Sean Maslin

2016 Meet the Underdogs: Aromas Cafe FC embrace their “5000-to-1” odds in US Open Cup debut

May 10, 2016 by Sean Maslin

A debutant in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Aromas Café FC is breaking ground not just in the Charlottesville area but also in the D.C. Metro area. The club’s victory against the Aegean Hawks was a watershed moment for the D.C.-Metro area as the Hawks have represented the state association at the region qualifying tournament nine of the last 10 years. That Aromas had also defeated a Tartan Devils side who have gone undefeated in the Greater Pittsburgh soccer league for three seasons should speak to the level of play of the Charlottesville team.

“Those were two great opponents who have a lot of great soccer and playing against them have definitely helped us prepare for this tournament,” said Aromas Café FC player-coach David Deaton.

Café FC is by no means a new team. Prior to securing a sponsorship deal with Aromas Café, a local French bistro from the Charlottesville area, the team played under various names in the region for close to a decade. It is a team made up of former Division 1 soccer players, and players from countries as diverse as Croatia, Morocco, and Mexico.

One name that might be familiar to soccer supporters from the D.C. –Metro area would be Jake Van Yahres. Van Yahres, who scored two of the club’s three goals against the Hawks, played for both American University and Virginia Commonwealth University. He was also named second team All-District in 2005 and Second Team All Region in 2004 for Charlottesville High School.

Despite their different backgrounds and experience levels Deaton believes what makes this team special is their bond.

“We may have 5000-1 odds of winning but in the history of this tournament smaller sides have succeeded when they are highly organized, they have good management, and play with purpose,” said Deaton.

Deaton believes his club’s background and experience will also come into play against their next opponents, the Richmond Strikers (who were known as Chesterfield United until a club merger shortly before the tournament).

“We feel very good ,” said Deaton. “They have a lot of players who are currently playing Division 1 soccer. But many of our players have also played Division 1 and we have tested ourselves in recent friendlies. We have also had players who have had the opportunity to go pro. There is no doubt that they are a talented squad; but we believe with our bond and our passion that we have a chance to win.”

Watch a local news story on Aromas Cafe FC below

Maryland Bays win first USASA Open Cup title, expected to qualify for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

August 1, 2014 by Sean Maslin

Maryland Bays: 2014 USASA Open Cup champions

The first one is always the best. Whether it is the rush of emotions, the sense of accomplishment, or the flood of memories, being able to hoist a trophy and call one’s self a champion is an immense feeling and an important moment for any player or team.

The Maryland Bays had such a moment this weekend as the club won their first-ever USASA Open Cup championship defeating the Des Moines Menace of Iowa by the score of 3-0.

“We finally got over the Open Cup hump,” said Bays coach Bryan Bugarin. “It seems like it was always that one game, or an extenuating circumstance that kept us from getting back to Nationals since our U23s lost to the Chicago Fire in the Final.”

The team nearly had a another extenuating circumstance derail them when seven days before the opening game, their starting goalkeeper Phil Saunders told Bugarin that he had just signed a professional contract to play for a club in Iceland. Luckily for the Bays, they had a quality backup netminder in Kris Ward who performed well, allowing just a single goal in the two games at Nationals.

For those unfamiliar, the USASA Open Cup, officially named the Werner Fricker US Open Cup championship, is an annual competition hosted by the United States Adult Soccer Association which is the main arm for adult club soccer for the United States Soccer Federation. The Open Cup Championship is composed of the best teams from the four major regions in the United States. The Maryland Bays are a part of the Maryland Soccer Association and the Maryland Major Soccer League in Baltimore, Md. The team has won five consecutive Fall Premier League Championships in MMSL and has won five consecutive Stewart Cups, which is the Maryland State Soccer Association Cup. They are the first Maryland-based team to win the USASA Open Cup Championship since the Baltimore Colts FC won the title back in 2005.

This has been quite a run for the Bays. They defeated regional rivals West Chester United (Eastern Pennsylvania), Aegean Hawks (DC/VA), and Mass Premier Soccer (now known as GPS Massachusetts) in the Region I tournament. By winning the Region I tournament, based on last year’s format, the Bays are expected to qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The win also booked them a spot in the USASA Nationals and found themselves matched up with Triangle Brigade in the Semifinals. Against the Region III winners, the Bays dominated possession and were able to defeat the newcomers from North Carolina by the score of 4-1. Glenn Leitch, Danny Baxter, Marco Mangione and Elton Joe all scored goals for the Bays to punch their ticket to the national title game.

“We actually changed up our formation five minutes before kickoff and it proved to be the difference as neither opponent really seemed to figure out any answers to hinder our pace offensively,” said Bugarin. “Our center midfielders clogged the middle and controlled play, while our outside midfielders constantly got around opponent’s backs to provide forward support to our lone striker (Elton Joe). Our back line was very quick to lock things down and the outside guys provided an extra bit of offense as they overlapped our outside midfielders with attacking runs quite often. The six players who came off the bench also provided a great deal of support later in each game.

In the championship game, the Bays faced a Menace side that had beaten Chula Vista FC in the Semis. However, the Bays were able to overcome the Menace with goals by Elton Joe in the 12th minute, Danny Baxter in the 60th minute, and by Bryan Moffa at the end of regulation.

Bugarin credits all the support the team has received over the years to help the club win their first national title. “I would like to thank all of our friends and family who have supported us along the way no matter what the travel distance, or weather conditions,” said Bugarin. “I would like to thank my Assistant Coach, Andrew Dicea, for the countless hours of work he put in to registrations, travel, and of course, helping to coach this great group of guys. And a special thanks goes out to our main sponsor, and very good friend of mine, Mark Shiflett. Mark has supported the Maryland Bays financially since I assembled the team in 2009. Without his contributions we would not be able compete, and properly run the team.”

Maryland Bays roster for 2014 USASA Nationals

Starters: Kris Ward (GK), Josh Taylor, Aaron Beale, Matt Shell, Glenn Leitch, Chris Ports, Mike Gill, Marco Mangione, Danny Baxter, Jon Ports, Elton Joe

Reserves: Collin Rome, Bryan Moffa, Nino Mangione, Ray Kuemmer, Chris Weaver, Chris Williams

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: New England Revolution make early lead stand up in 3-2 win over Richmond Kickers (video)

June 19, 2014 by Sean Maslin

The heat can make a player do crazy things. Whether it is in a World Cup match in Manaus or in a US Open Cup match in Richmond, warm weather wears on even the heartiest of players. At City Stadium on Wednesday night, the New England Revolution were able to beat the heat and the Richmond Kickers, besting their opponents from USL Pro by the score of 3-2.

The match started with both teams playing very contrasting styles. While the Kickers played with more energy and a bit more pace, the Revolution were patient, hoping the Kickers’ outburst would die off in the hot Richmond sun. Although New England would score first when a corner kick by Steve Neumann found the head of Stephen McCarthy, the Revolution opted to control possession and hope that the Kickers would chase them all around the pitch. That is exactly how the match played out early on with the midfield trio of Diego Fagundez, Lee Nguyen, and Neumann moving the ball effortlessly around the pitch.

Although this strategy worked for most of the first half, the Kickers gave the Revolution a few scares. In the 22nd minute, Kickers defender Henry Kalungi’s pass found midfielder Jason Yeisley on the outside. Yeisley made an excellent one-touch pass to striker George Davis IV who buried his shot past Revolution goalkeeper Brad Knighton to level the score. It was Davis’ third goal of the tournament, and fourth of his career.

Rather than panicking like many MLS sides do when a lower-league team scores in a US Open Cup match, the Revolution continued to play their style of football. Perhaps it is due to the Revolution manager playing most of his starters, but the Revs did not seemed fazed by the goal and looked to get another back.

That moment would come in the 34th minute when Revolution forward Patrick Mullins found Neumann at the top of the box. Neumann, who played his college soccer nearby at Georgetown University, buried his shot past Kickers goalkeeper Joe Willis to give the Revolution the 2-1 lead. Mullins, who also played locally with the University of Maryland where he won the 2013 Hermann Trophy, made Kickers defender William Yomby miss which opened up the center of the pitch.

The Revolution scored again four minutes later when Mullins intercepted a pass between Yomby and Willis and poached New England’s third goal of the match. Mullins has five goals in all competitions for the Revolution in just nine matches this season.

The Kickers were unable to muster anything the rest of the first half. This is partially due to having to chase the Revolution all around the pitch. The Revolution defending duo of Jose Goncalves and Chris Tierney really did not give them many avenues to maneuver in New England defensive half.

At the start of the second half, Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw opted to go all in and brought attack-minded midfielders Cristiano Francois and Matthew Delicate. The two substitutions immediately infused some energy and pace into a lethargic Kickers attack. In particular, Francois’ runs on the outside made the Revolution defense move out of the box.

The main battle in the second half was between Delicate and Goncalves with the two big horses going at multiple balls in the air. Delicate was able to get the best of Goncalves in the 72nd minute when he finished off a cross by Davis to narrow the Revolution’s lead by the score of 3-2.

The Kickers had one other opportunity to even up the score in the 89th minute when Samuel hit a shot that was on target that went over the cross-bar. They also had a free kick and consecutive corners in injury time that amounted to very little.

The New England Revolution move on to play the Rochester Rhinos of USL PRO at home. They are currently on break from MLS action because of the World Cup.

The Kickers will face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The match will be at 7:30 p.m. and will be available on the Kickers website.

MATCH REPLAY: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION AT RICHMOND KICKERS

MATCH SUMMARY

New England Revolution-Brad Knighton, Chris Tierney, Jose Goncalves, Stephen McCarthy, Darrius Barnes, Steven Caldwell, Diego Fagundez, Steve Neumann, Lee Nguyen (Charlie Davies 61’,) Donald Smith, and Patrick Mullins.
Goals- McCarthy (8’,) Neumann (35’,) Mullins (40’)
Yellow Cards- Fagundez (32’,)
Red Cards-

Richmond Kickers- Joe Willis, Hugh Roberts, Henry Kalungi, Yomby William (Shay Spitz 45’,) Shane Johnson, George Davis IV, Sascha Goerres, Luke Vercollone, Juan Arbelaez (Christiano Francois 45’), Jason Yeisley (Matthew Delicate 45’), and Samuel Asante.

Scoring summary:

NE – Stephen McCarthy (Steve Neumann) 8
RIC – George Davis IV (Jason Yeisley) 24
NE – Steve Neumann (Patrick Mullins) 35
NE – Patrick Mullins (unassisted) 39
RIC – Matthew Delicate (George Davis IV) 73

Misconduct Summary:
NE – Diego Fagundez (caution) 34
RIC – William Yomby (caution) 40
NE – Lee Nguyen (caution) 45
NE – Darrius Barnes (caution) 87

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers dominate city derby, 6-1 over NPSL champion RVA FC (video)

May 15, 2014 by Sean Maslin

The Richmond Kickers' Red Army cheers on their team as they battled NPSL power RVA FC in an all-Richmond US Open Cup battle. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers — The Richmond Kickers’ Red Army cheers on their team as they battled NPSL power RVA FC in an all-Richmond US Open Cup battle. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers

Sometimes it takes a rival to bring out what’s best in us. After the 2013 USL Pro playoffs and an opening to their 2014 campaign that left many questioning whether the Richmond Kickers could compete with the best in US Soccer, the club came out on Wednesday looking to dominate. It just so happens that they did not have to go far to find someone to take out their frustrations on.

In the first-ever Richmond derby, the Kickers defeated their in-town rival, RVA FC of the NPSL, by a score of 6-1 in the second round of the US Open Cup at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va. With the win, they move on to host four-time US Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas SC in a Round 3 match at Richmond City Stadium on May 28.

At the beginning of the first half, the Kickers tried to pressure the young RVA FC defense with several good possessions built through the midfield. Kickers midfielder George Davis IV orchestrated their attack going inside in the 17th minute then pushing the ball out to midfielder Sacha Gorres. However, RVA defender Garrett Harvey to use his body separate Gorres from the ball and make the decisive clear. The Kickers combination of Davis IV and Gorres would test the Virginia Commonwealth University defender throughout the entire 90 minutes with Harvey staying relatively composed.

Shay Spitz of the Richmond Kickers battles for the ball with RVA FC's Dakota Barnathan in their Second Round US Open Cup match. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers — Shay Spitz (red) of the Richmond Kickers battles for the ball with RVA FC’s Dakota Barnathan in their Second Round US Open Cup match. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers

Despite having constant pressure, the RVA defense held strong at the beginning of the first half and would use the counter-attack on several occasions. In the 20th minute, RVA midfielder Todd Wharton made an excellent cross into open space for midfielder Justin Grove. However, Gorres intercepted the pass intended to shift the field of possession before any attack could begin.

While the NPSL champions did have their opportunities early in the first half, the Kickers dominated play as the game went on. In the 24th minute, Kickers defender Alex Lee hit a cross on the right hand side into midfielder Samuel Asante who headed the ball down and past RVA goalkeeper Bill Groben to give the Kickers the early advantage.

The Kickers would add to their lead in 34th minute when midfielder Shay Spitz would convert off of a rebound on a shot originally taken by Asante. Groben made an excellent reaction save but unfortunately had no assistance from his defense to clear it out. Instead, Spitz was there to tap the ball into the back of the net.

Richmond would add another goal late in the first half when forward Jason Yeisley scored off of a rebound on a good save by Groben. Groben had a very good first half, making several excellent stops and giving the RVA defense some respite between Kickers attacks. However, the lack of communication between himself and his defense hurt them in this match.

The Kickers would continue their dominance of RVA right into the second half. In the 61st minute, Kickers forward Tishan Handley would connect off of a long cross by Davis IV and go right past RVA defender Zach Carroll and Groben to give the Kickers a 4-0 lead. Richmond Kickers logo 2012

RVA would try and strike back in the 62nd minute when midfielder Ryan Zinkhan made a pass on the outside of his foot to forward Manel Bel, whose shot went just wide of Kickers goalkeeper Joe Willis. Willis, who won a US Open Cup title with DC United last year, would then get the ball out to the Kickers midfield who would deliver yet another cross to Handley. Handley would once again get past the RVA defense and give himself a brace, upping the lead of the Kickers to 5-0.

Johnny Orlando of RVA made a slight dent into the Kickers lead with his goal 65th minute. However, the Kickers would get their five goal advantage back when Davis IV would score in the 88th minute to seal the Kickers victory by the score of 6-1.

For the Kickers it was a rare offensive explosion in the tournament. The 6 goals was the most they had scored since their 8-4 barnburner with the Ocean City Barons (now Ocean City Nor’easters) in 2005. It also marked the club’s first game, and win, against a NPSL side.

Sean Maslin writes for Global Football Today, Soccerly magazine, DC Soccer, and Soccer Without Limits. He can be followed on Twitter @SeanMaslin.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

FULL MATCH REPLAY