2013 US Open Cup

2013 US Open Cup: DC United’s Dwayne De Rosario easy choice for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

November 7, 2013 by Michael Berton

Dwayne De Rosario, until recently of DC United, was named the 2013 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. He played in all but 23 minutes of the tournament for United, leading the club to their third Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title, and his first as a player.

The Player of the Tournament award is voted on by staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. De Rosario won the vote by an overwhelming majority.

Others receiving votes were DC teammate Joe Willis, Portland Timbers forward Frederic Piquionne, who made history in the Third Round with four goals in one half and finished tied with De Rosario for leading goalscorer with five, and Javier Morales, who led Real Salt Lake to the title game.

De Rosario made his mark immediately on the tournament, playing all 120 minutes in DC’s opening game against the Richmond Kickers. After a scoreless draw, he scored in the penalty kick shootout to help United advance. In Round 4, De Rosario scored all three goals in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Union. He became the first Canadian to score a hat trick in the Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) and earned Player of the Round honors for his effort.

He followed that performance with two game-winning goals in the next two rounds. He scored the game winner in the quarterfinals against the New England Revolution in the 69th minute. DC went on to win 3-1. He also scored the deciding goal against the Chicago Fire in the Semifinals. United’s 2-0 win in Chicago marked the first time the Fire had ever lost at home in Open Cup play.

DC United won the cup against Real Salt Lake, with De Rosario playing 75 minutes in the 1-0 victory. The MLS side’s run through the US Open Cup was extraordinary considering the team’s league form. DC had more victories in the Open Cup (4) than it did in MLS play (3). United also had plenty of success winning Player of the Round, taking the award in three of the five rounds in which they played: De Rosario in the Fourth Round, Joe Willis in the Semifinals, and Bill Hamid in the Final.

De Rosario’s successful cup form was not enough to impress DC United management, however. This week, the club decided not to exercise the option in his contract, meaning De Rosario will be wearing the uniform of another team next season.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Player of the Tournament (Overall): Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Player of the Tournament (Lower Division): Ty Shipalane (Carolina RailHawks)
Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup: Ty Shipalane of Carolina RailHawks named Lower Division Player of the Tournament

November 6, 2013 by Michael Berton

Ty Shipalane of the Carolina Railhawks has been named 2013 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament. Shipalane and the Railhawks upset two MLS sides en route to a Quarterfinals appearance in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Many players earned votes for the award, which is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Others receiving consideration were Dom Dwyer of Orlando City SC, Georgi Hristov of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Conner Bevans of FC Tucson, and Kwadwo Poku of the Georgia Revolution.

Shipalane was instrumental in the Railhawks’ opening game against the Carolina Dynamo in the Second Round. He scored the opening goal and assisted on Zack Schilawski’s tally that put the game away in the 75th minute. The RailHawks won 3-1, earning them a home game against an MLS team.

In the Third Round, Shipalane played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 home win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. They hosted another MLS team in Round 4 and he played a major role in another upset, beating Chivas USA 3-1. Shipalane scored the opening goal and assisted on the game-winning goal by Cesar Elizondo in overtime.

Carolina’s run ended in the Quarterfinals against Real Salt Lake in a 3-0 loss. However, the Railhawks were the only NASL team to make advance that far in the 2013 tournament, and one of two lower division teams to make it to the Quarterfinals. For the RailHawks it was their third and fourth MLS upsets in their seven-year history as a franchise, and it marks just the seventh time a lower division team has upset two MLS clubs in one tournament.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup Final: Bill Hamid delivers title to underdog DC United, earns Player of the Round award

October 25, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

It has been said that ‘A keeper cannot win you a game, he can only keep you in it.’ That held true on October 1, when DC United goalkeeper Bill Hamid kept his team in contention and led them to their third Open Cup title with a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in one of the great underdog stories in the 100-year history of the tournament. For his efforts, Hamid has been named TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 2013 Final.

Hamid becomes the third DC player to win Player of Round in this year’s tournament. Dwayne De Rosario won the award in Round 4, while backup goalkeeper Joe Willis was voted the top performer of the Semifinals. This marks the first time since the award was established in 2006 that two goalkeepers from the same team won Player of the Round in the same tournament.

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

The Final was Hamid’s first start for United in the 2013 Open Cup, as Joe Willis started the four previous games. Hamid did not appear to show any rust or trepidation, however, turning in six saves and making his presence known early. Despite being outshot by one of the highest scoring teams in MLS, the United academy product pitched a shutout, allowing for Lewis Neal’s decisive goal to be the difference and handing the Black-and-Red the 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title.

Despite a historically bad regular season in which United finished dead last in the league, the club was able to put all of that behind them thanks to Hamid’s performance in goal. DC United lifted the trophy and also earned $250,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions’ League.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

2013 US Open Cup Final: Underdog DC United upsets Real Salt Lake to win third title

October 2, 2013 by Josh Hakala

dc-united-2013-usoc-champs-1 — 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions: DC United | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

DC United did what few thought they could do: put their regular season disaster behind them, travel to Utah and upset Real Salt Lake in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Lewis Neal’s goal just before halftime — the team’s only shot on goal in the game — was all they needed as United won their third US Open Cup title, 1-0 over RSL. With the win, DC United completes a Cinderella story the likes of which the tournament has not seen since MLS joined the competition in 1996. DC becomes the first Open Cup champion to lift the trophy with more cup wins (4) than league wins (3). Not to mention, they become the only Modern Pro Era team to win a title with only one shot on goal.

Bill Hamid, making his first start of the competition after Joe Willis had played the previous four games, made four saves and shut out Major League Soccer’s top offense.

2013 LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP

2013 US Open Cup results
2013 US Open Cup bracket
2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
TheCup.us Player of the Round awards
The First Cup series (1913/14)
US Open Cup Final 1914-present
US Open Cup Final all-time goalscorers
Biggest Open Cup controversies: Part 1 | Part 2
Official name of the Open Cup a mystery

#USOC100

In a tournament that was modeled after England’s FA Cup 100 years ago, this year’s champion was modeled after England’s winner this year. Last spring, Wigan Athletic, sitting near the bottom of the Premier League standings, pulled off one off the biggest upsets in tournament history, defeating powerhouse Manchester City 1-0 to lift the trophy.

The difference between Wigan and DC United is that the black-and-red have hope for next season as Neal’s 45th minute goal earns the club $250,000 in prize money and a spot in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League. Wigan earned their prize money, but they were relegated at the end of their league season.

United joins the Seattle Sounders (2009-11) and the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982-83) as the only three-time champions.

The opening half was relatively uneventful as the visitors were careful not to let RSL, behind their announced crowd of 17,608, to get their offensive machine rolling. The first chance of the game came after 27 minutes when Joao Plate received a pass down the right side of the box and launched his attempt on goal several rows deep into the crowd.

About 10 minutes later, Javier Morales nearly helped create a goal himself as he fought off two defenders on the right wing, found space and sent a dangerous cross into the box where it took a deflection and was eventually cleared to safety.

dc-united-2013-usoc-gwg — DC United celebrates Lewis Neal’s goal in the 45th minute. | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

It appeared as though both teams were going to go into the locker room with a scoreless draw, but John Thorrington controlled the ball on the left wing, faked to his right and created space to his left to send in a cross. The ball was deflected off a player in front of the goal and rolled back out to the top of the box for Lewis Neal who hit a well-placed ball that beat a diving Nick Rimando to his left. It was a shot of redemption for Neal who didn’t make the cut while on trial with Real Salt Lake in 2012.

In the second half, RSL cranked up the pressure looking for an equalizer.

In the 50th minute, Morales ran on to a through ball down the heart of the box, but Dejan Jakovic was there to deliver a tough tackle to clear away the danger. A couple of minutes later, Ned Grabavoy received the ball on the left side of the box but his shot on target was smothered by Hamid.

In the 59th minute, the home team finally got one past Hamid. Sebastian Velasquez dribbled into the box on the left side and launched a left-footed blast that beat Hamid, but struck the crossbar. The pressure continued throughout the second half, but DC’s backline held on. In the 81st minute, Grabavoy sent a header into the penalty area which fell to Saborio behind the defense, but his volley attempt sailed high over the bar.

The kitchen sink was being thrown forward by RSL as stoppage time approached. In the 90th minute, Kyle Beckerman played a ball in to Devon Sandoval who delivered a one-touch to Grabavoy as he was headed toward goal, but the ball was knocked away before he could get a shot off.

bill-hamid-dc-united-save-usoc-final — Bill Hamid gathers the loose ball that deflected off the crossbar on the final play of the 2013 US Open Cup Final. | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

Seconds later, a long ball from midfield was headed into the box where a United defender got to it first, but his attempted clearance went straight up in the air, sending Hamid into action. He leaped into the crowd of players to punch it away and did just enough to clear it from danger as RSL’s attempts to send it back into the mixer failed and DC was able to turn the near goal into a counter attack. The ball fell out of the penalty area and was launched upfield to a wide open Conor Doyle, who found himself one-on-one with Rimando positioned more than 20 yards outside his penalty area. Rimando’s take down of Doyle produced cries for a red card, but the veteran goalkeeper only received a yellow.

RSL used every bit of the announced six minutes of stoppage time, creating two heart-stopping moments for the home fans dreaming of a dramatic goal to force extra time. First, after a ball was sent into the box, it fell to Nat Borchers on the right side of the area and the defender chipped into the middle of the box where Sandoval attempted an overhead kick that went straight at Hamid positioned in the middle of the goal.

Moments later, in their final attempt to draw level, Beckerman’s corner kick found Saborio who headed the ball on goal after making a run down the middle of the box. There to save the day, whether he did it on purpose or not, was James Riley, who deflected Saborio’s header off the crossbar and Hamid came off his line to jump on the loose ball to secure the win.

For Riley, his deflection in front of goal clinched his fifth US Open Cup title, more than any individual player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present). Riley won the tournament with New England in 2007, followed by three straight with Seattle from 2009-11. With a fifth title, Riley is more than halfway toward the all-time record of eight held by Hall of Famer Billy Gonsalves.

MORE: 2013 US Open Cup Final photo gallery (Prost Amerika)

Scoring Summary:
DC – Lewis Neal – 45’

Misconduct Summary:
DC – James Riley (Yellow, Foul) – 21’
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Yellow, Dissent) – 46’
DC – Nick DeLeon (Yellow, Dissent) – 58’
DC – Chris Korb (Yellow, Dissent) – 80’
RSL – Nick Rimando (Yellow, Foul) – 90’ + 1’

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2): Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Carlos Salcedo (Devon Sandoval, 81’), Tony Beltran, Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy, Sebastian Velasquez (Khari Stephenson, 69’), Javier Morales, Joao Plata (Olmes Garcia, 57’), Alvaro Saborio

Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Chris Schuler, Yordany Alvarez, Cole Grossman

D.C. United (4-4-2): Bill Hamid, James Riley, Dejan Jakovic, Ethan White, Chris Korb, Perry Kitchen, Lewis Neal, Chris Pontius (Conor Doyle, 87’), John Thorrington, Nick DeLeon, Dwayne de Rosario (Luis Silva, 75’)

Substitutes not used: Joe WIllis, Dennis Iapichino, Kyle Porter, Daniel Woolard, Jared Jeffrey

Referee: Juan Guzman
Assistant Referees: Kermit Quisenberry, Fabio Tovar
4^th Official: Baldomero Toledo

Attendance: 17,608
Weather: Clear and 66 degrees

2013 US Open Cup Final: DC United, Real Salt Lake square off in 100th championship game

October 1, 2013 by Josh Hakala

On Tuesday night, the United States Soccer Federation will crown a national champion for the 100th time.

In a tournament that was born a century ago to emulate tournaments like England’s FA Cup, it would be fitting that this year’s final will be so similar to the FA Cup final played earlier this year. DC United are in the midst of a historically bad regular season, sharing some similarities with Wigan Athletic who became the first FA Cup champion to be relegated.

On the other side of the ball is Real Salt Lake, who are among the league’s elite, much like Manchester City in the Premier League, who suffered a 1-0 loss to Wigan in their cup final.

The game will be broadcast live on GolTV starting at 9 p.m. ET and RSL will offer English and Spanish language radio. Fans can also follow all the action on Twitter with the hashtag #USOC100.

2013 US OPEN CUP FINAL

DC UNITED (MLS)
at
REAL SALT LAKE (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, UT
9 p.m. ET

TV: GOLTV
ENGLISH RADIO: ESPN700
SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 102.3,
Juan 1600 AM

#USOC100

Find those links below as well as an in-depth look at each match-up:

* 2013 US Open Cup results
* 2013 US Open Cup bracket
* 2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
* TheCup.us Player of the Round awards
* The First Cup series (1913/14)
* US Open Cup Final 1914-present
* US Open Cup Final all-time goalscorers
* Biggest Open Cup controversies: Part 1 | Part 2
* Official name of the Open Cup a mystery

DC United (MLS) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, UT – 9 p.m. ET
TV broadcast: GolTV
English Radio: ESPN700 (RSL)
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM (RSL)

DC United Open Cup records
Overall: 29-10-4 (2-2 PKs) | Away: 7-6-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 9-7-2 (0-2 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 AET vs. Philadelphia Union in Round 4)
Best finish: 1996, 2008 US Open Cup champions

Real Salt Lake Open Cup records
Overall: 6-4-0 | Home: 6-2-0 | vs. MLS: 1-2-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 vs. Minnesota Stars FC in Round 3)
Best finish: 2011 Quarterfinals (Lost 2-0 at FC Dallas)

PAST MEETINGS

Real Salt Lake and DC United have only met once this season, with United pulling out a 1-0 win on March 9 at RFK Stadium. Lionard Pajoy headed home the eventual game-winner when Nick Rimando saved a curling shot from John Thorrington. This is the first meeting between the two teams in Open Cup play. Real Salt Lake holds the advantage all-time between these two teams, 6-4-6.

DC UNITED’S US OPEN CUP HISTORY

The two-time Open Cup champions have been one of the powers in the tournament since they entered the competition for the first time in 1996. United’s 29 wins and five championship game appearances are second only to the Chicago Fire (31 wins, 6 title games) and winning a third would put them in a club with the Seattle Sounders (2009-11) and the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982-83) as the only three-time champions. United remains one of two DC-area clubs in the 100-year history of the tournament to reach the championship game (Club Espana won the 1987 US Open Cup)

DC UNITED’S LEAGUE FORM: (Previous 5 matches) LLDLL

DC United is currently experiencing one of the worst MLS seasons of all time. United has won only three regular season games this season, all inside the friendly confines of RFK. With a 15 percent win percentage this season, DC United can walk away with a trophy while also setting a maximum of eight MLS records for futility.

DC UNITED’S PATH TO THE FINAL

DC United started out their Open Cup run with a penalty kick thriller in Richmond, Virginia against the Richmond Kickers of USLPRO. In a game that saw two DC players receive a red card, United pulled out a 4-2 penalty victory. In the round of 16, DC United took on the Philadelphia Union at the Maryland Soccerplex. United cruised to a 3-1 win on the strength of a Dwayne De Rosario hat trick. Two weeks later they played the New England Revolution, again at the Soccerplex. Chris Pontius, Dwayne De Roasrio and Lionard Pajoy all tallied goals for the hosts, and United moved on, 3-1. In the semifinal of the Open Cup, United traveled to Toyota Park, where they took on the four-time champion Chicago Fire. In a tense and chippy affair, both Dwayne De Roasrio and Nick DeLeon netted goals, and DC United moved on to their fifth championship game with a 2-0 scoreline.

KEY PLAYERS: DC UNITED

Chris Pontius (#13) will be a force to reckon with in this game after having been rested in United’s 4-1 loss against Toronto FC on Sept. 28. Pontius has been a occasional feature for United this season, only scoring two goals after dealing with small hamstring and groin injuries, but looks to be ready to make his mark on this Open Cup final. Bill Hamid (#1) is the wildcard on the United side coming into this matchup. Backup keeper Joe Willis had previously started every match of their Open Cup run this season, including a Player of the Round performance in the Semifinals, but Hamid is being handed the start for the final. The DC United Academy product has been a busy in net this season, notching 68 saves. If the final proceeds to penalty kicks, it should be noted that Hamid has blocked two of five penalty attempts against him this season.

Dwayne De Rosario, making his first appearance in the Open Cup Final, is tied for the tournament lead in goals with five. He has nine career tournament goals, which ties him for third with teammate Carlos Ruiz among all MLS goalscorers in the Modern Professional Era. If he’s able to score more than one goal in the game then he would break the Modern Professional Era record for most goals in a tournament. David Bulow (Richmond Kickers, 2011), Herculez Gomez (Los Angeles Galaxy, 2005), Melvin Tarley (Minnesota Thunder, 2005), Josh Wolff (Chicago Fire, 2000), Welton (Miami Fusion, 2000), Mugurel Dimitru (San Diego Flash, 1999) and Marquis White (San Francisco Bay Seals, 1997) are the only ones to score six.

GOALSCORERS

Dwayne De Rosario – 5
Nick DeLeon – 1
Lionard Pajoy – 1
Chris Pontius – 1

KEY INJURIES

Daniel Woolard and Dennis Iapichino were both listed as questionable for the MLS regular season game against Toronto FC on Sept. 28. Both players should be available to play by kickoff.

OPEN CUP FINAL EXPERIENCE

One thing that United have going for them is that they have a lot of Open Cup Final experience to draw from. Dejan Jakovic and Chris Pontius both started for DC in their 2009 loss to the Seattle Sounders, which featured James Riley starting on the backline. Riley is attempting to add to his MLS record four Open Cup titles (New England in 2007, Seattle in 2009, 2010, 2011). He will also join Osvaldo Alonso, Andy Williams and Peter Vagenas as the only players in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to play in five US Open Cup Finals.

Sanna Nyassi made a splash in his only Open Cup Final appearance in 2010 with the Sounders. Not only did he become the first player in the Modern Professional Era to score multiple goals in a Final, but prior to his two-goal performance, no one had scored more than one career goal in the championship game. Carlos Ruiz has played in two finals but came up short both times, losing with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 and FC Dallas in 2007. Marcelo Saragosa has an Open Cup championship medal, winning with the Galaxy in 2005.

WHY DC UNITED WILL WIN

DC United will win this game on the backs of their rested starters. United head coach Ben Olsen rested nearly all of his regular starters in last weekend’s league match against Toronto FC. United will have a very fresh and rested lineup, which could prove vital if this game were to go to extra time or penalties. They will also win if Bill Hamid has a quality game and keeps his cool. The USMNT pool goalkeeper has proven that he can come up with amazing saves in big games, such as the 2012 playoff legs against the New York Red Bulls. If his temper gets the best of him and he pulls a Josh Wicks, then United know that Joe Willis can fill in as he has all tournament long. Finally, pure grit can push this United team to victory. The MLS season has not mattered to United for a couple weeks, and the team has been focusing on the Open Cup final for some time. Expect to see a very sharp, tactically aware United team, more than in weeks past.

WHY DC UNITED WON’T WIN

The United offense has been several steps short of anemic during the entirety of the MLS season. Currently United has scored more own goals (4) than their leading scorers, Dwayne De Rosario and Luis Silva, have (3). If they turn in another lackluster performance on the offensive front, they will have no shot of winning against a very strong, tactically disciplined Salt Lake backline. United will also lose this game if they don’t establish a rhythm early. The Black-and-Red have, as stated above, not played a meaningful game in quite a while. If they come out “rusty” and are not able to establish a rhythm early, Real Salt Lake will capitalize on that and exploit United’s lack of cohesion in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.

————————————————

REAL SALT LAKE’S OPEN CUP HISTORY

The goal of Real Salt Lake is simple; find success in the US Open Cup. This year, they have finally accomplished that. Since their inaugural season in 2005, they failed to qualify four years in a row (2007-2010), and didn’t win more than one game in a single Open Cup prior to this year. As an organization, they market their Cup games very well, and last year they set an attendance record for the Modern Pro Era for a non-doubleheader/non-final (17,212). But unfortunately for RSL, that record crowd watched the home team get upset by the NASL’s Minnesota Stars. This year, they’ve put their poor history behind them and will host the first-ever US Open Cup Final in the state of Utah.

RSL’s LEAGUE FORM (Previous 5 matches) WLLWW

Real Salt Lake rebounded from back-to-back losses to Seattle and San Jose to earn a 1-0 road win against the Vancouver Whitecaps this past weekend to put them in a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Sounders. Devon Sandoval, the team’s leading goalscorer in Open Cup play with three, scored the lone goal for RSL to keep them in the race for the Supporters’ Shield. They are currently one point behind the Red Bulls.

RSL’s PATH TO THE FINAL

Real Salt Lake may not have played a Major League Soccer team until the Semifinals, and haven’t played a game away from home in the tournament, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have a difficult road to their first championship game. They began with a 3-2 extra time win over the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks where Devon Sandoval and Khari Stephenson each scored OT goals to lift RSL. In Round 4, RSL rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to send the match into extra time where the offense exploded for three goals. Sandoval and Stephenson scored again in the extra frame, along with Javier Morales, to send RSL to the Quarterfinals. After a 3-0 shutout of the Carolina RailHawks (NASL) with goals from Tony Beltran, Chris Wingert and Alvaro Saborio, they had their biggest test with the Portland Timbers in the final four. Goals from Saborio and Plata had the home team in front 2-0, but Portland threw the kitchen sink at them in the final 12 minutes and after giving up a stoppage time goal, RSL held on for the win.

RSL is attempting to become the fourth team in the Modern Professional Era to win an Open Cup title without playing a single game away from home, and just the second team to play every game in the same stadium (Chicago Fire in 2006 at Toyota Park). The other two teams to accomplish that feat were DC United in 2008 and the Seattle Sounders in 2011.

KEY PLAYERS: REAL SALT LAKE

Much like league play, it’s been a balanced attack by Real Salt Lake in the US Open Cup. The key to success in the Open Cup is usually depth, and RSL’s has been on display with Devon Sandoval leading the team with three goals and Khari Stephenson with two. At the center of the goalscoring production all season has been Javier Morales who leads the team in assists with 10 and is second behind Alvaro Saborio with eight goals. As the league’s top offensive team, the biggest key might be the defense, led by US internationals Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

GOALSCORERS

Devon Sandoval – 3
Khari Stephenson – 2
Kyle Beckerman – 1
Tony Beltran – 1
Javier Morales – 1
Joao Plata – 1
Alvaro Saborio – 1
Chris Wingert – 1

KEY INJURIES

Defenders Rich Balchan and Kwame Watson-Siriboe are out due to injury, as well as goalkeeper Josh Saunders.

OPEN CUP FINAL EXPERIENCE

There are five players on the RSL roster who have been a part of a US Open Cup Final, but Nick Rimando is the only one who actually stepped on the field in a title game. Khari Stephenson (Kansas City Wizards, 2004), Ned Grabavoy (Los Angeles Galaxy, 2005) and Abdoulie Mansally (New England Revolution, 2007) all lifted the trophy, while Rimando and Kyle Beckerman both fell short as teammates with the Miami Fusion in 2000 in their loss to the Chicago Fire.

WHY RSL WILL WIN

The easy answer is because they are playing at home in front of an expected sold-out crowd and they are one of the best teams in MLS, playing against the worst team in the league. They also have revenge on their minds as United only has three league wins this year and one of them was against RSL early in the season. The retoric around the home team’s camp has been to make the tournament a priority and that approach may ultimately pay off as home teams are 11-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) in championship games since 1995. However, of the last six finals, the home team is 3-2-1 (1-0 in PKs).

WHY RSL WON’T WIN

RSL will be up against a well-rested underdog who has nothing to lose. For weeks, DC United has been out of the league playoff picture, so the Open Cup has become a focus for them to salvage their season. A team that has a number of players with championship game experience, who rested most of their starters this past weekend, could come in and quiet the crowd early and put the pressure on the favorites.

2013 US Open Cup Semifinals: Joe Willis’ big saves for DC United earn him Player of the Round honors

September 12, 2013 by Michael Berton

In a misery-filled season for last-place DC United featuring just three league wins out of 27, plaudits have understandably come few and far between. Goalkeeper Joe Willis earned one of those bright spots by winning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for his role in a 2-0 Semifinal victory over the Chicago Fire.

Willis becomes the second DC player to win Player of Round in this year’s tournament. Dwayne De Rosario won the award, which is voted on by staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, in the Fourth Round.

Taking home nearly two-thirds of the 1st-place votes, Willis became the first goalkeeper to win the award since Richmond Kickers net-minder Ronnie Pascale did it in the Quarterfinals of the 2011 edition of the tournament against Sporting Kansas City.

Willis made six saves against the Fire in a 2-0 victory. De Rosario and Nick DeLeon scored on either side of halftime to give DC the lead, and Willis and his backline absorbed a slew of Chicago pressure to hand the Fire its first-ever home loss in the competition.

United will attempt to salvage their season on oct. 1 in the championship game against Real Salt Lake, in the first-ever Open Cup Final held in Utah. Willis, or DC United’s other keeper Bill Hamid, will most likely have to turn in another Player of the Round-quality performance to bring DC their third Open Cup title. Along with winning a trophy, the victor will also earn a place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League and a $250,000 prize.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

2013 US Open Cup Semifinals: DC United shuts out Chicago Fire 2-0 to reach Final as Wigan-like run continues (video)

August 8, 2013 by Josh Hakala

fire-dc-united-usoc-semis-2013 — DC United earned their first road win of the season, 2-0 over the Chicago Fire to punch their ticket to the 2013 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Chicago Fire

DC United, desperate to salvage what has been a nightmare regular season, traveled to Toyota Park and did something they had not done this year in any competition: Win a game on the road.

United punched their ticket to their fifth US Open Cup Final with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire, handing the four-time champions their first-ever home loss in US Open Cup play. DC return to the championship game for the first time since 2009 when they failed to repeat as champions, losing to the Seattle Sounders, 2-1.

Dwayne De Rosario took advantage of a mishandled ball by goalkeeper Sean Johnson just before halftime to score his tournament-leading fifth goal, and on the other side of the break, Nick DeLeon gave United a two-goal advantage that they would not relinquish.

Much like Wigan of the English Premier League, DC United is attempting to win the tournament despite a bottom-of-the-table performance in league play. Wigan upset the mighty Manchester City in the FA Cup Final and became the first club to win the tournament and be relegated in the same season. Fortunately for United, Major League Soccer teams do not get relegated.

DC United will need to win one more road game to lift the trophy for the third time (1996, 2008) as the championship game will be hosted by Real Salt Lake on Oct. 1 at Rio Tinto Stadium. RSL defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 in the other Semifinal. The winner will book an automatic place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League and win $250,000 in prize money.

The two teams canceled each other out for the majority of the first half, with each team taking turns controlling possession. The best chance for Chicago in the first half came from Dilly Duka in the 19th minute. He found space on the left wing and sent a cross into the box that was deflected. The ball redirected to the far post where it found Patrick Nyarko who tried to volley it in from a tight angle but was unable to put it on target. In the 27th minute, Alex headed a Nyarko cross on frame, but it went right into the arms of DC goalkeeper Joe Willis.

A few minutes later, a Chicago cross came in from the right wing and found Mike Magee on the left side of the box but his volley went wide.

The later part of the half belonged to United starting with a counter attack in the 37th minute as De Rosario received a cross in the box but hit it wide of the goal.

De Rosario would put DC on the scoreboard just before the halftime break when Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson leaped to deal with a ball that deflected up into the air in the penalty area. He was unable to hang on as the ball spilled to the ground and De Rosario was there to dribble away from Johnson and fire it into the net despite the sliding attempt of Fire defender Austin Berry. It was De Rosario’s ninth career Open Cup goal, tying him for 8th on the Modern Pro Era’s goalscoring list with Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace), Matthew Delicate (Richmond Kickers/Rochester Rhinos), Randi Patterson (Charleston Battery/Carolina Dynamo) and Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas/Los Angeles Galaxy).

The fans were barely settled back into their seats after halftime when the visitors struck again. In the 48th minute, Nick DeLeon received a pass from James Riley who beat Johnson to put United up 2-0. In the 60th minute, Johnson kept his team in the game with a save off a breakaway by Conor Doyle.

After that, the Fire pushed forward to try to cut the lead in half, but the United defense held on. In the 76th minute, a ball fell out to the top of the box where Alex’s well-struck volley was headed toward the back of the net but it was deflected out of danger by the traffic in front of goal. Two minutes later, Berry moved into the box to contribute to the offense and nearly scored when he got a touch to the ball and saw it rolling slowly toward the lower left corner of the net, but Perry Kitchen cleared it off the line for United.

Duka sent a cross into the box in the 84th minute and took a deflection and nearly got behind Willis, but he was able to recover and clear the ball. The Fire retrieved the ball and sent it back into the box for Duka who received the ball with his back to goal near the 6-yard box. His attempt to juggle the ball, back in and volley it was thwarted by Willis who smothered the ball just outside of his goal.

Duka had another shot attempt from outside the box in the final minutes of regulation, but Willis was there to make one of his six saves as the DC defense held on for their second clean sheet of the tournament.

Highlights

Post-game reaction

Semifinal: DC United 2-0 Chicago Fire

August 7 | Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL | Attendance: 11,036

Scoring Summary

DC: Dwayne De Rosario (unassisted) 44th

DC: Nick DeLeon (James Riley) 48th

Lineups

Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares (Quincy Amarikwa 74’); Patrick Nyarko (Joel Lindpere 36’), Jeff Larentowicz ©, Alex, Dilly Duka; Mike Magee, Chris Rolfe (Juan Luis Anangono 57’) – Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Hunter Jumper, Logan Pause, Daniel Paladini

DC United: Joe Willis; James Riley, Dejan Jakovic, Daniel Woolard, Chris Korb; John Thorrington, Luis Silva (Conor Doyle 57’), Perry Kitchen, Nick DeLeon (Chris Pontius 74’), Kyle Porter; Dwayne De Rosario © – Substitutes not used: Bill Hamid, Taylor Kemp, Ethan White, Jared Jeffrey, Sainey Nyassi

Disciplinary Summary

None

Referees: Jair Marrufo, Eric Boria, Mike Rottersman, Jose Carlos Rivero

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Semifinals: Real Salt Lake tops Portland Timbers 2-1 for first trip to Final

August 8, 2013 by Eric Anderson

rsl-celebrates-usoc-semis-vs-portland — With a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake will host the 100th US Open Cup Final on Oct. 1 against DC United. Photo: Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake has won an MLS Cup and played for the CONCACAF Champions League title. Now the nine-year-old Utah club will play in its first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final.

Alvaro Saborio scored in the seventh minute and set up substitute Joao Plata for what proved to be a vital insurance goal in the 78th as Real Salt Lake held off the Portland Timbers 2-1 Wednesday night in front of 14,742 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium – a record attendance for a semifinal in the tournament’s Modern Pro Era.

RSL will play host to DC United in the 100th US Open Cup final October 1 at Rio Tinto. The winning team will claim a berth in next season’s CONCACAF Champions League and a $250,000 prize in addition to the trophy.

While things certainly could change over the next eight weeks, Real Salt Lake currently is tied for the most points in Major League Soccer, while DC United has the fewest. However, two-time Open Cup champion DC United won the only league meeting between the sides 1-0 back on March 9 in the nation’s capital.

Both Portland and RSL fielded strong sides in the first match of the season between the Western Conference rivals, who also will meet in league play August 21 and 30 and October 19.

RSL welcomed back starting outside backs Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert, but had Ned Grabavoy at the top of its diamond midfield with Javier Morales limited to the bench because of an adductor injury suffered in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids in MLS play. The Timbers’ starting XI was highlighted by midfielder Will Johnson’s return to Salt Lake, where he played for five seasons before being traded to Portland last offseason.

Saborio gave the home team the early lead, heading in a cross from Kyle Beckerman. After a corner kick, Beckerman got the ball on the right flank, created some space around Rodney Wallace and played a cross to the far post that Saborio headed over Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and into the right side of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Each side enjoyed stretches of extended possession, but Portland had two great chances to pull level before halftime.

First, Darlington Nagbe found center back Andrew Jean-Baptiste somewhat surprisingly cruising free down the right side in the 40th. Baptiste carried the ball into the box and squared it for Will Johnson, who hit the skipping ball first-time. RSL keeper Nick Rimando made a fine save, flipping the ball up and over the crossbar for a corner kick.

rsl-vs-portland-usoc-semis — This US Open Cup Semifinal match featured two teams that have never reached the final four, aiming for their first Open Cup title. Photo: Real Salt Lake

Then in first-half stoppage time, Diego Valeri served in a corner kick from the right side that Ryan Johnson got to at the far post. He headed the ball from a tough angle and it hit Beltran – replays indicated the ball might have hit the left back’s arm or shoulder, but whatever the case, referee Mark Geiger didn’t blow his whistle.

The visitors had the better of play for the opening 10 minutes of the second half, too, but didn’t really threaten the goal in that time. Will Johnson received a nice ovation from the RSL fans when he was subbed out with an apparent right arm injury in the 63rd.

Portland had a golden chance to equalize in the 72nd. The RSL back line lost track of Valeri, who was left all alone and got his head on a pinpoint cross from left back Ryan Miller, but the ball flashed wide of the left post.

Six minutes later, the combination of Saborio and Plata teamed up to double Real Salt Lake’s lead.

Plata played the ball ahead to Saborio near the top of the box, and he laid it back for his strike partner. The 5-foot-3 Ecuadorian promptly ripped a shot from 25 yards out that zipped past Ricketts into the left side of the goal, giving RSL a 2-0 lead in the 78th.

The second goal proved to be integral as Valeri did get the Timbers on the board in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. He worked past both Beltran and Borchers and let loose with a shot that Rimando was able to save, but the Argentinian stayed with the ball and headed it in to cut the lead in half. It was the first goal surrendered by RSL in Open Cup play in 282 minutes dating to their 5-2 win over USL Pro’s Charleston Battery in the fourth round.

Semifinal: Portland Timbers 1-2 Real Salt Lake

August 7 | Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy UT | Attendance: 14,742

Scoring Summary

RSL: Alvaro Saborio (Kyle Beckerman) 7

RSL: Joao Plata (Alvaro Saborio) 78

POR: Diego Valeri 91+

Lineups

Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Carlos Salcedo, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert; Luis Gil (Yordany Alvarez 88), Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy, Khari Stephenson (Javier Morales 80); Alvaro Saborio, Robbie Findley (Joao Plata 61). Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella (GK), Lovel Palmer, Sebastian Velasquez, Olmes Garcia.

Portland Timbers: Donovan Ricketts; Ryan Miller (Alvas Powell 77), Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Pa-Modou Kah, Michael Harrington; Will Johnson (Jose Adolfo Valencia 63), Diego Chara, Diego Valeri; Rodney Wallace, Ryan Johnson (Kalif Alhassan 63), Darlington Nagbe. Substitutes not used: Jake Gleeson (GK), Jack Jewsbury, Rauwshan McKenzie, Ben Zemanski.

Disciplinary Summary

RSL: Carlos Salcedo (caution) 42

POR: Ryan Johnson (caution) 42, Pa-Modou Kah (caution) 94+

Statistics

Saves: RSL (Rimando) 5, POR (Ricketts) 2. Shots: RSL 9, POR 13. Corner kicks: RSL 4, POR 8. Fouls: RSL 11, P 12. Offsides: RSL 2, POR 3.

#USOC100

First timers win: Winner of Real Salt Lake, Portland Timbers will host 2013 US Open Cup Final

July 30, 2013 by Josh Hakala

The United States Soccer Federation announced today that the 100th championship game of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will be hosted in a state that has never crowned a tournament champion. After a coin flip at the US Soccer headquarters in Chicago, it was determined that the winner of the semifinal match-up between the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake will be the host of the 2013 US Open Cup Final.

Both semifinal matches are scheduled to be played on Aug. 7. If Real Salt Lake is victorious, they will host the Final on Oct. 1 at Rio Tinto Stadium. If the Portland Timbers prevail, they will host the title game at Jeld-Wen Field on Sept. 24.

The Timbers/RSL game will be broadcast locally in Portland on Root Sports, while Chicago will be providing a live webcast of their game against DC United.

Neither Real Salt Lake or the Timbers have ever reached the championship game, but there’s added significance because neither the state of Utah or the state of Oregon has ever hosted the US Open Cup Final in the 99 previous years of the tournament.

The championship game will be broadcast live on GolTV.

Note: According to a report by Steven Goff, DC United did not apply to host, “citing logistics involving non-soccer events on the RFK Stadium campus during the hosting window.”

2013 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe named Player of the Round, helping Portland Timbers reach their first final four

July 30, 2013 by Michael Berton

A goal and an assist were enough to earn Darlington Nagbe of the Portland Timbers TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the quarterfinals. He led his side to a 3-2 victory over fellow MLS squad FC Dallas to send the Timbers to the semifinals for the first time in club history.

Nagbe is the second Timbers player to win Player of the Round this year. Teammate Frederic Piquionne took home the prize for his four-goal performance in the Third Round.

The award is voted on by staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Nagbe beat out the Chicago Fire’s Sean Johnson and Chris Rolfe as well as DC United’s Chris Pontius in a wide open vote.

Down 1-0 to Dallas at halftime, Portland turned to Nagbe for a spark of inspiration. In the 61st minute, Nagbe swerved his way through three defenders and beat Dallas keeper Chris Seitz to level the score at 1-1. After scoring one of the better goals of the tournament, just two minutes later, Nagbe was instrumental in giving the Timbers the lead. He hit a long through ball to Diego Valeri, who scored on a breakaway to put Portland up 2-1.

The Timbers eventually won the game 3-2 thanks to a Piquionne goal, but it was Nagbe who stole the show. His performance was the major reason Portland are now two wins away from becoming the first Oregon club to win the Open Cup title. The Timbers travel to Salt Lake City on August 7 to take on another first-time semifinalist, Real Salt Lake. The winner will host the Final against either DC United or the Chicago Fire. If Portland wins, the championship game will take place on Sept. 24, but if Salt Lake prevails, they will host the game on Oct. 1.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)