in another shutout performance in the Second Round as they blanked the NPSL’s Madison 56ers, 2-0.

The team’s run came to an end in the Third Round, falling on the road to Sporting Kansas City, 3-0. Estridge played in all three matches along with Tyler Polak (22, New England Revolution) and Brendan King (27, Portland Timbers). Teammate Calum Mallace (20, Montreal Impact) appeared in the Third Round match.

Reading United AC, a PDL affiliate of the Philadelphia Union, also saw Open Cup players move on to the next flight with hopes of landing on an MLS roster. First overall pick Andrew Wenger (Montreal Impact), a member of the Carolina Dynamo in 2011, nearly led Reading to an upset win over then USL Second Division side Real Maryland with the opening goal of the 2010 First Round only to see the professional side rally for a 2-1 victory. Reading faced fellow Union affiliate USL Pro Harrisburg City Islanders in 2011, falling 2-1 with Matt Hedges (11, FC Dallas) in the lineup.

Jacob Hustedt (25, San Jose Earthquakes) helped lead the Ventura County Fusion in 2011, providing the assist on the game-winner in a 3-1 victory against USASA’s Doxa Italia in the First Round. He was also in the lineup for the club’s valiant effort in a narrow 1-0 loss to USL Pro side Los Angeles Blues in the Second Round.

Ironically, three of the seven players featured above were taken by Canadian clubs, meaning they would be mostly likely to participate in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship this year.

The new CONCACAF Champions League format will largely utilize the same date windows as was done previously with group matches running from late July to mid October. The changes appear to incorporate a flexible schedule format for the main stage with six dates available for four group contests, allowing the clubs to balance their play in multiple competitions. It will also, undoubtedly assist CONCACAF with severe weather situations which have arisen in the Caribbean and Central America in previous years.

The Championship stage – Quarterfinals to Final – remains unaltered with the eight group winners advancing from the opening stage. The three rounds of two-leg series will continue to run from early March to the first of May.

Previously, US Open Cup champions were unseeded clubs that were required to play in the Preliminary Round, though the 2011 champion Sounders were slated for a direct entry into the Group Phase due to the LA Galaxy winning both the MLS Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. Under the new format, the clubs that were previously seeded will now be placed in a pot together for the draw that will determine the composition of the groups, ensuring the seeded teams will be distributed equally and avoid one another.

Clubs will also continue to be placed in groups without members from their own nation, though the Can-Am nature of Major League Soccer could still see a Canadian MLS club in the same group as a US MLS side.

The 2012-13 tournament will mark the fifth edition of the event. The Seattle Sounders will represent the US Open Cup for a third consecutive year while league foes Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo also participate. A fifth MLS club is likely again via the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The Sounders struggled in their first campaign, winning just once in the 2010-11 group phase after winning the Preliminary Round series against El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan. The lone win came against Marathon (Honduras).

Seattle has advanced the success of Open Cup champions under the current CONCACAF format, becoming the first to reach the Quarterfinals. The 2007 champion New England Revolution were stunned in the Preliminary Round in 2008, falling 6-1 on aggregate to Joe Public (T&T). DC United, champions in 2008, also advanced versus an El Salvadoran club, Luis Angel Firpo, in 2009 to reach the group phase, winning a penalty kick tiebreaker after a pair of 1-1 draws. In the group phase DC was 3-2-1, missing the cut by two points despite having higher point totals than the second-place clubs in two of the other groups.

The Sounders continue their second CCL campaign with the Quarterfinals in March. They will face Mexico’s Santos Laguna, a regular contender in the CCL, March 7 and 14 while their league rivals Toronto FC and LA Galaxy square off those same nights in the series that would determine their Semifinal opponent should they advance. Seattle rallied from a 1-0 Preliminary Round deficit against Panama’s San Francisco to win 2-1 in overtime. Seattle finished second in the group at 3-2-1 behind Monterrey, whom they defeated 1-0 in Mexico.

Prior to the Champions League format the Columbus Crew were the last club to represent the US Open Cup in the confederation’s club championship event. The 2002 champion Crew won the 2003 First Round series, 4-2 on aggregate (1-2, 3-0) versus Panama’s Arabe Unido before exiting in the Quarterfinals against Monarcas Morelia, who cruised to the aggregate win with a 6-0 opening win, allowing Columbus to take the second meeting, 2-0.

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.

NY Pancyprian Freedoms battle FC New York in a Second Round match in 2011 at Belson Stadium (St. John's University). According to sources, in the first two rounds, if both teams have a venue that meets USSF standards, a blind draw will determine the host.

Just a few days after publishing the article explaining the US Soccer Federation’s process of determining home games for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, TheCup.us has learned there is a possibility that the system will change next season.

According to sources, there is a proposal on the table that would eliminate the bidding process from the first two rounds of the 2012 US Open Cup and establish a flat hosting fee beginning in Round 3.

This plan is just a proposal and still must be approved by the US Open Cup committee.

The first two rounds, which are reported to take place May 15 and 22 and will feature only lower division clubs, will take into account strict minimum standards for venues where the Open Cup matches will take place. As long as both teams meet those requirements, the teams will take part in a blind draw to determine who will host. Based on an earlier TheCup.us report, the opening round will feature 32 amateur clubs, with the winners moving on to play 16 second and third division professional clubs in Round 2. As usual, the draw for the tournament will be regionally based, to minimize travel.

In addition to the venue standards, the USSF will require after Round 2 a flat fee to be eligible to host. The amount of the fee has not been finalized but is somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000. If both teams meet the venue standards, and both pay the hosting fee, then a blind draw will take place.

The procedure will continue until the Semifinals and the Final, where the previous bidding process will remain in effect with the team that bids the most will host the game.

It is also reported that the Semifinal and Final bids must include a 15% cut of the profit earned over the total of $100,000 to USSF.

It remains to be seen if this proposal will be accepted by the US Open Cup committee, but if it is, we will know more in the coming months while the field for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup continues to take shape.

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.

Chicago Fire's Section 8 members in Madison to support the Fire's PDL side in the Second Round of the 2011 US Open Cup. Photo: Eric Anderson, WisconsinSoccerCentral.com

Greenbacks; Cash money; the almighty buck – that is the easy answer for what ails the nation’s most historic soccer championship, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. While the economy of the United States has been in a ditch for several years, the knowledgeable domestic soccer fans throughout the nation can attest that the tournament has suffered from economic hardship for far longer and has yet to find a financial boon. That moment could be in the near future with the growth of Major League Soccer on and off the field in the past five years in contrast to the nation’s struggles, but the question remaining is just how can that be accomplished given the current format of the tournament. A format that remains one of the most complained about issues among ardent fans.

Many fans, primarily obsessed with making everything an identical copy of the English counterparts, point directly at how the draw is conducted and hosts are determined as the focal point of the disappointment, but the issues permeate much deeper.

“I would welcome USSF to engage MLS or others in trying to come up with some of those ideas [to improve the tournament],” said Seattle Sounders co-owner and general manager Adrian Hanauer. “The first thing is, are we going to turn this into a meaningful tournament or not? If we’re not, then let’s just kill it. If we are, then let’s make a plan. A five-year plan? A 10-year plan? Where do we want to go and how are we going to get there? As far as I know, USSF hasn’t come up with a plan. I know I haven’t seen or heard one. It’s really the biggest source of frustration. We just bump along down the road, doing the same thing. There’s a lot of things we could do, but some of them would cost money. If there was a plan in place, and USSF worked on a partnership with MLS, it could work.”

Hanauer, who also experienced the tournament as a lower division club owner for many years, is not alone amongst the MLS circles in looking at the bigger picture of what the US Open Cup needs to revise.

“I think it’s a really cool tournament,” said Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerway. “It’s something that American fans will latch onto, but it’s over our heads at the club level. USSF and MLS need to sit down and try to work something out. There should be a focus on sponsors and television, and not worrying about if a team bid $10,000 more than another team. It’s about who has the better crowd, and who can put on a better event.”

And that is the matter at hand. TheCup.us editor Josh Hakala has spent the past few months discussing the tournament’s bidding process with general managers and owners throughout the various flights of the game for their views on the event’s format. The Host Bidding method is reviled by many, but in the following piece he explores the heart of the rationale for the controversial selection process, revealing the costly factors that weigh into a team’s decision of what to bid in addition to the financial burden of travel. He provides some of the unseen costs and examines who exactly has been hosting matches during the Modern Pro Era by the numbers.

Here is our exclusive report on the US Open Cup bidding process:

DOLLARS & CENTS: THE CONTROVERSIAL US OPEN CUP HOSTING BID PROCESS

The 98th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is in the books and the Seattle Sounders won a third straight title, 2-0 over the Chicago Fire in front of a record crowd of 35,615. It was a historic event between two clubs who have enjoyed tremendous success in the competition over the years, with the Fire winning the competition four times previously and the Sounders claiming a rare three-peat that night.

Fans of the Seattle Sounders pack the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. for their team's Semifinal match against FC Dallas in the 2011 US Open Cup. Photo: Gerald Barnhart, TheCup.us

For the Sounders, on that Tuesday evening on October 4, it was the seventh Open Cup game in a row that they had hosted. In fact, nine of their 12 Cup matches have been played at home since they joined MLS from the United Soccer Leagues in 2009. Including their USL franchise, the Sounders have reached the Semifinals or better in each of the last five seasons. During that time, they have been the home team in 17 of their 22 matches, including the last two finals which have drawn record crowds in excess of 31,000 fans.

The Fire, winners of four Open Cup championships, have had similar success, hosting eight of their last 12 Open Cup matches, including a string of games in the 2006 tournament where all four of their games, including a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Final, were played in front of their home fans at Toyota Park.

Why have the Sounders and the Fire hosted so many of their Open Cup matches? It isn’t by luck, or by seeding, but rather it’s determined, largely, by which team writes the bigger check.

THE PROCESS

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), who has run the tournament since it began in 1913, utilizes a bidding process to determine who hosts each game in the competition.

When professional clubs joined the Open Cup in 1995, the USSF implemented the bidding process for later round matches. In the early rounds, the Open Cup commissioner would announce the hosts for each game, taking into account factors such as travel, venue quality and availability while also making sure that one team did not host too many consecutive games. Prior to 1995, the cup commissioner, backed by a committee, would determine who hosted every game of the tournament.

Fans of the Los Angeles Blues cheer on their club against the PDL's Ventura County Fusion in the Second Round of the 2011 US Open Cup. Photo: LA Blues

George Mellis, the long-time general manager for the New York Greek American Atlas, a four-time Open Cup champion founded in 1941, said, in his experience, the decisions by the cup commissioner were almost always fair. Very simple logic was involved in the decisions, such as, if both venues were equal and you hosted the last round, then you wouldn’t host the next round.

In 2002, the USSF expanded the bidding process to include all games of the tournament, in an effort to remove subjectivity from the decision-making process and to help with the costs associated with the competition.

The process has evolved slightly since 2002, but for the 2011 Open Cup, the system for determining home games began with the USSF setting a deadline of May 26 for qualified teams to submit their bids for the first and second rounds.

Part of the bidding process allowed interested teams to declare two different venues (e.g. Seattle Sounders used both Starfire Sports Complex and CenturyLink Field in 2011), and submit an application declaring which venue they plan to use, and answering questions that would help the USSF determine if that venue meets their minimum standards (lights, locker rooms, field size etc.).

In addition to meeting those standards, each team is encouraged, not required, to commit to a financial bid to the federation. Assuming the team’s proposed venue is acceptable, the criteria comes down to who writes the biggest check. The team who bids the most, gets to host. While the amounts of the bids are kept a secret, the team officials interviewed for this story estimate the amount can range from as little as $500, to this year, where sources say Chicago and Seattle both submitted bids in excess of $100,000 to host this year’s final.

Writing a check isn’t the only option. In fact, according to the Open Cup handbook distributed by the USSF to teams, the proposals can vary.

“The parameters for such proposals are open-ended and may include a financial guarantee to U.S. Soccer, a guarantee plus percentage of the gate, or a percentage of the gate alone,” the handbook reads. “Teams may consider a financial guarantee paid in advance to strengthen their proposal, although this is not a pre-requisite. However, U.S. Soccer will take the absence of a check at the time of submitting a Hosting Proposal into consideration in the selection process.”

The teams submit their checks in advance, but only the winning bids have their checks deposited, with the losing bids getting theirs sent back.

After the Second Round, the stadium standards increase, but the same procedure is followed with USSF setting a deadline in advance, and teams bidding to host the Third Round and the Quarterfinals, and later the Semifinals and the Final.

THE CHALLENGE OF HOSTING/TRAVELING

No team wants to travel in any competition. The cost of hotels and airfare for a team can be very expensive but luckily the USSF reimburses the road team up to $8,000 (the amount goes up to $11,000 for the championship game). Anything above that amount has to be covered by the club.

In recent years, the USSF has focused on making the early rounds more regional in an effort to minimize travel costs.

Sporting Kansas City (then known as Kansas City Wizards) fans cheer on their team in a US Open Cup qualifying match in 2010. Photo: Gary Rohman

However, even with the assistance, many lower division professional teams, and especially amateur clubs, struggle financially to compete in the Open Cup either as road teams or as the host team.

In the early rounds, when your opponents could be an amateur team or a lower division professional club, it’s difficult to draw fans. In fact, since 2002, the number of games in the first two rounds that have exceeded the 3,000-fan mark are few and far between. The last three years (72 games), only one game has surpassed 3,000 fans in attendance (2010 First Round: Dayton Dutch Lions at Rochester Rhinos – 3,127 fans). This has become more challenging for lower division clubs as the economy has reduced attendance and has driven up the cost of travel.

Tom Zaiss, the long-time general manager for Bavarian SC from Milwaukee, which was founded in 1920, said as much as he loves the tournament, financially-speaking, it can be a lose-lose situation.

“As an amateur team, you lose money hosting, and you lose money when you travel,” said Zaiss, who was a player on the Bavarian SC team that finished as the runner-up in the 1994 Open Cup. “Flights aren’t cheap, especially on short notice, bus prices have gone up … it’s very expensive.”

The ‘short notice’ that Zaiss refers to is in reference to the fact that for the last decade, the first three rounds of the Open Cup move at a fast pace, with only two weeks in between some rounds. In the last two years, the gap between rounds has shrunk even further, with the first three rounds taking place on consecutive weeks. Focusing on creating a more regional draw has been a focus for the USSF to minimize travel costs, but the challenge of promoting and selling tickets to a game in less than a week is difficult, according to Zaiss and other teams like his.

Among the numerous costs associated with hosting a tournament game is the increased cost of the referees.

As the level of play increases, and as the tournament progresses, the cost of game officials goes up, which can be challenging for amateur clubs. For example, based on 2011 league costs, PDL teams pay a minimum of $220 per USL game for a referee crew, excluding travel and per diem expenses. The opening round of the Open Cup, on the other hand, can cost a minimum of $435, with Round 2 jumping to $825. Round 3 and beyond starts at $1,300. Travel and per diem can push those costs around the $2,000 mark.

Other challenges associated with hosting occur when MLS teams have to draw crowds for midweek games against lower division opponents. However, recently some teams have taken it upon themselves to invest in marketing their Open Cup games.

The Sounders’ effort almost goes without saying. They have broken the Open Cup Final attendance record two years in a row at CenturyLink Field, and almost every game at Starfire Sports Complex has been packed, regardless of the level of competition.

Real Salt Lake drew the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL PRO (Division 3 pro) in the Third Round this past year, and made a great effort to market the game. In their first Open Cup match in five years, RSL slashed ticket prices ($5 for season ticket holders, $10 for the general public) and with the winner of the Open Cup earning a place in the CONCACAF Champions League, they sold the game as the first step toward returning to the tournament where they finished as the runner-up earlier this year.

“It was our technical staff that promoted the match somewhat by default by decreeing that RSL would place more emphasis on the tournament,” said RSL spokesperson John Koluder. “[General manager] Garth Lagerway and coach Jason Kreis mentioned often throughout the summer that winning the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was the ‘easiest path back to the CONCACAF Champions League.’”

RSL managed to draw 7,620 fans on that Tuesday night against the Hammerheads (and won 2-0), which most wouldn’t see as much of an accomplishment but it was the sixth-best attendance for an MLS team hosting a lower division team since MLS joined the competition in 1996 (excluding doubleheaders).

Koluder added, “When you put in the time and resources that our front office did to educate our fan base on the CCL and then see the tremendous results that came from it in the stands, pushing the US Open Cup as a conduit back to CONCACAF Champions League seemed a logical decision.”

“I think it’s a really cool tournament,” said Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerway Lagerway. “It’s something that American fans will latch on to but it’s over our heads at the club level. USSF and MLS need to sit down and try to work something out.”

Lagerway would like to see the Open Cup operate more like the CONCACAF Champions League, a competition his team reached the finals of this past spring.

“I was impressed with the resources that CONCACAF had. Travel is $40,000 per game, every game is on TV, and they spent a lot of money to make this a big deal. The profile of that tournament has been raised and it’s increased MLS teams’ priorities.”

Lagerway’s frustration with the bidding process stems from last year where after RSL defeated Wilmington, they were outbid by FC Dallas to host the Quarterfinals. Dallas bid more to host it and only drew 3,189 fans, less than half of what RSL drew for a game against the  Division 3 Hammerheads.

“There should be a focus on sponsors and television, and not worrying about if a team bid $10,000 more than another team. It’s about who has the better crowd, and who can put on a better event.”

THE RICH GET RICHER?

It would appear as though the system favors the richer clubs, but the numbers don’t really back that up.

“US Soccer gives all clubs the same opportunity and makes decisions based on objective measures,” said USSF spokesperson Neil Beuthe. “Since 2007, the first year where the format changed to having eight MLS teams enter in the third round to play eight non-MLS clubs, lower division teams have hosted 19 third round games while MLS clubs have hosted 21.”

While MLS has hosted 32 of the 56 games (57 percent) played against lower division opponents since 2007, that balance has radically shifted in the last two years. MLS has been the home team for 17 of the last 20 matches (85 percent).

Many fans point to this past year when MLS teams hosted seven out of the eight matches against lower division opponents, but 2011 was unique due to the fact that for the first time since MLS joined the competition in 1996 that there were no Division 2 teams in the competition, with NASL earning sanctioning too late to be included in the tournament. Without a second division, MLS was able to outbid USL Pro and PDL teams participating with much smaller budgets.

The last two years could be an anomaly, but it could be the beginning of a trend. Now more than ever, MLS teams own their own soccer specific stadiums, giving them more control over scheduling and removing the cost and burden of renting a stadium, as many have dealt with in years past.

But there may be more pressing overriding concern for the paradigm shift the past two years.

By bidding aggressively, MLS clubs avoid travel, which is a huge value to a club like the Seattle Sounders. The last two years, the Sounders have had to balance a schedule that included three major competitions (MLS, Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League) for the club in addition to external player commitments such as international matches. The West also tends to be more spread out geographically. Seattle, for instance, outside of their Cascadian rivals, has to travel over 800 miles to get to their next closest opponent. FC Dallas has to travel over 2,000 miles to play teams like Seattle and Vancouver.

Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer says his team is a lot like other top level clubs in the world, as they would rather risk losing money to host in place of “putting the extra miles” on players and coaches.

“As a USL franchise, we used to bid aggressively, but we didn’t want to overbid,” said Hanauer. “The best scenario for us was to host an MLS team; that way, we could recoup the money on ticket sales. But for MLS teams, they just don’t want to go on the road and they are willing to compromise their profit loss so that they don’t have to travel.”

The reality is, smaller clubs can’t lose money as easily as larger ones can.

A NEW APPROACH?

Some members of the soccer community would like to see changes in the way home teams are determined in the tournament. Some view it as an issue of fairness while others take it a step further, suggesting it is an opportunity to grow the game of soccer in the United States.

Tim Holt, president of United Soccer Leagues and co-chair of the Open Cup committee, told The Examiner recently that he would like to see a blind draw.

“One of the things the tournament will need to address going forward is the manner in which teams are selected to host in each of the individual rounds, and de-emphasize the economics of hosting each round and emphasize competitive balance,” he told L.E. Eisenmenger in an interview. “In many cup competitions around the world, there’s a draw for each round – home or away – and mathematically, you’ve [got] a fifty percent chance of hosting and fifty percent chance of traveling.”

Neil Holloway, general manager of the PDL's Ocean City Nor'easters: “You could broadcast the draw, either on TV or online, like the FA Cup and promote it.” - Photo: Bill Pellegrino | Ocean City Nor'easters

Neil Holloway, the general manager of the PDL’s Ocean City Nor’easters, thinks the draw itself could be a useful way to increase the popularity of the Open Cup.

“You could broadcast the draw, either on TV or online, like the FA Cup and promote it,” said Holloway who has led Ocean City to the second-most Open Cup wins among PDL teams (6), including four upsets against professional clubs. “Draw it out of a hat and bring some attention to it. You also could get a sponsor, cover all of the travel costs for lower division clubs and that way you’re not going broke trying to compete in the tournament.”

Chris Economides, the senior director of USL PRO, echoed Holt’s ideas about the draw, seeing the possibility of giving lower division clubs a better chance of hosting is good for the game.

“When I was [president of the Rochester Rhinos], we played a game against the New Hampshire Phantoms (formerly Division 3 pro based in Manchester, NH, now in the PDL) and it’s a big deal when the bigger club comes to town. You have to look at what’s good for the sport.”

Many of the teams and administrators that were contacted for this story had plenty of constructive criticisms of the competition, but not all of them were completely against the current organization of the tournament.

“I think the system is fair,” said Michigan Bucks owner and president Dan Duggan. “Does it have flaws? Yes. But it is not an easy tournament to manage.”

The Bucks, a PDL team since 1996 currently based in Pontiac, Mich., have more wins than any team in PDL history, and are the most successful amateur club in the Modern Professional Era with a record seven wins over professional teams. They also have played in 17 cup games, which is more than any amateur team since 1995. Duggan is well-versed in the process of bidding for home games, having hosted 11 of those games. Four of those home games were played against MLS teams.

“If you saw some of the venues that people suggested we play Open Cup matches in, it would set the sport back 50 years,” said Duggan. “If you have a professional organization and a venue that meets and exceeds FIFA standards, and you have a passionate fan base, then you should get an opportunity to host. And I believe that is why we have hosted as many times as we have over the years.”

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

Simply getting rid of the bidding process, and implementing a new procedure for choosing home teams, is not as easy as it would seem. The federation depends on the money from the bidding process to operate the Open Cup. If the money for home games stopped coming in, something would have to be done to replace those lost dollars.

Orr Barouch celebrates with Fire fans after Chicago's 4-0 drubbing of the New York Red Bulls in the 2011 Quarterfinals. Photo: Chicago Fire

It remains to be seen if the USSF will choose to allocate more funds to the competition, or if additional sponsors or investors will be rounded up. If not, the status quo will likely continue.

“No other traditional American sport has a system like this to determine their championship games,” said former Chicago Fire general manager Peter Wilt. “Money is a big part of the process, travel is a big part and they just try to bring a sense of fairness.”

It’s no secret that the tournament isn’t as popular as it could be. With almost all games taking place during the workweek, and almost none of them broadcast on television, except for the final, attendance for the competition rarely moves the meter. Only 26 games (out of the 117) in the last three years have drawn more than 4,000 fans.

If you take away games involving the Seattle Sounders during that span, only nine of those games have cracked the 4,000 mark.

Without promising attendance numbers or television exposure, it will be difficult to sell to sponsors.

What does the USSF plan to do to fix this? Prior to this year’s Open Cup Final, Adrian Hanauer really wanted to know.

“I would welcome USSF to engage MLS or others in trying to come up with some of those ideas [to improve the tournament],” he said. “The first thing is, are we going to turn this into a meaningful tournament or not? If we’re not, then let’s just kill it. If we are, then let’s make a plan. A five-year plan? A 10-year plan? Where do we want to go and how are we going to get there? As far as I know, USSF hasn’t come up with a plan. I know I haven’t seen or heard one.”

“It’s really the biggest source of frustration,” he added. “We just bump along down the road, doing the same thing. There’s a lot of things we could do, but some of them would cost money. If there was a plan in place, and USSF worked on a partnership with MLS, it could work. Let’s say, for instance, bigger prize money. How about a million dollars?”

If changes are going to be made, or if, as Hanauer puts it, the tournament will continue to “bump on down the road,” there’s no silver bullet solution to raising the profile of the US Open Cup, one of the US Soccer majors. Regardless of whatever solution you feel needs to be implemented, it will cost money. If the current bidding process is discontinued, the money will have to be found by other means, and considering the gaps between the money needed and the crowds drawn at this point, that will not be an easy task.

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.