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2013 US Open Cup qualifying

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region I field announced with eight Northeast teams (UPDATED)

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USASA Region I logoUPDATE (3/24/13): Icon FC defeated Polonia Wallington 4-0 in the New Jersey Open Cup final to complete the eight-team field for the Region I tournament. || Full story

The draw for the 2013 USASA Region I tournament has been announced with eight teams from the Northeast set to battle for two berths in the 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. According to the recently announced 2013 US Open Cup format, the two finalists in the tournament will qualify for the competition. The winner will also represent the region at the USASA National Cup Finals in San Antonio July 19-21.

The tournament will be divided into a North and South bracket with the quarterfinals beginning April 7 and the semifinals will take place on April 21. The two semifinal winners will qualify for the US Open Cup.

In the North, Eastern New York champion the Pancyprian Freedoms will travel to Connecticut to play Newtown SC, while the Rhode Island Reds will take on Massachusetts champion Mass Premier Soccer.

The newcomers from the Connecticut Soccer League (CSL), Newtown SC, will have their hands full with the three-time Open Cup champion Freedoms who defeated their rival Greek American Atlas SC 4-0 to win their sixth Eastern New York title in the last eight years. The Freedoms have also qualified for the Open Cup three times in the last five years (2008, 2010, 2011). Newtown finished in second place (5-1-3) in the fall season of the very competitive CSL and after a decade, the club is making their first attempt at qualifying for the Open Cup.

Mass Premier Soccer are back in the tournament for the second time in three years after winning a penalty kick shootout with East Providence Sports, a Rhode Island-based club, in the Massachusetts final. (East Providence competes in a Mass.-based league) MPS will travel to Rhode Island to face the Reds of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The Rhode Island Reds finished tied for fourth place last year in the NPSL Atlantic Division with a 2-4-3 record, but they are part of the USASA regional tournament because they have a reserve team that will compete in the Southern New England Super Cup this summer.

In the South bracket, the two-time defending Eastern Pennsylvania champion West Chester United will host first time New Jersey title holders Icon FC. West Chester defeated United German Hungarians 3-1 in the Eastern PA final and are back in the Region I tournament hoping to improve on their brief appearance in the competition last year where they lost to the Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks 3-1 in their opening game. Icon FC, who are making their first Open Cup qualifying appearance, cruised to a state championship with a 4-0 win over Polonia Wallington on March 24 to complete the regional field.

The other South bracket match-up will feature the Screaming Eagles, the first-time Maryland champions hosting tournament regulars Aegean Hawks FC, the Metro DC/Virginia champion. The Eagles denied the Maryland Bays their third straight Maryland Open Cup title in chaotic fashion, winning 4-2. The Hawks defeated Hammers FC 1-0 to win their second straight DC/VA title. The Hawks have qualified for the Open Cup three times since 2006, and have won their state tournament six of the last seven entries.

2013 USASA Region I Finals (US Open Cup qualifying)

Quarterfinals (April 7)
New York Pancyprian Freedoms (ENY) at Newtown SC (CT)
Treadwell Park (Newtown, CT) – 4 p.m. ET
Mass Premier Soccer (MA) at Rhode Island Reds FC (RI)
Cranston Stadium (Cranston, RI) – 2 p.m. ET
Icon FC (NJ) at West Chester United (EPA)
Delacy Soccer Complex No. 4 (West Chester, PA) – 2 p.m. ET
Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (DC/VA) at Screaming Eagles (MD)
Cedar Lane Regional Park (Bel Air, MD) – 1:30 p.m. ET –

Semifinals (April 21)
Time/Location TBA
Semifinal winners both qualify for 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Colorado Rovers to represent United States Specialty Sports Association in 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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When US Soccer announced the format for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a new name caught the eye of many a soccer fan—the United States Specialty Sports Association. The organization was awarded a spot in the tournament, beginning play in the Qualifying Round, and TheCup.us has confirmed that the Colorado Rovers will be their representative.

While Specialty Sports may not be a household name, it is actually quite a large organization. Specialty Sports is a national organization, featuring 13 different sports and about 3.5 million members. Baseball and softball account for most of that number, but soccer has made large strides since its inclusion into Specialty Sports in 2001.

By 2008, 11 states were holding championships, and the first Specialty Sports National Championship took place in Las Vegas. This year, 18 teams got together in Denver to determine who would become the first ever Specialty Sports club to participate in the US Open Cup.

A Specialty Sports club in the US Open Cup is new, but the Colorado Rovers are anything but. Founded in 1992, the Rovers have gradually become a force in Colorado soccer. According to Erick French, the Adult Director of Specialty Sports, the Rovers began in a league’s second division, eventually moved to the top division, and have been winning consistently ever since.

“It’s really good for the team to have this kind of an opportunity. It helps with our recruiting, it helps with everything we do,” said French. “Regardless of how we do in the cup, it’s a fantastic opportunity for us. We’re really excited.”

Before moving to Specialty Sports, Colorado was a member of the USASA. The Rovers never attempted to qualify for the Open Cup, but they were successful in the amateur tournaments, winning the Region IV Amateur Cup in 2009. Currently, they play in the Colorado Amateur Soccer League.

Last year saw a US Club Soccer enter their first team into the US Open Cup and the Fresno-based Stanislaus United Turlock Express were victorious in their tournament debut. The Rovers hope to do the same as they begin play in the Qualifying Round on May 7 against an National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) team that has yet to be determined.

Regardless of what happens, it will be a great experience for the Specialty Sports side, and a stepping stone for the organization.

“My motivation was for our adult member leagues. I wanted to be able to give them the opportunity to compete at a national level in the most prestigious soccer tournament in the country,” said Craig Scriven, the National Director for USSSA Soccer, about applying to add USSSA to the tournament field. “The Open Cup is a great tournament which allows all teams and players the chance to test themselves against other  federation members. In speaking with the representatives from Colorado Rovers I’m already excited about the game ahead.”

“For me we have reached our goal this year, which is acceptance into the event. It’s a great moment for USSSA and Colorado Rovers who will not only be representing themselves and their league, but also an entire organization for the very first time. Any further progression will be the icing on the cake.

“Going forward, I am excited to see our member leagues and tournaments grow stronger. By having an avenue into the Open Cup our top divisions throughout the country will have another step in their seasons which will make for some great games.”

The Rovers will be the first non-PDL amateur club to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present).

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Qualifying Round (May 7)
Colorado Rovers (USSSA) vs. NPSL team TBA
US Club Soccer team TBA vs. NPSL team TBA
*Winners advance to Round 1 on May 14

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL West tournament continues this weekend; Sacramento Gold qualify (UPDATED)

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UPDATE: According to the San Diego Flash’s official website, the Orange County Spartans had to forfeit their 2-0 win over San Diego Boca due to improper player registration.

UPDATE (3/24 – 12:41 a.m. ET): The Sacramento Gold have qualified for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol.  FC Hasental also advanced to a “Win & You’re In” match next weekend with a 2-1 win over the Santa Clarita Storm. Results updated below.

The National Premier Soccer League Western Conference is holding a qualifying tournament for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, and the competition is down to six teams. Of the six remaining teams, just two will advance to the US Open Cup, and according to NPSL officials, both will begin play in Round 1.

Each division of the Western Conference will submit their winner into the 2013 Open Cup, and the Northern Division has already determined their championship game. On Saturday, March 23, the Sacramento Gold will host the Sonoma County Sol at River City High School in West Sacramento in a “Win & You’re In” match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

The Sacramento Gold reached the Northern Division final with a pair of shutout victories away from home. On March 9, they traveled to Oakland, Calif. and defeated CD Aguiluchos USA 3-0. The scoring opened with an own goal in the 31st minute, and the game remained tight until John Jones and Eliot Ricks-Chambers scored clinching goals in the 78th and 83rd minute respectively.

“We came away with a positive result but we only expect to get better,” said Sacramento coach Ruben Mora. “With a lot of returning players it will not take long to find our rhythm. You can’t say enough about the role the solid defense and goalkeeping played in the shutout.”

A week later, the Gold earned a 2-0 win at Real San Jose to punch their ticket to the final where they will face the Sol who only needed to win one game to reach the championship game. The Sol received a bye into the semifinals and defeated the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 on March 16.

The Sol are the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

In the other bracket, the final four is set with the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — traveling to San Diego to take on the Flash, while Santa Clarita will host FC Hasental. Both games will take place on March 23 and are both are scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

The Spartans were the only team that had to earn their way into the semifinals, as they defeated San Diego Boca 2-0 in the opening round. FC Hasental was scheduled to play the Las Vegas Stallions in Round 1, but according to Hasental team officials, the Stallions failed to submit the necessary paperwork for their players and were forced to forfeit. The Flash and Santa Clarita both received byes into the semifinals. The final is set for March 30.

Last year, the NPSL received 6.5 spots and the West had 1.5 berths. The Rangers qualified while the Bay Area Ambassadors claimed the “half berth.” Bay Area faced fellow California club Stanislaus United Turlock Express in a play-in game — Stanislaus United won that match 3-0 to become the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the Open Cup.

This year, the NPSL received eight spots, and three of those teams have been confirmed: FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, Madison 56ers and Chattanooga FC. According to NPSL officials, the two teams that emerge from the Western Conference will join those three teams in the first round of the US Open Cup. The remaining three teams are still to be determined, with two of them beginning their cup run in the Qualifying Round against either the US Club Soccer representative or the US Sports Specialty Association representative. The third team will begin play in Round 1.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold
River City High School (West Sacramento)

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Icon FC eliminates Jersey Shore Boca in PKs to reach New Jersey final

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In an act of sportsmanship, Jersey Shore Boca (in blue) allowed Icon FC to use their alternate jerseys when Icon's didn't arrive at the game. Photo: Michael Anderer | SoccerLImagazine.com

Check out a complete photo gallery of this game from Michael Anderer of SoccerLIMagazine.com

The second semifinal of the 2013 edition of the New Jersey Open Cup tournament was a clash between two Garden State League teams from the Super Division, played at the Berkley Soccer Complex in Bayville, NJ. First time participants, Icon FC took on Jersey Shore Boca. Jersey Shore Boca’s dream of advancing to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second straight year came to end after losing to Icon FC 5-4 in a penalty shootout after playing to a 2-2 draw.

With the win, Icon FC earned the right to play Polonia Wallington in the New Jersey final on March 24. Polonia needed extra time to defeat three-time state champion Go Soccer FC 2-1 in the other semifinals the week before. The winner of the New Jersey final will qualify for the quarterfinals of the USASA Region 1 Finals where they will hit the road to play Eastern Pennsylvania champion West Chester United.

The Montville, NJ based club, Icon FC dominated play throughout the first half. The team did a good job taking control of the midfield and was especially dangerous on the right side of the field; where they were able create scoring opportunities through crosses. Icon forward Adam Bajek tested Jersey Shore Boca goalkeeper Robert Feeney with a strike that forced Feeney to come up with a good save.

As the game went on Icon continued to work the ball well. Any time the Jersey Shore Boca offense came close to the opposing box, they were met with a very well organized defense.

However, even though Icon was dominating the first half, Boca scored first with Justin McGrath. The play started when Icon goalkeeper Chris Duggan saved a shot from Nick Tarquino, but the rebound fell to McGrath who took advantage and put the ball into the back of the net in the 13th minute. The goal did not take away Icon’s concentration as they continued to press forward.

A few minutes after falling behind, they were rewarded for their skilled play when midfielder Nelson Becerra scored the tying goal from a free kick. He shot the ball low to the keeper’s right side. It seemed to be an easy shot for the keeper to save, but the ball managed to slip through Feeney’s arms.

During the early minutes of the first half it seemed the game was being played at a more equal level, with both teams coming out hungry to score goals. Icon missed two clear chances in front of the keeper to go ahead and McGrath had a chance to put Boca in the lead after beating Chris Duggan, but missed the open net with a shot that went wide.

The second half began to look more like the first half with Icon creating more opportunities thanks to their goal scorer Becerra. He was able to get another shot on target and provided his teammates with opportunities to score. Despite the efforts from both teams, neither was able to find the back of the net in the second half and the game went into extra time.

Justin McGrath scored the first goal of the game for Jersey Shore Boca off a rebound in the 13th minute. Photo: Michael Anderer | SoccerLImagazine.com

The first 15 minutes made it clear that both teams were tired after playing a full 90 minutes. Even with tired legs, Boca was able to create the best scoring chance in the first half of overtime. Thomas Gray sprinted down the right side of the field, dribbled past a defender and passed the ball to McGrath who took a shot right in front of goal. Boca would have taken the lead at that point but Duggan made an impressive reflex save to keep his team in the game.

The first half of overtime ended with both teams still level with one goal for each side. The second half of overtime started with Boca substitute left back Ryan O’Donnell taking the ball up the field and striking it from outside the box, beating the keeper in the opening minute of the overtime period. As time was running out it seemed that Jersey Shore Boca was going to go home with the win, but in the 115th minute, Icon found an equalizer. Becerra crossed the ball into the box from a corner kick, which Adam Bajek headed into the goal, tying the game and taking the semifinal to penalty kicks.

Greg Bajek stepped up first for Icon, shooting the ball easily past the goalkeeper. Duggan followed up that goal with a save on Boca’s first attempt by McGrath. Icon and Boca exchanged goals for the next three rounds, setting up Round 5. Icon had a chance to punch their ticket to the championship game but Adam Kelemet rattled his attempt off the crossbar which shifted the pressure to Boca’s Thomas Gray. He didn’t seem to mind the pressure as he put the ball comfortably in the back of the net. Jonathan Yazo converted Icon’s first sudden death penalty kick, but Ryan O’Donnell of Boca was not as fortunate as he shot wide to send Icon into the state final for the first time.

New Jersey Semifinals

Polonia Wallington SC 2:1 (aet) Go Soccer FC
Jersey Shore Boca 2:2 Icon FC
Icon FC advances 5-4 in penalty kicks

New Jersey Final (March 24)
Polonia Wallington vs. Icon FC
Time/location TBA

Recent New Jersey Open Cup champions
2012: Jersey Shore Boca
2011: Go Soccer FC
2010: Go Soccer FC
2009: Go Soccer FC
2008: SC Vistula Garfield*
2007:  No entry
2006: Sport Club Portuguese
2005: Kappa Real Wyckoff
2004: Sport Club Portuguese
2003: SC Vistula Garfield
2002: ZPA Perth Amboy
2001: ZPA Perth Amboy
2000: SC Vistula Garfield
1999: SC Vistula Garfield
1998: SC Vistula Garfield
* Withdrew from USASA Region I tournament

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Polonia Wallington defeat Go Soccer FC to reach New Jersey final

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The 2013 edition of the New Jersey Open Cup tournament got underway on Sunday in Bridgewater as three-time state Open Cup winners Go Soccer FC took on league rivals SC Polonia Wallington. Go Soccer may have come in with the experience, but it was first-time entry Polonia who came away victorious after a penalty kick by Zbigniew Puzio in the 99th minute of extra time to give PW a 2-1 win and a ticket to the New Jersey Final on March 24.

In the state title game, Polonia Wallington will take on the winner of Icon FC and last year’s Open Cup entry Jersey Shore Boca. The state champion will advance to the USASA Region I Finals where they will travel west of the city of Philadelphia to face Eastern Pennsylvania champion West Chester United in the quarterfinals.

From the get go, play was tough, with both teams fighting for positioning in the midfield. Early on, pressure was placed on Go Soccer FC with Ben Barton of Polonia Wallington putting a shot just above the Go Soccer FC goal for the game’s first shot. GSFC was able to answer back, but a shot put on frame trickled just wide of the Polonia net and out of harms way. After that attempt, the game remained in the Polonia Wallington defensive third with Go Soccer FC pressing hard for the game’s first goal. Polonia was able to withstand the early pressure.

The roughness of the play showed as Tomasz Wachowicz brought down a GSFC player in the midfield, earning the game’s first yellow in the 30th minute, causing both coaches to get into heated discussions with the ref.
The resulting free kick went wide of the Polonia goal once more. The best chance for either side came in the 33rd minute when a hard foul in the Go Soccer FC six yard box was committed brought about a penalty kick. Zbigniew Puzio stepped up to take the PK, only to have his shot go just wide of the GSFC net.

The missed penalty would come back to haunt Polonia Wallington, after some scrappy play in the midfield and some pressure in the Polonia box, GSFC were awarded back-to-back corners in first half stoppage time. The first corner was hit from the top of the box and deflected off a Wallington defender, bringing about the second corner.

On the second corner, Go Soccer FC were able to take advantage as Cyril Yemofio headed in the corner just past Polonia keeper Marcin Czerwinski to close out the first half.

The second half began as the first had, with lots of aggressive play in the midfield. Go Soccer FC went on the offensive immediately, putting a shot on target moments after the restart, but it was handled easily by the Polonia keeper. A majority of the possession went Go Soccer FC’s way as they looked to increase upon their 1-0 lead.

Polonia was able to counter the pressure put upon them by GSFC and put a few shots on frame, but nothing threatened GSFC keeper Zach Zamek.

Play continued end to end with Polonia pressing for an equalizer, while Go Soccer FC looked to put the game away in the late stages.

However, with Go Soccer FC unable to find the goal to lock the game, Polonia capitalized, leaving it late. A cross from PW defender Tomasz Wachowicz managed to slip past GSFC keeper Zach Zamek and bank it in off the far post, tying the game at 1-1 in the 87th minute. Neither team were able to find a winning goal in the 2nd half injury time, forcing the game to go into overtime

Polonia Wallington kicked off the first period of overtime, but it was Go Soccer FC who ended up with the first chance on goal in the 93rd minute off a corner kick. The attempt on goal was right at the Polonia keeper for the easy save in the opening moments. The biggest moment in the first overtime period came as Josh Brown from Go Soccer FC handled the ball in puttempt to clear a ball from the goal line in the 99th minute. Brown was issued a yellow for the infraction and a PK was awarded to Polonia Wallington. Puzio from Polonia Wallington stepped up to take the PK and managed to convert it, sending Zach Zamek diving to the left as Puzio slotted it down the middle.

Wallington had a shot to make it 3-1 and put the game away when another shot from Puzio was bound for goal, but it was cleared from the goal line by Josh Brown again, who managed to avoid handling the ball this time around. The first period of extra time ended with Polonia Wallington up 2-1.

Go Soccer FC kicked off the second OT period, trying to find the equalizer, but only found a stingy Polonia defense. A missed foul call lead to a heated exchange of words between Go Soccer FC players and Polonia Wallington’s players. This exchange led to two more yellow cards to Polonia. The cards were issued to Ben Barton and Damian Serafin, both for dissent in the 113th minute. The majority of the second overtime was spent by both teams trying to break down each other’s defenses. The momentum seemed to change, with Wallington the ones applying the offensive pressure, leaving GSFC to defend their hearts out.

Go Soccer FC managed an opportunity near the end of the match and found themselves being awarded a PK for a handball in the box with nothing but injury time left in the match. Dennis Maldonado from Go Soccer FC stepped up to take the penalty kick, with the chance to send the game into penalty kicks. His attempt, however, was high and over the crossbar, all but sealing victory for Polonia Wallington. The game was quickly restarted with a goal kick, but it was soon called after the kick, ending 2-1 in favor of Polonia Wallington.

New Jersey Semifinals (March 10/17)

Polonia Wallington SC 2:1 (aet) Go Soccer FC – March 10
Torpey Complex in Bridgewater, NJ
Jersey Shore Boca vs. Icon FC – March 17
12 p.m. – Berkeley Soccer Complex in Bayville, NJ

New Jersey Final (March 24)
Time/Location TBA

Five of eight NPSL spots confirmed for 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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The United States Soccer Federation announced the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) would receive eight entries in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This week, TheCup.us has confirmed five of those teams, all of which will enter the tournament in the first round.

FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, Chattanooga FC and the Madison 56ers, who finished first, second and third in the NPSL last season, are three of the teams that will be playing in the first round May 14.

Two others will be from the Western Conference, one from the Northern Division and one from the Southern Division. Those spots are being determined by tournaments — both finals are scheduled for March 30.

That leaves the NPSL with one first-round berth still to be determined, along with two spots in the qualifying round. The NPSL sides will play teams from U.S. Club Soccer and the United States Specialty Sports Association in qualifying matches May 7, with the winners moving on to the first round.

This will be the second straight Open Cup appearance for FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, which lost to the PDL’s Long Island Rough Riders 2-0 in the first round last year. The Pennsylvania team beat Chattanooga FC 1-0 in the NPSL final last July in San Diego.

The 56ers and Chattanooga FC both are back in the tournament after a one-year absence.

Chattanooga FC lost to the USL PRO’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds 3-2 after extra time in their Open Cup debut in 2011. The 56ers, meanwhile, advanced to the second round that year, beating Illinois amateur club AAC Eagles 4-0 before losing to Chicago Fire PDL 2-0. That was Madison’s first berth in the Open Cup’s Professional Era (since 1995); the team also lost in the Region II semifinals in 1988, ’89 and ’90 and were ousted by Illinois’ RWB Adria 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 4-4 tie in the 1991 quarterfinals.

NPSL teams are 6-22-4 all-time in Open Cup play — with half of those wins coming last year, when the Brooklyn Italians, Georgia Revolution and Jacksonville United each won first-round matches. No league team has advanced to the third round, but eight sides have made it to the second round: Sonoma County Sol (2006 and ’09), Sacramento Knights (2004), Salinas Valley Samba (2005), Madison 56ers (2011), Georgia Revolution (2012), Jacksonville United (2012) and Brooklyn Italians (2012).

2013 NPSL entries in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (8 teams)

First Round entries
Chattanooga FC
FC Sonic
Madison 56ers
West – North Division winner
West – South Division winner
Team No. 6 TBA

Qualifying Round entries
NPSL Team No. 7 TBA vs. USASA entry TBA
NPSL Team No. 8 TBA vs. USSSA entry TBA

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Screaming Eagles win first Maryland title, deny Bays a three-peat in chaotic fashion

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First time US Open Cup entrants the Screaming Eagles defeated two-time defending champions Maryland Bays 4-2 in what can only be considered a wild final in Maryland’s Rowland Cup, the state’s US Open Cup Qualifying tournament. With their first final appearance and win, the Eagles advance to the USASA Region I tournament and are now just two wins away from the Open Cup proper.

The Eagles will move on to host the Metro D.C./Virginia champions Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks on April 7 in the Region I quarterfinals. The winner will play the team that emerges from the yet-to-be determined New Jersey champion and Eastern Pennsylvania title holder West Chester United in a “Win & You’re In” match on April 21.

The Screaming Eagles also make a little history in the process as they were the first Maryland International Soccer League team to enter the tournment, and now they are the first to win it.

While the six goals themselves, including two deep in stoppage time, would normally signal a lively affair, the goalscoring was only the tip of the iceberg. The game nearly saw the winning team have to start with only eight players, suffered four somewhat soft yellow cards, three mass confrontations, two clear red cards, a bizarre episode where two fans were ejected from the match and a seven minute suspension of the match while those fans were ejected.

The strange afternoon began even before the first whistle. In an interesting twist, the change to daylight savings time affected the Eagles, who five minutes before kick-off had only eight players. Just before the match started, three additional players arrived to give the Eagles a full complement of players. The Bays, on the other hand, had nearly as many players on their bench. In the 13th minute, three more Eagles arrived to give the first time entrants a bench to tap into for the game.

The first half was dominated by the Bays, who were fully warmed up and working to overcome their normal slow start. The experienced champions took control of possession and showed some sharp passing to create a few chances and keep the Eagles on the back foot. The Eagles, a physically strong, quick team, lacked cohesion and struggled to get passes strung together and their play was easily disrupted.

The physical tone of the match was set early when the Bays’ Antonio Bue made a strong, sliding challenge in the Eagles penalty area. Although a foul was called, the referee just spoke to Bue, on what appeared to be a studs up challenge, normally a misconduct warranting a yellow card. The game only got more physical from here.

The Bays took the early lead when a scramble on the left side saw multiple attempts by the Bays to cross the ball and ultimately winger Elton Joe was able to get a ball across the face of goal. With the Eagles defenders drawn to one side, Bays midfielder Chris Ports was standing all alone, unmarked and one-timed a right footer into the back of the net from six yards out in the 18th minute.

The remainder of the first half saw neither team able to create any solid chances. For the Eagles, it looked as though their best chances would come down the left flank, where Malone Komara was regularly beating Aaron Beall, but Bays centerback Josh Taylor snuffed out any real chances.

By the 40th minute, it had become clear that the refereeing was going to be a factor in the game and it would only be a matter of time before a red card was shown. The inconsistent calls were leading to a escalation of physical play, dangerous tackles and almost constant bickering from the Eagles team. The Bays players and managers had a good case about being on the short end of the referee’s inconsistency, but both teams played through.

When the teams returned to the pitch for the second half, the Bays jumped early into the attack. Again demonstrating quick ball movement, the Bays put two shots on goal and a couple of near misses in the first ten minutes of the half.

The 60th minute saw a definitive shift in the game. The Bays players, though technically skilled, were being muscled off the ball, sometimes fairly, and sometimes, it appeared, not so fairly. The Eagles, for their part, were beginning to link well through the midfield and the movement of their strikers, Munir Hassan and Francis Kamara, began creating options and opportunities.

In the 65th minute, Kamara took possession approximately 30 yards out from goal in the left channel and pushed a clean pass toward the center to the feet of an unmarked Olakunle Banjo who fired a curling right footer past the outstretched arms of Bays keeper Phil Latham to level the match.

After some midfield back and forth, the Bays’ Elton Joe and Powell Cuchiella counterattacked into the heart of the Eagles defense in the 72nd minute. Joe played a nifty through ball to the running Cuchiella who collected the pass at the top of the penalty area, took one touch, and then nutmegged the Eagles keeper for a goal.

At the time of the Bays second goal, the game started to get out of control. In fairly quick order, three Bays defenders, Josh Taylor, Matt Shell and Maxx Hurkamp received yellow cards in fairly dubious circumstances. The calls, in their view, were similar and sometimes identical to challenges made by the Eagles that often went without a call, let alone a yellow card. By the 75th minute, it was clear that tempers were simmering.

Just six minutes after the go-ahead goal, Eagles defender Alimany Jabbie elbowed Elton Joe in the face in a clear case of serious foul play. However, whether the referee was screened or not, it did not appear that he was prepared to issue any discipline to Jabbie, an action that incensed the Bays’ bench. The assistant referee clearly saw the incident and after a discussion with the referee, Jabbie was given his marching orders. The red card touched off the first mass confrontation with Eagles players and managers pleading Jabbie’s case, but the appeals were for naught. Play resumed but tempers were high.

In the 81st minute, Eagles Olakunle Banjo scored his second goal of the game with a hard blast from the right channel, leveling the score at 2-2. It looked as though play was headed to extra time. But when the Bays attempted to begin play again, the ball was kicked away and a few words were exchanged, leading to the second mass confrontation, during which the Eagles’ Christian Culker, who had been substituted out of the game, entered the field of play and appeared to push or strike another player. Culker was given his marching orders, but the Eagles remained with 10 men on the field.

Another attempt to restart play was delayed when Bays manager Andrew Dicea complained to the officials about the number of managers and non-player personnel in the Eagles technical area. An Eagles fan responded by coming down from top of the stands, and began shouting at Dicea from the lowest level of the stands. After two minutes of heated exchanges, the referee then ejected the fan from the grounds, which led to a third mass confrontation. When the Eagles fan refused to leave, a Bays fan took a photo of the Eagles fan and apparently called the local police who responded with four officers. The referee then ejected the Bays fan. When neither fan showed any inclination to leave, the referee suspended the match until such time as the fans left.

After another five minute delay during which the referee refused to restart the match until the ejected fans left the grounds, the fans finally left, although without police escort. Play resumed, and it appeared as though the Bays would simply ride the game out to extra time and mentally regroup. But a free kick conceded at the left corner of the penalty area changed matters.

Jonathan Orlando stepped up to the kick and bent the ball around and over the three-man wall and past the diving Latham and into the back of the net for what would be the game winner five minutes into a lengthy second half stoppage time. In response, the Bays threw everything forward in an attempt to equalize. However, a minute later, the Eagles were on a 2-on-1 break and Orlando scored his second goal in less than two minutes to give the the team a 4-2 lead.

The referee called full time a minute later and the Maryland Bays were denied the Maryland tournament’s first three-peat since Casa Mia won three straight titles from 1995-97.

2013 US Open Cup Qualifying – Maryland
Rowland Cup Final

Scoring Summary
Bays: Chris Ports – 18th min.
Eagles: Olakunle Banjo – 65th min.
Bays: Powell Cuchiella – 72nd min.
Eagles: Olakunle Banjo – 81st min.
Eagles: Jonathan Orlando – 95th+ min.
Eagles: Jonathan Orlando – 96th+ min.

Discipline
Bays: Chris Ports – Yellow Card (reckless challenge)
Bays: Josh Taylor – Yellow Card (reckless challenge)
Bays: Matt Shell – Yellow Card (reckless challenge)
Eagles: Alimany Jabbie – Red Card (Serious Foul Play)
Bays: Maxx Hurkamp – Yellow card (reckless challenge)
Eagles: Christain Culker – Red Card (Violent Conduct)

Lineups
Screaming Eagles: Edwin Theodore (Christian Caulker) Francis Kamara, Issa Mohamed, Isiaka Kamara, Guillermo Rodriguez, Godwin Amuzie, Usif Sindel, Alimamy Jabbie, Mannie Yamson, Jonathan Orlando, Olakunle Banjo | Subs: Larry Sawyer, Malone Koroma, Bash Bangura, Abdul Rasheed

Maryland Bays: craig Nearhood, Powell Cuchiella, Phil Latham, Brian Moffa, Chris Williams, Matt Shell, Maxx Hurkamp, Chris Ports, Josh Taylor, Ray Kuemmer, Mike Gill, Elton Joe, Aaron Beall, Kevin Gnitcko, Antonio Bue, Bryan Barry, Jon Ports, Glen Letich.

2013 Maryland Open Cup qualifying results
(Rowland Cup)

First Round (Feb. 10)
ASA Charm City FC 5:0 Looney’s Pub North

Quarterfinals (Feb. 10/17)
Pipeline SC 5:4 Spartan SC (Feb. 10)
Screaming Eagles 2:0 Christos FC (Feb. 10)
Charm City FC 0:2 Maryland Bays (Feb. 17)
Mundo SC 2:1 Washington Elite FC (Feb. 17)

Semifinals (Feb. 24)
Maryland Bays 4:1 Pipeline SC
Screaming Eagles 4:1 Mundo FC

Final (Mar. 10)
Screaming Eagles 4:2 Maryland Bays
Howard High School

Past Maryland Open Cup champions
2013: Screaming Eagles
2012: Maryland Bays 2011: Maryland Bays 2010: Charm City FC
2009: Christos FC
2008: Baltimore Colts FC
2007: AC United (Note: Christos FC & Allied SC merged)
2006: Allied SC*
2005: Baltimore Colts FC*
2004: Allied SC*
2003: Brilla Baltimore
2002: Christos FC
2001: DiPasquale Baltimore Colts FC
2000: Jerry D’s*
1999: Jerry D’s
1998: High Topps

*qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Format of 100th edition of US Open Cup: Year of change for prize money, hosting decisions, team numbers

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The United States Soccer Federation announced Tuesday afternoon the official format of the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the 100th edition of the national championship tournament. Picking up where the organizers left off a year ago, the tournament will see further modifications this year with more teams, additional changes in how hosts are determined and in the prize money available.

Prize Pool Nearly Doubled

Perhaps fitting with the tournament hitting the centennial mark, the champion will not receive the long-establish $100,000 prize of years past, but instead a vastly increased sum of $250,000. In fact, all of the various prize amounts were increased across the board with the runner-up increasing from $50,000 to $60,000 and the three lower divisional tiers (Division II, Division III, Amateur) going from $10,000 to $15,000 for the best finish. Overall, the sum for the entire prize pool jumps from $180,000 to $355,000, nearly doubling in size.

The increase in prize money comes after two years in which the tournament finished in the black according to the federation’s posted financial statements that only include the tournament’s total revenues and expenses. Revenues are believed to include items such as entry fees, hosting fees and gate commissions while expenses are largely travel reimbursements and prize money. According to the past eight years of figures that are available, the expenses of the event have remained relatively consistent between $370,000 and $440,000 while revenues have more than tripled, growing from around $180,000 to nearly $630,000.
More Teams, More Organizations in the Field

Last year marked the introduction of US Club Soccer into the field of teams participating in the US Open Cup. This year the little-known United States Specialty Sports Association, heretofore referred to as Specialty Sports at TheCup.us to avoid acronym confusion with longtime participant USASA, will be included. Specialty Sports will have one team participate in the event just as US Club Soccer did last year, and both will enter the tournament via the Preliminary Round with games against sides from the National Premier Soccer League, which saw its entry allotment increased from seven to eight.

The US Specialty Sports Association was formed in 1997 to oversee softball, baseball, basketball and golf leagues. It added soccer to the organization in 2001 and became a member of US Soccer. The Specialty Sports soccer division appears to consist of seven regional ‘state’ associations in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas/Missouri, Nevada and Tennessee.

Can Sporting KC repeat as US Open Cup champions? | Photo: Steve Olson, SoccerSTL.net

Last year, US Club Soccer conducted a qualifying tournament in Fresno, California with Stanislaus United Turlock Express earning the berth into the Preliminary Round where they defeated the NPSL’s Bay Area Ambassadors, 3-0, to reach the First Round.

The increase in teams will result in two Preliminary Round contests in 2013 with the US Club Soccer entry and the Specialty Sports qualifier each playing a member of the NPSL. The qualifying details for the three organizations is not known at this time. It is also worth noting that according to US Soccer spokespeople that the Preliminary Round this year is part of the ‘tournament proper’ and players will be cup-tied. It was not a year ago.

Random Determination Now for All Hosts

The US Soccer release announced that the controversial sealed-bid process long-used by the federation to determine hosts has now been completely eradicated after being utilized only for the semifinals and final a year ago. The hosts during the final four will be determined by coin flip.

The release also states that “home teams throughout the entire tournament will be determined by random selection,” but does not state if there are pre-requisite hosting criteria that must first be met such as hosting fees or gate shares as was used a year ago. UPDATE: US Soccer spokespeople clarified after the initial announcement that teams are also no longer permitted to purchase hosting rights from the winner of the coin flip.

Schedule Remains Compact

There will be no rest yet again for the Cinderella hopefuls from the amateur ranks with four consecutive weeks of games beginning with the Preliminary Round set for May 7. The First Round featuring all of the amateur flight clubs along with four USL Pro teams (bottom-finishing sides Dayton and Pittsburgh plus newcomers Phoenix and Tampa Bay), will be May 14 with the 18 winners advancing to the Second Round where the remaining lower division pro clubs from USL Pro and the NASL enter. The May marathon concludes with the Third Round entry of the 16 MLS teams. From that point there will be at least two weeks between each round with the tournament conclusion at the opening of October.

APPENDIX…

2013 US Open Cup Participating Teams

Major League Soccer (Division I – 16 teams): Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City.

North American Soccer League (Division II – 6 teams): Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Minnesota Stars FC, San Antonio Scorpions, Tampa Bay Rowdies.

USL Pro (Division III – 12 teams): Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, Orlando City, Phoenix FC Wolves, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, VSI Tampa Bay FC, Wilmington Hammerheads.

USL Premier Development League – 16 places: The top two American-based teams from each division’s 2012 league standings. The teams will be: Austin Aztex, Carolina Dynamo, Des Moines Menace, FC Tucson, GPS Portland Phoenix, Laredo Heat, Michigan Bucks, Ocala Stampede, Ocean City Nor’easters, Orlando City U23s, Portland Timbers U23s, Reading United, Real Colorado Foxes, River City Rovers, Seattle Sounders U23s, Ventura County Fusion | PDL entry details [+]

National Premier Soccer League – 8 places: To be determined.

U.S. Adult Soccer Association – 8 places: The field consists of the top two teams from each of the four USASA Open Cup regional tournaments.

US Club Soccer – 1 place: To be determined.

U.S. Specialty Sports Association – 1 place: To be determined.

2013 US Open Cup Match Schedule

Preliminary Round – Date: May 7 – Number of Games: 2 – Teams: 2 NPSL vs 1 Specialty Sports & 1 US Club Soccer

First Round – Date: May 14 – Number of Games: 18 – Teams: Preliminary Round winners plus USASA, NPSL, PDL entries and 4 USL Pro teams (Dayton Dutch Lions, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Phoenix FC Wolves and VSI Tampa Bay FC).

Second Round – Date: May 21 – Number of Games: 16 – Teams: First Round winners join remaining 8 USL Pro and 6 NASL teams.

Third Round – Date: May 28 – Number of Games: 16 – Teams: 16 Second Round winners are paired against 16 MLS sides.

Fourth Round – Date: June 12

Quarterfinals – Date: June 26

Semifinals – Date: Aug. 7 or 21

Final – Date: Oct. 1 or 2

US Open Cup Financial Details

Year Revenues Expenses Net
2012 629,978 377,678 252,300
2011 442,772 371,151 71,621
2010 404,705 429,963 (25,258)
2009 351,981 423,748 (71,767)
2008 300,252 408,892 (108,640)
2007 236,402 439,801 (203,399)
2006 188,004 402,911 (214,907)
2005 182,202 414,143 (231,941)

#USOC100

Meet the 16 Premier Development League teams entering the 2013 US Open Cup

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Michigan Bucks vs. Chicago Fire - 2012 Third Round
The Michigan Bucks upset their second Major League Soccer team last year, knocking off the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Will we see another PDL team claim an MLS victim this year? Photo: Dave McCauley | Michigan Bucks

Shortly after the United States Soccer Federation announced the format for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the United Soccer Leagues confirmed which Premier Development League teams would enter the competition. As reported by TheCup.us in January, the PDL will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year.

Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, follows a similar format, and will include two addition amateur clubs, bringing the total to 34.

With the date of the 2013 tournament moved earlier in the month of May for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The Central, Southern and Western conferences will each submit the top two American-based clubs from each division, while the Eastern Conference, which is made up of three divisions, will be represented by four teams. The Ocean City Nor’easters, who finished with the conference’s best record (13-3-0), the team with the second best record in Ocean City’s division, Reading United, the South-Atlantic Division champion Carolina Dynamo, and the GPS Portland Phoenix who finished one point behind the Canadian-based Ottawa fury in the Northeast Division.

PDL logo

A dozen clubs are making a return appearance in the event, including 10 that were in the tournament this past year. Four sides will be making their US Open Cup debuts in 2013. The foursome is comprised of the River City Rovers, Ocala Stampede, FC Tucson and Seattle Sounders U-23s.

All of the PDL teams will begin play in Round 1 on May 14, and the amateur team (PDL, NPSL, USASA, USCS, USSSA) that advances the furthest this year will receive $15,000 (up from $10,000 last year).

Here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (read about the changes to the 2013 tournament here):

Central Conference

Michigan Bucks
1st place in Great Lakes Division (13-1-2)
Record 10th appearance, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 12-8-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Bucks will make their record 10th appearance in the US Open Cup and are the league’s most successful team in the tournament. With a record 12 Open Cup wins, 9 of them against professional opponents, they bring the strongest resume of any amateur team in the country. Last year, they bolstered their reputation as giant killers with their second win in franchise history over a Major League Soccer team, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Combined with their 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution in 2000, they are the only amateur team to defeat multiple MLS teams.

As you can see, not very many people were on hand to see the Michigan Bucks upset the New England Revolution in Foxboro back in 2000. Photo: Tony Biscaia | RevsNet

Last year, they crushed Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 6-0, before upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road in Round 2. In the Third Round they defeated the Chicago Fire at home in just the fourth Open Cup game in history to be played indoors.  In Round 4, their Cinderella story came to an end in front of their home fans (this time outdoors at Oakland University) by another unlikely team, the USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions who converted a penalty kick in extra time to win the game 2-1.

River City Rovers
3rd place in the Great Lakes Division (7-7-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup

The Louisville, Kentucky-based River City Rovers have qualified for the tournament for the first time, benefiting from the fact that Forest City London, the team who finished in second place in the division, are Canadian and are not eligible for the Open Cup. Forest City finished with a 7-5-4 record, two points ahead of River City, and made an improbably run through the PDL playoffs to win the championship. River City had a chance to overtake Forest City for the last playoff spot, but they lost their season finale to the Michigan Bucks 4-0.

River City becomes the first Kentucky-based club since 1993 to qualify for the Open Cup. That year, the Louisville Alliance reached the Regional Semifinals before falling to Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, 2-0.

Real Colorado Foxes
2nd place in the Heartland Division (8-4-4)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-2-0
Last appearance: 2012

The Real Colorado Foxes (no relationship with the Colorado Foxes who took part in the 1995 US Open Cup), have qualified for the third year in a row as the second place team in the Heartland Division (Division champion Thunder Bay Chill are from Canada). The Foxes won their first-ever tournament game in 2011 when they defeated USASA’s DV8 Defenders from San Jose, Calif. 5-0. Then after being eliminated by fellow PDL side Kitsap Pumas the next round, they suffered another defeat at the hands of an amateur team, losing 3-1 to the KC Athletics (USASA) at home.

Des Moines Menace
3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada.

Aside from their consistent success in the league, the Menace are best known for their back-to-back cup runs in 2005 and 2006 when they four professional teams in two years, only to fall to the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting Kansas City) both years on the road. Last year, they picked up their first Open Cup victory since 2006 with a 3-1 extra time road win over the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians, only to fall to the NASL’s (2nd Division) Minnesota Stars 2-0 in Round 2. The Menace are tied with the Ocean City Nor’easters for second place among PDL teams with 4 professional team upsets (Michigan Bucks have 9). According to TheCup.us records, the Menace are the only Iowa-based team (aside from the Iowa Menace who qualified out of the USASA in 2011) to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era, and even before that, there are no records of any Iowa team qualifying (records incomplete).

Eastern Conference

Ocean City Nor’easters
1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL)
All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2009

The Ocean City Nor'easters (shown here as the Ocean City Barons in 2009 against DC United) have upset four professional teams in their club history. Only the Michigan Bucks have more with nine. | Photo: Bill Pellegrino, Ocean City FC

The Nor’easters are back in the tournament as another PDL team with a giant killer reputation. This is their first appearance since 2009, when they defeated two Division 3 professional teams to reach the Third Round where they lost a close 2-0 decision to Major League Soccer’s DC United on the road. Only the Michigan Bucks (12) and the Des Moines Menace (7) have more Open Cup wins as a PDL team than the Nor’easters (6), who were known as the Barons the last time they entered the competition. The Bucks are also the only team with more professional team upsets in the tournament (9) than the Nor’easters (4).

Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0).

Reading United AC
2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (11-2-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), record 5th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-6-0 (1-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

Reading United are back in the US Open Cup for a fifth straight year, a Modern Pro Era record for an amateur team. Photo: Glenn Riegel / Reading United AC

For the first time in the Modern Professional Era, an amateur team will be making their fifth straight appearance in the US Open Cup. Reading United will attempt to put the past behind them, as the tournament has not been kind to United. Last year’s 2-1 home win over four-time Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas, was their first tournament win in franchise history. They would lose in the next round, 2-1 to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium. Reading has their friendly rivals, Ocean City, to thank for keeping their streak alive. The Nor’easters, by virtue of finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record, earned a berth, leaving the second place team, Reading, as the Mid-Atlantic’s representative.

GPS Portland Phoenix
2nd place in Northeast Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

In just their fourth season in the PDL, GPS Portland Phoenix will make their second straight appearance in the US Open Cup, finishing behind the Canadian-based Ottawa Fury in the Northeast Division. The Phoenix had a chance to win the division, but they finished scoreless against Seacoast United when they needed a win to overtake the Fury. Last year, Portland lost their first-ever Open Cup game 3-2 to the Brooklyn Italians of the USASA. They found themselves behind 3-0 until Blaike Woodruff scored a pair of late goals but it wasn’t enough as the they fell to the two-time tournament champions.

Carolina Dynamo
1st place in the South Atlantic Division (11-1-4)
10th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 10-9-0 (5-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

The Carolina Dynamo with their rich history dating back to 1993, will make their 10th appearance in the tournament this year, and their 5th as a PDL side. This is the third year in a row for the Dynamo as they will attempt to avoid their third straight one-and-done. Last year, they were eliminated by the Aegean Hawks from the DC-area 3-1. It was an impressive year for the Dynamo in the league as they only lost one game (11-1-4), and made a playoff run that took them all the way to the championship game, where they lost 2-1 to Forest City London. They will try to re-live their glory days this year, with their greatest moment coming in 2006 when they upset the Richmond Kickers (Div. 3) and the Seattle Sounders (Div. 2) to become the third PDL team (now there have been four) to advance beyond the Third Round. They would eventually fall in the ‘Battle of the Dynamo’, losing 4-2 to Houston of MLS in Round 4.

Laredo Heat
1st place in the Mid South Division (10-3-3)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-1-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Laredo Heat advanced to the Second Round of the 2012 US Open Cup, but lost to the San Antonio Scorpions, 2-0. Photo: Robin Jerstad | San Antonio Scorpions

The Laredo Heat are back in the Open Cup for a second straight year, and just the third time in franchise history. Three trips to the tournament in a decade is a surprising number for one of the best teams in the PDL. The 2007 league champion, and a three-time runner-up, the Heat qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2006 when they nearly eliminated Dallas Roma FC in the first round before Roma began their historic run to the Fourth Round. Last year, the Heat returned, winning their first-ever Open Cup game, 4-2 over fellow Texas amateur club ASC New Stars (USASA) in extra time.  They hit the road in Round 2 and lost 2-0 to the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions. This is a PDL team that has qualified for the league playoffs nine years in a row, and have only failed to qualify once, during their inaugural season in 2004. Single-elimination tournaments are nothing new to them, so this tournament could suit them well.

Austin Aztex
2nd place in the Mid South Division (9-5-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2008

After starting as a PDL franchise in 2008 (and qualifying for the US Open Cup), the Austin Aztex launched a professional team the following year and made two more Open Cup appearances. The franchise was moved to Orlando to form Orlando City SC, but in 2012, the Aztex franchise was revived in Austin as a PDL franchise. Their first season back was a successful one, finishing in second place behind the Laredo Heat. The only Open Cup game the Aztex PDL team played was in 2008 when they took the Atlanta Silverbacks (Div. 2) to penalty kicks, but lost the shootout 5-4.

Ocala Stampede
1st place in the Southeast Division (11-3-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

The Stampede are one of four clubs who are taking part in their first Open Cup as they were an overwhelming success in their inaugural season in the PDL. Ocala, which is located in Central Florida, just northwest of Orlando, won the Southeast Division title with an 11-3-2 record, which was the best record in the conference. They will join the nearby Orlando City U-23s in the tournament.

Orlando City U-23s
2nd place in the Southeast Division (8-3-5)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup, 4th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-5-0
Last appearance: 2012

Orlando City U-23s are back for their fourth straight Open Cup appearance and their sixth overall berth. In 2013, they will attempt to do something the previous five teams editions of the club have failed to do: win a game. Last year was the first year under the current team name. Prior to that, they were known as the Central Florida Kraze and made four trips to the competition before the team was bought by Orlando City after the 2011 season. Last year, they fell to Jacksonville United 2-1 after letting a 1-0 lead in the second half slip away. Jacksonville was awarded an 82nd minute penalty kick and then scored the game-winner in the 89th minute to seal Orlando’s doom.

Seattle Sounders U-23s
1st place in the Northwest Division (11-2-3)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

No matter what they are called, the Seattle Sounders U-23s are making their first Open Cup appearance in franchise history. The club was originally known as Tacoma FC, but never qualified from 2006-2011. Last year, the team re-branded as the Seattle Sounders U-23s and enjoyed immediate success. They won the Northwest Division championship and reached the final four in the PDL playoffs.

Portland Timbers U-23s
2nd place in the Northwest Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

After enjoying success in their first three years as a PDL franchise, including the 2010 league championship, the Portland Timbers U-23s qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time last year. They lost their first game to a USASA side, PSA Elite, 3-1 in front of their home fans, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves with their second straight berth in 2013.

Ventura County Fusion
1st place in the Southwest Division (12-2-2)
4th appearance in the US Open Cup (4th straight)
All-time Open Cup record: 3-2-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Ventura County Fusion qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2010 and were one-and-done to the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros. Each year after that, they have improved on the previous year’s performance. In 2011, they won a single game before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro). Last year, they won two games, including a revenge win over the Blues in Round 2. They nearly knocked off an MLS team, but were unable to overcome an early goal by Chivas USA, and lost 1-0. If the pattern continues, will the Fusion reach Round 4 this year?

FC Tucson
2nd place in the Southwest Division (9-3-4)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

FC Tucson became another first-year team to punch their ticket to the Open Cup after a successful inaugural season. They edged out the Fresno Fuego for second place and will be the first Arizona-based club to reach the tournament since the Arizona Sahuaros took part in 2010.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Boston Avenue AC wins another Oklahoma title, qualifies for USASA Region III Finals

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The Boston Avenue Athletic Club Reserves are Oklahoma Open Cup champions for the fourth year in a row after defeating Los Lobos 1-0 on Sunday. BAAC dominated the six-team tournament, outscoring its opponents 12-2.

The tournament, which sends the winner to the USASA Region III Open Cup Finals, began on Sat., last Saturday, Feb. 23 with BAAC being placed in Group A with the Oklahoma University club team and Boulder FC.

BAAC and Boulder, which are both teams named after streets in Tulsa located two blocks apart, were first up, with BAAC coming out 2-0 winners. Carlos Zuta and Dave Leung scored for the derby winners.

The BAAC Reserves then took on Oklahoma University in a rematch of last year’s final, which BAAC had won 3-2. This year, BAAC clinched the group with a 5-2 win over the Sooners.

In the final game, Oklahoma narrowly edged out Boulder 3-2 for a place in the semifinals. After falling behind 3-0, Boulder scored twice to make things interesting. Several more chances came close for Boulder, but they couldn’t find that last goal to tie things up.

Group B featured Los Lobos, Guerrero, and Sporting OKC. In the first game, Los Lobos scored three times in the final 15 minutes to defeat Guerrero 3-0. In game two, Los Lobos won the group with a 3-2 victory over Sporting OKC. In that match, Los Lobos had a player sent off, and Sporting OKC lost two of its players for its later match.

Despite losing two players, Sporting OKC booked a spot in the semifinals with a 2-2 tie against Guerrero, who last won the Oklahoma Open Cup title in 2001. Sporting had to come back from 2-0 down to earn the stalemate.

The semifinals were lopsided affairs. Los Lobos, who qualified for the US Open Cup three years in a row from 1997-99, earned a spot in the finals for the first time in seven years with a 3-0 victory over Oklahoma University. BAAC took out Sporting 4-0.

The final was much closer, with only one goal scored between the sides. Leung scored in the 27th minute for BAAC. Los Lobos missed several chances in the second half, and BAAC claimed the state title.

With the victory, BAAC Reserves moves on to the Region III tournament where they will try to advance to their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Last year, BAAC finished third in their group in a year when two teams from Texas advanced out of the tournament. The Region III Finals will be held April 12-14 in New Orleans.

2013 Oklahoma Open Cup tournament (Feb. 23-24)

Group A
Boston Avenue AC 2:0 Boulder FC
Boston Avenue 5:2 Oklahoma Univ. Club Team
Oklahoma Univ. Club Team 3:2 Boulder FC

Group B
Los Lobos 3:0 Guerrero
Los Lobos 3:2 Sporting OKC
Sporting OKC 2:2 Guerrero

Semifinals
Boston Avenue AC 4:0 Sporting OKC
Los Lobos 3:0 Oklahoma Univ. Club Team

Final
Boston Avenue AC 1:0 Los Lobos

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