Chicago Fire PDL

Things you should know about the Second Round of the US Open Cup (Modern Era)

May 17, 2016 by Josh Hakala

FC Cincinnati fans cheer on their team during a Second Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup against Detroit City FC. Photo: Brett Hansbauer | 4th Floor Creative

In 2002, no team below the Second Division advanced beyond the Second Round.

The Modern Era (1995-present) record for single-game attendance is held by FC Cincinnati when they had an announced attendance of 12,790 at Nippert Stadium (University of Cincinnati) when they defeated AFC Cleveland (NPSL) 1-0 in extra time on May 17, 2017. The record for average attendance in the Second Round is 3,019 (16 games) from the 2001 tournament.

The El Paso Patriots recorded the biggest rout in the Second Round since 1995, defeating the Arizona Sahuaros 9-1 in 1998. Kirk Wilson scored three times to lead the Patriots. Matching the eight-goal margin, the most lopsided shutout came in 2001 when DC United of MLS trampled the New Jersey Stallions of the D3 Pro League 8-0.

From 1996-2013, only three Open Division Local clubs won Second Round games. Bavarian SC defeated the Reading Rage (D-3 Pro League) 1-0 in the Second Round of 2003. Dallas Roma FC became the first USASA team to defeat a second division team when they eliminated Miami FC (USL First Division) 1-0 in 2006. Cal FC traveled across the country and upset the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL Pro (Div. 3 pro) 4-0 to reach Round 3 in 2013. However, in 2014, that mark was blown out of the water, as a record five Open Division Local teams reached the Third Round: New York Greek American Atlas (Region I), RWB Adria (Region II), North Texas Rayados (Region III), Des Moines Menace (Region II), and PSA Elite (Region IV) who advanced after the San Diego Flash forfeited. The reason for this increase was due, in large part, to the change in format which saw an increase to 80 teams, and an abbreviated opening round (8 games). Of this group, only RWB Adria and PSA Elite began in the First Round, so the rest of the teams only had to win one game.

Open Division teams winning Second Round games doesn’t happen often, but it’s not unheard of during the Modern Era. 41 USL League Two (formerly PDL) teams have made it to the Third Round in the Modern Era. The Flint City Bucks (formerly Michigan Bucks) have done it more than anyone else, advancing to Round 3 six times. 19 Open Division Local teams have reached the Third Round. The NPSL has had nine teams win Second Round games, with four of them all coming in 2018: Brooklyn Italians (2014), Chattanooga FC (2014, 2015, 2016), Elm City Express (2018), Miami United (2018), FC Wichita (2018), Jacksonville Armada (2018), Orange County FC (2019).

The US Soccer Federation increased the number of teams to 80 in 2014, creating the largest Second Round in the Modern Era (and quite possibly of all time) with 24 games on the schedule. One of the games was forfeited, and one was moved to May 13, leaving a record 22 games to be played on May 14. That record was broken as the tournament continued to expand in 2017 when there were 26 games played, and then again in 2022 when 31 games were on the schedule.

In 2013, a record four Open Division clubs advanced to Round 3. The following year, due to a change in format and an increase in amateur entries, 12 amateur clubs reached the Third Round, which remains a Modern Era record.

1997: Central Coast Roadrunners
1999: Mid-Michigan Bucks
2000: Mid-Michigan Bucks, Chicago Sockers
2001: Seattle Sounders Select
2003: Mid-Michigan Bucks, Fresno Fuego
2004: Chicago Fire Reserves, Cape Cod Crusaders, Boulder Rapids Reserves, Carolina Dynamo
2005: Ocean City Barons, Des Moines Menace
2006: Michigan Bucks, Des Moines Menace, Carolina Dynamo
2009: Ocean City Barons
2011: Chicago Fire PDL, Kitsap Pumas
2012: Michigan Bucks, Ventura County Fusion,
2013: Des Moines Menace, FC Tucson, Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United AC
2014: Reading United AC, New York Greek American Atlas SC, RWB Adria, Orlando City U23s, Brooklyn Italians, Laredo Heat, North Texas Rayados, Fresno Fuego, PSA Elite, Baltimore Bohemians, Chattanooga FC, Des Moines Menace
2015: Chattanooga FC, Chula Vista FC, Jersey Express, PSA Elite, Ventura County Fusion
2016: Chattanooga FC, Des Moines Menace, Jersey Express, Kitsap Pumas, La Maquina, Lansdowne Bhoys FC, Los Angeles Wolves FC
2017: Chicago FC United, Christos FC, GPS Omens, Los Angeles Wolves FC, Michigan Bucks, Reading United AC
2018: Elm City Express, FC Golden State Force, FC Wichita, Jacksonville Armada FC, Miami United, Mississippi Brilla FC, NTX Rayados, Ocean City Nor’easters, Sporting AZ FC
2019: Florida Soccer Soldiers, Orange County FC

Updated after 2019 US Open Cup

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Dayton Dutch Lions spoil Fire PDL’s late equalizer with even later game-winner

May 23, 2012 by Eric Anderson

Emotions whipped back and forth wildly Tuesday night at the Toyota Park Practice Fields.

Brendan King’s 90th-minute equalizer off a corner kick pulled the Chicago Fire PDL team back from the brink of elimination, seemingly leading 30 minutes of extra time to determine a winner in its Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Second Round match against the Dayton Dutch Lions in Bridgeview, Ill.

But the USL Pro side made the most of the 3 minutes of stoppage time, with Daniel Holowaty scoring after a scramble in the box in the final seconds to give the Dutch Lions a thrilling 2-1 victory.

It was the first win of the year for Dayton, which is 0-4-3 in league play and advances to play at Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew in the third round next Tuesday.

The Dutch Lions, who had scored just two goals over their first seven matches, went ahead in the 38th minute as defender Shane Smith came up the left side and crossed to Eli Garner, who finished against Fire PDL goalkeeper Jordan Godsey.

The score remained 1-0 until the final minute of the 90. Chris Prince, a second-half substitute for Fire PDL, nearly scored on a diving header, but Dayton keeper Matt Williams sprawled out and knocked the ball over the endline for a corner kick.

Bryan Ciesiulka served in the ensuing corner and King, also a second-half sub, volleyed past Williams from the top of the box for a dramatic equalizer.

A corner kick on the other end, though, ended up keeping the Fire PDL from advancing to the third round of the Open Cup for the second straight year.

Holowaty latched onto a loose ball after a corner was sent into the box and fired past Godsey in the final seconds, making his first goal of the year a game-winner. Referee Miguel Panduro Jr. allowed the Fire PDL to kick off, then blew his whistle for full time.

Dayton Dutch Lions 2:1 Chicago Fire PDL
Toyota Park Practice Field – Bridgeview, IL

Scoring Summary
Dayton Dutch Lions – Eli Garner (Shane Smith) 38
Chicago Fire PDL – Brendan King (Bryan Ciesiulka) 90
Dayton Dutch Lions – Daniel Holowaty 90+2

Lineups
CHICAGO FIRE PDL: Jordan Godsey; Daniel Keller, David Tiemstra (Luis Medina 79), Niko Boxall, Patrick Doody; Jacob Bushue (Chris Prince 58), Chris Ritter, Bryan Ciesiulka, Harrison Shipp; Mark Blades, Isaac Kannah (Brendan King 65). Substitutes not used: Sam Euler (GK), Peter Beasley, Sean Totsch, Tyler Engel.

DAYTON DUTCH LIONS: Matt Williams; Shane Smith, Bret Jones, Nixon Dias, Greg Preciado; Kyle Knotek (Toric Robinson 75), Mikael McNamara, Joel DeLass; Akeem Priestly (Daniel Holowaty 58), Gibson Bardlsey (Eric Kissinger 81), Eli Garner. Substitutes not used: Corey Whisenhunt (GK), Jeff DeGroot, Taylor Lord, Michael Earman.

Discipline: D – Bardsley (caution-foul, 43); C – Tiemstra (caution-foul, 68).

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Chicago Fire PDL squeak by Croatian Eagles 1-0

May 16, 2012 by Eric Anderson

The first five minutes of the Chicago Fire’s PDL season couldn’t have gone much better Tuesday night.

Mark Blades came down the left flank and squared the ball to Isaac Kanneh for a tap-in and an early lead against the Croatian Eagles in a first-round match of the 99th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The rest of the night, though, was filled with things for coach Mark Spooner to work on with his team, which held on to that slim lead the rest of the way in a 1-0 victory at the Toyota Park Practice Field in Bridgeview, Ill.

“Obviously, I’m not going to complain about it – it was the goal that took us through – but I kind of felt that the goal kind of killed the game a little bit,” said Spooner, whose team had its first training session just five days earlier.

“We never really got into a flow, any rhythm of soccer. But we’ll take it. … We’re in the second round, and ultimately, that’s all that matters.”

The Fire will next face the Dayton Dutch Lions of USL Pro in the second round next Tuesday. The Eagles, meanwhile, were eliminated from their first Open Cup appearance since 2006.

Chicago had plenty of chances to put the game away but was stymied by Croatians goalkeeper Bryce Boyd.

“He played outstanding,” Eagles manager Alex Toth said of Boyd, who got the nod over former professional Ante Cop in a reversal from last month’s U.S. Adult Soccer Region II tournament.

“They had so much pace up top they were able to get behind us a couple times, and he was able to come up with some big saves that kept it at 1-0.”

Boyd stopped Chris Prince on a point-blank shot in the 13th minute and dove to deny Brady Wahl in the 34th, and stopped two 1-on-1 situations in the second half. Boyd finished with eight saves.

“I thought he was fantastic,” said Spooner, whose side advanced to the third round of the tournament in 2011 before losing to Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City. “We needed to take our chances, and the game really could have been dead and buried at halftime, and it wasn’t. Their keeper kept them in it and they pushed us towards the end.”

Croatians didn’t generate much going forward in the first half, with striker Aaron Lauber’s flick-header off a cross from Billy Von Rueden that went just over the crossbar in the 41st their only real scoring opportunity before the break.

But the Milwaukee club forced Fire PDL keeper Jordan Godsey into six of his seven saves in the second 45, including stops on Mohammed Sethi, Michael Narciso and Edison Crespo that held the Eagles off the scoresheet.

“The first half, I don’t think we played too well. The second half was better. And then the last 20, it was ours,” said Toth, who switched his team’s 4-5-1 into a 3-5-2 as it went in search of the equalizer. “We were able to put pressure on them, and they basically just held on to that game.”

Croatian Eagles 0:1 Chicago Fire PDL
Toyota Park Practice Field – Bridgeview, Ill.

CHI: Isaac Kannah (Mark Blades) 5

Discipline:
CRO: Andrew Wiedabach – caution 19
CRO: Mike Narciso – caution 29
CHI: Jacob Bushue – caution 32

Lineups:
CHICAGO FIRE PDL: Justin Godsey, Daniel Keller, David Tiemstra, Sean Totsch, Patrick Doody; Brady Wahl (Tyler Engel 87), Jacob Bushue (Chris Ritter 61), Harrison Shipp, Mark Blades; Isaac Kannah, Chris Prince (Javier Torres 78). Substitutes not used: Sam Euler (GK), Dan Figura, Luis Medina, Marco Gutierrez.

CROATIAN EAGLES: Bryce Boyd; Mike Narciso, Tony Patterson, Aaron Schroeder, Billy Von Rueden; Jason Willan (Mohammed Sethi 60), Andrew Wiedabach, Scott Suprise, Scotty Raymonds, Joe Anderson; Aaron Lauber (Edison Crespo 68). Substitutes not used: Ante Cop (GK), Aaron Cranfill, Ilya Ksenidi, Gustavo Mena, Lati Ziba.

Saves: CHI (Godsey) 7, CRO (Boyd) 8. Shots: Not available. Fouls: CHI 7, CRO 6. Corner kicks: CHI 9, CRO 2. Offsides: CHI 4, CRO 2.

PDL players with US Open Cup experience advance careers with 2012 MLS SuperDraft

January 13, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

A handful of players with US Open Cup playing experience as members of Premier Development League teams were selected in the two-round, 38-player Major League Soccer Draft Thursday afternoon at the NSCAA Convention in Kansas City, MO.

Wenger-Estridge-draft — Andrew Wenger (top) and Chris Estridge have scored in the US Open Cup

The Chicago Fire PDL team reached the Third Round in the 2011 US Open Cup and Second Round in 2009, making it no surprise that among the 11 players selected from their development program were four players that saw action during the club’s run this past summer.

Among them was Chris Estridge (21st, Vancouver Whitecaps), who tallied a goal and assist. The defender scored the 1-0 game-winner in the opening round with three minutes remaining, edging the Iowa Menace (USASA entrant of PDL Des Moines Menace). He went on to add an assist on the second goal in another shutout performance in the Second Round as they blanked the NPSL’s Madison 56ers, 2-0.

The team’s run came to an end in the Third Round, falling on the road to Sporting Kansas City, 3-0. Estridge played in all three matches along with Tyler Polak (22, New England Revolution) and Brendan King (27, Portland Timbers). Teammate Calum Mallace (20, Montreal Impact) appeared in the Third Round match.

Reading United AC, a PDL affiliate of the Philadelphia Union, also saw Open Cup players move on to the next flight with hopes of landing on an MLS roster. First overall pick Andrew Wenger (Montreal Impact), a member of the Carolina Dynamo in 2011, nearly led Reading to an upset win over then USL Second Division side Real Maryland with the opening goal of the 2010 First Round only to see the professional side rally for a 2-1 victory. Reading faced fellow Union affiliate USL Pro Harrisburg City Islanders in 2011, falling 2-1 with Matt Hedges (11, FC Dallas) in the lineup.

Jacob Hustedt (25, San Jose Earthquakes) helped lead the Ventura County Fusion in 2011, providing the assist on the game-winner in a 3-1 victory against USASA’s Doxa Italia in the First Round. He was also in the lineup for the club’s valiant effort in a narrow 1-0 loss to USL Pro side Los Angeles Blues in the Second Round.

Ironically, three of the seven players featured above were taken by Canadian clubs, meaning they would be mostly likely to participate in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship this year.

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

December 16, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

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

MLS & USSF establishing long-term calendar? [+]

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Sporting KC no trouble with PDL version of Chicago Fire

June 29, 2011 by David Gubala

Chicago’s young boys came oh so far, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

In front of a crowd of 4,487 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, MLS side Sporting KC blanked Chicago Fire PDL 3-0 with goals from Teal Bunbury, Milos Stojcev and Kei Kamara to give the club its first-ever US Open Cup victory in the venue while sending them to the Quarterfinals.

The match did not start out as hoped for the Fire PDL team. A scrappy yet determined group of college kids knew from the start it was never going to be an easy task overcoming a Sporting KC side made up of a top-flight professionals, let alone their regular starting 11.

Playing in their outdated 2010 replica away kits, the visitors fell behind early. Via a foul on Kei Kamara just outside the box, Luke Sassano played the ball to an awaiting Bunbury, who managed to slot in low and inside the far post to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the third minute.

The score stood still for the remainder of the first half. The Fire PDL side were kept on their heels for the majority of the time as Sporting KC continued searching for their second.

Despite being outshot nine to one, Chicago managed to create some hope just before halftime. Following some disarray in the home side’s box, Fire PDL forward Paulo Voz knocked one in the back of the net but was deemed offside and had his goal called back. Sporting KC led 1-0 as both teams were headed into their respective locker rooms.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Chicago Fire PDL — Chicago Fire PDL battled hard against MLS' Sporting Kansas City | Photo: Taylor Allan | Sporting KC

Graham Zusi saw the field in the second half when he replaced a struggling Sassano, who seemed to be bothered by an ankle injury. Peter Vermes must’ve been satisfied of this change as Zusi’s appearance had bolstered a clear impact on the game.

Roughly 12 minutes later Sporting KC’s offensive ammo exploded into all sorts. Midfielder Milos Stojcev orchestrated a well-worked effort on his own as he drove a screamer into the net with his left foot to make it 2-0 Sporting.

Just a minute later, Chicago’s frustration rose. Following a rather nasty foul from Jonathan Raj, Sporting earned a free kick from a comfortable distance. Zusi then sent in a perfectly driven cross into the box that saw Kamara dive to beat David Meves, giving the hosts back to back goals in a matter of seconds.

The visiting side showed minimal danger following that three-goal deficit.

It was a chance for Peter Vermes to experiment with some debutantes, allowing Kevin Ellis significant playing time when he came on in the 63rd minute for Kamara.

The score finished 3-0 in favor of the home side when referee Landis Wiley blew the final whistle. Chicago Fire PDL’s Cinderella run had unfortunately ended for them but there are inevitably a lot of talented prospects in the young Chicago side.

Sporting KC now will now move on to the quarterfinals, where they will host the Richmond Kickers on July 12 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. The USL side upset the Columbus Crew 2-1 Tuesday night.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Milos Stojcev

Scoring Summary:
SKC: Teal Bunbury (Luke Sassano) – 3rd min.
SKC: Milos Stojcev (unassisted) – 58th min.
SKC: Kei Kamara (Graham Zusi) – 59th min.

Sporting Kansas City: Eric Kronberg; Scott Lorenz, Aurelien Collin (Matt Besler 83), Shavar Thomas, Michael Harrington; Luke Sassano (Graham Zusi 46), Birahim Diop, Milos Stojcev; Korede Aiyegbusi, Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara (Kevin Ellis 63)

Subs not used: Jon Kempin, Omar Bravo, Chance Myers

Chicago Fire PDL: David Meves; Hunter Gorskie, Kevin Cope, Jonathan Raj, Tyler Polak; Jacob Bushue (Callum Mallace 46), Ian Christianson (Josey Portillo 72), Andrew Ribeiro, Chris Estridge, Harrison Petts (Brendan King 63); Paulo Vaz

Subs not used: Jordan Godsey, Drew Russell, Goffin Boyoko, Bryan Ciesiulka

Stats:
Shots: SKC 14; CHI PDL 5
Shots on Goal: SKC 5; CHI PDL 1
Saves: SKC 1; CHI PDL 2
Fouls: SKC 8; CHI PDL 11
Offside: SKC 0; CHI PDL 4
Corner Kicks: SKC 3; CHI PDL 1

Misconduct Summary:
CHI: Jonathan Raj (Caution; Reckless Foul) – 59th
SKC: Birahim Diop (Caution; Reckless Foul) – 87th

Attendance: 4,487

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Bracket B: Richmond Kickers at Columbus Crew; Chicago Fire PDL at Sporting KC

June 27, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

THIRD ROUND

Richmond Kickers at Columbus Crew
June 28, 7:30 p.m. ET Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio
Video/Audio: No video; Radio: Richmond

Chicago Fire PDL at Sporting Kansas City
June 28, 8:30 p.m. ET LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.
Video/Audio: TBA

Richmond Kickers

Founded in 1993, the club is the only other USL team to win the US Open Cup in the professional era (1995). An amateur team through 1995, the club played in USL’s top flight from 1996-2005 before joining the professional third division. It has only missed the postseason one time since 1994, winning the league title three times (1995, 2006, 2009) in eight appearances.

First Round: Dayton Dutch Lions (USL Pro) 1:4 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
The Kickers were well on their way to a First Round victory Tuesday against league foe Dayton with two goals from David Bulow in the first 17 minutes. The Dutch Lions answered back in the second half, but Bulow added a third from the penalty spot and Shaka Bangura finished the match in the 90th for the 4-1 win. Recap [+]

Second Round: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1:4 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
For the second consecutive round, it was the same story as Bulow and the Kickers dominated a fellow USL Pro club. Bulow tallied 17 minutes in, with Pittsburgh equalizing in the 30th. Bulow restored the lead four minutes before halftime and Matthew Delicate scored two in the second half to put the match out of reach. The Riverhounds had rallied from two down in the first round, but couldn’t generate the same magic in the second. Recap [+]

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

This Month in USL Pro: The Kickers played to a scoreless draw Friday in New York. A week earlier at home June 17, the Kickers fell 1-0 to Harrisburg on a strike just before the break to snap their three-game unbeaten streak. They opened the month with a 2-0 victory in New York June 12. Richmond sits tied in second place in the American Division with a 7-3-3 record.

Open Cup History: The Kickers have the distinction of being the first club to win the tournament during the professional era, taking the title in 1995 when pro clubs began participating despite themselves being in the amateur PDL, where they also won the league title. Richmond won the Open Cup in penalties after a 1-1 draw against the El Paso Patriots in Texas. Since then, the club has reached the Quarterfinals three times (2001, 2004, 2007) in 13 appearances, defeating MLS clubs twice. In 2004 the club edged DC United, 2-1, in the Fourth Round before falling 1-0 to Chicago Fire. In 2007, the Kickers nipped the LA Galaxy weeks before David Beckham’s arrival, but were eliminated by the Second Division Carolina RailHawks in the Quarterfinals, 1-0.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 20-11-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 3-8-0 vs. MLS

Richmond Kickers vs. Columbus Crew: This will be the second all-time meeting between the Kickers and the Crew. Back in 2002, when the Kickers were a member of the A-League (pro 2nd Division) they met in the Third Round with the Crew winning 3-0 at Crew Stadium. Dante Washington scored twice and Brian McBride added a third as the Crew would move on to win the Open Cup title that year.

Columbus Crew

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

This Month in MLS: The Crew finished out the month coming from behind in a dominating 4-1 win at home over the Colorado Rapids. Columbus equalized from Eddie Gaven, got two goals from Andres Mendoza, and a final strike from Tommy Heinemann, as they took advantage of Conor Casey’s send off in the first half. Columbus started the month with a 1-1 draw on the road against the New York Red Bulls June 4, with Rich Balchan scoring the equalizer two minutes into stoppage time. The Crew won 2-1 four days later at home against Real Salt Lake, rallying from behind on a penalty from Andres Mendoza, who also set up Josh Gardner’s winner. The club fell at home June 12 against the Chicago Fire, 1-0. The Crew played their fourth match of the month against the Dynamo in Houston June 18, winning 2-0 on goals from Andres Mendoza and Bernardo Anor.
Last Five: W-W-L-W-D | Season Record: 6-4-6 (5-1-3 Home), Tied for second in Eastern Conference, sixth overall.

Open Cup History: The Crew didn’t enter the tournament until 1998, and have had many shaky runs. However, they have had some success, earning a title in 2002, as well as finishing in the final twice (1998, 2010). Since 1998, they have only missed qualification in 2007 and 2008, losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Chicago Fire, respectively. Their most recent run led them to the final last year, falling short to defending champion Seattle Sounders FC 2-1. Before that 2010 run, the Crew were 2-5 previously, never getting past the quarterfinals.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 18-8-2 (0-2 in PKs) | 4-0-0 vs. 3rd Division teams

Chicago Fire PDL

Founded in 2001, the team was the second PDL club (Boulder Rapids Reserve) directly affiliated with an MLS team. It has been one of the most successful clubs in the league, finishing first in the division seven times and finished below second last year (fourth) for the first time in 10 seasons, missing the playoffs for the first time. The Fire hold the best record in the PDL over their time in the league. The club has reached the league final on two occasions (2003, 2009).

First Round: Chicago Fire (PDL) 1:0 Iowa Menace (USASA)
It looked as though the two PDL rivals, although the Menace qualified through the USASA, were going to see overtime in the First Round Tuesday, as they went into the final stages of regulation in a scoreless deadlock. Lightning struck in the form of Chris Estridge however, as his tally in the 87th provided a dramatic road win. Recap [+]

Second Round: Chicago Fire (PDL) 2:0 Madison 56ers (NPSL)
It took two nights to get the game in, as lightning wiped away a Chicago lead Tuesday night and forced a replay Wednesday. Two minutes in the second half proved the difference as Andrew Ribeiro tallied in the 66th minute and Estridge, who scored the night before, set up Thierry Zahui’s goal two minutes later. Recap [+]

Path to Open Cup: Of the nine PDL entrants, the club was one of two that finished the qualifying campaign with a loss. The team’s 3-0 start clinched the berth as the other clubs in the division knocked one another out. The club opened with a pair of 2-0 victories, winning the opener in Akron on goals from Chris Estridge and Josey Portillo and taking the second at home against Cincinnati with Estridge finding the net again. A 90th minute strike from Estridge in the third match against River City clinched the berth as David Meves posted his third shutout for the 1-0 win. The late winner denied the charging Michigan Bucks a chance to snare the spot, settling with a 2-0 win over the Fire in the finale.

This Month in USL PDL: The club felt little ill effects from the Open Cup delay, returning to play Friday with a 1-0 victory against Indiana on a penalty converted by Josey Portillo. The week before, Chicago returned to league action with a 2-1 loss June 16 at Louisville to River City Rovers. Trailing on two first half goals, Hunter Gorskie tallied in the 63rd, but could not find an equalizer. Chicago rebounded two days later though, netting a 3-0 victory in Cincinnati on goals from Josey Portillo, Paulo Vaz and Harrison Petts. They opened the month with a pair of home games, playing to a 3-3 draw against Hamilton June 3 and defeating Indiana 2-0 June 9. Five different players scored in the two contests. The club is 6-2-1 in the PDL Great Lakes Division.

Open Cup History: Perhaps taking after its four-time champion parent club in MLS, the team has had some success in its three previous appearances. In its 2004 debut, the PDL side opened with a 5-1 win over USASA side SAC Wisla before knocking off third division professional side New Hampshire Phantoms by the same, surprising, 5-1 scoreline. They would be eliminated in the Third Round 1-0 by the second division Rochester Rhinos. A year later, the club downed city rival AAC Eagles of the USASA 4-1, before falling 2-1 to the second division Minnesota Thunder. In 2009, they downed Bavarian SC (USASA) 3-1 before being eliminated once again by the Thunder, this time 4-0.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 6-3-0 overall | 1-3-0 vs. professional teams (0-0-0 vs. MLS)

Sporting Kansas City

How They Qualified: Back-up netminder Eric Kronberg and CJ Sapong were the stars in qualifying for Kansas City, which was seeded third and started in the second round of the eastern bracket in MLS qualifying. Sapong netted an overtime game-winner in the 92nd minute of a 1-0 decision against the Dynamo in Houston April 6 in their opening game. Kronberg earned the first of two shutouts, registering the second in the bracket finale May 25 against the New England Revolution, who brought a squad of nearly all reserves. Chance Myers scored the first two goals in the 5-0 win with Sapong adding two more to secure the berth.

This Month in MLS: Kansas City opened June with a scoreless draw in Toronto June 4 and repeated the result June 9 against the Chicago Fire, in the debut of LiveStrong Sporting Park. Eric Kronberg recorded the shutout in the first and relieved starter Jimmy Nielsen in the 67th minute of the second following a red card. The opening of the stadium marked the start in a winning trend as they blasted Dallas 4-1 June 12, as Graham Zusi scored twice and had an assist in the road win. The returned home for their first victory at the new park, edging San Jose June 17 on a CJ Sapong strike. They played to their third scoreless draw of the month June 22 in Philadelphia, before picking up another win at home Saturday, 2-1 against Vancouver, where they came from behind on goals from Omar Bravo and Julio Cesar.
Last Five: W-D-W-W-D | Season Record: 4-6-5 (2-0-1 Home), Tied for sixth in Eastern Conference, 14th overall

Open Cup History: The team formerly known as the Wizards have a checkered history in the US Open Cup. They won a championship in 2004 as part of a double-winning campaign (also capturing MLS Cup) when a Igor Simutenkov golden goal defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 in the Final. In the last four years, Kansas City has missed out on qualifying twice (2007, 2010) and made it to the Quarterfinals twice (2008, 2009). In 2007, the Wizards lost in extra time to Real Salt Lake, while last year they lost in the first round of qualification to the Colorado Rapids. In both their quarterfinal trips, they advanced past their Third Round opponents (Carolina RailHawks, Minnesota Thunder), but fell on both occasions to the Seattle Sounders (2008 against the USL version in penalty kicks; 2009 versus the MLS expansion team).
PRO ERA RECORD: 10-9-3 (1-2 in PKs) | 2-0-1 (0-1 in PKs) vs. PDL

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Scenarios

Columbus Crew / Richmond Kickers at Sporting Kansas City
LiveStrong Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kan. – 7:30 pm ET
OR
Chicago Fire PDL at Richmond Kickers
Richmond City Stadium – Richmond Va. – 7:00 pm ET
OR
Chicago Fire PDL at Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew Stadium – Columbus, Ohio – 7:30 pm ET

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2011 US Open Cup Second Round: After 48 hours in Madison, Chicago Fire PDL return home, look ahead to Sporting KC

June 23, 2011 by Eric Anderson

After spending 48 hours in Madison, starting a game and taking the lead only to have it abandoned due to lightning Tuesday night and finally playing their second-round US Open Cup match Wednesday, the Chicago Fire PDL team headed back to the Windy City with a sense of satisfaction – and a marquee matchup in the next round.

Creighton’s Andrew Ribeiro, a Wisconsin native, and substitute Thierry Zahui scored in a three-minute span in the second half as the Fire knocked off the Madison 56ers 2-0 at Breese Stevens Field.

The Fire advance to play Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City in a third-round match Tuesday at the new, $200 million Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.

“It’s a great feeling. I honestly couldn’t be more proud of our players right now,” said Fire coach Mark Spooner, whose team was playing its fourth game in eight days – not including the 17-plus minutes Tuesday. “The adversity they’ve come through just so far in this young season is only going to stand them in good stead. They deserve this opportunity.”

Both teams had chances in the opening half, but Fire goalkeeper David Meves and 56ers counterpart Kyle Dillman kept it scoreless, making two saves apiece.

Madison was content to let Chicago control possession and looked to hit the Fire on counters. That led to three quality opportunities in the opening 45 minutes – Meves made a nice stop on Jed Hohlbein’s 15th-minute strike and gathered up a shot by Trevor Banks in the 33rd, and Keenan Newallo flashed a shot wide in the 38th.

“We knew we had to kind of sit back and counter, because if we chased them all day they would break on us,” 56ers midfielder Tenzin Rampa said. “And I thought we did a great job of that in the first half. We hoped to pop one in and kind of defend and let it play out.”

The Fire, who saw Dillman deny center back Johnny Raj with a great save in the sixth minute after a free kick bounced around on the right side of the box, kept their poise.

“There was one moment when we had the ball when we counted on the bench and they had nine guys behind it all around their penalty area,” Spooner said. “It was frustrating for us and it was working for them. We talked about being patient and the ability to draw players out of positions.”

Chicago created chance after chance in the first 10 minutes after halftime, including a shout for a penalty kick in the 56th minute. The Fire wanted a handball called on the 56ers’ Henry Aiyenero after Paulo Vaz headed a corner kick into the 6-yard box, but referee
Margaret Domka didn’t share their opinion of the play.

Ten minutes later, Ribeiro got the breakthrough.

Fire midfielder Harrison Petts laid a pass back to the Green Bay native, who drilled a shot from 20 yards out on the left side. Dillman dove and got a hand to the blast, but the ball spun off the keeper’s hand and into the net at the far post in the 66th minute to open the scoring.

“I’d say a ball like that, one out of 10 will go (in). And this one did,” Ribeiro said of his first goal of the year. “The keeper made a nice save, but it was a little too hard for him. I got a little lucky.”

“He’s been looking forward to this game for a while,” Spooner added. “His performance tonight was well worth it, he was fantastic. I think he covered every blade of grass twice. He was great tonight.”

Two minutes later, Zahui, a 24-year-old from the Ivory Coast, ripped a shot from the right side that deflected off 56ers midfielder Keith Dangarembwa and past Dillman to double the lead.

“I guess I’ve got some travel arrangements to make now,” Spooner said with a smile.

Meanwhile, the home side lamented a number of plays that were close but not close enough, from their chances to grab the opening goal to Dillman just missing keeping out Ribeiro’s shot.

“It’s hard to think about it right now,” Hohlbein said. “To have a chance like that and then miss out on an opportunity (to play an MLS team), it’s pretty tough.

“In higher-level games, you don’t see teams get tons of chances. You get four or five quality chances, and you’ve got to finish one or two of them. … I’ve obviously got that running through my mind right now, I had a few quality chances that I probably should have finished. It’s tough.”

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Chicago Fire PDL win 2-0 in lightning-forced replay in Madison

June 23, 2011 by Eric Anderson

From WisconsinSoccerCentral.com

Creighton’s Andrew Ribeiro (Green Bay Notre Dame) and Thierry Zahui scored in a three-minute span in the second half as the Chicago Fire PDL team knocked off the Madison 56ers 2-0 in a second round match of the US Open Cup on Wednesday at Breese Stevens Field.

Madison-FirePremier-fans — Chicago Fire's Section 8 members in Madison to support PDL side in Open Cup

With the victory in a match postponed by lightning Tuesday night, the Fire advance to play at Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City in the third round.

Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette) dove and got a hand to Ribeiro’s blast from 20 yards out on the left side, but the ball spun off the keeper’s hand and into the net at the far post in the 66th minute to open the scoring.

“I’d say a ball like that, one out of 10 will go in. And this one did,” Ribeiro said of his first goal of the year. “The keeper made a nice save, but it was a little too hard for him.”

Two minutes later, second-half substitute Thierry Zahui, a native of the Ivory Coast, ripped a shot from the right side that deflected off 56ers midfielder Keith Dangarembwa and past Dillman to double the lead.

The 56ers had several quality scoring opportunities, but Akron keeper David Meves stopped first-half shots by Jed Hohlbein (Middleton/UW) and Trevor Banks (Madison Memorial), and Madison misfired on several chances in the second half.

It was a strange night of soccer Tuesday at Breese Stevens Field. And in the end, not very much soccer.

The Madison 56ers and the Chicago Fire Premier played just more than 17 minutes of their Second Round US Open Cup match before the game was halted by lightning with the Fire ahead 1-0.

The Fire certainly wanted the game to resume, having taken the early lead on Chris Estridge’s goal in the ninth minute.

Indiana midfielder Harrison Petts, who pounded a shot from 23 yards out off the corner of the crossbar and left post in the fourth minute, chipped a ball for Estridge over the 56ers’ backline and the Wake Forest midfielder calmly finished against Madison goalkeeper Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette).

TheCup.us Match MVP: Andrew Ribeiro

Scoring
Chicago Fire PDL – Andrew Ribeiro (Harrison Petts) 66
Chicago Fire PDL – Thierry Zahui (Chris Estridge) 68

Lineups
MADISON 56ERS: Kyle Dillman; Carl Schneider, Reed Cooper, Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly, Aaron Nichols; Henry Aiyenero, Keenan Newallo (Keith Dangarembwa 64); Adam Lysak (Josh Thiermann 52), Trevor Banks (Andrew Wiedabach 55), Tenzin Rampa; Jed Hohlbein. Substitutes not used: Colin Mani, Sam Krenzien, David Kommavang, Cody Banks.
CHICAGO FIRE PDL: David Meves; Tyler Polak, Johnny Raj, Kevin Cope, Hunter Gorskie; Jacob Bushue, Andrew Ribeiro (Goffin Boyoko 86), Harrison Petts, Chris Estridge, Brandan King (Thierry Zahui 64); Chris Prince (Paulo Vaz 55). Substitutes not used: Jordan Godsey (GK), Bryan Ciesiulka, Caleb Suri, Drew Russell.

Discipline: M – Wiedabach (caution-dissent, 73), Aiyenero (caution-foul, 75); C – Cope (caution-dissent, 21), Vaz (caution-foul, 77), Raj (caution-unsporting conduct, 79).

Saves: M (Dillman) 4, C (Meves) 2. Shots: M 6, C 20. Fouls: M 15, C 6. Corner kicks: M 1, C 5. Offsides: M 0, C 0.

2011 US Open Cup Second Round: Chicago Fire Premier edge Madison 56ers 2-0 in afternoon replay, Sporting KC awaits in Round 3

June 22, 2011 by Eric Anderson

UPDATE: Chicago Fire Premier punched their ticket to the Third Round with a 2-0 victory over the Madison 56ers. The Fire received goals from Andrew Ribeiro in the 66th minute and Thierry Zahui just two minutes later to seal the victory. Chicago moves on to play Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday, June 28 at LiveStrong Park at 8:30 p.m. EST. We will have a full recap of the match later tonight courtesy of WisconsinSoccerCentral.com [+]

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REPORT FROM TUESDAY NIGHT:

It was a strange night of soccer Tuesday at Breese Stevens Field. And in the end, not very much soccer.

The Madison 56ers and the Chicago Fire Premier played just more than 17 minutes of their Second Round US Open Cup match before the game was halted by lightning with the Fire ahead 1-0.

A little more than 2 hours later, officials postponed the match, which will be replayed in its entirety at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Breese Stevens. The 56ers announced that admission will be free.

“It’s a little weird. (Stuff) happens,” 56ers coach Jim Launder said.

“It’s good and bad. It’s a replay, so we just erase the goal and start over. It’s not good because we lost a huge fan night … It’s not good because we’ll play in a dead stadium tomorrow, because nobody will be here at 4 p.m. And it’s not good because I think we’re going to be missing two players, maybe three.”

The Fire certainly wanted the game to resume, having taken the early lead on Chris Estridge’s goal in the ninth minute.

Estridge raced over to celebrate with about 25 members of the Fire’s Section 8 supporters group who made the trip north. They lived uo their reputation, pounding on drum, singing songs and waving massive flags.

Four minutes later, Fire forward Paulo Vaz also got in behind the 56ers’ backline, but Dillman made a sliding save on the Lynn University striker.

“Two times when we didn’t get pressure on the ball and we didn’t step back and we just let guys run in behind us,” said Launder, who added that he would re-evaluate his lineup overnight. “I wasn’t impressed with our defensive stance. All of our backs did the same thing, they all just stopped.”

Referee Margaret Domka suspended play 17 minutes, 19 seconds into the match as storms rolled into the area and lightning was spotted. Heavy rains followed, and intermittent showers and lightning persisted. All the while, the Section 8 group kept drumming and singing.

“It was a little surreal,” Fire PDL coach Mark Spooner said. “We were trying to get updates and (the officials) weren’t that forthcoming with them, so it was frustrating. But it is what is; nobody can do anything about the weather.

“The thing that I don’t like, obviously, is now you start 0-0 again for 90 minutes. I would think that there would be a better method than that in a competition like this.”

If the match had reached 45 minutes, it would have been declared a result.

However, for the game to be resumed, 20 minutes needed to pass without lightning in the area, and there still were regular flashes in the skies as the teams left the stadium. Also, the lights at Breese Stevens need to be turned off by 11 p.m. due to a local ordinance.

“They would want to get that half game in and win the game – I would, too,” Launder said. “It wasn’t going to happen.”

So for the Fire, it was yet another night spent in a hotel. They had three road matches last week and have logged more than 1,500 miles during trips to Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“It’s just one thing after another,” said Spooner, whose team requested Wednesday’s replay be moved to 4 p.m. from the scheduled 7 p.m. start time to help them get back to Chicago earlier with a PDL match Friday.

“You know, though, it’s good for their development. This whole program is designed around them becoming pros, and this is part of it. We have to react now to it and see where we can go.”

Speaking late Tuesday night, Spooner said when they got to the hotel, there weren’t enough rooms.

“What a fun night,” he deadpanned.