2016 Quarterfinals

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Chicago Fire end Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Cinderella run, make history in process

July 22, 2016 by Jon Sicotte

Chicago Fire celebrate a goal against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the 2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Chicago Fire

The Fire continue to find a flicker of hope when it comes to US Open Cup runs.

Although not able to find a spot in its league playoffs since 2012 and sits last in the table in its division, the MLS’ Fire defeated the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-0 in the Cup
Quarterfinals to advance to its fourth consecutive Semifinals berth and 12th overall, setting the all-time US Open Cup record.

The four-time Cup champions will meet its MLS Eastern Conference counterparts the New England Revolution in the Semifinals on Aug. 9.

The Strikers were looking to make history as the first NASL team ever to make the Semifinals.

“In the first 15 minutes we tried to close the space, but we conceded two early goals and that put us in a terrible situation,” said coach and GM Caio Zanardi in a report by the team. “But it was a great moment for us to be in the quarterfinal beating D.C. United and Orlando City. Playing Chicago was special for us. This was a great moment for us to play here in Chicago.”

Reigning TheCup.us Player of the Round David Accam again led the way, earning and converting a penalty in the 4th minute for his fourth goal of the tournament and dishing out what would prove to be the game-winner.

Accam helped double the lead when he set up Michael de Leeuw in the 35th minute and Khaly Thiam all but sealed the game for the Fire when his goal in the 51st minute made it 3-0.

Gale Agbossoumonde did not make life easier for the Strikers, the last non-MLS team left in the Open Cup field, when he got himself sent off in the 70th minute. Agbossoumonde had previously played every minute of the Strikers NASL and Open Cup campaigns.

Accam was brought down on inside the 18-yard box by Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and the Ghanaian forward converted his attempt from the penalty spot. A bad start got worse for the Strikers minutes later as Nana Attakora was forced off after a collision.

It was Accam again in the 35th minute. After winning a ball at midfield, Accam made his way through the Striker’s midfield and around Restrepo in the penalty area and his attempt was cleaned up by de Leeuw. It was de Leeuw’s first goal in the tournament and his second in four matches since joining the Fire.

Fort Lauderdale came out more aggressively in the second half but conceded a third goal shortly after the restart. Accam played a short corner to Brandon Vincent as he found Nick LaBrocca. LaBrocca’s headed attempt was stopped by Restrepo, but the rebound fell to the feet of
Thiam who was able make it a 3-0 tilt in the 51st.

With the win, the Fire advance to the Semifinals for the fourth year in a row. They become the first club in the 103-year history of the tournament to reach four straight Open Cup Semis twice (2003-06, 2013-16). Only six other clubs have ever reached the Semis four straight years: Ukrainian Nationals (1959-66), Seattle Sounders (2007-12), Stix, Baer & Fuller (1932-37), Bethlehem Steel (1915-1919, LA Galaxy (2000-03), Philadelphia Nationals (1949-52).

FULL MATCH REPLAY: Chicago Fire vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Late goals by Sebastian Lletget send LA Galaxy past Seattle Sounders, 4-2

July 21, 2016 by Dennis Pope

The LA Galaxy celebrate a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the 2016 Quarterfinals. Photo: LA Galaxy

Sebastian Lletget is becoming a late-game legend in this edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Lletget tallied twice in the final five minutes as the Los Angeles Galaxy came from behind to defeat the Seattle Sounders, 4-2, in a quarterfinal round game at the Track and Field stadium at StubHub Center.

“Sebastian hasn’t had a regular shift in a while, so it’s good for him. He did a good job,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said.

Lletget started but did not score until the 85th minute and 88th minute, respectively, for the Galaxy, which won its first game vs. Sounders (MLS) in Open Cup play. With the win L.A. advances the semifinals for the first time since 2006.

“Now on to the semis, and it’s the first time we’ve done that. It’s the first time I can win something and I’m really excited,” Lletget said.

Suspect passing in the Galaxy defense led to the game’s first goal.

Daniel Steres put Leonardo in bad spot with a hospital back pass which Leonardo failed to clear, passing the ball almost directly to an on-rushing Michael Farfan, who played two touches before chipping past Clement Diop.

“They made a mistake in the back and I capitalized on it,” Farfan said. “It was a nice way to start but we can’t finish games like that.”

Galaxy produced a pair of scoring chances before Baggio Husidic put a ball into the box with pace in the 17th minute, finding Alan Gordon at the back post for one-touch finish.

“It was great! Right spot at the right time, buried it,” Gordon said. “We needed it.”

Herculez Gomez produced an improbable goal in the 59th minute to give Sounders a 2-1 lead, beating Diop near post.

“It’s not really a positive,” Gomez said about his eighth career Open Cup goal. “It was all or nothing. There are no moral victories.”

Arena waited to make changes until after the 70th minute, but brought in Giovani Dos Santos and Gyasi Zardes hoping for an immediate impact.

Dos Santos came on for Gordon and did not take long to make his presence felt, getting the Galaxy even at 2-2 in the 77th minute with a goal off a turnover in the back from the Sounders.

“I thought once we had the lead, 2-1, it was just a matter of getting through the rest of the game,” Schmid said. “We gave up a goal — a soft goal — and from there the flood gates opened.”

L.A., which lost to Seattle in the Open Cup quarterfinals in 2010 and ’11, asserted its will in the final 10 minutes, peppering the Sounders goal until finally taking a lead in the 85th minute on Lletget’s third goal of the tournament.

“(Dos Santos and Zardes) brought energy, and they’re just clever,” Lletget said.

It’s back line in shambles, Lletget added his fourth goal of the tournament three minutes later to seal the win, L.A.’s 31st all-time in Open Cup play.

Lletget had two late goals in Galaxy’s 5-1 win over Santa Ana (Calif.) La Maquina (UPSL) in a 4th Round game.

“Crazy, really crazy,” Lletget said. “Till the whistle blows.”

Galaxy has entered the Open Cup every year since 1999, and have a 31-15-0 all-time record.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS

LLETGET’S GOALS

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Brad Knighton stands tall for New England Revolution in PK win over Philadelphia Union

July 21, 2016 by Michael Berton

The New England Revolution celebrate after their PK shootout win over the Philadelphia Union. Photo: David Silverman | New England Revolution

Penalty kick shootouts generally turn into a battle of the goalkeepers. After 120 minutes of dazzling saves, Brad Knighton of the New England Revolution came out the winner, leading his team to a 4-2 penalty kick victory over the Philadelphia Union.

After making four saves en route to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes, Knighton turned it on during penalty kicks. He stopped two of the Union’s four attempts, while his Revolution teammates only missed one.

The victory sends the Revolution to the US Open Cup semifinals for the first time since 2008 as they will play the Chicago Fire. The Union were looking to play in their third straight Open Cup final and fourth semifinal in five years.

New England and Philadelphia were meeting for the second-ever time in Open Cup play. The first matchup also came at the quarterfinal stage, with the Union winning 2-0 in 2014. That game was played in Philadelphia’s home stadium; this one was played at Harvard University.

Playing US Open Cup games away from their home at Gillette Stadium is nothing new for the Revs. Midweek Open Cup crowds are tough to justify the cost of opening the nearly 70,000-seat NFL stadium, so the team often finds locations in and around New England to host their cup matches. This was the club’s third trip to Harvard.

Harvard’s turf field seemed to give both teams some trouble, with the first good chance not coming until a powerful shot from the Revolution’s Kei Kamara in the 27th minute, saved well by Union goalkeeper Andre Blake.

However, Blake could not do anything about the goal the Revs scored in the 44th minute. Diego Fagundez quickly took a free kick, and an unorganized Union defense left Je-Vaughn Watson wide open to easily slot the ball past Blake to give the Revolution the 1-0 lead.

Knighton and Blake stood strong and blocked away plenty of good chances in the second half. But just when it seemed as if New England had the game sewn up, the Union equalized at the stroke of 90 minutes.

Ray Gaddis made a run down the right side and passed it into the box to Sebastian Le Toux. The Open Cup’s modern era leading goalscorer, Le Toux set up Fabian Herbers for his first Open Cup goal to tie the game.

In the 104th minute, the crossbar helped Knighton out by stopping Ilsinho’s shot. A minute later, Blake made a spectacular double save that kept the game level. Not to be outdone, Knighton stopped a Herbers shot in the 110th minute that seemed destined for the net. At the end of extra time, the game was tied at one. Knighton had four saves and Blake had seven.

Knighton was stellar in penalty kicks, saving the first shot he faced against Le Toux and the third shot against CJ Sapong. Blake had no answers, and Watson bagged the final goal to keep the Revolution alive for its first Open Cup title since 2007.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION VS. PHILADELPHIA UNION

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Fabian Castillo’s stoppage time winner stuns Houston Dynamo, sends FC Dallas to Semifinals

July 20, 2016 by Adam Uthe

After catching eyes with his assist in the Round of 16 against the Colorado Rapids, Fabian Castillo had another excellent US Open Cup outing Wednesday as he beat Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis in the 91st minute to help FC Dallas advance to the semifinals of the nation’s oldest soccer tournament.

The goal was Castillo’s first of the 2016 edition of the tournament, helping Dallas build its edge to 3-1-0 against its Texas rivals in the Open Cup. It also was Dallas’ first win over Houston in three games this year.

The first half was a chippy affair, with few clear scoring chances.

The heat, an incredibly humid 91 degrees at kickoff, didn’t stop both teams from creating chances, but it may have prevented them from finishing said chances.

Dallas may have been tired from playing its fifth competitive game in 17 days, while Houston has had a dismal season, highlighted by Owen Coyle’s resignation to return to England with Blackburn Rovers.

Both teams seemed to take the game seriously, trotting out strong, but their finishing left a lot to be desired.

Dallas almost got on the scoreboard before halftime, when Michael Barrios got into the Dynamo penalty box off a Houston turnover only to be taken down without drawing a whistle.

The no-call from the referee was probably the right choice, but Houston wasn’t out of the woods yet.

A minute later, Maximiliano Urruti got on the end of a pass into the box from Mauro Diaz, but his near post shot was turned away for a corner that proved to be fruitless, leaving the teams scoreless after 45 minutes.

Minutes into the second half, Houston’s Mauro Manotas found himself unmarked in the box only to be denied by FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz.

Two minutes later, Dallas forward Michael Barrios got into the box onside at the other end, but hit his shot right at Willis.

The teams continued to exchange chances, only to see each go wanting.

The heat may have even gotten to Dynamo forward Andrew Wenger, who openly requested a sub in the 68th minute despite not looking the least bit hobbled.

Moments later, Houston’s Giles Barnes was fouled on the edge of the box, earning a free kick that was ultimately wasted.

The deadlock held until the 91st minute, before the number of added minutes had even been announced, when Castillo got into the box, bolted toward the near post and hit his shot with so much power it managed to skim off of Willis and into the net.

Cristian Maidana had one last chance for Houston but his free kick missed high and wide as time expired.

FC Dallas advance to the Semifinals for the ninth time in club history, which is tied for third-most in tournament history behind the Chicago Fire (12) and Kutis SC (11).

Dallas will face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Semifinals. The date, time and venue will be announced on Thursday, July 21 at 11 a.m. ET.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: HOUSTON DYNAMO VS. FC DALLAS