Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

2014 US Open Cup qualifying

Why 2015 US Open Cup qualifying is going on now, who’s in for 2014 and other questions answered

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UPDATE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format and draw for the first two rounds has been announced with largest tournament field in Modern Professional Era (1995-present), an extra round, and a weekend gameday.

The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) has changed their qualifying deadline for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, which has created some confusion among fans who follow the tournament from its earliest stages.

This year, the USASA decided to move their qualifying deadline to Dec. 31. This means each of the four regions (Region I – Northeast; Region II – Midwest; Region III – South; Region IV – West) had until the end of 2013 to decide which two clubs they will submit to the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

While the format of the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup has yet to be announced officially by the US Soccer Federation, multiple USASA officials have told TheCup.us they expect to retain their eight spots in the tournament for the 11th year in a row. This format has been in place since 2004, with the exception of 2012 when nine teams were awarded.

Luckily for Open Cup fans, the worst of the confusion is over.

Here is where we stand (unofficially):

MLS (Division I): All US-based clubs (16 teams: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City)

NASL (Division II): All US-based clubs (8 teams: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Indy Eleven, Minnesota United, New York Cosmos, San Antonio Scorpions, Tampa Bay Rowdies)

USL Pro (Division III): All US-based clubs (14 teams: Arizona United SC, Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, LA Galaxy II, OKC Energy FC, Orange County Blues FC, Orlando City SC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, Sacramento Republic FC, Wilmington Hammerheads FC)

PDL (Division IV): Teams TBA (will be based on 2013 league results)

NPSL (Division IV): San Diego Flash, CD Aguiluchos USA (Winners of 2014 qualifying tournaments); remainder of clubs will be based on 2013 results

USASA (Division IV)

USASA Region I: NY Greek American Atlas (2013 Region I Amateur Cup champion), Icon FC (2013 Region I Open Cup champion) USASA Region II: FC Schwaben AC (2013 fall qualifying tournament finalist), Des Moines Menace USASA (2013 fall qualifying tournament finalist)
USASA Region III: Red Force (2013 Region III Open Cup runner-up), North Texas Rayados (2013 Region III Open Cup champion) USASA Region IV: PSA Elite (2013 Region IV Open Cup champion), Cal FC (winner of Region IV fall play-in game)

US Club Soccer (Division IV): 2014 qualifying tournament information unavailable

USSSA (Division IV): Colorado Rovers (2014 USSSA Open Cup champion)

We have learned that all of the professional teams from Major League Soccer, the North American Soccer League and USL Pro will continue to send all of their US-based clubs.

Not much is expected to change with the amateur ranks either. The only unknown is how many teams each league will be awarded. The Premier Development League will continue to base their entries on the previous year’s league results, and just like last year, the National Premier Soccer League will do the same, with the exception of their western conference teams. The three western divisions in the NPSL have all completed their play-in tournaments and when the dust settled, the San Diego Flash and CD Aguiluchos USA were the two clubs that emerged victorious.

With the deadline moved up, the four regions of the USASA didn’t have time to organize a full tournament. Region I and III decided to submit their champions from 2013, while Region IV had a single play-in game and Regions II held a brief 8-team tournament last fall.

Here are the 2014 qualifying results from the USASA:

2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup entries from USASA (unofficial):

USASA Region I entries:
* NY Greek American Atlas (East NY – 2013 Region I Amateur Cup champion)
* Icon FC (New Jersey – 2013 Region I Open Cup champion)

USASA Region II entries (Fall 2013 tournament details):
* Schwaben AC (Illinois)
* Des Moines Menace – USASA (Iowa)

USASA Region III entries:
* North Texas Rayados (North Texas – 2013 Region III Open Cup champion)
* Red Force (Florida – 2013 Region III Open Cup runner-up)

USASA Region IV entries (Fall 2013 play-in game details):
* PSA Elite (2013 Region IV Open Cup champions)
* Cal FC (Fall 2013 play-in winner)

Why did 2015 US Open Cup qualifying begin last fall?

With 2014 teams already determined and the qualifying deadline moved to Dec. 31, the qualifying tournaments that have been going on since the fall of 2013 for the USASA are feeding into the 2014 regional tournaments. Those regional tournaments will determine each region’s entry for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

During the last two months of 2013, three state qualifying tournaments took place in Region I. Eastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Eastern New York crowned champions which will feed into the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Here are where each region stands for 2015.

2014 USASA REGION I OPEN CUP
(Home teams on right)

Preliminary Round (April 6)
AC Blaugrana (RI) L:W Mass Premier Soccer (MA)
ACB won original match 2-0, but were DQ’d for use of ineligble player

Quarterfinals (April 6)
Newtown Pride FC (CT) 1:5 Lansdowne Bhoys FC (East NY)
Maryland Bays (MD) 3:1 West Chester United (East PA)
Oak Avalon (West PA) 1:3 Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (DC/VA)
Icon FC (NJ) 0:5 Mass Premier Soccer (MA) – April 13

Semifinals (May 4)
Lansdowne Bhoys (East NY) at Mass Premier Soccer (MA)
Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (CT) at Maryland Bays (MD)

Final (June 15)
Teams TBD – Winner qualifies for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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2014 USASA REGION I AMATEUR CUP

First Round (April 13)
Danbury United (CT) 6:0 Manzanillol Deportivo (NH)
Maryland Bays (MD) 6:1 FC Motown (NJ)
NY Greek American Atlas 5:0 Mass United FC (MA)
Vereinigung Erzgebirge (East PA) 3:3 Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA)
VE advances 4-3 in penalty kicks

Semifinals (May 11)
Danbury United (CT) at NY Greek American Atlas SC (East NY)
Vereinigung Erzgebirge (East PA) at Maryland Bays (MD)

Final (June 15)
Danbury/NYGAA vs. VE/Maryland Bays
Winner qualifies for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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2014 USASA REGION II OPEN CUP

Teams/Format TBD

(No state qualifying information available)

Region II finalists qualify for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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2014 USASA REGION III OPEN CUP

Teams/Format TBD

Details: Louisiana state tournament

(No other state qualifying information available)

Region III finalists qualify for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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2014 USASA REGION IV OPEN CUP

Teams/Format TBD

(No state qualifying tournaments)

Region IV finalists qualify for 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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Still confused? Ask your US Open Cup qualifying questions in the comments below.

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL’s San Diego Flash back after 13 years; CD Aguiluchos USA to debut in 2014

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San Diego Flash and FC Hasental players battle for the ball in their 2014 US Open Cup qualifying final match. Photo: FC Hasental

Two west coast National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) teams have presumably qualified for the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with wins Saturday. While the US Soccer Federation has yet to announce the format for the 2014 edition of the tournament, the game between the San Diego Flash and FC Hasental and the match between CD Aguiluchos USA and Spartans Futbol Club were largely predicted as “Win & You’re In.” The Flash and Aguiluchos both won their games 2-1, and are now awaiting the final word from USSF.

For San Diego, if you include the club’s past history, it will mark the sixth time the Flash have qualified for the US Open Cup and the first time since 2001 when they were an A-League team (2nd Division). In fact, the last time the Flash qualified for the Open Cup, their head coach Warren Barton was still playing for Newcastle United in England.

Now, in their fourth season as an NPSL side, they have returned to the tournament by avenging last year’s qualifying tournament final loss to FC Hasental.

“We think is great for our city of San Diego,” Flash CEO Clent Alexander said. “It’s great for our players. We re-started the organization about four years ago. We’ve been knocking on the door. This means that we got through. It’s great for our players and staff. It’s great for our organization overall.”

San Diego FlashThe match, hosted by Hasental at Oak Park High School Stadium in Oak Park, Calif., started out slow but the home side finally took the lead with a penalty kick by Moises Orozco in first half stoppage time.

However, the scoreline was reversed early in the second half when Flash forward Justin Picou scored a pair of goals in the 58th and 63rd minutes to lead the Flash to victory.

“This loss stings considering we have to wait an entire year for another shot at qualifying,” Hasental head coach Eric Warner said after the match.

The last time the Flash qualified for the Open Cup, they were knocked out thanks to a brace by then-Chicago Fire forward Eric Wynalda at Milwaukee Sports Complex in Franklin, Mil.

Wynalda is now a part-owner of the club. That performance by Wynalda continued the trend of the San Diego club getting knocked out with a brace from a US National team star as they were also knocked out in 1999 thanks to a two-goal effort from Clint Mathis, then with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The farthest they have ever gone in the tournament was in 1999 and 2000 when they reached the third round before losing to the Galaxy both times.

“The last four years has been a magical ride, getting my partner Warren Barton involved,” Alexander said. “Warren Barton is here to put San Diego on the map in outdoor soccer. And ride with Cal FC a few years ago was special. If we can do anything like he did, we’d like to see our local media involved with what we do.”

Meanwhile, CD Aguiluchos USA of Oakland, Calif. continued their dream run towards qualifying for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by defeating Spartans Futbol Club of Vancouver, Wash. Saturday night at Raimondi Park in Oakland.

Aguiluchos, the Golden Gate Conference Open Cup Qualifying tournament champion, faced the Spartans who won the qualifying tournament for the newly-formed Northwest Conference.

“ a big opportunity for all the fans that we have in the whole of the United States,” said Aguiluchos chairman Roger Amaya, who’s club is named as an homage to 15-time Salvadorian champion C.D. Aguila. “We have a lot of fans from Maryland, New Jersey and LA where there is a big concentration of Salvadorian people.”

“They’re watching us,” Amaya added. “We’re showing all the fans that we’re working hard to compete at a good level.”

The home side was the first to score when Jorge Ruiz collected a ball in the midfield, then dribbled the ball to the top of the box and unleashed a right-footed shot that caromed off of the post and into the net.

The Spartans then tied the match when defender Jordan Selland found forward Nino Ayala for the equalizing goal shortly before halftime.

Late in the match, Aguiluchos won a penalty and up stepped former Salvadorian international Rudis Corrales, who scored for El Salvador as recently as 2011.

The veteran converted the penalty to give Aguiluchos the win. CD Aguiluchos are now expected to take part in the US Open Cup for the first time in just their second season under head coach and former CD Aguila player Hugo Coria.

Colorado Rovers repeat as USSSA champions, clinch US Open Cup berth in shutout-filled qualifying tournament

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Colorado Rovers: 2014 USSSA Open Cup tournament champions | Photo: USSSA

With the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Open Cup qualifying tournament in Overland Park, Kan. this past weekend, Mark Saxby wasn’t thinking about his homecoming.

“I came here not looking to spend time with my family and my friends,” the Colorado Rovers goalkeeper said. “I wanted to win this with my team.”

That intensity and focus paid off as Saxby helped the Rovers win the USSSA title for the second year in a row by not allowing a single goal in five tournament games over three days. In fact, all 15 games of the tournament finished with at least one goalkeeper earning a shutout.

The Olathe, Kansas native saved his best performance for last. Saxby made a string of incredible saves to help the Rovers clinch a 1-0, extra-time victory over the Kansas City Athletics in the final to send Colorado to the US Open Cup. Saxby was named MVP of the championship game for his efforts.

“Mark Saxby was unbelievable,” said Rovers head coach Erick French. “Some of the best goalkeeping we’ve had in years.”

The 2014 US Open Cup marks just the second year the USSSA will be taking part in the 101-year-old competition. Last year, the Rovers represented the organization but lost in a penalty kick shootout to the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution in the tournament Preliminary Round after finishing extra time tied 1-1.

The format for this year’s Open Cup has yet to be announced by the US Soccer Federation, so it is unclear where or when the Rovers will begin their journey. The tournament is expected to begin in May.

There was no question the final matched the two best teams of the tournament. Both sides cruised through the group stage and their respective semifinal games, not only without losing, but neither team gave up a goal. The Rovers defeated local rival FC Denver 1-0 on a 39th minute penalty kick by Scott Crawford to punch their ticket to the final. The Athletics had an easier time, defeating Colorado Sporting Premier 6-0. Player/coach Kyle Perkins scored a pair of goals, while John Markey, Matt Kuhn, Evan Sizemore and Martin Johnston added one each in the route.

After Friday and Saturday produced weather in the mid-70s with a light breeze, the conditions for Sunday’s championship game were brutal. Ice chips covered the field and winds close to 20 mph made the temperature feel much colder than the reported 30 degrees at kickoff.

TheCup.us 2014 USSSA
All-Tournament Team
GK: Mark Saxby (Colorado Rovers)
DEF: Curtis Greenley (FC Denver)
DEF: Dele Johnson (Colorado Rovers)
DEF: Daouda Kante (Boulevard)
DEF: Joel Miller (FC Denver)
LM: John Markey (KC Athletics)
CM: Scott Crawford (Colorado Rovers)
CM: Matt Kuhn (KC Athletics)
CM: Robert O’Brien (Comets Express)
RM: George Hunt (Colorado Rovers)
FWD: Garrett Webb (KC Athletics)

Kansas City controlled the game out of the gate and almost took the lead in the third minute when a free kick rattled around the Rovers penalty box before Saxby was able to smoother the loose ball.

In the 13th minute, John Markey got all the way to the end line, but his cross to the near post was cleared just before Brian Williams could reach it.

Colorado seemed to settle in after the first 15 minutes and the game opened up with opportunities for both sides.

The Rovers’ first big chance came in the 20th minute. Scott Crawford played Craig Thompson in alone on goal, but KC ‘keeper Steve Patterson narrowed the angle and Thompson hit his shot inches wide of the near post.

Kansas City nearly made Colorado pay for the missed opportunity on the stroke of halftime. Martin Johnston got free down the right flank with some nifty footwork and his cross found Kyle Perkins, but the player/coach couldn’t direct his diving header on target.

The Athletics were again inches away from taking the lead four minutes into the second half. Saxby managed to get a hand on Chris Markey’s free kick from 25 yards leading to a scramble in the box. The ball found its way to the feet of Williams who tapped into the open net, only to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside.

Both teams struggled to generate chances after that until Josh Westburg’s volley in stoppage time forced an impressive diving save from Saxby.

With nothing separating the two teams after regulation, the game headed to extra time and it didn’t take long for the breakthrough to come in the first extra period.

Rovers went forward on the counter, Evan Siezendev’s clearance was blocked, Bulwich couldn’t reach the deflection and the ball bounced to Marc Herschberger who found himself one-on-one with Patterson. The Athletics’ goalkeeper rushed out to cut down the angle, but Herschberger keep his composure and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give Colorado the lead.

“We knew was going to put a lot of pressure out as fast they could,” said French. “But they were starting to get tired and they were starting to sub a little more quickly. We were starting to get a little more possession near the end of the game and starting to become a little more dangerous.”

Kansas City pressed for an equalizer and nearly found it two minutes into the second period of extra time when Williams hit the bar from 30 yards out.

Saxby’s MVP resume was solidified in the game’s final minutes. First, he dove to his left to palm away a rocket from Patterson, after the KC keeper had come forward for a corner. A minute later, he made a tremendous reflex save, palming Garrett Webb’s point-blank header over the bar. On the ensuing corner it was Saxby coming off his line to claim as the referee blew his whistle for full time.

“Growing up here, it’s nice to have support and come back and I think that made me a little more calm in those frantic situations,” said Saxby of his family members who braved the harsh conditions to watch both the semifinal and final.

Colorado Rovers have qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row. Photo: USSSA

The significance of qualifying for the Open Cup two years in a row wasn’t lost on French.

“It’s huge, you can’t underestimate that,” he said. “There’s sponsorships, there’s long-term ramifications, there’s different players that are going to approach us to say ‘hey, look I want to play for the best team in Colorado’.”

Even though he was happy to celebrate with his team, French made it clear it won’t be easy going forward in the tournament.

“We’ve got work to do,” he said.

2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
Note: We apologize for the formatting problems
Tournament Preview [+]

Group A PTS W L D GD
Colorado Rovers 7 2 0 1 +3
CO Sporting Premier 6 2 1 0 +8
Boulevard 4 1 1 1 +0
Comets Express 0 0 3 0 -11

Friday, March 14 – (Day 1 recap)
Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
Saturday, March 15 – (Day 2 recap)
Boulevard 0:0 Colorado Rovers
CO Sporting Premier 4:0 Comets Express
Colorado Rovers 1:0 CO Sporting Premier
Comets Express 0:5 Boulevard

Group B PTS W L D GD
KC Athletics 7 2 0 1 +13
FC Denver 5 1 0 2 +3
Azteca Mojos 4 1 1 1 +3
Performance Soccer 0 0 3 0 -19

Friday, March 14 – (Day 1 recap)
FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
Saturday, March 15 – (Day 2 recap)
Performance Soccer 0:9 KC Athletics
Aztexa Mojos 0:0 FC Denver
FC Denver 0:0 KC Athletics
Performance Soccer 0:7 Azteca Mojos

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

Sunday, March 16

Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 FC Denver
KC Athletics 6:0 CO Sporting Premier

Final (12 p.m.)
Colorado Rovers 1:0 (AET) KC Athletics

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Four USSSA clubs emerge from Saturday group stage

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UPDATE: Colorado Rovers defeated the Kansas City Athletics 1-0 in extra time to win the USSSA’s Open Cup qualifying tournament. More details to come.

The second day of the United States Sports Specialty Association’s US Open Cup qualifying tournament produced four semifinalists. Those four winners will square off on Sunday in Overland Park, Kan. to decide which club will represent the USSSA in the 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, which will kick off in May.

The defending champion Colorado Rovers moved on with a 2-0-1 record in group play. They finished in first place in the group with a 1-0 win over Colorado Sporting Premier in the final game. Luckily for Sporting Premier, they had won their first two group matches to clinch a spot in the semifinals already.

  • PREVIEW: 2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
  • 2014 US Open Cup qualifying: USSSA Day 1 recap

    In Group B, the Kansas City Athletics took advantage of their second opportunity to qualify for the 2014 US Open Cup as they finished unbeaten (2-0-1) in the group stage, outscoring their opponents 13-0. The only team who held them to a draw, FC Denver, will join them in the final four as they used a 3-0 win over Performance Soccer on Friday and two scoreless draws on Saturday to advance.

    A surprising trend so far in the tournament has been the defense, as all 12 matches in group play were shutouts, with only three of them finishing as scoreless draws.

    Here are more details from Saturday’s action:

    GROUP B >> KC Athletics 9:0 Performance Soccer

    The KC Athletics continued their prolific USSSA tournament campaign with a 9-0 blowout win over Iowa’s lone representative, Performance Soccer, on Saturday morning.

    The left-side combo of Skelly Kellar and John Markey was effective once again for the Athletics and it was Markey opening the scoring in the fourth minute after being played in by Kellar.

    Two minutes later, Garrett Webb flicked the ball on to the near post for Jesse Baker to head home and the rout was on.

    Kyle Perkins added a third right before halftime with a rocket off the underside of the crossbar.

    KC continued its dominance in the second half and it wasn’t until the 31st minute that Performance managed to get a shot off.

    The highlight of the second half was a pair of terrific goals by Markey to complete his hat-trick. The left-winger now has four goals in two games.

    “ didn’t expect to score that many,” said player/coach Kyle Perkins. “It’s always nice to get that many guys on the scoresheet.”

    More importantly, the win means the Athletics qualify for the knockout rounds regardless of what happens in their afternoon match against FC Denver.

    “We’ll go out to win it just like every game,” said Perkins when asked about the afternoon game. “We’re not going to take it easy on anyone.”

    KC can claim the top spot in the group with a win or draw. Perkins said he’s happy with the fitness levels of his team, but he’ll continue to rotate players in the third group game.

    “Most of the younger guys are pretty good, some of the older guys might be dragging but we’ll be alright,” Perkins said.

    In the other, group game taking place at the same time, FC Denver was held to a scoreless draw by Azteca Mojos. This result put Denver in a difficult position because they needed a win or tie in their game against the high-scoring Athletics in order to advance. If they lost, they would need help from other results or a tiebreaker.

    GROUP B >> KC ATHLETICS 0:0 FC DENVER

    Both the Kansas City Athletics and FC Denver came into Saturday’s matchup having allowed zero goals in the tournament.

    Both teams would keep their tournament clean sheet going as the teams battled to a 0-0 draw in a potential preview of Sunday’s championship game.

    “We had our chances to win it,” said Athletics player/coach Kyle Perkins. “But in the end, we did what we came to do and finished top of the group a draw’s fine.”

    One of those chances came just seconds into the game when Matt Kuhn took the kickoff and split the Denver defense, but his shot from just inside the 18 went wide.

    Physical play from the Athletics in midfield continued to lead to chances. In the 7th minute, Martin Johnston had a beautiful pass to free Garrett Webb, but the forward saw his shot saved at the near post.

    Denver’s chances were few and far between, but the Colorado side came close in the 19th minute when Brody Yarletts’ dangerous free kick rattled around the penalty area before being scrambled clear.

    FCD threated again off a set piece in the 35th minute when Joel Miller flicked on Felipe Donato’s free kick to the back post, but Ian Cross pushed his shot wide of the open net.

    Brian Williams had a good chance to break the deadlock in the 37th minute after Johnston played him in alone on goal, but the big forward failed to test the keeper with his shot.

    The game ended in controversy when Denver keeper Walter Fink misjudged a backpass with Skelly Kellar bearing down and appeared to foul Kellar in the box. Perkins was animated on the sideline asking for a penalty, but his protests fell on deaf ears as the referee waved play on.

    The result means KC wins Group B on seven points and advances to play Colorado Sporting Premier in one semifinal while FC Denver advances as the runner-up with five points and will face the Colorado Rovers in the other semifinal.

    “It’s going to be tight,” said Elbin when asked about the semifinal. “We share the same practice facility , we have a few of their former players so we’re super familiar with them. We’re a pretty defensive group and we’re going to lock it down tomorrow too.”

    “We’ll play a stronger lineup for longer periods of time the next two games,” said Perkins when asked how he planned to approach the knockout rounds. “We’ve been playing 50-50, but we’ll stick with a stronger lineup.”

    Azteca Mojos fell short of second place, defeating Performance Soccer 7-0 in their final game, but they needed an FC Denver loss to advance.

    GROUP A >> BOULEVARD 0:0 COLORADO ROVERS

    Boulevard managed to get its first point of the tournament Saturday morning, drawing 0-0 with Colorado Rovers.

    After playing with just nine men on Friday night, Boulevard showed much better against the Colorado side and gave itself a slim chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

    Despite the improvement, there were plenty of chances for Rovers.

    George Hunt burst down the right in the fifth minute and squared for Craig Thompson, but the forward scuffed his shot into the hands of Bangu keeper Matt Gow.

    Three minutes later, a bad backpass from Michael Gow was intercepted and nearly sent in by one of the Rovers, but the ball was cleared off the line.

    Colorado thought it had the lead when Hunt found Marc Herschberger for a tap-in at the back post, but the goal was ruled offside.

    “One of those games where you’re obviously better than the other team, but the guys just aren’t sharp and we couldn’t finish,” said Rovers coach Erick French

    Boulevard had its best chance of the game in the 21st minute when former MLS player Kyle Brown used a fake shot to free himself in the box and forced a diving save out of Rovers’ ‘keeper Mark Saxby.

    Bangu, as Boulevard is also referred to, was almost forced to play down a man for the second straight game when Fabio Caresia lunged in with both cleats exposed, but received only a yellow card.

    Rovers continued to throw players forward in search of a winner as the game wore on, but Boulevard defended well and Matt Gow made another big save one minute before full time to preserve the draw.

    Rovers will play Colorado Sporting Premier Saturday afternoon to determine the top spot in the group.

    Boulevard needs to make up a six-goal differential as well as a Rovers loss to make the knockout stages. Colorado Sporting Premier won their group game 4-0 over Comets Express to clinch a spot in the semifinals

    GROUP A >> COLORADO ROVERS 1:0 COLORADO SPORTING PREMIER

    Colorado Rovers and Colorado Sporting Premier know each other well.

    As two of the Centennial State’s top teams it was no surprise Saturday afternoon’s game was for the top spot in Group A.

    But when the dust settled on the physical affair, it was Rovers who took all three points with a 1-0 victory.

    After a sluggish performance in a scoreless draw earlier in the morning, Rovers came out bursting with energy and used a high press to frustrate Sporting and control the game.

    Rovers came close to opening the scoring when Wesley Post crossed to Brenden Hughes at the back post, but the midfielder sent his header wide of the target.

    Two minutes later, Hughes made a second chance at goal count. George Hunt found space on the right flank and swung in a cross that was misplayed by Sporting goalkeeper Andrew Simonete. The ball fell to Hughes who turned and fired home to give Rovers the 1-0 lead.

    Sporting’s best chance to equalize came four minutes from time when forward Daniel Perez was able to turn his defender at midfield and run unchecked into the box, but his attempted cutback pass was cleared.

    The win means Colorado Rovers finish top of Group A on seven points and will play another local rival in FC Denver in one semifinal Sunday morning.

    Sporting Premier finishes the group stage with six points and will play KC Athletics in the other semifinal also on Sunday.

    The other game in the group was just for pride as Boulevard blanked the Comets Express 5-0 to finish in third place.

    2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
    Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
    All times CT
    Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
    Note: We apologize for the formatting problems

    Group A PTS W L D GD
    Colorado Rovers 7 2 0 1 +3
    CO Sporting Premier 6 2 1 0 +8
    Boulevard 4 1 1 1 +0
    Comets Express 0 0 3 0 -11

    Friday, March 14
    Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
    CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
    Saturday, March 15
    Boulevard 0:0 Colorado Rovers
    CO Sporting Premier 4:0 Comets Express
    Colorado Rovers 1:0 CO Sporting Premier
    Comets Express 0:5 Boulevard

    Group B PTS W L D GD
    KC Athletics 7 2 0 1 +13
    FC Denver 5 1 0 2 +3
    Azteca Mojos 4 1 1 1 +3
    Performance Soccer 0 0 3 0 -19

    Friday, March 14
    FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
    KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
    Saturday, March 15
    Performance Soccer 0:9 KC Athletics
    Aztexa Mojos 0:0 FC Denver
    FC Denver 0:0 KC Athletics
    Performance Soccer 0:7 Azteca Mojos

    Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

    Sunday, March 16

    Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
    Colorado Rovers vs. FC Denver
    KC Athletics vs. CO Sporting Premier

    Final (12 p.m.)
    Colorado Rovers/FC Denver vs. KC Athletics/CO Sporting Premier

    • 2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Defense rules opening matches of USSSA tournament (with Saturday updates)

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    The United States Specialty Sports Association kicked off their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying tournament on Friday night with four games as group play began in the eight-team competition.

    All four opening games ended in a shutout as the Kansas City Athletics, Colorado Sporting Premier, FC Denver and defending champion Colorado Rovers all picked up three points in Overland Park, Kan. The games being played at this year’s competition are all 50 minutes long, due to scheduling limitations. The shortened games have made for some intense battles as teams have little time to waste to pick up valuable points in the group stage.

  • PREVIEW: 2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
  • 2014 US Open Cup qualifying: USSSA Day 1 recap

    • The Colorado Sporting Premier had no trouble with Boulevard, taking the match 5-0, while FC Denver defeated Performance Soccer 3-0. (More details to come.)

    COLORADO ROVERS 2:0 COMETS EXPRESS

    Almost 700 miles from home, it took the Colorado Rovers time to find their footing.

    Once they got going, though, the Rovers looked like a team capable of defending its USSSA title.

    Brenden Hughes and Scott Crawford scored second-half goals to help the Colorado side open its title defense with a 2-0 win over the hometown Comets Express.

    “ a little bit of nerves coming out,” said Rovers coach Erick French. “It took about 35 minutes to get our feet under us.”

    Nerves seemed to affect both sides in a first half that featured a scrappy midfield battle and few scoring opportunities for either team.

    The first real chance came eleven minutes in when Comets goalkeeper Chris Plooster misjudged a corner kick, but Rovers defender Dele Johnson sent his header over the open net.

    Five minutes later the Rovers had another chance to take the lead when Scott Crawford intercepted a pass in midfield and fed Arkadiusz Raclawski who beat two defenders only to hit his shot from inside the box right into the arms of Plooster.

    Colorado refocused after the break and five minutes into the second half the goal finally came. Quick, one-touch passing opened up space for Hunt down the right flank and his cross to the near post found a diving Hughes for a 1-0 lead.

    “Some of the one-touch stuff was magic,” said French. “It’s just fun to watch.”

    “ and I just made eye contact,” said Hughes. “It was a perfect ball and he made it easy for me. I finished it pretty nicely, but all credit to him.”

    The goal seemed to open the game up and the final 20 minutes saw chances for both teams.

    Hunt managed to get free again in the 40th minute and his cross found Brian Sheenhan alone in the six yard box, but the forward inexplicably hit his shot right into the arms of Plooster.

    Comets best chance to equalize came in the 41st minute. Brian Turner beat Colorado ‘keeper Mark Saxby to a free kick and sent a looping header toward goal, but defender Travis Hutchinson managed to recover and clear the ball before it could cross the line.

    Six minutes later Scott Crawford sealed the win for the Rovers with beautiful curler from the left edge of the 18-yard box.

    “That first half I thought we had possession pretty much the entire half,” said Comets Express coach Brad Geraldi. “Coming out we played very flat and they took advantage.”

    The result leaves Colorado Rovers second in Group A on goal differential after Colorado Sporting Premier defeated Boulevard 4-0 later in the evening. Coach French said his team would rotate some new players in to ensure everyone stays fresh for both games on Saturday.

    Geraldi said he’d also rotate his team. He said he knows the Comets have to get a result in game one on Saturday to stay alive, but he’s confident they can do so.

    “Absolutely not,” said Geraldi when asked if he’d make any changes to the way his team played heading into Saturday. “If we come out playing the way we did we’ll be in good shape.”

    KANSAS CITY ATHLETICS 4:0 AZTECA MOJOS

    For the KC Athletics the USSSA Nationals represents a second chance at qualifying for the US Open Cup after the team was knocked out of USASA Region II qualifying by the Des Moines Menace last fall.

    “We’re not changing the emphasis,” said player/coach Kyle Perkins when asked if there was extra motivation. “We put out 100% in Iowa and we’ll do the same here. Hopefully it’s a better result this time.”

    So far so good.

    KC used a pair of first half goals from Garrett Webb and second half strikes from John Markey and Matt Kuhn to cruise to a 4-0 win over Azteca Mojos in its opening group stage game.

    The Athletics pressed high up the pitch and controlled the game throughout, generating midfield turnovers and scoring chances through smooth build-up play.

    “With the halves being shortened we can really high press,” said Perkins.

    That high pressure paid off in the 13th minute. John Markey’s shot was parried by the Mojos keeper, but fell right into the path of a sliding Webb, who poked home the rebound to open the scoring.

    Kansas City doubled its lead on the stroke of halftime. Slick passing down the right flank released Webb into the box and he rifled a shot inside the near post for his second goal of the game.

    Things got chippy in the second half after several hard fouls and five cards where handed out between the two teams.

    Markey sealed the win in the 42nd minute with a wicked curling shot to the far post that left the Mojos keeper rooted to the spot and Kuhn added an insurance goal in stoppage time after Chris Markey made a run from inside his own half and got all the way to the end line to cross.

    With the win the Athletics move into first place in Group B on goal differential.

    Perkins knows the first game on Saturday will be important, but said KC may not press as much in order to conserve energy for the rest of the tournament.

    “We’ll gauge everyone’s fitness level and go from there,” he said. “If the results go our way and we can rest the third game that’s always a bonus.”

    2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
    Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
    All times CT
    Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
    Note: We apologize for the formatting problems

    Group A PTS W L D GD
    Colorado Rovers 7 2 0 1 +3
    CO Sporting Premier 6 2 1 0 +8
    Boulevard 4 1 1 1 +0
    Comets Express 0 0 3 0 -11

    Friday, March 14
    Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
    CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
    Saturday, March 15
    Boulevard 0:0 Colorado Rovers
    CO Sporting Premier 4:0 Comets Express
    Colorado Rovers 1:0 CO Sporting Premier
    Comets Express 0:5 Boulevard

    Group B PTS W L D GD
    KC Athletics 7 2 0 1 +13
    FC Denver 5 1 0 2 +3
    Azteca Mojos 4 1 1 1 +3
    Performance Soccer 0 0 3 0 -19

    Friday, March 14
    FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
    KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
    Saturday, March 15
    Performance Soccer 0:9 KC Athletics
    Aztexa Mojos 0:0 FC Denver
    FC Denver 0:0 KC Athletics
    Performance Soccer 0:7 Azteca Mojos

    Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

    Sunday, March 16

    Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
    Colorado Rovers 1:0 FC Denver
    KC Athletics 6:0 CO Sporting Premier

    Final (12 p.m.)
    Colorado Rovers 1:0 (AET) KC Athletics

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Rescheduled USSSA tournament kicks off with 50-minute games to decide entry (with updates)

    by

    UPDATED RESULTS/STANDINGS BELOW (12:30 a.m. ET)

    Cup tournaments have always held a special place for the underdog. Whether it’s England’s famous FA Cup or our own, slightly younger, Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, there’s a romance in the idea that any team from any level has a fair shot at a title.

    The road to that dream begins for eight amateur teams this weekend at the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) nationals in Overland Park, Kan.

    The USSSA added soccer to its list of sports in 2001 and was awarded a spot for one team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time last year. That bid went to the Colorado Rovers, who are back this year with a former pro who has an Open Cup title on his resume, looking to qualify again.

    The tournament’s format is a standard one with two groups of four playing a round-robin with the top two teams from each group moving on to the knockout stage. The only non-traditional aspect of the competition is the fact that the group stage games and the semifinals will be limited to 50 minutes (Two 25-minute halves), while the championship game on Sunday will be the full 90 minutes.

    According to USSSA VP and National Director Craig Scriven, the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Denver back in October, but flooding caused the event to be postponed. With the US Open Cup’s qualifying deadline fast approaching, the organization had to decide an Open Cup representative by Tuesday, March 18, so they found some fields to play on in Overland Park. Unfortunately, a youth tournament is going on this weekend, so the length of the games were reduced to fit the entire tournament in before the deadline.

    The format for the 2014 US Open Cup has yet to be announced, so it is unclear if the USSSA will receive more than a single spot in the preliminary round as the Rovers did last year.

    The rest of the field include some familiar faces, and one familiar team. The Kansas City Athletics, who have entered the USASA Region II qualifying tournament as Kansas’ only entry every year since 2010, and have qualified twice (2010, 2012), have joined the competition.

    Here are the teams that will take part in the tournament, which begins Friday night:

    Azteca Mojos
    One of the four Colorado-based teams that will attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time.

    Boulevard
    Boulevard, also known as ‘Bangu’, is one of the tournament’s hometown teams. They are an over-30 team who are one of the founding members of the Johnson County Adult Soccer League, based in Overland Park, Kan. Brad Likens and his three brothers have run the club for over 15 years, and according to Likens, have won more than 20 trophies during that time.

    In addition to running and playing for Boulevard, Likens is also one of the owners of FC Kansas City of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Missouri Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). He will regretably miss Friday night’s tournament opener against Colorado Sporting Premier because he will be with his Comets as they are hosting the Baltimore Blast in Game 1 of the MISL championship series.

    The team will be missing a few of their notable players, many of whom have played for the Comets or with Sporting Kansas City. Among the players who will be taking part in the tournament are: Ethiopian international Dani Jiregna, former MLS and MISL player Ibrahim Kante and former MLS and USL player Kyle Brown. Former Comets player Matt Iverson and Matt Gow, who spent time with the Southern California Seahorses of the USL’s Premier Development League.

    FC Denver
    There’s already plenty of silverware in FC Denver’s trophy cabinet. The club added to its proud tradition by winning the 2013 Colorado State Cup last July. Winning also qualified Denver for the USSSA nationals, where the club will attempt to claim its first-ever US Open Cup berth.

    Colorado Rovers
    The Rovers got the USSSA’s Open Cup bid last year, but were knocked out in the preliminary round by the NPSL’s Georgia Revolution. The club was founded in 1992 and has a long history of success in Colorado’s top amateur league, as well as in amateur tournaments across the country. 2013 was no different for the Rovers, as the team was the fall champion of the Colorado Amateur Soccer League. They bring some serious experience into this year’s USSSA tournament with former US Open Cup champion Ritchie Kotschau, who lifted the cup in 1998 while playing for MLS’ Chicago Fire.

    Comets Express
    Comets Express is one of three Kansas City-area teams competing in the USSSA nationals and plays in the Johnson County Adult Soccer League alongside Boulevard. The roster features a wealth of experience at the college level, including alums from the University of Raleigh and Rockhurst University in Kansas City. Coach Brad Geraldi says he is excited to face new completion in the tournament.

    CO Sporting Premier
    Just like the other Colorado teams in the tournament, CO Sporting Premier boasts plenty of trophies with success at the league, state and national level. The club competes yearly in the Las Vegas Sliver Mug Invitational and trains players at all levels in the state of Colorado.

    Kansas City Athletics
    Player/coach Kyle Perkins thought he had his team qualified for its second straight Open Cup last year when his 90th minute goal knocked off Dearborn Stars FC. It was later revealed the field for the match was 62 yards wide, not the 65 yards required by the USASA. A protest by the Stars was upheld and the Athletics were forced to withdraw when they couldn’t make the scheduled replay in Chicago. This year’s USASA Region II campaign ended on a sour note for KC when it was bounced in the quarterfinal round of US Open Cup qualifying. The USSSA Nationals is a second chance for the team to qualify for the Open Cup. The Athletics have one Open Cup win under their belt (2012: 3-1 at Real Colorado Foxes of PDL) in their two previous tournament experiences and there’s enough talent on the squad with a mix of college players and former pros to try to qualify for a third time.

    Performance Soccer
    Performance Soccer enters the USSSA nationals out of the Central Iowa Amateur League as the 2013-2014 league champions. Founded in 2009, the club includes seven current collegiate players and is coached by former Kansas City Wizards player Terry Konchalski.

    2014 USSSA Open Cup qualifying tournament
    Overland Park Soccer Complex – Overland Park, Kan.
    All times CT
    Note: Group stage, Semifinals are 50-minute games
    Note: We apologize for the formatting problems below

    Group A PTS W L D GD
    CO Sporting Premier 3 1 0 0 +5
    Colorado Rovers 3 1 0 0 +2
    Comets Express 0 0 1 0 -2
    Boulevard 0 0 1 0 -5

    Friday, March 14
    Colorado Rovers 2:0 Comets Express
    CO Sporting Premier 5:0 Boulevard
    Saturday, March 15
    Boulevard vs. Colorado Rovers (Field 1, 10 a.m.)
    CO Sporting Premier vs. Comets Express (Field 2, 10 a.m.)
    Colorado Rovers vs. CO Sporting Premier (Field 1, 2 p.m.)
    Comets Express vs. Boulevard (Field 2, 2 p.m.)

    Group B PTS W L D GD
    KC Athletics 3 1 0 0 +4
    FC Denver 3 1 1 0 +3
    Performance Soccer 0 0 1 0 -3
    Azteca Mojos 0 0 1 0 -4

    Friday, March 14
    FC Denver 3:0 Performance Soccer
    KC Athletics 4:0 Azteca Mojos
    Saturday, March 15
    Performance Soccer vs. KC Athletics (Field 1, 11:15 a.m.)
    Aztexa Mojos vs. FC Denver (Field 2, 11:15 a.m.)
    FC Denver vs. KC Athletics (Field 1, 3:15 p.m.)
    Performance Soccer vs. Azteca Mojos (Field 2, 3:15 p.m.)

    Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Fewest goals allowed (3) Goal difference (Max +/- 4) (4) Most shutouts (5) Most goals scored (no maximum) (6) Fewest red cards (7) PKs or coin flip

    Sunday, March 16

    Semifinals (9:30 a.m.)
    Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up
    Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up

    Final (12 p.m.)
    Teams TBD

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Seattle Sporting, Spartans FC advance in inaugural NPSL Northwest opener (video)

    by

    Spartans Futbol Club and Seattle Sporting FC are each one step closer to making the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in their debut seasons in the National Premier Soccer League’s brand-new Northwest Conference.

    The two clubs will face each other in the NPSL Northwest qualification tournament final after winning their semifinal matches this weekend. Spartans pounded SO Samba FC 6-0, while Seattle Sporting saw off city rivals Inter United FC 1-0 in the first competitive fixture for both teams.

    Sporting got a goal in the 13th minute from Avimael Castro, who ran down a long free-kick and chipped it past the Inter keeper. Unfortunately for Seattle, Castro was forced to exit the match 14 minutes later with a leg injury. Sporting was the more aggressive team offensively, and they held onto their one-goal lead through a physical second half.

    “With the team we played today, only been training together for two weeks,” head coach Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar said. “So we have some chemistry issues, but with time hopefully they’ll start to gel.”

    It was the first victory for the Sporting head coach, who previously has played in the US Open Cup with the USL’s Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.

    “We have had scrimmages where we have given up two, three or four goals, so to get a shutout today, the defense stepped up,” Alcaraz-Cuellar said. “They improved from the scrimmages. A win’s a win, and in the first game for the club, it’s even more huge of a win so I’m really proud for the guys.”

    The other Northwest finalist had an easier time advancing. On a pouring night in Portland, Spartans FC scored early and never let up, eventually running away with a 6-0 victory over SO Samba. The Vancouver, Wash.-based Spartans were crowned champions of the Oregon Premier Soccer League in January and appear to be continuing their good form.

    Spartans, as the winning semifinalist that scored the most goals in its match, will host Seattle Sporting in the qualifying final at 7:30 p.m. tonight, according to Sporting’s website.

    According to Seattle Sporting FC Facebook page, the winner of the Northwest mini-tournament will have one more step to qualify for the 101st edition of the US Open Cup. The winner of tonight’s final will hit the road this weekend to play Golden Gate Conference tournament winner CD Aguiluchos USA in what is expected to be a “Win & You’re In” match. There has been no official announcement about the format of the 2014 US Open Cup, so it is unclear how many NPSL teams will be allowed in this year.

    )

      2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

    GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

    Semifinals (March 1)
    Real San Jose 0:2 Sonoma County Sol
    CD Aguiluchos USA 1:0 San Francisco Stompers

    Final (March 8)
    CD Aguiluchos USA 1:1 Sonoma County Sol
    CDA wins 4-3 in penalty kicks

    SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round (March 1)
    FC Force 5:2 Temecula FC
    Santa Clarita Storm 1:0 Del Ray City

    Semifinals (March 9)
    FC Force 0:3 San Diego Flash
    Santa Clarita Storm 1:6 FC Hasental

    Final (March 15)
    San Diego Flash vs. FC Hasental

    NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Seattle Sporting 1:0 Inter United
    Spartans FC 6:0 SO Samba

    Final
    Seattle Sporting at Spartans FC
    March 13 – 7:30 p.m. PT

    NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying: CD Aguiluchos edge Sonoma County Sol in PKs to win NPSL Golden Gate title (video)

    by

    Through a goal by Jorge Ruiz and four made penalties, CD Aguiluchos USA edged Sonoma County Sol to win the National Premier Soccer League’s Golden Gate Conference Open Cup qualifying tournament. They won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time Saturday night at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif.

    With the win, they put themselves in position to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time. At this time, the format for the 101st edition of the tournament has yet to be announced. However, according to the Seattle Sporting FC Facebook page, the winner of the Seattle-Spartans FC Northwest final will visit CDA on Saturday, March 15 in what is expected to be a “Win & You’re In” match.

    Sonoma struck first through a goal from forward Ross Middlemiss before Salvadorian forward Jorge Ruiz took advantage of a Sol goalkeeping error to level the game in the first half.

    The sides then played through a scoreless second half, and two scoreless extra time periods to set up a penalty kick shootout.

    Ruiz, Kevin Sanchez, Francisco Mendoza and Rodis Rebera all scored for the Oakland-based team to take them to where they’ve never been before.

    “We’re very excited because we represent the Salvadorian community,” Aguiluchos chairman Roger Amaya said. “This helps our marketing and support and is good for us because more people will come and believe in our team.”

    Founded in 2012, CD Aguiluchos USA is named after 15-time Salvadorian champion CD Aguila similar to how Chivas USA is named after Guadelajara of Mexico, though no formal partnership exists between Aguiluchos and their namesake.

    The team includes former Aguila and El Salvador striker Rudis Corrales, who played 77 times for his country of birth, scoring 17 goals.

    “He made history in our culture,” Amaya said of Corrales. “And now he’s trying to help us.”

    The team is made up mostly of Salvadorian and Mexican players, but does include former San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo forward Julian Nash. Prior to being drafted into Major League Soccer, Nash, an Oakland native, was the top scorer of the 2004 US Open Cup when he scored four goals for the Chicago Fire Reserves of the PDL.

    Aguiluchos made their debut in the NPSL last year, finishing 4th in the old West-Northern Conference with a 3-6-3 record.
    They are coached by former Aguila forward and manager Hugo Coria.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

    GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

    Semifinals (March 1)
    Real San Jose 0:2 Sonoma County Sol
    CD Aguiluchos USA 1:0 San Francisco Stompers

    Final (March 8)
    CD Aguiluchos USA 1:1 Sonoma County Sol
    CDA wins 4-3 in penalty kicks

    SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round (March 1)
    FC Force 5:2 Temecula FC
    Santa Clarita Storm 1:0 Del Ray City

    Semifinals (March 9)
    FC Force 0:3 San Diego Flash
    Santa Clarita Storm 1:6 FC Hasental

    Final (Mar. 15 – Win & You’re In)
    San Diego Flash vs. FC Hasental

    NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Seattle Sporting 1:0 Inter United
    Spartans FC 6:0 SO Samba

    Final
    Seattle Sporting at Spartans FC

    NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Sonoma County Sol, three other NPSL clubs, advance in qualifying

    by

    Robbie Giuk (red) of the Santa Clarita Storm battles for the ball against Del Rey City in the opening round of the NPSL Southwest Conference's Open Cup qualifying tournament. The Storm won 1-0 on Giuk's 17th minute goal. Photo: Paul Sundie | Santa Clarita Storm

    Second half strikes from Tyler Hurst and Taylor Varnadore lifted the Sonoma County Sol to a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Real San Jose Saturday night in the semifinals of the Golden Gate Conference US Open Cup qualifying tournament. The Sol are one of four National Premier Soccer League teams to take another step toward qualifying for the 2014 US Open Cup.

    With the win, the Sol ensured they will play next weekend in the tournament final at Rancho Cotate High School, the site of Saturday night’s triumph.  Their scheduled opposition, CD Aguiluchos USA, saw off the San Francisco Stompers 1-0 in the conference’s other tense semifinal. The deciding goal came in the 89th minute when Nestor Palacios came through with a 30-yard strike to send the club to the Golden Gate Conference’s championship game. The winner is expected to qualify for the 2014 US Open Cup, but the official format has yet to be announced by the US Soccer Federation.

    Hurst, who netted his second goal in as many games, opened the scoring for Sonoma County in the 47th minute in opportunistic fashion.  As a frantic scramble in the Real San Jose goalmouth cast doubt on the continuation of the scoreless stalemate, the ball fell perfectly into the path of the on-charging midfielder, who promptly fired the ball into the lower-left corner and the Sol into a lead they would not relinquish.

    Reacting to the setback, Real San Jose opted to switch to a more attacking formation, pushing an extra player forwards and leaving just three back to defend. The move failed to spur the desired effect, though, as a skilled Sol side poured forward with even more gusto than before.  The orange-clad Sonoma County squad were especially busy on the right flank, repeatedly testing the mettle of their reeling southern neighbors during a dominant stretch sandwiched between both goals.

    The insurance the Sol craved finally arrived in the 71st minute and took the form of an extraordinary solo effort. Varnadore, who had been a prime culprit in terrorizing the San Jose defense, narrowly missed doubling the lead twice in the preceding exchanges—once with a downward header from a long throw that was well saved, and once with a close-range shot that appeared to skim the right post.  But on this occasion, he left no doubt about the outcome.

    In the undisputed highlight of the night, Varnadore stormed through the gap between Real San Jose’s defense and midfield and into the final third with the ball roped to his feet and then unleashed a left-footed stunner into the top-left corner to cap his splendid run and give the Sol a 2-0 cushion. The goal all but extinguished Real San Jose’s lingering hope of equalizing.

    The remaining twenty minutes offered more of the same, as the Sol continued to assert their influence on the increasingly one-sided encounter. With the affair beginning to take on the air of an inevitable Sonoma County Sol victory, Brandon Boone very nearly added a third.  As the Real San Jose keeper was sprawled on the ground, Boone latched onto a bouncing ball, but his effort from the penalty spot was deflected and fell agonizingly to the wrong side of the crossbar.

    Then, as Real San Jose was forced to come to grips with their waning hopes in the latter stages, the yellow cards started to emerge from the referee’s pocket more frequently.  Despite the frustration on both sides, none of the cautions turned a darker shade and both teams finished the game with their squads numerically intact.

    As mentioned in the report of the Sol’s 2-1 first round victory against the Sacramento Gold last week, the Sonoma County side is bidding to make its first appearance in the US Open Cup since 2010, when the Californians fell in the opening round to the Portland Timbers.  At the time, the Timbers were in their final season prior to joining Major League Soccer as an expansion club along with fellow Cascadia Cup contender Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Sol have qualified for the Open Cup four times since 2005, tied for the most by any NPSL club with the Brooklyn Italians.

    In other NPSL US Open Cup qualifying action Saturday in California, two teams advanced to the semifinals of the Southwest Conference. The Santa Clarita Storm only needed a 17th minute goal from Robbie Giuk and a stingy defense to keep Del Rey City at bay and advance by a slim 1-0 margin. According to the Storm, they limited their opponents to just three shots on goal for the entire game. The Storm move on to the conference final four where they will meet FC Hasental on Saturday. FC Hasental will host at Thousand Oaks High School in an attempt to qualify for the second year in a row.

    In the other opening round game, FC Force defeated Temecula FC 5-2 to reach the semifinals. The 2014 expansion team will face a big test in the next round as they will travel to San Diego to take on the Flash, who have won two of the last three division titles.

    The Golden Gate final will take place on Saturday, March 8 at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif., while the Southwest semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, March 9. Details are listed below.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

    GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

    Semifinals (Mar. 1)
    Real San Jose 0:2 Sonoma County Sol
    CD Aguiluchos USA 1:0 San Francisco Stompers

    Final (March 8 – Win & You’re In)
    CD Aguiluchos USA at Sonoma County Sol
    Rancho Cotate HS; Rohnert Park, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

    SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round (Mar. 1)
    FC Force 5:2 Temecula FC
    Santa Clarita Storm 1:0 Del Ray City

    Semifinals (Mar. 9)
    FC Force at San Diego Flash
    Mira Mesa HS; San Diego, Calif. – 6:30 p.m. PT
    SC Storm at FC Hasental
    Thousand Oaks HS; Thousand Oaks, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

    Final (Mar. 15 – Win & You’re In)
    Site/Time TBD

    NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Sonoma County Sol knock off Sacramento Gold to kick off NPSL qualifying

    by

    Behind goals from Eric Larson and Tyler Hurst, the Sonoma County Sol dispatched the Sacramento Gold 2-1 Saturday night at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif. to move one step closer to qualifying for the 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

    The win puts the Sol into the semifinals of the 2014 Golden Gate Conference US Open Cup Qualifying Tournament.

    “It wasn’t our most beautiful game, but it was our first game , so we feel like we’re going to get better with our style of play and get back to the way we want to play the game,” said third-year Sol head coach Vinnie Cortezzo. “That being said, it was a great result for us. Last year, Sacramento knocked us out in the early rounds of Open Cup qualifying so it was nice to get a little revenge.”

    Sonoma got off to a fast start in the match when some prolonged possession through Nico Spann on the right wing. Spann crossed it to Hurst who took a heavy touch past a defender then knocked the ball across the mouth of the goal to Eric Larson who smashed the ball into the net from eight yards out in the 14th minute.

    Sacramento, who qualified for last year’s Open Cup, quickly responded when a 35-yard set piece was served into no man’s land and headed home by Jose Martinez in the 22nd minute.

    Shortly after the break, Hurst scored what would prove to be the game-winner. In the 47th minute, Larson received the ball at the top of the Sacramento box, dribbled in, and found Hurst who hit a slow-roller off the inside of the far post and into the back of the net.

    The Sol, who were the 2013 NPSL runners-up, dominated the rest of the game, coming close on a few more occasions, but further goals were not needed.

    “I thought we could have scored a couple more,” Cortezzo said. “We had some really great opportunities.”

    The Sol will now change their focus to Real San Jose who they will host Saturday at 7 p.m. also at Rancho Cotate High School.

    “There tends to be quite a bit of change from year-to-year and I haven’t seen so I don’t know exactly what to expect,” Cortezzo said. “We’re expecting a good game and a tough team and a very physical game. That has always been the case with San Jose.”

    The Sol last qualified for the US Open Cup proper in 2010 where they were beaten in the first round of the then USSF Division 2 Professional League Portland Timbers.

    Their best runs of the four times that they have qualified were in 2006 when they made it to the second round before losing 1-0 to the USL First Division Charleston Battery in Charleston and in 2009 when they made it to the second round before losing to the Portland Timbers 3-0, who were that year playing in the USL First Division, in Santa Rosa. The Sol and the Brooklyn Italians remain the only clubs from the NPSL who have qualified for the Open Cup four times since the league launched in 2005.

    2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

    GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

    First Round
    Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

    Semifinals (Mar. 1)
    Real San Jose at Sonoma County Sol
    Rancho Cotate HS; Rohnert Park, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT
    CD Aguiluchos USA at San Francisco Stompers
    Lowell High School; San Francisco, Calif. – 3 p.m. PT

    Final (Mar. 8 or 9 – Win & You’re In)
    Site TBD

    SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

    First Round (Mar. 1)
    FC Force at Temecula FC
    Great Oak HS; Temecula, Calif. – 8:30 p.m. PT
    Santa Clarita Storm at Del Ray City
    Malibu HS; Malibu, Calif. – 3 p.m. PT

    Semifinals (Mar. 9)
    FC Force/Temecula FC at San Diego Flash
    Mira Mesa HS; San Diego, Calif. – 6:30 p.m. PT
    SC Storm/Del Ray City at FC Hasental
    Thousand Oaks HS; Thousand Oaks, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

    Final (Mar. 15 – Win & You’re In)
    Site/Time TBD

    NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

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