• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • US Open Cup Central
  • US Open Cup Qualifying
  • US Open Cup History
  • Amateur Cup

Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

  • 2025 USOC Schedule
  • 2025 USOC Stat Leaders
  • 2025 USOC Qualifying Results
  • TheCup.us Awards
  • Join TheCup.us Patreon!
  • Contact Us

2011 Third Round

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Michael Fucito finds spotlight for Sounders, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round honor

June 30, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

For three years Michael Fucito has been buried deep in the Seattle Sounders depth charts behind numerous star strikers, seeing very limited time on the field. In the Third Round Tuesday night he made his US Open Cup debut and scored both Sounders goals in a 2-1 victory, feeling the limelight many of his teammates have experienced the past two years.

Fucito earned the honor in a two-person race with Matthew Delicate, who led the Richmond Kickers to the lone upset in the Third Round. 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.

Photo: Seattle Sounders

The Harvard graduate has had to show an enormous amount of patience in his young career, waiting for rare opportunities to step into the lineup. Those chances have typically come in situations with the club looking to rest its starters. His first year in 2009 was wiped out by the conclusion of his academic collegiate responsibilities along with injury, resulting in no appearances. In 2010, he made only four appearances during the season and tallied just one goal.

His first big break, though, came under unfortunate circumstances as the club enlisted its reserves for the CONCACAF Champions League last fall after losing its first two group contests. Fucito came off the bench in the third match, a 2-0 loss in Costa Rica, and went on to start the next three with positive results. He forced an own goal and tallied one of his own in his first pro start as they lost 3-2 in Mexico to eventual CCL champion Monterrey and went on to tally two in a 2-0 victory at home against Marathon, the club’s lone win in the group.

His success led to a postseason appearance, though under trying circumstances again coming off the bench in the second leg as the team trailed by three goals versus the LA Galaxy.

After only playing 483 minutes in nine appearances (six starts) so far this season, Fucito finally may be ahead of the curve, starting in the club’s first game of a quest to three-peat.

Facing the local Kitsap Pumas who ventured across the Puget Sound via ferry, the Sounders found a new Open Cup hero courtesy of its previous one. Continual pressure from the top flight club finally found a result in the 39th minute when Nate Jaqua, who scored five goals in the three previous Open Cup games at Starfire Sports Stadium the past two years, knocked the ball down for Fucito.

Rushing into the box, Fucito left his feet to send the volley from the left corner of the area inside the right post for the opening marker.

Fucito would double the advantage in the 62nd minute by dancing through the Kitsap defense and around the goalkeeper, 2011 Sounders draft pick Bryan Meredith, before finding the back of the net. He started the play with the ball in the upper left corner of the box again, beating a defender and then Meredith, who had come well out on the play, in the center of the 18 before letting loose what proved to be the game-winner. The player of the game would leave the contest six minutes later in favor of defender Jeff Parke.

Fucito’s honor marks the sixth time in the past three tournaments in which a Sounder has been recognized as TheCup.us Player of the Round. Only three other players have managed to knock Seattle from the spotlight in their nine rounds of play thus far. Jaqua was honored in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals with two-goal performances with Sanna Nyassi taking the honor with two strikes in the Final. In 2009 it was Sebastien Le Toux in the Semifinals and Fredy Montero in the Championship.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Player of the Round, 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Matthew Delicate, Michael Fucito, Player of the Round, Richmond Kickers, Seattle Sounders MLS

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Battle of LA sees Galaxy come back to beat Blues

June 29, 2011 by Nick Gaspar

Los Angeles Galaxy logo
Los Angeles Galaxy logo
Post-game interviews available below

Call it the Battle of Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Derby, but don’t call it an easy victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy. After Cesar Rivera scored a stunner to put the Los Angeles Blues up 1-0 the Galaxy rallied back with two unanswered goals to advance to the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, 2-1.

The first half started off with the Galaxy playing lethargically. The game also started auspiciously as Blues’ captain Josh Tudela received a yellow for a challenge 17 seconds into the game. The game was officiated by Alejandro Mariscal, but the most interesting part was that Eduardo Mariscal and Apolinar Mariscal were the assistant referees and Felisha Mariscal was the fourth official. It was a family gathering of sorts for them. Not long after, Gregg Berhalter received a yellow card for his tackle in the eighth minute. The head referee’s cautions allowed him to keep a tight reign on the game throughout the night.

The first half was filled with shots too high or wide to bother either keeper, but Blues’ defender Cameron Dunn went out with an injury and was replaced by former Galaxy member Leonard Griffin. The best chance of the half came in the 41th minute when the Galaxy’s Jovan Kirovski put a header on target that was saved by Dautt, but not handled. Berhalter then put the ball on target only to have it cleared by Nelson Akwari. The Blues then had a chance on the counter-attack with Israel Sesay, but he failed to score and the score was 0-0 at halftime.

In the second half the Blues came out with the attacking mindset. Their persistence paid off when Chukwundu Chijindu cut a ball across the corner of the eighteen to newly-signed Carlos Borja who fired a shot that was controlled by substitute Cesar Rivera who slotted it into the back of the net for a shocking 1-0 Blues lead in the 62nd minute.

This woke up the sleeping giant in the Galaxy. They pressed further up the pitch in order to get an equalizer while the Blues dug in. Galaxy manager Bruce Arena brought in Juninho to help the attack, and in 75th minute he achieved his purpose. His free kick found the head of Omar Gonzalez who equalized the game with the Galaxy’s first goal and sent the Galaxy supporters into a frenzy.

According to Gonzalez, “Right before that, Gregg (Berhalter) looked at me and said, ‘Wake up and find a way to get yourself into the game.’”

They didn’t have to wait much longer as six minutes later in the 81st the Galaxy found their hero. It was already a week for Mike Magee to remember, as he performed admirably in goal for the Galaxy in an MLS match for the Galaxy, earning himself MLS Player of the Week honors. Once again, he was able to step up again, this time with an Open Cup goal. Juninho sent a floating free kick that found Gonzalez, then was headed back across the penalty area to an open Magee, who slotted the game winner.

Although the scoring was over, the bookings weren’t. Galaxy forward Adam Cristman received a yellow for not adhering to the distance, and Blues midfielder Israel Sesay was visibly frustrated in receiving two successive yellow cards for the red in the 90th minute.

“I told (Magee) the other day that it would be nice for him to come help in the field once awhile,” joked Arena.

“The goal kinda lit a fire under us and we started playing better and it resulted in a win,” said Magee.

“Let’s give our opponents credit, they played quite well,” said Arena. When asked about the skill difference the manager had this to say, “We should be a little bit ahead of them technically and maybe professional fitness, but a lot of those players have played in the league.”

The Blues felt positive about how well they played though. “We have guys that can be on that team… credit for us to get a goal on a team that doesn’t give up many goals,” said Akwari.

The Galaxy will move on to the Quarterfinals where they travel to Seattle to face the Sounders on July 12.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Mike Magee

Scoring Summary

LAB: Cesar Rivera (Carlos Borja) – 62nd min.
LAG: Omar Gonzalez (Juninho) – 75th min.
LAG: Mike Magee (Omar Gonzalez) – 81st min.

Misconduct Summary

LAB: Josh Tudela (Yellow) – 1st min.
LAG: Gregg Berhalter (Yellow) – 8th min.
LAB: Mehrshad Momeni (Yellow) – 70th min.
LAG: Adam Cristman (Yellow) – 88th min.
LAB: Israel Sesay (Yellow) – 90th min.
LAB: Israel Sesay (Yellow / Red) – 90th min.

Lineups:
LAG: Brian Perk; A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin; Mike Magee, Jovan Kirovski (Juninho 64′), Michael Stephens, Bryan Jordan (Miguel Lopez 46′); Chad Barrett (Adam Christman 83′), PaoloCardozo
LAB: Oscar Dautt; Cameron Dunn (Leonard Griffin 40′), Melson Akwari, Erlys Garcia, Mike Randolph; Mehrshad Momeni (Akeem Priestly 87′), Josh Tudela, Edwin Miranda (Cesar Rivera 46′), Israel Sesay; Carlos Borja, Chukwudi Chijindu

Saves: LAG – 2, LAB – 5; Fouls: LAG – 16, LAB – 19; SOG: LAG – 9, LAB – 3; Attendance: 3,627




Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Chukwundu Chijindu, Los Angeles Blues, Los Angeles Galaxy, Mike Magee, Omar Gonzalez

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Real Salt Lake knocks out Wilmington Hammerheads in Open Cup return

June 29, 2011 by Eric Anderson

Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake made a winning return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup proper.

Jean Alexandre set up Tony Beltran’s 40th-minute opener – the left back’s first professional goal – and doubled the lead with a goal of his own 4 minutes later in a 2-0 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads in front of 7,620 fans Tuesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

Goal, assist for Jean Alexandre Photo: Melissa Majchrzak / RSL

By winning their first Open Cup match since 2006, RSL earned a quarterfinal matchup against FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, where the Utah side has never won. Salt Lake is 0-9-1 all-time in road games against Dallas, with the lone result a 0-0 draw on May 23. Coincidentally, the teams meet in an MLS match three days earlier at Rio Tinto.

Real Salt Lake’s lineup featured primarily regular starters, as the team is focused on the Open Cup and its connection to the CONCACAF Champions League. RSL lost in the finals of the 2010-11 tournament, but failed to qualify for the 2011-12 event. The Open Cup champion earns a berth in the 2012-13 tourney.

Alexandre and 17-year-old strike partner Luis Gil each had early chances for RSL, but the match remained scoreless until Beltran opened his account. The third-year pro took a pass from Alexandre on the right side, beating Hammerheads goalkeeper Kyle Polak with a close angle shot to the near post, just outside the 6-yard box.

Then in the 44th, Canadian international Will Johnson played in Alexandre, who worked past a defender and pulling Polak off his line, to increase the lead to 2-0. It was the second goal of the season for the 24-year-old Haitian.

USL Pro side Wilmington, which brought only 15 players to the match, got an impressive performance from Polak and some luck as RSL fired away – the home team had an 18-6 advantage in shots, including 9-1 in the second half, and saw blasts by Johnson and Andy Williams crash off the woodwork in the final 20 minutes.

On one sequence in the 78th minute, Polak stopped back-to-back shots by Williams and Johnson and then watched Alexandre’s header flash just wide of the goal.

RSL backup keeper Kyle Reynish earned his second shutout in as many appearances this season. The crowd for the first Open Cup match at Rio Tinto was easily the largest among the seven MLS teams that played host to third-round games.


TheCup.us Match MVP:  Jean Alexandre

Scoring Summary

Real Salt Lake – Tony Beltran (Jean Alexandre) 40
Real Salt Lake – Jean Alexandre (Will Johnson) 44

Lineups

Real Salt Lake: Kyle Reynish; Tony Beltran, Rauwshan McKenzie, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler (Robbie Russell 63); Andy Williams, Kyle Beckerman (Ned Grabavoy 63), Collen Warner (Nelson Gonzalez 74), Will Johnson; Jean Alexandre, Luis Gil. Substitutes not used: Tim Melia (GK), Artur Aghasyan, Jamison Olave, Donny Toia.

Wilmington Hammerheads:
Kyle Polak; Tom Parratt, Ivan Becerra, Gareth Evans, Dylan Riley; Emanual Guzman (Jyler Noviello 60), Tom Taylor (Richard Jata 52), Paul Nicholson, Hakop Avesyan (Julio Cuero 74); Luke Mulholland, Andriy Budnyy. Substitute not used: Chris Banks.

Discipline:
W – Taylor (caution-reckless foul, 17); W – Guzman (caution-reckless foul, 35); RSL – Grabavoy (caution-tactical foul, 68); W – Nicholson (caution-persistent infringement, 83).

Attendance:
7,620.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Jean Alexandre, Real Salt Lake, Tony Beltran, Wilmington Hammerheads

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Sporting KC no trouble with PDL version of Chicago Fire

June 29, 2011 by David Gubala

Photo: Taylor Allan | Sporting KC

Chicago’s young boys came oh so far, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

In front of a crowd of 4,487 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, MLS side Sporting KC blanked Chicago Fire PDL 3-0 with goals from Teal Bunbury, Milos Stojcev and Kei Kamara to give the club its first-ever US Open Cup victory in the venue while sending them to the Quarterfinals.

The match did not start out as hoped for the Fire PDL team. A scrappy yet determined group of college kids knew from the start it was never going to be an easy task overcoming a Sporting KC side made up of a top-flight professionals, let alone their regular starting 11.

Playing in their outdated 2010 replica away kits, the visitors fell behind early. Via a foul on Kei Kamara just outside the box, Luke Sassano played the ball to an awaiting Bunbury, who managed to slot in low and inside the far post to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the third minute.

The score stood still for the remainder of the first half. The Fire PDL side were kept on their heels for the majority of the time as Sporting KC continued searching for their second.

Despite being outshot nine to one, Chicago managed to create some hope just before halftime. Following some disarray in the home side’s box, Fire PDL forward Paulo Voz knocked one in the back of the net but was deemed offside and had his goal called back. Sporting KC led 1-0 as both teams were headed into their respective locker rooms.

Chicago Fire PDL battled hard against MLS' Sporting Kansas City | Photo: Taylor Allan | Sporting KC

Graham Zusi saw the field in the second half when he replaced a struggling Sassano, who seemed to be bothered by an ankle injury. Peter Vermes must’ve been satisfied of this change as Zusi’s appearance had bolstered a clear impact on the game.

Roughly 12 minutes later Sporting KC’s offensive ammo exploded into all sorts. Midfielder Milos Stojcev orchestrated a well-worked effort on his own as he drove a screamer into the net with his left foot to make it 2-0 Sporting.

Just a minute later, Chicago’s frustration rose. Following a rather nasty foul from Jonathan Raj, Sporting earned a free kick from a comfortable distance. Zusi then sent in a perfectly driven cross into the box that saw Kamara dive to beat David Meves, giving the hosts back to back goals in a matter of seconds.

The visiting side showed minimal danger following that three-goal deficit.

It was a chance for Peter Vermes to experiment with some debutantes, allowing Kevin Ellis significant playing time when he came on in the 63rd minute for Kamara.

The score finished 3-0 in favor of the home side when referee Landis Wiley blew the final whistle. Chicago Fire PDL’s Cinderella run had unfortunately ended for them but there are inevitably a lot of talented prospects in the young Chicago side.

Sporting KC now will now move on to the quarterfinals, where they will host the Richmond Kickers on July 12 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. The USL side upset the Columbus Crew 2-1 Tuesday night.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Milos Stojcev

Scoring Summary:
SKC: Teal Bunbury (Luke Sassano) – 3rd min.
SKC: Milos Stojcev (unassisted) – 58th min.
SKC: Kei Kamara (Graham Zusi) – 59th min.

Sporting Kansas City: Eric Kronberg; Scott Lorenz, Aurelien Collin (Matt Besler 83), Shavar Thomas, Michael Harrington; Luke Sassano (Graham Zusi 46), Birahim Diop, Milos Stojcev; Korede Aiyegbusi, Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara (Kevin Ellis 63)

Subs not used: Jon Kempin, Omar Bravo, Chance Myers

Chicago Fire PDL: David Meves; Hunter Gorskie, Kevin Cope, Jonathan Raj, Tyler Polak; Jacob Bushue (Callum Mallace 46), Ian Christianson (Josey Portillo 72), Andrew Ribeiro, Chris Estridge, Harrison Petts (Brendan King 63); Paulo Vaz

Subs not used: Jordan Godsey, Drew Russell, Goffin Boyoko, Bryan Ciesiulka

Stats:
Shots: SKC 14; CHI PDL 5
Shots on Goal: SKC 5; CHI PDL 1
Saves: SKC 1; CHI PDL 2
Fouls: SKC 8; CHI PDL 11
Offside: SKC 0; CHI PDL 4
Corner Kicks: SKC 3; CHI PDL 1

Misconduct Summary:
CHI: Jonathan Raj (Caution; Reckless Foul) – 59th
SKC: Birahim Diop (Caution; Reckless Foul) – 87th

Attendance: 4,487

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Chicago Fire PDL, Kei Kamara, Milos Stokcev, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards, Teal Bunbury

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Richmond Kickers pull off $10,000 upset over Columbus Crew

June 29, 2011 by Josh Hakala

Columbus Crew - Richmond Kickers 2011 3rd Round
Photo: Columbus Crew

In a round that included a number of close games, the Richmond Kickers became the only lower division team of the Third Round to pull off an upset in the US Open Cup, defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1 at Crew Stadium. Matthew Delicate’s diving header in the 85th minute proved to be the difference as the Kickers eliminated the 10-man Crew, who had reached the Open Cup Final last year.

After the two teams traded first half goals, the game changed in the 67th minute  when a confrontation between Richmond’s Ryan Heins and Columbus’ Danny O’Rourke resulted in a red card being shown to O’Rourke. Richmond wasn’t able to capitalize on the advantage until the 85th minute when Delicate’s game-winner sent the Kickers to the Quarterfinals for the fifth time in club history, and the second time as a third division side (2007).

When the Third Round dust settled, the Kickers were $10,000 richer as the third division club who advanced the furthest in this year’s tournament.

After a slow start between the two teams, it was the visitors who broke through first with Nozomi Hiroyama’s first career goal for the Kickers. Former Crew player Stanley Nyazamba found Hiroyama at the top of the box who sent a bending ball into the back of the net to give the Kickers the lead.

In the 37th minute, Grossman hooked up with fellow rookie Justin Meram to tie the game up at 1-1. Meram broke into the penalty area and found Grossman, at the far post,  for his first professional goal.

After halftime, the 67th minute proved to be an important turning point as the Crew dodged a bullet when a Delicate header hit the post and was cleared by the Columbus defense. Moments later, O’Rourke was sent off after he retaliated on some physical play from Richmond’s Heins.

One-And-Done Finalists (1995-present)
The Crew aren’t the first team to lose their first game after making the championship game the year before.1999 Chicago Fire (1998 champions)
2000 Colorado Rapids  (1999 runner-up)
2003 Columbus Crew  (2002 runner-up)
2004 Metrostars/NY Red Bulls  (2003 runner-up)
2007 Chicago Fire (2006 champions)
2007 Los Angeles Galaxy  (2006 runner-up)

Even short a man, Columbus continued to hold possession and create chances. The best chance of the half came in the 80th minute when Tom Heinemann’s one-timer forced a big save from Richmond goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale.

Five minutes later, Edson Elcock sent a long ball ahead to Delicate and he dove and headed the ball past Andy Gruenebaum to give the Kickers the lead. Delicate’s goal was his third of the tournament, putting him in a tie for second behind teammate David Bulow’s 5 tallies.

The game-winner gives Delicate nine career Open Cup goals which puts him in a tie for fifth on the Modern Era’s (1995-present) goalscoring chart. The other players deadlocked with him at 9 include Josh Wolff, Carlos Ruiz, Randi Patterson and Tomas Boltnar.

The win avenges a nearly decade-old result when the Crew defeated the Kickers 3-0 in the Third Round of the 2002 Open Cup on a pair of goals by Brian McBride and another by Dante Washington.

It was the first time in Columbus history that they were eliminated by a third division club, and only the second time in club history that they were eliminated by a lower division team in regulation (1999 – Rochester Raging Rhinos).

TheCup.us Match MVP: Matthew Delicate

Scoring Summary

RIC – Nozomi Hiroyama (Stanley Nyazamba) – 20th min.
CLB – Cole Grossman (Justin Meram) – 37th min.
RIC – Matthew Delicâte (Edson Elcock) – 85th min.

Lineups

Crew:
GK Andy Gruenebaum, Korey Veeder (Andy Iro 88’), Eric Gehrig, Kevin Burns, Danny O’Rourke, Santiago Prim (Tom Heinemann 59’), Cole Grossman, Dehan Rusmir, Robbie Rogers (Anor 87’), Justin Meram, Jeff Cunningham

Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, Sascha Görres, Henry Kalungi, William Yomby, Dave Hertel, Luke Vercollone, Jamel Wallace, Ryan Heins (David Bulow – 87’), Nozomi Hiroyama (Edson Elcock – 54’), Stanley Nyazamba (Shaka Bangura – 78’), Matthew Delicâte

Shots            Saves            Fouls               Corners
Kickers:  8     Kickers:   3     Kickers:  11     Kickers:   4
Crew:   16     Crew:     1     Crew:      8      Crew:      8

Cautions:
35th minute: Dave Hertel (Richmond)
88th minute: David Bulow (Richmond)

Ejections:
67th minute: Danny O’Rourke (Columbus)

Referee: Sorin Stoica
Assistant Referees: John Safar, Britton Maier
Fourth Official: Pierre Saintil Francillon
Attendance: 1,845
Weather: Clear, 73

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Columbus Crew, Matthew Delicate, Richmond Kickers

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Orlando City’s hearts broken, 3-2, in frenzied finish at FC Dallas

June 29, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

FC Dallas - Orlando City - 2011 Third Round
FC Dallas - Orlando City - 2011 Third Round
Photo: FC Dallas

Minus overtime or penalty kicks, it does not get as dramatic a finish as what Open Cup fans witnessed from Frisco’s Pizza Hut Park Tuesday night in the Third Round of the tournament. With the host Major League Soccer side FC Dallas leading the third division Orlando City, the visitors leveled the score in stoppage time only to see the home side answer back moments later nearly at the death for a 3-2 victory.

It was a head-spinning turn of events as FC Dallas looked to be headed toward a quarterfinal match against Real Salt Lake when Yordany Alvarez stunned everyone with a blast from outside the penalty area to tie the match at 2-2. It was his second attempt as goalkeeper Kevin Hartman had tipped away a shot moments before by Alvarez, who defected from the Cuban national team in 2008 and signed with the Austin Aztex, moving with much of the team to create Orlando City this offseason.
Less than a minute later though Milton Rodriguez headed a Jackson cross by Miguel Gallardo to avert a trip into overtime for the 2010 MLS Cup runners-up. It was a second effort on Jackson’s initial corner that was not cleared.

RicardoVillar scored his first career US Open Cup goal in the 50th minute. Photo: Erik Davila | FC Dallas

Orlando City, back on domestic soil after a Friday-Sunday double-dip road trip to Antigua on the weekend, had one last gasp seconds later at the other end, but were unable to find another miracle tally.

It was a heartbreaking finish for Orlando City, who had initially taken the lead in the match courtesy of USL Pro leading scorer Maxwell Griffin, who finished a great play. Midfielder Lewis Neal crossed the ball to Kevin Molina at the back post for a flick back to the center of the six, where Griffin would rise above Ugo Ihemelu for the opening strike of the game 24 minutes in.

The man who set up the winner would provide the Dallas equalizer in the 39th minute, picking up a long ball behind the defense from Ricardo Villar and placing a shot past Gallardo for a level score at the break. It was his third consecutive match with a goal in all competitions.

Five minutes into the second stanza Villar put himself on the highlight reel with a 20-yard free kick from the left side that looped inside the far post for a 2-1 Dallas lead.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

SCORING
ORL – Max Griffin (Kevin Molino) 24th min.
DAL – Jackson (Ricardo Villar) 39th min.
DAL – Ricardo Villar 50th min.
ORL – Yordany Alvarez 90+ min.
DAL – Milton Rodriguez (Jackson) 90+ min.

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
ORL – Jerome Mechack (caution; reckless foul) 59
ORL – Max Griffin (caution; reckless foul) 61
ORL – Jack Traynor (caution; reckless foul) 68
ORL –Jamie Watson (caution; tactical foul) 72

LINEUPS

FC Dallas – Kevin Hartman, Zach Loyd (Bruno Guarda 68), Ugo Ihemelu, Andrew Wiedeman, Jair Benitez, Bobby Warshaw, Andrew Jacobson (Eric Alexander 46), Ricardo Villar, Jackson, Brek Shea, Ruben Luna (Milton Rodriguez 52).
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Moises Hernandez, Peri Marosevic, Victor Ulloa.

Orlando City SC – Miguel Gallardo, Jack Traynor (Jamie Watson 69), Demar Stewart, Rob Valentino, Jerome Mechack, Erik Ustruck, Lawrence Olum, Yordany Alvarez, Lewis Neal, Max Griffin, Kevin Molino (Dennis Chin 79).
Substitutes Not Used: Sean Kelley, Luke Boden, Justin Fojo, Charlie Campbell.

Referee: Armando Villarreal
Referee’s Assistants: Greg Boles, Jonathan Johnson
4th Official: Jorge Luna Hernandez
Attendance: 1,876
Weather: Fair, 95 degrees

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, FC Dallas/Dallas Burn, Jackson, Max Griffin, Milton Rodriguez, Orlando City SC, Ricardo Villar, Yordany Alvarez

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Chicago Fire snare narrow 1-0 road win over Rochester Rhinos

June 29, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

The old adage third time’s a charm proved to come true as the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer earned their first regulation victory in three US Open Cup trips to Rochester, downing the Rhinos 1-0 in the Third Round Tuesday night on a goal from Diego Chaves in the 37th minute.

Photo: Rochester Rhinos

The Fire had lost at Rochester 1-0 in 1999 during the Rhinos championship campaign and advanced via penalties 5-4 after a 1-1 draw in the 2005 Quarterfinals. More importantly, the victory ended a two-year run of being eliminated in the Third Round by lower division clubs, falling 1-0 to Wilmington Hammerheads in 2009 and being bounced in penalties 3-0 by the Charleston Battery after a scoreless draw a year ago.

It was the first loss at home in the 2011 campaign for the Rhinos, who entered the match 4-0-1 at Sahlen’s Stadium and in a three-way tie for second overall in the league table. And the game could have gone to overtime or penalties if it weren’t for the unfortunate goal.

Going back and forth in a scrappy contest with a reserve-filled Fire squad, the Rhinos saw Chaves send the ball out to the left flank to Corben Bone in the 37th minute. Bone would drive past a defender toward the box and let loose a ball that forced goalkeeper Neal Kitson to knock it away. The rebound popped up into the center of the box where Alfonso Motagalvan tried to clear on the volley only to see it skim off the side of his shin and fall to Chaves, who fired a low ball into inside the right post from 18 yards.

It was the fifth goal of the year for Chaves, who is second on the MLS season for the Fire in scoring and games started. He also set up the opening goal of the club’s 2-1 qualification victory against Colorado in the opening game of this year’s Open Cup campaign.

It was a crushing blow for the 5,558 on hand who had seen the Rhinos come up short on several chances in the first half hour. The first great opportunity came in the 16th minute when a turnover led to a Kendall Jagdeosingh chance that narrowly soared over the cross bar from 10 yards. Three minutes later goalkeeper Sean Johnson, one of the two regular starters in the lineup, stopped a dangerous Tony Donatelli cross from being finished. And striker Andrew Hoxie couldn’t get his foot on the ball in a heart-stopping moment around the six in the 29th minute.

Johnson, who started both of the team’s qualification matches and is 2-2-7 in the regular season, proved key in the performance, also coming out to stop a potential breakaway by Jagdeosingh in the 64th minute on a ball from Donatelli that got behind his defense. The scrappy Rhinos also nearly got the equalizer in stoppage time with a frenzy around the ball in the area, but the goal evaded them and the final whistle sounded moments later.

Even though the Rhinos have not exactly been dominant in league and Open Cup play going into the contest, the team had not been shutout in nine matches with the last coming in a scoreless draw May 20 against current league leader Orlando City.

The loss also snaps the Rhinos’ 9-game home unbeaten streak in the tournament, dating back to 2007. During that span, they were 7-0-2 (2-0 in PKs) in their home stadium.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Diego Chaves

Scoring Summary

CHI: Diego Chaves (Unassisted) – 37th min.

Lineups

Chicago: Sean Johnson, Bratislav Ristic, Josip Mikulic, Dasan Robinson (Jalil Anibaba 49), Pari Pantazoplouis; Corben Bone (Dominic Oduro 75), Mike Videira, Daniel Paladini, Gabriel Ferrari (Patrick Nyarko 46); Cristian Nazarit, Diego Chaves

Rochester: Neal Kitson; TJ Gore (Rich Costanzo 44, Troy Roberts, Tyler Bellamy, Quavas Kirk; Alfonso Motagalvan, Tony Donatelli, Michael Tanke (Isaac Kissi 79), Tyler Rosenlund; Andrew Hoxie (JC Banks 67), Kendall Jagdeosingh

Discipline

ROC: Troy Roberts 26 – caution
CHI: Mike Videira 72 – caution
ROC: Rich Costanzo 87 – caution
CHI: Cristian Nazarit 90 – caution
ROC: Alfonso Motagalvan 90 – caution

Attendance: 5,558

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Chicago Fire MLS, Diego Chaves, Rochester Rhinos, Sean Johnson

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Red Bulls win Big Apple showdown 2-1 over FC New York

June 29, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

FC New York had been looking forward to this match since they proposed an annual exhibition with the New York Red Bulls during their expansion announcement back on April 1, 2009. The USL Pro side finally got their chance to take on Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, but this game was much more than a proposed friendly. It was a Third Round match in the 2011 US Open Cup, and although they scored a stunning opening goal, they couldn’t hold on as the Red Bulls won 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

John Rooney strike gave Red Bulls victory Photo: Getty Images

It was an important win for the Red Bulls who are aiming to put their recent Open Cup struggles behind them. This marked the first Open Cup game in their new stadium, and they had not won a game in the tournament since 2006. In fact, they had not tasted victory in front of their home fans in the competition since the 2003 Semifinals.

The Red Bulls controlled much of the first half, peppering FC New York goalkeeper Steve Diaz. However, Diaz held his composure and kept the USL side even. He had a couple good saves in the first half, one coming in the 28th minute as Corey Hertzog hit a shot from the top of the box. Diaz juggled the ball, but eventually held on to make the save.

Later, in the 40th minute, FC New York would get a great chance to take the lead as the team’s leading scorer in the tournament, Jhonny Arteaga, received a cross at the six yard box. He one-timed it toward goal, but Red Bulls keeper Greg Sutton made a point blank save to keep the game scoreless. That scoreline would hold through the remainder of the half.

The second half saw more action from both sides, particularly from the Red Bulls, as they continued to test Diaz in net. In the 53rd minute Austin Da Luz ripped a shot from the top corner of the 18-yard box only to see Diaz make a fantastic save once again to keep the MLS side off the board.

Just three minutes later though, FC New York would break through. Owen Morrison hit a screamer from 30 yards out to give his team a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute. That lead, however, would be very brief.

Just two minutes after that stunner, the Red Bulls would tie it up, capitalizing on a defensive error. A failed clearance led to a header, which directed the ball to Hertzog. He took the ball near the touch line to the left of Diaz and placed it low and inside the near post at a very tough angle to equalize for the Red Bulls.

The MLS club would get its winner in the 65th minute as John Rooney (brother of English star Wayne Rooney) took a shot from 25 yards out, placing it low and inside the left post to give his team a 2-1 edge that they would not relinquish. Tim Ream, in his return from playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the United States, set up the goal.

The Red Bulls would get more chances to extend their lead later in the match. They might have had a claim to earning a kick from the penalty spot as Juan Agudelo, also back from the Gold Cup, was pulled down inside the penalty area in the 71st minute. They would receive one last great chance in the 85th as the US international received a cross from Marcos Paullo, who was stationed on the right sideline. Agudelo hit a shot mere feet from the goal, but Diaz once again came up with an outstanding save for FC New York, keeping a potential tying goal within reach. That goal would never come, though, as the match finished 2-1 in favor of the Red Bulls.

The New York Red Bulls now hit the road for their Quarterfinal match. They are slated to play the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on July 12 at 8:30 PM ET in a rematch of the 2003 US Open Cup Final. Chicago won that match 1-0 at Giants Stadium.

TheCup.us Match MVP: John Rooney

Scoring Summary:

FCNY – Owen Morrison (unassisted) 56’
RBNY – Corey Hertzog (Juan Agudelo) 58’
RBNY – John Rooney (Tim Ream) 65’

Misconduct Summary:

FCNY – Mike Aquino 34’ (yellow caution card)
RBNY – Tim Ream 38’ (yellow caution card)
FCNY – Karsten Smith 60’ (yellow caution card)

Lineups:

New York Red Bulls – Greg Sutton, Mike Jones, Tim Ream (Sachir Hot 46’), Stephen Keel, Matt Kassel, Teddy Schneider (Tyler Lassiter 67’), Austin da Luz, John Rooney, Marcos Paullo, Corey Hertzog, Juan Agudelo

FC New York – Steve Diaz, Troy Cole, Karsten Smith, Kyle Hoffer, Josiah Snelgrove (David Reed 65’), Gary Boughton (Don Smart 55’) , Qwame Holder, Mike Aquino, Tadeu Terra, Bradley Welch (Owen Morrison 46’), Johnny Arteaga

Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Referee’s Assistant: Brian Dunn, Thomas Zabloci
Attendance: 2,074

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Chicago Fire MLS, Corey Hertzog, FC New York, John Rooney, Juan Agudelo, New York Red Bulls/Metrostars, Owen Morrison, Steve Diaz

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Bracket A: FC New York at NY Red Bulls; Chicago Fire at Rochester Rhinos

June 27, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

THIRD ROUND

FC New York at New York Red Bulls
June 28, 8 p.m. ET – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, NJ
Video/Audio: Video: New York Red Bulls; Audio: TBA

Chicago Fire at Rochester Rhinos
June 28, 7:35 p.m. ET  Sahlen’s Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
Video/Audio: Video: USL Live; Radio: Rochester

FC New York

The club is an expansion side playing in USL Pro.

First Round: Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) 0:3 FC New York (USL Pro) 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 [+]

Second Round: NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) 0:0 (AET, 5:6 PK) FC New York (USL Pro) The two Big Apple clubs played to a stalemate and needed extra rounds of penalties to decide the tiebreaker. In the seventh round, a shot from the Freedoms rang off the post, sending FC New York through. Recap [+]

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

This Month in USL Pro: In a light month for the club, it has been feast or famine in league play, just as it has been in the two rounds of Open Cup play. They opened the month with a 1-1 draw against visiting Charleston June 3 on an equalizer from Graciano Brito. They then blanked Dayton June 10, on tallies from Troy Cole, Jhonny Arteaga and Gary Boughton, before falling 2-0 at home to Richmond. Idle between the opening two rounds of the Open Cup, New York returned to league play at home last Friday with a scoreless draw against Richmond. They are currently in fourth place in the USL Pro National Division with a 3-5-5 overall record.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament.

New York Red Bulls

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

This Month in MLS: In a continuation of a lengthy road run, the Red Bulls fell 4-2 in Seattle Thursday despite pulling even from a two-goal hole on a Dane Richards strike and own goal. They then traveled to Chicago Sunday and played to a 1-1 draw, with Joel Lindpere tallying the opening goal in the 40th minute. New York came away with a dramatic come-from-behind 3-3 draw at Portland June 19. 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 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. Their final game before Round 3 on Sunday saw the Red Bulls nearly pick up their first-ever win at Toyota Park, but Chicago’s Marco Pappa equalized in the 58th minute and both teams had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Joel Lindpere scored the lone goal for New York.
Last Five: D-L-D-W-D | Season record: 5-3-9 (4-1-3 at home), tied for second place in Eastern Conference, sixth 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) | 2-2-0 vs. 3rd Division teams

Rochester Rhinos

Founded in 1996, the Rhinos are arguably the most successful professional club outside of Major League Soccer, winning three professional second division titles in six league finals appearances. The club, which has also reached the Open Cup Final twice and won it in 1999, has never failed to qualify for the tournament.

First Round: Phoenix SC (USASA) 1:2 Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro) The Rhinos took the initial lead through JC Banks in the 27th minute of the First Round Tuesday, and Anthony Hamilton doubled the advantage from the spot in the 55th. Visiting Phoenix SC made it a tense finish with a strike midway through the second half to make it 2-1, but Rochester’s defense held on. Recap [+]

Second Round: Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro) 1:0 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) In a showdown of two league foes, it looked as though the match was headed to overtime before Kendall Jagdeosingh was taken down in the box for a late penalty, which was converted by Tony Donatelli in the 89th minute. Recap [+]

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

This Month in USL Pro: Rochester finished unbeaten on the month, with a stoppage time winner from JC Banks against Dayton Saturday evening. Rochester traveled to Pittsburgh last week to blank the Riverhounds 3-0 June 17, on first half goals from Rich Costanzo, Andrew Hoxie and Drew Cost. They opened the month with a two-game visit to Antigua, winning 2-1 June 3 on a pair of Hoxie goals, and nabbing a last-minute 2-2 draw two nights later with equalizers from Donatelli and goalkeeper Neal Kitson. They returned home for a 1-0 victory against Harrisburg June 11 on a strike from Jagdeosingh. The Rhinos are in first place in the National Division with a 7-4-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club is most famous for its 1999 US Open Cup championship run with four victories over MLS clubs (Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, Colorado) after needing overtime to defeat PDL side New York Freedoms 2-1. The Rhinos also reached the final in their debut season in 1996, beating Tampa Bay and Colorado before falling to DC United in the final at RFK Stadium. Rochester also advanced versus MLS opposition in 2004, edging New England in penalties after a 1-1 draw, and 2005, topping New York 3-1. Both games were in the Fourth Round. The Rhinos reached the Semifinals for a third time in 2009, eliminating Columbus via penalties in a Third Round 1-1 draw and downing third division Wilmington 2-1 in the Quarterfinals, before being eliminated 2-1 by DC. Last year Rochester blanked the PDL Dayton Dutch Lions 2-0 and third division Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-0 before falling 2-1 to the Crew in the Third Round. The Rhinos also have the distinction as the lower division club that has eliminated the most MLS teams with nine. (7-10-4 overall, 2-2 in PKs)
PRO ERA RECORD: 27-12-5 (3-2 in PKs) overall | 18-3-5 vs. pro teams (all as 2nd Division franchise) | 7-10-4 (2-2 in PKs) vs. MLS

Chicago Fire vs. Rochester Rhinos: This will be the third all-time meeting between the Chicago Fire and the Rochester Rhinos in the tournament. In 1999, fresh off their Open Cup title in their inaugural season the year prior, the Fire were stunned by becoming the first of what would be four consecutive MLS upsets by the Rhinos. Yuri Alnutt scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win for the Rhinos in the Third Round, as they would move on to replace the Fire as Open Cup champions that year. In the 2005 Quarterfinals, they would meet again, but this time it was the Fire that would move on.  Samuel Callabrero and Doug Miller traded goals in regulation, but the match would have to be decided by penalty kicks, and the Fire won 5-4.

Chicago Fire

How They Qualified: Seeded fourth overall, the Fire opened the play-in tournament in the second round of the western bracket of MLS qualifying. They defeated the defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids March 30 with a 2-1 victory. Gaston Puerari, who was recently sold to Atlas (Mexico), scored the opening goal moments before the break, with Andre Akpan answering back in early in the second stanza. In the haze remaining from flares set off at the hour mark, defender Jalil Anibaba let loose a shocking 45-yard strike that surprised the keeper and proved to be the winner. Trailing San Jose by two goals in the finale for the bracket, Chicago’s Orr Barouch pulled a goal back in the 61st and Yamith Cuesta leveled terms in the 76th, sending the match to penalties, where two Earthquakes rang shots off the crossbar in a 5-4 decision to send the Fire to the Open Cup.

This Month in MLS: Chicago played to a scoreless draw at home against Real Salt Lake Wednesday in the first of two games on the week. They hosted New York on Sunday, rallying for a 1-1 draw on a strike in the 58th minute from Marco Pappa, who just returned from the Gold Cup. The Fire played its fourth league match of the month June 18, when they traveled to New England and drew the Revolution 1-1, with Dominic Oduro scoring the opening goal. They opened the month with a scoreless draw at home against the Seattle Sounders June 4, and repeated the outcome June 9 against fellow play-in qualifier Sporting Kansas City in the MLS debut of LiveStrong Sporting Park. Sean Johnson recorded both shutouts. The club extended an unbeaten streak to five games with a 1-0 road victory June 12 against the Columbus Crew, with a stoppage time winning goal from Cristian Nazarit and Johnson registering a third consecutive clean sheet. Last Five: D-D-D-W-D | Season Record: 2-4-11 (1-3-5 Away), tied for sixth in Eastern Conference, 15th overall.

Open Cup History: The Fire are one of the most successful Pro Era teams, winning the Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006) and finishing runner-up in 2004. The team has qualified for the Open Cup every year since their founding in 1998. However, since the 2006 Cup title, the team has only won one game in the tournament since, going 1-3-1 (0-1 in PKs). Two of those four losses came against third division teams (Wilmington in 2009, Charleston in PKs in 2010), as did their sole win (Cleveland in 2008), with their other losses against MLS’s DC United (2008) and second division Carolina RailHawks (2007). Last year, the team played a scoreless draw against the Charleston Battery in the third round, then couldn’t find the net in a penalty shoot, losing 3-0.
PRO ERA RECORD: 25-8-3 (2-1 in PKs) | 4-1-1 (0-1 in PKs) vs. 3rd Division teams

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Scenarios

NY Red Bulls / FC NY at Chicago Fire
Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill. – 8:30 pm ET
OR
NY Red Bulls / FC NY at Rochester Rhinos
Sahlen’s Stadium – Rochester, NY – 7:35 pm ET

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Chicago Fire MLS, FC New York, New York Red Bulls/Metrostars, Rochester Rhinos

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Bracket D: Kitsap Pumas at Seattle Sounders; LA Blues at LA Galaxy

June 27, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

THIRD ROUND

Kitsap Pumas at Seattle Sounders
June 29, 10 p.m. ET  Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
Video/Audio: Video: Seattle; Audio: Kitsap

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

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.

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 [+]

Second Round: Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 1:3 Kitsap Pumas (PDL)
In a showdown of PDL unbeatens, the Pumas grabbed the initial lead through Cameron Hepple 17 minutes in, only to see the visitors get level six minutes later via an own goal from Steve Mohn. Robbie Christner restored the advantage just before the break in the 43rd, and provided some insurance with another goal two minutes before the close of the game. Recap [+]

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, 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 the 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.

This Month in USL PDL: Kitsap was idle this week in league play after defeating fellow PDL side Real Colorado in the Open Cup. The previous week the Pumas posted a 4-1 win over visiting Abbotsford June 17. Brian Burke tallied to give the lead to Kitsap, who saw goalkeeping star Zach Lubin from the First Round match sent off in the 72nd. Abbotsford then leveled before the Pumas tallied two unanswered from Nik Besagno and Matt Friesen shorthanded. They opened the month with a pair of road victories, downing Washington Crossfire 2-1 June 8 and the Portland Timbers U23s in a wild 3-2 decision June 3. 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 had 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: 3-2-0 overall | 0-1-0 vs. pro teams (0-0-0 vs. MLS)

Seattle Sounders

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

Photo: Jane Gershovich | Prost Amerika Soccer

This Month in MLS: Seattle won the first of two games this week, downing the New York Red Bulls Thursday evening 4-2, in a game where a two-goal lead from Erik Friberg and Osvaldo Alonso was erased, before Roger Levesque scored two off the bench. They played host to the New England Revolution Sunday, coming from behind for a 2-1 win on goals from Tyson Wahl and Alvaro Fernandez. The Sounders played their third match of the month June 18 in Toronto, edging the hosts on a 90th free kick from Fredy Montero, after playing nearly the entire second half down a man from Jhon Kennedy Hurtado’s send-off. 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-W-W-D-D | Season Record: 8-4-7 (5-2-3 Home), Tied for second in Western Conference, Second 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. They became 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. Their victims this time were the Columbus Crew, the final score 2-1 in front of the largest Final crowd ever. Seattle has earned both titles, only playing non-MLS opposition twice (defeating the Portland Timbers in the Third Round both years). The first Puget Sound Showdown against Kitsap marks the first time the team has played a non-first or second division side.
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, nor by the Kitsap Pumas, who gained the USL Sounders’ franchise rights.

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.

First Round:  Hollywood United (NPSL) 1:3 LA Blues (USL Pro)
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 [+]

Second Round: LA Blues (USL Pro) 1:0 Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
In a closely fought contest, the professional club came out on top with a strike from Israel Sesay just before halftime, putting away a rebound after a Chukwudi Chijindu breakaway was stuffed point blank by Fusion goalkeeper Sam Hayden. Recap [+]

This Month in USL Pro: Aside from the Open Cup contests, the Blues were idle in June prior to Friday’s first of two meetings against visiting Harrisburg City Islanders on the weekend. LA found themselves trailing in the 53rd minute, but answered back six minutes later when Chijindu found Josh Tudela for the equalizer in a 1-1 draw. They finished the weekend with a 2-1 loss to the City Islanders, getting a consolation strike from Sesay eight minutes from time. The team is 5-3-3 and sits third in the USL Pro National Division.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament.

Los Angeles Galaxy

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

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

This Month in MLS: On Saturday, Los Angeles earned a scoreless draw under unlikely circumstances in San Jose, losing starting keeper Donovan Ricketts to an apparent broken arm early and then Josh Saunders to a red card just before halftime, leaving midfielder Mike Magee as the netminder for the remainder of the match. The Galaxy played their third match of the month in Colorado June 18 , posting a 3-1 victory with Juninho doubling the advantage after an own goal and Chad Barrett securing the victory late. 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: D-W-D-D-W | Season Record: 9-2-8 (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

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.

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Scenarios

LA Galaxy / LA Blues at Seattle Sounders
Starfire Sports Stadium – Tukwila, Wash. – 10:00 pm ET
OR
Kitsap Pumas at LA Galaxy
Titan Stadium – Fullerton, Calif. – 10:30 pm ET
OR
LA Blues at Kitsap Pumas
Bremerton Memorial Stadium – Bremerton, Wash. – 10:00 pm ET

–

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Third Round, 2011 US Open Cup Third Round, Kitsap Pumas, Los Angeles Blues, Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders MLS

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

U.S. Open Cup History

1995 us open cup rewind graphic

1995 US Open Cup Rewind series: The Modern Era begins

The 30th anniversary of the 1995 Open Cup is upon us this year, and as we did with the inaugural tournament in 1913-1914, we’re going to take you back in time and relive the 1995 US Open Cup in chronological order, as it happened.

  • I-95 Quarterfinals: Best of New York-New Jersey vs. Philadelphia in US Open Cup history
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: Richmond Kickers dominate shorthanded Spartans SC … again
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: USASA orders replay for Richmond Kickers vs. Spartans SC match
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: El Paso Patriots overcome early upset scare, beat 1989 USOC champs
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: Day after a league game, Chico Rooks blank San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles

Analytics powered by

Copyright © 2025 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development