Justin Jerkins

Roger Espinoza of Sporting KC suspended two US Open Cup games for punching Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis (video)

August 7, 2015 by Justin Jerkins

In this video screen shot, Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City appears to punch the Houston Dynamo's Brad Davis — In this video screen shot, Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City appears to punch the Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza has been handed a two-game suspension by the US Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel. This punishment stems from an incident that occurred during the Open Cup Quarterfinal match against the Houston Dynamo on July 21.

In the 67th minute of that match, Roger Espinoza and Dynamo captain Brad Davis began an argument as players prepared for a Kansas City free kick whistled by referee Ted Unkel. It escalated to a point where Espinoza appears to throw a punch, connecting with Davis’ face.

The incident was not seen by the referee but yellow cards were eventually distributed to each player as a fracas ensued and the two refused to stop arguing.

The suspension comes as Sporting Kansas City prepares for a crucial Semifinal at home against Real Salt Lake on August 12. Espinoza will then miss either the Open Cup Final or his club’s opening match of the 2016 US Open Cup tournament, whichever occurs first.

Ultimately, it was unlikely that Espinoza would play in any of the remaining matches of this year’s tournament due to a foot injury sustained against Houston in a league match on August 1. The injury, a left sesamoid fracture, was sustained from a red card challenge by Houston’s Nathan Sturgis and could sideline Espinoza for the remainder of the season.

Espinoza also picked up a one-game suspension from Major League Soccer’s Disciplinary Committee for a dangerous play in that same match. The ban arises from a second half play that saw Espinoza strike Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric’s shin with the underside of his cleat.

Espinoza, a Honduran international, is best known for being the only player in soccer history to win the US Open Cup (Sporting KC, 2012) and the FA Cup (Wigan Athletic in 2012/13) in consecutive seasons.

And in slow(er)-mo, FWIW. pic.twitter.com/su67k1dLyt

— Andy Edwards (@AndyEdMLS) July 22, 2015

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Roger Espinoza punch of Brad Davis in Sporting KC, Houston Dynamo match under review (video)

July 26, 2015 by Justin Jerkins

An incident that took place in the 67th minute of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup quarterfinal match between Sporting Kansas City and Houston Dynamo is under review by the Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel, according to US Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe.

The resulting outcome of that review could signal punishment for Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza who appears to have thrown a punch at Houston’s captain Brad Davis seconds before Sporting executed a free kick. Referee Ted Unkel officiated the match but had his back turned to the incident.

And in slow(er)-mo, FWIW. pic.twitter.com/su67k1dLyt

— Andy Edwards (@AndyEdMLS) July 22, 2015

The punch highlighted a physical match between the two long-time rivals which also saw a Houston Dynamo red card in the 30th minute and five yellow cards including one each to Espinoza and Davis.

Those cautions occurred just after the punch as Dynamo players commanded the attention of Unkel who, having not seen the punch, issued verbal warnings to both players for arguing. When the two resumed heated discussions after Unkel walked away, the official returned to hand out yellows to Espinoza and Davis and put an end to the conversation.

Had Unkel viewed the punch, it’s very possible that Sporting Kansas City would have suffered a red card ejection and went down to ten men, just as Houston did. The incident occurred with Houston leading 1-0. Kansas City would ultimately rally late to win 3-1 and advance to their first Semifinal since 2012.

Should the Discipline Panel rule that Espinoza is warranted a suspension, the midfielder would likely miss, at a minimum, the Semifinal against Real Salt Lake to be hosted in Kansas City on August 12th.

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: After nearly three-hour delay, Houston Dynamo edge Colorado Rapids to return to Quarterfinals (video)

July 1, 2015 by Justin Jerkins

It took nearly three hours to determine whether the Fifth Round matchup between the Colorado
Rapids and the Houston Dynamo could begin. Torrential downpours in the late Houston
afternoon threw the match into jeopardy and grounds crew put in significant work to dissipate
several large pools of water on the pitch. In the end, the referees gave their approval and the
match kicked off at a yawninducing 10:18 p.m. local time.

In the end, a first half tally from Mauro Manotas and a strong performance in goal by Joe Willis led the Dynamo to a 1-0 win to send Houston to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.

The waterlogged field played a bit slower than either team would have liked but both clubs combined for 18 shots in the first half. The Dynamo controlled the game early on, using the crafty combination play of Manotas and Alex Monteiro to find gaps in the Colorado defense. Eventually, the Rapids took control of the game in the first half, sacrificing the counter-attack style that was proving ineffective in the face of goal.

As both teams began to put reliance on their speed up top, the Dynamo would create better scoring opportunities. A Leonel Miranda cross in the 14th minute would trickle through the box to Alex who struggled to find the touch to beat Colorado goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

Alex was an immense presence in the first half for Houston, delivering a skillfull ball to the box in the 23rd minute where a waiting Chandler Hoffman couldn’t manage to swing the ball into the net after a beautiful turn.

As the match creeped toward the half-hour mark, physicality from both sides began to dictate the flow of the game. When the ball wasn’t whistled dead, it was often the quick, shuffling feet of Colorado midfielder Charles Eloundou that carried the attack into the final third for the Rapids.

Dynamo right back Kofi Sarkodie struggled to contain Eloundou’s speed but no Colorado player could take advantage as the entire night was a battle to put the ball on frame.

The match’s only goal was delivered by Manotas, the 19-year-old Colombian who was making his first-ever start for the club. Manotas netted his first career goal for the Dynamo off a curling Nathan Sturgis assist in the 43rd minute.

Two minutes later, Colorado would have perhaps their best opportunity of the night as fullback Marlon Hairston shrugged off Dynamo defenders in the box and slotted the ball between keeper Joe Willis’ legs. Unfortunately for the Rapids, the ball would take a deflection off the post to end the half.

The final 45 minutes were certainly chippy between both teams but it was Colorado, again, who could not capitalize on the space given by the Houston defense.

In the 51st minute, Rapids midfielder Jared Watts would clack a header off the crossbar and back into play. His second chance would go wide and Colorado’s ensuing frustration would make it difficult to focus on keeping their shots on goal.

The 80th minute substitution of Marcelo Sarvas for Charles Eloundou would all but finish Colorado’s night as the Dynamo defenders finally had a chance to breathe while not fending off the pace of Eloundou.

In those final ten minutes, fatigue sat in for both teams as the clock was well past midnight. MacMath, who is on loan from the Philadelphia Union, had terrific saves throughout the match, keeping the Rapids in contention, but it was not enough. Though the Dynamo would face a nervy run or two from Colorado, they would ultimately keep them at bay for a 1-0 victory and an advancement into the Open Cup Quarterfinals.

Combined with their Fourth Round win over the Austin Aztex, the Dynamo have put together back-to-back tournament wins for the first time since 2009. For the Rapids, it continues a poor run of form that began after 1999 when they fell to the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the Final. Tuesday’s loss marks the 12th year in a row that the Rapids have failed to win multiple games in a single tournament.

In the next round, Houston will travel to play the winner of Wednesday’s FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City match.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: COLORADO RAPIDS AT HOUSTON DYNAMO

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: Early, late goals propel Houston Dynamo over Austin Aztex, 2-0 (video)

June 17, 2015 by Justin Jerkins

Ricardo Clark of the Houston Dynamo scores the second goal of the game in second half stoppage time in a 2-0 win over the Austin Aztex. Photo: Houston Dynamo

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that the Houston Dynamo will host the Colorado Rapids in the next round.

Following ninety nervy minutes at BBVA Compass Stadium, the Houston Dynamo emerged 2-0 victors Wednesday over USL side Austin Aztex in the fourth round of the US Open Cup.

Houston’s Leonel Miranda opened his scoring account in the 24th minute with a cool finish past charging Aztex goalkeeper Devin Perales. Ricardo Clark delivered the dagger in the 92nd minute to put Austin away for good.

It was a fairly even match between the two sides in front of an announced 4,041 in attendance on a rainy night as Austin’s first-choice lineup ran toe-to-toe against a Dynamo squad featuring only one regular starter — center back Raul Rodriguez. The rest of Houston’s team consisted of youth and fringe players fighting for minutes against the first string.

“As much as we made the changes, we wanted to advance as well,” said Houston coach Owen Coyle. “It’s important we know that we have that strength and depth.”

It was Austin that began the match in control, searching for ways through a staunch Houston defense that saw the returns of left back Corey Ashe and central defender AJ Cochran — both of which have struggled to see the field in league play.

As the Aztex sought to deliver the perfect long-ball into the box, the Dynamo began to look threatening, with the clever runs of Alex and Rob Lovejoy turning Austin defenders. In response, the Aztex settled into the counter attack, allowing Kris Tyrpak to run the ball and find open players.

It wasn’t until the 24th minute that Austin were dealt a blow when Houston’s Alex played in a ball to Miranda, who calmly slotted past a charging Perales.

“He’s one of the players that should believe he should be on the team,” Coyle said. “I’m pleased for him on a personal level to get that goal.”

Austin tried to respond late in the first half, with Tyrpak and forward Sainey Touray finding charging runs into the box, but unable to find a final touch to beat Dynamo keeper Joe Willis.

Houston dominated the game early in the second half, using Miranda and Alex to twist Aztex defenders. Austin defenders Michael Ambrose and Max Gunderson continued to find ways to be in the right places and unleash another Austin counter-attack, usually led by Tyrpak.

Gradually, the game began to take on a physical nature with cards and fouls flying for both teams. This did damage to the rhythm that Austin needed for their counter-attack and it ran out of energy well into the second half.

Tyrpak’s 69th minute substitution for Brendan King nearly spelled the end of Austin’s decisive attack.

One final chance for Austin came in the 74th minute when a routine defensive clearance resulted in miscommunication between Ashe and Cochran, springing Aztex forward Trevin Caesar free on goal. A challenging shot forced Willis to make a fingertip save, flicking the ball into the crossbar and over the net.

Houston were able to disrupt the Austin attack just enough for the remainder of the game before subbing on starter Ricardo Clark in the 84th minute.

Clark found an opening, assisted by Mauro Manotas (another player to receive his first minutes for Houston), and delivered a curl past Perales to make it 2-0 and snuff out Austin’s chances of advancement.

For Miranda, his game-winning goal was a particularly special one.

“I’m very happy and excited to get the opportunity,” Miranda said. “I’ve been yearning for not only the opportunity to play but to score.”

With that, Miranda may have earned a role on the Dynamo’s first team entering a tough summer that will see many International absences.

Houston won’t have to wait very long to learn what the next Open Cup phase holds as it will learn on Thursday the draw for US Open Cup opponents in the Round of 16.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: AUSTIN AZTEX AT HOUSTON DYNAMO