Zach Smith

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Early goal advances Tampa Bay Rowdies past FC Cincinnati

June 1, 2016 by Zach Smith

Georgi Hristov scored in the 11th minute and the Tampa Bay Rowdies held off surging FC Cincinnati 1-0 Wednesday night in the Third Round of the US Open Cup.

Cincinnati of the USL outshot the NASL Rowdies 14-7 but only had a pair of shots on target and had an 8-3 advantage in corners in the second Open Cup game of their first season as a franchise. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will travel to Ohio to face off with MLS side Columbus Crew SC in the Fourth Round on June 15.

“We did great with our effort and intensity,” Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell said. “It’s tough playing a team from that league because they’ve got nothing to lose. The longer the game went, the more got numbers forward.”

Kenney Walker had the best chance of the first half for FC Cincinnati less than ten minutes in with a shot from the top of the box that was pushed aside by Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Hristov let a long, high ball from Neill Collins up the right side take a big bounce in the box in the 11th minute and took three touches to get around the two defenders before slotting it past Cincinnati goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt.

“Right before the game, me and Neill were talking about it,” Hristov said. “I was ready for that run, I knew he was going to play the ball there and it worked out. The whole team played well and we deserved to win.”

Each team had five shots apiece in the first half, but Cincinnati had just one shot on goal compared to three for Tampa Bay.

“It’s always crucial to get the first goal and set the tempo of play,” Campbell said. “They’re a threat going forward and we knew they had goals in them so I never moan anyone for shooting.”

Cincinnati came out in the second half pushing hard for a goal. An early chance was easily corralled before a weak shot from the top of the box by Ross Tomaselli was deflected and forced Pickens into a diving save to his right.

Both teams could have had a man sent off with under 30 minutes to play. Pickens came out of his net in the 66th minute and went one-on-one before clearing the ball with no foul given. The Rowdies came right back when Hristov was taken down from behind at midfield four minutes later. Tomaselli was given a yellow.

Cincinnati had its best chance of the second half with less than five minutes to play. Sean Okoli tapped a header back to Andrew Wiedeman just above the penalty spot, but he sent it way over the bar. Antoine Hoppenot had another chance to level the game a minute later but he too sent it wide of the post.

Advancing to the Fourth Round is already one step further than Tampa Bay has gotten in recent years. The Rowdies lost in Round 3 the last two years and they last won an Open Cup game against VSI Tampa Bay FC in the Second Round in 2013.

“This is my fifth season here and we don’t have a good record,” Campbell said. “I’m delighted to get a win and progress to the next round against a good MLS team. It’s about time we had a run in this competition.”

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Fort Lauderdale Strikers earn rare PK shutout over Richmond Kickers

June 1, 2016 by Zach Smith

Players from the Richmond Kickers and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers track down a ball in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Diego Restrepo was looking for redemption. Twice during the regular season, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers went to penalties and both times he failed to stop a shot.

He recovered in a huge way in the third round of the Open Cup.

Restrepo saved three of four penalties and made three saves in the game as the Strikers beat the Richmond Kickers 2-0 on penalties after drawing 1-1 Wednesday afternoon. They will take on DC United in the Fourth Round on June 15.

“I’ve always been confident in my penalties,” Restrepo said. “Penalty shootouts are what goalkeepers dream of – it’s our big chance to showcase our talent.”

On the first shot of the game, Manny Gonzalez gave the hosts a one-goal lead after a bending free kick goal just two minutes in. Less than 30 minutes later, Richmond’s Yudai Imura got in behind the back line for the equalizer.

Charlie Horton of the Richmond Kickers goalkeeper tries to save a goal by Fort Lauderdale Strikers' Manny Gonzalez in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers — Charlie Horton of the Richmond Kickers goalkeeper tries to save a goal by Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Manny Gonzalez in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Victor Pagliari Giro scored the first PK for the Strikers and Geison Moura won it on the fourth try. Restrepo saved three of the four shots from the Kickers and the other was missed wide of the net. It was the first time a shootout finished 2-0 in modern Open Cup history.

“It was one of the toughest atmospheres in terms of field conditions that I’ve played on in my life,” Restrepo said of the 90-plus degree temperatures and high humidity. “It wasn’t great for either team.”

Strikers midfielder Adrianinho was brought down just outside the 18-yard box right after the opening whistle and Gonzalez’s ensuing free kick bent around the Richmond wall for the opening goal of the third round and tying the fastest Open Cup goal in Strikers history.

Facing an early deficit, the Kickers pushed forward. Richmond’s Anthony Grant, Imura, and defenders Alex Lee and William Yomby all had shots on goal for the Kickers, but Diego Restrepo kept them at bay.

After a short water break due to temperatures nearing triple digits, Grant fed Imura with a low ball that he slotted past Restrepo. Both teams had their chances the rest of the half, but neither could capitalize.

That trend continued in the second half until the 76th minute when lightning was spotted and the game was delayed for 30 minutes. After the delay, both teams pushed for the game-winner but Restrepo continued his big day with two saves.

Ramon Nuñez’s free kick found Maicon Santos, who headed it home for what looked like the go-ahead goal at the beginning of the first half of extra time for Ft. Lauderdale, but it was called back after an offside call.

Restrepo continued his huge game in the shootout, saving three penalties and keeping an opponent scoreless for just the second time in the Modern Era (1995-present) of the US Open Cup.

With the draw, however, Ft. Lauderdale now has a six-game winless streak, tying Orlando City U23, Chico Rooks and Carolina Dynamo for the Modern Era Open Cup record. The Strikers will look to snap that streak and earn their first-ever win against a MLS team when they face DC United on June 15 at the Maryland Soccerplex.

After losing two of its first four NASL regular season games, Ft. Lauderdale hasn’t lost in five straight in five straight games in all competitions. The Strikers host league-leading New York Cosmos this Saturday and travel to Edmonton on June 12 before continuing the Open Cup.

“There are only five guys from last year on this year’s roster so it takes some time to bond,” Restrepo said. “Time makes everything better and we’re clicking. Now and we’ve got keep fighting and playing.”

2016 Meet the Underdogs: UPSL’s LA Wolves rose from ashes, set to make US Open Cup debut

May 11, 2016 by Zach Smith

LA Wolves FC was 24 hours away from turning the lights off on their franchise.

With finances of running a fourth-tier franchise becoming increasingly difficult, the Wolves got a pair of major corporate sponsors to keep them afloat. Just over a year later, they’re preparing to face off with PDL stalwarts Ventura County Fusion in the first round of the US Open Cup Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT at the Ventura College Sportsplex.

“We’ve not only been able to expand the first team to another level, but we have two reserve teams and we have a youth program,” LA Wolves President and CEO Yan Skwara said. “In two years, we’ve gone from zero to 100 to almost out of business. Now we’re rising again.”

LA, which won the UPSL Western Conference for the second straight season, qualified for the US Open Cup thanks to a pair of 2-1 wins, first beating Del Rey City FC and then against well-known giant killers Cal FC on Nov. 21.

The original LA Wolves were one of the founding members of the United Soccer Association in 1966 before the league merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the NASL in 1967. Chick Hern, the legendary voice of the Los Angeles Lakers was also the voice of the Wolves. They played in the Los Angeles Coliseum and won the USA championship before folding in 1968.

Skwara started the club two years ago, seeing there was a gap in competitive play after the youth level. LA dominated its first-ever game with a 6-0 win against Orange County Crew in October 2014.

“Our goal from the get-go was to launch the Wolves into the market as a pro-development football club,” Skwara said. “We like working with players that are at a high level and want to get to the next level. There’s a huge amount of talent, especially in Los Angeles.”

LA Wolves FC Del Rey City — LA Wolves and Del Rey City battle for the ball in a 2016 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: LA Wolves FC

In UPSL winter action, the Wolves finished 11-1-4 and won the Western Conference and were led by Paolo Cardozo with 16 goals and Miguel Sanchez with 11. The defense, led by goalkeeper Kifi Kalani, had seven shutouts. In the last two years, LA has won 30 of its 36 UPSL games.

There aren’t many players from the current iteration of the club that have gone on to play at the next level. Cameron Marlow played with the team last year before going to Scotland to play for Queen’s Park Football Club in the Scottish second division.

While the Wolves are making their first-ever Open Cup appearance this year, Ventura County has qualified for the tournament in each of the last seven seasons and set a new Modern Era amatuer record with at least one win in the last five tournaments.

“They’ve been here before so this is old hat for them,” Skwara said. “They have a core base of players who have been playing in the Open Cup for five years, so this is no walk in the park. Our guys are ready to take it on and we can come through the other side.”

The winner of the Wolves-Ventura County game will host the OC Blues of the USL in the second round on May 18.

Despite the familiar opponent and underdog role the team has adopted, Skwara knows there’s no room for mistakes. All in all, he said the Open Cup has been a wonderful experience for the young club thus far.

“The Open Cup, without a question, is great because you can feel the electricity in the air,” he said. “The players are at a different level mentally. Regardless of who you’re playing, it’s going to be very intense and it’s all business.”

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Keith Caldwell leads GPS Omens to 5-0 win over shorthanded Boston Olympiakos

October 30, 2015 by Zach Smith

Massachusetts-based Global Premier Soccer (GPS) Omens kicked off their first open division qualifying match in the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was much easier than originally expected.

Thanks to two goals and two assists from Keith Caldwell, GPS Omens beat Boston Olympiakos FC 5-0 on Sunday, Oct. 18. GPS, who were known as GPS Massachusetts last year, are aiming to qualify for the US Open Cup fourth year in a row. That quest got off to a nice start as Omens scored two goals in the first 13 minutes as Olympiakos started the match with just eight players. The first goal came from the penalty spot as former Colorado Rapids draftee Caldwell converted and then later assisted on a goal by former US youth international Scott Prozeller. Boston added two more players before halftime and outlasted the Omens attack and headed into the break trailing 2-0.

Caldwell was at the center of the offense after halftime, assisting on a Jake Johnson goal in the 50th minute. Three minutes later, Charlie Romero gave GPS a four-goal lead to put the game out of reach against 10-man Boston.

Olympiakos had a pair of chances to get back in the game midway through the second half, and so did GPS as they were awarded another penalty kick, but Romero’s attempt was saved by the Boston netminder.

Omens put the nail in the coffin when Caldwell scored his second goal when he ran past the Olympiakos back line and chipped the ball in for the fifth and final goal. Omens had a chance to score a sixth with two minutes left, but the shot sailed over the bar.

Omens is now undefeated in the last five league and cup games dating back to Sept. 19. They take on Boston-based rivals Southie FC in the next round of the Open Cup on Nov. 15 at Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Mass. with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Southie FC shuts out Battery Park Gunners in Boston-area battle

October 19, 2015 by Zach Smith

Southie FC and Battery Park Gunners square off in 2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Photo: NonLeagueAmerica.com

The 2016 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup opened up with a bang as Southie FC topped the Battery Park Gunners 2-0 Friday afternoon in the first game of qualifying with US Soccer Federation organizing the tournament.

Southie FC scored early in the first half before both Boston-based teams went down a man after a double red card in the 20th minute. Southie added an insurance goal later in the second half and will face Global Premier Soccer (GPS) Omens in the next round of qualifying on Nov. 15. The game will be played at Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Mass. with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m.

The only other time Southie FC tried to qualify for the Open Cup was on Nov. 10, 2013 when they lost a 2015 US Open Cup qualifying match to that same GPS club 6-2 in the state semifinals.

Anthony Baumann scored the first goal of the game off across from Chris Stoker. Stoker beat two Gunners in the corner of the field before crossing the ball into the box where Baumann was there to head it into the upper right corner in the 18th minute.

Two minutes later, a player from both teams went down and tempers flared. Southie FC manager Chris Valence said he didn’t have the best look at the play, but to him it looked like someone caught a leg trying to clear the ball.

“Our player swung his arm out and pushed him away and their kids tried to punch him. After five minutes, the referee sent off a player from each team. I had to make some adjustments because we were shadowing one of their better central midfielders, but we managed to continue on.”

Trevor Hoxsie came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and got on the end of a ball over the top of the Batter Park back line. His initial shot was saved, but left back Thomas Ballethin was there to put away the rebound.

Southie and GPS Omen know each other well. GPS Omens plays in the Saturday league in the Boston area, while Southie plays in the Sunday league.

“Our captain and one of our team managers play with them on Saturdays, and their captain-manager plays with us on Sunday sometimes,” Valence said. “It’s more of a friendship than a rivalry. Playing against guys you know is always a good time.”

MORE: Ten teams advance to Round 2 in opening weekend of 2016 US Open Cup qualifying

MORE: Match report from NonLeagueAmerica.com

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Austin Aztex of USL dispatch old rivals Laredo Heat, 2-0

May 24, 2015 by Zach Smith

A small delay and muggy weather didn’t stop the Austin Aztex as they made quick work of some old rivals Wednesday night in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Aztex scored a goal in each half, and advanced to the Third Round of the 102nd edition of the US Open Cup for the first time as a professional team with a 2-0 win over the Laredo Heat of the USL’s Premier Development League (PDL). They’ll go on the road to face defending NASL champions San Antonio Scorpions in the next round.

Austin head coach Paul Dalglish said he made eight changes from Saturday’s 3-2 USL regular season loss to Arizona United SC.

“When you’ve scored, you’re in front and with the pace we’ve got in the wide forward areas we were just counter attacking and waiting to hit them on the counter,” Dalglish said. “We wanted to be expansive and the only thing in cup competitions is winning the game, and we did that.”

Laredo came out of the gates on the attack, pushing the tempo and trying to get in behind the compressed Austin defense. Three times early in the first half, the Heat were caught offside.

Austin turned the tide as the clock ticked toward halftime. Austin defender Max Gunderson found forward Andres Cuero on the right side of the box, and it was an easy chip of the Heat keeper to take a one-goal lead.

Laredo didn’t give up though. After winning a corner, Jesus “Chuy” Cortes whipped a ball into a box filled with Heat players, but despite getting three good headers, none had enough power to beat Austin goalkeeper Devin Perales.

Even though the Heat came out with purpose in the second half, Austin slowed the game down and seemed content with a one goal lead.

Laredo had other ideas, and went in hard on a few challenges. After picking up a yellow card in the first half, Laredo defender Adam Butler was subbed out in the second half after a challenge that looked like it should’ve been a second yellow.

“The rivalry is historical between the two organizations,” Dalglish said. “It’s a cup competition, so you’ve got to leave everything on the field. They wanted to try and win the game, and sometimes emotions spill over, but we want it to be competitive.”

Austin finally capitalized on the counter, and with just two Heat defenders behind the ball, Trevin Caesar squared a ball in front of goal for an easy tap in for Brian Fekete to double the score. The small crowd chanted ‘Dos A Cero.’

The Aztex will travel to San Antonio for their Third Round match with the Scorpions on May 27, who they beat 4-1 in the final game of the preseason.

Dalglish said not only is it important to keep advancing further in the Open Cup, especially in the club’s first full professional season, but the NASL side will be looking to get back at Austin for blowing them out in March.

“They’ll be looking for revenge,” Dalglish said. “And with it being a local derby, I imagine we’ll play a much stronger lineup. That will be a big one to try and win for Central Texas bragging rights.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Laredo Heat win PK shootout with NTX Rayados, advance for 4th straight year

May 18, 2015 by Zach Smith

After 120 minutes of scoreless, back-and-forth play, the Laredo Heat made four straight penalties to beat North Texas Rayados in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday night at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.

Laredo took a 3-2 lead in penalties before Leon Taylor stepped up to seal the deal, but he missed his first chance. Luckily for the Heat, the referee said Rayados goalkeeper Eduardo Cortez moved forward before Taylor’s shot. He smoothly made the re-take to hand his team the win.

The Heat, who are unbeaten (3-0-1) in their last four Open Cup openers, will travel to Austin for a matchup with the Austin Aztex of the USL on May 20 in the Second Round of the win-or-go-home tournament.

“Me retaking it, I was like ‘You’ve got another chance, you better make it,’” Taylor said. “I didn’t want to put the team in jeopardy.”

It took awhile for both teams to settle in and find their footing in the first half. The first 40 or so minutes of the game were played in the middle of the field without much attacking from either side.

Rayados midfielder David Robleo missed a sitter from the middle of the 18-yard box with less than five minutes to go until halftime. And Laredo’s Angel Hernandez chested down a cross right in front of the net, but his effort was pushed over the top of the net by Cortez a minute later.

While most of the first half was played with Rayados sitting behind the ball and absorbing the Heat attack, the second half was a different story. They came out of the break aggressively, and committed six fouls in the first 20 minutes of the half.

“It was a good test for us as far as our conditioning and what we’ve been working on during the preseason,” Laredo defender Fransisco Lara said. “It went well, and it did get a little bit physical, but that’s what we expect with the American style.”

Second half substitute Salvador Luna had the best chance of the game between both teams in the 90th minute when he got behind the North Texas defense and was one-on-one with Cortez. His shot sailed just over the crossbar.

It was the first game of the season for Laredo, who will begin the PDL Season on May 23, but surprisingly the Heat were the more in shape team. NTX used all its subs before the added extra time, so when the 120th minute rolled around, they were visibly gassed.

“It’s good for us because we have more time to play and more chances in the season,” Luna said. “We only had four preseason games, so it was good that we play 120 minutes and even better that we won the game.”

Looking ahead to Round 2, Austin and Laredo have a recent history. Prior to moving to the USL, the Aztex and Heat were in the same division of the PDL. In 2013, Austin beat the Heat in the conference final before going on to win the 2013 PDL Championship.