Michael Berton

Communications and Development Associate at the Public Interest Law Center. Based in the Philadelphia area, has been helping out with TheCup.us since 2012. Graduated with a degree in journalism from Penn State University.

2018 US Open Cup Semifinals: Burke’s brace sends Philadelphia Union to Final for third time

August 8, 2018 by Michael Berton

Cory Burke of the Philadelphia Union celebrates one of his two goals in a 3-0 home win over the Chicago Fire in the 2018 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Chris Szagola | Philadelphia Union

Three second-half goals propelled the Philadelphia Union to its third Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final, blowing away the Chicago Fire, 3-0.

Cory Burke and Alejandro Bedoya were the heroes for the Union, as Bedoya set up Burke twice to break the deadlock that lasted into the 60th minute. CJ Sapong added a third goal on an assist from Fafa Picault to put the game away late.

In the first half, four-time Open Cup winners Chicago was first to have a clear shot on goal, but the Union’s Haris Medunjanin provided the first highlight of the game. His free kick from about 30 yards out beat goalkeeper Richard Sanchez but rattled the crossbar, tantalizingly close to the game’s first goal.

The teams traded chances 20 minutes later. First, in the 37th minute, Bastian Schweinsteiger just barely missed a bicycle kick attempt, to the oohs and aahs of home and away fans alike. Two minutes later, it was the Union’s turn, as Jack Elliott headed a corner kick just high over the bar.

After the halftime break, Sanchez made a point-blank save on Bedoya. A free kick rebounded out to David Accam. His shot deflected to Bedoya, whose close range effort required a spectacular save by Sanchez.

Bedoya was involved in the action again for the Union’s first goal. Bedoya and Borek Dockal played a one-two sequence at the top of the Chicago box, then Bedoya chipped the ball perfectly to Burke on the right side of the box. Burke powered it home for the game’s opening goal.

The same two players were involved when Philadelphia doubled its lead. Just seconds after a hydration break finished in the 77th minute, Bedoya got the ball wide open on the right. He crossed it to Burke, who smashed it to the left of Sanchez for his third goal of the tournament. It was Bedoya’s fourth assist, which is tied for the tournament lead.

Sapong capped off the scoring in the 86th minute. Fabian Herbers got the ball to Picault, entering the Fire box from the left. He tapped it to Sapong, who redirected the ball into the net.

After the game, Union head coach Jim Curtin thanked the fans.

have a way of making the Open Cup special for us,” said Curtin, who played in three US Open Cup Finals as a defender for the Fire, winning the tournament in 2003 and 2006. “It pushes our guys when we need it. We weren’t sharp with the ball . The players deserve all the credit for the halftime turnaround.”

That turnaround means Philadelphia heads to the Open Cup final for the third time in five years. The team lost consecutive US Open Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015 to the Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City, respectively. The Union is also looking to end a long Open Cup drought for Philadelphia teams. The last team from the City of Brotherly Love to lift the trophy was the Ukrainian Nationals back in 1966.

They become the 19th Eastern Pennsylvania team to reach the US Open Cup Final.

“It is a hard accomplishment,” said Curtin. “It’s not as easy to get to finals as people think. In this life, you never know how many opportunities you’re going to get to play in a final. The next big challenge is to lift a trophy. We’ve had about as heartbreaking losses as you could have. You have to go for it and have a team that’s brave and tries to play the right way.”

The Union also extend their tournament unbeaten streak to 14 games (9-0-5, 2-3 PKs), which is the second-longest streak of the Modern Era (1995-present). Matches that end in a penalty kick shootout are officially listed as draws. The club’s home unbeaten streak is now at 11 games, which is also the second-longest streak in the Modern Era.

The Union will not have an opportunity to add to that streak as they will play the Final on the road against on the winner of the Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles FC on Sept. 26.

HIGHLIGHTS

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“I think that the guys emptied their tanks for the club, for the badge, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.” pic.twitter.com/RWHyY9R095 — Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 9, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Bedoya’s early goal holds up as Philadelphia Union edge Orlando City

July 18, 2018 by Michael Berton

Alejandro Bedoya scored in the fourth minute, and that is all it took for the Philadelphia Union to sneak past Orlando City SC in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals for a 1-0 victory. With the win, the Union advance to the Semifinals for the fourth time in the club’s seven US Open Cup appearances.

The Union capitalized on some early pressure when Borek Dockal hit a short corner to Haris Medunjanin. The Bosnian midfielder crossed into the box, and Mark McKenzie put it on net. After Earl Edwards Jr. made the initial save, Bedoya headed in the rebound to give his team the lead.

“ has been playing at his highest level,” said Union head coach Jim Curtin. “He is a professional and leader as a captain. He does everything that does not show up on the stat sheet… He is playing exceptionally well.”

It was the second-fastest US Open Cup goal in Philadelphia team history, falling just short of Walter Restrepo’s 3rd minute goal in the 2012 Quarterfinals against the Harrisburg City Islanders (now Penn FC).

From that point, both teams squandered chances. Will Johnson had two great opportunities, hitting a long shot high in the 13th minute, then a point-blank header was tipped over the bar by Union goalie Andre Blake in the 37th minute.

Philadelphia also missed out on some opportunities. In total, the home side put six of its nine shots on targets, yet scoring just once. Orlando had three shots on goal with seven total shots, none of which found the back of the net.

“The first 45 was excellent. We had Orlando pinned back quite a bit,” Curtin said.

In the second half, neither team could seem to get its footing. Numerous giveaways led to a disjointed pace to the game. Despite sloppy passing, the Union did get more good shots off, including a Cory Burke shot saved in the 52nd, and a Bedoya laser parried away in the 90th.

Orlando City suffered from the same problem, giving the ball away just when it would move forward. Then, it struggled to get the ball back when Philadelphia wasted time in the corners in the late stages of the game.

“We gave them a bit of life to start the second half,” Curtin said. “We were organized, but not our sharpest in front of the goal. We knew that our fitness would play a big role over the course of 90 minutes.

“The last 10 minutes we looked like ourselves again, making them run and chase. It wasn’t our best night, but to win 1-0 and grind with a young back line is important.”

The win pushed the Union’s Open Cup unbeaten streak to 13 games (8-0-5, 2-3 PKs), the second-longest in the Modern Era. (NOTE: Matches that end in penalty kicks are officially listed as draws.) It was the first time Philadelphia and Orlando have met in this competition.

With the win, the Union make the Semifinals for the first time since falling in consecutive Open Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015. Orlando still has not been able to advance past the Quarterfinals, losing at that stage three times.

Tonight’s highlight reel pic.twitter.com/Qvay3DSWXf

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 19, 2018

“We take the @opencup very seriously – the players deserve a ton of credit for their ability now to raise their level in these elimination-type games.” pic.twitter.com/PMFjtivbQ8

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 19, 2018

“Finally it fell in for me, so I’m happy about that.” pic.twitter.com/dYEstz8i1K

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 19, 2018

“Ultimately, we want to win the whole thing – it’s a matter of getting results & bringing it back to Philly.” pic.twitter.com/h3S0XeZqbq

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 19, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: Philadelphia Union extend unbeaten streak, 5-0 over Richmond Kickers

June 5, 2018 by Michael Berton

The Philadelphia Union are used to crazy Lamar Hunt US Open Cup matches. The only crazy aspect of Tuesday’s Fourth Round victory against the Richmond Kickers ended up being the 5-0 scoreline.

The Union are one of the few teams in MLS who have never lost their opening round game. It was their seventh straight opening round win, dating back to their US Open Cup debut in 2012. It also extended their tournament unbeaten streak to 11 games (6-0-5, 2-3 PKs), the second-longest in the Modern Era (1995-present) of the competition. (Penalty kicks are officially listed as draws)

In the midst of a busy stretch of games, the Union blended a group of young players with regular starters. One of those regulars, Haris Medunjanin, sparked the scoring in the 4th minute. His corner kick found the feet of defender Jack Elliott, who easily snuck the ball past Richmond goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg to give the Union a 1-0 lead.

Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin said, “Getting the goal early in these kinds of games settles things down.”

The Union did indeed settle into a rhythm and dominated possession in the early stages. However, Spangenberg seemed determined to keep his team in the game, making several point-blank saves to keep his MLS opponents from going up by two goals.

Despite Spangenberg’s heroics, the USL side could only hold out until the 27th minute. Union forward Cory Burke got in behind the Richmond defense and was taken down by Spangenberg in the penalty box. His teammate David Accam scored his first-ever Union goal by converting the penalty kick. For Accam, it was his sixth career US Open Cup goal. His previous five all came in the 2016 tournament for the Chicago Fire when he was tied for the tournament lead in goals with La Maquina FC’s Edwin Borboa.

The home side was not done there, scoring twice more at the end of the first half to put the game out of reach. First, Union homegrown player Anthony Fontana stole the ball at the top of the Richmond box and fired it home for a 3-0 lead.

Marcus Epps of the Philadelphia Union battles for the ball with the Richmond Kickers in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Carroccio - Philadelphia Union — Marcus Epps of the Philadelphia Union battles for the ball with the Richmond Kickers in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Carroccio – Philadelphia Union

Then, as first half stoppage time was winding down, Burke made a beautiful flick pass from near midfield to Marcus Epps. The Union midfielder blazed past Richmond’s defense and struck the ball past Spangenberg to put his team up 4-0.

At halftime, the Union subbed Jay Simpson in for Burke, and he made an immediate impact. Three minutes into the half, Derrick Jones entered the Richmond penalty area from the right, faked out one defender, then played it on the ground to Simpson. The Englishman made no mistake and scored an easy goal — his first since March 2017.

From there, Philadelphia took its foot off the gas and calmly saw out the match. Union keeper John McCarthy was finally called into action in the 88th minute, when Richmond hit the post, then fired another shot that he was able to save — the only save he was required to make all game.

“I’m very happy with the professionalism of the group, even with young face on the field,” Curtin said. “Credit to our players–there were a bunch of homegrown players out there. It’s a special night to reflect back on.”

The five goals scored by the Union ties a club record set back in the 2012 Quarterfinals when they beat the Harrisburg City Islanders (now Penn FC), 5-2. The victory was also the team’s first against the Kickers, who they were playing for the first time.

5️⃣ goals and appearances from all 5️⃣ homegrowns = a solid start to the @opencup. #DOOP pic.twitter.com/o4PHNfsOXM

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 6, 2018

Philadelphia now advance to the Round of 16 of the Open Cup. They will find out their opponent on Thursday, June 7 at 11 a.m. ET.

“Overall, a special night.” pic.twitter.com/kFY6wH9SfV

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 6, 2018

“The fact that Jim and all the coaching staff is able to put us out there all together, that’s a big thing.” pic.twitter.com/Pzn3miJQ9e

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 6, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Youth is served as Junior Lone Star U-23s eliminate UGH

October 25, 2017 by Michael Berton

MORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

The next US Open Cup Cinderella story might come out of Eastern Pennsylvania. The clock has not yet struck midnight for the young, but talented, Junior Lone Star Under-23s, who upset one of the oldest clubs in the United States in the second round of Open Cup qualifying.

Two-time US Open Cup runners-up, United German Hungarians (UGH), were favorites to win, hosting the developmental U23s. While the Junior Lone Star parent club made the Open Cup last year, the U-23s were entered into qualifying this year to just earn some valuable experience. The young team from Philadelphia showed that they are playing for more than just practice, beating UGH 3-2 at the home of the team that has been around since the 1920s.

The game was wide open from the start. Junior Lone Star was not afraid to attack, and UGH was more than happy to try to catch the U-23s on the counter attack. Ten minutes in, UGH threatened to open the scoring, but the Junior Lone Star keeper was up to the task, making two point blank saves in a row.

Just as the U-23s seemed to have control of the contest, UGH nabbed the opening goal. Jacob Mulinge crossed from the right, the ball was flicked on and John Gravelle, who played college soccer at La Salle, knocked it easily into the net.

United German Hungarians (red) celebrate a goal by John Gravelle against the Junior Lone Star U-23s in a 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Kari Berton

Junior Lone Star got the equalizer right after halftime. In the 50th minute, a long ball over the top found Elijah Ema, who calmly slotted the ball past the keeper into the net. Six minutes later, Junior Lone Star’s Opeyemi Amao made it 2-1 when he made a darting run from the left side into the box, then curled the ball around the keeper.

The U-23s got yet another goal in the 73rd minute on a free kick. The cross found the head of John Quaye, who made it 3-1.

It was a tense final few minutes for the young side from Philadelphia. The U-23s goalie made multiple saves to preserve the lead. UGH did get a second goal from Gravelle in second half stoppage time, but Junior Lone Star held on for the victory.

Junior Lone Star U-23s have a chance at a Cinderella story in the 2018 Open Cup. Now, they are just one win away from making that tournament. To get into the competition, they will have to overcome the reigning Amateur Cup champions on the road when they travel to New York City to face the Lansdowne Bhoys FC. A win, which would be considered an upset, would certainly solidify their Cinderellla status.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Junior Lone Star’s unlikely journey from West Africa to Philly to US Open Cup

May 2, 2017 by Michael Berton

Junior Lone Star poses for a team photo before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifier against Brick Lions FC. Photo: Junior Lone Star

The US Open Cup is full of unlikely stories. The tournament’s popularity in a given year often hinges on those stories.

Maybe the story is an amateur team beating a pro team, or maybe a last-place Major League Soccer team winning the tournament. In 2017, one team might already be that unlikely story: Junior Lone Star FC.

The unlikely story of Junior Lone Star FC in the US Open Cup is 16 years in the making. The club was founded in 2001 by West African immigrants, most of them Liberians, who fled a series of brutal civil wars in their home country. All the club had at its beginning were 11 players and a name derived from the nickname of the Liberian National Team – Lone Star.

In 2010, Junior Lone Star FC took a major step forward as one of the founding members of the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League (PPSL). Having an established league with an affiliation with the United States Adult Soccer Association gave Junior Lone Star FC regular games, as well as the opportunity to compete in regional and national tournaments.

Just two years later, Paul Konneh III joined the club as its president and shepherded Junior Lone Star through its next big step forward, which was joining the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). For Konneh, joining the NPSL came with high aspirations.

“My goal was to create the brand ‘Junior Lone Star FC,’ a soccer club that won’t just be recognized in the African communities in the United States, but a club that will be respected by all in the United States and around the world,” Konneh said.

Ebere Goodluck of Junior Lone Star dribbles against Brick Lions FC in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Junior Lone Star

Remarkably, Junior Lone Star FC has achieved so much while fielding teams in both the NPSL and the PPSL. However, the US Open Cup always seemed to be out of reach as they entered every season, only to fall short in their opening game every year they entered except for 2013 when they lost in the state Quarterfinals.

In league play, they have claimed four of the seven PPSL titles and now their player base has grown to more than 70 players, despite struggling to find a place to call home.

The team trains at McCreesh Playground in Philadelphia but rarely ever plays its matches there. By his own admission, Konneh said the park is “dilapidated” and often “doesn’t even have lights when it’s dark.”

Browsing through the team’s home fixtures, one finds games at several different Philadelphia-area high and middle schools.

In attempting to qualify for the US Open Cup, Junior Lone Star FC also had to contend with the fact that much of Philadelphia’s recent history in the Open Cup and qualifying has not actually taken place in Philadelphia. Historic clubs like United German Hungarians and Vereinigung Erzgebirge play in the near-Philadelphia suburbs. Recent Open Cup participant West Chester United is a solid 30-45 minutes from the outskirts of the city. Even the city’s MLS side, the Philadelphia Union, does not actually play in the city, but instead in nearby Chester, Pa.

Because of this dynamic, for years Junior Lone Star FC has played nearly all of its Open Cup qualifiers on the road. This year was no different. In September 2016, the club “hosted” fellow PPSL side Rising Stars FC at YSC Academy Stadium, nearly an hour away from McCreesh. The “home” team won easily, 5-1.

Junior Lone Star defeated the Rising Stars FC 5-1 to advance in 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Photo: Junior Lone Star

A month later, Junior Lone Star FC was truly the road team, traveling to New Jersey to take on Brick Lions FC. Twice the road side had to come from behind, getting goals from Anthony Allison, Ebere Goodluck and Josh Chelleh in a 3-2 victory.

“Our players admitted that the Lions were the toughest opponents we have ever faced up to this date,” said Konneh. “It was an exciting game from start to end and we worked very hard in that game to get the 3-2 victory.”

At that point, thinking they would have one more Open Cup qualifying match in 2017, the club went on a tear in Eastern Pennsylvania tournaments. Junior Lone Star finished 2016 by claiming Eastern PA’s Open and Amateur Cup tournaments, going 8-0 in the process. And yes, all eight games were on the road.

As happened before the 2016 US Open Cup, the US Soccer Federation canceled the last round of 2017 qualifying, meaning Junior Lone Star FC qualified for the tournament for the first time.

“This was a dream come true for these players,” Konneh said.

And so it should come as no surprise that this unlikely club from Philadelphia is ready and confident as it plays a Premier Development League side in a meaningful match for the first time. The Ocean City Nor’easters await in the First Round on May 10.

“We respect Ocean City Nor’easters a lot,” Konneh said. “We know that they have more experience in this tournament … however, we are going there to win and progress to the next round … Our guys are ready for this challenge.”

If Junior Lone Star FC can clear one more hurdle, the award that awaits is a meeting with professional club Harrisburg City Islanders. The Open Cup Second Round schedule currently has “To Be Determined” as the home site for that potential match-up. It might be the most unlikely of scenarios, but just maybe Junior Lone Star FC could find itself hosting a professional side in the second round of the oldest soccer tournament in the United States.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: West Chester United hold off Salone FC to win Philly-area rematch

September 11, 2016 by Michael Berton

West Chester United hosting Salone FC in the opening round of the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Michael Berton

West Chester United held off a late rally to advance past Salone FC 2-1 on Saturday night, keeping its chances alive of making it to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for a second year in a row.

United, which plays in the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (USLPA), and Salone, which plays in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League, met last year in the second round of qualifying. West Chester won that match 3-0 and advanced to the Open Cup proper for the first time. This year’s meeting was a much tighter affair.

Salone was the more dangerous team for the first 20 minutes. A series of probing long balls more often than not found Salone forwards, but the team did not get any dangerous shots on net.

It was a physical battle between West Chester United and Salone FC in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Kari Berton

A combination of West Chester settling into the game and some bad luck for Salone contributed to the first goal of the match. United had gotten control of the game when a Salone player went out with a dislocated elbow. As a substitute was warming up, Salone was forced to play with 10 men. It was during this shorthanded period that United got its first goal.

A well-weighted pass was played to Emmanuel Kollie in the Salone box in the 35th minute. His ensuing cross found the head of former University of Virginia star Matthew Poole, who sent the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Four minutes later, and after Salone made its substitution, West Chester got a second goal. Kollie and Poole again connected with some nice passes in the box, eventually leading to a Peter Jannelli shot that was saved. The rebound fell right to Julien Aoyama, who tapped it in from eight yards out.

“The first 20 minutes they were giving us trouble,” West Chester coach Blaise Santangelo said. “After that, we hit a spell of 15-20 minutes of tremendous soccer where we played great balls and connected on all our passes.”

The reigning USLPA champions felt good going into the second half, but Salone FC would not quit. The lack of quit led to some harsh fouls, however. In the 68th minute, Salone’s Mohammed Sesay was sent off for a crunching tackle at the top of his box.

Despite being down to 10 men, Salone was able to keep pressing forward. That pressure was rewarded with a goal in the 79th minute. After a West Chester save, Nykh Kamara put the ball back into a crowded penalty area. With United goalie Anthony Noel still recovering from his save, Murphy Barlee was able to score into an empty net to cut the lead to one.

The last ten minutes was a frantic affair. Salone goalie Ralph Jacobs was forced to play almost as more of a defender than a keeper. Down a man and with so many of his teammates pushing forward, he had to come up big multiple times, often far from his net.

Kamara, whose speed gave the West Chester defense fits the entire match, got off one more shot in the 87th minute, but Salone could not muster another goal. In the end, the hosts held on for a 2-1 victory.

United, which made it to the second round of last year’s Open Cup — a 2-0 loss to the City Islanders SC of the USL — advances to take on the defending USASA Amateur Cup champions, Christos FC of Maryland in the second round of qualifying.

“Christos is a really good team,” Santangelo said. “We can’t wait to play them.”

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Brick Lions rally with five straight goals to overcome VE on the road

September 11, 2016 by Michael Berton

Kris Olsen-Barr (pictured) scored two of the Brick Lions' five straight goals to overtake VE, 5-2. Photo: Kari Berton — Kris Olsen-Barr (pictured) scored two of the Brick Lions’ five straight goals to overtake VE, 5-2. Photo: Kari Berton

New Jersey’s Brick Lions FC overcame oppressive heat and an early two-goal deficit to defeat their Philadelphia-area hosts Vereinigung Erzgebirge 5-2 in the first round of 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament on Saturday.

Brick Lions earned the win in its first Open Cup qualifying appearance, but several members of the organization had been part of the process before. Manager Michael McCullion helped run the Jersey Shore Boca, which reached the second round of qualifying last year and qualified for the US Open Cup in 2012.

The temperature at kickoff was well over 90 degrees, but that paled in comparison to Vereinigung Erzgebirge’s (VE) start. Just 30 seconds in, Anthony Bafile found himself with the ball and curled a shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner of the goal.

After some wide open play and multiple chances for each team, the hosts scored again. This time the ball was played to William McGuiness, who scored past the Brick Lions keeper into the bottom left corner.

Brick Lions FC pose for a team photo before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifier against Vereinigung Erzgebirge. Photo: Brick Lions FC

The visitors got one back less than ten minutes later. In the 33rd minute, Chris Katona put in a cross from the right. The VE keeper got a touch on it, but the ball went right to the Lions’ Kris Olsen-Barr, who calmly shot the ball into the net to cut the deficit in half.

The Garden State Soccer League members got another goal right before the half. A long ball was played to Thomas Gray, who sprinted roughly 25 yards before blasting the ball into the top right corner of the net, tying the game at two goals apiece.

“We were down but got a couple huge goals,” Brick Lions coach Costas Kaifas said. “After we got those goals, we were very confident. Our style is very open and attacking, so we weren’t afraid after going two goals down.”

Buoyed by a huge home crowd, VE, which was founded in 1931, came out strong in the second half. However, despite getting a slew of shots off, it would be the Brick Lions that would get on the board next. After VE cleared a corner kick in the 54th minute, a second cross went into the box. Chris Katona, who played for Stockton University, snuck his header in to give his team a 3-2 lead.

In the 64th minute, Gray got on the board again to give his team a 4-2 lead. Gray, who has played professionally for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, stepped up to take a free kick from 20 yards out. He hit a beautiful curling shot that gave the VE keeper no chance.

“They are a really good team,” said VE’s long-time coach Rob Oldfield. “They had a couple great goals. That free kick goal was just icing on the cake.”

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Olsen-Barr wanted a second goal as well. In the 72nd minute, coming in from the left side of the field, he slipped the ball past the keeper into the bottom right of the net to give his team a fifth straight goal.

With the win, Brick Lions FC will host a second round qualifying match October 15 or 16. The opponent will be either Rising Stars or Junior Lone Star, both of which play in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League. VE is still looking to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time since 2002, when they lost to the South Jersey Barons (now Ocean City Nor’easters) in the opening round.

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Brad Knighton stands tall for New England Revolution in PK win over Philadelphia Union

July 21, 2016 by Michael Berton

The New England Revolution celebrate after their PK shootout win over the Philadelphia Union. Photo: David Silverman | New England Revolution

Penalty kick shootouts generally turn into a battle of the goalkeepers. After 120 minutes of dazzling saves, Brad Knighton of the New England Revolution came out the winner, leading his team to a 4-2 penalty kick victory over the Philadelphia Union.

After making four saves en route to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes, Knighton turned it on during penalty kicks. He stopped two of the Union’s four attempts, while his Revolution teammates only missed one.

The victory sends the Revolution to the US Open Cup semifinals for the first time since 2008 as they will play the Chicago Fire. The Union were looking to play in their third straight Open Cup final and fourth semifinal in five years.

New England and Philadelphia were meeting for the second-ever time in Open Cup play. The first matchup also came at the quarterfinal stage, with the Union winning 2-0 in 2014. That game was played in Philadelphia’s home stadium; this one was played at Harvard University.

Playing US Open Cup games away from their home at Gillette Stadium is nothing new for the Revs. Midweek Open Cup crowds are tough to justify the cost of opening the nearly 70,000-seat NFL stadium, so the team often finds locations in and around New England to host their cup matches. This was the club’s third trip to Harvard.

Harvard’s turf field seemed to give both teams some trouble, with the first good chance not coming until a powerful shot from the Revolution’s Kei Kamara in the 27th minute, saved well by Union goalkeeper Andre Blake.

However, Blake could not do anything about the goal the Revs scored in the 44th minute. Diego Fagundez quickly took a free kick, and an unorganized Union defense left Je-Vaughn Watson wide open to easily slot the ball past Blake to give the Revolution the 1-0 lead.

Knighton and Blake stood strong and blocked away plenty of good chances in the second half. But just when it seemed as if New England had the game sewn up, the Union equalized at the stroke of 90 minutes.

Ray Gaddis made a run down the right side and passed it into the box to Sebastian Le Toux. The Open Cup’s modern era leading goalscorer, Le Toux set up Fabian Herbers for his first Open Cup goal to tie the game.

In the 104th minute, the crossbar helped Knighton out by stopping Ilsinho’s shot. A minute later, Blake made a spectacular double save that kept the game level. Not to be outdone, Knighton stopped a Herbers shot in the 110th minute that seemed destined for the net. At the end of extra time, the game was tied at one. Knighton had four saves and Blake had seven.

Knighton was stellar in penalty kicks, saving the first shot he faced against Le Toux and the third shot against CJ Sapong. Blake had no answers, and Watson bagged the final goal to keep the Revolution alive for its first Open Cup title since 2007.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION VS. PHILADELPHIA UNION

2016 US Open Cup Round 5: Philadelphia Union survive first half, overcome New York Red Bulls 2-1 on Chris Pontius brace

June 29, 2016 by Michael Berton

Chris Pontius scored two goals for the Philadelphia Union, his second and third of his US Open Cup career. Photo: Bob Larson

The two halves of the Fifth Round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game between the Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls could not have been any different. But after getting dominated in the first half, the Union came from behind to earn a 2-1 victory.

The visiting Red Bulls outshot their MLS counterparts 13-1 in a first half display that was demoralizing for the home supporters. Capitalizing on numerous Union mistakes, New York’s high-pressure also stifled most Philadelphia attacks. The home side came out with a new energy in the second half, however, two goals in the span of five minutes sent the Union into the Quarterfinals.

“We whipped their butts in the first half,” New York coach Jesse Marsch said. “They came out and whipped our butts in the second half.”

New York, which was looking for revenge for a Quarterfinal loss to the Union last year, started the game on fire. Only some heroic goalkeeping from Andre Blake kept the Red Bulls off the scoresheet early on.

In the 17th minute, it was one mistake too many however. Union defender Richie Marquez couldn’t clear a ball into the box, and Mike Grella capitalized with an easy shot to the bottom left corner of the net.

It did not get any better for the two-time Open Cup runners-up for the remainder of the half. The Red Bulls ended with a 13-1 shots advantage and a 6-1 shots on goal advantage. The Union could consider themselves lucky to only be down by one goal.

Union coach Jim Curtain said, “It was a tale of two halves. That wasn’t us in the first half. Maybe and Yaro were good, but the rest of the guys — it wasn’t them.”

The Union were a completely different team to start the second half. And it was the connection between two players who had forgettable first halves that led to both Philadelphia goals.

In the 55th minute, Ilsinho was played into space down the right side of the field. He picked out Chris Pontius making a diagonal run into the box, and Pontius made no mistake, scoring a goal to Ryan Meara’s left.

Just five minutes later, the two combined again. Ilsinho chipped a cross to Pontius, who hit it first-time into the back of the net.

With a 2-1 lead, Philadelphia made defensive substitutions and aimed to see out the game. As time went on, instead of the players getting testy in the heat of the moment, it was the coaches.

In second half added time, a ball was played out of bounds. The ball made its way back onto the field. Regardless of whether Union assistant coach Mike Sorber meant to kick it back, or if it bounced off him, he was ejected from the game.

A few minutes later, angry with the officiating, Marsch was ejected. Before leaving the field, he spiked two balls at the Union sideline.

“I had to try to induce change in the ref somehow. They were basically calling every foul for the Union,” Marsch said.

The Red Bulls had a few more flurries in them, but when the whistle sounded, the Union came out 2-1 victors. Philadelphia extends its Open Cup unbeaten streak to seven games, a mark that only nine teams in the Modern Era have ever reached.

FULL MATCH REPLAY

2016 US Open Cup Round 4: Roland Alberg’s late winner for Philadelphia Union steals win, TheCup.us Player of the Round

June 23, 2016 by Michael Berton

Roland Alberg of the Philadelphia Union scores the first of his two goals against the Harrisburg City Islanders. Photo: Charlie Flowe | OceanCityFC.com

Thanks to his two goals, including a game-winning, last-minute free kick, Roland Alberg of the Philadelphia Union was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 2016 Fourth Round.

The two goals led the Union to a 3-2 victory over City Islanders SC (USL). Alberg is the first outfield player to win the award in 2016, and is the first player from the Netherlands to ever win the award.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Alberg beat out Diego Restrepo of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) by a single vote, denying him the first back-to-back player of the round victory by a goalkeeper in TheCup.us history. Other players receiving strong support included Danny Szetela of the New York Cosmos (NASL) and David Accam of the Chicago Fire (MLS).

Making his first US Open Cup appearance, Alberg gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead with a goal right before halftime against the City Islanders. After the Union squandered that lead in the 90th minute, Sebastian Le Toux won a free kick right outside the City Islanders box. Alberg stepped up to take it and curled a beautiful shot into the top corner to give his team the victory.

After the game, Alberg said, “Well, first of all, I was trying to kick it to the corner of the goalkeeper and then last minute my mindset was different, so I thought I would flip it over the wall and it goes in. The feeling was amazing. I’m happy with the win and going through.”

Alberg’s two goals in the US Open Cup were the first of his Union career. He followed that performance up with his first MLS goal in a 3-2 loss to New York City FC, followed by a midweek hat trick against the Chicago Fire. He has not gotten too many chances to play this year, but that might change with his recent success and the recent departure of Union midfielder Vincent Nogueira.

“I am happy today. It was my first game in a couple weeks – couple months…But, today I got my chance and I scored two goals. It’s what I said, amazing,” Alberg said.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

FULL MATCH REPLAY