Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Adam Uthe

Adam is a Dallas-based TheCup.us contributor who enjoys covering the tournament's lower (and non) division teams and is a proud alum of the University of Dayton.

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Dallas ignores league form, dominates Oklahoma City Energy 4-1

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Photo: FC Dallas
Photo: FC Dallas

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that Sporting Kansas City will host FC Dallas in the next round.

A wise man once said “Form is fallacy.”

That particular saying held true in Tuesday night’s Fourth Round US Open Cup matchup between Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas and United Soccer League side Oklahoma City Energy FC.

OKC was riding a seven-game winning streak, five of which were clean sheets, while Dallas hadn’t won a league game since early May.

No one told Dallas’ Colombian playmaker Michael Barrios though. He scored twice in a span of three minutes in the first half to help Dallas defeat OKC 4-1 in a “home” game on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja was relieved to see his team earn the win and advance.

“Obviously, it’s great to see the boys smile again and get a victory,” Pareja said.

The first half was an even affair through the first 10 minutes with both sides exchanging half-chances and Dallas holding a slight edge in possession. Then in the 20th minute, the floodgates opened for Dallas when Fabian Castillo weaved his way down the end line before cutting back to a wide open David Texeira for the opening goal.

Barrios scored twice before the break for FC Dallas to put the game out of reach.

Although Barrios stood out, OKC head coach Jimmy Nielsen was impressed with Barrios’ countryman Castillo, who was arguably the most dangerous player on the field in the first half.

“He was sharp. He was unstoppable,” Nielsen said.

Barrios scored his first goal in the 33rd minute off a rebound from a shot by Dallas midfielder Alex Zendejas. Barrios needed just three minutes to add his second to make it 3-0.

Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz gobbled up an OKC corner and then quickly got the ball up to Barrios, who turned on the jets and finished nicely at the other end just moments later.

Although it was probably little consolation to his team, Nielsen was pleased with the way his players came out for the second half with their heads held high against a quality MLS side.

“We played a respectable second half,” said Nielsen.

Indeed, OKC created some dangerous chances throughout the second half and earned a handful of corners before Danni Konig finally got the visitors on the board in the 81st minute.

That offset FC Dallas’ goal earlier in the second half, when Barrios set up Texeira for his second goal of the night in the 51st minute.

With the win, FC Dallas advances to the fifth round, which will take place June 30-July 1.

The draw to determine their opponent will take place on Thursday, June 18.

FC Dallas will return to league play when it host in-state rivals Houston Dynamo on Friday.

OKC will travel to California to take on Sacramento Republic in USL action on Saturday.

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Dane Kelly leads Charleston Battery rally, wins TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Dane Kelly helped the Charleston Battery rally to beat the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-2. Photo: Charleston Battery
Dane Kelly helped the Charleston Battery rally to beat the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-2. Photo: Charleston Battery

Charleston Battery winger Dane Kelly earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Third Round thanks, in part, to his 80th minute goal to complete a 3-2 comeback win against North American Soccer League (NASL) side Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Kelly also supplied a clinical cross to teammate Zach Prince for the equalizer just three minutes earlier.

The goal helped him earn another honor as he scored in his fifth consecutive Open Cup, which ties the Modern Era (1995-present) record currently held by JT Noone and Kelly’s former Battery teammate Nicki Paterson.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

“For me, I think it’s the best game I’ve had for this year so far.”, Kelly said afterwards.

Although he does have four goals in his first 11 USL league games, it might be hard to argue with his assessment. Kelly’s speed gave Fort Lauderdale fits all night, especially on counterattacks later in the second half as fatigue began to set in on both sides.

“I have to say the game really picked up in the last 25 minutes when Prince and (Dante) Marini were introduced in the game,” said Kelly. “They bring a lot of energy to the game.”

It wasn’t easy for Kelly to take home the award though. His Jamaican countryman, Asani Samuels, came within just a few votes of overtaking him. Samuels came off the bench just before the end of regulation and scored twice and assisted on a third goal in extra time in the Rochester Rhinos’ 3-1 victory over Harrisburg City Islanders. Third place in the voting went to Sacramento Republic’s Abnan Jebelnic, who scored a hat trick in his team’s 7-3 demolition of amateur side Chula Vista FC.

The goal was Kelly’s sixth career Open Cup goal, which leaves him just one shy of the Charleston team record held by Paul Conway. His next chance to catch Conway will come on June 17 when Charleston hosts Major League Soccer (MLS) newcomers Orlando City at Blackbaud Stadium.

Kelly becomes the third Battery player to win the award. The last was goalkeeper Tim Melia in 2010 when he shut out the Chicago Fire and won a penalty kick shootout. The first was in 2009 when Randi Patterson scored a pair of goals in a 3-1 upset of Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA. He is just the second Jamaican player to win the award, joining last year’s Round 4 winner DeShorn Brown of the Colorado Rapids.

Highlights: Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Charleston Battery

Full match replay: Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Charleston Battery

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Blas Perez’s hat trick sends FC Dallas to Semifinals, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round (video)

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Blas Perez scored the third hat trick in FC Dallas' US Open Cup history in a 5-2 win over the Carolina RailHawks. Photo: FC Dallas
Blas Perez scored the third hat trick in FC Dallas’ US Open Cup history in a 5-2 win over the Carolina RailHawks. Photo: FC Dallas

For the second time in the last three rounds, a Major League Soccer player has turned a hat trick into TheCup.us Player Of The Round honors.

Several weeks ago it was Deshorn Brown of the Colorado Rapids securing the honor in Round 4. This time, in the Quarterfinals, it was FC Dallas striker Blas Perez, who found the back of the net thrice to help his team come away from Cary, North Carolina with a 5-2 win over the NASL’s Carolina Railhawks.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

In the voting, Perez pulled away from the field with Sebastien Le Toux’s record-breaking goal being the biggest threat. Blas’ teammate Fabian Castillo and Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso also received votes.

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The final score didn’t necessarily reflect the game itself. Carolina actually drew first blood in the ninth minute. Perez’s first goal came in the 23rd minute, courtesy of rookie teammate Tesho Akindele, to level things up at one goal apiece. Perez’s second goal was also Dallas’s second. His 34th minute strike put the Hoops up 2-1. Carolina would equalize only to see Dallas net another and take a 3-2 lead into halftime. Perez’s final tally, which came during second half stoppage time, wasn’t the game-winner but it did seal the deal.

Perez became the first Panamanian player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) and the third FC Dallas player to score three goals in a single game, joining Dallas fan favorites Bobby Rhine (1999) and Kenny Cooper (2006). The first question Perez received after the game was how it felt to score the hat trick, but he was quick to talk about the team’s win.

“Happy, first of all, for the win because it’s what the team wanted, what the team was looking for.”

Perez had been experiencing a bit of drought coming into the game and was asked if he felt his hard work, despite not scoring, had finally been validated.

“When you work hard, the goals are going to come. The most important thing is if I don’t score, I put in the work.”

Perez has been somewhat underappreciated by MLS in general ever since he arrived in 2012, but it’s easy to see why the 33-year-old veteran is held in such high regard among the fans in Dallas. This was his first hat trick for FC Dallas in any competition.

Dallas, who clinched their eighth US Open Cup semifinal berth, will travel to Philadelphia to face the Union on August 12.

2014 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners
Round 1: Vlad Baciu (RWB Adria – USASA)
Round 2: Luke Winter (Chattanooga FC – NPSL)
Round 3: Earl Edwards Jr. (PSA Elite – USASA)
Round 4: Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids – MLS)
Round 5: Scott Goodwin (Carolina RailHawks – NASL)
Quarterfinals: Blas Perez (FC Dallas – MLS)

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

MATCH REPLAY: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Dallas wins first meeting with San Antonio Scorpions, earns date with Houston Dynamo (video)

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FC Dallas defeated the San Antonio Scorpions in their first-ever meeting in Round 4. Photo: Erik Davila, FC Dallas
FC Dallas defeated the San Antonio Scorpions in their first-ever meeting in Round 4. Photo: Erik Davila, FC Dallas

Tuesday night’s Fourth Round US Open Cup game in Frisco, Texas was the first ever meeting between NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions and MLS’s FC Dallas, but there was still plenty of hatred in the air. Thanks to a pair of second-half goals from Fabian Castillo and Andres Escobar, FC Dallas fans went home happy but the visiting Scorpions brought a busload of noisy supporters who helped create a lively atmosphere.

Unfortunately for the supporters, the game got off to a slow start with neither side creating many dangerous chances early on.

FC Dallas captain Blas Perez pulled a shot wide in the sixth minute while San Antonio midfielder Danny Barrera (formerly of Cal FC fame) managed to put a shot on frame that was saved by Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz three minutes later. Barrera was easily the most active player for the Scorpions as he put a shot on frame in the 17th minute and created several chances in transition for forward Eric Hassli, who played for FC Dallas in 2013. Fabian Castillo was the Dallas player giving San Antonio’s defense fits at the other end. He managed to earn Dallas several corners early in the first half, but none of them resulted in a decent chance for the home side.

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The game picked up towards the end of the first half when Barrera had a shot from inside the box parried by Seitz, but Hassli botched the rebound to keep things scoreless in the 32nd minute. Scorpions midfielder Freddie Braun, who replaced defender Adrian Cann just before kickoff, had a shot of his own saved in the 37th minute. San Antonio’s star midfielder Walter Restrepo, who made NASL’s Best XI in 2012 with Fort Lauderdale Strikers, was shaken up right before halftime but ultimately stayed in the game. San Antonio finished the first half with a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal despite Dallas owning the majority of possession.

The second half started with Dallas bringing central midfielder Andrew Jacobson on for rookie forward Tesho Akindele. Both teams started to match the energy their fans brought and in the 53rd minute Dallas midfielder Andres Escobar looked to have been fouled hard, but the Hoops were ultimately awarded a corner kick, drawing the ire of the home fans. Escobar would go on to earn a yellow card in the 57th minute for a reckless challenge on Restrepo as the game began to get rougher. Hassli returned the favor earning a yellow of his own in the 69th minute for a reckless foul on Dallas defender Moises Hernandez.

With the intensity rising in the second half it was only a matter of time until one team broke through and in the 74th minute Castillo scored to put the home side up 1-0. The Dallas winger was played in behind the Scorpions defense by Andrew Jacobson and managed to score from a tight angle by finishing between the legs of San Antonio keeper Jeremy Vuolo. The goal was Castillo’s third straight in all competitions. Seven minutes later Escobar added a second, courtesy of second-half substitute David Texeira, and the 2-0 scoreline would ultimately hold up as Dallas won its initial US Open Cup match for the second year in a row.

Next up for Dallas is another “Texas Derby” as they will travel to Houston to take on their MLS rivals at BBVA Compass Stadium on June 24th or 25th. San Antonio, who hadn’t played a competitive game for 10 days and needed four second-half goals in the previous round just to defeat Dallas-based amateur side North Texas Rayados, will break for the summer now that their NASL Spring season is over.

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS 2:0 SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS

2014 US Open Cup Round 3: San Antonio Scorpions overcome early deficit, defeat upset-minded Rayados 4-2

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San Antonio Scorpions logoDespite a slow start, the North American Soccer League’s (NASL) San Antonio Scorpions managed to defeat the upset-minded North Texas Rayados of the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) by a final score of 4-2 in a Third Round US Open Cup match.

San Antonio fell behind early as NTX Rayados scored twice in the first 20 minutes to take the lead, which they ultimately carried to halftime. First it was Rayados captain Ryan Spence who pounced on a loose ball off a scramble in the box following a corner kick by Jaime Lovegrove in the 11th minute.

Then in the 20th minute, substitute Alberto Rodriguez, who had replaced the injured Salas just minutes before, was on the receiving end of a punt from goalkeeper Eduardo Cortez and managed to chip Scorpions goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo.

Desperate for a goal, head coach Alen Marcina brought on his top striker Walter Restrepo to start the second half and Restrepo repaid him in kind with a diving header in the 49th minute courtesy of a Josue Soto cross.

Forward Sainey Touray scored the next two for San Antonio five minutes apart in the 64th and 69th minutes. His second goal came courtesy of another Josue Soto assist. Soto would cap off the evening’s affairs by converting a 76th minute penalty kick that had been drawn by Touray.

The win over NTX Rayados helped San Antonio erase some recent Open Cup demons. They were upset in their first match of the 2013 Open Cup by USL-PDL side FC Tucson. However, in 2012, the Scorpions managed to win their first two Open Cup matches in their inaugural season, including an upset win over MLS side Houston Dynamo.

The Scorpions will now travel to Frisco, Texas to take on FC Dallas in a fourth round Open Cup match on Tuesday, June 17 at 8pm CDT. San Antonio striker Eric Hassli is quite familiar with FC Dallas; he made 15 appearances for the MLS club in 2013.

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Cajun SC to face CD Motagua in Louisiana final (updated)

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UPDATED 5/2/14: Only one of the final two group games actually took place. The Crossroads Poolboys clinched second place in Group A and ended the group stage on a positive note with a 2-0 win over UL-Lafayette. With the win, the Poolboys also clinch a spot in the third place game where they will face FC New Orleans, who received three points from their final game after the LSU club team forfeited.

The final between Cajun SC and CD Motagua and the third place game will both take place on May 16 at Clark Field in Lafayette, La. beginning at 6 p.m. CT.

UPDATED 4/26/14, 11:30 p.m. ET: CD Motagua wrapped up the Group B title, and a berth in the 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup tournament with a 7-3 win over the LSU Tigers club team. Former pro and Baton Rouge native Anthony Peters, who spent time with DC United of MLS, led the way with a hat trick for CDM as they join Cajun SC in this summer’s Region III tournament.

UPDATED 4/20/14, 12:00 p.m.: With the group title already decided, Cajun SC and UL Lafayette decided to move their game ahead by one week. Cajun SC continued their dominant play, finishing the group stage with a perfect record after their 2-0 win over ULL. Cajun finishes with a 4-0-0 record with 12 goals scored and only one against. ULL and the Crossroads Pool Boys are scheduled to play for pride in the group finale at a later date.

Next Saturday, April 26, LSU will take on CD Motagua in what will go a long way toward deciding Group B. (Details below)

UPDATED 4/12/14, 10:30 p.m.: CD Motagua have put itself on the verge of a berth in the 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup tournament with a 4-2 win over FC New Orleans on Saturday night at Harris Playground in the Crescent City.

With the victory, the path to the regional competition is simple. They can clinch with a win or draw against the LSU Tigers at home on April 26, or if they lose that game, they will need FC New Orleans, who has been eliminated, to help them out. If FC New Orleans can pick up a win or draw against the Tigers in the group stage finale, then CD Motagua will win the group. If LSU wins their two remaining games, then they will be tied with CD Motagua with 7 points and it will come down to goal difference.

The winner of Group A will take on Cajun SC in the Louisiana Open Cup championship game. Both state finalists will represent Louisiana in the Region III tournament which will take place the weekend of June 20-22 in Montgomery, Ala. and will decide which two teams will qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. (Updated Standings/Results/Schedule below)

UPDATED 4/11/14, 11 p.m.: In a Friday night tilt, Cajun SC clinched Group A with a 5-1 home win over the Crossroads Pool Boys. Along with the group title and a spot in the state title game, Cajun also earns its first-ever berth in the USASA Region III tournament. This year, the regional tournament will take place the weekend of June 20-22 in Montgomery, Ala. The two teams that reach the Region III championship game will qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

UPDATED 4/6/14, 11 a.m.: On Saturday, April 5, FC New Orleans defeated the shorthanded LSU Tigers club team 2-0 to earn their first win in Group B of the Louisiana Open Cup qualifying tournament.

Andy Centeno took advantage of a mistake by the LSU backline and scored the opening goal in the 35th minute. A scramble in the penalty area gave New Orleans a two goal lead when Leonel Rivera put a loose ball into the back of the net.

The win puts New Orleans within a point of their next opponent, first place CD Motagua. The two teams square off next Saturday, April 12 at Harris Playground in New Orleans. If CD Motagua wins, they will qualify for the USASA Region III Open Cup tournament. If New Orleans wins, then the group is much more wide open.

On Sunday, April 6, the other NCAA club team, Louisiana Lafayette was scheduled to take on Crossorads Pool Boys in Alexandria but the match was postponed. Heavy rain created poor field conditions and the game is expected to be played on May 3.

Louisiana Group A P W L D Pts GF GA GD
Cajun SC 4 4 0 0 12 12 1 +11
Crossroads Pool Boys 4 1 2 1 4 5 8 -3
UL-Lafayette 4 0 3 1 1 2 10 -8
Louisiana Group B P W L D Pts GF GA GD
CD Motagua NO 4 3 0 1 10 15 8 +7
FC New Orleans 4 2 2 0 6 8 6 +2
LSU Tigers 4 0 3 1 1 5 14 -9

Schedule/Results (Home team on right)

Crossroads Pool Boys 2:2 UL Lafayette (March 14)
FC New Orleans 1:2 CD Motagua (March 22)
Cajun SC 1:0 Crossroads Pool Boys (March 23)
CD Motagua 2:2 LSU Tigers (March 29)
UL Lafayette 0:4 Cajun SC (March 29)
LSU Tigers 0:2 FC New Orleans (April 5)
Crossroads Pool Boys 1:5 Cajun SC (April 11)
CD Motagua 4:2 FC New Orleans (April 12)
Cajun SC 2:0 UL Lafayette (April 19)
LSU Tigers 3:7 CD Motagua (April 26)
FC New Orleans 3:0 LSU Tigers (Forfeit – May 3)
UL Lafayette 0:2 Crossroads Pool Boys (May 3)

State Championship / Third Place Game
Clark Field, Lafayette, La. – May 16
Third Place: Crossroads Pool Boys vs. FC New Orleans – 6 p.m. CT
Final: Cajun SC vs. CD Motagua NO – 8 p.m. CT
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PREVIEW

As the 2014 US Open Cup is ready to get underway next month, qualification has already begun for the 2015 edition in some states.

The Louisiana State Open Cup is underway to determine which two teams will take the next step toward qualifying for the 102nd edition of the national tournament. Among the six teams that are taking part in the competition, two are club teams from universities. Louisiana State University (LSU) and University of Louisiana-Lafayette join Cajun SC, Crossroads Pool Boys, FC New Orleans and CD Motagua New Orleans in the competition that began March 14 with two groups of three teams. The winner of each group will qualify for the 2014 USASA Region III Finals.

The teams attempting to qualify are hoping to do something no Louisiana-based USASA team has done in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present): qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The last Louisiana club of any kind to qualify was the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers who represented the USL’s A-League (2nd Division) in 1997. That team featured a young striker from Trinidad & Tobago by the name of Stern John.

In Group A, Cajun SC (Lafayette, La.) has a commanding five point lead over Crossroads Pool Boys (Alexandria, La.) and UL-Lafayette. Cajun SC opened up with a 1-0 victory over Crossroads Pool Boys on March 23 before cruising to a 4-0 victory over the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns on March 29. Martin Cheramie and Austin Clause are leading the line for Cajun SC with two goals each so far. Cheramie also tallied an assist in the four goal win over UL-Lafayette.

Over in Group B, CD Motagua New Orleans sit atop the standings with four points while the LSU Tigers and FC New Orleans each have one point. Due to the schedule, CD Motagua have already played twice while LSU and FC New Orleans have only played once. CD Motagua represented the state in the Region III finals last year, but it hasn’t been easy for them so far. Their first game was a narrow 2-1 win over FC New Orleans followed by a 2-2 draw with LSU Tigers. CD Motagua have seen four different players score at least once so far while Luke Sheeky has two assists.

The two group leaders are off this weekend as FC New Orleans takes on LSU Tigers this Saturday, April 5 in Group B action while Group A sees Crossroads Pool Boys take on UL-Lafayette on Sunday, April 6. This is the first time the tournament has been played out over multiple weekends allowing each team to play home and away for a more traditional, balanced format. Cajun SC can advance to the State Finals with a win over Crossroads Pool Boys next Friday, April 11.

2013 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Portland Timbers survive late scare, beat FC Dallas to reach first Semifinals (video)

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The Portland Timbers celebrate one of their three second half goals as they advance to the Semifinals for the first time in club history. Photo: Tim Heitman | USA Today Sports Images

In a battle between Major League Soccer’s two best second half offenses, the Portland Timbers overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to win a rare game at FC Dallas in the US Open Cup Quarterfinals, 3-2. The Timbers scored three straight goals and survived a late push by the home team to hand Dallas their first loss at FC Dallas Stadium in 13 games in all competitions.

Frederic Piquionne, who continued his breakout season, scored an Open Cup-leading fifth goal which proved to be the game-winner. Dallas would pull within one and hit the woodwork on the game’s final play as Portland would hang on to reach their first US Open Cup semifinal in club history.

Not only does this mark the first time the Timbers have reached the final four, but it’s the first time any team from the state of Oregon has reached the semis in the 100-year history of the US Open Cup.

Dallas and Portland found themselves meeting for the second time in 11 days after the Timbers defeated Dallas 1-0 in Portland on June 15. The two sides also played to a 1-1 draw in Dallas back on May 8. The first ten minutes saw almost no scoring chances created by either side with Dallas maintaining a small majority of possession.

Then in the 15th minute, FC Dallas midfielder Je-Vaughan Watson received a pass from Blas Perez just outside the top of the box and eased his shot just past Donovan Ricketts, who seemed to be caught off guard by the effort, to give Dallas the early 1-0 lead.

Dallas continued to control the game as Perez found himself inside the six yard box, but couldn’t get enough on his shot to trouble Ricketts. Fabian Castillo played through by a sharp David Ferreira pass, got inside the penalty area, but Ricketts got to the ball first.

Timbers playmaker Diego Valeri was rendered largely ineffective in the first half as he saw limited touches in dangerous spots. Portland’s only chances in the first half came courtesy of set pieces. In the 40th minute, Will Johnson had a corner kick skip across the box to Pa Modou Kah, but the defender’s header was on the wrong side of the post by a few inches. Johnson took another corner kick moments later, but it was cleared by Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz, starting in place of regular No.1 Raul Fernandez.

True to form, the second half saw Portland take control as Darlington Nagbe navigated his way past three different Dallas defenders and beat Seitz to level the score at 1-1 in the 61st minute. Two minutes later, Diego Valeri was on the receiving end of a through ball from Nagbe and made it 2-1 Timbers.

Then second half substitute Frederic Piquionne took advantage of a poor back pass from FC Dallas rookie Walker Zimmerman and put Portland up 3-1. For Piquionne, combined with his four-goal performance against the Wilmington Hammerheads in Round 3, the New Caledonia native gave him a tournament-best five goals, which also puts him on top of the club’s all-time Open Cup scoring list.

Dallas got their own second half goal as Perez took advantage of Ricketts howler in the 86th minute to make the score 3-2 Portland.

Dallas had a couple of free kicks in the final minutes of the game, but could not take advantage. David Ferreira had a good look from the edge of the box in stoppage time, but his shot hit the post and just seconds later referee Jose Carlos Rivero signaled the end of the game.

The Timbers continue their fine form under first year head coach Caleb Porter. They lead the league in scoring with 28 goals so far this season. They are also fifth in the league in goals allowed with 16 and Donovan Ricketts was in the middle of a 396-minute shutout streak before Watson’s goal.

Portland’s rabid fan base will not get an opportunity to see their players at home in the next round. The Timbers will travel to Salt Lake City on August 7 to take on Real Salt Lake in the final four. Portland is the first Oregon-based club to reach the Semifinals, and they will meet the first Utah-based club to advance that far.

The winner of that game will meet the winner of the other semifinal between DC United and Chicago Fire in the 100th US Open Cup Final on either the 1st or 2nd of October. The host for the final will be determined via coin flip at a later date.

2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Quarterfinal
Portland Timbers (MLS) vs. FC Dallas (MLS)
June 26, 2013 – FC Dallas Stadium (Frisco, Texas)

Goals by Half 1 2 F
FC Dallas 1 1 2
Portland Timbers 0 3 3

Scoring Summary
DAL: Watson (Perez, Jackson), 15
POR: Nagbe, 61
POR: Valeri (Nagbe), 63
POR: Piquionne, 72
DAL: Perez, 86

Misconduct Summary
POR: Kah (Caution), 47
DAL: Jacobson (Caution), 60
POR: W. Johnson (Caution), 89
DAL: John (Caution), 90+2

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Donovan Ricketts, D Ryan Miller, D Andrew Jean-Baptiste, D Pa Modou Kah (Futty Danso, 83), D Jack Jewsbury, M Diego Chara, M Diego Valeri, M Will Johnson ©, F Darlington Nagbe (Ben Zemanski, 74), F Ryan Johnson (Frederic Piquionne, 57), F Rodney Wallace

Substitutes Not Used: GK Milos Kocic, M Kalif Alhassan, M Michael Nanchoff, M Sal Zizzo

TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (W. Johnson, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Wallace, 2); FOULS: 16 (Kah, 4); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 7

DAL: GK Chris Seitz, D Jair Benitez, D Walker Zimmerman, D George John, D Zach Loyd (Bobby Warshaw, 83), M Je-Vaughn Watson (Ramon Nunez, 68), M Andrew Jacobson, M Jackson, M David Ferreira ©, F Fabian Castillo (Kenny Cooper, 77), F Blas Perez

Substitutes Not Used: GK Kyle Zobeck, D Stephen Keel, D London Woodberry, F Eric Hassli

TOTAL SHOTS: 19 (Jackson, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Perez, 3); FOULS: 14 (Ferreira, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistant Referees: Brian Dunn, Mark Boyko
4th Official: Jair Marrufo
Attendance: 3,889
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Clear, 100 degrees

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