Cal FC

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Ventura County Fusion set unbeaten mark with ‘wild’ PK win over Cal FC (video)

May 18, 2015 by Joe Curley

The Ventura County Fusion celebrate with their fans after defeating Cal FC in penalty kicks 6-5. Photo: Ventura County Fusion

No other amateur team, much less Premier Development League team had won a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match in four straight seasons.

No US Amateur Soccer Association club had made as many headlines, in recent years, as Cal FC.

So when these two teams faced each other in the first round of the US Open Cup Wednesday night at the Ventura College Sportsplex, there was the potential for a memorable Ventura County derby.

The result was delightful madness.

Three times in regulation and five more times during the decisive penalty kick shootout, host Ventura County took the lead only to be pegged back by Cal FC.

It wasn’t until, after 120 minutes and 16 penalty kicks, when Edgar Espinoza couldn’t answer Matt Sheldon’s spot kick in the third round of sudden death, that the Fusion survived 6-5 on PKs after a 3-3 draw.

Espinoza had forced extra time in the first place with a 25-yard rocket in second half stoppage time, spoiling a 3-2 Fusion lead.

“These are the type of games that you have to find a way to win,” Fusion coach Rudy Ybarra said. “It’s a cup game with all the excitement, the fans are fantastic and you’re saying to yourself,
‘Man, how are we going to win this game?’ Because every time we went ahead, they came back.”

Ventura County, now the first amateur team to advance in the Open Cup in five straight years, will visit the Los Angeles Galaxy II (USL) in Wednesday’s second round.

Cal FC, after its memorable run to the Fourth Round in 2012, which included an upset of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, miss out on a chance at a rematch with Los Dos, the team that eliminated them 6-1 in last year’s second round.

But with former star Danny Barrera back in the No. 10 role, Cal FC flashed some of its former giant-killing verve.

The Thousand Oaks-based adult club, which now plays in the Adult Soccer League of Simi Valley, should have taken a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes. But Jhonny Bravo missed a sitter and Justin Vom Steeg, the Fusion’s 17-year-old UC Santa Barbara-bound goalkeeper, made a huge one-on-one save.

The Fusion’s reply was swift and sharp. Former Louisville attacker Michael Roman drove a diagonal ball that Carlos Martinez tucked inside the far post in the 14th minute.

Barrera answered in the 30th minute, turning in space and curling home a 25-yard beauty to tie the match at 1-1.

“Unbelievable goal,” Cal FC coach Ross Greaney said. “He’s a great leader… Both teams had a lot of very good attacking players on display.”

Javier Castro took down Michael Mercado’s cross and patiently finished in the 39th minute to give the Fusion a 2-1 halftime lead and the home team pushed for more before the break.

“We had to fix some stuff at halftime because they were all over use towards the end of the first half,” Greaney said. “It was an open game, which I think we wanted. They are training every day. We wanted a little bit of chaos, so our maturity could help.”

Cal FC capitalized on the chaos to make it 2-2 in the 51st minute, when fullback Chris Cummings finished a rampaging 30-yard run with a blast that Vom Steeg failed to punch over the bar.

About 12 minutes later, the Fusion put on substitute Julian Zamora to change the game and he obliged, heading the Fusion into a 3-2 lead with his first touch of the season.

Just when it looked like the Fusion would see out its lead, Espinoza let rip and forced extra time.

But not before Cal FC substitute Johnny Lopez nearly ended it with the last kick of regulation, forcing a point blank save from Vom Steeg.

Lopez also had a goal disallowed in the first half of extra time.

“We didn’t give up,” Lopez said. “That was the thing…. It was a good game. We gave it our all.”

Ventura County hung on for PKs and prevailed, despite two saves by Cal FC goalkeeper Bryan Hill, who was between the sticks when the Fusion won the PDL championship in 2009.

Two other members of that PDL championship team, Barrera and defender Dylan Riley, also converted PKs for Cal FC in the shootout against their former club.

“It was a wild game,” Hill said. “Give credit to both sides for being able to stick to their game plan, execute and put the effort in. At the end of the day, it was anybody’s ballgame, as we saw.

2015 US Open Cup Preliminary Round: Well-traveled Kyle Luetkehans of Harpo’s FC edges teammate for TheCup.us Player of the Round

April 29, 2015 by Josh Hakala

Kyle Luetkehans of Harpo's FC assisted on both goals in his teams' 2-0 Preliminary Round win over the KC Athletics and was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round. Photo: Richard Laeming Wheeler wheeler@pocketsofpeace.com — Kyle Luetkehans of Harpo’s FC assisted on both goals in his teams’ 2-0 Preliminary Round win over the KC Athletics and was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round. Photo: Richard Laeming Wheeler [email protected]

Kyle Luetkehans of Harpo’s FC dished out two assists to lead the Boulder, Colo. club to a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Athletics in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Preliminary Round. The midfielder’s performance was enough to earn him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select of panel of members from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Luetkehans edged out Harpo’s FC goalkeeper Zac Gibbens, who made five saves in the shutout win. Cal FC’s Danny Barerra, a two-time winner of the award in 2012, finished third after leading his team to a 2-1 win over San Francisco City FC.

Luetkehans, who played his college ball at the University of Vermont, helped open the scoring in the 50th minute when he fed Dan Campbell a square ball to the middle of the field. The captain found space and drove a low shot into the back of the net on the edge of the penalty area.

In the 70th minute, clinging to a 1-0 lead, Luetkehans stripped the ball at midfield and played a long, floating ball over the defense to the feet of Shane Wheeler, who also received Player of the Round votes. Wheeler, who is a co-worker with Luetkehans in their day job, brought the ball down, dribbled around onrushing goalkeeper Steven Grow and slotted it home to give the home team a two-goal cushion. (CHECK OUT THE HIGHLIGHTS BELOW)

Harpo’s FC have played the Athletics three times in the last two months and Luetkehans has played a key role in both of his club’s wins. He scored a hat trick in a 4-1 win over KC in the group stage of the USSSA qualifying tournament.

“Kansas City is a talented team but after having played them three times now in the last month or so, we’ve gotten to understand their style,” said Luetkehans. “We knew they were going to try to counter us so as long as we made sure we kept a disciplined midfield and back line during transitions, we would be in a great position.”

The Chicago-area native has taken an interesting path to Harpo’s FC and helping them become the first United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) team to win a US Open Cup game. After suffering an injury during his senior year at Vermont in 2010, he left for Europe determined to find a team to play for. After a stop with Mjondalen in Norway and training with a 5th division club in Germany, he impressed on trial with Kemi Kings in Finland and immediately signed and was on the field in the team’s next game. After playing the final third of the season for the Kemi Kings, he wasn’t able to help them avoid relegation (they have since been promoted again), and he was left looking for a new club.

Photo: Richard Laeming Wheeler wheeler@pocketsofpeace.com — Photo: Richard Laeming Wheeler [email protected]

His performance was enough to earn him a trial with HIFK in Helsinki (Finland) and after scoring a goal in a preseason friendly, he was told he had earned a contract. Three months later, after a number of visa issues, he eventually put pen to paper shortly before the first game of the season and played throughout the entire campaign. The following season, he signed with another Helsinki club, GrIFK, but visa issues limited him to just half a season with the club.

After leaving Finland, a former assistant coach at the University of Vermont, Ross Duncan, put him in touch with his former club, the Brisbane Strikers in Australia. After a successful trial, Luetkehans signed with the club. He followed in the footsteps of former Vermont teammate and current Harpo’s FC teammate Justin Geibel, who also played in Australia. Two other Harpo’s players also have experience playing Down Under, although with different teams, Aaron Woodruff and Corey Cullen. None of those players knew each other prior to joining Harpo’s FC.

A family emergency brought Luetkehans back to the United States and he settled in Denver and walked away from playing professionally.

“I stopped playing a few years ago because I was ready to start a new chapter in my life,” said Luetkehans who currently works full-time for a technology company. “I really enjoy the life I’ve found in Denver and haven’t seriously considered going back into the pro game for a few years. That being said, I love the game and can never stray too far from it. Playing the game you love for a living is an incredible experience and if the right opportunity came across I’d give it some serious thought.”

He didn’t stay away long, as he signed with Oskar Blues FC in the second-tier Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL), which was run by current Harpo’s owner, head coach Johnny Freeston. The following season, Freeston launched Avery Brewing FC, signed Luetkehans and later invited him to play for his outdoor team, Harpo’s FC.

While he’s not earning a paycheck playing for Harpo’s FC, it doesn’t make the experience any less special.

“I’ve never been on team quite like Harpo’s,” said Luetkehans. “It’s not often the guys you play with are some of your best friends and even more rare that they can all ball at such a high level. We all owe a lot to Johnny (Freeston) for making this happen. It couldn’t have been done without him.”

Josh Hakala is a sports broadcaster and the creator/senior editor of TheCup.us. You can reach him on Twitter @USOpenCup or on his personal account @JoshHakala. Anyone interested in contributing (writing, research, website design), sponsoring TheCup.us, or if you have any questions or have some historical information about the US Open Cup to share, please email him here.

MORE:
Meet the Underdogs: Harpo’s FC transitions from beer league team to USSSA champions, US Open Cup debutants

Harpo’s2, KCA 0 Prelim Open Cup from Patrick Shea on Vimeo.

2015 Preliminary Round: Cal FC’s two penalty kicks help edge San Francisco City 2-1 to advance in US Open Cup (video)

April 25, 2015 by Robert Jonas

Used with permission from Centerline Soccer

Cal FC scored on two penalty kicks to advance past San Francisco City FC 2-1 in a 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Preliminary Round match Saturday afternoon at Kezar Stadium in front of a crowd of 1,519.

Goals from Chris Cummings and Johnny Bravo for the Southern California club countered an own-goal in the well-played match in the heart of San Francisco. Cal FC will advance to join Round 1 while SFCFC will lament a lost opportunity to advance in the nation’s longest running soccer competition.

The weather was ideal for the match, as a light breeze off the Pacific combined with bright California sunshine allowed both teams to play their game. For host SFCFC, the approach was to defend and counter, using a speed balls to access the attacking third. Visiting Cal FC employed a more possession-based approach, content to one-touch the ball among its midfielders.

Though the two tactical set-ups complemented each other, the first half was bereft of scoring opportunities for both sides, as San Francisco came close on a pair of free kick and corner kicks and Cal FC poked and prodded its way into the area a handful of times. The most dangerous opportunity of the first half came right before intermission, as City goalkeeper Austin Harms had to deflect a shot around his post to keep the match scoreless.

The goal drought ended just minutes into the second half, when Cal FC was awarded a penalty kick for a tough challenge by the City goalkeeper. Chris Cummings calmly stepped up to the spot and slotted the ball just out of Harms’ way and inside the right post. Harms was given a yellow card on the play.

PHOTO GALLERY: Cal FC at San Francisco City (CenterLine Soccer)

cal-fc-vs-sfc-2015 — Photo: Maciek Gudrymowicz

Down a goal, but with plenty of time left on the clock, San Francisco picked up the pace of the match and looked much more dangerous on offense. A shot attempt in the 57th minute went just wide of the target, and a minute later Mauricio Diaz De Leon scorched a shot that Cal FC goalkeeper Brian Hill parried away. Hill was the center of attention five minutes later when he won a challenge against forward Reed Williams in his own area, but the ‘keeper escaped a booking.

SFCFC continued to be the more aggressive side, as Cal FC settled into a good defensive shape. Space was hard to come by for the City forwards, but Eric Anderson found a sliver of valuable San Francisco real estate from which to send a header on target in the 67th minute. Hill was little troubled by the attempt and easily scooped up the ball in front of goal.

City made the first sub of the game, sending in Tyson Crim for David Taylor. He immediately made his presence felt with a brilliant give and go with winger Diaz De Leon that allowed Taylor a shot in the area. The attempt was off, but it signaled a renewed push by the hosts to find an equalizer.

And an equalizer they found, when in the 76th minute, winger George Plakorus rifled a cross into the area that appeared to deflect off Cal FC defender Roger Mendoza and into the net for an own goal. Tied at 1-1 and with only 10 minutes remaining in the game, both teams played a more cagey style than before. The match looked destined to reach extra time.

But Cal FC was awarded its second penalty kick of the game in the 88th minute, this time for a handball in the box by second half substitute Taylor Amman. Midfielder Johnny Bravo stepped up to the spot and emphatically scored to give the visitors a late 2-1 lead.

A spirited SFCFC comeback was quashed at every opportunity by the now defensive minded Cal FC crew, and after a few minutes of stoppage time, the referee blew his whistle with the final score 2-1 for Cal FC.

Cal FC, best known for their 2012 upset of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers pick up their first win in the tournament since that historic evening in Portland, Ore. After the game, Cal FC manager Ross Greaney was very complimentary of San Francisco’s effort and the support in the stands, but was happy to advance to the next round.

“We came here to upset a lot of people,” said Greaney. “And we did.”

Robert Jonas writes for Centerline Soccer and you can follow him on Twitter @RobertJonas.

Video by NonLeagueAmerica.com

2015 US Open Cup Preliminary Round details confirmed: San Francisco City hosts Cal FC, Harpo’s FC welcomes KC Athletics to Boulder

March 25, 2015 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE (April 8, 2015): The United States Soccer Federation announced the details for the Preliminary Round, Round 1 and the potential matchups for Round 2.

UPDATE (April 11, 2015): The match between Harpo’s FC and the Kansas City Athletics in the Preliminary Round will no longer be played at Prentup Field in Boulder, Colo. due to field maintenance that will be taking place. They are in the process of finding a new venue.

The draw for the First Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup won’t take place until April 8, but fans and teams can start making travel plans for both Preliminary Round games.

Both games will take place on Saturday, April 25, starting in the Bay Area where US Club Soccer representative San Francisco City FC will host Cal FC at Kezar Stadium at 2 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. Eastern). A little later, in Boulder, Colo., United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) team Harpo’s FC will host the Kansas City Athletics. However, TheCup.us has learned that their original venue of Prentup Field at the University of Colorado will not be available due to field maintenance. A new venue will be announced soon.

The winners of each game will advance to Round 1, which will take place the week of May 13, and their opponents will be determined on April 8 when the US Soccer Federation conducts the competition’s first draw.

Playing Open Cup games on a weekend is pretty rare since Major League Soccer joined the tournament in 1996. Last year, thanks to the FIFA World Cup break, three Fourth Round Open Cup games were played on a Saturday, but prior to that, the last time there was a Saturday gameday in the tournament was 2003 (USASA’s DS United vs. PDL’s Raleigh CASL Elite in Cary, NC).

Michael Friedman and former US international Eric Wynalda, the architects of Cal FC’s memorable run in 2012 that saw them upset two professional teams, including MLS’ Portland Timbers, are back with the club again this year. They will play another road game (they have never hosted a tournament game) and face an up-and-coming club with high aspirations. San Francisco confirmed recently on Twitter that the club, which doesn’t currently belong in any of the national amateur leagues (PDL, NPSL) is in talks about possibly making a big jump to the North American Soccer League. They will bring an experienced roster to Kezar Stadium, which has been hosting Open Cup games (among many other events) for several decades.

The battle in Colorado will be a rematch from the USSSA qualifying tournament as the home team, Harpo’s FC, will take on the KC Athletics for the third time this year. The two teams met in group play with Harpo’s winning 4-1, but KC avenged that early loss by defeating Harpo’s in the championship game 3-1. Normally, the Athletics would have been the USSSA representative in the US Open Cup, but they had already qualified through the USASA’s Region II and had only entered the tournament purely as a way to get some competitive games in before the tournament started. Since KC was ineligible, Harpo’s was awarded the USSSA’s Open Cup berth. However, interestingly enough, the format for the 2015 US Open Cup called for the USSSA representative to play against the nearest USASA team in the Preliminary Round, and without question, the Athletics were the closest team to Boulder, Colo. of the USASA clubs that qualified.

2015 US Open Cup: San Francisco City, Cal FC to kick off 102nd tournament in Preliminary Round; Harpo’s FC, KC Athletics rematch confirmed

March 20, 2015 by Josh Hakala

UPDATED: Harpo’s FC and the KC Athletics have been confirmed as the other Preliminary Round match

The 102nd Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicks off at the end of April, but TheCup.us has learned the two Preliminary Round matchups for the upcoming tournament. US Club Soccer tournament champion San Francisco City FC has confirmed they will face the United States Adult Soccer Association’s (USASA) Cal FC, which made a name for itself with a Cinderella run in the 2012 US Open Cup. Meanwhile, the round’s other contest will feature a rematch from last weekend’s United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) tournament between Harpo’s FC and the Kansas City Athletics.

San Francisco City, who recently tweeted that they are in talks with the North American Soccer League about possibly becoming an expansion franchise, are attempting to become the first US Club Soccer team to win a game in the US Open Cup. They are also attempting to end a drought for their city as they are the first team from San Francisco to take part in the Open Cup since the California Victory (USL-1, 2nd Division) won a pair of games before falling the Colorado Rapids (MLS) in 2007. They are the first amateur club from the city to play in the US Open Cup in the modern era (1995-present).

We can confirm that we have made initial contact to NASL regarding potential expansion. — SF City FC (@SFCityFC) March 18, 2015

Cal FC was introduced to the American soccer world in 2012 when they won three straight road games including an upset of USL PRO’s Wilmington Hammerheads and a stunning 1-0 extra time win over Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers. Their run would end with a 5-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Fourth Round. After falling short in 2013 qualifying, they returned to the tournament last year but suffered a 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy II (USL PRO) in their opening game.

According to USSF’s announcement in February, the other Preliminary Round game will feature the USSSA representative against the nearest USASA club. Harpo’s FC (Boulder, Colo.) will represent the USSSA after finishing as the runner-up in last weekend’s Open Cup qualifying tournament, having lost to the Kansas City Athletics in the final. Since the Athletics qualified for the 2015 US Open Cup through the USASA’s Region II, Harpo’s FC will make their first trip to the tournament.

However, since the Athletics are the closest USASA team from Boulder, Colo., we will see a rematch in the Preliminary Round. Kansas City confirmed that the two teams will play for the third time this year. The two split a pair of USSSA games with Harpo’s beating KC 4-1 in group play, and the Athletics getting revenge in the championship game, winning 3-1.

This is just the third year that the USSSA has taken part in the US Open Cup. The last two years, the Colorado Rovers represented the league, losing in a penalty kick shootout to the Georgia Revolution (NPSL) in 2013 and falling 2-1 to the USASA’s Red Force a year ago.

The dates and venues for the Preliminary Round games have yet to be determined.

Elsewhere …

The National Premier Soccer League has finally confirmed their final three entries for the 2015 US Open Cup: Fort Pitt Regiment, Virginia Beach City FC and Detroit City FC. More details to come.

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: LA Galaxy II crush tournament darlings Cal FC, 6-1

May 17, 2014 by Joe Curley

“Los Dos” had the antidote for Cal FC’s big heart and bigger dreams.

A early goal and domination on set pieces lifted Los Angeles Galaxy II to a relatively simple 6-1 win over the USASA team from Thousand Oaks, Calif. Wednesday night in the Second Round of the US Open Cup at the Stubhub Center’s track stadium.

Alejandro Covarrubias drove in the opening goal from a sixth-minute free kick and Travis Bowen scored twice as the Galaxy’s first-year USL Pro team built a 5-0 lead by the break.

“That’s what it’s about, being a professional,” Bowen said. “You have to come out and put in a performance, no matter who you are playing, no matter how many people are in the stands.”

Covarrubias drove a low, powerful free kick inside the base of the left post for an early Galaxy lead and “Los Dos” piled on from there to progress to a Third-Round matchup with another southern California USASA side, PSA Elite.

The last time Cal FC was in the US Open Cup, they a pretty big splash on the field, and on social media. — The last time Cal FC was in the US Open Cup in 2012, they a pretty big splash on the field, and on social media.

Defender Bradley Diallo headed in a corner kick to double the lead in the 24th minute. Bowen scored twice in three minutes to make it 4-0.

First beating two defenders to tap in Bradley Jamieson’s shot, then roofing a chance from 10 yards after Jamieson was close in the 33rd minute.

“They’re super well-organized and they came out really quickly,” said Cal FC coach Nick Webster. “It was disappointing that four of the goals were set pieces. That was something that we wanted to be on top of.”

Cal FC, who pulled off upsets of USL Pro and Major League Soccer opposition in its run to the Fourth Round in 2012, found reality in its return to the 101-year-old national competition.

Several players the Tri-County Soccer League team hoped to add for the competition didn’t receive international clearance in time to bolster the squad. It also arrived to find an opponent of a different caliber.

“That was the most structured team that we’ve played all three years,” said Cal FC defender Kai Werring. “That was a big difference. Previous have been scraps. You could tell a couple of those guys are going to go places.”

Cal FC scored its goal five minutes after the break. Midfielder Kramer Runager put Reymundo Reza through on goal with a defense-splitting pass and the halftime substitute slotted home the finish.

“I was really proud of the second half,” Webster said. “The team showed a lot of character and heart. They refused to lay down. That could have gotten really out of hand.”

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Cal FC stuns Doxa Italia twice to unofficially qualify from USASA Region IV

December 30, 2013 by Evan Ream

It took 120 minutes, but when the dust settled at the Manhattan Village Field in Manhattan Beach, Calif. on Saturday night, Cal FC defeated Doxa Italia 3-2. The win earned an expected return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since their dream run to the fourth round in 2012.

The one-game playoff between USASA teams was decided in the second overtime when Jaime Chavez scored his second goal of the game in a scramble in the box after a long ball was played in.

The game was sent to extra time on a stoppage time equalizer and penalty kicks were narrowly avoided as the game-winner was scored in the final minute of overtime.

“We didn’t practice (before the game),” said Cal FC manager Michael Friedman. “Most of these guys on the field never even had touched a ball with each other. Part of the game was just getting acclimated to the style of play and getting accustomed to the speed of play.”

This is the third year in a row that the two clubs have met with an Open Cup berth on the line. Cal FC edged Doxa Italia 4-3 in group play in 2012, and last year, Doxa won 2-1 to earn their second trip to the tournament in three years. With the USASA’s Open Cup qualifying deadline moved up to Dec. 31, the two teams were chosen for the play-in game since they are the two most recnet clubs to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

cal-fc-vs-doxa-italia-2013-region-4 — Cal FC defeated Doxa Italia 3-2 in extra time to unofficially punch their ticket to the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Photo: John Santos

With the win, Cal FC is expected to join 2013 Region IV Open Cup champion PSA Elite as the region’s two entries in the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The reason their Open Cup spot is unofficial is because the US Soccer Federation has yet to announce the tournament’s 2014 format, so the region’s two spots are not set in stone. However, USASA officials have told TheCup.us they expect to retain their eight entries (two per region) for the 11th year in a row.

The Cal FC side, which made a name for themselves in 2012 by upsetting Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers in the third round, were managed by Friedman and former US international Eric Wynalda. This year, Wynalda is still involved with the club, but it is unclear if he will be roaming the sidelines for the team during this year’s cup run.

Down 2-1, thanks to two goals from Doxa Italia midfielder and former New England Revolution player Bryan Byrne, Cal FC substitute German Alfaro headed in a cross in the 93rd minute to force overtime.

Doxa Italia had subbed out Byrne late in the game, so they were forced to play the remainder of the game without their star attacker.

“The ball was in our defensive third for most of the game,” said Friedman. “It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes of the half that we started connecting and were able to transition the ball from the midfield to our target forward, Jaime.”

“In the second half, we were just schooling these guys.”

The game was not without controversy. When Cal FC scored their second and third goals of the game, the Italia bench erupted with calls for offside, but the officials, and Cal FC, saw it differently.

“There was excellent refereeing. There were no problems with that,” said Friedman, who did earlier admit that he had trouble seeing across the field due to the foggy conditions and poor lighting.

Despite falling short of a second straight Open Cup berth, Doxa Italia manager Joe Cartlidge was proud of his team’s effort.

“Undoubtedly, we’re disappointed with the loss but we played extraordinarily well as a team,” said Cartlidge. “We defended as a single unit, our communication was the best it’s been all season and we had two stellar goals.”

The Cal FC continued the state of California’s recent dominance of Region IV with their victory. 2014 will mark the fourth year in a row that both of the region’s entries will be from the Golden State.

PAST US OPEN CUP ENTRIES FROM REGION IV

2014: Cal FC (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2013: Doxa Italia (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2012: Cal FC (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2011: Doxa Italia (SCA), DV8 Defenders (NCA)
2010: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)
2009: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA)
2008: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ – NPSL), Hollywood United (SCA)
2007: Banat Arsenal (AZ), El Paso Indios (NPSL)
2006: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2005: Salinas Valley Samba (NPSL), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2004: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL), Sacramento Knights (NCA – NPSL)
2003: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL)
2002: Mexico SC (NCA)
2001: Mexico SC (NCA)
2000: Mexico SC (NCA)
1999: Mexico SC (NCA)
1998: San Nicolas (CSA)
1997: Inter SC (NCA)
1996: San Jose Oaks (NCA)
1995: Flamengo SC (UT)

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Doxa Italia eliminates Cal FC, joins PSA Elite as USASA Region IV entries

April 24, 2013 by Michael Berton

PSA Elite and Doxa Italia booked their spots in the US Open Cup this past weekend, qualifying out of a historically strong USASA Region IV. PSA Elite won the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0 record while Doxa Italia qualified for its second Open Cup with a second-place finish.

After qualifying for the Open Cup in its first attempt last year, PSA Elite made it two-for-two this year with four comfortable wins. They started with a 3-0 victory in a cross-group game against Doxa Italia. Then, eight different players scored in a 10-0 win over The Internationalists. With qualification all but secured, PSA used five goals in 25 minutes to take out DV8 Defenders 9-2.

Already qualified for the Open Cup, PSA Elite took the Region IV title with a 4-1 win over Doxa. The teams had to overcome extreme heat that even resulted in one of the linesmen suffering a heat stroke.

Doxa Italia’s road to its second US Open Cup appearance was much tougher. The format for this year’s tournament involved a cross-group game, with those match-ups being determined by random draw. As luck would have it, Italia drew the strongest team from Group B and fell in that 3-0 loss to PSA Elite.

“The format certainly impacted how we approached the tournament. Because of the tiebreak rules it took a little pressure off the cross-group results and stressed the two pool games we had on Saturday. We have been in tournaments formatted like this in the past and it took a significant amount of time planning the rosters for each match,” said Alex Lujan, PSA Elite owner.

After losing its initial match, Doxa trounced San Francisco City FC 7-0, setting up a “Win & You’re In” game against Cal FC. After a magical Open Cup run last year that involved a victory over MLS side Portland Timbers, Cal FC came into this tournament as favorites. However, Doxa Italia pulled off the 2-1 upset victory, ensuring an Open Cup berth for the club for the first time since 2011.

Bryan Byrne, Doxa Italia player/coach and scorer of both goals against Cal FC, said, “It is a proud feeling to be able to say you are part of such a storied competition. For us, it is what we have been building up to all year and having the opportunity to see Doxa’s name on the list of first round teams is a real honor. But we won’t be happy this year unless we see our name in Round Two also.”

Doxa lost to the Ventura County Fusion in 2011 by a 3-1 scoreline in its only US Open Cup appearance. PSA Elite was more successful in its lone attempt, beating the PDL’s Portland Timbers U23s 3-1 in Round One, then bowing out to the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks 7-0 in Round Two.

“The US Open Cup represents an opportunity to compete against professional and top US amateur teams. We are honored to have another chance to play in this prestigious event,” Lujan said. “This also provides another platform for our players to showcase their talent. Seven players from our 2012 Open Cup roster are now living that dream in the MLS, NASL and USL Pro leagues. We feel confident that we will be able to build on last year’s experiences, make a run and represent USASA Region IV, Cal South & the Coast Soccer League well.”

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

April 19
Doxa Italia 0:3 PSA Elite
The Internationalists 2:8 DV8 Defenders
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

April 20
Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

April 21 (Championship)
PSA Elite (Group B winner) 4:1 Doxa Italia (Group A winner)
Both group winners qualify for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup
Region IV champion advances to USASA National Cup Finals

PAST US OPEN CUP ENTRIES FROM REGION IV

2013: Doxa Italia (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2012: Cal FC (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2011: Doxa Italia (SCA), DV8 Defenders (NCA)
2010: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)
2009: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA)
2008: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ – NPSL), Hollywood United (SCA)
2007: Banat Arsenal (AZ), El Paso Indios (NPSL)
2006: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2005: Salinas Valley Samba (NPSL), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2004: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL), Sacramento Knights (NCA – NPSL)
2003: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL)
2002: Mexico SC (NCA)
2001: Mexico SC (NCA)
2000: Mexico SC (NCA)
1999: Mexico SC (NCA)
1998: San Nicolas (CSA)
1997: Inter SC (NCA)
1996: San Jose Oaks (NCA)
1995: Flamengo SC (UT)

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region I, II, IV and US Club Soccer in action this weekend (with updates)

April 20, 2013 by Josh Hakala

It’s a busy weekend of qualifying for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, as we head down the home stretch. By Monday morning, the USASA will know five of the six teams that will join Red Force (Florida) and North Texas Rayados in the 2013 US Open Cup. Also, US Club Soccer’s “lights out” semifinal match will be replayed on Sunday to determine who will play the Fresno Fuego Future in a “Win & You’re In” match the following weekend.

Here is a breakdown of this weekend’s games, and as always you can check Twitter (@USOpenCup) for updates, and remember if you’re at any of these games or have any Open Cup-related news/info/comments to make, be sure to use this year’s hashtag #USOC100.

(All Times Eastern)

FRIDAY

USASA Region IV Tournament
DAY 1: Friday, April 19
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

PSA Elite 3:0 Doxa Italia
DV8 Defenders 8:2 The Internationalists
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

It was a high-scoring opening day of the USASA Region IV tournament, as the trend of barn-burners and blowouts continue. With many teams having been burned by goal difference tiebreakers in the past, a recent tradition of running up the score has been established and ehas continued into 2013. Cal FC dropped a dozen goals on newcomers San Francisco City in their quest to qualify for the second straight year, and attempt to provide an encore to one of last year’s biggest Cinderella stories. 2011 qualifiers DV8 Defenders missed the cut last year and started their campaign to represent the Bay Area once again with a convincing 8-2 win over The Internationalists. While the most competitive match of the day was still a 3-0 shutout with PSA Elite taking out Doxa Italia. Although, with head-to-head likely the first tiebreaker in the group, and PSA Elite competing in the other group, Doxa Italia still has hope of qualifying just like they did in 2011 as long as they win both of their games on Saturday. Clearly, that will be no easy task as they must play Cal FC and DV8 Defenders.

SATURDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Saturday, April 20 – 3 p.m.
Kroc Center – Chicago, IL

FC Indiana 1:2 (AET) RWB Adria

RWB Adria, a semifinalist in 1978 and 1991, qualifies for the US Open Cup for the first time since 2008.

———————————————-

USASA Region IV Tournament
DAY 2: Saturday, April 20
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

When the dust settled out west on Saturday evening, two teams punched their ticket to the 2013 US Open Cup. PSA Elite cruised to three straight wins, outscoring its opponents 22-3, en route to a Group B win and their second straight trip to the Open Cup. Fellow Southern California club, Doxa Italia, overcame a 3-0 loss to PSA Elite in the opening game and clinched their second Open Cup berth in three years. Doxa emerged from Group A despite their loss to Group B champion PSA by defeating the two clubs in their group, newcomers San Francisco City (7-0), followed by a winner-take-all game against last year’s Cinderella story Cal FC. Doxa defeated Cal FC 2-1 in the final game as the two clubs finished tied atop the group standings, with Doxa Italia moving on to the championship game by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker. PSA Elite and Doxa Italia have both clinched their spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, they will meet again in the Region IV title game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local time) to determine who will represent the region at the USASA National Finals.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA –
All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

SUNDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 1 p.m.
Olathe North – Olathe, KS

Dearborn Stars SC (MI) 0:1 KC Athletics (KS)

KC Athletics player/manager Kyle Perkins scored the lone goal in the 90th minute to send the Kansas-based club to their second straight Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This will be their third Open Cup berth in the last four years.

USASA Region I Quarterfinals
Sunday, April 21 – 3 p.m.
Newtown High School – Newtown, CT

NY Pancyprian Freedoms (ENY) 0:0 Newtown Pride SC (CT)
Newtown Pride advance 7-6 in PK shootout – will play at Mass Premier Soccer on April 28 (Win & You’re In)

The two teams battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes, but it was Newtown Pride SC who advanced after winning the penalty kick shootout 7-6. The Connecticut representative are now one win away from a US Open Cup berth and they will travel to the Boston area to play Mass Premier Soccer (MA) on April 28. More details to come.

USASA Region I Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 6 p.m.
Montville Community Park (130 Changebridge Rd.) – Montville, NJ

Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (MDCVA) 1:1 Icon FC (NJ)
Icon FC wins PK shootout, 7-6, to qualify for the 2013 US Open Cup

Icon FC became just the second New Jersey-based USASA team to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present) when they won a penalty kick shootout with the Aegean Hawks. 7-6. The match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes and for the second time that Sunday afternoon, a Region I match had to be decided at the penalty kick spot. More details to come.

US Club Soccer Semifinals
Sunday, April 21 – 8 p.m.
Valley Christian High School – San Jose, CA

San Ramon FC 0:2 (AET) Los Gatos Storm
Los Gatos Storm will play Fresno Fuego Future in the USCS Final

There are now two teams remaining in the US Club Soccer qualifying tournament after Los Gatos Storm needed extra time to defeat San Ramon FC 2-0 on Sunday night. The original game was cut short in the middle of the second overtime period due to a power outage, but the replay lasted the full 120 minutes as the Storm put themselves one win away from a berth in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. They will play the Fresno Fuego Future, a club that features the PDL franchise of the same name, at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA to decide US Club Soccer’s representative in the 2013 US Open Cup. The winner of that game will begin play in the Play-In Round on May 7 against an NPSL opponent still to be determined. More details to come.

#USOC100

Cal FC returns as USASA Region IV tourney features six California teams (Updates)

April 19, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Results/Updated Standings below (4/21/13 – 11:45 p.m. ET)

Check for updates on Twitter @USOpenCup and the hashtag #USOC100

For the second year in a row, the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region IV Open Cup qualifying tournament will be an all-California affair. Six teams — four from California South, two from California North — will battle for two spots in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in Ontario, Calif. the weekend of April 19-21.

The headliners of this year’s competition are the two teams that qualified for the Open Cup last year, PSA Elite and one of 2012’s biggest Cinderella stories, Cal FC. Both teams will attempt to become the first California team to qualify in back-to-back seasons since the Fresno-based Mexico SC made the tournament in 2001 and 2002. Also returning are The Internationalists, and 2011 qualifiers Doxa Italia and DV8 Defenders. The lone newcomer in the competition is San Francisco City FC.

The question entering this year’s qualifying tournament is what can Cal FC do for an encore? Last year, the Southern California-based club swept through Region IV qualifying and qualified for the US Open Cup in their first-ever attempt. They began their inaugural cup run with a 3-1 win over the Kitsap Pumas (PDL), but got the nation’s attention when they traveled across the country to thrash the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 5-0. The following round, they shocked the world by not only becoming the first USASA team to score a goal against a Major League Soccer team, but they became the first to defeat one, eliminating the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time in front of a stunned crowd at Jeld-Wen Field. The little-known club, led by their manager, former US international Eric Wynalda, found themselves trending worldwide on Twitter that night and on to the Fourth Round. Their run would end there with a 5-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders.

The PSA Elite qualified last year in their first attempt, and this year they will try to go two-for-two. Just like Cal FC, they also won their first Open Cup game against a strong PDL team by the score of 3-1. PSA eliminated the Portland Timbers U23s and just like Cal FC, they had to travel across the country to play a team from North Carolina in Round 2. The NASL’s Carolina RailHawks ended their run, however, by the score of 7-0.

Doxa Italia will make their fourth straight appearance in the Region IV tournament and will attempt to qualify again as they did in 2011. That same year, DV8 Defenders from Redwood City in the Bay Area qualified for the Open Cup in their first attempt. Both teams were one-and-done against PDL teams on the road with the Defenders falling 5-0 at Colorado Foxes and Doxa losing to the Ventura County Fusion 3-1.

The Internationalists failed to qualify in their first attempt last year, losing both of their games by a combined score of 15-0. They lost 8-0 to Doxa Italia and 7-0 to Cal FC. The Region IV tournament, because it uses goal difference and goals scored as tiebreakers, often sees high-scoring matches. Many Open Cup berths in recent years have come down to tiebreakers so teams rarely take any chances. The Internationalists will hope to be more competitive in the second year in the competition.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists