Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

2011 US Open Cup

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Chicago Fire Premier edge Madison 56ers 2-0 in afternoon replay, Sporting KC awaits in Round 3

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UPDATE: Chicago Fire Premier punched their ticket to the Third Round with a 2-0 victory over the Madison 56ers. The Fire received goals from Andrew Ribeiro in the 66th minute and Thierry Zahui just two minutes later to seal the victory. Chicago moves on to play Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday, June 28 at LiveStrong Park at 8:30 p.m. EST. We will have a full recap of the match later tonight courtesy of WisconsinSoccerCentral.com [+]

Photo: WisconsinSoccerCentral.com

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REPORT FROM TUESDAY NIGHT:

It was a strange night of soccer Tuesday at Breese Stevens Field. And in the end, not very much soccer.

The Madison 56ers and the Chicago Fire Premier played just more than 17 minutes of their Second Round US Open Cup match before the game was halted by lightning with the Fire ahead 1-0.

A little more than 2 hours later, officials postponed the match, which will be replayed in its entirety at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Breese Stevens. The 56ers announced that admission will be free.

“It’s a little weird. (Stuff) happens,” 56ers coach Jim Launder said.

“It’s good and bad. It’s a replay, so we just erase the goal and start over. It’s not good because we lost a huge fan night … It’s not good because we’ll play in a dead stadium tomorrow, because nobody will be here at 4 p.m. And it’s not good because I think we’re going to be missing two players, maybe three.”

The Fire certainly wanted the game to resume, having taken the early lead on Chris Estridge’s goal in the ninth minute.

Indiana midfielder Harrison Petts, who pounded a shot from 23 yards out off the corner of the crossbar and left post in the fourth minute, chipped a ball for Estridge over the 56ers’ backline and the Wake Forest midfielder calmly finished against Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette).

Estridge raced over to celebrate with about 25 members of the Fire’s Section 8 supporters group who made the trip north. They lived uo their reputation, pounding on drum, singing songs and waving massive flags.

Four minutes later, Fire forward Paulo Vaz also got in behind the 56ers’ backline, but Dillman made a sliding save on the Lynn University striker.

“Two times when we didn’t get pressure on the ball and we didn’t step back and we just let guys run in behind us,” said Launder, who added that he would re-evaluate his lineup overnight. “I wasn’t impressed with our defensive stance. All of our backs did the same thing, they all just stopped.”

Referee Margaret Domka suspended play 17 minutes, 19 seconds into the match as storms rolled into the area and lightning was spotted. Heavy rains followed, and intermittent showers and lightning persisted. All the while, the Section 8 group kept drumming and singing.

“It was a little surreal,” Fire PDL coach Mark Spooner said. “We were trying to get updates and (the officials) weren’t that forthcoming with them, so it was frustrating. But it is what is; nobody can do anything about the weather.

“The thing that I don’t like, obviously, is now you start 0-0 again for 90 minutes. I would think that there would be a better method than that in a competition like this.”

If the match had reached 45 minutes, it would have been declared a result.

However, for the game to be resumed, 20 minutes needed to pass without lightning in the area, and there still were regular flashes in the skies as the teams left the stadium. Also, the lights at Breese Stevens need to be turned off by 11 p.m. due to a local ordinance.

“They would want to get that half game in and win the game – I would, too,” Launder said. “It wasn’t going to happen.”

So for the Fire, it was yet another night spent in a hotel. They had three road matches last week and have logged more than 1,500 miles during trips to Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“It’s just one thing after another,” said Spooner, whose team requested Wednesday’s replay be moved to 4 p.m. from the scheduled 7 p.m. start time to help them get back to Chicago earlier with a PDL match Friday.

“You know, though, it’s good for their development. This whole program is designed around them becoming pros, and this is part of it. We have to react now to it and see where we can go.”

Speaking late Tuesday night, Spooner said when they got to the hotel, there weren’t enough rooms.

“What a fun night,” he deadpanned.

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Kitsap Pumas top Real Colorado Foxes 3-1 to earn date with Sounders

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Robbie Christner scores for Kitsap Pumas vs. Real Colorado Foxes in 2011 US Open Cup Second Round
Robbie Christner scores the third and final goal for Kitsap Pumas in their 3-1 win over Real Colorado. Photo: Prost Amerika

Kitsap Pumas secured a glamour cup tie with Sounders FC after a pulsating 3-1 US Open Cup win over Real Colorado Foxes. Despite a strong challenge from their visitors, goals from Cameron Hepple, and two from Robbie Christner canceled out a Sterling Copeland effort.

The Pumas must now venture over the water to Tukwila to play the cup holders Sounders FC in what can be billed either a local derby or a David v Goliath.

Pumas coach Pete Fewing said:

“The guys played very well. We were nervous at the beginning. We’ve played three games in seven days, one in 104 degrees in Texas, 90 minutes, 30 minutes over time and penalty kicks. Tonight some of the guys were tired. It took us a while to get a rhythm. Second half I though we found the ball a little better. We were fortunate to be up 2-1 at half time.

We were fortunate because I thought they were dangerous, they were talented. I’m proud of the guys. We were sluggish yesterday in practise, so to come out and get a 3-1 result, we had to dig and battle. I told them at half time this was one of the better teams. We had to deal with something we hadn’t had to deal with yet. That kind of pace and that kind of ball movement.”

When asked his scouting report on the Sounders, he quipped:

“I’ve seen them, I’ve watched them a little bit so it will be interesting. It’s big. They’re the big team in the neighbourhood. We know their players. They’ve got a great coach so it’s a big honour to go play them. That’s the beauty of this cup. You get a situation where the Kitsap Pumas get to play the Seattle Sounders.”

And asked if he would be welcomed back at Sounders training tomorrow, Fewing joked, “I don’t know, Sigi might say ‘get him out of here.’ We have to figure out what’s proper etiquette.”

And this thoroughly decent man will of course do the right thing.

Bryan Meredith returned in goal for the Pumas, having recovered from a foot injury and Elliott Fauske started at right midfield for the Pumas for David Gray.

Real Colorado Foxes started the brighter with some early pressure as 80 degree sunshine beat down on the Memorial Stadium.The first chance fell to them the ninth minute. Sterling Copeland broke into the penalty box but drove wide of the right hand post in an early warning to the hosts.

Bryan Meredith, returning from a foot injury, saved the Pumas two minutes later after a superb through ball by Kristopher Banghart found Curtis Stecyk whose shot was superbly saved by Meredith.

A minute later, at the other end Matt Friesen’s shot looped over the bar as he shot under pressure from two defenders.

Banghart looked to be a constant threat with his accurate quality passes from center midfield and the Pumas were taking their time to find their feet.

Kitsap took the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute. Bahamian international Hepple prodded the ball home after a scramble in the Foxes box. The defence had missed an opportunity to clear a bobbling ball and paid the price.

It was hard on the visitors, who had been the better team for the first 15 minutes but had fallen victim to a moment’s lapse of concentration. Colorado equalised after a breakaway by Sterling Copeland saw his shot rebound off the bar with Meredith beaten. However, he was sharp enough to be first to the rebound and headed the ball over the line despite a despairing attempt to clear the ball from under the bar.

The Pumas now knew they were in for a battle and Nik Besagno was booked for a midfield tackle on Joseph Madigan.

Pumas nearly regained the lead moments after but a chip by Elliott Fauske was headed away by Isaac Cowles with the keeper beaten and the net gaping behind Cowles. Pumas forward Bryan Burke shot over from 25 yards in an entertaining game which was now vacillating from end to end.

Taylor Kemp on the left hand side of the Colorado midfield was having an outstanding game and on one occasion ran 60 yards up the touchline, burning up three opponents in his wake. Unfortunately for his valiant effort, the move came to nothing.

Pumas regained the lead three minutes before half time and it was a corker of a goal from Robbie Christner. He rifled past keeper Miguel Rosales after receiving the ball from Burke inside the area.

However, the Pumas can have had no illusions of the tough battle to come in the second half against a very competent and effective Colorado side.

Even before half time Meredith was called into action by a decent long range drive by Kyle Christensen.

There were no changes at half time. Nik Besagno had the first chance of the second half after some excellent work by Mark Lee, who forced two defenders into a mistake.

The first 15 minutes of the second half presented Kitsap with far fewer problems than the first 15 of the first period. However, the danger was never far away, and the need for a third goal was apparent.

Isaac Schafer made some space but the shot was weak and although the sunshine was beautiful for the spectators, substitutions were surely going to follow.

There was a curious incident just after the hour. The ball was running through the Pumas keeper Bryan Meredith. The Foxes’ Copeland made an unnecessary challenge on the keeper and seemed to come off in a degree of pain. Pumas were a trifle fortunate shortly after when Banghart was penalized for what seemed a clean tackle on Burke. Matt Friesen curled the ball straight into the keeper’s arms when his traditional trademark of power may have served him better.

In the 63rd minute Pete Fewing made his first change, withdrawing Friesen for the Scottish midfielder David Gray. Gray took up a role in central midfield. Three minutes later,  Fewing made a second change, bringing on Warlen Silva for Nik Besagno.

Surprisingly, Foxes were still to make a change.

Fauske nearly put the Pumas 3-1 ahead after a neatly worked move from the corner after Bryan Burke and he produced a neat 1-2. Seconds later, Meredith had to be smart to collect a drive cleanly. With 17 minutes to go, the game was in the balance. Brazilian substitute Silva volleyed past the post seconds later, but the game was becoming too open for the side holding the lead. However, with extra time a possibility, Fewing needed to save a substitution.

Pumas won a free kick from 23 yards out after Hepple was held back by Zelin. With Friesen off the pitch it fell to David Gray to take the free kick.  Gray’s free kick made Rosales work hard, but the Foxes keeper was well up to the task.

With 15 minutes to go, Foxes’ coach Leigh Davies made his first change, bringing on Peter Davies for Zelin. Davis made another change when Tony Rosales came on for the industrious Madigan.

Daniel Scott made a timely interception from a Mike Lind cross with a forward poised to head goalward. His interception had all the hallmarks of a game saver if the Pumas could hold out.

As the sun finally dipped behind the clouds, the Foxes upped the pace a little and suddenly a new sense of urgency was in their game, with nine minutes to go.

Meredith was in no hurry to restart the game, but the Pumas seemed to have run out of any desire to further their lead and had moved into lead protection mode.

The Foxes continued to threaten, looking a stronger side with Schafer on the left and Mike Lind on the right.

On a breakaway, Fauske found Hepple on the left. He won a corner to allow the Pumas to eat up the clock a little more. From the corner, Fauske’s cross eluded Daniel Scott’s head by three inches. Then came a moment of madness when the Pumas hit the crossbar twice, Rosales made another save and David Gray had a shot blocked on the line. Moments later, the Pumas secured the match with a Robbie Christner header. Colorado had thrown too many men forward and the Pumas had exploited the gaps by an adventurous spirit, prompted by David Gray.

Moments later, Pumas survived a penalty shout when Copeland went down way too easily under pressure from Scott. Had he stayed on his feet he might have had a shooting chance. He was cautioned as the last act of a highly competent refereeing display.

Before the end Adam Tormoehlen replaced Schafer, and Fewing made his last substitution, bringing in Tye Perdido for Bryan Burke.

The final whistle preceded joyous scenes as this quite remarkable cup run continued.

Attendance: 1298

TheCup.us Match MVP: Robbie Christner

Scoring Summary
KIT: Cameron Hepple – 17th min.
RCF: Steve Mohn (Own Goal) – 23rd min.
KIT: Robbie Christner – 43rd min.
KIT: Robbie Christner – 88th min.

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Richmond Kickers roll over Riverhounds, earn date with Columbus Crew

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Richmond Kickers Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebration 2011 US Open Cup
The Richmond Kickers celebrate one of their four goals on Tuesday night. Their eight goals in the first two matches is the most since they scored nine in the first two games in 2005. Photo: Suz Kitsteiner | Richmond Kickers

The Richmond Kickers offense continues to hit on all cylinders as they dismissed fellow USL Pro team, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-1 in the US Open Cup Second Round. The Kickers, who defeated the Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) by the same score in the opening round, received two goals each from David Bulow and Matthew Delicate to cruise into a Third Round matchup with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.

Combined with his hat trick in Round 1, Bulow now has a tournament-high five goals, which is already a club record for a single tournament. The two goals on Tuesday give him 13 for his career, which puts him into a three-way tie with Jaime Moreno (DC United) and Johnny Menyongar (Rochester Rhinos / Minnesota Thunder) for first place on the Professional Era (1995-present) goalscoring chart.

Just like their opening round match, the Kickers attempted to get out to a fast start, and the early pressure paid off. Bulow opened up the scoring in the 17th minute when Edson Elcock crossed a ball into the box from the right wing and the tournament’s leading scorer was there to tuck it past goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap to make it 1-0.

After a spectacular diving header went wide for Bulow moments later, it was the Riverhounds who leveled the match in the 30th minute. Chad Severs received a ball inside the box off the head of Jason Yeisley, who found space and nodded it into the back of the net to tie the game.

With both teams creating chances heading into halftime, Bulow would strike again before the break. Sascha Gorres delivered a cross into the box and once again, Bulow was on the other end, inside the six, with his record-tying 13th career Open Cup goal. The goal broke a couple of club records, as he became the Kickers’ all-time goalscoring leader in the competition and broke the team’s single-tournament record of four which was held by McColm Cephas (2005) and Kevin Jeffrey (2001).

Pro Era Goalscoring Leaders
(1995-present)
13 – Jaime Moreno (DC United)
13 – Johnny Menyongar (Rochester / Minnesota)
13 – David Bulow (Richmond / Cape Cod)
12 – Melvin Tarley (Minnesota Thunder)
11 – Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle Sounders)

After halftime, Gorres would create a two-goal gap with a cross to the top of the box for Delicate who placed a header above the outstretched arms of Gilstrap, who had come out to get the ball.

Down 3-1, Pittsburgh threw everything forward to get back in the game, but Richmond would put the game away in the 81st minute when Delicate fired an unstoppable shot into the upper corner from just outside the penalty area. For Delicate, it was his eighth career US Open Cup goal, moving him into a tie with Ronald Cerritos and former US international Brian McBride for sixth on the Pro Era chart.

With the win, Richmond has still never lost to a 3rd Division team in the Open Cup and will face off with the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium next Tuesday. The game will be the first meeting between the two teams since the Kickers dropped a 3-0 decision to the Crew in that same stadium back in 2002. Brian McBride and Dante Washington scored for the MLS team that day.

TheCup.us Match MVP: David Bulow

Scoring:
RIC: David Bulow (Edson Elcock) – 17th min.
PIT: Chad Severs (Jason Yeisley) – 30th min.
RIC: David Bulow (Sascha Gorres) – 41st min.
RIC: Matthew Delicate (Sascha Gorres) – 52nd min.
RIC: Matthew Delicate (Ross MacKenzie) – 81st min.

Lineups

RICHMOND: GK Ronnie Pascale; D Sascha Görres, Henry Kalungi, Yomby William, Luke Vercollone (Stanley Nyazamba 69′); Jamel Wallace (Ross Mackenzie 58′), David Hertel, David Bulow, Edson Elcock, Shaka Bangura (Evan Harding 54′); F Matthew Delicâte

PITTSBURGH: GK Hunter Gilstrap; D Nikola Katic, Sterling Flunder, Mike Seth (Jeremy Deighton 70′), Louie Rolko; Tommy Gray, Matt Fondy (Matthew Tuttle 70′), Sammy Appiah, Shintaro Harada; F Jason Yeisley, Chad Severs

Cautions
85′: Appiah (Pitt)

Ejections:
None.

Attendance: 1161

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: LA Blues outmuscle Ventura County Fusion 1-0

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In a match-up of experience versus youth, experience won out. The Los Angeles Blues, boasting multiple players with MLS experience, defeated the Ventura County Fusion on the strength of a late first half Israel Sesay goal, sending the club forward to a Third Round US Open Cup contest with the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS.

Photo: LA Blues

The Blues were missing two starters from last week’s U.S. Open Cup first round victory due to red cards with Josh Tudela and Leonard Griffin out for this week’s game. Defender Nelson Akwari stepped up and took the leadership role throughout the game by maintaining a strong back line that helped goalkeeper Oscar Dautt preserve the shutout.

“Those guys are talented, but Nelson has been around. We knew he was going to step up and it wasn’t a surprise,” said Sesay.

The Blues controlled the game from the outset of the match, but the Fusion fought back. They had one of their best chances in the 32nd minute when Jake Hustedt headed a cross just wide.

Their misfortune turned into the Blues’ gain in the 45th minute. Blues forward Chukwudi Chijindu had a breakaway stuffed point blank by Fusion goalkeeper Sam Hayden only to have the deflection fall to Israel Sesay. Sesay then faked a shot to lose the defender and scored the lone goal of the game.

“I got an opening and saw the defense coming back. I took a touch and then I took a shot,” Sesay said.

The Fusion had their best opportunity at the beginning of the second half. David Walker beat Blues defender Michael Randolph down the right flank and had a one on one situation with the goalie. His shot beat Dautt in the middle of the box and rolled just wide of the post as the Fusion failed to equalize.

It was an omen of things to come as the Fusion applied pressure throughout the second half and kept the ball on the Blues’ side of the field. Unfortunately the Blues backline held their own throughout the match and did not allow for too many more chances after Hustedt’s shot.

Things did get a tense towards the end as a member of the Fusion’s coaching staff was ejected in the 85th minute and the Fusion’s Gyasi Zardes and the Blues’ Dane Saintus, Chijindu also received cautions to go with Sesay’s card at the beginning of the game.

After the game though, the focus shifted to next week where some Blues’ players will get an opportunity to face off against their former squad. Akwari, Tudela, Griffin, Randolph, Sesay and Chijindu (who is on loan from Chivas USA) all have MLS experience and will get an opportunity to show that the talent gap is not that big between the first and third divisions of the American soccer pyramid.

“We feel (that the talent gap) isn’t that much. We’re going to show everyone what we are capable of doing,” said Sesay.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Israel Sesay

You can follow Nick Gaspar on Twitter @TheNtotheG.

Scoring:
LA: Sesay – 45th min.

Cautions:
17′: Sesay (LA)
62′: Chijindu (LA)
90+1′: Saintus (LA)
90+2′: Zardes (VC)

Ejections:
85′: coach (VC) (straight)

Stats:
Shots Saves Fouls Corners
Blues: 9 Blues: 3 Blues: 17 Blues: 3
Fusion: 8 Fusion: 3 Fusion: 17 Fusion: 4

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Wilmington Hammerheads storm back to beat Eagles in OT

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Photo: Wilmington Hammerheads

The Wilmington Hammerheads fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Charlotte Eagles 3-2 in overtime to advance in the US Open Cup on Tuesday. Luke Mulholland, who had the Hammerheads’ first shot on goal, provided the winning shot to cap a furious comeback in the last third of the game.

This was the third Open Cup meeting between the two clubs in the last six years, and with the victory, the Hammerheads maintain their perfect record, having defeated the Eagles the first two times they played (2006, 2009). Wilmington advances to Round 3 where they will face Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. The club has reached an MLS opponent in each of the last three trips to the tournament, including a 2009 Third Round upset of the Chicago Fire.

Charlotte controlled the opening 60 minutes, pressuring their in-state USL Pro rivals throughout. They broke through just before the half, as Weston Roberts took a free kick and nailed a shot to the far corner. The pressure continued in the second half, capped off by a Darren Toby goal in the 54th minute.

However, Wilmington refused to give up. Andriy Budnyy answered seven minutes later, taking a ball from newly-subbed Chris Banks and firing a low shot to cut the deficit in half. It was Budnyy’s third goal of the tournament.

The home team continued to pressure, eventually smothering the Eagles for the equalizer in the 78th minute. Jack Avesyan hit a free kick into the box, where Banks headed the ball in to pull the game level. Banks almost grabbed the lead three minutes later, as his header hit the crossbar and bounced out.

The teams fought hard in overtime, with Mulholland’s shot in the 103rd gave Wilmington the edge. The teams traded chances in the second overtime period, but neither would find the back of the net again.

The Hammerheads have a big trip ahead of them next week when they travel to Utah to play Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium next Tuesday at 9:00 PM EDT.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Chris Banks

Scoring:
CHAR: Weston Roberts – 44th minute
CHAR: Darren Toby – 54th minute
WILM: Andriy Budnyy (Chris Banks) – 61st minute
WILM: Chris Banks (Jack Avesyan) – 78th minute
WILM: Luke Mulholland – 103rd minute

Lineups:
Eagles: Reed, Dalby, Moore, Roberts, Bryan, Herrera, Bloom, Guzman, Rife, Toby, Sanchez
Hammerheads: Polak, Riley, Evans, Becerra, Spendlove, Mullholland, Nicholson, Gusman, Avasyan, Budnyy, Noviello (Banks 56)

Cautions:
19′: Guzman (Char)
35′: Noviello (Wilm)
55′: Avesyan (Wilm)
90′: Nicholson (Wilm)
93′: Moore (Char)
94′: Mulholland (Wilm)
109′: Herrera (Char)

Ejections:
None.

Referee: Daniel Fitzgerald
Assistant Referees Larry Stroud, Conor Williams
Fourth Official: Mark Kadlecik

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Rhinos edge Harrisburg 1-0 on late penalty kick goal

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In a heated battle that saw both clubs get multiple chances from the run of play, it was a penalty kick that provided the difference as the Rochester Rhinos defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders 1-0 at the Skyline Sports Complex in the Second Round of the 2011 US Open Cup.

The Rhinos made sure to set the pace right off the kickoff as Kendall Jagdeosingh forced a corner kick for Rochester mere seconds into the match. However, it would be Harrisburg maintaining offensive control for most of the first half. The leader in the charge was City Islanders midfielder Brian Ombiji, who continually found his way into the Rhinos end. His play helped result in eight first half corner kicks, the result of which, however, left Harrisburg empty.

The second half saw some spectacular plays by the Rhinos defense. Early in the half, a Harrisburg shot was destined for goal, but Quavas Kirk was able to clear it off the line. Rochester almost edged their way in front as a header by Andrew Hoxie sailed just over the bar in the 65th minute. Back at the other end, the 81st minute is where Rochester keeper Neal Kitson would shine. A Harrisburg free kick just outside the box was sent inside, and after a one-timed shot from about 12 yards out, Kitson made a point blank save to keep the game scoreless. The rebound was later cleared for another City Islanders corner, on which they once again couldn’t capitalize.

The 89th minute would be where the game would finally change course. Jagdeosingh was taken down in the box by Harrisburg keeper Phil Tuttle, resulting in a Rochester penalty kick. Tony Donatelli stepped up to the spot and placed it inside the left post to put the Rhinos ahead 1-0. Rochester would hold on to that lead to earn a road victory with the same familiar scoreline that the teams have already seen on two other occasions this season.

The Rhinos will now host the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer in the Third Round on June 28 at Sahlen’s Stadium. The Rhinos are undefeated in regulation in the US Open Cup against Chicago, having a 1-0-1 record. Their most recent encounter was in the 2005 Quarterfinals, where after a 1-1 draw, the Fire would advance by a 5-4 margin on penalties. Their first meeting was in 1999, as the Rhinos won 1-0 in the Third Round. That made the Fire the first MLS victim of four as Rochester went on to make history as the first (and to this date, only) non-MLS side to win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup since MLS kicked off in 1996.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Neal Kitson

Scoring:
89′: Tony Donatelli (PK) (Roc)

Lineups
Rhinos: GK: Kitson; D: Roberts, Bellamy, Gore, Kirk; M: Motagalvan, Rosenlund, Tanke, Donatelli (Traynor 90+2′); F: Hoxie (Banks 80′), Jagdeosingh

City Islanders: GK: Tuttle; D: Basso, Bixler, Bloes, Calvano; M: Pelletier, Welker (Touray 81′), Noone, Schofield; F: Ombiji (Hotchkin 60′), Angulo

Cautions:
77′: Rosenlund (Roc)

Ejections:
90+4′: Touray (Har) (straight)

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Orlando City hands Charleston Battery historic home loss

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Orlando City FC defeated the Charleston Battery 1-0 Tuesday night in the Second Round of the US Open Cup with the lone goal coming from an unexpected player. Defender Rob Valentino scored in the 40th minute, and it was enough to put Orlando City through to the Third Round of the tournament where they will face FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.

Although he was facing away from the goal, Valentino went up to attempt a header on a ball Kevin Molino played into the box. At the same time, Battery goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra charged forward in an attempt to grab the ball. However, Valentino put his head to the ball, propelling it over the keeper’s hands and into the back of the net.

The Battery defenders protested the goal, claiming Valentino was offside, but the assistant referee indicated otherwise.

Charleston manager Mike Anhaeuser did not blame Dykstra for the goal, saying his team had plenty of chances to tie the match.

“It wasn’t a bad mistake,” Anhaeuser said. “We had our chances, but we didn’t put them away. That’s the game.”

Surprisingly, it was not Valentino’s first goal of the campaign in which he has seen action in 13 of their 14 regular season contests. He tallied the lone goal in a 1-0 victory against the Charlotte Eagles in their third match of the season, giving the franchise it’s first-ever road victory. He now has game-winners in both Carolinas.

It was a historic win by Orlando City, as they became the first non-MLS team to win at Blackbaud Stadium in US Open Cup play. The Battery have been playing Open Cup games in that stadium since 1999 and rarely lose. They are 18-5-3 (2-1 in PKs) in that stadium all-time in this tournament and will fail to reach the Third Round for the first time since 2005.

For the first ten minutes of the match, Orlando City was controlling the possession. However, Charleston appeared to settle down and started creating scoring chances of its own.

Anhaeuser said the slow start was due to his team not being quite ready for the passing game of Orlando City, a side they have yet to play in the USL Pro regular season.

“Once we settled down we really played well,” Anhaeuser said. “They’re a team that once they’re winning, they’re tough to score on, but we created chances.”

Charleston added fresh legs in the second half, when Dane Kelly came on in the 55th minute to replace Levi Coleman. Kelly came close to equalizing for Charleston as he split two defenders to get a one-on-one with the keeper. However, Miguel Gallardo was able to clear the ball just before Kelly could put a foot on it.

With the temperature hovering around 100 degrees at kickoff, Anhaeuser said players on both teams were getting worn out.

“When its 100 degrees, one mistake can be the game,” Anhaeuser said.

Orlando will travel to Texas next Tuesday, as FC Dallas will host the Third Round matchup at Pizza Hut Park.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Rob Valentino

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2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup results

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

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

Click on the scores below for more information.

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

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

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SECOND ROUND

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

THIRD ROUND

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

NY Pancyprian Freedoms

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

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

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

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

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

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

FC New York

The club is an expansion side playing in USL Pro.

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

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

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

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

New York Red Bulls

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

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

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

FIRST ROUND

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

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

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Brooklyn Italians

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

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

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

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

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

Western Mass Pioneers

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

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

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

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

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


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

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SECOND ROUND

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

THIRD ROUND

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

Pittsburgh Riverhounds

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

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

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

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

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

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

Richmond Kickers

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

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

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

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

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

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

Columbus Crew

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

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

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

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

FIRST ROUND

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

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

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Chattanooga FC

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

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

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

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament

Dayton Dutch Lions

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

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

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

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

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

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