The Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup took place on May 13 and 14 with a record 24 games on the schedule. After a rare forfeit, the remaining 23 games did not disappoint as all 46 teams were looking to book a place in the next round, which features the entrance of NASL clubs into the competition.
Arizona United SC (USL Pro) 3:2 Portland Timbers U23s (PDL)
Arizona United Soccer Club was the author of a stunning comeback to end their second round match, winning 3-2 over the home side Portland Timbers U23s on May 13. After trailing 2-0 entering the 84th minute, Arizona scored three goals in the final 10 minutes, including a game-winner on what proved to be the final kick of the game. After winning their Open Cup debut, they will host fellow USL PRO expansion team Oklahoma City Energy FC on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Jacksonville United FC (NPSL) 1:2 Orlando City U23s (PDL)
Orlando City U23s snapped the tournament’s longest winless streak (6) by defeating the NPSL’s Jacksonville United for their first Open Cup victory in club history. After trading goals in the first half, the deciding goal came in the 58th minute when a Jacksonville own goal gave Orlando their first win since they first qualified back in 2000 as the Central Florida Kraze. Orlando next meets USL PRO side Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston. MATCH REPORT [+]
Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) 2:0 Schwaben AC (USASA)
The Dayton Dutch Lions entered their match against Schwaben AC of Chicago as favorites. The Ohio outfit is a regular participant in the tournament, while Schwaben were making their first Cup appearance in 50 years. The 1956 Open Cup runner-up from Illinois controlled the game early on, but could not create anything with their early possession. Unfortunately for Schwaben, the Lions proved their class soon enough as Eli Gardner scored a goal off a Jesjua Angoy-Cruyff cross just after the 30th minute. The goal proved the spark that the Lions needed to control the game. Angoy-Cruyff, the grandson of the Dutch legend, doubled the lead in the second half with a goal of his own to the third round where they are scheduled to meet NASL newcomer Indy Eleven. MATCH REPORT [+]
Icon FC (USASA) 1:4 Baltimore Bohemians (PDL)
Making their tournament debut, the Baltimore Bohemians did not want to disappoint their home fans as they took on Icon FC from Montville, NJ. The Boh’s made sure not to disappoint, and took an early lead in the 15th minute after local boy Mamadou Kansaye scored via a penalty kick. The Bohs increased their lead just seven minutes later in the 22nd minute when Austin Martz scored on a counter attack. Icon FC valiantly tried to claw their way back into the game for the remainder of the first half, but a Jarod Laventure red card in the 42nd minute hampered the visiting New Jersey squad. Brandon Allen, who was meeting his teammates for the first time that night, and Brian Graham added a fourth goal to give Baltimore a 4-1 win and a date with the Harrisburg City Islanders in Round 3. MATCH REPORT [+]
New York Red Bulls U23s (NPSL) 1:3 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro)
The first half between the New York Red Bulls Under-23s and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds proved a lively affair with each team scoring a goal. However, the second half was all Pittsburgh as Jose Angulo and Rob Vincent each scored to give the Riverhounds a 3-1 win. With the win, the Riverhounds earn a rematch against USASA side RWB Adria on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
NY Greek American Atlas (USASA) 2:0 Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)
On a foggy and rainy night in New Jersey, the Ocean City Nor’easters took on four-time Open Cup Champions New York Greek American Atlas at Carey Stadium. The weather proved prophetic for Ocean City’s chances in the game as the NY amateur club got a pair of goals from Josh Trott to give them a 2-0 win at the stadium known as ‘The Beach House.’ For as much success as the Greeks have had over the years, entering their match against the Nor’easters, they were previously winless (0-4-0) in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present). Now they move on to face a another former US Open Cup champion as they will travel to Richmond to take on the Kickers in Round 3. MATCH REPORT [+]
Greater Binghamton FC (NPSL) 2:5 Reading United AC (PDL)
Reading United AC pulled away from NPSL foe Greater Binghampton Thunder FC in the second half with three unanswered goals to win 5-2. Reading’s highest goal output in club history was largely courtesy of Darius Madison who scored a goal and added three assists. Reading will next face the fabled Rochester Rhinos of USL PRO at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester, NY. MATCH REPORT [+]
Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 6:1 RVA FC (NPSL)
After weeks of hype, the Richmond Kickers met RVA FC in the first edition of the Richmond Derby at Sportsbackers Stadium. The game’s first half did not live up to its lofty billing as the Kickers thoroughly dominated RVA FC. The Kickers scored three goals and held RVA FC to zero shots in the first frame. The second half was more of the same as the 1995 US Open Cup champions notched two more goals to put the game out of reach at 6-1. The Kickers advance to the Third Round to meet New York Greek American Atlas at home. MATCH REPORT [+]
Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) 4:0 Lehigh Valley United (NPSL)
Lehigh Valley United hosted the City Islanders in their Second Round Cup match, after edging out GPS Portland Phoenix (PDL) in their First Round game a week ago. This game against Harrisburg mirrored Lehigh Valley’s previous game as both teams failed to score in the first half and the winning team pulled away in the second half. Unfortunately for the NPSL side, it was the City Islanders that pulled away, scoring four goals down the stretch to earn their first tournament shutout since 2012. Harrisburg, which has been among the teams with the most home games since 2007, hit the road for the fourth straight game, this time to Baltimore to play the PDL’s Bohemians on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Carolina Dynamo (PDL) 1:3 Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro)
USL Pro side Charlotte Eagles fought their way past Carolina Dynamo of the PDL thanks largely to the production of Columbian duo Jorge Herrera, who notched two goals and one assist, and Juan Guzman whose lone goal started the scoring for the home side. The match was even until Guzman’s 43rd minute tally off a Herrera assist, but the second half largely favored the Eagles. Herrera’s two unassisted goals sandwiched a strike by Mamadee Nyepon of the Dynamo.
Herrera, who now has six career US Open Cup goals, needs just one more to become the Eagles’ all-time leading goalscorer. They will head to Cary, NC for Round 3 where they will take on the Carolina RailHawks. MATCH REPORT [+]
RWB Adria (USASA) 1:0 (AET) Michigan Bucks (PDL)
For the second round in a row, USASA competitor RWB Adria of Chicago took down a Metro Detroit team, this time with an overtime victory over PDL hosts Michigan Bucks. After 90 minutes the sides were level with no goals scored, but Adria found the winner in the 93rd minute when Carlos Muños received a cross and beat two defenders to fire the Croatian side’s only goal home. The amateur side then packed into their defensive end and denied the Bucks for the remainder of overtime. Adria has been competing in the Open Cup for decades, but last week’s penalty kick win over Detroit City FC and this round’s overtime win over the Bucks marked the first time the club has advanced in the tournament during the Modern Professional Era (1995-present). They will go for their first pro upset when they travel to Pittsburgh for a rematch with USL PRO’s Riverhounds. MATCH REPORT [+]
Ocala Stampede (PDL) 1:4 Orlando City (USL Pro)
Strike duo Dennis Chin and Corey Hertzog each bagged a brace as Orlando City claimed a 4-1 victory over the Ocala Stampede during Second Round play at the Seminole Soccer Complex. The Stampede were able to get on the scoreboard in the 61st minute when Ben Knight converted on an Orlando City back line error, beating goalkeeper Carl Woszczynski.
With the victory, Orlando City will host the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) on May 28 in Round 3. MATCH REPORT [+]
Panama City Beach Pirates (PDL) 0:4 Charleston Battery (USL Pro)
Heviel Cordoves logged his first professional hat trick and fellow Cuban teammate Maikel Chang scored his first goal as a pro Saturday to lead the Charleston Battery to a 4-0 win over visiting Panama City Beach Pirates. Second-year forward Cordoves scored twice in the first half, missed a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time, and then took a pass from rookie midfielder Dante Marini, shrugged off a defender and finished strong in the box in the 50th minute. Chang actually opened the scoring with a volley off a cross from Justin Portillo in the fifth minute.
The match was delayed by 15 minutes as US Soccer officials and Panama City Beach wrangled over the eligibility of three Pirates players. The dispute ended with the three being sent to the locker room, leaving reserve ‘keeper Andrea Giombetti as the sole replacement. He was called to duty when defender Anderson Savage was injured in the 19th minute, before Charleston had established their dominance. The Battery move on to the Third Round and will host the Orlando City U23s at Blackbaud Stadium. MATCH REPORT [+]
Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 1:3 Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
Chattanooga entered the game as just another NSPL side trying to advance in the tournament as they took on the Wilmington Hammerheads for a spot in the Cup’s Third Round. Don’t tell the Chattahooligans that their club is the same as any other, and today they would be correct as Chattanooga became the first NSPL club to defeat a professional team in the tournament. The NPSL, which launched in 2003, entered the 2014 tournament 0-15-0, but Luke Winter’s two goals helped CFC pull off the upset, 3-1. The victory sees CFC advance to the Third Round to take on the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks. MATCH REPORT [+]
Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) 1:2 (AET) Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro)
The Western Mass Pioneers pushed the Rochester Rhinos to extra time, but a pair of late goals doomed the PDL side in a 2-1 loss at Sahlen’s Stadium in the Second Round of the US Open Cup. The match remained scoreless through regulation, only to become a three-goal bonanza in the second period of extra time when Levi Houapeu (110’) and Thomas Obasi (114’) both scored for the Rhinos, while Will Daniels (117’) brought one back for the Pioneers. With the win, the Rhinos advance to the Third Round, where they’ll host Reading United AC at Sahlen’s Stadium on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Brooklyn Italians SC (NPSL) 4:2 Jersey Express (PDL)
The NPSL’s Brooklyn Italians survived a slow start and advanced with a four-goal second half performance against the PDL’s Jersey Express at the J. Malcolm Simon Stadium on the campus of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, NJ. The first half belonged to Open Cup debutante’s Jersey Express who went to the locker room with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of William Torreson Paulino’s free kick in the 12th minute that found Markus Hackett at the far post to open the scoring. Brooklyn’s turnaround started early in the second half with a goal by Jiro Barriga, followed by a goal from a penalty kick by Salvatore Barrone, and two goals after the 80th minute by Yvener Guerrier. The Italians next take on another Open Cup first-timer in the New York Cosmos at St. John’s University in a much-anticipated Third Round matchup. MATCH REPORT [+]
Oklahoma City Energy (USL Pro) 2:0 Tulsa Athletics (NPSL)
The Tulsa Athletics of the NPSL hosted the Oklahoma City Energy FC (USL PRO) for the first time as both teams made their Open Cup debuts. In the end, the professional expansion team Energy FC were too much for the amateur side as Dave Leichty and Cyprian Hedrick scored a goal in each half to win the game 2-0. The Energy now earn a spot in the Third Round where they will travel to Peoria, AZ to take on fellow USL Pro expansion team Arizona United SC on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 0:3 Des Moines Menace (USASA)
The Des Moines Menace stepped up in a big way in the Second Round, defeating the Real Colorado Foxes 3-0 to earn their first win as a USASA representative (they failed to qualify out of the PDL, but were successful in the USASA tournament). Menace goals were scored by Nico Wright at five minutes, Alec Bartlett just before halftime, and Sean Dong in the 53rd minute. The Menace will face NASL entry Minnesota United FC at home on May 28 in the Third Round. MATCH REPORT [+]
North Texas Rayados (USASA) 4:4 (4:2 PK) Austin Aztex (PDL)
In a rematch from last year’s competition, the North Texas Rayados of the USASA traveled south to take on the PDL’s Austin Aztex, hoping to avenge last year’s 2-0 opening round loss. The Rayados fell behind three times, each time finding their way back. After a second half stoppage time equalizer took the game into extra sessions, North Texas finally took the lead in the 118th minute. Before the celebration could begin, Austin tied the game in the final minute to force penalty kicks. North Texas won the PK shootout to advance to Round 3 for the first time in club history. The Rayados will travel to San Antonio to take on the NASL’s Scorpions in the Third Round on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Orange County Blues (USL Pro) 0:2 Fresno Fuego (PDL)
The Fresno Fuego pulled off one of the upsets of the Second Round, knocking off USL Pro side Orange County Blues 2-0 behind some solid defending and two opportunistic goals. Fresno ran into trouble before the match even kicked off as three of their players were ruled ineligible, and the match kicked off nearly 45 minutes late as a result of the roster confusion. Abraham Campos and Jose Cuevas scored within three minutes of each other late in the first half to give the Fuego their pass to the next round. They travel north on May 28 to take on the USL PRO’s Sacramento Republic. MATCH REPORT [+]
Red Force (USASA) 1:2 Laredo Heat (PDL)
Miami’s USASA entrant Red Force fell to hosts Laredo Heat of the PDL in a wild 2-1 clash marked by a penalty, a fight, and five red cards. Miguel Fernandez tallied from the penalty spot for the Heat but teammate Danny Garza got the game-winner in the second half following a Red Force equalizer from Stiven Salinas. The real heat was generated in the 39th minute, however, when Red Force’s Kevin Nylen and Laredo’s Fernandez collided in the air and fell to the ground. Players from both teams leaped into a heated scrum which only ended after four red cards and one yellow card had been issued. Kevin Nylen and Heber Hernandez from Red Force FC as well as Laredo Heat’s Joao Monteiro and Yair Hernandez were all ejected while Salvador Luna was issued the yellow card. The Heat advance to the Third Round of the US Open Cup with a match at Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Lockhart Stadium on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
PSA Elite (USASA) W:L (FORFEIT) San Diego Flash (NPSL)
San Diego Flash advanced to the Second Round last week due to a forfeit, and in an ironic twist to this tournament, dropped out of the tournament due to another. San Diego could not find a suitable home field, and were forced to allow PSA Elite to move on without a game. FULL STORY [+]
Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 1:2 Sacramento Republic (USL Pro)
In a game that the Republic controlled the whole way, it took 78 minutes to finally shake the upset-minded Fusion. A counterattack goal by Jordan Rideout in the 36th minute gave Ventura County the lead that held through the half. Ironically enough, Sacramento went level through a pair of former Fusion players. Harrison Delbridge headed in a Rodrigo Lopez free kick in the 59th minute to even the score. Anxious to get their first Open Cup win under their belts, the northern California team finally broke through with 12 minutes left when Dakota Collins caught a rebound after a save by Ventura’s Trey Mitchell and sent it past the keeper for the winner. Sacramento will host another PDL Southwest Division side, the Fresno Fuego, at 10:30 pm on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]
Cal FC (USASA) 1:6 LA Galaxy II (USL Pro)
There would be no Cinderella magic this year for Cal FC. LA Galaxy II got off to a running start with a goal from Alejandro Covarrubias just six minutes into the game and the team never looked back. This was just a prelude of a lopsided game, as the score stood 5-0 to Galaxy II just 33 minutes in, thanks to a brace by Travis Bowen and goals by Bradley Diallo and Bradley Jamieson. LA will host PSA Elite on May 28. MATCH REPORT [+]