Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

2011 First Round

2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup results

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The Seattle Sounders celebrate the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship. Photo: Steven Bisig | USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Sounders celebrate the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship. Photo: Steven Bisig | USA TODAY Sports

2011 US Open Cup bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup participant map [+]
Meet the USASA: Class of 2011 [+]

Click on the scores below for more information.

FIRST ROUND AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
June 14 Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) 0:3 FC New York (USL Pro)
June 14 Reading United (PDL) 1:2 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro)
June 14 Chattanooga FC (NPSL) 2:3 (AET) Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro)
June 14 Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) 1:4 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
June 14 Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro) 3:1 Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
June 14 Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) 1:2 NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
June 14 Central Florida Kraze (PDL) 0:4 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro)
June 14 ASC New Stars (USASA) 0:4 Orlando City SC (USL Pro)
June 14 Regals FC (USASA) 0:2 Charleston Battery (USL Pro)
June 14 Phoenix SC (USASA) 1:2 Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro)
June 14 AAC Eagles (USASA) 0:4 Madison 56ers (NPSL)
June 14 Hollywood United (NPSL) 1:3 Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro)
June 14 Chicago Fire PDL (PDL) 1:0 Iowa Menace (USASA)
June 14 DV8 Defenders (USASA) 0:5 Real Colorado Foxes (PDL)
June 14 Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 0:0
(6:5 PK)		 Chivas El Paso Patriots (PDL)
June 14 Doxa Italia (USASA) 1:3 Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
SECOND ROUND AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
June 21 FC New York (USL Pro) 0:0
(6:5 PK)		 NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
June 21 Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro) 1:0 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro)
June 21 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1:4 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
June 21 Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro) 2:3
(AET)		 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro)
June 21 Orlando City SC (USL Pro) 1:0 Charleston Battery (USL-Pro)
June 21 Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 1:3 Kitsap Pumas (PDL)
June 21 Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) 1:0 Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
June 22 Chicago Fire PDL (PDL) 2:0 Madison 56ers (NPSL)
THIRD ROUND AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
June 28 FC New York (USL Pro) 1:2 New York Red Bulls (MLS)
June 28 Chicago Fire (MLS) 1:0 Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro)
June 28 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 2:1 Columbus Crew (MLS)
June 28 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 0:2 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
June 28 Orlando City (USL Pro) 2:3 FC Dallas (MLS)
June 28 Chicago Fire PDL (PDL) 0:3 Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
June 28 Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) 1:2 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
June 28 Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 1:2 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
QUARTERFINALS AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
July 12 New York Red Bulls (MLS) 0:4 Chicago Fire (MLS)
July 12 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 2:0 Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
July 12 Real Salt Lake (MLS) 0:2 FC Dallas (MLS)
July 13 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) 1:3 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
SEMIFINALS AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
August 30 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 1:2 Chicago Fire (MLS)
August 30 FC Dallas (MLS) 0:1 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
FINAL AWAY TEAM SCORE HOME TEAM
October 4 Chicago Fire (MLS) 0:2 Seattle Sounders (MLS)

2011 US Open Cup New York Red Bulls bracket preview: FC New York at NY Pancyprian Freedoms

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SECOND ROUND

FC New York at NY Pancyprian Freedoms
Belson Stadium – Queens, NY – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None

THIRD ROUND

FC New York / NY Pancyprian Freedoms at New York Red Bulls
June 28, 8 p.m. ET – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, NJ

NY Pancyprian Freedoms

Founded in 1974, the club has been a long-time member of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. The Freedoms also played under the USL auspices for several years, launching in the PDL in 1999 and moving up to the professional third division league for two seasons before leaving USL. Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: The Region I tournament kicked off May 1 with the Freedoms dominating former Open Cup qualifier Danbury United, 4-0, with two goals from Julio Cesar Dos Santos. Three weeks later in the Semifinal May 22, New York traveled to Massachusetts for a “Win & You’re In” match and defeated Mass Premier Soccer, rallying from a two-goal deficit at halftime with a pair of goals each from Dos Santos and Stefan Dimitrov to post a 4-2 victory. Region I Semifinal Recap [+]

First Round: Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) 2:1 Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)
In a showdown of longtime local and Open Cup rivals with five Cup titles between them, the Freedoms and Italians were in a stalemate in the First Round until Stefan Dimitrov gave the Freedoms the lead in the 65th minute. Brooklyn answered back in the 80th only to see Dimitrov immediately reply a minute later with the 2-1 winner. Full recap[+]

League form: The Freedoms are idle in league play. They captured the Cosmopolitan Soccer League First Division championship June 5, rallying from a two-goal deficit to tie NY Athletic Club 2-2 with a penalty from Stefan Dimitrov (55) and goal from Julio Cesar Dos Santos (71) en route to claiming the title via penalties 4-2.

Open Cup History: One of the most successful clubs in the history of the tournament, it is one of the few current long-time participants that have played in the tournament in four decades and one of seven clubs all-time to win the tournament at least three times. The three-time champions won their titles in 1980, 1982 and 1983 when the tournament was an all-amateur event. The third title led to an appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup where they upset Mexican side Puebla via penalties and Vida from Honduras, but were disqualified in the final stage for the North/Central America Zone, along with opponent Guadalajara, when they failed to agree on match dates, giving the Caribbean winner Violette AC the title by default. The Freedoms were the last US club to reach the equivalent of the semifinals in the competition until the Seattle Sounders reached the four-team group stage Final in 1996.

The club also reached the Open Cup semifinals in 1988 and the quarterfinals in 1993 before professional teams began to enter in 1995. The club launched a PDL team in 1999 that would qualify and upset professional third division club Cape Cod Crusaders in their debut campaign before falling in a narrow 2-1 overtime defeat in Rochester to the defending second division champion and eventual US Open Cup champion Rhinos. The team played four more seasons, two in the third division, before leaving the USL. They continued to compete in the CSL, qualifying for the tournament through the USASA in 2008. The new Freedoms lost to USL Second Division’s Real Maryland 3-2 in overtime in the First Round. Last year they were also knocked out in the opening round, 2-0, by the PDL Long Island Rough Riders.
PRO ERA RECORD: 3-4-0 overall | 0-1-0 vs. professional teams (0-1-0 vs. 2nd Division)

FC New York

The club is an expansion side playing in USL Pro.

Path to the Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: FC New York (USL Pro) 3:0 Western Mass Pioneers (PDL)
The expansion New York side dominated the First Round match Tuesday against Western Mass with Jhonny Arteaga scoring all three goals in the 3-0 victory. Recap [+]

League Form: The club is idle in league play this week. The team has only lost once in the last five games (2-1-2) and are in fourth place in the USL Pro National Division with a 3-5-4 overall record.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament. PRO ERA RECORDS: 1-0-0 overall | 1-0-0 vs. amateur teams

New York Red Bulls

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The Red Bulls came away with a dramatic come-from-behind 3-3 draw at Portland on Sunday. Down 3-1, Thierry Henry scored in the 73rd minute, but it was a Timbers handball that led to a Dwayne De Rosario penalty kick in second half stoppage time. They have two more games to play before their Third Round matchup. They will make trips to Seattle on Thursday, June 23 and to Chicago on June 26 before returning home two days later for the Open Cup. They opened the month with a 1-1 draw at home against the Columbus Crew June 4 in which they allowed a 92nd minute equalizer after leading since Mehdi Ballouchy’s ninth-minute strike. They rebounded from the setback a week later on June 10 with a 2-1 victory at home against the New England Revolution. The Red Bulls were the recipient of an own goal and Thierry Henry delivered the second before the Revs answered.
Last Five: D-W-D-D-D | Season record: 5-2-8 (4-1-3 at home), first place in Eastern Conference, fourth overall.

Open Cup History: The Red Bulls have come close early in their history with trips to the Semifinals in 1997, 1998 and 2000, but have never won the US Open Cup. The closest they came was in 2003 when they lost to the Chicago Fire in their only trip to the championship game. Since then, it’s been a series of short runs in the tournament with a 1-5 record the last five times they have qualified, including a pair of upsets to third division clubs (Crystal Palace Baltimore, Harrisburg City Islanders) and two more to second division teams (Charleston Battery, Rochester Rhinos). New York did not qualify in 2007 or 2009.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 12-12-1 (1-0 in PKs)

FIRST ROUND

Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) 1:2 N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA – East NY)
Belson Stadium, St. Johns University – Queens, N.Y. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap[+]

Western Mass. Pioneers (PDL) 0:3 FC New York (USL PRO)
Met Oval – Queens, N.Y. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Brooklyn Italians

Founded in 1949, the club played in the Metropolitan Soccer League and later the American Soccer League through 1964. Since then, the club has played in the amateur ranks, recently joining the National Premier Soccer League in 2010.

Path to the Open Cup: The club was one of three teams in the NPSL Northeast that entered the qualifying competition. Brooklyn played host to FC Buffalo in the opening game, defeating the Western New York side by a narrow 1-0 margin on a 25th minute goal from Jorge Joseph. The club advanced to face the defending league champions Sonic Lehigh Valley, winning on the road 2-1.

June News Updates: Drew 2-2 against Morris County, rallying from two down on goals from Don Smart and Kordel Samuels.

Open Cup History: One of the 21 clubs to have won the US Open Cup on two occasions, it also one of the few current long-time participants that has played in the tournament in four decades. Brooklyn won the championship as the “Dodgers” in 1979 with a runners-up finish two years later. During that run to the Final in 1981, they defeated the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in the Semifinals to deny them a shot at repeating as champions.

Brooklyn returned to Open Cup prominence as runners-up in 1990 (falling to 2011 qualifier AAC Eagles from Chicago) before winning the championship a second time the following year. They won their 1991 title 1-0 over Houston’s Richardson Rockets on a sixth minute goal by Ernest Inneh. The club, however, did not return to the tournament until last year, falling 4-2 in overtime to the USL Second Division’s Harrisburg City Islanders despite taking the lead twice in regulation. Read more about the Freedoms/Italians rivalry [+]
PRO ERA RECORD: 0-1-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. USASA

Western Mass Pioneers

Founded in 1998, the club was a long-time member of the professional third division league in USL prior to moving to the PDL in 2010. The team has made the playoffs only six times in 13 previous seasons, but reached the final twice (1999, 2005) and winning the 1999 championship.

Path to the Open Cup: Playing in the smallest of the nine PDL groups, the Pioneers’ campaign came down to the final game against MPS Portland Phoenix. Western Mass opened with a 2-1 win in New Hampshire and then defeated the Phantoms in the return match 4-2. They then played to a scoreless stalemate in Vermont, leaving them at 2-0-1 and needing at least a draw against the 2-1-0 visitors from Maine in the finale. Chris Roswess scored the winning goal in the 71st for the 1-0 win. Kyle Clancy was the lone player with multiple games in the campaign, scoring in both matches against the Phantoms. PDL East Qualifying [+]

June News Updates: The Pioneers fell at home 2-1 June 11 to Vermont with TJ Popolizio scoring an equalizer in the 65th minute while following up with a 1-0 win at Ottawa on June 4 that snapped the Fury’s 26-game regular season home unbeaten streak on a 56th-minute James Mooney strike. Their June 1 match versus Vermont was postponed.

Open Cup History: The Pioneers qualified for the tournament in its inaugural campaign in 1998 and advanced to the second round via a forfeit by USASA entry NY Greek American Atlas. Their run would end with a 3-1 loss to the second division Rochester Rhinos 3-1. They did not return until the 2004 tournament, the first of five appearances over the next six seasons. The club reached the Third Round only once, and that came in the 2005 season when they defeated Reggae Boyz FC (USASA) in their opening second round match 5-0 before falling 3-1 to the Chicago Fire. The club’s five tournament wins have all come against USASA opponents. The Pioneers last qualified in 2009 and were eliminated via penalties by league rival Harrisburg after a scoreless draw.

While Tuesday’s game is being held in New York, Open Cup soccer in the Pioneers’ home of Ludlow, Mass. goes back to 1937, when the Gremio Lusitano club began Cup play. The team continued through the 50s and 60s, and often called Lustiano Stadium their home, the same place the Pioneers play their home games. In 1956, Gremio Lusitano reached the Quarterfinals, but were stopped by a Big Apple team, New York Hakoah. After a 2-2 extra time draw at Zerega Oval in the Bronx, on Feb. 26, 1956, Hakoah won the replay 1-0 on the same field two weeks later.
PRO ERA RECORD: 5-4-1 (0-1 in PKs) overall | 0-1-1 (0-1 in PKs) vs. 3rd Division


2011 US Open Cup Columbus Crew bracket preview: Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Richmond Kickers

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SECOND ROUND

Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Richmond Kickers
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond, Va. – 7 p.m.
Broadcast: None

THIRD ROUND

Pittsburgh Riverhounds / Richmond Kickers at Columbus Crew
June 28, 7:30 p.m. ET  Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Founded in 1999, the Riverhounds have been a member of USL, playing in the professional second division through 2003 before joining the third division flight, which it took a hiatus from in 2007. Semifinalists for a third time a year ago, they have never reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 3:2 (AET) Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
The Riverhounds were the closest USL Pro team to come to being upset in the First Round, falling behind on a pair of Chattanooga goals in the 14th and 55th minutes. Jason Yeisley struck in the 79th and Stefan Lundberg found a late equalizer in the 89th to level terms, forcing overtime. Jeremy Deighton found the game winner nine minutes into the extra frame. Recap [+]

League Form: Pittsburgh was unable to find the same magic Friday in league play, falling at home 3-0 to Rochester. They are second from the bottom in league play, fifth place in the National Division with a 2-8-3 record.

Open Cup History: The Riverhounds may be most thankful to not be in the same foursome as Rochester, having been eliminated four times by the Rhinos, including the last three years (as well as in 2000). The team fell 3-0 last year and in 2008 – both in the second round – but took the Rhinos to penalties in the first round of 2009, dropping the contest after a 1-1 draw. Pittsburgh’s best outing came in 2001 when they upset the Colorado Rapids of MLS, 2-0, in the Second Round. They went on to edge league foe El Paso 2-1 in the Third Round before a Quarterfinal exit in overtime, a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 5-6-2 (0-2 in PKs) overall | 0-0-0 vs. 3rd Division

Local History: Pittsburgh-area clubs often found Open Cup success in the 1940s and 50s. Of the 20 finals played between 1940 and 1959, teams from Western Pennsylvania were featured in eight of them, winning four titles. The Harmarville Hurricanes won two titles in 1952 and 1956 and were runners-up in 1953. Morgan Strasser won the cup in 1949 and were runners up in 1943 & 1944. Gallatin (1942 winners), and Heidelberg (1951 runner-up) also represented the Three Rivers area in Open Cup Finals.

Richmond Kickers

1995 US Open Cup champions: Richmond Kickers
After playing the El Paso Patriots to a 1-1 draw, the Richmond Kickers captured the 1995 US Open Cup title by defeating the Patriots on penalty kicks 4-2. Photo: Richmond Kickers

Founded in 1993, the club is the only other USL team to win the US Open Cup in the professional era (1995). An amateur team through 1995, the club played in USL’s top flight from 1996-2005 before joining the professional third division. It has only missed the postseason one time since 1994, winning the league title three times (1995, 2006, 2009) in eight appearances.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) 4:1 Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro)
The Kickers were well on their way to a First Round victory Tuesday against league foe Dayton with two goals from David Bulow in the first 17 minutes. The Dutch Lions answered back in the second half, but Bulow added a third from the penalty spot and Shaka Bangura finished the match in the 90th for the 4-1 win. Recap [+]

League Form: Still at home Friday, the Kickers fell 1-0 to Harrisburg on a strike just before the break to snap their three-game unbeaten streak. Richmond sits in second place in the American Division with a 7-3-2 record.

Open Cup History: The Kickers have the distinction of being the first club to win the tournament during the professional era, taking the title in 1995 when pro clubs began participating despite themselves being in the amateur PDL, where they also won the league title. Richmond won the Open Cup in penalties after a 1-1 draw against the Patriots in El Paso. Since then, the club has reached the Quarterfinals three times (2001, 2004, 2007) in 13 appearances, defeating MLS clubs twice. In 2004 the club edged DC United, 2-1, in the Fourth Round before falling 1-0 to Chicago Fire. In 2007, the Kickers nipped the LA Galaxy weeks before David Beckham’s arrival, but were eliminated by the Second Division Carolina RailHawks in the Quarterfinals, 1-0.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 19-11-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall |  4-0-0 vs. 3rd Division (as a 3rd Division club)

Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew celebrate their 2002 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship at Crew Stadium with the late Lamar Hunt, who the tournament is named after. | Photo: Columbus Crew

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The Crew played their fourth match of the month against the Dynamo in Houston Saturday, winning 2-0 on goals from Andres Mendoza and Bernardo Anor. They are playing once more at home against the Colorado Rapids before the Third Round. Columbus started the month with a 1-1 draw on the road against the New York Red Bulls June 4 with Rich Balchan scoring the equalizer two minutes into stoppage time. The Crew won 2-1 four days later at home against Real Salt Lake, rallying from behind on a penalty from Andres Mendoza, who also set up Josh Gardner’s winner. The club fell at home June 12 against the Chicago Fire, 1-0.

Last Five: W-L-W-D-D | Season Record: 5-4-6 (4-1-3 Home), Third in Eastern Conference, Eighth Overall.

FIRST ROUND

Chattanooga FC (NPSL) 2:3 (AET) Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO)
Chartiers Valley Stadium – Bridgeville, Pa. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO) 1:4 Richmond Kickers (USL PRO)
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond, Va. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Chattanooga FC

Founded in 2009, the new club has been a dominant force of late in the National Premier Soccer League, finishing the 2010 season unbeaten on the season.

Path to Open Cup: Hosts of the six-team tournament for the Southeast NPSL group, Chattanooga was seeded with a bye as the defending champion. They would open with a 2-0 victory over Rocket City United in the semifinal contest with two second half goals from James Moor and Chris Ochieng, who would prove to be the hero in the Final. Deadlocked in a scoreless stalemate with the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, who also had a first round bye, Ochieng scored with four minutes remaining in overtime to send Chattanooga to the tournament with a 1-0 win.

June News Updates: Defeated Rocket City 2-0 June 11 on a pair of goals from Michael Brooks in the final seven minutes… Suffered the club’s first loss in two seasons, falling 1-0 at home June 4 to Jacksonville United.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament

Dayton Dutch Lions

Founded in 2009, the club is in its first USL season as a member of the professional third division after playing its inaugural season in the PDL where it finished third in its division.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

June News Updates: Lost 3-0 in New York June 10… Fell June 8 in Harrisburg 4-1 with George Davis scoring consolation strike already trailing by four… Rallied to defeat visiting Pittsburgh 2-1 June 4 with late second half goals (74, 79) from George Davis.

Open Cup History: In its only previous Open Cup contest, the Dutch Lions fell 2-0 to the Rochester Rhinos last year in a match that could have paired them up with the Riverhounds in the Round 2.
PRO ERA RECORD: 0-1-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. Division 3

Local History: The first known club to participate in the US Open Cup from Dayton was the Edelwiess Soccer Club in the 1970 tournament. They lost to Detroit-area club Carpathia Kickers 6-2 in their first match.

2011 US Open Cup Real Salt Lake bracket preview: Charlotte Eagles at Wilmington Hammerheads

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SECOND ROUND

Charlotte Eagles at Wilmington Hammerheads
Legion Stadium – Wilmington, N.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None

THIRD ROUND

Charlotte Eagles / Wilmington Hammerheads at Real Salt Lake
June 28, 9 p.m. ET  Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah

Wilmington Hammerheads

The club has been a member of USL’s professional third division league since its founding in 1996 with the exception of its hiatus in 2010. The club was at its peak early in the 2000’s, finishing first in the division in back-to-back years and reaching the final in 2002 and 2003, claiming the title on the second try.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 4:0 Central Florida Kraze (PDL)
The Hammerheads blanked the visiting Central Florida Kraze 4-0 in the First Round Tuesday with first half goals from Jyler Noviello and Luke Mulholland. Andriy Budnny tallied twice in the second stanza put put the match out of reach. Full Recap [+]

League Form: Wilmington returned to league play on Saturday at Orlando City, nabbing a late draw 1-1 on the foot of Budnny. The Hammerheads are in fifth place in the American Division with a 5-3-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club’s second quarterfinal appearance in eight trips to the tournament in 2009 was followed up with the club taking a hiatus last year due to financial issues. The run began by downing state rivals Charlotte and Carolina. They blanked league rival Eagles 2-0 in the First Round and downed the second division RailHawks in the Second Round via penalties after a 3-3 draw. Wilmington then surprised the Chicago Fire of MLS, 1-0, in the Third Round before being knocked out by second division Rochester, 2-1. The previous quarterfinal campaign in 2003 also included upsets as Wilmington downed second division Atlanta Silverbacks, 2-1, in the Third Round and MLS’s FC Dallas in a stunning 4-1 result in the Fourth Round before falling, 1-0, to DC United. FC Dallas would avenge the loss in the Third Round in 2005, but needed overtime in a 3-1 decision. The club’s other MLS contest was a 2-1 loss to New York in the Fourth Round in 2006, following another 2-1 upset of the Silverbacks.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 12-8-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 6-7-1 (1-0 in PKs) vs. pro teams | 2-0-0 vs. 3rd Division teams (both wins vs. Charlotte Eagles in 2006, 2009)

Charlotte Eagles

Founded in 1991, the team joined USL in 1993 and has been a professional club since 1995, playing primarily in the pro third division with a stint in the second division from 2001-03. The club won the third division title twice (2000, 2005) in six appearances and missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003 (second division), the only previous time they missed the playoffs since their debut season. The club is also well known for its sports ministry philosophy of sharing the message of Christianity through soccer.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro) 3:1 Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
Darren Toby gave Charlotte the initial First Round lead Tuesday with Carolina equalizing before the break. Diego Martins and Alan Sanchez added second half strikes to lead the Eagles to the 3-1 win. The win avenges a 4-2 upset by the Dynamo over the Eagles in the Second Round of the 2004 competition. Recap [+]

League Play: Charlotte returned to league play action Saturday at home against Dayton, winning 2-0 on goals from Darren Toby and Salieu Bundu. They are currently in sixth place in the American Division with a 4-4-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club had only one appearance prior to its current run of seven straight dating back to 2004, but were knocked out in the Second Round in 1998 by second division Worcester Wildfire, 2-0. All four tournament victories have come against lower division opponents, three from the USASA. Two of the USASA clubs hailed from Florida (2007, 2008). Last year the Eagles were eliminated by fellow North Carolina club, the second division Carolina RailHawks, in a narrow 1-0 decision.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 5-8-0 overall | 0-7-0 vs. professional teams | 0-2-0 vs. 3rd Division (both losses to Wilmington Hammerheads in 2006, 2009)

Real Salt Lake

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: Real Salt Lake returned home from a two-game road swing to face DC United Saturday, giving up a late penalty in a 1-1 draw in which they tallied first from the spot via Fabian Espindola. They are now visiting Chicago Fire June 22 and hosting Toronto FC in two more league contests before the Third Round. They opened the month with a 2-0 victory against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps (under new coach Tom Soehn) on June 4 with Nick Rimando in goal as Jean Alexandre tallied a goal and an assist. Four days later in Columbus, they fell 2-1 to the Crew after Jamison Olave gave them the initial lead seven minutes in. RSL played to a 1-1 draw in Philadelphia June 11 against the Union with Fabian Espindola providing the equalizer in the 53rd minute. Last Five: D-D-L-W-L | Season Record: 6-3-4 (4-1-2 Home), tied for fourth in Western Conference, tied for fifth overall.

Open Cup History: Having last participated in the Open Cup proper in 2006, Real Salt Lake’s qualifying is the longer of the two lists. RSL’s debut in the Cup in 2005 was an epic 6-4 extra time upset loss to the USL’s Minnesota Thunder. After playing the first half to a 2-2 draw, both teams scored twice more to level the score at 4 after 90 minutes. Minnesota scored twice in extra time for the 6-4 win, leaving Jason Kries’ hat trick for RSL on the losing side. 2006 saw RSL needing extra time again in their opening match, this time against the Virginia Beach Mariners. Jeff Cunningham (RSL) and Tim O’Neill (VBM) traded goals in the first half, and Andy Williams’ 93rd minute strike held up for Salt Lake’s first ever Open Cup win. RSL would be eliminated 1-0 in the next round by their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals, the Colorado Rapids. Colorado would keep the Utah side out of the Open Cup in 2007, defeating them 2-1 in the final round of MLS qualifying. 2008 and 2009 saw RSL eliminated in the opening round of MLS qualifying, while in 2010 they fell yet again in the final round, this time to 2-1 to DC United in overtime. This season, RSL avoided qualifying all together by virtue of their second-place finish in the 2010 MLS regular season.

FIRST ROUND

Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) 3:1 Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
Macpherson Stadium – Browns Summit, N.C. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

Central Florida Kraze (PDL) 0:4 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO)
Legion Stadium – Wilmington, N.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Carolina Dynamo

Founded in 1993, the club was an immediate success in USL with championships in its first two professional ranks from 1995-2003 with a hiatus in 1998. The club has since played in the PDL following the opening of its soccer-specific Macpherson Stadium, which opened in 2003.

Path to Open Cup: Of the nine PDL qualifiers, the Dynamo are one of two that finished with a loss in the four-game campaign, advancing via head-to-head tiebreakers with fellow 3-1-0 sides Real Maryland Monarchs and West Virginia Chaos. Carolina opened with a 2-0 win against the Chaos on goals form Hakan Ilhan and Chris Thomas. Ilhan scored again, along with Freddy Gomez, in another 2-0 win at Real MarylandMaryland in the next match before dropping a 1-0 road match to Northern Virginia the next night. The Dyanmo wrapped up the berth with a third Joseph Goodwin shutout, blanking Virginia Beach 3-0 with two more goals from Ilhan.

June News Updates: Rallied from two down to win 3-2 at West Virginia June 9 with three goals in the final 16 minutes, two from Robbie Lovejoy on either side of Freddie Gomez’s 88th minute equalizer… Blanked Northern Virginia Royals 3-0 June 4 with Karo Okiomah tallying goal and assist.

Open Cup History: The Dynamo return to the tournament for an eighth appearance after a four-year absence. The last outing was a success, earning upset victories to the fourth round in 2006. The club opened with a 4-3 win over league foe Cape Cod before surprising third division Richmond Kickers, 1-0, in the second round. They then upset the second division Seattle Sounders in overtime, 3-2, in the third round before falling 4-2 to the Houston Dynamo. The 2004 victory against Charlotte was one of three other upsets the club has registered, although the other two came as a third division side. The Dynamo upset second division New York Fever on the road, 1-0, in 1996 before falling 2-0 to DC United in the quarterfinals. Three years later they blanked second division Orange County Zodiac on the road, 2-0, before a 3-0 third round loss to the Columbus Crew. The club’s only other MLS match was also to the Crew, a 5-1 second round loss in 2001.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 10-7-0 overall | 2-0 vs. Division 3 (as a PDL team)

Central Florida Kraze

Members of the USL PDL since the team’s founding in 1998, the club was at its peak of success with five playoff appearances in six years from 2003-08, winning the league championship in 2004.

Path to Open Cup: Despite finishing perfect, the club had to watch the scoreboard on the final night as Mississippi could also accomplish the feat as well as pass the Kraze in tiebreakers. Fortunately, winless Nashville surprised many with a 2-2 road draw against Brilla. The Kraze got off to a fast start, playing in three of the division’s first four qualification matches. They won the opener 1-0 against Schulz Academy on a Pablo Gutierrez goal in the 88th minute that, in hindsight, was critical. Fredrik Brustad scored twice while leading the club to a 3-1 win in the next outing against Schulz and added another in the third game, a 3-0 victory in Bradenton. Brustad scored in his third straight game as they repeated the 3-0 victory at home against the Academics with Keneil Baker earning his third shutout of the campaign.

June News Updates: Netted a 1-0 victory over FC Jax June 10 on a goal from Nicolas Russo in the 83rd minute… Fell 3-0 at Mississippi Brilla June 4.

Open Cup History: In the tournament for the second straight year and fourth overall, the Kraze are yet to register a victory. The club nearly registered an upset a year ago, falling 5-1 in overtime against second division Miami FC in which now Real Salt Lake striker Paulo Araujo scored four goals in extra time. In 2007 the second division Charleston Battery blanked Central Florida 3-0 and in 2000 the club was upended, 2-1, by Miami-based USASA club Uruguay SC.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 0-3-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. Division 3


2011 US Open Cup FC Dallas bracket preview: Orlando City at Charleston Battery

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SECOND ROUND

Orlando City SC at Charleston Battery
Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, S.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: USLLive.com

THIRD ROUND

Orlando City SC / Charleston Battery at FC Dallas
June 28, 9 p.m. ET  Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas

Charleston Battery

Founded in 1993, the club has been one of the most successful USL clubs. The Battery joined the professional third division in 1995 and won the championship the following year, moving to the second division in 1997. The club never missed the postseason until 2004, the year following its first second division title. It returned to the third division in 2010, winning its third league championship. The club is also well known for Blackbaud Stadium, the first privately-financed soccer stadium, which debuted in 1999. Blackbaud has been a fortress for the club in the Open Cup, as the stadium that has hosted the most US Open Cup games (24) in the Professional Era (1995-present). The Battery are 18-4-3 (2-1 in PKs) on their home field in the tournament since they first entered the tournament in 1999.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Charleston Battery (USL Pro) 2:0 Regals FC (USASA)
The amateur Texas club Regals FC gave Charleston a tough time in the first half before a penalty three minutes into the second half from Nicki Paterson broke the deadlock in the First Round contest. Dane Kelly added the second in the 76th and Regals were unable to mount a comeback losing a player to a red card two minutes later and the game finished with a 2-0 result.

League Form: Charleston was back in action Friday evening with a 1-0 victory over visiting Dayton with Levi Coleman scoring in the 77th minute. They are currently in fourth place in the American Division with a 6-5-3 record, seven points behind first place Orlando City.

Open Cup History: One of the most successful lower division teams in the Pro Era of the tournament, the club has failed to qualify only once in the last 12 years, missing the tournament ironically in the same year it won the 2003 second division championship. The Battery have reached the semifinals on three occasions and advanced to the 2008 Open Cup Final amidst a run of four straight quarterfinal trips coming into this year. The 2008 Battery eliminated the MLS Houston Dynamo in penalties after a Third Round 1-1 draw and then stunned FC Dallas on the road, 3-1, to reach their third Semifinal. They took another penalty decision after a 1-1 draw against league foe Seattle Sounders in the final four before falling in a narrow 2-1 contest to DC United in the final. The two MLS upsets raised the tally to six, having upset DC United in overtime, 4-3, in the 1999 Third Round and New York twice, the first in the 2001 Second Round (4-1) and second in the 2004 Fourth Round (1-0). They also previously beat Houston in overtime, 1-0, in the Round 3 of the 2007 competition. They added a seventh MLS upset by defeating Chivas USA 3-1 in the 2009 Third Round before Houston finally got the better of them in the Quarterfinals, 4-0. Last year, they made it eight with a penalty kick decision against the Chicago Fire after a scoreless draw, falling 3-0 in Columbus the following round.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 22-9-4 (3-1 in PKs) overall | 15-10-4 vs. professional teams (0-0-0 vs. USL Pro)

Orlando City

An expansion club, essentially, off the field, the team itself is the former Austin Aztex side that played in the professional second division the previous two seasons. However, despite their connections to the Austin franchise, the Orlando City team is a completely new club.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Orlando City (USL Pro) 4:0 ASC New Stars (USASA)
A lightning delay of nearly 90 minutes itself stretched the First Round match into a late night, but Orlando, the host side, enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory over the ASC New Stars. Devorn Jorsling scored twice with Kevin Molino and Dennis Chin each adding to the tally.

League Form: Orlando City played host to Wilmington Saturday night in league play, settling for a 1-1 draw on a late Hammerheads equalizer after Open Cup hero Jorsling had given them the lead. Orlando City is currently in first place in the American Division with an 8-2-4 record.

Open Cup History (Austin Aztex): This is officially the first appearance in the US Open Cup for Orlando City, but with such close ties to the Austin Aztex franchise, it’s worth mentioning that the Aztex reached the Third Round the last two years. In 2009, the Aztex downed PDL sides Mississippi Brilla, 2-0, and El Paso Patriots, 2-0, before falling by the same 2-0 scoreline to the Houston Dynamo of MLS. Last year the team blanked the PDL’s DFW Tornados, 3-0, and downed the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros, 3-1, before a 1-0 loss on the road to Chivas USA of MLS in Round 3.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 1-0-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. professional teams

FC Dallas

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The club played their third contest of the month Saturday in Los Angeles against Chivas USA, winning 2-1 with Break Shea scoring the opener and Jackson Goncalves adding the late winner.  Dallas returns home for one more league match against the Portland Timbers June 25 before playing in the Third Round. FCD opened the month June 4 with a 1-0 win in New England on a 69th minute goal from Marvin Chavez as Kevin Hartman recorded the shutout. They returned home June 12 and were stunned 4-1 by Sporting Kansas City in which Break Shea had an equalizer in the 32nd before seeing KC strike three unanswered.
Last Five: W-L-W-D-W Season Record: 8-4-4 (5-2-2 Home), Second in Western Conference, Second Overall.

Open Cup History: Up to 2009, FC Dallas could claim the distinction of being the only MLS team to participate in every Pro Era Open Cup tournament since the league began in 1996. Poor finishes in MLS play in 2009 and 2010 left them to the mercy of MLS qualifying, where they lost both times to DC United. Dallas found success early in their Open Cup history, reaching the Semifinals in 1996 and winning the title on penalties over DC United in 1997. Another semifinal appearance in 1998 and two quarterfinal finishes in ’99 and 2000 were followed in 2001 by one of the biggest upsets in Pro Era history, a 3-2 sudden death extra time loss to the PDL’s Seattle Sounders Select in the Second Round. It remains the only time Dallas failed to advance past their opening match. Finals appearances in 2005 and 2007 bolstered their Open Cup resume a bit, although they will look to regain some stature after missing the last two tournaments.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 19-12-4 (4-0 in PK’s)

FIRST ROUND

ASC New Stars (USASA-South TX) 0:4 Orlando City Soccer Club (USL PRO)
University of Central Florida Soccer Complex – Oviedo, Fla. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

Regals FC (USASA-South TX) 0:2 Charleston Battery (USL PRO)
Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, S.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

ASC New Stars

A longtime member of the Houston Football Association, Aria Soccer Club’s New Stars dominated the recent Premier Division season with a 13-4-1 record, allowing only 18 goals in as many while also scoring 58. It was the fifth consecutive title in the division for the New Stars, but marked the first time the club lost more than once in league play, having only three losses total in the previous four campaigns. || Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: The club opened with a 2-0 victory on a pair of Alex Bolan strikes against Boston Avenue on opening day of Region III group play. They then defeated Greenville Eagles 4-1 with goals from four different scorers, including Bolan, who also had an assist. They wrapped up the group with a 1-0 win against Florida Gators on another strike from Bolan in the 14th minute to secure the US Open Cup spot. The club would go on to defeat Houston rival Regals FC 2-1 in overtime on a Chuks Ndame goal in the 116th minute.

June News Updates: The team has been idle since it won the HFA Premier Division that ended in May with a 13-4-1 record.

Open Cup History: In the club’s lone previous appearance in 2008, the New Stars fell 3-0 on the road to the second division Charleston Battery. Along with Regals FC, this is the first time two amateur teams from Houston have qualified for the Open Cup in the same year during the Professional Era.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 0-1-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. 3rd Division

Regals FC

Founded in 2010, the club was a founding member of the newly forged Southern Premier Soccer League. || Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: Drawn into the three-team group created when another club withdrew, Regals opened the event with a 2-1 loss on day two to Royal Eagles of Florida, who fell 3-0 to CASL on day one. Regals rebounded in a dramatic group finale, jumping out to a four-goal lead against CASL with two goals from Roy Hernandez. CASL came back with two strikes to force a three-way tie in the table and a two-way deadlock with Regals, sending the duo to penalty kicks to determine the Open Cup berth and finalist. Regals goalkeeper Marcos Sanchez made three saves on four CASL attempts to send Regals through. He would also play brilliantly in the final, only to fall 2-1 to Houston rival ASC New Stars in overtime.

June News Updates: Defeated Houston Hurricane 6-1 via six different goal scorers June 4 to move to 1-1 in the SPSL Summer Cup.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament. Along with ASC New Stars, this is the first time two amateur teams from Houston have qualified for the Open Cup in the same year during the Professional Era.


2011 US Open Cup Sporting KC bracket preview: Chicago Fire Premier at Madison 56ers

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SECOND ROUND

Chicago Fire Premier at Madison 56ers
Breese Stevens Field – Madison, Wis. – 8 p.m.
Broadcast: None | Preview: Wisconsin State Journal

THIRD ROUND

Chicago Fire Premier / Madison 56ers at Sporting Kansas City
June 28, 8:30 p.m. ET  LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.

Madison 56ers

The Madison 56ers side that has been a member of the NPSL since 2005 is part of the larger club which was founded in 1956. The club has claimed four USASA Region II titles and the NPSL team has finished first in its division three times (2006, 07, 10) with its best postseason performance resulting in a trip to the final in 2006.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant – was the only club to enter.

First Round: Madison 56ers (NPSL) 4:0 AAC Eagles (USASA)
The 56ers were in First Round stalemate with Chicago’s AAC Eagles before running off four goals in 14 minutes in the second half. Tenzin Rampa opened the scoring in the 67th before Jed Hohlbein scored two back-to-back. Adam Lysak finished it off in the 81st. Recap [+]

League form: Madison traveled in league play Saturday to face Milwaukee Bavarians, falling 2-1 on a late strike after defender Aaron Nichols had equalized. The team is 3-2-2 in the NPSL Midwest Division.

Open Cup History: The club is making its return to the tournament for the first time since debuting in the Open Cup with four straight appearances from 1988-91. The club was knocked out in the Region II semifinals by eventual champion St Louis Busch Seniors. The following year they knocked out by St Louis Michelob in the Regional Round.  The club was again ousted in the regional semifinals, this time by AAC Eagles. They made it past the regional semis in 1991 with a 1-0 win over St Louis Scott Gallagher and narrowly missed the Open Cup semifinals with a 7-6 penalty kick loss to RWB Adria after a 4-4 draw.
PRO ERA RECORD: 1-0-0 overall

Chicago Fire Premier

Founded in 2001, the team was the second PDL club (Boulder Rapids Reserve) directly affiliated with an MLS team. It has been one of the most successful clubs in the league, finishing first in the division seven times and finished below second last year (fourth) for the first time in 10 seasons, missing the playoffs for the first time. The Fire hold the best record in the PDL over their time in the league. The club has reached the league final on two occasions (2003, 2009).

Path to Open Cup: Of the nine PDL entrants, the club was one of two that finished the qualifying campaign with a loss. The team’s 3-0 start clinched the berth as the other clubs in the division knocked one another out. The club opened with a pair of 2-0 victories, winning the opener in Akron on goals from Chris Estridge and Josey Portillo and taking the second at home against Cincinnati with Estridge finding the net again. A 90th minute strike from Estridge in the third match against River City clinched the berth as David Meves posted his third shutout for the 1-0 win. The late winner denied the charging Michigan Bucks a chance to snare the spot, settling with a 2-0 win over the Fire in the finale.

First Round: Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) 1:0 Iowa Menace (USASA)
It looked as though the two PDL rivals, although the Menace qualified through the USASA, were going to see overtime in the First Round Tuesday as they went into the final stages of regulation in a scoreless deadlock until Chris Estridge struck in the 87th for the dramatic road win. Recap [+]

League form: The Fire Premier returned immediately to league action, falling 2-1 Thursday to River City Rovers on the road. Trailing on two first half goals, Hunter Gorskie tallied in the 63rd, but they could not find an equalizer. Chicago rebounded in their second league match Saturday in Cincinnati for a 3-0 victory on goals from Josey Portillo, Paulo Vaz and Harrison Petts. The club is 5-2-1 in the PDL Great Lakes Division.

Open Cup History: Perhaps taking after its four-time champion parent club in MLS, the team has had some success in its three previous appearances. In its 2004 debut, the PDL side opened with a 5-1 win over USASA side SAC Wisla before knocking off third division professional side New Hampshire Phantoms by the same, surprising, 5-1 scoreline. They would be eliminated in the Third Round, 1-0, by the second division Rochester Rhinos. A year later, the club downed city rival AAC Eagles of the USASA 4-1 before falling, 2-1, to the second division Minnesota Thunder. In 2009, they downed Bavarian SC (USASA) 3-1 before being eliminated once again by the Thunder, this time 4-0.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 5-3-0 overall | 4-0-0 vs. Amateur Teams

Sporting Kansas City vs New England Revolution - 2011 MLS qualifying
Sporting Kansas City did a lot of celebrating during their 5-0 win over the New England Revolution. Photo: Taylor Allan | Sporting KC

Sporting KC

How They Qualified: Back-up netminder Eric Kronberg and CJ Sapong were the stars in qualifying for Kansas City, which was seeded third and started in the second round of the eastern bracket in MLS qualifying. Sapong netted an overtime game-winner in the 92nd minute of a 1-0 decision against the Dynamo in Houston April 6 in their opening game. Kronberg earned the first of two shutouts, registering the second in the bracket finale May 25 against the New England Revolution, who brought a squad of nearly all reserves. Chance Myers scored the first two goals in the 5-0 win with Sapong adding two more to secure the berth.

This Month in MLS: In a busy month for the club, Kansas City travels to Philadelphia Wednesday to face the Union in its fifth match of the month June 22 and plays once more at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps June 25 before playing in the Third Round. The opened June with a scoreless draw in Toronto and repeated the result June 9 against the Chicago Fire in the debut of LiveStrong Sporting Park. Eric Kronberg recorded the shutout in the first and relieved starter Jimmy Nielsen in the 67th minute of the second following a red card.
Last Five: W-W-D-D-D | Season Record: 3-6-4 (1-0-1 Home), 9th (last) in Eastern Conference, 18th (last) overall

FIRST ROUND

AAC Eagles (USASA-IL) 0:4 Madison 56ers (NPSL)
Breese Stevens Field – Madison, Wis. – 8 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) 1:0 Iowa Menace (USASA-IA)
Valley Stadium – West Des Moines, Iowa – 8:30 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

AAC Eagles

Originally known as the PAAC Eagles (Polish American Athletic Club), the Chicago side was founded in 1940. The club currently plays in the Metropolitan Soccer League, where they have won 11 Major Division championships. | Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: In a unique six-team format for Region II in which the winner of the opening round by the greatest goal differential earned the first US Open Cup berth, AAC Eagles came up short with its 7-2 victory against FC Indiana as the Iowa Menace were 7-1 winners against a Kansas City Athletics squad that started and played with only 10 men. The Eagles opened with the first five goals, three from Jakub Piotrowski, who would later add a fourth. In the all-Chicago showdown between the other two First Round winners, the Eagles rallied against their city rivals for a 4-1 win against RWB Adria. RWB opened the scoring in the seventh minute with Piotr Kolasinski equalizing seven minutes later. Mark Golik made it 2-1 in the 38th and Kolasinski added two more in the second half to advance to the Open Cup.

June News Updates: Fell 5-0 in league play June 5 to Schwaben, who jumped ahead into second by one point and leaving AAC six points back with three to play.

AAC Eagles celebrate their 1990 US Open Cup championship. Photo: Renee Bechtoldt | AAC Eagles
AAC Eagles celebrate their 1990 US Open Cup championship. Photo: Renee Bechtoldt | AAC Eagles

Open Cup History: The USASA side is among the current clubs that has one of the oldest records in the Open Cup, making its debut in 1948 and reaching the tournament in six decades. The team reached the western quarterfinals in its debut with a trip to the western final the following year, falling 4-3 on aggregate to Morgan SC, who defeated the eastern winner Philadelphia Nationals 4-3 on aggregate in the championship. In 1950, the club was knocked out 5-0 on aggregate by St Louis side Simpkins-Ford in the opening quarterfinal round. The team returned to the tournament in 1989, advancing to the semifinals, and won the Open Cup championship in 1990, downing Brooklyn Italians 2-1. They opened the tournament that year with a 1-0 win over the Madison 56ers in the Region II semifinals. The team fell in the opening rounds of the 1994 and 1995 tournaments before a six-year absence. The team advanced to the tournament in 2002, 2005 and 2008, but failed to advance from the opening round.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 0-4-0 overall | 0-1-0 vs. Amateur Teams (0-0-0 vs. NPSL)

Iowa Menace

A second team of the Des Moines Menace soccer club that plays in the PDL, the side will be made up largely of the PDL team in the Open Cup. The PDL side has long been one of the best in the league on and off the field, leading in attendance and reaching the league semifinals on four occasions with a championship in 2005. Last year was, surprisingly, the third time in four years it failed to make the playoffs.

Path to Open Cup: In a unique six-team format for Region II in which the winner of the opening round by the greatest goal differential earned the first US Open Cup berth, the Menace were fortunate that host Kansas City Athletics only had 10 players for its match. The Menace dominated with a 7-1 victory that gave them the Open Cup berth by one goal as AAC Eagles won their match 7-2. Surprisingly, the hosts got the opening tally in the 31st minute, but it was all Menace after that with Bryan Perez scoring twice as the Menace took a 3-1 lead to the break. John Sosa and Jarrett Hamilton each scored twice in the second half.

June News Updates (PDL): The Menace completed their four-game Canadian trip with a second straight loss to Thunder Bay, falling 3-0 June 11… On the third game of its Canadian trek June 10, the Menace fell 2-0 in Thunder Bay… Nabbed a second win in as many nights June 8 in Winnipeg, downing WSA 4-3 in a back-and-forth match in which four difference players scored… Posted a 2-0 shutout at Winnipeg June 7 on goals from Matt Lagrassa and Bryan Perez as Phil Boerger recorded the clean sheet… Opened the month with a 5-2 win at Kansas City June 1 with Deshorn Brown tallying two goals and assist.

Open Cup History: This is the first time the USASA version of the Des Moines Menace has qualified for the US Open Cup

However, since the club is basically the PDL team, here is their history:

Despite being one of the top clubs in the PDL, the team did not make the first of its five previous appearances until 2002. It marked the run of four trips in five years for the Menace, who returned to the Open Cup last year, falling in the first round, 1-0, to second division AC St Louis. The club’s debut was a symbol of the future as they downed third division New Jersey Stallions 3-1 before falling 3-2 in overtime to the second division Rochester Rhinos in the second round. A surprise exit, 2-1 in overtime, came at the hands of Bavarian SC (USASA) in the opening round of 2003. Two years later, the Menace were back on the upset track, however. They opened with a penalty kick decision over third division Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a 1-1 draw before eliminating a pair of second division clubs. They topped the Charleston Battery, 3-2, in the second round and the Atlanta Silverbacks on the road in a stunning 5-1 scoreline in the Third Round before being knocked out by MLS side Kansas City, 6-1. After eliminating two USASA sides (Croatian Eagles, Dallas Mustang Legends), the team collected another second division upset in 2006, edging the Minnesota Thunder 1-0 before being knocked out again by Kansas City, this time 2-1 in the Third Round.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 6-5-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 2-1-0 vs. Amateur Teams (0-0-0 vs. PDL)

2011 US Open Cup Los Angeles Galaxy bracket preview: Los Angeles Blues at Ventura County Fusion

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SECOND ROUND

Los Angeles Blues at Ventura County Fusion
Ventura College – Ventura, Calif. – 10:05 p.m.
Broadcast: USLLive.com

THIRD ROUND

Los Angeles Blues / Ventura County Fusion at Los Angeles Galaxy
June 28, 10:30 p.m. ET  Titan Stadium (CSUF); Fullerton, Calif.

Los Angeles Blues

Founded in 2010 by the ownership of the successful Pali Blues W-League team, the side is in its debut season in USL Pro.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: LA Blues (USL Pro) 3:1 Hollywood United (NPSL)
Despite playing a man down since Leo Griffin was sent off in the 19th minute, LA’s Mehrshad Momeni scored once in each half to give the Blues a two-goal lead in the First Round. Hollywood would answer but after both sides saw a red card late each Gerardo Bravo sealed it for the Blues. Recap [+]

League form: LA had the week off from USL Pro league play since last Tuesday and are 5-2-2 in the USL Pro National Division.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament.

Local History: Since teams from Los Angeles began participating in the Open Cup in 1954, LA-area clubs have reached 24 Open Cup Finals, winning 10 of those games.

Ventura County Fusion

Founded in 2007, the club has been a dominant force the past two seasons in the PDL, winning the league championship in 2009 and finishing first in the division last year. The club has been similarly successful off the field as one of the league leaders in attendance.

Path to Open Cup: The Fusion burst the bubble of Fresno, who also finished with a perfect record a week earlier than Ventura County, who surpassed them on goal differential for the Open Cup berth with the extremely rare absolutely perfect finish with maxed out goal differential and goals scored tallies. The dominance started with a 6-1 win against the LA Legends with Daniel Barrera setting up the first three before notching one of his own. The second match was a 4-0 shutout at home against the Blues 23s in which David Walker had a goal and two assists. In the second home match they topped Orange County 7-2 with Mark Magee scoring twice. They rounded it out with another 4-0 win, blanking host Southern California with another double from Magee that put the Fusion past Fresno in the tiebreaker.

First Round: Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 3:1 Doxa Italia (USASA)
On a foggy night the Fusion got off to a slow start, allowing a goal on a fluke play just five minutes in. They reversed the course however with goals from Andy Rose (penalty) and Mark Magee before halftime and ensured the win with a third from Reed Williams in the second half. Recap [+]

League form: The Fusion returned to PDL action quickly with a 1-0 win Thursday versus visiting Ogden on second half Daniel Barrera goal. The team is 6-0-4 in the PDL Southwest Division.

Open Cup History: The club is returning for its second appearance after a surprise First Round elimination a year ago via penalties after playing to a 1-1 draw against the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros.
PRO ERA RECORD: 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs) overall | 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs) vs. 3rd Division

Los Angeles Galaxy

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The Galaxy played their third match of the month in Colorado Saturday, posting a 3-1 victory with Juninho doubling the advantage after an own goal and Chad Barrett securing the victory late. They now travel to San Jose June 25 before playing in the Third Round. They opened the month with the first of two draws, finishing in a scoreless stalemate against DC United June 3 with Josh Saunders in goal. On June 11 they hosted Toronto in a 2-2 draw with two go-ahead goals from Chris Birchall and Juan Pablo Angel.
Last Five: W-D-D-W-W | Season Record: 9-2-7 (4-0-4 Home), First in Western Conference, First Overall.

Open Cup History: The Galaxy have had a considerable amount of success in the Open Cup, winning two championships in 2001 and 2005, as well as finishing as runners-up in 2002 and 2006. Since falling short to the Chicago Fire in the 2006 Final, the Galaxy were upset by the Richmond Kickers (3rd Division) and then failed to qualify the next two years. In 2010, they returned to the tournament where they beat AC St. Louis of the NASL (2nd Division) before losing to eventual champion Seattle Sounders FC in the quarterfinals.
PRO ERA RECORD: 21-8-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 11-2-0 vs. Non-MLS teams

First Round

Hollywood United (NPSL) 1:3 Los Angeles Blues (USL PRO)
Riverside Community College – Riverside, Calif. – 8 p.m.
Recap [+]

Doxa Italia (USASA-So. CA) 1:3 Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
Ventura College – Ventura, Calif. – 10:05 p.m.
Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Hollywood United

The NPSL side is the feature team of the Hollywood United Football Club that is famous for numerous celebrities and former internationals playing on its teams over the years as well as participating in the club’s many charity events. They had merged with Doxa Italia in 2008 (retaining the name Hollywood United) and after falling just short of the Open Cup that year they entered again in 2009, but the owners of United left to focus on the launching of Hollywood United as a PDL franchise (The remaining players continued under the name Doxa Italia). Hollywood played two years in the PDL Southwest Division, where it reached the playoffs in both campaigns before leaving the league shortly before the start of the 2011 season to join the NPSL.

Path to Open Cup: With the division utilizing each team’s first seven games to determine the Open Cup berth, Hollywood finished with a perfect record, but it was not smooth going. After opening with a 1-0 win at Santa Ana, the club fell 3-1 to the San Diego Flash in its next outing. The team went on to win its next five games to finish with a 6-1 record on May 8 before it was revealed May 11 the league was penalizing the Flash for use of an illegal player in two matches, including the victory over Hollywood. The penalty would be forfeitures of both games, which would be appealed and finally upheld May 19, giving Hollywood a perfect record and the Open Cup berth.

June News Updates: Won 4-1 at home June 11 against Sonoma County after being idle since a 2-1 win against Real San Jose May 28.

Open Cup History: The club is making its return for the first time since making headlines in its 2008 debut via the USASA. They upset the second division Portland Timbers on the road 3-2 before being blanked 6-0 by the USL First Division’s Seattle Sounders the following round.
PRO ERA RECORD: 1-1-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. 3rd Division

Local History: From the late 1950s and 1960s, teams from Hollywood were a fixture in the Southern California Open Cup qualifying rounds. Such clubs as the Hollywood Bears, Hollywood SC, and Lovers United (so named, as one newspaper reported,  because the all of the members of the team were “soccer lovers”) participated in the Open Cup at one time or another. In 1961, Hollywood SC reached the Los Angeles final, which at the time was two games away from the Open Cup Final, but lost 3-0 to the eventual Open Cup runner-up United Scots.

Doxa Italia

Founded in 1997, the club has been a powerhouse in the Pacific League (five championships) and Coast Soccer League (four championships) as well as performing well in the California South state cup tournament with four titles. When the club was struggling financially, they merged with Hollywood United in 2007 and competed under that name from 2007-2009. Prior to the beginning of the 2009 USASA Region IV tournament, Hollywood owners pulled the plug on the team to focus their efforts of starting a PDL expansion team. The players continued on in 2009 under the name Doxa Italia and have remained that way since then. Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Open Cup Path: The club opened the Region IV tournament with a 1-1 draw against Rosal FC on Day One. It became apparent that it was going to be a race for goal differential the next morning with Doxa Italia netting a 6-0 win against Metro SC while Rosal were 8-1 winners against CV Eagles. Doxa Italia showed no mercy against the Eagles in the finale, posting an amazing 18-0 scoreline in comparison to Rosal’s 7-1 victory, earning the Open Cup berth on the goal differential tiebreaker. The club had missed out on the Open Cup on the goal difference tiebreaker the last two years, so they didn’t want to take any chances. The side was finally stymied once more by the other group winner, DV8 Defenders, in the Region IV Final in a 1-1 draw, but claimed the title in penalties, 4-1.

June News Updates: Blanked Santa Ana Winds 4-0 June 11 with goal and assist each from Ryan Taylor and Bryan Byrne in season finale, finishing second in the league for the season… Shutout Morelos 8-0 June 5 in its next to last game with a Gabe Valencia hat-trick and Ilia Nazarov brace.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament after narrowly falling short the last two years. They missed out in 2009 by 2 goals in a goal difference tiebreaker (Sonoma County Sol) and again in 2010, they lost out on another tiebreaker to advance to the Region IV semifinals.

2011 US Open Cup Seattle Sounders bracket preview: Real Colorado Foxes at Kitsap Pumas

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SECOND ROUND

Real Colorado Foxes at Kitsap Pumas
Bremerton Memorial Stadium – Bremerton, Wash. – 10 p.m.
Broadcast: Audio (KMAS)

THIRD ROUND

Real Colorado Foxes / Kitsap Pumas at Seattle Sounders
June 29, 10 p.m. ET  Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.

Real Colorado Foxes

Founded in 2008, the PDL team was created by the Real Colorado youth soccer club, which already operated a W-League team. The Foxes were successful, reaching the postseason in its debut 2009 PDL campaign. The nickname is a tribute to the Colorado Foxes that won back-to-back titles (1992-93) as they reached three straight finals (1994) in the A-League. The Foxes were coached in the late 80’s and early 90’s by Lorne Donaldson, the President of Real Colorado and GM/Assistant Coach of the PDL team.

Path to Open Cup: In the end, the Foxes needed a little help despite finishing with four victories in their campaign as the Des Moines Menace, the only club they didn’t play, kept pace with a 3-0 start themselves. Thankfully, Kansas City shocked their long-time rivals 2-1, sending Real Colorado through. The Foxes opened at home with a pair of wins against the same Brass side. They posted a 4-1 win with Kyle Christensen putting in a pair for the first win. Joey Madison set up the first two and had the game-winner in the second game as the club held off a late rally for a 3-2 victory. On the road, Taylor Kemp rallied the Foxes to a 3-1 win in Springfield with a goal and an assist while Julian Donaldson was the hero in the finale with both strikes in a 2-1 win at St Louis.

First Round: Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 5:0 DV8 Defenders (USASA)
The Colorado club had a fairly easy go of it in their tournament debut in the First Round Tuesday with three goals from Taylor Kemp, Isaiah Schafer and Kyle Christensen before the break for a commanding advantage. Sterling Copeland and Craig Thompson made it five different goal scorers on the night. Recap [+]

League form: The Foxes were idle this week in league play and are 7-0-1 in the PDL Heartland Division.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament. PRO ERA RECORD: 1-0-0 overall

Kitsap Pumas

Founded in 2009 by a former co-owner of the USL Seattle Sounders, the Pumas have been a dominant force playing as a professional side in the PDL, reaching the postseason in its first two years.

Path to Open Cup: For the third consecutive year it was a neck-and-neck race with Portland. This year’s berth came down to a complete deadlock on all tiebreakers, however, with the two sides having played to a scoreless draw in their lone meeting. Instead of using a lottery, the two clubs and league office agreed to use an unprecedented ‘fifth match’ to serve as the tiebreaker as they were scheduled to meet in the regular season the Friday after qualifying concluded. Kitsap opened with a 3-0 victory at home versus Crossfire with Warlen Silva providing a goal and assist. A week later they played to the stalemate against the Timbers. On the final qualifying weekend the Pumas won 6-1 at Tacoma with Matt Friesen scoring twice, They finished with Friesen scoring in a 1-0 win at North Sound, leaving them vulnerable to Portland’s result, however, the Timbers only managed a 2-0 win later that night, creating the table deadlock.  In the tiebreaker match Kitsap jumped to a two-goal lead via Robbie Christner and Nik Besagno only to see Portland fight back in a thriller. A Brent Richards goal cut the deficit, but Christner added a second in the 66th to restore the lead before Brian Burke was sent off, allowing the hosts to make a late charge in hopes of penalties only to come up short, 3-2.

First Round: Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 0:0 (6:5 in PKs) El Paso Patriots (PDL)
The Pumas battled with host El Paso in the hot Texas summer to a scoreless stalemate over 120 minutes in the First Round Tuesday. Penalties to break the tie also went into extra time as the match needed nine rounds to decide a winner with Kitsap coming out on top 6-5. Recap [+]

League form: The Pumas returned to league action Friday with a 4-1 win over visiting Abbotsford. Brian Burke tallied to give the lead to Kitsap, who saw goalkeeping star Zach Lubin from Tuesday sent off in the 72nd. Abbotsford then leveled before the Pumas tallied two unanswered from Nick Besagno and Matt Friesen shorthanded. The team is 8-0-1 in the PDL Northwest Division.

Open Cup History: The Pumas have yet to miss the tournament in three years of play, making them the first PDL team to qualify in each of their first three years. Only two other teams have accomplished that They’ve been haunted by the senior Portland Timbers club who have knocked them out twice as a member of the second division. They were blanked 3-0 in the first round of the 2009 tournament and downed 4-1 last year in the second round with Nik Besagno scoring the team’s lone goal. They opened with a 4-2 overtime win against the Bay Area Ambassadors (USASA/NPSL).
PRO ERA RECORDS: 2-2-0 overall | 1-0-0 vs. Amateur Teams (0-0-0 vs. PDL)

Seattle Sounders

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The Sounders played their third match of the month Saturday in Toronto, edging the hosts on a 90th free kick from Fredy Montero after playing nearly the entire second half down a man after Jhon Kennedy Hurtado’s send-off. They are now returning home for two more league matches June 23 versus New York and June 26 against New England before playing in the Third Round. Seattle opened the month with a scoreless draw in Chicago June 4 with Keller in goal and played a 2-2 stalemate at home against Northwest rival Vancouver Whitecaps June 11. Seattle saw the Whitecaps steal the draw after the Sounders had rallied to take the lead on goals from Mauro Rosales and Osvaldo Alonso in a wild finish.
Last Five: W-D-D-W-L | Season Record: 6-4-7 (3-2-3 Home), Third in Western Conference, Third Overall.

Open Cup History: Sounders FC set out to become a force in the Open Cup during their 2009 inaugural year, and did just that, becoming the first expansion team since Chicago Fire in 1998 to take the Cup, winning 2-1 against DC United. They then turned around and made more history in 2010, as they became the first team since the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1982 and 1983 to win back-to-back Open Cups, taking the Columbus Crew 2-1 in the Final. Seattle has earned both titles, only playing non-MLS opposition twice (defeating the Portland Timbers in the Third Round both years), marking the first time the team has played a non-first or second division side. A matchup against the Kitsap Pumas would have additional intrigue, as the Pumas are the continuation of the USL Seattle Sounders, and both teams share deep bloodlines.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 7-0-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 2-0-0 vs. Non-MLS Teams (0-0-0 vs. PDL)

Note: A USL team also called the Seattle Sounders made 12 Open Cup appearances from 1995-2008 and made history with back-to-back trips to the Semifinals in 2007 and 2008. The USL franchise’s history is officially not recognized by the MLS franchise.

 FIRST ROUND

DV8 Defenders (USASA-No. CA) 0:5 Real Colorado Foxes (PDL)
Shea Stadium – Highlands Ranch, Colo. – 9 p.m.
Recap [+]

Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 0:0 (6:5 in PKs) Chivas El Paso Patriots (PDL)
Patriots Stadium – El Paso, Texas – 10 p.m.
Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

DV8 Defenders

Founded in 1997, the San Francisco Bay area club plays in the local Peninsula Soccer League, where the team has won several championships, including a perfect 2006-07 campaign in the PSL. || Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: The Defenders opened the Region IV tournament with a 9-0 victory over the CV Eagles and the following morning they blanked SF Italian SC 2-0. Needing a draw against Metro FC, who could also win the group, the Defenders drew level with seconds remaining on a controversial penalty call, earning a 2-2 draw and the US Open Cup berth. In the Region IV Final, DV8 took the early lead but saw Doxa Italia level with 15 minutes left as the two would go to a penalty shootout in which Doxa Italia took the title 4-1.

June News Updates: Played a friendly versus San Jose Earthquakes June 8, falling 2-0 but had two penalty kick saves to keep it close… The Defenders have been primarily idle in June after finishing fourth in the Peninsula Soccer League’s Majors Division that ended in April. The club’s other team, DV8 Elite, finished second in the same league.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament.

Chivas El Paso Patriots

One of the oldest clubs in USL, the Patriots were founded in 1989 and have played at all levels of USL. It left the professional second division flight to enter the PDL and immediately found success, finishing first in the division in the first two years and reaching the league final in 2005. The club, however, has missed the playoffs four of the last five seasons. The club took on its Chivas branding following a formal affiliation agreement with the Guadalajara club signed prior to the 2010 season.

Path to Open Cup: The Patriots swept through qualifying and were one of the first teams to clinch a berth. The club opened at RGV with a 2-1 win, coming from behind on goals from Victor Olivarez and Ariel Chavez. The following night in Laredo, Rodrigo Morin scored a critical strike in the 80th minute for a 1-0 win. El Paso’s victory 3-1 win over New Orleans in the next match, in which Morin provided a goal and assist, sealed the berth courtesy of their head-to-head tiebreaker result versus Laredo. For good measure though, Morin capped the sweep with the lone goal in the 1-0 finale against Baton Rouge as Jorge Muniz posted a second clean sheet.

June News Updates: The Patriots returned home for a 1-0 win June 11 against West Texas on a fourth minute Omar Tena goal, holding on after a 41st minute Enrique Cervantes send-off with a shutout from Jorge Muniz… The Patriots suffered their second loss on the trip, falling 6-2 to RGV Grandes June 4 with Rodrigo Morin, who was also sent off at the end of the match, and Jorge Arjona scoring… Handed their second loss of the campaign June 3 at Laredo, falling 3-0 in first match they have been shutout in through seven games despite playing with man advantage for 60 minutes.

Open Cup History: The Patriots were among the first professional teams to enter the tournament to kick off the Pro Era in 1995. The club upset second division Colorado Foxes, 2-0, and Seattle Sounders, 1-0, en route to the championship game. The Patriots were the last non-MLS club to host the Open Cup Final (excluding neutral sites), but were unable to hoist the trophy, falling in penalties 4-2 after playing to a 1-1 draw against the PDL Richmond Kickers. The Foxes avenged their upset the following year by knocking El Paso out, 5-1, in the second round. The club became the victim of an upset themselves while playing in the second division, falling 5-2 in 2003 to the PDL Fresno Fuego in the third round. As a PDL team themselves though, the Patriots upset second division Miami FC via penalties after a 2-2 first round draw in 2007. El Paso topped USASA entrant Arizona Suahauros, 2-1, to open the 2009 tournament, but were knocked out, 2-0, by the second division Austin Aztex (now Orlando City SC).
PRO ERA RECORDS: 8-7-2 (1-1 in PKs) overall | 4-1 vs. Amateur Teams (1-1 vs. PDL)

2011 US Open Cup First Round: Zach Lubin of Kitsap Pumas comes off bench to win Player of the Round

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Zach Lubin of Kitsap Pumas - 2011 Player of the RoundKitsap Pumas goalkeeper Zac Lubin has been voted as TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Lubin was their penalty shoot out hero in his professional debut in their First Round match at Chivas El Paso Patriots. Recap [+]

First team selection Bryan Meredith withdrew late with a foot injury.

Lubin kept a clean sheet for the regulation ninety minutes and kept his side in the Cup with a double save in extra time defying Rodrigo Morin with a sensational fingertip save, and then being alert enough to prevent the rebound. But it was his performance in the penalty kick shoot out as he saved Ariel Chavez’s attempt in the ninth round to help Kitsap advance to the First Round, 6-5. The heroics of the youngster making his debut in 90 degree heat that took the voter’s imaginations and the award.

The Player of the Round award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters which also selects the MLS Player of the Week.

Lubin edged out two other players with some big-time goalscoring performances in the opening round.

David Bulow of the Richmond Kickers and Jhonny Arteaga of FC New York each had hat tricks in their teams’ respective wins.

The award is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters (www.soccerreporters.com).

Lubin edged out a couple of players with some big-time goalscoring performances. David Bulow of the Richmond Kickers and Jhonny Arteaga of FC New York each had hat tricks in their teams’ respective wins.

2011 US Open Cup First Round recap: Despite scares, no upsets on opening night

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Jeremy Deighton scored the game-winner for the Riverhounds in the 99th minute. Photo: Pittsburgh Riverhounds

There were no upsets in the First Round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, but there was plenty of drama: two hat tricks, a last minute game winner, a comeback from a 2-0 deficit, and a penalty shootout that lasted nine rounds to cap off the night. Here are all the game recaps from the First Round.

Brooklyn Italians 1:2 NY Pancyprian Freedoms – Recap [+]

This battle of former US Open Cup champions saw two goals from Stefan Dimitrov, one a quick answer to Brooklyn’s equalizer in the 80th minute. TheCup.us Match MVP: Stefan Dimitrov

Western Mass Pioneers 0:3 FC New York – Recap [+]

Former Pioneers striker Jhonny Arteaga recorded his first professional hat trick at the historic Met Oval to lead expansion team FC New York to their first US Open Cup win. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jhonny Arteaga

Reading United AC 1:2 Harrisburg City Islanders – Recap [+]

Staring down elimination with five minutes to go in the match, the City Islanders stormed back with two late goals to steal a victory from Reading United AC. TheCup.us Match MVP: Sainey Touray

Phoenix SC 1:2 Rochester Rhinos – Recap [+]

Not quite the dominant force everyone expected the Rhinos to be, they still took care of business, handing amateur side Phoenix SC a 2-1 defeat at home. TheCup.us Match MVP: Max Ferdinand

Chattanooga FC 2:3 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (AET) – Recap [+]

Down 2-0 at home to an amateur side, the Riverhounds woke up and took over the match, forcing extra time and producing a winner in the 99th minute. TheCup.us Match MVP: Stefan Lundberg

Dayton Dutch Lions 1:4 Richmond Kickers – Recap [+]

David Bulow recorded a hat trick for the Kickers as the Dutch Lions continue their defensive woes against USL Pro rivals. TheCup.us Match MVP: David Bulow

Charlotte Eagles 3:1 Carolina Dynamo – Recap [+]

This battle of former 3rd division rivals from North Carolina saw the Eagles escape Greensboro with a 3-1 victory. TheCup.us Match MVP: Diego Martins

Central Florida Kraze 0:4 Wilmington Hammerheads – Recap [+]

The Hammerheads proved they are no slouch in the Open Cup, dominating the visiting Kraze with a 4-0 win. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jyler Noviello

ASC New Stars 0:4 Orlando City SC – Recap [+]

Even an hour and a half lightning delay couldn’t help the ASC New Stars, who succumbed to USL Pro powerhouse Orlando City 4-0. TheCup.us Match MVP: Devorn Jorsling

Regals FC 0:2 Charleston Battery – Recap [+]

It took a little time for the Battery to get warmed up, but their second half performance steered them to a clear 2-0 victory over amateur side Regals FC. TheCup.us Match MVP: Dane Kelly

AAC Eagles 0:4 Madison 56ers – Recap [+]

What should’ve been (and for 65 minutes, was) a relatively close battle turned into a rout, as the Madison 56ers lit up Chicago’s AAC Eagles with four second half goals. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jed Hohlbein

Chicago Fire Premier 1:0 Iowa Menace – Recap [+]

A late goal by Chris Estridge sent the Fire Premier through to the second round over the USASA version of the PDL’s Des Moines Menace. TheCup.us Match MVP: Chris Estridge

DV8 Defenders 0:5 Real Colorado Foxes – Recap [+]

Real Colorado Foxes never gave their opponents from the Bay Area a chance to breathe, suffocating them with five goals to force their way into the Second Round. TheCup.us Match MVP: Taylor Kemp

Kitsap Pumas 0:0 Chivas El Paso Patriots (6-5 Kitsap on PKs) – Recap [+]

After no one could break the deadlock for 120 minutes, it took nine rounds of penalties to settle the score between these two PDL squads, from which Kitsap finally emerged victorious. TheCup.us Match MVP: Zach Lubin

Hollywood United 1:3 LA Blues – Recap [+]

In a match between formerly partnered clubs from Los Angeles, the Blues showed their dominance despite the handicap of an early red card. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mehrshad Momeni

Doxa Italia 1:3 Ventura County Fusion – Recap [+]

After an early flub leading to a goal for Doxa Italia, the Ventura County Fusion righted the ship and scored three unanswered to advance to the Second Round. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mark Magee

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First Round Scoreboard [+]
2011 US Open Cup bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup participant map [+]
Meet the USASA: Class of 2011 [+]

Official Schedule for Second Round
(All games on Tuesday, June 21)
All Times Eastern

FC New York at NY Pancyprian Freedoms
Belson Stadium – Queens, NY – 7:30 p.m.
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Rochester Rhinos at Harrisburg City Islanders
Skyline Sports Complex – Harrisburg, Pa. – 7 p.m.
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Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Richmond Kickers
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond, Va. – 7 p.m.
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Charlotte Eagles at Wilmington Hammerheads
Legion Stadium – Wilmington, N.C. – 7:30 p.m.
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Orlando City SC at Charleston Battery
Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, S.C. – 7:30 p.m.
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Chicago Fire Premier at Madison 56ers
Breese Stevens Field – Madison, Wis. – 8 p.m.
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Real Colorado Foxes at Kitsap Pumas
Bremerton Memorial Stadium – Bremerton, Wash. – 10 p.m.
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Los Angeles Blues at Ventura County Fusion
Ventura College – Ventura, Calif. – 10:05 p.m.


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