2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Osvaldo Alonso of Seattle Sounders, Danny Barrera of Cal FC take TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors

August 28, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

In an open vote that saw six different players names selected on ballots for the TheCup.us Player of the Tournament, it was five-time finalist Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders that received the honor while Cal FC’s Danny Barrera was an overwhelming choice as TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament as well as runner-up behind Alonso.

TheCup.us Player of the Tournament: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)

Alonso, who was named the Player of the Round for last year’s Open Cup Final, was the main offensive reason that the Sounders returned to their fourth straight Final, a Modern Professional Era record fifth straight personally dating back to being a member of the 2008 Charleston Battery.

Alonso scored four goals, which tied for second in the 2012 tournament, and dished out two assists in four games before falling in the Final via a penalty kick tiebreaker where his miss in the shootout was perhaps his only blemish in another fantastic campaign. Alonso had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 Third Round win over the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), and also had a pair of goals in their 5-0 rout of Cal FC in the Fourth Round, including one from the penalty spot.

The Cuban defensive midfielder did not play in the team’s 1-0 Quarterfinal win at San Jose, but returned to the lineup in the Semifinals to assist on Eddie Johnson’s opening goal before adding another penalty kick to defeat Chivas USA, 4-1. His performance earned him his second career TheCup.us Player of the Round honor.

TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)

In the debut of the honor, there was little debate as Barrera’s performance for the USASA entrant Cal FC was impressive. He also finished second to Alonso in the POTT voting, coming close to becoming the first lower division player to earn the honor since Chris Eylander won the award for leading the USL-1 Sounders to the Semifinals in 2008.

cal-fc-vs-psa-elite-2012-region-4 — Danny Barrera's journey to the US Open Cup Fourth Round began in the USASA Region IV tournament (with Chicago Fire jerseys), shown here playing PSA Elite in the Final. Photo: PSA Elite

Cal FC became the story of the 2012 tournament thanks to the play of Barrera. The Southern California club managed by former US international Eric Wynalda played every one of their games on the road and made a run all the way to the Fourth Round, becoming just the sixth amateur club and second from USASA to reach Round 4 in the Modern Pro Era.

The journey began when Barrera scored two goals in a 3-1 win against last year’s PDL champion the Kitsap Pumas. That performance earned Barrera TheCup.us Player of the Round recognition for the opening round. He would earn the honor again after traveling across the country and handing USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads a stunning 4-0 drubbing. Barrera scored two goals in the game en route to repeating as TheCup.us Player of the Round, something no one else from a lower division team has done dating back to the debut of the honor in 2006.

The only previous repeat honorees were Pat Noonan, who was recognized following the Semifinals and Final of the New England Revolution’s run to the 2007 title, and Nate Jaqua, who was honored for the Seattle Sounders in the 2010 Quarterfinal and Semifinal wins en route to the team’s second championship. Both MLS players also went on to be named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament.

The personal recognition ended there for Barrera, but Cal FC’s headlines did not as they pulled off a shocking upset, knocking out Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, 1-0, with Barrera leading the way once again. He delivered the game-winning assist to Artur Aghasyan in the 95th minute of extra time in the Rose City before the Cinderella run came to an end in Tukwila, WA as the Seattle Sounders dispatched Cal FC 5-0 in a game that Barrera played the full 90.

Danny sounders2-goalwa — TheCup.us Player of the Tournament Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders knocks Danny Barrera of Cal FC, the Lower Division Player of the Tournament, off the ball during their Round 4 meeting.Photo: Wilson Tsoi | GoalWa.net

Barrera went on to sign with the Atlanta Silverbacks of the second division NASL in July during Wynalda’s interim management of the club, but has played only 181 minutes since, spending some time on trials overseas.

Voting

The award is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel of members from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Other receiving votes for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament behind Alonso and Barrera were the duo of Jimmy Nielsen and Graham Zusi of tournament champion Sporting Kansas City. The list was rounded out by Seattle’s Zach Scott and Brian Ombiji of the Harrisburg City Islanders.

Though Barrera was the runaway winner of TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament honors, also receiving votes were Ombiji and Clint Irwin, goalkeeper of the Charlotte Eagles. Lower Division players are eligible to win both awards. The striker is the first to receive the newly-created award.

“We began discussing the idea of adding a Lower Division honor a year ago because we felt there were a number of players from clubs below MLS that had quality tournament performances that were being overlooked because their team did not win the championship,” said TheCup.us senior editor Josh Hakala. “It is natural to look at the tournament finalists when it comes time to vote for the event’s best player, but with those being almost entirely MLS clubs, that leaves outstanding play in the first three or four rounds when teams are playing opposition from higher flights out of the equation.”

Since the second-division Rochester Rhinos won the tournament championship in 1999, only the 2008 Charleston Battery have reached the US Open Cup Final from the lower ranks.

2012 TheCup.us Tournament Honors

Player of the Tournament: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
Lower Division Player of the Tournament: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)
Championship Player of the Round: Matt Besler (Sporting KC)
Semifinals Player of the Round: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
Quarterfinals Player of the Round: Jose Correa (Chivas USA)
Fourth Round Player of the Round: Sainey Touray (Harrisburg City Islanders)
Third Round Player of the Round: Artur Aghasyan (Cal FC)
Second Round Player of the Round: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)
First Round Player of the Round: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)

Past winners of TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

2012: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
2011: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)
2010: Nate Jaqua (Seattle Sounders)
2009: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders)
2008: Chris Eylander (Seattle Sounders)
2007: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
2006: Andy Herron (Chicago Fire)

Finalists for the 2012 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament awards unveiled

August 22, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

After three amazing years of the Seattle Sounders as US Open Cup champions, there are new kings of the tournament. In that theme, TheCup.us embarks on a new era for the post-tournament awards, unveiling for the first time finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament as well as the newly-created Lower Division Player of the Tournament honor.

Since the second-division Rochester Rhinos won the tournament championship in 1999, only the 2008 Charleston Battery have reached the US Open Cup Final from the lower ranks.

The following players, in alphabetical order, are the top vote-getters for both honors among the ballots received from select members of North American Soccer Reporters as well as TheCup.us staff. Lower Division players are eligible to win both awards. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders – MLS)
The main offensive reason that the Sounders returned to their fourth straight Open Cup Final, a Modern Professional Era record fifth straight dating back to being a member of the 2008 Charleston Battery. Alonso scored four goals (tied for 2nd in the 2012 tournament) and dished out two assists in four games before losing the Final in PKs. Alonso had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 Round 3 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), and also had a pair of goals in their 5-0 rout of Cal FC in Round 4 (one from the penalty spot). He did not play in the team’s 1-0 Quarterfinal win at San Jose, but returned in the Semifinals to assist on Eddie Johnson’s opening goal and added another penalty kick to defeat Chivas USA, 4-1. In the Final, he played a solid game for 120 minutes, but launched his penalty kick attempt in the shootout high over the bar.

Danny Barrera (Cal FC – USASA)
Apologies to the Michigan Bucks who also upset an MLS team, but amateur side Cal FC became the story of the 2012 tournament thanks to the play of Danny Barrera. The Southern California club managed by Eric Wynalda played every one of their games on the road and made a run all the way to the Fourth Round (just the 6th amateur club and 2nd USASA club to reach Round 4 in the Modern Pro Era). The journey began when Barrera scored two goals in a 3-1 win against last year’s PDL champions the Kitsap Pumas. That performance earned Barrera TheCup.us Player of the Round award and he would earn the award again by traveling all the way to the East Coast to defeat the USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads 4-0. Barrera scored two goals in that game as he was named the Player of the Round for the second round in a row, something no one else has done. In Round 3, Cal FC pulled off a shocking upset, knocking off Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers 1-0 and Barrera was involved once again. He delivered the game-winning assist to Artur Aghasyan in the 95th minute of extra time. The Cinderella run came to an end in Tukwila, WA as the Seattle Sounders dispatched Cal FC 5-0 in a game that Barrera played the full 90.

Clint Irwin (Charlotte Eagles – USL Pro)
The goalkeeper for USL Pro’s Charlotte Eagles carried his team to the Quarterfinals despite the Eagles’ offense struggling to score goals. The run began in Round 2 with a 1-0 shutout on the road against the El Paso Patriots in a game decided by an own goal in the 72nd minute. In the following game, Irwin made 10 saves and shutout FC Dallas of MLS 2-0 to help the Eagles advance beyond the Third Round for the first time in franchise history (Est. 1993). In Round 4, Irwin made eight saves in a 2-1 extra time win at San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL, but the Eagles’ first-ever run to the Quarterfinals would come to an end with a 2-1 loss at Chivas USA of MLS with Irwin making four saves.

Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City – MLS) The captain of Sporting Kansas City led his team to the 2012 US Open Cup title while also posting a personal 356-minute shutout streak from the Fourth Round to the Final (4th best personal streak in the Modern Pro Era). As he will be the first to tell you, he didn’t achieve all of this on his own as he was only forced to make four saves in the four matches his played in. His three straight shutouts included a 2-0 home win over the Colorado Rapids (MLS) where he made two saves, followed by a 3-0 home win over USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions where he didn’t have to make a single save and a 2-0 road win over the Philadelphia Union (MLS) in the Semifinals (1 save). In the championship game, he only faced two shots. One was a save on an Eddie Johnson header in the first half and the other was a goal off a header by Zach Scott off a free kick in the 86th minute to level the match at 1-1. In the penalty kick shootout for the Final, he made one save (two attempts missed high) as Kansas City won 3-2.

Brian Ombiji (Harrisburg City Islanders – USL Pro)
Ombiji is the main reason why the City Islanders made yet another run in the US Open Cup. The USL Pro side (Div. 3) advanced to the Quarterfinals for the fourth time in the last six years and it started in Round 2 with a 2-0 home win over the Long Island Rough Riders of the PDL. Ombiji scored the goal that put the game away in the 77th minute. In Round 3, the City Islanders eliminated another MLS club with an overtime comeback for the ages. After going into extra time scoreless, the New England Revolution scored three goals in the opening 15 minutes to start sending fans to their cars, but those that stuck around saw Harrisburg score three goals in the final nine minutes (Ombiji scored the second in the 117th minute) and advanced to the Fourth Round on penalty kicks. The City Islanders eliminated their second straight MLS opponent, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in extra time with Ombiji assisting on Harrisburg’s opening goal. Ombiji’s goal at Philadelphia in the Quarterfinal started a rally that saw Harrisburg cut the Union lead to 3-2, but a pair of late goals by the home team put their Open Cup run to rest.

Who do YOU think deserves to be the Player of the Tournament? Which non-MLS player should win the lower division honor?

Matt Besler leads Sporting KC defense to Open Cup title, named TheCup.us Player of the Round

August 16, 2012 by Josh Hakala

matt-besler-sporting-kc-2012-final-mike-gunnoe — Matt Besler celebrates after winning the US Open Cup title for his hometown club, Sporting Kansas City. Photo: Mike Gunnoe | Sporting Kansas City

It has been quite a week for Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler. It began last Wednesday when he lifted the trophy at the end of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final following Kansas City’s championship victory in penalty kicks, 3-2, over the Seattle Sounders after extra time finished 1-1. His effort at the heart of the KC backline earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honor.

Four days after winning the championship, the former Notre Dame star received his first call-up to the US national team for the team’s friendly against Mexico at Azteca Stadium – a match that, although he did not play in, proved to be a historic night as the United States picked up its first-ever victory south of the border, 1-0.

Besler becomes the first Kansas City player to earn the award since TheCup.us started honoring each round’s best player in 2006. The vote was extremely close and spread out as eight different players received votes, with Roger Espinoza, Kei Kamara and Seattle’s Zach Scott. Besler edged Espinoza for the award by a single vote.

The award is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel of members from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Another first for Besler is that of the two Open Cup winning Kansas City teams (2004, 2012), he joins teammate Seth Sinovic as the only two Kansas City area natives to win the tournament with their hometown team.

matt-besler-shoots-sporting-kc-2012-final-mike-gunnoe — Photo: Mike Gunnoe | Sporting Kansas City

The challenge in front of the KC defense was clear as their All-Star defender Aurelien Collin was unavailable for the Final due to yellow card accumulation, leaving the team with a gap to fill in central defense. The Sounders came into the game with plenty of offensive weapons with Eddie Johnson, Fredy Montero, Seattle’s leading scorer for the tournament, Osvaldo Alonso, and players like Sammy Ochoa coming off the bench who has scored three goals in the competition this year.

With all of those challenges, the defense, led by Besler, held strong, only allowing two shots on goal in 120 minutes of play as the championship was decided by penalty kicks. Jimmy Nielsen only had to make one save, and the Sounders’ lone goal came in the form of a header off a free kick by Zach Scott in the 86th minute that tied the game at 1-1.

To cap off his impressive performance on the field, Besler also converted one of the three penalty kicks in the shootout that allowed Kansas City to lift the trophy for the first time since 2004.

Besler has been a part of Sporting’s Open Cup history in the last few years, playing in all but one tournament game in the last four years.

2012 US Open Cup Final: Sporting KC wins 2nd title in PKs, ends Seattle Sounders’ historic run

August 9, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

sporting-kc-2012-usoc-champs-nielsen-big — Photo: Steve Olson | SoccerSTL.net

In a frantic finish at the end of regulation and a dramatic, and controversial, penalty kick shootout, Sporting Kansas City won their second US Open Cup title and deny the Seattle Sounders an unprecedented fourth straight championship. Eddie Johnson sent his penalty kick attempt high over the bar to give Kansas City a 3-2 shootout victory after the match finished tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes.

The match was played in front of a sold-out LiveStrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. The announced attendance was 18,863, which ranks fourth-best in the Modern Era (1995-present).

A rather defensive match came to life late when Kei Kamara put the home team ahead in the 83rd minute when he converted a penalty kick after a cross inadvertently struck the arm of Seattle defender Zach Scott, making his first appearance in the tournament final despite 11 years and 25 tournament previous games played with the USL/MLS Sounders, inside the box. The goal was Kamara’s second Open Cup tally of his career, previously scoring in a 3-0 win against the Chicago Fire PDL last year.

With the crowd still buzzing, however, Scott redeemed himself by heading home from 13 yards a free kick by Mauro Rosales two minutes later to equalize. It was the third career tournament goal for the Hawaiian, who scored twice as a USL Sounder in 2007 and 2008.

The 2012 Final was the first to go into extra time since 2004, when Kansas City (then known as the Wizards) lifted the trophy on a golden goal by Igor Simutenkov in the 95th minute against the Chicago Fire at Arrowhead Stadium.

The match was the first US Open Cup Final to be decided by penalty kicks since 1997 when the Dallas Burn defeated DC United. Despite losing the shootout, the match is officially a draw, therefore the Sounders keep their Modern Era record unbeaten streak intact at 22 games.

The penalty kicks proved to be the most dramatic, back-and-forth portion of the contest that was particularly slow in the second half before the pair of goals in the final six minutes. Kamara and Brad Evans converted the opening attempts before things got interesting. Roger Espinoza, freshly back with KC after a standout performance for Honduras at the Olympics, saw his effort in the central portion of the goal stopped by Michael Gspurning, allowing Marc Burch to give the Sounders the advantage. The tables turned in the third round, however, with Matt Besler scored for Sporting and Osvaldo Alonso, a regular penalty taker for Seattle, sent his well over the goal to tie things up at 2-2.

eddie-johnson-pk-miss-usoc-2012 — Eddie Johnson of the Seattle Sounders reacts after missing a penalty kick that clinched the 2012 US Open Cup championship for Sporting Kansas City. Photo: Steve Olson | SoccerSTL.net

The fourth round was one both sides wanted to forget. Graham Zusi attempted attempted to chip the keeper, much like Andrea Pirlo in the Euro championships, but he sent his shot over the crossbar. After that, Jimmy Nielsen bailed out Zusi by stopping Seattle newcomer Christian Tiffert with a diving save to his right.

Then came the most dramatic moment with Gspurning stopping Paulo Nagamura initially only to have the attempt retaken as the keeper was a foot off his line before the kick was taken. Nagamura, who lost to Chicago in the 2006 Final as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, buried his second effort with Eddie Johnson’s skied effort coming shortly after, sending the hosts and their fans into a frenzy. Nagamura was the only player on the squad who had previously played in a US Open Cup Final.

The result, in some fashion, was redemption for the Sporting, who were eliminated at home by the third division Richmond Kickers, 2-0, in a quarterfinal contest that was interrupted by a lengthy delay for a thunderstorm. Wednesday night’s contest was delayed prior to kickoff for 45 minutes to due a storm that included hail during what should have been pregame warm-ups.

2012 US Open Cup Final Highlights

NOTES:

Patrick Ianni’s red card was the 7th handed out in the Modern Era and the first since Josh Wicks of DC United in 2009 (vs. SEA)

1995 – Kevin Scott (Richmond Kickers vs. El Paso Patriots)
1995 – Hector Cervantes (El Paso Patriots vs. Richmond Kickers)
2001 – Jay Heaps (New England Revolution vs. LA Galaxy)
2002 – Chad McCarty (Columbus Crew vs. LA Galaxy)
2006 – Diego Gutierrez (Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy)
2009 – Josh Wicks (DC United vs. Seattle Sounders)
2012 – Patrick Ianni (Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting KC)

2012 – Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) 1:1 (2:3 PKs) Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
August 8, 2012 | LiveStrong Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kansas

Scoring Summary
SKC: Kei Kamara (PK) – 84th minute
SEA: Zach Scott (Mauro Rosales) – 86th minute

Penalty Kick Shootout
SKC: Kei Kamara (GOAL – upper left)
SEA: Brad Evans (GOAL – bottom left)… 1-1
SKC: Roger Espinoza (SAVED – center)
SEA: Marc Burch (GOAL – upper center)… 2-1
SKC: Matt Besler (GOAL – upper right)
SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (MISS – high)… 2-2
SKC: Graham Zusi (MISS – high)
SEA: Christian Tiffert (SAVED – bottom right)… 2-2
SKC: Paulo Nagamura (GOAL – bottom left)
SEA: Eddie Johnson (MISS – high)… 2-3

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen (GK); Chance Myers, Lawrence Olum, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic; Paulo Nagamura, Julio Cesar, Roger Espinoza (Michael Harrington 100), Graham Zusi; Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong 89), Kei Kamara.
Not used: Eric Kronberg, Neven Markovic, Jacob Peterson, Michael Thomas, Soony Saad

Cautions: None

Seattle Sounders: Michael Gspurning (GK); Zach Scott, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Leo Gonzalez; Mauro Rosales, Osvaldo Alonso, Andy Rose (Brad Evans 69), Alex Caskey (Christian Tiffert 69), Fredy Montero (Marc Burch 106), Eddie Johnson.
Not used: Jeff Parke, Steve Zakuani, Sammy Ochoa.

Cautions:
Osvaldo Alonso (yellow, Dissent) – 4th minute
Mauro Rosales (yellow, Tactical Foul) – 57th minute
Patrick Ianni (yellow, Tactical Foul) – 74th minute
Zach Scott (yellow, Tactical Foul) – 93rd minuet

Ejections:
Patrick Ianni (2nd yellow, Red, Tactical Foul)

Stats
Shots – SEA 8:18 SKC
On Goal – SEA 2:6 SKC
Saves – SEA 5:1 SKC
Fouls – SEA 19:16 SKC
Corners – SEA 3:4 SKC
Offsides – SEA 2:0 SKC

Attendance: 18,863 | Referee – Ricardo Salazar | Linesmen – Corey Rockwell, Peter Manikowski | 4th Official – Michael Kennedy
Weather: Rain, 87 degrees (45 minute delay due to lightning)

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Player of the Round Osvaldo Alonso sends Seattle Sounders back to the Final

July 30, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Osvaldo Alonso’s tenacious play proved to be a thorn in Chivas USA’s side, and helped Seattle Sounders FC to become only the third team in the tournament’s 99-year history to reach the US Open Cup Final four years in a row. For that performance he was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Semifinals.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Teammate Zach Scott and Sporting Kansas City’s Jacob Peterson and Graham Zusi were other leading candidates in the voting.

Alonso earned what could be called soccer’s version of hockey’s “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting penalty) in the Semifinal match: a thread-the-needle assist to Eddie Johnson, a penalty kick goal, and a yellow card on the night. His stifling, physical play spurred a solid effort by Seattle’s defense, as Chivas managed only four shots the entire game.

The 26-year-old Cuban defector earned his second POTR honor, also having captured the award for his performance in the 2011 Open Cup Final.

This game was telling of what has been a solid campaign for Alonso, nicknamed “Honey Badger,” who has four goals along with two assists in the 2012 tournament. This puts him in a tie for second place in goalscoring for this Open Cup, one goal behind Carolina RailHawks’ Brian Shriver. Danny Barrera of Cal FC and Ventura County Fusion’s Frankie Lopez are tied with Osvaldo, and teammate Sammy Ochoa is the only other active player in the scoring top 10 (3 goals).

Alonso, who defected stateside from Cuba in 2007, will be playing in his fifth straight Cup Final. He was on Charleston Battery’s losing side in 2008, before establishing himself as a mainstay with Sounders FC in their debut season in MLS the next season, tallying six goals in that span. No one in the Modern Professional Era has appeared in five straight title games, and only two other players (Andy Williams and Peter Vagenas) have played in five championship games since 1995.

He is also the third Sounders player to earn multiple POTR awards, joining Sebastien Le Toux (2007 Round 3, 2009 Semifinals) and Nate Jaqua (2010 Quarterfinals, 2010 Semifinals). Seattle players have also captured the last four Players of the Tournament: Chris Eylander in 2008, Kasey Keller in 2009, Jaqua in 2010, and Fredy Montero last year. Osvaldo has a good case to become the fifth SSFC player on that list with his strong showing throughout the tournament, in both barnburners and defensive grudge matches. However that thought will be far from his mind, as his side will be going for their fourth straight Open Cup title on the road at Sporting Kansas City. The Final will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 8:30 PM ET at LiveStrong Sporting Park.

2012 Player of the Round award winners

Round 1: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+] Round 2: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+] Round 3: Artur Aghasyan (Cal FC) [+] Round 4: Sainey Touray (Harrisburg City Islanders) [+] Quarterfinals: Jose Correa (Chivas USA) [+] Semifinals: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC)

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Seattle Sounders make history by repeating it against Chivas USA (Video)

July 12, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

2012-sea-celebrates-goal-vs-chivas-big — The Seattle Sounders are the first team since the mid-1930s to reach the US Open Cup Final four straight years. Photo: Corky Trewin | Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC have once again made history in the US Open Cup, becoming the third team to ever to appear in four straight Finals. They earned it, ironically enough, by repeating history, knocking off Chivas USA for the second time in the Semifinals, by a score of 4-1 at Starfire Sports Complex. They defeated the Goats 3-1 at the same stadium back in 2010.

Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sammy Ochoa and Eddie Johnson all tallied for the Sounders who win their 30th all-time tournament win and add to their Modern Pro Era record unbeaten streak of 21 games.

No team has ever won four straight tournament titles in the 99-year history of the US Open Cup, and to accomplish that, the Sounders will have to win it on the road. The Final will be hosted by Sporting Kansas City, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 2-0 in the other Semifinal, at LiveStrong Sporting Park on Aug. 8.

The game was fairly crisp early on, as both teams were on top of each other’s passes. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had a chance for Seattle 11 minutes in, but Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy was up to the task to keep the game scoreless early.

Chivas was able to get a free kick 25 yards out from Sounders FC keeper Bryan Meredith’s left with the sun in his eyes, but instead of playing the ball high, went on the ground for an easy clearance with 19 minutes gone. A couple of minutes later the Goats’ Jorge Villafana threatened with a cross, but it went clear of Alejandro Moreno and out for a goal kick.

Seattle would settle down, easily clearing the Goats’ first corner at the 26 minute mark, and started to impose themselves offensively. Forward Fredy Montero went down in the box, but play was waved on with about 30 minutes gone. Seattle recovered the clearance at midfield a minute later, and Osvaldo Alonso threaded the ball through two defenders to catch Eddie Johnson onside running behind the defense. Johnson took the ball into the area, and Kennedy could only get a finger on the shot as the home team jumped in front. Johnson nearly recorded a brace three minutes later, forcing Kennedy to make an excellent kick save with his header.

For Eddie Johnson, it was his fifth career US Open Cup goal, and his first since 2005 when he played for FC Dallas.

Johnson had been mired in controversy after the last round, being involved in a postgame fracas with San Jose Earthquakes’ Jed Zayner. The US Open Cup disciplinary committee ultimately decided against issuing any discipline to either player, and his play showed that he clearly wasn’t bothered by the incident.

Play threatened to get chippy at the end of the first half, however the ref was fully determined to prevent things from getting out of hand. Osvaldo Alonso saw yellow in the 42nd for persistent infringement, while Oswaldo Minda was booked two minutes later for taking down Montero. The half ended with Seattle looking the stronger side, as Chivas had not attempted a shot in the first 45.

The Sounders seemed determined to prove that statement true, as they went on the attack immediately after the halftime break. Montero was once again pulled down inside the box, this time by Chivas’ Rauwshan McKenzie, in a nearly-identical play to the takedown in the first half. This time, however, a penalty was called, and Alonso fooled Kennedy into diving low and floated the ball above him to double the Seattle lead. Johnson would nearly put the game away after receiving a lofty cross from the other side of the field and volleying it in, but the goal was ruled offside.

After Seattle dominated the first fifteen minutes of the last half, Goats manager Robin Fraser started adding firepower to his side, subbing in Cesar Romero for Blair Gavin in the 64th minute. Brad Evans of the Sounders had been subbed in for 19-year-old Cordell Cato three minutes earlier, and both new players would prove to be important to the game’s outcome.

Romero would receive the ball inside the area in the 74th minute and fire on goal but Meridith made the save. The ball rebounded right back to the shooter though, and this time Cesar’s shot was true, cutting the home lead in half. History had begun repeating itself, as two years ago Jesus Padilla scored in the 66th to generate the same scoreline at that point in the Semifinal game. Chivas was definitely spurred on by the goal, gaining confidence in the next few minutes, however being unable to generate an equalizer.

Seattle would yet end up proving their class again with seven minutes left. Montero dribbled the ball toward the edge of the box, freezing Kennedy on his line with his long-distance prowess and willingness to pull the trigger. Once again having Kennedy fooled, Montero slid the ball to streaking sub Evans, who left the Chivas keeper helpless as he one-timed the ball into the twine, icing the game for the three-time defending champions.

Johnson’s day ended three minutes later, as Sammy Ochoa subbed on for him. With Seattle attacking, fellow sub Alvaro Fernandez lost the ball inside the box. Ochoa was keen to recover it though, and caught Kennedy out of position to tally the game’s final goal.

Chivas tried to rally for a pride goal, however the Sounders deftly played keep-away through the three minutes of stoppage time, keeping their perfect all-time record at Starfire intact (15-0-0, outscoring opponents 45-9) and improving their all-time home record to 23-2-1 (1-0 PKs).

The Sounders are just the third club in the history of the tournament to reach four straight Finals. Bethlehem Steel (1915-1919) and Stix, Baer & Fuller (1933-1937) each advanced to five straight championship games. Bethlehem Steel were National Challenge Cup (as it was called then) champions in 1915 and 1916 before finishing runner-up in 1917, and then lifting back-to-back trophies again in 1918 and 1919. St. Louis-based Stix, Baer & Fuller won three straight titles in 1933, 34 and 35 with the third championship coming under the team’s new sponsor, ‘Central Breweries.’ They changed their name to ‘Shamrocks SC’ in 1936 and finished runner-up that year and again in 1937, losing by one goal in the second leg to the New York Americans.

Full match highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Sigi Schmid post-game interview

Eddie Johnson post-game interview

Osvaldo Alonso post-game interview

Brad Evans post-game interview

SCORING:
SEA- Eddie Johnson (Osvaldo Alonso) 31′
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (PK) 48′
CHV- Cesar Romero (Unassisted) 74′
SEA- Brad Evans (Fredy Montero) 83′
SEA- Sammy Ochoa (Unassisted) 88′

LINEUPS:
SEA- Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott (Capt), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Pat Ianni, Leo Gonzalez; Cordell Cato (Brad Evans 61′), Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Rose, Alex Caskey (Alvaro Fernandez 81′); Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson (Sammy Ochoa 86′). Subs not used: Josh Ford; Jeff Parke, Marc Burch, Mauro Rosales.

CHV- Dan Kennedy; Danny Califf, James Riley, Rauwshan McKenzie, Jorge Villafana; Oswaldo Minda, Ben Zemanski (Ryan Smith 85′), Blair Gavin (Cesar Romero 64′), Alejandro Moreno (Capt); Paolo Cardozo, Juan Pablo Angel (Jose Correa 69′). Subs not used: Tim Melia, John Alexander Valencia, Peter Vagenas, Casey Townsend.

DISCIPLINE:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso 42′ (persistent infringement)
CHV- Oswaldo Minda 44′ (tactical foul)
CHV- Danny Califf 78′ (tactical foul)

STATS:
SEA: Shots-18; Saves- 3; Corners- 6; Fouls-17; Offsides- 5
CHV: Shots- 4; Saves- 5; Corners- 1; Fouls-15; Offsides- 2

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Attendance: 4,500

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Sporting Kansas City returns to the Final with 2-0 road win at Philadelphia Union (Video)

July 12, 2012 by Michael Berton

kei-kamara-kc-vs-phila-semifinals-big — Kei Kamara and Sporting Kansas City are headed back to the Final for the first time since 2004. Photo: Michael Feblowitz

It might not have been the prettiest game of soccer for a neutral fan to watch, but what mattered for Sporting Kansas City was its 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union in the US Open Cup Semifinals—a result that guarantees a home game in the final against the three-time defending champion Seattle Sounders on August 8.

In a game that saw 22 more fouls than shots and four more yellow cards than goals, it was Jacob Peterson making the difference with a 65th minute goal. His headed goal held up until second half stoppage time, when Graham Zusi scored from midfield on an empty net to put the game away.

“The guys were locked into the result…I thought they did a very good job,” Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said after the game. “We really didn’t give much away. I’m really proud of the guys for a clean sheet.”

From the onset, the visitors were determined to not let the Philadelphia crowd have anything to cheer about. Kansas City applied high pressure, giving the Union little space in which to work. Sporting was content to let Philadelphia have the ball in the defensive half, only to cut out nearly every pass that found its way into the offensive third.

Other than a few corners, the first half was largely bereft of action. There was just one shot on goal from Kansas City, while Philadelphia had none. There was plenty of physical play, however. Each team had eight fouls in the first half, with the Union’s Gabriel Farfan earning the game’s first yellow card in the 30th minute.

Union head coach John Hackworth was unhappy with the refereeing, but he gave credit to Sporting for winning the game. “Congratulations to Sporting KC. They did what they had to do to get the result…We didn’t take our chances, we missed the final pass a lot,” he said.

In the second half, both squads came out with a more attacking mindset. It did not lead to any clear chances though, until the 65th minute. On a free kick, Zusi curled the ball into the top of the box. Peterson put a headed effort toward goal, where Union goalie Zac MacMath got a hand on the ball but could not keep it out of the upper corner of the net.

Kansas City nearly doubled its lead three minutes later when CJ Sapong got behind the Union defense. He put his shot past the onrushing goalie, but it hit the post and rolled out of play. That close call was emulated on the other side of the pitch when Philadelphia’s Freddy Adu found Antoine Hoppenot wide open in the penalty area. Jimmy Nielsen made the initial save on Hoppenot’s shot, and the Sporting defense managed to clear the ball off the line and out for a corner kick.

On June 23, just three weeks prior, the Union won their league match-up with Kansas City 4-0. They could not conjure up any of that scoring touch in this match, however. Other than a headed effort saved by Nielsen in the 78th minute, Philadelphia could not get any more shots on net. Then, as the home side pushed higher and higher up the field, Zusi put the game away.

MacMath was playing at midfield with the rest of his team in the offensive third. He tried to head away a Sporting clearance, but Zusi rushed onto the ball. With the net wide open, Zusi lofted the ball about 55 yards and into the goal to end Philadelphia’s chances.

With the 2-0 victory, Sporting Kansas City will host the final for a chance to win its second US Open Cup title, with the first coming in 2004. The championship game will be the first in the 99-year history of the tournament to be held in the state of Kansas. The winner of final will also earn a berth in the 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League.

“This was a real target for us based on the fact that it has Champions League entry. It’s something we want to be able to do,” Vermes said. “We get a final at home! This was a big thing for us.”

Note: The announced attendance of 8,486 at PPL Park is the fourth highest attended Semifinal in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present)

Philadelphia Union 0:2 Sporting Kansas City
PPL Park – Chester, Pa.

SKC: Jacob Peterson (Graham Zusi) 65
SKC: Graham Zusi (unassisted) 90+

Discipline:

PHI: Gabriel Farfan (caution-30)
PHI: Michael Farfan (caution-52)
SKC: Paulo Nagamura (caution-52)
PHI: Michael Lahoud (caution-57)
PHI: Sheanon Williams (caution-62)
SKC: Aurelien Collin (caution-77)

Lineups:

Philadelphia Union: Zac MacMath; Gabriel Farfan, Carlos Valdes, Amobi Okugo, Sheanon Williams; Michael Farfan, Brian Carroll, Michael Lahoud (Gabriel Gomez-66); Lionard Pajoy (Antoine Hoppenot-63), Jack McInerney, Freddy Adu

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielson; Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Chance Myers, Seth Sinovic; Paulo Nagamura, Graham Zusi, Roger Espinoza; Jacob Peterson, Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong-63), Kei Kamara,

Stats: Shots—SKC, 11; PHI, 5; Corners—SKC, 4; PHI, 2; Saves—SKC, 1; PHI, 2; Fouls—SKC, 17; PHI, 21; Offside—SKC, 1; PHI, 5

Officials: Ref.—Hilario Grajeda; Asst. Ref.—Kermit Auisenberry; Asst. Ref.—Peter Manikowski

Att: 8,486

2012 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Jose Correa rescue of Chivas USA earns him TheCup.us Player of the Round award

July 9, 2012 by Josh Hakala

2012-QF-PlayeroftheRound-Correa — Correa's two goals have put Chivas USA in the Semifinals for just the second time. Photo: Chivas USA

Jose Correa’s heroic efforts for Chivas USA in their dramatic 2-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles were enough to earn him TheCup.us Player of the Round award for the Quarterfinals. Correa scored both goals in the match, including the game-winner in second half stoppage time to send his club to the Semifinals for just the second time in the club’s relatively short history.

The 19-year-old Colombian forward becomes the first Chivas USA player to ever win the award which is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Correa was voted the winner, with Zach Scott of the Seattle Sounders, CJ Sapong of Sporting Kansas City and Lionard Pajoy of the Philadelphia Union also receiving strong consideration.

The game was a breakout game for Correa, who has struggled to find a regular place in the Chivas starting eleven. After signing with the club in April, he scored in his first MLS start in 1-1 draw on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes. He started again the next game in the SuperClasico, scoring the game’s only goal in a 1-0 win over the Galaxy.

Two starts and two draws later, Correa had a four-game unbeaten streak with him in the starting lineup until he suffered a hamstring injury and missed three games before returning to the lineup against Charlotte. On July 7, he started again in league play against Vancouver in a scoreless draw extending his personal unbeaten streak to six games.

Another notable accomplishment for Correa is the fact that at age 19, he is the youngest player to ever be named Player of the Round since the award began in 2006.

2012 Player of the Round award winners

2012 US Open Cup Final: Three stadiums in play to host this year’s championship game (UPDATED)

July 6, 2012 by Josh Hakala

The United States Soccer Federation announced the potential host sites for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final. Two of the three stadiums that have been selected as possibilities, based on the results of a secret bidding process, will host the championship game for the first time. The game will be be held on August 7 or 8 depending on the home team.

The Semifinals will feature an all-Major League Soccer lineup for just the second time in the last six years, assuring that an MLS club will win the tournament for the 13th straight year.

Of those semifinalists, Sporting Kansas City will host the Final at LiveStrong Sporting Park if they advance in their match against tournament newcomer Philadelphia Union. Kansas City hasn’t hosted the title game since they lifted the trophy in 2004 at Arrowhead Stadium. The new stadium, which stands on the Kansas side of the border, could mark the first time the championship game has ever taken place in the Sunflower State. The game will be held on Aug. 8 if they face Seattle, and either Aug. 7 or 8 if they host Chivas USA.

However, if the Philadelphia Union knock off Kansas City, they will host the Final at PPL Park on either Aug. 7 or 8, but only if Chivas USA gets past the Seattle Sounders. If they reach their first championship game in franchise history, it will be the first Philadelphia-area club to reach the Final since United German Hungarians fell short against CD Mexico in 1993, and the first time the championship game has been held in the Philadelphia area since 1994 (Oakford, Pa.).

Out west, the three-time defending Open Cup champion Seattle Sounders, who have hosted the last two title games, can only play for an unprecedented fourth championship in a row in front of their home fans if they get past Chivas USA and the Philadelphia Union win. The match would take place on Aug. 8.

If Chivas USA wants to win their first trophy in franchise history, they will have to do so on the road as they are not in the running for hosting. This year Chivas has only hosted one (Quarterfinals vs. Charlotte Eagles) of their four matches. Since MLS joined the competition, only FC Dallas in 1997 (then known as the Dallas Burn) have won it all by winning more than two road games along the way. In fact, Dallas won the Open Cup that year without playing a single game at home (three wins on the road and the Final at a neutral site in Indianapolis).

The format for how the USSF determines the host of Open Cup games changed this year, with a blind draw being conducted as long as teams met minimum venue standards and paid a flat hosting fee (except for the first two rounds which did not include a fee). However, for the Semifinals and the Final, the secret bidding process from year’s past remains in place where the potential finalists submit an application to host the game and sends a cashier’s check to the federation. To put it simply, the team who meets the standards and bids the most money gets to host.

After the announcement was made, Joshua Mayers reported on the Seattle Times website that Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer told him the bids submitted by Seattle and Kansas City were equal, which required the federation to flip a coin to determine who would host if the two clubs should meet in the Final. Obviously, Kansas City won the coin flip.

US Soccer spokesperson Neil Buethe confirmed that the two clubs did, in fact, did “tie” with their bids, but not necessarily on the amount they cut a check for. “The two bids from Seattle and Sporting Kansas City were considered equal on merit so the decision was made to conduct a coin flip.”

Also, there is currently no agreement in place to broadcast the championship game on television. As of Saturday, July 7, Buethe told TheCup.us “We are still in discussions with broadcasters about televising the Open Cup Final.” Every championship game in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) has been broadcast on a variety of television networks over the years, including GolTV, Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN.

2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final (Hosting scenarios)
Tuesday, Aug. 7, or Wednesday, Aug. 8

Seattle Sounders FC at Sporting Kansas City
LiveStrong Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.; time TBD; Aug. 8
OR
Chivas USA at Sporting Kansas City
LiveStrong Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.; time TBD; Aug. 7 or 8
OR
Philadelphia Union at Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
CenturyLink Field; Seattle, Wash.; time TBD; Aug. 8
OR
Chivas USA (MLS) at Philadelphia Union (MLS)
PPL Park; Chester, Pa.; time TBD; Aug. 7 or 8

2012 Semifinals schedule (July 11)

Sporting Kansas City (MLS) at Philadelphia Union (MLS)
PPL Park; Chester, Pa.; 7:30 p.m. ET – July 11

Chivas USA (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 10:00 p.m. ET – July 11

2012 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Tempers flare as Sounders escape with 1-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes

June 27, 2012 by Robert Jonas

The San Jose Earthquakes crashed out of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament with a 1-0 loss to the three-time defending champions Seattle Sounders in front of a crowd of 7,219 at historic Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. A first half goal from Sounders rookie midfielder Cordell Cato proved to be the difference for the visitors when the Earthquakes were unable to continue their season of late-game magic and find an equalizing goal.

The win-or-go-home nature of the tournament resulted in a fiercely competitive game, which featured numerous yellow cards to both teams, a straight red card to Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon, and a post game melee resulting from the intense emotions surrounding the match. Forward Chris Wondolowski, who entered as a second half substitute, recognized just how hard each team was going for the victory.

“We’re both good teams this year so there will be a lot of fight and a lot of heart,” said Wondolowski. “You put 22 guys on a small field, a bumpy field, with a referee that let a lot of stuff go, and there’s going to be a lot of fire.”

Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop used everything at his disposal to try to knock off the three-time champions, but the Sounders proved resolute despite the heavy pressure put on them by the San Jose offense.

“You have to give Seattle credit for the way they defended, especially the last 35 minutes,” said Yallop. “We just couldn’t quite get that touch in front of goal. We pushed the issue on what was a difficult pitch and went direct but couldn’t score.”

Facing a setting sun to start the game and field conditions that were far from pristine, the Earthquakes found it difficult to muster up anything on offense early on. It took until the 9th minute for San Jose to find a seam in the Seattle defense. Rafael Baca, with space to work with on the left sideline, carried the ball into the top corner of the area and squared a pass to an onrushing Shea Salinas 15 yards from goal. The Quakes winger had trouble settling the ball and his weakly taken shot was comfortably saved by Sounders goalkeeper Andrew Weber.

The Sounders began to turn the momentum to their advantage over the next quarter hour, and were rewarded for their efforts in the 19th minute when they broke through for the game’s opening goal. A pass across the top of the Earthquakes penalty area was misjudged by defender Ike Opara and fell to the feet of Sounders midfielder Cato. With Justin Morrow stabbing at the loose ball, Cato rounded the Earthquakes defender and drove the ball to the endline. The Sounders rookie’s shot across goal took a slight deflection and managed to sneak the ball through the legs of goalkeeper David Bingham and into the goal for a Seattle 1-0 lead.

“I think we gave the ball away poorly in the midfield which didn’t help,” said Yallop. “We still had a chance to defend it and we didn’t. The shot took a nick off of somebody and it was not easy for the goalkeeper.”

Sounders_Earthquakes 04 — Photo: Julie Logan | TheJulieLogan.com Copyright 2012, All rights reserved

Following an ineffective opening half for San Jose, coach Yallop went to his bench early in the second half in an effort to bolster his offense. Regular first-teamers Wondolowski and Steven Lenhart, along with speedy Marvin Chavez were all inserted into the line-up with an eye toward cracking the resolute Sounders defense. Instead, the frustration mounted for the home side, as they were able to consistently deliver the ball into the Seattle area, but they were not able to create a single shot on goal.

With tempers boiling over and physical play being ramped up a notch or two by both sides as the game dragged toward a conclusion, referee Yader Reyes was required to be more active in keeping the match in control. Yellow card cautions for hard tackles went to Gordon and Morrow for the Earthquakes and Zach Scott, Andy Rose and Marc Burch for the Sounders were all issued in the second half.

As the match entered six minutes of stoppage time, the Earthquakes continued to press for the equalizer in the midst of the chippy play. The 93rd minute saw things come to a boil, as Burch fouled Gordon hard from behind, sending the Quakes forward to the turf and earning Burch his yellow card. However, Gordon then sprang back up and headbutted Burch from behind, leaving San Jose with just 10 men, in an eerily similar meltdown to Zinadine Zidane’s in the 2002 World Cup final.

A throw-in from Steven Beitashour in the 95th minute was flicked toward the mix of players and popped out to the top of area. Defender Victor Bernardez stepped into the loose ball and unleashed a volley that took a deflection off a defender. The Earthquakes claimed a hand ball against Seattle, but the referee did not agree. “It looked a hand ball,” said Yallop. “I thought we had a couple calls that could have gone our way. That’s being diplomatic.”

Wondolowski, who protested vehemently at the time of the disputed play to referee Reyes, was much less diplomatic than his coach.

“The hand ball was very clear,” said Wondolowski. “The defender made a last ditch effort just to save the goal. And it was a good ‘save,’ one that Busch or Bingham would be proud of.”

The match ended a minute later, and the two teams engaged in a significant melee on the field between the two team benches brought about because of a confrontation between Sounders forward Eddie Johnson and Quakes defender Jed Zayner. The latter accused the former of hitting him in the face, but the former had no comment on the incident. Both teams engaged in some pushing and shoving, but eventually separated and went their own ways to their locker rooms. The video replay does show Zayner making contact with Johnson right before the supposed punch.

“There’s always a rivalry between us and Seattle,” said Yallop. “We beat them once this year, and they beat us in the Cup. We’ll play them twice again this year, so we have got to look forward to that.”

While Seattle moves forward in the US Open Cup tournament to the semifinal round, San Jose focuses on a weekend match against rival Los Angeles Galaxy at a sold-out Stanford Stadium this Saturday, June 30.

Seattle Sounders FC at San Jose Earthquakes
June 26, 2012 — Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, Calif.
Attendance: 7,219

Scoring Summary
SEA — Cordell Cato (unassisted) 19

Misconduct Summary:
SJ — Alan Gordon (caution) 49
SEA — Zach Scott (caution) 51
SJ — Justin Morrow (caution) 75
SEA — Andy Rose (caution) 82
SJ — Alan Gordon (ejection) 93
SEA — Marc Burch (caution) 94

San Jose Earthquakes — David Bingham, Steven Beitashour, Victor Bernardez, Ike Opara, Justin Morrow, Rafael Baca (Marvin Chavez 80), Sam Cronin, Tressor Moreno (Steven Lenhart 53), Shea Salinas, Khari Stephenson (Chris Wondolowski 53), Alan Gordon.
Statistics: Total Shots: 7; Shots on Goal: 4; Saves: 4; Fouls: 12; Offside: 3; Corner Kicks: 11.

Seattle Sounders FC — Andrew Weber, Brad Evans, Patrick Ianni, Zach Scott, Leo Gonzalez, Cordell Cato (Marc Burch 82), Servando Carrasco, Andy Rose, Alvaro Fernadez (Jhon Kennedy Hurtado 89), Roger Levesque, Sammy Ochoa (Eddie Johnson 75).
Statistics: Total Shots: 8; Shots on Goal: 4; Saves: 4; Fouls: 9; Offside: 1; Corner Kicks: 3.