• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • US Open Cup Central
  • US Open Cup Qualifying
  • US Open Cup History

Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

  • 2022 Schedule/Results
  • 2023 Qualifying Schedule
  • 2022 Stats
  • Support TheCup.us
  • TheCup.us Store
  • Awards
  • Contact Us

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: Chicago Fire rally, beat Earthquakes in PKs to keep Open Cup streak alive

May 25, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

The Chicago Fire celebrate after defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in a penalty kick shootout in the 2011 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: John Todd | isiphotos.com

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, it looked as though the Chicago Fire were going to miss the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time in team history, but a pair of second half goals and a San Jose shot off the crossbar in sudden death penalties kept the perfect appearance record intact. The rally by the visitors dashed the Earthquakes’ hopes of returning for the first time since 2005.

Twenty-year old Ellis McLoughlin gave the home side the advantage 14 minutes into the contest and Justin Morrow doubled the lead two minutes before the break for San Jose. Chicago’s comeback was kicked off by 19-year old Israeli Orr Barouch in the 61st minute with the Fire finding the equalizer from Colombian Yamith Cuesta in the 77th.

With the momentum in the Fire’s favor, overtime saw the advantage flip back to San Jose eight minutes in with the direct red card send-off of Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares, apparently for making contact of some sort with Steven Lenhart’s face. The Earthquakes, however, were unable to capitalize on the extra man and watched as the clock ticked toward penalties.

Photo: John Todd | isiphotos.com

After the opening salvos were buried by Chicago’s Marco Pappa and San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski, Logan Pause sent his shot high and Sam Cronin smacked his attempt off the crossbar. Six consecutive conversions sent the tiebreaker to sudden death, where it would be decided in the sixth round. Chicago’s Daniel Paladini found the top left corner and watched as Trinidadian Scott Sealy sent his shot off the crossbar.

It was a bit of déjà vu for the Chicago and San Jose. In the Fire’s first-ever Open Cup match versus an MLS opponent in the tournament quarterfinals during their inaugural 1998 campaign, the Fire prevailed in penalties 4-3 after a 1-1 draw at the Cotton Bowl. They would go on to defeat Dallas and Columbus en route to the first of their four tournament titles.

Chicago has plenty of extra time experience when it comes to Open Cup related fixtures, going to overtime 14 times with a record of 7-3-4. The club is 3-1 in penalty kick tiebreakers, advancing in 10 of the 14 contests. San Jose meanwhile, is 2-1-6 in similar matches and has a lengthy, unfortunate history at the spot with only two victories in six tiebreakers.

The game could have taken a completely different path as Chicago’s Gaston Puerari, a standout in the previous qualifier, flashed a shot wide of goal just six minutes into the game.

Eight minutes later though, McLoughlin opened the scoring from the top of the penalty area after Cronin had dispossessed Paladini. The former US U17 international was making his first start for the club after entering the Portland qualifier in the 111th minute for his MLS debut. The youngster, whose shot deflected off Cuesta’s foot for the goal, has been hot of late, also scoring twice a week ago in a reserve match against Santa Clara University.

Another steal by the feisty Earthquakes created another immediate opportunity for the hosts in the 16th minute as Wondolowski put a shot on goal that forced a save from Sean Johnson.

A miscommunication by the Fire in their own half allowed San Jose another opportunity just before the break that proved fruitful. Steven Beitashour was able to acquire possession and send a through ball on to Anthony Ampaipitakwong, who delivered it to McLoughlin for a chance at a second on the night. Johnson made the stop, but allowed the ball to come out directly to Morrow for the easy three-yard finish in the 43rd minute.

Chicago got off to a similar start to the second half as they did the first as Pappa sent a shot from the top of the box wide of the goal in the 54th minute.

Hope at making a comeback was secured just after the hour mark when Segares squared a ball from the left side to Barouch, who sent a left-footed effort from the top of the area kissing off the inside of the right post and into the back of the net to slice the deficit in half. A new addition to the club, the Israeli-born striker joined the club after helping lead the Tigres U20 team to a runners-up finish in the Mexican Clausura.

A give-and-go between Wondolowski and Sealy nearly restored the two-goal advantage for the hosts only to see Wondolowski’s shot stopped by Johnson in the 71st.

Five minutes later though, the Earthquakes found themselves under fire. Dominic Oduro squared a ball to Christian Nazarit, who had an open look at goal denied by San Jose defender Bobby Burling. Less than a minute later though, the ball was sent into the fray from the corner, allowing Cuesta to get his boot on it and slip it past Weber, who erred on the play.

Four minutes into stoppage time Sealy made one final effort for San Jose only to see Johnson make the save seconds before the whistle to end regulation.

Eight minutes into extra time San Jose’s Khari Stephenson received a yellow card for a harsh tackle, but amidst the confusion afterword Segares would receive the surprising red card, reducing the visitors to 10 men.

The rest of overtime was rather uneventful as San Jose’s Stephen Lenhart turned and let off a shot in stoppage time of the first session that missed. Shortly after play resumed Nazarit fired a 40-yard free kick toward goal that forced Weber to tip it over the goal for a Fire corner. Pappa had the final chance for Chicago in the 111th minute, sending into the hands of Weber.

SCORING
SJ – Ellis McLoughlin 14
SJ – Justin Morrow 43
CHI – Orr Barouch (Gonzalo Segares) 61
CHI – Yamith Cuesta 76

PENALTY KICK TIEBREAKER
Chicago (5):  Pappa goal, Pause miss (high), Nazarit goal, Barouch goal, Oduro goal, Paladini goal
San Jose (4):  Wondolowski goal, Cronin miss (off crossbar), Corrales goal, Stephenson goal, McDonald goal, Sealy miss (off crossbar)

MISCONDUCT:
SJ – Chris Wondolowski (caution) 37
CHI – Yamith Cuesta (caution) 39
CHI – Daniel Paladini (caution) 63
SJ – Brad Ring (caution) 69
CHI – Orr Barouch (caution) 69
CHI – Bratislav Ristic (caution) 74
CHI – Cristian Nazarit (caution) 89
SJ – Khari Stephenson (caution) 97
CHI – Gonzalo Segares (ejection) 98

LINEUPS:
Chicago – Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba (Dominic Oduro 46), Yamith Cuesta, Dasan Robinson (Cory Gibbs 88), Gonzalo Segares; Bratislav Ristic, Daniel Paladini, Logan Pause, Marco Pappa; Cristian Nazarit, Gaston Puerari (Orr Barouch 46)
Substitutes not used: Jon Conway, Corben Bone, Baggio Husidic, Pari Pantazopoulos

San Jose – Andrew Weber; Steven Beitashour, Bobby Burling, Brandon McDonald, Ramiro Corrales; Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Steven Lenhart 83), Sam Cronin, Brad Ring (Khari Stephenson 71), Justin Morrow; Ellis McLoughlin (Scott Sealy 46), Chris Wondolowski
Substitutes not used: Jon Busch, Bobby Convey, Matt Luzunaris, Ike Opara

Referee: Daniel Radford
Referee’s Assistants: Mike Kampmeinert, Colin Arblaster
4th Official: Yader Reyes
Weather: Clear and 62 degrees
Attendance: 4,124

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2011 MLS Qualifying, 2011 US Open Cup qualifying, 2011 USOC Qualifying, Chicago Fire MLS, Major League Soccer, MLS, San Jose Earthquakes/San Jose Clash

Primary Sidebar

Featured Video

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

U.S. Open Cup History

Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders FC is shown a red card during a 2015 US Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers.

A history of violence against referees in US Open Cup

Unfortunately, in the long history of the US Open Cup, this was not the first time that there have been more then a few incidents where games were halted due to referee abuse.

  • How St. Petersburg Kickers became Florida’s first US Open Cup champion
  • San Francisco Bay Seals, the ‘amateur’ pro team that reached 1997 US Open Cup Semifinals
  • Vasco De Gama’s journey from Connecticut to 1978 US Open Cup Final as Pele’s opening act at Giants Stadium
  • 1938-1939 National Challenge Cup: The first time the US Open Cup was invite-only
  • American soccer’s greatest modern underdog story: Rochester Raging Rhinos win 1999 US Open Cup

Analytics powered by

Copyright © 2023 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development