2012 US Open Cup Third Round Live Blog: Cal FC pulls off historic upset as Round 3 comes to a close

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Here’s your guide to the entire Third Round, including notes on key players from NASL & USL Pro players via resident Lower Division expert Gerald Barnhart, who issues weekly Lower Division Five Star honors, which also includes a US Open Cup list:

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Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 10 p.m. ET
Broadcast: SoundersFC.com (Video)
Round 4 scenarios (June 5):
If Seattle wins … home vs. Cal FC OR at Portland Timbers
If Atlanta wins … at Portland Timbers OR TBD vs. Cal FC

Atlanta Silverbacks’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
Rd 2: Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 1:0 Georgia Revolution (NPSL) [+] Recap
Seattle Sounders’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
First game of 2012 tournament

It was not quite the last game between the two clubs at the Starfire Soccer Complex as the Sounders played one more USL First Division campaign before moving onto Major League Soccer after the 2008 season. But the memory of a stinging 4-0 loss in the 2007 championship game has to still be on the minds of team management as they trek back to Seattle for the first time in four years. Only defender Martyn Lancaster remains from the Silverbacks roster that took the field that night. Standing on the other side again may very well defender Zach Scott and forward Roger Levesque. And in one other small twist, Atlanta’s Ciaran O’Brien’s brother, Leighton, was a part of that game for Seattle, though he left after 18 minutes with an injury. The Silverbacks were never able to avenge the defeat, falling 2-0 at home and 4-2 away early in the season and playing to a 1-1 draw in the final month at Starfire.

Atlanta comes into the contest with a narrow Second Round victory against amateur NPSL side Georgia Revolution as the only win of the campaign as they are one of two winless sides (Carolina) in the NASL at 0-4-5. A 1-1 draw in Fort Lauderdale Saturday ended a four-game losing streak in which they allowed at least two goals in every game. Reinaldo Navia has been the star of the season thus far with six goals, but his equalizer Saturday, set up by O’Brien, was the first in five games.

The Sounders bring the weight of being the three-time Open Cup champions to the table as well as one of the best records in the league at 8-3-3. The Sounders, though, have struggled of late with a four-game winless stretch (0-2-2) and are coming off a two-game week in MLS, falling at home to Columbus, 2-0, and playing to a 1-1 draw on the road against Chivas USA. Scoring has come from a myriad of players and the team is relying heavily on rookie goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, who is in relief of the injured Michael Gspurning. Last year Meredith was on the other side of the equation playing for the PDL Kitsap Pumas. He guided them to a pair of wins versus amateur competition before falling, 2-1, at Starfire to the Sounders. The Sounders enter the 2012 tournament riding a Modern Pro Era record 17-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2008 campaign, including a 12-game unbeaten streak as an MLS franchise.

Modern Pro Era Open Cup Records:
Atlanta Silverbacks
OVERALL: 5-6-2 (1-1 in PKs), 2-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) away, 0-2-1 (0-1 PKs) vs. MLS clubs
BEST FINISH: Round 4 (2004, lost 4-1 vs. Kansas City Wizards)
LAST ENTRY: 2008 (Round 2, lost 1-0 at Miami FC)
Seattle Sounders
OVERALL: 26-11-3 (2-1 PKs), 20-2-1 (1-0 PKs) at home, 3-1-2 (1-1 PKs) vs. Division 2 clubs
AS MLS: 11-0-1 (1-0 PKs), 9-0-0 at home, 1-0-1 (1-0 PKs) vs. Division 2 clubs
BEST FINISH: 2009, 2010, 2011 US Open Cup champions
LAST ENTRY: 2011 (Champion, 2-0 win vs. Chicago Fire)

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Cal FC (USASA) at Portland Timbers (MLS)

JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.; 10:30 p.m. PT
Broadcast: PortlandTimbers.com (Video) | 750AM (Audio)
Round 4 scenarios (June 5):
If Portland wins … home vs. Seattle Sounders/Atlanta Silverbacks winner
If Cal FC wins … at Seattle Sounders OR TBD vs. Atlanta Silverbacks

Cal FC’s 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
Rd 1: Cal FC (USASA) 3:1 Kitsap Pumas (PDL) [+] Recap
Rd 2: Cal FC (USASA) 4:0 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) [+] Recap
Portland Timbers’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
First game of 2012 tournament

If any team can have “giant killer” status, Cal FC are definitely merit of that. In the first round, they met PDL champs Kitsap Pumas and sent them packing early, with the help from former US youth international Danny Barrera netting two goals in the 3-1 victory. Cal FC traveled to Wilmington, knocking off the USL Pro side 4-0. Barrera won his second straight TheCup.us Player of the Round award by scoring two more goals, along with Artur Aghasyan and Pedro Ferreira-Mendez contributing.

Cal FC are just the second USASA team from southern California to win a US Open Cup game. The first team, Hollywood United, also faced the Portland Timbers in the next round. The Timbers were a USL First Division team at the time and were upset by Hollywood 3-2.

The current form of the Timbers could be better, with only one win in the month of May and three draws to go along with it. Portland’s three league wins this season have all come playing at home so far, with their home record standing at 3-2-2. The Timbers are currently 7th in the Western Conference and 14th in all of MLS. This will be the first time for Portland’s MLS team to enter the US Open Cup, and the first time since 2010 a Timbers franchise has been in the tournament.

Modern Pro Era Open Cup Records:
Cal FC
OVERALL: 2-0-0, 2-0-0 away, 0-0-0 vs. MLS clubs
BEST FINISH: 2012 is their first entry
LAST ENTRY: 2012 is their first entry
Portland Timbers
OVERALL: 7-6-1 (0-1 PKs), 2-4-1 (0-1 PKs) at home, 5-1-0 vs. amateur clubs
AS MLS: 2012 is their first entry
BEST FINISH: Fourth Round (2005, lost 2-0 vs.San Jose Earthquakes)
LAST ENTRY: 2010 (Third Round, drew 1-1 vs. Seattle Sounders, lost in PKs 4-3)

2012 US Open Cup Fourth Round Schedule

Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.; 7:07 p.m. ET

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PRO)
Hershey Park Stadium; Hershey, Pa.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Union (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO) at Michigan Bucks (PDL)
Ultimate Soccer Arena; Pontiac, Mich.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Colorado Rapids (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.; 7:30 p.m. CT ||  Citrus Bowl; Orlando, Fla.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) at San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
Heroes Stadium; San Antonio, Texas; 7:30 p.m. CT

Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Cagan Stadium, Stanford University; Stanford, Calif.; 7:30 p.m. PT

Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)/Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) Winner at Portland Timbers (MLS)
JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.; 10:30 p.m. ET
OR
Cal FC (USASA) at Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 10:30 p.m. ET
OR
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) vs. Cal FC (USASA)
Venue TBD; Time TBD