Richard Kirtland

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Charm City, Bays join Maryland Open Cup semifinals

February 4, 2014 by Richard Kirtland

The state of Maryland’s Open Cup semifinals, or Rowland Cup, as it’s known locally, are complete.

All four teams that advanced have won the tournament title in the last five years. Two-time champion Maryland Bays (2011-12), ASA Charm City FC (2010 co-champion), last year’s winner Screaming Eagles and another two-time champ Christos FC (2002, 2009) round out the final four, set to be played Feb. 23.

MARYLAND BAYS 2:1 SPARTANS FC

A goalkeeper’s job can be defined by spectacular saves or glaring misses, but when it came down to it, Phil Saunders came up with the former.

Saunders saved a penalty kick late in the game and effectively took the drive out off a strong Spartans squad and Chris Ports would tuck away a last-second penalty to give the Maryland Bays a 2-1 win over the Spartans.

After playing counterattacking soccer for much of the afternoon, the Spartans would push forward and work the ball into the box. Maryland tried to absorb the pressure but eventually conceded a penalty to seemingly swing the momentum in the Spartans’ favor with the score tied at 1-1 at the 75 minute mark.

But Saunders made himself big and saved the ensuing kick, pumping up the Maryland squad and urging his teammates forward to go for the win.

The push forward would eventually work for the Bays as Jon Ports dribbled into the box before being fouled and drawing a red card on a Spartan player.

Ports’ brother, Chris Ports, would step up to the spot and convert the penalty to give Maryland a one-goal advantage and the whistle would blow a few minutes later to seal the win.

The Bays opened the scoring on one of the three dangerous early breakaways that stretched the Spartans’ defense. Jon Ports led the breakaway and tucked the ball into the net five minutes into the game and it seemed smooth sailing heading into the second half.

But the Spartans exploded out of the gate in the second half, using strong counterattacking play to put one past Saunders and tie up the game at 1-1, but Maryland would keep pushing for another goal and leave the pitch with the win.

The game was extremely taxing for the Bays as three Maryland players left the game with game-ending injuries that left coach Bungarin with only his backup goalkeeper as a sub.

The Bays, last year’s state runner-up, will move on to play fellow two-time champion Christos FC in the final four. Christos narrowly edged Washington Elite FC 2-1 in their quarterfinal match earlier in the day.

ASA CHARM CITY FC 3:1 ACADEMY FC

The road to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is long and winding for most teams, and in the Rowland Cup quarterfinal match between ASA Charm City FC and Academy FC, one team’s journey was coming to an end. With a stellar cohesive team performance, Charm City was able to move on to the semifinals with a powerful 3-1 victory.

The game started without much fanfare, with both teams trading blows for the first 30 minutes of the game. In the 30th minute, Charm City’s Dan Lader scored on an attempted cross that ended up in the top corner. Lader raced down the right flank and launched a venomous curling cross to the back post that had enough spin to be tucked inside the frame.

That goal proved to be the only mark on the scoreline from the first half, and Charm City went into halftime up 1-0.

Academy conceded a penalty kick shortly after halftime when one of their defenders took down Charm City’s Pat Delaney inside the area. John Cole stepped up to calmly slot home the attempt to the goalkeeper’s right side. Academy was not done fighting, however, drawing back a goal in the 50th minute to make the score 2-1.

Unfortunately, the effort proved to not be enough, as City forward Cubay Wilson broke free and chipped the ball over the Academy keeper’s head to give Charm City a firm 3-1 lead which they would not relinquish.

Charm City is back in the final four where they will face the Screaming Eagles who cruised past Baltimore Kickers Bayern 8-1. Last year, the Eagles won their first-ever Maryland Open Cup title, denying the Maryland Bays a three-peat.

2014 Maryland Open Cup qualifying results
(Rowland Cup)

First Round (Jan. 19)
Baltimore Kickers Bayern 3:1 Malawi FC
Washington Elite FC 6:4 (AET) Pipeline SC

Quarterfinals (Feb. 2)
ASA Charm City FC 3:1 Academy FC
Screaming Eagles 8:1 Baltimore Kickers Bayern
Christos FC 2:1 Washington Elite FC
Maryland Bays 2:1 Spartans FC

Semifinals (Feb. 23)
Christos FC vs. Maryland Bays
Screaming Eagles vs. ASA Charm City FC

Final (March 9)
Montgomery Blair High School

Past Maryland Open Cup champions
2013: Screaming Eagles
2012: Maryland Bays 2011: Maryland Bays 2010: Charm City FC
2009: Christos FC
2008: Baltimore Colts FC
2007: AC United (Note: Christos FC & Allied SC merged)
2006: Allied SC*
2005: Baltimore Colts FC*
2004: Allied SC*
2003: Brilla Baltimore
2002: Christos FC
2001: DiPasquale Baltimore Colts FC
2000: Jerry D’s*
1999: Jerry D’s
1998: High Topps

*qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: Washington Elite win OT barnburner, Baltimore Kickers return in Maryland Open Cup openers

January 24, 2014 by Richard Kirtland

Editor’s note: The USASA’s qualifying deadline for 2014 was moved up to Dec. 31, 2013 and since there was no way for Region I to fit state and regional tournaments in before the end of the year, so the 2014 Region I entries were already decided based on 2013’s results. The 2013 Region I Open Cup champion Icon FC (New Jersey) and Amateur Cup winners, Greek American Atlas, punched their tickets to this year’s Open Cup already. Therefore, this year’s Maryland tournament winner will advance to regionals, and the regional winner will qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The opening round of the state of Maryland’s Open Cup qualifying tournament — known locally as the Rowland Cup — packed some excitement into the first two games of the competition. With the winner of the tournament taking a big step toward qualifying for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, each team brought intensity and passion to the pitch. There was no lack of drama in either match with Washington Elite SC winning a 10-goal extra time thriller, and the new-look Baltimore Kickers Bayern earning a 3-1 win.

Both teams move on to the state quarterfinals which was originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26, but winter weather has postponed the games and a make-up date has yet to be announced.

MORE: Maryland Open Cup qualifying schedule

Washington Elite FC 6:4 (AET) Pipeline SC

No one could have predicted the classic that the Washington Elite-Pipeline SC game would become in the first round of the Rowland Cup. Pipeline was no stranger to dramatic opening games, as they rallied from a 4-1 second half deficit to beat Spartan SC 5-4 last year. This year, the tables were turned as Washington came back to tie the game after trailing at halftime, and won the game after a wild four-goal extra time period.

The fireworks started early in this tilt as Washington scored in the 10th minute after Luis Rivera capitalized on a through ball from Josselin Passion and cleanly slotted it past Pipeline keeper Rob Hollasch. The scoreline would not remain that way for long, as Pipeline soon answered six minutes later when Malcs Manswell fed the ball to Taylor Brummitt, who dribbled around the Elite keeper in the area and put it away to draw even.

The game continued to go back and forth until the 40th minute, when Tommy Quaranta of Pipeline won the ball at midfield and hit a through pass to Joe O’Rourke who put the ball in the back of the net. Pipeline headed into the half with momentum and a 2-1 lead.

Coming out of the halftime break, Washington showed real defensive discipline, limiting the number of shots and slowing the attacking momentum from Pipeline. In the 60th minute, the Elite capitalized on a counterattack, racing down the right flank after a Pipeline set piece was cleared. Nahome Menzengia then proceeded to draw the scoreline level once again.

Elite would grasp the lead again in the 75th minute when Josselin Passion broke away down the left side of the field and was able to slot the ball past Hollasch for a 3-2 lead. The game seemed destined for a Washington victory when, in the 85th minute, Stafford Affori of Pipeline headed in an O’Rourke free kick to send the game into extra time knotted at 3-3.

In the first period of overtime, there was only one goal, but it provided quite a bit of controversy. In the 100th minute, there was a loose ball in the Pipeline penalty area, and a Washington player played the ball to a teammate while lying on his back. Pipeline stopped play, expecting a dangerous play call, but no such call was given. Menzengia collected the loose ball and fired it into the back of the net to give Washington a 4-3 lead heading into the second period of extra time.

In the second period of extra time, Washington began to pull away with two quick goals in the 110th and 113th minute, scored by Kevin Gnatiko and Harold Tchameni, respectively. Taylor Brummitt of Pipeline headed one into the net in the 117th minute, but it wasn’t enough for them, as Elite hung on to win, 6-4.

After the game, Bill George, the Pipeline SC coach, said “All credit to Washington Elite. They were the better team today and had us under a lot of pressure. We lacked depth today and it showed. I am proud of how hard our boys battled. Despite missing numerous key players, we battled hard and put ourselves in position to win. Without the depth, we ran out of gas in overtime and Washington was able punish us. Good luck to Carlos and his squad.”

Washington will move on to face two-time Rowland Cup champion Christos FC in the quarterfinals.

Lineups
Pipeline SC: Rob Hollasch (GK), JD Kershaw, Gus Teren, Phil Greatwhich, Eric Mullins, Nick Bermudez, Joe O’Rourke, Tommy Quaranta, Stafford Afori, Taylor Brummitt, Malcs Manswell (Brian Hernandez – 70′)

Washington Elite: Erick Batres (GK), Dannish Nelson, Joel Denose, Darrell Gonzalez, Juele Lawrence, Josselin Passion, Samuel Edoung-Biyo, Nahome Menzengia, Tim Wilson, Luis Rivera, Idrissa Seisay

Scoring Summary
WAS: Luis Rivera (Josselin Passion) – 10th min.
PSC: Taylor Brummitt (Malcs Manswell) – 16th min.
PSC: Joe O’Rourke (Tommy Quaranta) – 40th min.
WAS: Nahome Menzengia (Tim Wilson) – 60th min.
WAS: Josselin Passion (Luis Rivera) – 75th min.
PSC: Stafford Afori (Joe O’Rourke) – 85th min.
WAS: Kevin Gnatiko (Unassisted) – 110th min.
WAS: Harold Tchameni (Unassisted) – 113th min.
PSC: Taylor Brummitt (Nico Bermudez) – 117th min.

Baltimore Kickers Bayern 3:1 Malawi FC

The other Rowland Cup first round match of the day featured two teams that both have featured on the Maryland soccer scene for years. Baltimore Kickers Bayern used to be known as Mundo FC and made a strong run to the state semifinals last year, while Malawi was making their first appearance in several years.

The game was back and forth, with both teams enjoying long sustained bouts of possession and attacking movement. The Kickers registered the only goal of the first half, when Kunle Akinfeleye broke past the Malawi defense off of an assist by Vahid Zeinoddini.

Malawi equalized in the second half, but shortly after were called for a penalty kick after a defender chopped down Baltimore’s Suman Rai in the box. Johnny Melcher slotted it home from the spot to give the Kickers a 2-1 lead. In the 70th minute, Baltimore scored what proved to be an insurance goal when Frank Bakong cut through the Malawi backline on a Melcher assist, and made the scoreline 3-1.

After the game, Baltimore coach Leonard Van de Graaff heaped praise on his man of the match.

“Our central midfielder Johnny Melcher is the person I’d like to point to as having had an excellent game,” said Van de Graaff. “He recently joined the squad (after having played for the Air Force team) and has brought organization and discipline to our team. In this game, he assisted on one goal and scored a penalty kick for us. We’ve moved forward quickly since Johnny joined us and we look forward to more success, not only in the Rowland and Stewart Cup competitions, but also in the years to come. “

Local fans may remember the Kickers name as they have been around since 1953 and are one of the oldest amateur clubs in the state. The Kickers needed help keeping the team on the field, so Van de Graaff stepped with his Mundo club, took on the Kickers name to keep the tradition alive. The addition of ‘Bayern’ to the name was made to distinguish between the club’s first and second teams.

Baltimore will move on to play the Screaming Eagles, a rematch of last year’s semifinal match which the Eagles won 4-1.

Scoring Summary
BAL: Kunle Akinfeleye (Vahid Zeinoddini) – First half
MAL: Unknown goalscorer – Second half
BAL: Johnny Melcher (PK) – Second half
BAL: Frank Bakong (Johnny Melcher) – 70th min.

2013 US Open Cup Final: Bill Hamid delivers title to underdog DC United, earns Player of the Round award

October 25, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

It has been said that ‘A keeper cannot win you a game, he can only keep you in it.’ That held true on October 1, when DC United goalkeeper Bill Hamid kept his team in contention and led them to their third Open Cup title with a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in one of the great underdog stories in the 100-year history of the tournament. For his efforts, Hamid has been named TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 2013 Final.

Hamid becomes the third DC player to win Player of Round in this year’s tournament. Dwayne De Rosario won the award in Round 4, while backup goalkeeper Joe Willis was voted the top performer of the Semifinals. This marks the first time since the award was established in 2006 that two goalkeepers from the same team won Player of the Round in the same tournament.

The Player of the Round award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

The Final was Hamid’s first start for United in the 2013 Open Cup, as Joe Willis started the four previous games. Hamid did not appear to show any rust or trepidation, however, turning in six saves and making his presence known early. Despite being outshot by one of the highest scoring teams in MLS, the United academy product pitched a shutout, allowing for Lewis Neal’s decisive goal to be the difference and handing the Black-and-Red the 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title.

Despite a historically bad regular season in which United finished dead last in the league, the club was able to put all of that behind them thanks to Hamid’s performance in goal. DC United lifted the trophy and also earned $250,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions’ League.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Woeful DC United continues surprise run, tops New England Revolution, 3-1 (video)

June 27, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

It was a complete performance for D.C. United at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Wednesday night as Ben Olsen’s side turned in a solid 3-1 win against the New England Revolution in the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. The two-time champions now head to Chicago to face the four-time tournament champion Fire August 7 in a showdown of two clubs that are currently in the bottom three of the Eastern Conference.

Thunderstorms plagued the region all throughout Wednesday, causing a slippery pitch and fast playing conditions. The conditions played into United’s game plan, however, as D.C. played a very wide-open game with many chances and one-touch passing, attempting to break down the Revolution defense.

The night started out very well for the visitors as the Revolution piled on shots early, and United was almost caught by surprise by the speed of the Revolution attack on one occasion. In the 15^th minute, United left Diego Fagundez unmarked at the left corner of the penalty area. Fagundez was left wanting, though, as his stellar curling shot clanged off of the right post and out of the goalmouth.

Second-string keeper Joe Willis proved to be vital in goal for the hosts as he saved three efforts in the first 20 minutes of the match. D.C. Started to find their own around this point, culminating with a Nick DeLeon shot that was parried by New England goalkeeper Matt Reis out for a corner. Chris Pontius had a breakaway only minutes later, and ended up scuffing the shot just wide of the open goalmouth.

In the 44^th minute, the Revolution appeared to have a breakaway chance as Chad Barrett settled a through ball from Juan Toja and managed a shot on goal. However, the play was called back due to an offside call from the referee.

Less than 30 seconds later, DeLeon was fed a ball while running down the right wing from Chris Pontius. DeLeon slotted it back to Pontius at the top of the area, and despite a Revolution defender sliding in to knock it away, it landed at the feet of Pontius. The United striker then proceeded to unleash a venomous curling ball outside the reach of Reis that found the inside of the New England side netting to put the score at 1-0 just before halftime.

After the break, the Revolution adapted a high-pressure method of defense which caught United flat-footed as New England managed several shots at the beginning of the second half. In the 53^rd minute, Juan Toja was fouled 26 yards outside of the D.C. goal. Toja took the free kick and unleashed a thrilling strike that dipped over the wall and hit the underside of the crossbar. The shot then bounced off of the back of a diving Willis and nestled itself in the net to settle the score at 1-1.

The tie would only last for 16 minutes, however, as Dwayne De Rosario headed home a corner kick from Chris Pontius in the 69^th, tallying his fourth Open Cup goal two games after being named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his hat-trick two weeks ago. De Rosario received the ball at the right corner of the six-yard box and headed it into the underside of the crossbar on the left side, where it bounced into the goal to make the score 2-1 in United’s favor.

The win was finally secured in the 87^th minute when Lionard Pajoy was dragged down in the Revolution box by Darrius Barnes. Pajoy stepped up and calmly slotted the kick to the left of a diving Reis to cement the final scoreline of 3-1.

After the game, United head coach Ben Olsen was asked what his goals were for the rest of the season. He made it clear that the league is still a priority and that all is not lost, despite only having two wins in the campaign so far.

“There’s only two more Open Cup games. We have belief. We’re going to try and move up in the league,” he said. “Crazy things happen. If you get on a little bit of a run, get a little luck your way, and you’re back in the hunt. We have belief.”

QUARTERFINAL – New England Revolution 1 :: 3 DC United

Scoring Summary:
DC – Chris Pontius (unassisted) 44
NE – Juan Toja (unassisted) 53
DC – Dwayne De Rosario (Chris Pontius) 69
DC – Lionard Pajoy (penalty kick) 87

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Darrius Barnes, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Andrew Farrell, Diego Fagundez (Juan Agudelo 76), Andy Dorman (Kelyn Rowe 61), Scott Caldwell, Juan Toja, Chad Barrett (Lee Nguyen 80), Dimitry Imbongo

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Clyde Simms, Chris Tierney, Jerry Bengtson
STATS: Shots 5, Shots on Target 2, Corner Kicks 3, Saves 5, Fouls 12, Offsides 3

D.C. United: Joe Willis, Chris Korb, Conor Shanosky, Daniel Woolard, James Riley, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, John Thorrington, Kyle Porter (Casey Townsend 54), Dwayne De Rosario (Lionard Pajoy 83), Chris Pontius (Taylor Kemp 74)
Substitutes Not Used: Bill Hamid, Brandon McDonald, Marcelo Saragosa, Carlos Ruiz

STATS: Shots 15, Shots on Target 8, Corner Kicks 4, Saves 1, Fouls 12, Offsides 2

Misconduct Summary:
DC – Dwayne De Rosario (caution) 22
NE – Andy Dorman (caution) 48
DC – James Riley (caution) 52
NE – Matt Reis (caution) 87

Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
Assistant Referees: Matthew Kreitzer (AR1), TJ Zablocki (AR2)
Fourth Official: Mark Geiger

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Richmond pull away from Icon FC to set up another rematch with DC United

May 22, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

Michael Callahan of the Richmond Kickers dribbles through the Icon FC defense. Photo: Suz Kitsteiner | Richmond Kickers

Despite some early setbacks, the USL Pro’s Richmond Kickers sent Icon FC of the USASA home packing, 4-1 Tuesday night. Icon FC, anchored by former US international Danny Szetela, didn’t go without a fight, however, tallying an early goal and holding tough until late in a rough, chippy affair.

It took just nine minutes for the first goal to be scored in this contest, as Icon FC’s Argjent Duka got on the end of defender Kevin Garcia’s through ball in the Richmond box and slotted a goal past Kickers keeper Andrew Dykstra. The celebrations didn’t last long as Richmond’s Stanley Nyazamba scored just seconds later off of a Joseph Ngwenya assist. Both of those players would be involved further as the game progressed. Ngwenya converted a penalty 14 minutes later after a Richmond player was dragged down in the box. The MLS veteran calmly placed his shot in the lower-right corner of the goal after catching Icon’s keeper, Chris Duggan, out of position with a stutter-step. Icon then turned on the pressure, forcing Dykstra into making two saves in a four-minute span right before halftime. Despite their efforts, Icon went into the half down 2-1.

Coming out of halftime, the Kickers started peppering the Icon goal. Richmond forward Nate Robinson narrowly missed the open goal in the 52nd minute and Ngwenya put a scissor-kick just high in the 55th. There was some controversy in the 58th minute, as two Icon players seemed to handle the ball inside of the box. Center referee Mark Gorak saw it differently and allowed play to go on. Richmond responded with two shots in rapid succession, both well saved by Dugan.

Three minutes later, Dugan couldn’t keep his string of great saves going when Kickers midfielder Mike Callahan collected a ball from Ngwenya on the right wing and attempted to cross it in. The cross skipped off the shin of Icon defender Teddy Niziolek and nestled neatly under the crossbar to give Richmond a 3-1 lead. The official scorer credited the goal to Callahan, his first in the tournament this year.

In the 68th minute, Icon FC won a free kick on the corner of the Richmond area and was looking to punch a second goal in directly. The shot was easily collected by Dykstra for his fourth save, and the Kickers played on. Gorak, the referee, started to put his mark on the game from this point, clamping down on fouls and dealing two Icon yellows in a ten-minute span. The discipline wasn’t the only action left, however, as Richmond forward Stanley Nyazamba got on the end of a ball from Nate Robinson in the 85th and put it past Dugan to propel the Kickers to a 4-1 win.

The Richmond Kickers move on to host MLS side D.C. United on May 28th at City Stadium. This will mark the second year in a row, and the sixth time overall, that the two teams have faced each other in Open Cup play with United winning the last five of the six meetings.

#USOC100