Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Daniel Crooke

2024 US Open Cup Qualifying Final Round: UPSL champs FORO SC shuts out Alamo City to qualify

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Photo: FORO SC

The 2022 UPSL National Champions FORO SC rounded out its first US Open Cup qualifying campaign with a 4-0 win over Alamo City SC.

The San Antonio outfit travelled north to the DFW Metroplex looking to avenge a defeat to FORO’s near-neighbors D’Feeters Kicks SC a year prior, but ran into a late flurry of goals after losing goalkeeper Vincent Florio to a red card.

Opportunities were few and far between in the first half, with Alamo City’s compact defense keeping FORO SC at bay. The South Texas side had the best chance to break the deadlock after a long ball upfield found its way through to Kai Louviere on a clear run at goal. Ivan Bengono produced a world-class tackle from behind in the area to knock the ball away as Louviere looked to shoot.

The night turned for the visitors after a moment of madness by Vincent Florio in the early stages of the second half. The Alamo City goalkeeper came out of his area to challenge for the ball, but lost possession. Rather than making a beeline for goal, Florio chased the FORO players in possession, scything down Juan Ramirez with a late challenge as the shot from Ramirez was comfortably cleared away. With only three outfield players on the bench, defender Cameron Cortez took over the gloves for the final 37 minutes.

The opening goal came in cruel fashion as Cortez spilled a save off a Juan Ramirez shot through a crowd of players. A couple of players in orange attempted to guide the ball in before Nigel Katawa stabbed the ball home in the 67th minute.

Katawa then doubled the lead seven minutes later with a header off a throw-in from Rio Ramirez.

FORO SC saved another pair of goals for the closing stages, as Alex Molano saw a low drive from outside the box keep inside Cortez’s near post with three minutes to play. In stoppage time, Molano had another shot from outside the box. This time Cortez got to the ball, but could only watch Hector Romero poke the rebound home from just beyond his fingertips to end the night and see FORO SC through to the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: FC Dallas wins 8th straight opener, 2-1 over FC Tulsa

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Franco Jara of FC Dallas celebrates after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Tobias | FC Dallas
Franco Jara of FC Dallas celebrates after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Tobias | FC Dallas

Two time US Open Cup winners FC Dallas moved into the Fourth Round of the tournament with a 2-1 win over FC Tulsa at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday night.

“The players were on edge, they gave a lot and I think they deserve a lot of credit,” said FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien. “You see some of the guys that played 90 minutes were going nonstop and were spent after the match. It is hard to take moral victories because we are professionals and we are competitive people, but in terms of what game speed is supposed to look like, I think we’ve seen today what we expect from our players, and we just need that continuity now.”

Franco Jara opened the scoring for the hosts just after the half hour from the penalty spot. The Argentine was felled by a clumsy challenge by Johnny Fenwick, before rolling the ball calmly down the middle of the goal.

The lead would only hold for ten minutes. Rodrigo da Costa sent in a corner, flicked on by Ronald Rodriguez, wasn’t dealt with by Lucas Bartlett in the Dallas back line. After a couple of stabs at the ball by the rookie, Bradley Bourgeois swiped the ball home from inside the six yard box.

Tulsa threatened a vastly changed FC Dallas side, pressing high and playing positively.

“I like what they proposed,” said FC Dallas head coach Nico Estevez. “They tried to play, they have tools and resources to build from the back, and it makes it more difficult when a team wants to come here to play because you have to be worried about how you’re going to press and win the ball.”

Jader Obrian restored FC Dallas’ lead in the 66th minute. Szabolcs Schon broke down the left, crossing from deep for Obrian to meet at the back post with an acrobatic volley.

Jimmy Maurer, a veteran of the New York Cosmos teams that knocked out New York Red Bulls and New York City FC in back to back Open Cup seasons, was called into action early by Joaquin Rivas. Brian Brown should have restored parity in the 71st minute, with the hosts again struggling at a set-piece, but the substitute could not control his close range header.

The MLS side began to bring in more familiar faces with the likes of US Men’s National Team striker Jesus Ferreira and franchise record signing Alan Velasco.
Ferreira – tied for leading scorer in Major League Soccer – had the ball in the net in the final minute, finishing off a pass from Jader Obrian, but the former Tulsa Roughnecks loanee was judged to be offside.

FC Dallas wins their opening round game in the tournament for the eighth year in a row. With the victory they advance to take on Sporting Kansas City on the road on May 11.

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: D’Feeters Kicks edge NPSL champs in heated affair

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Steven Chavez, D'Feeters Kicks SC, Denton Diablos FC, 2022 US Open Cup, First Round, Goal
D’Feeters Kicks SC midfielder Steven Chavez (17) celebrates with his teammates following his goal against Denton Diablos FC in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Carlos Hernandez

Five goals and three red cards ensured that a cold night in Denton gave way to a heated atmosphere as NPSL national champions Denton Diablos fell to local qualifier, D’Feeters Kicks SC.

After initially qualifying for the cancelled 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a sense of the hosts finally getting their day in the cup was buoyed on as Julio Vargas met Alex Estrada’s cross to give Denton a 10th minute lead.

DKSC soon turned the score around after Sebastian Mendez stole the ball away in the Denton back line to level things before reigning UPSL Championship MVP Miles Byass slid home a Luis Hernandez cross to give the Dallas side the advantage in the 35th minute. Adrian Renteria looked to have extended the lead moments later but for an offside call against Byass, who didn’t appear to be involved in the passage of play.

Brandon Cerda brought things level once more, taking advantage of a heavy defensive touch but Steven Chavez restored the lead on the stroke of half time, turning home an Renteria cross off the front post.

DKSC may be new to the Open Cup and the UPSL Premier Division, but are familiar with Denton having played under their current guise and as Harrington FC in the local Roja League competitions. The game had threatened to get chippy, and the second half did not disappoint.

MORE: Meet the Underdogs: D’Feeters Kicks SC

Despite trailing, the Diablos had a man advantage early in the second half after Renteria kicked a ball at Antonio Perez as the Denton sub stayed on the ground after being fouled in the 53rd minute. The referee initially showed the card to DKSC’s Miguel Ojeda before one of the assistants corrected the mistaken identity.

With 20 minutes to go, the hosts lost that advantage as Alex Estrada saw red for a stamp on Angel Ramirez.

The game’s excitement ground to a halt until stoppage time. Denton’s Julian Barajas produced a beautiful piece of play, popping the ball over a defender before running on to the ball and smashing a shot that was narrowly tipped away for a corner. The resulting set piece was then headed and blocked on the line by an arm.

As D’Feeters Kicks broke down field, an incensed Diablos team chased down the opposition with captain Carlos Flores conceding a free kick. His remonstrations at the potential penalty decision saw a yellow and then a red card waved in his direction as DKSC held out for a second round fixture with San Antonio FC on April 5.

2019 US Open Cup Round 1: Charles Boateng of Richmond Kickers voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Graphic by Dallas Kreil | IG: @dak_design
Graphic by Dallas Kreil | IG: @dak_design

When the Richmond Kickers announced the loan signing of Charles Boateng, coach David Bulow said that the Ghanaian striker is a player few would know but one no-one would forget. The 21-year-old announced himself in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup First Round scoring four goals against Virginia United.

After becoming the first player to score four goals in the US Open Cup since Dom Dwyer in 2015, Boateng has been voted TheCup.us Player of the Round. The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) of TheCup.us’ Patreon.

Boateng finished just ahead of NTX Rayados’ Mariano Fazio. Fazio – the younger brother of AS Roma’s Federico Fazio – assisted the Rayados’ opening goal and tied the game at 2-2 in the dying seconds before scoring the winning penalty kick.

Other players nominated included El Faralito’s Leonardo Fredes, Cal FC’s Orr Barrouch, and Bryant Martin of Florida Soccer Soldiers. Fredes made ESPN’s SportCenter Top 10 with his spectacular bicycle kick to seal a 2-1 win over Academica SC while breaking his arm in the process. Orr Barrouch was merely a step behind Boateng as the Israeli scored a hat-trick in Cal FC’s 5-1 win over FC Mulhouse Portland. Martin was nominated on the back of a string of saves to prevent NPSL champions Miami FC from adding to their opening tally, allowing the Florida Soccer Soldiers to come back with an impressive 2-1 win.

Boateng quickly gave the Kickers a 2-0 lead after 23 minutes with a five-minute brace. The first goal was a pure striker’s finish, stabbing home Eli Lockaby’s cross. The second was a neat front-post scissor kick to steer Joe Gallardo’s cross home.

With the game at 4-1, Boateng provided quality in addition to quantity as the striker picked up the ball from the center circle before unleashing a ferocious shot from close to 30-yards leaving Manuel Medrano no chance in the Virginia United goal. His final contribution to the game was to finish off a Luke Pavone pass from the edge of the area as the Ghanaian sustained an injury in the act of scoring.

Boateng is just the 12th player to score four or more goals in the Modern Era of the US Open Cup. He also becomes the third Kicker to score a hat-trick in the cup, the last being his coach, David Bulow, at the same stage in 2011. McColm Cephas was the first to do it in the Third Round of the 2005 tournament.

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