Jim Hart

Jim Hart is the Senior Writer for These Football Times and a regular contributor to TheCup.us.

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Azteca FC eliminates Harpo’s FC again to reach second straight USOC

November 20, 2017 by Jim Hart

It was a balmy 48 agrees Fahrenheit in Broomfield Colorado, a high-tech community just outside the Denver skyline where CenturyLink and its 55 story building dominates the skyline. A 3 pm kickoff almost certainly guaranteed a frigid ending to this exciting tie that will go down as a classic Colorado US Open Cup match.

Colorado is proving to be fertile ground for amateur clubs attempting to qualify for the US Open Cup, and today’s match was no exception, as this tie was filled with passion and more than a little physicality. This was a rematch of an exciting 2-1 match from a year ago that saw Azteca FC earn a first-ever trip to the US Open Cup and denied Harpo’s FC of Boulder, Colo. a third straight trip to the tournament. This year’s rematch went the same way with Azteca winning 4-3

As the match opened, it was clear that this big pitch was going to make for wide open play. Both sides used the flanks to enhance their attacks, with Azteca making especially good use of the right flank throughout the match. This would prove an issue for Harpo’s in the second half that could not be resolved.

Most of the first half was played with nervous tension filling the spaces. Neither side was able to set a marker in the ground until Harpo’s long time number 10, Kyle Luetkehans put one past the keeper to give Harpo’s the early lead in the 13th minute.

Things began to heat up at that point. Azteca were pressing their case on the attack and getting closer to a goal of their own when Harpo’s goalkeeper Zac Gibbens came out of his box and clipped Naoyas Aizawa of Azteca. This resulted in the awarding of a penalty kick to Azteca, which Erik Chavez put in the back of the net. This brought the score to 1-1

As the half was coming to a close there was a skirmish in front of the Harpo’s net. Azteca players had converged around the ball where Gibbens had just made a close save inside the six yard box. After the whistle blew Gibbens popped up off the deck with a lot of emotion. Several minutes of pushing and moving ensued, with the final result being red cards for both sides, unfortunately for Harpo’s one of those red cards went to Gibbens, leaving Harpo’s with the unenviable task of having to replace their starting goalkeeper.

The second half opened with each team down a man after the dual red cards. Harpo’s seemed to have left their game in the locker room, while Azteca came out ready to take the match by the scruff of the neck. Nine minutes into the second half Eric Hernandez fed Dehrian Ramirez for a goal that gave Azteca a 2-1 lead.

In what appeared to be Deja Vu all over again, Dehrian Ramirez recorded his brace in the 62nd minute on a play that looked eerily similar to the goal that was scored just minutes before. Azteca was rolling, Harpo’s looked like they had no answers at this point, In order to try to get some offense into the side, Harpo’s, team owner Johnny Freeston, who was sitting in for suspended coach Steve Lepper of Harpo’s, went to the bench to. swap out the center forwards, Stibe came on for Whittle in the 67th minute.

This strategy seemed to work as just three minutes later Dan Campbell pulled one back for Harpo’s, the scoreline now stood at 3-2, with Azteca hanging on to a one-goal advantage.

As the temperature dipped into the 30s and the light began to fade it seemed to give Azteca new life. They clung to their lead and kept the pressure on, looking for more goals. Suddenly in the 75th minute, Erik Chavez completed his brace and Dehrian Ramirez completed his hat-trick of assists on the day.

Azteca had an opportunity to park the bus, however, that is not their DNA. The primarily Mexican-American side is aggressive and loves to attack with the ball. They continued to keep the heat on and attempted to grab another goal.

Two minutes into extra time Harpo’s Leutkhens pulls one back for Harpo’s to make the match 4-3. Kyle has been a stalwart for the Boulder side for four seasons, and he was clearly the man of the match for Harpo’s on the day.

There were several candidates for man of the match from Azteca, but Dehrian Ramirez’s playmaking and his ability to be in the right place at the right time set him apart with three assists.

The qualifying tournament is over for the fall, as Azteca FC advances to the tournament proper for the second year in a row. They will look to improve on their one-and-done appearance in the 2017 competition. In their Open Cup debut, they lost a narrow 1-0 extra time decision, on the road, to the National Premier Soccer League’s FC Wichita.

2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Indios Denver FC use home field advantage to oust Oregon’s IPS/Marathon Taverna

October 26, 2017 by Jim Hart

Steven Robellada of Indios Denver FC salutes the fans in the stands in a 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against IPS/Marathon Taverna. Photo: Indios Denver FC

MORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

On a gorgeous autumn afternoon in the suburb of Englewood Colo., in a high school football stadium with a view of downtown Denver, Indios Denver FC treated their guests rather rudely by dispatching them in a 4-2 manner in front of about 250 mostly Indios supporters.

Indios, a club founded in 2015, is mostly Hispanic in its cultural connections and its members.

The opponents, International Portland Select (IPS) / Marathon Taverna is a club that hails from Portland Ore., and has competed in the last two US Open Cup qualifying tournaments, but just picked up their first win in the last round of this year. They are well-traveled since they are the only team from the Pacific Northwest to enter the competition, and since there’s no local teams to play against they often have to make lengthy trips or teams have to make lengthy trips to play them in the Rose City. IPS had traveled the day before the match to Denver and were feeling some of the effects of jet lag and altitude.

Indios Denver FC players pose for a team photo ahead of the club's 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against IPS/Marathon Taverna. Photo: Indios Denver FC — Indios Denver FC players pose for a team photo ahead of the club’s 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against IPS/Marathon Taverna. Photo: Indios Denver FC

The match was an ideal setup, two very talented teams that were ready to show off their skills and put on a great show for the fans. And a great show was what they delivered.

The opening half started off with 20 minutes of high energy box-to-box action. Right off the bat in the 10th minute Indios’ Julio Rodriguez picked up a yellow for aggressive play. There were a lot of nerves showing early and players were over-anxious and wanted to make big plays. A trend that would be seen for most of the match.

The scoreline was finally broken in the 16th minute with an own goal scored of Indios. Putting the hosts on the board first. Less than a minute later, Indios put another in the net when Christian Ochoa buried a shot.

The game then went into a more structured period. Both teams seemed to get a handle on their defensive posture, the pace of the match slowed, then in the 38th a through ball made its way into Pablo Salinas whot put it in the back of the net for IPS to cut the lead in half.

The 40th minute saw a substitution for Indios as Cristian Gomez came on for the injured Sajjad Alfatlawi. Which brought the game into halftime with Indios leading 2-1. Indios was controlling the game pretty well at this point, they had more shots on goal, had a few corner kicks and felt more comfortable on the front foot.

As the sun began to set in the west, long evening shadows began to take over the pitch. Indios was playing into the sun, however, there was no seeming effect on the players. Coach Jose Edgar Espinoza said after the game that Indios kept trying the counter-attack against IPS’ high line on the offside trap. Indios continued to push that line with ball after ball over the top.

Goal kicks were launched 60-70 meters into the on-rushing attackers to try to break the IPS high line. With a very slick play off a back heel pass in the box by Steven Robellada buried the third golazo and scored the winner.

In the 55the minute, ’ IPS’ Nathan Pogue tightened the score up at 3-2 with a lightening bolt direct free kick that definitely got Indios attention.

As the match started getting late the physicality started heating up. What was a somewhat gentlemanly match began to turn into a yellow card every couple of minutes as the time ticked away. The 3-2 scoreline made IPS push all of their attacking players forward, until suddenly Indios had three players open in front of the net.

Suddenly bodies were on the pitch, mayhem was the order of the day and a penalty was called. Said penalty was dispatched in the 95th minute of play and that was that on a 4-2 victory for the home side.

According to Indios captain Jose Hernandez, Sunday’s win was an inspired performance as one of their assistant coaches, Jaime Hernandez was back in Mexico for funeral services for his mother.

“This win is dedicated to Jaime,” Hernandez said.

As for IPS Marathon, they will head back to the Northwest and try for another year. Traveling to Colorado can be difficult under the best conditions and these were very good conditions for a match

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Harpo’s FC eliminates Colorado Rovers for third straight year

September 17, 2016 by Jim Hart

In the shadow of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the Colorado Rapids were warming up for their match against the San Jose Earthquakes, two powers of the Colorado Amateur Soccer League (CASL) were going at it on a pitch that was far below the standards the Rapids were playing on. This bumpy, ragged, patchwork pitch was the scene for the opening round match featuring two of Colorado’s best sides, Colorado Rovers of Denver and Harpo’s FC of Boulder.

In the end, Harpo’s FC won the latest chapter in this rivalry by a score of 2-0. It was the third year in a row that Harpo’s have eliminated the Colorado Rovers in Open Cup qualifying.

The Rovers are the historic power in Colorado football, having won two national championships in the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) and made historic runs in the Open Cup in years not too far in the distant past. Head coach Erick French is proud of that winning tradition and is determined to bring those days back to the Rovers.

Harpo’s is the current hot hand in Colorado, making a decent run in the Cup last season, they were knocked out by USL’s Colorado Switchbacks in an exciting 1-0 loss in the Spring session. Head coach Steve Lepper is excited to return to Open Cup action and feels like he has the side to take Harpo’s further this season.

These two Colorado Amateur Soccer League rivals have been the only two clubs that have represented the USSSA since the organization received its first entry into the tournament in 2013. In 2013 and 2014, the Rovers won the USSSA qualifying tournament to punch their ticket. In 2015, Harpo’s FC defeated the Rovers in group play, which helped them advance to the championship game. Harpo’s would lose the Final to the KC Athletics, but earned their first spot in the US Open Cup after the Athletics already qualified for the tournament through the USASA. In 2016, the open division qualifying tournament made its debut and the Rovers and Harpo’s met in the opening round with the “bull shit pub team” (as Harpo’s refers to themselves as) won 4-1 in extra time.

The match started quickly with Harpo’s taking most of the action in the first half. Harpo’s was able to work the ball down the left side effectively throughout the half, however, finishing was elusive, as the Rovers defense was bending, but certainly holding firm at the net until late in the half when Santiago Velez was able to beat the goalkeeper in the 40th minute for 1-0 Harpo’s lead.

The second half played at a slower pace and became a more physical affair. Rovers were able to get more of their attacking players up the field and were unlucky with a shot off the post. These two teams are very familiar and banter from the first half started to become frustration in the second half. A few yellow cards were required to settle things down and the pace became more choppy and uneven, which seemed to play into Rovers game plan a bit better.

Substitutions started to come in the 60th minute and none was more effective than Harpo’s Dan Whittle, whose pace changed the game dramatically. From the time Whittle came off the bench the match took a different tone, and Harpo’s amped up the pace and was able to stave off the advancing Rovers attack. The result was an 89th minute securing goal by Ross Van Osdale to seal the victory for Harpo’s.

Speaking with both managers after the match it was clear that the pitch was an issue for both sides, they were both missing critical players, however, Harpo’s was clearly the deserved winner. French was gracious in defeat and wished Harpo’s well in their match on October 22 against Aztecs, who were able to defeat FC Denver 3-1 in other action tonight in CASL.

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Colorado Springs Switchbacks end cup run of Harpo’s FC again

May 21, 2016 by Jim Hart

For the second year in a row the Colorado Springs Switchbacks have knocked Harpo’s FC out of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The match was played under the looming shadow of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado in the home stadium of the Switchbacks. A crowd of about 600 was in attendance to witness the match in the cool Colorado spring. Snow was seen high on the peaks in the background, and a definite chill was in the air, especially for visiting Harpo’s FC of Boulder Colorado, an amateur side who plays in the Colorado Amateur Soccer League of the United States Sports Specialty Association (USSSA).

The first half started brightly for the Switchbacks. The athleticism of the USL side showed in the early stages of the match, then in the 17th minute, Martin Maybin scored a perfect goal on the run in against Harpo’s gymnastic goalkeeper Zac Gibbens, who was caught out and just missed the save. Harpo’s FC looked to be on their back heels early in the match, but after the 20 minute mark they began to take the game to the Switchbacks. Frontman Sawyer Frank broke through several times in the first half but was unable to find the net. The first half ended with the Switchbacks up by a goal, but Harpo’s knocking on the door.

The second half was all Harpo’s. Wave after wave of attack was thrust upon the Switchbacks defensive unit. The only discipline of the match occurred in the 61st minute with a yellow card to Switchbacks Saeed Robinson for a nasty tackle in the midfield.

In the 71st minute, the Switchbacks brought in fresh legs to help on the defensive side but the Harpo’s attack continued, and missed a shot from inside the six yard box late in the match. The all-out attack from Harpo’s left them defensively open. Robinson got free with the ball late in the match and Gibbens was able to stop the shot which then careened off the post to save the one goal deficit.

However, in the end it was all that the Switchbacks needed, the single goal was the decider as they earn a trip to Peoria to take on fellow USL side Arizona United in Round 3 with the Colorado Rapids waiting for the winner in the Fourth Round.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Second USOC in reach as pub team Harpo’s FC beat Colorado Rush, 3-1 (video)

November 27, 2015 by Jim Hart

Harpos-vs-colorad-rush-2016-usoc-qualifying — Harpo’s FC celebrates against the Colorado Rush. Photo: Laemming Wheeler

Harpo’s FC cruised to a 3-1 victory over local rival Colorado Rush in the second round of the 2016 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. The victory puts the Boulder, Colo.-based “pub team” into the final round of the competition, which, in turn, puts them in prime position to qualify for the 103rd edition of the US Open Cup.

Fourteen teams have advanced to the final round, which is scheduled to be played during the first weekend of April. The draw will take place on Jan. 7 with 12 teams learning their “Win & You’re In” opponents, while the two teams that are located the furthest away from the rest of the teams will receive byes into the US Open Cup. The closest team to Boulder is roughly 1,200 miles away, so Harpo’s are among the favorites to receive a third round bye.

Harpo’s is the last remaining team from the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), an organization that first started entering the US Open Cup in 2013 and has submitted one team in each of the last three seasons.

Despite the club’s lofty dreams of a sophomore cup run, Harpo’s owner Johnny Freeston and head coach Steve Lepper were prepared and down to business taking care of first-time Open Cup hopefuls Rush.

“It’s always a competitive and spirited game when we play the Colorado Rush and this US Open Cup qualifier was no different,” said Freeston. “We are very familiar with their style of play so we planned and trained accordingly.”

12239448_10156166998375063_1394339766424958305_o — Photo: Laemming Wheeler

Harpo’s FC opened up the scoring early with a scissor kick goal in the 7th minute by star forward Kyle Luetkehans. Luetkehans made an impact on last year’s Cup run when he was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the team’s Preliminary Round win over the Kansas City Athletics. Harpo’s made it 2-0 when captain Dan Campbell chipped the Rush goalkeeper after a quick breakaway at the 36-minute mark.

“Scoring an early goal always helps and going up 2-0 before halftime was great,” said Freeston. “But it’s also the most dangerous scoreline in world football and it proved to be the case here.”

After the halftime break, Rush coach Aldo Del Piccolo switched from their midfield clogging 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 full field attack. DelPiccolo’s side came out flying, garnering a series of corner kicks that finally resulted in a goal by University of North Carolina product Owen Darby, who connected with a well-taken corner to make a powerful headed goal. Harpo’s responded later in the second half with a corner kick header by defender Sawyer Frank in the 81st minute that put the 3-1 game beyond reach.

Colorado Rush fielded a team that featured a collection of former NCAA, MLS and international players now serving as coaches in Rush’s extensive youth system. Most notable was former Colorado Rapids and LA Galaxy man Colin Clark who was clearly the focus of the Rush attack. Clark showed good form and moments of high quality but left the game frustrated with lack of service that Harpo’s fullbacks allowed to reach him. It was later revealed that he was struggling with an eye injury that his afternoon even less enjoyable. Clark’s game was representative of Rush’s inability to match their opponent’s undeniable ability integrate eleven talented players into a cohesive system.

Harpo’s returned almost the entire same team from last month’s previous qualifier against the Colorado Rovers and their 2015 Cup run. The two main absentees were star goalkeeper Zac Gibbons and striker Shane Wheeler, who was seen warming up on the sideline for the first time this fall. Regardless, Freeston and Lepper’s veteran squad displayed their usual excellent organization and consistency that has brought them so much recent success.

“We’re very excited to find out who our next opponent is,” added Freeston. “We will either have a third qualification game in April or we’ll have a bye into the First Round proper on May 11. Either way, we’ll apply to host the match and we’ll be ready to ball, so bring it on.”

Robert Wilson also contributed to this report

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Harpo’s FC vs. Colorado Rush

Harpo’s-Rush-Highlights from Patrick Shea on Vimeo.