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Central Florida Kraze

Report: PDL selects 16 entries for 2012 US Open Cup; No qualification matches

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Update: USL confirmed the following report with its official announcement.

TheCup.us has learned from multiple sources that the Premier Development League, the amateur division of United Soccer Leagues, will receive 16 berths for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The expanded number of berths will be dispersed, with one exception, to the top two clubs from the 2011 standings in each division.

The news, coming from the USL Annual General Meeting being held currently in Clearwater, FL, is further confirmation of TheCup.us’ earlier report about upcoming changes for the tournament which will see an expansion of teams from 40 to 64 and an accelerated schedule that shifts the calendar too close to the start of the PDL season for the league to continue utilizing its four-match qualification format used since 1997. The report also noted that the expansion revolved around the inclusion of all Major League Soccer teams.

The one alteration to the PDL’s two-berth format, a total of four per conference, is in the Eastern Conference, which consists of three divisions. Based on the number of teams per division, the Mid Atlantic (9 teams last year) will receive two berths while the Northeast (5 teams) and South Atlantic (6 teams) will each receive one spot in the tournament.

With the USL AGM in the midst of planning the 2012 season, the final composition of clubs set to play next season has not been announced. Reading United AC and reigning PDL champion Kitsap Pumas are headed to a fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament, matching a record for consecutive entries from an amateur flight league set by Mexico SC (Fresno, CA) of the USASA.  The Michigan Bucks are adding a league-record ninth appearance to their ledger. The Portland Timbers U23s and the MPS Portland Phoenix (Maine) are the only two teams who will make their debut in the 2012 tournament.

The 16 PDL clubs are expected to enter the 2012 competition in the opening round, along with 16 other amateur clubs, according to an earlier report. The distribution of the remaining amateur teams, between the USASA, NPSL and possibly US Club Soccer, has yet to be unveiled.

2012 PDL Entries – Based on 2011 Standings (official 2012 alignment unknown)

Central Conference
Michigan Bucks – 1st place in Great Lakes Division – record 9th appearance (9-7-1 all-time), last appearance: 2008
Chicago Fire PDL – 2nd place in Great Lakes Division – 5th appearance (6-4-0), 3rd straight appearance
Des Moines Menace – 2nd place in Heartland Division* – 6th appearance (6-5-1, 1-0 in PKs) – Last appearance: 2010
Real Colorado Foxes – 3rd place in Heartland Division * – 2nd appearance (1-1-0), 2nd straight appearance
*Canadian club Thunder Bay finished 1st

Eastern Conference
Long Island Rough Riders – 1st place in Mid Atlantic Division – 5th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (3-5-0 all-time, 1-2-0 as a PDL team) …  Last appearance: 2010
Reading United AC – 2nd place in Mid Atlantic Division … 6th appearance, 4th as a PDL team (0-5-0 all-time, 0-3-0 as a PDL team) … 4th straight appearance (tied for the amateur record)
MPS Portland Phoenix – 1st place in Northeast Division … 1st appearance
Carolina Dynamo – 1st place in South Atlantic Division … 8th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (10-8-0 all-time, 5-3-0 as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance

Southern Conference
Laredo Heat – 1st place in Mid South Division … 2nd appearance (0-0-1, 0-1 in PKs … lost to Dallas Roma FC in 2006, who went on to make their magical run) … last appearance: 2006
El Paso Patriots – 2nd place in Mid South Division … 10th appearance, 5th as a PDL team (8-7-3, 1-2 in PKs all-time, 2-3-2, 1-1 in PKs as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance
Mississippi Brilla – 1st place in Southeast Division … 2nd appearance (0-1-0) … last appearance: 2009
Orlando City U23s (previously Central Florida Kraze) – 2nd place Southeast Division … 5th appearance (0-4-0) … 3rd straight appearance

Western Conference
Kitsap Pumas – 1st place in Northwest Division…. 4th appearance (2-3-1, 1-0 in PKs), 4th straight appearance (Amateur record) … have qualified in every year of their existence
Portland Timbers U23s – 4th place in Northwest Division* … 1st appearance
Fresno Fuego – 1st Southwest Division … 2nd appearance (3-1-0) … last appearance: 2003 (advanced to the Fourth Round and lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy. 1 of only 3 PDL teams to ever advance beyond the Third Round)
Ventura County Fusion – 2nd Southwest Division … 3rd appearance (1-1-1, 0-1 in PKs), 3rd straight appearance
*Canadian clubs Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps U23s were 2nd & 3rd

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2011 US Open Cup Real Salt Lake bracket preview: Charlotte Eagles at Wilmington Hammerheads

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SECOND ROUND

Charlotte Eagles at Wilmington Hammerheads
Legion Stadium – Wilmington, N.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None

THIRD ROUND

Charlotte Eagles / Wilmington Hammerheads at Real Salt Lake
June 28, 9 p.m. ET  Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah

Wilmington Hammerheads

The club has been a member of USL’s professional third division league since its founding in 1996 with the exception of its hiatus in 2010. The club was at its peak early in the 2000’s, finishing first in the division in back-to-back years and reaching the final in 2002 and 2003, claiming the title on the second try.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 4:0 Central Florida Kraze (PDL)
The Hammerheads blanked the visiting Central Florida Kraze 4-0 in the First Round Tuesday with first half goals from Jyler Noviello and Luke Mulholland. Andriy Budnny tallied twice in the second stanza put put the match out of reach. Full Recap [+]

League Form: Wilmington returned to league play on Saturday at Orlando City, nabbing a late draw 1-1 on the foot of Budnny. The Hammerheads are in fifth place in the American Division with a 5-3-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club’s second quarterfinal appearance in eight trips to the tournament in 2009 was followed up with the club taking a hiatus last year due to financial issues. The run began by downing state rivals Charlotte and Carolina. They blanked league rival Eagles 2-0 in the First Round and downed the second division RailHawks in the Second Round via penalties after a 3-3 draw. Wilmington then surprised the Chicago Fire of MLS, 1-0, in the Third Round before being knocked out by second division Rochester, 2-1. The previous quarterfinal campaign in 2003 also included upsets as Wilmington downed second division Atlanta Silverbacks, 2-1, in the Third Round and MLS’s FC Dallas in a stunning 4-1 result in the Fourth Round before falling, 1-0, to DC United. FC Dallas would avenge the loss in the Third Round in 2005, but needed overtime in a 3-1 decision. The club’s other MLS contest was a 2-1 loss to New York in the Fourth Round in 2006, following another 2-1 upset of the Silverbacks.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 12-8-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 6-7-1 (1-0 in PKs) vs. pro teams | 2-0-0 vs. 3rd Division teams (both wins vs. Charlotte Eagles in 2006, 2009)

Charlotte Eagles

Founded in 1991, the team joined USL in 1993 and has been a professional club since 1995, playing primarily in the pro third division with a stint in the second division from 2001-03. The club won the third division title twice (2000, 2005) in six appearances and missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003 (second division), the only previous time they missed the playoffs since their debut season. The club is also well known for its sports ministry philosophy of sharing the message of Christianity through soccer.

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro) 3:1 Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
Darren Toby gave Charlotte the initial First Round lead Tuesday with Carolina equalizing before the break. Diego Martins and Alan Sanchez added second half strikes to lead the Eagles to the 3-1 win. The win avenges a 4-2 upset by the Dynamo over the Eagles in the Second Round of the 2004 competition. Recap [+]

League Play: Charlotte returned to league play action Saturday at home against Dayton, winning 2-0 on goals from Darren Toby and Salieu Bundu. They are currently in sixth place in the American Division with a 4-4-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club had only one appearance prior to its current run of seven straight dating back to 2004, but were knocked out in the Second Round in 1998 by second division Worcester Wildfire, 2-0. All four tournament victories have come against lower division opponents, three from the USASA. Two of the USASA clubs hailed from Florida (2007, 2008). Last year the Eagles were eliminated by fellow North Carolina club, the second division Carolina RailHawks, in a narrow 1-0 decision.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 5-8-0 overall | 0-7-0 vs. professional teams | 0-2-0 vs. 3rd Division (both losses to Wilmington Hammerheads in 2006, 2009)

Real Salt Lake

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: Real Salt Lake returned home from a two-game road swing to face DC United Saturday, giving up a late penalty in a 1-1 draw in which they tallied first from the spot via Fabian Espindola. They are now visiting Chicago Fire June 22 and hosting Toronto FC in two more league contests before the Third Round. They opened the month with a 2-0 victory against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps (under new coach Tom Soehn) on June 4 with Nick Rimando in goal as Jean Alexandre tallied a goal and an assist. Four days later in Columbus, they fell 2-1 to the Crew after Jamison Olave gave them the initial lead seven minutes in. RSL played to a 1-1 draw in Philadelphia June 11 against the Union with Fabian Espindola providing the equalizer in the 53rd minute. Last Five: D-D-L-W-L | Season Record: 6-3-4 (4-1-2 Home), tied for fourth in Western Conference, tied for fifth overall.

Open Cup History: Having last participated in the Open Cup proper in 2006, Real Salt Lake’s qualifying is the longer of the two lists. RSL’s debut in the Cup in 2005 was an epic 6-4 extra time upset loss to the USL’s Minnesota Thunder. After playing the first half to a 2-2 draw, both teams scored twice more to level the score at 4 after 90 minutes. Minnesota scored twice in extra time for the 6-4 win, leaving Jason Kries’ hat trick for RSL on the losing side. 2006 saw RSL needing extra time again in their opening match, this time against the Virginia Beach Mariners. Jeff Cunningham (RSL) and Tim O’Neill (VBM) traded goals in the first half, and Andy Williams’ 93rd minute strike held up for Salt Lake’s first ever Open Cup win. RSL would be eliminated 1-0 in the next round by their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals, the Colorado Rapids. Colorado would keep the Utah side out of the Open Cup in 2007, defeating them 2-1 in the final round of MLS qualifying. 2008 and 2009 saw RSL eliminated in the opening round of MLS qualifying, while in 2010 they fell yet again in the final round, this time to 2-1 to DC United in overtime. This season, RSL avoided qualifying all together by virtue of their second-place finish in the 2010 MLS regular season.

FIRST ROUND

Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) 3:1 Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
Macpherson Stadium – Browns Summit, N.C. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

Central Florida Kraze (PDL) 0:4 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO)
Legion Stadium – Wilmington, N.C. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Carolina Dynamo

Founded in 1993, the club was an immediate success in USL with championships in its first two professional ranks from 1995-2003 with a hiatus in 1998. The club has since played in the PDL following the opening of its soccer-specific Macpherson Stadium, which opened in 2003.

Path to Open Cup: Of the nine PDL qualifiers, the Dynamo are one of two that finished with a loss in the four-game campaign, advancing via head-to-head tiebreakers with fellow 3-1-0 sides Real Maryland Monarchs and West Virginia Chaos. Carolina opened with a 2-0 win against the Chaos on goals form Hakan Ilhan and Chris Thomas. Ilhan scored again, along with Freddy Gomez, in another 2-0 win at Real MarylandMaryland in the next match before dropping a 1-0 road match to Northern Virginia the next night. The Dyanmo wrapped up the berth with a third Joseph Goodwin shutout, blanking Virginia Beach 3-0 with two more goals from Ilhan.

June News Updates: Rallied from two down to win 3-2 at West Virginia June 9 with three goals in the final 16 minutes, two from Robbie Lovejoy on either side of Freddie Gomez’s 88th minute equalizer… Blanked Northern Virginia Royals 3-0 June 4 with Karo Okiomah tallying goal and assist.

Open Cup History: The Dynamo return to the tournament for an eighth appearance after a four-year absence. The last outing was a success, earning upset victories to the fourth round in 2006. The club opened with a 4-3 win over league foe Cape Cod before surprising third division Richmond Kickers, 1-0, in the second round. They then upset the second division Seattle Sounders in overtime, 3-2, in the third round before falling 4-2 to the Houston Dynamo. The 2004 victory against Charlotte was one of three other upsets the club has registered, although the other two came as a third division side. The Dynamo upset second division New York Fever on the road, 1-0, in 1996 before falling 2-0 to DC United in the quarterfinals. Three years later they blanked second division Orange County Zodiac on the road, 2-0, before a 3-0 third round loss to the Columbus Crew. The club’s only other MLS match was also to the Crew, a 5-1 second round loss in 2001.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 10-7-0 overall | 2-0 vs. Division 3 (as a PDL team)

Central Florida Kraze

Members of the USL PDL since the team’s founding in 1998, the club was at its peak of success with five playoff appearances in six years from 2003-08, winning the league championship in 2004.

Path to Open Cup: Despite finishing perfect, the club had to watch the scoreboard on the final night as Mississippi could also accomplish the feat as well as pass the Kraze in tiebreakers. Fortunately, winless Nashville surprised many with a 2-2 road draw against Brilla. The Kraze got off to a fast start, playing in three of the division’s first four qualification matches. They won the opener 1-0 against Schulz Academy on a Pablo Gutierrez goal in the 88th minute that, in hindsight, was critical. Fredrik Brustad scored twice while leading the club to a 3-1 win in the next outing against Schulz and added another in the third game, a 3-0 victory in Bradenton. Brustad scored in his third straight game as they repeated the 3-0 victory at home against the Academics with Keneil Baker earning his third shutout of the campaign.

June News Updates: Netted a 1-0 victory over FC Jax June 10 on a goal from Nicolas Russo in the 83rd minute… Fell 3-0 at Mississippi Brilla June 4.

Open Cup History: In the tournament for the second straight year and fourth overall, the Kraze are yet to register a victory. The club nearly registered an upset a year ago, falling 5-1 in overtime against second division Miami FC in which now Real Salt Lake striker Paulo Araujo scored four goals in extra time. In 2007 the second division Charleston Battery blanked Central Florida 3-0 and in 2000 the club was upended, 2-1, by Miami-based USASA club Uruguay SC.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 0-3-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. Division 3


2011 US Open Cup First Round: Hammerheads cruise to 4-0 victory over PDL’s Central Florida Kraze

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Wilmington Hammerheads vs. Central Florida Kraze - 2011 First Round
Photo: Wilmington Hammerheads

The Wilmington Hammerheads cruised past the PDL’s Central Florida Kraze with a 4-0 win at Legion Stadium in Wilmington.

After a slow start from both teams, the Hammerheads finally took the offensive. In the 34th minute Jyler Noviello scored when Kraze goalkeeper Keneil Baker came off his line to challenge Noviello. Noviello assisted on the next Wilmington goal nine minutes later, as Luke Mulholland made the score 2-0 going into halftime.

Andriy Budnyy doubled the scoreline for Wilmington with two goals in three minutes in the second half. The first came in the 70th minute on an assist from Mulholland, and the second came three minutes later as Budnyy blasted a short range shot between the legs of Baker.

The Hammerheads will host the Charlotte Eagles at Legion Stadium in the second round on June 21. It will mark the third time the teams have met in U.S. Open Cup play. The previous games were in 2006 and 2008, which Wilmington won 3-1 and 2-0 respectively.

Central Florida Kraze (PDL)
0:4
Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO)
Legion Stadium –Wilmington, N.C.

RECAP: Wilmington | Wilmington Star News
VIDEO: WWAY NewsChannel 3 (Wilmington)

Scoring Summary
WILM: Jyler Noviello 34’
WILM: Luke Mulholland (Noviello) 43’
WILM: Andriy Budnyy (Mulholland) 70’
WILM: Andriy Budnyy 73′

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL South): El Paso Patriots qualify, Central Florida Kraze repeats as entrant

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PDL South logoUS Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion off the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

The Southern Conference has undergone a massive overhaul from last year, including many new additions, as well as a few losses. One of those losses was the DFW Tornados, last year’s Mid-South representative and the last remaining USL franchise from its humble indoor beginnings back in 1986. Teams to watch for are the El Paso Patriots (who have qualified every odd-numbered year since 2001) and the Central Florida Kraze (last year’s Southeast representative). They have qualified three times each from the PDL. Ten other teams will be looking to earn their own opportunity to fight for the US Open Cup as one of two representatives from the South.

Here is the how the Southern Conference is currently shaping up:

Mid-South Division
Final Results

The Chivas El Paso Patriots (as they are known this year) have qualified for their ninth US Open Cup (fourth as a member of the PDL) after defeating the Baton Rouge Capitals 1-0. With that, they finished with a perfect 4-0 record, and have continued their streak in qualifying for the US Open Cup every other year since 2001.

MID-SOUTH DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Chivas El Paso Patriots 4 4 0 0 12 7 2 7 +5
Laredo Heat 4 3 1 0 9 6 3 6 +3
New Orleans Jesters 4 2 2 0 6 5 6 5 -1
West Texas United Sockers 4 2 2 0 6 5 6 5 -1
Baton Rouge Capitals 4 1 3 0 3 2 4 2 -2
Rio Grande Valley Grandes 4 0 4 0 0 2 6 2 -4

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 13 Chivas El Paso Patriots 2:1 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 13 West Texas United Sockers 1:2 Laredo Heat 9:15
May 14 West Texas United Sockers 2:1 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 14 Chivas El Paso Patriots 1:0 Laredo Heat 9:15
May 19 Baton Rouge Capitals 1:2 West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 19 New Orleans Jesters 1:3 Chivas El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 21 New Orleans Jesters 2:0 West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 21 Baton Rouge Capitals 0:1 Chivas El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 27 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0:1 Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00
May 27 Laredo Heat 3:1 New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 28 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0:1 New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 29 Laredo Heat 1:0 Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00

Southeast Division
Final Results

The Central Florida Kraze didn’t have the easy road to the US Open Cup that they thought they did. The Mississippi Brilla are matching and beating the Kraze’s efforts, with three wins of their own. And what wins they are. Their last two results have been 5-0 wins against FC Jax Destroyers and the Nashville Metros – both on the road. Each had one home game left on the holiday weekend that would determine their fate. The Kraze fired the opening salvo Saturday evening with three second half goals from three different players to maximize their potential in the table from the match with a 3-0 victory against central Florida rival IMG Bradenton Academics. Central Florida, perfect at 4-0, took the advantage in tiebreakers, moving ahead of Brilla by one in goal differential and goals scored, but had to wait for Mississippi’s Monday finale at home versus Nashville to see if it holds up. With Brilla leading 2-1 late in the match it looked as though Mississippi was heading to the tournament – then disaster. A 90th minute Nashville strike leveled terms at 2-2 and when the final whistle blew moments later, Central Florida got the news that the Kraze had qualified for the second consecutive year.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Central Florida Kraze 4 4 0 0 12 10 1 10 +9
Mississippi Brilla 4 3 0 1 10 15 3 11 +8
Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 4 1 2 1 4 5 7 5 -2
FC Jax Destroyers 4 1 2 1 4 5 10 5 -3
Nashville Metros 4 0 2 2 2 4 11 4 -5
IMG Bradenton Academics 4 0 3 1 1 3 10 3 -7

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

April 30 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 0:1 Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 6 Central Florida Kraze 3:1 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 7:00
May 8 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 1:0 Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 12 Central Florida Kraze 3:0 Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 13 FC Jax Destroyers 1:3 Mississippi Brilla 8:00
May 15 Bradenton Academics 3:3 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 6:00
May 15 FC Jax Destroyers 2:0 Nashville Metros 8:00
May 19 Mississippi Brilla 5:0 FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 23 Nashville Metros 2:2 FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 26 Mississippi Brilla 5:0 Nashville Metros 8:00
May 28 Bradenton Academics 0:3 Central Florida Kraze 7:00
May 30 Nashville Metros 2:2 Mississippi Brilla 6:00

Breakdown for 2011 USL PDL US Open Cup Qualifying: Southern Conference

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PDL logoThe 2011 US Open Cup qualifying process for the Premier Development League begins April 30 when the Central Florida Kraze play host to Fort Lauderdale Schulz. The match marks the beginning of what is arguably the most intense opening to any league season, making it the most pressure-packed portion of the PDL schedule league-wide. The task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the upcoming edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

Here is the Southern Conference portion of the four-part series of breakdowns:

Southern Conference Qualifying Breakdown

Mid South Division
Baton Rouge Capitals, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Jesters, RGV Grandes FC, West Texas United Sockers

Previously an all-Texas group, the addition of the Baton Rouge Capitals and New Orleans Jesters marks the return of Lone Star State outsiders to the qualification process after a two-year absence.

Last year, Central Florida qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

The bigger news for this division is how compact the nature of the qualification process will be as four of the six clubs will play all four of their designated matches within, at most, an 11-day span. The Capitals will play all four games in that period while their Louisiana counterparts will do the same in one fewer. The Chivas El Paso Patriots and West Texas United Sockers both will determine their fate during a stretch of nine days.

The only two clubs that will have the opportunity to relax and take their time in qualifying are the Laredo Heat and expansion side RGV Grandes. Both open the group’s fixture list May 13 at home as RGV plays host to El Paso and Laredo takes on West Texas. They also close out the campaign with RGV traveling to New Orleans May 28 and Laredo visiting Baton Rouge the following day.

But while the Louisiana duo are making a return to the group, the pair will not see one another during the qualifying process as each club will face their four Texas rivals, leaving the local derby for the rest of the season.

US Open Cup tournament history is extremely limited outside of El Paso, where the Patriots have appeared in the official bracket eight times through its storied past, which includes the 1995 US Open Cup Final. The only other appearance in the tournament proper among the six-team field was Laredo’s 2006 appearance.

El Paso and Laredo, historically, have been among the leaders in the qualifying process from the group with the Patriots boasting a 9-4-3 record over the past four years while the Heat were 7-5-4. The other three clubs, though, have respectable records for the past four years with New Orleans at 6-4-6, Baton Rouge at 5-7-4 and West Texas at an even 3-3-2 in its two-year history.

MID-SOUTH DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Baton Rouge Capitals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
El Paso Patriots 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Laredo Heat 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
New Orleans Jesters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
West Texas United Sockers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 13 El Paso Patriots at Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 13 West Texas United Sockers at Laredo Heat 9:15
May 14 West Texas United Sockers at Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 14 El Paso Patriots at Laredo Heat 9:15
May 19 Baton Rouge Capitals at West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 19 New Orleans Jesters at El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 21 New Orleans Jesters at West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 21 Baton Rouge Capitals at El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 27 Rio Grande Valley Grandes at Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00
May 27 Laredo Heat at New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 28 Rio Grande Valley Grandes at New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 29 Laredo Heat at Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00


Southeast Division
Central Florida Kraze, FC Jax Destroyers, Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros

While it is one of four six-team groups across the PDL, the Southeast faction is completely unique in that the fixture schedule features two sub-groups of three playing home and away schedules as their qualifying matches. As the northern-most Floridian side, the expansion Jax Destroyers of Jacksonville have been paired up with the Nashville Metros and Mississippi Brilla in one half while the trio of the Bradenton Academics, Central Florida Kraze and second-year Fort Lauderdale Schulz are in the other.

Mississippi Brilla 2010
Can the Mississippi Brilla return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after falling just short in last season? Photo: Mississippi Brilla

The threesomes are fairly comparable as both feature a pair of veteran clubs along with a third that is only in its first or second season in the league.

Mississippi, a qualifier in 2009, is the standout of the northern trio as the club boasts an 8-4-4 record in qualifying over the last four years. Although Nashville has not been in the tournament since 2003, the club has not exactly been a doormat over the last four years with a record of 5-7-4. A year ago, Brilla won the lone qualifier between the two by a 3-0 scoreline as they swept the four game season series en route to finishing the season unbeaten at 11-0-3.

The all-Florida trio is a little more balanced as Central Florida is 9-5-2 over the past four years in its qualification efforts and Bradenton is 8-4-4. The Kraze took the top spot a year ago for their third appearance in the tournament while Bradenton’s lone appearance came in 2008. Fort Lauderdale had a rough outing a year ago with four losses, including a 3-1 defeat to the Kraze and 1-0 to the Academics. Bradenton and Central Florida did not face one another head-to-head a year ago, but split the regular season series with a pair of 1-0 decisions.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Bradenton Academics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Central Florida Kraze 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
FC Jax Destroyers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Mississippi Brilla 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Nashville Metros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

April 30 Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy at Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 6 Central Florida Kraze at Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 7:00
May 8 Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy at Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 12 Central Florida Kraze at Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 13 FC Jax Destroyers at Mississippi Brilla 8:00
May 15 FC Jax Destroyers at Nashville Metros 4:00
May 15 Bradenton Academics at Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 6:00
May 19 Mississippi Brilla at FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 23 Nashville Metros at FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 26 Mississippi Brilla at Nashville Metros 8:00
May 28 Bradenton Academics at Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 30 Nashville Metros at Mississippi Brilla 6:00


Here is a quick look at all of the eligible clubs with links to previews by conference (as available):

Central Conference (Coming Soon)

Great Lakes Division: Akron Summit Assault, Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Indiana Invaders, Michigan Bucks, River City Rovers
Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions

Eastern Conference (Coming Soon)

Mid Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Knights, Central Jersey Spartans, Jersey Express, Long Island Rough Riders, New Jersey Rangers, Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United AC, Westchester Flames
Northeast Division: MPS Portland Phoenix, New Hampshire Phantoms, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers
South Atlantic Division: Carolina Dynamo, Fredericksburg Hotspur, Northern Virginia Royals, Real Maryland Monarchs, Virginia Beach Piranhas, West Virginia Chaos

Southern Conference

Mid South Division: Baton Rouge Capitals, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Jesters, RGV Grandes FC, West Texas United Sockers
Southeast Division: Central Florida Kraze, FC Jax Destroyers, Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros

Western Conference (Coming Soon)

Northwest Division: Kitsap Pumas, North Sound SeaWolves, Portland Timbers U23, Tacoma Tide, Washington Crossfire
Southwest Division: BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, LA Blues 23, Los Angeles Legends, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

2010 PDL qualifying recap: 8 teams qualify after tiebreakers, failed perfection, final day drama

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PDL qualification for this season is complete, with eight teams punching their ticket to the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The qualifiers – and their competitors – had to deal with multiple tiebreakers and plenty of final day nail biting action. Even then, for two teams, a perfect 4-0-0 record wasn’t enough to send them through.

CENTRAL CONFERENCE

GREAT LAKES DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Dayton Dutch Lions 4 3 0 1 10 8 1 7 +7
Michigan Bucks 4 3 1 0 9 8 3 8 +5
Chicago Fire 4 2 1 1 7 5 3 5 +2
Indiana Invaders 4 2 1 1 7 4 3 4 +1
Cleveland Internationals 4 1 2 1 4 4 9 4 -5
Cincinnati Kings 4 1 3 0 3 6 8 6 -2
Kalamazoo Outrage 4 0 4 0 0 3 11 3 -8

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

HEARTLAND DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Des Moines Menace 4 3 1 0 9 7 4 7 +3
Rochester Thunder 4 2 1 1 7 5 2 5 +3
Real Colorado Foxes 4 2 1 1 7 7 4 6 +2
St. Louis Lions 4 2 2 0 6 7 5 6 +1
Kansas City Brass 4 1 2 1 4 2 6 2 -3
Springfield Demize 4 0 3 1 1 2 9 2 -6

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
EASTERN CONFERENCE

MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Reading United AC 4 4 0 0 12 13 1 10 +9
Ironbound Express 4 4 0 0 12 9 0 9 +9
New Jersey Rangers 4 3 1 0 9 7 3 7 +4
Carolina Dynamo 4 2 1 1 7 11 7 7 +3
Central Jersey Spartans 4 1 2 1 4 3 6 3 -3
West Virginia Chaos 4 1 3 0 3 2 7 2 -5
Ocean City Nor’easters 4 0 2 2 2 4 8 4 -4
Northern Virginia Royals 4 0 3 1 1 5 13 5 -6
Hampton Roads Piranhas 4 0 3 1 1 3 12 3 -7

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

NORTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Long Island Rough Riders 4 3 0 1 10 9 2 6 +5
Albany BWP Highlanders 4 3 0 1 10 10 6 9 +4
Western Mass Pioneers 4 2 1 1 7 7 3 6 +3
MPS Portland Phoenix 4 1 0 3 6 6 3 6 +3
New Hampshire Phantoms 4 1 1 2 5 3 2 3 +1
Vermont Voltage 4 1 3 0 3 4 14 4 -7
Westchester Flames 4 0 2 2 2 2 6 2 -4
Brooklyn Knights 4 0 4 0 0 5 10 5 -5

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

MID-SOUTH DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
DFW Tornados 4 3 1 0 9 6 2 6 +4
Rio Grande Valley Bravos 4 2 1 1 7 5 4 5 +1
Laredo Heat 4 2 2 0 6 11 5 8 +3
El Paso Patriots 4 2 2 0 6 4 8 4 -1
West Texas United Sockers 4 2 2 0 6 4 6 4 -2
Houston Leones 4 0 3 1 1 2 7 2 -5

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

SOUTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Central Florida Kraze 4 3 0 1 10 12 2 10 +8
Mississippi Brilla 4 3 0 1 10 11 2 9 +7
Baton Rouge Capitals 4 2 0 2 8 5 2 5 +3
New Orleans Jesters 4 2 2 0 6 11 7 7 +2
Atlanta Blackhawks 4 1 1 2 5 6 6 4 +0
Bradenton Academics 4 1 2 1 4 2 7 2 -3
Nashville Metros 4 1 2 1 4 1 5 1 -4
Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 4 0 4 0 0 0 10 0 -8

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes
WESTERN CONFERENCE

NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Kitsap Pumas 4 4 0 0 12 12 0 11 +11
Portland Timbers U23s 4 4 0 0 12 9 1 9 +8
Tacoma Tide 4 2 2 0 6 8 6 6 +2
Yakima Reds 4 1 3 0 3 2 10 2 -7
Washington Crossfire 4 1 3 0 3 8 8 4 -2
Spokane Spiders 4 0 4 0 0 3 17 3 -12

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

SOUTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Ventura County Fusion 4 3 1 0 9 10 3 8 +5
Orange County Blue Star 4 2 0 2 8 14 6 9 +6
Los Angeles Legends 4 2 1 1 7 8 4 8 +4
Fresno Fuego 4 1 1 2 5 11 12 10 +0
Lancaster Rattlers 4 1 1 2 5 4 8 4 -2
BYU Cougars 4 1 2 1 4 4 5 4 -1
Hollywood United Hitmen 4 1 2 1 4 6 8 6 -2
Ogden Outlaws 4 1 2 1 4 4 10 4 -5
Southern California Seahorses 4 1 3 0 3 2 7 2 -5

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

CENTRAL CONFERENCE

Great Lakes Division

With a week to go, Dayton and Chicago both led the division at 2-0. The Fire would stumble for the next two games, losing to Cincinnati and tying in Cleveland, allowing the Michigan Bucks to pass them, which they did so by defeating  Kalamazoo on the road and Cincinnati in a late game-winner. Dayton tied Indiana, which meant that they had to win in Kalamazoo in order to pass the Bucks and qualify for their first Open Cup. They took care of business by winning 4-1 to finish with a 3-0-1 record, one point ahead of Michigan.

Heartland Division

After last week, this division came down to one game, as Des Moines sat at 3-1, with Rochester on their heels at 2-1. Rochester needed to defeat the Kansas City Brass in order to qualify. The score was no matter as they held the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Menace. However, they couldn’t complete their task, tying Kansas City 0-0. This allowed Des Moines to qualify for their fifth trip to the US Open Cup. They share a record (with the Carolina Dynamo) for the furthest advancement by a PDL team, making it to the Fourth Round in 2005. Can they go further? It all starts with game #1 on June 15.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Mid-Atlantic Division

Two teams went all out in making sure they had their chance to make the US Open Cup: the Ironbound Express of Newark and Reading United AC (formerly the Reading Rage). Ironbound made their case by shutting out all the teams on their schedule, defeating the West Virginia Chaos, Central Jersey Spartans, New Jersey Rangers, and Ocean City FC. They finished with 9 goals scored. At the time, Reading was 2-0, having beaten Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, and had a +5 goal differential with 6 goals scored. They would need to win both their games (both on the road) by a total of 4 goals, as well as having to  in order to make the tournament. Any slip up, and Ironbound were Open Cup-bound. They proceeded to beat West Virginia 1-0 and Carolina 4-0, finishing at 4-0 with a +9 goal differential (tying Ironbound) and 10 goals scored (edging the Express by 1 goal). With that, Reading United qualify for the US Open Cup for the second straight year, and their fourth trip overall. Ironbound received the unfortunate distinction of being the third team since the current PDL qualifying format began in 1997 to win all four of their games and still miss the tournament (the other two being the Colorado Comets in 1999 and the Southern California Seahorses in 2005). However, out of those three teams, they are the first to miss out after earning shutout victories in all four of their qualifying games.

Northeast Division

The Albany BWP Highlanders and Long Island Rough Riders were the two teams left in the running with a week to go. Albany had finished their campaign at 3-0-1, with Long Island sitting at 3-0 with a game in Westchester to play. A draw was all they needed to qualify, and a draw is what they got. They tied the Flames 0-0 to qualify for the US Open Cup for the fifth time, and their second as a PDL team.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Mid-South Division

Three teams were in the running with a week remaining: DFW and El Paso, who sat in the drivers’ seats at 2-0, and Rio Grande Valley, who were at 0-1-1, but had games against both of those clubs remaining. The Bravos started their comeback with a 1-0 win over the Tornados, pulling themselves within two points. Meanwhile, the Patriots dropped a humiliating 6-0 result to the Laredo Heat. RGV then took care of business and finished off El Paso with a 2-0 win, to put themselves at 7 points. DFW then needed a win over Houston to qualify, as RGV held the head-to-head tiebreaker between the clubs. The Tornados did their job to fend off the comeback kids, beating the Leones 1-0 to qualify for their fourth US Open Cup, and their first since 2004.

Southeast Division

The loss of the Panama City Pirates made a serious mess in how division qualification worked here in the Southeast, and New Orleans and Central Florida had to adjust their schedules accordingly. The Jesters had a match against Bradenton count double for them, while the Kraze had an extra game against Fort Lauderdale only count for themselves and not for Schulz Academy. Both took advantage of their “extra” qualifying games, winning 5-0 and 3-1, respectively. Then the race to the finish got crazy, as three of the five teams still in the running did all they could to make it to the tournament. First, the Kraze defeated Atlanta to go to 2-o-1, tying Mississippi at the top, while knocking the longshot Blackhawks out. Then, in a matchup to decide who still got a chance, Baton Rouge defeated the Jesters 2-1 to move into the lead at 2-0-2, knocking New Orleans out. They would then have to wait for results from the Brilla and Kraze. Mississippi would bump the Capitals with a 3-0 win over Nashville to finish at 3-0-1, but their trip wasn’t quite booked yet. Central Florida had to win by 3 to make it, and win by 3 they did. A 3-0 victory over Schulz Academy gave the Kraze their first trip to the US Open Cup since 2007.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

The Kitsap Pumas and Portland Timbers U23s both lined up with the same schedule, and all at the same site (Tacoma/Washington at home, Spokane/Yakima on the road). They both proceeded to take care of business and win all four of their games. The final day consisted of the Timbers playing in Yakima and Kitsap hosting the Crossfire. Portland needed to better the result of the Pumas in order to qualify. They did their job, defeating the Reds 2-0, but then would have to wait and see how Kitsap would respond. The Pumas did so by defeating Washington 2-0 themselves, making the US Open Cup for the second straight year, in only their second year of existence. In the same token, Portland becomes the fourth team in PDL qualifying history – and the second of the DAY – to finish 4-0 and not qualify for the Open Cup.

Southwest Division

The Ventura County Fusion, the defending champions of the Premier Development League, are well on their way to a repeat, currently with a 4-1 record. Their first task, qualifying for the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (their first), had already been achieved with a game to spare. They stand at 3-0, defeating Lancaster, Ogden, and Southern California. No other team can finish with more than eight points.

2007 First Round: Vercollone, Battery too much for Central Florida Kraze

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The Charleston Battery, with the aid of two goals from Luke Vercollone, made easy work of the Central Florida Kraze, defeating the PDL side 3-0 at Blackbaud Stadium.

The Battery jumped on the board early, when Stephen Armstrong got a long range shot past Kraze goalkeeper Alessandro Barcherrini in the sixth minute of play. As Barcherrini bent over to pick up the ball, it took a slight deflection, allowing it to slip through his hand and across the goal line.

Charleston continued to put pressure on the Kraze defense, and after several near misses, Vercollone slotted home a Mike Richardson cross in the 12th minute to put Charleston up 2-0. Central Florida would not give up easy, as Keith Savage tested Charleston goalkeeper Keith Wiggans twice, once with a hard shot from thirty yards out, and again by forcing Wiggans to dive to push the ball over the touch line for a corner kick. In the 42nd minute, Vercollone struck again, finding himself unmarked on the left side of the penalty area after receiving a cross from Gordon Chin, which he chested down and slotted into the net. Vercollone nearly completed the hat trick early in the second half, but Barcherrini made a spectacular save to deny him.

The Kraze were reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute, when substitute Daniel Fadida was shown a straight red card for a two-footed foul on Ian Bennett. The Battery then played gracious hosts and put the game on cruise control, even playing out the clock when the Kraze were reduced to nine men in the 89th minute, when a Kraze player was injured after the team used their four substitutes.

Charleston will host the PDL’s El Paso Patriots in the Second Round on June 26.

Scoring
(CHR) Stephen Armstrong 5’
(CHR) Luke Vercollone 12’
(CHR) Luke Vercollone 42’

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