Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Thomas Hodul

2018 US Open Cup Qualifying: El Farolito follow up league title with dominant Round 2 win over Academica SC

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El Farolito logoMORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

The 1993 Open Cup Champions, El Farolito, cruised into round three of qualifying with a 5-0 victory over Liga NorCal side, Academica SC, from Turlock, Calif. Coming off of winning another San Francisco Soccer League title just two weeks ago, El Farolito looked dominant in almost every facet of the game.

The game kicked off at 11:15 a.m. at historic Boxer Stadium, home to the oldest running soccer leagues in the country. El Farolito looked intent on defending their home field and earning a place in the third round of the 2018 US Open Cup qualifying tournament.

The match was fairly balanced for the first 10-15 minutes of the game before El Farolito was able to break though in the 15th minute with a wonderful team goal. Herbert Alferez received a great ball over the top before centering it to Marco Iubel who rounded the keeper and slotted it home to send the host on their way.

Academica had their best chance to equalize in the 32nd minute when Jorge Carmona went direct for goal off of a corner kick, but El Farolito stand-out defender Jansen Salton expertly cleared it off the line to maintain his side’s 1-0 advantage.

The host doubled their advantage just before the break when Herbert Alferez scored from the spot to make the score 2-0 in favor of El Farolito heading into the break.

El Farolito kept their foot on the gas like they usually do and added a third goal once again from the penalty spot, this time from Rodolfo Espiniza in the 50th minute.

Not long after that, in the 52nd minute, Academica’s top player of the day went down, needing an ambulance. This caused at least a 20-minute delay to the match. When the match resumed, it was played at a different pace, almost as if the match had already been finished.

El Farolito added two more goals in the lengthy stoppage time that was added to the game. One of these goals was from Ederson Da Silva who expertly finished into the side netting to make the score 4-0, before Jorge Hernandez added a fifth from the penalty spot.

The former champions secured their place in the next round and will host the UPSL side from Petaluma, Calif., Cal Victory, in Round 3 with a spot in the 2018 US Open Cup on the line.

California wildfires not stopping Cal Victory FC in quest for 2018 US Open Cup berth

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Burned-out cars and charred homes cover the landscape in Santa Rosa, Calif. on Oct. 14, 2017, after the wildfires that spread across Sonoma County, California. Photo: California National Guard | Capt. Will Martin/Released (Flickr)
Burned-out cars and charred homes cover the landscape in Santa Rosa on Oct. 14, 2017, after the wildfires that spread across Sonoma County, California. Photo: California National Guard | Capt. Will Martin/Released (Flickr)

The California Victory was founded in Feb. 2017 by two cousins, Michael and Ramiro Briceno, who have deep ties to the North Bay community that their club represents. They both decided on establishing this club so the youth of their community in Sonoma had a place where they could advance from the youth clubs like Santa Rosa United, Atletico of Santa Rosa, Napa United, and of course, Briceno Soccer Club of which Michael is the president.

The California Victory are based in Petaluma, Calif., which is located in Sonoma County in the heart of the recent North Bay wildfires. The club plays home games in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Rohnert Park, three communities that have all been seriously affected by the deadly wildfires.

The fires began on Oct. 8 and are just now beginning to be contained. Cal Fire is expecting to have the fires fully contained just one day before Cal Victory will host the Davis Legacy on Oct. 22 in a second round match in the open division qualifying tournament for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The soccer game can only serve as somewhat of a respite for the people of the area to help take the minds of the players and staff off of the tragic situation.

Cal Victory FC The fires have caused thousands of local residents to be evacuated, many of whom are still under evacuation orders. More than 100,000 residents were evacuated during the fires that left at least 42 people dead and took out nearly 7,000 homes and other buildings.

Included in those affected were three Cal Victory players living in Napa County who had to be evacuated. The club’s general manager Don Shaffer lost his home in Santa Rosa to the fires.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the Shaffer family begin to rebuild their lives.

This is one of those times when the entire soccer community across the country can come together to support each other in a time when the residents of the North Bay could use much support.

Cal Victory FC logoThe Cal Victory are coming off of their inaugural UPSL summer campaign in which they finished runner up in the UPSL summer season, falling to the Los Angeles Wolves in the championship match. They earned their spot in Round 2 of Open Cup qualifying by knocking off fellow UPSL side, Real San Jose, last month.

“The opportunity to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is very important to us,” said Michel Briceno. “We want to have the same chance as any soccer club in America.”

Even with all of the drama surrounding the club, the Victory will be ready for Sunday’s game against Davis, and will play at Casa Grande High School in the heart of their beloved community. (Kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT)

“Our team was happy to start practicing again and have the upcoming game ,” said Cal Victory administrator Kathy Fagundes. “It has helped gathering everyone together to train and just have fun. We are very focused and ready for Davis Legacy. The Open Cup is very important for us and we are happy that we can play with our full team even with the events that happened to our community.”

PLEASE GIVE: A GoFundMe campaign is available to help Cal Victory general manager Don Shaffer and his family who lost their home in the Santa Rosa wildfires

If the name Cal Victory sounds familiar, then you’re correct. Back in 2007, a San Francisco-based team called the California Victory played a single season in the USL First Division (Div. 2 pro) before folding. Briceno played on that team and helped the club reach the Third Round of the US Open Cup in their only season. Unfortunately, the only thing the casual Open Cup fan will remember from that cup run was a Round 2 win over the Minnesota Thunder (USL First Division) when Ricardo Sanchez scored the lone goal of the match in extra time. Sanchez then ran over to the Thunder supporters section and did what the referee later described as a “dog and fire hydrant” celebration and was issued his second yellow card of the match for his efforts. The two teams finished with nine men and California advanced to play the Colorado Rapids (MLS).

With a slightly different name to avoid any trademark issues, the Victory have entered the US Open Cup for a chance to promove themselves.

“The US Open Cup means a chance to show how talented our club is and that we can compete with the big guys out there that play for their national and MLS teams,” said Fagundes. “Also, having the US Open Cup here in Sonoma County is a great honor.”

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP: There are other fundraising efforts underway to help members of the soccer community in Northern California affected by the wildfires:

* NorCal Premier Soccer Clubs (Napa, Calif.)

* Emergency Relief Fund for Communities Affected By Napa Fires

2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Wondolowski’s brace gives Earthquakes first USOC win over rival Galaxy

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Chris Wondolowski scored two goals in the San Jose Earthquakes' 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy in the 2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: ISI Photos | San Jose Earthquakes
Chris Wondolowski scored two goals in the San Jose Earthquakes’ 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy in the 2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: ISI Photos | San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes were able to overcome an early one-goal deficit to the Los Angeles Galaxy to win 3-2 and advance to the US Open Cup Semifinals for just the second time in club history. They were led by captain Chris Wondolowski who scored two of San Jose’s three goals to give them their first-ever win over their California Clasico rivals.

With the win, the Earthquakes advance to the Semifinals for the first time since 2004 as the club seeks its first US Open Cup title. They will play the winner of Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas. The home team will be determined after the Quarterfinals are complete.

The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 3rd minute of the match when Jaime Villarreal played in a corner kick and found the rising head of Jelle Van Damme, who powered it home to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead.

“You know the guy is one of the best in the league at what he does on set pieces,” said Earthquakes’ head coach Chris Leitch about the goal.

After going down early, the Quakes seemed to wake up and really start taking the game to their opponent. It wasn’t long before they were creating chances of their own and were able to find the equalizer.

Wondolowski, who has scored numerous goals against the Galaxy over the years, found the back of the net for the first time in the 16th minute to draw the scores level at one a piece. He received a pass at the top of the box, just outside the penalty area, he put the ball to his left foot and fired a shot toward goal. The strike wasn’t the hardest shot of his career, but it was just enough to beat Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe who dove to his right unsuccessfully. It wasn’t the most spectacular finish, but he did what he needed to do. “He puts on frame which he does every single time goes in,” said Leitch about the goal. San Jose continued to take the game to their rivals, creating several more dangerous opportunities in the first half. Jahmir Hyka hit the cross bar off a clever back heel attempt, before Nick Lima turned and fired his shot just wide minutes later. The best chance for San Jose to take the lead in the first half came when Nick Lima played in a perfect cross to Hyka who missed the target somehow from point blank range as the half finished 1-1.

The Earthquakes would come out of the locker room with a fast start. Six minutes into the second half, Tommy Thompson found Wondolowski for the second time as he drove a cross into the box that found the head of the US international who beat the keeper to give San Jose the lead. It was Wondo’s sixth career US Open Cup goal, and his fourth for the Earthquakes, which ties him with Ronald Cerritos for the club record.

Danny Hoesen of the San Jose Earthquakes strikes a pose after scoring the third goal of the game (his second of the tournament) against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: ISI Photos | San Jose Earthquakes
Danny Hoesen of the San Jose Earthquakes strikes a pose after scoring the third goal of the game (his second of the tournament) against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: ISI Photos | San Jose Earthquakes

“Two goals is what the guy does,” said Leitch about his captain. “It’s really good to see your club captain be the leader on the field and get it done, but then in the locker room, in the community and for the organization, you can’t ask for a thing more out of what Wondolowski brings.”

Wondolowski, who normally wears the No. 8 shirt for the Quakes, was wearing No. 38, in honor of teammate Mathias Silva, who is recovering from an incident where he nearly drowned during a Fourth of July gathering. Silva recently emerged from a coma and is on the path to recovery.

The San Jose head coach was also happy with the play of Thompson who provided the assist on each of the first two goals.

“He’s in a creative attacking role. I hope he’s loose. I hope he’s creative, and he’s picking his times to take risks. That is what we want,” said Leitch.

The Earthquakes would add an insurance goal when Danny Hoesen found himself on the breakaway on the right wing in the 62nd minute and beat Rowe, to make the score 3-1. It was the 50th US Open Cup goal in Earthquakes history.

The Galaxy pushed hard to get themselves back into the match after going down a second goal. They were able to get one goal back in the 84th minute when Ariel Lassiter’s shot rebounded off Jackson Yueill before bouncing off goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell and into the net for an own goal. However, this would not be enough as the San Jose Earthquakes were able to beat their rivals for the first time ever in this competition. (1-4-1, 0-1 PK)

“We’ve won a couple of these US Open Cup games. They are important. It’s an opportunity to win a trophy for this organization. It’s an opportunity to play Champions League,” said Leitch about the importance of the Open Cup. “I don’t know a single guy in that locker room that doesn’t enjoy winning and doesn’t enjoy the idea of winning a trophy, and we are two games away from that.”

With the victory, the Quakes move to 14-10-6 (3-3 PK) all time in US Open Cup Play and 7-5-2 (1-1 PK) at home. With just one more victory, they can reach the final of the Cup for the first time in the club’s history. They also broke the Club’s attendance record for the tournament with 14,056 at Avaya on Monday night. The Quakes will play the winner of the FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City match for the right to go to the final.

2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinals Live Video: Galaxy, Earthquakes bring California Clasico back to Open Cup (live video)

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Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Monday, July 10 – 10:30 p.m. EST
Avaya Stadium – San Jose, CA

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO

Winner will play Sporting KC / FC Dallas winner (Site / Date TBD)

San Jose Earthquakes Open Cup records
Overall: 13-10-6 (3-3 PK) | Home: 6-5-2 (1-1 PK) | Away: 7-5-3 (2-1 PK) | vs. MLS: 1-7-3 (0-3 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-0 at Portland Timbers of MLS in Round 4)
Best finish: 2004 Semifinals (Lost 1-0 at Kansas City Wizards of MLS)
Leading goalscorer: Four players tied with 1 (Cordell Cato, Danny Hoesen, Shea Salinas, Jackson Yueill)

Los Angeles Galaxy Open Cup records
Overall: 30-14-1 (1-0 PK) | Home: 21-3-0 | Away: 9-11-1 (1-0 PK) | vs. MLS: 12-10-1 (1-0 PK)
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-1 in OT vs. FC Dallas of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 2001, 2005 US Open Cup champions
Leading goalscorer: Ariel Lassiter (2)

The California Clasico will decide the first of four US Open Cup semifinalists in 2017. The San Jose Earthquakes will host long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy, at Avaya Stadium in the Quarterfinals on Monday, July 10. The LA Galaxy has never lost to San Jose in Open Cup play, currently holding a 4-0-1 (1-0 PKs) record over their rivals in this competition. Only two other matchups (Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers / New England Revolution vs. Rochester Rhinos with 7 each) in the Modern Era are more common than the Galaxy and the Earthquakes will face off for the sixth time on Monday night.

Avaya Stadium will be the site of the sixth all-time US Open Cup meeting between the San Jose Earthquakes and the L.A. Galaxy. The Galaxy have advanced in all five previous meetings. File Photo: Center Line Socket
Avaya Stadium will be the site of the sixth all-time US Open Cup meeting between the San Jose Earthquakes and the L.A. Galaxy. The Galaxy have advanced in all five previous meetings. File Photo: Center Line Socket

The two California MLS clubs have already met twice this year in league play with each side winning one game. On July 1, in the annual match between the two clubs at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, the home fans were treated to an epic last-minute winner from long-time Earthquake player, Shea Salinas. This was after the captains of both sides, Jelle Van Damme and Chris Wondolowski, had each hit the back of the net to make the score 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

In the first match between the two sides back on May 27, the Galaxy won 4-2 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. Giovani Dos Santos led the way for LA with two goals that night, while Emmanuel Boateng scored as well. The host got goals from Wondolowski, who always seems to score against the Galaxy, and Daniel Hoesen, who also scored the match winner in the last round of the Cup for San Jose.

The Earthquakes come into the Open Cup match off of a tough road loss in Atlanta. This was the team’s first loss under new head coach Chris Leitch. San Jose took the lead early through Tommy Thompson’s first-ever goal for the club, but then went down to 10 men when Kofi Sarkodie got a second yellow in the first half. Wondolowski scored for the Quakes in the second half to level the match at two before Atlanta United scored twice more late in the game to win the match 4-2.

San Jose reached the Quarterfinals of the Open Cup by knocking off the NASL’s San Francisco Deltas 2-0 in the Fourth Round at home. They then got by a 10-man Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16 off of a late winner from Daniel Hoesen in a 2-1 win at Avaya. This was the Earthquakes’ first-ever win over a MLS side in their history in the Open Cup proper rounds (1-7-3, 0-3 PKs). With a victory over LA, the San Jose would equal its best-ever run in the Cup when they reached the Semifinals back in 2004. That year, they featured players like Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, and Jeff Agoos.

The Earthquakes currently sit in fifth place in the MLS Western Conference standings and are currently 2-1 in all competitions under new head coach Chris Leitch. Leitch picked up his first-ever win as a head coach in the last round of the Open Cup and his first loss against Atlanta United on July 4. Leitch won the Cup as a player for the Columbus Crew back in 2002. The key player for the Earthquakes will be Wondolowski, who has a knack for scoring in big games against the Galaxy. He has scored twice against them already this year.

Their opponent, the LA Galaxy, are coming off of a tough period that has seen them battle through multiple player injuries and absences. Following the heartbreaking California Clasico loss, the Galaxy were beaten down by Real Salt Lake at home in their annual 4th of July match, 6-2. At the time, Real was in last place. The Galaxy won just one game in the month of June outside of US Open Cup play and have yet to win in July.

The Galaxy, a two-time champions of the US Open Cup (2001, 2005), reached the Quarterfinals of this year’s tournament without playing a MLS side in their first two rounds of action. They beat Orange County SC (USL) at Stubhub Center Track and Field Stadium, 3-1. Both Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal, two former Galaxy Academy products, found the back of the net. They then got by another USL team, the Sacramento Republic, by a score of 2-0. Ariel Lassiter scored his 2nd goal in as many Open Cup games for LA, while another Galaxy Academy product, Bradford Jamieson, added the second goal.

The Galaxy have a 30-14-1 (1-0 PKs) all-time record in the tournament, the seventh-most wins of the Modern Era. However, last year, the Galaxy reached the Semifinals of the tournament for the first time since they won it all in 2006. From 2007-2014, they failed to qualify twice, were one-and-done to a lower division team three times, and lost to a lower division team in the second game three times.

The Galaxy have dropped out of the playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference and into 7th place following the losses this past week. The return of a few Galaxy leaders will be key as LA looks to bounce back from this rough patch. Giovani Dos Santos has returned to the Galaxy following his time with Mexico at the Confederations Cup, while Jelle Van Damme looks set to return after a red card suspension stemming from the end of the July 1 California Clasico. This kept him out of the match against Real Salt Lake on July 4.

The winner of this Open Cup match will earn a ticket to the semifinals against the winner of the match between Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas on the following night. The hosting scenarios will be decided following the conclusion of all four games to be played in the quarterfinal round.

2017 US Open Cup Round 5: Hoesen’s late goal propels San Jose Earthquakes past 10-man Seattle Sounders

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Shea Salinas of the San Jose Earthquakes celebrates his opening goal against the Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16 in the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes
Shea Salinas of the San Jose Earthquakes celebrates his opening goal against the Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16 in the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes needed a late goal from Danny Hoesen to get by a 10-man Seattle Sounders side in the Round of 16 of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. San Jose took the lead early and went up a man in the first half, but still needed an 84th minute winner to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2012.

It was the fifth all-time meeting between the two clubs in the Open Cup, and with the victory, San Jose earned their first win against the Sounders since 2002, back when Seattle was a member of the USL’s A-League (Div. 2 pro).

Much like their match in the last round of the Cup against the San Francisco Deltas, the Quakes got off to a fast start. Captain Chris Wondolowski nearly scored inside three minutes off of some excellent build up play.

The Quakes followed this early effort with a corner kick in the 6th minute that resulted in the opening goal. Shea Salinas found the back of the net following a rebound off of the corner kick. The shot took a deflection past Seattle goalkeeper Tyler Miller to give the Earthquakes the 1-0 lead.

“I thought we started well, and had control of the game, moving it pretty well, pretty sharply,” said newly-hired Earthquakes head coach Chris Leitch. “That first corner where we ended up scoring, the reason why we didn’t end up playing it short, was because it was an in-swinger, and we purposefully tried to crowd the box.”

San Jose continued to dominate the game and saw many more good chances fall their way in the first 30 minutes of the match. “At times I thought we could have just walked it up,” said Leitch about the early parts of the game. It then got worse for Seattle when Francisco Narbon received a straight red card for a reckless tackle on San Jose’s Jackson Yueill, leaving his team down a man and down a goal. The half ended 1-0 however, as the Earthquakes were unable to take advantage of the man advantage for the final 10 minutes of the half. The second half did not start how San Jose would have liked with their man advantage, as Seattle began to take the game to the Quakes. Through this pressure, Seattle was able to earn a free kick just outside of the box in the 48th minute. Aaron Kovar stepped up for the Sounders and curled the ball into the back of the net to tie the game at one apiece. “If you go up a goal, and go up a man, you’d like to bury that game a bit better, but I think the effort all the way around was very good,” said Leitch The Earthquakes responded well to the equalizing goal, putting the pressure back on Seattle. It started when Tommy Thompson forced a big save out of Tyler Miller in the 53rd minute. The best chance of the game fell to Jahmir Hyka in the 69th minute when he was in on the keeper, but again Miller would come up with a huge save to keep the score level.

As the game look destined for extra time with 10-man Seattle standing tall, San Jose’s substitute, Danny Hoesen, played a nice one-two with Yeuill before beating the Seattle keeper to restore the Earthquakes lead in the 84th minute.

“Danny coming on, being fresh, especially in his recent run of form was very enticing,” Leitch said in his postgame comments. “The message to Danny when he came on was you’re going to get a chance, finish the game off, and he did it like a cold blooded forward.

“ gives us a chance to win a trophy and my experience with that both playing and with the group, is that players like to win trophies, and I know this club would enjoy winning another trophy. I look forward to making that run,” Leitch added.

The Earthquakes will now host their California Clasico rivals, the LA Galaxy, in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup on July 10 at Avaya. It will be the sixth time the two teams have met and the Earthquakes have never beaten the Galaxy in the Open Cup (0-4-1, 0-1 PKs).

“We are not there yet,” said Leitch. “If this stops at the quarterfinals or the semis, we are going to be disappointed, so we still got a lot in front of us.”

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: Early goals lift San Jose Earthquakes to Bay Area win over San Francisco Deltas

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The San Jose Earthquakes won their first US Open Cup meeting with the San Francisco Deltas with a 2-0 win in the Fourth Round. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes won their first US Open Cup meeting with the San Francisco Deltas with a 2-0 win in the Fourth Round. Photo: San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes scored twice early to knock out local NASL rivals, the San Francisco Deltas, and advance to the Round of 16 in the US Open Cup. Jackson Yueill and Cordell Cato scored within six minutes of kick-off before San Francisco found any footing in the game.

Jackson Yueill found the back of the net in the fourth minute for the Earthquakes, scoring his first ever goal for the club since being drafted sixthoverall in 2017. “I thought had a good game. He moved the ball. He’s a smart player,” said Earthquakes Head Coach, Dominic Kinnear. “This is a good step for him. You can see the guys are happy for him. When he scored, they all ran over to him.”

The lead was doubled less than two minutes later when Cordell Cato cleaned up his own rebound to make the score 2-0. “We went with a 3-5-2. We just wanted to start out the game aggressive. We wanted this game to end in 90 minutes, so we wanted to come out and get an early goal,” Kinnear said following the match.

The Deltas did not let this get them down however, as they built their way back into the match. Their momentum began when defending NASL player of the week Kyle Bekker forced a big save out of Earthquakes keeper Andrew Tarbell in the 21st minute. “Their keeper was very good tonight. I think a defining moment is when Bekker has the chance to go 2-1, and the ball doesn’t go in,” said Deltas’ Head Coach, Marc Dos Santos.

The Deltas created a few more chances, as did the San Jose Earthquakes. Both sides looked very balanced after the initial six minutes of the game. “I remember some very good chances. We had free kicks. We had corners. We pushed, but unfortunately we couldn’t find the goal tonight,” said Dos Santos. “We didn’t come in with the intentions that we wanted to come in with, and then we were surprised by two goals that they took well. But I think that is the only part in the game that we actually felt inferior. All of the other 83 minutes of the game, we created as many opportunities as they did.”

The man of the match was San Jose goal keeper Andrew Tarbell, who came up with a couple of outstanding saves to maintain his clean sheet as the Deltas tried to claw their way back. Tarbell as well had several powerful punched clearances late to help clear his lines.

“I thought we relaxed at 2-0,” said Kinnear. “I think that at 2-0 we took our foot off the pedal. They stepped their game up because they are behind 2-0. They were creating chances. We were fouling close to goal, which wasn’t a great idea. But Andrew Tarbell, I thought, made some real good saves for us, and he commanded his box well too.”

The San Jose Earthquakes will now proceed into the Round of 16 final 16-team bracket portion of the tournament with the next round taking place in two weeks.

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Sacramento Republic’s “complete performance” leads to win over Reno 1868

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Sacramento Republic logoSacramento Republic had their most complete performance of the year to top new rivals, Reno 1868, 2-0 in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Republic were led by a goal and an assist from forward Trevin Caesar to earn the right to host their first ever MLS side in their home stadium in the Fourth Round against Real Salt Lake.

“I thought it was a complete performance from our boys tonight and now we face an MLS team,” said Republic head coach Paul Buckle.

The Republic took control of the game straight from the first whistle and were all over Reno from the start. Their best effort came in the 11th minute when Trevin Caesar dribbled the ball to the center of the box before firing it just wide.

They created more chances in the 18th minute when Reno goalie Russ Klabough was forced to parry the shot from Danny Barrera wide before a follow up shot from Agustin Cazarez forced a second save out of the Reno keeper.

Sacramento continued its relentless pressure for most of the first half. They were eventually rewarded with a goal when Caesar slipped the ball into Harry Williams who buried his chance to give the Republic the lead just before the break, 1-0.

“I was thrilled to see Trevin Caesar build on Saturday. That’s the Trevin Caesar the fans want to see, and I want to see running in behind teams, using his pace,” Buckle said.

The second half played out very similar to the first as the Republic were clicking on every level.

“It was a wonderful performance tonight. I thought the players were magnificent tonight,” Buckle said. “You saw fight, you saw energy, you saw goals, you saw chances created and a clean sheet, against a good side.”

Caesar went on to cap his performance when he found the back of the net in 59th minute.

“Trevin’s finish was excellent. I was wanting him to pass it into Sammy and he just drove it bottom corner,” Buckle said.

Reno would push for a goal, which left them exposed at the back, allowing Sacramento a few more chances to kill the match off, but they were unable to capitalize. For the expansion side, they are the first professional team from Nevada to ever qualify for the tournament.

“I desperately wanted to win the game, you know, so we can get an MLS side,” Buckle said. “It’s what we want to see. It’s what ownership wanted. We all wanted it, and we got it and I’m proud of the boys, I’m very proud of the team tonight.”

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Set piece goals lead San Francisco Deltas to comeback win in USOC debut

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San Francisco Deltas logoThe Deltas scored two set piece goals to come from behind and avoid the Cupset against the PDL Burlingame Dragons. Kyle Bekker provided the two deadly free kicks from similar spots on the field that resulted in a goal in each half. The comeback victory propelled the Deltas to their first-ever Open Cup victory and into the 3rd round to face Phoenix Rising. The winner of that match will travel to take on the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) in Round 4.

The PDL Burlingame Dragons did not make the game easy on the Deltas as they showed no fear early in the match. They forced the Deltas to defend deep in their own half and work for every 50-50 ball.

“I want to highlight the work of the Burlingame (Dragons) , because it’s always tough to play Cup games. In every country in the world, you always have surprises, and you have to play a team that has more to win than to lose,” said Deltas’ Head Coach Marc Dos Santos. “Burlingame created problems. They were a good team today.”

The first major chance the Dragons created was in the 26th minute when Matt Wiesenfarth was in on goal and forced a big save out of the Deltas’ keeper, Steward Ceus. Moments later, in the 28th minute, it was Dragons midfielder Khalid Arramdani’s turn to force another big stop out of Ceus.

The Dragons wouldn’t give up after these two big saves and kept the pressure up. They were justly rewarded for their team’s efforts and overall good play in the first half hour when in the 29th minute, Jamael Cox found the back of the net to give the Dragons the lead.

In the final 15 minutes of the 1st half, the Deltas climbed their way back into the match and eventually scored the equalizer near the end of the first half. Kyle Bekker whipped in a dangerous ball that was glanced into the back of the net by Reiner Ferreira to level the score at one heading into the break.

Marc Dos Santos told his players at the half: “Guys we got our warning.” He then went on to say in the interview that “two NASL teams got knocked out today by PDL teams. You know when you play one game, anybody could beat anybody. It’s a question of mentality.”

The Deltas came out of the 2nd half much more dominant than in the 1st half, and started to really control the game. “The 2nd half it was all us. They created problems, but a lot of it was long play and 50-50 balls that we knew we would have to be very aggressive on the second ball,” said Dos Santos.

The go ahead goal would come for the Deltas in the 63rd minute, when Bekker played another good free kick in that Jackson played back across the face of the goal to find Tommy Heinemann sliding in on the post for the go ahead goal.

“In soccer games, set plays are part of it and it’s something that we work a lot on and it’s something that with the patterns we have and the plays we have, we give a lot of importance to it. At the end of the day you have to find a way of getting results and that’s what we’ve been doing,” said the Deltas’ Coach.

The Deltas would then go on to hang tough and see out the 2-1 victory to advance to the 3rd round. “We knew it would be tough, but at the end of the day, again we find the way to win and that part of our mentality, that part of what we are building, and it’s just good to qualify”.

The Deltas

2017 Meet the Underdogs: San Francisco’s El Farolito returns for first time since winning 1993 US Open Cup title

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El Farolito, then known as CD Mexico, won the 1993 US Open Cup championship.
El Farolito, then known as CD Mexico, won the 1993 US Open Cup championship.

This story is used with permission from The Midfield Press

The first round of the US Open Cup will take place on May 10th with multiple matches pitting top amateur soccer clubs from around the country against each other. The only amateur side that has previously won this competition that will be participating in this year’s first round is El Farolito. A San Francisco-based amateur soccer club, El Farolito won the historic US Open Cup in 1993 when at the time they were called Club Deportivo (CD) Mexico.

The club was founded by Salvador Lopez, the owner of Taqueria El Farolito, one of the most famous Mexican food spots in San Francisco if not all of California. With the prime location directly outside of the 24th Street/Mission BART Stop, El Farolito is distinguished for being one of the originators of the San Francisco Mission-style burrito. Just next door to the restaurant is El Farolito Bar where I was able to meet with Head Coach, General Manager, do-everything-for-the-Club, Santiago Lopez, to talk about the history of the Club and the upcoming tournament. The bar is where all of the Club’s trophies and memorabilia are kept. Even the 1993 Open Cup trophy sits on a shelf at the bar.

Since its founding in 1985, the club has played in the historic San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL). Salvador Lopez founded the Club because he had “always been a fan of soccer and wanting to compete,” said head coach Santiago Lopez.

They won consecutive promotions immediately to the SFSFL Premier Division, the top tier of the League. The SFSFL is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and even the world, playing league matches in the heart of SF since 1902.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, every team is going to show up and play hard,” said Lopez.

The league features its own three-tiered promotion-relegation system as well as some of the same clubs that have played in the league since the 1910s. The Olympic Club is the oldest current club in the SFSFL, having joined the League in 1916. It is perhaps El Farolito’s biggest current rivals.

The trophy from the 1993 US Open Cup, won by CD Mexico (El Farolito)
The trophy from the 1993 US Open Cup, won by CD Mexico (El Farolito)

“They have so much experience. The players are so committed to the Club, the tradition, that the whole club is amazing. Everything that the Olympic Club represents is prestige and tradition,” said the El Farolito head coach. The Olympic Club is the defending SFSFL champion, having topped El Farolito who finished second last year in the league.

El Farolito is not the only club from the SFSFL to have won the US Open Cup. The league was the home of two-time Open Cup champions in 1985 and 1994, the San Francisco Greek-American Athletic Club. The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club won in 1976. Following the 1985 win for the Greek-Americans, their head coach, Lothar Osander, became the head coach of the US National Team, a position he held from 1986-1988. He also won the Cup with them in 1994. This means that in 1993 and 1994, the SFSFL won back-to-back Open Cups. This followed the San Jose Oaks win in 1992, making the Bay Area one of the most dominant soccer hubs in the pre-MLS era.

“The 90s was the most amazing decade for Bay Area soccer,” said Lopez. “You had the Greek-Americans, you had El Farolito, you had the San Francisco Seals .”

The 1993 El Farolito Open Cup run included some big wins over top amateur sides of the day. They beat the defending Open Cup champions, the San Jose Oaks, in regional qualifying with a 1-0 win. They then won their regional final against Exiles SC (Manhattan Beach, Calif.).

In the Semifinals, they beat the Bavarian SC (Milwaukee), a club that remains active today in the Premier League of America, and is a four-time National Amateur Cup winner. In the match with the Bavarians, El Farolito was reduced to nine men, but managed to force the game to overtime. Jose Angulo scored the lone goal for El Farolito in regulation, and then went on to score twice more in overtime to complete his hat trick and send El Farolito to the final.

They then were pitted against the amateur power, the United German-Hungarians (Philadelphia area), in the final Cup match at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. The match was on national television on a tape delay. The United German-Hungarians were a club founded in 1910 that went into the 1993 Open Cup final with more history and experience than El Farolito. While El Farolito was able to reach the 1991 National Amateur Cup final, the German-Hungarians had already been to four Amateur Cup finals, including winning in 1965. They also appeared in the Open Cup final in 1977, a game in which they lost to five-time Open Cup winners, Maccabee AC (Los Angeles).

There was quite a number of talented players in the 1993 Open Cup squad for El Farolito. First there was striker Jose Angulo, a Columbian international. He was considered the heartbeat of the team. His biggest contribution was his hat trick in the semifinals. In addition, the team had two different multiple goal scorers in the final. Both Samuel Cid Del Prado and finals MVP Elias Fonseca found the back of the net twice that day as El Farolito won 5-0.

The Open Cup win became the true establishment of the Club’s winning tradition. They also won the SFSFL that year to complete the double and establish themselves as a force within the League. The club did hit some hard times about seven years ago when they found themselves on the verge of relegation. That is when current head coach Santiago Lopez took over. It was bad enough that in his first game in charge he had to play himself. However, he was able to salvage a 4th place finish in what would be his lowest finish in the league as coach to date. El Farolito last won the league in 2015 under Lopez.

The roster for the 1993 US Open Cup champion CD Mexico (El Farolito)
The roster for the 1993 US Open Cup champion CD Mexico (El Farolito)

To qualify for this year’s Open Cup 1st round, El Farolito thought they would have to win four or five games in qualifying rounds. However, it turned out to be only two matches. In the first qualifying round back on September 17th, El Farolito topped the Davis Legacy at home, scoring twice within 10 minutes before holding on for a 2-1 victory.

In the second qualifying round, they traveled to Lake Forest, Calif. to face Strikers FC South Coast. El Farolito saw two red cards go against them in the match within 30 minutes, reminiscent of the 1993 semifinal. However, El Farolito took a 2-0 lead while reduced to nine men, before winning the match 2-1 to reach the first round proper of the Cup.

“We just played two lines of four” to see the game out, said Lopez.

They currently sit on top of the SFSFL table on goal differential through 6 games.

One of their top players on the Open Cup roster from last season, Dylan Autran, recently signed a pro contract in the Finnish second tier, so he will be unavailable for this match. Some of the top players to look out for in the upcoming match begin with the most local product, Emanuel Caldera. Caldera was born in Nicaragua but grew up in the San Francisco Mission District just a few blocks from the El Farolito Restaurant.

The current captain for the club is the goalkeeper, Jorge Rosales from Redwood City, Calif.

The most versatile player is Alex Lopez. Coach Lopez says that he can play anywhere on the field, including at the back or as a winger.

“You can put him at a 90,000 seat stadium or at Boxer Stadium and you’re going to get the same whole-hearted attitude.”

Gabe Silveira, a player who is currently playing for El Farolito and is on their roster for the current season, but last year played for the Burlingame Dragons.

“He still doesn’t know if he’s going to play with the Dragons against us,” said Lopez at the time of the interview. Since he hasn’t played for either side yet in this year’s Cup, he would be eligible to play for either team.

El Farolito will welcome local PDL side and San Jose Earthquakes affiliate, the Burlingame Dragons, to their home at the historic Boxer Stadium. Boxer Stadium is home to most SFSFL matches and is named after former SFSFL president, Matthew Boxer. The stadium is located just off of the Balboa Bart Stop in San Francisco.

“It’s a tough field,” said Lopez, when asked if Boxer Stadium would give his club a home field advantage. “You can play any field and anything can go wrong. It can go bad. Soccer has to do with a little bit of luck. Preparation will increase the luck, but at the end of the day anything can happen.”

A undated team photo of El Farolito
A undated team photo of El Farolito

Lopez said that he likes the draw with the Burlingame Dragons.

“It’s going to be entertaining. Both clubs don’t know each other,” said Lopez. “We have more games in preparation than them, but there are no games that we can go to and watch them play and scout them.”

However, he did recognize what Burlingame represents.

“We know the Dragons are going to be an extremely tough team, because they know how to play soccer. Maybe they haven’t worked together, but truly they have quality players,” said Lopez. “The Dragons are doing something extremely right and they are sending players to MLS, defenders that are debuting and scoring in their first MLS game. That’s amazing. We know we are up against a tough machine.”

He then went on to talk about his opposing head coach in this match for the Dragons, the newly-hired former MLS goalie, Joe Cannon.

“Goalkeepers to me are extremely good readers of the game. I know he’s well-prepared, definitely more prepared than me, no doubt.”

The winner of the game will play the San Francisco Deltas of the NASL in Round 2. When asked about potentially playing the Deltas, Lopez said, “We can’t think about that game right now. I do think about it because of the possibilities and what might be the test ahead of us, but you can’t. First is the Dragons, and I think they are the same level as the Deltas.”

He has great respect for the new San Francisco pro side as well.

“There’s support from the City, there’s a great coaching staff, they are doing things extremely right and that reflects on the team. A lot of the players you can tell they work their ass off.”

He has really enjoyed watching the Deltas so far this season. “Number 10 (Kyle Bekker) is very active. I think he is the best one there. He’s extremely good, and the left back (Kenny Teijsse) doesn’t get the ball enough. I really don’t know why he doesn’t get the ball. They play through the right side a lot.” He went on to add that “Jackson is super quick and #25 (Danny Cruz) and #9 (Hienemann) all work so hard” up front. He also mentioned that he “like(s) having the Deltas in town.”

We then discussed what he felt were the expectations and goals for El Farolito in the Open Cup this year.

“We expect the players to give 100%, because they know the commitment that the club has with them,” said Lopez.

He went on to say that the pressure is on them, because “we are up against teams that know the history of the club, so we expect them to work hard and represent the franchise and what it is. You know, we are not a big club, 1983 is not a long time. There are clubs in our league that have way longer history than us.”

As for El Farolito going forward, “My dream would be to put El Farolito back onto the national stage, like they were once before in the 90s, and have the team acknowledged like fuck we are up against El Farolito. We are up against lions. We are up against a strong team.”

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