Craig Tower

Craig Tower has been researching and writing for TheCup.us since 2013. As a cultural anthropologist and historian, he takes an interest in soccer in the United States both on and off the field

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers strike early, cruise past Aromas Cafe FC, 4-0

May 20, 2016 by Craig Tower

The Richmond Kickers celebrate a goal against Aromas Cafe in the Second Round of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: James Loving | Richmond Kickers — The Richmond Kickers celebrate a goal against Aromas Cafe in the Second Round of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: James Loving

Aromas Café went to Richmond hoping to come out giant killers, but their hopes were squashed almost immediately and never revived.

After a goal in the first minute, the Richmond Kickers never looked back as they cruised to a 4-0 win in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The 1995 US Open Cup champions, playing in their 10th straight Open Cup game at home, emerge with a seven-game winning streak in opening round games.

The Kickers took an early lead when they were awarded a free kick at the top of the Aromas box in the first minute. Sunny Jane steered his powerfully dipping shot over the wall and into the near corner at hip level for the one goal lead.

Richmond continued to press, winning a series of corners and free kicks in the Aromas end. In the 25th minute, after winning one of those free kicks at a distance of forty yards, the Kickers directed the ball onto the head of Yomby William who found himself unmarked on the left side of the goal box. Directing his shot down and into the near corner, a good strategy in most instances, he managed to drive it into the keeper’s calf. The ball dribbled into the path of a charging Hugh Roberts who slotted it home for the 2-0 lead, which held until the half.

Richmond came out almost as strong in the second half as the first, but had to wait until the 48th minute of the new term to find the net on an Anthony Grant strike of a feed from Travis Pittman. Grant forced a diving save off Aromas keeper Hohoff in the 57th off a volley, and Jackson Eskay pinged a shot off the crossbar in the 4th.

“I’m elated with that goal and as coach said earlier we need some goals in this game,” said Grant about his first tally for the Kickers. “I’m really elated with my performance, with my goal, and most of all with the team performance.”

The Kickers put the game to bed in the 83rd minute when Romulo Peretta deflected a cross for Luiz Fernando to clean up for the four-goal victory while preserving the clean sheet.

The Kickers move on to meet the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL in the Third Round.

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: Jersey Express take out another New York opponent, beat Clarkstown Eagles 2-1

May 14, 2016 by Craig Tower

The Premier Development League (PDL) got off to a good start against National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) competition early on in the First Round of the 2016 US Open Cup and Jersey Express did their part to contribute with a 2-1 win over Clarkstown SC Eagles.

Jersey Express were led by Romario Pinto Goulart, who earned not one, but two penalty kicks; one in either half. However, Romario did not convert either of the penalties he had earned. That honor went to Juan Correa, who scored twice instead. Almost unfairly, Romario not only didn’t get a chance to finish either penalty, but he was also substituted in the 65th minute.
But Express head coach Julian Richens felt his team’s victory was about more than just earning a couple PKs.

“We created chances throughout the 90 minutes,” said Richens, who also coaches at Saint Peters University. “Three of our back four were playing out of position so credit them for limiting any threat.

That makeshift defense had to work hard to secure the win though, because the Eagles did not go quietly. They managed to get one back in stoppage time, courtesy of Bljedi Bardic, but could not get the equalizer as they became one of six NPSL teams to be eliminated in the first six games of the First Round (Note: The league would later advance in seven of the next eight).

In the Modern Era, there have been 13 New York vs. New Jersey matchups, and with the Express winning, the state of New Jersey has won seven of them.

Jersey Express will once again travel north to New York on Wednesday, May 18 to take on three-time Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms, who erased a 1-0 deficit to defeat the new York Red Bulls U-23 squad, 2-1. Richens likes his team’s chances to carry momentum into the next round and get another win; potentially starting deep run into the tournament.

“It’s very early in the season and we will be better than we were today. The performance levels will only increase, giving us a good chance to win the game.”

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: The Villages stun Kraze United in stoppage time in battle of re-branded teams

May 12, 2016 by Craig Tower

One of the early features in Wednesday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup first round pitted two of the more uniquely-named teams at one of the more interesting venues in this year’s tournament. The Villages SC (PDL) of The Villages, Fla. hosted Kraze United (NPSL) of Orlando at The Villages Polo Field, stunning their guests after 91 minutes of scoreless soccer on a last-minute goal to move on to the second round.

Playing their first home game ever after taking the spot of the disbanded Ocala Stampede in the US Open Cup tournament, The Villages SC is a mainly Brazilian outfit that goes by the nickname “The Buffalo.” Kraze United, for its part, has been around since 1999, won the USL PDL National Championship in 2004, and features mainly college players from Florida, with a smattering from schools as far away as The University of Chicago and Amherst College.

In spite of their lack of previous experience playing together, the Buffalo started the match by sending several warning shots within yards of the Kraze goal. After the 20th minute, though, the Kraze found themselves and started to gain more possession and assume the run of play.

The Kraze put opportunities over the bar in the 23rd minute off a free kick and in the 26th minute on a Lucas Kuscevic header off a cross by midfielder Omar Vallejo.

In the 27th minute, the Kraze midfield sent another diagonal cross in from the left side which found Kevin Rockwell at the backpost. Paolo Pita, Buffalo’s goalie, was completely beaten as Rockwell placed a perfect bicycle kick into the lower corner for what would have been a guaranteed goal of the round. Unfortunately for Rockwell and the Kraze, the linesman’s flag snapped immediately into the air and the referee ruled the play offside.

Play remained back-and-forth for the rest of the half. The Kraze showed intelligence in possessing and switching the side of play, but the counterattacking skill of several Buffalo midfielders troubled the guests.

Roberto De Lima, arguably the man of the match for The Villages, consistently split the Kraze defense with incisive passes. The Kraze resorted to physical play to stop the quick parries by De Lima and Carlos Vitor Alvarenga. The half still ended deadlocked 0-0.

After attacking down the left through Vitor Alvarenga in the first half, The Villages SC switched him to the right in the second. De Lima seemed to be everywhere as he recovered Kraze turnovers and looked dangerous whenever he was able to connect with Alvarenga.

After Alvarenga subbed out in the 58th minute, ceding his spot to Cristian Martinez, The Villages lost momentum. For the rest of the half, the Kraze dominated the midfield as the Buffalo slowly retreated into their own half to pack the final third in front of their goal.

In spite of close efforts by the Kraze as Keneil Haye cut the ball back from the touchline in the 75th and 85th minutes, the Villages defense held steady. After the 75th minute, the Kraze resorted to more long-distance shots in an effort to penetrate the packed but tired Buffalo defense.

As regulation time ran down, it seemed like the game was headed into overtime. The Kraze were looking for the winner, and with their defense stretched, De Lima split the defense yet again from the midfield stripe, finding a streaking Pedro Ivo Dias on his way to goal. Dias took the ball in stride to the left of the Kraze goal and calmly struck the ball past the charging Marco Lujan into the lower far corner, sending the Villages bench into frenzy.

Two minutes later, the victory was in the record books. In the second round, The Villages SC will face off against the USL’s Charleston Battery on May 18th.

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: Aromas Cafe’s OT winner helps amateur side win cup debut

May 12, 2016 by Craig Tower

Jake Van Yahres delivered the game-winning goal as the Charlottesville, Virginia-based United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) side Aromas Café FC took down the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Richmond Strikers by a final score of 2-1.

The win sends the amateur side into a matchup with a professional team, the Richmond Kickers in Round 2 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Aromas Café FC overcame some pretty tough odds just to qualify for the first round of the tournament. In their first open division qualifying match back in the fall, they broke up a DC-metro area dynasty by defeating the Aegean Hawks, who had represented the nation’s capital in regional qualifying for nine of the previous 10 years. Then in the second round of qualifying they beat a Tartan Devils side that was undefeated in three seasons of Greater Pittsburgh soccer league play. Now they’re headed to the second round of the tournament itself after Douglas Clare’s brace lifted his side to a dramatic victory.

The game got off to a somewhat slow start and was scoreless at the half. Then right out of the gate in the 47th minute, Douglas Clare scored the first of his two goals on the evening. Richmond would go on to equalize through a penalty kick from assistant coach/striker Will Bates. If the name sounds familiar, Will Bates came up through the Strikers’ youth system and went on to star at the University of Virginia before being selected by the Seattle Sounders in the 2013 Supplemental Draft. He earned a roster spot with Seattle, but was let go soon after that and bounced around the lower divisions for a couple seasons before ending up back home in Virginia.

But Aromas would not be denied their fairy tale victory as Van Yahres blasted home the game-winner before the first period of extra time ended and his team held on in the second to advance in the team’s first-ever cup run.

As fate would have it, they’ll come right back to the Virginia capital on Wednesday, May 18 to face another Richmond side: the United Soccer League’s Richmond Kickers.

2016 Meet the Underdogs: Lansdowne Bhoys conquer New York City, have sights set on US Open Cup

May 10, 2016 by Craig Tower

Lansdowne Bhoys pose for a team photo before their US Open Cup qualifying match against Worcester FC. Photo: Lansdowne Bhoys FC

Lansdowne Bhoys are making their first appearance in the US Open Cup, but they are not a new club. The Bhoys played their first game in the 1997 in the third division of New York’s Cosmopolitan Soccer League, slowly rising in the ranks before capturing the title for the past two years running.

The Lansdowne Bhoys qualified for the US Open Cup through two qualifying rounds. On October 17 of last year, they downed Newtown Pride of Connecticut by a score of 3-0, followed by a 5-0 victory over Worcester FC of Massachusetts on November 15.

But they have bigger ambitions than winning CSL or qualifying for the US Open Cup – the Bhoys are gunning for a spot in the USL.

“It hasn’t been easy,” says the Bhoys manager and head coach Austin Friel. “Starting a club takes a lot of hard work and dedication – especially an amateur club. Six years ago, we were a mid-table club, fighting relegation in the CSL.”

Irish Roots

Lansdowne was founded by Irish immigrants in New York who frequented a bar by the same name. “Lansdowne” refers to the Lansdowne Road field that was the national stadium for Irish rugby and football until 2007. The immigrants also decided to pay homage to Celtic FC of Glasgow, Scotland, by borrowing the nickname “Bhoys.”

“The Irish community is massive,” says Friel. “Six or seven of my starters all came from Ireland. They had no friends here. They mix with all the other Irish guys. And Lansdowne gave them a base to make new friends and play their soccer at the weekend.”

“Now that Lansdowne’s getting bigger and bigger, there’s actually guys that are playing pro in Ireland that are actually approaching me now to play here.”

A Club Reborn

The current gaffer arrived on the scene as a Bhoys player 10 years ago when visiting his brother in the New York area. He played a few games when he was in town, but didn’t take a full role until he moved here from the Emerald Isle five years later.

“I started playing for Lansdowne and they were gradually getting just a little bit better then. We got a new president, William McGrory, about six years ago, and we put together a new board that helped organize the club, run it better, bring in better players and better coaches. I took over as manager three years ago. It’s just gone from strength to strength since then.”

While the club started as an adult club, the management is now turning its attention to youth soccer through an affiliation with Yonkers United and their 24 teams. “I’m the director of coaching for both Lansdowne Bhoys and Yonkers United. It’s like 60-70 percent Irish-American kids.”

Friel is bullish on building the club from the roots – both locally and internationally. “The Celtic affiliation just started this year. We actually have a summer camp here from the 5th to the 9th of July in Yonkers. Celtic will send their top youth coaches out here for the week, which is massive I think. And it also means a few of our teams go over to Glasgow each year and use their facilities and play in tournaments and play in friendlies. So it’s only making our club bigger and stronger.”

And this helps to explain his hopes for the club in the future. “As I see it, Lansdowne are a sleeping giant,” says Friel.

An Athletic Style

Lansdowne Bhoys win the 2013 Eastern NY Open Cup title. Photo: Lansdowne Bhoys Facebook page

Friel promises that fans can expect to see energetic soccer from his side as they face off against the Rough Riders.

“We play a high tempo, high press game, we like to dominate possession. When we don’t have possession, we try to get the ball back. We like to dominate games. We play a nice passing style. We have a lot of good skillful players on our team.”

The goals could come from anywhere on the field, according to Friel: “To be honest, our scoring is pretty divided out. My midfielders would score as many goals as my forwards would, and we actually get a lot of goals from fullback, believe it or not. But we don’t have a goal-getter, the goals are spread around.”

Friel cites several players to watch, including ex-Arsenal U-18 captain and Irish U-19 national team player Sean Kelly and Daryl Kavanagh, who won the league of Ireland title with St. Patrick’s Athletic in 2013. “Sean Kelly is an excellent defender. He’s an intelligent footballer, and as I said he scored two 25-yard free kicks the last two games. He’s a great leader also.”

Of forward Kavanagh, Friel says “He actually just scored a hat trick for us in our last league game. He’s a very good link-up player between our midfielders and our forwards, but he has an eye for goal also.”

“Then I have Craig Purcell who is another guy from Ireland, he’s a center midfielder. He’s very vital in our style of play because he forces teams into mistakes with his high work rate.”

If you think the entire team is made up of Irishmen, you’re wrong. In addition to a smattering of Gambians and a Pole, Friel cites two Jamaicans who are key to the team’s success.

“One plays up top and one plays winger. The one up top is Sikele Sylvester. I think he’s one of most talented guy I’ve ever seen playing local football. Then obviously we have the lightning pace of Jamaican Ovan Oakley. He’s a winger, and he’s been on the scoresheet recently.”

Prospects Against the Rough Riders

Manager Friel measures his words carefully in talking about the Rough Riders. “I totally respect the rough Riders. They’ve been about for years, they’ve produced some good players, some players who went on to play a good level professionally. But, as I said, I don’t fear anyone.”

But the Bhoys have two main advantages over the Long Island outfit.

“We’ve been playing since September. They’re still getting organized, and I know it’s a lot of work for them, and they’re getting their paperwork sorted, getting their college kids back, some of them are in their finals. So maybe they don’t have their full squad available.”

The game would be a difficult task, then, for any PDL team as they prepare to face an in-form local side with international talent.

But Friel may have something else up his sleeve.

“Believe it or not, we have five Rough Rider guys playing for us not them. Five starters from last year on their team are going to be starting for us.”

Whatever the outcome on May 11, it’s likely that US soccer fans will be hearing more from Austin Frield and the Lansdowne Bhoys.

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Harrisburg City Islanders avenge 2013 upset with 3-0 win over Reading United AC

May 20, 2015 by Craig Tower

The USL’s Harrisburg City Islanders scored an emphatic 3-0 victory in the Second Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup over nearby Reading United AC to avenge their ouster by the amateur side in the 2013 edition of the national tournament. The loss to Reading two years ago on the very same field was not only Harrisburg’s first loss to an amateur team, but it was the first time they had ever lost the opening match of the tournament. The City Islanders made sure history didn’t repeat itself.

Harrisburg came into the game with four straight victories by an 11-1 goal margin in league play, and showed that the numbers were not a fluke by putting in two quick goals over the home side. Midfielder Danny DiPrima netted the first for the visitors in the 8th minute, striking into space left by the Reading backline. As Reading netminder Kyle Morton charged off his line, DiPrima calmly pushed the ball wide and slipped a low ball to the far post for the first score.

Former Reading player and 2013 All-PDL selection Jason Plumhoff was the architect of the next goal just two minutes later. Outflanking the Reading defense on the right side of the penalty area, Plumhoff sighted teammate Cardel Benbow driving toward the goal, sending a cross to his feet. Benbow shot low and to the corner to put the Islanders up 2-0.

The second half finished without any further scoring as Reading started to find their feet, but their comeback hopes were given a major blow when Harrisburg scored in the 46th minute. Plumhoff again pulled the strings for Harrisburg, this time curving a corner kick into the box to defender Ken Tribbett, who headed the ball home cleanly.

While Harrisburg didn’t concede, they also didn’t leave Don Thomas Stadium unscathed. Neil Shaffer earned an ejection when he drew his second yellow card of the match in the 76th minute. However, Reading wasn’t able to capitalize on their man advantage.

With the victory, Harrisburg earned entry to the third round and a home matchup against fellow USL side Rochester Rhinos. The last Open Cup visit by the Rhinos to Harrisburg in 2011 resulted in a 1-0 City Islanders loss. The Rhinos will bring the memory of that victory with them, along with dreams of repeating their 1999 Open Cup championship, when they became the last non-MLS team to take home the Dewar Trophy.

2014 US Open Cup Round 3: Harrisburg City Islanders hold off Baltimore Bohemians 4-2; will face Philadelphia Union in Round 4

May 29, 2014 by Craig Tower

The PDL’s Baltimore Bohemians hosted the Harrisburg City Islanders at Calvert Hall High School’s Russo Field in Towson, MD, in the third round of the US Open Cup, hoping to upset the USL Pro side. The Islanders found the net three times in the first half, however, and cruised to a 4-2 victory, setting themselves up for a June 17th fourth-round matchup against their MLS parent club, the Philadelphia Union.

The game opened under warm sunny skies, but a chill wind and gray clouds enveloped the home field during the second half. The Bohemians’ hopes were eclipsed sooner than that, as Morgan Langley scored in the eighth minute for Harrisburg. Man of the match Jimmy McLaughlin received the ball just inside the Bohs half, blew by his defender and ran the ball in towards the goal on the endline, before slicing a pass in to Langley who punched the ball in from a few yards out.

According to McLaughlin, the goal followed their game plan to a T. “That was kind of what we were looking to do – connect a couple passes in the middle, and then spray it out wide to our wingers with some pace and try to make something happen,” McLaughlin said. The Bohs did their best to counter the strategy, and in the 19th minute Ryan Tuck tried a bit too hard, when he caught the top of speedy Jose Barril’s foot with his studs and earned a yellow card for the infraction.

To their credit, the Bohs, who played a 4-1-3-2 formation, did not bunker against the pro side. Baltimore was unlucky not to score between the 20th and 30th minutes as they peppered Harrisburg’s goal with a series of attempts, including shots by Brandon Allen, Marquez Fernandez, and Allen’s Georgetown teammate Austin Martz. McLaughlin noted the strong play of the Bohemians, saying, “It took a little to kind get into the game, but I think once we settled in we showed our quality and put together a couple really nice goals.”

In fact, he was the author of the next strike, putting an emphatic end to the danger and making the score 2-0, with a curling shot to the far post from about 22 yards out off of a pass by Barrill. The Islanders ended their first half run with a penalty. Bohs keeper Andrew Harris grabbed Danny DiPrima after the Islander nodded an awkwardly bouncing ball just over him and was rushing to rejoin it before it crossed the endline. McLaughlin stepped up and planted the ball firmly in the back of the net to give the Islanders a 3-0 lead going into halftime.

The sides battled more or less evenly in the second half as the Bohs did a better job at countering the wing play by Harrisburg. The Islanders seemed content to nurse their lead while the Bohs tried to penetrate the Islanders with their own wing play, forcing City’s Brian Sylvestre to make two consecutive saves from sharp angles resulting in corners in the 49th and 51st minutes. Play became a bit chippier with yellows being awarded to Harrisburg’s Barril and Baltimore’s Fernandez in the 60th and 72nd minutes respectively.

The Bohs finally found the net as second half sub Kingsley Onwuka plucked the ball off a defender and punched it home to reduce the deficit to two. That seemed to ignite the Islanders, however, as Langley made an explosive run in the 80th minute down the right wing, eventually beating Harris with a curving shot just inside the near post. Onwuka netted again in the 87th off a cross from Malcolm Harris to give the Bohs a glimmer of hope. As the skies grayed, though, a quick but ugly altercation in midfield saw Baltimore’s Matt Shinsky sent off, while Harrisburg’s Langley saw a yellow for his part in the fracas.

The Islanders move on to meet their MLS parent club, the Philadelphia Union, in the fourth round. The matchup at PPL Park will be a US Open Cup rematch of the 2012 quarterfinal thriller where the Islanders pushed Philly to the brink before the Union claimed their first semifinal spot in the tournament. McLaughlin is looking forward to the matchup, which he previewed this way: “I think it’s funny how the affiliate teams get matched up against their parent teams. You saw that Kansas City and Orlando City. Anything can happen with these games and I think there’s gonna be a lot of passion on both sides. I think it should be a fun one to watch and a fun one to play in.”

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Coach Santino Quaranta leads Baltimore Bohemians to debut win over Icon FC (video)

May 18, 2014 by Craig Tower

The Baltimore Bohemians of the Premier Development League made their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup debut on Wednesday night against a team who made a splash in their tournament debut a year ago in Icon FC. The USASA club from Montville, New Jersey won their first game last year 4-1 over the Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) on the strength of a hat trick from Argjent Duka and former MLS veteran Danny Szetela.

However, this year’s Icon FC roster was missing Duka and Szetela, and the Bohemians, who finished tied for second in the very competitive Mid-Atlantic Division last year, was the better team in front of their home fans. Baltimore, led by newly-appointed head coach Santino Quaranta, overwhelmed their Garden State opponents, winning 4-1 to earn a home game in Round 3 against the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro).

The University of Maryland Baltimore County Stadium was the venue with an overcast day with a very fine mist in the air at kickoff. The crowd was sparse at first, but thickened as the game heated up. Both teams were playing with relatively new lineups, but Icon appeared to have an advantage entering the match as they had been in action for months in the Garden State Soccer League, while this was the first competitive match for the Bohs in 2014.

For the first 10 minutes or so, the Bohs laid back, absorbing pressure from Icon FC. Chris Panian of Baltimore announced the breakout of his team with a booming shot from the top of the box at 11 minutes, but it rocketed wide right without troubling Icon’s keeper Chris Duggan. After a brief pause in the 15th minute when Ricky Greensfelder of the Bohs was subbed out for Malcolm Harris after suffering concussion-like symptoms, play was restarted with more trouble for Duggan. A penalty was awarded to the Bohs after Icon’s defense sent a Baltimore player down in the box, and Mamadou Kansaye coolly sent the ball to the lower right corner of the goal while Duggan plunged in the opposite direction.

The Bohemians pushed their advantage, pressuring the Icon defense with a break on the right wing. After Icon had recovered the ball, Chris Panian continued to harass the defense, coaxing a turnover out of Gabriel Alvas. Panian turned and slipped a pass into the path of Austin Martz, who nonchalantly controlled the ball and slotted the ball inside the far post past the arcing body of Duggan.

At this point, the game began to get physical, but the referee showed some tolerance until the 42nd minute, when Jarrod Laventure’s lunging studs-up tackle resulted in an ejection. The teams went into the locker rooms for halftime knowing that Icon was down a man for the rest of the game and trailing 2-0.

After the whistle blew to open the second half, Icon pressed the Baltimore defense, forcing a foul and a goal in quick succession. The goal came when Icon’s Adam Bajek sent an outswinging cross through the Bohs defense, finding an unmarked Teddy Niziolet, who pounded the ball in with his head from 5 yards out.

The Bohs began finding more room in the midfield at that point, as gaps began to form in Icon’s original 4-3-2-1 formation. The Bohs forwards started to push the defensive line of the Jersey team while the fullbacks and outside mids, feeling less pressure, sent more balls over the top to big forwards Brandon Allen and halftime addition David Neuberth.

In the 62nd, the Bohs converted a midfield turnover by Icon into a goal, finding Allen just outside the top of the box. Having lost his man, Allen pounded a volley across the goal into the lower right corner for the score.

The game got chippy again after the 75th minute, but Baltimore managed to ice the match after they sprung Graham, who subbed on for right back Stephen Ho in the 84th minute. Graham accelerated and drove a low shot to the keeper’s right, completing the scorign for the home team.

The Bohs had further chances, including an opportunity for Neuberth in the 74th minute and two excellent efforts by Allen in the 75th, including a ball that pinged off the left post and straight back to Duggan, who caught it with Allen standing one yard away, ready to pounce. Icon pushed toward the end but didn’t have the manpower to change the score of the game, which ended 4-1 in favor of the Bohemians.

Bohemians’ new coach Quaranta was upbeat about his team’s performance.

“I was thrilled with the effort,” said Quaranta, who won a US Open Cup title with DC United in 2008. “Some of the guys met each other for the first time tonight, so the challenge for us is to put the best group on shapewise and tactically. Brandon Allen, for example, is one of the guys… But we’re thrilled. Obviously we have a lot of work to do. But overall the effort, the commitment from the players was fantastic.”

Quaranta cited fitness as the biggest challenge his team faces as they move on in the tournament.

“Physically, it’s new for the guys, when you play 90 minutes games with three changes coming from college. So physically you want to make sure you’re managing their minutes, as we play again Saturday, Tuesday, then Saturday again.”

He also emphasized his desire to play an attacking style of soccer, not just for the fans, but for the players as well.

“Overall, you want these guys to play free, you want them to have a chance to get their names out there,” he said, noting that Baltimore is expecting some new arrivals who could make an impact in the pro ranks.

Quaranta did shy away from picking a man of the match. “I think Austin Martz was fantastic. His workrate was second to none. Andrew Harris had a great game. Brandon Allen was great. He could have scored 3 or 4 goals. But I don’t think you can pinpoint one guy.”

In the next round, Baltimore will look to get another team effort as they will aim for an upset against a team that has made their name for upsetting teams in the Open Cup in the Harrisburg City Islanders.

HIGHLIGHT: GOAL BY BALTIMORE’S BRANDON ALLEN