Artur Aghasyan

2012 TheCup.us Player of the Round: Artur Aghasyan selection gives Cal FC third honor in a row (video)

June 4, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

PlayeroftheRound-2012-Aghasyan — Somewhere in that celebration is the goalscorer, and TheCup.us Player of the Round, Artur Aghasyan. Photo: Ethan Erickson | Portland Timbers

Move over Kardashians, there is a new star Armenian in Los Angeles. Cal FC striker Artur Aghasyan was selected as the Third Round’s TheCup.us US Open Cup Player of the Round for providing the game-winning overtime strike in the historic upset against the Portland Timbers. It was his third consecutive game with a goal.

The selection marks only the second time since TheCup.us began recognizing the tournament’s outstanding performances in 2006 that a team has had a player chosen three times in a tournament or in consecutive rounds. The previous time came in 2010 when the Seattle Sounders saw Nate Jaqua earn the honor in the semifinals and quarterfinals followed by Sanna Nyassi for the final.

Aghasyan’s selection followed two for teammate Danny Barrera, who was recognized for his pair of goals in a 3-1 road win over the PDL champion Kitsap Pumas and for tallying two goals and an assist in a record 4-0 victory on the road versus the USL Pro Wilmington Hammerheads.

The Player of the Round award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters (@SoccerReporters), which also selects the MLS Player of the Week.

After enduring shot after shot and attack after attack from Portland, Cal FC finally got its chance five minutes in overtime with a breakaway created by Barrera, who managed to deliver a ball while falling to the pitch. Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well-placed through ball and calmly chipped Perkins. As his teammates mobbed him in the northeast corner of the stadium, the crowd fell silent.

Scoring the lone goal put Aghasyan back in the headlines. He had tallied the insurance goal late versus Kitsap and provided the second goal in Wilmington. Aghasyan is no stranger to success having previously led the PDL’s Ventura County Fusion to a league championship in 2009 after an outstanding start to his professional career in Armenia, where he led Pyunik of the nation’s first division with a league-leading 16 goals in 25 games as a rookie.

However, his jump to the professional ranks in the United States was much more difficult. After his PDL success, he went on to sign in 2011 with Real Salt Lake after a stint with Chivas USA in the MLS Reserve League. He would make only four appearances for RSL before being released and signed by the LA Blues of USL Pro.

With the goal, Cal FC became not only the first US Adult Soccer Association team to score against an MLS opponent, but became the first to advance via a victory. In four previous tries, the USASA clubs went scoreless, though there were several surprising results. In 2006, Dallas Roma advanced via penalties, 4-2, after a scoreless draw against Chivas USA, and in 2000, Uruguay SC lost, 1-0, in golden goal overtime to the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

In the Modern Pro Era, it is only the fifth time a team from an amateur league has eliminated an MLS club and is only the 12^th time a USASA club has eliminated a team from a professional league.

MORE: Check out Cal FC’s Meet the USASA feature

USASA Advancements vs Pro League Clubs
Bavarian SC 2000: 1-0 vs Reading Rage (third division – USL)
Bavarian SC 2007: 1-0 vs Cincinnati Kings (third division – USL)
Bridgeport Italians 1997: 3-2 vs Rhode Island Stingrays (third division – USL)
Cal FC 2012: 4-0 vs Wilmington Hammerheads (third division – USL)
Cal FC 2012: 1-0 AET vs Portland Timbers (first division – MLS)
CASL Elite 2002: 5-2 vs Carolina Dynamo (third division – USL)
Dallas Roma 2006: 1-0 vs Miami FC (second division – USL)
Dallas Roma 2006: 0-0 (4-2 pk) vs Chivas USA (first division – MLS)
Hollywood United 2008: 3-2 vs Portland Timbers (second division – USL)
Reggae Boyz 2005: 4-2 vs Cincinnati Kings (third division – USL)
San Jose Oaks 1996: 3-2 vs California Jaguars (third division – USL)
United German Hungarians 1999: 2-1 vs New Jersey Stallions (third division – USL)

MLS Eliminations by Amateur League Teams
Cal FC 2012: 1-0 AET vs Portland Timbers
Michigan Bucks 2012: 3-2 AET vs Chicago Fire
Michigan Bucks 2000: 1-0 vs New England Revolution
Chicago Sockers 2000: 0-0 (7-6 PK) vs Kansas City Wizards
Dallas Roma 2006: 0-0 (4-2 PK) vs Chivas USA

MLS versus USASA Clubs
2012: Portland Timbers 0-1 AET Cal FC
2006: Chivas USASA 0-0 (2-4 PK) Dallas Roma
2006: LA Galaxy 2-0 Dallas Roma
2001: Miami Fusion 4-0 Uruguay SC
2000: Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 ASDET Uruguay SC

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Cal FC gets world’s attention with historic upset of Portland Timbers

May 31, 2012 by Michael Orr

Timbers.CalFC.LP004 — Cal FC celebrate their goal in the first period of extra time. Photo: L.M. Parr | Portland Timbers

By the end of the 120 minutes (1:15 am ET), a team that nobody knew about two weeks ago was trending worldwide on Twitter. Cal FC became not only the first US Adult Soccer Association team to score against a Major League Soccer opponent, but became the first to advance via a victory, downing the Portland Timbers, 1-0 in overtime, on the road at Jeld-Wen Field Wednesday evening in the Third Round of the US Open Cup.

“I don’t remember anything, I just know that I chipped it,” said ArturAghasyan, beaming as he tried to recount his famous goal for Cal FC. The California-based amateur side, coached by Eric Wynalda, are unlikely to ever forget what transpired on Wednesday night, May 30, 2012. Though it took 120 minutes and withstanding forty-three Portland Timbers shots, Cal FC emerged victorious.

Perhaps the signs were available early as Jesus Gonzalez forced a fingertip save from Troy Perkins in the 6th minute. Yet it was the Timbers who were the aggressors in the early going, clearly trying to create a comfortable space on the shore sheet. Pressing in defense and sending in myriad crosses, Portland certainly hassled Cal FC, but not enough to actually find that ever-elusive goal.

Meanwhile, Cal tried to play its game. “We love to categorize ourselves as a possession team. Which probably wasn’t the case tonight,” explained Wynalda afterward. As the young visitors tried to find time and space, the Timbers continued their assault on goalkeeper Darby Carrillo. KalifAlhassan, Brent Richards (twice) and Jorge Perlaza each missed shots or had them saved in a seven minute stretch after the hour. When Cal did finally break toward goal, in a fantastic interplay between Danny Barrera and Richard Manjivar, the former made one too many passes, seemingly taking Wynalda’s possession style a bit too far.

Portland’s misses got worse as the second half dragged on, each bringing more exasperated groans from the crowd of just over five thousand. Finally, the Timbers got a stroke of luck when Manjivar handled a Richards cross in the box, setting up a Kris Boyd penalty in the 80th minute. Which is precisely when the game turned on its head.

The Scottish Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, skied his spot kick, dropped his head and walked away from the North End amid a cascade of boos.Said Wynalda, “I was already thinking it wasn’t their night. But you don’t see that every day, a player like Kris Boyd missing a penalty kick.”Several late chances went begging for Portland and the two weary sides entered overtime.

Boyd subbed off after an injury and the Timbers shifted players to accommodate the final available change. With cramps setting in, and the team constantly rotating players to keep all eleven players as spry as possible, Cal FC seemed on the verge of simply wearing out before all 120 minutes were done. Then the impossible happened.

In the 95th minute, Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well placed through ball and calmly chipped Perkins. As his teammates mobbed him in the northeast corner of the stadium, the crowd fell silent – a rarity in a ground known for its boisterous atmosphere. While the pause was only momentary, the gravity of the goal was clear.

timbers.vsCalFC 021 — Somewhere in that celebration is the goalscorer, and TheCup.us Player of the Round, Artur Aghasyan. Photo: Ethan Erickson | Portland Timbers

As the first period of overtime ended and the second began, Portland furiously poured players forward in search of an equalizer. Freddie Braun, Jack Jewsbury, Perlaza, Alhassan and Richards all had clear chances to beat Carrillo, yet none could do better than send the ball directly into the goalkeeper’s waiting gloves. Carrillo’s save on Perlaza’s 109th minute header was his best of a night filled with close calls.

With Portland nearing a calamitous result, Cal FC poked the ball clear for several counter attacks late in the second overtime. Paulo Ferreira-Mendez’s header beat Perkins but also – barely – the left post in the 110th. Aghasyan then nearly added a second goal when his shot skimmed the crossbar from an acute angle in the 114th.

After Perlaza put one into the side netting, Darlington Nagbe curled a shot just wide of the right post and Alhassan sent one more soft cross into the box, Cal FC needed just one more stop to escape with the upset. Referee William Niccolls inexplicably allowed a bloody Jewsbury to received treatment and a change of shirt before Portland’s final attempt, a corner in the 120^th minute. The amateurs cleared the ball, Niccolls blew his whistle and Cal FC left the field with one of the biggest upsets in US Open Cup history.

“One thing we should be very proud of is that Portland brought their team. That was their guys…Once we saw the line-up, everything settled in for our guys. This is what we wanted,” Wynalda added. Indeed, the starting XI for the Timbers was the best possible line-up, given several injuries and absences due to international duty.

That will make the loss linger even longer in Portland as the Timbers miss out on a chance to host rivals Seattle Sounders in the fourth round and will have eighteen days without a game to figure out how exactly they lost at home to Cal FC.

HIGHLIGHTS: CAL FC at PORTLAND TIMBERS

FULL MATCH REPLAY: CAL FC at PORTLAND TIMBERS

POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE: JOHN SPENCER

POST-GAME INTERVIEW: ERIC WYNALDA

MLS versus USASA Clubs
2012: Portland Timbers 0-1 AET Cal FC
2006: Chivas USASA 0-0 (2-4 PK) Dallas Roma
2006: LA Galaxy 2-0 Dallas Roma
2000: Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 ASDET Uruguay SC
2001: Miami Fusion 4-0 Uruguay SC

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Cal FC knocks out PDL champ Kitsap Pumas, 3-1

May 16, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

The reigning champions of the USL Premier Development League crashed out of the 99th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tuesday evening at the hands of Cal FC, a one-year-old side built and managed by former US international striker Eric Wynalda. Former US youth international Danny Barrera scored twice for the California club in a 3-1 victory.

Cal FC becomes just the second USASA club from Southern California to win a US Open Cup game, joining Hollywood United, who memorably upset the Portland Timbers (then a 2nd Division pro club) in 2008. It was Kitsap’s first opening round loss since 2009, and the first time they have been defeated by an amateur club (2-1-1) in tournament play.

The visitors, managed by Nick Webster with Wynalda following from Germany on assignment for Fox Soccer, held the better of the play for much of the early going through a slow pace dictated by the heat. Kitsap would not find an opportunity until 24 minutes in only to see the ball cleared out from the six in the midst of a scramble.

At the half-hour mark Artur Aghasyan sent Cal FC’s best chance of the game toward goal, forcing a great save from Dustin Brim.

Barrera finally put one past Brim, firing a low shot on goal, forcing the goalkeeper to dive to his left. Brim was able to get a touch on it, but in the end, put it into his own net while trying to gather it. This gave the visitors the advantage a minute before the break.

Seven minutes into the second half Barrera nearly set Aghasyan up to double the advantage with a through ball only to see his effort lobbed over Brim from 23 yards clang off the crossbar.

Two minutes after entering the match, Samaniego scuffed a chance from four yards out in the 64th minute, but continued to liven up the contest. Just two minutes later Barrera twisted past defender Justin Robbins to notch his second of the evening.

With 18 minutes remaining the Pumas began to rally with Truax connecting with Friesen to cut the deficit in half.

The comeback, however, was crippled significantly in the 80th minute when Danny Medina was sent off for apparently stomping on Aghasyan.

Aghasyan would make no doubt of the outcome, chipping past Brim in the 86th minute to restore the two-goal advantage.

The US Adult Soccer Association’s Region IV runners-up advance to face USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads, traveling to North Carolina for the Second Round contest next Tuesday. The pairing for the potential Third Round opponent from Major League Soccer is expected to be announced in the next two days by the US Soccer Federation.

Highlights

Cal FC 3:1 Kitsap Pumas
Bremerton Memorial Stadium – Bremerton, Wash.

CAL: Danny Barrera 44
CAL: Danny Barrera 66
KIT: Matt Friesen (Ben Truax) 72
CAL: Artur Aghasyan 86

Discipline:
KIT: Danny Medina – caution 50, Zack Sampson – caution 56, Medina – ejection 80

Lineups:
CAL FC: Carrillo; Espinoza Gonzalez, Navarro, Randolph, Arreola (Caceres 46), Danny Barrera (cap), Diego Barrera, Cruz (Samaniego 62), Manjivar, Aghasyan

KITSAP: Dustyn Brim; Danny Medina, Justin Robbins, Stephen Mohn, Matt Friesen, Christopher Bettencourt, Kyle Johnson, Ben Truax, Greg Miley, Daniel MacLeod (Daniel Fabian 46), Zack Sampson