2010 First Round

The Brooklyn Italians lead twice, but J.T Noone’s goal in the 89th minute propeled the match into extra time, where the Harrisburg City Islanders would score two goals and notch a 4-2 victory in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Brooklyn opened the scoring in the 16th minute as Marco Hamilton lobbed Islanders goalkeeper Tomer Chencinski from midfield to put the Italians in front 1-0.

The lead did not last long as Islanders’ Midfielder Nate Jafta scored on a breakaway on 19 minutes to knot the score at 1-1.

The second half saw Brooklyn jump out to a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal from Paul Nittoli in the 65th minute as he placed his shot to the right side of the goal past Islander’s keeper Chencinski.

It seemed as the Italians were going to knotch the first upset of 2010, but Geoff Bloes tally off a J.T. Noone assist in the 89th minute tied the game at 2-2 and took the match into extra time.

Soon after the first whistle J.T Noone struck in the 92nd minute with a superb goal to put the Islanders up 3-2 and giving them the lead for the first time in the match.

In the 119th minute former NPSL player Dominic Oppong put the game out of reach with his goal to finish the match 4-2 in favor of Harrisburg.

Harrisburg will now move on to host Long Island Rough Riders June 22 at Skyline Sports Complex with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. EST.

The Arizona Sahuaros remain the only NPSL team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, advancing over the 2009 PDL Champions Ventura County Fusion 4-2 on penalties after finishing extra time tied 1-1.

Nick DeLeon opened the scoring for Arizona Sahuaros in the 29th minute.  Ventura County Fusion would level in the 60th minute as Ousman Jagne buried the ball in the back of the net with a superb scissor kick beating Arizona keeper Brady Swenby.

The match ended 1-1 at the end of regular time, and an additional 30 minutes could not decide a winner as both teams had chances to bring home the victory in the added stanza.  The Sahuaros had a chance with less than a minute remaining in the second extra time but were thwarted by Bryan Hill in the Fusion net.

With the final score 1-1, the match would be decided in penalty kicks.  Swenby stopped the first and fourth penalty takers and Arizona converted their first four attempts as they advance into the second round 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Arizona Saharos travel to Austin, Texas on June 22 for a match against Austin Aztex of USSF-D2 with a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

Kitsap Pumas Communications

It took longer than they wanted, but the Kitsap Pumas finally made history Tuesday night with a 4-2 win over the Bay
Area Ambassadors in a first round U.S. Open Cup match at Bremerton Memorial Stadium.

It’s the first ever win for the Pumas in the tournament, moving them on to the second round and a rematch of last year’s first round
matchup against the Portland Timbers next Tuesday at 7 p.m. Kitsap defeated the Timbers 3-2 in a preseason game April 2.
It’s also the first overtime game in Pumas history and the longest game in history.

Kitsap got the ball rolling in the fourth minute when Cameron Hepple found John Fishbaugher wide open just outside the goalie box for the
easy score. It was the first goal for the Pumas in Open Cup play. The Pumas doubled its lead in the 16th minute when Robbie Christner
took control of a corner kick and made an off balance pass to an onrushing Taylor Hyde for his first goal of the season.

Christner nearly increased the lead early in the second half with two good attempts on goal but was shut down by Ambassadors goalkeeper Sergio Valle.

“If we would have scored, it would have made a big difference,” head coach Pete Fewing said.

The missed chances loomed large as the Bay Area got on the board in the 71st minute as Javier Ayala Hill received a through ball and put a
shot on goal that went off the crossbar, but Phil Da Silva put in the rebound.

Six minutes later, Pedro Osorio got past the Kitsap back line and put in a ball to Da Silva that found the back of the net. It appeared
Osorio was clearly offside, but the flag stayed down.

“To see two go in like that, it’s scary,” Stephen Phillips said. Fewing said he felt the goals by the Ambassadors coming.

“Then it becomes a slugfest,” he said. “We became a little lackadaisical and they were running at us and we were slow to recover.”

Staples, who got the start in goal due to Dustyn Brim being out with a back injury, said they did let up a bit in the second half.

“They are good on their counter (attacks) and that’s what got us,” he said.

But Phillips, who came on as a sub in the 80th minute, put in the game winner in the 96th minute when he caught Valle coming out early and
sent a roller past him that made it over the line.

“It was a perfect ball by Dave (Gray) and I caught him running out,” he said. Staples said they felt a goal was coming after the way they finished
the second half with an aggressive approach toward the goal. They nearly had the winner in stoppage time in the second half but Hepple
and Jason Cascio couldn’t put the ball away off a David Gray corner kick before Valle made the save.

“It was a feeling of ’Finally,’” Staples said. “We were knocking on the door over and over and we finally capitalized on that. That’s why
we put Steven in. He’s just a master of finishing.”

Fishbaugher rounded out the scoring in the second overtime with a good first touch off a ball from Gray, then quickly worked a shot past
Valle. He nearly had a third goal a few minutes later for the first ever hat trick in Pumas history, but Valle made another great stop.

“We have a very deep squad in a lot of positions,” Fishbaugher said. “It helps to have defenders that can score and forwards coming off the
bench that work hard.”

Phillips gave credit to the squad for hanging in there and not hanging its head after the second goal.

“Our team has a lot of heart,” he said. “We just kept positive and kept at it.”

Fewing said they’ll change the starting lineup around for Saturday’s game against Spokane and try to give some starters some rest.

“We’ve got the rhythm of the season down,” he said. “Now we just have to keep managing the team.”

Staples said they’ll be ready for the Timbers.

“That is ’the’ game to focus on right now,” he said. “There’ll be a
lot riding on it.”

The Portland Timbers and the Sonoma County Sol would meet for the second year in a row in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup action, this time in Portland instead of in California, but the result was the same as the Timbers won 3-0 for the second year in a row and advance to face the Kitsap Pumas. Alex Nimo, Takayuki Suzuki, and James Marcelin would all score for the Timbers, while Steve Cronin recorded the shutout. Sonoma County compete in the National Premier Soccer League as an amateur team.

The Timbers were able to control possession right from the start, and it didn’t take them long to get their first good chance, with Ryan Pore turning at the top of the Sonoma County box, with his shot being blocked by the Sol defense, and just past the foot of a charging Takayuki Suzuki. Three minutes later, off a cross from Alex Nimo, forward Mandjou Keita gave the Timbers another good scoring chance as he trapped then side volleyed a shot from 12 yards out that slipped just past the right post.

For a full report, go to SoccerCityUSA.com

Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Joy, D Danso, D Smith, D Thompson, M Farber (Lopez, 55), M Nimo (McManus, 86), M Marcelin, M Suzuki, F Pore, F Keita (DeMartin, 45)

SON: GK Sosa, D Sandwina, D Paredas, D Summerscales, D Russell, M Larson, M Lafon, M Hurst (Arroya, 69), M Travis (Tavares, 79), F Percell (Boone, 51), F Santoya

Scoring Summary:
POR: Nimo (DeMartin), 58
POR: Suzuki (Pore), 88
POR: Marcelin (Lopez), 90

The Austin Aztex advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup after a dominating 3-0 victory Tuesday night against the Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados at House Park.

Despite being up three goals before the 70th minute, the Aztex were still in attack mode and pushing the ball forward in an attempt to create more chances.

Austin’s third goal was scored by forward Jamie Watson in the 63rd minute. Watson’s goal was his second of the night. The opportunity arose when forward Kendell McFayden blasted a shot at goal. Tornados’ goalkeeper Maros Valko deflected the shot towards Watson who was able to rip a left footed volley into the back of the net.

Dallas-Fort Worths’ best chances came at the beginning of the second half when a series of chances resulted in a dangerous corner kick, but nothing came of it.

Another chance for the Tornados came off a bobbled handle from Aztex goalkeeper Sean Kelley. However, moments later Kelley recovered the loose ball and stopped any chance the Tornados’ had of scoring.
The Aztex first real opportunity in the game came in the 8th minute when midfielder Sullivan Silva played a slick through ball to a streaking Watson running down the right side line.  Watson was able to turn his defender and hit a ball that curled just wide of the goal.

Austin would still be the team to strike first though, scoring in the 25th minute. Silva attempted to track down a ball toward the top of the box, but was beaten to it by Valko.

Fortunately for Silva, the ball stayed in bounds. Silva tried to chip Valko from just a couple yards off the end line, but was unsuccessful. However, Valko wasn’t able to get a handle on the Silva chipped ball and dropped it right at the feet of a charging Watson. From there all Watson had to do was tuck it away.

The next Aztex score came from starting outside back Joey Worthen. Silva was able to carry the ball through the middle of the field and lay another through ball to Watson running down the right sideline. This time Watson was able to play a ball square across the front of goal to a wide open Worthen, who proceeded to put the ball into the back of the net.

Forward Stephan Campbell almost added the third Aztex goal late in first half when his shot attempt was deflected just wide of the near post. Valko was able to just get a hand on it and keep Campbell from adding to the Aztex lead.

With the win, the Aztex will advance to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup and square off against either the Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) or the Ventura County Fusion (PDL). Austin’s second round match up will be played on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. at House Park.

Game Stats:
Aztex: Kelley; Allen, Bernard (Sakuda 76), Brill, Worthen; Silva, Callahan, Caicedo, McFayden (M. Griffin 83); Campbell, J. Watson (Alvarez 66)
Tornados: Valko; White (Cuero 64), Ross, Taylor, Noel-Williams, De Silva, Shirley, Ward, Lee (Joyner 57), Murch (Kennedy 45), Miller

Goals:
Aztex: Watson 45th minute; Worthen 33’ (Watson); Watson 63’
Tornados:

Shots:
Aztex: 16
Tornados: 7

Fouls:
Aztex: 8
Tornados: 11

Corners:
Aztex: 5
Tornados: 1

Misconduct:
Aztex: Caicedo (Yellow) 21’; Campbell (Yellow) 37’
Tornados: Ward (Yellow) 45’; Shirley (Yellow) 49’; Noel-Williams (Yellow) 58’

Tampa Bay Rowdies Communications

Goals from Chad Burt, Kwame “JJ” Adjeman-Pamboe and Aaron King secured a convincing 3-0 victory for the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies over Legends FC in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

“(Legends FC) put up a good fight.  They made it very difficult for us.  They can definitely be proud of the effort they put in against us,” said Head Coach Paul Dalglish.

It took only two minutes for the Rowdies to take the lead in their first ever U.S. Open Cup match.  Adjeman-Pamboe provided a ball that midfielder Burt used to give FC Tampa Bay an early lead over the USASA side.  This was Burt’s first time on the field since he was used as an 85th minute sub on May 14th against the Carolina RailHawks.

Adjeman-Pamboe’s brilliant night continued with a goal of his own in the 38th minute.  Stanley Nyazamba picked up the ball off a turnover and carried it upfield before distributing it over to Adjeman-Pamboe who put it past the keeper, doubling the Rowdies’ lead.

Aaron King completed the scoring in the 85th minute, his second goal in as many games.  King is usually a second half substitute for the Rowdies but was given the start tonight and scored his fifth goal of the season.  Adjeman-Pamboe also recorded the assist on King’s goal, his second assist of the match.

The Rowdies also had three shots strike the post and a fourth goal disallowed because of a foul on Joe Donoho.  Donoho had his goal overturned in the 20th minute and had a header rattle the post in the 79th minute.  Four minutes after scoring, Adjeman-Pamboe also had a strike hit the post, this time in the 42nd.   Pascal Millien nearly got in on the scoring as well, but the goal frame denied the Rowdies a third time in the 81st minute.

“It’s a slight disappointment that we weren’t more ruthless in front of the goal.  We’ve got to be more ruthless and finish teams off earlier when we can,” said Dalglish.  “But it’s also nice to keep a clean sheet and have no real chances come against us.”

This was goalkeeper Josh Lambo’s third start for the Rowdies and first shutout of the season.

A matchup with rivals Miami FC now looms for FC Tampa Bay in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.  Miami FC’s match with the Central Florida Kraze was forced to extra time after the teams were deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.  Miami midfielder/forward Paulo Araujo Jr. took over late into extra time, scoring four goals in the final 10 minutes of the match, giving Miami FC a 5-1 win.

FC Tampa Bay Rowdies Lineup: GK Josh Lambo, D Erik Ustruck, D Yendry Diaz, D Graham Tatters, D Joe Donoho, M Kwame “JJ’ Adjeman-Pamboe, M Stanley Nyazamba (60′ – Long Tan), M Chad Burt, M Mozzi Gyorio, M Drew Yates (70′ – Pascal Millien) and F Aaron King.

Scoring Summary:

TAM – Chad Burt – 2′ (Assisted by Adjeman-Pamboe)

TAM – Kwame “JJ” Adjeman-Pamboe – 38′ (Assisted by Nyazamba)

TAM – Aaron King – 85′ (Assisted by Adjeman-Pamboe)

Miami FC Communications

Paulo Araujo Jr. scored four goals in the final 10 minutes of in a thrilling 5-1 victory over the Central Florida Kraze at Central Broward Regional Park to help Miami FC advance to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup, where they will take on the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies in a high-stakes rivalry match. The Blues will return to regular season play on the road against the Austin Aztex on June 19.

“It got complicated and then they got tired. We were patient and we kept working and working and got one,” Miami FC Head Coach Victor Pastora said. “Our guys never lost their heads. We stayed focus and at the end we had a feast.”

The Blues got a quick break when Edward Santeliz was taken down by a hard foul by John Sosa in the first minute, setting up a free kick for Christian Gomez from the left flank not far from the box. JP Rodrigues came charging into the box as Gomez delivered the kick and deflected the ball past the Kraze goalkeeper to give Miami FC an early 1-0 lead.

Both teams had a number of scoring opportunities in the half as Gomez had a chance to pick up a goal on his own in the 28th minute when he found himself all alone in the box in front of the net and received a perfect cross from Jair Cabas, but his header missed the net to keep the score unchanged.

The Kraze nearly tied the game just minutes later when Sergei Raad fired a shot that wrung off the crossbar in the 30th minute and the score remained 1-0 heading into the half.

Central Florida came out firing in the second half and scored the equalizer when Josiah Millar beat Miami FC goalkeeper Caleb Patterson in the 57th minute to even the score.

The Blues went right back on the attack, looking to regain the lead as Paulo Jr., a minute after entering the game, boomed a shot on goal in the 61st minute but was denied. Four minutes later, Gomez fired a shot on goal but was also turned away.

Despite a number of golden opportunities for both squads, the score would remain even through the end of regulation as the game was sent into 30 minutes of added time.

With the score still tied heading into the final 10 minutes of extra time, Paulo Jr. erupted and scored four goals in the final minutes of the game to take the Kraze out of the game and lift the Blues to a four-goal victory, sending them into the next round of the U.S. Open Cup.

With Miami FC winning and the Rowdies defeating Legends FC 3-0 in their first round match, the two teams will square off with an opportunity to move on in the competition and keep their chances of earning a CONCACAF Champions League berth alive. The game will be played at Lockhart Stadium on June 22. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

AC St. Louis Communications

AC St. Louis defeated the Des Moines Menace 1-0 in the opening round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight at Valley Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The match was the first ever in this competition for the expansion AC St. Louis franchise.

Mike Ambersley continued his streak of offensive contributions by netting a 70th minute goal to give AC St. Louis a hard earned 1-0 lead. Ambersley found himself in a one-on-one situation with Menace goalkeeper Jason Williams. The St. Louis forward slotted the ball under Williams, relieving some of the pressure that had been building on St. Louis throughout a tight match.

The game got off to a bad start for AC St. Louis. Defender Jack Traynor picked up an injury in just the third minute of action, forcing Claude Anelka to substitute for him with John Lesko.  Des Moines took advantage in the ensuing minutes, pushing the attack on St. Louis during the opening quarter-hour of the game. The Menace efforts nearly resulted in a dramatic 17th minute goal on a bicycle attempt from midfielder Logan McDaniel.

St. Louis came to life minutes later as Gauchinho connected with a well placed cross that sailed just over the crossbar. Des Moines would find the crossbar 10 minutes later on a shot from Stefan De Las as both teams began to trade scoring chances. Brad Stisser made a bid for his second goal in as many games in the 36th minute only to have defender Sam Morris come in to disrupt his effort. St. Louis forward Alex Titton would put a header on goal a minute later, and the Menace’s Luis Piffer forced Alec Dufty into a fine kick-save in the 40th minute as each team continued to look for an opening goal.

Des Moines’ Lebogang Moloto almost found that opening strike just before halftime as his long-range effort went just inches over the crossbar.

The second half opened with a flurry of yellow cards in the opening 15 minutes. Mike Ambersley and Tim Velten each received one for St. Louis, while Clark Bradford picked up his second yellow of the half as Des Moines was reduced to 10 men for the remainder of the game. The loss of Bradford came just minutes after Menace substitute Sterling Copeland nearly handed them the lead with a shot that beat Alec Dufty, but also sailed just past the post.

Luis Piffer came close again for Des Moines in the 69th minute with an effort that went just inches wide of the post. The missed opportunity proved vital, as Ambersley would net the go ahead goal just one minute later.

St. Louis advances to the next round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup next week on June 22 when they face either the NSC Minnesota Stars or the Kansas City Athletics.

NCS Minnesota Stars Communications

Warren Ukah’s first two goals of the season helped carry the NSC Minnesota Stars to a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Athletics in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Simone Bracalello and Neil Hlavaty also scored as the Stars moved on at the expense of a shorthanded amateur side.

Pressure was the name of the game from the outset for the Stars, as the home side created several quality scoring chances, but strong play from Kansas City goalkeeper Zach Brennan, who made seven saves on the night, kept the score deadlocked until the 35th minute. Only a minute after watching Brennan stop him from close range, Ukah put the Stars ahead from 10 yards out, blasting a low Scott Lorenz cross into the top corner.

Ukah doubled the lead with the last kick of the first half, again gathering a Lorenz cross before turning past two defenders and powering a low shot past Brennan to put the Stars ahead 2-0 at the break.

Despite breaking his own duck, Ukah was quick to credit Lorenz’s play on the left wing in the build up to his goals.

“Scott had a wonderful exhibition tonight on the left side,” Ukah said after the game. “On the second goal, he saw me break off my run and hit me.”

The Stars came out attacking in the second half, but a counter attack from Kansas City earned a penalty kick that made for an action-packed last half hour. Max Lipset pulled Kyle Perkins down in the penalty box while challenging for a high ball, and Stephen Hoffman converted the penalty kick off Stars goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel’s outstretched left hand.

Pushing for the equalizer, the Athletics found themselves back down by two goals in the 71st minute, when Bracalello, on as a substitute only five minutes earlier, drove a left-footed shot past Brennan from 25 yards out to make it 3-1. The score would stay that way for less than one minute, as Perkins touched home a Brian Williams cross from the top of the goal box.

Hlavaty dispelled any anxiety about the final result in the 75th minute, rolling a penalty kick past Brennan after David Russell tripped Bracalello at the edge of the box. The goal was Hlavaty’s team-leading fourth goal of the season.

The Stars will play AC St. Louis at NSC Stadium on June 22 in the second round of the US Open Cup. AC St. Louis defeated the Des Moines Menace 1-0 Tuesday night in Des Moines.

NSC Minnesota Stars Lineup (4-5-1): Matt Van Oekel, Scott Lorenz, Max Lipset, Brian Kallman, Chris Clements, Two-Boys Gumede (Simone Bracalello 66), Geison Moura, Neil Hlavaty, Leilei Gao, Leland Wright (Thomas Granum 82), Warren Ukah

Kansas City Athletics Lineup (4-5-1): Zach Brennan, Ben Hicks, Larry Mason (Brian Williams 46), Ryan Barber (Neal Woodworth 82), Stephen Hoffman, Martin Johnston, Scott Vermillion, Josh McDaniel, Geoff Miles, Kyle Perkins

Scoring Summary
MIN – Warren Ukah (Scott Lorenz) 35th minute
MIN – Warren Ukah (Scott Lorenz) 46+
KC – Stephen Hoffman (penalty kick) 61
MIN – Simone Bracalello (Chris Clements) 71
KC – Kyle Perkins (Brian Williams) 72
MIN – Neil Hlavaty (penalty kick) 75

Discipline Summary
KC – Scott Vermillion (caution, reckless foul) 27th minute
MIN – Neil Hlavaty (caution, reckless foul) 45