2014 Quarterfinals

The final score didn’t necessarily reflect the game itself. Carolina actually drew first blood in the ninth minute. Perez’s first goal came in the 23rd minute, courtesy of rookie teammate Tesho Akindele, to level things up at one goal apiece. Perez’s second goal was also Dallas’s second. His 34th minute strike put the Hoops up 2-1. Carolina would equalize only to see Dallas net another and take a 3-2 lead into halftime. Perez’s final tally, which came during second half stoppage time, wasn’t the game-winner but it did seal the deal.

Perez became the first Panamanian player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) and the third FC Dallas player to score three goals in a single game, joining Dallas fan favorites Bobby Rhine (1999) and Kenny Cooper (2006). The first question Perez received after the game was how it felt to score the hat trick, but he was quick to talk about the team’s win.

“Happy, first of all, for the win because it’s what the team wanted, what the team was looking for.”

Perez had been experiencing a bit of drought coming into the game and was asked if he felt his hard work, despite not scoring, had finally been validated.

“When you work hard, the goals are going to come. The most important thing is if I don’t score, I put in the work.”

Perez has been somewhat underappreciated by MLS in general ever since he arrived in 2012, but it’s easy to see why the 33-year-old veteran is held in such high regard among the fans in Dallas. This was his first hat trick for FC Dallas in any competition.

Dallas, who clinched their eighth US Open Cup semifinal berth, will travel to Philadelphia to face the Union on August 12.

2014 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners
Round 1: Vlad Baciu (RWB Adria – USASA)
Round 2: Luke Winter (Chattanooga FC – NPSL)
Round 3: Earl Edwards Jr. (PSA Elite – USASA)
Round 4: Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids – MLS)
Round 5: Scott Goodwin (Carolina RailHawks – NASL)
Quarterfinals: Blas Perez (FC Dallas – MLS)

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

MATCH REPLAY: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Seattle Sounders back in Semifinals after 3-1 OT win over rival Portland Timbers (video)

July 10, 2014 by Kristen Gehrke

The Seattle Sounders once again downed Cascadian rivals, the Portland Timbers, though the needed an extra 30 minutes to put them away. The Sounders advanced to the US Open Cup Semifinals for the seventh time in eight years with their 3-1 extra-time win.

Portland’s Darlington Nagbe notched a goal at the death of full time, neutralizing a Sounders lead forged by Osvaldo Alonso’s acrobatic goal 21 minutes earlier. Diego Chara then put the Timbers on the disadvantage in extra time by earning a straight red card, and Seattle made them pay thanks to goals by Kenny Cooper and Marco Pappa. Seattle has run its Open Cup winning streak over its archrivals to four straight (3-1-1, 1-0 in PKs), with its only loss coming in 2005.

Through coincidence, this is the first of two matches between these sides in Seattle within five days. Playing in front of more than 4,200 fans in Tukwila’s Starfire Soccer Complex, the sides will return to CenturyLink Field for Sunday’s MLS competition. Boosting the Sounders was the return of DeAndre Yedlin from his duty with the US Men’s National Team, on the defender’s 21st birthday.

#USOC2014 LINKS

UPDATE: Blas Perez of FC Dallas was named TheCup.us Player of the Round of the Quarterfinals

While Yedlin was in excellent form, the main story of this game, as it is any time Portland and Seattle tangle on the pitch, was the chippiness from both sides. Timbers midfielder (and 2014 USOC scoring co-leader) Gaston Fernandez earned his way into the ref’s book for a rough tackle 16 minutes in, to be followed only eight minutes later by longtime thorn in Portland’s side Zach Scott. While Seattle held possession in the early moments of the game, it was unable to generate any serious chances before Portland settled in and were able to force Sounders’ keeper Stefan Frei into a couple of excellent saves.

The chippiness continued strong in the second half, as Jack Jewsbury faced off with multiple Sounders as he flirted with getting carded. Seattle enjoyed retaking the run of action, and looked for the payoff. It would come in the 69th minute as Brad Evans set up Lamar Neagle to cross towards the goal. Osvaldo Alonso made an acrobatic move to heel a redirect past Timbers’ keeper Donovan Ricketts into the net.

Running out of time, Portland stepped up their possession, but while it couldn’t crack the host’s defense, it did apparently beat their lights. Half of the lights in Starfire went out with about ten minutes to go in regular time, leaving the rest of the game to be played in dim conditions.

The darkness didn’t faze former Sounder Steve Zakuani, as he took the ball in the last minute of stoppage time and slotted through the crowd to Darlington Nagbe, who shot true past Frei and sent the game into extra time.

Osvaldo Alonso of Seattle Sounders celebrates his 7th career US Open Cup goal. Photo: Brandon Bleek for Prost Amerika

With about nine minutes gone in the extra session, the game took a turn for the worse for the Timbers.

Diego Chara was beaten badly off the ball by Marco Pappa, and lashed out with a studs-up scissor kick to Pappa. Referee Chris Penso did not hesitate to show Chara a red card, putting the Timbers a man down. Penso did not hesitate to show Portland coach Cameron Knowles red either for arguing the call in between extra-time periods. Knowles was also shown red in 2007’s Open Cup matchup with the Sounders.

The Sounders pressed hard in the second extra period, taking the lead in the 110th minute.

Gonzalo Pinedo crossed a ball in that sub Kenny Cooper was able to head right behind Ricketts and in. The goal was Cooper’s fourth of the 2014 Open Cup, tying him with Fernandez and Blake Smith of the Indy Eleven.

The Timbers, needing a goal to keep their Cup hopes alive, sent players forward in a scramble for the equalizer. What they got instead, just six minutes later, was Pappa hitting a low rocket from outside of the box to clinch the game.

Seattle will once again take to Starfire in the quest for their fourth Open Cup, hosting the Chicago Fire at 7:30 on August 13. This game will also be a rematch, this time of the 2011 Final that the Sounders won 2-0, deny Chicago their fifth title while giving Seattle their third.

HIGHLIGHTS: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

MATCH REPLAY: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Scoring Summary
SEA: Alonso (Neagle), 69
POR: Nagbe (Zakuani), 90+3
SEA: Cooper (Pineda), 110
SEA: Pappa (unassisted), 115

Misconduct Summary
POR: Fernández (Caution), 16
SEA: Scott (Caution), 23
SEA: Pineda (Caution), 67
SEA: Alonso (Caution), 94
POR: Chara (Ejection), 99

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Ricketts, D Harrington, D O’Rourke, D McKenzie, D Villafaña (Zakuani, 77), M Chara, M Fernández, M Jewsbury © (Johnson, 81), F Valeri, F Adi, F Wallace (Nagbe, 60)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Weber, D Peay, M Alhassan, M Nanchoff

TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Fernández, 7); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Fernández, 6); FOULS: 17 (Adi, 6); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 6

SEA: GK Frei, D Yedlin (Azira, 90), D Marshall, D Scott, D Anibaba, M Evans ©, M Alonso, M Pineda, M Neagle, F Barrett (Pappa, 64), F Weaver (Cooper, 79)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Ford, M Kovar, F Bowen, F Okoli

TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Neagle, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Alonso, 3); FOULS: 14 (Marshall, Neagle, 3); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 8

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Paul Scott, Chris Strickland
4th Official: Allan Chapman
Attendance: 4,233
Time of Game: 2:33
Weather: Sunny, 77 degrees

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Blas Perez scores three as FC Dallas ends Carolina RailHawks’ home unbeaten streak (video)

July 10, 2014 by Neil Morris

The first question posed to Enzo Martinez after FC Dallas’ 5-2 win over the Carolina RailHawks Wednesday night in Cary was whether the RailHawks’ early opening goal conjured confidence that the WakeMed Soccer Park magic would again propel them to victory over a Major League Soccer opponent.

Before the Carolina midfielder could respond, florescent light bulbs flicked off, temporary cloaking the media room in darkness.

No further response was really necessary.

After surrendering one goal and nearly another over the opening 20 minutes of their quarterfinal match in the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a speedy, technically proficient FC Dallas turned out the lights on both the RailHawks’ tournament hopes and their 23-match home unbeaten streak.

FC Dallas opened the game with a three-man back line, a tactical decision that manager Oscar Pareja later admitted was in error. While Dallas’ formidable forwards would eventually feast on the RailHawks’ defense, their initial lack of cover in the defending third afforded Carolina’s own potent attackers space to make runs into the box.

#USOC2014 LINKS

UPDATE: Blas Perez of FC Dallas was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Quarterfinals

That paid early dividends in the 9th minute. Jun Marques Davidson played a nifty chip pass ahead to a streaking Martinez in the box. Martinez centered the ball over to Zack Schilawski, whose left-footed toe poke flew past FC Dallas goalkeeper Raul Fernandez for an early 1-0 lead.

“We decided to go with some pressure ,” Pareja said, “but they made us change the plan quick due to their technical ability.”

FC Dallas center back Matt Hedges deferred a question about why the team started out with a three-man back to his manager.

“We tried it and it didn’t work as well as we wanted it to,” Hedges said. “So we made some changes, and we got much more organized afterwards.”

Carolina attempted to keep up the attack, with another Martinez blast in the 20th minute bounding just wide of the goal. But in the 23rd minute, Tescho Akindele drove along FC Dallas’ right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross into the box that found an unmarked Blas Perez, whose header found the upper netting and knotted the score at 1-1.

Unfortunately, the RailHawks’ offensive eagerness eventually played into FC Dallas’ plan. Too often midfielders Cesar Elizondo, Ty Shipalane and Martinez would dribble into a sure-footed defender and get dispossessed, triggering counterattacks that allowed Fabian Castillo, Andres Escobar and others to carve up and break down the Carolina defense all evening.

In the 34th minute, Carolina center back Austen King attempted a slide tackle to clear out a FC Dallas through ball intended for JeVaughn Watson. However, King’s clearance ricocheted off Watson and behind King, allowing Watson to regather the ball and center it to Perez stationed atop the box. Perez’s strike somehow dissected Daniel Scott and Kupono Low before skimming past goalkeeper Scott Goodwin to give Dallas a 2-1 lead.

However, just two minutes later an Elizondo dribble was handled in the area by Moises Hernandez, drawing a penalty call from referee Ricardo Salazar. Martinez stepped to the spot and hammered his PK past Fernandez to level the score at 2-2.

With Carolina harboring hopes of carrying a tie score into halftime, a RailHawks miscue gave FC Dallas the eventual game-winner in the 44th minute. Another Elizondo dispossession, this time to Watson, launched a Dallas counter led by Escobar, who galloped into the attacking third before sending a seeing eye through ball ahead to Castillo. All Castillo did was beat Low to the ball, maneuver past Scott and then round Goodwin before calmly depositing the ball into an open goal for a 3-2 lead at intermission.

It was a moment of technical class that epitomized the talent gap between FC Dallas’ speedy, skilled attackers and an outmatched RailHawks back line, whose output was a far cry from their flawless performance two weeks ago during Carolina’s Open Cup win over the LA Galaxy.

After halftime, FC Dallas subbed in defender Stephen Keel and retreated to a flat four-man back line with a compact midfield. Dallas remained content to surrender much possession to Carolina, but the RailHawks were unable to convert their chances.

As Carolina threw players forward late in the match in search of another equalizer, it opened space for FC Dallas to ultimately pad their lead. In the 89th minute, another Martinez turnover near midfield triggered yet another Dallas counter. Mauro Diaz drove past the center line before playing the ball wide left to Castillo. Castillo drew defenders before calmly passing the ball back to Diaz for a professional finish.

Then a couple of minutes later during added time, another dynamic drive up the left side by Castillo ended with him driving toward the top of the 18-yard box, rounding a helpless Scott, and then laying the ball to an unmarked Perez. All that remained was for Perez to complete his hat trick and account for the final scoring tally. Perez became just the third Dallas player to score three goals in a game, joining Kenny Cooper (2006) and Bobby Rhine (1999).

The sad irony is while Carolina had more possession and attack against FC Dallas than the Chivas USA and LA Galaxy games combined, the ultimate result was very different.

“I thought we played pretty well,” said RailHawks manager Colin Clarke. “I thought we competed with them. I thought we passed the ball and moved the ball. Just the little details in each box, defensively and being clinical in the other box. They were better than us tonight at that.”

The match carried a sense of occasion and connections about it. Jason Kreis, the new manager of New York City FC and a former Duke University standout, was on hand for a scouting expedition — before the game he was at a nearby bar watching the Netherlands-Argentina FIFA World Cup match with RailHawks’ supporters.

Also, Pareja both played for and served as an assistant coach under Clarke when Clarke managed FC Dallas from 2003-2006.

“It was good to see them, good to catch up with them,” Clarke said. “I think they’re doing good things down there. They’re a fun team to watch … and have some great players.”

And, there was another reunion of sorts between Martinez, Goodwin and Hedges, who were teammates on the 2011 North Carolina Tar Heels men’s national championship team.

“Obviously, it was the kind of reunion I hoped we’d have,” Hedges joked about getting the win over his former college mates.

The loss to FC Dallas squanders Carolina’s chance to host an Open Cup semifinal tie against the Philadelphia Union next month. However, with this year’s Open Cup run now over, the RailHawks’ attention turns squarely toward the NASL fall season, which kicks off this Saturday in Cary against Indy Eleven. Indy finished at the bottom of the league’s spring season standings, failing to win any of their nine games. However, one of their four draws came against the RailHawks.

Saturday’s match presents Carolina a chance to kick off the fall campaign with a home win and maybe exorcise a few demons in the process. That said, three of the team’s ensuing four games after this weekend will be on the road at Minnesota, San Antonio and New York, the three top teams in the NASL spring season.

Fortunately, the RailHawks spent the NASL “midseason” World Cup break playing three competitive matches against MLS teams an additional friendly against Puebla FC from Liga MX, winning three of those four contests. Clarke says his team enjoyed the much-needed preparation, and he learned a few things about them in the process.

“We need to be more clinical,” Clarke said. “We also need to be a little nastier in some ways, a little more professional. There were a few times tonight when we could have stuck in some tackles tonight and we didn’t. They didn’t mind giving us a kick from time to time, and we’ve got to get that into our game, particularly when we go on the road.”

After punching their ticket to the Semifinals for the 8th time, FC Dallas will enjoy a 10-day break before returning to league play at home against the New England Revolution on July 19.

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

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

MATCH REPLAY: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals review: Three former champions, Philadelphia Union advance to Semifinals (video)

July 10, 2014 by J.T. Alwin

The Semifinals of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are complete with a trio of former tournament champions advancing to the Final Four along with the Philadelphia Union completing the all-MLS field.

July 9: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) 3:1 (AET) Portland Timbers (MLS)
It took a flurry of goals in extra time after a Portland red card, but Sounders FC have made their way back to familiar turf. With a 3-1 win over the Timbers the Sounders will reach the Semifinals for the 7th time in the last 8 years. This is actually the first of two matches between these Cascadian rivals in five days, as Portland will travel back up the I-5 on Sunday for a league match.

Osvaldo Alonso drew opening blood in the 69th minute, scoring his 7th career tournament goal in acrobatic fashion. It seemed as though the Sounders would move on in regulation but Darlington Nagbe somehow found a Steve Zakuani pass in traffic to send the game into bonus soccer in second half stoppage time.

The game changed in the 99th minute when Portland’s Diego Chara made a rash challenge on the Sounders’ Marco Pappa and was sent off with a straight red card. 11 minutes later, Kenny Cooper scored his fourth goal of the tournament, tying the Timbers’ Gaston Fernandez (and Indy Eleven’s Blake Smith) for the lead, while helping send Fernandez’s team packing from the Open Cup. Marco Pappa sealed the deal in the 116th minute as Seattle will move on to host the Chicago Fire on August 13 in a rematch of the 2011 Final. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT WITH VIDEO

HIGHLIGHTS: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

#USOC2014 LINKS

UPDATE: Blas Perez of FC Dallas was named TheCup.us Player of the Round

July 9: FC Dallas (MLS) 5:2 Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
The 5-2 scoreline doesn’t do the game justice as FC Dallas scored a pair of late goals to beat the Carolina RailHawks to reach the Semifinals for the 8th time. Up until the final minutes of the game, it was a close, up-and-down affair, with Dallas’ Blas Perez netting a hat trick that would prove to be the difference.

Five goals were scored in the first half with Dallas taking a 3-2 lead into the halftime break. The second half featured much of the same up-and-down action, except without the goals. The outcome was very much in doubt until a minute left in regular time, when Maurio Diaz cashed in to ice the game, followed by Perez’s third goal of the game at the very end of the match. They will travel to play the Philadelphia Union on August 12th. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

HIGHLIGHTS: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

July 9: Chicago Fire (MLS) 3:1 Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)
With the Silverbacks this year, it seems that red cards are as common as goals, and sure enough, there were two red cards in this game before a goal was even scored. Chicago was able to get past the rough play and net two late goals to advance to the Open Cup Semifinals.

An otherwise quiet first half erupted 31 minutes in, as Atlanta’s Jesus Gonzalez and the Fire’s Mike Magee became entangled, then started fighting, earning them both straight reds. Mark Watson also came dangerously close to putting Chicago down two men, earning a yellow in the 34th and coming close to his second two minutes later, before being subbed out at the half.

The scoring picked up some in the second half, as Quincy Amarikwa netted the ball in the 50th minute for Chicago, only to have Atlanta’s Deon McCaulay level it four minutes later. It took until the 82nd minute for Chicago to pull away, as Jeff Larentowicz slotted a PK, and Alex stole a bad clearance and sealed the game three minutes later. The Fire travel to Cascadia to play Seattle Sounders FC at Starfire Soccer Complex on August 13. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

MATCH REPLAY: CHICAGO FIRE AT ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

July 8: Philadelphia Union (MLS) 2-0 New England Revolution (MLS)
Miroslav Klose of Germany wasn’t the only soccer player to set scoring records on July 8. While Klose claimed the career World Cup scoring record in the afternoon, on Tuesday evening Sebastien Le Toux of the Union set the Open Cup (Modern Pro Era) career scoring record in a 2-0 handling of New England.

Conor Casey got Philly going early, only needing nine minutes to put his side up. The historic moment was set up as the Union lost a free kick set up by a yellow card on the Revs’ AJ Soares. Seba, who cut his Open Cup teeth with the USL-1 version of the Seattle Sounders, and also won an Open Cup with the MLS version, caught the rebound from a scrum and shot true only two minutes out of halftime. The Union advance to their second Semifinal in the last three years and will travel to Frisco to take on FC Dallas in the Semifinals on Aug. 12. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2014 US Open Cup Semifinals

Philadelphia Union (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
Toyota Stadium; Frisco, TX – Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET

Chicago Fire (MLS) at Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
Starfire Soccer Complex; Tukwila, WA – Aug. 13 at 10:30 p.m. ET

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Chicago Fire burn Atlanta Silverbacks 3-1 to earn record 10th Semifinal berth (video)

July 10, 2014 by Laura Taylor

On a typically hot summer night in Atlanta, the Silverbacks looked to keep their Cinderella run going as they welcomed the Chicago Fire to town for the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Unfortunately for the home fans in attendance, the four-time champions proved to be the superior side as the Fire defeated the Silverbacks 3-1 to move on to the Semifinals. Chicago’s Quincy Amarikwa, Jeff Larentowicz, and Alex all scored second half goals to lead the visitors to the Final Four.

The Fire reach the Semifinals for a Modern Professional Era record 10th time and will travel to Tukwila, Wash. to take on the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 13. It will be a rematch of the 2011 US Open Cup Final.

Atlanta began the match – a trial by Fire, if you will – down three starters and two coaches following the last round’s “Mile High Melee” against the Colorado Rapids that saw field players Borfor Carr, Jaime Chavez, Kwadwo Poku, Technical Director Eric Wynalda and Assistant Coach Ricardo Montoya red-carded. On the other side of the pitch was a Fire team playing its third game in seven days, one with a 2-12-4 record on artificial turf since 2010.

#USOC2014 LINKS

Wynalda expressed confidence in his side before the game, telling 92.9FM The Game’s Alec Campbell, “The last two weeks are the best the team has looked in training since been here.”

The match opened evenly with the Silverbacks seeing better chances from forward Junior Sandoval, forcing a nice kick save from Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson. On the flip side, Fire forward Quincy Amarikwa was in alone on Silverbacks netminder Derby Carrillo but failed to pull the trigger. 20 minutes in, the Silverbacks held a slight edge in shots, 3-1.

In the 31st minute, tempers flared between Chicago’s Mike Magee and Atlanta’s Jesus Gonzalez. Magee kicked out at a 50-50 ball near the sideline and after Gonzalez confronted Magee about it, both players appeared to attempt to head-butt each other at the same time. There was no injury, but referee Edvin Jurisevic hit both players with straight red cards. The night was over for Magee and Gonzalez.

Just three minutes later, the Fire’s Matt Watson earned himself a yellow card, and just to even things out Atlanta got a yellow of their own in the 43rd, Ferrety Sousa with the booking. On the ensuing free kick, Chicago’s Jeff Larentowicz headed a sharp angle shot into Carrillo’s waiting hands.

The half ended scoreless with Atlanta seeing the better chances and looking a little more aggressive. However, Chicago’s forwards showed some creativity and the ability to slice through the Silverbacks’ back line if they wanted to. But Magee’s ejection obviously changed the tenor of the Fire’s attack.

“ put us on the back foot in the first half,” said Johnson, who hails from nearby Lilburn, “and we had to
dig ourselves out of a hole and regroup at halftime.”

The stalemate was finally broken in the 50th minute when Amarikwa scored on a rebound as he lifted the ball over the outstretched hands of Carrillo. Chicago led 1-0.

It didn’t take long for the home side to equalize. Junior Sandoval received a perfectly timed pass and went in 2-
on-0 against Johnson. Sandoval smartly played the ball off for Deon McCaulay to finish to tie the game at 1-1 in the 54th minute.

The teams played an even game through the 75th minute. Atlanta’s young speedster Alex Harlley replaced Sousa and had an immediate impact down the right wing. The night began to cool as a breeze blew in and a bit of lightning appeared on the horizon. In the 76th minute, Silverbacks defender Mike Randolph unleashed a rocket shot that sailed just over the crossbar.

Shortly after nearly putting Atlanta ahead, Randolph put his team in a hole in the 82nd minute as he took down Matt Fondy in the box which gave Chicago a penalty kick. Larentowicz converted to give Chicago the 2-1 lead with fewer than 10 minutes remaining.

Just two minutes later the Silverbacks threatened when Harlley juked a defender but shot high.

“We didn’t put balls into the net …balls that we we should have.” said acting-coach Alejandro Pombo, specifically
lamenting that missed opportunity by Harlley to equalize.

A minute later the Fire extinguished any chance of an Atlanta comeback when Alex put the visitors up 3-1, again finishing a juicy rebound left by the Silverbacks goalkeeper.

And that’s how the game would end. Though the depleted Silverbacks played well, they couldn’t stop the Fire from blazing at the end of the second half. Atlanta was unable to dispatch its third straight MLS side, and Chicago moved on
to the Semifinals.

“Finishing,” said Pomba simply. Though top scorer Chavez was amongst the starters who missed this match, Pombo made no excuses, “They play every single game, are our top scorers, but we don’t care about that.”

Though the Silverbacks began their NASL season slowly, Pombo was confident in the team’s growth over the last month: “We want to make it tough for all the teams in the second part of the year.”

The silver lining for the Silverbacks is that since fellow NASL club Carolina RailHawks also lost their Quarterfinal match, the $15,000 prize money to the Division 2 team that advances the farthest comes down to a tiebreaker. Atlanta will be $15,000 richer as its two victories over Major League Soccer opposition (Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids) trumps Carolina’s win (Los Angeles Galaxy) and a draw (Chivas USA) against MLS teams in this year’s tournament.

Chicago moves one step closer to adding to their four US Open Cup trophies. One more and it will equal the all-time record for most Open Cup titles. Despite that, Johnson said the road through Atlanta was not an easy one. “ gave us a great game. Hats off to them.”

MATCH REPLAY: CHICAGO FIRE AT ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals preview: Three former champions join Philadelphia Union in Semifinals

July 9, 2014 by J.T. Alwin

UPDATE: Thanks to goals from Conor Casey and Sebastien Le Toux, the Philadelphia Union defeated the New England Revolution 2-0 to reach the Semifinals for the second time in three years. Read the full recap, including Sebastien Le Toux’s record-breaking performance HERE.

UPDATE: The last remaining NASL clubs have been eliminated as the Chicago Fire defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks 3-1 and FC Dallas scored some late goals to pull away from the Carolina RailHawks 5-2. The last remaining Quarterfinal match (Seattle vs. Portland) can be seen below. In the final Quarterfinal game, the Seattle Sounders needed extra time to defeat the Portland Timbers 3-1. The Sounders will host the Fire on Aug. 13, while FC Dallas will host the Union on Aug. 12. Stay tuned for full recaps of each game.

We have now entered into the Quarterfinals of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, with two lower division sides still in the hunt, as well as four previous Open Cup winners from Major League Soccer hoping to recapture past glories.

The NASL (Division 2) has two teams left playing the Cinderella role. The Atlanta Silverbacks have already advanced their furthest ever in the tournament, while the Carolina RailHawks are looking to reach the Semifinals for the second time in club history. The Chicago Fire, FC Dallas, New England Revolution, and Seattle Sounders FC own nine titles between them, while the Philadelphia Union and Portland Timbers are looking to capture their first. All eight teams will be looking to keep the dream alive on Tuesday and Wednesday.

All three Wednesday games will have online video broadcasts available, but Tuesday’s lone contest with the Philadelphia Union hosting the New England Revolution can only be seen by the fans in attendance at PPL Park. According to the Philadelphia Union Twitter account, the reason for the lack of a broadcast is that the US Soccer Federation denied their broadcast request due to an “incompatible graphics package” that is required for all US Open Cup video broadcasts.

LIVE VIDEO: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Both @PhilaUnion and @NERevolution wanted to stream the match, but #USOC required an incompatible graphics package.

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 8, 2014

We will have all of the available live video embedded in this article below.

As always, use and follow the #USOC2014 hashtag on Twitter for all the latest updates from all four games. You can also follow TheCup.us at @USOpenCup.

Here is a closer look at Wednesday’s games:

FC Dallas (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, NC – 7:30 p.m.
BROADCAST: Live video
The winner will host Philadelphia Union (Aug. 12) or New England Revolution (Aug. 13)

FC Dallas Open Cup records
Overall: 25-15-4 (4-0 PKs) | Away: 10-8-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. Div. 2: 15-1-2 (2-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 3-2 vs. Portland Timbers of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 1997 US Open Cup champions
How they got here:
Round 4: 2-0 home win vs. San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
Round 5: 3-2 road win in OT vs. Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Fabian Castillo (2), Andres Escobar (2), Tesho Akindele (1)

Carolina RailHawks Open Cup records
Overall: 15-5-2 (1-1 PKs) | Home: 15-2-2 (1-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 5-4-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 3-0 at Real Salt Lake of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 2007 Semifinals (Lost 2-1 in OT at New England Revolution of MLS)
How they got here:
Round 3: 2-0 home win vs. Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO)
Round 4: 1-1 home draw, 3-2 PK win vs. Chivas USA (MLS)
Round 5: 1-0 home win in OT vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Nazmi Albadawi (1), Jun Marques Davidson (1), Daniel Jackson (1), Zack Schilawski (1)

LIVE VIDEO: FC DALLAS AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

By Neil Morris | @ByNeilMorris

The last time the Carolina RailHawks hosted a Quarterfinal match in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was 2007. It was the inaugural season for the RailHawks hatchlings, and despite a woeful losing regular season record, Carolina improbably advanced to the semifinals of the US Open Cup before losing in overtime to the New England Revolution. This Wednesday, July 9 the Open Cup Quarterfinals return to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC as the RailHawks host FC Dallas. Carolina, one of two North American Soccer League (NASL) members remaining in the tournament, advanced to the quarters, just like they did in 2007, by winning three home games. They defeated the Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) 2-0, edged Chivas USA in penalty kicks and beat a first-team LA Galaxy team in extra time. Carolina have hosted 19 of their 22 tournament matches since their debut in 2007 (advancing in 16 of those games), and currently hold a 23-match home unbeaten streak in all competitions.

On the other hand, this will be FC Dallas’ second straight road game of the tournament. Dallas opened their 2014 Open Cup journey by downing the San Antonio Scorpions at home 2-0, then traveled to Houston where they defeated the Dynamo 3-2 in overtime to reach their record 13th Quarterfinal appearance. FC Dallas has been paced by Andres Escobar and Fabian Castillo, who have each notched two goals over their team’s two Open Cup victories. Currently fourth in the MLS Western Conference standings, manager Óscar Pareja also boasts the playmaking skills of Blas Perez, the team’s co-leader in goals and assists.

“They’re a good team, very good going forward,” RailHawks manager Colin Clarke says. “Right now they’re playing more of a 4-4-2 with (Tesho) Akindele and Perez up front, two big, strong, lively center forwards who we’re going to have to deal with. They’re getting a few of their star players back from injury. They’re good in the center of the park, good in possession and passing, and love to get the fullbacks forward. So, it’ll be a good test for us.”

Meanwhile, the RailHawks sail in on the tailwind of two consecutive wins over MLS opponents and home ground confidence. They’re also riding the coattails of backup goalkeeper Scott Goodwin, who has started in all three Open Cup wins — his first three starts of his pro career — for the RailHawks after an injury to starter Akira Fitzgerald. All Goodwin has done is surrender one goal over those three matches, making 24 total saves in the process. Against Chivas USA, he made 11 saves over 120 minutes over regulation and extra time before stopping three shootout kicks from the penalty mark to secure the victory. Then, he made eight more saves and kept a clean sheet against Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and the Galaxy and earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors. Carolina’s four goals in the tournament have come from four different players. Of note, reserve forward Daniel Jackson converted the game-winning kick from the mark against Chivas USA then scored the game-winning goal in extra time against the Galaxy.

However, two of Carolina’s key contributors were forward Mike Grella and defender Toni Stahl, who both left the RailHawks once their spring season contracts expired following the Chivas USA win. Carolina was unable to resign either player for the fall campaign, but the team still ousted the Galaxy without them. Despite their intangible advantages, Clarke knows his team has a talent disadvantage against their MLS foes. “In these games, we know that they’re going to have the ball,” Clarke admits. “We’ve got to be good when we have the ball. It was a great result against LA Galaxy, we need to be better when we have the ball to relieve that pressure and put under pressure.”

There is also a bit of history between Clarke, Pareja and FC Dallas. Clarke managed FC Dallas (originally the Dallas Burn) from 2003-2006, leading the club to its first and only regular season Western Conference crown in 2006 before being unceremoniously sacked. Pareja finished his playing career for Clarke from 2003-2005, after which Clarke hired Pareja as one of his assistant coaches. Pareja remained a FC Dallas assistant coach until 2011, when he was hired to manage the Colorado Rapids.

The RailHawks warmed up for Wednesday’s game with a 2-1 exhibition win over Mexico’s Puebla FC.

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Chicago Fire (MLS) at Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks Park; Chamblee, GA – 7:30 p.m. ET
BROADCAST: Live video (embedded below)
Winner will play at Seattle Sounders or Portland Timbers on Aug. 13

Chicago Fire Open Cup records
Overall: 33-11-3 (2-1 PKs) | Away: 12-10-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. Div. 2: 5-3-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 2-0 vs. DC United of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 US Open Cup champions
How they got here:
Round 4: 2-1 home win vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO) — match abandoned at 49th min.
Round 5: 4-2 home win in OT vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Juan Luis Anangono (2), Quincy Amarikwa (1), Patrick Ianni (1), Mike Magee (1), Grant Ward (1)

Atlanta Silverbacks Open Cup records
Overall: 10-9-2 (1-1 PKs) | Home: 5-3-0 | vs. MLS: 2-4-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 3-2 in OT at Real Salt Lake of MLS)
Best finish: 2004 Fourth Round (Lost 4-1 vs. Kansas City Wizards of MLS)
How they got here:
Round 3: 5-0 road win at Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
Round 4: 2-1 home win vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Round 5: 2-1 road win at Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Junior Burgos (3), Jaime Chavez (3), Deon McCauley (1), Kwadwo Poku (1), Junior Sandoval (1)

LIVE VIDEO: CHICAGO FIRE AT ATLANTA SILVERBACKS

By Laura Taylor

The Chicago Fire head down south to Atlanta for the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Frank Yallop’s club defeated the Columbus Crew 4-2 in extra time to earn their place in the final eight. The Fire got goals from Patrick Ianni, Quincy Amarikwa, and a pair from Juan Luis Anangono to make its 11th Quarterfinal appearance. The four-time champions are expected to have injured forward Mike Magee back from injury and will look to bring that same balanced attack to Atlanta where the Silverbacks will be considerably shorthanded.

The Silverbacks will have their work cut out for them with three starters cut out from their lineup by virtue of a trio of red cards earned in last round’s ‘Mile High Melee’ against Colorado. Missing the match will be Borfor Carr, Kwadwo Poku, and Jaime Chavez, with Chavez and Poku playing a huge part in the Silverbacks’ attack in this Open Cup campaign. Also suspended are technical director Eric Wynalda and assistant coach Ricardo Montoya who were both sent off in the aftermath of the pushing and shoving. If the Silverbacks are to take down their third consecutive MLS side, they’ll need to rely on veterans such as Lucas Paulini, Junior Sandoval, and perhaps youngsters like the exciting Alex Harlley.

Chicago started back from the World Cup break with a pair of 1-1 draws in MLS play. They played from beind in both cases, with Harry Shipp salvaging a tie at home against Toronto FC, and Magee earning a road point against Sporting Kansas City. While they haven’t had the worst form, they have shown a lack of finishing touch, going 0-2-4 since their last win on May 18. They have a whopping 10 draws in 16 games, yet are only four points out of the playoffs with a game in hand. They will play away from home for the first time since the opening round in 2013 when they defeated the Charlotte Eagles.

Atlanta will end their mid-year break on Saturday, traveling to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Silverbacks are hoping their Open Cup run will spur their league play, as they try to improve on their eight-place finish during the Spring Season.

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Portland Timbers (MLS) at Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
Starfire Soccer Complex; Tukwila, WA – 10:30 p.m. ET
BROADCAST: Live video
Winner will host Chicago Fire or Atlanta Silverbacks on Aug. 13

Portland Timbers Open Cup records
Overall: 12-8-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 7-3-0 | vs. MLS: 2-4-1 (0-1 PKs)
As MLS: 5-2-0 | Away: 2-1-0 | vs. MLS: 2-1-0
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 2-1 at Real Salt Lake of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 2013 Semifinals (Lost 2-1 at Real Salt Lake of MLS)
How they got here:
Round 4: 3-0 home win vs. Orlando City U23s (PDL)
Round 5: 3-1 road win at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Gaston Fernandez (4), Will Johnson (1), Taylor Peay (1)

Seattle Sounders Open Cup records
Overall: 31-12-5 (3-2 PKs) | Home: 24-2-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 15-7-3 (2-1 PKs)
As MLS: 16-1-3 (2-1 PKs) | Home: 13-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 11-0-2 (1-1 PKs)
at Starfire (overall): 16-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | (as MLS): 11-0-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2013 (Lost 1-0 at Tampa Bay Rowdies of NASL – Round 3)
Best finish: 2009, 2010, 2011 US Open Cup champions
How they got here:
Round 4: 5-0 home win vs. PSA Elite (USASA)
Round 5: 1-1 draw (4-1 PK win) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Leading goalscorers: Kenny Cooper (3), Brad Evans (1), Sean Okoli (1), Zach Scott (1)

LIVE VIDEO: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

By Kristen Gehrke

Perhaps the most heated rivalry in Major League Soccer will be renewed Wednesday in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup. The Portland Timbers will travel to meet the Seattle Sounders for the first of two meetings between the two sides in less than a week. The game will be played at Starfire Soccer Complex, a place the Sounders have never lost (16-0-1, 1-0 PKs), which will guarantee a cozy, intense atmosphere for yet another Cascadia rivalry match.

It’s unclear whether the Sounders will still be without defender DeAndre Yedlin, one of two players away with the US Men’s National Team at the World Cup, as forward Clint Dempsey, the other Sounder with the team, is likely unavailable. Forward Obafemi Martins was out for this last weekend’s match against Vancouver with a strained hamstring. Look for Marcus Hahnemann in goal for the Sounders after a solid performance in their last Open Cup match, as it was announced before the tournament that the veteran, who made his Open Cup debut for Seattle back in 1995, will be the keeper of choice for this tournament run. He replaces No. 1 goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who played in Saturday’s road loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. That game was played with the Sounders not only short Dempsey, Martins, and Yedlin, but also were missing Osvaldo Alonso and Gonzalo Pineda, who missed the match due to yellow card accumulation.

After dismissing the USASA’s PSA Elite in their opening game, the Sounders’ unbeaten record at Starfire was nearly ruined as the Earthquakes took them to a penalty kick shootout. Seattle ultimately prevailed 4-1 to reach their 5th Quarterfinal appearance in the last six years.

Portland will likely start Diego Chara at midfield (out for yellow card accumulation for the coming weekend’s MLS match) and backup keeper Andrew Weber. The Timbers will most likely look to Fanendo Adi and the tournament’s co-leader in goals Gaston Fernandez for firepower up top. Portland has struggled since the restart, losing 1-0 at home to Sporting Kansas City and notching a 2-2 road tie against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

This is the fifth time the two teams will meet in Open Cup play, but this will be the first time both will take the field as MLS teams. In those four previous meetings, the Timbers won the first game back in 2005, but the Sounders won the rematch in 2007 and then were victorious as a MLS side in 2009. Their last Open Cup meeting in 2010 went to penalty kicks with the Sounders advancing 4-3 en route to the second of their three straight tournament titles.

2014 US Open Cup Semifinals: Potential pairings/hosts

Philadelphia Union / New England Revolution winner @
– PHI @ FC Dallas: August 12, 8:00 CT – Toyota Stadium
– PHI @ Carolina: August 12, 7;30 ET – WakeMed Soccer Park
– NE @ FC Dallas: August 13, 8:00 CT – Toyota Stadium
– NE @ Carolina: August 13, 7:30 ET – WakeMed Soccer Park

Chicago Fire / Atlanta Silverbacks winner @
– Seattle: August 13, 7:30 PT – Starfire Sports Complex
– Portland: August 13, 8:00 PT – Providence Park

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sebastien Le Toux breaks goalscoring record as Philadelphia Union blanks New England Revolution 2-0 (video)

July 8, 2014 by Michael Berton

Neither lightning, nor rain, nor dust storm could keep the Philadelphia Union from emerging victorious in its 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinal match against the New England Revolution.

Sebastian Le Toux became the US Open Cup’s Modern Professional Era’s leading goalscorer with his 47th minute tally, adding to Conor Casey’s goal in the ninth minute to beat New England 2-0. With the win, which was delayed for an hour due to extreme weather in the second half, the Union advance to the Semifinals for the second time in three years.

The Union started out on the front foot, creating several dangerous chances in the opening minutes. Sheanon Williams took a free kick from the Union’s defensive half, hitting it over the top to Casey. The big forward beat his man, rounded New England keeper Brad Knighton, and slotted his shot into the right-side netting.

“I thought we started the game really well,” said interim Union manager Jim Curtin. “I thought we should have gone up two or three to zero at the start.”

The away side nearly equalized a minute later when Saer Sene beat Union goalie Zac MacMath, but Maurice Edu was on the line to clear the ball. The Revs got more and more into the game, but could not find an equalizer in the first half.

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