Celtic Cowboys Premier

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In: Sesay’s hat trick clinches NTX Rayados 9th straight berth

November 27, 2019 by Adam Uthe

Graphic by Harrison Huntley | @hhuntley17

Mohamed “James” Sesay’s hat trick was the difference as NTX Rayados defeated Celtic Cowboys Premier to qualify for their ninth consecutive Lamar Hunt US Open Cup; a Modern Era (1995-Present) record for an Open Division Local side.

Having scored six goals coming into Saturday night’s showdown, Sesay’s total number of goals scored in qualifying stands at nine, the top goalscoring total of this year’s Open Division Local qualifying tournament.

You’d be hard pressed to find two amateur sides in Texas more worthy of an Open Cup appearance. NTX Rayados’ history of qualifying for the Open Cup is well-documented by now, but this wasn’t the first time these two sides have met. Celtic’s first-ever game in an Open Cup qualifying tournament was at Premier Park in 2016 with NTX gave them a rude welcome to the competition, thumping them 7-0 in front of their home fans. The two met the following year in Austin, but it was the same result: Rayados cruised to a 4-1 win. Both of those games were decidedly less competitive than Saturday’s game at Premier Park, located in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs.

Mohamed "James" Sesay (left) and player/coach Tito Salas of NTX Rayados do a celebration dance after Sesay scored his third goal against Celtic Cowboys Premier in a 2020 US Open Cup qualifier. Photo: NTX Rayados — Mohamed “James” Sesay (left) and player/coach Tito Salas of NTX Rayados do a celebration dance after Sesay scored his third goal against Celtic Cowboys Premier in a 2020 US Open Cup qualifier. Photo: Mirco Daniel Mbega Ndoumou | NTX Rayados

Both teams were high on confidence, each having won their Round 2 qualifying game comfortably, but it was NTX Rayados who came out and controlled the game in the first 15 minutes. Right from the start, Sesay ran over, around, and through Celtic’s backline but struggled to test Celtic goalkeeper Muhammed Sule early and the visitors struggled to counter effectively.

But as the first half wore on, Celtic’s target forward Christopher Wright began to slip in behind Rayados’ defense as well and eventually the chances evened out for both sides. Perhaps in an effort to stay warm, both goalkeepers made questionable decisions to come out of their respective boxes at different points, but neither was ultimately punished and halftime came with no goals tallied.

It didn’t take long for things to heat up in the second half. Five minutes out of the break, Rayados had already earned two corners, and the second coming after Sesay hit the crossbar from point blank range. Celtic absorbed the pressure well and moments later looked to have earned a chance in on goal, but the whistle for a foul went against Wright.

It would prove costly as Sesay was through on goal just minutes later and opened the scoring to put the home side up 1-0 in the 55th minute.

Celtic created a couple chances in response but nothing dangerous and Sesay made them pay in the 69th minute with his second; a scintillating run through multiple defenders before splitting Sule’s legs.

Eight minutes later, he got a fortuitous bounce on the edge of the box and made the most of it on the volley to complete his hat trick.

Sesay – whose teammates have taken to calling him “Eto’o”, after retired Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o – has featured for Rayados in previous campaigns, but never as such a focal point of the offense. Still, he’s earned the comparison to the former Barcelona forward and his comfort with the role he’s been asked to play comes through clear on the night.

“I’m happy because this is a normal thing for me: scoring goals.”, said Sesay, who was grinning from ear to ear after the game.

But the success in qualification hasn’t gone to his head and he was quick to heap praise on his team, especially their mental fortitude coming out of halftime at a stalemate despite having created plenty of chances.

Sesay may be having a moment, but his team captain (and player-coach) Tito Salas, was unusually even keeled after the match. Perhaps that’s because Salas has been more or less in charge of NTX Rayados during the entirety of their current nine year run.

“This is really what we were shooting for: being back in the actual Cup.”, Salas said afterwards.

Rayados also won their league title a week ago on the same field and Salas – speaking like a veteran of qualifying for the tournament – says the main thing he told his players was to go home and enjoy the holidays and come prepared for the tournament in the spring. For him – and the club – that’s what counts more than anything.

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2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Motagua of New Orleans lose luggage, find win vs. Celtic Cowboys

November 14, 2018 by Mark Wright

Since the Open Division Local Qualifying tournament for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was launched in 2015, Motagua of New Orleans have been a force in the competition. Motagua qualified for the full tournament in 2016, the team from the Crescent City has reached the final qualifying round in each of the last two years, only to fall to NTX Rayados on the road both times.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, Motagua traveled more than 500 miles to Round Rock, Texas and defeated the Celtic Cowboys Premier, 3-2 to advance to the Third Round of qualifying. Brandon Chagnard led the way with a pair of goals as they move one step closer to returning to the US Open Cup.

The United States Soccer Federation has yet to confirm if Round 3 will be a “Win & You’re In” match, but regardless, the stakes will be high as they will host the NTX Rayados on Nov. 17 with revenge on their minds.

“Despite some arduous traveling which resulted in losing our uniforms and getting to the field late and barely having time to warm up, we were able to put together a good performance, in cold and wet conditions,” said Motagua player/coach Steven Morris, who scored the team’s second goal that put them ahead early in the second half.

Motagua lost one of their bags on the flight from New Orleans to Austin that contained the majority of their team uniforms, which forced them to come up with a backup plan. They were able to find The Soccer Corner, a local soccer store that could create new uniforms on short notice. (In a classy move, Celtic Cowboys offered to let Motagua use their away uniforms, but arrangements had already been made with The Soccer Corner).

As the game began, it was a rainy and frigid afternoon in Central Texas, fairly unusual for this time of year. Motagua arrived late and so didn’t have time to warm up, which was far from ideal for the visitors. As the first half kicked off, the Celtic Cowboys showed the benefits of warming up, as they came out of the gates quickly. In fact, they almost scored in the 5th minute with a low ball across the front of goal only inches from being a tap in.

Anthony Peters and player/coach Steven Morris of Motagua of New Orleans celebrate as the numbers are being added to their last minute replacement soccer jerseys at The Soccer Corner in Round Rock, Texas. Motagua lost most of their original uniforms on the flight to their 2019 US Open Cup qualifier against Celtic Cowboys Premier.

As the match progressed, Motagua grew into the game and looked very comfortable passing quick, short balls and keeping the lion’s share of possession. The Celtic strategy was to get on the wings or play over the top, which Motagua countered by playing a high line, led by Anthony Peters. Peters almost scored in the 24th minute from a blistering strike from 25 yards out, but it missed the target by inches.

In the 32nd minute, Motagua’s Brandon Chagnard, a former star for the PDL’s New Orleans Jesters, scored a wonderfully-placed free kick. The rest of the first half was dominated by Motagua, who outshot Celtic 10 to 5, though they ended the half up only 1-0.

“I felt we controlled most of the game and the ensuing opportunities and fully deserved to be up at half,” said Morris. “But in the second half the Cowboys came to play and made it very hard for us.”

The second half saw a much different Celtic side, as they had changed tactics from looking for a ball over the top to playing directly to Christopher Wright, who had been brought on in the first half for Martin Togher. Wright was effective in using his big frame to bully Motagua’s back line, challengin Peters, himself a large and physical player. Wright’s physical play got him booked in the 50th minute, but he was later rewarded with an equalizer in the 56th minute.

“After the equalizer, the game was in the balance until we struck quickly twice to what we thought would put the game out of reach,” said Morris.

Against the run of play, Motagua regained the lead on a tidy finish by Morris in the 67th minute. Two minutes later, Chagnard scored his second goal of the game off a rebound to put Motagua up 3-1. Motagua had also changed their tactics from the first half by looking to get into the box before shooting, which limited the amount of shots but allowed them to be more clinical in front of goal, forcing saves from Celtic goalkeeper Mitchell McKay.

As the game progressed, Motagua looked to be in complete control, and many Celtic fans in the stands looked to escape the cold, wet weather. However, as the temperature outside dropped, the game warmed up into an exciting finish.

“The last ten minutes was all Cowboys, resulting in a second goal and a very tough last few minutes,” said Morris. “Luckily enough we were able to hang on for the victory.”

In the 87th minute, Celtic’s Taylor Peoples scored, giving them a life line and hope that a third goal would even the score. What followed was an all-out attack, and it almost resulted in a goal from a corner, with a header that was blocked on the line.

Overall, it was clash of two different styles of soccer. Motagua was very pass-orientated, with an almost Central/South American feel, and the Celtic side had a tough, tackling British style. It made for a very fun match to watch, and the game could have gone either way. In the end, it is Motagua that progresses to the next stage of the qualifying tournament.

Motagua will host their Round 3 match against NTX Rayados on Saturday, Nov. 17 at Pan American Stadium in New Orleans. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1: Celtic Cowboys’ big second half eliminates San Antonio Runners

October 5, 2018 by Zach Smith

MORE: 2019 US Open Cup qualifying results/schedule

All Martin Togher and the Celtic Cowboys Premier team felt when the final whistle blew on Saturday was a sense of relief.

The Austin-based amateur team overcame a one-goal deficit with three second-half goals to beat the San Antonio Runner Soccer Club in Round 1 qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open Cup Saturday afternoon at Onion Creek Soccer Complex.

“They had the better start, but our physicality kept us in the game,” Togher said. “Chris up top allowed us to transition quite well. We weren’t technically getting the ball on the ground in the first half and we were happy to be in it.”

The Cowboys’ Round 2 opponent is yet to be determined after the match between Bay Area Oilers FC and Leon FC was postponed twice due to flooded fields.

Rob Pratt scored the first goal of the game for San Antonio 15 minutes into the second half. But the Cowboys came back with two quick goals by Taylor Peoples and a PK by Chris Wright.

Samuel Jackson added a goal for good measure late in stoppage time.

“(The Celtic Cowboys) have a reputation for extremely physical and I prepared our team for that,” San Antonio Runners SC head coach Mason Rankin said. “Both teams scored off a PK, they score a lot off of corners and we’ve been working all week on getting ready.”

Players from the Celtic Cowboys and the San Antonio Runners challenge for a ball in the air in their 2019 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Zach Smith

Rankin said his team was riding high on confidence coming in, having a few good performances in scrimmages against Celtic. This game was rescheduled from the week earlier and there were some of the Runners’ starters that missed out on the Open Cup tilt.

The UPSL version of the San Antonio Runners is a new team, made up of Sunday League players, players from the club and college teams in the San Antonio area and players that had their eligibility run out at school.

Now, their focus shifts to winning nationals. The Runners are undefeated at 4-0-0 and sits on top of the UPSL Central Conference Heart Division.

The first two Celtic goals in the second half came with five minutes of each other. San Antonio put on the pressure and had more chances from long range, but could never get closer than just inside the 18-yard box.

“In the second half, we showed a resolve that was excellent,” Togher said. “We battled. We kept on competing and things just went right for us. We were forcing mistakes on their part. (San Antonio) had had great possession in the second half, but they didn’t get behind our back line.”

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: NTX Rayados last Texas team left after 4-1 win over Celtic Cowboys

October 23, 2017 by Lanny Short

MORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

The North Texas Rayados continued their impressive run of form in US Open Cup qualifying tournaments with a 4-1 road win over the Celtic Cowboys Premier.

With a victory in Round 2 of the open division tournament, North Texas takes another step forward. The Rayados have qualified for the last six Open Cups (althought they were disqualified prior to the start of the 2016 competition), is now one win away from a seventh straight.

“The achievements of our team are the results of the combined effort of each individual,” said Rayados head coach Tito Salas. “We had to be patient to get the result as the opponent came in with a strong game plan that we didn’t expect.”

This match was played in Austin, Texas at the Onion Creek Soccer Complex. It was attended by fifty people which was a bit of a surprise given that the USA Formula 1 Race and the University of Texas football team had events going on at about the same time. But it was a good match to watch and everyone in attendance felt like they were getting back in touch with why they love the game so much.

The Austin Celtic Cowboys were the home team and have been dominating the local Premier Soccer League for the last year. There was a lot of hope from the fans that their hometown team would be able to make a positive statement on the match and get the win over the North Texas Rayados.

The Rayados have been around for a bit longer than have the Celtic Cowboys. They have also been in the US Open Cup five of the last six years. So it was expected that they would dominate most of the play at Onion Creek Soccer Park.

They got their first shot on goal in the sixth minute when Christopher Escalera forced a great save from the Celtic Cowboys goalkeeper Samyar Heydarkhani. The Rayados continued to dominate the match and got their first goal in the 33rd minute when Kevin Ellis was able to get the ball past Heydarkhani.

The Rayados got their second goal in the 59th minute when Escalara was able to take advantage of a Celtic Cowboys defensive mistake and poke home the loose ball to make the score 2-0 in their favor.

But to their credit, the Celtic Cowboys refused to quit and managed fight their way to a goal in the 60th minute. Striker Adrian Murphy scored when he fought off the Rayados defense for a cross and got his shot past the goalkeeper. The goal fueled the team and they played much harder and nearly got the required equalizer several times.

But their efforts were canceled out in the 64th minute when Rayados striker Javan Goncalves-Toledo scored a spectacular “over-the-head” kick into the corner of the Celtic Cowboys’ goal. They would put the “exclamation mark” on the match in stoppage time when Escalara would poke home a loose ball to make the final score 4-1 for the Rayados.

After the game, Salas expressed that he was proud of the way his Rayados team played, but acknowledged they still have more work to do to qualify for the US Open Cup.

Celtic Cowboys head coach, Chris Scranton was proud of the effort his team gave, but was disappointed that his offense could only muster a single goal.

“But at least we didn’t give up,” said Scranton.

With the win, the Rayados advance to the final round of the qualifying tournament where they will host Motagua of New Orleans. The date and locations will be announced at a later date, but is expected to be held the weekend of Nov. 18-19.

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

September 17, 2016 by Adam Uthe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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