Anders Aarhus

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Harpo’s FC from Boulder, Colorado punches ticket despite losing USSSA final to KC Athletics (updated)

March 14, 2015 by Anders Aarhus

UPDATE: The Kansas City Athletics defeated Harpo’s FC 3-1 in the USSSA championship game. Since KC already qualified through USASA Region II, Harpo’s FC has qualified as runner-up. They are the first Boulder, Colorado team to qualify since 2004 (Boulder Rapids Reserve, PDL).

The brilliance of individual players is one of things that makes soccer “the beautiful game.” Individual brilliance was on display in Harpo’s FC’s 3-2 win over Colorado Rovers Saturday afternoon, when forward Shane Wheeler’s 25-yard strike off the post in the 88th minute snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory and clinched a spot in the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The game-winning goal was doubly sweet as they become the first Boulder, Colorado club to qualify for the US Open Cup since 2004 (Boulder Rapids Reserve, PDL) but they also knock out their rival, two-time defending champion Colorado Rovers.

There was some controversy after the game, however. Many of the coaches were upset with the tournament setup where teams played cross-group games instead of teams within their own groups. This was done after several teams dropped out earlier in the week to ensure every remaining team got to play at least three games. Because he felt the tournament structure was unfair, KC Athletics player/coach Kyle Perkins offered to give up his team’s spot in the final since his club already qualified for the tournament through USASA Region II last fall. However, tournament director Craig Scriven decided the final would go on as planned with Harpo’s meeting KC at noon on Sunday, meaning that Harpo’s will be the USSSA’s Open Cup representative.

Wheeler’s strike was the culmination of an open and entertaining game. The scoring started almost instantly when Ian Marcheschi wrong-footed the Rovers’ goalkeeper after Daniel Whittle fed the forward’s smart, diagonal run into the box.

Rovers quickly leveled at 1-1 with a controversial goal. Harpo’s failed to clear a corner and the ball was headed back into the box and a Rovers player collided with Harpo’s goalkeeper Marc Herzerger. The referee elected not to blow his whistle, allowing a Rovers player to poke the ball over the line.

“I thought the goal they scored was definitely a foul our keeper,” said Harpo’s coach John Freeston. “They moved the entire goal and net when it happened.”

Harpo’s retook the lead 12 minutes into the second half thanks to some good footwork from Wheeler. The forward beat a Rovers defender to the ball and touched it past, only to be tripped. Kevin Harber stepped to the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 2-1.

Things got crazy from there. A Rovers player was shoved to the ground while trying to get a head on a dangerous cross and the referee had no hesitation making what was an easy penalty call. As Colorado tied the game at 2-2, the ASC New Stars took the lead on the KC Athletics in the day’s other important group game. Harpo’s suddenly went from a potential spot in the Open Cup to heading home if the scores held up. Harpo’s needed at least a tie in both games to go through.

The chances of that looked dire when ASC padded its lead over KC with a second goal late in the game and Harpo’s missed a flurry of chances. Sawyer Frank skied an open chance over the bar from six yards out in the 81st minute and Wheeler had a shot roll inches wide of the post a minute later. Captain Dan Campbell slammed a shot off the crossbar in the 83rd. But with two minutes to go, Wheeler pulled off some cup magic. The forward danced around a defender before unleashing a rocket from 25 yards that the Rovers’ goalkeeper could only deflect off the post on its way in.

Harpo’s staved off a few late chances from Rovers to secure the spot in the final and the USSSA’s Open Cup berth.

Scoring:
4’ Ian Marcheschi (Dan Whittle)
6’ Unknown Rovers player
57’ Kevin Harber (PK)
62’ Unknown Rovers player
88’ Shane Wheeler

Discipline:
89’ Shane Wheeler (removing his shirt)

2015 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.

Group A	GP	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA	GD
KC ATHLETICS	3	1	2	0	3	6	8	-2
Colorado Rovers	3	0	1	2	2	4	5	-1
Monaco FC	3	0	3	0	0	2	15	-13

Group B	GP	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA	GD
HARPO’S FC	3	3	0	0	9	13	3	+10
ASC New Stars	3	2	0	1	7	8	2	+6
CO Sporting Premier	3	1	1	1	4	7	7	+0

Friday, March 13
Colorado Rovers 1:1 CO Sporting Premier
Harpo’s FC 4:1 KC Athletics
ASC New Stars 5:1 Monaco FC

Saturday, March 14
KC Athletics 5:2 CO Sporting Premier
ASC New Stars 1:1 Colorado Rovers
Harpo’s FC 6:0 Monaco FC

Saturday, March 14
Harpo’s FC 3:2 Colorado Rovers
ASC New Stars 2:0 KC Athletics
CO Sporting Premier 4:1 Monaco FC

Sunday, March 15 (12 p.m. CT)
Championship game: KC Athletics 3:1 Harpo’s FC
*Harpo’s FC qualifies for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup because KC Athletics have already qualified through USASA*

Saturday morning recap

The Kansas City Athletics bounced back from an opening day loss with a resounding 5-2 victory over Colorado Sporting Premier on Saturday morning in the USSSA’s US Open Cup qualifying tournament. The win eliminated Sporting and put KC in command of Group A.

The goals came early for the Athletics. John Markey converted a spot kick after Brian Williams drew a penalty in the fifth minute and Martin Johnston doubled the lead four minutes later off a beautiful early cross. KC continued to pad its lead after halftime, adding a goal from Kyle Perkins and two from Brian Williams to make it 5-0. Sporting pulled two back late, a disappointment for KC when considering goals allowed is the first tiebreaker to determine a spot in Sunday’s final.

“Lapses of concentration in the back,” explained Perkins about the late goals they allowed. “We were subbing everybody in and out and sometimes you can get markers switched and lose a man here and there.”

The win sets up an interesting slate of afternoon games. Four teams – KC, Colorado Rovers, Harpo’s FC and ASC New Stars – are still alive for a berth in the final after Rovers tied ASC 1-1 and Harpo’s won 6-0 over Monaco FC.

The Athletics now sit atop group A on three points, one ahead of Rovers and can assure itself a place in the final with a win over ASC Newstars.

Scoring:
6’ John Markey (PK)
9’ Kyle Perkins (Brian Williams)
71’ Brian Williams
77’ Brian Williams (Skelly Kellar)
80’ Craig Jarvis
83’ Kaleb Romero

Discipline:
Evan Sizemore (yellow, reckless tackle)

Friday recap

Beauty. Controversy. Late drama. Friday night’s match between Colorado Rovers and Colorado Sporting Premier was the lowest scoring of the tournament’s opening round, yet it was anything but boring. Sporting’s Joseph Cover won and converted a 90th minute penalty kick to salvage a 1-1 draw from an eventful game to kick off the 2014 United States Specialty Sports Association Open Cup tournament in Overland Park, Kan.

In other action, Boulder, Colorado club Harpo’s FC thumped the Kansas City Athletics 4-1, while Houston’s ASC New Stars cruised to a 5-1 win over Denver’s Monaco FC.

The Rovers and Sporting combined for just two shots in the opening 20 minutes as both struggled to connect passes, but Rovers settled in from there and took the lead in the 24th minute. Former Major League Soccer player Richie Kotschau started the move by winning the ball back in Sporting’s half and hitting a well-weighted pass out to the left wing. He followed that up with a perfectly-timed run into the penalty box, latching on to a teammate’s cutback pass and hammering a first-time shot into the left corner to put Rovers up 1-0.

“I thought we had a defensive lapse on the opening goal,” said Sporting head coach Gerard Louison “That was the only mistake we made all half.”

Kotschau led a Rovers midfield that shut down Sporting’s single-forward look for most of the first half. The few opportunities Sporting did get came courtesy of Aaron Chin and Elliot Levett’s work down the right flank. It was their clever combination play that led to the team’s best chance to equalize on a dangerous 41st minute cross, the kind of play that Louison said was lacking throughout the game.

“We just didn’t get enough crosses in,” Louison said. “That’s the way to really break down.”

Sporting struggled to create chances in the second half even after subbing on a second forward and eventually moving to a desperate 3-5-2 in an attempt to tie the game. With time ticking down, it was the captain who stepped up to save the day.

The play started down Sporting’s right flank and ended with Cover bursting into the Rovers’ box with the ball. He went down while trying to cut across a defender and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Sporting’s captain coolly slotted home the 90th minute equalizer.

“We didn’t finish,” said Rovers head coach Erick French. “There’s a certain amount of professionalism at the end of a game that you don’t provide them with opportunities, they should never get to our box at that point. We should be playing in the corner by the corner flag, not in our box.”

Both coaches had predictably conflicting views on the validity of the penalty call, but neither was happy with the referee in general.

“The whole game was a little bit sketchy,” said French. “The referees didn’t know the rules.”

Part of Louison’s frustration stemmed from the head official mistakenly sending off one of Sporting’s players after only one yellow card. The error was quickly corrected, but the Sporting coach was not pleased.

Both teams play their final two group games Saturday. Those games, along with the others will be at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Details below)

Scoring Summary
ROVERS: Kotschau – 24th min.
SPORTING: Cover (PK) – 90th min.

Discipline
51’ Unknown CO Sporting player (yellow, reckless tackle)
62’ Eric Wilson (yellow, reckless tackle)
76’ Craig Jarvis (yellow, reckless tackle)

Other Notes:
* As was reported in the tournament’s preview, if the Kansas City Athletics are able to rally to win the tournament, the tournament’s runner-up will be the 2015 US Open Cup entry from the USSSA. The Athletics have already qualified for the US Open Cup through the USASA and are using this tournament as preparation.
* Colorado Sporting Premier coach Gerard Louison said he thinks Harpo’s is the best team at the tournament. Louison knows the team well because Sporting lost to Harpo’s in the Colorado State Cup final.
* Rovers coach Erick French said after the game fitness is a concern because of the two Saturday games. French rotated guys frequently against Sporting. When asked what the plan is to recover tomorrow he laughed and said, “Ice baths.”
* The ASC New Stars are aiming to qualify for the tournament for the fourth time in club history. They competed in the US Open Cup in 2008, 2011 and 2012 while representing the USASA’s Region III. They lost their opening game in each tournament appearance.

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: USSSA tournament kicks off with six teams this weekend in Kansas

March 13, 2015 by Anders Aarhus

Colorado Rovers have qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row. Photo: USSSA — Colorado Rovers qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row last year. Photo: USSSA

Check back here and on Twitter for the latest updates throughout the weekend. Day 1 recap here

American soccer is back and ramping up across the country and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is no exception. Another bid to the 2015 tournament will be handed out this weekend at the Overland Park Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Kansas City suburbs play host to the US Specialty Sports Association’s (USSSA) tournament just like last year and the similarities don’t stop with the venue. Three teams that showed well in 2014, the Kansas City Athletics, Colorado Premier and Colorado Rovers, are all back for another shot at the bid. The Rovers are the two-time defending champs and should have a good chance to retain their title. Colorado Premier plays in the same league as Rovers and last year’s derby between the two Colorado sides was one of the best games of the tournament. KC Athletics are the local side and a two-time Open Cup qualifier (2010, 2012) out of the USASA.

Another familiar face is the ASC New Stars from Houston, who are entering the competition after qualifying for the Open Cup three titmes (2008, 2011, 2012) out of the USASA. Rounding out the six-team field are Denver-based Monaco FC and Harpo’s FC from Boulder, Colo.

The winner of the tournament will begin the 2015 US Open Cup in the opening round. The draw for this year’s competition has not been held.

One interesting element of this tournament is the Athletics, who have already qualified for the 2015 US Open Cup through USASA Region II. Player/manager Kyle Perkins says they are using this competition to help prepare for the Open Cup, not to qualify for it twice.

“We are not attempting to qualify for the Open Cup since we are already in,” said Perkins. “We just want to play in it to get some games in against good teams before the cup starts.”

If they were to win the tournament, the USSSA will submit the runner-up to the 2015 US Open Cup.

The six teams are split into two groups, each team plays the three in the opposite group and then the team with the most points in its respective group advances to the final on Sunday. Group play opens on Friday night before teams play two games on Saturday.

TheCup.us will have live coverage of the event all weekend, including player and coach interviews, game recaps and stats. Follow @USOpenCup and #USOC2015 on Twitter for the latest updates and check back here for scores and standings below.

2015 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.

Group A	GP	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA	GD
Colorado Rovers	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	+0
KC Athletics	1	0	1	0	0	1	4	-3
Monaco FC	1	0	1	0	0	1	5	-4

Group B	GP	W	L	D	Pts	GF	GA	GD
ASC New Stars	1	1	0	0	3	5	1	+4
Harpo’s FC	1	1	0	0	3	4	1	+3
CO Sporting Premier	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	+0

Friday, March 13 (All games 7 p.m. CT) [+] Day 1 recap
Colorado Rovers 1:1 CO Sporting Premier
Harpo’s FC 4:1 KC Athletics
ASC New Stars 5:1 Monaco FC

Saturday, March 14 (All games 9 a.m. CT)
CO Sporting Premier vs. KC Athletics
ASC New Stars vs. Colorado Rovers
Harpo’s FC vs. Monaco FC

Saturday, March 14 (All games 3 p.m. CT)
Colorado Rovers vs. Harpo’s FC
KC Athletics vs. ASC New Stars
Monaco FC vs. CO Sporting Premier

Sunday, March 15 (12 p.m. CT)
Championship game (Group A winner vs. Group B winner)
*Winner qualifies for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup*

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Colorado Rovers to defend USSSA title in March with Open Cup berth on line

January 13, 2015 by Anders Aarhus

Colorado Rovers: 2014 USSSA Open Cup tournament champions

The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) has announced the details for its qualifying tournament for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Just like last year, the Overland Park Soccer Complex in Kansas will host the tournament. Opening round games will take place on Friday, March 13 with the championship game played on Sunday, March 15.

“ was chosen to host again because it’s such a good facility,” said tournament director Craig Scriven. The location also worked well last year with the teams entering from Colorado, Missouri and the home state of Kansas.

For the third year in a row, the champion will receive the USSSA’s lone entry for the US Open Cup. In 2014, the Colorado Rovers won the tournament for the second straight year in a defense-heavy competition that saw a shutout in all 15 matches. The Rovers returned to the US Open Cup, but fell just short of winning the club’s match. In 2013, they were eliminated in the Preliminary Round by the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution in a penalty kick shootout, and last year, the Rovers lost to the USASA’s Red Force (Florida) on an 80th minute game-winner by David Olguin.

The United States Soccer Federation has yet to announce the format for the 102nd edition of the Open Cup, so it is unknown when the USSSA representative will begin play. It could be a play-in round or they could begin in the opening round of the tournament proper. The format is traditionally released in the Spring.

Scriven said he expects, “about eight teams,” including the defending champion Rovers in this year’s bracket. That would match last year’s eight-team field. Scriven said the tournament format should be the same as well: a group stage with games on Friday and Saturday followed by the semifinals and the final on Sunday.

“While three-peating would be very exciting and a big accomplishment, it will be very tough to do,” said Erick French, head coach of the Rovers. “The field of teams gets more diverse, more skilled and more determined every year.”

The qualifying tournament is open to any men’s team that plays in a USSSA sanctioned league and is a registered member of the USSSA. To register or for more information on the tournament, visit the USSSA website here. The deadline to register is March 1, 2015.

2014 US Open Cup Round 5: Portland Timbers counter-attack their way past Sporting Kansas City, 3-1 (video)

June 25, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

Caleb Porter took a classic page out of the World Cup playbook: come in with a defensive game plan and leave with a victory.

A brace by Gaston Fernandez sandwiched a Will Johnson penalty as the Portland Timbers beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in the US Open Cup Fifth Round.

“You see it in the World Cup,” Porter said. “We came up with a plan of absorbing a little bit and then being a bit more lethal on the counter attack and I thought the guys executed it to a T.”

Sporting controlled the play for much of the game with Portland content to use Porter’s sit deep and counter plan. The hosts had chances right out of the gate. Former Timber Sal Zizzo had a fifth-minute header tipped over the bar and Dom Dwyer had a swerving free kick pushed wide by a diving Andrew Weber. Portland’s opener came in the 30th minute against the run of play.

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It was shades of the Nigeria-Bosnia World Cup match as KC left back Seth Sinovic went down under the challenge of Kalif Alhassan, but referee Ricardo Salazar waved play on as Sporting players called for a foul. Alhassan’s cross deflected to Gaston Fernandez and the Timbers’ No. 10 calmly rolled the ball into the far corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“They had a lot of the ball, but that was by design,” Porter said. “You can control the game without …and you see that at the highest level. I thought we actually controlled the game pretty well without the ball.”

Sporting had a decent chance to equalize nine minutes later when Soony Saad’s shot deflected to Toni Dovale, but his shot at an open net hit Dwyer and went out for a goal kick.

Sporting continued to struggle connecting passes in the final third despite having most of the ball and Portland made them pay shortly after halftime. Steve Zakuani beat two Sporting defenders and got tripped up by Aurelien Collin in the box. Salazar pointed to the spot and Will Johnson tucked the penalty into the corner to double the lead. It was 3-1 11 minutes later when Maximiliano Urruti’s shot squirted under Andy Gruenebaum and right to an unmarked Fernandez for an easy tap-in and his second goal of the game.

“He’s a poacher, he’s a goalscorer, that’s why they call him ‘The Cat,’ ” Porter said when asked about Fernandez. “On third goal the ball fell to him…you can call it an easy goal, I that’s a goalscorer. He’s scored three or four like that.”

Saad pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after a Danny O’Rourke handball and C.J. Sapong had a header cleared off the line four minutes later, but Sporting could get no closer.

“We weren’t hard enough to play against defensively,” said Sporting manager Peter Vermes.

It was a phrase he’d repeat several times.

Portland will travel to Seattle to face the Sounders in the Quarterfinals.

Kansas City and Portland will meet again in MLS league play on Friday.

HIGHLIGHTS: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SPORTING KANSAS CITY

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: CALEB PORTER, WILL JOHNSON

MATCH REPLAY: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SPORTING KANSAS CITY

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Sporting KC finally break Minnesota United defense, advance with 2-0 win (video)

June 19, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

Mitch Hildebrandt did his best Guillermo Ochoa impression for 75 minutes.

The Minnesota United FC goalkeeper made big save after big save — much like Mexico’s keeper in the World Cup this week against Brazil — keeping his side in the match even after going down to 10 men.

Soony Saad finally beat Hildebrandt in the 76th minute with a low, skipping drive, and added a second later as Sporting Kansas City advanced to the US Open Cup round of 16 with a 2-0 victory.

An uneventful first half was followed by an action-packed second period.

First, Sporting came out of the locker room wearing sky blue training shirts after the players had trouble telling their black and blue stripes apart from Minnesota’s grey shirts.

Then Minnesota went down to ten men just six minutes after the break. Cristiano Dias led with an elbow into Dow Dwyer’s head and the referee showed no hesitation going to the back pocket.

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“I thought it ruined a good night of soccer,” said Minnesota head coach Manny Lagos of the red card. “I would say maybe a yellow. Maybe. It’s disappointing when a referee can affect the game that much.”

Sporting struggled to take control even with the extra man, but did get two golden chances to open the scoring. In the 64th minute Dom Dwyer beat Aaron Pitchkolan to a cross from Saad, but Hildebrandt stayed big and managed to save Dwyer’s rocket shot from close range. Sporting had another point-blank chance five minutes later when Seth Sinovic beat the offside trap, but Hildebrandt stayed on his feet as the SKC left back tried to get around him and then went to ground just in time to stop the shot.

The Minnesota goalkeeper could do nothing about Saad’s 76th minute strike, though. The ball was cycled back to Lawrence Olum who found Saad in a pocket of space 25 yards from goal. The forward took a touch and then ripped a low drive that beat Hildebrandt and broke the deadlock.

“Shooting is my game,” Saad said. “I knew I was going to shoot. I set my first touch up nicely and I didn’t even look where the goalie was, I just hit it.”

Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said Minnesota’s defensive game plan made it tough to create chances. Midfielder Lawrence Olum, who set up Saad’s winner, said the game plan was to find opportunities, like Saad’s, from further out with the Loons packed into their own half.

Minnesota’s best chance to pull level came in the 86th minute when defender Tiago Calvano’s header went just over the bar from a corner kick.

Alex Martinez sealed the win less than a minute later. Antonio Dovale released Sal Zizzo down the wing. The substitute had his cross blocked, but collected the deflection and teed up Martinez for an easy finish from close range.

Sporting moves on to host MLS rival, the Portland Timbers, on June 24 in the Fifth Round.

MATCH REPLAY: MINNESOTA UNITED AT SPORTING KC

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Des Moines Menace USASA side shuts out PDL’s Real Colorado Foxes, 3-0

May 16, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

Sean Dong scores the third and final goal for the Des Moines Menace in their 3-0 home win over the Real Colorado Foxes. Photo credit: Joe Nalefski | Des Moines Menace. — Sean Dong scores the third and final goal for the Des Moines Menace in their 3-0 home win over the Real Colorado Foxes. Photo: Joe Nalefski | Des Moines Menace.

Key players for the Des Moines Menace stepped up in a big way Wednesday night to help defeat the Real Colorado Foxes 3-0 in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Nico Wright, one of the few players to play for the Menace last season, scored in the fifth minute to give the Iowa club a lead it would never relinquish.

“Fortunately we were able to score early,” said Des Moines head coach Mike Jeffries. “For us that was important in that it was a new group, and first competitive game together so I think that gave us a lot of confidence going forward.”

While the early goal certainly helped, Jeffries said it was the Menace’s stifling defense, led by another key returning player in Brandon Fricke, which set the tone.

“The guys put a lot of energy into defending,” Jeffries said. “Their organization was good. I think we got some good leadership from Brandon Fricke at the back in terms of our organization and our shape.”

des-moines-menace-iowa-soccer-split-big The Menace doubled its lead just before halftime through Alec Bartlett and added an insurance goal from Sean Dong in the 53rd minute.

Jeffries said the team plans on adding a few more college players before the next round. With the roster still settling, it will be helpful to have Wright and Fricke to lead the team.

“We’ll lean heavily on those guys. They’ve been through it with us last year so I think that’s important. It’s always nice as a coach when you have that can help translate what you want .”

Going forward, Jeffries made it no secret his team is looking forward to making a deep run in this year’s Open Cup after being knocked out in a close match against Sporting Kansas City last year in the Third Round.

“Everyone has strong motivation in the US Open Cup especially when you’re an amateur team. You really want to get to those games where you can play pro clubs and measure yourself.”

The Menace will face NASL-side Minnesota United FC at home on May 28.

Colorado Rovers repeat as USSSA champions, clinch US Open Cup berth in shutout-filled qualifying tournament

March 19, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

colorado-rovers-2014-usssa-champs — Colorado Rovers: 2014 USSSA Open Cup tournament champions | Photo: USSSA

With the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Open Cup qualifying tournament in Overland Park, Kan. this past weekend, Mark Saxby wasn’t thinking about his homecoming.

“I came here not looking to spend time with my family and my friends,” the Colorado Rovers goalkeeper said. “I wanted to win this with my team.”

That intensity and focus paid off as Saxby helped the Rovers win the USSSA title for the second year in a row by not allowing a single goal in five tournament games over three days. In fact, all 15 games of the tournament finished with at least one goalkeeper earning a shutout.

The Olathe, Kansas native saved his best performance for last. Saxby made a string of incredible saves to help the Rovers clinch a 1-0, extra-time victory over the Kansas City Athletics in the final to send Colorado to the US Open Cup. Saxby was named MVP of the championship game for his efforts.

“Mark Saxby was unbelievable,” said Rovers head coach Erick French. “Some of the best goalkeeping we’ve had in years.”

The 2014 US Open Cup marks just the second year the USSSA will be taking part in the 101-year-old competition. Last year, the Rovers represented the organization but lost in a penalty kick shootout to the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution in the tournament Preliminary Round after finishing extra time tied 1-1.

The format for this year’s Open Cup has yet to be announced by the US Soccer Federation, so it is unclear where or when the Rovers will begin their journey. The tournament is expected to begin in May.

There was no question the final matched the two best teams of the tournament. Both sides cruised through the group stage and their respective semifinal games, not only without losing, but neither team gave up a goal. The Rovers defeated local rival FC Denver 1-0 on a 39th minute penalty kick by Scott Crawford to punch their ticket to the final. The Athletics had an easier time, defeating Colorado Sporting Premier 6-0. Player/coach Kyle Perkins scored a pair of goals, while John Markey, Matt Kuhn, Evan Sizemore and Martin Johnston added one each in the route.

After Friday and Saturday produced weather in the mid-70s with a light breeze, the conditions for Sunday’s championship game were brutal. Ice chips covered the field and winds close to 20 mph made the temperature feel much colder than the reported 30 degrees at kickoff.

TheCup.us 2014 USSSA
All-Tournament Team
GK: Mark Saxby (Colorado Rovers)
DEF: Curtis Greenley (FC Denver)
DEF: Dele Johnson (Colorado Rovers)
DEF: Daouda Kante (Boulevard)
DEF: Joel Miller (FC Denver)
LM: John Markey (KC Athletics)
CM: Scott Crawford (Colorado Rovers)
CM: Matt Kuhn (KC Athletics)
CM: Robert O’Brien (Comets Express)
RM: George Hunt (Colorado Rovers)
FWD: Garrett Webb (KC Athletics)

Kansas City controlled the game out of the gate and almost took the lead in the third minute when a free kick rattled around the Rovers penalty box before Saxby was able to smoother the loose ball.

In the 13th minute, John Markey got all the way to the end line, but his cross to the near post was cleared just before Brian Williams could reach it.

Colorado seemed to settle in after the first 15 minutes and the game opened up with opportunities for both sides.

The Rovers’ first big chance came in the 20th minute. Scott Crawford played Craig Thompson in alone on goal, but KC ‘keeper Steve Patterson narrowed the angle and Thompson hit his shot inches wide of the near post.

Kansas City nearly made Colorado pay for the missed opportunity on the stroke of halftime. Martin Johnston got free down the right flank with some nifty footwork and his cross found Kyle Perkins, but the player/coach couldn’t direct his diving header on target.

The Athletics were again inches away from taking the lead four minutes into the second half. Saxby managed to get a hand on Chris Markey’s free kick from 25 yards leading to a scramble in the box. The ball found its way to the feet of Williams who tapped into the open net, only to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside.

Both teams struggled to generate chances after that until Josh Westburg’s volley in stoppage time forced an impressive diving save from Saxby.

With nothing separating the two teams after regulation, the game headed to extra time and it didn’t take long for the breakthrough to come in the first extra period.

Rovers went forward on the counter, Evan Siezendev’s clearance was blocked, Bulwich couldn’t reach the deflection and the ball bounced to Marc Herschberger who found himself one-on-one with Patterson. The Athletics’ goalkeeper rushed out to cut down the angle, but Herschberger keep his composure and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give Colorado the lead.

“We knew was going to put a lot of pressure out as fast they could,” said French. “But they were starting to get tired and they were starting to sub a little more quickly. We were starting to get a little more possession near the end of the game and starting to become a little more dangerous.”

Kansas City pressed for an equalizer and nearly found it two minutes into the second period of extra time when Williams hit the bar from 30 yards out.

Saxby’s MVP resume was solidified in the game’s final minutes. First, he dove to his left to palm away a rocket from Patterson, after the KC keeper had come forward for a corner. A minute later, he made a tremendous reflex save, palming Garrett Webb’s point-blank header over the bar. On the ensuing corner it was Saxby coming off his line to claim as the referee blew his whistle for full time.

“Growing up here, it’s nice to have support and come back and I think that made me a little more calm in those frantic situations,” said Saxby of his family members who braved the harsh conditions to watch both the semifinal and final.

colorado-rovers-2014-usssa-champions — Colorado Rovers have qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row. Photo: USSSA

The significance of qualifying for the Open Cup two years in a row wasn’t lost on French.

“It’s huge, you can’t underestimate that,” he said. “There’s sponsorships, there’s long-term ramifications, there’s different players that are going to approach us to say ‘hey, look I want to play for the best team in Colorado’.”

Even though he was happy to celebrate with his team, French made it clear it won’t be easy going forward in the tournament.

“We’ve got work to do,” he said.

2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
Note: We apologize for the formatting problems
Tournament Preview [+]

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Colorado Rovers	7	2	0	1	+3
CO Sporting Premier	6	2	1	0	+8
Boulevard	4	1	1	1	+0
Comets Express	0	0	3	0	-11

Friday, March 14 – (Day 1 recap)
Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
Saturday, March 15 – (Day 2 recap)
Boulevard 0:0 Colorado Rovers
CO Sporting Premier 4:0 Comets Express
Colorado Rovers 1:0 CO Sporting Premier
Comets Express 0:5 Boulevard

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
KC Athletics	7	2	0	1	+13
FC Denver	5	1	0	2	+3
Azteca Mojos	4	1	1	1	+3
Performance Soccer	0	0	3	0	-19

Friday, March 14 – (Day 1 recap)
FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
Saturday, March 15 – (Day 2 recap)
Performance Soccer 0:9 KC Athletics
Aztexa Mojos 0:0 FC Denver
FC Denver 0:0 KC Athletics
Performance Soccer 0:7 Azteca Mojos

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

Sunday, March 16

Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 FC Denver
KC Athletics 6:0 CO Sporting Premier

Final (12 p.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 (AET) KC Athletics

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Four USSSA clubs emerge from Saturday group stage

March 17, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

UPDATE: Colorado Rovers defeated the Kansas City Athletics 1-0 in extra time to win the USSSA’s Open Cup qualifying tournament. More details to come.

The second day of the United States Sports Specialty Association’s US Open Cup qualifying tournament produced four semifinalists. Those four winners will square off on Sunday in Overland Park, Kan. to decide which club will represent the USSSA in the 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, which will kick off in May.

The defending champion Colorado Rovers moved on with a 2-0-1 record in group play. They finished in first place in the group with a 1-0 win over Colorado Sporting Premier in the final game. Luckily for Sporting Premier, they had won their first two group matches to clinch a spot in the semifinals already.

PREVIEW: 2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: USSSA Day 1 recap

In Group B, the Kansas City Athletics took advantage of their second opportunity to qualify for the 2014 US Open Cup as they finished unbeaten (2-0-1) in the group stage, outscoring their opponents 13-0. The only team who held them to a draw, FC Denver, will join them in the final four as they used a 3-0 win over Performance Soccer on Friday and two scoreless draws on Saturday to advance.

A surprising trend so far in the tournament has been the defense, as all 12 matches in group play were shutouts, with only three of them finishing as scoreless draws.

Here are more details from Saturday’s action:

GROUP B >> KC Athletics 9:0 Performance Soccer

The KC Athletics continued their prolific USSSA tournament campaign with a 9-0 blowout win over Iowa’s lone representative, Performance Soccer, on Saturday morning.

The left-side combo of Skelly Kellar and John Markey was effective once again for the Athletics and it was Markey opening the scoring in the fourth minute after being played in by Kellar.

Two minutes later, Garrett Webb flicked the ball on to the near post for Jesse Baker to head home and the rout was on.

Kyle Perkins added a third right before halftime with a rocket off the underside of the crossbar.

KC continued its dominance in the second half and it wasn’t until the 31st minute that Performance managed to get a shot off.

The highlight of the second half was a pair of terrific goals by Markey to complete his hat-trick. The left-winger now has four goals in two games.

“ didn’t expect to score that many,” said player/coach Kyle Perkins. “It’s always nice to get that many guys on the scoresheet.”

More importantly, the win means the Athletics qualify for the knockout rounds regardless of what happens in their afternoon match against FC Denver.

“We’ll go out to win it just like every game,” said Perkins when asked about the afternoon game. “We’re not going to take it easy on anyone.”

KC can claim the top spot in the group with a win or draw. Perkins said he’s happy with the fitness levels of his team, but he’ll continue to rotate players in the third group game.

“Most of the younger guys are pretty good, some of the older guys might be dragging but we’ll be alright,” Perkins said.

In the other, group game taking place at the same time, FC Denver was held to a scoreless draw by Azteca Mojos. This result put Denver in a difficult position because they needed a win or tie in their game against the high-scoring Athletics in order to advance. If they lost, they would need help from other results or a tiebreaker.

GROUP B >> KC ATHLETICS 0:0 FC DENVER

Both the Kansas City Athletics and FC Denver came into Saturday’s matchup having allowed zero goals in the tournament.

Both teams would keep their tournament clean sheet going as the teams battled to a 0-0 draw in a potential preview of Sunday’s championship game.

“We had our chances to win it,” said Athletics player/coach Kyle Perkins. “But in the end, we did what we came to do and finished top of the group a draw’s fine.”

One of those chances came just seconds into the game when Matt Kuhn took the kickoff and split the Denver defense, but his shot from just inside the 18 went wide.

Physical play from the Athletics in midfield continued to lead to chances. In the 7th minute, Martin Johnston had a beautiful pass to free Garrett Webb, but the forward saw his shot saved at the near post.

Denver’s chances were few and far between, but the Colorado side came close in the 19th minute when Brody Yarletts’ dangerous free kick rattled around the penalty area before being scrambled clear.

FCD threated again off a set piece in the 35th minute when Joel Miller flicked on Felipe Donato’s free kick to the back post, but Ian Cross pushed his shot wide of the open net.

Brian Williams had a good chance to break the deadlock in the 37th minute after Johnston played him in alone on goal, but the big forward failed to test the keeper with his shot.

The game ended in controversy when Denver keeper Walter Fink misjudged a backpass with Skelly Kellar bearing down and appeared to foul Kellar in the box. Perkins was animated on the sideline asking for a penalty, but his protests fell on deaf ears as the referee waved play on.

The result means KC wins Group B on seven points and advances to play Colorado Sporting Premier in one semifinal while FC Denver advances as the runner-up with five points and will face the Colorado Rovers in the other semifinal.

“It’s going to be tight,” said Elbin when asked about the semifinal. “We share the same practice facility , we have a few of their former players so we’re super familiar with them. We’re a pretty defensive group and we’re going to lock it down tomorrow too.”

“We’ll play a stronger lineup for longer periods of time the next two games,” said Perkins when asked how he planned to approach the knockout rounds. “We’ve been playing 50-50, but we’ll stick with a stronger lineup.”

Azteca Mojos fell short of second place, defeating Performance Soccer 7-0 in their final game, but they needed an FC Denver loss to advance.

GROUP A >> BOULEVARD 0:0 COLORADO ROVERS

Boulevard managed to get its first point of the tournament Saturday morning, drawing 0-0 with Colorado Rovers.

After playing with just nine men on Friday night, Boulevard showed much better against the Colorado side and gave itself a slim chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Despite the improvement, there were plenty of chances for Rovers.

George Hunt burst down the right in the fifth minute and squared for Craig Thompson, but the forward scuffed his shot into the hands of Bangu keeper Matt Gow.

Three minutes later, a bad backpass from Michael Gow was intercepted and nearly sent in by one of the Rovers, but the ball was cleared off the line.

Colorado thought it had the lead when Hunt found Marc Herschberger for a tap-in at the back post, but the goal was ruled offside.

“One of those games where you’re obviously better than the other team, but the guys just aren’t sharp and we couldn’t finish,” said Rovers coach Erick French

Boulevard had its best chance of the game in the 21st minute when former MLS player Kyle Brown used a fake shot to free himself in the box and forced a diving save out of Rovers’ ‘keeper Mark Saxby.

Bangu, as Boulevard is also referred to, was almost forced to play down a man for the second straight game when Fabio Caresia lunged in with both cleats exposed, but received only a yellow card.

Rovers continued to throw players forward in search of a winner as the game wore on, but Boulevard defended well and Matt Gow made another big save one minute before full time to preserve the draw.

Rovers will play Colorado Sporting Premier Saturday afternoon to determine the top spot in the group.

Boulevard needs to make up a six-goal differential as well as a Rovers loss to make the knockout stages. Colorado Sporting Premier won their group game 4-0 over Comets Express to clinch a spot in the semifinals

GROUP A >> COLORADO ROVERS 1:0 COLORADO SPORTING PREMIER

Colorado Rovers and Colorado Sporting Premier know each other well.

As two of the Centennial State’s top teams it was no surprise Saturday afternoon’s game was for the top spot in Group A.

But when the dust settled on the physical affair, it was Rovers who took all three points with a 1-0 victory.

After a sluggish performance in a scoreless draw earlier in the morning, Rovers came out bursting with energy and used a high press to frustrate Sporting and control the game.

Rovers came close to opening the scoring when Wesley Post crossed to Brenden Hughes at the back post, but the midfielder sent his header wide of the target.

Two minutes later, Hughes made a second chance at goal count. George Hunt found space on the right flank and swung in a cross that was misplayed by Sporting goalkeeper Andrew Simonete. The ball fell to Hughes who turned and fired home to give Rovers the 1-0 lead.

Sporting’s best chance to equalize came four minutes from time when forward Daniel Perez was able to turn his defender at midfield and run unchecked into the box, but his attempted cutback pass was cleared.

The win means Colorado Rovers finish top of Group A on seven points and will play another local rival in FC Denver in one semifinal Sunday morning.

Sporting Premier finishes the group stage with six points and will play KC Athletics in the other semifinal also on Sunday.

The other game in the group was just for pride as Boulevard blanked the Comets Express 5-0 to finish in third place.

2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
All times CT
Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
Note: We apologize for the formatting problems

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Colorado Rovers	7	2	0	1	+3
CO Sporting Premier	6	2	1	0	+8
Boulevard	4	1	1	1	+0
Comets Express	0	0	3	0	-11

Friday, March 14
Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
Saturday, March 15
Boulevard 0:0 Colorado Rovers
CO Sporting Premier 4:0 Comets Express
Colorado Rovers 1:0 CO Sporting Premier
Comets Express 0:5 Boulevard

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
KC Athletics	7	2	0	1	+13
FC Denver	5	1	0	2	+3
Azteca Mojos	4	1	1	1	+3
Performance Soccer	0	0	3	0	-19

Friday, March 14
FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
Saturday, March 15
Performance Soccer 0:9 KC Athletics
Aztexa Mojos 0:0 FC Denver
FC Denver 0:0 KC Athletics
Performance Soccer 0:7 Azteca Mojos

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

Sunday, March 16

Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
Colorado Rovers vs. FC Denver
KC Athletics vs. CO Sporting Premier

Final (12 p.m.)
Colorado Rovers/FC Denver vs. KC Athletics/CO Sporting Premier

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Defense rules opening matches of USSSA tournament (with Saturday updates)

March 15, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

The United States Specialty Sports Association kicked off their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying tournament on Friday night with four games as group play began in the eight-team competition.

All four opening games ended in a shutout as the Kansas City Athletics, Colorado Sporting Premier, FC Denver and defending champion Colorado Rovers all picked up three points in Overland Park, Kan. The games being played at this year’s competition are all 50 minutes long, due to scheduling limitations. The shortened games have made for some intense battles as teams have little time to waste to pick up valuable points in the group stage.

PREVIEW: 2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: USSSA Day 1 recap

The Colorado Sporting Premier had no trouble with Boulevard, taking the match 5-0, while FC Denver defeated Performance Soccer 3-0. (More details to come.)

COLORADO ROVERS 2:0 COMETS EXPRESS

Almost 700 miles from home, it took the Colorado Rovers time to find their footing.

Once they got going, though, the Rovers looked like a team capable of defending its USSSA title.

Brenden Hughes and Scott Crawford scored second-half goals to help the Colorado side open its title defense with a 2-0 win over the hometown Comets Express.

“ a little bit of nerves coming out,” said Rovers coach Erick French. “It took about 35 minutes to get our feet under us.”

Nerves seemed to affect both sides in a first half that featured a scrappy midfield battle and few scoring opportunities for either team.

The first real chance came eleven minutes in when Comets goalkeeper Chris Plooster misjudged a corner kick, but Rovers defender Dele Johnson sent his header over the open net.

Five minutes later the Rovers had another chance to take the lead when Scott Crawford intercepted a pass in midfield and fed Arkadiusz Raclawski who beat two defenders only to hit his shot from inside the box right into the arms of Plooster.

Colorado refocused after the break and five minutes into the second half the goal finally came. Quick, one-touch passing opened up space for Hunt down the right flank and his cross to the near post found a diving Hughes for a 1-0 lead.

“Some of the one-touch stuff was magic,” said French. “It’s just fun to watch.”

“ and I just made eye contact,” said Hughes. “It was a perfect ball and he made it easy for me. I finished it pretty nicely, but all credit to him.”

The goal seemed to open the game up and the final 20 minutes saw chances for both teams.

Hunt managed to get free again in the 40th minute and his cross found Brian Sheenhan alone in the six yard box, but the forward inexplicably hit his shot right into the arms of Plooster.

Comets best chance to equalize came in the 41st minute. Brian Turner beat Colorado ‘keeper Mark Saxby to a free kick and sent a looping header toward goal, but defender Travis Hutchinson managed to recover and clear the ball before it could cross the line.

Six minutes later Scott Crawford sealed the win for the Rovers with beautiful curler from the left edge of the 18-yard box.

“That first half I thought we had possession pretty much the entire half,” said Comets Express coach Brad Geraldi. “Coming out we played very flat and they took advantage.”

The result leaves Colorado Rovers second in Group A on goal differential after Colorado Sporting Premier defeated Boulevard 4-0 later in the evening. Coach French said his team would rotate some new players in to ensure everyone stays fresh for both games on Saturday.

Geraldi said he’d also rotate his team. He said he knows the Comets have to get a result in game one on Saturday to stay alive, but he’s confident they can do so.

“Absolutely not,” said Geraldi when asked if he’d make any changes to the way his team played heading into Saturday. “If we come out playing the way we did we’ll be in good shape.”

KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS 4:0 AZTECA MOJOS

For the KC Athletics the USSSA Nationals represents a second chance at qualifying for the US Open Cup after the team was knocked out of USASA Region II qualifying by the Des Moines Menace last fall.

“We’re not changing the emphasis,” said player/coach Kyle Perkins when asked if there was extra motivation. “We put out 100% in Iowa and we’ll do the same here. Hopefully it’s a better result this time.”

So far so good.

KC used a pair of first half goals from Garrett Webb and second half strikes from John Markey and Matt Kuhn to cruise to a 4-0 win over Azteca Mojos in its opening group stage game.

The Athletics pressed high up the pitch and controlled the game throughout, generating midfield turnovers and scoring chances through smooth build-up play.

“With the halves being shortened we can really high press,” said Perkins.

That high pressure paid off in the 13th minute. John Markey’s shot was parried by the Mojos keeper, but fell right into the path of a sliding Webb, who poked home the rebound to open the scoring.

Kansas City doubled its lead on the stroke of halftime. Slick passing down the right flank released Webb into the box and he rifled a shot inside the near post for his second goal of the game.

Things got chippy in the second half after several hard fouls and five cards where handed out between the two teams.

Markey sealed the win in the 42nd minute with a wicked curling shot to the far post that left the Mojos keeper rooted to the spot and Kuhn added an insurance goal in stoppage time after Chris Markey made a run from inside his own half and got all the way to the end line to cross.

With the win the Athletics move into first place in Group B on goal differential.

Perkins knows the first game on Saturday will be important, but said KC may not press as much in order to conserve energy for the rest of the tournament.

“We’ll gauge everyone’s fitness level and go from there,” he said. “If the results go our way and we can rest the third game that’s always a bonus.”

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Colorado Rovers	7	2	0	1	+3
CO Sporting Premier	6	2	1	0	+8
Boulevard	4	1	1	1	+0
Comets Express	0	0	3	0	-11

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
KC Athletics	7	2	0	1	+13
FC Denver	5	1	0	2	+3
Azteca Mojos	4	1	1	1	+3
Performance Soccer	0	0	3	0	-19

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

Sunday, March 16

Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 FC Denver
KC Athletics 6:0 CO Sporting Premier

Final (12 p.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 (AET) KC Athletics

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Rescheduled USSSA tournament kicks off with 50-minute games to decide entry (with updates)

March 14, 2014 by Anders Aarhus

UPDATED RESULTS/STANDINGS BELOW (12:30 a.m. ET)

Cup tournaments have always held a special place for the underdog. Whether it’s England’s famous FA Cup or our own, slightly younger, Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, there’s a romance in the idea that any team from any level has a fair shot at a title.

The road to that dream begins for eight amateur teams this weekend at the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) nationals in Overland Park, Kan.

The USSSA added soccer to its list of sports in 2001 and was awarded a spot for one team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time last year. That bid went to the Colorado Rovers, who are back this year with a former pro who has an Open Cup title on his resume, looking to qualify again.

The tournament’s format is a standard one with two groups of four playing a round-robin with the top two teams from each group moving on to the knockout stage. The only non-traditional aspect of the competition is the fact that the group stage games and the semifinals will be limited to 50 minutes (Two 25-minute halves), while the championship game on Sunday will be the full 90 minutes.

According to USSSA VP and National Director Craig Scriven, the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Denver back in October, but flooding caused the event to be postponed. With the US Open Cup’s qualifying deadline fast approaching, the organization had to decide an Open Cup representative by Tuesday, March 18, so they found some fields to play on in Overland Park. Unfortunately, a youth tournament is going on this weekend, so the length of the games were reduced to fit the entire tournament in before the deadline.

The format for the 2014 US Open Cup has yet to be announced, so it is unclear if the USSSA will receive more than a single spot in the preliminary round as the Rovers did last year.

The rest of the field include some familiar faces, and one familiar team. The Kansas City Athletics, who have entered the USASA Region II qualifying tournament as Kansas’ only entry every year since 2010, and have qualified twice (2010, 2012), have joined the competition.

Here are the teams that will take part in the tournament, which begins Friday night:

Azteca Mojos
One of the four Colorado-based teams that will attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time.

Boulevard
Boulevard, also known as ‘Bangu’, is one of the tournament’s hometown teams. They are an over-30 team who are one of the founding members of the Johnson County Adult Soccer League, based in Overland Park, Kan. Brad Likens and his three brothers have run the club for over 15 years, and according to Likens, have won more than 20 trophies during that time.

In addition to running and playing for Boulevard, Likens is also one of the owners of FC Kansas City of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Missouri Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). He will regretably miss Friday night’s tournament opener against Colorado Sporting Premier because he will be with his Comets as they are hosting the Baltimore Blast in Game 1 of the MISL championship series.

The team will be missing a few of their notable players, many of whom have played for the Comets or with Sporting Kansas City. Among the players who will be taking part in the tournament are: Ethiopian international Dani Jiregna, former MLS and MISL player Ibrahim Kante and former MLS and USL player Kyle Brown. Former Comets player Matt Iverson and Matt Gow, who spent time with the Southern California Seahorses of the USL’s Premier Development League.

FC Denver
There’s already plenty of silverware in FC Denver’s trophy cabinet. The club added to its proud tradition by winning the 2013 Colorado State Cup last July. Winning also qualified Denver for the USSSA nationals, where the club will attempt to claim its first-ever US Open Cup berth.

Colorado Rovers
The Rovers got the USSSA’s Open Cup bid last year, but were knocked out in the preliminary round by the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution. The club was founded in 1992 and has a long history of success in Colorado’s top amateur league, as well as in amateur tournaments across the country. 2013 was no different for the Rovers, as the team was the fall champion of the Colorado Amateur Soccer League. They bring some serious experience into this year’s USSSA tournament with former US Open Cup champion Ritchie Kotschau, who lifted the cup in 1998 while playing for MLS’ Chicago Fire.

Comets Express
Comets Express is one of three Kansas City-area teams competing in the USSSA nationals and plays in the Johnson County Adult Soccer League alongside Boulevard. The roster features a wealth of experience at the college level, including alums from the University of Raleigh and Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Coach Brad Geraldi says he is excited to face new completion in the tournament.

CO Sporting Premier
Just like the other Colorado teams in the tournament, CO Sporting Premier boasts plenty of trophies with success at the league, state and national level. The club competes yearly in the Las Vegas Sliver Mug Invitational and trains players at all levels in the state of Colorado.

Kansas City Athletics
Player/coach Kyle Perkins thought he had his team qualified for its second straight Open Cup last year when his 90th minute goal knocked off Dearborn Stars FC. It was later revealed the field for the match was 62 yards wide, not the 65 yards required by the USASA. A protest by the Stars was upheld and the Athletics were forced to withdraw when they couldn’t make the scheduled replay in Chicago. This year’s USASA Region II campaign ended on a sour note for KC when it was bounced in the quarterfinal round of US Open Cup qualifying. The USSSA Nationals is a second chance for the team to qualify for the Open Cup. The Athletics have one Open Cup win under their belt (2012: 3-1 at Real Colorado Foxes of PDL) in their two previous tournament experiences and there’s enough talent on the squad with a mix of college players and former pros to try to qualify for a third time.

Performance Soccer
Performance Soccer enters the USSSA nationals out of the Central Iowa Amateur League as the 2013-2014 league champions. Founded in 2009, the club includes seven current collegiate players and is coached by former Kansas City Wizards player Terry Konchalski.

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
CO Sporting Premier	3	1	0	0	+5
Colorado Rovers	3	1	0	0	+2
Comets Express	0	0	1	0	-2
Boulevard	0	0	1	0	-5

Friday, March 14
Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
Saturday, March 15
Boulevard vs. Colorado Rovers (Field 1, 10 a.m.)
CO Sporting Premier vs. Comets Express (Field 2, 10 a.m.)
Colorado Rovers vs. CO Sporting Premier (Field 1, 2 p.m.)
Comets Express vs. Boulevard (Field 2, 2 p.m.)

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
KC Athletics	3	1	0	0	+4
FC Denver	3	1	1	0	+3
Performance Soccer	0	0	1	0	-3
Azteca Mojos	0	0	1	0	-4

Friday, March 14
FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
Saturday, March 15
Performance Soccer vs. KC Athletics (Field 1, 11:15 a.m.)
Aztexa Mojos vs. FC Denver (Field 2, 11:15 a.m.)
FC Denver vs. KC Athletics (Field 1, 3:15 p.m.)
Performance Soccer vs. Azteca Mojos (Field 2, 3:15 p.m.)

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

Sunday, March 16

Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up
Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up

Final (12 p.m.)
Teams TBD