2017 US Open Cup qualifying

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Tartan Devils avenge loss to Aromas Cafe to earn first win

October 18, 2016 by John Krysinsky

Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (TDOA) overpowered Aromas Cafe FC 3-1, on the strength of two Travis MacKenzie goals to win its first-ever US Open Cup qualifying contest. With the win, the Devils are one step closer to becoming the first open division amateur club from Western Pennsylvania to qualify since 1992.

The victory was a reversal of last year’s result with Aromas Cafe winning 3-1 in front of their home fans in Charlottesville, Va. This time, it was the Devils with the home field advantage at Rooney Field at Dusquesne University, and they took advantage on Sunday afternoon.

“It was a great win for our club and for soccer in the Pittsburgh area,” said Tartan Devils player/coach Andy Karas. “This was a good team we beat today. They beat us last year, and had a nice run in Open Cup, so it was great to come back and beat them this year.”

After both teams exchanged chances and runs into the box in the early going, it was a former Duquesne Dukes and Pittsburgh Riverhounds standout, MacKenzie, who scored the game’s first tally in the 25th minute.

MacKenzie played a pass to Erin McCormick, who quickly turned and chipped a ball in the air back toward the box. MacKenzie beat his mark to get to the ball and buried a low shot past Aromas Cafe FC keeper Michael-Martin Hohoff for the 1-0 lead.

Aromas Cafe had two excellent chances in the 34th and 40th minutes, but each time, TDOA keeper Vargas made quick reaction saves on Luke Oosdyk and Jacob Van Yahres shots to preserve the lead.

“In the first half, it could have gone either way,” said Karas. “As the game went on, we started to play our game, and things opened up.”

Sure enough, after halftime, as TDOA strengthened its defensive shape, they started to find a lot of open space on counter attacking opportunities.

In the 60th minute, Gregory Annan delivered a high ball from the left side to MacKenzie beyond the far past. MacKenzie’s shot was stopped by Hohoff, but Tyler Solis put the rebound through to give the Devils a two-goal edge.

Annan initiated the next goal in the 75th minute by making a nice play to make a solid tackle and steal the ball away. He then found Ryan Slaby streaking along the left side with plenty of space. Slaby drew two Aromas Cafe defenders and played a through ball to an unmarked MacKenzie on the right side, who delivered the final blow for his second goal of the game.

Aromas Cafe added a late goal on a Neil Harrison redirected header from a corner kick in the 90th minute to prevent the TDOA shutout.

The Tartan Devils Oak Avalon will find out its next opponent in the next qualifying round after this weekend’s action. The next round dates and locations are yet to be finalized but are tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19-20.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: GPS Omens ousts Newtown Pride as drone watches from afar

October 17, 2016 by Jake Catanese

GPS Omens (MA) defeated Newtown Pride FC (CT) 3-1 in the second round of the open division qualifying tournament for the 2017 US Open Cup. The game was played at Newtown High School in Newtown, CT on Sunday afternoon.

GPS Omens advances to the third round of the tournament, bringing them one step closer to qualifying for the US Open Cup for the third time in four years.

The match between the leaders of the Bay State Soccer League’s GPS Omens and the Newtown Pride, the leaders of the Connecticut State League, got off to an interesting start as the Pride played the start of the game with just 10 players as designated starter Graciano Britto was late to arrive. GPS were unable to capitalize on the early man advantage, though they did spend much of the first 15 minutes maintaining pressure on Newtown’s goal.

Once Britto was in the game, things started to even out, with the two teams trading chances in the middle of the first half. Newtown’s Christian Camacho would send his team’s first chance wide of the net following a counter attack in the 20th minute followed by Keith Caldwell of GPS also missing the far post ten minutes later.

Caldwell, who has been a key player for GPS over the last few years, is the brother of New England Revolution midfielder Scott Caldwell. Their father, Larry, played for the Hartford Bicentennials of the original NASL.

Right before the half it was GPS who broke the deadlock with a strong attack down the left flank. Defender Pete Nolan found Caldwell streaking down the sideline and after a long run to almost the endline, Caldwell centered for Eric Anderson who finished from close range in the 42nd minute. The first half would end with GPS leading 1-0.

Newtown would need a strong start to the second half, but what they got was just the opposite.

Goalkeeper Drew Nucifora spilled a ball in the 52nd minute and GPS striker Charles Romero was there to finish the mistake and double the road team’s advantage. Now chasing the game, Newtown inserted attacker Christian Turizo in the 61st minute looking to spark the offense but before their sub could settle in, GPS took control.

A 65th minute corner was headed home after a fashion by defender Ryan Dunn to give GPS a 3-0 lead. Dunn met Caldwell’s wonderfully-placed cross and despite a deflection on the line by the Newtown defense, the Pride were left picking the ball out of their net for the third time.

The two Turizo brothers did spark Newtown late in the game, with substitute Christian centering for his brother Mauricio in the 79th minute to pull Newtown back to 3-1. But against a packed and organized GPS side, there were not many chances in the final minutes for Newtown and the game ended with no additional goals.

Also, with what might be a USOC qualifying first, a flying drone was sent up by a regional photographer to capture video at the start of the second half. Sadly, the drone was grounded after a few minutes by the referee crew for mostly being noisy.

GPS Omens advances to the third round of qualifying for the 2017 US Open Cup. Dates and opponents for that round have not yet been announced by US Soccer. 14 more games for second round qualifying will take place next weekend on October 22 and 23.

UNOFFICIAL BOX SCORE

LINEUPS
Newtown Pride FC (4-4-2) – Drew Nucifora; Clayton Ulmar, Sean O’Brien, Istvan Kanyo, Dante Spinelli; Frederick Metellus, Christian Camacho, Raphael Carminati, Jan Galvis; Mauricio Turizo, Graciano Britto (Christian Turizo 61’)

GPS Omens (4-4-2) – Zachary Abu-Glass; Alex Walters, Pete Nolan, Alan Ashenfelter, Ryan Dunn; Nicholas Figueiredo (Noah Grumman 66’), Ben Shulera, Scott Prozeller, Keith Caldwell; Charles Romero, Eric Anderson

SCORING SUMMARY
GPS – 42’ – Eric Anderson (Keith Caldwell)
GPS – 52’ – Charles Romero (unassisted)
GPS – 65’ – Ryan Dunn (Keith Caldwell)
NEW – 79’ – Mauricio Turizo (Christian Turizo)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NEW – 71’ – Caution #5 Camacho
GPS – 74’ – Caution #5 Dunn
NEW – 76’ – Caution #9 Carminati
NEW – 83’ – Caution #10 Turizo, M.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying schedule, results

September 19, 2016 by Josh Hakala

Click on the scores below for match reports
All Times Eastern

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QUALIFYING ROUND 1	AWAY TEAM	TIME (ET)	HOME TEAM	VENUE
Sept. 10	Brick Lions FC (NJ)	5:2	Vereinigung Erzebirge (EAST PA)	Vereinigung Erzebirge – Warminster, PA
Sept. 10	Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC (MD)	1:3 (AET)	Christos FC (MD)	Troy Park – Elkridge, MD
Sept. 10	Salone FC (EAST PA)	1:2	West Chester United (EAST PA)	WCU Turf Field – West Chester, PA
Sept. 10	NY Pancyprian Freedoms (EAST NY)	2:3 (AET)	Lansdowne Bhoys (EAST NY)	Tibbetts Brooke Park – Yonkers, NY
Sept. 11	GPS Omens (MA)	4:2	Southie FC (MA)	Madison Park – Roxbury Crossing, MA
Sept. 11	Rising Stars FC (EAST PA)	1:5	Junior Lone Star (EAST PA)	YSC Sports Field – Wayne, PA
Sept. 17	Moreno Valley FC (SOUTH CA)	5:1	HD Rush FC (SOUTH CA)	University Prep School – Victorville, CA
Sept. 17	Colorado Rovers (CO)	0:2	Harpo’s FC (CO)	Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Field 19) – Commerce City, CO
Sept. 17	Valley United (SOUTH CA)	1:3	SFV Scorpions FC (SOUTH CA)	Heritage Christian School – North Hilla, CA
Sept. 17	Del Rey City SC (SOUTH CA)	2:3	FC Hasental (SOUTH CA)	Del Sol Stadium – Oxnard, CA
Sept. 17	Celtics Cowboys Premier (SOUTH TX)	0:7	North Texas Rayados (NORTH TX)	Premier Park – Balch Springs, TX
Sept. 17	Azteca FC (CO)	3:1	FC Denver (CO)	Aurora Sports Park – Aurora, CO
Sept. 17	Orange County FC (SOUTH CA)	0:3	La Maquina (SOUTH CA)	Rancho Jurupa Regional Park – Jurupa Valley, CA
Sept. 17	Avalanche USA FC (SOUTH CA)	2:3	Inland Empire FC (SOUTH CA)	Colton High School – Colton, CA
Sept. 17	OC Crew SC (SOUTH CA)	1:2	Ozzy’s Laguna FC (SOUTH CA)	Santa Ana Stadium – Santa Ana, CA
Sept. 18	Davis Legacy (NORTH CA)	1:2	El Farolito (NORTH CA)	Boxer Stadium – San Francisco, CA
Sept. 18	Outbreak FC (SOUTH CA)	5:0	Buena Park FC (SOUTH CA)	John F. Kennedy High School – LaPalma, CA
Sept. 18	Red Force FC (FL)	3:0 (60′)	Miami Nacional SC (FL)	Lauderhill Sports Complex – Lauderhill, FL
Sept. 18	FC Boulder (CO)	0:3	Colorado Rush (CO)	Addenbrooke Soccer Complex – Lakewood, CO
Sept. 18	Ann Arbor FC (MI)	1:3	Oakland County FC (MI)	Stoney Creek High School – Rochester Hills, MI
Sept. 18	Los Angeles Wolves (SOUTH CA)	4:1	Real Sociedad Royals (SOUTH CA)	St. John Bosco Stadium – Bellflower, CA
Sept. 18	AC Brea Steaua (SOUTH CA)	0:11	Strikers FC South Coast (SOUTH CA)	Lake Forest Sports Park – Lake Forest, CA
Sept. 18	La Habra City FC (SOUTH CA)	0:5	Santa Ana Winds FC (SOUTH CA)	Colton High School Stadium – Colton, CA
Sept. 18	Chula Vista FC (SOUTH CA)	5:1	Frontera United (AZ)	Desert Sun Stadium – Yuma, AZ
N/A	Newtown Pride FC (CT)	W:L (FORFEIT)	Newport FC (RI)	N/A
N/A	Hurricane FC (FL)	W:L (FORFEIT)	Miami Dade FC (FL)	N/A
N/A	FC Motown (NJ)	W:L (FORFEIT)	NY Greek American SC (EAST NY)	N/A
N/A	Anahuac FC (NV)	W:L (FORFEIT)	Las Vegas Highrollers SC (NV)	N/A

QUALIFYING ROUND 2	AWAY TEAM	TIME (ET)	HOME TEAM	VENUE
Oct. 16	West Chester United (EAST PA)	0:1	Christos FC (MD)	Troy Park – Elkridge, MD
Oct. 16	GPS Omens (MA)	3:1	Newtown Pride SC (CT)	Newtown High School – Newtown, CT
Oct. 16	Aromas Cafe FC (DC/VA)	1:3	Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (WEST PA)	Rooney Field – Pittsburgh, PA
Oct. 16	Lansdowne Bhoys FC (EAST NY)	2:3	FC Motown (NJ)	Torpey Athletic Complex – Bridgewater, NJ
Oct. 22	Oakland County FC (MI)	1:2 (AET)	Minneapolis City SC (MN)	National Sports Center – Blaine, MN
Oct. 22	Azteca FC (CO)	2:1	Harpo’s FC (CO)	Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Field 8) – Commerce City, CO
Oct. 22	Junior Lone Star (EAST PA)	3:2	Brick Lions FC (NJ)	Pinewood Park – Brick, NJ
Oct. 22	Boca Raton FC (FL)	4:1	Hurricane FC (FL)	Caloosa Park Field 3 – Boynton Beach, FL
Oct. 22	CD Motagua of New Orleans (LA)	0:2	North Texas Rayados (NORTH TX)	Premier Park – Balch Springs, TX
Oct. 22	Ozzy’s Laguna FC (SOUTH CA)	0:6	Moreno Valley FC (SOUTH CA)	Moreno Valley Community Park – Moreno Valley, CA
Oct. 22	Colorado Rush (CO)	4:0	IPS/Marathon Taverna (OR)	Delta Park – Portland, OR
Oct. 22	Chula Vista FC (SOUTH CA)	4:1	FC Hasental (SOUTH CA)	Chaminade College Prep – Canoga Park, CA
Oct. 23	Red Force FC (FL)	3:2 (AET)	Uruguay Kendall FC (FL)	Tropical Park Stadium – Miami, FL
Oct. 23	Outbreak FC (SOUTH CA)	2:1	SFV Scorpions SC (SOUTH CA)	College of the Canyon – Santa Clarita, CA
Oct. 23	El Farolito (NORTH CA)	2:1	Strikers FC South Coast (SOUTH CA)	Lake Forest Sports Park (Field A) – Lake Forest, CA
Oct. 23	MF 10 (NV)	0:2 (45′)	FC Anahuac (NV)	Las Vegas Sportspark – Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 30	Santa Ana Winds FC (SOUTH CA)	0:3	La Maquina (SOUTH CA)	Orange County Great Park (Field 1) – Irvine, CA
Nov. 13	Los Angeles Wolves (SOUTH CA)	9:2	Inland Empire FC (SOUTH CA)	Rancho Jurupa Regional Park – Jurupa Valley, CA
QUALIFYING ROUND 3	AWAY TEAM	TIME	HOME TEAM	VENUE
Mar. 11-12, 2017

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: NTX Rayados rebound from last year’s disqualication with one-sided opening win

September 17, 2016 by Adam Uthe

Celtic Cowboys Premier and North Texas Rayados line up before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Adam Uthe

Behind a pair of goals from Javan Goncalves Toledo and Gerardo Salas, the North Texas Rayados cruised comfortably to a 7-0 win over Celtic Cowboys Premier in the first round of qualifying for the 2017 US Open Cup. The North Texas powerhouse, no strangers to qualifying for the Open Cup out of Dallas, is looking to bounce back and return for the 2017 edition of the tournament after they were disqualified from the 2016 Cup for not playing in their league’s 2016 Spring season.

Rayados captain Tito Salas did say that the disqualification left the team feeling disappointed and motivated to move on.

“For me personally, it left a hole … we’re always looking to improve and test ourselves against the next level in .”, he said after the game.

The Rayados looked like a well-oiled machine as they passed circles around Celtic and controlled possession for much of the game. That shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise though, since Rayados typically recruit from Dallas-area colleges to fill out their roster. Celtic, conversely, as their name might suggest, are an Austin-based sport and social club founded in 2004 with a distinctly British flair and it showed throughout the game. They played with ten men behind the ball for much of the game and relied on a lone striker up top to try and get on the end of long balls over the top.

Midway through the first half, Rayados had frustrated the visitors to the point that several Celtic players began shouting at one another in frustration.

Not long after Celtic’s internal bickering began in the first half, NTX captain Tito Salas found himself in space 25 yards from goal and curled an exceptional shot into the upper right hand corner of the goal to give his side the breakthrough goal they had been well on their way to earning. Several minutes later, they earned their third corner of the first half and the set piece found the found center back Javan Goncalves Toledo, who calmly beat the keeper with his head. Salas found himself in the box again moments later, but his chip shot hit the crossbar and was subsequently cleared away, thus ending the first half.

Salas said he didn’t expect his goal to beat the goalkeeper.

“I mean, look at him…”, he said gesturing towards the Celtic keeper, who did appear to be all of six feet, three inches tall.

The second half started promising for Celtic. They registered their first shot on goal right out of the gate, but any momentum was quickly quashed as Toledo scored his second of the night, this time from a free kick after a hard Celtic foul. Midfielder Victor Pinal then added a fourth, crushing a powerful shot upper 90 from the edge of the box. The Salas goal parade continued for the home side as Luis Salas added the fifth and Gerardo Salas added the sixth and seventh goals to finish off the game for good.

Had they not been disqualified, NTX Rayados would’ve made it to their fifth consecutive tournament, a Modern Era (1995-present) record for an open division amateur team. Instead, they’ll have to “settle” for five out of six if they can make it to the 2017 tournament.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Harpo’s FC eliminates Colorado Rovers for third straight year

September 17, 2016 by Jim Hart

In the shadow of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the Colorado Rapids were warming up for their match against the San Jose Earthquakes, two powers of the Colorado Amateur Soccer League (CASL) were going at it on a pitch that was far below the standards the Rapids were playing on. This bumpy, ragged, patchwork pitch was the scene for the opening round match featuring two of Colorado’s best sides, Colorado Rovers of Denver and Harpo’s FC of Boulder.

In the end, Harpo’s FC won the latest chapter in this rivalry by a score of 2-0. It was the third year in a row that Harpo’s have eliminated the Colorado Rovers in Open Cup qualifying.

The Rovers are the historic power in Colorado football, having won two national championships in the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) and made historic runs in the Open Cup in years not too far in the distant past. Head coach Erick French is proud of that winning tradition and is determined to bring those days back to the Rovers.

Harpo’s is the current hot hand in Colorado, making a decent run in the Cup last season, they were knocked out by USL’s Colorado Switchbacks in an exciting 1-0 loss in the Spring session. Head coach Steve Lepper is excited to return to Open Cup action and feels like he has the side to take Harpo’s further this season.

These two Colorado Amateur Soccer League rivals have been the only two clubs that have represented the USSSA since the organization received its first entry into the tournament in 2013. In 2013 and 2014, the Rovers won the USSSA qualifying tournament to punch their ticket. In 2015, Harpo’s FC defeated the Rovers in group play, which helped them advance to the championship game. Harpo’s would lose the Final to the KC Athletics, but earned their first spot in the US Open Cup after the Athletics already qualified for the tournament through the USASA. In 2016, the open division qualifying tournament made its debut and the Rovers and Harpo’s met in the opening round with the “bull shit pub team” (as Harpo’s refers to themselves as) won 4-1 in extra time.

The match started quickly with Harpo’s taking most of the action in the first half. Harpo’s was able to work the ball down the left side effectively throughout the half, however, finishing was elusive, as the Rovers defense was bending, but certainly holding firm at the net until late in the half when Santiago Velez was able to beat the goalkeeper in the 40th minute for 1-0 Harpo’s lead.

The second half played at a slower pace and became a more physical affair. Rovers were able to get more of their attacking players up the field and were unlucky with a shot off the post. These two teams are very familiar and banter from the first half started to become frustration in the second half. A few yellow cards were required to settle things down and the pace became more choppy and uneven, which seemed to play into Rovers game plan a bit better.

Substitutions started to come in the 60th minute and none was more effective than Harpo’s Dan Whittle, whose pace changed the game dramatically. From the time Whittle came off the bench the match took a different tone, and Harpo’s amped up the pace and was able to stave off the advancing Rovers attack. The result was an 89th minute securing goal by Ross Van Osdale to seal the victory for Harpo’s.

Speaking with both managers after the match it was clear that the pitch was an issue for both sides, they were both missing critical players, however, Harpo’s was clearly the deserved winner. French was gracious in defeat and wished Harpo’s well in their match on October 22 against Aztecs, who were able to defeat FC Denver 3-1 in other action tonight in CASL.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying Round 1: Scores and recaps from every game

September 13, 2016 by Josh Hakala

The championship game for the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup isn’t until Tuesday (Sept. 13, 10 p.m. ET) but this weekend, the qualifying tournament for 2017 will begin.

After two teams (Newport FC, Miami Dade FC) dropped out of the competition, there are 62 open division amateur teams remaining and 52 of them will begin play in the Round 1. Of the 26 opening round games, seven of them will kick off this weekend (Sept. 10-11). The remainder are scheduled to take place the following weekend (Sept. 17-18).

UPDATE: A third team advanced to Round 2 by way of forfeit when the New York Greek American SC dropped out due to lack of player availability. FC Motown from New Jersey now moves on to Round 2.

You can follow updates from all qualifying games on Twitter @USOpenCup or with the hashtag #USOC2017. If you are attending any qualifying match, use #USOC2017 to share your photos and videos on Twitter or Instagram. You can also find the updates scores below in this article and on our home page scoreboard.

The Brick Lions FC made their way from New Jersey up to the Philadelphia area (Warminster, PA) and rallied to win, 5-2 over Vereinigung Erzgebirge (VE). After the home team, VE, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the Lions came back with five unanswered goals to earn a victory in the club’s Open Cup qualifying debut. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Christos FC, the defending USASA Amateur Cup national champions from Maryland started their quest to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time. They defeated fellow Maryland club Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks 3-1 in extra time to move on to Round 2.

Former University of Maryland standout Kaoru Forbes opened the scoring in the 25th minute only to see the Hawks equalize with 15 minutes remaining in the match. In the first period of extra time, Mike Robinson found former Loyola Maryland midfielder Alex Bullington who fired a 25-yard shot that beat the Hawks goalkeeper. Christos put the game out of reach with the help of midfielder Michael Scott in the second extra time period. Playing a full 120 minutes was a challenge for both teams who were both shorthanded. The Hawks had just three subs to work with, while Christos only had one sub and he was the team’s backup goalkeeper. Christos will host West Chester United (East PA) in Round 2.

Junior Lone Star FC opened their quest to qualify for the 2017 US Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the Rising Stars FC.

Junior Lone Star defeated the Rising Stars FC 5-1 to advance in 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Photo: Junior Lone Star

It was the Rising Stars who struck first in the 31st minute on a goal from Titus Wright. Six minutes later, Junior Lone Star tied it up from the penalty spot after a Rising Stars defender handled the ball in the area. Anthony Allison stepped up and converted the spot kick.

Allison added a second goal just before halftime when he juggled the ball into the penalty box and fired a shot past goalkeeper Dan Doe. After the break, JLS got a pair of goals created by Josh Chelleh to put the game out of reach. The first, in the 65th minute, Chelleh scored off a rebound, but less than 10 minutes later, Chelleh fed Jerome Pour to make it 4-1. Pour added another one in the final minutes after Zoncher Dennis’ shot rebounded right to him.

Junior Lone Star will travel south to New Jersey to take on Brick Lions FC in Round 2.

West Chester United, which plays in the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (USLPA), and Salone FC, which plays in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League, met last year in the second round of qualifying. West Chester won that match 3-0 and advanced to the Open Cup proper for the first time. This year’s meeting was a much tighter affair with United holding off Salone, 2-1. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

A humid night in Yonkers saw a pair Cosmopolitan League champions square off in the first round of qualifying for the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It took 120 minutes, and a controversial penalty kick, but Lansdowne Bhoys took home the 3-2 come-from-behind win over the New York Pancyprian Freedoms to advance to the next qualifying round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Last year, GPS Omens fell one game short of qualifying for the US Open Cup after losing 4-0 to Southie FC. On Sunday night, they got their revenge by defeating a Southie side 4-2 in Madison Park in Roxbury Crossing, Mass.

Southie FC was already shorthanded, playing without any substitutes, but in the 25th minute, the situation was made worse when Mike Long exited the game after suffering an injury on a 50-50 challenge. Five minutes later, Nick Figeurido found Keith Caldwell in the box and he scored from close range to put GPS up 1-0.

After halftime, GPS continued to take advantage of the man advantage. A corner kick found the head of Ben Shuleva, who sent the ball to Caldwell who scored his second in the 50th minute. Five minutes later, Caldwell completed the hat trick thanks to a ball played behind the Southie backline by Jake Edwards.

Down 3-0, the 10-man Southie FC didn’t give up. In the 60th minute, they pulled one back and ten minutes later, a GPS turnover led to goal by Nathanial Short which made it 3-2. But ultimately GPS would hold on as TJ Thompson set up Figeurido for a goal in the 85th minute. GPS will head to Connecticut in Round 2 where they will play Newtown Pride SC in mid-October.

Omens advance 4-2 over @SouthieFC in @usopencup 3 for Caldwell, 1 for @nickyfigz @NESoccerToday @NonLeagueUSA pic.twitter.com/uRG4H0VjnQ

— GPS Omens (@GPS_Omens) September 11, 2016

In another battle between a pair of United Premier Soccer League teams, Moreno Valley FC defeated High Desert Rush FC 5-1 to advance to Round 2 of 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. With temperatures in the 90s, Moreno Valley took the early lead when Alex Anderson dribbled around the keeper. After halftime, Jadilson Da Silva chipped the goalkeeper to double the lead. A minute later, HD Rush took advantage of a MV mistake and cut the lead in half. However, Moreno Valley’s superior fitness proved to be the difference as they took over the game, MVFC scored three unanswered goals by Anderson (his second), Jose Gomez, and a second from Da Silva. That was all they wold need to move on to host the winner of OC Crew SC and Ozzy’s Laguna FC in mid-October.

One of the highlights of the first round of the 2017 qualifying tournament was the all-Colorado battle between the Colorado Rovers and Harpo’s FC. This year, Harpo’s emerged victorious 2-0 to eliminate the Rovers for the third straight year. These two Colorado Amateur Soccer League rivals have been the only two clubs that have represented the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) since the organization received its first entry into the tournament in 2013. In 2013 and 2014, the Colorado Rovers won the USSSA qualifying tournament to punch their ticket. In 2015, Harpo’s FC defeated the Rovers in group play, which helped them advance to the championship game. Harpo’s would lose the Final to the KC Athletics, but earned their first spot in the US Open Cup after the Athletics already qualified for the tournament through the USASA. In 2016, the open division qualifying tournament made its debut and the Rovers and Harpo’s met in the opening round with the “bull shit pub team” (as Harpo’s refers to themselves as) won 4-1 in extra time. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The San Fernando Valley Scorpions kicked off their inaugural trip to the US Open Cup qualifying tournament with a 3-1 win over fellow United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) club Valley United. The Scorpions jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but United cut the lead in half just before halftime. SFV would add a second half goal to put the game away as they moved on to Round 2. They will host the winner of Buena Park FC and Outbreak FC the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

After last year’s 11th hour disqualification denied them a record-setting fifth straight trip to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the North Texas Rayados picked up where they left off: winning qualifying games. The Rayados opened the 2017 qualifying tournament with a dominant 7-0 win over the Celtic Cowboys. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

In a battle of Colorado Amateur Soccer League teams, Azteca FC defeated FC Denver 3-1 to advance to the next round of 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Azteca jumped out to an early lead with a goal in the ninth minute. Just after halftime, FC Denver equalized off a free kick, but Azteca regained the lead and then scored a goal in the final minute to punch their ticket to Round 2. There they will travel to Boulder to take on Harpo’s FC on the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

Del Rey City took the lead in the first half but just before halftime Benjy Hernandez received his second yellow card. That was the beginning of the end as FC Hasental took over and scored three straight goals and would ultimately win the game 3-2. Juan Valladolid scored on a PK in the 60th minute, followed by goals by Mario Cruz Macias and Tito Anguiano. City pulled one back in the 80th minute and pushed for an equalizer but it never came. Hasental moves on to play the winner of Chula Vista FC and Frontera United in Round 2.

La Maquina, the darlings of the 2016 US Open Cup, took the first step toward returning to the tournament with a 3-0 win over Orange County FC. All three goals were scored in the second half. La Maquina became just the 12th amateur team in the Modern Era to reach the Fourth Round where they took the Los Angeles Galaxy to extra time before losing 4-1. They will play the winner of La Habra City and the Santa Ana Winds in the second round of qualifying which will take place the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

Inland Empire FC jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead, but needed to hold on in the second half to earn a 3-2 win over Avalanche USA FC. With the win, IE gets past their United Premier Soccer League rivals, and earns a spot in the second round of US Open Cup qualifying where they will host the winner of the Los Angeles Wolves and Real Sociedad.

After being eliminated in penalty kicks in their opening round qualifying match last year, Ozzy’s Laguna FC started on the right foot this year. They defeated OC Crew SC 2-1 to advance to the second round where they will play at Moreno Valley FC the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

After falling short in the opening round last year, El Farolito took the first step toward qualifying for the US Open Cup for the first time since they won the tournament in 1993. They started their 2017 journey with a 2-1 win over the Davis Legacy at Boxer Stadium in San Francisco to advance to Round 2 of the open division qualifying competition. El Farolito, which won the 1993 US Open Cup under the name CD Mexico, did all of their goal scoring in the opening ten minutes of the match, scoring in the 4th and the 7th minute. Davis Legacy, who were eliminated in last year’s tournament by San Francisco City FC in a thriller, pulled one back just after halftime. Unfortunately for them, in the remaining 40 minutes of the match, they were unable to find the equalizer.

El Farolito will play on the road in the next round of qualifying where they will face the winner of AC Brea Steaua and Strikers FC South Coast.

Outbreak FC from Southern California took the first step toward returning to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-0 win over Buena Park FC. They took control of their SoCal Premier League rivals with a pair of first half goals from Juan Meza and Torey Edwards. Then, after three second half tallies, they put the game away as the high-scoring Outbreak side have scored four or more goals in each of their three all-time Open Cup qualifiers. Outbreak moves on to play SFV Scorpions on the road in Round 2. (Oct. 22-23)

After missing the cut for the last two years, Red Force FC from South Florida are looking to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third time (2013, 2014). Red Force got off to a good start in the first half, and thanks to Mother Nature, it’s a good thing they did. Goals from Stiven Salinas, Alvaro Franco and JP Gimenez gave Red Force a 3-0 lead going into the halftime break. Five minutes into the second half lightning brought the match to a halt. After a lengthy wait and with few prospects that the weather would let up, the match officials decided to end the match in the 50th minute, which awarded Red Force a win. With that win, Red Force earn a date with fellow American Premier Soccer League side Uruguay Kendall FC in Round 2. The game is a rematch of last year’s Open Cup qualifying opening round match that UK won 3-0.

The Colorado Rush jumped out to an early lead and held strong the rest of the way in a 3-0 win over FC Boulder. Nick Blanco, Griffen Dorsey and Jack O’Brian all scored in the first 35 minutes of the match to develop that lead. It was a rematch of last year’s opening round match with the Rush winning 5-2. Ultimately, Colorado would fall one game short of the US Open Cup as they lost to Harpo’s FC in the next round that ultimately determined a berth in the tournament.

With the win, the Rush have a big road trip ahead of them as they will have to travel to Portland, Oregon to take on International Portland Select/Marathon Taverna. The match is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22 at Delta Park in Portland.

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In a battle of Southeast Michigan, Oakland County FC defeated Ann Arbor FC 3-1 at the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills. Oakland County’s Julian Birge opened the scoring in the 21st minute (on an assist by Danny Dragoi), followed by a goal from substitute Breitmeyer after halftime. AAFC pulled one back shortly after, but Oakland County scored a third goal in the 83rd minute and held on for the win. OCFC’s first-ever entry into the qualifying tournament will continue on Saturday, Oct. 22. There, they will have to travel to Minnesota to take on Minneapolis City SC in Round 2. Both teams are members of the regional amateur league, Premier League of America.

NOTE: The last time an Open Cup-related match was played at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, the Michigan Bucks of the PDL hosted Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew on July 12, 2006. The Bucks fell to the Crew 4-1 that day.

The Los Angeles Wolves got off on the right foot in their quest to qualify for the US Open Cup for the second year in a row with a 4-1 win over the Real Sociedad Royals. The game played between a pair of strong teams at St. John Bosco Football Stadium in Bellflower, Calif. looked very similar to the Del Rey City FC / FC Hasental match the day before. The Royals of the SoCal Premier League took a 1-0 lead in the first half, but their momentum was delivered a blow when they received a red card in the 38th minute. They held their one-goal lead into the halftime break, but the Wolves of the United Premier Soccer League used their man advantage to take over in the second half.

The Wolves received goals from Paolo Cardoza, Shannon Murphy, Henry Escobar, and Miguel Sanchez and kept the shorthanded Royals off the scoresheet. LA will remain in Southern California for their second round match as they will play on the road against fellow UPSL club Inland Empire FC on the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

The Strikers FC South Coast produced the most lopsided scoreline in almost three years of US Open Cup qualifying with an 11-0 win over AC Brea Steaua. The Strikers, who played in the United Premier Soccer League started the scoring early and often against their SoCal Premier League opponents. Carlos Gonzalez scored a pair of goals in the first ten minutes of the match (3rd minute, 9th minute). Victor Vasquez and Jose Preciado added two more before Gonzalez completed the hat trick just before halftime as the Strikers went into the break leading 5-0.

The Strikers added six more in the second half with Keith Woolley and Edgar Menendez scored two goals each and Fausto Espinoza and Gabriel Barriga also put their names on the scoresheet.

The Strikers will host 1993 US Open Cup champion El Farolito the weekend of Oct. 22-23 in Round 2.

The Santa Ana Winds kicked off their 2017 US Open Cup qualifying run with a 5-0 win over fellow United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) member La Habra City FC. The scoring opened in the 7th minute with a goal from Carlos Andrade. The next goal wouldn’t come until after halftime when Fermin Lara headed home a corner kick in the 54th minute. Eric Zuniga would add another goal two minutes later and Jorge Zuniga would make it 4-0 in the 67th minute. Andrade would add his second goal in the 69th minute and the Winds backline would hold firm and preserve the shutout.

The Winds will have their hands full in Round 2 as they will face another UPSL opponent in La Maquina, who were the darlings of last year’s US Open Cup. La Maquina made a rare trip to the Fourth Round before losing in extra time to the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS.

Two years ago, Chula Vista FC made an impressive run in the US Open Cup. Their run was headlined by a dominant 3-0 road win over the USL’s Arizona United. However, when the SoCal Premier League side tried to qualify the following year, they were ousted in the qualifying tournament 4-0 by UPSL powerhouse La Maquina. They took the first step toward returning to the Open Cup with a 5-1 road win over the UPSL’s Frontera United from Yuma, Ariz. They scored three straight goals before halftime before cruising in the second half to earn the victory.

Chula Vista will have their hands full with another strong UPSL team in FC Hasental, who will host their second round the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

For the first time since 2005, the state of Nevada is represented in the US Open Cup qualifying tournament. In fact, two teams from Nevada entered in the opening round, but only one registered enough eligible players for the tournament. Anahuac FC will advance to the second round of qualifying as the Las Vegas Highrollers did not have enough eligible players to play the game.

Anahuac FC will now face the third Nevada-based team in Round 2, who received a first round bye. Anahuac will host MF 10 Soccer Club the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

NOTE: The last Nevada-based team to enter US Open Cup qualifying was when the Northern Nevada Aces entered the USASA Region IV tournament in 2005. The Aces had recently left the USL’s D-3 Pro League and joined the newly-formed MPSL (now known as the NPSL). They lost all three of their group stage games and failed to advance to the tournament.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Lansdowne Bhoys use dramatic comeback to beat rival Freedoms in OT

September 11, 2016 by Jeziel Jimenez

The game started out with Bhoys pushing the tempo early. Craig Purcell, who wore number seven, ended a run in the 5th minute with a right-footed shot saved by Freedoms keeper Nicholas Takany Jr.

The three-time defending Cosmopolitan league champion Lansdowne Bhoys looked as if they expected to win the game in the early minutes, making multiple runs into the box. However, the momentum shifted in the other direction as a 9th minute shot by the Freedoms’ Stefan Dimitrov started a run of play that looked hard for Bhoys to stop.

For the next 25 minutes, it was all Freedoms. The Bhoys were able to get a few more shots off including one from a 21st minute corner, but to no avail.

The Freedoms took advantage of Bhoys’ frustrations and kept knocking at their opponents goal. A 29th minute header by veteran Chris Megaloudis that just missed, would be a sign of what was to come. Just 10 minutes later, Megaloudis would open up scoring for the night with a goal assisted by teammate Adam Himeno.

Only a few minutes later, in the 44th minute, would the zealous Freedoms see their second player, Jeff Matteo, earn a yellow card. The first was in the 23rd for John Koutsounadis for foul right in front of the fourth official on the sideline.

The freedoms took a 1-0 lead into the second half, but the Bhoys were set to change the tempo as they used all three subs before the 70 minute mark. Sylvester Sikele came in for Glen Reid in the 52nd minute, Daryl Kavanaugh replaced Ansger Otto three minutes later and Conor Hunter came in for Jhon Estama in the 67th.

A minute later, the Freedoms’ Tzoi Tsarkani would chip a shot that deflected off the goalpost and out. But the Freedoms would keep the tempo high and it would pay off with Michael Palacio giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.

With less than 20 minutes left, the Bhoys would not give in. A Daryl Kavanaugh pass resulted in a 77th minute goal by Jason Gaylord, cutting the lead in half.

In all of the late excitement, Purcell received a yellow card in the 81st minute. Athough, the team would refocus quickly in the waning minutes of the game.

In the 88th minute, after quite a few shots, the Lansdowne Bhoys were awarded a corner kick. Kavanaugh took the corner and linked with Gaylord as the two connected for a goal for the second time.

With both teams desperate for a win, Freedoms player Adam Himeno received his first yellow of the night (his team’s third) but regulation time would expire with the game tied at 2-2.

The fourth official informed both benches that the game would have two 15 minute overtime periods with a short water break in between.

Aside from a substitution by Freedoms where Panagiotis Halkiais came in for Tzoi Tsarkani, the first half of overtime was pretty uneventful. Both teams hunkered down, trying hard not to make any early mistakes.

The second half of overtime saw a change for the Bhoys, as they controlled possession for most of the half leading to a flurry of shots toward the end of the overtime period. After several saved shots, the Freedoms goalkeeper deflected a ball high and out for a corner.

The corner from Kavanaugh would not have the same magic as his previous cross in regulation, but it still managed to produce a goal. With three minutes left, a foul was called on the Freedoms in the box but the referee allowed for advantage to be played and a shot was taken. The ref then awarded a penalty to the Bhoys despite the advantage was played, which upset the Freedoms bench.

In a game that looked like it would go to penalty kicks to decide a winner, Lansdowne Bhoys were given a chance to win it with less than three minutes left in the match.

Christiano Francios lined up to take the kick. The Pancyprian keeper guessed correctly as Francois shot to his right, but he could only grasp at air as Francois netted what would be the late winner. The game would end 3-2 as Lansdowne Bhoys were able to overcome an early deficit and take home the win.

Bhoy Christiano Francois scoring the winner in extra time. Fantastic debut Bhoy @TommySmythESPN @CosmoLeague pic.twitter.com/PUVZWIl4kU

— Lansdowne Bhoys FC (@Lansdownebhoys) September 11, 2016

The three-time Cosmopolitan League champions advanced to the next round of qualifying where they will head down to New Jersey to take on FC Motown in mid-October.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: West Chester United hold off Salone FC to win Philly-area rematch

September 11, 2016 by Michael Berton

West Chester United hosting Salone FC in the opening round of the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Michael Berton

West Chester United held off a late rally to advance past Salone FC 2-1 on Saturday night, keeping its chances alive of making it to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for a second year in a row.

United, which plays in the United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (USLPA), and Salone, which plays in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League, met last year in the second round of qualifying. West Chester won that match 3-0 and advanced to the Open Cup proper for the first time. This year’s meeting was a much tighter affair.

Salone was the more dangerous team for the first 20 minutes. A series of probing long balls more often than not found Salone forwards, but the team did not get any dangerous shots on net.

It was a physical battle between West Chester United and Salone FC in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Kari Berton

A combination of West Chester settling into the game and some bad luck for Salone contributed to the first goal of the match. United had gotten control of the game when a Salone player went out with a dislocated elbow. As a substitute was warming up, Salone was forced to play with 10 men. It was during this shorthanded period that United got its first goal.

A well-weighted pass was played to Emmanuel Kollie in the Salone box in the 35th minute. His ensuing cross found the head of former University of Virginia star Matthew Poole, who sent the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Four minutes later, and after Salone made its substitution, West Chester got a second goal. Kollie and Poole again connected with some nice passes in the box, eventually leading to a Peter Jannelli shot that was saved. The rebound fell right to Julien Aoyama, who tapped it in from eight yards out.

“The first 20 minutes they were giving us trouble,” West Chester coach Blaise Santangelo said. “After that, we hit a spell of 15-20 minutes of tremendous soccer where we played great balls and connected on all our passes.”

The reigning USLPA champions felt good going into the second half, but Salone FC would not quit. The lack of quit led to some harsh fouls, however. In the 68th minute, Salone’s Mohammed Sesay was sent off for a crunching tackle at the top of his box.

Despite being down to 10 men, Salone was able to keep pressing forward. That pressure was rewarded with a goal in the 79th minute. After a West Chester save, Nykh Kamara put the ball back into a crowded penalty area. With United goalie Anthony Noel still recovering from his save, Murphy Barlee was able to score into an empty net to cut the lead to one.

The last ten minutes was a frantic affair. Salone goalie Ralph Jacobs was forced to play almost as more of a defender than a keeper. Down a man and with so many of his teammates pushing forward, he had to come up big multiple times, often far from his net.

Kamara, whose speed gave the West Chester defense fits the entire match, got off one more shot in the 87th minute, but Salone could not muster another goal. In the end, the hosts held on for a 2-1 victory.

United, which made it to the second round of last year’s Open Cup — a 2-0 loss to the City Islanders SC of the USL — advances to take on the defending USASA Amateur Cup champions, Christos FC of Maryland in the second round of qualifying.

“Christos is a really good team,” Santangelo said. “We can’t wait to play them.”

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Brick Lions rally with five straight goals to overcome VE on the road

September 11, 2016 by Michael Berton

Kris Olsen-Barr (pictured) scored two of the Brick Lions' five straight goals to overtake VE, 5-2. Photo: Kari Berton — Kris Olsen-Barr (pictured) scored two of the Brick Lions’ five straight goals to overtake VE, 5-2. Photo: Kari Berton

New Jersey’s Brick Lions FC overcame oppressive heat and an early two-goal deficit to defeat their Philadelphia-area hosts Vereinigung Erzgebirge 5-2 in the first round of 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament on Saturday.

Brick Lions earned the win in its first Open Cup qualifying appearance, but several members of the organization had been part of the process before. Manager Michael McCullion helped run the Jersey Shore Boca, which reached the second round of qualifying last year and qualified for the US Open Cup in 2012.

The temperature at kickoff was well over 90 degrees, but that paled in comparison to Vereinigung Erzgebirge’s (VE) start. Just 30 seconds in, Anthony Bafile found himself with the ball and curled a shot from the left side of the box into the bottom right corner of the goal.

After some wide open play and multiple chances for each team, the hosts scored again. This time the ball was played to William McGuiness, who scored past the Brick Lions keeper into the bottom left corner.

Brick Lions FC pose for a team photo before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifier against Vereinigung Erzgebirge. Photo: Brick Lions FC

The visitors got one back less than ten minutes later. In the 33rd minute, Chris Katona put in a cross from the right. The VE keeper got a touch on it, but the ball went right to the Lions’ Kris Olsen-Barr, who calmly shot the ball into the net to cut the deficit in half.

The Garden State Soccer League members got another goal right before the half. A long ball was played to Thomas Gray, who sprinted roughly 25 yards before blasting the ball into the top right corner of the net, tying the game at two goals apiece.

“We were down but got a couple huge goals,” Brick Lions coach Costas Kaifas said. “After we got those goals, we were very confident. Our style is very open and attacking, so we weren’t afraid after going two goals down.”

Buoyed by a huge home crowd, VE, which was founded in 1931, came out strong in the second half. However, despite getting a slew of shots off, it would be the Brick Lions that would get on the board next. After VE cleared a corner kick in the 54th minute, a second cross went into the box. Chris Katona, who played for Stockton University, snuck his header in to give his team a 3-2 lead.

In the 64th minute, Gray got on the board again to give his team a 4-2 lead. Gray, who has played professionally for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, stepped up to take a free kick from 20 yards out. He hit a beautiful curling shot that gave the VE keeper no chance.

“They are a really good team,” said VE’s long-time coach Rob Oldfield. “They had a couple great goals. That free kick goal was just icing on the cake.”

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Olsen-Barr wanted a second goal as well. In the 72nd minute, coming in from the left side of the field, he slipped the ball past the keeper into the bottom right of the net to give his team a fifth straight goal.

With the win, Brick Lions FC will host a second round qualifying match October 15 or 16. The opponent will be either Rising Stars or Junior Lone Star, both of which play in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League. VE is still looking to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time since 2002, when they lost to the South Jersey Barons (now Ocean City Nor’easters) in the opening round.