Jose M. Romero

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Chula Vista FC’s amateur youth movement stuns USL’s Arizona United, 3-0

May 21, 2015 by Jose M. Romero

Chula Vista FC fans made the trip to Scottsdale, Ariz. to cheer on their team. Photo: Jose M. Romero

Chula Vista FC is 2-for-Arizona and 2-0 in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, to the surprise of almost everyone but those close to the team. And now the players can dream big.

Without a single player in the starting 11 older than 22, the USASA side from south of San Diego advanced to the Third Round of the annual American soccer club championship with a convincing 3-0 win over Arizona United SC of the USL Wednesday night at Scottsdale Stadium.

Baby-faced midfielder Alberto Diaz’s goal in the 37th minute and teammate Angel Pinal’s goal off a free kick from Diaz were plenty for the upstart squad of young players. Diaz added the team’s third goal in the 72nd minute, taking two touches before unleashing a shot that beat Carl Wosczynski with ease.

Woszcynski appeared to not see the shot, as he didn’t move. His Chula Vista counterpart in goal for the first 59 minutes, Sebastian Ortiz, did plenty of moving and stopping.

Ortiz came up huge for his team with several tremendous saves to preserve the clean sheet, though he left late in the first half with a groin injury and was replaced by Miguel David in the second half.

“It’s working as a team,” Alberto Diaz said. “We got a chance and I put it away.”

Alberto Diaz of Chula Vista FC. Photo: Jose M. Romero

Chula Vista FC earned a trip to Northern California to take on another USL side, Sacramento Republic FC, in the US Open Cup Third Round on May 27. It should go there riding a wave of confidence after Wednesday’s win.

“Sebastian did a good job, I can’t say it enough,” Chula Vista head coach Hector Diaz said.
“Awesome little player,” he said of Alberto Diaz, his younger brother. “Our team is small, it’s more skilled. He was on the U-15 national team, and he’s the reason why I’m here. He was the Cal-South player of the year in 2010 and he was overlooked because of his height. But obviously he’s a dynamic player and I love him.”

Diaz got past Arizona defender Daniel Antunez and into the clear, remaining onside as he got the ball around goalkeeper Carl Woszcynski and flushed the ball into the net to give his team a 1-0 lead.

That was after Ortiz made crucial saves on shots by forward Brad Stisser in the 12th and 19th minutes. Another stop, on a Cameron Vickers shot in the 28th minute, kept the match scoreless.
Ortiz had five saves in the first half.

“Nothing to lose, everything to win,” Hector Diaz said. “Live today and we’ll worry about tomorrow.”

Chula Vista could have hunkered down to start the second half and tried to protect the lead, but it went on the attack. In the 48th minute, Diaz took a free kick that landed on the head of Pinal, the hero of his team’s stoppage time win over PDL side FC Tucson on May 13.

Pinal scored as Arizona United’s defense appeared lost, and by the 69th minute, Arizona United had used all three of its substitutes as it tried to push for extra time.

AZ United coach Michael Dellorusso credited Chula Vista, saying his team didn’t overlook it.

“They deserved to win today,” Dellorusso said. “Our guys didn’t show up tonight. They didn’t play with pride, they didn’t play for the organization. It’s extremely embarrassing, our performance tonight.”

Arizona United, which was playing its second of three matches in eight days, lost forward Dennis Chin to injury in the second half after Chin came on as a sub.

A group of a couple dozen Chula Vista FC fans who made the trip were boisterous for much of the night, chanting “Portero! Portero!” when Ortiz and David made saves and “Beto! Beto!” when Diaz was subbed out in the 84th minute. They saved the traditional Mexican tune “Cielito Lindo” for the final minutes of the match, knowing their team had the match in hand.

For Arizona United, at least the lackluster performance didn’t cost the crowd of 1,408 full price. Tickets were half-price for the match.

Now the question is whether starry-eyed Chula Vista can afford a trip to Sacramento next week. The club has a GoFundMe page set up, hoping to collect donations to get players to the California capital.

“We have this dream to go all the way and play an MLS team,” Alberto Diaz said, “and see where we can go from there. “

Meet the Underdogs: PSA Elite returns strong core of players for 4th straight US Open Cup run

May 13, 2015 by Jose M. Romero

Kenny Cooper of the Seattle Sounders scored his 8th and 9th career US Open Cup goals in the Sounders' 5-0 win over PSA Elite. Photo: Seattle Sounders — PSA Elite (in highlighter yellow) became just the third USASA club to reach the Fourth Round last year, where they fell 5-0 to Kenny Cooper and the eventual champion Seattle Sounders of MLS. Photo: Seattle Sounders

Every year, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup includes a new batch of amateur clubs hoping to be the tournament’s latest Cinderella story. And every year, TheCup.us introduces soccer fans across the country to these teams that have been the heart and soul of this competition for more than a century. This year, we are expanding our annual “Meet the USASA” series to include the USSSA and US Club Soccer. We bring you “Meet the Underdogs.”

A photo of PSA Elite’s starting XI from in its Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fourth-round match of 2014 against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders begs at least two key questions.

First, who looks better and brighter in neon green, PSA Elite or the Sounders? PSA Elite wore highlighter green/yellow kits that day in Tukwila, Wash., at Starfire Sports Complex. Answer: Debatable, but give the visitors credit for the ploy.

Earl Edwards Jr. of PSA Elite blocks a shot by the Los Angeles Galaxy II in their Third Round match. Photo: Aaron Jaffe | LA Galaxy

Second, which team is one of only three USASA sides ever to get to the US Open Cup’s fourth round in 101 years of the tournament? Answer: PSA Elite.

The Orange County-based club makes its fourth consecutive Open Cup appearance this year, opening on May 13 against Golden State Misioneros FC at East L.A. College’s Weingart Stadium.

Five of the 11 players PSA Elite started last year in that match against Seattle are back and healthy this season. Former US youth internationals Aaron Simmons, Nathan Smith and Michael Amick, will join Belize international Michael Salazar and UC Irvine standout Mats Bjurman on the new-look roster.

One key player that is missing is Earl Edwards Jr., the UCLA product who received a lot of attention after his performance in last year’s Open Cup. He earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors in the Third Round for his 14-save, 120-minute shut out of USL PRO’s LA Galaxy II, which ended with him stopping two penalty kicks in the shootout to help his club advance to Round 4. Edwards is now playing in Major League Soccer for Orlando City SC and recently made his debut for the expansion team.

PSA Elite qualified for the tournament as a wild card entry by the USASA. The fact that they advanced to the Fourth Round of the tournament last year, made it difficult for them to field a full squad in the 2014 USASA Region IV tournament, so they sent a B-squad to the tournament in Orem, Utah and finished 1-3-0 as a result. However, since the reason for their shorthandedness was because of their success in the Open Cup, the USASA awarded the club its fourth straight entry. PSA Elite looks to make another run this year, perhaps going even deeper in the American championship tournament.

Club president Alex Lujan prefers to play it close to the vest as to who his 18 active players will be against Misioneros FC, a PDL side. He said he’ll choose from a pool of 30 players on the roster.

PSA Elite-Misioneros is a rematch of the USOC first round last year, which PSA Elite won in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at the StubHub Center Training Field in Carson, Calif.

PSA Elite, a team of college players mixed with veteran professionals mainly based in Southern California, has one win over another PDL side in the tournament. It was a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers U23s in Portland, Ore., in 2012.

Jose Romero is a freelance sports journalist from Phoenix who is always looking for a game of any kind to watch. He’s a former Seattle Sounders beat writer who has written about soccer regularly since late 2008. You can follow him on Twitter@RomeroJoseM

2014 US Open Cup Round 3: Arizona United wins battle of USL PRO expansion teams, 2-1 over Oklahoma City Energy

May 29, 2014 by Jose M. Romero

Arizona United SC has only been a USL PRO franchise for about two months. But it secured the most important win in club history to date on Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup third round, and earned the right to go after an even bigger victory in a few weeks.

Midfielder Bradlee Baladez gave the home side a 2-1 lead in the 112th minute, the second 15-minute overtime period, and goalkeeper Evan Newton saved a penalty in the 119th minute to preserve the win for Arizona United over Oklahoma City Energy FC.
The win sent AZ United into the fourth round of the annual American club championship tournament, where it will host the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer on June 18.
“It’s a big opportunity for a lot of us guys,” Baladez said. “We’re excited and we’re going to be ready.”

AZ United seemed to have the match in hand after the 47th minute, when the Energy’s Michael Thomas was shown a straight red card for a hard challenge. But it took Arizona until the 84th minute to capitalize on the man advantage, when Jon Okafor scored to give his team a 1-0 lead.

All Arizona United had to do was hang on for six-plus minutes, but it could not. Kyle Greigh delivered a low header into the net in the second minute of stoppage time, stunning the crowd of 1,538 on a hot night and sending the match into two overtime periods.
Arizona United looked stagnant through the first overtime, but got a break in the second when Baladez slotted home a pass from Kadeem Dacres to make the score 2-1.

Again, Arizona United hurt itself with a key mistake. Joey Dillon drew a red card in the 114th minute, making the teams even strength again. Then a handball in the box with about two minutes left in the second overtime gave OKC a penalty kick, and Christian Duke stepped up to take it.
Newton guessed correctly and sprawled out for the save, and Arizona United walked off the pitch with a second straight Open Cup win.
“We didn’t close it well,” Newton said of regulation time. “The biggest thing was the mentality after that. It’s an important tournament and we want to do well. That’s something that we as a group decided we wanted to focus on, as well as the league.”
Oklahoma City had defeated Arizona United in Peoria in the club’s home USL PRO opener last month. Tickets for the Galaxy match went on sale directly after the game. OKC ‘s first Open Cup ended with a win and loss.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Arizona United GK Evan Newton. Made four saves including two in overtime, and one of those on a PK that wuld surely have sent the game into a PK shootout had he not stopped it. His coach said Newton was the man of the match not only for that save but for keeping the team in a scoreless draw with a pair of first-half stops. AZU’s win was the second one dramatic fashion in the US Open Cup after a comeback win over Portland Timbers U-23s earlier this month, and they will play the LA Galaxy at home on June 18 thanks to Wednesday’s win.

2013 Meet the USASA: More travel awaits PSA Elite in second straight US Open Cup appearance

May 12, 2013 by Jose M. Romero

TimbersU23svsPSAElite.051512.LP_001-4-LeahParr — Last year, the PSA Elite made their US Open Cup debut with a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers U-23s. Photo: Leah Parr | Portland Timbers

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.

PSA Elite continues to make the city of Irvine, Calif. proud. The club is back in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row after cruising through this year’s USASA Region IV tournament.

The tournament win accomplished two things for PSA Elite, an amateur club that is one of the most successful in the nation. It ensured that PSA Elite will represent Region IV, the Western region, in the USASA’s four-team national championship tournament in San Antonio July 19-21, and it punched their ticket to the US Open Cup.

PSA Elite has been to the USASA final the past two years, only to come up short.

But first things first, a date with the Laredo Heat of the PDL awaits PSA Elite on May 14 at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex. This marks the third Open Cup game in a row where PSA Elite will have to travel over 1,000 miles to play an opponent (2012: at Portland Timbers U23s, at Carolina RailHawks). Unfortunately for the Elite, the airline miles will continue to pile up if they are able to beat the Heat. The winner will travel to South Florida to take on the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Round 2 on May 21.

At the Region IV tourney, the team outscored their opponents 26-4, including a pair of wins against fellow 2013 Open Cup qualifier Doxa Italia to qualify for the Open Cup and the USASA National Finals.

PSA Elite won its first Open Cup game last year, defeating the Portland Timbers U23s of the PDL 3-1. Davis Paul scored a pair of goals and Christian Ramirez added another in the road victory. Then the club had to travel across the country to North Carolina in the next round and were soundly defeated by the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks, 6-0.

Owner/general manager Alex Lujan said the club wasn’t at full strength, with a number of key players unable to make the trip east last year.

“We’re not sneaking up on anybody,” Lujan said.

PSA Elite is led by captain and center midfielder Darren Spicer, a 29-year-old veteran who has played with the Minnesota Thunder (Division II) as well as the Charleston Battery and Rochester Rhinos of USL Pro. Spicer brings a lot of Open Cup experience to the table with six career goals in the competition, including finishing tied for second in goals (4) during the Battery’s run to the championship game in 2008.

Goalkeeper Trevor Widdon had five saves against the Timbers U-23s last year and is back in the net this year.

Jon Spencer is PSA Elite’s technical director and the head coach is Gary Berry.

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Charlotte Eagles win in El Paso thanks to own goal

May 23, 2012 by Jose M. Romero

EL PASO, Texas – An own goal, or so it was explained, by an El Paso Patriots defender from in front of the goal mouth in the 72^nd minute helped the Charlotte Eagles of USL Pro to a win 1-0 over the El Paso Patriots of the PDL in U.S. Open Cup second-round play on a hot night in west Texas Tuesday.

The Eagles’ Nate Thornton was originally awarded the goal, with an assist from defender Scott Jones, who sent in a ball to the box that was deflected into the net amid a lot of traffic.

But Thornton was the first to admit he didn’t score, and he credited midfielder Milton Blanco with making a strong run and whipping the ball in.

“I’ll take it. I made the run, but it was definitely an own goal,” Thornton said with a grin. “Hard to deal with. The (El Paso) guy couldn’t clear it out and it just hit off the wrong side of his head.”

Charlotte won for the second time in Open Cup play history at El Paso in two meetings, and advanced to play at FC Dallas next week in the Third Round. The Eagles must fly home and then drive down to Orlando for a league match this weekend, then turn around and fly to Dallas-Fort Worth soon after that.

The key, Eagles coach Mark Steffens said, was his team going to a 4-4-2 from a 4-3-3 early in the second half. The Patriots had the majority of the scoring chances in the first half and looked poised to get a win at home, but the Eagles made the most of one of the few opportunities they had.

“I thought the two guys up front gave us a little bit more pressure on the other guys on El Paso,” Steffens said. “Created a few more chances for us. We really didn’t bring our ‘A’ game, but guys fought hard and pulled out a win.”

Edgar Mendoza’s shot in the 32^nd minute was tipped away just in time by Charlotte goalkeeper Clint Irwin. That came after three other quality looks for the Patriots.

The Eagles were better in the second half. Forward Mauricio Salles had one of his two good shots hit the cross bar and roll away.

The Patriots tried to rally for an equalizer, but Irwin turned back headers by forward Michael Griego in the 86^th and 89^th minutes.

“We dominated in the first few minutes until the end,” midfielder Sergio Villasenor said. “It was a shame the way they scored. The ball came in from the side and it was an own goal. That was the only good play they had, but that’s soccer. Tough loss at home.”

The Eagles are hoping to get some injured starters back soon to bolster their lineup against FC Dallas.

“Against Dallas, we’ll get a scouting report and I think we’ll probably just sit in a little bit, defend, try to counterattack,” Steffens said.

SCORING:
CHAR- Daniel Campos (own goal) 72′

BOOKINGS:
CHAR- Milton Blanco 40′ (caution, tactical foul)
CHAR- Joe Kabwe 43′ (caution, rough play)
ELP- Adrian Moreno 75′ (caution, tactical foul)
ELP- Ernesto Bolivar 82′ (caution, rough play)
ELP- David Salas 84′ (tactical foul)

Referee: Mark DeClouet
Weather: 90 degrees, clear

2010 US Open Cup Semifinals: Seattle Sounders will defend Open Cup title at home after 3-1 win vs. Chivas USA

September 2, 2010 by Jose M. Romero

nate-jaqua-bike-vs-chivas-usa-semifinals-big — Nate Jaqua scored two goals for the second straight US Open Cup game. Photo: Corky Trewin | Sounders FC

The victory party for the 97^th US Open cup will go through the Emerald City, with the defending US Open Cup champion Seattle Sounders trying to make history with a chance to win a trophy in front of their home fans for the first time.

The Seattle Sounders, undefeated in Open Cup play on the FieldTurf of the Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Tukwila, advanced to the final with a 3-1 win over Chivas USA Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,547 fans. Seattle won the bid to host the game at Qwest Field if they reached the final, and will face the Columbus Crew on Oct. 5 for the chance to add a second trophy to their case.

By reaching the final, they become the first expansion team in the Professional Era (1995-present) to play in the final in their first two seasons as a franchise. If they are able to defeat the Crew, they will become the first club to repeat as champions since the New York Pancyprian Freedoms won the 1982 and 1983 Open Cups.

Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup in its inaugural season, 2009, at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. last September, defeating host D.C. United. Next month, it’s former Crew-turned Sounders coach Sigi Schmid facing Robert Warzycha, his former assistant in Ohio-turned Crew head coach, in a match for the hardware.

Nate Jaqua scored the game’s first and last goals, the clincher coming in stoppage time of the second half, and Fredy Montero added another for the Sounders, who found plenty of holes in Chivas’ defense all night.

Jaqua’s brace gives him seven career US Open Cup goals and five in this year’s tournament, tying him for the lead in the latter category with Paulo Araujo Jr. of Miami FC (USSF Division 2). His first goal came off a run down the left side by Steve Zakuani, who didn’t quit when he reached the touch line and centered to Jaqua for the put-away.

: Photo: Corky Trewin | Sounders FC

Montero gave Seattle a 2-0 lead in the 59^th minute, with Zakuani providing the assist again. Chivas USA rallied to make it 2-1 nine minutes later, with Jesus Padilla driving home a flick from Justin Braun, and it appeared the finish was going to be a thriller.

The Sounders took the air out of the ball and did a good job stalling and keeping possession, as goalkeeper Kasey Keller was barely threatened. They found an opening in the final minute with Chivas pushed forward for an equalizer, and Jaqua made them pay once again.

Scoring:
SEA – Nate Jaqua (Steve Zakuani) – 10th minute
SEA – Fredy Montero (Steve Zakuani) – 59th minute
CHV – Jesus Padilla (Justin Braun) – 66th minute
SEA – Nate Jaqua (Roger Levesque) – 90th+ minute

Misconduct Summary:
CHV – Paulo Nagamura (Yellow) – 51st minute
SEA – Osvaldo Alonso (Yellow) – 79th minute

Lineups:

SEA: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Tyrone Marshall, Taylor Graham, Leo Gonzalez, Alvaro Fernandez (Roger Levesque 83rd), Osvaldo Alonso, Nathan Sturgis (Mike Seamon 66th), Steve Zakuani (Jeff Parke 90+), Fredy Montero, Nate Jaqua.
Subs not used: Terry Boss, David Estrada, Michael Fucito, Zach Scott

CHV: Zach Thornton, Michael Umana, Mariano Trujillo, Ante Jazic, Dario Delgado, Marcelo Saragosa, Paulo Nagamura, Rodolfo Espinoza, Jonathan Bornstein (Michael Lahoud 45th), Justin Braun, Giancarlo Maldonado (Sal Zizzo). Subs: Kevin Guppy, Carlos Borja, Yamith Cuesta, Michael Lahoud, Jesus Padilla, Ben Zemanski, Sal Zizzo.

Stats:
Shots – Chivas USA 10:19 Seattle
Shots on goal – Chivas USA 6:9 Seattle
Saves – Chivas USA 6:5 Seattle
Fouls – Chivas 13:9 Seattle
Corner Kicks – Chivas USA 7:10 Seattle
Offsides – Chivas USA 3:1 Seattle

Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Referee’s Assistants: Colin Arblaster, Mike Kampmeinert.
4th Official: Josh Wilkens
Weather: Party Cloudy, 67 degrees
Attendance: 4,547

North American Soccer Reporters Links:
Zakuani a force in Sounders’ Open Cup victory (Andrew Winner, MLSSoccer.com)
Commentary: Goats doomed by lack of swagger (Jeffrey King, MLSSoccer.com)
Seattle player quotes | Chivas USA player quotes | Sigi Schmid & Adrien Hanauer quotes (Joshua Mayers, Seattle Times)

The victory party for the 97^th U.S. Open cup will go through the Emerald City, and the host team will also be the home team.

The Seattle Sounders, undefeated in Open Cup play on the FieldTurf of the Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Tukwila, advanced to the final with a 3-1 win over Chivas USA Wednesday night in front of 4,547 fans. Seattle won the bid to host the game at Qwest Field if they reached the final, and will face the Columbus Crew on Oct. 5 for the chance to add a second trophy to their case.

Nate Jaqua scored the game’s first and last goals, the clincher coming in extra time of the second half, and Fredy Montero added another for the Sounders, who found plenty of holes in Chivas’ defense all night.

Jaqua’s brace gave him seven career U.S. Open Cup goals and five in this year’s tournament, tying him for the lead in the latter category. His first goal came off a run down the left side by Steve Zakuani, who didn’t quit when he reached the touch line and centered to Jaqua for the put-away.

FULL MATCH VIDEO (FIRST HALF) – SoundersFC.com

FULL MATCH VIDEO (SECOND HALF) – SoundersFC.com

2010 US Open Cup Third Round: Sounders outlast Timbers in PKs to move on to quarterfinals

July 1, 2010 by Jose M. Romero

It took 120-plus minutes and penalty kicks, but the Seattle Sounders remained on track to defend their U.S. Open Cup.

And it was only fitting that an old Portland Timbers nemesis from back in the USL days, Sounders defender Zach Scott, was the one to seal the deal in this the greatest of Northwest derbies that will only intensify when both clubs are in MLS next year and beyond.

15,422 fans showed up for Wednesday's third round match, falling just short of last year's record-setting total. Photo: David Jacobson | Portland Timbers

Scott, the Sounders’ fifth PK shooter, converted to give the Rave Green a 2-1 win (4-3 on penalties), propelling the Sounders into the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Galaxy in Seattle next week. The match is set for July 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Starfire Sports Complex in nearby Tukwila.

Sounders FC, last year’s Open Cup champion in its inaugural season, got a stiff challenge from the host Timbers before 15,422 at PGE Park, a season-high attendance for a game in the Rose City. But Seattle held on late though the Timbers of USSF Division 2 were more the aggressors on offense.

The Timbers failed to avenge a home loss to the Sounders on July 1, 2009, also a U.S. Open Cup third-round game, and couldn’t take advantage of a one-man advantage during the overtime periods.

Seattle scored early to take a 1-0 lead, forward Nate Jaqua heading in a centering pass from Sanna Nyassi in the 13th minute. Jaqua was playing in only his second game of the season after a short substitute stint in Sounders FC’s loss at Philadelphia Sunday.

But the Timbers went on the attack, as forwards Ryan Pore and Bright Dike put pressure on the Sounders’ defense time after time.

Pore, a former trialist with Seattle during its inaugural season, set up Dike, a former first-round pick of the Columbus Crew in this year’s MLS Superdraft, for the equalizer in the 38th minute. Pore gathered in a failed clearance from Sounders defender Tyson Wahl and fed Dike, whose shot squirted under goalkeeper Kasey Keller’s arms and into the net.

Seattle opened with only two regular starters after playing in a match just three days earlier. They were Keller and defender James Riley. But Sounders coach Sigi Schmid showed a desire to win when he inserted fleet midfielder Steve Zakuani and scoring striker Fredy Montero into the match in the second half.

The game went into extra-time periods, and Sounders defender Taylor Graham was sent off with a second yellow card in the 101st minute when he fouled Dike just outside the box.

In the penalty-kick round, Keller saved a pair of shots, one from Pore, and Nate Sturgis, Steve Zakuani and Fredy Montero converted their PKs for Seattle.

Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Thompson, D Danso, D Smith, D Joy, M Nimo (Lopez, 69), M McManus, M Marcelin (Keita, 109), M Suzuki (DeMartin 85), F Pore, F Dike

SEA: GK Keller, D Riley, D Scott, D Graham, D Wahl, M Nyassi, M Sturgis, M Seamon (Ianni, 102), M Montano (Zakuani, 69), F Levesque, F Jaqua (Montero, 65)

Scoring Summary:
SEA: Jaqua (Nyassi), 13
POR: Dike (Pore), 38

PK Shootout Summary:
POR: Pore – Save (0-0)
SEA: Sturgis – Goal (0-1)
POR: DeMartin – Goal (1-1)
SEA: Zakuani – Goal (1-2)
POR: Danso – Goal (2-2)
SEA: Montero – Goal (2-3)
POR: Smith – Save (2-3)
SEA: Ianni – Miss (2-3)
POR: Lopez – Goal (3-3)
SEA: Scott – Goal (3-4)

HIGHLIGHTS / POST-GAME

2010 Meet the USASA: Bay Area Ambassadors

June 15, 2010 by Jose M. Romero

Bay Area Ambassadors FC, 2010 USASA Region IV champions, make their U.S. Open Cup debut June 15 against Kitsap Pumas SC of the PDL.

It’s a momentous occasion for the club from Hayward, Calif., a member of the NPSL Northwest Division. The Bay Area Ambassadors were in fifth place in the six-team NPSL Northwest heading into their opening round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game, but overcame adversity and emerged as the winner of the Region IV tourney in Sacramento last month and thus earned a spot in the 97th edition of the tournament.

Not bad for a franchise in only its third year of existence. BAFC was started in 2008 by former Nigerian Olympic team member Tony Igwe and local businessman and real-estate broker Arif Khan to bring the highest level of amateur/semi-pro soccer to the Bay Area, Khan said.

Igwe, the team’s technical advisor, and Khan, the general manager, chose the NPSL for their club because there were several other teams in Northern California. The Ambassadors practice and play at Chabot College in Hayward.

While goalkeeper Sergio Valle is the main player to watch, the Ambassadors feature a mix of local college and non-college players. Coach Mohammed Mohammed has several players he’s developed from his youth club, including Yusuf Samy, Stefan Clemens and Pedro Osorio.

BAFC didn’t have it easy at the Region IV tournament. Three of its players were injured in the tournament opener. But the club made the regional final and won it with no substitutes, playing two games with only 10 men due to the injuries and two players unable to get international clearance.

Even with the obstacles, the Ambassadors cruised through group play, only allowing one goal in three matches. They defeated San Diego Boca FC, 2-0, Arizona Pros, 1-0, and the French Soccer Academy, 5-1. In the semifinals, it was a battle of unbeatens as Bay Area knocked off the Sacramento Gold 1-0 to qualify for the Open Cup. With the tournament berth already in place, Bay Area carried the momentum into the Region IV Open Cup final and booked a spot in the USASA National Cup Finals with a 2-0 win over fellow qualifier Arizona Sahuaros.

The Ambassadors fly into Seattle-Tacoma Airport on June 15 and play that evening at 7 p.m. in nearby Bremerton, home of the Kitsap Pumas, the Premier Development League qualifier from the Northwest Division.

2010 Meet the USASA: Arizona Sahuaros

June 14, 2010 by Jose M. Romero

When you’ve been the longest-lasting franchise in what is otherwise a no-man’s land for high-level soccer and you’re about to go to your fifth US Open Cup in 20 seasons of existence, the American soccer community knows who you are.

Such is the case with the Arizona Sahuaros, a highly regarded USASA club on hiatus for the second straight year from the NPSL. The Sahuaros might be the lonely oasis of soccer in the hot and dusty Arizona desert, but they have two things going for them as they head into the first round of the US Open Cup in 2010: History in the Open Cup and a defense-first mentality that causes opponents fits.

The Sahuaros under first-year coach Orhan Kraja, a native of Albania who has coached third-division football in Italy, have never advanced past the second round of the Open Cup. But their match against the defending PDL champion Ventura County Fusion Tuesday night will mark their third straight Open Cup berth.

Arizona’s roster is always in flux with its mixture of college players trying to stay in shape over the summer, young players trying to stay in the game and advance their careers and experienced veterans who have cut their teeth in higher professional ranks. The Sahuaros are led by veteran goalkeeper Brad Swenby, who has played for the USL’s Minnesota Thunder and commutes to key Sahuaros games from Wisconsin.

Sahuaros-boca-team-photo — The Arizona Sahuaros pose for a team photo with Boca Juniors of Argentina as part of the 2007 Copa PanAmericana. The Sahuaros played exhibition games against Boca and Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Club America. Photo: Arizona Sahuaros.

Swenby and defender Mike Duhaney, the 1997 MLS Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, are expected to be with the club in California when they face the Fusion. Former MLS players Greg Vanney and Mike Munoz have other commitments and will not play.

That said, the Sahuaros bring a young team, for the most part, to Ventura. Those young players, with Swenby the rock in the net, played well enough at the USASA Region IV Cup in Sacramento last month to earn the second and final berth into the US Open Cup from the region, a credit to team president Ali Alexander and GM Mark Nabity for their work and commitment to fielding a competitive team.

The Sahuaros run through the Region IV tournament was a difficult one, finishing 1-1-1 in group play. A 1-0 loss to the Sacramento Gold in their opener forced Arizona to get points in their last two matches. The next match was a 10-1 drubbing of Yakima United, while the last was a 2-2 draw against Doxa Italia.

The nine-goal blowout proved to be the most important result as Arizona tied with three other clubs with four points, as the best second place team would book a place in the semifinals. With a plus-8 goal differencial, the Sahuaros would edge out Doxa-Italia (+6), San Diego Boca FC (+0), and the French Soccer Academy (-2) for a spot in the final four.

In the semifinals, the Sahuaros defeated Real San Jose 2-1 on a pair of goals from Pat Perkins. The second goal appeared to be a handball, but after consulting with the AR, the center ref let the goal stand. Real San Jose pulled one back in the second half but it was too little, too late.

“I think our goalkeeper Brad Swenby was the key to our success this weekend.” said former long-time Sahuaros head coach Petar Draskin. ”A few other players to recognize were Skelly Keller, Mitch Garcia, defenders Chris Green and Brian Green, midfielder Paul La Larva and forward Pat Perkins. This was the youngest team Sahuaros have ever brought to this event. Also, Seth George, a former pro, made his first appearance in a Sahuaros jersey.”

This year, the Arizona Sahuaros have become only the third USASA club to qualify for the US Open Cup three seasons in a row (2008, 2009, 2010). Los Lobos (Oklahoma) qualified from 1997-1999 and Mexico SC qualified four years in a row from 1999-2002.

The Sahuaros have been able to make it hard on PDL and USL teams in past Cups because of their emphasis on defense. Arizona’s belief in a system despite a constantly changing roster is what they claim to be the key to their success, along with playing games throughout Arizona to increase their exposure and tap into young talent from outside greater Phoenix.