Dennis Pope

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: LA Wolves hand Orange County Blues 3rd straight loss to amateur team

May 22, 2016 by Dennis Pope

Luis Mora scored the game-winner on home turf as the Los Angeles Wolves (UPSL) held on to defeat Orange County Blues (USL), 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw, Wednesday night at Wilmington (Calif.) Banning High School.

“He lives around the block, the whole community is watching him; He takes the final kick and he buries it,” LA Wolves owner/head coach Yan Skwara said.

Skwara said Mora, a Banning High School graduate, wanted to be the fifth kick taker.

“He wanted it. He played on that field for four years for his high school, and he buries it,” Skwara said. “It couldn’t be more dramatic.”

Mora’s home-town finish punched the Wolves’ ticket to a third-round matchup against fellow UPSL side La Maquina. The winner plays at LA Galaxy (MLS) in the fourth round.

“(La Maquina) beating their opponents handily, I’ll say that,” Skwara said. “We’re not going in, by any means, with any sort of comfort level.”

Miguel Sanchez had a goal in the 72nd minute, and 20-year-old goalkeeper Kifi Kalani made two saves in the shootout win for Wolves, who continue to enjoy their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run.

“We have a blend of players and we’re in the (UPSL) playoffs,” Skwara said. “You want to come into any cup scenario in good form, and we are in good form right now. We’re on the rise.”

Sanchez started the shootout with a miss for Wolves, who were down 2-0 before Joey Chica and Gonzo Salguero scored to level.

Jeremiah Eglijie made it 3-2 but it was Kalani’s back-to-back blocks that gave Wolves a real advantage.

“(Kalani) had a (heck) of a game,” Skwara said. “He made two PK saves. That’s what happened.”

Grady Howe equalized in the 77th minute for OC Blues, which still suffered its fourth loss to an amateur side in its last six Cup entries, including its third straight. Blues previously lost to Ventura County Fusion in 2012, Fresno Fuego in 2014 and PSA Elite in 2015.

2016 Meet the Underdogs: UPSL champ San Nicolas survive brawl, ready to make US Open Cup debut

May 3, 2016 by Dennis Pope

San Nicolas FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is a young club, and it’s already building a strong reputation.

The Pomona (Calif.)-based club has qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time this year and has gained standing as a hard-working group with big aspirations. They have been on a roll as of late, winning their final five league matches to finish fourth in the Southeast division standings and qualify for the playoffs. They kept that streak rolling and won the UPSL championship, defeating fellow 2016 Open Cup qualifier LA Wolves FC in the title game.

“We literally had to win every single game to clinch the last spot to get in (to the playoffs),” said San Nicolas general manager Daniel Collazo.

Their difficult road to the championship started with a win over old rival and fell 2016 US Open Cup qualifier La Maquina FC. After San Nicolas rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win their quarterfinal meeting, 3-2, a brawl broke out. According to Collazo, La Maquina’s goalkeeper was sent off but after the match was over, he confronted the San Nicolas player involved with the incident that got him sent off. The situation escalated quickly.

When the dust settled, San Nicolas advanced to the semifinals, later winning the championship game, but the incident was reviewed by the UPSL. After San Nicolas lifted the trophy, the review was completed and the league ruled that San Nicolas would be suspended for the first six games of next season, while La Maquina would be suspended for the entire campaign.

“It was very hard, to receive the six-game suspension,” said Collazo, who has an Open Cup resume that includes being the general manager of PSA Elite.

However, the suspension could be viewed as a blessing in disguise with a busy schedule ahead of them. The UPSL actually did two things: They suspended them six games and because the venue where the brawl took place — a common field for many teams in the division — banned both teams, the league moved San Nicolas to a new division, requiring additional travel. Starting off with six losses, and all the extra travel made it a lost season for the club, so they decided to field a B-team in the league and focus their efforts on the Open Cup, the Silver Mug International Tournament in Las Vegas (of which they have won three times) and friendlies.

The club has played friendlies against United Soccer League clubs LA Galaxy II and OC Blues this year, and recently defeated the UPSL Arizona’s Phoenix Monsoon, 3-0. They have another friendly scheduled with NPSL club Deportivo Coras USA next on Friday, May 6.

The team travels to Arizona to take on the Premier Development League’s (PDL) FC Tucson at Kino North Stadium in a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup first round game on Wednesday, May 11.

“All the players come from different backgrounds and they have a lot of different things to do, but they’ve kept a piece of their mind on this task,” said Collazo.

New head coach Jose Botello, who spent time in the 1990s with the Los Angeles Galaxy and is an accomplished youth coach in Southern California, has a talented roster to work with. The most notable name on the roster is former Cuban international and Major League Soccer veteran Maykel Galindo, but the Lions have a range of talented players.

Amilcar ‘Mike’ Lopez and Eduardo ‘Lito’ Barba were San Nicolas’ top scorers during qualification, and Collazo expects stalwart goalkeeper Cesar Castillo, a former standout at Sacramento State, to be in between the pipes.

“Our priority this season, what we wanted is to bring the reinforcements,” Collazo said. “There’s a lot of leagues in , and the core of the players are constantly playing together.”

The club only had to win one game to qualify for the Open Cup. Their opening match was forfeited when their opponent, Corinthians USA, failed to register enough players. However, the forfeit proved to be costly as the two teams decided to play the game anyway, even though Corinthians had forfeited. Unfortunately, Galindo, San Nicolas’ 34-year-old star veteran, suffered an injury and missed their second round game.

However, they would not need the former Chivas USA forward as they cruised to a 3-0 win over So Cal Premier League side Real Sociedad. With the final round of the qualifying tournament canceled, the win proved to be their ticket to the Open Cup.

For a club making its first appearance in the tournament proper, the opportunity is lost on Collazo.

“Every single player, myself, all the sacrifice for four to five years has been developed into this,” he said.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: San Nicolas blanks Real Sociedad, 3-0, to advance to final round

November 26, 2015 by Dennis Pope

San Nicolas FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), is one step away from qualifying for the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after defeating Real Sociedad (SoCal Premier League), 3-0 on Sunday. at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif.

Amilcar Lopez scored midway through the first half, and Eduardo Barba added a brace with goals on either side of halftime for San Nicolas, a Pomona (Calif.)-based club who are attempting to qualify for the tournament for the first time.

“First half was intense but we took control,” San Nicolas co-owner Daniel Collazo said. “We have a team that I think can make a run at this thing.”

San Nicolas, also a quarterfinalist in this season’s UPSL playoffs (where they will play La Maquina), will wait until Jan. 7 to hear what club it’ll play in the final round of Open CUp qualifying during the first weekend of April.

“So we go back to focusing on our main season, the UPSL playoffs, and letting people know what San Nicolas is all about,” Collazo said.

Collazo said veteran forward Maykel Galindo should return from a right ankle injury in time for the match. Galindo, a former Cuban international and player for the now-defunct Chivas USA, was injured in a friendly on Oct. 23. The game was against Corinthians USA, who was supposed to be San Nicolas’ first round qualifying opponent, but they forfeited due to not having enough players registered. The two teams decided to play each other anyway, and Galindo was injured.

“It’s looking good. We’re pretty sure he’ll be ready for April,” Collazo said.

San Nicolas has been a finalist each of the last four years at the annual Las Vegas Silver Mug tournament. The club won the Silver Mug three consecutive times from 2011-13 and lost in penalty kicks last year.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: San Nicolas plays friendly despite forfeit win, loses Maykel Galindo to injury

October 31, 2015 by Dennis Pope

San Nicolas FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) may have earned a berth in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup open division qualifying tournament next month, but the Chino (Calif.)-based club will likely have to play without its best player for the foreseeable future.

Maykel Galindo, a former Cuban international and MLS stalwart with the now-defunct Chivas USA, was injured early in the first half in an exhibition game against Corinthians USA Academy on Saturday night.

“He’s been with us since he left MLS (and) he’s a very good, talented player,” San Nicolas head coach Juan Hernandez said. “He probably is going to be out for the next game.”

The clubs, scheduled to face off in a US Open Cup opening round qualifier at Rialto High School, played what amounted to a friendly after Corinthians – a first-time tournament entrant — failed to register enough players and were forced to forfeit.

“We only had 10 players register and only six players here tonight,” Corinthians representative Paolo Campos said. “The coach is registered but he’s injured, and we had three players go to Brazil in the last few weeks.”

Galindo took a knock on his right ankle and was substituted for in the 24th minute. His knock quickly swelled to a large lump on the outside of his ankle and he soon changed into street clothes, limping away from the field in the second half.

“We need to keep an eye on him and see if anything needs to be done to get back on the field,” Hernandez said.

San Nicholas moves on to play Real Sociedad inner on Nov. 22.

“We had four starters missing but the will be back for November,” Hernandez said. “We expect an even tougher game.”

Amilcar Lopez scored on a penalty in the 49th minute, and Christian Alvarado added another goal as San Nicolas led, 2-0, over Corinthians before the lights at Rialto High’s stadium shut off abruptly in the 82nd minute. The match was abandoned by the referee.

“We had great expectation for this game but the problems regard timing, registration, made this a difficult moment,” Corinthians coach Robert Almeida said through Campos, who was interpreting.

“Big frustration, big frustration,” Almeida said in English.

2015 US Open Cup: Michael Salazar of PSA Elite narrowly voted TheCup.us Lower Division Player of Tournament

October 21, 2015 by Dennis Pope

Michael Salazar of PSA Elite celebrates his goal against the LA Galaxy during the 2015 US Open Cup. Photo: PSA Elite

Michael Salazar practiced little but perfected a lot in earning TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament honors after helping lead the Irvine (Calif.) amateur club PSA Elite (USASA) to its second consecutive appearance in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fourth round.

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

Salazar had three goals in four games, and finished tied for the tournament lead with four assists despite spending little time with the team aside the 90 minutes in between the lines.

“I thought PSA gave me a great opportunity to showcase my talent, and Jon (Spencer), Alex (Lujan) and all the guys that have been a part of it, they believe in me,” said Salazar, who narrowly edged Chula Vista FC’s Alberto Diaz for the award by two first-place votes. Also receiving strong consideration was Leo Fernandes of the New York Cosmos (NASL) and Alex Martinez of the Charlotte Independence (USL).

Salazar, already a full national team player for Belize after appearing in four games at the 2013 Gold Cup, is currently playing his senior season at UC Riverside and intends to enter the Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

“He already had the experience of playing big matches in front of big crowds (but) we’ve been able to see him bloom into a top-level talent,” PSA Elite president Alex Lujan said. “I actually expected him to be our leading scorer but he also led us in assists, so to have a player who is so fast, strong, creative and quick was phenomenal to have.”

Michael Salazar of PSA Elite celebrates one of the team's seven goals in a 7-1 win over the Golden State Misioneros in the First Round of the 2015 US Open Cup. Photo: PSA Elite — Michael Salazar of PSA Elite celebrates one of the team’s seven goals in a 7-1 win over the Golden State Misioneros in the First Round of the 2015 US Open Cup. Photo: PSA Elite

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound forward/winger had a goal and two assists as PSA Elite defeated Golden State Misioneros (PDL), 7-1, the first round. He then added another goal and an assist in a 2-1 upset win over the USL’s Orange County Blues in Round 2. He assisted on the game-winner in a 2-1 win over Ventura County Fusion (PDL) in the third round, which earned the club a date with defending MLS champion LA Galaxy.

“Mike brings energy to the field. He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s aggressive (and) he has a really good soccer mentality,” said Jon Spencer, PSA Elite’s head coach and technical director. “He simply comes to play his best every game. He’s been very reliable in that regard.”

Salazar saved his best goal for last, scoring the opening goal against the Galaxy but PSA Elite went on to lose that game, 6-1.

Despite the loss, the performance earned him a trial with Galaxy.

“They wanted me to be successful and put me in the best position. I felt like in every game I contributed and I did the best I could,” Salazar said. “(The Galaxy game) was a huge moment for me. Growing up as a kid I always admired the Galaxy and to score against them was a dream for me, and I hope it’s the start of something special.”

Past TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament winners

2015: Michael Salazar, PSA Elite (USASA)
2014: Scott Goodwin, Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
2013: Ty Shipalane, Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
2012: Danny Barrera, Cal FC (USASA)

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Real Salt Lake spoils Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy debut with late winner (video)

July 14, 2015 by Dennis Pope

Real Salt Lake celebrate Aaron Maund's game-winning goal in the 87th minute against the LA Galaxy. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika — Real Salt Lake celebrate Aaron Maund’s game-winning goal in the 87th minute against the LA Galaxy. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika

Aaron Maund scored his first professional goal as Real Salt Lake continued its 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run with a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

Maund’s header from Luke Mulholland’s cross in the 87th minute caught Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe off balance, and RSL keeper Jeff Attinella finished with four saves and a clean sheet to preserve the result.

“I don’t think a lot of people outside this locker room thought we were going to win this game tonight – and we did,” Attinella told Chris Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune.

The victory advances RSL to the Semifinals where the club will play the winner of next week’s Houston Dynamo-Sporting Kansas City match. The date of the match is expected to be Aug. 11 or 12. It’s the second appearance in the Open Cup Semifinals in the last three seasons for Real Salt Lake, who were runners-up in 2013.

“That game could have gone either way,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “Credit to them; They’re the ones that finished it off.”

Maund’s goal culminated heaping pressure from RSL, which produced 10 corner kicks – three in a span of less than two minutes – and controlled possession for long stretches.

“(Luke) puts a perfect ball in there, just got get my head on it, so credit to Luke,” Maund told Kamrani. “I get in good spots, but I’m heading it up. Finally I was able to get my head down and get it on target.”

Steven Gerrard made his LA Galaxy debut in the US Open Cup against Real Salt Lake in the Quarterfinals. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika

L.A.’s newest Designated Player, Steven Gerrard, came on to start the second half and had a one-on-one opportunity against Attinella in the 55th minute which RSL’s reserve keeper pushed aside.

“I’m going to save the YouTube clip, probably,” Attinella said.

Attinella, starting while Nick Rimando is away on international duty at the Gold Cup, was otherwise rarely tested.

“It’s always tough when you lose on the road, especially towards the end of the game,” said Gerrard. “We had some good chances to at least take the game to extra time.

“I’m strangely very happy at the moment,” he added. “It gave me a flavor of the MLS standard tonight. I’m very confident that the goals and the assists and the dangerous play will come to me in the future.”

Part of the challenge for the England international is trying to get match fit and playing a game at roughly 4,500 feet.

“I think always when you play at altidude when you have your first couple of strides or sprints, you feel it in your throat, and you feel it in your lungs. As soon as I got my second wind, I was fine,” said Gerrard. “I felt really dangerous. I felt like when I came in and played behind Robbie (Keane) we were creating chances, but unfortunately we never took one.”

Combined with his exhibition debut against Club America, Gerrard has had four shots on goal but has yet to score in over 90-plus minutes in the Galaxy’s previous two games but has yet to produce his first goal or assist.

The Galaxy, last season’s Major League Soccer champions, were eliminated from the Open Cup with a shutout for the third year in a row. The road has not been kind to the Galaxy either with Los Angeles getting eliminated from the tournament away from home eight straight years. They are still seeking their first Open Cup title since 2005.

RSL advance to the final four where they are seeking to become the first Utah-based club to ever win the US Open Cup.

AARON MAUND’S GAME-WINNER FOR RSL
POSTGAME: STEVEN GERRARD

POSTGAME: LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY AT REAL SALT LAKE

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: PSA Elite upset USL side for 2nd straight year, beating Orange County Blues

May 23, 2015 by Dennis Pope

Michael Salazar scored and had an assist, and Orange County-based amateur club PSA Elite of USASA withstood a late barrage to hang on for a 2-1 victory over the USL’s Orange County Blues FC at University High School.

It’s the second consecutive multi-point performance for Salazar, who had one goal and two assists in PSA Elite’s 7-1 First Round victory.

“We got the goals like we should have,” PSA Elite coach John Spencer said. “Two goals in the Open Cup when you’re playing a pro team isn’t easy.”

PSA Elite secured its second consecutive trip the US Open Cup Third Round with the victory.
“I don’t think we’re going to be a secret to anybody now,” Spencer said.

O.C. Blues had the best early chances but could not find a finishing touch. Amani Walker twice had shot attempts in the first five minutes, and Christofer Ramirez sent a 25-yard free kick just over the bar seven minutes later.

PSA Elite went on the counterattack in the 19th minute. Michael Sperber collected the ball near midfield and sprayed it to Will Lopez making a right-sided run. Lopez crossed the ball back across the face of the goal to Salazar, whose header hit the inside of the near post on its way in.

PSA Elite went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, and after again absorbing pressure early in the second half, went up 2-0 on Mats Bjurman’s second goal of the tournament.

“ slipped it past the defender and I was clear through,” said Bjurman, who plays collegiate soccer at UC Irvine. “This is the level we know we can play at.”

PSA Elite made some changes to its defense before the game, with Jamal Wallace and Mitchell Bell starting at right and left back, respectively, in place of injured wings Robert Amick and Chance Gasper. Wallace forced the team to play down a man after he was sent off in the 82nd minute for a poorly-timed tackle.

“The red card is unfortunately but if you had told us we’d be up 2-0 I think anybody in the world would tell us we’re in great position,” Spencer said.

O.C. Blues forward Tyler Feeley was brought on late in the game and produced a 90th-minute goal off a long throw from Jimmy Turner to make it 2-1, but PSA Elite goalkeeper Wade Hamilton kept his team out of any other danger.

“That was a of a throw,” Hamilton said. “He threw it from the far side all the way to the other side of the . We weren’t expecting that.”

Four minutes of additional time expired without another shot on goal.

O.C. Blues head coach Oliver Wyss declined to comment after the game.

“They’re pros they should beat us every week,” Spencer said. “For tonight, we’re the best team in Irvine. That’s good. We can be proud of that.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: PSA Elite crushes Golden State Misioneros to cruise into Round 2

May 17, 2015 by Dennis Pope

PSA Elite celebrate one of their seven goals in a 7-1 win over the Golden State Misioneros in the First Round of the 2015 US Open Cup. Photo: PSA Elite

Norberto Orejel made the most of his Lamar Hunt US Open Cup debut, scoring two goals in the first half as PSA Elite defeated Golden State Misioneros FC, 7-1, in a first round game at Weingart Stadium on the campus of East Los Angeles College.

Orejel scored twice in an 11-minute span to help PSA Elite build an unassailable 4-1 lead at the break.

“I haven’t played with (PSA Elite) a lot but I felt like I knew them. I was really comfortable,” Orejel said.

PSA Elite, which lost to Seattle Sounders the U.S. Open Cup third round game last year, will now play host to OC Blues in a second round game on Wednesday, May 20.

“It’ll be a good experience and a different experience as well,” Orejel said.

Mats Bjurman’s right-footed blast to the far post opened the scoring in the third minute as PSA Elite was rewarded for its early pressure.

Misioneros did not record a shot until the 17th minute when Paolo Cardozo’s dangerous free kick from the right side found to the head of teammate Brian Behrad but it was nodded just wide.

PSA Elite produced repeated scoring opportunities in the 23rd, 24th and 25th minutes before Orejel broke through with his first goal in the 26th minute, tucking in a through ball from Michael Salazar.

Misioneros found some offensive life in the 35th minute when Jeromy Gurule won an airborne 50-50 challenge vs. PSA Elite keeper Julio Trejo, sending Trejo to the turf and the ball into the back of the net.

Two minutes later, a flying header from Orejel off a cross from Will Lopez gave PSA Elite and 3-1 lead, and Aaron Simmons scored just before halftime for a 4-1 advantage.

PSA Elite pose for a team photo before their match against Golden Staet Misioneros. Photo: PSA Elite

“Our plan was to be organized and consistent throughout the match,” PSA Elite head coach Jon Spencer said. “We put a really good tone to it and as the game went on I think we showed a lot of patience.”

Andrew Hoxie (65’), Salazar (70’) and Kyle O’Brien (80’) each added goals in the second half for PSA Elite, who held Misioneros without a shot on goal in the second half.

“It’s a good way to start,” Salazar said. “(Misioneros) is a good side but I just feel like we had a game plan and we executed it well.”

Cardozo, a former Los Angeles Galaxy player, totaled just one shot on goal after his swerving free kick late in the first half was punched away.