2015 Quarterfinals

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Late goals help Chicago Fire tame Orlando City, reach record-tying 11th Semifinal (video)

July 23, 2015 by Jeff Engelhardt

It was a game of explosive chances as the Chicago Fire erupted for three goals with each score starting out of their defensive zone before finding Patrick Nyarko, David Accam and Kennedy Igboananike that ultimately left Orlando City with a 3-1 defeat.

The Men in Red got off to a blistering start when goalkeeper Jon Busch punted a ball from his own box that found an opportunistic Nyarko ready to split the central defense. As Busch’s pass bounced toward the Orlando City box, Nyarko slipped in and on his first touch shot the ball to the lower left post to beat a diving Tally Hall, giving the Fire an early 1-0 lead. For Busch, he joined a short list of goalkeepers who have been credited with assists. In the Modern Era, according to TheCup.us records, Busch is just the ninth goalkeeper to directly contribute to a goal.

The remainder of the first half would belong to the Fire as Orlando City, featuring former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka, failed to get a single shot on goal and only attempted two shots total in the opening frame. Chicago was bolstered by the return of Shaun Maloney, who found Harry Shipp early for a few modest chances the led to shots off the post.

The attack continued to build with left back Joevin Jones, who returned from international duty with Trinidad & Tobago. He had one interception in the first half that resulted him dribbling all the way upfield before being fouled right outside the Orlando City box. The ensuing free kick was taken by Maloney who put his shot on goal but was answered by Hall who deflected it over the bar.

Orlando City’s only chances in the opening half came on corner kicks. All four of their attempts from the corner were caught by Busch or punched out by the veteran keeper with no real dangerous moments.

The Lions came out with more fight in the second half, controlling the flow of the game for the first 15 minutes. Orlando City took advantage of its only shot on goal in the 56th minute when Eric Avila worked up the right flank and sent in a pinpoint cross to Cyle Larin who headed home the equalizer with no real pressure from the defense.

The game took a feel of deja vu after the Larin equalizer, as he was also responsible for the equalizer in Toyota Park in a June MLS match that eventually ended with Orlando City taking a 3-2 victory. But a repeat of that performance was not in the cards.

After the Orlando City goal, Chicago regained control and dictated the flow of the game the rest of the way. Frank Yallop brought on speedsters David Accam in the 59th minute and Kennedy Igboananike in the 66th minute, turning the game completely in favor of the home team.

Accam took no time making his presence felt, forcing a diving save from Hall in the 63rd minute that led to a rebound effort from Jason Johnson just missing the frame.

But like the first goal, Chicago would use its speed to open Orlando City for the lead. Defensive midfielder Matt Watson sent a pass from the Fire’s zone to Accam who raced up the left side in a one-on-one situation. Accam took a shot that deflected off the near post, falling to the feet of an unmarked Igboananike in the middle of the box who easily put the chance away.

“David has world-class speed,” Yallop said of Accam’s game changing performance. “The whole team was excellent tonight.”

Though Orlando City looked to press after the Accam goal, Chicago’s defense would spring another counter attack. Joevin Jones played a long pass toward Igboananike in the 91st minute and the Nigerian made no mistake as he blazed passed the lone defender and danced around a diving Hall to shoot across his body and bury the 3-1 security goal.

The impressive spell of possession and tight defense led the Fire to 18 shots, six of which were on goal compared to Orlando’s five shots with only the Larin header hitting the frame.

“When we have our guys on the field we are pretty good,” Yallop said of finally seeing injured stars such as Maloney and Accam take the field. “I thought we thoroughly deserved to win the game.”

The victory added to the Chicago Fire’s lengthy Open Cup resume. The club’s 37 tournament wins remain a Modern Era record and with a fifth straight win at Toyota Park, the Fire improve to 23-1-1 (0-1 PKs) at home.

Chicago also made history tonight by reaching the Semifinals for the 11th time, tying an all-time record held by Kutis Soccer Club of St. Louis. Kutis, a two-time champion (1957, 1986), made their 11 Semifinal appearances over four decades from 1953 to 1986.

Conversely, Orlando City failed to make it to the Semifinals on its second attempt, once again falling to Chicago in the Quarterfinals after suffering the same fate in 2013 when they were a USL PRO team. Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath said unlike the 2013 performance when the Lions were coming in as a third-division underdog, there was no excuse for the toothless performance.

Calling the performance sloppy and embarrassing, the England native said the club failed to seize an opportunity for a major trophy.

“We were second best on every decision,” Heath said. “We played slow. We played sloppy.”

The Chicago Fire will now advance to the final four for the third year in a row. They are just the sixth MLS team to achieve that feat and the only club in tournament history to do it twice. (The Fire reached four straight from 2003-06), and the 18th team in tournament history. The Fire will travel to Philadelphia on Aug. 12 to take on last year’s runner-up, the Union, as Chicago’s quest for a record-tying fifth title continues.

HIGHLIGHTS: ORLANDO CITY SC AT CHICAGO FIRE
POSTGAME: FRANK YALLOP, CHICAGO FIRE

POSTGAME: KENNEDY IGBOANANIKE, CHICAGO FIRE

FULL MATCH REPLAY: ORLANDO CITY SC AT CHICAGO FIRE

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sporting KC pulls away late from shorthanded Houston Dynamo, 3-1 (video)

July 21, 2015 by Matthew De Witt

Benny Feilhaber scores the equalizing goal for Sporting KC against the Houston Dynamo in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Graham Green | Prost Amerika

The 2013 MLS Cup rematch is set. The only thing missing? The four-degree temperature.

Sporting Kansas City, earning its first berth in the US Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since its championship run in 2012, came from behind and used a man-advantage to upend the Houston Dynamo, 3-1. Sporting was trailing 1-0 but an equalizer from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute and a pair of late goals from tournament goalscoring leader Dom Dwyer and Krisztian Nemeth sealed the game. The Sporting win sets up a rematch of the December 2013 meeting in the MLS Cup championship, with Real Salt Lake coming to Sporting Park on Aug. 12.

Falling behind in the 59th minute on a cleanup goal from Will Bruin, Sporting rattled off three goals in the final 20 minutes to earn the right to host Real Salt Lake.

Bruin’s goal came while the Dynamo was at a man-disadvantage. After Luis Garrido was sent off in the 30th minute for a studs-up tackle, Ricardo Clark forced a save from Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia off a corner kick and Bruin volleyed home the rebound for his first career Open Cup goal.

Kansas City’s response came from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute. Feilhaber received a ball in from Matt Besler, took two touches and whipped a shot from 25 yards out to the far post. His shot from the right edge of the penalty arc curled around Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis’ outstretched arms.

Not to be outdone, the dynamic duo, Krisztian Nemeth and Dom Dwyer, who combined to score all six of Sporting’s goals in the last round against FC Dallas, combined to put the final nails in the coffin. In the 86th minute, Nemeth, receiving the ball in the middle of the attacking third, looked around, saw nobody within 10 yards of him, and first-touch slotted Dwyer through on net.

“When he is the final third, he has an excellent awareness of when he should be the guy to take the shot and when he should make the final pass,” Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said of Nemeth. “I think that’s why he and Dom have linked up so well. The position that he plays, he’s now embraced coming in from the left, which has really helped Dom a lot. He has a very high soccer IQ when it comes to the final third.”

Dwyer’s shot from the left side of the penalty area split Willis’ legs and sent Sporting Park into a frenzy with his a goal in his fifth straight game against Houston – dating back to the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs.

Two minutes later, Dwyer returned the favor. With the lead, Dwyer drove into the middle of the attacking third and found Nemeth open on the left side. From there, the Hungarian struck a shot destined for the upper right corner, but caromed off a Dynamo player and into the middle of the net.

Nemeth and Dwyer have scored eight of Sporting’s ten goals in the Open Cup. In addition, the two lead the team scoring, with Nemeth having 10 in all competitions and Dwyer with 11.

“He’s always trying to look for me, and I’m always trying to look for him,” Dwyer said. “We’re starting to get more of an understanding every single game.”

Dwyer keeps adding to his Open Cup tally. Last round against FC Dallas, he smashed four goals and earned TheCup.Us Player of the Round honors for his effort. This is his fifth tally in the competition this year, while eight goals belong to him overall – three for Sporting’s then-USL affiliate Orlando City SC in 2013. With five goals this year, he leads the tournament in goals scored and combined with the assist tonight, he leads the competition in points with 11.

Kansas City entered the match having missed out on the Quarterfinals of the Open Cup in the past two seasons. The last came in 2012, when the team won its last Open Cup championship.

Sporting’s Open Cup woes do not compare to Houston. The Dynamo ended a 5-game winless streak against MLS teams with last round’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. Houston had not won against an MLS team since 2006, when the Dynamo beat Dallas, 3-2. The Texas squad has yet to make a Semifinal appearance since 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS: HOUSTON DYNAMO AT SPORTING KC

POST-GAME: MATT BESLER

POST-GAME: SONI MUSTIVAR

POST-GAME: PETER VERMES

POST-GAME: BENNY FEILHABER

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: 10-man Philadelphia Union beat New York Red Bulls in PKs to reach third Semifinal in four years (video)

July 21, 2015 by Brian Venard

The Philadelphia Union celebrate their penalty kick shootout win over the New York Red Bulls in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Bob Larson

UPDATE: John McCarthy of Philadelphia Union has been voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

The Philadelphia Union, playing with 10 men for 80 minutes, won a PK shootout with the New York Red Bulls to punch their ticket to the Semifinals for the second year in a row. Despite Conor Casey’s straight red card in the 40th minute, the Union scored the first goal in the 55th minute through Eric Ayuk. They were less than a minute away from winning the match in regulation until Lloyd Sam equalized deep into second half stoppage time to send the game into extra time. Philadelphia goalkeeper John McCarthy, who came up big on a number of occasions for the Union, made two saves and Bradley Wright-Phillips missed his attempt to give the visitors a 4-3 shootout win.

“I would say, first and foremost, it’s the Union’s biggest win in their history,” said head coach Jim Curtin. “I thought the fan support was incredible. I thought that our players showed a ton of heart – the heart of a lion. I couldn’t be more proud. They represented the badge very well. They represented our fans, our city, and they left everything on the field.”

The Union move on to host the winner of Orlando City SC and the Chicago Fire in the final four which is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET at PPL Park. The Fire host Orlando on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

At the opening kickoff the temperatures were in the 90s and the play on the field got off to a blazing start. The Union pushed forward and earned themselves a corner kick within the first 45 seconds of the match. After a short burst of energy by the Union, the Red Bulls held possession for the large portion of the half.

Fernando Aristeguieta scores the winning penalty kick for the Philadelphia Union against the New York Red Bulls in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Bob Larson

In the 40th minute, the game took a major turn when Union forward Conor Casey shown a straight red card for an aggressive challenge on Conor Lade. There was little argument from the veteran as he quietly marched off the field leaving his team short a man.

The Red Bulls had several oppertuinites in the following five minutes after the red card, but nothing came of it. Multiple times, New York would gain the penalty area, they would misfire or McCarthy would come off his line to put an end to the play.

The second half got off to a fast start as well, with the Red Bulls getting a handful of solid attempts on net. The pattern continued from the first half where the ball remained in the Union’s defensive third, and every few minutes there would be a counter attack.

“There’s not a moment when you can relax,” said McCarthy who has started every game for the Union in the tournament. “You’re always on your toes because you know the pressure’s coming nonstop.”

As the second half progressed, the Union started to get their footing, and started denying the Red Bulls from shooting on nearly every possession.

The Union got the ultimate gratification for their resurgence with a well deserved goal in the 55th minute by Eric Ayuk.

After the goal, the Red Bulls were clearly deflated, letting off a lot of the pressure they applied in the opening 10 minutes of the half. The Union continued to control the game as it progressed, and with only one minute left of stoppage time, it seemed certain that the Union were moving on to the Semifinals. But the Red Bulls kept fighting as Lloyd Sam tied the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time, connecting on a ball after a series of headers in the penalty area. The shorthanded Union and the hometown Red Bulls, both who had used all of their substitutions, were headed to extra time.

Stoppage time was dominated by the Red Bulls as they pushed the ball forward throughout the first 15 minutes, but nothing came out of it. Union were on their heels throughout but McCarthy kept the Union in the game as he finished the game with nine saves. The second half of extra time provided more drama as the Union had more possession, but the Red Bulls still had the majority of the ball at their feet with the extra man.

The Red Bulls nearly stole the game at the end as Bradley Wright-Phillips headed in what most of the fans in attendance thought was the game-winner in the 120th minute, but the referee’s assistant ruled him offside. That was the last real chance of extra time for either side, so the ultimate decider, penalty kicks, came into play.

Wright-Phillips missed the opening attempt of the shootout off the crossbar and after everyone converted their attempts the Union were up 3-2 going into Round 4. The Red Bulls’ regulation hero Lloyd Sam had his shot saved in spectacular fashion by McCarthy, diving to his left and pulling the ball off the line. New York’s Luis Robles saved an attempt by Fred which meant it was coming down to the final round. Sasha Kljestan scored for the home team, but it was Fernando Aristeguieta who sent the Union into the final four, much to the delight of their traveling fans in the upper deck.

After the game, there was a very dampened mood in the New York locker room and Robles summed it up.

“What feels different, is that walking into this locker room today, we all expected to win,” said the goalkeeper who made two saves. “The hardest part is dealing with the result when you believed you would win.”

The confident Red Bulls will have to wait until next year to get another shot at their first Open Cup title. While the victorious Philadelphia will advance to play in their third Semifinal in the last four years as they continue their quest to bring the Open Cup trophy back to Pennsylvania for the first time since 1966.

POST-GAME: JIM CURTIN

POST-GAME: FERNANDO ARISTEGUIETA

POST-GAME: JOHN MCCARTHY

POST-GAME: RAY GADDIS

FULL MATCH REPLAY: PHILADELPHIA UNION AT NY RED BULLS