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2012 Third Round

2012 TheCup.us Player of the Round: Artur Aghasyan selection gives Cal FC third honor in a row (video)

June 4, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Somewhere in that celebration is the goalscorer, and TheCup.us Player of the Round, Artur Aghasyan. Photo: Ethan Erickson | Portland Timbers

Move over Kardashians, there is a new star Armenian in Los Angeles. Cal FC striker Artur Aghasyan was selected as the Third Round’s TheCup.us US Open Cup Player of the Round for providing the game-winning overtime strike in the historic upset against the Portland Timbers. It was his third consecutive game with a goal.

The selection marks only the second time since TheCup.us began recognizing the tournament’s outstanding performances in 2006 that a team has had a player chosen three times in a tournament or in consecutive rounds. The previous time came in 2010 when the Seattle Sounders saw Nate Jaqua earn the honor in the semifinals and quarterfinals followed by Sanna Nyassi for the final.

Aghasyan’s selection followed two for teammate Danny Barrera, who was recognized for his pair of goals in a 3-1 road win over the PDL champion Kitsap Pumas and for tallying two goals and an assist in a record 4-0 victory on the road versus the USL Pro Wilmington Hammerheads.

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

After enduring shot after shot and attack after attack from Portland, Cal FC finally got its chance five minutes in overtime with a breakaway created by Barrera, who managed to deliver a ball while falling to the pitch. Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well-placed through ball and calmly chipped Perkins. As his teammates mobbed him in the northeast corner of the stadium, the crowd fell silent.

Scoring the lone goal put Aghasyan back in the headlines. He had tallied the insurance goal late versus Kitsap and provided the second goal in Wilmington. Aghasyan is no stranger to success having previously led the PDL’s Ventura County Fusion to a league championship in 2009 after an outstanding start to his professional career in Armenia, where he led Pyunik of the nation’s first division with a league-leading 16 goals in 25 games as a rookie.

However, his jump to the professional ranks in the United States was much more difficult. After his PDL success, he went on to sign in 2011 with Real Salt Lake after a stint with Chivas USA in the MLS Reserve League. He would make only four appearances for RSL before being released and signed by the LA Blues of USL Pro.

With the goal, Cal FC became not only the first US Adult Soccer Association team to score against an MLS opponent, but became the first to advance via a victory. In four previous tries, the USASA clubs went scoreless, though there were several surprising results. In 2006, Dallas Roma advanced via penalties, 4-2, after a scoreless draw against Chivas USA, and in 2000, Uruguay SC lost, 1-0, in golden goal overtime to the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

In the Modern Pro Era, it is only the fifth time a team from an amateur league has eliminated an MLS club and is only the 12th time a USASA club has eliminated a team from a professional league.

MORE: Check out Cal FC’s Meet the USASA feature

USASA Advancements vs Pro League Clubs
Bavarian SC 2000: 1-0 vs Reading Rage (third division – USL)
Bavarian SC 2007: 1-0 vs Cincinnati Kings (third division – USL)
Bridgeport Italians 1997: 3-2 vs Rhode Island Stingrays (third division – USL)
Cal FC 2012: 4-0 vs Wilmington Hammerheads (third division – USL)
Cal FC 2012: 1-0 AET vs Portland Timbers (first division – MLS)
CASL Elite 2002: 5-2 vs Carolina Dynamo (third division – USL)
Dallas Roma 2006: 1-0 vs Miami FC (second division – USL)
Dallas Roma 2006: 0-0 (4-2 pk) vs Chivas USA (first division – MLS)
Hollywood United 2008: 3-2 vs Portland Timbers (second division – USL)
Reggae Boyz 2005: 4-2 vs Cincinnati Kings (third division – USL)
San Jose Oaks 1996: 3-2 vs California Jaguars (third division – USL)
United German Hungarians 1999: 2-1 vs New Jersey Stallions (third division – USL)

MLS Eliminations by Amateur League Teams
Cal FC 2012: 1-0 AET vs Portland Timbers
Michigan Bucks 2012: 3-2 AET vs Chicago Fire
Michigan Bucks 2000: 1-0 vs New England Revolution
Chicago Sockers 2000: 0-0 (7-6 PK) vs Kansas City Wizards
Dallas Roma 2006: 0-0 (4-2 PK) vs Chivas USA

MLS versus USASA Clubs
2012: Portland Timbers 0-1 AET Cal FC
2006: Chivas USASA 0-0 (2-4 PK) Dallas Roma
2006: LA Galaxy 2-0 Dallas Roma
2001: Miami Fusion 4-0 Uruguay SC
2000: Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 ASDET Uruguay SC

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Player of the Round, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Artur Aghasyan, Cal FC, Player of the Round

2012 US Open Cup Third Round Live Blog: Cal FC pulls off historic upset as Round 3 comes to a close

May 30, 2012 by Josh Hakala

To join the conversation, either enter the blog, or include #USOC in your tweets to share your thoughts or ask a question. And don’t forget to Declare Your Support, whether your club is playing or not, with #OpenCupFan. Follow TheCup.us on Twitter (@USOpenCup) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thecup.us) for updated scores and news throughout the night .

2012 US Open Cup bracket [+] 2012 US Open Cup scores/schedules [+]
2012 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders [+]
2012 US Open Cup participant map [+]
Meet the USASA: Class of 2012 [+] Things you should know about Round 3 [+]

The Third Round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is shaping up to be the craziest round in recent memory, and there are still two matches to go.

Join TheCup.us right here for a live blog as we will have live updates from the Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Seattle Sounders game and the Portland Timbers host Cal FC. coming in from 14 of the 16 games tonight, followed by the last two games on Wednesday. Also stay tuned for PotHunting trivia for your chance to win a throwback soccer shirt from PotHunting.com.

#TWITTER: To join the conversation, either enter the blog, or include #USOC in your tweets to share your thoughts or ask a question. And don’t forget to Declare Your Support, whether your club is playing or not, with #OpenCupFan. Follow TheCup.us on Twitter (@USOpenCup) for updated scores and news throughout the night (no play-by-play).

Here’s your guide to the entire Third Round, including notes on key players from NASL & USL Pro players via resident Lower Division expert Gerald Barnhart, who issues weekly Lower Division Five Star honors, which also includes a US Open Cup list:

—————————————-

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 10 p.m. ET
Broadcast: SoundersFC.com (Video)
Round 4 scenarios (June 5):
If Seattle wins … home vs. Cal FC OR at Portland Timbers
If Atlanta wins … at Portland Timbers OR TBD vs. Cal FC

Atlanta Silverbacks’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
Rd 2: Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 1:0 Georgia Revolution (NPSL) [+] Recap
Seattle Sounders’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
First game of 2012 tournament

It was not quite the last game between the two clubs at the Starfire Soccer Complex as the Sounders played one more USL First Division campaign before moving onto Major League Soccer after the 2008 season. But the memory of a stinging 4-0 loss in the 2007 championship game has to still be on the minds of team management as they trek back to Seattle for the first time in four years. Only defender Martyn Lancaster remains from the Silverbacks roster that took the field that night. Standing on the other side again may very well defender Zach Scott and forward Roger Levesque. And in one other small twist, Atlanta’s Ciaran O’Brien’s brother, Leighton, was a part of that game for Seattle, though he left after 18 minutes with an injury. The Silverbacks were never able to avenge the defeat, falling 2-0 at home and 4-2 away early in the season and playing to a 1-1 draw in the final month at Starfire.

Atlanta comes into the contest with a narrow Second Round victory against amateur NPSL side Georgia Revolution as the only win of the campaign as they are one of two winless sides (Carolina) in the NASL at 0-4-5. A 1-1 draw in Fort Lauderdale Saturday ended a four-game losing streak in which they allowed at least two goals in every game. Reinaldo Navia has been the star of the season thus far with six goals, but his equalizer Saturday, set up by O’Brien, was the first in five games.

The Sounders bring the weight of being the three-time Open Cup champions to the table as well as one of the best records in the league at 8-3-3. The Sounders, though, have struggled of late with a four-game winless stretch (0-2-2) and are coming off a two-game week in MLS, falling at home to Columbus, 2-0, and playing to a 1-1 draw on the road against Chivas USA. Scoring has come from a myriad of players and the team is relying heavily on rookie goalkeeper Bryan Meredith, who is in relief of the injured Michael Gspurning. Last year Meredith was on the other side of the equation playing for the PDL Kitsap Pumas. He guided them to a pair of wins versus amateur competition before falling, 2-1, at Starfire to the Sounders. The Sounders enter the 2012 tournament riding a Modern Pro Era record 17-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2008 campaign, including a 12-game unbeaten streak as an MLS franchise.

Modern Pro Era Open Cup Records:
Atlanta Silverbacks
OVERALL: 5-6-2 (1-1 in PKs), 2-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) away, 0-2-1 (0-1 PKs) vs. MLS clubs
BEST FINISH: Round 4 (2004, lost 4-1 vs. Kansas City Wizards)
LAST ENTRY: 2008 (Round 2, lost 1-0 at Miami FC)
Seattle Sounders
OVERALL: 26-11-3 (2-1 PKs), 20-2-1 (1-0 PKs) at home, 3-1-2 (1-1 PKs) vs. Division 2 clubs
AS MLS: 11-0-1 (1-0 PKs), 9-0-0 at home, 1-0-1 (1-0 PKs) vs. Division 2 clubs
BEST FINISH: 2009, 2010, 2011 US Open Cup champions
LAST ENTRY: 2011 (Champion, 2-0 win vs. Chicago Fire)

—————————————-

Cal FC (USASA) at Portland Timbers (MLS)

JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.; 10:30 p.m. PT
Broadcast: PortlandTimbers.com (Video) | 750AM (Audio)
Round 4 scenarios (June 5):
If Portland wins … home vs. Seattle Sounders/Atlanta Silverbacks winner
If Cal FC wins … at Seattle Sounders OR TBD vs. Atlanta Silverbacks

Cal FC’s 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
Rd 1: Cal FC (USASA) 3:1 Kitsap Pumas (PDL) [+] Recap
Rd 2: Cal FC (USASA) 4:0 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) [+] Recap
Portland Timbers’ 2012 US Open Cup results (home team on right):
First game of 2012 tournament

If any team can have “giant killer” status, Cal FC are definitely merit of that. In the first round, they met PDL champs Kitsap Pumas and sent them packing early, with the help from former US youth international Danny Barrera netting two goals in the 3-1 victory. Cal FC traveled to Wilmington, knocking off the USL Pro side 4-0. Barrera won his second straight TheCup.us Player of the Round award by scoring two more goals, along with Artur Aghasyan and Pedro Ferreira-Mendez contributing.

Cal FC are just the second USASA team from southern California to win a US Open Cup game. The first team, Hollywood United, also faced the Portland Timbers in the next round. The Timbers were a USL First Division team at the time and were upset by Hollywood 3-2.

The current form of the Timbers could be better, with only one win in the month of May and three draws to go along with it. Portland’s three league wins this season have all come playing at home so far, with their home record standing at 3-2-2. The Timbers are currently 7th in the Western Conference and 14th in all of MLS. This will be the first time for Portland’s MLS team to enter the US Open Cup, and the first time since 2010 a Timbers franchise has been in the tournament.

Modern Pro Era Open Cup Records:
Cal FC
OVERALL: 2-0-0, 2-0-0 away, 0-0-0 vs. MLS clubs
BEST FINISH: 2012 is their first entry
LAST ENTRY: 2012 is their first entry
Portland Timbers
OVERALL: 7-6-1 (0-1 PKs), 2-4-1 (0-1 PKs) at home, 5-1-0 vs. amateur clubs
AS MLS: 2012 is their first entry
BEST FINISH: Fourth Round (2005, lost 2-0 vs.San Jose Earthquakes)
LAST ENTRY: 2010 (Third Round, drew 1-1 vs. Seattle Sounders, lost in PKs 4-3)

2012 US Open Cup Fourth Round Schedule

Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.; 7:07 p.m. ET

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PRO)
Hershey Park Stadium; Hershey, Pa.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Union (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO) at
Michigan Bucks (PDL)
Ultimate Soccer Arena; Pontiac, Mich.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Colorado Rapids (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.; 7:30 p.m. CT ||  Citrus Bowl; Orlando, Fla.; 7:30 p.m. ET

Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) at San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
Heroes Stadium; San Antonio, Texas; 7:30 p.m. CT

Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Cagan Stadium, Stanford University; Stanford, Calif.; 7:30 p.m. PT

Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)/Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) Winner at Portland Timbers (MLS)
JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore.; 10:30 p.m. ET
OR
Cal FC (USASA) at Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 10:30 p.m. ET
OR
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) vs. Cal FC (USASA)
Venue TBD; Time TBD

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Live blog, Player of the Round

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Minnesota Stars shock Real Salt Lake’s record crowd at Rio Tinto

May 30, 2012 by Landon Walters

Simone Bracalello and the Minnesota Stars celebrate a goal against Real Salt Lake (MLS) in the Third Round of the 2012 US Open Cup. Photo: Michael Mangum

There was good news as well as bad for Real Salt Lake as the Utah side entered the Lamar Hunt Open Cup tournament against Minnesota Stars FC. The good news was the fanatical supporters of the Claret and Cobalt set an attendance record for the Open Cup tournament as 17,212 packed Rio Tinto Stadium on a Tuesday night with short notice. Unfortunately for the RSL faithful, that was the only good news of the night.

The bad news of course, was the Minnesota Stars FC of the NASL thoroughly outplayed the MLS side throughout the game and sent the majority of fans in attendance home disappointed after a 3-1 win to advance to the next round of the tournament.

RSL proved that head coach Jason Kreis is serious about the Open Cup tournament, trotting out a lineup that was as close to Kries’ first eleven as possible, with the exceptions being away for national team duty. Every player on the field at the beginning of the match had previous MLS experience, even though some of the players are only in their rookie campaign.

RSL looked sluggish out of the gates however, as Minnesota didn’t seem overly nervous to be playing in front of so large a crowd and applied pressure to the RSL backline as many fans were still finding their seats.

Photo: Real Salt Lake

The visitors took control of the match in the fourth minute as a free kick into RSL’s box got lose and landed at the feet of Minnesota midfielder Kevin Venegas, who powered his shot into the back of the net to give Stars the 1-0 lead and keep the crowd out of the match from the early moments.

Salt Lake seemed to use that as a wake-up call and began to apply pressure to Minnesota, but still struggled to hold possession and gave the ball up too easily for stretches in the first half. Minnesota continued to be dangerous, but couldn’t find a second goal to bury the MLS side.

The match turned in the 30th minute though, as 18 year old Luis Gil fired a laser past Minnesota goalkeeper Matt VanOekel to draw RSL even at 1-1 and many in the crowd undoubtedly felt as if RSL would be able to continue playing their game and wear out the NASL team that wouldn’t be ready for the altitude at Rio Tinto.

After back-to-back saves by VanOekel to deny RSL the lead, momentum shifted for the final time just before the halftime whistle as the referee awarded Minnesota with what many deemed a questionable penalty kick awarded for a handball by Jamison Olave on a cross struck by Amani Walker. Neil Hlavaty  put the spot kick past a diving Kyle Reynish and the Stars felt confident that they would be able to spring  the upset heading into the break.

Kreis made his first change of the match, inserting regular starter Tony Beltran into the defense for rookie Terakazu Tanaka, but the RSL defense still seemed to struggle with the Stars players for whatever reason.

Only three minutes later, an injury forced RSL defensive mid Yordanny Alvarez from the match, as he was replaced by another rookie in Sebastian Velasquez in the midfield. And then Minnesota found the back of the net for the third time as Simone Bracalello scored his first of the match.

RSL is no stranger to late game heroics, and applied pressure to the Minnesota backline repeatedly over the final 25 minutes of the match, with a number of shots just missing the mark. The Minnesota defense bunkered behind the ball to hold their lead and had little problem clearing the danger out of their defensive third, while always prepared to counter attack when possible.

The crowd tried to will the ball toward the back of the net, but it wasn’t meant to be as the team that played the best on the night won the match. Afterward, Kreis spoke to the media, saying “We owe an apology to our fans. They were terrific and we let them down miserably.”

The feeling from the veteran leaders of the team was the same, as many of them took to Twitter after the game. Defender Nat Borchers, who wears the armband when normal captain Kyle Beckerman is away, posted: “That was embarrassing from us tonight. It’s okay to make mistakes; it’s not okay to give up. Thanks to all of you for coming out tonight.”

It is the second time RSL has been upended by Minnesota in the tournament. The previous incarnation, Thunder, stunned the visiting expansion MLS side, 6-4 in overtime, in the 2005 tournament, something that came to mind when the song Thunderstruck aired throughout the stadium, perhaps sparking the Stars’ second-half performance.

RSL now has a couple weeks to think about the result, as they do not have another match scheduled until June 16th. For Minnesota however, the squad will travel to face San Jose next week. If they can play with the same togetherness and determination that they took to Rio Tinto Stadium, the Earthquakes will have their hands full and Minnesota could keep advancing in the Open Cup.

Minnesota Stars 3:1 Real Salt Lake
Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, UT

Scoring Summary:
MIN – Venegas (Kallman) 3’
RSL – Gil (Grabavoy) 29’
MIN – Hlavaty (PK) 45’
MIN – Bracalello (Kallman) 58’

Misconduct Summary:
RSL – Velasquez (handball) 83’
RSL – Olave (tactical foul) 85’

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2) – Kyle Reynish; Terukazu Tanaka (Tony Beltran 46), Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers (c), Chris Wingert; Yordany Alvarez (Sebastian Velasquez 53), Ned Grabavoy, Jonny Steele, Luis Gil; Emiliano Bonfigli, Paulo Junior (Cody Arnoux 67)

Substitutes Not Used: Lalo Fernandez (GK), Enzo Martinez, Chris Estridge, Fabian Espindola

Minnesota Stars FC (4-2-3-1) – Matt VanOekel; Justin Davis, Brian Kallman, Kyle Altman (c) (Connor Tobin 76), Ernest Tchoupe; Neil Hlavaty, Kentaro Takada, Kevin Venegas, Miguel Ibarra, Martin Nunez (Devin Del Do); Amani Walker (Simone Bracalello 46)

Substitutes Not Used: Mitch Hildebrandt (GK), Kevin Friedland, Fuad Ibrahim, Daniel Wasson

Referee: Tyler Ploeger
Referee’s Assistants: Brandon Major, Alex Krelo
4th Official: Brad Jensen

Attendance: 17,212
Weather: Sunny and 77 degrees

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Kevin Venegas, Luis Gil, Minnesota Stars FC, Neil Hlavaty, Real Salt Lake, Simone Bracalello

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: San Antonio Scorpions PK enough to upset Houston Dynamo

May 30, 2012 by Chris Hockman

Photo: San Antonio Scorpions

The expansion San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL stunned the 2011 MLS Cup runners-up in an incredible night of US Open Cup action when they defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at Heroes Stadium Tuesday night.

The Scorpions came out determined, lining up in an incredibly attack oriented formation, playing 4-3-3, looking to get at the Dynamo from the start.

That attacking philosophy, though, would not pay off until early in the second half. The Scorpions got the winner in the 50th minute after Kevin Harmse sent a ball over the top for Pablo Campos, who was brought down in the box. The foul gave a penalty to the Scorpions that Hans Dennison converted with a strike into the upper left corner of the net.

Scorpions Coach Tim Hankinson was delighted, saying “If you look at our chances compared to theirs we could have had three goals. We were a little unlucky not to have three goals.”

Photo: Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Scorpions

Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear, on the other hand, was obviously disappointed after the match. “We were expecting to win, but we knew it wasn’t going to easy.  It’s difficult (to shuffle the line-up) but I thought that was a team that was going to win the game tonight. It’s all about energy and desire to play; and it doesn’t matter what I do, it’s ultimately down to the players.”

The Scorpions will now face USL’s Charlotte Eagles, who defeated FC Dallas with a surprising 2-0 upset at Pizza Hut Park. Tim Hankinson, though, was not taking anything for granted. “I’m sure FC Dallas thought it would be easy, but they’re a very good team.”

Houston had the first chance of the game as they worked through to allow Cam Weaver space, but his shot went straight at Daryl Sattler.

The Scorpions had a great opportunity in the eighth minute as Pablo Campos made space on the left and sent in a beautiful ball that Estaban Bayona couldn’t connect with, allowing Colin Clark to clear for a corner.

Houston got back control after the quarter-hour mark, setting up a number of good set pieces, but without Brad Davis lacked that threat and failed to convert.

Bayona had another good opportunity in the 24th minute as he was able to get away a header from the edge of the area but there wasn’t enough power on the header making it an easy save for Tyler Deric.

Cam Weaver did brilliantly in the 26th minute but his effort to keep the ball in play but his hard work was not rewarded by his team mates.

Estaban Bayona got through one-one-one after an amazing 40 yard run that was very well saved by Deric to deny the opportunity and set up a great counter that saw Alex Dixon shoot from the edge of the area only to see another great save, this time from Sattler, to keep it scoreless at half time.

Five minutes after San Antonio took the lead, Adam Moffatt hit a typically powerful free kick that was well struck but the San Antonio defense stood up and blocked the shot.

Dennison was again put clean through in the 59th minute but again Deric stood up well and denied another one-on-one.

Pablo Campos again got clean through in the 68th minute with some neat footwork but his shot went across the face of goal with no one to tap it in.

In the final 20 minutes the match became much more physical as the fouls flew in preventing the build up at all costs.

Kevin Harmse set up Wes Knight clean through of the defense, but his shot with plenty of time and space but sent his shot just wide.

Chris Hockman is a freelance writer who also covers the sport forSanAntonioSoccerNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisomni

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Hans Dennison, Houston Dynamo, San Antonio Scorpions

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Sam Garza brace guides San Jose Earthquakes past Fort Lauderdale Strikers

May 30, 2012 by Robert Jonas

Lamar Hunt US Open Cup success finally arrived for the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday, as over a decade of efforts to host a victory in the nation’s oldest soccer tournament finally came through. Playing in the cozy confines of Cagan Stadium on the campus of Stanford University, the Quakes dispatched of NASL side Fort Lauderdale Strikers by a score of 2-1 in front of 1,271 fans to advance to the Fourth Round of the Open Cup tournament. A pair of second half goals from rookie Sam Garza was enough to secure the win for San Jose after Strikers forward Mark Anderson had staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead with a 55-yard first half golazo from inside his own half.

“We kept pressing them and keeping them in jail the second half, and luckily I came through with two goals,” said man of the match Garza. “It was a great performance by the team and Goonies never say die.”

The player that first made reference to the ‘80s movie classic following the team’s big road win at the Los Angeles Galaxy a week earlier, Steven Lenhart, was also thrilled by the resiliency shown by the Earthquakes despite falling behind a goal in the first half.

“We just have guys that know how to do it,” said Lenhart of the team’s penchant for comeback results this season. “We can get a goal at any point of the game, and it’s a good group to be a part of. It was great to see how we kept going again after getting down and we really played our style in the second half.”

Head coach Frank Yallop, who elected to make wholesale changes to his starting XI following three MLS league matches over the last week and a half, knew his team might struggle out of the gate, but he remained confident that despite falling behind by a goal, they would finish strong.

“It’s like boxing, when a boxer gets knocked to the canvas, it stunned us a bit,” said an elated Yallop. “At halftime, I just said we had 45 minutes to get back in the game. I felt like our energy and belief was there when we kicked off the second half. We don’t panic, we change things around and I think the ability to keep our composure and come from behind is a good quality for any team to have. When you do it a few times, you don’t worry about the score. You know there is time to get back in it and that’s what this team does.”

Garza echoed the comments of his coach when discussing the transformation the team underwent during the halftime break. The rookie midfielder, who had been preaching caution about the toughness of the opponent late last week and the need for the Earthquakes to play with a full 90 minutes of intensity, was still pleased that did enough to pull out the victory.

“We found our second wind and I found my second wind,” said Garza of the second half. “We kept the ball really well and went forward when we needed it.  We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game, but we never give up, and that’s been the story of our season for this team.”

The breakout performance from the Earthquakes rookie will certainly assuage the fears from some supporters that the team failed to maximize the value of their 2012 first round MLS SuperDraft selection, but coach Yallop never wavered on his support for the UCSB Gauchos product.

“Great night for Sam, to put it together in a really good second half hopefully gives him a ton of confidence,” said coach Yallop. “What I liked after the miss earlier in the game was he didn’t worry about it. He got his goal and I thought he was very exciting to watch the rest of the second half. It was nice to see the potential to play great come through. He was excellent tonight. I’m really happy for him.”

Lenhart, who assisted on Garza’s game winning goal, and also played the role of motivator after the rookie missed a glorious scoring opportunity midway through the second half with the Quakes still trailing 1-0 in the match, echoed the words of his coach in praising the young midfielder.

“He showed that every half of soccer is important and that he kept working hard,” said Lenhart on Garza playing hard for the full 90 minutes. “He played well tonight and it was fun.”

On a night when seven other MLS teams fell victim to lower tier opponents, the San Jose Earthquakes appeared headed in that dubious direction following an opening stanza that saw them fail to open the match’s scoring. Instead, on what might end up being called the goal of the tournament, the home side ended the first half trailing their Floridian opposition by a score of 1-0.

In the 38th minute, following a well timed tackle by a teammate that pushed the ball back into his half of play, Strikers forward Mark Anderson settled the ball and looked up at his options to play the ball forward. However, instead of making a safe pass to a teammate, Anderson spied Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham stationed well off his line at the opposite end of the field. Sensing an opportunity, Anderson took a quick touch to settle the ball, and from within his team’s own side of the centerline, sent a blistering shot toward goal that caught Bingham out of position. The ball flew over his outstretched arms and just cleared the underside of the crossbar to punch the back of the net and give the Strikers a shock 1-0 lead.

Somewhat blindsided by the goal, the Earthquakes retreated to their locker room at halftime and regrouped for a tough second half. Within a couple minutes of the restart, it appeared the Earthquakes had equalized, as an expertly fed through ball from Tressor Moreno out of midfield to a streaking Garza on the right wing looked set up for success. The rookie midfielder sent a looping cross above the six yard box and just inside the byline to a waiting Sercan Guvenisik. The Turkish forward sent the ball back into the mouth of goal, but Strikers goalkeeper Matt Glaeser, while prone on his backside, managed to grasp the ball out of harm’s way and keep the Fort Lauderdale advantage at 1-0.

The Earthquakes continued their ascendancy in the half, and with the introduction of substitute Simon Dawkins, asserted their dominance over their NASL opposition. In the 61st minute, Garza was again the man on the scene, when a loose ball found him alone at the top right of the area with only Glaeser in his sights. The rookie, as rookies are apt to do, skied his shot attempt from 18 yards out well over the goal. The opportunity was lost, but the young midfielder bounced back over the next 10 minutes to secure his place in Earthquakes U.S. Open Cup lore.

Just over a minute later, following some slick passing in the attacking third, Earthquakes striker Guvenisik slid the ball to Garza inside the area for a literal shot of redemption.
This time, the rookie struck is shot with thoughtful intent, and the ball skimmed low along the Cagan Stadium field and into the net for the long deserved equalizer.

The Earthquakes were not done, and immediately seized on the restart to pressure the visitors off the ball. Over the next few minutes San Jose dominated possession and searched for a way through the Strikers defense. In the 70th minute, they finally had their opportunity, as a loose ball at the top of the area was tapped back into the center of the pitch by Lenhart and into the path of a lurking Garza. The rookie one-timed the ball past the helpless Strikers ‘keeper and gave his team the lead with his second goal of the evening.

The Floridians did not capitulate completely at relinquishing the lead, and over the match’s remaining 15 minutes tested ‘keeper Bingham with three very difficult shots on goal. However, unlike when faced with 55 yard bombs from distance, the second year goalkeeper was up to the challenge of saving the short range efforts, and the Earthquakes defense did the rest to see the home side off to the third round tournament win.

With the 2-1 victory, the Earthquakes move on in the U.S. Open Cup tournament and will next host another side from the NASL when they face the Minnesota Stars in a fourth round match next Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Cagan Stadium.

Robert Jonas writes for Centerline Soccer and you can follow him on Twitter @RobertJonas.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) 1:2 San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Cagan Stadium, Stanford, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
FTL: Mark Anderson (unassisted) 38;
SJ: Sam Garza (Sercan Guvenisik, Simon Dawkins) 63;
SJ: Sam Garza (Steven Lenhart) 70.

Misconduct Summary:
SJ: Justin Morrow (caution) 50;
FTL: Scott Lorenz (caution) 55;
SJ: Sam Garza (caution) 66;
FTL: Walter Restrepo (caution) 89.

Lineups

San Jose Earthquakes — David Bingham, Brad Ring, Ike Opara, Justin Morrow, Josh Suggs (Steven Beitashour 65), Sam Cronin (Simon Dawkins 56), Jean-Marc Alexandre, Tressor Moreno, Sam Garza, Steven Lenhart, Sercan Guvenisik (Rafael Baca 88).
Fort Lauderdale Strikers — Matt Glaeser, Nickardo Blake, Conor Shanosky, Jack Stewart, Scott Lorenz, Leopaldo Morales (Andy Herron 78), Alfonso Motagalvan (Abel Gebor 64), Walter Restrepo, Pecka, Abe Thompson, Mark Anderson.

SJ Statistics: Total Shots: 21; Shots on Goal: 10; Saves: 5; Fouls: 7; Offside: 2; Corner Kicks: 7.
FTL Statistics: Total Shots: 8; Shots on Goal: 6; Saves: 8; Fouls: 11; Offside: 3; Corner Kicks: 1.

Attendance: 1,271

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Mark Anderson, Sam Garza, San Jose Earthquakes/San Jose Clash

2012 US Open Cup Third Round: Freddy Adu leads Philadelphia Union to first Open Cup win, 3-0 over Rochester Rhinos

May 30, 2012 by Michael Berton

Severe weather brought the US Open Cup third round match between the Philadelphia Union and the Rochester Rhinos to a halt in the first half, but that was about the only thing that was able to slow the Union offense down. Josue Martinez scored first, and Freddy Adu added two more to give the Union a 3-0 victory over their USL Pro opponents.

“The issue was obviously you can’t give MLS teams the chances we gave them, especially in the minute off a corner kick. They deserved the win, but we certainly did not help ourselves out,” Rochester coach Jesse Myers said.

Philadelphia was the brighter of the two sides to start the game. An incisive pass found Keon Daniel in the box, where he earned a corner.Adu curled the ensuing corner in, and shoddy defending led to a wide open shot and goal for Martinez in the 5th minute.

Philadelphia earned several more chances before the referee halted the game due to a severe weather warning. After a lengthy delay, the Union picked up where they had left off. Adu nearly put one in a few seconds after the restart. Then in the 29th minute, Martinez found an open Adu for an easy headed goal to put the Union up 2-0.

“I was joking with Freddy when we pulled him off,” Union coach John Hackworth said. “I said that was first time he ever scored with his head. He told me I was wrong…I don’t believe him.”

Part of the reason for the Union’s success was due to their flank play. Both Philadelphia fullbacks were heavily involved in the attack, often setting up dangerous plays. However, Rochester started to press the attack and nearly got back into the game in the 41st minute, when a goal was negated due to an offside call. The Rhinos had some more good efforts toward the end of the half, but they could not find a way to score.

In the second half, Rochester earned some more chances, but they could not convert any of them. Then, as the half wore on, the Rhinos seemed to wear down a bit. This game was their third in five days—a brutal stretch that included two league games on the road before facing the Union at PPL Park.

Substitute Michael Zaher had a great chance for Rochester in the 69th minute. The ball was played to his feet, and he had just the goalie to beat, but he hit it wide of the net. Four minutes later, the Union made him pay for his missed opportunity, as Michael Farfan was taken down in the box. Adu stepped up and buried the penalty kick in the 73rd minute to put the game away.

With the victory, the Union move on to face DC United in the 4th round of the cup. United were 2-1 winners over the Richmond Kickers.

“It was an important game for us,” Hackworth said. “We needed to come out and play a good game for ourselves more than anything…A good night for the Union.”

Philadelphia Union 3:0 Rochester Rhinos
PPL Park – Chester, Pa.

PHI: Josue Martinez (Adu) 8
PHI: Freddy Adu (Martinez) 29
PHI: Freddy Adu (penalty) 73

Discipline:

RR: Danny Earls caution 40
RR: Jack Traynor caution 52
PHI: Michael Lahoud caution 56
RR: Tyler Rosenlund 90+

Lineups:
Philadelphia Union: Chris Konopka; Michael Farfan, AmobiOkugo, Sheanon Williams, Gabriel Farfan (Kai Herdling-71); Brian Carroll, Michael Lahoud, Keon Daniel, Freddy Adu (Jimmy McLaughlin-80); Josue Martinez (Chandler Hoffman-90), LionardPajoy

Rochester Rhinos:KristianNicht; Jack Traynor, George Kyriazis, Troy Roberts, Quavas Kirk (Michael Tanke-76); Drew Cost (Michael Zaher-59), Tyler Rosenlund, Danny Earls, JC Banks; Thomas McManus, GracianoBrito (Andrew Hoxie-59)

Att: 4,175

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Freddy Adu, Josue Martinez, Philadelphia Union, Rochester Rhinos

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Chivas USA hold off local amateur Ventura County Fusion

May 30, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Travis Bowen of the Ventura County Fusion scrambles past a Chivas USA defender during a Third Round match in the 2012 US Open Cup. Photo: Aaron Schmidt

It was the shortest trip of all the Major League Soccer sides in the tournament, but by no means was it an easy one as Chivas USA squeezed out a 1-0 victory against Ventura County Fusion, one of three remaining amateur clubs in the tournament.

The result was important, though, for Chivas USA, who had previously been upset in the first match in four of their six previous tournament appearances, including their only previous match against an amateur opponent – a penalty kick tiebreaker loss to Dallas Roma (USASA) after a scoreless draw in 2006 that stands as one of five such upsets.

The Fusion came into the match riding a 3-1 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Blues of USL Pro, making Chivas USA take them seriously with stars Juan Pablo Angel and Juan Agudelo in the lineup for the match.

Agudelo would play an immediate factor, sending a through ball in the 13th minute to Cesar Romero, who nutmegged Ventura County goalkeeper Earl Edwards for what would stand as the only goal of the contest.

The Fusion showed great poise in not being star-struck. They nearly had an equalizer in the 20th minute Travis Bowen forced a save from backup netminder Tim Melia on a breakaway after John Alexander Valencia slipped.

Francisco Lopez, the overtime hero in the first two rounds, also had a chance at an equalizer, breaking through the defense and forcing another stop from Melia in the 71st minute.

The victory for Chivas USA, oddly, puts them into the shoes of rival Los Angeles Galaxy, sending them across the country to WakeMed Soccer Park to face the Carolina RailHawks, who rallied to defeat the Galaxy, 2-1.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Chivas USA, Ventura County Fusion

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: NASL’s winless Carolina RailHawks oust MLS champion LA Galaxy

May 30, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Brian Shriver of the Carolina RailHawks celebrates his game-winning goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012 with his teammates. Photo: Rob Kinnan | Carolina RailHawks

Struggling in league play and missing several players for national team duty, the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy could not have picked a much better opponent on paper than the Carolina RailHawks, who were winless in the NASL. But trips east of the Mississippi River continue to be an issue as they saw the second division side rally for a surprising 2-1 victory Tuesday evening.

Even without the world-renown stars in the lineup, the Galaxy had plenty of experience in the lineup and started the game like the favorites with a goal 38 minutes in. An Austen King pass was stolen and delivered to Chad Barrett, who proceeded to find Pat Noonan with a cross for the former US international’s fourth career Open Cup tally having scored three times with New England previously.

Ty Shipalane of the Carolina RailHawks celebrates his equalizer against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round of the 2012 US Open Cup  | Photo: Carolina RailHawks
Ty Shipalane of the Carolina RailHawks celebrates his equalizer against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round of the 2012 US Open Cup | Photo: Carolina RailHawks

The game began to turn with the insertion of Ty Shipalane – who along with Noonan is a former Michigan Buck – in the 66th minute. The South African, who was a member of the 2009 Harrisburg City Islanders when they knocked off the New England Revolution 2-1, took less than 10 minutes to find an equalizer, beating the Galaxy from the right side and firing past CONACACAF Champions League veteran goalkeeper Bill Gaudette in the 75th minute. Zack Schilawski set up the goal, notching his third assist in the tournament this year.

With overtime looming, the Shipalane reversed roles two minutes from time for the game-winner. Shipalane dashed up the right side and sent a floating cross into the box, finding Brian Shriver, who scored four in last week’s 6-0 rout of USASA’s PSA Elite, for the finish. His header was initially stopped by Gaudette, who was facing his former Puerto Rico Islanders head coach Colin Clarke, but the momentum carried the rebound over the goal line.

The loss leaves the Galaxy, one of the league’s most successful teams, without a win in the club’s last six US Open Cup games east of the Mississippi River, suffering losses now to the RailHawks, Richmond Kickers (2007), Chicago Fire (2006, 2003), Minnesota Thunder (2004), Columbus Crew (2002). Their lone win in the east is a 4-0 victory over Minnesota to begin the 2002 tournament in the Third Round.

The RailHawks move on to play host to Chivas USA of MLS in the Fourth Round, giving them the opportunity to sweep the two Los Angeles-based clubs despite being located on the opposite coast.

Carolina RailHawks 2:1 Los Angeles Galaxy
WakeMed Soccer Park – Cary, NC

Scoring Summary:
LAG: Noonan (Barrett), 38
CAR: Shipalane (Schilawski), 75
CAR: Shriver (Shipalane), 88

LINEUPS
Carolina RailHawks: GK Burse, D Elenio, D Agbossoumonde, D King, D Low (c), M Zimmerman, M Lowery, M Ortiz (Shipalane, 66), M Da Luz, F Schilawski (Garey, 82), F Shriver (Substitute, Time)
LA Galaxy: GK Gaudette, D Lopes, D Meyer, D Leonardo, D Gaul (Garcia, 71), M Sarvas, M Jimenez (Jordan, 44), M Stephens, M Nakazawa, F Barrett (Magee, 65), F Noonan (c)

CAUTIONS
CAR: Shipalane, 72
LAG: Garcia, 83

SHOTS
CAR: 8
LAG: 10

SAVES
CAR: 2
LAG: 1

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Carolina RailHawks, Los Angeles Galaxy, Pat Noonan, Ty Shiplane

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Charlotte Eagles top FC Dallas to earn third trip to Lone Star State

May 30, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

There will be no better expert on the state of Texas at the end of the 2012 US Open Cup than the Charlotte Eagles. For the second consecutive week they won in the Lone Star State, this time stunning FC Dallas, 2-0, at Pizza Hut Park, to set up a third trip to face the San Antonio Scorpions in the Fourth Round.

The Eagles, struggling to find success in USL Pro with a 2-7-2 record, snuck by the Premier Development League El Paso Patriots a week ago on an own goal, 1-0, to get the coveted matchup against FC Dallas.

The team found more fortune in Frisco with the hosts losing two of its starting defenders to injury in the first half. The Eagles took advantage, scoring two minutes before the break when Nate Thornton delivered a cross to Darryl Roberts on the right side of the box. Roberts nodded it back to the far post past Chris Seitz, one of the most experienced backup keepers in the league.

Scott Sealy nearly found an equalizer in the 68th minute for FC Dallas, sending a header off the post and Matt Hedges following it up by striking the crossbar.

But the gifts continued to come Charlotte’s way with Jackson being sent off in the 78th with a straight red card for his challenge on Eagles goalkeeper Clinton Irwin.

Charlotte held on and received an insurance strike from Thornton in the fourth minute of stoppage time to ensure the victory, giving the Eagles their first-ever two-win performance in 10 appearances in the tournament.

The Eagles also now have as many shutouts in the Open Cup as they do for the USL Pro campaign.

With the NASL San Antonio Scorpions delivering a 1-0 upset against the Houston Dynamo, Charlotte will now face a Texas side from three different levels of the sport.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Charlotte Eagles, FC Dallas/Dallas Burn

2012 US Open Cup Third Round: Sporting KC withstands late Orlando City surge, advances to Round 4 (Video)

May 30, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Seth Sinovich of Sporting Kansas City tries to get position on Orlando City

Sporting Kansas City forward Soony Saad netted a brace within three minutes, then held off a late challenge by an Orlando City SC side reduced to ten men to claim a 3-2 win. They survived a day where lower division clubs came to play and knocked out multiple MLS teams, earning a home match against the Colorado Rapids next Tuesday.

While Kansas City started a lot of their regulars, they did decide to go with 19-year-old keeper John Kempin, who is signed to a Homegrown Player contract. The Lions, defending USL Pro champions, would throw the young netminder into the fire midway through the half with Charlie Campbell and Kevin Molino forcing Kempin to make solid saves. Sporting also got pressure on shorthanded City (who only brought 15 players), forcing captain Miguel Gallardo into making eight saves in the game.

The home side finally broke through in stoppage time. Peterson Joseph fed the ball to Paulo Nagamura, who rifled the ball past Gallardo from 30 yards distance just before the halftime whistle. City would level ten minutes into the second half, as Molino recieved an Erik Ustruck cross and headed into the net. However, ten minutes after that, the game turned into the Soony Show.

Saad would take the pass from goalscorer Nagamura at 65 minutes and laid it inside the far post, making up for earlier missed opportunities. Three minutes later, he again netted the ball, lauching a Gallardo punchout past the Lion keeper from outside the box. Things would get worse for City at 70 minutes in, as midfielder Anthony Pulis would be shown a straight red for an elbow in the back. This enraged the Orlando players, who felt that considering how their forward Jamie Watson had been beaten around earlier in the game, they should have had a man advantage since the first half. They finally had turned their rage into determination with six minutes left, as Dennis Chin rifled a shot into the top netting. The Lions would continue to press further and attempt to equalize, but Sporting would hold firm to advance.

LINEUPS:
ORL- Miguel Gallardo; Kieron Bernard, Erik Ustruck, Luke Boden, Robert Valentino; Charlie Campbell, James O’Connor, Anthony Pulis, Kevin Molino; Dennis Chin, Jamie Watson (Ian Fuller 78)

SKC- Jon Kempin; Chance Myers, Konrad Warzycha (Matt Besler 85), Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic; Paulo Nagamura, Lawrence Olum, Peterson Joseph (Graham Zusi 59); Jacob Peterson, Dom Dwyer (C.J. Sapong 46), Soony Saad

SCORING:
SKC- Paulo Nagamura (Peterson Joseph) 45+2′
ORL– Kevin Molino (Erik Ustruck) 55′
SKC- Soony Saad (Paulo Nagamura) 65′
SKC- Soony Saad 68′
ORL- Dennis Chin 84′

BOOKINGS:
SKC– Aurelien Collin (caution; tactical foul) 23′
ORL– Robert Valentino (caution; reckless tackle) 51′
ORL– Anthony Pulis (ejection; violent conduct) 70′
SKC– Jacob Peterson (caution; tactical foul) 78′

STATS:
Shots: ORL- 13; SKC- 18
Saves: ORL- 8; SKC- 6
Fouls: ORL- 11; SKC- 12
Corners: ORL- 6; SKC- 2
Offsides: ORL- 7; SKC- 1

Attendance: 12,217
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2012 Third Round, 2012 US Open Cup, Jacob Peterson, Kevin Molino, Orlando City SC, Paulo Nagamura, Soony Saad, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards

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U.S. Open Cup History

1995 us open cup rewind graphic

1995 US Open Cup Rewind series: The Modern Era begins

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

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

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