2011 US Open Cup qualifying

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (Win & You’re In): Sporting KC qualify with drubbing of 2nd string New England

May 26, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

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

It has been a difficult start to the year for Sporting Kansas City playing away from home as LIVESTRONG Sporting Park was being finished. In the final 2011 MLS qualifier for the US Open Cup though, the club was finally at home, albeit at the alternate site Blue Valley District Activities Complex, and took that frustration out amidst the rain on a second string New England Revolution side in a stunning 5-0 victory that gave them the eighth and final MLS berth in the third round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Two Chance Myers strikes in the first 19 minutes put Sporting on the path toward a record performance as they posted the largest margin of victory all-time in the league’s 30 qualification matches over the past five years. The only four-goal margin was Real Salt Lake’s 4-0 home win against San Jose in 2008. It was also only the second time a club has scored five in a game as DC defeated visiting New York 5-3 two years ago. CJ Sapong added two of the other goals and Aurelien Collin had the fifth.

Playing away from home in MLS, Sporting is 1-6-1 with two more games away from home before the debut at the new park. They have yet to post a shutout on the season in MLS play, but have now blanked two league rivals in qualifiers having edged the Houston Dynamo on the road, 1-0, in the previous round on a Sapong goal in overtime. Eric Kronberg, who has played only one league match, was in goal for both qualifier clean sheets.

Just minutes into the contest Omar Bravo worked the ball quickly down the left flank and sent a low cross through the area that found a slashing Myers at the far post for an easy finish past Bobby Shuttleworth.

Bravo again was a factor in the 19th minute when his initial shot on goal was knocked away by Shuttleworth, allowing Myers to put away the rebound to double the advantage.

Five minutes later, Sporting grabbed suffocating command of the match when Sapong redirected a cross from former Revolution defender Seth Sinovic for his second goal of the qualifying campaign. The goal marked the first time Kansas City had scored three in a qualification match, having scored twice in only one of its four previous play-in matches.

As halftime approached Pat Phelan had the first good opportunity for New England, sending a long, hopeful effort from 35 yards that nearly found the upper right corner only to sail just wide.

Just after the hour mark Ryan Smith moved up the middle quickly for Kansas City, firing on goal and forcing Shuttleworth to make a nice save to send the ball out of play. Two minutes later Graham Zusi took a shot that was flying toward the crossbar, prompting the keeper to tip it over just to make sure.

In one of the Revolution’s other rare chances, Alan Koger gathered the ball on the right side, turned and fired from 28 years, making Kronberg stretch out for a nice save in the 68th minute.

In the 81st minute Collin made it 4-0 when he headed in a Smith cross from close range.

Seven minutes later Sapong sealed the record performance on a play symbolic of the night, stealing the ball from defender Franco Coria at the top of the box and putting it into the upper corner from 16 yards for his third of the campaign, making him the leading scorer in 2011 MLS US Open Cup qualifying.

Scoring Summary
KC: Chance Myers (Omar Bravo) – 9th min.
KC: Chance Myers – 19th min.
KC: CJ Sapong (Seth Sinovic) – 24th min.
KC: Aurelien Collin (Ryan Smith) – 81st min.
KC: CJ Sapong – 88th min.

Misconduct Summary:
NE – Didier Domi (caution; Tactical Foul) 20
NE – Pat Phelan (caution; Reckless Foul) 45
NE – Alan Koger (caution; Reckless Foul) 74

Lineups:
New England Revolution – Bobby Shuttleworth (Tim Murray 72), Ryan Kinne, Franco Coria, Otto Loewy, Didier Domi, Michael Augustine (Diego Fagundez 70), Pat Phelan, Andrew Sousa, Sainey Nyassi (Zak Boggs 60), Zack Shilawski, Alan Koger
Substitutes Not Used: Darrius Barnes

Kansas City Wizards – Eric Kronberg, Michael Harrington, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic, Omar Bravo (Ryan Smith 57), Craig Rocastle (Birahim Diop 72), Chance Myers (Kei Kamara 79), Luke Sassano, Graham Zusi, C.J. Sapong
Substitutes Not Used: Jimmy Nielsen, Roger Espinoza

Referee: Sorin Stoica
Referee’s Assistants: Lance Mesman, Matthew Foerster
4th Official: Landis Wiley
Weather: Cloudy and 53 degrees
Attendance: 1,228

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: Chicago Fire rally, beat Earthquakes in PKs to keep Open Cup streak alive

May 25, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

The Chicago Fire celebrate after defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in a penalty kick shootout in the 2011 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: John Todd | isiphotos.com

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, it looked as though the Chicago Fire were going to miss the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time in team history, but a pair of second half goals and a San Jose shot off the crossbar in sudden death penalties kept the perfect appearance record intact. The rally by the visitors dashed the Earthquakes’ hopes of returning for the first time since 2005.

Twenty-year old Ellis McLoughlin gave the home side the advantage 14 minutes into the contest and Justin Morrow doubled the lead two minutes before the break for San Jose. Chicago’s comeback was kicked off by 19-year old Israeli Orr Barouch in the 61st minute with the Fire finding the equalizer from Colombian Yamith Cuesta in the 77th.

With the momentum in the Fire’s favor, overtime saw the advantage flip back to San Jose eight minutes in with the direct red card send-off of Chicago’s Gonzalo Segares, apparently for making contact of some sort with Steven Lenhart’s face. The Earthquakes, however, were unable to capitalize on the extra man and watched as the clock ticked toward penalties.

After the opening salvos were buried by Chicago’s Marco Pappa and San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski, Logan Pause sent his shot high and Sam Cronin smacked his attempt off the crossbar. Six consecutive conversions sent the tiebreaker to sudden death, where it would be decided in the sixth round. Chicago’s Daniel Paladini found the top left corner and watched as Trinidadian Scott Sealy sent his shot off the crossbar.

It was a bit of déjà vu for the Chicago and San Jose. In the Fire’s first-ever Open Cup match versus an MLS opponent in the tournament quarterfinals during their inaugural 1998 campaign, the Fire prevailed in penalties 4-3 after a 1-1 draw at the Cotton Bowl. They would go on to defeat Dallas and Columbus en route to the first of their four tournament titles.

Chicago has plenty of extra time experience when it comes to Open Cup related fixtures, going to overtime 14 times with a record of 7-3-4. The club is 3-1 in penalty kick tiebreakers, advancing in 10 of the 14 contests. San Jose meanwhile, is 2-1-6 in similar matches and has a lengthy, unfortunate history at the spot with only two victories in six tiebreakers.

The game could have taken a completely different path as Chicago’s Gaston Puerari, a standout in the previous qualifier, flashed a shot wide of goal just six minutes into the game.

Eight minutes later though, McLoughlin opened the scoring from the top of the penalty area after Cronin had dispossessed Paladini. The former US U17 international was making his first start for the club after entering the Portland qualifier in the 111th minute for his MLS debut. The youngster, whose shot deflected off Cuesta’s foot for the goal, has been hot of late, also scoring twice a week ago in a reserve match against Santa Clara University.

Another steal by the feisty Earthquakes created another immediate opportunity for the hosts in the 16th minute as Wondolowski put a shot on goal that forced a save from Sean Johnson.

A miscommunication by the Fire in their own half allowed San Jose another opportunity just before the break that proved fruitful. Steven Beitashour was able to acquire possession and send a through ball on to Anthony Ampaipitakwong, who delivered it to McLoughlin for a chance at a second on the night. Johnson made the stop, but allowed the ball to come out directly to Morrow for the easy three-yard finish in the 43rd minute.

Chicago got off to a similar start to the second half as they did the first as Pappa sent a shot from the top of the box wide of the goal in the 54th minute.

Hope at making a comeback was secured just after the hour mark when Segares squared a ball from the left side to Barouch, who sent a left-footed effort from the top of the area kissing off the inside of the right post and into the back of the net to slice the deficit in half. A new addition to the club, the Israeli-born striker joined the club after helping lead the Tigres U20 team to a runners-up finish in the Mexican Clausura.

A give-and-go between Wondolowski and Sealy nearly restored the two-goal advantage for the hosts only to see Wondolowski’s shot stopped by Johnson in the 71st.

Five minutes later though, the Earthquakes found themselves under fire. Dominic Oduro squared a ball to Christian Nazarit, who had an open look at goal denied by San Jose defender Bobby Burling. Less than a minute later though, the ball was sent into the fray from the corner, allowing Cuesta to get his boot on it and slip it past Weber, who erred on the play.

Four minutes into stoppage time Sealy made one final effort for San Jose only to see Johnson make the save seconds before the whistle to end regulation.

Eight minutes into extra time San Jose’s Khari Stephenson received a yellow card for a harsh tackle, but amidst the confusion afterword Segares would receive the surprising red card, reducing the visitors to 10 men.

The rest of overtime was rather uneventful as San Jose’s Stephen Lenhart turned and let off a shot in stoppage time of the first session that missed. Shortly after play resumed Nazarit fired a 40-yard free kick toward goal that forced Weber to tip it over the goal for a Fire corner. Pappa had the final chance for Chicago in the 111th minute, sending into the hands of Weber.

SCORING
SJ – Ellis McLoughlin 14
SJ – Justin Morrow 43
CHI – Orr Barouch (Gonzalo Segares) 61
CHI – Yamith Cuesta 76

PENALTY KICK TIEBREAKER
Chicago (5): Pappa goal, Pause miss (high), Nazarit goal, Barouch goal, Oduro goal, Paladini goal
San Jose (4): Wondolowski goal, Cronin miss (off crossbar), Corrales goal, Stephenson goal, McDonald goal, Sealy miss (off crossbar)

MISCONDUCT:
SJ – Chris Wondolowski (caution) 37
CHI – Yamith Cuesta (caution) 39
CHI – Daniel Paladini (caution) 63
SJ – Brad Ring (caution) 69
CHI – Orr Barouch (caution) 69
CHI – Bratislav Ristic (caution) 74
CHI – Cristian Nazarit (caution) 89
SJ – Khari Stephenson (caution) 97
CHI – Gonzalo Segares (ejection) 98

LINEUPS:
Chicago – Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba (Dominic Oduro 46), Yamith Cuesta, Dasan Robinson (Cory Gibbs 88), Gonzalo Segares; Bratislav Ristic, Daniel Paladini, Logan Pause, Marco Pappa; Cristian Nazarit, Gaston Puerari (Orr Barouch 46)
Substitutes not used: Jon Conway, Corben Bone, Baggio Husidic, Pari Pantazopoulos

San Jose – Andrew Weber; Steven Beitashour, Bobby Burling, Brandon McDonald, Ramiro Corrales; Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Steven Lenhart 83), Sam Cronin, Brad Ring (Khari Stephenson 71), Justin Morrow; Ellis McLoughlin (Scott Sealy 46), Chris Wondolowski
Substitutes not used: Jon Busch, Bobby Convey, Matt Luzunaris, Ike Opara

Referee: Daniel Radford
Referee’s Assistants: Mike Kampmeinert, Colin Arblaster
4th Official: Yader Reyes
Weather: Clear and 62 degrees
Attendance: 4,124

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: Cup veterans NY Pancyprian Freedoms qualify along with first timers Phoenix SC (Video)

May 22, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Phoenix SC opening goal – Murtagh free kickIn two very contrasting USASA Region I semifinal matches, the three-time US Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the fifth time in the Pro Era with a dramatic 4-2 victory against Mass Premier Soccer while Phoenix SC of Philadelphia shutout Go Soccer FC 3-0 to advance to the tournament for the first time. Both clubs won on the road.

Mass Premier Soccer 2:4 New York Pancyprian Freedoms

It was a tale of two halves. Sometimes cliches are over-used, but there is no better way to describe the USASA Region I Semifinal match between Mass Premier Soccer and the visiting New York Pancyprian Freedoms Sunday afternoon as the New Yorkers rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win 4-2 and claim a berth to the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Meeting for the first time, the sides felt each other out for the first 20 minutes before strategies started too take shape. MPS would absorb a Pancyprian attack and look to pick off the small passes and quickly counter with speed.

The strategy worked as planned when the MPS defense stole a through ball and quickly advanced it through midfield in the 24^th minute. One touch outside and Nick Tornaritis whipped in a deadly cross which found rumbling forward Dan Rudolph. Rudolph got his head to it, and the ball struck the post. However, his persistence paid off as he collected his own rebound and slotted it home for opening tally of the game.

New York tried to respond but they were settling for long range blasts that goalkeeper Nick Armington was handling well. MPS kept the ball in New York’s half for the majority of the play and the pressure paid off.

2011 New York Pancyprian Freedoms: Standing (Left to Right): Nick Katsanos, Chris Iordanou, Tasso Polydefkis, Mahamadu Simpara, Pete Halkidis, Matia Damiani, John Koutsounadis, Stefan Dimitrov, Peter Pavlakos, Jon Simos | Seating (Left to Right): Nick Christopher, Chris Zisimatos, Chad Calderone, Stelios Andreou, Jeff Matteo, Tommy Vlahos, Julio Cesar Dos Santos, Billy Antoniou

Nearing halftime, Matt Nolan made a cheeky run down the right flank and, after juggling the ball over a New York defender, he was brought down hard outside the box. The foul warranted a New York yellow card, but moments later the foul would prove more costly. From about 30 yards out, Matt Hoff let loose a rocket of a free kick that careened off a Freedoms defender and deflected into the net two minutes before the break, doubling the advantage.

Each club made two changes at the half, and from the get-go you could see it was going to be a different game. New York came out fired up clearly did not want to make a five-hour drive home without earning a berth in the US Open Cup. The Freedoms began to attack the flanks instead of trying go though the heart of the MPS defense, and it started to stretch MPS.

Their new game plan paid off quickly as they halved the MPS lead in the 48th minute. Attacking down the right flank the Freedoms had MPS on their heels and defenders out of position. A great cross from Anastasios Polydefkis found the foot of an onrushing Stefan Dimitrov who calmly finished off a great goal.

After the strike, you could almost feel the momentum shift and New York knew they were back in the game.

Less than five minutes later the Freedoms would strike again on a goal by Julio Cesar Dos Santos. The two-time USL Pro scoring champion and MVP received a through ball from Dimitrov, and after taking a great touch towards goal, he was able to beat the MPS keeper and even the game at the 53^rd minute mark.

With the game back to par, MPS tried to regain its composure but the tide had shifted. With New York dominating possession and the MPS defenders constantly on their heels, it was only a matter of time.

Dimitrov scored New York’s go-ahead goal in the 71st minute. There was some debate as to whether Dimitrov was offside, but the assistant referee had a good view and kept the flag down. With MPS defenders caught off guard, Dimitrov collected a long range ball from Panagiotis Halkidis and was able to sneak through the flat MPS defensive line. One-on-one with the goalie, Dimitrov was composed and gave New York the 3-2 lead.

MPS had several chances to even it up, including a few chances on the opposition’s goal by Nick Christman and Dan MacGregor. But the New York defenders recovered well to cut down angles and break up the counter-attacks.

The last blow of the bout came in the 84th minute, and was again the result of flank play by the Freedoms led by John Koutsounadis and Dimitrov. Driving down the right side New York exposed the MPS backline and Dos Santos was able to get a slight touch on the Dimitrov cross, directing the ball inside the left post.

The strike sealed the club’s fifth trip to the US Open Cup in the professional era (1999, 02, 08, 10, 11) after having won the tournament three times in four years during the early eighties (1980, 82, 83).

“We are very excited,” said NYPF Manager Mike Iordanou. “We’re going to celebrate on the way back, but we have to get ready for the Cosmopolitan League playoffs next Wednesday, so we will be very busy leading into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.”

Go Soccer FC 0:3 Phoenix SC

In the second match of the day, a free kick from Dan Murtagh four minutes before the break put things in motion for the visiting Phoenix SC from Philadelphia as the club used a penalty and own goal in the second half to secure a place in the US Open Cup. The free kick from 25 yards out was curled around the wall and into the upper corner.

Six minutes into the second half captain Bob Francis doubled the lead from the spot. The penalty was the result of Phoenix breaking down the right flank through Ryan Soroka for a cross in to Murtagh, whose effort was blocked by a handball.

Phoenix put the game well out of reach courtesy of Soroka again in the 70^th. The club quickly moved up the left side through Greg Mangels to Soroka, who crossed the ball into the area. A defender, tracking back to deny another Murtagh chance made a play to intercept the cross, but sent it instead into the back of his own net.

“I think it’s great, great for the kids because they’ve worked so hard,” said head coach Blair Thomson after the match. “The players are very excited about being in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

“It has taken us a long while to get here,” added Thomson, noting that the club’s journey began last June with the club playing in events and league play before moving onto the state tournament and the current regional stages of the USASA national open cup. They will meet in the Region I Final the same Freedoms team that eliminated them in the First Round a year ago, 3-2, on an unanswered three-goal comeback led by Julio Cesar Dos Santos with two goals and an assist.

“We have only had two losses since last August. We are hoping that we can take the next step. It’s quite exciting,” he said about where the team is and what it means for the players, including standout striker Frebole Kamara as well as a couple of younger players that came on late in the game.

“He’s as good a player as I’ve seen,” Thomson said of his Liberian forward that put in an hour of work on the day. “He went down to DC on a trial and didn’t get past the first day, and I couldn’t believe it. Now, I hope we play well in the tournament so that he has another opportunity to be seen and get another chance.”

Match Capsules

Mass Premier Soccer 2:4 New York Pancyprian Freedoms

Scoring Summary
MPS: Dan Rudolph (Nick Tornaritis) 24
MPS: Matt Hoff 43
NY: Stefan Dimitrov (Anastasios Polydefkis) 48
NY: Julio Cesar Dos Santos (Stefan Dimitrov) 53
NY: Stefan Dimitrov (Panagiotis Halkidis) 71
NY: Julio Cesar Dos Santos (Stefan Dimitrov) 84

MPS Lineup: Dan Rudolph, Nick Tornaritis, Tommy Day, Matt Nolan, Matt Hoff, Derek Stenquist, Nick Armington, Matt Cross, John O’Reilly, Nick Chistman, Desmond Mitchell – Subs: Kevin Unger (17th minute), Dan MacGregor (Half Time) Chris Doran (Halftime)

New York Lineup: Chad Calderone, Stelios Andreou, Stefan Dimitrov, Nick Christopher, Matia Damiani, Julio Cesar Dos Santos, Jeff Matteo, Mahamadou Simpara, Peter Pavlakos, Anastasios Polydefkis, Chris Zisimatos – Subs: Billy Antoniou, Panagiotis Halkidis, John Koutsounadis, Athanasios Vlahos

Go Soccer FC 0:3 Phoenix SC

Scoring Summary
PHO: Dan Murtagh 41
PHO: Bob Francis penalty 51
PHO: GSFC own goal 70

Phoenix SC Lineup: Anthony Pratico; Bob Francis, Jack Pocorobba, Nick Pittaoulis, Greg Mangels; Dan Murtagh, Stephen Mellor (Kyle Soroka 70), Ben Castor, Ryan Soroka (Justin Dotzman 80); Scott Rowling, Frebole Kamara (Virgis Anusauskas 62)

Go Soccer Lineup: not available

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (USASA Region IV): Doxa Italia win 18-0 to secure Open Cup spot, DV8 Defenders get late PK to qualify

May 22, 2011 by Robert Jonas

On the final day of group play at the USASA Region IV tournament in Sacramento, the two US Open Cup spots available to the participating teams were secured in dramatic fashion. Doxa Italia FC of Southern California, in hammering a shorthanded CV Eagles FC squad and handing them one of the worst losses in the history of Open Cup qualifying, advanced courtesy of a goal-differential tiebreaker over Rosal FS of San Francisco. Meanwhile, the DV8 Defenders of Redwood City earned a 2-2 draw with group rival Metro FC of Albuquerque, New Mexico courtesy of a controversial stoppage time penalty kick conversion to earn the second berth in the US Open Cup.

Doxa Italia and DV8 Defenders will face off on Sunday morning for the Region IV championship. While both teams have already qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the winner of Sunday’s match gets more than just bragging rights from the weekend. They will also represent the region at the USASA National Cup Finals this July in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Doxa Italia wins Group B: With the final three games of the tournament’s group stage being played at the same time and fellow Group B squad Rosal FAS expected to beat SF Italian AC handily, Doxa Italia FC also needed a win to keep pace. Given that the two teams had drawn 1-1 the day before, which ruled out the first tiebreaker of head-to-head results being invoked to determine the group winner, goal differential was likely going to determine which team would earn qualification into the Open Cup. Doxa Italia felt it was prudent to run up the score on their overmatched opponent, CV Eagles FC, to give them the best chance to edge out Rosal FAS on the second tiebreaker.

“We had to go for it,” stated Doxa Italia player/manager Derk Droze. “As I explained to the other team, we drew with Rosal and did not want to go out of the tournament for the third straight year on goal differential. I set the expectation for my team at a 10-0 score, but my guys really responded and did even better.”

Indeed, when the San Francisco side took care of business against SF Italian, handedly winning 7-1 and giving them seven points in Group B with a +13 goal differential, the onus was on Doxa Italia to overpower the Eagles. Courtesy of their 18-0 win over the undermanned Tracy, CA side, the Southern Californian USASA powerhouse also finished with seven points in the group, but posted a whopping +24 goal differential to take Group B honors.

“It was good to get such a great result and advance to the tournament final,” shared Droze on the team’s dominating performance, “especially after losing out on qualifying for the Open Cup the last two years on goal differential to the teams that eventually advanced.”

DV8 Defenders top Group A: Entering the remaining game on the afternoon schedule, the DV8 Defenders sat three points above their opponent Metro FC in the Group A standings. Needing at least a draw to advance to the tournament final and to qualify for the Open Cup, the Redwood City outfit liked their chances, having scored 12 goals and conceding zero in two wins to open the weekend. Their opponent Metro FC was coming off a difficult morning loss to Doxa Italia and had only one substitute available for the Group A deciding game.

Both teams started off strong, but DV8 soon found their rhythm and were unlucky to not take an early lead. Metro FC held their own against the much younger Defenders and eventually showed the value of their experience in scoring the first goal of the game late in the first half. After pressuring the DV8 ‘keeper into making a poor decision on a ball near the edge of his penalty area, the Metro forwards pounced on the loose ball and smoothly converted it for an easy score. After playing so well over most of the first half, the Defenders found themselves trailing 1-0.

“We played our worst half of the tournament in that one,” said team manager Tono Aspinall. “We should really have been up three or four goals by halftime, but it was one of those games where things just didn’t go our way.”

The Defenders finally did have something go their way when early in the second half, a Metro player was sent off for a red card offense and were forced to play a man down. DV8 equalized just minutes after the ejection and had the goal they needed to clinch Group A. However, the resolve of the Albuquerque side was strong, and they overcame their disadvantage in numbers to retake the lead on a fine goal from close range that resulted from a defensive breakdown on a crossing pass into the penalty area.

As the second half drew closer to an end, Metro FC’s one goal lead still held up, and the Defenders poured forward in numbers in an effort to draw even. Entering the fourth minute of stoppage time, a controversial penalty kick was awarded to the Redwood City side after their forward was adjudged to be taken down in the box.

“With just seconds left, the referee made just a terrible, terrible call,” said Metro FC coach Johonniuss Chemwero of the penalty award. “I guess he saw a trip, but the referee never explained what he saw. To me, the referee has to be 110% certain that he is making the right call, especially at such a crucial time.”

From the perspective of the Metro FC defenders, the call was very soft and the play was best classified as a dive. As the DV8 forward dribbled the ball into the area, he was forced to make his move back toward the top of the eighteen.

“I was a few feet behind him when the referee made the call,” described Metro FC midfielder Neil Garver. “He made a big touch that took the ball away from him, and I guess he knew he was going to lose it, so he cut off our defender and fell down. He stayed on the ground while the referee looked over him. There was a least a five second delay before the referee pointed to the spot and called the penalty. It was unbelievable.”

While the Metro FC players continued to protest, The DV8 Defender striker set the ball on the penalty spot. When order had been restored, he drove home the tying goal to bring the score to 2-2. Without even allowing for a restart, the referee blew the final whistle and the DV8 Defenders had the result they needed to win Group A and collect the Open Cup bid.

“We are very happy to advance to the U.S Open Cup,” shared Aspinall. “This is our first time in the tournament, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but our guys were up for the challenge. We didn’t expect to advance, but luck was on our side with the draw that we got and we made the most of our opportunity.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Read about Day 1 of the USASA Region IV tournament here

USASA Region IV Championship Recap

In the Sunday morning tournament final, Doxa Italia FC defeated the DV8 Defenders 4-1 in a penalty kick shootout to take the USASA Region IV championship and earn a sponsored trip to the National Cup later this summer. With both teams coming off celebrations the day before at qualifying for the U.S. Open Cup, the match took some time to really get moving, but by the extra time period it was moving at a brisk pace. The penalty kick shootout fell in favor of Doxa, as two DV8 players missed the target to hand the championship to the Southern California side.

I can’t tell you how excited we are to have won this tournament,” said an ecstatic Derk Droze after the game, “and now we get to represent our region in the National Finals in Kentucky this July.”

After falling down a goal in the first half following a DV8 free kick that was directed off the head of a forward and off the inside of the goal post, Doxa Italia turned the tables in the second half with a equalizer 15 minutes from time. The Southern California club continued to press for a winner in regulation, but could not break through the Defenders’ defense.

In the extra time period, the DV8 Defenders had a golden chance to put the game away when their striker broke free of the Doxa defense and raced in on the goalkeeper one v. one. Perhaps in a rush of blood to the head, the striker mis-stepped over his dribble and the ball squirted out of reach before he was able to attempt a shot on goal. In the penalty kick shootout following extra time, two DV8 players sent their shot attempts over the cross bar while Doxa made all four of their attempts.

“Even though we lost the final, it was a good weekend for us,” summarized DV8 Defenders manager Tono Aspinall. “We enjoyed it all and had a really good time. Hopefully we can go out there and represent the Bay Area well in the Open Cup tournament in June and advance accordingly.”

Both teams can now return to their respective home areas and begin their preparations for the first round of the 2011 U.S. Open Cup on June 14. The match-ups for the 98th edition of the longest running soccer tournament in the United States will be announced shortly after the end of May, when the last of the regional qualifiers will have been completed and the field of 40 participating teams will be known.

Robert Jonas is a writer for CenterLineSoccer.com. You can send him feedback on Twitter: @RobertJonas

GROUP A	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
DV8 Defenders	3	2	0	1	7	14	2
Metro SC	3	1	1	1	4	7	8
SF Italian AC	3	0	3	0	0	1	15

GROUP B	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Doxa Italia	3	2	0	1	7	25	1
Rosal FC	3	2	0	1	7	16	3
CV Eagles FC	3	0	3	0	0	1	35

Region IV Tournament Schedule

May 20
Group A	SF Italian AC	0:5	Metro SC	6:00 pm ET
Group B	Rosal FC	1:1	Doxa Italia FC	6:00 pm ET
Cross-over	CV Eagles FC (B)	0:9	DV8 Defenders (A)	6:00 pm ET
May 21
Group A	DV8 Defenders	2:0	SF Italian AC	Noon ET
Group B	Rosal FC	8:1	CV Eagles FC	Noon ET
Cross-over	Metro SC (A)	0:6	Doxa Italia FC (B)	Noon ET

Group A	DV8 Defenders	2:2	Metro SC	6:00 pm ET
Group B	Doxa Italia FC	18:0	CV Eagles FC	6:00 pm ET
Cross-over	SF Italian AC (A)	1:7	Rosal FC (B)	6:00 pm ET

FINAL
May 22	Doxa Italia FC	1:1 (4:1 PKs)	DV8 Defenders	Noon ET

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL West): Kitsap Pumas and Portland Timbers U23s finish dead even, successfully lobby for tiebreaking match

May 21, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

US Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

The Western Conference has a new set of dominant teams in recent years, as the Kitsap Pumas (back-to-back Northwest representatives) and Ventura County Fusion (2009 PDL champions, 2010 Southwest representative) look to make their mark by qualifying for the US Open Cup once again in 2011. 11 other teams have other ideas, and that includes the Portland Timbers U23s, who have to be scratching their heads at last year’s results. They finished 16-0 in the regular season, and won another four straight in the playoffs to finish as PDL champion with a perfect 20-0 record, the first in history. Yet they fell short to the Pumas on account of goal differential. They will surely be looking for another shot as they look to extend their streak.

Here is the how the Western Conference is currently shaping up:

Northwest Division
Final Results – Pending Fifth Match [+]

The much anticipated meeting between the Portland Timbers U23s and Kitsap Pumas, who both finished the qualifying slate 4-0-0 a year ago with Kitsap advancing via tiebreakers, finished in a surprising scoreless draw. But both teams held serve the rest of the way, defeating each of their other opponents. The final game pitted the Timbers against the Tacoma Tide, where a potential 2-0 Timbers victory would lead to a coin flip. They did exactly that. The Pumas and Timbers are tied on points, head-to-head, goal difference (+7), and goals scored (7). The first time a lottery was conducted was back in 2006, when the Des Moines Menace and Boulder Rapids Reserve finished dead even at second place in the Central Conference at 3-1 with a +5 GD and 7 goals scored. At the time, the top two in the conference qualified, and the Michigan Bucks won first place with a 4-0 record. The Menace won the lottery, and rode that all the way to the Third Round, which ended in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.

But Kitsap Pumas General Manager Ben Pecora had a great idea. The teams were to meet again at Portland’s Jeld-Wen Field on Friday anyway, why not make it a tiebreaker, to settle the score on the field? The Timbers, the USL, and US Soccer all agreed to it, and they will play on Friday, June 3 with the final US Open Cup spot on the line. If the game is tied after regulation, the match for regular season purposes will count as a draw, but the Open Cup spot will be decided by a penalty shootout.

NORTHWEST DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Kitsap Pumas	4	3	0	1	10	10	1	7	+7
Portland Timbers U23s	4	3	0	1	10	10	0	7	+7
North Sound SeaWolves	4	0	2	2	2	2	5	2	-3
Tacoma Tide	4	0	2	2	2	5	12	5	-5
Washington Crossfire	4	0	2	2	2	2	11	2	-6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7	Washington Crossfire	0:0	North Sound SeaWolves	10:00
May 13	North Sound SeaWolves	2:2	Tacoma Tide	10:00
May 14	Washington Crossfire	0:3	Kitsap Pumas	4:00
May 15	Portland Timbers U23s	6:0	Washington Crossfire	9:00
May 21	Portland Timbers U23s	0:0	Kitsap Pumas	10:00
May 23	Tacoma Tide	2:2	Washington Crossfire	10:00
May 25	North Sound SeaWolves	0:2	Portland Timbers U23s	2:00
May 27	Kitsap Pumas	6:1	Tacoma Tide	10:00
May 29	Kitsap Pumas	1:0	North Sound SeaWolves	6:00
May 29	Tacoma Tide	0:2	Portland Timbers U23s	8:00
FIFTH MATCH TIEBREAKER
June 3	Kitsap Pumas	at	Portland Timbers U23s	2:00

Southwest Division
Final Results

The Fresno Fuego finished qualifying with a perfect 4-0 record after defeating the Ogden Outlaws 4-1 on May 21. They then had to wait a week for fellow unbeaten Ventura County Fusion to play its final match as the Fusion were capable of finishing level, but better on tiebreakers. On Saturday night, the holiday weekend news was cause for celebration in Los Angeles while their rivals to the north experienced disappointment. Ventura County blanked the Southern California Seahorses , 4-0, with Mark Magee scoring two goals that propelled the Fusion past Fresno in the tiebreakers, clinching the US Open Cup berth from the division. Southern California was also 3-0 in the battle of unbeatens, but had been previously eliminated due to the tiebreaker scenario with Fresno.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Ventura County Fusion	4	4	0	0	12	21	3	12	+12
Fresno Fuego	4	4	0	0	12	13	3	11	+10
Southern California Seahorses	4	3	1	0	9	5	4	5	+1
Orange County Blue Star	4	2	2	0	6	11	9	8	+1
Ogden Outlaws	4	0	3	1	1	3	9	3	-6
BYU Cougars	4	1	2	1	4	1	5	1	-4
Los Angeles Misioneros	4	0	4	0	0	1	13	1	-9
Los Angeles Blues 23	4	1	3	0	3	2	11	2	-6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 1	Orange County Blue Star	4:0	Los Angeles Misioneros	8:00
May 7	Los Angeles Blues 23	0:5	Orange County Blue Star	8:00
May 7	Ventura County Fusion	6:1	Los Angeles Misioneros	8:00
May 12	BYU Cougars	0:2	Fresno Fuego	10:00
May 13	Los Angeles Blues 23	0:4	Ventura County Fusion	10:00
May 14	Los Angeles Misioneros	0:1	So. California Seahorses	7:30
May 14	Ogden Outlaws	2:4	Fresno Fuego	10:00
May 20	Fresno Fuego	3:0	BYU Cougars	10:00
May 20	Orange County Blue Star	2:7	Ventura County Fusion	10:00
May 21	Fresno Fuego	4:1	Ogden Outlaws	8:00
May 21	So. California Seahorses	2:0	Los Angeles Blues 23	10:00
May 24	Ogden Outlaws	0:0	BYU Cougars	9:30
May 25	So. California Seahorses	2:0	Orange County Blue Star	8:00
May 28	BYU Cougars	1:0	Ogden Outlaws	8:00
May 28	Los Angeles Misioneros	0:2	Los Angeles Blues 23	10:00
May 28	Ventura County Fusion	4:0	So. California Seahorses	10:00

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL South): El Paso Patriots qualify, Central Florida Kraze repeats as entrant

May 21, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

US Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion off the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

The Southern Conference has undergone a massive overhaul from last year, including many new additions, as well as a few losses. One of those losses was the DFW Tornados, last year’s Mid-South representative and the last remaining USL franchise from its humble indoor beginnings back in 1986. Teams to watch for are the El Paso Patriots (who have qualified every odd-numbered year since 2001) and the Central Florida Kraze (last year’s Southeast representative). They have qualified three times each from the PDL. Ten other teams will be looking to earn their own opportunity to fight for the US Open Cup as one of two representatives from the South.

Here is the how the Southern Conference is currently shaping up:

Mid-South Division
Final Results

The Chivas El Paso Patriots (as they are known this year) have qualified for their ninth US Open Cup (fourth as a member of the PDL) after defeating the Baton Rouge Capitals 1-0. With that, they finished with a perfect 4-0 record, and have continued their streak in qualifying for the US Open Cup every other year since 2001.

MID-SOUTH DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Chivas El Paso Patriots	4	4	0	0	12	7	2	7	+5
Laredo Heat	4	3	1	0	9	6	3	6	+3
New Orleans Jesters	4	2	2	0	6	5	6	5	-1
West Texas United Sockers	4	2	2	0	6	5	6	5	-1
Baton Rouge Capitals	4	1	3	0	3	2	4	2	-2
Rio Grande Valley Grandes	4	0	4	0	0	2	6	2	-4

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 13	Chivas El Paso Patriots	2:1	Rio Grande Valley Grandes	9:00
May 13	West Texas United Sockers	1:2	Laredo Heat	9:15
May 14	West Texas United Sockers	2:1	Rio Grande Valley Grandes	9:00
May 14	Chivas El Paso Patriots	1:0	Laredo Heat	9:15
May 19	Baton Rouge Capitals	1:2	West Texas United Sockers	8:30
May 19	New Orleans Jesters	1:3	Chivas El Paso Patriots	10:00
May 21	New Orleans Jesters	2:0	West Texas United Sockers	8:30
May 21	Baton Rouge Capitals	0:1	Chivas El Paso Patriots	10:00
May 27	Rio Grande Valley Grandes	0:1	Baton Rouge Capitals	8:00
May 27	Laredo Heat	3:1	New Orleans Jesters	8:00
May 28	Rio Grande Valley Grandes	0:1	New Orleans Jesters	8:00
May 29	Laredo Heat	1:0	Baton Rouge Capitals	8:00

Southeast Division
Final Results

The Central Florida Kraze didn’t have the easy road to the US Open Cup that they thought they did. The Mississippi Brilla are matching and beating the Kraze’s efforts, with three wins of their own. And what wins they are. Their last two results have been 5-0 wins against FC Jax Destroyers and the Nashville Metros – both on the road. Each had one home game left on the holiday weekend that would determine their fate. The Kraze fired the opening salvo Saturday evening with three second half goals from three different players to maximize their potential in the table from the match with a 3-0 victory against central Florida rival IMG Bradenton Academics. Central Florida, perfect at 4-0, took the advantage in tiebreakers, moving ahead of Brilla by one in goal differential and goals scored, but had to wait for Mississippi’s Monday finale at home versus Nashville to see if it holds up. With Brilla leading 2-1 late in the match it looked as though Mississippi was heading to the tournament – then disaster. A 90th minute Nashville strike leveled terms at 2-2 and when the final whistle blew moments later, Central Florida got the news that the Kraze had qualified for the second consecutive year.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Central Florida Kraze	4	4	0	0	12	10	1	10	+9
Mississippi Brilla	4	3	0	1	10	15	3	11	+8
Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad.	4	1	2	1	4	5	7	5	-2
FC Jax Destroyers	4	1	2	1	4	5	10	5	-3
Nashville Metros	4	0	2	2	2	4	11	4	-5
IMG Bradenton Academics	4	0	3	1	1	3	10	3	-7

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

April 30	Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad.	0:1	Central Florida Kraze	4:00
May 6	Central Florida Kraze	3:1	Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad.	7:00
May 8	Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad.	1:0	Bradenton Academics	5:30
May 12	Central Florida Kraze	3:0	Bradenton Academics	5:30
May 13	FC Jax Destroyers	1:3	Mississippi Brilla	8:00
May 15	Bradenton Academics	3:3	Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad.	6:00
May 15	FC Jax Destroyers	2:0	Nashville Metros	8:00
May 19	Mississippi Brilla	5:0	FC Jax Destroyers	7:00
May 23	Nashville Metros	2:2	FC Jax Destroyers	7:00
May 26	Mississippi Brilla	5:0	Nashville Metros	8:00
May 28	Bradenton Academics	0:3	Central Florida Kraze	7:00
May 30	Nashville Metros	2:2	Mississippi Brilla	6:00

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL East): Reading & Western Mass qualify; Carolina Dynamo clinch via tiebreakers

May 21, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

For the first time since 2008, the Eastern Conference has three divisions – the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the new South Atlantic (which last appeared in 2006). Four teams have a recent history with qualifying for the US Open Cup on multiple occasions. Two of them were last year’s representatives (Long Island Rough Riders, Reading United AC), and two more have qualified at least three times each from the PDL (Carolina Dynamo, Ocean City Nor’easters). A total of 18 teams are fighting for a record three spots from the East this year.

Here is the how the Eastern Conference is currently shaping up:

Northeast Division
Final Results

The Western Mass Pioneers qualified for the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over the MPS Portland Phoenix in a head-to-head match between the two Northeast Division group leaders to determine the berth. Halftime substitute Chris Roswess scored the game’s only goal in the 71^st minute when he hammered the ball into the net on a half volley from 18 yards out. “In the first half Portland controlled the majority of play and dictated the tempo of play,” Pioneers Head Coach Joe Calabrese said. “But in the second half we made a couple of substitutions and we thought those two changes had a positive impact on the game.”

An automatic entrant numerous times as a USL-2 professional third division club (now USL PRO), it is the first time in two years in the PDL that it has qualified, finishing third in its group at 2-1-1 last year. “For some of our collegiate players this is a dream come true,” Calabrese said. “Many of our college players will never aspire to be professional players. This is once in a lifetime for many of them. You don’t know when your career is going to end so it’s spectacular to have them get this experience.”

NORTHEAST DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Western Mass Pioneers	4	3	0	1	10	7	3	6	+4
MPS Portland Phoenix	4	3	1	0	9	5	2	5	+3
Vermont Voltage	4	0	2	2	2	1	4	1	-3
Seacoast United Phantoms	4	0	3	1	1	3	7	3	-4

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7	Seacoast United Phantoms	0:1	MPS Portland Phoenix	6:00
May 14	Western Mass Pioneers	2:1	Seacoast United Phantoms	4:00
May 14	Vermont Voltage	0:2	MPS Portland Phoenix	6:00
May 20	Seacoast United Phantoms	2:4	Western Mass Pioneers	7:00
May 21	MPS Portland Phoenix	2:1	Vermont Voltage	7:00
May 25	Western Mass Pioneers	0:0	Vermont Voltage	7:00
May 27	MPS Portland Phoenix	0:1	Western Mass Pioneers	7:00
May 28	Vermont Voltage	0:0	Seacoast United Phantoms	7:00

Mid-Atlantic Division
Final Results

Reading United continued to cruise through Open Cup qualifying with a 4-1 win over the Ocean City Nor’easters on May 20, to finish with a perfect 4-0-0 record. Even though it was Ocean City’s season opener, one loss eliminated them from contention, and it also knocked Long Island out of the running despite their 2-0-0 record. Based on the tiebreaking situation, even if Long Island were to win their final qualifier by three goals or more, they would still fall short in the goal difference tiebreaker. They clinched their place as the first team to qualify from the PDL as the Jersey Express fell to the Rough Riders 3-1. Reading has now qualified for the third straight year.

This marks the third year in a row that Reading has finished qualifying without a loss. When they were known as the Rage in 2009, they finished 3-0-1, and in 2010 they finished tied with the Newark Ironbound Express at 4-0-0. Unfortunately for the Express, Reading qualified based on a tiebreaker, having scored one more goal than Ironbound. This was an unfortunate bit of history for the Express as they became not only the third PDL team in the Pro Era (1995-present) to miss out after a 4-0-0 record, but they were the first team to register four straight shutout victories, and fail to qualify.

MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Reading United AC	4	4	0	0	12	15	3	12	+11
Long Island Rough Riders	4	3	0	1	10	9	4	9	+5
Jersey Express	4	3	1	0	9	7	3	7	+4
Westchester Flames	4	2	2	0	6	9	11	7	-2
New Jersey Rangers	4	2	2	0	6	3	8	3	-4
Ocean City Nor’easters	4	0	3	1	1	3	8	3	-5
Central Jersey Spartans	3	0	3	0	0	2	6	2	-4
Brooklyn Knights	3	0	3	0	0	5	10	4	-5

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7	Reading United AC	3:1	Brooklyn Knights	7:00
May 8	Westchester Flames	3:0	New Jersey Rangers	6:00
May 11	Long Island Rough Riders	2:0	Brooklyn Knights	7:00
May 14	Westchester Flames	0:3	Jersey Express	7:00
May 15	New Jersey Rangers	0:4	Reading United AC	6:00
May 18	Reading United AC	4:1	Westchester Flames	7:30
May 19	Central Jersey Spartans	1:2	Long Island Rough Riders	8:00
May 20	Ocean City Nor’easters	1:4	Reading United AC	7:30
May 21	Jersey Express	1:3	Long Island Rough Riders	7:30
May 22	Brooklyn Knights	at	Central Jersey Spartans	PPD
May 22	New Jersey Rangers	1:0	Ocean City Nor’easters	6:00
May 25	Central Jersey Spartans	1:2	New Jersey Rangers	8:00
May 27	Ocean City Nor’easters	0:1	Jersey Express	8:00
May 28	Brooklyn Knights	4:5	Westchester Flames	7:30
May 29	Long Island Rough Riders	2:2	Ocean City Nor’easters	6:00
May 30	Jersey Express	2:0	Central Jersey Spartans	5:00

South Atlantic Division
Final Results

The West Virginia Chaos finished their qualifying slate with a 3-1 win over the Virginia Beach Piranhas May 21, leaving them in a wait-and-see situation as the Carolina Dynamo and Real Maryland Monarchs could pull level or move past them. They got some help the following night as the Dynamo slipped up in a 1-0 road loss to the Northern Virginia Royals, creating the possibility of a three-way tie at 3-1 after the final weekend. With Real Maryland set for its finale Monday, the Monarchs were awaiting good news that would not come as Carolina blanked the visiting Virginia Beach Piranhas 3-0 Saturday evening, clinching the top spot in the division and berth to the US Open Cup via tiebreaker scenarios.

SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Carolina Dynamo	4	3	1	0	9	7	1	7	+6
Real Maryland Monarchs	4	3	1	0	9	8	2	8	+6
West Virginia Chaos	4	3	1	0	9	10	4	9	+5
Northern Virginia Royals	4	2	2	0	6	5	6	5	-1
Virginia Beach Piranhas	4	1	3	0	3	3	9	3	-6
Fredericksburg Hotspur	4	0	4	0	0	1	12	1	-10

Note: Carolina qualifies based on head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Real Maryland & West Virginia

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7	Fredericksburg Hotspur	0:2	Virginia Beach Piranhas	7:00
May 7	Northern Virginia Royals	1:3	West Virginia Chaos	7:00
May 14	Real Maryland Monarchs	3:0	Virginia Beach Piranhas	5:30
May 14	West Virginia Chaos	0:2	Carolina Dynamo	7:00
May 15	West Virginia Chaos	4:0	Fredericksburg Hotspur	2:00
May 15	Northern Virginia Royals	0:2	Real Maryland Monarchs	4:00
May 21	Carolina Dynamo	2:0	Real Maryland Monarchs	7:00
May 21	Virginia Beach Piranhas	1:3	West Virginia Chaos	7:30
May 22	Carolina Dynamo	0:1	Northern Virginia Royals	7:00
May 28	Virginia Beach Piranhas	0:3	Carolina Dynamo	7:00
May 29	Fredericksburg Hotspur	1:3	Northern Virginia Royals	7:00
May 30	Real Maryland Monarchs	3:0	Fredericksburg Hotspur	5:00

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL Central): Real Colorado Foxes qualify; Chicago Fire Premier clinch via stoppage time goal to join MLS side

May 21, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

The Central Conference has two divisions – the Great Lakes and the Heartland. The conference is dominated by three long-standing clubs: the Chicago Fire, the Des Moines Menace, and the Michigan Bucks. Between them they have reached the US Open Cup a total of 16 times. Des Moines made the trip last year as Heartland champions, but newcomer Dayton Dutch Lions (who are now in USL Pro) took control of the Great Lakes spot. This year, six returning clubs and two new ones are looking to match Dayton, dethrone the powerhouses, and make a run of their own.

Here is the how the Central Conference is currently shaping up:

Great Lakes Division
Final Results

Poised for a potential showdown of the perennial division powers on the final night of qualifying, the Chicago Fire Premier preempted that moment with a 1-0 win over the River City Rovers on Saturday, clinching the US Open Cup berth, their second in three years, via potential tiebreaker scenarios. While the Bucks made the most of their chance to possibly gain ground by posting a 4-0 win against visiting Indiana, it was Chris Estridge’s goal for Chicago in the first minute of stoppage time against the visiting River City Rovers that proved to be the deciding factor in who will advance.

GREAT LAKES DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Chicago Fire Premier	4	3	1	0	9	5	2	5	+3
Michigan Bucks	4	2	1	1	7	8	3	7	+4
Cincinnati Kings	4	1	1	2	5	8	9	8	-1
Akron Summit Assault	4	1	1	2	5	3	4	3	-1
Indiana Invaders	4	1	2	1	4	8	9	6	-1
River City Rovers	4	0	2	2	2	1	6	1	-4

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 14	Chicago Fire Premier	2:0	Akron Summit Assault	7:30
May 17	Akron Summit Assault	2:2	Cincinnati Kings	7:30
May 19	Akron Summit Assault	0:0	River City Rovers	7:30
May 21	Michigan Bucks	0:0	River City Rovers	7:00
May 21	Cincinnati Kings	0:2	Chicago Fire Premier	7:30
May 22	Indiana Invaders	0:1	Akron Summit Assault	7:00
May 23	Michigan Bucks	2:3	Cincinnati Kings	7:30
May 25	Cincinnati Kings	3:3	Indiana Invaders	7:30
May 28	Indiana Invaders	0:4	Michigan Bucks	12:00
May 28	River City Rovers	0:1	Chicago Fire Premier	7:30
May 30	River City Rovers	1:5	Indiana Invaders	7:30
May 30	Chicago Fire Premier	0:2	Michigan Bucks	7:30

Heartland Division
Final Results

The Real Colorado Foxes clinched their first US Open Cup spot after finishing qualifying 4-0. Perennial contender Des Moines Menace had a chance to qualify with a 3-0 start and a better goal differential, but failed in their last match as they lost 2-1 at the Kansas City Brass on May 25.

HEARTLAND DIVISION	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GF	GD
Real Colorado Foxes	4	4	0	0	12	12	5	11	+7
Des Moines Menace	4	3	1	0	9	11	5	9	+6
Kansas City Brass	4	2	2	0	6	10	10	8	+0
St. Louis Lions	4	1	3	0	3	10	10	7	-2
Springfield Demize	4	0	4	0	0	4	17	4	-11

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 14	St. Louis Lions	1:2	Des Moines Menace	8:30
May 14	Kansas City Brass	1:4	Real Colorado Foxes	9:00
May 15	Kansas City Brass	2:3	Real Colorado Foxes	3:00
May 17	Des Moines Menace	3:0	Springfield Demize	8:30
May 21	St. Louis Lions	2:5	Des Moines Menace	8:30
May 21	Real Colorado Foxes	3:1	Springfield Demize	8:30
May 22	Real Colorado Foxes	2:1	St. Louis Lions	6:00
May 22	Springfield Demize	2:5	Kansas City Brass	8:30
May 25	Des Moines Menace	1:2	Kansas City Brass	8:30
May 28	Springfield Demize	1:6	St. Louis Lions	6:00

2011 US Open Cup participants

May 21, 2011 by Josh Hakala

Qualifying for the 2011 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is currently under way. All 40 clubs that will participate in the tournament proper must be determined by June 1. With 17 professional clubs, six from Major League Soccer and 11 from USL Pro (third division), automatically entered, the remaining 23 sides are determined through varied qualifying processes from MLS, USL Premier Development (fourth tier), National Premier Soccer League (fourth tier) and the US Adult Soccer Association’s four regions (fifth tier).

The following is a list of the teams that have qualified and pertinent links to pages about the qualifying processes for the applicable organizations. Map of 2011 Entrants [+]

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER (8)

Automatic Entrants – 6 (based on 2010 league standings)

Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC

Qualifying Process: Two berths – Two separate single-elimination brackets regionally-based

Qualifying Entrants: Chicago Fire & Sporting Kansas City

Notable Links: News Updates | Brackets

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUES PRO (11)

Automatic Entrants – 11 (all)

Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, FC New York, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, Orlando City, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, Wilmington Hammerheads

USL PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE (9)

Qualifying Process: Four qualification matches per club. Top team per division receives a berth.

Qualifying Entrants – Reading United AC, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Real Colorado Foxes, Western Mass Pioneers, Carolina Dynamo, Chicago Fire, Ventura County Fusion, Central Florida Kraze, Kitsap Pumas

Notable Links

Eastern Conference: Latest Updates/Standings – Preview

Southern Conference: Latest Updates/Standings – Preview

Central Conference: Latest Updates/Standings – Preview

Western Conference: Latest Updates/Standings – Preview – ‘ NW Fifth Game Tiebreaker’

NATIONAL PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (4)

Qualifying Process: Varied – One berth per division. The Northeast has a three-team tournament. The Southeast has a six-team tournament in one location. The West is determined by the club with the most points after first seven matches. Only one club applied in the Central.

Qualifying Entrants

Midwest: Madison 56ers

Northeast: Brooklyn Italians

Southeast: Chattanooga FC

West: Hollywood United

Notable Links

Midwest: No Qualifying (Madison 56ers were the only entry)

Northeast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Format

Southeast: Format | Tournament Results

West: Updates

UNITED STATES ADULT SOCCER ASSOCIATION (8)

Qualifying Process: Varied – Two berths per region. Most regions hold tournaments either in one location or over a series of individual matches with participants determined via state association qualifying.

Qualifying Entrants

Region I (Northeast): Phoenix SC | New York Pancyprian Freedoms

Region II (Central): Iowa Menace | AAC Eagles

Region III (South): ASC New Stars | Regals FC

Region IV (West): Doxa Italia | DV8 Defenders

Notable Links

Region I (Northeast): Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Bracket

Region II (Central): Opening Round (Iowa Menace qualify) | AAC Eagles qualify

Region III (South): Format/Schedule | Tournament Results

Region IV (West): Format/Schedule | Day One | Day Two/Final

————————————————————–

2011 US Open Cup dates

Note: The dates for each round are as follows and are subject to change:

May 30: Qualification Deadline
Tuesday, June 14: First Round – Matches
Tuesday, June 21: Second Round
Tuesday, June 28: Third Round
Tuesday, July 12: Fourth Round
Tuesday, August 30: Semifinals
Tuesday, October 4: Final

2011 US Open Cup qualifying update: Hollywood claims NPSL West berth after league ruling

May 20, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Competition Update (as of 5/20/11) ** Final Update: On Thursday, May 19 the NPSL commissioner and other committee members upheld the league’s decision to penalize the San Diego Flash use of an illegal player in two matches by ruling the games as 3-0 forfeitures.

With the news Thursday that the appeal by the San Diego Flash to overturn the penalties levied against them for using an illegal player in its matches versus Hollywood and Bay Area had failed, the club was officially eliminated from US Open Cup contention.

The ruling gives the US Open Cup berth to Hollywood United, which is now perfect at 7-0-0 and uncatchable. Hollywood finished with a nearly flawless record with 34 goals scored and only three allowed.

Second to Hollywood in the table are the Santa Ana Winds, whose only loss of the six games played on their slate thus far was a 1-0 decision against the leaders in just the second game of the season.

The Flash would have had a perfect 7-0-0 record with the win against the Sacramento Gold. Instead, it is Hollywood United that sits atop the table with a perfect record, including their victory against the Flash, one of the two forfeitures. Along with news of the NPSL ruling, the Flash management commented on their Facebook page, “As an Organization, we will move forward from this decision and do our best to have a great 1st season in the NPSL.”

See the updated standings below (includes penalties):

NPSL WEST	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GD
Hollywood United	7	7	0	0	21	34	3	+31
Santa Ana Winds	6	5	1	0	15	15	6	+9
San Diego Flash	7	5	2	0	15	14	9	+5
Sonoma County Sol	6	3	2	1	10	16	10	+6
San Diego Boca	7	3	4	0	9	14	16	-2
Sacramento Gold	6	2	2	2	8	10	8	+2
FC Hasental	7	2	4	1	7	13	17	-4
Bay Area Ambassadors	7	1	5	1	4	9	22	-13
Rattlers FC	4	1	3	0	3	4	9	-5
Real San Jose	7	1	6	0	3	4	32	-28

Top team qualifies for the 2011 US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

NPSL West tiebreakers

(1) Goal difference (2) Goals scored

* Denotes forfeiture – All times Eastern

April 1	Sonoma County Sol	3:1	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 2	Hollywood United	1:0	Santa Ana Winds	Final
April 2	Real San Jose	1:2	San Diego Boca	Final
April 3	FC Hasental	1:3	San Diego Flash	Final
April 9	San Diego Flash	0:3*	Hollywood United	Final
April 9	Sacramento Gold	4:1	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 9	FC Hasental	0:1	San Diego Boca	Final
April 16	Hollywood United	4:0	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 16	Bay Area Ambassadors	0:2	Real San Jose	Final
April 16	Santa Ana Winds	4:1	FC Hasental	Final
April 17	Hollywood United	3:0	Sacramento Gold	Final
April 17	Real San Jose	0:8	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 17	San Diego Boca	1:2	San Diego Flash	Final
April 23	Sacramento Gold	0:0	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 23	Real San Jose	0:11	Hollywood United	Final
April 23	San Diego Flash	0:3*	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 23	Santa Ana Winds	3:2	San Diego Boca	Final
April 23	FC Hasental	3:1	Rattlers FC	Final
April 30	Santa Ana Winds	3:0	Rattlers FC	Final
April 30	Sacramento Gold	4:0	Real San Jose	Final
April 30	Bay Area Ambassadors	2:2	FC Hasental	Final
May 1	San Diego Boca	3:5	Hollywood United	Final
May 1	Sonoma County Sol	0:1	San Diego Flash	Final
May 7	Bay Area Ambassadors	2:4	San Diego Boca	Final
May 7	San Diego Flash	5:0	Real San Jose	Final
May 8	Bay Area Ambassadors	0:7	Hollywood United	Final
May 8	Rattlers FC	1:2	Santa Ana Winds	Final
May 14	FC Hasental	4:5	Sonoma County Sol	9:30
May 14	Sacramento Gold	1:1	Hollywood United	10 p.m.
May 14	San Diego Boca	1:3	Santa Ana Winds	10 p.m.
May 14	Rattlers FC	2:1	Real San Jose	10:30
May 15	San Diego Boca	1:2	FC Hasental	5 p.m.
May 15	Sacramento Gold	1:3	San Diego Flash	6 p.m.
May 21	Real San Jose	at	Santa Ana Winds	10 p.m.
May 21	Rattlers FC	at	San Diego Boca	10 p.m.
May 22	Rattlers FC	at	San Diego Flash	6 p.m.
May 22	FC Hasental	at	Sacramento Gold	8 p.m.
May 28	Rattlers FC	at	FC Hasental	10 p.m.
May 29	Sonoma County Sol	at	Sacramento Gold	8 p.m.

PREVIEW

The most sought-after US Open Cup berth in the National Premier Soccer League numerically, the 10 clubs in the West Division, at the time of this article being written, are a third of the way through the qualification process. The berth at stake will go to the club with the best point total after its first seven matches of the league campaign.

Given the method of determining the qualifier, the quest began on April 1 when the Sonoma County Sol won on the road against the 2010 US Open Cup qualifier Bay Area Ambassadors. Both are returning teams to the division. The final qualification match, of 40 total, also features Sonoma County when they travel to play May 29 against the Sacramento Gold.

Qualifying for NPSL teams was previously done via the USASA Regional tournaments. The 2011 edition of the US Open Cup gave the league four automatic entrants into the event. Last year, the division was comprised of six teams. With one team folding, five new clubs join the fray this year, including former United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League teams Hollywood United Hitmen and Lancaster Rattlers. The other three newcomers are FC Hasental, Santa Ana Winds and San Diego Flash, a new version of a former USL club from years past.

Last year, four of the NPSL sides participated in the Region IV tournament and found success. Real San Jose, Bay Area Ambassadors and Sacramento Gold each won their groups with perfect records. Bay Area then edged Sacramento 1-0 in the semifinals while San Jose fell 2-1 to former NPSL and USL side Arizona Sahuaros, who earned the wild card berth in a tiebreaker with the NPSL San Diego Boca. With the two US Open Cup berths already determined, the Ambassadors won the regional championship, 2-0. Sonoma County Sol also qualified via a special play-in match.

Ian Carrington Hollywood United celebrate win vs Portland Timbers — Hollywood United coach Ian Carrington celebrates his club’s upset win over the Portland Timbers in the 2008 US Open Cup. Photo: Allison Andrews | SoccerCityUSA.com

The qualifying format for the West upon closer inspection is fairly balanced based in the breadth of opposition each club is facing as five teams only play one opponent twice and the Rattlers are the lone club that plays two teams twice. The Rattlers, the remaining club yet to begin their league campaign, are also the only side that has four matches against clubs that were not in the NPSL or PDL a year ago while Real San Jose and Santa Ana are the only two teams that only play one match against said opponents.

The other balanced schedule aspect comes via the home-away composition. Only two clubs have more than four home or road games on the schedule. Both Sacramento and the Rattlers will be forced to play away from home five times during the campaign. The Gold have four consecutive on the road at one point while the Rattlers play both home matches at the top of the schedule before finishing out on the road five straight. No other clubs have four consecutive matches home or away on the fixture list.

The selection of seven games as the determining point matches the fact that Sonoma County, Santa Ana and the Rattlers only have seven matches prior to the official Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying deadline. With other clubs playing more than seven by the deadline, the scheduling creates a unique scenario in which a handful of games only count as qualifiers for one club. Sonoma has one such match against an opponent whose qualifying campaign is already concluded. Sacramento, Santa Ana and the Rattlers each have three such games at the ends of their campaigns. Sacramento’s match May 14 against Hollywood United is the first of the 10 specific matches. The final six games, overall, from May 21-29 only count as qualifiers for one team.

About the Teams

Bay Area Ambassadors: A 2009 addition to the NPSL, the Ambassadors entered the US Open Cup fray a year ago with outstanding success, winning all three group games in the USASA Region IV tournament and earning a berth with a semifinal win against fellow NPSL side Sacramento, 1-0, en route to winning the championship against Arizona Sahuaros, 2-0. Bay Area made a thrilling comeback in the First Round of the US Open Cup on the road against the PDL Kitsap Pumas. Trailing since the third minute, Phil Silva scored twice in the 71st and 77th minutes to send the match to overtime where Kitsap scored twice for the 4-2 victory. The club’s two-year league record is 9-10-3.

FC Hasental: While the club is new to the NPSL, it is not new to US Open Cup qualifying. Established in 2005, the team has entered the Region IV tournament the past two years, coming up short in the quest for a berth. Last year FC Hasental was 1-1-0 in the group with Real San Jose of the NPSL. Hasental translates from German to English as Hare-Valley, also known as Conejo Valley, the home of the club.

Hollywood United: The 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. As an independent team, the team qualified for the US Open Cup in 2008 through the USASA Region IV tournament, going 3-0-0 with victories against three NPSL teams. They then shocked many in the First Round of the US Open Cup by eliminating then USL First Division (pro second division) Portland Timbers in a 3-2 affair. They were then defeated by the USL-1 Seattle Sounders 6-0. In the past two years, Hollywood finished in the top two of the PDL Southwest Division, but missed out on qualifying for the US Open Cup, finishing 1-2-1 in the group a year ago after narrowly missing out in 2009 at 3-1-0.

Rattlers FC: The club is in its first season in the NPSL after spending four in the USL PDL. The club struggled in PDL play, finishing 10th in its first two seasons and seventh the past two for a combined record of 12-38-14. The Rattlers are a total 3-11-2 in Open Cup qualifiers, but had their best PDL qualifying campaign last year at 1-1-2.

Real San Jose: A member of the NPSL since 2007, the club reached the postseason for the first time last year with a record of 5-3-2. The team is a combined 8-8-6 the past two league campaigns. The club reached the Region IV Semifinals a year ago in its qualification quest, winning its two group matches before falling to the Arizona Sahuaros in the Final Four, 2-1.

San Diego Boca: New to the NPSL last year, the club finished the season fourth in the division at 4-3-3, but surprised second-seed Real San Jose 4-0 in the playoffs before falling to division and eventual league champion Sacramento. In qualifying, San Diego Boca finished 1-1-1 in its group, second to league-mate Bay Area and missed out on the wild card based on tiebreakers.

San Diego Flash: A familiar name, the club is new to the NPSL. The team is a rebirth of the former A-League (pro second division) team that played in United Soccer Leagues from 1998-2001. The new club is guided by former English international Warren Barton (Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Derby County, QPR), who is also an analyst for Fox Soccer Channel. The previous Flash side was 2-3 in the tournament after failing to qualify in its first season. In 1999 and 2000 the club posted victories against pro third division USL clubs before being ousted back-to-back times by the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round. In 2000, they were knocked out by the MLS Chicago Fire in the Second Round.

Santa Ana Winds: A new addition to the NPSL, the club was founded in 2009 and has played locally the past few years. This is the club’s first campaign to qualify for the US Open Cup.

Sonoma County Sol: The oldest club in the division, Sonoma County is looking to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall, having advanced via the USASA Region IV tournament previously. The club joined the league in 2004 and reached the US Open Cup for the first time in 2005. It has advanced to the Second Round of the tournament twice, downing the Ogden Outlaws (PDL) in penalties, 6-5, after a 1-1 draw in 2006 and topping Orange County Blue Star (PDL), 5-2, in 2009. They were knocked out by the USL First Division’s (pro second division) Charleston Battery, 1-0, and Portland Timbers, 3-0, in the Second Round contests, respectively. In their 2005 debut they were ousted in penalties, 6-5, after a 2-2 draw with Salinas Valley Samba in the First Round. Last year, extra amateur spots led to a special amateur play-in game that gave the defending NPSL champions the opportunity to qualify in one match, defeating a fellow California side PSA Los Gatos 3-0 to reach the tournament where they were blanked, 3-0, by the USL-1 Timbers again.