Chicago Fire

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals review: Protest drama, Chicago Fire end Louisville’s run, three first-timers advance

July 26, 2018 by Josh Hakala

When the dust settled on the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals, all four home teams were victorious, leaving just one former tournament champion and three teams seeking to lift the trophy for the first time.

The home team was victorious in all four games. The four-time US Open Cup champion Chicago Fire put an end to Louisville City’s Cinderella run. The last remaining lower division side fell out of the tournament 4-0 as the Fire move one step closer to becoming the fourth team in tournament history to win five US Open Cup titles.

Elsewhere, the Houston Dynamo advanced to the Semifinals for the third time in club history with a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City, the reigning tournament champions. The Philadelphia Union only needed an early goal by Alejandro Bedoya to defeat Orlando City SC to reach the Semis for the fourth time in the last seven years.

The last game of the evening was MLS expansion team Los Angeles FC who not only made headlines with a 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers, but made headlines after the game when the Timbers filed a protest because LAFC had used too many international players (Pro teams are limited to five on their gameday roster). Reportedly, the US Soccer Federation approved LAFC’s roster in error, but Portland eventually withdrew their protest, allowing Bob Bradley’s squad to reach the final four.

Click below for links of our coverage, a brief summary of each game and links to the full match reports:

#USOC2018 coverage

News/Features

2018 Meet the Underdogs series

Qualifying

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FULL MATCH REPORT
In a hard fought battle between two teams trying to keep their winning momentum going from MLS play. The Philadelphia Union came out on top with a 1-0 win over Orlando City SC in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Alejandro Bedoya got things going for the Union with a goal in the 4th minute after capitalizing on the rebound given from Orlando City SC goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr’s early save from a header off a corner kick by Mark McKenzie. Orlando City SC kept pushing throughout the game but couldn’t convert on their chances and saw their run in the US Open Cup come to an end. For Orlando City SC they will now focus on trying to get their season back on track and push for the MLS playoffs while the Union advance to the Semifinals for the fourth time in the last seven years as they seek to become the first Philadelphia team to win the US Open Cup since 1966.



FULL MATCH REPORT
The Chicago Fire had a dominating performance on the night with a 4-0 win over the 2017 USL Cup champion Louisville City FC. The Fire had four different goal scorers starting with a Nemanja Nikolic header that gave the Fire the lead in the 16th minute. They doubled their lead in the 32nd minute with a brilliant goal from Aleksandar Katai to give them a 2-0 lead heading into the halftime break. Later on in the match Louisville City FC defender Kyle Smith was sent off with ten minutes left and the Fire capitalized on the man advantage with two late goals from Diego Campos and Elliot Collier to seal the win. Louisville City FC ends its run in the Cup as the last lower division side remaining while for the Chicago Fire they move on to the Semifinals for the sixth time in the last eight years as the team tries to tie the all-time record with a fifth US Open Cup title.



FULL MATCH REPORT
The Houston Dynamo bounced back from an early deficit from the defending US Open Cup champions and completed a resounding 4-2 comeback win over Sporting Kansas City. Forward Johnny Russell got an early goal in the 2nd minute for Sporting Kansas City to give them an early lead but the Dynamo were patient with their chances and found the equalizer on an impressive free kick in the 35th minute with a goal from Romell Quioto to level the score. In the second half Quioto got his second goal with a shot in the 65th minute to give his side a 2-1 lead. A few minutes later, Mauro Manotas put the Dynamo up 3-1 before adding his third goal of the tournament in the 88th minute. Yohan Croizet scored a late consolation goal in stoppage time for Sporting Kansas City but in the end the Houston Dynamo did enough to knock the defending champs out of the tournament and advance to only their third semifinal appearance in club history.



FULL MATCH REPORT
Los Angeles FC continued their historic run in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as they hung on to defeat the Portland Timbers 3-2 which snapped Portland’s 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. Things got started in the 33rd minute with an own goal from David Guzman to give LAFC the 1-0 lead. Five minutes later, Carlos Vela launched a shot into the back of the net for another goal for LAFC to give them a 2-0 lead. In first half stoppage time, the Timbers pulled one back when Julio Cascante headed a shot in off a free kick from Guzman to narrow LAFC’s lead to a single goal. In the second half, Marco Urena scored his first career LAFC goal when he flicked a shot off the side of his foot in the 51st minute to give LAFC a 3-1 lead. Seconds later, Portland answered with a blast from Vytas Andriuskevicius to trim the LAFC lead 3-2 but they were unable to find the equalizer in the final half hour of the match. While an entertaining match, the majority of the headlines were produced from what happened after the game. The Timbers filed a protest because LAFC had six international players on their gameday roster, which is more than the allowed five by US Open Cup rules. Sources from LAFC claimed that the USSF had erroneously approved the roster, but before a ruling could be made by the US Open Cup Disciplinary Committee, the Timbers withdrew their protest.The Timbers’ run in the 2018 US Open Cup came to an end and for Bob Bradley and LAFC, they advance to the Semifinals in their inaugural season. LAFC are aiming to join a short list of teams to win the tournament in their inaugural season in MLS, joining D.C. United (1996), the Seattle Sounders FC (2009) and Bob Bradley’s Chicago Fire in 1998.

2018 US Open Cup: Draw reveals Semifinal hosts, hosting priority for Final

July 23, 2018 by Josh Hakala

On Monday, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) performed the draw to determine which teams would host the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinals. The USSF also determined the hosting priorities for the 105th US Open Cup Final.

The draw was originally scheduled for Thursday, July 19 but the Portland Timbers filed a protest against Los Angeles FC following LAFC’s 3-2 Quarterfinal win. The Disciplinary Committee was set to meet on Saturday, but before they could convene, the Timbers withdrew their protest.

The draw determined that Philadelphia Union would host Chicago Fire in the Semifinals and, in the other half of the bracket, the Houston Dynamo will host Los Angeles FC. Both games will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

Houston and LAFC will kick off at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, while Philadelphia-Chicago will kick off at 7 p.m.

The winners will meet in the 105th edition of the US Open Cup on either Sept. 26 or Oct. 3, depending on the host.

The method for determining the host starts with the eligible teams applying to host and if the teams both meet the minimum venue standards the home team is determined by random draw.

If the Chicago Fire advances, they will host the Final on Oct. 3. If Chicago falls, the Houston Dynamo would be next up to host if they win. If both Chicago and Houston lose, LAFC will host a final against Philadelphia Union. If Chicago is not involved in the Final, the game will be held on Sept. 26. No kickoff times have been announced.

The Fire, who are seeking a record-tying fifth US Open Cup title, have hosted the Final three times (1998, 2000, 2006), but haven’t lifted the trophy since 2006.

LAFC are an expansion team but head coach Bob Bradley has won the tournament twice with the Fire, including in 1998 when they were an expansion team. The Open Cup Final hasn’t been held in Southern California since 2005 when the Galaxy won their second USOC title.

Houston have never reached the Final and a South Texas team has never won the US Open Cup. The Open Cup Final has been held in South Texas twice. The New York Pancyprian Freedoms won their third USOC title in Houston when they defeated Kutis SC (St. Louis) in 1983 and the El Paso Patriots lost in penalty kicks at home against the Richmond Kickers in 1995.

The city of Philadelphia hasn’t had a team win the tournament since 1966 (Ukrainian Nationals) but the Union had two cracks at it when they hosted the Final in 2014 and 2015. They lost to the Seattle Sounders in extra time (2014) and lost to Sporting Kansas City in PKs (2015).

In the Modern Era (1995-present), the home team is 13-5-2 (1-1 PKs) in the championship game and has won the last two.

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Who should be voted TheCup.us Player of the Round?

July 22, 2018 by Josh Hakala

There were several exceptional individual performances in the Quarterfinals of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This should make for a challenge when the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters cast their votes for TheCup.us Player of the Round.

While the votes are being tallied up, check out the list of nominees below (in alphabetical order) and tell us who YOU think deserves to win on Facebook or Twitter:

MORE: 2018 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners (so far)

Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union, MLS): Bedoya scored the lone goal of the game in the 4th minute and played a great overall game in a 1-0 home win over Orlando City SC (MLS)

Aleksandar Katia (Chicago Fire, MLS): Katai assisted on the opening goal and scored the second in Chicago’s 4-0 home win over Louisville City FC.

Mauro Manotas (Houston Dynamo, MLS): Manotas scored what would prove to be the game-winning (third) goal in the 69th minute and put the game away with the final goal in the 88th minute in a 4-2 home win over Sporting Kansas City (MLS).

Mark McKenzie (Philadelphia Union, MLS): McKenzie was the star of the Philadelphia defense in a 1-0 home win over Orlando City SC (MLS). The Union defender snuffed out numerous attacks from Orlando, holding them to just 10 total shots with only four of them ending up on net. McKenzie also headed the shot that forced a save from the goalkeeper that led directly to Bedoya’s goal in the 4th minute.

Romell Quioto (Houston Dynamo, MLS): Quioto’s free kick from 22 yards out in the 35th minute tied the match at 1-1 for the Houston Dynamo against Sporting Kansas City (MLS). Quioto then put the Dynamo ahead in the 66th minute when he chested down a long pass and hit a one-timer to put Houston up 2-1. Houston won the game at home, 4-2.

Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC, MLS): Vela scored the second goal of the game and delivered the ball that led to Portland’s own goal in LAFC’s 3-2 home win over the Portland Timbers (MLS).

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Chicago Fire back in Semifinals after convincing 4-0 win over Louisville City

July 19, 2018 by Tom Arnison

What started as a close affair in Bridgeview, Ill. ended in a rout as the Chicago Fire defeated Louisville City FC, 4-0, to advance to their all-time record 13th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinal. Aleksandar Katai set up Nemanja Nikolic for the opening goal in the 16th minute, then Katai got one of his own 16 minutes later as the Fire held on to their lead throughout the game. Once the 90th minute hit, the four-time US Open Cup champs tacked on two late goals to send most of the 3,322 in attendance — Louisville City fans were well-represented — home happy. The Fire extended their home unbeaten streak in the US Open Cup to nine games and improve their impressive all-time home record in the tournament to 26-1-2 (1-1 PKs).

The Fire move on to play against the Philadelphia Union in the Semifinals. The date and location of the game will be determined on Thursday when the US Soccer Federation performs the draw to determine the hosts for the Semifinals and the hosting priorities for the Final. This will take place at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Chicago opened the scoring in 16th minute off a quickly-taken free kick near the Louisville City bench. Having caught the Louisville players off guard, midfielder Brandt Bronico played a ball down the left side of the goal box to Katai whose weighted cross found the head of Nikolic to make it 1-0 Fire.

Chicago’s confidence only grew from there. Katai continued to inspire the home side with quick one-two passing and flicks with teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger up and down the left side of the pitch.

In the 32nd minute, Katai put the Fire on the break from his defensive third by bridging two Louisville players on his way to the opposing 18. After a blocked shot, Schweinsteiger fed the ball into the box and Katai finished into the upper left of the goal.

The workhorse for Louisville City in the match was Brian Ownby, who was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance in City’s upset of the New England Revolution in Round 4. The former University of Virginia standout played a full 90 minutes and continuously ran at the Chicago defense. Brandon Vincent and company did their job to frustrate the attacker and force Louisville into low percentage efforts. The Fire defense held Louisville to just 10 total shots and only three of them made it on target, all of which goalkeeper Richard Sanchez handled to earn his second straight clean sheet in the tournament.

Los Morados (one of Louisville’s nicknames) would keep the game close in the second half, up until the 84th minute when midfielder Kyle Smith saw a straight red for what was judged as a dangerous tackle. With the man advantage, the Fire put on the pressure and put the game away as Diego Campos pounced on a back pass to Louisville goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski. Dobrowolski, who played his college ball at nearby Loyola University Chicago (LUC), took one touch of the pass but Campos was already on top of him and it was too late. Campos stole the ball and slid it into the empty goal from close range. Later in injury time, Elliot Collier, also an LUC grad, took the ball to the endline and 5-hole Dobrowolski for the Fire’s fourth and final goal of the match. Frustration boiled over after the fourth goal as Louisville City substitute Magnus Rasmussen was sent off after for an altercation with Collier.

In the post-match press conference, Fire coach Veljko Paunovic was quick to dismiss the accomplishment of advancing to the Semifinals, knowing there’s more work to be done.

“We advanced… but still we haven’t done anything ,” said Paunovic.

With the win, the Fire add to their Modern Era (1995-present) record with their 42nd tournament win. Louisville City’s Cup run ends, but as the USL team that advanced the furthest in the tournament, their consolation is $25,000 in prize money.

Plenty of highlights from this one #USOC2018 #cf97 pic.twitter.com/SOwO9KcUea

— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) July 19, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Round 5: Chicago Fire disappoint Atlanta United’s largest crowd in tournament history

June 21, 2018 by Sydney Hunte

Chicago Fire edged Atlanta United 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Atlanta United FC

After a Fourth Round match against the Columbus Crew that ended in a wild penalty shootout, the Chicago Fire needed just one goal and 90 minutes to continue its 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run.

Nemanja Nikolic’s 54th minute goal – his third goal of the competition – was enough to lead the Fire past Atlanta United 1-0 in front of an announced crowd of 41,012. It was the largest crowd to ever watch a US Open Cup game in the 105-year history of the tournament. It shattered the previous mark of 35,615 set in the 2011 Final when the Seattle Sounders hosted the Fire at CenturyLink Field.

For the Fire, they clinch a spot in the Quarterfinals for the 14th time in club history , which ranks third-most in tournament history. They will host their next game in the tournament on July 18 when they take on Louisville City FC (USL).

Atlanta United held the better of the play over the first half of the match, relying on strong possession and the play of Tito Villalba on the right wing – with that said, they failed to make the most of their chances and petered out a little as time went on. Chicago nearly made it 1-0 on the 16th minute off of a corner that was nearly touched home by Bastain Schweinsteiger, but barely kept from going over the line by Alec Kann.

Atlanta’s best chance came in the 33rd minute, as a beautiful run and curling shot by Villalba was stopped by Fire keeper Richard Sanchez.

But poor defending on Atlanta’s part saw the Fire strike first in the 54th minute. Luis Solignac was afforded too much time to pass the ball to Nikolic, who calmly pegged it past Alec Kann for his team-leading ninth goal across all competitions. From there, Atlanta’s attempts to level the match and force extra time fell short as it lost in the Round of 16 for the second straight year.

“We spoke before the game that we wanted to keep the ball and create space,” said Nikolic. “It was great action from the whole team, from behind and in the finishing from (Aleksandar) Katai, (Schweinsteiger), and of course who made that final pass. For me, it was like he scored – it was an amazing pass from him.”

The Fire don’t continue in the competition until July 18 when they host USL side Louisville City in the quarterfinals, but they’ll hope to use this win to make a run toward getting back to playoff position in MLS, starting with an away match at Seattle on Saturday. They currently sit in seventh in the Eastern Conference, level with Orlando City in points with 19 but with five wins to Orlando’s six.

After winning in a stadium where Atlanta United have generally enjoyed an advantage, and in front of a USOC record crowd, Fire coach Veljko Paunovic hopes that it can give his team an extra push, both in the Open Cup and in MLS play.

“We achieved something that not many teams have done here – winning at this beautiful venue,” he said. “For our club, the tradition for fighting for the Open Cup means a lot, and getting this win today…I believe we are slowly getting to the point to play the way we played last year.”

A nail-biter to the final whistle https://t.co/1RMevHXwuL

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) June 21, 2018

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: Luis Solignac’s wonder goal lifts Chicago Fire past Saint Louis FC

June 15, 2017 by Phill Grooms

Chicago got the upper hand in its sporting rivalry with St. Louis as the Fire took a 1-0 win over St. Louis FC in a Fourth Round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match before a 5,786 crowd at Toyota Stadium Wednesday night.

Saint Louis threatened early as Jose Angulo missed an open goal in the second minute and was off target with a 5th minute header.

Luis Solignac made the difference with a tricky, back-kick chip that rainbowed into the back corner of the goal in the 27th minute off a cross from left back Brandon Vincent.

.@LuchoSoli how on earth❓❓❗️

WHAT A GOAL to put #cf97 in front!! #USOC2017 pic.twitter.com/KnFXMWnBNH

— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) June 15, 2017

St. Louis remained in contention due to first class saves on counterattacks from Adam Grinwis, until Dragan Stojkov received his second yellow in the 81st minute, Chicago then shutting the game down.

“Congrats to St. Louis on a great performance today,” Chicago coach Veljko Paunovic said. “They really pushed very hard to tie and win the game but also we have to be proud of our performance in the end.

“I think the mentality that we had, especially in the second half, I think helped the team forge the character that we have this year.”

Said St. Louis’ coach Preki: “Ever since I came here I’ve been telling these guys they have an incredible quality.

“So, when we bring that level of intensity, the level of commitment, when we bring our ideas to the game, I think we’re a good team.

“And I can’t say anything more than I’m incredibly proud of our group tonight. We left everything on the field.”

2016 US Open Cup: Who should be TheCup.us Player of the Tournament?

October 17, 2016 by Josh Hakala

The 103rd edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup wrapped up with FC Dallas lifting the trophy for the second time in club history. But before we shift focus to 2017 US Open Cup qualifying, which is already underway, let’s take a look back at some of the top individual performances from 2016.

Every year, TheCup.us honors the overall and the lower division Player of the Tournament.

Here are a list of nominees for the 2016 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. The award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. But, if YOU had a vote, who would you vote for?

David Accam (Chicago Fire)

David Accam of the Chicgao Fire scored a pair of first half goals to help the home team beat the Columbus Crew, 2-1. Photo: Chicago Fire — David Accam of the Chicago Fire scored a pair of first half goals to help the home team beat the Columbus Crew, 2-1. Photo: Chicago Fire

Round 4: 1-1 home draw (4-3 PK win) vs. Indy Eleven (NASL)
– Started, played 120 minutes and scored a 111th minute equalizer in a 1-1 home draw vs. Indy Eleven (NASL). Accam also scored the winning goal in the PK shootout which the Fire won 4-3

Round 5: 2-1 home win vs. Columbus Crew
– Started, played 69 minutes and scored both goals (7th, 30th mins.) in a 2-1 home win vs. Columbus Crew (MLS). He was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his efforts.

Quarterfinals: 3-0 home win vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
– Started, played 72 minutes and scored a goal and assisted on another in a 3-0 home win vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL).

Semifinals: 3-1 road loss at New England Revolution (MLS)
– Started, played 90 minutes and scored a 40th minute equalizer in a 3-1 road loss at New England Revolution (MLS).

Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas)

Mauro Diaz of FC Dallas assisted on both extra time goals in the club's 2-1 come-from-behind win in the Semifinals. Photo: FC Dallas — Mauro Diaz of FC Dallas assisted on both extra time goals in the club’s 2-1 come-from-behind win in the Semifinals. Photo: FC Dallas

Round 4: 2-2 home draw (6-5 PK win) vs. Oklahoma City Energy (USL)
– Started and played 120 minutes in a 1-1 home draw vs. Oklahoma City Energy (USL) and scored a PK in the penalty shootout

Round 5: 2-1 OT home win vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS)
– Started and played 120 minutes and scored a 64th minute equalizer in a 2-1 OT home win vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Quarterfinals: 1-0 road win at Houston Dynamo (MLS)
– Started and was subbed out in 2nd half stoppage time in a 1-0 road win at Houston Dynamo (MLS)

Semifinals: 2-1 OT road win at Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
– Started, played 120 minutes and assisted on a 116th min. equalizer and the stoppage time game-winner in a 2-1 OT road win at LA Galaxy (MLS). Diaz was named TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Final: 4-2 home win vs. New England Revolution (MLS)
– Started, played 82 minutes and scored a PK goal and assisted on three other goals in a 4-2 home win vs. New England Revolution (MLS). Five points (1g, 3a) and three assists breaks the Modern Era record for a US Open Cup Final. He was named TheCup.us Player of the Round

Diego Restrepo (Fort Lauderdale Strikers – NASL)

NOTE: Restrepo was voted 2016 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament.

Diego Restrepo of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers makes a save against Orlando City SC in the Fifth Round of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Round 3: 1-1 draw (2-0 PK win) at home vs. Richmond Kickers (USL)
– Made 3 saves in 120 minutes and then saved 3 of the 4 attempts in the PK shootout (NOTE: It was just the second time in Modern Era that a team was shutout in a PK shootout) – he was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his efforts

Round 4: 0-0 draw (4-3 PK win) on the road vs. DC United (MLS)
– Made eight saves in 120 minutes and then made one save in the PK shootout as the Strikers eliminate a MLS team for the first time in club history (Est. 2006). Finished runner-up for TheCup.us Player of the Round by one vote.

Round 5: 2-1 OT win at Orlando City SC (MLS)
– Made eight saves in 120 minutes as the Strikers defeated a MLS team and also won a road game for the first time in club history (Est. 2006)

Quarterfinals: 3-0 loss at Chicago Fire (MLS)
– Made four saves in the losing effort

Je-Vaughn Watson (New England Revolution)

Round 4: 1-0 OT road win at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
– Did not play

Round 5: 3-2 road win at New York Cosmos (NASL)
– Started and played 90 minutes in a 3-2 road win vs. New York Cosmos

Quarterfinals: 1-1 home draw (4-2 PK win) vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)
– Started and played 120 minutes, scored a goal, and scored the match-winning PK shootout goal in a 1-1 home draw (4-2 PK win) vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)

Semifinals: 3-1 home win vs. Chicago Fire (MLS)
– Started and played 87 minutes and scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal in the 42nd minute.

Final: 4-2 road loss at FC Dallas (MLS)
– Started but was subbed out just before halftime.

2016 US Open Cup Semifinals: Revolution overcome Fire to reach club’s third final

August 9, 2016 by Seth Macomber

The New England Revolution defeated the Chicago Fire 3-1 to advance to the club's third US Open Cup Final. Photo: New England Revolution — Je-Vaughn Watson celebrates his goal with New England Revolution fans in the Revs’ 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire in the 2016 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: David Silverman | New England Revolution

The New England Revolution advanced to the 2016 US Open Cup Final after a 3-1 win over storied rival the Chicago Fire. Kei Kamara, Je-Vaughn Watson, Teal Bunbury each had a tally on an action-packed night at Gillette Stadium.

The game started quietly without much to speak of during the first 15 minutes. Things would change when referee Edvin Jurisevic pointed to the spot, ruling that Rodrigo Ramos had tripped Kelyn Rowe at the edge of the box. Kamara stepped up to take the kick, putting it past Matt Lampson to give his team a 1-0 lead.

“For sure it was an important moment of the game,” Fire head coach Veljko Paunović said. “For us, it was tough to receive that first goal too early. We have to be honest that we’re a young team and we commit too many innocent mistakes.”

The game opened up from there with both sides having solid looks on goal.

Kei Kamara of the New England Revolution celebrates after a goal against the Chicago Fire in the 2016 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: David Silverman | New England Revolution

First, Chris Tierney played a long ball that found Teal Bunbury on the right flank after a deflection from Kamara. Bunbury was unable to put his shot on frame.

The Fire’s response came moments later when John Goossens marched towards goal after Je-Vaughn Watson whiffed his clearance. The ensuing shot was on frame, but Brad Knighton was there to make the stop.

In the 28th minute, Kamara’s pace made a routine back pass interesting when he challenged Lampson. The oblivious goalkeeper’s clearance was blocked by Kamara, but the danger was adverted when the ball went out of bounds instead of going into the back of the net.

Kamara continued to cause the Fire headaches when he won possession in the 32nd minute. The striker then found Bunbury on the right flank but the winger once again failed to put his shot on target.

It was the Fire’s turn to attack in the 35th minute, but Jose Goncalves had consecutive slide tackles that neutralized the threat. The captain first denied an on-rushing Goossens before repeating the action against David Accam.

Accam would do better five minutes later when he grabbed his fifth goal of the tournament. The striker used creative footwork to deceive Watson. With space in front him, Accam hit a low shot to the left of Knighton. With the impressive goal, Accam moved into a tie for first place on the tournament’s goalscoring chart, tying him with La Maquina’s Edwin Borboa.

Watson got his redemption two minutes later when he nodded the ball over the goal line. The chance began with Tierney’s corner, which was won by Kamara. The ball would bounce off a Fire defender before reaching an eager Watson.

“We were talking earlier, me and Steve Neumann, and I said, ‘It’s Chicago, I scored on them last time, so, whatever, I’m going to go for it’,” Watson said. “Before I even tap it in the goal, I said, ‘Oh, my god. It’s a goal again’.”

The Revs had a good chance to add another two minutes later when Tierney identified Rowe on the right side. Rowe’s cross went across the goalmouth but Bunbury and Kamara couldn’t connect.
The Fire didn’t wait long to make an adjustment, as Brandon Vincent replaced Ramos at halftime. Despite the defensive change, the game reminded wide open.

In the 50th minute, Goossens took his third shot of the game but it did little to worry Knighton. The Fire tried again in the 55th minute but Michael de Leeuw failed to take advantage of Arturo Alvarez’s in-swinging cross. Things looked good for the Revs in the 62nd minute as Gershon Koffie put Kelyn Rowe in on goal. Feeling the pressure of the Fire defense, Rowe’s shot missed its mark.

The lull in the game was broken by Bunbury in the 85th minute, who found success with his third shot of the night. The 26-year-old hit a low-driving ball that was just out of Lampson’s reach.

“I think it’s huge,” Bunbury explained. “Chicago was putting some pressure on us. When it gets late into games like that you kind of sit back and hold onto a 2-1 lead, so to extend that and get that third goal was huge for us.”

Emotions boiled up in the 88th minute when Accam and Rowe got into a dispute at midfield. The dust-up resulted in a straight red for Accam and a yellow for Rowe.

Up a man and two goals, the Revs saw out the game to secure their first trip to the Open Cup Final since winning the tournament in 2007. The Revolution will play the winner of Wednesday night’s LA Galaxy-FC Dallas game.

FULL HIGHLIGHTS: REVOLUTION 3, FIRE 1

GOAL: KEI KAMARA (16′)

GOAL: DAVID ACCAM (40′)

GOAL: JE-VAUGHN WATSON (42′)

GOAL: TEAL BUNBURY (85′)

2016 US Open Cup Semifinals preview: Galaxy, Dallas seek to end title droughts with Revolution awaiting winner

August 9, 2016 by Seth Macomber

The field for the 103rd Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is down to just four teams and all of them are former champions looking to break some Open Cup title droughts.

On Tuesday, the New England Revolution will host an Open Cup game at Gillette Stadium for just the second time when they welcome the Chicago Fire to Foxborough, Mass. Tomorrow night, the Galaxy will host FC Dallas in a rematch of the 2005 Final.

Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and the Watch ESPN app.

Below, you will find links to our coverage on TheCup.us, as well as previews from both Semifinal games. You can get all the latest updates from every game through Twitter, using the hashtag #USOC2016. Use that same hashtag on Instagram to share your US Open Cup-related photos.

#USOC2016 coverage:
* 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup schedule, results
* Complete 2016 US Open Cup bracket (TheCup.us)
* 2016 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
* Which NPSL teams will qualify for the 2017 US Open Cup?
* Which PDL teams will qualify for the 2017 US Open Cup?
* Lletget wins TheCup.us Player of the Round | 2016 POTR winners
* 2016 Meet the Underdogs series
* Things you should know about the Semifinals of the US Open Cup
* 2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals review
* USSF’s new US Open Cup qualifying tournament has challenges to address after year one
* Series of forfeits, teams with ineligible players overshadow 2016 US Open Cup
* MLS-owned USL teams no longer eligible for 2016 US Open Cup, confirms USSF
* One is enough: NPSL champion New York Cosmos B withdraws from 2016 US Open Cup

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BROADCAST: ESPN2
If Los Angeles wins … they will host New England in the Final
If FC Dallas wins … they will host New England in the Final

FC Dallas Open Cup records
Overall: 29-16-6 (5-1 PKs) | Home: 17-6-3 (2-1 PKs) | Away: 12-10-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 10-11-3 (2-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2015 (Lost 6-2 at Sporting KC of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 1997 US Open Cup champions

Los Angeles Galaxy Open Cup records
Overall: 28-13-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 19-2-0 | Away: 9-11-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 12-9-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2015 (Lost 1-0 at Real Salt Lake of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 2001, 2005 US Open Cup champions

By Dennis Pope

Something has got to give.

The LA Galaxy celebrate a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the 2016 Quarterfinals. Photo: LA Galaxy

FC Dallas is unbeaten in its last five games. Los Angeles Galaxy has taken points from each of its last 10.

The long-time MLS Western Conference foes match up Wednesday night at the StubHub Center in Carson (Calif.) in a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinal round game.

Galaxy are still sweating from a 2-2 home draw on Sunday, Aug. 7, against the New York Red Bulls, scoring both goals in the final 10 minutes to earn a point in one of the most physical games of the season for both teams.

Robbie Keane’s nose was bloodied as the result of a violent collision with Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles midway through the first half, but returned straight away and later contributed to the build-up on both of L.A.’s goals.

FC Dallas celebrate a goal against OKC Energy FC in Round 4 of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: OKC Energy

Mike Magee got the Galaxy on the scoreboard in the 80th minute, finishing an assist from Steven Gerrard, and Ashley Cole scored his first goal for L.A. nine minutes later to equalize.

FC Dallas’ latest result – a 2-1 win over Real Esteli FC (Nicaragua) on Thursday, Aug. 4 – came in a CONCACAF Champions League group stage match.

Coach Oscar Pareja’s team has won four and drawn one since a 5-0 loss to Seattle Sounders on July 13, and has stayed atop MLS’ Western Conference table.

How FC Dallas adjusts to life without midfielder Fabian Castillo will be a major story line going forward. The talented Columbian, now with Trabzaonspor (Turkey), had five goals and five assists before his departure.

Both teams have had difficult paths to the Semifinals. The Galaxy needed extra time (and a controversial goal) to dispatch amateur Cinderella story La Maquina, 4-1. They followed that up with a narrow 1-0 road win over the Portland Timbers, followed by a 4-2 home win over the Seattle Sounders in the Quarterfinals. L.A. rallied to beat Seattle thanks to a pair of late goals from Sebastian Lletget, who earned TheCup.us Player of the Round for his efforts. The win over Seattle put the two-time Open Cup champs into the Semifinals for the first time since 2006.

LA Galaxy: 2005 US Open Cup champions — The last time the LA Galaxy faced FC Dallas in the US Open Cup, they beat them 1-0 in the 2005 Final. Photo: LA Galaxy

The only team that has more Semifinal appearances in the Modern Era than FC Dallas are the Chicago Fire. To get to their ninth final four, Dallas needed penalty kicks to eliminate the Oklahoma City Energy (USL), followed by a 2-1 extra time win over the Colorado Rapids. In the Quarterfinals, they had to travel down to Houston and escaped with a 1-0 win thanks to a late goal by the recently departed Castillo.

This will be the third all-time meeting between the clubs in the tournament. The first time they met, the Galaxy defeated the Dallas Burn 4-1 in the 2002 Semifinals at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Carlos Ruiz scored the opener and then set up goals by Mauricio Cienfuegos and Cobi Jones to give L.A. a 3-0 halftime lead. Simon Elliott would add a late penalty kick to put the game away.

The last time they met was in the 2005 Final where a young striker named Herculez Gomez scored the lone goal in the first half as the Galaxy won their second Open Cup trophy, 1-0. The game was played at Home Depot Center (StubHub Center) in front of 10,000 fans, a smaller crowd due to a local ordinance limiting the attendance of midweek home games. With the victory, they became just the 10th Southern California team to win it all.

Wednesday, the two teams will square off for the third time to see who can put themselves in position to end their Open Cup title drought. The Galaxy last won in 2005, while Dallas hasn’t lifted the trophy since 1997.

BROADCAST: ESPN2
If Chicago wins … they will host winner of LA Galaxy / FC Dallas in Final
If New England wins … they will play at winner of LA Galaxy / FC Dallas in Final

New England Revolution Open Cup records
Overall: 16-11-5 (3-2 PKs) | Home: 10-4-3 (2-1 PKs) | Away: 5-7-2 (1-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 4-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2015 (Lost 1-0 vs. Charlotte Independence of USL in Round 4)
Best finish: 2007 US Open Cup champions

Chicago Fire Open Cup records
Overall: 39-13-4 (3-1 PKs) | Home: 25-1-2 (1-1 PKs) | Away: 13-12-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 21-8-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2015 (Lost 1-0 at Philadelphia Union of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 US Open Cup champions

The last time the New England Revolution and the Chicago Fire met in the US Open Cup was in 2006. Photo: Chicago Fire

UPDATE: The New England Revolution defeated the Chicago Fire 3-1 to advance to the club’s third US Open Cup Final. They received goals from Kei Kamara, Je-Vaughn Watson and Teal Bunbury. David Accam scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the losing effort before getting sent off in the final minutes of the match.

Two teams desperate for a positive result will face off on Tuesday night when the New England Revolution host the Chicago Fire at Gillette Stadium in the Semifinals of 2016 US Open Cup.

In terms of league play, the Fire find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 4-11-6 and a goal differential of -10. The Revs hold the sixth spot with a 6-9-8 record and a -11 goal differential. Both clubs are coming off multi-goal losses.

But things have been a little different in Open Cup play.

The Revs reached the Semifinals by edging out the Carolina RailHawks 1-0 and the New York Cosmos 3-2 before recording a shootout victory over the Philadelphia Union. While the Cosmos win was powered by known threats like Kei Kamara and Teal Bunbury, the two other victories came courtesy of young Zach Herivaux, jack-of-all-trades Je-Vaughn Watson, and backup goalkeeper Brad Knighton.

Chicago Fire celebrate a goal against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the 2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Chicago Fire

Meanwhile, the Fire advanced by collecting a shootout victory over the Indy Eleven, a 2-1 result over Columbus Crew SC, and a 3-0 home win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The man behind all of these games has been David Accam, who has contributed four goals and one assist.

This Tuesday will mark the 74th overall meeting between the Revs and Fire. There’s no love lost between the two clubs, who have quite a storied history.

In the early 2000s, the Revs and Fire have regular meetings in the playoffs. The Fire proved victorious in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2009, while the Revs owned 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

The New England Revolution celebrate after their PK shootout win over the Philadelphia Union. Photo: David Silverman | New England Revolution

The two clubs have also met twice in the US Open Cup, with Chicago advancing both times. In 2005, the Men in Red needed extra time to grab a 3-2 result in the Fourth Round thanks to a pair of goals from Andy Herron. One year later, it was Herron to the rescue again as he scored both goals in a 2-1 Quarterfinal win.

That said, the Revs do hold an advantage going into this most recent meeting, as they recently defeated the visiting Fire 1-0 thanks to a late Watson goal. Also worth noting is the fact that the Fire haven’t won a road game in 38 tries.

None of that could matter on Tuesday, however, as the Revs look to win their first Open Cup since 2007, while the Fire try to make history by winning the tournament for a fifth time, which would tie the all-time record (1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006).

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Chicago Fire end Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Cinderella run, make history in process

July 22, 2016 by Jon Sicotte

The Fire continue to find a flicker of hope when it comes to US Open Cup runs.

Although not able to find a spot in its league playoffs since 2012 and sits last in the table in its division, the MLS’ Fire defeated the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers 3-0 in the Cup
Quarterfinals to advance to its fourth consecutive Semifinals berth and 12th overall, setting the all-time US Open Cup record.

The four-time Cup champions will meet its MLS Eastern Conference counterparts the New England Revolution in the Semifinals on Aug. 9.

The Strikers were looking to make history as the first NASL team ever to make the Semifinals.

“In the first 15 minutes we tried to close the space, but we conceded two early goals and that put us in a terrible situation,” said coach and GM Caio Zanardi in a report by the team. “But it was a great moment for us to be in the quarterfinal beating D.C. United and Orlando City. Playing Chicago was special for us. This was a great moment for us to play here in Chicago.”

Reigning TheCup.us Player of the Round David Accam again led the way, earning and converting a penalty in the 4th minute for his fourth goal of the tournament and dishing out what would prove to be the game-winner.

Accam helped double the lead when he set up Michael de Leeuw in the 35th minute and Khaly Thiam all but sealed the game for the Fire when his goal in the 51st minute made it 3-0.

Gale Agbossoumonde did not make life easier for the Strikers, the last non-MLS team left in the Open Cup field, when he got himself sent off in the 70th minute. Agbossoumonde had previously played every minute of the Strikers NASL and Open Cup campaigns.

Accam was brought down on inside the 18-yard box by Fort Lauderdale goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and the Ghanaian forward converted his attempt from the penalty spot. A bad start got worse for the Strikers minutes later as Nana Attakora was forced off after a collision.

It was Accam again in the 35th minute. After winning a ball at midfield, Accam made his way through the Striker’s midfield and around Restrepo in the penalty area and his attempt was cleaned up by de Leeuw. It was de Leeuw’s first goal in the tournament and his second in four matches since joining the Fire.

Fort Lauderdale came out more aggressively in the second half but conceded a third goal shortly after the restart. Accam played a short corner to Brandon Vincent as he found Nick LaBrocca. LaBrocca’s headed attempt was stopped by Restrepo, but the rebound fell to the feet of
Thiam who was able make it a 3-0 tilt in the 51st.

With the win, the Fire advance to the Semifinals for the fourth year in a row. They become the first club in the 103-year history of the tournament to reach four straight Open Cup Semis twice (2003-06, 2013-16). Only six other clubs have ever reached the Semis four straight years: Ukrainian Nationals (1959-66), Seattle Sounders (2007-12), Stix, Baer & Fuller (1932-37), Bethlehem Steel (1915-1919, LA Galaxy (2000-03), Philadelphia Nationals (1949-52).

FULL MATCH REPLAY: Chicago Fire vs. Fort Lauderdale Strikers