Gerald Barnhart

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Chivas USA setting new trend with 2-1 win over LA Blues

May 30, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Having allowed an early goal to USL Pro’s LA Blues in the 11th minute, Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy marched down the field and took the game into his own hands, converting a second half penalty for the game-winner as they downed their nearby lower division foe 2-1 to reach the Fourth Round.

Despite getting numerous chances in the early going, the MLS side, which is winless in their last seven league games (0-6-1), found themselves in a hole yet again when George Davis made a great run down the right side and found a fortunate deflection on his shot 11 minutes into the contest.

Chivas USA was not able to find the equalizer until seven minutes into the second half when Carlos Alvarez and Tristan Bowen worked together to pull even. Alvarez took the ball up the middle and dished it out to Bowen on the left flank of the area before getting it back at the spot, where he spun and drove it into the lower right corner of the goal.

The winner from Kennedy came in the 62nd minute after a three minute delay in which Miller Bolanos spent on the turf after a collision between the striker and goalkeeper Aaron Perez drew the penalty.

The net minder was not done, however, as he was called upon to do his normal job, making a pair of big saves two minutes apart as the hosts fought back.

The victory marked the second consecutive year and third time in four years that the club has won it’s opening game of the tournament, changing a history that saw them eliminated in the opener four consecutive times after their 2005 debut.

Editor’s Note: Chivas USA first-year coach head coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola (Chelis) was dismissed by the club the following day and replaced by Jose Luis Real Casillas, the Sporting Development Director at Chivas Guadalajara.

Scoring Summary

LA: George Davis (unassisted) 11’
CHV: Carlos Alvarez (Tristan Bowen) 52’
CHV: Dan Kennedy (PK) 62’

Misconduct Summary

LA: Duach Jock (yellow, foul) 25’
LA: Nelson Pizarro (yellow, foul) 60’
CHV: Miller Bolaños (yellow, delaying the game) 71’
CHV: De Luna (yellow, foul) 77’
CHV: Carlos Borja (yellow, delaying the game) 90+2’

Lineups

Chivas USA: Dan Kennedy, Carlos Borja, Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez, Josue Soto (Eric Avila 22), Aaron Ponce (Gabriel Farfan 45’), Carlos Alvarez, Giovani Casillas (Jorge Villafaña 45’), Marvin Iraheta, Tristan Bowen, Miller Bolaños

Subs not used: Patrick McLain, Bonny Burling, Marky Delgado

LA Blues: Aaron Perez, Jimmy Turner, Duach Jock, Erlys Garcia, Matt Hull (Sergio Ortiz 87’), Rodrigo Lopez, Alan Russell, Nelson Pizarro, Mehishad Momeni (Juan Perez 66’), Gabriel Gonzalez (Chris Cortez 58’), George Davis

Subs not used: Steve Gonzalez, Charlie Pettys, Corey Miller, David Bakal

Referee: Daniel Radford; Referee’s Assistants: Cesar Calderon, Luis Gutierrez; Fourth Official: Charles Zuckermann

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Round 3 concludes with seven games tonight

May 29, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

The Third Round of the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup wraps up tonight with seven games involving lower division teams against Major League Soccer. Five of the seven games feature teams that had to travel over 1,000 miles. Will the extra miles make an impact?

Follow all the action on Twitter tonight either by following @USOpenCup to get score updates, or use ethe hashtag #USOC100 to read all the discussion and updates about the games and about the tournament in general.

First the important information:

2013 US Open Cup results
2013 US Open Cup bracket
2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
Player of the Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines)
The First Cup series (1913/14)
Things you should know about Round 3
Notable upsets from US Open Cup Round 3

ROUND 3 BROADCASTS
(All Times Eastern)

Chicago Fire at Charlotte Eagles (7:00)
VIDEO
Los Angeles Galaxy at Carolina RailHawks (7:15)
VIDEO
Dayton Dutch Lions at Columbus Crew (7:30)
VIDEO
Seattle Sounders at Tampa Bay Rowdies (7:30)
VIDEO
Reading United at New York Red Bulls (7:30)
VIDEO
FC Tucson at Houston Dynamo (8:30)
VIDEO
Wilmington Hammerheads at Portland Timbers (10:30)
VIDEO

#USOC100

Here is the schedule for the rest of the Third Round (All Times Eastern):

Chicago Fire (MLS) at Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro)
Winthrop University Stadium – Rock Hill, SC – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
If Charlotte wins: Road game vs. Dayton/Columbus
If Chicago wins: Home game vs. Dayton/Columbus

Charlotte: Downing the PDL’s Sounders U23s 3-0 at home last week in the Open Cup was a far easier task than what was ahead for them in league play as they headed west for a pair of games. The first came Thursday against Phoenix, who was idle Tuesday because they had lost in the previous round of the tournament. Charlotte (3-1-4) took the lead twice on goals from Christian Ramirez and Sergio Villasenor only to see the hosts answer back as all four goals in the 2-2 draw came in the first half. Two days later it was Charlotte fighting to rally after giving up the first three to LA, including an own goal opener. Jorge Herrera scored from the spot, but his second and Stefan Smith’s late goal were not enough with LA adding one more in the second half to hand Charlotte their first loss, 4-3.

Chicago: The Fire (2-7-2) ended a three-game losing streak with Quincy Amarikwa’s 84th minute equalizer at Real Salt Lake Saturday in a 1-1 draw. The team’s big news in the past week is the acquisition of Mike Magee from Los Angeles in exchange for the rights to Robbie Rogers. The Chicago native, who says he is ready to make his Fire debut in the Open Cup, had six goals this season for the Galaxy, a tally three times that of Chicago’s leading scorer Maicon Santos, who was the only one on the roster with two goals.

LA Galaxy (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park – Cary, NC – 7:15 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Home game vs. Chivas USA

RailHawks: Carolina (3-1-2) was idle over the weekend for the NASL, making their 3-1 dispatching of local PDL side Carolina Dynamo their most recent action. The off week allowed Atlanta to pass them in the standings, but the RailHawks remain the only team in the league with just one loss on the ledger.

Galaxy: The Galaxy (6-4-2) are coming off a huge 4-0 home victory over the Sounders, who were on a six-game unbeaten streak in comparison to a rough patch for the Galaxy that had seen them lost three of their last four. Robbie Keane helped set up the opening goal by defender Sean Franklin before scoring the next three himself before the intermission. The three goals put him within one of former team scoring leader Mike Magee, who was traded to Chicago late last week with six goals on the campaign in exchange for the rights to Robbie Rogers, whom the team signed and played off the bench Sunday. Rogers’ entry marked the first time an openly gay athlete played in a game within the major American sports leagues.

Seattle Sounders (MLS) at Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)
Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, FL – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Portland Timbers (MLS) or Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro)

Rowdies: After dispatching their cross-bay USL Pro foes VSI Tampa Bay 2-1 on the road last week, the Rowdies played host to Minnesota United, who they beat on the road 3-2 the previous weekend. Minnesota, however, avenged the loss by the same score in St Petersburg. Georgi Hristov did his best to prevent it with an early equalizer, and after falling behind by two he pulled them back within a goal with a second. Tampa Bay (3-2-2), however, were unable to find another equalizer in the remaining hour of the contest.

Sounders: After a horrible start to the season, the Sounders (5-4-4) are among the hottest in the league right now with a 4-1-2 record in the last seven. The team, however, is coming off a big 4-0 defeat in Los Angeles on Sunday to the Galaxy, showcasing the team’s inconsistent scoring issues. The Sounders are led by Eddie Johnson’s four goals with Lamar Neagle and Obafemi Martins each having three.

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) at Columbus Crew (MLS)
Columbus Crew Stadium – Columbus, OH – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
If Dayton wins: Home game vs. Charlotte OR Road game at Chicago
If Columbus wins: Home game vs. Charlotte OR Road game at Chicago

Dayton: The Dutch Lions (4-2-1) needed overtime to get past USASA entry Dearborn Stars, who fell apart in overtime of their Open Cup contest last week to the tune of a 4-1 result. The team then played host to pointless Antigua, picking up a 3-1 victory with goals from Joey Madigan, Eli Garner and Remco Klasse.

Columbus: After suffering just one loss in their first six (2-1-3), things have cooled off for the Crew (4-4-4), who are coming into the match on the heels of a 2-2 showdown at home with New York in which they led twice and saw a victory stolen from their grasp in stoppage time. The magic of Federico Higuain and Jairo Arrieta of a year ago has waned a bit this year with Dominic Oduro providing the leading scoring touch with six goals. Higuain is still no slouch with three goals and three assists, but defender Josh Williams also has three goals.

Reading United AC (PDL) at New York Red Bulls (MLS)
Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game vs. New England Revolution

Reading: Perfect. The PDL affiliate of the Philadelphia Union have blanked every team they have faced this year, downing Lehigh Valley of the NPSL in the First Round and stunning USL Pro Harrisburg in the Second Round to reach Wednesday night’s match against the Red Bulls. After posting previous 8-0 and 3-0 wins at home in previous weeks of league play, the club went on the road for the first time this year and were 4-0 winners against the New York Magic with first half goals from Jason Plumhoff and Patrick Slogic along with two from Dante Marini off the bench.

New York: The last seven games (5-0-2) have certainly been a huge improvement over the first eight (2-4-2) for the Red Bulls who come into the match with a 2-2 draw against Columbus in which they equalized twice through Thierry Henry and defender Jamison Olave, including in stoppage time. Henry is the leading scorer with six goals but Tim Cahill has been a major contributor with four goals and three assists. Olave has also been a big influence, chipping in four goals in addition to his primary role.

FC Tucson (PDL) at Houston Dynamo (MLS)
BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, TX – 8:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game vs. FC Dallas

Tucson: Road weariness may become an issue. After advancing in San Antonio last week via penalties (4-3) after a 2-2 draw against the NASL Scorpions, the club ventured the other direction over the weekend for a double dip in California. They fell to fellow Open Cup participant Ventura County 2-1 Saturday and played the OC Blues Strikers to a 1-1 draw Sunday. David Clemens scored in the loss and Open Cup hero Conner Bevans tallied the equalizer in the second outing, giving them a 1-1-2 league record.

Houston: A top team since the season opened, the Dynamo (6-4-3) are in a bit of a slump winless in their last three (0-2-1). Brad Davis provided the lone goal in their 1-1 draw Sunday against Houston, giving him three goals and three assists on the year. Ahead of him on the team scoring charts are Will Bruin (4g, 4a) and Giles Barnes (4g, 2a).

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) at Portland Timbers (MLS)
Jeld-Wen Field – Portland, OR – 10:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
If Hammerheads win: Road game at Seattle OR vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (Venue TBA)
If Timbers win: Road game at Seattle OR home game vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Wilmington: The struggling Hammerheads (2-7-0) got a lot of help from Austin in their 2-0 Open Cup road win against the Aztex last week. The road trip continued with a double dip in league play over the weekend in Florida where they were drubbed by league-leading Orlando 4-1 and narrowly topped 1-0 by Tampa Bay. Paul Nicholson scored the lone tally in Orlando.

Portland: Welcoming the road-weary Hammerheads will be the only team in MLS with just one loss on the campaign as the Timbers (5-1-7) enter the match not having lost since the second game of the season. Portland are returning from the east coast where they blanked DC 2-0 on goals from Rodney Wallace and Darlington Nagbe, who both join Ryan Johnson (who also has four assists) for second on the team in goals with four. Will Johnson is the team’s top scorer with five on the season. It also should be noted Diego Valeri is close behind with three goals and four assists.

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: 16 underdogs square off with MLS opponents in tournament’s most exciting round

May 28, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

The Third Round of the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup begins tonight with nine of the 16 games being played. Six of the nine games tonight will be hosted by lower division opponents looking to pull off an upset in the first night of action. Wednesday night will feature seven more games.

First the important information:

ROUND 3 BROADCASTS
(All Times Eastern)

D.C. United at Richmond Kickers (7:00)
VIDEO
San Jose Earthquakes at Charleston Battery (7:30)
VIDEO
Colorado Rapids at Orlando City SC (7:30)
VIDEO
FC Dallas at Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (7:30)
VIDEO
New England Revolution at Rochester Rhinos (7:35)
VIDEO
Ocean City Nor’easters at Philadelphia Union (7:35)
VIDEO
Des Moines Menace at Sporting KC (8:30)
VIDEO
Atlanta Silverbacks at Real Salt Lake (9:30)
VIDEO
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Blues (10:30)
VIDEO#USOC100

Here is the schedule for the Third Round (All Times Eastern):

D.C. United (MLS) at Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond, VA – 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Home game vs. Philadelphia/Ocean City

Richmond: Following their convincing 4-1 victory over the USASA entry Icon FC last week, the Kickers had a quick turnaround to league play with a Friday fixture. They handled it nicely, defeating fellow title contender Harrisburg 2-0 on goals from Nate Robinson and DC United loanee Michael Seaton. With Charlotte losing on the weekend, the Kickers are now the lone remaining unbeaten club among the three professional leagues at 5-0-3.

DC: Struggling at 1-9-2, United may be wishing they had drawn someone other than their affiliate as the Kickers are among the top clubs in the lower divisions right now, partly thanks to their loaned players. DC has not won since their second game of the season and have just two points since. Lionard Pajoy is the only player with two goals for DC, which has just six on the season. Among the goal scorers is former Kicker Dwayne De Rosario. DC fell 2-0 at home Saturday with Portland scoring once in each half.

This is the sixth all-time meeting between the 1995 US Open Cup champion Richmond Kickers and the two-time champion DC United in the tournament with DC winning four of the five. This will be a rematch from last year, a 2-1 extra time win by DC in the same stadium. The Kickers haven’t beaten United since the 2004 Fourth Round. It could be a close game as United’s last three Open Cup games have gone to extra time, and they haven’t defeated an opponent by more than two goals since 2006. D.C. is also 6-6-1 all-time away from home in the Open Cup, while they Kickers are 19-4-0 in their own stadium. Two of those home losses have been delivered by United (2005, 2012).

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL Pro)
Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, SC – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game vs. Atlanta/Real Salt Lake

Charleston: The Battery (6-2-1) were off to one of the best starts in the league, but things have gotten tight as of late with only two goals in the last four combined outings in league and Open Cup play. The good news is they have only allowed one goal in that same span. After defeating the PDL Timbers U23 side on the road in the Open Cup, the Battery played to a scoreless draw at home against the struggling Rochester Rhinos, playing the final half-hour down a man.

San Jose: The Earthquakes (3-5-6) have been surprisingly limping through the season and are in the midst of a three-game winless run coming into the match off a 1-0 loss in Dallas. League MVP Chris Wondolowski is the team leader in scoring (5 goals, 3 assists) but suspensions to other offensive leaders have cost the team dearly with second leading scorer being rookie Adam Jahn (4 goals), who has been called upon to step up in their absences.

The San Jose Earthquakes are going to make their first East Coast trip in US Open Cup play since 2000 when they visit Blackbaud Stadium tonight. Since defeating the Richmond Kickers on the road that year, they haven’t gone farther east than Milwaukee. This is also just the third time they have faced a Division III professional team in Open Cup play. The last time they did was also in 2000, when they traveled down to Modesto, Calif. to beat the Stanislaus United Cruisers of the USL’s D-3 Pro League by a score of 5-0. The Battery are tough to beat at home with a record of 19-6-3 (2-1 in PKs) at Blackbaud and have eliminated eight MLS teams in their franchise history (six in regulation, two by penalty kicks).

Colorado Rapids (MLS) at Orlando City SC (USL Pro)
Florida Citrus Bowl – Orlando, FL – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: USLnation.com
Winner gets: Road game at Sporting KC or Home game vs. Des Moines Menace

Orlando City: Coming off their 2-1 road victory over nearby PDL side Ocala Stampede, the Lions (8-1-2) were big winners on Saturday to remain atop the USL Pro table. They downed Wilmington 4-1 with goals from four different players, including leading scorers Dom Dwyer (13 goals, 1 assist) and Jamie Watson (5 goals, 1 assist).

Colorado: The Rapids are in the midst of their best run of the year with a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2). Colorado is coming off a 2-0 home victory against struggling Chivas USA in which Atiba Harris and Nathan Sturgis scored their second tallies of the year. Rookie Deshorn Brown helped set up both goals and has been one of the team’s top players this season with a pair of goals and four assists, making him the team leader in points as no other player has more than two goals. Since losing starting keeper Matt Pickens to injury, the team has been led by former USL Pro Charlotte Eagles net minder Clint Irwin who has been impressive with a 5-2-4 record and five shutouts. Irwin was instrumental in the Eagles’ surprising Open Cup run last year, and received some votes for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament.

In Orlando City’s brief existance they have made the Open Cup a priority and the performances show that. They have reached the Third Round in each of their first three seasons, but the last hurdle they have to overcome is defeating an MLS team. They have lost a pair of road games to FC Dallas in 2011 and eventual champions Sporting Kansas City in the last two years, with both games finishing with a 3-2 scoreline. This will be the first time they host an MLS team, and furthermore, according to records here at TheCup.us, it is the first time the Open Cup has been played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
The tournament has not been kind to the Rapids, however. As one of the original MLS clubs, their lone highlight was their run to the 1999 Final where they lost to the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League, Division II). Aside from that, they have never won more than one tournament game in a year. They are 9-12-0 all-time in the Open Cup and are the only MLS club with at least 10 games played with a record below .500. A lack of home games probably hasn’t helped. Out of their 21 Open Cup games in club history, they have only hosted three of them, although they are 3-0-0 in those home games.

FC Dallas (MLS) at Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
Lockhart Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, FL – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
If FC Dallas wins: Host winner of FC Tucson/Houston Dynamo
If Strikers win: Travel to Houston Dynamo OR vs. FC Tucson at venue TBA

Fort Lauderdale: The club survived a scare from the PDL’s Laredo Heat last week in the Open Cup, advancing 7-6 in penalties after a 1-1 draw at home. The Strikers (2-4-1) then traversed the continent and snared another narrow result with a 1-0 win in Edmonton on a second half penalty from Carlos Salazar.

Dallas: The leaders of the Western Conference (8-2-3) come into the match with a 1-0 victory over San Jose in which Fabian Castillo provided the winner. The team’s loss the week before, 4-2 in Seattle, was their first defeat since the second game of the season. Scoring has been a team affair with three tied with three goals and another three at two.

FC Dallas have been one of the better US Open Cup teams in MLS having won the 1997 title, and finishing runner-up in 2005 and 2007. They were one-and-done last year for only the second time in franchise history (first time since 2003) when they were stunned by Clint Irwin and the Charlotte Eagles by a score of 2-0 at FC Dallas Stadium. They are 13-1-2 (2-0 in PKs) all-time against second division teams.

The Strikers, on the other hand, have struggled in Open Cup play having never defeated an MLS team (0-3-0) and holding a 6-5-0 all-time record. This will be a challenge for the organization as this is the first time they are hosting an MLS team, as they try to get their fan base excited about the tournament. Despite being 6-1-0 at home, they team has never drawn more than 1,000 fans to an Open Cup home game. Expect that to change with FC Dallas coming to town.

New England Revolution (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro)
Sahlen’s Stadium – Rochester, NY – 7:35 p.m.
Broadcast: USLNation.com
Winner gets: Home game vs. Reading United/New York Red Bulls

Rochester: This may not be a year to expect another 1999 Open Cup run from Rochester (1-6-2). After narrowly surviving last week with a 1-0 win against GPS Portland Phoenix of the PDL, the team suffered even more injury woes on the weekend, losing two defenders as they played to a scoreless draw on the road in Charleston.

New England: In the last two weeks the Revolution have doubled their win total for the season to move to 4-4-4 on the campaign. New England comes into the contest with a 2-0 home victory against Toronto with goals from Diego Fagundez and Juan Agudelo, who joined the club from Chivas USA earlier this month and already matched his two-goal tally from the LA club giving him and Fagundez four for the year.

The Revolution are looking to get back to winning games in the US Open Cup, as they have suffered two straight one-and-done losses to the Harrisburg City Islanders in 2012 and 2009 (they did not qualify in 2010 and 2011). They won the tournament in 2007 and reached the final in 2001, but aside from those two runs, they have only won multiple games in one tournament once (2008).

Rochester’s Open Cup history is headlined by their Cinderella run to the 1999 title, but they have qualified for the tournament in every season, and have only lost their opening round game once (2001 vs. Hershey Wildcats). The Rhinos are second to only the Seattle Sounders in most wins in the Modern Professional Era with 29 and no one has upset more MLS teams (9) than Rochester. However, of those 29 regulation victories, none of them are against the Revolution (they are 3-2 in PK shootouts, one of those wins are against New England). The Rhinos try to improve on their 0-2-2 record against the Revs in Sahlen’s Stadium where they are 23-6-4 (2-2 in PKs) all-time.

Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) at Philadelphia Union (MLS)
PPL Park – Chester, PA – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game vs. Richmond/DC United

Ocean City: After knocking off the NPSL’s New York Red Bull U23 side 2-0 in the First Round and surprising the struggling USL Pro Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0 in the Second Round, the Nor’easters head into the contest with a 1-0-0 record in league play. The team was idle, though, in PDL play over the weekend.

Philadelphia: Jack McInerney has been grabbing headlines with nine goals on the season, but with nobody else contributing more than two goals, the Union (5-5-3) have been mired mid-table. McInerney scored his ninth five minutes into the weekend’s game against Montreal to pull even, but it was the Impact’s Di Vaio who stole the show with a hat-trick in the 5-3 victory.

Des Moines Menace (PDL) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Sporting Park – Kansas City, KS – 8:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
If KC wins: Home game vs. Orlando City/Colorado
If Des Moines wins: Road game vs. Orlando City/Colorado

Des Moines: It has all been ones and zeros so far this season for Des Moines. They advanced against the NPSL Madison 56ers 1-0 in the First Round and were 1-0 road victors against NASL Minnesota United last week in the Second Round. Meanwhile in league play, they opened with a 1-1 draw in Springfield, were 1-0 winners against Winnipeg and, most recently over the weekend, suffered their first loss, falling 1-0 in St Louis.

KC: The defending Open Cup champions started the season off well with one loss in their first seven before dropping three of their next four. They come into the match, though, on a three game unbeaten run (1-0-2) featuring a 1-1 draw at home against Houston Sunday in which Kei Kamara scored the equalizer midway through the second half. The goal was Kamara’s first in four appearances since returning from is loan spell with Norwich City. Claudio Bieler has been the leading scorer with six goals while Graham Zusi has been a key contributor with three goals and five assists.

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, UT – 9:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Home game vs. San Jose/Charleston

Atlanta: It was not easy, but the Silverbacks (4-2-1) survived a 3-2 road contest against nearby NPSL entry Georgia Revolution last week in the Open Cup. They celebrated the win by moving into first in the NASL with a 1-0 victory against San Antonio courtesy of an 86th minute goal from Danny Barrera, who was one of the stars for last year’s Cinderella tournament darling Cal FC before joining the Silverbacks. His Cal FC manager Eric Wynalda will be on the sideline as an assistant coach for the match in Utah.

RSL: Real Salt Lake (6-4-2) comes into the match with a 3-1-1 record in their last five and a 1-1 draw on the road against struggling Chicago in which Alvaro Saborio’s 78th minute tally was cancelled out with an equalizer six minutes from time. It was the striker’s team-leading fourth goal of the campaign with five other players on the squad sitting on two goals.

Chivas USA (MLS) at Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro)
Titan Stadium – Fullerton, CA – 10:30 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game at LA Galaxy/Carolina

LA Blues: The Blues (5-5-2) blasted usual PDL power Ventura County 5-1 in the Open Cup a week ago and took advantage of an exhausted Charlotte side in league play Saturday, beating the Eagles 4-3 in a match in which they initially led by three goals. Gifted the lead on an own goal, Chris Cortez scored the second and the winner as well as setting up the third, doubling his goal and assist tallies for the season to make him the team leader in points.

Chivas: Chivas USA started off really well with one loss in their first five games (3-1-1), but it has been a disaster since with one point in eight games and are now 3-7-2. The LA club is coming off a 2-0 loss in Colorado, adding to their current four-game losing streak that has seen an aggregate scoreline of 13-1 since their 2-2 draw against San Jose a month ago. Juan Agudelo, who was traded to New England May 7, is still the only player to have scored more than once in a Chivas USA uniform this season.

#USOC100

Pairings for 2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round set for June 12

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

The United States Soccer Federation held the draw for Fourth Round of the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday, announcing the pairings and hosts for the final 16 set to be played June 12.

Four of the eight contests are straight forward with the winner of their respective contest playing host to the winner of their paired match-up. The other four matches feature several scenarios, including two that have yet to be determined hosts as the applicable lower division teams did not apply to host in the Fourth Round.

The potential pairings could see some dynamic Fourth Round showdowns with MLS rivalries adding another installment to their 2013 campaigns. Among the all-MLS possibilities are the Lone Star showdown between Houston and Dallas, the Cascadia clash of Seattle and Portland and the SuperClasico between the two Los Angeles sides Galaxy and Chivas USA.

2013 US Open Cup Results [+]

FOURTH ROUND SCHEDULE

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass. – 7:30 p.m. ET

———

Philadelphia Union (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md. – 7 p.m. ET

———

Columbus Crew (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill. – 7:30 p.m. CT

———

Orlando City SC (USL Pro) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan. – 7:30 p.m. CT

———

Houston Dynamo (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas – 8 p.m. CT

———

Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. – 7:15 p.m. ET

———

Charleston Battery (USL Pro) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah – 7:30 p.m. MT

———

Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at Portland Timbers (MLS)
JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. – 7:30 p.m. PT

THIRD ROUND PAIRINGS
TUESDAY, MAY 28

New England Revolution @ Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro)

Sahlen’s Stadium; Rochester, NY – 7:35 p.m. ET

———–

Ocean City Nor’easters (USL PDL) @ Philadelphia Union

PPL Park; Chester, PA – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

DC United @ Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)

Richmond City Stadium; Richmond, VA – 7 p.m. ET

———–

Des Moines Menace (USL PDL) @ Sporting KC

Sporting Park; Kansas City, KS – 7:30 p.m. CT

————

Chivas USA @ Carolina RailHawks (NASL)

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, NC – 7:15 p.m. ET

———–

FC Dallas @ Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)

Lockhart Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, FL – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

Colorado Rapids @ Orlando City Lions (USL Pro)

Florida Citrus Bowl; Orlando, FL – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) @ Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, UT – 7:30 p.m. MT

———–

San Jose Earthquakes @ Charleston Battery (USL Pro)

Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, SC – 7:30 p.m. ET

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

Chicago Fire @ Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro)

Winthrop University Stadium; Rock Hill, SC – 7 p.m. ET

———–

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) @ Columbus Crew

Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, OH – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

Reading United (USL PDL) @ New York Red Bulls

Red Bull Arena; Harrison, NJ – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

LA Galaxy @ Carolina RailHawks (NASL)

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, NC – 7:15 p.m. ET

———–

FC Tucson (USL PDL) @ Houston Dynamo

BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, TX – 7:30 p.m. CT

———–

Seattle Sounders @ Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)

Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, FL – 7:30 p.m. ET

———–

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) @ Portland Timbers

JELD-WEN Field; Portland, OR – 7:30 p.m. PT

REMAINING ROUND DATES

Fourth Round: June 12

Quarterfinals: June 26

Semifinals: Aug. 7 or 21

Final: Oct. 1 or 2

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Wilmington Hammerheads net first road win 2-0 in Austin with Aztex aid

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Having beaten MLS clubs in the past, the Wilmington Hammerheads came into Tuesday’s contest with the PDL Austin Aztex fully focused after an embarrassing 4-0 home loss to amateur Cal FC a year ago in the Second Round and used some help from the hosts for a 2-0 win, moving on to a Third Round showdown with the Portland Timbers.

Troy Hernandez posted the shutout in his debut for Wilmington, making a few important saves in the early going and eliminating any potential nerves.

Things became a lot easier in the 23rd minute when his counterpart, Devin Cook, was sent off for taking down Steven Perry on a breakaway. Richard Isberner converted the subsequent penalty and the Hammerheads controlled from that point.

They were unable to find the back of the net themselves, however, with an own goal providing the insurance in the 68th minute. A failed clearance on a free kick led to Juan Cruz putting the ball in his own goal.

The victory was the first in tournament history away from home for the Hammerheads against all opposition, having come into the match 0-5-1 with a PK victory. It is a complete contrast to their 13-5-0 record at home.

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Orlando City advances with 2-1 road victory over nearby Ocala

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

If Sporting KC had plans of using reserves for the Open Cup, apparently Dom Dwyer is not a part of them as the red-hot goal scorer for Orlando City netted once again on loan while leading the USL Pro side to a 2-1 victory against the PDL Ocala Stampede.

The victory secured a home fixture next Tuesday against the Colorado Rapids at the Citrus Bowl in the Third Round.

Dwyer nearly wowed the crowd 20 minutes in with a bicycle kick, but made up for the missed effort seven minutes later via a play created on a turnover off an Ocala throw-in that defender Erik Ustruck stole and sent into the box. The ball deflected off a defender inside the area, falling to Dwyer, who looped it over goalkeeper Lex Craggs for the only goal of the half.

Five minutes into the second stanza a little free space allowed little used Adama Mbengue to tally his first goal of the year, firing into the lower right corner from about 17 yards for what proved to be the game winner with Ocala responding eight minutes later.

The hosts attempted to fight back against the USL Pro league leaders, but it took repeated efforts on one play to beat goalkeeper Jon Kempin, who made the initial stop on a 58th minute penalty by Christian Blandon. Kempin made up for the foul that led to the penalty with the penalty stop and a second on a rebound, but Blandon got one more bite at the apple and finally buried it.

The victory makes Orlando City perfect in four games against equal or lesser competition over the past three years, but the last two outings against MLS opposition have ended in one-goal defeats as they fell by the same 3-2 in Dallas in 2011 and in Kansas City a year ago.

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Des Moines Menace prevail 1-0 at Minnesota in battle of giant killers

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Boasting a lengthy history of upsets against MLS opposition, fans in Minnesota relish the opportunity to take on the top flight clubs. But on Tuesday, the newly-branded Minnesota United club fell victim to a repeat ‘giant killer’ themselves as the visiting PDL Des Moines Menace claimed their fifth upset of a professional club with a 1-0 decision.

With a name that, to phrase nicely, is probably uttered often unintentionally as a replacement for a certain expletive, Brandon Fricke will no doubt find it intentional from this point forward in the Twin Cities after his dagger of a blow with four minutes remaining knocked the second division side out of the tournament.

The decisive tally was the result of a glancing header from a Fricke off a corner kick sent toward the penalty spot by Jimmy Tulloch.

Both teams had several opportunities throughout the contest. Des Moines’ Shadow Sebele and Albert Edward had excellent chances back-to-back from long range that forced fingertip saves from Matt Van Oekel.

Dramatic stops were not the sole propriety of VanOekel, however, as his counterpart Angevine made a fantastic save on an 18-yard effort from Pablo Campos and a Menace defender cleared a ball off the line amidst a scramble in the box that Minnesota’s Travis Wall got his foot to.

Wall missed another hanse wide in the 57th and Campos saw a difficult shot from a narrow angle in the 73rd go wide and weaved through several defenders before sending a 78th minute effort high.

Despite several misses, the Minnesota faithful thought they might have the equalizer in the final few minutes, however, but Campos’ header on a Michael Reed free kick rang off the crossbar.

Highlights

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Charlotte Eagles silence Sounders U23 3-0

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

After cruising to an easy win last week, the PDL Sounders U23 side could find little of that magic on the road on the other side of the country Tuesday night in Charlotte, falling 3-0 to the unbeaten USL Pro Eagles, who advance to play host to the Chicago Fire in the Third Round next Wednesday.

Charlotte had the better of chances in the first half with Jorge Herrera sending a shot off the post six minutes in and Sergio Villasenor forcing a nice save from Zac Lubin int eh 25th, but were left scoreless until the second stanza.

Second half sub Drew Yates broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when he took advantage of a free ball and drove inside the box and let loose from about 16 yards, finding the lower right corner.

The game was locked up for the Eagles by Herrera, who converted from the spot after Samuel Asante was fouled in the box by Nick Raskasky

Herrera’s second strike of the night, fourth career in the tournament, came in the 65th minute when he put it in the lower right corner after Fejiro Okiomah brought the ball forward from the back.

The goals were his first since the 2008 tournament.

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Famed coach Ercoli leads Rochester Rhinos past GPS Portland 1-0 in first game back

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Brendan Doherty & Rob Elder contributed to this report

After a terrible start to the season due to a torturous road schedule and a plague of injuries, the one thing the Rochester Rhinos can almost always count on for sunshine is the US Open Cup. Though it was not easy, the club posted its first win under returning, but interim, coach Pat Ercoli Tuesday night by defeating GPS Portland Phoenix of the PDL 1-0, advancing to play host to the New England Revolution, who also happen to be their MLS affiliate, in the Third Round.

Ironically enough, the deciding goal for Rochester on the night came from one of their loaned players from the Revolution, Bilal Duckett. The right back got his head on the ball at the far post in the 65^th minute to redirect a corner from Danny Earls past the keeper for the win.

The victory is only the second on the year for the Rhinos, who played six of their first eight on the road and had lost both home contests, including Saturday’s late 1-0 decision to league leading Orlando City side that played over an entire half a man down, prompting the dismissal of head coach Jesse Myers the following day.

The change resulted in Ercoli returning to the sidelines for the first time since 2004, though he has been serving as COO. The USL Hall of Famer won 16 trophies as the head coach of the Rhinos reached the Final on seven occasions in major competitions, including a runners-up finish in 1996 and the famous 1999 championship campaign in the US Open Cup.

The opening sequences were fairly wide open as both teams enjoyed promising chances even though Lance Rozeboom and Tyler Rosenlund combined well to control midfield. Portland found a break on the counter attack that resulted in a couple of corners in the 10 minutes, but both were cleared by the Rhinos without much worry.

Ross LaBaeux was fouled in the 14^th minute which allowed Danny Earls to play a ball in to Blake Brettschneider at the far post. He headed it back across the front of goal to Tam McManus who had the first real chance for the Rhinos with his first timed volley smacked off the crossbar. Reidy was active again for the Rhinos down the right flank and trying to cut inside to find a shot.

In the 18^th minute Blake Brettschneider had a chance from service by Bilal Duckett but the Portland goalkeeper does well to block the attempt and smother and rebound. Brettschneider failed to keep up the pressure on Portland’s net as he appeared under the same spell as the rest of the Rhinos team as of late and was keen to pass the ball back at every chance.

GPS Portland’s first shot of the night came just after the hour mark but sailed wide of the mark without calling Nicht into action. Before the halftime whistle, GPS Portland had two yellow cards for late challenges

At the break the Rhinos had 4 shots, 2 on target, 4 corners, and 10 fouls. Portland only had one total shot, 2 corners and 4 fouls. There was a delay for a little over an hour as a summer thunderstorm passed through Rochester. GPS Portland took advantage of the time to regroup and came out for the second half to sub Ben Havey in for central midfielder Sean Rosa.

In the 54^th minute Interim Head Coach Pat Ercoli, after watching Mike Reidy cross into the accepting arms of Portland goalkeeper Perron, decided he didn’t like what he was seeing on the field, 2012 Rhinos player of the year and USL All-League team J.C. Banks came on for Ross LaBaeux.

GPS Portland showed they weren’t pushovers in the 56^th minute as Danny Earls cleared a headed corner kick off the line before Appiah’s forced Kristian Nicht into a diving save. In the 60^th minute George Kyriazis comes off for Tyler Bellamy but it appears to be a hamstring injury not the upper body injury from the end of the first half.

Mike Reidy showed Pat Ercoli why he should stay in the starting line up by latching onto the end of a long ball in the 64^th minute but his shot was saved by a diving Perron for a corner. New England Revolution loanee Duckett nodded home the resulting corner served up by Danny Earls in the 65^th minute.

Earls did well to overlap down the left side to cross balls into the box in the 83^rd. Immediately after their goal the Rhinos pressed to apply the killing blow but after a corner kick the play moved back to the midfield.

In the 78^th minute Bompart came out for Diebold who was active crossing into the box late. DaSilva went down under questionable contact outside of the area but the Portland bench was outraged calling for a penalty. Former Rochester Rhino Nano Short put a header just wide for Portland within the last 8 minutes.

The flow of the match swung back to Portland as they forced another Kodak-moment save from Kristian Nicht. Portland had a chance late but their free kick from within 30 yards was deflected out for a corner. The resulting kick was punched out by Kristian Nicht who earned his shutout.

The final whistle had the USL-Pro Rochester Rhinos over the PDL GPS Phoenix 1-0. The Rhinos their 18 year winning streak in their opening round in the US Open Cup alive and will now host their MLS affiliate New England Revolution next Tuesday at 7:35PM.

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Teams battle with MLS waiting in Round 3 (previews, live updates at #USOC100)

May 21, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Tuesday night is the Round of Dreams for the US Open Cup as 32 teams go head-to-head knowing that at the end of the night one of them will be facing a Major League Soccer team in a week’s time. For the amateur clubs whose odds of beating an MLS team are slim, a win against a professional opponent from the second division NASL or third tier USL Pro will go down as a major accolade in their history. For the pro clubs, the chance to square off against the top tier in a meaningful match is one of the most important moments in their seasons.

Among the matches are a few local showdowns between sides from the same state, including several that are within the same metropolitan areas. In Florida, Orlando City (USL Pro) visits the Ocala Stampede (PDL) and the two professional Tampa Bay clubs from the NASL and USL Pro square off. Also in the south, the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) visit the Georgia Revolution (NPSL) and the Carolina Railhawks (NASL) host the Carolina Dynamo (PDL). In the northeast, fellow Philadelphia Union affiliates Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) and Reading United AC (PDL) will play one another in Reading while out west, the in-state showdowns will conclude with the LA Blues (USL Pro) playing host to the Ventura County Fusion (PDL).

ROUND 2 BROADCASTS

Charleston Battery at Portland Timbers U23s
AUDIO | VIDEO

Atlanta Silverbacks at Georgia Revolution
VIDEO

Icon FC at Richmond Kickers
VIDEO

Dearborn Stars SC at Dayton Dutch Lions
VIDEO

#USOC100

The Second Round also features a few cross-country meetings with the Sounders U23 side (PDL) traveling to Charlotte (USL Pro) and the Charleston Battery (USL Pro) visiting the Timbers U23 entry (PDL).

TheCup.us is working on launching a new website in honor of the 100th edition of the Open Cup, and as always, will have live updates from every single game of the competition. You can follow TheCup.us on Twitter (@USOpenCup) and on Facebook. The Twitter hashtag for the tournament this year is #USOC100.

Here is the schedule for the Second Round:

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) at Reading United AC (PDL)
Don Thomas Stadium – Reading, PA – 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Road game vs. Red Bull New York (MLS)

Harrisburg City Islanders Open Cup records
Overall: 12-5-3 (2-1 PKs) | Away: 2-4-0 | vs. Amateur: 8-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 5-2 at Philadelphia Union of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012)

Reading United Open Cup records
Overall: 2-6-0 (2-4-0 as PDL) | Home: 2-1-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-4-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 at Charleston Battery of USL Pro in Round 2)
Best finish: 2012 Second Round (Lost 2-1 at Charleston Battery of USL Pro)

MORE FROM THECUP.US

2013 US Open Cup Results

2013 US Open Cup Goalscoring Leaders

Things you should know about Round 2

David Geno: TheCup.us Player of the Round

Meet the USASA: Class of 2013

‘The First Cup’ series (1913-14)

#USOC100

Harrisburg has been one of the top clubs thus far in the USL Pro season with a 5-1-1 record. The City Islanders, whose lone defeat was at home to Charleston, is coming off a 2-2 draw against league-leading Orlando City over the weekend. The team features five players on loan from MLS affiliate Philadelphia Union (Don Anding, Leo Fernandes, Christhian Hernandez, Greg Jordan and Jimmy McLaughlin), and are led in scoring by Sainey Touray (5 goals, 3 assists) and Lucky Mkosana (3 goals, 1 assist).

Reading, meanwhile, are off to a dominant start to both competitions. After posting an 8-0 win in their league opener at home, they blanked Lehigh Valley last week in the First Round of the Open Cup 2-0 on goals from Darius Madison and Steve Neumann. They continued the shutout streak with a 3-0 win at home against the New Jersey Rangers in PDL action Sunday. Mario Pinto Neto (3 goals), Emanuel Sanchez (2 goals, 1 assist) and Jason Plumhoff (1 goal, 3 assists) are the leading scorers in league play.

GPS Portland Phoenix (PDL) at Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL Pro)
Sahlen’s Stadium – Rochester, NY – 7:35 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: New England Revolution (MLS) (Rochester hosts, Portland travels)

Rochester Raging Rhinos Open Cup records
Overall: 28-14-5 (3-2 PKs) | Home: 23-6-4 (2-2 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 10-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-0 at Philadelphia Union of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 1999 US Open Cup champions

GPS Portland Phoenix Open Cup records
Overall: 1-1-0 | Home: 1-1-0 | vs. USL-Pro: 0-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-2 vs. Brooklyn Italians of NPSL – Round 1)
Best finish: 2012 First Round (Lost 3-2 vs. Brooklyn Italians of NPSL)

It has been the worst start in Rhinos history. Plagued by injuries and a ruthless road schedule with back-to-back matches, the team is off to a 1-6-1 start. A narrow 1-0 home loss to league-leading Orlando City over the weekend in which they allowed the winner with a man advantage proved to be the breaking point as coach Jesse Myers, formerly a longtime assistant for the Richmond Kickers, was relieved of his post. The club appointed current COO and USL Hall of Fame coach Pat Ercoli, who guided the team through its memorable Open Cup campaigns, including the 1999 championship, as interim manager. Rochester has had player on loan from MLS affiliate New England Revolution in the form of Gabe Latigue, Tyler Polak, Matt Horth and Bilal Duckett, who was recently called back due to injury issues.

For Portland, the season kicked off with a thrilling 5-4 win at home against Vermont a week ago accompanied by a 2-0 win against Mass Premier Soccer (USASA) in the Open Cup First Round Tuesday. Over the weekend the club played to a scoreless stalemate against Seacoast United Phantoms in PDL action.

Icon FC (USASA) at Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond, VA – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: USLnation.com
Winner gets: DC United (MLS) (Richmond hosts, Icon travels)

Icon FC Open Cup records
Overall: 1-0-0 | Away: 1-0-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-0-0
First entry

Richmond Kickers Open Cup records
Overall: 23-13-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 18-4-0 | vs. Amateur: 7-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 AET vs. DC United of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 1995 US Open Cup champions

The Kickers have been one of the dominant teams in USL Pro thus far and are just one of two unbeaten teams left at 4-0-3. Over the weekend the saw the visiting LA Blues snare a late 1-1 draw in USL Pro action. The club features numerous players on loan from MLS affiliate DC United, including starting goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra. Others are Taylor Kemp, Michael Seaton, Conor Shanosky and Casey Townsend, though he has been called in by DC of late. Brian Ownby of the Houston Dynamo has also spent time on loan with the Kickers, who are led in scoring by Joseph Ngwenya (6 goals) and Nathaniel Robinson (5 assists).

Icon FC, the New Jersey-based club that features former US international Danny Szetela, is coming off their first-ever Open Cup win, 4-1 over the Brooklyn Italians of the NPSL in Round 1. The victory was highlighted by a breakout performance by Argjent Duka, the brother of Dilly Duka of the Chicago Fire, who scored a hat trick.

Carolina Dynamo (PDL) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park – Cary, NC – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Home game vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

Carolina Dynamo Open Cup records
Overall: 10-9-1, 1-0 PKs (5-4-1, 1-0 PKs as PDL) | Home: 8-2-1 (5-2-1, 1-0 PKs as PDL ) | vs. Division 2: 2-2-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 at Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks of USASA in Round 1)
Best finish (as Division 3): 1996 Quarterfinals (Lost 2-0 at DC United of MLS)

Carolina RailHawks Open Cup records
Overall: 10-4-1 (0-1 PKs) | Home: 10-2-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 4-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 vs. Chivas USA of MLS in Round 4)
Best finish: 2007 Semifinals (Lost 2-1 AET at New England Revolution)

The RailHawks are tied atop the NASL at 3-1-2 in a league where no team has really set themselves apart as clear contenders for the spring season title. The RailHawks had pulled away from a three-way tie the week before, but saw the gap closed when they suffered their first loss of the season over the weekend, dropping a 2-0 game in Atlanta. The team, which includes RSL loanee Enzo Martinez, is led in scoring by Brian Shriver (5 goals) and Austin Da Luz (1 goal 4 assists).

Aside from their 4-4 thriller against the NPSL’s Chattanooga FC decided in penalties, the team has has been dominant thus far with a pair of shutout wins in league play. They downed Virginia Beach 3-0 prior to the Open Cup opener and the Dynamo took a 1-0 decision Saturday in Northern Virginia on a fifth minute tally. Hakan Ilhan, who had a hat-trick last Tuesday, has one league goal while all the other tallies have been scored by different players.

Orlando City SC (USL Pro) at Ocala Stampede (PDL)
Forest High School Soccer Field – Ocala, FL – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Colorado Rapids (MLS) (Orlando hosts, Ocala travels)

Orlando City SC Open Cup records
Overall: 3-2-0 | Away: 1-2-0 | vs. Amateur: 3-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-2 at Sporting KC of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: Third Round (2011, 2012)

Ocala Stampede Open Cup records
Overall: 1-0-0 | Home: 0-0-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-0-0
First entry

The Lions have arguably been the most impressive lower division pro club so far this year with a record of 7-1-2 as they have outscored the opposition 26-10. They posted a 2-2 draw in Harrisburg and a 1-0 win in Rochester over the weekend. They have been fueled by loanee Dom Dwyer (12 goals 1 assist) from MLS affiliate Sporting KC. His two-goal outing in Harrisburg was the fourth consecutive game with at least two goals and the fifth in a row in which he has scored. Other loaned players are Christian Duke, Yann Songo’o and goalkeeper Jon Kempin. If Dwyer is held out from being cup-tied by KC, Jamie Watson (4 goals 5 assists) would be the other go-to player for Orlando City.

After posting the 4-2 road win against Red Force (USASA) in the Open Cup last week the Stampede kicked off their league campaign, falling on the road to VSI Tampa Bay U23s in a heartbreaker in which a scoreless draw turned into a 2-0 loss with goals scored in the 90th and stoppage time.

Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at VSI Tampa Bay FC (USL PRO)
Plant City Stadium; Plant City, FL – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) (VSI travels, Rowdies host)

VSI Tampa Bay FC Open Cup records
Overall: 0-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 0-0-0 | vs. Division 2: 0-0-0
First entry

Tampa Bay Rowdies Open Cup records
Overall: 2-2-0 | Home: 0-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 2-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 vs. Colorado Rapids of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 2012 Third Round (Lost 3-1 vs. Colorado Rapids of MLS)

In a rare derby match between the two Bay Area teams, the NASL entry based in St Petersburg comes into the match having pulled into a tie for the league lead at 3-1-2 this season. They won a thriller on the road in Minnesota over the weekend with a 90th minute winner from Keith Savage. The team, which 2-0-1 in their last three and has a 3-0-0 road record, is led in scoring by Luke Mulholland (4 goals 2 assists) and Georgi Hristov (2 goals 3 assists).

VSI Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is mid-table in USL Pro with a record of 4-3-0 and are 3-1-0 at home. The team was idle over the weekend after narrowly escaping an upset at the hands of Orlando City’s U23 PDL team via penalties following a 1-1 draw. The coach, Matt Weston, had stepped down a week prior to the Open Cup contest, which had conveniently fallen within a two-week idle period in league play for the team. VSI’s JT Noone has a chance to make history. If the Harrisburg, PA native scores a goal, he will become the first player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to score a goal in five straight tournaments.

Des Moines Menace (PDL) at Minnesota United FC (NASL)
Elizabeth Lyle Riley Stadium – St. Paul, MN – 8 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Road game vs. Sporting Kansas City (MLS)

Des Moines Menace Open Cup records
Overall: 8-6-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 5-3-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 4-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-0 vs. Minnesota Stars FC of NASL in Round 2)
Best finish: 2005 Fourth Round (Lost 6-1 at Kansas City Wizards of MLS)

Minnesota United FC Open Cup records
Overall: 3-2-0 | Home: 1-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 2-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 at San Jose Earthquakes of MLS in Round 4)
Best finish: 2012 Fourth Round ((Lost 1-0 at San Jose Earthquakes of MLS)

Renamed and newly branded from Minnesota Stars, the team overhauled the roster with some of the league’s top players from the past few seasons, but has not found consistency as of yet with a record of 2-2-2. They are coming off a late 3-2 loss at home to Tampa Bay in which poor defensive play led to all three goals for the visitors. On the offensive end though, returning player Simone Bracalello has been impressive with three goals and three assists.

The Menace went into the Open Cup contest with a 1-1 draw on the road the weekend before and after snatching the 1-0 home win against the NPSL’s Madison 56ers, Des Moines repeated the result in their PDL home opener against Winnipeg on a goal from defender Taylor Diem.

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) at Austin Aztex (PDL)
House Park – Austin, TX – 8:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Road game vs. Portland Timbers (MLS)

Wilmington Hammerheads Open Cup records
Overall: 13-10-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 0-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 6-2-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 4-0 vs. Cal FC of USASA in Round 2)
Best Finish: Quarterfinals (2003, 2009)

Austin Aztex Open Cup records
Overall: 1-0-0 | Home: 1-0-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-0-0
First entry

The Hammerheads have struggled through the opening portion of the league campaign with a 2-5-0 record but are coming off a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Blues over the weekend – though it should be noted LA played in Richmond the night before. Wilmington’s two wins both came at home while they are 0-3 on the road being outscored 11-3. Paul Nicholson and defender Jamell Wallace are the only players with two goals.

The Aztex opened the league campaign with a 2-1 road win before getting the relatively easy 3-0 win at home against the NTX Rayados (USASA) in the Open Cup last week. Austin, now in the midst of a five-game home stand through the two competitions, edged visiting Houston 1-0 on Saturday with a goal from defender Aaron Guillen. Tony Rocha, who scored the third goal against NTX, has two goals on the young campaign.

FC Tucson (PDL) at San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
Toyota Field – San Antonio, TX – 8:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Houston Dynamo (MLS) (San Antonio Hosts, Tucson Travels)

FC Tucson Open Cup records
Overall 1-0-0 | Away: 0-0-0 | vs. Division 2: 0-0-0
First entry

San Antonio Scorpions Open Cup records
Overall: 2-1-0 | Home: 2-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 1-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 AET vs. Charlotte Eagles in Round 4)
Best finish: 2012 Fourth Round (Lost 2-1 AET vs. Charlotte Eagles

Regular season champions a year ago, the Scorpions were raided for its top players during the offseason, leaving the opening of their new stadium as the only thing to really celebrate so far with a start that was winless prior to this weekend. They topped visiting Fort Lauderdale 3-1 to leap over the Strikers in the table with a record of 1-3-2. Hans Dennisen has two of the team’s six goals with Javier Saavedra having a goal and two assists.

FC Tucson kicked off their 2013 tournament in fine fashion, rallying from a goal down in the final eight minutes to defeat the Phoenix FC of USL Pro 2-1 in the First Round last week on a pair of goals from late sub Conner Bevans. The team had also rallied in their season opener the weekend before for a 1-1 draw in LA and moved to 1-0-1 on the season with a 3-1 victory against Southern California this past Saturday with a pair of goals from Ricardo Velasco. David Clemens also had a goal and assist.

Charleston Battery (USL Pro) at Portland Timbers U23s (PDL)
JELD-WEN Field – Portland, OR – 10:30 p.m.
Broadcast: AUDIO (WQNT – Charleston) | VIDEO: PortlandTimbers.com
Winner gets: Home game vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)

Charleston Battery Open Cup records (fix)
Overall: 23-12-4 (3-1 PKs) | Away: 4-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 8-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-0 vs. New York Red Bulls of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 2008 Runner-Up (Lost 2-1 at DC United)

Portland Timbers U23s Open Cup records
Overall: 1-1-0 | Home: 1-1-0 | vs.USL-Pro : 0-0-0
First entry

The Battery have been one of the better sides in USL Pro so far this season with a 6-2-0 record. Last week they dropped a narrow 1-0 decision on the road against unbeaten Charlotte but rebounded to pick up a 1-0 win in Houston over the weekend against the previously unbeaten Dynamo Reserves. The scoring has come from several players with Michael Azira (3 goals), Nicholas Paterson (3 goals 2 assists), defender John Wilson (2 goals) and Zachary Prince (2 goals 2 assists) leading the way. The team also features a pair of Vancouver Whitecaps PDL players on loan in the form of Ben Fisk and Emmanuel Adjetay.

The PDL club needed to come back from a two-goal deficit at home to advance in their 2013 campaign opener last week in the First Round to defeat Sacramento 3-2. Over the weekend the Timbers U23 side blanked Cascadia rival Sounders U23 2-0 with goals from Eric Miller and Zack Foxhoven, who scored the first goal in the Open Cup rally. They then posted a 2-1 road win over North Sound with a brace from Clark Phillips in the first 15 minutes.

Ventura County Fusion (PDL) at Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro)
Titan Stadium – Fullerton, CA – 10 p.m .
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Home game vs. Chivas USA (MLS)

Ventura County Fusion Open Cup records
Overall: 4-2-1 (0-1 PKs)| Home: 2-2-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 3-0-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 vs. Chivas USA of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 2012 Third Round (Lost 1-0 vs. Chivas USA of MLS)

Los Angeles Blues Open Cup records
Overall: 2-2-0 | Home: 1-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 2-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 AET vs. Ventura County Fusion in Round 2)
Best finish: 2011 Third Round (Lost 2-1 at Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS)

In large part courtesy of a league-leading 11 games played, the Blues are mid-table at 4-5-2 so far this season in USL Pro. The team is coming off a trip to the east where they were able to find a late draw in Richmond 1-1 before falling to Wilmington 2-1. Scoring has been a team affair thus far this season with five players having at least two goals with George Davis the only one with three. Rodrigo Lopez (1 goal 4 assists) is also an offensive leader.

The Fusion came from behind twice last Tuesday in the First Round of the Open Cup, defeating FC Hasental of the NPSL 3-2 on a late strike. The team came into that match with a pair of wins, one home and one away, and snared a second 1-0 road victory over the weekend to move to 3-0-0 on the season. The team is led in scoring by Chase Minter (2 goals), who scored the 87th minute Open Cup winner, and Frankie Lopez (3 assists), who scored the first equalizer in the 45th against Hasental.

This is the third year in a row the Fusion and Blues have squared off in the US Open Cup. The Blues won on the Fusion’s home field in 2011 by a score of 1-0, but the Fusion returned the favor last year, upsetting LA 3-1 in extra time in front of their home fans.

Sounders FC U23s (PDL) at Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro)
Queens University Sports Complex – Charlotte, NC – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Chicago Fire (MLS) (Charlotte hosts, Seattle travels)

Sounders FC U23s Open Cup records
Overall: 1-0-0 | Away: 0-0-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-0-0
First entry

Charlotte Eagles Open Cup records
Overall: 8-10-0 | Home: 3-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 6-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 at Chivas USA of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 2012 Quarterfinals (Lost 1-0 at Chivas USA of MLS)

The Eagles have arguably been overlooked so far this season with their unbeaten record due to the lack of games played, but the 1-0 win against Charleston last Tuesday in league play may have made a few people notice them at 3-0-3 with draws against Orlando City and Richmond as well. The defense has allowed just four goals in six games, three of them coming in the rare 3-3 draw at Richmond in which they rallied from two down. Four players – Christian Meza, Christian Ramirez, Nathan Thornton and defender Shaun Francis – each have a pair of goals, though Francis also has two assists to lead the team in total points.

A dominant 5-1 performance against Doxa Italia in the Open Cup to kick off their 2013 campaign has been followed by a complete nightmare in their opening weekend of league play. They were blanked 2-0 by Cascadia rival Timbers U23 and then fell 4-1 at Victoria in a game in which David Geno, who scored four in the Open Cup contest to earn TheCup.us Player of the Round honors, was knocked out with a potential broken foot and has skipped the trip to Charlotte.

Laredo Heat SC (PDL) at Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
Lockhart Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, FL – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Home game vs. FC Dallas (MLS)

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Open Cup records
Overall: 6-5-1 | Home: 6-1-0 | vs. Amateur: 4-1-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 at San Jose Earthquakes of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: Third Round (2008, 2010, 2012)

Laredo Heat Open Cup records
Overall: 1-1-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 0-1-0 | vs. Division 2: 0-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-0 at San Antonio Scorpions of NASL in Round 2)
Best finish: 2012 Second Round (Lost 2-0 at San Antonio Scorpions of NASL)

The Heat shut down PSA Elite with strikes on either side of the half whistle, as Danny Garza and Leo Medeiros struck for the 2-0 victory. This is the second consecutive year Laredo has made the Second Round, admittedly having a less formidable foe in a bottom-table Fort Lauderdale of the NASL. Last year the Heat fell 2-0 to NASL regular season champions San Antonio Scorpions. They sit in second place with four points, two behind fellow Open Cup qualifier Austin Aztex.

The Strikers have been down this season, sitting last in the NASL table on four points. While taking a 3-1 road loss Saturday to San Antonio, the bright side is that they picked up their sole win in their last home game, a 2-1 win in Minnesota the previous Saturday. Fort Lauderdale must adjust from their recent 1-2-0 form in order to continue their recent Open Cup success.

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) at Georgia Revolution (NPSL)
RYSA Soccerplex – Conyers, GA – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner gets: Road game vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Atlanta Silverbacks Open Cup records
Overall: 5-7-2 (1-1 PKs) | Away: 2-4-2 (1-1 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 3-2-1 (PK)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 5-1 at Seattle Sounders of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 2004 Fourth Round (Lost 4-1 vs. Kansas City Wizards of MLS)

Georgia Revolution Open Cup records
Overall: 3-1-0 | Home: 2-1-0 | vs. Division 2: 0-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 vs. Atlanta Silverbacks of NASL in Round 2)
Best finish: 2012 Second Round (Lost 1-0 vs. Atlanta Silverbacks of NASL)

Georgia had revenge on their mind, then almost lost their chance last week, as they had to withstand a rally from the PDL’s Real Colorado Foxes to get another chance at the Silverbacks. Kwadwo Poku scored a hat trick and Emeka Maduka added another to put the Revolution up 4-0, but the Foxes made a game of it, scoring three goals in a half hour and making the hosts sweat out the 4-3 win. The Revs have not played a game yet in the NPSL’s Flight Sunshine, with their first game set for Friday.

Atlanta is in third place in the NASL, one point back of leaders Carolina and Tampa Bay. Their last result was a 2-0 home win against the RailHawks, and they are even (1-1-1) on the road this season. This is a rematch of last year’s Second Round game, the Silverbacks grabbing a 1-0 win before losing 5-1 to Seattle Sounders FC. Another trip West awaits the winner, this time heading to Utah.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) at Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)
Carey Stadium – Ocean City, NJ – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None
Winner gets: Philadelphia Union (MLS) (Pittsburgh hosts, Ocean City travels)

Ocean City Nor’easters Open Cup records
Overall: 8-5-0 (7-4-0 as PDL) | Home: 6-3-0 (5-2-0 as PDL) | vs. Division 3: 4-1-0
Last entry: 2009 (Lost 2-0 at DC United of MLS in Round 3)
Best finish: 2009 Third Round (Lost 2-0 at DC United of MLS)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Open Cup records
Overall: 5-8-2 (0-2 PKs) | Away: 2-7-2 (0-2 PKs) | vs. Amateur: 3-2-1 (0-1 PKs)

The Riverhounds avoided a huge upset at the hands of RWB Adria, advancing on a late 1-1 equalizer and penalties from the Open Cup First Round last week at home. The team has had little to celebrate other than the opening of their newly built Highmark Stadium with a 1-4-4 record. The team’s only win has come at home as they are 0-3-3 on the road. Jose Angulo (4 goals 1 assist) and Matthew Dallman (5 assists) have been the offensive engine for the club.

Ocean City dispatched the NY Red Bulls U23 side from the NPSL with a pair of second half goals in the Open Cup First Round last week to open their 2013 campaign. In their PDL opener on the road this weekend the Nor’easters used a two goal first half to net a 2-1 win against Central Jersey.

Dearborn Stars (USASA) at Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro)
Beavercreek High School – Beavercreek, OH – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: USLNation.com (video)
Winner gets: Road game at Columbus Crew (MLS)

Dearborn Stars Open Cup records
Overall: 1-0-0 | Away: 1-0-0 | vs. Division 3: 0-0-0
First entry

Dayton Dutch Lions Open Cup records
Overall: 4-3-0 (4-2-0 as USL-Pro) | Home: 1-0-0 | vs. Amateur: 3-0-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-0 at Sporting KC of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 2012 Quarterfinals (Lost 3-0 at Sporting KC of MLS)

Dearborn made quite an impression for their first time in the Open Cup, knocking off perenial giant-killer Michigan Bucks 2-0 in Pontiac last week. Niki Djokic provided the fireworks for the Stars, who qualified through the USASA’s Second Region tournament with some controversy, but proved they belong, and look to take out an even bigger opponent in the Dutch Lions.

Dayton, who has generally been near the bottom rungs of USL-Pro since making the transition from the PDL, has used success in the Open Cup last year to springboard themselves to mid-table so far this year. They sit in eighth place with a winning record (3-2-1) while having played the fewest games of any USL-Pro team. Their low place last season also meant they were one of four USL-Pro teams in action in the First Round. However, River City Rovers proved to be no challenge, as Irakli Khutsidze, Eric Kissinger, and Tjeerd Westdijk all scored in a 3-0 rout of the PDL side. The Ohio team hopes to build on the success of last year in the Cup, knocking off the Columbus Crew before falling to eventual champion Sporting Kansas City in the Quarterfinals.

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