Carolina RailHawks

2008 First Round recap: Hollywood United historic upset headlines the opening round

June 14, 2008 by

2008 US Open Cup First Round
(Home team listed on right)

June 10
Yakima Reds 1:5 Harrisburg City Islanders
Boston Olympiakos 0:2 Western Mass Pioneers
Fredericksburg Gunners 0:3 Richmond Kickers
Crystal Palace Baltimore 2:1 LA Legends
RWB Adria 1:2 (aet) Rochester Rhinos
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4:0 AAC Eagles
St. Louis Lions 1:4 Minnesota Thunder
Cleveland City Stars 2:1 Michigan Bucks
Bradenton Academics 2:4 Miami FC
Atlanta Silverbacks 2:2 (5:4 PKs) Austin Aztex U23s
Clearwater Galactics 2:5 Charlotte Eagles
Seattle Sounders 1:0 (aet) Arizona Sahuaros
Hollywood United 3:2 Portland Timbers
Brooklyn Knights 0:1 Carolina RailHawks
ASC New Stars 0:3 Charleston Battery
June 13
NY Pancyprian Freedoms 2:3 (aet) Real Maryland

Player of the Round: Pat Healey (CP Baltimore)
Notable upsets in the First Round
Things you should know about the First Round

In the lone upset in this year’s opening round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Hollywood United became only the second USASA club to defeat a USL First Division team in the tournament, knocking off the Portland Timbers with a dramatic, stoppage-time goal from Earl Alexander.

A pair of penalty kicks by Matt Taylor kept Hollywood level with their professional hosts. The Timbers tallied with goals fron Chris Brown (32nd minute), and Arsene Oka (51st minute). A crucial turning point in the match came in the 53rd minute, when Hollywood goalkeeper Javier Barragan saved a penalty kick from the Timbers’ Takayuki Suzuki, keeping the score 2-1 in favor of Portland.

Four other amateur teams nearly joined Hollywood in the Second Round.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the defending USL First Division Champion Seattle Sounders needed 118 minutes to find the winning goal against the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros. Kenji Treschuk scored the winning goal with just a couple minutes remaining in extra time, before the match would go to penalty kicks.

In Austin, Texas, the Atlanta Silverbacks got a penalty kick goal from David Hayes late in overtime to tie the game back up at 2-2 and sent the game into a tiebreaking shootout against the PDL’s Austin Aztex U23s. However, Atlanta would prevail, with Hayes sending the USL-1 side to the next round with the winning kick.

In Rochester, the Rhinos also needed extra time to knock off Chicago USASA club RWB Adria 2-1. Awadallah Morad tied the game for Adria with just four minutes remaining in regulation, and Hamed Diallo scored the eventual winning goal for Rochester just seven minutes into the extra period.

One match on Tuesday’s schedule was washed out by inclement weather, but the day after New York Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA Region I) took the Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) to overtime. The Monarchs needed an 85th minute equalizer and a late extra time goal to end the Freedoms’ upset bid.

2008 First Round: Kupono Low saves RailHawks against Brooklyn Knights

June 10, 2008 by

Midfielder Kupono Low scored on a free kick in the 85th minute, giving the Carolina RailHawks a 1-0 victory over the PDL’s Brooklyn Knights in a First Round US Open Cup match in Cary, N.C.

Carolina had a 10-6 advantage in shots, but the USL First Division team put only two shots on goal. The only one that got past Knights goalkeeper Elvir Prasovic was Low’s free kick that got through the Brooklyn defense to give them a late lead. The RailHawks defense would hold on in the final minutes to advance to the next round.

It hasn’t been easy for Carolina lately. The club has allowed the tying or winning goal in the final six minutes three times in their previous five games. Chris McClellan earned a clean sheet while only having to make two saves for the RailHawks, who will play host to Real Maryland in the Second Round.

Lineups

Brooklyn Knights: Elvir Prasovic, Gabriel Ortega, Tomasz Groch, Javier Gonzalez, Daniel Buehrens (Erik Rengifo 28th), Arthur Kulkov, Mathias Carrizo (David Panchano 66th), Juan Guerra, Frank Alesci (Giuseppe Buscemi 73rd), Hemir Niebles, Tarik Smith

Carolina RailHawks: Chris McClellan, Frankie Sanfilippo, Richard Perdomo, Chris Lemons, Martin Nuñez, Kupono Low, Ryan Solle, Steven Curfman (Santiago Fusilier 63rd), Jacob Coggins (Phillip Long 73rd), Matthew Watson (Caleb Norkus 89th)

Scoring Summary: Kupono Low (CAR 85th)

Cautions: Tarik Smith (BRO 31st ), Hemir Niebles (BRO 76th)

2007 Semifinals: Noonan’s OT goal puts 10-man Revolution past 9-man RailHawks

September 4, 2007 by

: Former teammates Connally Edozien of Carolina and New England’s Shalrie Joseph were sent off after this near-fight late in the first half. 8 yellows and 3 reds were shown that night. Photo: Tony Biscaia | RevsNet.com

Pat Noonan’s goal in the fourth minute of extra time was enough to earn the New England Revolution their second trip to the US Open Cup final with a 2-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks. The visitors struck first in the 6th minute when Anthony Maher scored on a pass from Johnny Steele. New England would equalize in first-half stoppage time, as Jeff Larentowicz tallied on a diving header on an assist from Noonan.

Prior to the Revs equalizer, Carolina’s Connolly Edozien and New England’s Shalrie Joseph were both sent off when a fight nearly broke out between the two teams. Reckless and unpunished fouls on both sides peaked after a foul committed by Avery John on Carolina’s Johnny Steele, led to some pushing and shoving that escalated and saw the two former teammates ejected in the 42nd minute.

The game was marred with eight yellow cards and after Carolina defender David Stokes was sent off in the 80th minute, that brought the red card total to three.

Noonan would prove to be the hero for New England, scoring the game-winner four minutes into extra time on an assist from rookie Adam Cristman.

Despite playing a man down for the last ten minutes of regulation and through all 30 minutes of extra time, the RailHawks continued to hang on and nearly equalized on a frantic corner kick play in the dying seconds of the match. Chad Dombrowski’s header on goal forced Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis to dive to his left to make the save, and to send New England to the championship game for the first time since they lost the 2001 title game to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Revolution will aim for their first trophy in team history when they face FC Dallas in the Open Cup Final. The match will be played October 3rd at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX.

SCORING SUMMARY
CAR – Anthony Maher (Jonny Steele) 6
NE – Jeff Larentowicz (Pat Noonan) 48+
NE – Pat Noonan (Adam Cristman) 93

CAROLINA RAILHAWKS: Chris McClellan, Caleb Norkus (Kevin Jeffrey 106), Frankie SanFilippo ©, David Stokes, Chad Dombrowski, Kupano Low, Stuart Brightwell (McColm Cephas 106), Jonny Steele, Philip Long (Joey Worthen 61), Connally Edozian, Anthony Maher (Joel Bailey 74)
Substitutes Not Used: John O’Hara, Matt Maher

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION: Matt Reis, Avery John (Sainey Nyassi 91), Michael Parkhurst, James Riley, Khano Smith, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston, Andy Dorman, Adam Cristman, Pat Noonan (Chris Loftus 106)
Substitutes Not Used: Doug Warren, Amaechi Igwe, Gary Flood, Kyle Helton, Bryan Byrne

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
CAR – Anthony Maher (caution) 21
CAR – David Stokes (caution) 41
NE – Avery John (caution) 41
CAR – Connally Edozien (ejection) 42
NE – Shalrie Joseph (ejection) 42
CAR – Kupano Low (caution) 55
NE – Jeff Larentowicz (caution) 73
CAR – David Stokes (ejection) 80
NE – Adam Cristman (caution) 88
CAR – Joel Bailey (caution) 106
CAR – Chad Dombrowski (caution) 110

MATCH STATISTICS             CAR        NE
Shots                                               8            18
Shots on Goal                              2             7
Saves                                               5             2
Fouls                                             17           20
Corners                                          5             8
Offsides                                         11            6

Referee: Shane Moody
Referee’s Assistant (SAR): Claudio Badea
Referee’s Assistant (JAR): Victor Matheson
Fourth Official: Gus St. Silva

Weather: Clear and 78 degrees
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 4,203

2007 Quarterfinals: RailHawks swoop into the Semifinals, beat Richmond 1-0

August 7, 2007 by

In a rare all-USL Quarterfinal match, the Carolina RailHawks advanced to the Semifinals with a 1-0 win at home over the Richmond Kickers. Connally Edozien was the hero for the home side scoring in the 64th minute on a cross from Jonny Steele.

The Hawks will play the New England Revolution (Edozien’s former club) in the final four.

The Kickers, the defending Second Division champions, showed little fear, and at times, controlled the run of play against the First Division expansion side.

However, it was the home team that would break the scoreless tie, when Steele streaked down the right wing and sent a cross to the far post. The ball found the foot of Edozien who found net for his fourth goal of the tournament, tied for second in the competition behind Seattle’s Sebastien Le Toux (5).

Richmond nearly equalized in the 90th minute, but Carolina defender Frankie Sanfilippo made an acrobatic clearance off the line on a ball that was destined for the back of the net.

This was the third all-time meeting between two USL clubs in the Quarterfinals. The other two times included the 2004 Open Cup when the Charleston Battery edged the Rochester Raging Rhinos 1-0 and in 1999 when Charleston beat the Staten Island Vipers (A-League) 2-1.

2007 US Open Cup Round 3: Carolina RailHawks eliminate defending champion Chicago Fire

July 15, 2007 by Aaron Stollar

A fourth MLS team has fallen in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Carolina RailHawks eliminated the Chicago Fire, the defending Open Cup champions, 1-0 in front of a packed crowd at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC. In the 56th minute, McColm Cephas received a fortunate bounce just outside the penalty area, dribbled in and fired a low shot to the near post, past Fire backup goalkeeper Jon Busch. The RailHawks saw a brave performance from their own backup goalkeeper, John O’Hara, who held Chicago scoreless, despite not playing a single minute during the regular season.

The expansion RailHawks are led by head coach Scott Schweitzer, who helped lead the Rochester Rhinos of the A-League (now the USL First Division) to the 1999 US Open Cup championship. That Rhinos team defeated four MLS clubs on their way to the title.

The Chicago Fire have competed in the Open Cup every year since their inaugural season in 1998. This is only the third time that they have been eliminated by a team from the USL First Division, with all three of those losses coming in their first game of the competition, and all by a scoreline of 1-0. Schweitzer’s Rhinos beat them in 1999 and the second came in 2002 against the now-defunct Milwaukee Rampage.

Prior to the beginning of the Third Round, Carolina fans figured an upset over Chicago would earn them a date with David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy. However, the Richmond Kickers pulled off the upset and now the USL is guaranteed to have a representative in the Open Cup Semifinals. Carolina will host the Kickers at SAS Stadium on August 7 in the Quarterfinals.

2007 Second Round: Anthony Maher, RailHawks run Bavarians out of town

June 26, 2007 by

Connally Edozien celebrated his 29th birthday with a goal, then turned provider as the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division ousted the final USASA team in the competition, Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC.

The RailHawks dominated play throughout, limiting Bavarian to just a few scoring opportunities in a match delayed nearly an hour at the start because of lightning in the area. The amateur team stood strong until the final eight minutes of the first half, when the duo of Edozien and Anthony Maher put Carolina in charge.

Edozien raced past three Bavarian defenders and onto a through ball from Maher on the right side in the 37th minute. He got Bavarian goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum to commit and slotted a shot home to the far post for his third goal of the competition.

Eight minutes later, Edozien chested down a long ball into Maher’s path on the right doorstep. Fernstrum got both hands on Maher’s shot, but couldn’t stop it from rolling into the goal on the near post, making it 2-0 just before halftime.

The two hooked up for another goal in the 56th minute. RailHawks defender Chad Dombrowski, a Milwaukee-area native whose older brother Scott played all 90 minutes on the back line for Bavarian, found Edozien on the right side. His blast was turned away by Fernstrum, but the keeper couldn’t hold on to the rebound and Maher headed it in for a 3-0 lead.

Both teams substituted liberally from that point, and Carolina midfielder Marcio Leite finished off the scoring in the 79th minute. The Brazilian, who along with Maher plays indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL, ripped an impressive 20-yard strike that got over Fernstrum and under the crossbar to seal the RailHawks’ Third Round matchup with the Chicago Fire.

Bavarian’s best chance was an 18-yard shot by Dale Weiler in the first half that Carolina keeper Chris McClellan had to tip wide.

Scoring
(CAR) Connally Edozien 37’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 45’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 56’
(CAR) Marcio Leite 79’