Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Eric Anderson

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Chicago Fire Premier edge Madison 56ers 2-0 in afternoon replay, Sporting KC awaits in Round 3

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UPDATE: Chicago Fire Premier punched their ticket to the Third Round with a 2-0 victory over the Madison 56ers. The Fire received goals from Andrew Ribeiro in the 66th minute and Thierry Zahui just two minutes later to seal the victory. Chicago moves on to play Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday, June 28 at LiveStrong Park at 8:30 p.m. EST. We will have a full recap of the match later tonight courtesy of WisconsinSoccerCentral.com [+]

Photo: WisconsinSoccerCentral.com

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REPORT FROM TUESDAY NIGHT:

It was a strange night of soccer Tuesday at Breese Stevens Field. And in the end, not very much soccer.

The Madison 56ers and the Chicago Fire Premier played just more than 17 minutes of their Second Round US Open Cup match before the game was halted by lightning with the Fire ahead 1-0.

A little more than 2 hours later, officials postponed the match, which will be replayed in its entirety at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Breese Stevens. The 56ers announced that admission will be free.

“It’s a little weird. (Stuff) happens,” 56ers coach Jim Launder said.

“It’s good and bad. It’s a replay, so we just erase the goal and start over. It’s not good because we lost a huge fan night … It’s not good because we’ll play in a dead stadium tomorrow, because nobody will be here at 4 p.m. And it’s not good because I think we’re going to be missing two players, maybe three.”

The Fire certainly wanted the game to resume, having taken the early lead on Chris Estridge’s goal in the ninth minute.

Indiana midfielder Harrison Petts, who pounded a shot from 23 yards out off the corner of the crossbar and left post in the fourth minute, chipped a ball for Estridge over the 56ers’ backline and the Wake Forest midfielder calmly finished against Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette).

Estridge raced over to celebrate with about 25 members of the Fire’s Section 8 supporters group who made the trip north. They lived uo their reputation, pounding on drum, singing songs and waving massive flags.

Four minutes later, Fire forward Paulo Vaz also got in behind the 56ers’ backline, but Dillman made a sliding save on the Lynn University striker.

“Two times when we didn’t get pressure on the ball and we didn’t step back and we just let guys run in behind us,” said Launder, who added that he would re-evaluate his lineup overnight. “I wasn’t impressed with our defensive stance. All of our backs did the same thing, they all just stopped.”

Referee Margaret Domka suspended play 17 minutes, 19 seconds into the match as storms rolled into the area and lightning was spotted. Heavy rains followed, and intermittent showers and lightning persisted. All the while, the Section 8 group kept drumming and singing.

“It was a little surreal,” Fire PDL coach Mark Spooner said. “We were trying to get updates and (the officials) weren’t that forthcoming with them, so it was frustrating. But it is what is; nobody can do anything about the weather.

“The thing that I don’t like, obviously, is now you start 0-0 again for 90 minutes. I would think that there would be a better method than that in a competition like this.”

If the match had reached 45 minutes, it would have been declared a result.

However, for the game to be resumed, 20 minutes needed to pass without lightning in the area, and there still were regular flashes in the skies as the teams left the stadium. Also, the lights at Breese Stevens need to be turned off by 11 p.m. due to a local ordinance.

“They would want to get that half game in and win the game – I would, too,” Launder said. “It wasn’t going to happen.”

So for the Fire, it was yet another night spent in a hotel. They had three road matches last week and have logged more than 1,500 miles during trips to Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“It’s just one thing after another,” said Spooner, whose team requested Wednesday’s replay be moved to 4 p.m. from the scheduled 7 p.m. start time to help them get back to Chicago earlier with a PDL match Friday.

“You know, though, it’s good for their development. This whole program is designed around them becoming pros, and this is part of it. We have to react now to it and see where we can go.”

Speaking late Tuesday night, Spooner said when they got to the hotel, there weren’t enough rooms.

“What a fun night,” he deadpanned.

2011 US Open Cup First Round: Madison 56ers roll past AAC Eagles 4-0 in Pro Era debut

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The Madison 56ers stormed into the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, scoring four goals in a late 14-minute span in the second half to power past Chicago’s AAC Eagles in a first round match in front of 702 fans Tuesday night at Breese Stevens Field.

Tenzin Rampa (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee) opened the scoring in the 67th minute for the 56ers, Jed Hohlbein (Middleton/UW) found the back of the net twice in four minutes and Marquette’s Adam Lysak (Milton) finished things off as the 56ers won their first Open Cup match since 1991.

Madison (5-1-3 overall) advances to play the Chicago Fire Premier, the Premier Development League team for the Major League Soccer club, in a second round match next Tuesday at Breese Stevens. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Second round winners will face MLS teams in the third round June 28.

Based on the first round winners and the tournament rule that requires teams from the same club – such as the Fire – to be separated in the bracket, it appears the most likely potential MLS opponents for the winner of the 56ers-Fire Premier match are Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake. The U.S. Soccer Federation is expected to announce the third round prospective matches this week.

The trio of target striker Hohlbein and outside midfielders Lysak and Rampa wore down AAC Eagles backline in the second half Tuesday night, with Rampa finally getting the breakthrough. The Milwaukee Wave player, who had his amateur status reinstated to join the team, zipped a left-footed shot past Eagles goalkeeper Marek Los to help make his return to the 56ers a success.

Player-assistant coach Henry Aiyenero helped create Hohlbein’s first goal, hustling forward from his central midfield position to win the ball back after losing it. He found Hohlbein, who worked his way around three defenders to the left side of the box and slipped a shot past Los to make it 2-0.

Lysak and Hohlbein finished things off in the 76th and 81st minutes with each scoring on a give-and-go sequence involving the other. University of Wisconsin keeper Max Jentsch (Hartland Arrowhead) made two saves for the clean sheet, but was hardly tested by AAC Eagles.

RECAP: Madison.com

Madison 56ers 0 4 —
 4
AAC Eagles 0 0 —
 0

Madison 56ers – Tenzin Rampa (Keenan Newallo) 67
Madison 56ers – Jed Hohlbein (Henry Aiyenero) 72
Madison 56ers – Jed Hohlbein (Adam Lysak) 76
Madison 56ers – Adam Lysak (Jed Hohlbein) 81

MADISON 56ERS: Max Jentsch; Carl Schneider, Colin Mani, Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, Aaron Nichols; Henry Aiyenero, Keenan Newallo (David Kommavang 82); Adam Lysak, Andrew Wiedabach (Aymar Sinaise 78), Tenzin Rampa; Jed Hohlbein (Carlos McCrary 84). Substitutes not used: Kyle Dillman (GK), Keith Dangarembwa, Derek Pitts, Sam Krenzien.

AAC EAGLES: Marek Los; Miroslaw Modzelewski, Piotr Kolasinski, Derek Szewczyk, Marcin Simson; Mariusz Napiorkowski, Pawel Otachel (Eric Cervantes 71), Jacek Lechowski (Sebastian Skital 76), Marek Golik (Adrian Skital 65); Matt Kochanowski, Jakub Piotrawski. Substitutes not used: Piotr Sliwa (GK), Marcin Pieniazek, Peter Bielecki, Rafal Zalewski.

Saves: M (Jentsch) 2, AAC (Los) 7. Shots: M 15, AAC 6. Fouls: M 17, AAC 11. Corner kicks: M 5, AAC 3. Offsides: M 5, AAC 1. Discipline: M – Mani (caution-foul, 17), Wiedabach (caution-unsporting conduct, 59); AAC – Lechowski (caution-unsporting conduct, 59). Att.: 702.

Eric Anderson is the senior editor of WisconsinSoccerCentral.com. Follow him on Twitter @WisconsinSoccer.

2011 Meet the USASA: Iowa Menace, the PDL team “in disguise”

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Welcome to our continuing series of Meet the USASA features where we annually profile the clubs representing the United States Adult Soccer Association in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Advancing from the four regional tournaments, these often unknown clubs have great stories to tell and each year, our goal is to allow fans to get to know them as they attempt to become this year’s Cinderella story. Click here for more Meet the USASA stories.

Perhaps this would be better called “Meet the PDL.”

Technically, the Iowa Menace will play the Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) on Tuesday night in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

But make no mistake, this is the Des Moines Menace of the PDL.

“We’re in disguise for this game,” Menace coach Laurie Calloway joked.

The Menace have entered the Iowa Menace in the US Adult Soccer Association Region II tournament the past five years. Typically, the team consists of local junior college players, as most of the Menace’s PDL players usually are still in college when the Region II tournament starts in early May.

This year, though, the team had seven PDL-caliber players and routed KC Athletics 7-1 in its regional opener.

“It’s the strongest USASA side we’ve put out,” Calloway said.

In the unique format used for the Region II tournament, that one lopsided win was enough for the Menace to earn an Open Cup berth. The team with the best goal differential out of the three first-round matches earned one of the region’s two bids, while the other two winners played off for the other spot.

Calloway said the Menace weren’t aware of the format until reserve team coach Brandon Ermels read about it online during the trip to Kansas City.

“The bizarre thing was when we found out they showed up with 10 players, we were rubbing our hands and going ‘Wow, this is great,’ ” said Calloway, who added that he changed up his tactics when he learned about the goal-differential format.

“We had a plan, they played a very much bunker-down type of game and we couldn’t score. And then in the 35th minute, they got a goal to make it 1-0.”

Menace midfielder John Sosa helped set up all the goals as the Menace scored three times in the final three minutes of the first half, and Iowa went on to the convincing win. During their trip back to Des Moines, they learned their plus-6 goal differential was just enough to earn the Open Cup berth, thanks to an 83rd-minute goal scored by FC Indiana in its 7-2 loss to Chicago’s AAC Eagles.

With the USASA spot secured, Calloway and the Menace turned their attention to earning another Open Cup berth through PDL qualifying. The club would have had a second entry had Des Moines beaten the Kansas City Brass on May 23, but the Brass’ 2-1 win meant the Menace had to settle for one berth.

Iowa Menace (vs. KC Athletics) - 2011 Region II quarterfinals
With a 7-1 win over Kansas City (+6 goal difference), the Iowa Menace qualified for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Photo: Sodagraphics.blogspot.com

“The owners have always wanted to try to do well in the Open Cup,” said Calloway, an Englishman who has coached at every level of US soccer in a career that started in the late 1970s. “Even though at the end of the day if we got to the Semifinals (Aug. 30), we probably wouldn’t even be able to field a team because all the kids will have gone back to school.”

This is the Menace’s sixth appearance in the Open Cup and second in a row — they dropped a 1-0 decision in the first round to AC St. Louis of the USSF Division-2 Pro League, a team and league that no longer exist.

Their best runs came in 2005 and ’06, when they advanced to the Fourth Round before bowing out to Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards.

“Obviously, if you can go and meet an MLS club in the last 16, it brings a tremendous amount of excitement, especially if you can draw them at home,” Calloway said.

The Menace will be at home for Tuesday’s match, and also would play host to a second-round game against the AAC Eagles or Madison 56ers in the second round should they advance.

After the challenging road trip they’ve just come back from, the Menace will be thrilled to be back at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Des Moines played four PDL matches in five days last week, the first two on consecutive nights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and then two more back-to-back games 438 miles away in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

That was followed by a 14-hour drive home.

“If you could think of a worse preparation (for the Open Cup match) … it’s probably hard to find something worse,” said Calloway, whose team will play at least seven consecutive home matches starting Tuesday.

The Menace won both games in Winnipeg and lost both in Thunder Bay to fall to 6-3-0 on the season. But five Des Moines players didn’t make the trip north of the border because of visa concerns, and four of them will be back in the mix Tuesday.

That includes three of the Menace’s top players: forward Deshorn Brown, midfielder Lebogang Moloto and right back Jubril Lawal.

Brown, a Jamaican who plays at NAIA powerhouse Mobile (Ala.), is Des Moines’ leading scorer with six goals in five games. Moloto, an 18-year-old South African who plays for Lindsey Wilson (Kent.), another NAIA powerhouse, has “lightning feet and lightning speed. He’s a winger, a tremendous creator of opportunities, a scorer and creator,” according to Calloway. Lawal is a 17-year-old from Nigeria who showcases his speed with overlapping runs into the attack.

“They’ve got tremendous futures if they stay on the right path,” said Calloway, whose team is second place in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.

“We’ll be hopefully a totally different looking team on Tuesday night.”

Sosa has continued the good form he started in the Region II tournament, leading the team with seven assists in PDL play. The former Missouri-Kansas City player teams with his longtime teammate Bryan Perez in the midfield to make things go for the Menace.

“Probably our most influential player so far this season has been John Sosa. He’s our playmaker, No. 10, extremely creative,” Calloway said.

“(He and Perez) played together at UMKC. It’s almost like they’re Siamese twins, they’re joined at the hip, they know each other’s moves. They sort of orchestrate things together. It’s a nice combination.”

While there aren’t two Menace teams playing in the Open Cup on Tuesday night, there will be two sides playing on June 18.

The PDL team is playing host to the Kansas City Brass, while the USASA team plays AAC Eagles in the Region II final in Overland Park, Kan. The winner of the regional tournament advances to nationals July 15 to 17 in Bowling Green, Kent. — the Menace don’t have any PDL matches that weekend.

“We’re going to be like Barcelona: We’re going to try to win five trophies,” Calloway said with a laugh.

Madison 56ers awarded NPSL Midwest US Open Cup spot

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Madison 56ersJim Launder has always wanted the Madison 56ers to play in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, giving his National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) team a shot at playing against a professional side.

So after the 56ers won the NPSL Midwest Region title last year, they started making plans to play in this spring’s USASA Region II Open Cup tournament.

That included putting together a roster of players who would be available for the early rounds of the tournament – many of the 56ers’ players are college athletes and aren’t allowed to start playing with the team until mid-May due to NCAA regulations.

But in February, the US Soccer Federation announced that the NPSL would receive four berths into the US Open Cup, and the league in turn revealed that each of its four regions would be allocated one spot.

While the league’s other three regions have recently unveiled a qualifying format, the Midwest Region opted to award its Open Cup berth to the 56ers as the 2010 champion.

“It’s pretty cool that we’re going right in,” Launder said, “but I wish I hadn’t done all the work to put this whole team together and now have to tell the guys, ‘Just kidding.’

“But this is better, and in the long run it’s a good thing to have (the automatic berths).”

56ers general manager Charles Billings, a member of the NPSL Board who handles much of the organization for the Midwest Region, said none of the other six Midwest teams expressed interest in a qualifying tournament.

Perhaps one reason the teams didn’t want to add qualifying was that by the time the U.S. Soccer announcement was made, the regional schedule already had been set and would have had to be redone.

The 56ers have made four previous appearances in the Open Cup, all before the Professional Era (1995-present). They fell in the Region II semifinals from 1988 to ’90, and were ousted by Illinois’ RWB Adria 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 4-4 tie in the 1991 quarterfinals.

Launder coached the team – then known as the Princeton-56ers – in the USASA Region II tournament in 2007 and ’08, falling to Michigan’s Detroit United 2-1 in the first round in 2007 and 2-0 to RWB Adria in the semifinals the next year. Region II has traditionally awarded the NPSL Midwest champion an automatic spot in its tournament the following year.

The roster Launder put together for the anticipated Region II tournament was a combination of 56ers players who are not in college, some of the team’s standouts from recent years and other current and former pro players.

2010 US Open Cup Second Round: Marosevic sparks Aztex past Sahuaros (Video)

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Talk about the rich getting richer.

Peri Marosevic, on loan from Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, recorded the second hat trick in team history – and second in just four days – as the Austin Aztex knocked off the Arizona Sahuaros 3-1 in a second-round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night in Austin, Texas. (Video highlights below)

Austin advanced to the third round of the tournament for the second straight year, and will play MLS club Chivas USA in the third round next Tuesday night in Fullerton, Calif. Last season, the Aztex lost to the Houston Dynamo of the MLS in the third round.

The 21-year-old Marosevic, a U.S. youth international, was making his second appearance and first start adding to an already-impressive attack for the Aztex, who lead the USSF Division-2 Pro League in goals scored and goal differential.

Sahuaros goalkeeper Brad Swenby started the match the same way he ended the amateur side’s first-round game: By saving a penalty kick.

Swenby turned aside Michael Callahan’s shot from the spot in the 10th minute after Stephan Campbell was taken down in the box – last Tuesday, Swenby made a big stop in a penalty kick shootout after Arizona tied the Ventura County Fusion of the USL Premier Development League.

The veteran keeper also made a nice save on a drive by Marosevic, but the former University of Michigan standout broke through in the 35th. Callahan slipped a pass to Marosevic on the left side, and he slotted a left-footed past Swenby for the 1-0 lead.

The Sahuaros, the only one of nine U.S. Adult Soccer Association teams to advance out of the first round, equalized when second-half substitute Kevin Cornwall ran on to a long ball from Alex Lopez and scored against Austin keeper Sean Kelley in the 55th.

But that came on Arizona’s lone shot of the second half – the Sahuaros also had but one in the first 45 minutes – and Marosevic put the Aztex ahead for good with 10 minutes to go. He collected a pass from Sullivan Silva and again went in down the left side before zipping a right-footed shot past Swenby.

Marosevic capped his hat trick in stoppage time, when Silva rounded Swenby on the side and crossed the ball back for him to finish in front. Maxwell Griffin posted Austin’s first hat trick Saturday in a 3-1 league victory over Miami FC.

Lineups
AUS: GK Kelley, D Allen, D Bernard, D Brill, D Worthen, M Silva, M Callahan, M Caicedo (Alvarez 73), M Campbell (Watson 61), F Marosevic, F McFayden (M. Griffin 72).
ARI: GK Swenby, D Parson (Cornwall 46), D DeLeon (Blase 52), D Duhaney, D B. Green, M C. Green, M Hampton, M Lopez, M Sleniker, F Thames (Auditore 62), F Garcia.
Scoring Summary
AUS: Marosevic (Callahan), 35
ARI: Cornwall (Lopez), 55
AUS: Marosevic (Silva), 80
AUS: Marosevic (Silva), 90+
Misconduct Summary
AUS: Marosevic (caution/foul), 31
ARI: Thames (caution/dissent), 65
ARI: Blase (caution/foul), 85
AUS: Callahan (caution/delaying a restart), 88
ARI: Hampton (caution/foul), 89
Match Statistics
Shots: Austin 20, Arizona 2. Saves: Austin (Kelley) 0, Arizona (Swenby 4). Fouls: Austin 15, Arizona 10. Corner kicks: Austin 7, Arizona 0.

2010 Meet the USASA: CASL Elite

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What started as a team designed to provide quality training competition for top-level club boys teams has turned into a pretty competitive side in its own right.

CASL Elite will make its debut in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night, as the team based in Raleigh, N.C., hits the road to play the Charleston Battery of the USL Second Division in a first-round match.

The team was put together to train and play against the upper level Capital Area Soccer League youth teams, including the club’s CASL Chelsea teams that play in the US Soccer Federation Development Academy.

But with a wealth of talent in the area, it became clear that CASL Elite – using the same name as the club’s former USL Premier Development League side – could be beneficial for everyone involved. The youth teams get tough opposition, while CASL Elite players get the chance to continue to play at a high level.

“It was a dual purpose,” CASL Elite player-manager Scott McGuinn said of the reasons behind starting the team, which is in its first season and is made up of predominantly former CASL and USL players.

There are at least six former professionals on the roster, five of whom were active as pros last year: goalkeeper Chris McClellan (Wilmington/USL-2), defenders Evan Brown (Seattle/MLS) and Tim Merritt (Miami FC/USL-1), midfielder Steven Curfman (Wilmington/USL-2) and forward Jacob Coggins (Charlotte/USL-2).

CASL Elite’s other ex-pro will have the most impressive resume of anyone on the field Tuesday.

Scott Schweitzer won three championships and an Open Cup title during his seven-year career with the Rochester Rhinos, and was an all-league selection four times. A two-time league defender of the year, he retired in 2005 and started his coaching career with Raleigh Elite PDL – the successor to the original CASL Elite team – before coaching the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division in 2007 and ’08.

The 38-year-old is an integral part of the CASL Elite team that went unbeaten to win the US Adult Soccer Association Region III tournament over Memorial Day weekend.

“He is our leader,” McGuinn said of Schweitzer, who also played two years in the French Third Division and eight seasons of professional indoor soccer. “His experience from participating in all of the prior Open Cup and professional matches truly carries a long way through our players and the way we approach the game.

“Whether it’s in training or on the sidelines, his approach is the same: Keep us organized and disciplined.”

That was key in the Region III final against Legends FC of North Texas.

Both teams already had secured Open Cup berths, but a spot in the USASA national semifinals was on the line. CASL Elite traveled with only 15 players for the tournament and one was suspended for the final because of a red card.

“We knew in the final we needed to be organized and disciplined – only to counter and get forward when we needed to,” McGuinn said. “Being that we have several players that are comfortable in many positions, it also allowed us to play players in spots where their ‘fresher’ legs would help.

“The gameplan worked to perfection. (Legends FC) tried to play fast and direct when they had the ball. We just kept it, made them chase and get really frustrated.”

Curfman, who spent 2007 with Real Salt Lake in MLS and 2008 with the RailHawks, scored the game’s lone goal for CASL Elite on a half-volley.

The team will make the four-hour trip south to South Carolina for a “Carolina Derby” against the Battery on Tuesday.

But a victory combined with a win by the RailHawks over the Charlotte Eagles would set up a “Raleigh Derby” against the RailHawks in the second round June 22.

“We want to be able to play and compete against the best competition available to us,” McGuinn said. “As far as the RailHawks, we think everyone on the team would want this one. It would be a tremendous opportunity for our community to come watch this potential matchup. There’s so many current and former ties between the two organizations.”

USSF unveils 2010 US Open Cup format

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The US Soccer Federation announced the dates and format for the 97th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, with the tournament following the same setup as recent years – with one interesting exception.

Once again, 40 teams will take aim at being the team to lift the Dewar Challenge Trophy and claim the $100,000 winner’s prize in the final Oct. 5.

However, there will be 17 amateur sides in the first round, one more than has been the case the past few years. The extra spot is available because the USL Second Division includes only six teams this season, rather than seven.

The USL Premier Development League and the US Adult Soccer Association each will continue to have eight berths each, which leaves the total number of teams at 39, one short of the necessary 40. To bring the number to a nice even number, an additional amateur play-in game was added between two California clubs, the Sonoma County Sol and PSA Los Gatos Storm.

The Storm contacted TheCup.us on April 8 asking about how to join the tournament. After passing along the necessary information, most of which was found in the “How to join the US Open Cup” article (found HERE), after some obstacles, they eventually got in touch with the right people and filled out the required paperwork.

The PSA Los Gatos Storm are the first US Club Soccer team to enter US Open Cup qualifying

The Storm became the first team from US Club Soccer to ever enter in Open Cup qualifying, which is surprising because they are directly affiliated with the US Soccer Federation (a minimum requirement for participating in the tournament). Even though they are a part of the USSF, there is not a procedure in place for them to qualify. Since the USASA and US Club Soccer are essentially competitors, it doesn’t make sense for them to join the Region IV tournament, and since there are no other clubs of their kind to compete against, how else would they get in?

“This situation kind of fell into place for us, and it’s great that it all worked out,” said Neil Buethe, the director of communications for US Soccer. “Hopefully this will encourage more US Club Soccer teams to compete in the future.” Buethe also said that if more US Club teams express interest in competing, then the format for qualifying and the tournament in general would likely have to be re-evaluated and tweaked.

The Open Cup committee decided to reward last year’s NPSL champions (Sonoma County) with a one-game qualifying process against the one team that was in qualifying limbo.

The Sol have qualified for the Open Cup three times in the last five years through USASA Region IV, advancing to the second round of the Open Cup in 2006 and again last year. The Storm plan to join the PDL next year, are playing in the NorCal Premier League this season and their roster includes former NPSL players and two former Major League Soccer players (Stephen Wondolowski, Nick Hatzke).

Thirty-two teams will kick off the tournament June 15 with first-round matches, with all nine US teams in the USSF Division-2 Pro League joining the six USL-2 sides and the 17 amateur teams.

The eight Major League Soccer teams, including defending champion Seattle Sounders FC, again will enter the fray in the third round June 29. An MLS side has won the Open Cup all but one year since the league started in 1996 – the lone exception was the Rochester Raging Rhinos, who won in 1999.

A $50,000 prize will be awarded to the tournament runner-up, while the teams that advance the furthest from each level (USSF D-2, USL-2 and amateur) will receive $10,000 apiece.

Schedule
May 31: Qualifying deadline
June 15: First round – 32 lower-division teams (USSF D-2, USL-2, amateur)
June 22: Second round – 16 first-round winners
June 29: Third round – Eight second-round winners plus eight MLS teams
July 6 or 7: Quarterfinals – Third-round winners
Aug. 31 or Sept. 1: Semifinals – Quarterfinal winners
Oct. 5: Final – Semifinal winners

Number of participating teams (by division):
8 – Major League Soccer (Division I)
9 – USSF Division-2 Pro League (Division II)
6 – United Soccer Leagues Second Division (Division III)
8 – USL Premier Development League (Amateur)
8.5 – US Adult Soccer Association (Amateur)

0.5 – US Club Soccer (Amateur)

2010 US Open Cup entries

Major League Soccer

Automatic qualifiers:
Chicago Fire
Chivas USA
Columbus Crew
Houston Dynamo
Los Angeles Galaxy
 Seattle Sounders

Qualifying winners:
New York Red Bulls

Win & You’re In: Real Salt Lake at DC United – June 2, 7:30 p.m. – RFK Stadium (Washington D.C.)

Premier Development League

Check out the up-to-date qualifying standings here

Great Lakes Division – Dayton Dutch Lions
Heartland Division – Des Moines Menace
Mid-Atlantic Division – Reading United AC
Northeast Division – Long Island Rough Riders
Mid-South Division – DFW Tornados
Southeast Division – Central Florida Kraze
Northwest Division – Kitsap Pumas
Southwest Division – Ventura County Fusion

USASA

USASA Region I – Brooklyn Italians, NY Pancyprian Freedoms
USASA Region II – Detroit United, KC Athletics
USASA Region III – CASL Elite, Legends FC
USASA Region IV – Arizona Sahuaros, Bay Area Ambassadors

Play-in Game

Sonoma County Sol (NPSL)

US Open Cup qualifying: Wells Thompson brace gives Rapids qualifying win over Wizards (Video)

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In 74 career Major League Soccer matches, Wells Thompson has scored two goals.

But on Tuesday night, the midfielder continued his successful scoring record in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, scoring twice to lead the Colorado Rapids to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Kansas City Wizards in an MLS play-in game at Stanley H. Durwood Stadium on the campus of the University of Kansas City-Missouri.

Thompson, who scored the game-winning goal in the 2007 Open Cup final for the New England Revolution, found the back of the net in the 24th and 80th minutes to offset Teal Bunbury’s first professional goal in the 4th minute for Kansas City.

1,226 fans turned out to see the Wizards take on the Rapids in US Open Cup qualifying at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Photo: Gary Rohman

“I don’t know, I seem to score goals in the Open Cup, but not in the league,” said Thompson, whose team lost to the Wizards 1-0 three days earlier. “It’s great to contribute whenever I can contribute.”

Colorado will play for its first berth in the tournament since 2007 against either the New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union or New England. Philadelphia plays at New York in a preliminary match April 27, with the winner playing host to the Revolution on May 12 for the right to meet the Rapids for a third-round berth in the Open Cup.

Bunbury gave Kansas City a fortuitous early lead. The rookie beat three Colorado defenders on the left side and bent in a cross intended for Josh Wolff, but the ball hit the post and went in past Rapids goalkeeper Stewart Ceus.

Thompson leveled the score 20 minutes later on a corner kick by Jamie Smith. He took a touch and blasted a shot past Eric Kronberg at the near post to make it 1-1.

Argentine attacker Claudio Lopez made his debut for the Rapids, coming on for Andre Akpan in the 79th, and immediately paid dividends against his former team. He found Mehdi Ballouchy, who in turn sent Thompson into the box, and the midfielder finished past Kronberg to the lower right corner to put Colorado ahead.

“I think it’s one of the most spirited and hard-working performances I’ve seen in a long time from the Colorado Rapids,” said Colorado coach Gary Smith, whose team returns to MLS action Sunday with a home match against Toronto FC.

Ceus tipped a header by Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad over the crossbar in second-half stoppage time to preserve the victory.

Indian forward Sunil Chhetri made his first-team debut for the Wizards, playing the first half and picking up a yellow card. Chhetri becomes the first Indian player to play for a Major League Soccer team and only the third to ply his trade outside of his home country.

Scoring
KC – Teal Bunbury 1 (unassisted) 4
COL – Wells Thompson 1 (Jamie Smith 1) 24
COL – Wells Thompson 2 (Claudio Lopez) 81

Discipline
KC – Sunil Chhetri (caution, reckless tackle) 20
COL – Wells Thompson (caution, tactical foul) 32
KC – Jimmy Conrad (caution, reckless tackle) 60

Colorado Rapids – Steward Ceus, Kosuke Kimura (Drew Moor 46), Michael Holody, Scott Palguta, Danny Earls (Marvell Wynne 85), Mehdi Ballouchy, Ross LaBauex, Wells Thompson, Jamie Smith (Jeff Larentowicz 66), Quincy Amarikwa, Andre Akpan (Claudio López 79). Substitutes not used: Matt Pickens, Omar Cummings.

Kansas City Wizards – Eric Kronberg, Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad, Pablo Escobar, Korede Aiyegbusi (Michael Harrington 46), Chance Myers, Graham Zusi (Stephane Auvray 66), Craig Rocastle, Sunil Chhetri (Kei Kamara 46), Teal Bunbury, Josh Wolff (Birahim Diop 88). Alex Horwath, Davy Arnaud, Aaron Hohlbein.

Links
Sunil Chhetri makes Kansas City debut (KCWizards.com)
Thompson’s brace leads Rapids past K.C. (KCWizards.com)
Rapids defeat Kansas City 2-1 in Open Cup Qualifier (ColoradoRapids.com)
Thompson scores twice in Rapids’ 2-1 win over K.C. in U.S. Cup opener (Denver Post)
Wizards fall to Rapids in U.S. Open Cup (KansasCity.com)
VIDEO: Sunil Chhetri makes his Wizards debut

2010 MLS Open Cup qualifying bracket
2010 MLS Open Cup qualifying bracket (From MLSsoccer.com video)

USASA Region II first round draw announced, Michigan championship decided Sunday

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The draw for the USASA Region II Open Cup tournament is set, with several new teams among the eight amateur sides that will vie for two berths in the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

KC Athletics, the first entry from Kansas in at least several years, opens up at the Des Moines Menace USASA team in a first-round match May 1. The Menace have competed under a number of different names, including the Iowa Menace and the Des Moines Menace Reserves. The team is a collection of players from the Des Moines Menace Under-20s and some former PDL players.

Newcomer Fire SC ’00 is playing as the Minnesota representative, and travels to AAC Eagles, who ended RWB Adria’s three-year run as Illinois state champion. AAC Eagles, however, qualified for the 2008 Open Cup — along with Adria — after being the state runners-up. The Fire, as the name would suggest, were founded in 2000 and compete in the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League where they are the two-time defending league champions.

One interesting first-round game pits the St. Paul Twin Stars, the two-time defending National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region champions, but a first-time entry in this tournament, against 402 Academy. The Nebraska team advanced to the Open Cup last year in its first attempt, falling to the Minnesota Thunder 3-2 in the first round.

The other opener sees the Milwaukee Kickers, who ousted six-time Open Cup qualifier Bavarian SC in last fall’s Wisconsin state final, play host to the Michigan champion, Detroit United. Detroit United is scheduled to play Ann Arbor United on Sunday, April 11 at Saline High School to determine the final qualifier. Detroit United defeated Ann Arbor United 1-0 to win their first state title since 2007 and to deny Ann Arbor their second straight championship.

The winners of the two second-round matches earn spots in the Open Cup, and will play in the Region II championship June 18-20 at Gaelic Park in Chicago for a spot in the USASA national semifinals. No information was announced about the second round draw.

Saturday, May 1
(All games at 3 p.m. ET)
Detroit United (Michigan) at Milwaukee Kickers (Wisconsin)
Fire SC ’00 (Minnesota) at AAC Eagles (Illinois)
St. Paul Twin Stars (NPSL Midwest) at 402 Academy (Nebraska)
KC Athletics (Kansas) at Des Moines Menace USASA (Iowa)

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