2014 Fourth Round

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DC United started six players who have played on loan in USL PRO this season: Steve Birnbaum, Jalen Robinson, Taylor Kemp, Collin Martin, Kyle Porter, and Jared Jeffrey. The game-winning goalscorer in last year’s title match against Real Salt Lake, Lewis Neal, was also in DC’s starting lineup.

A club that has lifted this trophy three times, United bows out as defending champions. Despite having a break in league action during the World Cup, manager Ben Olsen opted to use the match to evaluate younger players.

Rochester started as strong a lineup as head coach Bob Lilley could afford. Star forward JC Banks had tweaked his knee during training this past week and was only an option off the bench. Lilley overlooked regular left back Onua Obasi fora more defensive minded fullback option in Patrick Slogic.

“Although it wasn’t their top lineup, it was still a good team,” Lilley said. “We had to play well. I thought we battled and with the travel it was going to be a tough game no matter who we played against tonight. After a disappointing loss the guys rebounded and I thought it showed a lot of heart.”

Most of the opening half hour of the game was evenly matched between the two teams. DC attacked through the middle while Rochester tried to use its pace down the wings but neither goalkeeper was tested in the first 26 minutes.

Tony Walls, playing as the anchorman in Rochester’s midfield, received a drop pass from the right side and played a switch to Michael Garzi on the other wing. Garzi confidently beat Alex Caskey and Jalen Robinson inside the area before cutting a low ball in towards Colin Rolfe at the near post. The former Houston Dynamo forward outpaced centerbacks Nana Attakora and Steve Birnbaum to reach the corner of the 6-yard box. Rolfe redirected Garzi’s pass towards the far post and past a helpless Andrew Dykstra in the 27th minute.

After conceding the goal, DC used it’s 5-man midfield to crowd Rochester out of the center of the field. As the first half closed out, and the rain began to pour down, the visitors set up a perimeter around the Rhinos’ half of the field and attempted to build out of the back.

United’s best chance of the first half came from a low cross down the right side. The 20-year-old fullback Robinson stormed down the wing and sent in a ball that forward Conor Doyle met at the near post. The former Derby County forward did well to get on the end of the cross but sent his shot wide of McCarthy’s goal.

The start of the second half was much of the same back and forth play. The match was physical from the first whistle but the center referee, Robert Sibiga, decided to let the teams sort it out themselves.

Steve Birnbaum earned the first booking of the match in the 50th minute for dragging down Mendoza with two hands after the speedy midfielder beat him up the right wing. The second overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft received his second yellow card 10 minutes later.

Off a punted clearance from John McCarthy, Rolfe and Birnbaum set themselves for an aerial challenge. Instead of dropping by them, the ball got caught in the wind and skidded farther down field. Rolfe had the step on Birnbaum and the centerback pulled him back for a second booking and subsequent dismissal.

In the 61st minute, just seconds after sending off Birnbaum, Sibiga brought the game to a halt for a lightning delay that lasted 38 minutes. Both teams came out to warm up during the downpour while dodging significant puddles on the field.

After play resumed, DC brought on club captain Bobby Boswell to restore shape in the back line as Lewis Neal headed for the bench. Rochester also made a substitution, replacing Garzi with Lance Rozeboom.

While the game was briefly in progress, Rochester seemed the more likely to poke the ball home for a goal but the game was barely recognizable as soccer. The center referee did his best to ignore small lightning strikes despite calls about the dangerous weather conditions, but a large strike visible behind Rochester’s goal was unavoidable and the official whistled for another delay.

After the second delay, which lasted 91 minutes, Rochester shifted to a 5-man defense and brought on Onua Obasi to replace Patrick Slogic. Pushing for the equalizer, despite playing a man down, DC shifted its formation to play four forwards along Rochester’s backline; Porter, Seaton, Rolfe, Doyle.

“We certainly carved out as many good chances as they had,” Lilley said. “I think we did a good job with the gameplan. We changed some things, during each rain delay we tweaked some things. I just think we did a good job of executing the gameplan.”

Even centerback Boswell joined in the surging runs up the field and managed a dangerous looking shot in the 86th minute. Late-game substitute Chris Rolfe sent a free kick from a promising position, 26 yards out in the center of the field, well over Rochester’s goal. On the last play of the game Michael Seaton battled Diallo, Hoffer, and Walls in order to get his shot off but saw the ball roll harmlessly into the arms of McCarthy.

With the 1-0 victory, McCarthy made four saves to earn his first clean sheet of the competition (second of his career) to go along with his league-leading five shutouts in USL PRO. Rochester’s Colin Rolfe scored his second goal of the tournament after also scoring the game-winner in extra time against Reading United AC (PDL) in the Third Round.

“I think it was one of Colin Rolfe’s best games for us, regardless of the goal,” Lilley said. “He held a lot of balls and they had some physical centerbacks but he was able to hold his own up top, which was a good game for him and it was important for us to be able to get out of our end at times because Colin was able to hold onto the ball.”

With its first-ever victory over DC United, Rochester will travel to the winner of June 18’s match between the New England Revolution (MLS) and Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) for its Fifth Round matchup next week.

REPLAY: DC UNITED AT ROCHESTER RHINOS

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Deshorn Brown’s hat trick leads Colorado Rapids to record-setting win over Orlando City SC

June 18, 2014 by Robert Wilson

Deshorn Brown not only scored the first hat trick in Rapids Open Cup history, he also became the first Jamaican to score three goals since 1995. Photo: Garrett W. Ellwood, Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids dominated their first match of the 2014 US Open Cup and secured a 5-2 victory over USL PRO side Orlando City SC.

While Orlando had their moments; possession and consistent attacking from the MLS’ Rapids was the recipe for the victory as forward Deshorn Brown notched the first hat trick in Colorado’s Open Cup history to lead his team to a Fourth Round victory.

The Rapids outshot their opponent 23-6 while owning an overwhelming majority of possession.

“We wanted to show the fans we could do it,” said Brown, who was named man of the match after becoming the first Jamaican player to score a hat trick in the tournament’s Modern Professional Era (1995-present).

Orlando City head coach Adrain Health was clearly not pleased with the rout saying that the match was the “first time in a long time I can say I was disappointed in the group … played a lot of great football, we were second best all over the field.”

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The game began with steady waves of Colorado attack led by midfielders Dillon Powers and Nick LaBrocca. Brown fired shot after shot and it appeared inevitable that Colorado would get a goal if not for Orlando keeper Miguel Gallardo’s 7 first-half saves.

It was Orlando that struck first though when Adama Mbengue picked up a loose ball in the 23rd minute near the top of the 18 and sliced it past Rapids keeper Clint Irwin, his third of this year’s tournament.

Orlando’s goal inspired the Rapids to an impressive run of passing and possession, and they finally broke the ice in the 34th minute with a goal from Brown.

Moments later, leftback Marc Burch found Nick LaBrocca for the second goal and a rout seemed eminent.

In the second half, Brown added two more goals to complete a hat trick — the first of his professional career and the first in club history during Cup play.

Orlando midfielder Darwin Ceren grabbed a second goal for his side but was quickly negated by a slashing finish by Dillon Powers for Colorado’s fifth tally.

With the victory, Colorado remains undefeated at home all time in the US Open Cup and will now host the Atlanta Silverback (NASL) on June 22nd in Colorado.

“We want to win every game we play, this is another game,” said Colorado head coach Pablo Mastroeni when asked about the important of the Cup match win. “Obviously there is silverware, we want to win silverware.

“… I don’t look at results, I believe that if we truly do the little things right and keep improving on the little things, the results and the silverware will be a byproduct of that. I don’t skip the process to get to the destination.”

While the game was a let down for Orlando City it served as a quality test for the club entering Major League Soccer next year and the bright spots were noted by Heath.

“We will be on this level next year, it gave me a lot of food for thought,” he said. “(Adama) Mbengue was probably the pick of the players this evening … When you come and play an MLS team and put your group against a team like this one, it gives you an idea for what you need for next year.”

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Maurice Edu equalizer, Andrew Wenger brace help Philadelphia Union beat Harrisburg City Islanders 3-1 in OT (video)

June 18, 2014 by Michael Berton

Harrisburg City Islanders goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre makes one of his many saves in the losing effort against the Philadelphia Union. Photo: Kari Haffelfinger

Andrew Wenger must have thought that he would be having nightmares about Brian Sylvestre. That is, until he finally found the back of the net twice in overtime to lead his Philadelphia Union to victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders in the Fourth Round of the 2014 US Open Cup.

Sylvestre nearly single-handedly won the match for the third-division City Islanders, making 10 saves, but Maurice Edu canceled out a 39th-minute Harrisburg goal in the 89th minute, and Wenger added two more in extra time for a 3-1 win in Chester, Pa.

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“He was very good. He’s a big boy, he made some saves,” said new Union interim manager Jim Curtain, who was making his head coaching debut, about Sylvestre. “He was pretty quick to get to some things tonight that were special. He had a great game.”

While Sylvestre had a great game, his opponents had their share of struggles. Disjointed passing and sluggish play meant the Union showed very little going forward. Philadelphia dominated possession, and the ball was more often than not in the Harrisburg half, but the Union rarely troubled the away side’s goal in the first half.

The City Islanders, on the other hand, made the most of their chances. In the 39th minute, Danny Diprima whipped in a corner that was headed to and saved by Union keeper Andre Blake. Jason Pelletier was first to the rebound, shooting it in to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Despite playing all three of its Designated Players, the Union still could not muster much in the first half.

“If you look at the first half, the passing was sloppy, sluggish,” Curtain said. “We’ve had a long layoff. If we were a little cleaner on three plays in the first half, we could have scored the first goal. They got behind the ball and they were a handful to break down.”

The second half was appearing to be much of the same until Union substitute Sebastian Le Toux inserted new life and energy into the game. The Union began to create serious chances, but that is when Sylvestre was in his element. Several saves later, and Harrisburg looked like it was going to spring its sixth upset of an MLS team since 2007. But Le Toux crossed in a ball in the 89th minute that found Edu right in front of goal, where he powered it in from eight yards out.

Jason Pelletier's goal for the City Islanders nearly stood up until Union midfielder's 89th minute equalizer: Photo: Kari Haffelfinger — Jason Pelletier’s goal for the City Islanders nearly stood up until Union midfielder’s 89th minute equalizer: Photo: Kari Haffelfinger

Sylvestre’s most remarkable saves came right after the goal, forcing extra time. After a Le Toux corner, the netminder stopped a Leo Fernandes shot, ran to the other side of the net and kept out what looked to be a game-winner by Wenger.

Harrisburg’s tired legs finally caught up to the squad in overtime. The Union dominated the extra periods, and Wenger finally got the goal he was looking for in the 110th minute. He received the ball in the center of the box from Le Toux, and his shot deflected of Islander defender Matt Bahner and into the net. Seven minutes later, Wenger made a solo run, blowing by the tired defense, rocketing in a shot off the bottom of the crossbar and giving his team a 3-1 lead.

“Andrew came in and did a great job and got the two goals that won it in the end. He struggled a bit in the beginning, but he stuck with it,” Curtain said. “These games are always fights. I’d like to give credit to Harrisburg who was really undermanned tonight. They put us on the ropes to be honest. Bill Becher did a great job preparing these guys.”

With the victory, the Union advance to the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup on at 7 p.m. June 24. They will host the NASL’s New York Cosmos, who upset the New York Red Bulls 3-0.

REPLAY: HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS AT PHILADELPHIA UNION

POST-GAME INTERVIEW: JIM CURTIN (via @PhillySoccerPg)

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: PHILADELPHIA UNION (via @PhillySoccerPg)

Philadelphia Union vs. Harrisburg City Islanders
PPL Park – Chester, PA

Scoring Summary:

HCI: Jason Pelletier (Danny Diprima) 39’
PU: Maurice Edu (Sebastian Le Toux) 89’
PU: Andrew Wenger (Le Toux) 110’
PU: Andrew Wenger (unassisted) 117’

Lineups:

PU: Andre Blake; Raymon Gaddis, Maurice Edu, Sheanon Williams, Fabinho; Brian Carroll (Leo Fernandes-69’), Michael Lahoud, Vincent Nogueira (Antoine Hoppenot-81’); Cristian Maidana, Danny Cruz (Sebastian Le Toux-57’), Andrew Wenger

HCI: Brian Sylvestre; Raphael Cox, Matt Bahner, Coady Andrews, Colin Zizzi; Jason Pelletier, Yann Ekra (Edinho-87’), Danny DiPrima, Jose Barill (Luan Silva-71’); Morgan Langley, Garret Pettis (Jamiel Hardware-75’)

Bookings:

HCI: Morgan Langley (caution – 32’)
PU: Raymon Gaddis (caution – 78’)
HCI: Edinho (caution – 94’)
PU: Maurice Edu (caution – 108’)
PU: Antoine Hoppenot (caution – 112’)

Attendance: N/A

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Dallas wins first meeting with San Antonio Scorpions, earns date with Houston Dynamo (video)

June 18, 2014 by Adam Uthe

FC Dallas defeated the San Antonio Scorpions in their first-ever meeting in Round 4. Photo: Erik Davila, FC Dallas

Tuesday night’s Fourth Round US Open Cup game in Frisco, Texas was the first ever meeting between NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions and MLS’s FC Dallas, but there was still plenty of hatred in the air. Thanks to a pair of second-half goals from Fabian Castillo and Andres Escobar, FC Dallas fans went home happy but the visiting Scorpions brought a busload of noisy supporters who helped create a lively atmosphere.

Unfortunately for the supporters, the game got off to a slow start with neither side creating many dangerous chances early on.

FC Dallas captain Blas Perez pulled a shot wide in the sixth minute while San Antonio midfielder Danny Barrera (formerly of Cal FC fame) managed to put a shot on frame that was saved by Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz three minutes later. Barrera was easily the most active player for the Scorpions as he put a shot on frame in the 17th minute and created several chances in transition for forward Eric Hassli, who played for FC Dallas in 2013. Fabian Castillo was the Dallas player giving San Antonio’s defense fits at the other end. He managed to earn Dallas several corners early in the first half, but none of them resulted in a decent chance for the home side.

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The game picked up towards the end of the first half when Barrera had a shot from inside the box parried by Seitz, but Hassli botched the rebound to keep things scoreless in the 32nd minute. Scorpions midfielder Freddie Braun, who replaced defender Adrian Cann just before kickoff, had a shot of his own saved in the 37th minute. San Antonio’s star midfielder Walter Restrepo, who made NASL’s Best XI in 2012 with Fort Lauderdale Strikers, was shaken up right before halftime but ultimately stayed in the game. San Antonio finished the first half with a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal despite Dallas owning the majority of possession.

The second half started with Dallas bringing central midfielder Andrew Jacobson on for rookie forward Tesho Akindele. Both teams started to match the energy their fans brought and in the 53rd minute Dallas midfielder Andres Escobar looked to have been fouled hard, but the Hoops were ultimately awarded a corner kick, drawing the ire of the home fans. Escobar would go on to earn a yellow card in the 57th minute for a reckless challenge on Restrepo as the game began to get rougher. Hassli returned the favor earning a yellow of his own in the 69th minute for a reckless foul on Dallas defender Moises Hernandez.

With the intensity rising in the second half it was only a matter of time until one team broke through and in the 74th minute Castillo scored to put the home side up 1-0. The Dallas winger was played in behind the Scorpions defense by Andrew Jacobson and managed to score from a tight angle by finishing between the legs of San Antonio keeper Jeremy Vuolo. The goal was Castillo’s third straight in all competitions. Seven minutes later Escobar added a second, courtesy of second-half substitute David Texeira, and the 2-0 scoreline would ultimately hold up as Dallas won its initial US Open Cup match for the second year in a row.

Next up for Dallas is another “Texas Derby” as they will travel to Houston to take on their MLS rivals at BBVA Compass Stadium on June 24th or 25th. San Antonio, who hadn’t played a competitive game for 10 days and needed four second-half goals in the previous round just to defeat Dallas-based amateur side North Texas Rayados, will break for the summer now that their NASL Spring season is over.

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS 2:0 SAN ANTONIO SCORPIONS

2014 US Open Cup Round 4 review: New York Cosmos crushing Red Bulls headlines trio of MLS upsets on Day 2 (video)

June 16, 2014 by Josh Hakala

For those who follow the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for competitive and exciting games between various levels of play within the United States, the first two days of Round 4 have been for you. Three of the five games saw MLS teams eliminated by their lower division opponent. Of the five games, three of them were decided by a single goal, one of them went to penalty kicks. The only one-sided affair of the round so far was Saturday’s headliner between the New York Cosmos and the New York Red Bulls, where the NASL club dominated in one of the most-anticipated Open Cup games in recent memory. Also, it has been a good round for home teams as the teams that hosted all eliminated the visiting team (4-0-1, 1-0 in PKs).

There are still 11 games remaining in Round 4, six on Tuesday, June 17 and five on Wednesday. June 18. Here is a brief look at each Round 4 game so far with links to the full match report.

June 14: New York Cosmos (NASL) 3:0 New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Eager to reclaim the prestige of their namesake, the New York Cosmos won convincingly in their first-ever meeting with the New York Red Bulls, 3-0. It has begun as an instant rivalry among the fans but when it came to the play on the field, it was one-way traffic as the Cosmos made quick work of their local counterparts, out-shooting the MLS side 21-3. Mads Stokkelien scored a pair of goals, one in each half, and Alessandro Noselli’s header in the 78th minute put the nail in the coffin for the Red Bulls who have gone 11 Open Cup appearances without winning multiple games. The Cosmos will either face the Philadelphia Union or Harrisburg City Islanders next round. MATCH REPORT [+]

HIGHLIGHTS: NEW YORK COSMOS 3:0 NEW YORK RED BULLS

June 14: Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 2:1 Real Salt Lake (MLS)

For a team that has been competing in the US Open Cup on and off since 1995, the Atlanta Silverbacks have not felt a lot of success over the years. They have only won more than 2 games in a tournament once (2007) and have never upset a MLS team in five tries (0-4-1, 0-1 PKs) They finally broke through on Saturday, upsetting last year’s Open Cup runner-up Real Salt Lake, 2-1. Robbie Findley gave RSL an early lead after capitalizing on a misplayed capitalized on a misplayed backpass by Atlanta’s Derby Carrillo, who was forced into the starting lineup through injury. However, Atlanta’s Junior Burgos and Kwadwo Poku would help give the home team the lead. Poku sent an excellent pass to Burgos, who slotted away past RSL’s Jeff Attinella. The Silverbacks were going toe-to-toe with RSL until Poku scored a late goal to give Atlanta to win. The Silverbacks move forward with some key pieces who have enjoyed recent success in the Open Cup. Poku, one could say, got the attention of the Atlanta scouts when he scored four Open Cup goals playing for the Georgia Revolution of the NPSL last year. With the win, manager Eric Wynalda builds on his coaching resume with his second career MLS upset as a manager, having been in charge of the Cal FC amateur team who traveled up to Portland and upset the Timbers in 2012. MATCH REPORT [+]

HIGHLIGHTS: ATLANTA SILVERBACKS 2:1 REAL SALT LAKE

June 14: Carolina RailHawks (NASL) 1:1 (3:2 PKs) Chivas USA (MLS)
Carolina’s Zach Schilawski (29th min.) and Chivas USA’s Ryan Finley (40th min.) traded first half goals, but after a scoreless second half and two periods of extra time, a spot in Round 5 had to be decided from the penalty spot. Despite falling behind 2-1 in the tiebreaker, the RailHawks rallied and emerged victorious 3-2 after eight rounds of spot kicks. Rookie goalkeeper Scott Goodwin came up big with 11 saves and 3 stops in the shootout to beat out veteran keeper Dan Kennedy. After Kennedy had his attempt saved, Zack Schilawski leveled the shootout at 2-2, but two players from each team failed their spot kick attempt to put the contest into a winner-take-all scenario. Marco Delgado of Chivas USA led off the 7th round by having his shot saved and Daniel Jackson responded with a goal to give send the RailHawks to Round 5 after eliminating their fifth MLS team in club history. Next up, Carolina will either host the LA Galaxy for the third year in a row, or travel to Tucson to play Arizona United. MATCH REPORT [+]

HIGHLIGHTS: CAROLINA RAILHAWKS 1:1 (3:2 PKs) CHIVAS USA

June 11: Houston Dynamo (MLS) 1:0 Laredo Heat (PDL)
The Dynamo were able to steal a win away from the PDL’s Laredo Heat on an Alexander Lopez goal in the 38th minute. Laredo did not help themselves by going a man down two minutes after the goal, as Mattieu Braem earned his second yellow card. However, early in the second half, Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric brought the game to 10v10 by receiving a red card for holding the ball outside of the penalty area. Fortunately the goalie’s mistake did not cost them the lead, as the MLS side held the Heat at bay for the rest of the match. MATCH REPORT [+]

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

June 11: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 2:1 Sacramento Republic (USL PRO)
Sacramento’s Justin Braun put his USL-PRO expansion side on his back to give the lower division side the lead three minutes before halftime, yet San Jose grabbed a penalty chance to equalize, and Khari Stevenson shot true. San Jose then grabbed a hold of some Seattle luck, as former Sounders striker Cordell Cato put the Earthquakes ahead at 15 minutes to time. Sacramento put themselves further under the gun late, as Chad Bartlome put his team down by picking up a second yellow. The Republic couldn’t recover, setting up their MLS counterparts to either host the USASA’s PSA Elite, or travel to take on the Sounders. MATCH REPORT [+]

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: New York Cosmos dominate Red Bulls in long-awaited Gotham Derby (video)

June 15, 2014 by Michael Anderer

Red Bulls manager Mike Petke downplayed the importance and significance of the Fourth Round US Open Cup match-up against the New York Cosmos since the potential meeting was announced. Contrarily, the entire Cosmos organization approached the game as the biggest game to date, since the team re-joined the NASL last fall. A quick glance at the stat sheet and it’s easy to see which approach was more effective.

The Cosmos out-shot the Red Bulls 21-3 on route to a dominant 3-0 win in front of an energized crowd of 9,364 at Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. The Cosmos jumped out to an early lead of what head coach Giovanni Savarese described as a clinical finish by Mads Stokkelien in the 8th minute.

The teams would share possession for the remainder of the first half, but the Cosmos would have the better of the chances putting shots wide and even one off the crossbar. An early yellow card in the 22nd minute on Ibrahim Sekagaya was the clearest sign of the Red Bull frustration. The teams would go into halftime with Cosmos leading 1-0.

Mads Stokkelien scored two goals for the New York Cosmos in their 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls. Photo: New York Cosmos

In the end, the Cosmos’ energy and tenacity would prove to be too much for the Red Bulls. The Cosmos would add two goals in the 73rd (Stokkelien) and 78th (Noselli) minutes to cap a dominating performance. The strong midfield play of Danny Szetela and Joseph Nane exemplified the Cosmos game plan of playing hard, strong and fast. The shutout was the first for the Cosmos and goalkeeper Jimmy Mauer in US Open Cup.

The frustration of the Red Bulls came to a boil in the 87th minute when defender Chris Duvall came in hard and late on Cosmos Sebastian Guenzatti. Duvall was shown a straight red card for the challenge. It would take Head Referee Kevin Terry and his team a few minutes to settle down both teams before play could resume.

After the game the Cosmos’ Savarese described the dominant performance as the best complete game that the team has played to date. He added, “We take the US Open Cup very seriously and we feel that we are contenders. We know that we will face a lot of challenges along the way and tonight was one of those challenges.”

The Cosmos now await the winner of the Fourth Round game between the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PRO) and the Philadelphia Union (MLS).

Michael Anderer writes for Soccer Long Island Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @SoccerLImag.

HIGHLIGHTS: NEW YORK COSMOS 3, NEW YORK RED BULLS 0

FULL MATCH REPLAY: NY COSMOS 3:0 NY RED BULLS

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Carolina RailHawks oust Chivas USA again as rookie GK plays hero in PK shootout (video)

June 15, 2014 by Neil Morris

Scott Goodwin of the Carolina RailHawks makes a kick-save on Marco Delgado of Chivas USA in what would prove to be the deciding save in the PK shootout. Photo: Carolina RailHawks — Scott Goodwin of the Carolina RailHawks makes a kick-save on Marco Delgado of Chivas USA in what would prove to be the deciding stop in the PK shootout. Photo: Carolina RailHawks

In soccer, it’s commonly called a penalty shootout. However, the Laws of the Game officially refer to the tiebreaker as “kicks from the penalty mark.” Regardless of the moniker, it’s a construct that’s long been the subject of intense fan debate. Some decry it as a contrived method to determine the winner of a hard-fought match, something akin to deciding a basketball game by shooting free throws or an American football contest by alternating 30-yard field goal attempts.

Others point out that after 120 minutes of exhausting play between teams allowed only three substitutions all game, you have to do something to crown a winner when necessary other than an exercise in last man standing. Moreover, kicks from the mark aren’t simply a matter of shooting from close range into an empty net. Yes, the kick taker has a significant advantage. But he must also overcome fatigue, nerves and an agile goalkeeper looming between ball and net.

Kicks from the penalty mark were taken Saturday night between the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks and Chivas USA of Major League Soccer to decide their fourth round tie in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. On one side was Dan Kennedy, the veteran Chivas USA goalkeeper and team captain now in his 14th year with the MLS club. On the other side was Scott Goodwin, the RailHawks’ 23-year-old backup goalkeeper making only his second start since joining the club this season. Goodwin, a former UNC Tar Heel standout, spent last year playing soccer in Iceland before latching onto the RailHawks’ squad.

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But, after a “shootout” that saw Goodwin make three saves, Kennedy make two, and both teams convert only five of their combined 14 kick attempts, a successful conversion by Daniel Jackson gave the RailHawks a win over Chivas USA 1-1 (3-2 shootout) to advance to the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup.

The win also extends the RailHawks’ home unbeaten streak to 22 games in all competitions.

As expected, the RailHawks ran out a full-strength side against their MLS opponent. The huge exception, of course, was Goodwin, who learned only two days prior to Saturday’s match that he would start in place of injured starting goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. Indeed, according to RailHawks manager Colin Clarke, Fitzgerald might miss the next six weeks of action due to a thumb injury suffered last week during training.

On the other hand, Chivas USA sat out several of their best-known starters, including Carlos Bocanegra and Mauro Rosales. Erick Torres, the team’s leading goalscorer and the third-ranked scorer in MLS, did not start but eventually entered the match in the 77th minute. Chivas was also without the services of Marvin Chavez and Oswaldo Minda, each of whom was called up by his respective country’s FIFA World Cup team.

However, Chivas did start a number of regulars, including Kennedy, Eric Avila, Agustin Pelletieri and Bobby Burling. The remainder of the starting XI, however, comprised irregular starters in need of playing time and a chance to make an impression on manager Wilmer Cabrera.

After several minutes of uncertainty to start the game, it was the RailHawks that first found their offensive rhythm. The attacking quartet of Mike Grella, Zack Schilawski, Ty Shipalane and Cesar Elizondo found running and passing lanes in the attacking third. However, their final touch and finishing proved elusive.

An apparent Schilawski goal in the 20th minute was discarded for offside. In the 27th minute, Chivas forward Leandro Barrera found himself behind the RailHawks backline but onside. However, his 1v1 clash with Goodwin ended with the keeper parrying Barrera’s shot away.

The Carolina RailHawks eliminated Chivas USA for the second time in three years at WakeMed Soccer Park. Photo: Carolina RailHawks

Carolina struck first in the 29th minute. Some nice link-up play by the RailHawks ended with Schilawski on the end of pass into the box from Nazmi Albadawi. Schilawski depositing the ball past Kennedy for a 1-0 lead.

“Really good pass from Naz,” Schilawski said. “He made it look easier than it was. Instead of playing a through ball he played it right to my feet so I could take a touch past the defender, and I was able to finish.”

However, as the first half wore on the RailHawks appeared fatigued and their play became nervy. That resulted in a Chivas USA goal in the 40th minute. A defensive miscue by the RailHawks allowed forward Ryan Finley to get on the end of delivery from Tony Lochhead. Finley headed the ball past a helpless Goodwin to even the count at 1-1 entering halftime.

In the second half, Chivas USA solved the problem of Carolina’s opening offensive lanes.

“We understood we were putting good pressure and blocking out wide,” Cabrera said. “But through the middle they were penetrating. So in the second half we closed the line, especially in the middle with our midfielders.”

The adjustment succeeded, as the RailHawks conjured only a single shot on target for the remainder of the match. Meanwhile, Chivas USA controlled possession and the shot count (24 to 10 for the match). But, stout defending by Carolina’s entire back line complimented some tremendous play from Goodwin.

RailHawks manager Colin Clarke made several key decision during the latter stages of regulation and during overtime. His first substitution in the 71st minute was to bring in Jackson for Shipalane, the RailHawks late-game hero of several past Open Cup matches who, in fairness, didn’t look terribly effective beyond the first half. Clarke then removed Elizondo for Enzo Martinez in the 98th minute.

“I thought (Ty) had a tough night against them,” Clarke said. “I thought they did a good job closing him down. Cesar had a little bit more joy against them, but I just decided to bring fresh legs on in those positions to see if we could get at them a little more.”

Aside from their potent wingers, however, Carolina failed to muster many offensive opportunities in the 30 minutes of overtime. The only shot on target came in the 106th, when a meek boot in the box from Grella was easily gathered by Kennedy.

It fell to Goodwin and his back line to hold the Red-and-White at bay. By the end of 120 minutes, Goodwin had amassed a whopping 11 saves against the MLS visitors.

And that’s when the fun really began.

In addition to his 3 saves in the deciding penalty kick shootout, Scott Goodwin of the Carolina RailHawks made 11 saves and gave up one goal in 120 minutes against Chivas USA. Photo: Carolina RailHawks

The kicks from the marks were taken toward the north end of the stadium into the teeth of a throng of RailHawks partisans. Nevertheless, Chivas took the early advantage after Albadawi’s first attempt for Carolina caromed off the post. After Eriq Zavaleta skied Chivas’ third attempt over the goal and Kennedy saved Carolina’s third kick taken by Kupono Low, Chivas held a 2-1 advantage.

Kennedy then took Chivas’ fourth attempt. It wasn’t the keeper’s first kick from the spot—he scored a goal on a true penalty kick against the Los Angeles Blues during last year’s US Open Cup. However, this year the vet’s boot was blocked by Goodwin. After Schilawski buried his attempt, Goodwin then stoned an attempt by Avila.

Martinez—Goodwin’s teammate on the 2011 NCAA champion UNC Tar Heels—then squandered a chance to secure a RailHawks victory when he screwed his attempt wide right.

After Kristopher Tyrpak missed Chivas’ sixth attempt, late-substitute Aaron King’s chance to win the match for Carolina was blocked by Kennedy.

To open the seventh frame, Goodwin thwarted the attempt by Marco Delgado, Goodwin’s third save of the shootout. The third time also proved a charm for Carolina, as Jackson calmly converted his kick to clinch the RailHawks’ win.

“After some great soccer all day long on TV and then to come out and see a game like that sort of tops them all,” said an elated Clarke. “I thought the boys showed a lot of character and hung in there, and it came down to PKs. It’s never easy, a little bit of a lottery. Looked for a time like nobody wanted to win it.”

As opposed to those harboring pregame trepidation about Goodwin’s appearance in place of Fitzgerald (a group including yours truly), Clarke said he never held any doubt.

“We had Scott in last year for a little bit. We tried to sign him, but he decided he wanted to play abroad and experience that for a year. So we kept in touch with him. He’s a great keeper; you speak with anybody when he was in college … All his hard work has paid off.”

The RailHawks’ next match will be Tuesday, June 24 in the Fifth Round. The RailHawks will face the winner of the June 18 game between the LA Galaxy and Arizona United SC. Should Carolina face LA, it will be the third straight year Carolina has hosted the Galaxy in Open Cup competition.

Neil Morris writes for indyweek.com and you can follow him on Twitter @ByNeilMorris

HIGHLIGHTS: CAROLINA RAILHAWKS 1:1 (3:2 PKs) CHIVAS USA

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Atlanta Silverbacks earn first MLS upset, stun Real Salt Lake with late goal (video)

June 15, 2014 by Laura Taylor

The NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks overcame a shaky start to dominate and defeat Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake 2-1 in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. For the Silverbacks, it was their first-ever upset of an MLS team, and earning them their first trip beyond Round 4.

On a night of firsts, the Silverbacks welcomed an MLS side to Silverbacks Park for the first time in team history on a humid night in the Peach State. Real Salt Lake, last year’s Open Cup runner-up, currently sitting in second place in MLS’ Western Conference, came into the game missing a number of key players, most notably, US Men’s National Team players Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman. On the other side of the pitch, the Silverbacks first-choice goalkeeper Eric Ati was on the bench with an injury sustained in the team’s last match.

This change would lead directly to RSL’s first goal. Starting ‘keeper Derby Carrillo went to kick away a harmless, bouncing ball at the top of the 18 but missed horribly and RSL’s Robbie Findley was able to walk the ball to goal to give RSL a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute.

Though the goal put the Silverbacks in a hole, it allowed the home team to relax and have the better possession in the 10 minutes after the tally. Atlanta kept up the pressure and in the 23rd minute was nearly rewarded with a goal, only to see the Jaime Chavez header called back for offside. Chavez nearly found the net a minute later with another strong header that just sailed over the bar.

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Both teams had good chances as the game wore on, with Real’s Luke Mulholland lifting enticing crosses into the box, while Atlanta’s Junior Sandoval peppered RSL ‘keeper Jeff Attinella. Atlanta’s Kwadwo Poku, who scored four goals last year for the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution, was strong on the ball, shrugging off defenders left and right like an NFL running back as he made his way toward goal.

Atlanta equalized in the 33rd minute with a nice give-and-go between Poku and midfielder Junior Burgos, who received the return pass at the top of the 18 and smoothly beat Attinnella on the short side. It was Burgos’ third goal of the tournament, leaving him tied for the tournament lead with five other players.

Chavez forced a diving save from Attinella in the 40th as the Silverbacks continued to punch above their weight. RSL was unable to put sustained pressure on the Atlanta net and, in fact, spent a good bit of the half tucked down in their defensive third. A free kick from 40 yards forced a good save from Carrillo and the two teams went to into the half tied 1-1.

The second half began with no subs for either side, and the Silverbacks continued to play good, creative soccer, giving Attinnella trouble when he had a whiff of his own after he went up to collect a high deflection but the resulting Silverback shot went wide. Four minutes later, Real tried to regain the lead with a free kick down low near the end line, but the cross was well-cleared by Atlanta.

Atlanta subbed in Alex Harlley in the 55th minute and the mohawked-one immediately made an impact, earning a free kick 10 yards from goal. Pablo Cruz lifted a perfect cross in and Chavez drove the header toward goal, with Attinella’s fingertips barely keeping the Silverbacks from taking the lead.

Real Salt Lake struggled to gain possession and their frustration showed. In the 65th minute, Carlos Salcedo was shown a yellow card and though the resulting free kick was parried away by the RSL defense, the ‘Backs continued the pressure, with Harlley, in particular, providing dangerous slicing runs through RSL’s back line.

And it was Harlley who nearly gave Atlanta the lead in the 72nd minute. The striker pounded a header strongly toward the net. Only the skull of John Stertzer saved Real as he was able to clear the ball off the line.

With less than 12 minutes to go, it was still the Silverbacks carrying the run of play. Shots at that point were 17-8 in favor of the home side, and would finish 20-8 by the end. In the 80th minute, Junior Sandoval received a precise curling pass from Harlley and Attinella dove to snuff out the one-time shot.

And then at the end of the game, with overtime looming, Silverbacks forward Jaime Chavez collected a deflection off an RSL defender and softly laid the ball back to Poku, who stood alone at the top of the arc. The Man of the Match made no mistake and slammed the ball low to Attinella’s left. The Silverbacks had the lead with just seconds to play.

Real Salt Lake mounted one last attempt that was cleared away hard by the Silverbacks, and then it was time for Atlanta to celebrate its first upset win.

Overall it was Atlanta who seemed more engaged and driven to win, especially in front of a sellout crowd of more than 5,000 fans in attendance. Silverbacks Technical Director Eric Wynalda was excited to see his team succeed after a disappointing lack of results at home. “To be able to excel in this competition allows us to focus on being good soccer players. I think we got away from that,” Wynalda said.

“We’re thrilled. This is awesome,” he gushed at the end of the match. “This competition gives us a real good chance to get the confidence we need.”

Wynalda said many fans were likely at the park for their first look at the Silverbacks: “They came out to see Real Salt Lake; I think is one hell of a first impression.”

In the other locker room, it was a different story as first-year manager Jeff Cassar saw no silver linings in his team’s third upset loss in their last six tournament appearances.

““I don’t think anybody played well tonight,” he said after the game. “I don’t think anybody at all played well. I got outcoached. We got outplayed. No, there’s no positives at all from this game.”

The Silverbacks must wait to find out who they will face in the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup. They will ; USL Pro’s Orlando City visit the home of MLS’ Colorado Rapids on June 17th.

Laura Taylor is a freelance writer who writes for HappyGoSnarky.com. Follow her on Twitter @livefierce

HIGHLIGHTS: ATLANTA SILVERBACKS 2:1 REAL SALT LAKE

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: New York Cosmos battle Red Bulls to highlight rare Saturday gameday (live stream links)

June 14, 2014 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE: All three Major League Soccer teams were eliminated by their NASL opponents tonight. The New York Cosmos dominated the Red Bulls 3-0, while the Carolina RailHawks eliminated Chivas USA for the second time in the last three years, this time by way of PK shootout. And finally, last year’s runner-up, Real Salt Lake followed up their best tournament run in team history by losing to the Atlanta Silverbacks 2-1 on a 90th minute goal by Kwadwo Poku.

Check back with TheCup.us for details …

The New York Cosmos defeated the Brooklyn Italians 2-0 in their US Open Cup debut. Photo: New York Cosmos — The New York Cosmos defeated the Brooklyn Italians 2-0 in their US Open Cup debut in Round 3. Photo: New York Cosmos

For the first time since 2003, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will feature tournament games on a Saturday. Three Major League Soccer (MLS) vs. North American Soccer League (NASL) matchups are on the schedule with the headliner featuring a game two years in the making with the New York Cosmos hosting the New York Red Bulls. The other two games are rematches from a year ago as the Carolina RailHawks welcome Chivas USA, and the Atlanta Silverbacks will host Real Salt Lake. Both games from last year went to extra time with the MLS team emerging victorious in both contests.

NY RED BULLS AT NY COSMOS

Over the years, the tournament, as is the case in many domestic cup competitions around the world, holds their games midweek to minimize the impact on league schedules. Since 1995, there have only been 50 Open Cup games that have been played on Friday (19), Saturday (11) or Sunday (20) out of the 742 (6.7%). The reason a weekend date was made possible was because of the MLS break during the FIFA World Cup. The last Saturday game was a 2003 First Round game where a young Clyde Simms and the Raleigh CASL Elite (PDL) defeated DS United (USASA, FL), 4-1.

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