US Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.
In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.
For the first time since 2008, the Eastern Conference has three divisions – the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the new South Atlantic (which last appeared in 2006). Four teams have a recent history with qualifying for the US Open Cup on multiple occasions. Two of them were last year’s representatives (Long Island Rough Riders, Reading United AC), and two more have qualified at least three times each from the PDL (Carolina Dynamo, Ocean City Nor’easters). A total of 18 teams are fighting for a record three spots from the East this year.
Here is the how the Eastern Conference is currently shaping up:
Northeast Division
Final Results
The Western Mass Pioneers qualified for the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over the MPS Portland Phoenix in a head-to-head match between the two Northeast Division group leaders to determine the berth. Halftime substitute Chris Roswess scored the game’s only goal in the 71st minute when he hammered the ball into the net on a half volley from 18 yards out. “In the first half Portland controlled the majority of play and dictated the tempo of play,” Pioneers Head Coach Joe Calabrese said. “But in the second half we made a couple of substitutions and we thought those two changes had a positive impact on the game.”
An automatic entrant numerous times as a USL-2 professional third division club (now USL PRO), it is the first time in two years in the PDL that it has qualified, finishing third in its group at 2-1-1 last year. “For some of our collegiate players this is a dream come true,” Calabrese said. “Many of our college players will never aspire to be professional players. This is once in a lifetime for many of them. You don’t know when your career is going to end so it’s spectacular to have them get this experience.”
| NORTHEAST DIVISION | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GF | GD | |
| Western Mass Pioneers | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 6 | +4 | |
| MPS Portland Phoenix | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 5 | +3 | |
| Vermont Voltage | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | -3 | |
| Seacoast United Phantoms | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | -4 |
Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup
Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention
Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
USL Premier Development League tiebreakers
(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers
(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games
(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(5) Lottery conducted by the USL
All times Eastern
| May 7 | Seacoast United Phantoms | 0:1 | MPS Portland Phoenix | 6:00 |
| May 14 | Western Mass Pioneers | 2:1 | Seacoast United Phantoms | 4:00 |
| May 14 | Vermont Voltage | 0:2 | MPS Portland Phoenix | 6:00 |
| May 20 | Seacoast United Phantoms | 2:4 | Western Mass Pioneers | 7:00 |
| May 21 | MPS Portland Phoenix | 2:1 | Vermont Voltage | 7:00 |
| May 25 | Western Mass Pioneers | 0:0 | Vermont Voltage | 7:00 |
| May 27 | MPS Portland Phoenix | 0:1 | Western Mass Pioneers | 7:00 |
| May 28 | Vermont Voltage | 0:0 | Seacoast United Phantoms | 7:00 |
Mid-Atlantic Division
Final Results
Reading United continued to cruise through Open Cup qualifying with a 4-1 win over the Ocean City Nor’easters on May 20, to finish with a perfect 4-0-0 record. Even though it was Ocean City’s season opener, one loss eliminated them from contention, and it also knocked Long Island out of the running despite their 2-0-0 record. Based on the tiebreaking situation, even if Long Island were to win their final qualifier by three goals or more, they would still fall short in the goal difference tiebreaker. They clinched their place as the first team to qualify from the PDL as the Jersey Express fell to the Rough Riders 3-1. Reading has now qualified for the third straight year.
This marks the third year in a row that Reading has finished qualifying without a loss. When they were known as the Rage in 2009, they finished 3-0-1, and in 2010 they finished tied with the Newark Ironbound Express at 4-0-0. Unfortunately for the Express, Reading qualified based on a tiebreaker, having scored one more goal than Ironbound. This was an unfortunate bit of history for the Express as they became not only the third PDL team in the Pro Era (1995-present) to miss out after a 4-0-0 record, but they were the first team to register four straight shutout victories, and fail to qualify.
| MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GF | GD | |
| Reading United AC | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 12 | +11 | |
| Long Island Rough Riders | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 9 | +5 | |
| Jersey Express | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | +4 | |
| Westchester Flames | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 7 | -2 | |
| New Jersey Rangers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 3 | -4 | |
| Ocean City Nor’easters | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | -5 | |
| Central Jersey Spartans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | -4 | |
| Brooklyn Knights | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 4 | -5 |
Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup
Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention
Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
USL Premier Development League tiebreakers
(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers
(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games
(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(5) Lottery conducted by the USL
All times Eastern
| May 7 | Reading United AC | 3:1 | Brooklyn Knights | 7:00 |
| May 8 | Westchester Flames | 3:0 | New Jersey Rangers | 6:00 |
| May 11 | Long Island Rough Riders | 2:0 | Brooklyn Knights | 7:00 |
| May 14 | Westchester Flames | 0:3 | Jersey Express | 7:00 |
| May 15 | New Jersey Rangers | 0:4 | Reading United AC | 6:00 |
| May 18 | Reading United AC | 4:1 | Westchester Flames | 7:30 |
| May 19 | Central Jersey Spartans | 1:2 | Long Island Rough Riders | 8:00 |
| May 20 | Ocean City Nor’easters | 1:4 | Reading United AC | 7:30 |
| May 21 | Jersey Express | 1:3 | Long Island Rough Riders | 7:30 |
| May 22 | Brooklyn Knights | at | Central Jersey Spartans | PPD |
| May 22 | New Jersey Rangers | 1:0 | Ocean City Nor’easters | 6:00 |
| May 25 | Central Jersey Spartans | 1:2 | New Jersey Rangers | 8:00 |
| May 27 | Ocean City Nor’easters | 0:1 | Jersey Express | 8:00 |
| May 28 | Brooklyn Knights | 4:5 | Westchester Flames | 7:30 |
| May 29 | Long Island Rough Riders | 2:2 | Ocean City Nor’easters | 6:00 |
| May 30 | Jersey Express | 2:0 | Central Jersey Spartans | 5:00 |
South Atlantic Division
Final Results
The West Virginia Chaos finished their qualifying slate with a 3-1 win over the Virginia Beach Piranhas May 21, leaving them in a wait-and-see situation as the Carolina Dynamo and Real Maryland Monarchs could pull level or move past them. They got some help the following night as the Dynamo slipped up in a 1-0 road loss to the Northern Virginia Royals, creating the possibility of a three-way tie at 3-1 after the final weekend. With Real Maryland set for its finale Monday, the Monarchs were awaiting good news that would not come as Carolina blanked the visiting Virginia Beach Piranhas 3-0 Saturday evening, clinching the top spot in the division and berth to the US Open Cup via tiebreaker scenarios.
| SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA | GF | GD | |
| Carolina Dynamo | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 7 | +6 | |
| Real Maryland Monarchs | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 8 | +6 | |
| West Virginia Chaos | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 9 | +5 | |
| Northern Virginia Royals | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | -1 | |
| Virginia Beach Piranhas | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | -6 | |
| Fredericksburg Hotspur | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 1 | -10 |
Note: Carolina qualifies based on head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Real Maryland & West Virginia
Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup
Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention
Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
USL Premier Development League tiebreakers
(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers
(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games
(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)
(5) Lottery conducted by the USL
All times Eastern
| May 7 | Fredericksburg Hotspur | 0:2 | Virginia Beach Piranhas | 7:00 |
| May 7 | Northern Virginia Royals | 1:3 | West Virginia Chaos | 7:00 |
| May 14 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 3:0 | Virginia Beach Piranhas | 5:30 |
| May 14 | West Virginia Chaos | 0:2 | Carolina Dynamo | 7:00 |
| May 15 | West Virginia Chaos | 4:0 | Fredericksburg Hotspur | 2:00 |
| May 15 | Northern Virginia Royals | 0:2 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 4:00 |
| May 21 | Carolina Dynamo | 2:0 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 7:00 |
| May 21 | Virginia Beach Piranhas | 1:3 | West Virginia Chaos | 7:30 |
| May 22 | Carolina Dynamo | 0:1 | Northern Virginia Royals | 7:00 |
| May 28 | Virginia Beach Piranhas | 0:3 | Carolina Dynamo | 7:00 |
| May 29 | Fredericksburg Hotspur | 1:3 | Northern Virginia Royals | 7:00 |
| May 30 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 3:0 | Fredericksburg Hotspur | 5:00 |