Cal FC

Lansdowne Yonkers wins second National Amateur Cup, qualifies for 2022 US Open Cup

August 30, 2021 by Michael Battista

Lansdowne Yonkers FC players, staff, and family pose with the National Amateur Cup following a 2-1 win over Cal FC in Bridgeview, IL on August 7, 2021. Photo: Patrick Murphy

(This story was originally published by Once A Metro on Aug. 12, 2021)

On a frigid November night at Tibbetts Brook Park last year, Lansdowne Yonkers FC defeated Kelemdni FC NY, 4-0, in the first round of the Eastern New York State Soccer Association Amateur Cup. Ten months, eight games, and over 800 miles later, ten Bhoys stood tall over Cal FC on Saturday to win the 2021 USASA National Amateur Cup in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Ill.

This is the second time the team has won the cup after a 2017 triumph. The win secures Yonkers a spot in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and $7,000 in prize money.

Speaking to Once A Metro, club president William McGrory said this trophy has been a long time coming. Long before the pandemic, the work started on a field in Glendale, Wisconsin after the team’s previous title.

“It’s an amazing achievement considering what we have won already this season,” he said. “It’s something we have aspired to do since our first one in 2017. This is not an accident. There is a plan implemented and an enormous amount of hard work required by the coaches and players.”

Here's a compilation of all our trophy celebrations: EPSL Metropolitan Conference, National Amateur Cup Region 1, Fricker Cup Region 1, EPSL Cup, National Amateur Cup, NISA Ind. Cup, and National Fricker Cup.@USAdultSoccer @USASARegion1 @EPSLsoccer @NISALeague @TommySmythESPN pic.twitter.com/QtCTqgIC6F

— Lansdowne Yonkers FC (@Lansdownebhoys) August 23, 2021

The championship came after a grueling two game weekend at SeatGeek Stadium’s turf fields. Lansdowne, representing Region I of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), entered alongside Springfield FC (IL, Region II), Nashville United (TN, Region III), and Cal FC (CA, Region IV).

Against Nashville in Friday’s semifinal Lansdowne quickly learned the team from the volunteer state was stacked. The same team has recently seen former New York City FC star Kwadwo Poku and Tampa Bay Rowdies all-time leading scorer Georgi Hristov in its ranks and they came to play with other ex-pros according to McGrory.

Ten minutes into the match former College of the Holy Cross soccer star Joseph DeVivo scored the match’s only goal when his shot deflected off a Nashville player and into the net. Despite constant back and forth, including Nashville owning possession to start the second half, the team pulled through for the narrow win. Meanwhile Cal beat Springfield, 4-2, to set-up a classic LA vs NY final.

Cal, who are best known for beating the Portland Timbers in the Open Cup back in 2012 under USMNT Eric Wynalda, are a major power out west. The team had only been eliminated from the UPSL national quarterfinals two weeks prior and were one of the amateur teams snubbed after they qualified for the 2020 Open Cup.

With under 24 hours to rest for both finalists the match was never going to be pretty. After taking the early game to feel eachother out, Cal struck first in the 30th minute. A cut-in from the right side and quick 180 reversal by forward German Alfaro gave him enough space at the top of the box. The low bouncer to the opposite net got past the diving Kabo Danso and Lansdown trailed heading into the half.

Whatever head coach Sean Kelly told his team during the break struck a nerve because it only took 40 seconds to tie the game. A long cross to the right side was headed by Shamir Mullings towards the opposite post. Former Richmond Kicker trialist Patrick McCann jumped up and popped another header over the keeper’s head. The Bhoys didn’t stop and in the 61st minute were awarded a penalty kick after a McCann shot attempt came off a Cal defender’s hand inside the area. DeVivo’s low conversion from the spot made it two goals in as many games for him.

The rest of the match was hectic as both teams fought valiantly. Cal earned a late spark when DeVivo earned a second yellow in extra time for decent (aka talking mad shit to the referee). The west coast side had two chances against the ten remaining New Yorkers but as the final one trickled wide right the final whistle blew.

“The entire team was superb,” McGrory said. “Johan Mauritzon, Bala Danso and Kabo Danso (were) outstanding, supported by Sean Reilly and Stephen Elias. Veterans Pat McCann and Daryl Kavanagh did well. Shamir Mullings was carrying an injury but did well when he was involved.

Huge team performance and from our two young first year coaches Sean Kelly and Craig Purcell.”

(Fun note: After the match Cal went on Twitter and called out USASA’s president by claiming the match was rigged against them)

***

Lansdowne Yonkers FC’s haul of trophies won during 2021, including the National Amateur Cup (third from left). Photo: Lansdowne Yonkers FC

The team previously known Lansdowne Bhoys FC will be making their third appearance in the tournament in 2022 (which has been officially confirmed by US Soccer). In both of their previous tournaments the team has one at least one game, including a professional upset over Pittsburgh River Hounds SC of USL in 2016. During that match keeper Abdoukarim “Kabo” Danso helped his team earn the 3-1 win and earned himself Player of the Round honors.

Despite being five years older the native Gambian has not lost a step, helping lead his team to an Eastern Premier Soccer League title while only allowing 15 goals all season. During the National Amateur Cup, from state to the national finals, the team still only allowed seven goals through nine games.

2021 has also been a highly productive year for Lansdowne. Winning multiple major trophies is hard enough but Yonkers won eight during the calendar year. This included the Eastern New York State Soccer Association Amateur Cup (not pictured above), EPSL regular season & league titles, and the 2021 Werner Fricker Open Cup. The later national title is also important since Yonkers is the first team to win both the Amateur Cup and Fricker both in the same year on two separate occasions (previously won in 2017).

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In: Cal FC are kings of L.A. with win over Oxnard Guerreros

November 30, 2019 by Josh Hakala

Graphic by Harrison Huntley | @hhuntley17

Cal FC, the team best known for their upset of the Portland Timbers back in 2012, is back in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after a 2-1 win over fellow Southern California UPSL side Oxnard Guerreros. Goals from William Raygoza and German Alfaro clinched Cal FC a spot in the 2020 US Open Cup, the club’s second straight trip to the tournament, and their fifth all-time (2012, 2014, 2015, 2019).

Cal FC made the trip about 20 miles west from Thousand Oaks, Calif. to Del Sol Stadium in Oxnard, Calif. The visitors wasted very little time getting on the scoreboard as they struck first within 90 seconds of the opening kickoff. Oxnard played the ball back to their goalkeeper who attempted to boot the ball up the field. Unfortunately for the Guerrerors, his clearance was hit hard and low where an Oxnard player was unable to bring the ball down and Cal FC’s Romario Lomelli was at the right place at the right time. The ball fell to him about 35 yards from goal and he immediately played a through ball into the box on the left side where William Raygoza ran onto it, hit it one-time with his left foot and beat the keeper. For Raygoza, a former Los Angeles Galaxy academy player, it was his sixth goal of the competition, which ranks second among all players in the qualifying tournament.

In first half stoppage time, Oxnard was putting pressure on the Cal FC goal, only to see a set piece off a corner kick miss the target. After the Cal FC goal kick, the ball found its way down the right wing to German Alfaro who was tripped up deep in Oxnard territory, near the sideline. Alfaro took a low-driving, in-swinging free kick with his left foot, avoided the three-man wall, and found its way into traffic in front of the goal. Art Aghasi led the charge toward the low-driving cross, but after reviewing the video, it’s unclear if Aghasi got a piece of it before it took a bounce and ended up into the side netting. The official scorer credited Alfaro with his second goal of the competition.

Cal FC players huddle up prior to their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against Oxnard Guerreros. Photo: Victor Friedman | Cal FC

The home team was given some new life midway through the second half. In the 72nd minute, Oxnard launched a counter attack after a clearance of a Cal FC corner kick. With Cal defenders on their back heels, Raul Gonzalez of the Guerreros delivered a ball from the right wing to the opposite side of the box where Carlos Arriola snuck a header just inside the near post to cut the lead in half. But the Cal FC defense held strong for the remaining 20 minutes to advance to the tournament proper for the second year in a row.

“It’s always hard to get a win on the road,” said Cal FC owner and head coach Michael Friedman. “I’m always impressed how our players response to pressure. They kept their poise and remain focused on closing out the game. We only had 13 available players and we were able to manage the game with just 1 substitution.”

Cal FC punches their ticket after Saturday’s win, and earlier round wins over Quickening (9-2 in Round 1) and Alta California Sol (3-1 in Round 2).

#USOC2020 ESSENTIALS

Newtown Pride FC win first Amateur Cup, qualify for 2020 US Open Cup
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule / Results
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In Weekend Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Goalscoring Leaders

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FULL GAME VIDEO (YouTube)
Cal FC Goal 1 >> 8:00
Cal FC Goal 2 >> 53:00
Oxnard Goal >> 1:34:10

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Las Vegas Lights shut out Cal FC in Eric Wynalda “Derby”

May 16, 2019 by Thomas Viola

Tabort Etaka Prestdon of the Las Vegas Lights dribbles the ball against the Cal FC defense in Tuesday's Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Las Vegas Lights — Tabort Etaka Prestdon of the Las Vegas Lights dribbles the ball against the Cal FC defense in Tuesday’s Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Las Vegas Lights

It was a small but rambunctious crowd on hand to see the hometown Las Vegas Lights FC defeat Cal FC 2-0 in Round 2 of the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night at Cashman Field in the Lights’ fourth home victory of the year.

Lights head coach Eric Wynalda’s former team put up a valiant fight, but an early 15th minute goal by Lights forward Sammy Ochoa, and an even quicker 50th minute goal by Victor Rojas proved too much for a scrappy Cal FC team to overcome.

Wynalda said he was happy with the Lights’ performance, and that he actually regretted having to play his former club so early in the tournament.

Las Vegas Lights Eric Wynalda — Graphic by Dallas Kreil | IG: @dak_design

“It’s a ton of emotion, to be fair I would have rather played further along in the competition. I’m not saying it was unfair to them, we just know these guys really well … the fact that our guys have played against them in so many games, is an advantage for us,” said Wynalda, who also credited his own side’s versatility and the ability of his players to adapt and play out of position.

“We had guys playing for the first time for our club. We had guys playing multiple positions, multiple systems … to come out of it 2-0, our club is very proud of the work that we put into this,” he added. “The preparation, all of it, to get a result like this against a very good side, it is something to be proud of.”

The Lights controlled much of the early possession, creating chances until finally Edwin Rivas’s cross found Ochoa’s head to put the Lights up 1-0. Immediately after the goal, Cal appeared to find its footing in the game, and dominated most of the remainder of the first half.

It appeared as if Cal would equalize multiple times, but each attempt was thwarted by the Lights’ bend-but-don’t-break defense and the sure hands of goalkeeper Angel Alvarez, who earned a clean sheet in his first start of the season.

The teams went into the locker rooms at halftime with the Lights leading 1-0, but with Vegas very much on its back heel. However, halftime adjustments by Wynalda, including two substitutions (former Cal player Pablo Cruz and Junior Sandoval came on for Matt Thomas and Edwin Rivas, respectively) proved to be the boost the Lights needed to regain control of the game.

Rojas’s goal — his first as a member of the Lights — was the knockout punch that took Cal out of the game.

Tempers rose like the Vegas desert heat as the match neared its end, with each team earning a pair of second-half yellow cards. Cruz even nearly came to blows with Cal goalkeeper Kevin Marquez before things finally boiled over during stoppage time. Cal’s Victor Vasquez and Vegas’s Jonathan Levin had to be separated as well, and both were issued red cards just before the full-time whistle blew.

The Lights are now left with just two subs for their Round 3 match. The Lights bench is depleted due to players’ cup ties with previous teams, as well as injuries.

2019 US Open Cup Round 1: Cal FC crushes FC Mulhouse to set up match with former coach Eric Wynalda

May 9, 2019 by Cameron Milledge

Orr Barouch of Cal FC dribbles past defenders from FC Mulhouse Portland in the First Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Victor Friedman

To open up the first round of play of the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Cal FC made easy work of FC Mulhouse Portland as they cruised to a 5-1 victory.

The Thousand Oaks, Calif. club was in control from the start, featuring a number of former professional players, some of which helped the club make a name for itself when it upset the Portland Timbers (MLS) in the 2012 US Open Cup. Former MLS player Orr Barouch led the way with a hat trick, while German Alfaro added a goal and an assist and two stars of Cal FC’s 2012 cup run, Danny Barrera (1 assist) and Richard Menjivar (1 goal) also featured.

With the win, Cal FC will advance to Round 2 where they will play the Las Vegas Lights of the USL Championship, who are led by head coach Eric Wynalda. The former US international and Hall of Famer was the head coach of Cal FC during their US Open Cup run in 2012, and recruited some of the current players on the team.

In the first half, Cal FC dominated possession with quick passing and solid movement off the ball. Cal FC’s front line also took advantage of Mulhouse’s defense with continuous runs behind the back line.

They were rewarded in the 14th minute as they were given a penalty as a result of a handball in the box. Orr Barouch, who spent the better part of four seasons with the Chicago Fire of MLS, slotted it past Mulhouse keeper Scott Dalrymple to make it 1-0.

It only got worse as Mulhouse had no answer to Cal FC’s relentless attack.

Cal FC made it 2-0 as Barouch scored a tap-in from a cross by winger German Alfaro.

To pour salt into the wound, after a great pass by Daniel Barrera, Alfaro weaved his way through Mulhouse’s defense to make it 3-0. Barrera, who was named TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament for the 2012 US Open Cup, recently re-joined the club after stints with several USL teams.

Mulhouse pulled one back off of a set piece to make it 3-1, but the home side quickly responded less than a minute later as Barouch completed his hat trick to make it 4-1.

Despite Mulhouse picking up some intensity in the second half, the damage had been done.

Six minutes into the second half, Cal FC made it 5-1 as Richard Menjivar popped up in the six-yard box and slotted it past Dalrymple. Even with the commanding lead, Cal FC controlled possession and limited Mulhouse’s chance on goal in the final minutes of the match.

Cal FC assistant coach Mike Randolph was pleased with his team’s performance throughout the match.

“It was good. We slowed down a bit in the second half, but we had good rhythm in the first. We did enough in the first half to push us on through … we were patient. They have fun passing the ball, tiki taka touches left and right. They weren’t phased by the pressure.”

To make things more interesting, their next opponent will be the Las Vegas Lights of the USL Championship on May 14. Their coach Eric Wynalda is a familiar face to their next challengers according to Randolph:

“Eric’s been a big part of Cal FC for a while now so it will be fun and interesting to go against him. We’ll do our homework and we’ll ready and prepared to take him on”

2019 US Open Cup Qualifying: Former pros, familiar faces put Cal FC back in tournament

April 8, 2019 by Omar Avalos

Romario lomeli from Cal FC celebrates a goal as part of a 4-1 win against Santa Ana Winds in the Fourth Round of the Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Victor Friedman — Romario Lomeli from Cal FC celebrates a goal as part of a 4-1 win against Santa Ana Winds in the Fourth Round of the Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Victor Friedman

Cal FC outclassed Santa Ana Winds FC by a score of 4-1 on Sunday at the Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif. The “Win & You’re In” qualifier sent Cal FC back to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2015, and Winds FC back to the drawing board.

Cal FC, a team best known for their 2012 upset of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, was an all-around better squad, from the opening minute. They pressed defensively as a unit, had a surgical, vertical counterattack and held possession more effectively. The Thousand Oaks, Calif. side pressed high causing much confusion and, especially, imprecise vertical passes from the Winds FC back line to the midfield. Cal FC effectively shut down that circuit, and contained the Winds midfield. Santa Ana was forced to play lob after lob from their defensive line, at best hoping to connect with a forward.

A player from Cal FC takes a shot against Santa Ana Winds in the Fourth Round of the Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Victor Friedman

“Really pleased to get a positive result against a very good team,” said Cal FC head coach Keith Costigan. “I thought we created a number of chances and scored some really good goals. We also defended well as a group and limited the Winds’ chances.”

Cal FC scored the opening goal in the 16th minute on a lob to the center striker German Alfaro who broke the Winds FC defense and blasted a shot from distance to put them ahead 1-0. Winds FC had the misfortune of burning two substitutes due to injury and accumulated only one corner kick and one shot, with two yellow cards, by the end of the first half.

Santa Ana started the second half more aggressively and brought on striker Jordan Gorman, creating the more dangerous chances and showing life to start the half, but Cal FC capitalized masterfully in the 48th minute on Winds FC’s aggressiveness. Very soon after the Santa Ana side was looking like the one near scoring, Alfaro received a pass from Richard Menjivar, a former USL veteran who was part of the 2012 Cal FC team. Menjivar found Alfaro and he launched a volley from about 30 yards out to beat the Winds goalkeeper to double the lead.

Winds FC made it a game in the 56th minute, on a brilliant chip shot by Gorman brought Santa Ana to within one. The Orange County team had its moments of good attacking play, but their defense appeared discombobulated 10 minutes later in what resulted in the best goal of the night.

That Cal FC goal began when the Winds defense failed to man mark on a Cal FC corner kick. A corner kick found its way all the way through to opposite corner where a Cal FC player tracked it down and crossed to the far post. No one was there to meet the ball so former UC Riverside star Romario Lomeli ran onto it and launched a right-footed blast from a tight angle that ended up in the upper corner inside the far post to make it 3-1 in the 66th minute.

Cal FC put the game away about a minute later as they took advantage of a disoriented Winds FC defense. They used precise passing to break down the backline and ultimately Danny Barrera, who was the 2012 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament for Cal FC before moving on to play in the USL, created the goal. Barrera unselfishly played a ball across to former Chicago Fire midfielder Orr Barouch who tapped in the team’s fourth goal in the 70th minute.

Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2019 US Open Cup Qualifying: Cal FC reaches final round with PK win over Cal United

January 17, 2019 by Omar Avalos

Cal FC poses for a team photo before they take on Cal United FC II in the Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Cal FC

The rematch of the third round Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup between Cal FC and California United FC II was an epic grind. Cal FC defeated Cal United in penalty kicks by a score of 7-6 after a 1-1 draw on a cold and rainy night at the Orange County Great Park Soccer Complex in Irvine, Calif. The Cal FC defense was resolute throughout and was able to contain a high-scoring Cal United team.

With the win, Cal FC, who are best known for their run in the 2012 US Open Cup where they upset a pair of pro teams, including the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, advances to the fourth and final round of the qualifying tournament. They will take on fellow Southern California-based UPSL club Santa Ana Winds in a “Win & You’re In” match in early April.

“I’m proud of the effort of the entire group,” said Cal FC head coach Keith Costigan. “To be down to a squad of just 13 because of players signing pro contracts and still compete with a side of the caliber of Cal United FC is a testament to the effort of these young men. We had one session to work on a game plan and the boys implemented it to perfection.”

The original match was played on Nov. 18, 2018 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. but with the match tied at 2-2, the stadium lights turned off in the 89th minute. This was due to a local curfew ordinance, so the match could note be finished. The two teams had trouble agreeing on a date until agreeing to Jan. 16, when the match was replayed in its entirety.

Cal FC got on the scoreboard first on a Romario Lomeli corner kick that was headed in by Salomon Wbias in the 5th minute. This was a welcome goal for Cal FC, given their limited roster. From that point on, the Cal FC defense clamped down, blocking shot after shot as a compact unit. Whenever Cal United managed to break the Cal FC defense, Kevin Marquez came up with some heroic saves to keep Cal FC in the fight. Marquez had at least five saves in the match.

Cal FC maintained that 1-0 lead into the second half when Cal United managed to gain long spells of possession and control of the match, creating numerous chances and, missing the net by inches at times.

Cal United’s best chance came around the 70th minute when a player was tripped in the area, leading the referee to point to the spot. Cal FC head coach Keith Costigan disagreed with the official and was sent off for arguing the call. Moments later, Miguel Sanchez-Rincon stepped up to take the PK, but it was saved by Marquez to preserve his clean sheet.

About 12 minutes later, another trip in the penalty area led to another PK, but this time Cristian Gordillo put it past Marquez to level the match in the 82nd minute.

The Cal United onslaught continued in overtime, and this provided space and counterattacking opportunities for Cal FC, but they couldn’t capitalize on them. On one counterattack, Cal FC strung together some short passes in the area that provoked a penalty kick call late in the second half of overtime. The match could’ve been decided there, but the kick taker, Jadilson Da Silva Vieira hit the crossbar.

The penalty kick shootout required eight rounds to decide a winner with Cal FC taking the first attempt. In Round 2, Cal FC had their attempt saved by Cal United’s Kifi Cabrera, which led to a dramatic attempt in the fifth round. With the score tied 4-4, Cal United had a chance to win the shootout but their fifth attempt struck the crossbar. Both teams converted their attempts until the eighth round when Marquez blocked Duncan Capriotti’s attempt to send Cal FC into the final round of qualifying.

2019 US Open Cup qualifying: San Nicolas files protest after loss to Cal FC

September 24, 2018 by Josh Hakala

Cal FC poses for a team photo before the club's 2019 US Open Cup qualifying match against San NIcolas FC. Photo: Cal FC — Cal FC poses for a team photo before the club’s 2019 US Open Cup qualifying match against San NIcolas FC. Photo: Cal FCUPDATE

UPDATE (10/4/18): TheCup.us has learned that San Nicolas FC’s protest has been denied.

The local qualifying tournament for the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicked off this past weekend, and there is already a controversy.

After they suffered a 3-1 loss to Cal FC in the tournament’s opening round on Saturday, Sept. 22, San Nicolas FC has filed a protest. The Pomona, California-based club claims that Cal FC should not be eligible because they did not play the minimum number of games in their current league.

In Section 202, the 2019 US Open Cup Open Division Handbook, it says:

(a) To enter the Open Cup, a team must be an outdoor soccer team based in the United States and a member of a club or league of an Organization Member of the Federation. The team must be playing in a regular club or league competition of at least four (4) teams and the competition must consist of at least ten (10) matches for each team in the competition each fiscal year.
——————–
(c) Teams Entering Through the Open Division:

(1) To remain eligible throughout the tournament:

(i) A team must remain a playing member in good standing within its club/league competition, starting from the Open Division entry deadline and continuing until the Open Cup Final for the competition year;

(ii) A team’s league must be in operation from the Open Division entry deadline until the Open Cup Final for the competition year.

(2) Any team whose league is starting its first season of competition must have started its league schedule at least thirty (30) days prior to the Open Division entry deadline.

(3) Any team starting its first season of competition in an existing league must have started its new league’s schedule at least thirty (30) days prior to the Open Division entry deadline.

The basis of the protest is that Cal FC did not play in a league during this past season because the club was on hiatus for the last two years. While Cal FC will be returning to the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) for the upcoming fall season, San Nicolas claims that Cal FC have also failed to meet the criteria of a club that is starting its first season of competition, in addition to not playing in a league last season. Cal FC played their first game of the 2018 USPL Fall Season on Sept. 16 when they defeated the Kern County Mustangs 3-2. That does not, according to San Nicolas, satisfy the requirement of starting the season prior to that 30-day window.

“The game should have not been scheduled,” said San Nicolas FC general manager Daniel Collazo. “US Soccer told us to play it and then protest if we happen to lose. It is not fair for all the teams that enter sanctioned leagues and pay so many fees, refs, and home fields year-round to be eligible for this Open Cup local qualifying tournament and then Cal FC gets rolled a red carpet.”

According to Cal FC, they are confident that Saturday’s result will stand.

“We believe the win will be upheld,” said Cal FC owner Michael Friedman. “My organization was approved by the UPSL and US Soccer to participate in the 2019 US Open Cup. Our paperwork is in order and we have taken all the necessary steps to be eligible.”

According to Friedman, it was a merger that makes his club eligible for the 2019 US Open Cup.

Friedman launched Cal FC in 2006 and the club made a name for itself in the 2012 US Open Cup when they stunned the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. The club was a member of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) until health issues forced Friedman to put the team on hiatus in late 2016. With Friedman healthy again, he announced that the club will return to the UPSL for the league’s fall season.

What clears the team from any wrongdoing, Friedman said, is that he purchased the UPSL club Los Angeles Roma and merged it with Cal FC prior to this season. Friedman has since confirmed this transaction with TheCup.us.

LA Roma had played in the UPSL since the 2017 Fall Season and by essentially taking over that club, Friedman said the merger puts Cal FC in good standing as well. In a sense, Cal FC takes over LA Roma’s playing history, and they should not be considered a new team, according to Friedman. (NOTE: The owners of LA Roma have since moved on to launch a new UPSL club called “LA10.”)

Series of forfeits, teams with ineligible players overshadow 2016 US Open Cup

May 31, 2016 by Evan Ream

With dozens of amateur and professional teams battling for the United States’ true national championship, every Lamar Hunt US Open Cup creates numerous storylines.

Whether it’s the 1999 Rochester Rhinos doing the impossible of becoming the only lower division side to win the final since the introduction of MLS teams, or amateur teams Cal FC and the Michigan Bucks both upsetting MLS teams in 2012, every Cup is usually remembered for at least one or two moments.

The early part of the 2016 edition of the tournament has featured three disqualifications, the most of any competition in the Modern Era (1995-present). And those three disqualifications were just the ones that were caught in what appears to be a combination of spotty rule enforcement from the United States Soccer Federation and a lack of rule awareness by teams and players.

Section 203. Part (c) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook is pretty clear:

“Any player who plays in any part of an Open Cup match for a team, including any match in any Open Division qualifying round, may not be included in the Open Cup roster or play for any other team in the Open Cup competition for that competition year.”

This rule is new for 2016 as the federation kicked off its inaugural open division qualifying tournament, a single-elimination competition made up of any amateur team that does not belong to the Premier Development League (PDL) or the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Prior to this year, players were only cup-tied if they played for a team in the Open Cup proper.

The reason for the ruling was to keep players from jumping from team to team. Occasionally players would play for one team during qualifying and if they got eliminated, sign with a team that qualified.

At publishing time, TheCup.us is aware of at least five teams who broke this rule by fielding or including on their roster cup-tied players in the first or second rounds of the tournament. However, only two of the teams were discovered in time to file a protest and have the result of the match overturned.

1. In their Second Round penalty kick upset victory over the Charleston Battery (USL), the Villages SC of the Premier Development League (PDL) started Paulo Vaz, who had previously played for Boca Raton FC in the open division qualifying tournament that took place last fall. The Battery discovered this after the game and immediately filed a successful protest which eliminated the PDL side and pushed Charleston into the next round.

“We were unaware of Paulo Vaz playing for another team in the qualifying rounds of the Cup,” said Alex Perez, a spokesperson for The Villages SC. “In all of his registration paperwork with us that we filed with the PDL, Paulo listed his last club as Floridians FC. It’s an unfortunate situation.”

Villages SC defeated Kraze United in Round 1 with that same ineligible player, which led Kraze United to file a protest after the Battery match in Round 2 was complete. The protest by Kraze United was denied due to the rule that states that “official match protests are required to be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CT the day following the match. (Section 306. Part (a) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook.)

2. In a 3-1 First Round loss to the Sacramento Gold, the Burlingame Dragons started Gabe Silveira, who had taken part in the open division qualification tournament for San Francisco City FC.

According to the Dragons, they were told by US Soccer that Silveira was cleared to play. This was not discovered in time and no protest was filed.

3. In that same game, the Sacramento Gold included Andre Brown on their bench, who played for Davis Legacy in the qualifying tournament. While he didn’t appear in the match, just having him on the gameday roster is a potential violation. The USASA has disqualified teams for such a violation during qualifying, however, there is no precedent in the US Open Cup proper in the Modern Era.

4. CD Aguiluchos USA fielded ineligible players in both their first and second round matches. In their 3-0 Round 1 win over San Francisco City, substitute Ahmad Hatifie was cup-tied to Ballistic IFX. CDA also subbed on a cup-tied player in Arthur Bahr in their 5-0 loss to Sacramento Republic FC. Bahr played for San Francisco City in qualifying.

San Francisco, like Kraze United, submitted a protest, but it was also denied since it was filed long after the deadline.

5. Perhaps the most notable protest involved the Ventura County Fusion’s use of Gabe Gonzalez, who had played for Cal FC in qualification, in a 2-1 First Round victory over the LA Wolves FC.

According to the Fusion, the club was aware of Gonzalez’s participation in the qualifying rounds, but were told specifically by USSF that Gonzalez was cleared to play for the Fusion. How did the Wolves know he was ineligible? Because he played against them in qualifying for Cal FC. The Wolves edged Cal FC 2-1 to clinch their first-ever Open Cup berth.

The Wolves protested the decision and the Fusion were disqualified from the tournament.

“Rules are in place for a reason and they must be followed by all teams,” said Skwara. “The new rules for 2016 may not be perfect, but all teams still have to follow the rules or risk the repercussions.”

Ventura County then filed an appeal on the decision, which was denied by the USSF and the Wolves advanced to Round 2 to face the Orange County Blues of the USL.

According to Fusion media coordinator Polo Ascencio, the Fusion were never given a reason for the denial.

“The reply was a very simple, ‘your appeal was not successful,’ Ascencio told TheCup.us. “They just said, ‘no.’”

The federation has yet to confirm why the appeal was denied or if informing teams of the specifics of the decision are a common practice.

Ascencio said decisions like these only hurt the credibility of the tournament and the amateur teams participating in it.

“It needs to change,” Ascencio said of the roster rules. “The teams, the amateur teams, and you guys know this, in the lower levels, they take this very, very seriously for many reasons … it gives you exposure. it’s given us exposure that we didn’t want, not this way. It gives you exposure. It gives your players a chance to play against higher competition as you move on and on and on.”

With the forfeit, the Fusion’s Modern Era record streak of six consecutive First Round victories came to an end.

“We have really good, young talent looking forward for a chance and to have the chance taken away by a system that is broken,” Ascencio said. “But at the end, we did nothing wrong. We asked our players, the players that came forward didn’t play, we thought we were good. But obviously we were not good.

“We asked US Soccer for a list before the tournament started … of players who have played . Give us rosters of the teams that have played so we know,” he added. “To this day, it’s been already a couple of weeks since the started the first round, we don’t have any of those lists.

Ascencio believes the federation must have too much on its plate.

“Either they’re too busy doing something, MLS or Copa America-related, or the US Open Cup doesn’t really matter until you get the big teams in the Cup,” Ascencio said. “It’s a chance for our players to succeed, to put a spotlight on them. It’s a chance for our teams to bring our fans an experience that they might not get with our local, amateur team.

For the Fusion, Ascencio says its a missed opportunity for the team and the players.

“And obviously there’s money involved there,” he concluded. “The more you advance, the more money you can make. For some of these amateur teams … $15,000 could be a lot of money. It could be a couple year’s worth of attendance. It hurts for all the reasons, but at the end of the day it hurts because we won, but at the end, somebody said, ‘no you guys didn’t because you used a player that we said was okay to play. But, guess what, he’s not okay to play.”

Ascencio said that the Fusion plan to participate in future tournaments due to the opportunity it provides but maintains that the kinks need to be worked out.

“There has to be , there has to be,” Ascencio said. “Because if they’re not gonna change it, then things like this are going to keep happening and the teams that are going to be affected are going to be the amateur teams, not the professional teams. This is a cup that is made so that the amateur teams can flex their muscles or go on to face top competition. To have something like this happen, not only to us, but a few other teams around the nation…I feel bad for all those teams,”

None of the other teams involved in the situation that TheCup.us reached out to chose to comment on the record. The US Soccer Federation did not respond to a request for comment.

TheCup.us senior editor Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: LA Wolves deny Cal FC repeat Open Cup trip with 2-1 win

November 28, 2015 by Josh Hakala

The Los Angeles Wolves got a pair of first half goals from Sam Higgins to earn a 2-1 win over Cal FC in the second round of the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying tournament.

The win eliminates one of the more popular amateur teams in recent US Open Cup history. Cal FC got worldwide attention under direction of their head coach Eric Wynalda in the 2012 tournament when they traveled north to Oregon and eliminated Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers. But now, the Wolves are one win away from qualifying for the Open Cup and possibly making their own history.

The Wolves, whose name was inspired by the NASL team by the same name from the 1960s, advance to the final round of qualifying and will likely play against one of the other three remaining Southern California teams: La Maquina, Outbreak FC or San Nicolas FC. Their opponent will be announced on Jan. 7, 2016, and the game will take place during the first week of April.

Both goals by the Wolves were scored by Higgins, a local standout from Palos Verdes, Calif., and in similar fashion. Around the 22nd minute, the Fram SC youth product who has had trials with English clubs, received the ball on the right side from Duncan Capriotti and after beating a couple of Cal FC defender, fired a shot past the goalkeeper from 15 yards out.

Just a few minutes from halftime, Higgins added a second. This time, receiving the ball from Sori Kieta and finishing nearly the same way to help the Wolves take a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.

Cal FC would pull one back in the second half, but the Wolves defense was able to keep them off the scoresheet for the final 15 minutes of the match to preserve the victory.

“Getting the win was our goal and we achieved our goal as there is no tomorrow in the US Open Cup if you lose,” said Wolves president and general manager Yan Skwara. “We wanted to see our forwards take advantage of goal scoring opportunities and not miss our chances. We really pushed team defense and asked everybody to push for 90 minutes including our forwards.”

Of the four remaining Southern California teams, the Wolves are one of three from the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). They have a talented roster, but are hoping to one day taking the Wolves to the next level.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve picked up new sponsors, new investors that agree with the vision that we have, which is a professional vision for the club,” said Wolves president and general manager Yan Skwara told SoccerNation.com. “We would like to see the club at a professional level. At this point we’re reviewing the different options that are available, and at the same time I think it’s important to stay focused on the product on the field, because things come a lot easier when you perform and put wins on the board.”

The Wolves entered this open division qualifying tournaments as one of the favorites. They finished the regular season in the very competitive UPSL undefeated with a 20-0-1 record, leading the league in goals scored (77) and goals against (14).

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Cal FC shuts out Valley United to open tournament play (video)

October 30, 2015 by Joe Curley

Cal FC may not be a professional team. Prior to Sunday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup open division qualifying match, they had never hosted a tournament game of any kind.

But its name means something in the competition, especially in the early stages. The opponent was a highlight for coach Laura Garcia in Valley United SC’s 4-0 loss against Cal FC in the first round at Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, Calif.

“For us, this was great,” Garcia said. “To play against a team like this, that has a history of going all the way, was special.”

Of course, Cal FC has never won the US Open Cup. But it did perhaps achieve the USASA club equivalent in 2012, when it upset the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer to earn a fourth round trip to Seattle to play the Sounders.

Michael Friedman is only part of Cal FC who remains from that run. The general manager was proud to see his club host its first Open Cup home match in his alma mater’s stadium.

The event went smoothly in front of a nice crowd for a Sunday night. The only snafu was a lack of corner flags, which were locked away for the weekend.

TJ Fairchild scored two goals and Max Madrigal had a goal and two assists as Cal FC advanced to a second-round qualifying date with the Los Angeles Wolves on Nov. 21.

“We weren’t perfect,” Cal FC head coach Ross Greaney said. “They had a few chances and we missed a few chances.

“We have work to do, but I think the familiarity and the overall talent took us through tonight.”

Madrigal set up the opening goal in the 26th minute by slipping Fairchild, his former Oxnard College teammate, through on goal. After his initial shot was saved, Fairchild pounced on the rebound from close range.

“TJ got up and down the field,” Greaney said. “Max just had a really great night. He was all over the place.”

Madrigal scored the second goal in the 31st minute before setting up Pacifica High product Albert Anguiano for the third goal three minutes before halftime.

“(Anguiano) was a constant threat all the time,” said Greaney, who added that former professional Gabriel Gonzalez ran the game for Cal FC from a playmaking position.

Valley United had their moments. Striker Gerardo Espinoza nearly capitalized on a Cal FC turnover at the back to put the San Fernando Valley-based club ahead in the 10th minute. Irvin Morales sprinted down a ball over the top to earn a great chance on the half hour mark, but his finish rolled wide.

Cal FC goalkeeper Osvaldo Vallodolid, made two highlight-caliber diving saves in the second half, combined with the back four of Diego Ortega, Juan Vallodolid, Stevie Trujillo and Jamie Alvarado to keep the clean sheet.

Fairchild added the fourth goal on another rebound three minutes before full time.

“It’s a lot of fun to get back together, see everybody play and get a win in the US Open Cup,” Greaney said. “Collectively, we did well.”

Highlights (VCStar.com): Valley United SC at Cal FC