Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

2013 US Open Cup

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: De Rosario’s hat trick pushes DC United past Philadelphia Union

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Dwayne De Rosario scored a hat trick to propel DC United past the Philadelphia Union 3-1 on Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup.

De Rosario became the third DC United player to score a hat trick in Open Cup play, following in the footsteps of Raul Diaz Arce (2000) and Abdul Thompson Conteh (2001).

His squad moves on to the quarterfinals where they will host the New England Revolution.

The fourth round matchup was a rematch from last year’s tournament when the sides met in the same round and location, with the Union prevailing.

Desperate for success due to its worst start in team history, DC United came out with a sense of urgency that Philadelphia could not match. The hosts won nearly every 50-50 ball and forced the Union into poor passes and decisions.

It came as no surprise then that DC had the first chance five minutes in.

Chris Pontius took advantage of lackadaisical defending to shoot in a cross from the left corner. His pass found a wide open Nick DeLeon, who missed the near post by inches.

DeLeon made up for his miss in the 24th minute by taking a shot from the top of the Philadelphia box. Amobi Okugo deflected the shot right into the path of De Rosario, who sent a left-footed curler past the out-stretched arms of Zac MacMath.

United saw out the half comfortably bar one tough injury to Chris Pontius.

After taking an elbow from Sheanon Williams, Pontius got fouled on a strong challenge from Okugo — a challenge that earned him a yellow card.

Pontius was forced out to be replaced by Sainey Nyassi.

The Union pressed forward more in the second half, but could only put together a few half-chances.

However, it would ultimately be defensive lapses that determined the outcome.

In the 75th minute, Amobi Okugo gave the ball away to Lionard Pajoy under very little pressure. Pajoy passed to De Rosario, who calmly slid it past the Union’s young keeper.

Just 40 seconds later United had a lapse of its own.

Philadelphia substitute Don Anding blazed down the left side and passed to MLS’s leading goal-scorer Jack McInerney.

DC failed to attack so McInerney curled a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner of the net to cut the lead in half.

Another careless Union mistake killed the game in the 85th minute.

Well outside his box, MacMath passed a free kick to Okugo, whose touch went straight to De Rosario.

The Canadian international took a few steps and put the ball into an empty net from about 30 yards away to make it 3-1.

DC United 3:1 Philadelphia Union
Maryland SoccerPlex – Boyds, Md.
Scoring Summary:
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (Nick DeLeon) 24
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (Lionard Pajoy) 75
PU: Jack McInerney (Don Anding) 76
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (unassisted) 85
Line-ups:
DC United: Joe Willis; James Riley (Brandon McDonald-62), Ethan White (Lionard Pajoy-67), Daniel Woolard, Taylor Kemp; Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, John Thorrington, Chris Pontius (Sainey Nyassi-46); Dwayne De Rosario, Casey Townsend
Philadelphia Union: Zac MacMath; Raymon Gaddis, Jeff Parke, Amobi Okugo, Sheanon Williams; Michael Farfan (Don Anding-72), Brian Carroll, Keon Daniel (Leo Fernandes-46), Sebastian Le Toux; Conor Casey (Antoine Hoppenot-65), Jack McInerney
Discipline:
PU: Amobi Okugo (caution – 45+)
PU: Leo Fernandes (caution – 56)

2013 US Open Cup Round 4: Orlando City stun their MLS affiliate, defending champ Sporting KC

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Orlando City SC traveled to Kansas City and upset their second straight MLS opponent. Photo: Jamila St. Ann | Sporting Kansas City

Orlando City SC has made huge strides off the field to show it belongs in MLS. The Lions proved Wednesday night they might belong at the top level on the field as well.

Long Tan scored in the opening minute of the game and Orlando held on the rest of the way to stun the defending US Open Cup champion Sporting KC in what Orlando City manager Adrian Heath called the biggest win in club history.

“We believed,” Heath said. “We obviously believed before the game we could get a result.”

Heath said he thought his team played with a chip on its shoulder after talk about whether the Lions could cope with the drop off in quality by playing without four of Sporting’s loaned players dominated the lead up to the game.

“It’s human nature,” he said. “People forget we broke all the records last year for the most goals, most wins, most points. Some of the guys came into tonight with a bit to prove.”

Prove themselves they did.

Barley 75 seconds into the match, KC turned the ball over after a quick restart in its own half and Orlando capitalized.

“The goal was a terrible mistake on our part,” said Sporting manager Peter Vermes. “Giving that goal away breaks you because it’s not an earned goal. It’s a goal that we’re sleeping on.”

KC pressed hard for an equalizer after Tan shocked the 15,981 in attendance at Sporting Park, but the home side couldn’t find the back of the net despite 10 first-half shots.

Orlando had two shots in the first half, but was unlucky not to be two up at halftime. Only a brilliant save of Tan’s close-range effort by Sporting goalkeeper Eric Kronberg kept the score at 1-0.

“I thought our counter-attacking football was excellent,” Heath said of his team’s first half.

Vermes brought on CJ Sapong for Josh Gardner at halftime and Lawrence Olum for Benny Feilhaber shortly after as Sporting carried play in the second half, but continued to waste chances.

Seth Sinovic forced a diving save from Gallardo in the 59th minute and skimmed the top of the net with another long-range shot minutes later.

It was part of a 10-shot flurry that also saw Sapong volley from six yards out with the goal at his mercy and Claudio Bieler missed an open header at the back post.

Ike Opara had the best chance to equalize deep into stoppage time, but he couldn’t stretch enough to poke home a deflected header.

Heath said Orlando’s strong league standing (currently 1st in USL Pro) means the team can prioritize the tournament going forward as the Lions attempt to become only the second lower-division side to win the Cup since MLS teams entered the competition.

 

Orlando City 1:0 Sporting KC
Scoring Summary:

ORL: Long Tan (Adama Mbengue) – 2nd min.

Discipline:
71’ Yellow card (Anthony Pulis)

Substitutions:

Sporting Kansas City:

46’ CJ Sapong for Josh Gardner
58’ Lawrence Olum for Benny Feilhaber
76’ Teal Bunbury for Jacob Peterson

Orlando City SC:
71’ Erik Ustruck for Dennis Chin
73’ Oumar Diakhite for Justin Clarke
92’ Freddie Braun for Adama Mbengue

 

Shots:
Sporting – 18
Orlando – 5

 

Shots on goal
Sporting – 4
Orlando – 3

 

Saves
Sporting – 2
Orlando – 4

 

Fouls
Sporting – 15
Orlando -11

 

Corners
Sporting – 5
Orlando – 1

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Portland Timbers blank Tampa Bay 2-0 for first Quarterfinal appearance

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Portland Timbers logoThe Portland Timbers advanced to the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup for the first time with an easy 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay Rowdies at Jeld-Wen Field. The Timbers will travel to Texas June 26 to face FC Dallas.

The Fourth Round game was not as close as the score would indicate with the Rowdies managing just three shots and the Timbers dominating long stretches of possession throughout.

Just two regular starters were in the line-up for Portland as Diego Valeri wore the captain’s armband for the first time and Andrew Jean-Baptiste played in central defense for the Timbers. Yet it was little used Michael Nanchoff who contributed to both goals in Portland’s workmanlike win.

The opener came in the ninth minute as a deflected Jose Valencia pass sailed forward to Nanchoff. The first-year Timbers midfielder hit a shot on the volley across goal, just beyond the reach of Rowdies goalkeeper Diego Restrepo. The diminutive Nanchoff has been a key member of Portland’s reserve team but the goal was his first in a competitive match with the Timbers.

While Tampa Bay was able to string together several passes, their attacking sequences never quite led to much of a threat in the first half. Raphael Cox took the Rowdies’ only shot of the half, though former Timber Keith Savage and Luke Mulholland contributed to play that kept Tampa Bay in the game throughout the half.

The second half was more lively for both teams though it was again the Timbers who struck early in the half. Nanchoff’s 55th minute free kick was flicked across the box by Third Round hero Frederic Piquionne and poked into goal by substitute Jack Jewsbury. The goal was the first of the season for Jewsbury and gave Portland a comfortable advantage for most of the rest of the half.

Tampa Bay countered by inserting hulking forward Amani Walker in the hopes of finding a goal to get the visitors back into the game. Instead it was Valencia who forced multiple diving saves by Restrepo midway through the second half and had a headed goal called back for offside in the 71st minute. The 21-year-old Timbers forward gave Rowdies captain Frankie Fanfilippo all he could handle in defense, consistently making runs and playing physically up top after Piquionne exited in the 57th minute.

The Rowdies’ cross-country trip nearly got an exciting finish to a fairly mundane game when Mulholland slammed a 79th minute free kick off the crossbar. His shot had Milos Kocic well beaten but angled just high enough to ricochet away from any danger to the Timbers’ defense and effectively end Tampa Bay’s threat of a late comeback.

On a night when two MLS clubs could not top second and third tier opponents, Portland glided through its Fourth Round encounter and set up a high profile match-up with FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday June 26. The game will be the second between the two clubs in eleven days as Portland hosts Dallas this weekend in league play.

Fourth Round :: Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 :: 2 Portland Timbers

June 12 – JELD-WEN Field, Portland OR

Scoring Summary:

POR: Michael Nanchoff (Jose Valencia) 9

POR: Jack Jewsbury (Frederic Piquionne, Michael Nanchoff) 55

Cautions:

TB: Georgi Hristov 43, Jay Needham 45+, Georgi Hristov 89

POR: None

Ejections:

POR: Georgi Hristov (second yellow) 89

Lineups:

Tampa Bay: GK Diego Restrepo, D Stuart Campbell, D Jay Needham, D Frankie Sanfilippo ©, D Arango, M Raphael Cox (Amani Walker, 67), M Shane Hill, M Keith Savage, M Luke Mulholland, F Mike Ambersley (Devin Del Do, 88), F Georgi Hristov… Substitutes Not Used: GK Andrew Fontein, D Thurstan Johnston, M Kyle Clinton, M Evans Frimpong

Portland: GK Milos Kocic, D Sal Zizzo, D Rauwshan McKenzie, D Andrew Jean-Baptiste, D Ryan Miller, M Diego Valeri © (Jack Jewsbury, 45), M Ben Zemanski, M Michael Nanchoff, F Kalif Alhassan (Steven Evans, 76), F Frederic Piquionne (Darlington Nagbe, 57), F Jose Valencia… Substitutes Not Used: GK Jake Gleeson, M Diego Chara, M Mobi Fehr, F Sebastián Rincón

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: New England Revolution roll past New York 4-2 at Harvard

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For the second straight tournament game, Kelyn Rowe scored twice to send the New England Revolution to a 4-2 Fourth Round US Open Cup win over the New York Red Bulls at Harvard University on Wednesday. The Revolution advance to the Quarterfinals, traveling to face a DC United on Wednesday, June 26.

After scoring two goals in the May 28 Third Round 5-1 road win against Rochester, Rowe wasted no time putting his name on the scoresheet when he found paydirt in the fourth minute, then added another in the 37th minute. Fabian Espindola brought one back for the Red Bulls in the 30th minute, but Dimitry Imbongo netted what proved to be the game-winner in the 51st minute. Jonny Steele made it close when he scored in the 61st minute before Chris Tierney capped the scoring in the 87th minute.

“When he shoots in on goal, it’s usually going in,” Revolution head coach Jay Heaps said about Rowe after the game. “He’s got one of the best shots I’ve seen, right or left foot. He was fired up for tonight. Right from the open, his touch was on. His movement was good. His pressure was good. He had a nice night.”

The sophomore midfielder looked dangerous early, and from the attacking midfielder’s role, steered the offense right from the opening whistle. And it wasn’t long before he resumed his goalscoring exploits inside of four minutes when he grabbed a pass from Gabe Latigue and fired a shot that found the back of the net.

“I thought I’d catch (Ryan Meara) near post,” Rowe said. ”Last year, I caught him far post. I thought he’d think I was going there again. I got a lucky bounce over him so that was nice.”

New England tilted the pitch in their favor through the first 25 minutes before New York started to put pressure on the hosts.

At the half hour mark, Espindola, who menaced the likes of Tyler Polak and Kalifa Cisse in the early going, broke through when he ran toward a long ball that Matt Reis tried to poke away in front of the area. But Espindola beat him to it, pushed it toward the open net, and slit it through to level it.

Seven minutes later, Rowe responded when he grabbed a ball from outside the 18 and fired another long-range effort that beat Meara to put the Revolution back on top.

“I think Gabe Latigue made a run inside and pulled the defender out,” Rowe said. “And I thought, again, ‘I mean, I made the run, may as well shoot it’ and it ended up going far post.”

Rowe’s goal gave his club the edge going into the interval, but the Revolution widened the gap in the opening minutes of the second half.

This time, though, it was Imbongo who put his name on the scoresheet when he chased down a long ball and with only Meara to beat, slipped his shot into the net in the 51st minute.

The Red Bulls didn’t back down near the hour mark when Eric Alexander pushed it deep down the right flank and crossed it far post, where Steele nodded it into the net to cut the lead back down to one.

Although both attacks lost their polish and physical play became the rule after the hour, Tierney put the game out of reach for the Red Bulls when he made a run down the left and tapped through a dangerous far post cross from Ryan Guy in the 87th minute.

In the waning moments, Brandon Barklage picked up a second yellow and red card ejection to leave the Red Bulls a man down before the final whistle.

“We had a lot of guys that were ready to go,” Heaps said. ”You could tell that we started really well. I thought it probably should have been a little bit better. We probably could have been up 2-0 when (Espindola) scored. Unfortunately, it was a battle the rest of the way. We created a lot of chances and scored some goals.”

Fourth Round :: New York Red Bulls 2 :: 4 New England Revolution

June 12 – Soldiers Field Soccer Stadium – Harvard University Stadium, Boston MA

Scoring Summary:

NE: Kelyn Rowe (Gabe Latigue) 4

NY: Fabian Espindola 30

NE: Kelyn Rowe 37

NE: Dimitry Imbongo (Darrius Barnes) 51

NY: Jonny Steele (Eric Alexander) 61

NE: Chris Tierney (Ryan Guy) 87

Cautions:

NY: Brandon Barklage 10, Fabian Espindola 24, Dax McCarty 45, Markus Holgersson 55, Brandon Barklage 91

NE: Kalifa Cisse 76, Darrius Barnes 78

Ejections:

NY: Brandon Barklage (second yellow) 91

Lineups:

New York: Ryan Meara; Heath Pearce, Brandon Barklage (ejection 91), Markus Holgersson, Kosuke Kimura (Andre Akpan 83); Eric Alexander, Juninho, Lloyd Sam (Peguy Luyindula 45), Dax McCarty, Jonny Steele; Fabian Espindola

New England: Matt Reis; AJ Soares, Darrius Barnes, Tyler Polak, Kalifa Cisse; Gabe Latigue, Kelyn Rowe (Scott Caldwell 58), Andy Dorman, Ryan Guy; Chad Barrett (Juan Agudelo 83), Dimitry Imbongo Boele (Chris Tierney 69)

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Orlando City stuns defending champions; RailHawks upset Chivas USA and more (Live stream links)

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Lamar Hunt US Open Cup logoThe Fourth Round of the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicks off on Wednesday, June 12 with eight games. Four lower division teams are still alive, but only one of them are hosting in a Major League Soccer-dominated schedule. Round 4 is filled with dramatic storylines with every game either being a rivalry from league play or a David vs. Goliath match.

The Carolina RailHawks of the NASL are the lone lower division team to host a match this round, and it should come as no surprise. Since their franchise began in 2007, they have hosted 15 of their 17 Open Cup matches and that trend will continue when they welcome Chivas USA to WakeMed Soccer Park. Orlando City SC (USL Pro) will play their MLS affiliate club, and defending tournament champions, Sporting Kansas City on the road. The other two lower division teams had to make big trips to reach their Fourth Round destinations. The Charleston Battery (USL Pro) will aim for a record 8th MLS upset when they play at Real Salt Lake. While the Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) will visit the Portland Timbers.

ROUND 4 BROADCASTS
(All Times Eastern)

Philadelphia Union at DC United (7:00)
VIDEO
Chivas USA at Carolina RailHawks (7:15)
VIDEO
NY Red Bulls at New England Revolution (7:30)
VIDEO
Orlando City SC at Sporting Kansas City (8:30)
VIDEO
Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas (9:00)
VIDEO
Charleston Battery at Real Salt Lake (9:30)
VIDEO
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Portland Timbers (10:30)
VIDEO
Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire (1:00 – 6/13)
VIDEO

#USOC100

The local MLS rivalries are in full force for the remaining games. First, DC United hosts the Philadelphia Union at the Maryland Soccerplex for the second year in a row as the Black and Red look to avenge their Fourth Round exit from last year. The Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire will square off for just the third time in Open Cup play, in what will be a replay of the 1998 Final. It will be an all-Texas battle with FC Dallas playing the Houston Dynamo for the first time since 2006 and finally a Boston vs. New York game being held at Harvard University with the Revolution hosting the Red Bulls. How do you like them apples?

All eight matches are expected to be broadcast online, and you can follow all the action and share your comments on Twitter, using the hashtag #USOC100.

2013 US Open Cup results
2013 US Open Cup bracket
2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
Player of the Round (Round 3): Frédéric Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
The First Cup series (1913/14)
Upsets and things you should know about Round 4

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New York Red Bulls (MLS) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Soldiers Field (Harvard Univ.) – Cambridge, MA – 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner plays at DC United or Philadelphia Union

New York Red Bulls Open Cup records
Overall: 15-14-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 8-8-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 5-7-1 (1-0)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 AET at Harrisburg City Islanders of USL Pro in Round 4)
Best finish: 2003 Final (Lost 1-0 vs. Chicago Fire)

New England Revolution Open Cup records
Overall: 11-8-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 8-3-2 (1-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 3-5-0
Last entry: 2012 (Drew 3-3 (Lost PKs 4-3) at Harrisburg City Islanders of USL Pro in Round 3)
Best finish: 2007 US Open Cup champions

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Red Bulls: The Red Bulls’ recent Open Cup history has not been very impressive as they have struggled since falling short in the tournament final in 2003. Every since they lost to the Chicago Fire at Giants Stadium that year by a single goal by Damani Ralph, New York has failed to win more than one game in a single tournament. During that span they have been upset by lower division opposition five times, and have failed to defeat an MLS team. The Red Bulls are aiming to win their first trophy in franchise history.

Revolution: New England got a monkey off their back in 2007 when they won their first major trophy with the US Open Cup title. However, aside from that championship, and a runner-up performance in 2001, the Open Cup has not been kind to the Revs. Aside from those two years, the Revolution have only won multiple games in a tournament one time (2008). Something has to give as both teams have losing records against fellow MLS teams.

LEAGUE FORM

New York Red Bulls (7-5-4): The Red Bulls are coming off their first loss in their last eight games (5-1-2). The 2-1 defeat at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps on the Saturday following the Third Round was scoreless through the first half with Vancouver giving New York the lead six minutes into the second stanza via a Greg Klazura own goal. The visitors bounced back though for the victory, and New York was idle over the past weekend.

New England Revolution (5-4-5): On a bit of a hot run, the Revolution are 3-0-2 in their last five league games, and have not allowed a goal since the 1-1 draw that started the run. The club was idle the weekend after their 5-1 Third Round road victory against the Rochester Rhinos, but are coming into the Fourth Round off the heels of a scoreless draw at home versus DC United, who are winless in their last 12 games.

This Season: The two clubs have already played twice in league play this season. New York dominated in the first contest to the tune of a 4-1 victory and in New England nearly a month ago exactly, the pair finished in a 1-1 stalemate. Set up by Tim Cahill, Dax McCarty opened the scoring on April 20 just four minutes in and a Brandon Barklage own goal put New England level two minutes later. Barklage made up for the error almost immediately, though, setting up Fabian Espindola in the eighth minute to make it 2-1 until late in the second half. Jonny Steele set up Thierry Henry with eight minutes left and then scored himself after Andre Akpan and Eric Alexander combined to set up the play. After a scoreless first half on May 11 Chris Tierney found Diego Fagundez for the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, but just like their first meeting, a quick answer was what followed when Akpan and Kosuke Kimura combined to set up Lloyd Sam a minute later for the draw.

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Philadelphia Union (MLS) at DC United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md. – 7 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner hosts New England Revolution or New York Red Bulls

Philadelphia Union Open Cup records
Overall: 4-1-0 | Away: 1-0-0 | vs. MLS: 1-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-0 vs. Sporting KC in Semifinals)
Best finish: 2012 Semifinals (Lost 2-0 vs. Sporting KC)

DC United Open Cup records
Overall: 26-10-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 20-4-1 (0-1) | vs. MLS: 6-7-2 (0-2 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 AET vs. Philadelphia Union in Round 4)
Best finish: 1996, 2008 US Open Cup champions

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Philadelphia: After failing to qualify in their first two seasons in MLS, the league did away with qualifying in 2012 and the Union made their first Open Cup run and reached their the final four. They lost to the eventual champion Sporting Kansas City 2-0.

DC United: The two-time Open Cup champions have been one of the powers in the tournament since they entered the tournament for the first time in 1996. United is tied with the Chicago Fire for most semifinal appearances (8), and their 10 trips to the Quarterfinals trails only FC Dallas (12).  Their four championship game appearances and 26 tournament wins are second only to the Chicago Fire. If United and the Union go to extra time, the Black and Red will break the Modern Professional Era record with a fifth consecutive extra time game in the tournament.

This game is a complete rematch from last year when the  Union knocked off United 2-1 in extra time in the Fourth Round at the Maryland Soccerplex. Antoine Hoppenot scored the game-winner in extra time.

LEAGUE FORM

Philadelphia Union (6-5-4): While most of the league has had a relatively quiet couple weeks courtesy of the international competition window, the Union have kept themselves busy. In their first match back in league play the Union snatched a late draw on the road against Toronto FC with Jack McInerney scoring the 91st minute equalizer for a 1-1 draw. The following Wednesday Philadelphia used a three-goal blitz in six minutes to down the visiting Columbus Crew 3-0. Brian Carroll kicked the spree off in the 25th and then helped set up Sheanon Williams four minutes later. Sebastien Le Toux, also involved in the second goal, found Conor Casey for the third. Idle from league play for the weekend, the Union come into the Open Cup contest with a 2-0 victory in a friendly against their USL PDL affiliate Reading United AC, who upset third division Harrisburg in this year’s tournament before being eliminated by the New York Red Bulls in the Third Round, 2-0. Chris Albright set up Aaron Wheeler on the half-hour mark and Jimmy McLaughlin helped double the advantage five minutes later when he found Antoine Hoppenot.

DC United (1-10-3): Though they have not won since their second game of the season, DC has two draws in their last four games. After narrowly escaping elimination at the hands of Richmond in their scoreless draw and penalty kick tiebreaker, United fell 2-0 on the road in Chicago. A Nick DeLeon own goal nine minutes in put DC on their heels and Mike Magee clinched it in the 85th for Chicago. They rebounded for a scoreless road draw at New England Saturday. Other than DeLeon’s own goal, DC has not scored in the last four combined games.

This Season: In their previous meeting this year on April 21, DC tried to rally from two down twice only to come up short in a 3-2 loss at home. McInerney scored the opener seven minutes in courtesy of Casey, who then scored himself four minutes later with the assistance of Danny Cruz. Brandon McDonald and Dwayne DeRosario combined in the 17th to set up Perry Kitchen, but Philadelphia quickly answered back when McInerney restored the two-goal margin in the 26th courtesy of Williams and Amobi Okugo. In the second half Daniel Woolard found Leonard Pajoy, but DC was unable to find the equalizer.

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Columbus Crew (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill. – 8:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner will host: Sporting Kansas City or Orlando City SC

Columbus Crew Open Cup records
Overall: 19-10-2 (0-2 PKs) | Away: 6-4-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 9-7-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 vs. Dayton Dutch Lions of USL Pro in Round 3)
Best finish: 2002 US Open Cup champions

Chicago Fire Open Cup records
Overall: 29-10-3 (2-1 PKs) | Home: 16-0-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 16-5-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-2 AET at Michigan Bucks of PDL in Round 3)
Best finish: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 US Open Cup champions

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Columbus Crew: After declining to enter their first two years in the league, the Crew were a force in the tournament beginning with a run to the Final in 1998 (losing 2-1 in sudden death extra time to the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field), and finally culminating in their first US Open Cup title in 2002. However, after lifting their first major trophy that year, the Crew hit a drought, and one that usually ended in the Fourth Round. The tournament only included a fourth round from 2003-06 before reviving it again in 2012, and in each of those years, the Crew lost to MLS opponents. Three of them in extra time, the other a 4-3 loss to the Metrostars at home. After failing to qualify in 2007 and 2008, they were one-and-done to the Rochester Rhinos in 2009 before turning things around with a run to the Final in 2010. However, after losing 2-1 to the Seattle Sounders that year, their cup form took another dip, losing their opening round game at home in back-to-back years to 3rd Division opponents (Richmond Kickers in 2011, Dayton Dutch Lions in 2012). Both of those upsets were also by a score of 2-1.

Chicago Fire: After winning the US Open Cup in their inaugural season in 1998, the Fire set the tone for their approach to the tournament. It has always been a priority for the organization, and the results back that up as the Fire have won four Open Cup titles (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006), but are still hungry for that historic fifth championship. One more Open Cup championship would tie them with Bethlehem Steel and Maccabi Los Angeles for the most tournament wins in the 100-year history of the competition. The club’s list of accomplishments is long as they hold the Modern Professional Era record for most wins (29), most championship game appearances (6), and are tied for second in semifinal appearances (8). They also hold the distinction of being the only team with more than five home games who is undefeated at home in the tournament (16-0-1, 0-1 PKs).

This will be the third time that the Crew and the Fire face off in Open Cup play. They first squared off in the 1998 Final at Soldier Field, which featured some behind the scenes drama that helped grow the rivalry between the two organizations. The Fire won the first meeting 2-1 on a golden goal by Frank Klopas in extra time. The Fire would spoil the Crew’s cup run in 2004 with another 2-1 win in extra time, with Damani Ralph scoring the golden goal this time. Fun fact: The Chicago Fire have never lost a Fourth Round game (4-0-0), while the Columbus Crew have never won one (0-4-0).

LEAGUE FORM
Columbus Crew (4-5-5): Since getting by 2-1 against USL Pro Dayton in the previous round, the Crew have played to a draw and a loss. Trailing 1-0 at home against Houston the Saturday after advancing, the Crew were able to claim a point with a 69th minute equalizer from Federico Higuain. A three-goal flurry from Philadelphia last Wednesday was too much for the Crew on the road as they were blanked 3-0, making them winless in their last three league games (0-1-2). The Reserves: The Crew Reserves have been busy since the last round of the tournament, falling 1-0 to Houston’s visiting reserve squad the following Sunday and then playing to a 4-4 draw on the road against USL Pro Dayton in a back-and-forth affair. Kyle Hyland set up Ryan Finley for the lead six minutes in and after falling behind 2-1 Konrad Warzycha made it even again in the 36th. The hosts went ahead again in first half stoppage time with Ben Speas setting up Finley for another equalizer in the 61st followed by Speas connected with Bernardo Anor seven minutes later for a Crew lead that was spoiled in the 89th minute.

Chicago Fire (3-7-3): After losing three straight in league play, things are picking up for the Fire, who are 1-0-2 in their last three league games. They picked up the first draw the weekend before posting their 2-0 Third Round win at USL Pro Charlotte, which featured the debut of recently-traded Mike Magee, who scored the opener. Since then it has been all about Magee. Ahead since the ninth minute the Sunday after advancing courtesy of a DC own goal, the Fire locked up a 2-0 home win with a strike from Magee from minutes from time. On Saturday the Fire rallied from two down at home to earn a 2-2 draw against Portland with Magee pulling them within one in the 68th minute and Dan Paladini tallying the equalizer on an excellent free kick in the 82nd.

This Season: The two sides met earlier this season on April 20 with the Fire taking the win at home by a narrow 1-0 margin. Jalil Anibaba and Austin Berry combined to set up Jeff Larentowicz for the deciding goal with seven minutes remaining.

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Orlando City SC (USL Pro) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan. – 8:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner travels to Chicago Fire or Columbus Crew

Orlando City SC Open Cup records
Overall: 5-2-0 | Away: 2-2-0 | vs. MLS: 1-2-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-2 at Sporting KC in Round 3)
Best finish: Third Round (2011, 2012)

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 16-10-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 11-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 5-6-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Won US Open Cup title)
Best finish: 2004, 2012 US Open Cup champions

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Orlando City: In just their third year as a franchise, Orlando City has found success in the US Open Cup, winning five games in three years, including last round’s big moment for the organization, a 3-1 upset of the Colorado Rapids. This will be their fourth match against Major League Soccer, with their first two ending with 3-2 losses on the road to FC Dallas, the last year to eventual champion Sporting Kansas City. With the momentum going, Orlando will get another shot at Sporting KC.

Sporting Kansas City: Now a two-time Open Cup champion, things have not always been easy for Sporting Kansas City. After entering in their inaugural season in 1996, they were one-and-done in each of their first three seasons. Then, after not qualifying in 1999, they suffered one of the first upsets to an amateur team when they lost in penalty kicks to the Chicago Sockers of the PDL. It took them until 2001 to get their first tournament win and the following year they were a golden goal away from the final, losing to the Columbus Crew in the final four. After losing their opening game in 2003 to the Colorado Rapids, the Wizards (as they were called back then) went on an impressive run, defeating the Atlanta Silverbacks (A-League) 4-1, and then shutting out three MLS teams (Dallas, San Jose, Chicago) to win their first Open Cup title by only allowing one goal. Only DC United in 1996 had given up fewer goals (none) en route to a title, but they played one fewer game that year.  After failing to qualify twice (2007, 2010) and winning just one game before bowing out in 2008, 2009, and 2011, Sporting went on their championship run last year, ending the Sounders’ chance at an unprecedented 4-peat with a penalty kick win in the championship game.

LEAGUE FORM

Orlando City (10-1-2): The league leaders in USL Pro were idle the weekend after dropping the Colorado Rapids 3-1 in the Third Round but played twice over the past weekend for a pair of nearly identical 2-0 wins. On Friday against visiting Phoenix Jamie Watson scored the opener from the penalty spot in the 29th minute and Dom Dwyer added the second two minutes later. Antigua created some worries on Sunday before Watson again opened the scoring from the spot, this time in the 87th minute. Again, Dwyer scored closely after, tallying in the 90th with the assistance of Watson.

Dwyer and the other Sporting Kansas City loanees – Christian Duke, Yann Songo’o and goalkeeper Jon Kempin – will not be available for the match due to the loan arrangement between the two affiliates.

Sporting KC (6-5-4): The club, 2-0 winners at home versus the PDL Des Moines Menace in the last round, are in the midst of a surprising three-game winless stretch. They went into the previous rounds with a pair of 1-1 draws against Houston and DC but fell 2-1 at home the weekend after advancing to Montreal. Two minutes after the Impact opened the scoring in the second half, Claudio Bieler tied things up in the 49th for Kansas City only to see the Impact net the winner four minutes later. Sporting comes into the Fourth Round after being idle over the weekend.

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Houston Dynamo (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas – 9 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner hosts Tampa Bay Rowdies or Portland Timbers

Houston Dynamo Open Cup records
Overall: 6-5-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 2-4-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 1-3-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 at San Antonio Scorpions of NASL in Round 3)
Best finish: Semifinals (2006, 2009)

FC Dallas Open Cup records
Overall: 22-14-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 13-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 6-9-2 (2-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-0 at Charlotte Eagles of USL Pro in Round 3)
Best finish: 1997 US Open Cup champions

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Houston Dynamo: The Dynamo have experienced a mixed bag of results since launched as a franchise in 2006. Their highlights include two trips to the Semifinals (2006, 2009), but among their seven previous tournament appearances, three times they have been eliminated by a lower division team in the opening round (Charleston Battery twice in 2007 and 2008, and last year at San Antonio Scorpions).

FC Dallas: Dallas is quitely one of the best Open Cup teams in MLS. The only reason they’ve been quiet is because their only Open Cup title came in 1997, a distant memory for many soccer fans.  No team has more Quarterfinal appearances (12) than FC Dallas and their seven semifinal appearances is second only to the Chicago Fire and DC United. They reached the championship game in 2005 and 2007, but fell short in both games to the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New England Revolution respectively.

This will be just the second time the two teams will meet in Open Cup play. In their first meeting, Houston prevailed on their home field, 3-0 in the 2006 Quarterfinals. Eddie Robinson, Alejandro Moreno and Chris Wondolowski all scored for the Dynamo.

LEAGUE FORM

Houston Dynamo (6-4-4): After a hot start in league play with only two losses in their first 10, the Dynamo have gone winless in their last four (0-2-2). After blanking the USL PDL side FC Tucson in the Third Round the Dynamo played to a 1-1 tie the following Saturday in Columbus for their second straight league draw. Kofi Sarkodie connected with Warren Creavalle in the 31st minute with the Crew finding their equalizer in the second half. The Dynamo were idle over the weekend. The Reserves: The Dynamo Reserves have played twice since the tournament win, picking up a 1-0 road win in Columbus the following Sunday when Alex Dixon set up Brian Ownby in the 29th minute. On Saturday the Dynamo Reserves suffered their second loss of the year to USL Pro Charleston, falling 4-1 on the road with Ownby scoring the lone Houston tally in the 63rd minute when they were already down two.

FC Dallas (8-2-4): One of the hottest teams in the league, the club has just one loss in their last dozen games. After winning 2-0 on the road in the Third Round against the NASL Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Texas side travelled to Colorado the following Saturday and rallied twice for a 2-2 draw in a four-goal second half. Atiba Harris put Colorado up in the 56th and 64th with Blas Perez pulling Dallas even in the 61st and 66th minutes courtesy of Marvell Wynne and Jackson, respectively. FCD was idle over the weekend.

This Season: This will be the second time this year the two Texas rivals have met. The previous meeting March 17 in Dallas was a 3-2 thriller that saw the hosts claim the win in the 90th minute when Michel set up Kenny Cooper. Dallas posted a two-goal halftime lead with George John scoring in the 34th and David Ferreira connecting with Andrew Jacobson a minute later. In the second half Sarkodie found Andrew Driver in the 79th and Brad Davis buried a rebound four minutes later to pull even.

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Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. – 7:15 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner plays at Real Salt Lake or Charleston Battery

Chivas USA Open Cup records
Overall: 7-6-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 5-6-0 | vs. MLS: 1-3-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 4-1 at Seattle Sounders in Semifinals)
Best finish: Semifinals (2010, 2012)

Carolina RailHawks Open Cup records
Overall: 12-4-1 (0-1 PKs) | Home: 12-2-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 3-3-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 vs. Chivas USA in Round 4)
Best finish: 2007 Semifinals (Lost 2-1 AET at New England Revolution)

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Chivas USA: The first five years of Open Cup play for Chivas USA could only be described as a disaster. After a stoppage time goal saved them from an upset loss to the Charlotte Eagles in their first-ever game in 2005, the Goats went on a five-game winless streak. There was a one-sided loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but in 2006, they hit rock bottom by becoming the first MLS team to be eliminated by a USASA club when Dallas Roma FC held them scoreless through 120 minutes and defeated them in penalty kicks. The next three years were one-and-done losses to lower division teams (Seattle Sounders twice and Charleston Battery). Lately, the club has shown signs of improvement, reaching the Semifinals in 2010 and in 2012. However, in both of those games, the Sounders, now an MLS franchise, denied them a chance to reach the championship game.

Carolina RailHawks: The RailHawks wasted no time making their presence known in the US Open Cup, as the second division club reached the Semifinals in their inaugural season in 2007. They have won at least one game in every tournament so far, and some might say that they’re assisted by their home fans. The RailHawks, during the era of when teams would have to submit secret bids to acquire hosting rights, were always very aggressive and as a result, they have hosted the vast majority of their tournament games. Since the hosts have begun to be determined by coin flip last year, they remain lucky, as Carolina has hosted their last six games. Overall, the RailHawks have hosted 15 of their 17 all-time Open Cup games and they’ve racked up 12 wins, including three MLS upsets.

These two teams are meeting again on the same field and in the same round. Last year, in Round 4, Carolina lost to Chivas USA 2-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park thanks to a Juan Pablo Angel penalty kick in the 90th minute.

LEAGUE FORM

Chivas USA (3-8-2): In the midst of a five-game league losing streak and a winless run of eight games, the California club is coming off of an idle week. After narrowly defeating the LA Blues 2-1 in the Third Round, the goats fell 2-0 at home against the Seattle Sounders in their lone league contest since the last round, giving the Sounders their second strike with a Mario de Luna own goal in the 33rd. They have just one goal to their credit over the course of the five-game skid in league play. The Reserves: After advancing in the tournament the club’s reserve squad picked up a 2-1 victory at home against the Sounders Reserves the following Sunday with Jose Manuel Rivera setting up Caleb Calvert in the 69th and Jose Soto finding Tristan Bowen in the 76th for a two-goal advantage.

Carolina RailHawks (4-3-1): After knocking out the LA Galaxy in the Third Round, the RailHawks have played both of the Florida-based clubs in league play. The following Saturday they travelled to Fort Lauderdale and rallied for a 1-1 draw with Ty Shipalane finding Brian Shriver for the equalizer in the 81st minute. On Saturday at home against Tampa Bay, the RailHawks again needed to come from behind after giving up a late opener in the 87th minute to the Rowdies. Austin da Luz found Cesar Elizondo early in stoppage time and then Shipalane struck the winner deep in stoppage.

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Charleston Battery (USL Pro) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah – 9:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner hosts Carolina RailHawks or Chivas USA

Charleston Battery Open Cup records
Overall: 25-12-4 (3-1 PKs) | Away: 5-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 7-10-3 (2-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-0 vs. New York Red Bulls in Round 3)
Best finish: 2008 Final (Lost 2-0 at DC United)

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

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Charleston Battery: No matter what level of play they have been at, as far as the US Open Cup is concerned, the Charleston Battery are arguably one of the best lower division teams in the country. Their 25 tournament wins are among the best at any level, while they have nine MLS upsets on their resume, which is tied with the Rochester Rhinos for the most in the Modern Pro Era. They have only been upset twice by lower division opponents (2005 – Des Moines Menace, 2011 – Orlando City SC), and just like the Carolina RailHawks, they’ve benefited from a home field advantage. Out of their 41 games, 30 of them have been played at Blackbaud Stadium.

Real Salt Lake: The goal of Real Salt Lake is simple. Find success in the US Open Cup. Since their inaugural season in 2005, they failed to qualify four years in a row (2007-2010), but when they did enter the tournament, they’ve never won more than one game in a single tournament. The effort is there as the organization markets their games, 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, they were upset 3-1 by the Minnesota Stars of the NASL.

LEAGUE FORM

Charleston Battery (7-3-2): The Battery have been extremely busy since their 1-0 upset win at home against the San Jose Earthquakes in the last round, going 1-1-1 in USL Pro action over the past two weeks. They fell the Friday after advancing, 2-1 at home, to Harrisburg with the City Islanders rallying after the Battery’s Mike Azira set up Ben Fisk for the opener in the 36th minute. On Wednesday the Battery fell behind 14 minutes in at home against Charlotte, but Nicki Paterson found Haviel Cordoves in the 61st to pull even. Dane Kelly put Charleston ahead eight minutes later only to see the Eagles tie it up in the 89th. They come into the match on the heels of a big 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo Reserves in inter-league play. Paterson scored in the 18th minute and Jose Cuevas doubled the advantage in the 62nd. Houston tallied a minute later to keep it close, but Quinton Griffith found Cuevas for his second in the 77th and then scored himself in the 90th on an assist from Azira.

Real Salt Lake (8-5-3): Unbeaten in their last four and with only one loss in their last seven, RSL comes into the match with a pair of league wins since their 3-2 overtime thriller against the NASL Atlanta Silverbacks in the Third Round. They blanked visiting San Jose the following Saturday with three first half goals. Javier Morales netted the opener in the 16th minute and combined with Robbie Findley to set up Ned Grabavoy in the 33rd. Five minutes later Findley made it 3-0 as the second half went scoreless. On Saturday RSL made it three straight combined games with three goals, downing the visiting Galaxy 3-1. Findley found Khari Stephenson for the opener a minute before the break and Landon Donovan leveled matters a minute into the second half. Then in the final minutes of the match it was the Morales and Olmes Garcia show. Morales and Kyle Beckerman combined to set up Garcia for the go-ahead goal in the 84th and then he set up Garcia again two minutes into stoppage time to put a stamp on the outcome.  The Reserves: The Sunday after advancing in the tournament the RSL Reserves fell at home 2-1 to the Earthquakes Reserves, giving up a lead created when Luis Gil and Yordany Alvarez combined to set up Sebastian Velasquez in the 55th minute.

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Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at Portland Timbers (MLS)
JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. – 10:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: VIDEO
Winner plays at FC Dallas or Houston Dynamo

Tampa Bay Rowdies Open Cup records
Overall: 4-2-0 | Away: 3-1-0 | vs. MLS: 1-1-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 vs. Colorado Rapids in Round 3)
Best finish: 2012 Third Round (Lost 3-1 vs. Colorado Rapids)

Portland Timbers Open Cup records
Overall: 8-7-1 (0-1 PKs) | As MLS: 1-1-0
Home: 3-5-1 (0-1 PKs) | As MLS: 1-1-0
vs. Div. 2: N/A
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 1-0 AET vs. Cal FC of USASA in Round 3)
Best finish: Fourth Round (2004, 2005)

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

Tampa Bay Rowdies: While the team name has been around since the 1970s, this is the first time a Rowdies team has taken part in the US Open Cup. Since they launched in 2010, they’ve won at least one game in each trip to the tournament (The NASL did not take part in 2011). Although those first two wins were both against amateur teams, it took until this year for the Rowdies to earn their first win over a professional team. They defeated nearby VSI Tampa Bay FC of USL Pro 2-1 in Round 2.

Portland Timbers: Like the Rowdies, another NASL name was revived, but it happened much earlier. In 2004, the Portland Timbers were re-born in the A-League (Division 2) and competed at that level until they jumped to MLS in 2011. They had very limited success in the tournament, with only two wins over a professional team, but a silver lining from a fan’s perspective is that one of those wins was against the Seattle Sounders. They suffered their worst loss in 2008 when they were upset on their home field by USASA club Hollywood United. Unfortunately for the Timbers, when they moved up to MLS their first Open Cup game in the top flight, they suffered another loss to a USASA club, falling to Cal FC 1-0 in extra time last year.

LEAGUE FORM

Tampa Bay Rowdies (3-3-3): After their dramatic 1-0 upset over the visiting Seattle Sounders in the Third Round the Florida club travelled across the continent and earned a point for a scoreless draw against FC Edmonton the following Sunday. On Saturday it looked like another scoreless match was in order before Devin Del Do opened the scoring for the Rowdies in Carolina in the 87th minute. The defending league champions, however, were unable to hold on for the winner, giving up the equalizer and winner in stoppage time to the RailHawks.

Portland Timbers (5-1-8): The Timers have the longest unbeaten streak in the league currently having not lost since their second game of the campaign (5-0-7). The Timbers were idle the weekend after thumping the visiting USL Pro Wilmington Hammerheads, but are coming into the Fourth Round match on the heels of a draw on the road against Chicago. The Timbers built a two-goal lead behind the efforts of Open Cup hero Frederic Piquionne, who netted four in the Third Round. In Chicago he combined headed a long ball from goalkeeper Milos Kocic forward to Diego Valeri for the opener 33 minutes in and then in the 58th minute he found Ben Zemanski for the two-goal lead only to see Chicago rally for the 2-2 draw. The Reserves: Since the last round the Timbers Reserves played to a 4-4 road draw against USL Pro Tampa Bay with goals from Michael Nanchoff (5), Sebastian Rincon (47), Jose Valencia (56) and Sal Zizzo (pen, 68), rallying twice from one goal down and from three down.

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Frédéric Piquionne’s four goals earn Portland Timbers striker Player of the Round

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Frédéric Piquionne needed just two minutes to make his mark on the Third Round of the US Open Cup. It turned out he left a rather large mark not only on the round but the tournament and Portland Timbers history, scoring three more times in the first half of a 5-1 demolition of Wilmington Hammerheads at Jeld-Wen Field on May 29. That performance was enough to garner him TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 34-year-old forward and send Portland to the Fourth Round for the first time since 2005.

The award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Piquionne beat out Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and Orlando City forward Dom Dwyer for the honor.

Piquionne’s opener came from a Will Johnson corner, giving the Timbers an early lead and a chance to employ Caleb Porter’s high-pressure system on the overmatched Hammerheads. That pressure led to Piquionne’s second just fifteen minutes later, as he headed in defender Michael Harrington’s cross in the 17th minute.

The former Premier League forward netted his hat-trick using his feet for the first time, artfully executing a one-two with Kalif Alhassan. Retrieving the ball from a soft lob into the box and placing it into the far corner for a 3-0 lead, the 34th minute goal provided the first Timbers hat-trick in a competitive match since Bright Dike’s Second Round feat against Kitsap Pumas in 2010.

Johnson was again the provider for Piquionne in first half injury time, this time from a free kick. Piquionne was first to the ball into the middle of the box, nodding it past Wilmington goalkeeper Tony Fernandez. Though the four goals were the second such output in this US Open Cup, with Seattle Sounders U23s forward David Geno accomplishing the same feat in the First Round, it was the first four-goal game by a Timbers player since McKinley Tennyson on August 13, 2002. Geno and Piquionne remain the only two players in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to score four goals in the first half. They join Paulo Jr. as the only players to score four goals in a single period of play. Paulo Jr. scored four in the second extra time period in a 5-1 First Round win for Miami FC (now Fort Lauderdale Strikers) over the Central Florida Kraze (now Orlando City U-23s) in 2010.

The Timbers will host Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wednesday June 12 at Jeld-Wen Field with a spot in the Quarterfinals on the line. Piquionne, who recorded two assists over the weekend in Chicago, could be rested against the Rowdies given Portland’s busy schedule and the absence of Ryan Johnson who is with Jamaica for World Cup qualifiers.

Breakdown of MLS Player Salaries for 2013 US Open Cup Third Round

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(photo: Brandon Bleek / Prost Amerika)

Seattle Sounders striker Obafemi Martins could easily claim the ‘Million Dollar Man’ tag for the US Open Cup this year, but it would not be a positive nickname. In a breakdown of MLS player salaries for the Third Round based on figures released earlier this year by the MLS Players Union, the Sounders were easily the highest paid MLS club based on who played, and Martins salary was twice that of any other player.

TheCup.us tabulated the guaranteed salaries, per the MLSPU list, for all the MLS clubs and discovered the Sounders were at the top of the list at a total salary of $192,856 who took the field in Tampa Bay against the Rowdies in the stunning 1-0 upset loss. In comparison, most clubs came in at a range from $138,000 to $101,000, but Seattle topped a list of four that were outliers at the top with FC Dallas ($176,142), DC United ($157,465) and the Chicago Fire ($153,961) also spending allocating over 150k in salary on their tournament openers. Meanwhile, Chivas USA ($86,948), Sporting KC ($76,952) and the Los Angeles Galaxy ($69,084) came in at the bottom of the list.

That’s correct, the lowest salaried team and the highest, were each knocked out as you will recall the Carolina RailHawks blanked the Galaxy, who sent a squad almost entirely comprised of reserves, 2-0.

Seattle was the most interesting case, however, because of Martins and what transpired in the match versus Tampa Bay. His entry at the 81st minute may prove to be the most costly nine minutes in Sounders history. First of all, the average salary of the players for that game without Martins would have been the lowest among all MLS teams for the round at $65,177, but his guaranteed deal of $1,725,000 was not only the sole contract over a million dollars, but it dwarfed FC Dallas striker David Ferreira’s salary for 2013 of $730,000.

Then there is what happened on the field. One could argue that perhaps the Sounders would not have had a chance at pulling even from the penalty spot if it were not for Martins’ header that led to the handball in front of the goalline, but he was also the man who shot the spot kick poorly moments later, allowing Rowdies keeper Diego Restrepo to make the dramatic save for the win.

For those wishing to compare the values of the players utilized in comparison to the US Open Cup, similar figures have been tabulated by INWsoccernews for the MLS Reserve League. The MLS Reserve League figures, which are much lower for each team, can be found here [+]

TheCup.us will continue to track the salaries as the tournament progresses and provide further updates.

Club — Avg Guaranteed Salaries for Third Round Appearances — Result
 Seattle — 192,856 — Lost 1-0 at Tampa Bay (NASL)
FC Dallas — 176,142 — Won 2-0 at Fort Lauderdale (NASL)
DC United — 157,465 — Tied 0-0 (won PK 4-2) at Richmond (USL Pro)
Chicago — 153,961 — Won 2-0 at Charlotte (USL Pro)
San Jose — 137,984 — Lost 1-0 at Charleston (USL Pro)
New England — 136,991 — Won 5-1 at Rochester (USL Pro)
Philadelphia — 135,202 — Won 2-1 vs Ocean City (USL PDL)
New York — 132,692 — Won 2-0 vs Reading (USL PDL)
Columbus — 128,714 — Won 2-1 vs Dayton (USL Pro)
Real Salt Lake — 119,372 — Won 3-2 OT vs Atlanta (NASL)
Portland — 108,102 — Won 5-1 vs Wilmington (USL Pro)
Colorado — 107,902 — Lost 3-1 at Orlando (USL Pro)
Houston — 101,015 — Won 2-0 vs Tucson (USL PDL)
Chivas USA — 86,948 — Won 2-1 at LA Blues (USL Pro)
Sporting KC — 76,952 — Won 2-0 vs Des Moines (USL PDL)
LA Galaxy — 69,084 — Lost 2-0 at Carolina (NASL)

Third Round Highest Paid Players ($300,000+)
 Obafemi Martins (SEA) – 1,725,000
David Ferreira (DAL) – 730,000
Dwayne De Rosario (DC) – 645,333
Federico Higuain (CLB) – 604,000
Chris Wondolowski (SJ) – 600,000
Sherjill McDonald (CHI) – 527,125
Kalifa Cisse (NE) – 445,000
Chris Pontius (DC) – 361,000
Bakary Soumare (CHI) – 350,000
Heath Pearce (NY) – 340,736
Blas Perez (DAL) – 324,250
Benny Feilhaber (KC) – 312,188
Kyle Beckerman (RSL) – 311,250
Kei Kamara (KC) – 302,500
Javier Morales (RSL) – 300,000

Note: Five players who were signed since the release of the MLSPU list played in the Third Round and were given a ‘filler’ value of $50,000 salaries by TheCup.us for their participation. These figures will be replaced upon further updates by the MLSPU. Those players are: Mechak Jerome (KC), Andrew McKelvey (Columbus), German Mera (Colorado), Aaron Ponce (Chivas USA) and Robbie Rogers (LA Galaxy).

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Round pairings announced for June 26

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The United States Soccer Federation conducted and announced the draw for the potential Quarterfinal pairings and match hosts Wednesday. Highlighting the announced pairing is the scenario that the third division USL Pro Charleston Battery are the only one of four lower division clubs that will have the opportunity to host a match June 26 when the final eight take the field.

The Quarterfinal Round will certainly feature at least one match in Texas with the winner of the derby match between FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo playing host to the winner of the Portland Timbers and NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies contest. Another match is guaranteed for the east coast with New England, New York, DC and Philadelphia all being grouped together in the only all-MLS foursome, the winner of the latter two being selected as hosts.

No games will take place on the west coast, however, with Portland and Chivas USA set to travel. Real Salt Lake, should they win, would be the furthest west location as they would host Chivas USA or the NASL Carolina RailHawks. If RSL falters, the match will be in Charleston.

The midwest is the location of the final game with the battle of affiliates between Sporting KC and Orlando City sending the winner to face either the Chicago Fire or Columbus Crew.

QUARTERFINALS – JUNE 26

New England Revolution / NY Red Bulls at D.C. United / Philadelphia Union
DC: Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md. – 7 p.m. ET
PHI: PPL Park; Chester, Pa. – 7:30 p.m. ET
———
Sporting Kansas City / Orlando City SC at Chicago Fire / Columbus Crew
CHI: Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill. – 7:30 p.m. CT
CLB: Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio – 7:30 p.m. ET
———
Carolina RailHawks / Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake / Charleston Battery
RSL: Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah – 7:30 p.m. MT
CHB: Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. – 7:30 p.m. ET
———
Portland Timbers / Tampa Bay Rowdies at FC Dallas / Houston Dynamo
DAL: FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas – 8:00 p.m. CT
HOU: BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas – 7:30 p.m. CT

FOURTH ROUND – JUNE 12

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Harvard University; Cambridge, Mass. – 7:30 p.m. ET
———
Philadelphia Union (MLS) at D.C. United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md. – 7 p.m. ET
———
Columbus Crew (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill. – 7:30 p.m. CT
———
Orlando City SC (USL Pro) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan. – 7:30 p.m. CT
———
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas – 8 p.m. CT
———
Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. – 7:15 p.m. ET
———
Charleston Battery (USL Pro) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah – 7:30 p.m. MT
———
Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at Portland Timbers (MLS)
JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. – 7:30 p.m. PT

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: New England Revolution thunder past Rochester Rhinos, 5-1

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The New England Revolution took advantage of a depleted Rochester Rhinos squad that was completely unable to live up to their giant-killing status this time around, falling at home 5-1 to their official MLS affiliate in the Third Round.

The Rhinos’ squad was decimated by eight injuries and two call-ups to the New England Revolution. Interim head coach Pat Ercoli called up a number of local players to fill in gaps as the Rhinos prepared to face the Revolution Tuesday night in a match that was again delayed by lightning a week after their Second Round match against GPS Portland Phoenix was halted for over an hour at the end of halftime.

During most of the opening 15 minutes the two teams were dueling through the midfield. Both teams had chances but Kendell McFayden was off-balance when he shot from a through ball into the area and Chad Barrett shot well wide from 20 yards out.

McFayden and Mike Reidy showed explosive speed that the Revs’ defense couldn’t seem to deal with. The Rhinos speedsters were the architects of their own failure though, as the two players repeatedly had awful first touches. In the 23rd minute, Kelyn Rowe received a layoff from Barrett, who was playing a midfielder role, and hit a curling shot past a diving Brandon Miller’s outstretched right hand.

The match had been fairly even and continued to be for the rest of the first half. Tyler Rosenlund had one of Rochester’s best chances of the game in the 39th minute. After a solid period of pressure from the Rhinos, the ball came to the former Canadian youth international but his shot flew high and wide of the frame.

Seconds after Sahlen’s Stadium witnessed a flash of lightning, Andy Dorman scored for the Revolution. As Revs’ players jogged over to celebrate the goal, the center official blew his whistle for a weather delay. That delay lasted 52 minutes and the teams came out from the break very differently. The Rhinos seemed to cool off while the Revs came out with vigor. That energy translated into a quick goal by Jerry Bengston as he picked off a lazy back pass from Josh Faga towards Miller. The Honduran international made no mistake inside the area and put the Revs up 3-0.

Rowe picked up his second goal of the game and the Revs’ fourth in the 64th minute. Tyler Polak, who replaced an injured Imbongo, played Rowe into the channel down the left side. Rowe beat his defender to cut inside, and as Miller came off his line the Revs’ midfielder slotted the ball to the far post with the outside of his right foot.

McFayden pulled back a consolation goal for the Rhinos in the 77th minute. After receiving a pass from Rosenlund, the Buffalo native smacked his 25-yard shot off the inside of the post in the upper corner. McFayden produced a goal out of nothing with a spectacular shot, but it did little to affect the game.

Chad Barrett did his best to impress coach Jay Heaps in the 81st minute. A half-broken play from a Revolution corner kick, Darrius Barnes played a ball into traffic in the area and Barrett heel-flicked the ball over his head into the net.

McFayden, despite providing the spark for much of the match, did not see the final whistle. In second half stoppage time he was sent off for a reckless challenge on Gabe Latigue.

The most surprising change to the Rhinos’ lineup was coach Ercoli’s decision to leave 2012 USL Pro Goalkeeper of the Year Kristian Nicht on the bench in favor of second-year back-up Miller. Injuries forced Ross LaBauex and Faga, both midfielders, to split duties at right back. Lance Rozeboom is a defensive midfielder who slotted in at centerback due to injuries to both starting defenders. Last year’s Team MVP J.C. Banks is still not healthy enough following ACL surgery to start matches and loanee Latigue lined up for the Revolution, which pushed the Rhinos to start FC Buffalo midfielder Knapp on the left flank.

The Revolution featured many reserve-type players who don’t get significant minutes in MLS as several regular starters were not even on the bench. These players were fired up to impress Jay Heaps and his coaching staff, and in the second half reinforced their cases to him.

The result sees the Rhinos continue a disappointing 2013 season in which they have a 1-6-2 record in USL Pro. New England has been getting results through strong defensive performances and the five-goal glut against Rochester should translate well into offensive confidence in league play.

Scoring Summary:
NE: Kelyn Rowe (Chad Barrett) 23
NE: Andy Dorman (Kelyn Rowe) 53
NE: Jerry Bengtson (unassisted) 54
NE: Kelyn Rowe (unassisted) 64
ROC: Kendell McFayden (Tyler Rosenlund) 77
NE: Chad Barrett (Darrius Barnes) 81

Misconduct Summary:
ROC: Ross LaBauex (caution) 43
NE: Jerry Bengtson (caution) 61
ROC: Kendell McFayden (ejection) 91+

Rochester Lineup: Brandon Miller; Ross LaBauex, Tyler Bellamy, Lance Rozeboom (Andrew Tiedt 77), Danny Earls; Mike Reidy, Josh Faga, Tyler Rosenlund,  Brian Knapp (J.C. Banks 46); Blake Brettschneider (George Tor 65), Kendell McFayden

Substitutes Not Used: Kristian Nicht, Georgtos Kyriazis, Thomas McManus, Bilal Duckett

New England Lineup: Matt Reis; Darrius Barnes, Donnie Smith (Chris Tierney 52), A.J. Soares, Gabe Latigue; Kaliffa Cisse, Andy Dorman, Kelyn Rowe, Chad Barrett; Saer Sene (Jerry Bengtson 46), Dimitry Imbongo (Tyler Polak 33)

Substitutes Not Used: Luis Soffner, Andrew Farrell, Juan Toja

New England Stats: Shots 17, Shots on Target 9, Corner Kicks 5, Saves 3, Fouls 11, Offsides 3

Rochester Stats: Shots 8, Shots on Target 4, Corner Kicks 7, Saves 4, Fouls 8, Offsides 3

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Orlando City SC earns first MLS upset, 3-1 over Colorado Rapids

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ORLANDO, Fla.— In the third round of US Open Cup play, the Colorado Rapids (Major League Soccer) fall to Orlando City SC (USL PRO) by a margin of 3-1 Tuesday night at Fifth Third Bank Field of the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. In the 4th minute, Orlando’s Bryan Burke put the home side up, but Kamani Hill picked off a pass to bring Colorado even in the 18th minute. Orlando City forward Dom Dwyer scored a brace in the second half to give the club its first-ever win over an MLS club in US Open Cup play. Orlando advances to the 4th round and will face Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park.

“I think just before and during the second half we were far and away the better team,” said Orlando City Head Coach Adrian Heath. “I thought we were worthy winners and it would have been a travesty if we didn’t take home the win.”

The Colorado defense failed to clear the ball from danger in the fourth minute, and Bryan Burke sent a rifle shot from 20 yards out. The ball nicked a Colorado defender Anthony Wallace and out of the reach of Colorado Goalkeeper Steward Ceus giving the Lions the 1-0 advantage. The former Kitsap Puma (PDL) star scored his second goal for Orlando City (his first goal came Saturday night in USL PRO season over Wilmington).

Colorado, which started a group that had plenty of MLS experience, kept the pressure on Orlando City in the first half closing the space quickly and trading attacks with Orlando as the match progressed. In the 18th minute, an Orlando City defensive turnover gave Rapids’ Midfielder Kamani Hill the ball. Hill took advantage by calmly slotting the ball in the corner past Orlando City Goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo to even the game at 1-1.

Despite many opportunities, neither side was able to convert and the first half finished tied. Neither side made changes to start the second half.

Orlando City began the second half like the first – on the attack. In the 48th minute, Burke surged down the right hand side and sent a floating ball into Dom Dwyer on the back post. The header from the USL PRO leading scorer was on frame in the back left corner and gave the Orlando a 2-1 lead.

The game really opened up when Dwyer got behind the Colorado defense and Colorado Goalkeeper Ceus came out of his box. After a header by Dwyer got the ball past the goalkeeper, Ceus clotheslined Dwyer stopping his advance, and Rapids defender Shane O’Neill was able to clear the ball before it crossed the goal line. At the stop, the referee conferred with his assistant and then indicated a foul at the top of the box for Orlando. Seconds later, Ceus was showed the red card and ejected from the match. The Rapids were forced to bring winger Kevin Harbottle out as Goalkeeper Clint Irwin came in to finish the match, and the Rapids were a man down for the final 30 minutes.

The game was sealed by Orlando City five minutes later, when Dwyer scored his second to put Orlando up 3-1. The play started with Adama Mbengue (brought up from Orlando City U23s this season) hit a fantastic through ball to Long Tan. Tan then controlled the box beat off a defender and sent a brilliant cross into the box. Dwyer converted after getting past Colorado defender Clint Irwin. The goal was Dwyer’s 16th goal counting both league play and Open Cup.

Orlando controlled much of the possession in the final 25 minutes as Colorado played a man down, to close out with the win 3-1. This was the clubs first win over an MLS side in Open Cup play, and the first time they have advanced to the 4th round of competition to face Sporting Kansas City. The match will be on Wednesday, June 12.

Interestingly, Orlando is the official USL PRO affiliate of their fourth round opponent Sporting Kansas City, and four Orlando Players are on loan from Kansas City. Dom Dwyer is one of the two loaned players that were key to Orlando’s win in the match. The other is defender Yann Songo’o who had a solid game in the center defense and along with Rob Valentino and kept Colorado’s offense to 1 goal. Also on loan to Orlando from Kansas City are goal keeper Jon Kempin and midfielder Christian Duke.

There is some doubt about whether the players on loan will be able to play against their parent club. When questioned about the situation after their win over the Des Moine Menace (2-0), Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said, “Well I think it’s going to be more from the league, but I’ll know in the next couple of days. I don’t know at the moment, that’s something the league has to be involved in for sure.”

Orlando City lost to Sporting in the 3rd round of US Open Cup play last year in a tight 2-3 match, and will be looking to avenge the loss. Each match against an MLS team has greater meaning to Orlando City supporters as they appeal to the MLS to be the league’s 21st team. As the match ended, they supporters chanted, “We belong in MLS!” And from last nights match, they look to be competitive.

Team                    1  2  Final
Orlando City SC   1  2    3
Colorado Rapids   1  0    1

Scoring Summary:
ORL- Bryan Burke (unassisted) 4th
COL- Kamani Hill (unassisted) 18th
ORL- Dom Dwyer (Bryan Burke) 48th
ORL- Dom Dwyer (Long Tan) 63rd

Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City Miguel Gallardo, Yann Songo’o, Bryan Burke, Luke Boden, Rob Valentino, Anthony Pulis, James O’Connor, Kevin Molino, Adama Mbengue (Jamie Watson 67), Dom Dwyer, Long Tan (Dennis Chin 76)

Colorado Rapids Steward Ceus, Marvell Wynne, Shane O’Neill, German Mera, Anthony Wallace, Dillon Powers, Nick LaBrocca (Atiba Harris 72), Kamani Hill (Deshorn Brown 66), Tony Cascio, Kevin Harbottle (Clint Irwin 58), Danny Mwanga

Penalty Summary:
ORL- Anthony Pulis (Yellow) 32nd
COL- Shane O’Neill (Yellow) 36th
COL- Steward Ceus (Red) 56th
ORL- Adama Mbengue (Yellow) 65th
COL- Atiba Harris (Yellow) 80th

Match Facts:
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Weather: Clear/Cloudy
Attendance: 4,128

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