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Christos FC

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: Richmond Kickers avenge cupset with 1-0 win over Christos FC

March 21, 2024 by Gabriel Higgins

The Richmond Kickers edged Christos FC 1-0 in the FIrst Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Stone Hendricks – Jessicastonehendricks.com

The Richmond Kickers won their First Round match of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 1-0 over Christos FC. Kickers newcomer and 2022 USL League One Comeback Player of the Year, Adrian Bilhardt scored the only goal of the match in first half stoppage time. The hosts earned a much needed win at City Stadium after being winless at home since July 3, 2023.

Richmond was seeking revenge as the last time these two teams met, the amateur side Christos FC earned a 1-0 win. Billhardt put the Kickers’ fans at ease as he delivered the game’s only goal after the Kickers goalkeeper, Pablo Jara played a direct ball over the top of the Christos defense. After a failed attempted clearance by a Christos defender, Billhardt maintained position and shot it low and hard past the goalkeeper.

Richmond Kickers head coach, Darren Sawatzky, spoke highly of Billhardt after the game.

“He scored a great goal, he’s a smart player and he was a little banged up and tired from the Spokane trip but he’s a threat for us and he’s a very good player that takes the pressure off of Nil (Vinyals) and when Emi (Terzaghi) is healthy we are going to have a pretty potent attack,” said Sawatzky.

Adrian on the spot ????#UpTheRoos???? pic.twitter.com/TsDz1VdkZO

— Richmond Kickers ???? (@RichmondKickers) March 20, 2024

Billhardt’s goal, his third career Open Cup game-winning goal (and his third career goal) was a bright spot in what was otherwise a frustrating evening for the Kickers. Christos FC set up a low block that the Kickers had a difficult time breaking through during the entire match. Despite being down, Christos FC held onto hope throughout the match and threatened Richmond late.


In the 88th minute, Christos FC sent everybody forward and with the ball on its way into the box the Christos believed it met the arm of a Kickers player, but the referee did not make the call. The fireworks continued as the Christos FC bench continued to make the appeal for a handball, the referee decided he had heard enough and he issued a red card to the Christos FC assistant coach.

Frustration was very much a theme of the evening for both sides. Richmond showed signs of fatigue that can be attributed to traveling to Washington state to play USL League One newcomers, Spokane Velocity. Head coach, Darren Sawatzky spoke to the challenge of traveling across the country and back.

“I thought we had done most of what we needed to do in terms of our legs,” said Sawatzky. “The guys definitely showed that trip all the way across the country and back, we looked tired and fatigued tonight, Nil stepped on a couple of balls which is not like him. It took us a while to get going, we found a goal, we locked it down and got a win. I’m proud of the guys.”

Despite the fatigue, Richmond pulled out a win against a very challenging and motivated Christos FC.

The Kickers will turn their attention to USL League One competition as they are set to play against Billhardt’s former club South Georgia Tormenta at home on Saturday. 

 

Filed Under: 2024 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2024 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Richmond Kickers

2024 US Open Cup Qualifying Final Round: Christos FC ends Open Cup drought with late winner vs. NoVa FC

November 20, 2023 by Liam Wolf

Photo: Christos FC

It was a cold windy night in Leesburg, Va. as Northern Virginia FC hosted rivals Christos FC in the fourth and final Open Division Local qualifying round for the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was the visitors, Christos FC who would prevail on a late goal by Clement Blanc to win 1-0 and return to the Open Cup for the first time since 2018.

As the game progressed it became more and more obvious that these were two teams that knew each other well, as it became almost like a chess match with both sides having trouble breaking down the other.

“Anytime you’re at this level of the competition you know the team on the other side will be prepared but when it’s NoVa it means a little more,” Christos head coach Larry Sancomb said before the game. “They have an excellent coach, well trained players. They played well against us earlier in the year so we always make sure to respect our opponent.”

It was a game of few chances, the first half saw both teams struggle to get into any kind of rhythm. The best chance of the first half fell to NoVa’s left back KJ Nadeau. The opportunity was created by Eric Cavillo who did well to find Nadeau who was still tasked with a difficult finish as his shot ended up bouncing off of the post to keep the score all even at 0-0.

As the second half started so did the action as both teams started to grow into the game, the first fifteen was all NoVa as they started to string together passes and started to test Christos keeper Daniel McCleary.  McCleary would have two big saves early in the second half as NoVa controlled the majority of the possession but could not find the opening goal.

Christos would find their footing as the second half carried on and would start putting NoVa keeper Tyler Back to work, each time he would be equal as he made multiple diving saves. The biggest though would come in the 75th minute as Christos was awarded a penalty and it looked like they’d finally break the deadlock. Cody Albrecht would step up for Christos and take the penalty,  he’d shoot low and hard to the bottom left corner but the outstretched hands of Back would parry the ball out for a corner and keep the score all level.

It was starting to look as if these two teams would need extra time to decide the winner as neither could capitalize on their chances. Then, in the 85th minute it’d be heartbreak for NoVa and complete jubilation for Christos as what appeared to be an ordinary deflected shot in the air was anything but. Both the NoVa center back and keeper yelled out for the other to claim but the ball would fall in between them to Clement Blanc of Christos who made no mistake and fired the ball into the empty net. Blanc’s somersault celebration was the icing on the cake as it’d be the winning goal.

Christos will return to the US Open Cup proper which begins in March as they will try to recapture the magic from their Open Cup debut in 2017 when they put a scare into D.C. United of Major League Soccer. If they’re able to recreate that run or even go further is now in their hands.

Filed Under: 2024 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2024 US Open Cup, 2024 US Open Cup Qualifying, Christos FC, NoVa FC

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In: Christos FC qualifies for third time in last four years

November 29, 2019 by Craig Tower

Graphic by Harrison Huntley | @hhuntley17

Christos FC will return to the US Open Cup in 2020 thanks to a pair of goals from their talismanic goalscorer and a deflected cross which added up to a 3-2 victory over qualifying debutantes Steel FC.

With the win, Christos returns to the tournament after falling short of qualifying for the 2019 US Open Cup following back-to-back tournament berths in 2017 and 2018. They are most remembered for their magical debut run to the Fourth Round in the 2017  US Open Cup. After three straight shutout wins on the road, Christos scored the opening goal against D.C. United before falling to the MLS side, 4-1.

On a cold clear day at North County High School in Glen Burnie, a quarter mile from the liquor store whose name the team shares, Christos quickly showed their intentions when Pete Caringi III forced a point-blank save from the Steel keeper in the 2nd minute. Two minutes later, Caringi buried another point-blank chance to give the liquormen a 1-0 lead. Caringi, a graduate of Maryland-Baltimore County, played a big role in Christos’ run in the 2017 competition, as he was a finalist for that year’s TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament award.

The first half was clearly controlled by Christos, and Steel were at pains to get any clear shots on goal inside the 18.

In the 24th minute, a Christos corner saw Steel FC keeper Brendan Birmingham’s attempted clearance drop to the feet of Alexander Lee at the 18. Lee controlled the ball and directed to Caringi, who redirected it into the back of the net for a 2-1 Christos lead which they held until halftime.

The second half was more balanced than the first as the metalmen found their way back in the game in the 54th minute. Another goal box scramble led to a Ramsay Hartley goal with an assist by Max Flick as Christos struggled to clear.

Christos didn’t dominate possession as much in the second half, but they continued to have the better chances. A surging David Harris crossed the ball from the left endline in the 63rd minute, resulting in a Steel FC deflection on the near side that pinged into their own goal just inside the post, leaving Birmingham completely flat-footed.

Local fans were almost treated to a 74th minute home goal as a remarkable Caringi bicycle kick from six yards out looped onto the top of the crossbar and out of play.

The Pittsburgh-based side found their way onto the scoresheet again in the 83rd minute as Matthew McDyer scored from a corner kick from 18 yards out with an assist from Hartley. The visitors were energized, and a pair of corner kicks in the waning minutes of the game produced some scary moments for Christos, but the home team managed to escape with a 3-2 win and a ticket to the full tournament next spring.

#USOC2020 ESSENTIALS

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Filed Under: 2020 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2020 US Open Cup Qualifying, Christos FC, steel fc

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Cup veterans Reading United edge 2017 darling Christos FC in PKs

May 11, 2018 by Sean Maslin

Reading United ACSometimes a little bit of patience and a little bit resolve goes a long way. After going down a goal early against Christos FC in their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup First Round match, Reading United AC buckled down and went to work. Thanks to a second half goal and five successful penalty kick strikes, Reading ousted last season’s Cinderella 5-4 in PKs.

Reading United, one of the powers of the Premier Development League (PDL), are making their 10th consecutive appearance in the US Open Cup, which is the Modern Era’s longest qualifying streak of any open division team in the country.

After such an enthralling run last during last year’s Open Cup one might expect Christos FC to have a bit of a hangover. Instead the club took the game right to Reading’s defense using their size in the final third to open up play. It paid off in just the 4th minute when midfielder Tyler Rudy found space deep inside Reading territory. He made the most of his chance, hitting a low effort past goalkeeper Bennet Strutz to give his side the 1-0 advantage.

Despite going down early, Reading resisted the urge to pack it in and instead forced Christos into a defensive posture. The Reading attack focused on opening up space down the right flank with midfielders James Merriam and Khori Bennett creating space against the Christos defense. Merriam would go directly at Christos centerbacks Malcolm Harris and Larry Cornish, then hit Bennett on the outside. The move nearly paid off in the 29th minute when Bennett found some space to the right of goal and hit a low, pacey shot on target. While the effort was close goalkeeper Phil Saunders was more than up for the task making the diving save to preserve the advantage.

Saunders would be tested again in the 37th minute when midfielder Alexander Lipinski hit a dangerous chances at the top of the eighteen yard box. Reading would have another chance just before halftime to even things up on a set piece chance from Aaron Molloy. His low curling effort made it into the box but was cleared away by Malcolm.

In the second half, the Reading coach made an early tactical shift bringing in Sebastian Hauret in the 56th minute. The move paid off for the Pennsylvania-based side as he made a darting run down the right flank just minutes into his appearance. His pass inside found forward Kieran Roberts inside Christos’ eighteen. He made the most of his chance hitting a low shot past Saunders to tie things at 1-1.

The remainder of regulation would find the two sides working from the outside inwards, hoping for a little space and a bit of luck. Reading nearly struck first with Hauret in the 83rd minute turning around Joseph Glos and hitting a shot with some pace. But Saunders was up for the challenge easily catching the ball, making the save and ending the chance.

Jimae Merriam had perhaps the best crack at goal for Christos in the 90th minute with a thunderous crack from right at the eighteen. His shot appeared to be beyond the grasp of Strutz but also just went over the bar, sending the match to overtime.

While extra time provided some interesting moments the deadlock remained and penalties were needed to decide things. In penalties the two sides would trade goals throughout the final round with Chris Panian of Christos FC would have his attempt saved and Kieran Roberts of Reading sealing things up with their fifth and final kick.

With the shootout win, Reading advances beyond the opening round for the seventh year in a row. United moves on to the next round of US Open Cup play where they will take on the USL’s Richmond Kickers next Wednesday at Alvernian University at 7 p.m. EST.

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Reading United AC

2018 Meet the Underdogs: What will Christos FC do for an encore?

May 5, 2018 by Craig Tower

Christos FC poses for a team photo after winning the 2018 Maryland State Cup. Photo: Christos FC

Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC
Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That could be the motto for Christos FC heading into their second straight Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Long a mainstay on the Maryland-DC soccer scene, the Cinderella team of the 2017 tournament has grown deeper roots in the area but hasn’t changed its approach because of, or in spite of, their recent success.

The Baltimore amateur side rode victories over Premier Development League (PDL) and United Soccer League (USL) squads in last year’s Cup to earn a shot at D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS). Christos ended up falling to their MLS foes in a thrilling match after drawing first blood and sending the Maryland Soccerplex crowd into a frenzy.

No Change in Attitude

How has the club changed?

“As a club we grew a little bit, we got more organized. We got deeper,” said head coach and club vice president Larry Sancomb.

Assistant coach and director of player personnel Andrew Dicea agrees: “We still expect to win, we try to play the best soccer we can, and most of the time we come out victorious.” He still says that there’s one difference – the opponents. “The only thing is that the bullseye on our back has gotten much larger. The attitude towards us is different – now we’re ‘the Christos from Baltimore.’”

Sancomb adds, “We’re gonna be a little bit better organized than we were last year … I think last year we were in five cars driving down, but I think this year we’ll have a team van to get there (to the Round 1 game against Reading United AC of the PDL).”

The team normally plays in the local Maryland Major Soccer League in the fall to avoid overload, according to Dicea.

“The cups are a bigger thing now. There are more teams in cups, out on social media more, people understand more what we’re doing. We could have had a team in the Majors, but it wouldn’t have been a Christos team. It wouldn’t be Christos quality.”

D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn
D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

Still, qualification out of the Maryland-DC area is no cakewalk, in Sancomb’s mind. Citing the play of local Majors rival Izee Autobody FC, the club VP said “if they were in some other states they’d be qualifying through. They’re really athletic, there are very good players on that team. We played them five times and four were championship games. We have to play through tough teams from D.C., too, so it’s a grind.”

To qualify this year, Christos shut out D.C. area power Aegean Hawks 3-0 in the opening round of the open division tournament. In Round 2, they needed extra time to get past the aforementioned Izee Auto FC, 1-0. They punched their ticket to the tournament with a 5-1 home win over Phoenix SC (Philadelphia area).

New Challenges Off the Field

The biggest opponent for Christos may be life outside of soccer. Anyone who read about Christos last year knows that this club, that gets its name from a local liquor store, are not over coached.

“We don’t practice, we’ve never practiced, we’ve never had a tryout,” says Dicea. “We rarely have a kick around. Our guy are all working guys, some work nights, some work days, some have families. Still, they’re all talented and they do play a lot soccer. They have leagues or they’re playing indoors 2-3 nights of the week.”

In spite of the obstacles to getting all of the players on the field at once, Christos is taking on other challenges to build soccer in their area.

Sancomb described the initiative this way: “We’re trying to build a rec program that’s super affordable to kids across the state, but mainly in the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County area for now. We made a connection with a little rec program out of the Annapolis area called Arden.

“We’re really gonna build that into a program. We’re not about going out and stealing kids, we’re about developing kids in these programs… Back in the day there were a lot of guys, we had to go to the Baltimore County area to play. We want to make it an elite thing for low-income and working class families to make it affordable.”

Christos FC poses for a team photo after winning the 2018 Maryland State Cup. Photo: Christos FC
Christos FC poses for a team photo after winning the 2018 Maryland State Cup. Photo: Christos FC

“A lot of us, I don’t think we would have been able to play soccer with the way the system’s set up now,” he added. “Christos isn’t looking to make money. If we make zero every year and the coaches are paid well and the kids are getting a lot out of it, I think it’s a success.”

New Faces on the Field

At the senior level, most of the players from the 2017 squad are returning, including forwards Pete Caringi III and Levi Houapeu, midfielder Mamadou Kansaye, and goalkeeper Phil Saunders – all of whom flirted with pro ball in the United States or Europe, though they’re not the only Christos players with that experience.

Caringi made a big impression in last year’s Open Cup when he scored all three goals for Christos in a 3-0 win over Fredericksburg FC (NPSL) and was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the opening round. The following round, Saunders was the Player of the Round when he made seven saves in a 1-0 road upset of the USL’s Richmond Kickers. Saunders also made a strong case for TheCup.us’ Lower Division Player of the Tournament, finishing third in the voting behind the FC Cincinnti duo of Mitch Hildebrandt (winner) and Djiby Fall.

Being in multiple cups at once was a challenge for the team last year, as players juggle work and family obligations in addition to soccer.

@MenInBlazers this actually just happened. @ChristosFC has the lead on D.C. United in the #USOpenCup. Scenes. @davejsports this is nuts pic.twitter.com/RaRN4O5bSc

— Gooners In The USA Podcast (@GoonersinUSA) June 13, 2017

“We brought in some new guys. I think also we weren’t as deep as we needed to be – Petey (Caringi) got hurt in that game against D.C. and it really kind of affected us,” said Sancomb.

“I think we do set pretty high standards for the guys we accept for our club. We don’t accept just anybody,” said Sancomb. “There are some really good players that we could add that just don’t fit our mold.”

Character is a key qualification.

“I’m looking for a good guy that cares about the team more than they care about himself,” said Sancomb. “They can all play somewhere else and get more minutes, but they all sacrifice a little bit of their time for the next guy. We want those kind of characters.”

Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers
Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers in Round 2 and was named TheCup.us Player of the Round. Saunders was a strong candidate for Lower Division Player of the Tournament in 2017. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

Luckily for Christos, they have been able to find players that fit their mold in the run up to the 2018 US Open Cup.

“Losing Collin (Fisher) – he was a different kind of player,” Sancomb notes with some regret. But his replacement, Malcolm Harris, was offered a spot at the Bradenton Academy in Florida, according to Dicea. Sancomb adds, “he’s been at a lot of trials, trying to play overseas. He was on that Final Four team at .”

Chris Ports has also left the team. “He’s older,” Sancomb points out, “and his job at Under Armour has taken flight.”

Other new additions include Josh Patterson a Duquesne Unversity product who was selected in the MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps. “He’s a strong kid and he’s helped us a lot,” said Sancomb.

Tyler Rudy, who scored a stunning free kick goal in Christos’ Nov. 19 Open Cup qualifier against Phoenix SC, one of the oldest active clubs in the country based in the Philadelphia area. “He played for the New England Revolution, Puerto Rico FC, Rochester Rhinos, and he was a four-year starter at Georgetown,” said Dicea.

Facing Reading United AC

“We know Reading will be young college guys with energy, and they’ll be athletic,” says Sancomb about his team’s First Round opponent, Reading United AC.

Dicea is cautious in discussing the game. “We have a game May 6 (the Werner Fricker USASA Open Cup Semifinal against Vereinigung Erzgebirge, another Philadelphia area team), so we’re not even thinking about May 9 yet.”

“It’s hard to prepare the team when you’re not seeing them but once a week, twice a week,” he adds. “Since we lost in the Amateur Cup (Quarterfinal) to West Chester United, we’re in just two cups (Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the Werner Fricker Open Cup) instead of three. The message is just to keep mental stability, do the things you would have done in college to stay fit and be ready for the games.”

In the end, Sancomb is philosophical: “I think were gonna play Christos-style soccer and have a good time playing.”

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, Feature - Qualifying, Meet the Underdogs, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Meet the Underdogs

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Christos FC beats Phoenix SC to qualify, plans to “go farther” than last year

November 21, 2017 by Craig Tower

Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC

Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC
Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC

Christos FC wore down their open division-qualifying visitors Phoenix SC on a sunny but windy day in Arnold, MD, taking the game 5-1 in front of approximately 50 fans. The hosts move on to the full Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row, while Phoenix SC will try again next year to qualify, having last qualified in 2011.

Christos keeper Phil Saunders didn’t have much work during on the field, but in a pre-game interview he laid out his team’s challenges and strategies to a T. “Teams know our name and want to beat us, so we have to be extra good.” Still, he added, “our depth is unbelievable.”

It turns out that Christos were extra good on the day, and it was their depth that made the difference in defeating the storied Pennsylvania club.

Possession was relatively balanced at the start of the game, with both sides trading chances. Christos had the edge in chances created, but Phoenix left wing Dan Murtagh shaped a beautiful shot towards Saunders’s back post in the fifth minute, only to see it glance off the upper right corner of the goal.

Tyler Rudy put Christos on the board first with a beautiful 25-yard freekick that cleared the Phoenix wall before settling into the lower corner of Pratico’s goal in the 32nd minute. Christos kept the pressure on and found the goal again in the 38th minute when a cross by Cody Albrecht from the right found Daniel Baxter about 10 yards in front of goal. Baxter calmly settled the ball before shooting under Practico for the second goal.

Phoenix SC came out with renewed determination in the second half, but they weren’t able to conjure the kind of solid chances they’d seen at the beginning of the first half.

As Saunders predicted, the depth of the Christos side made the difference when Elton Joe subbed on for Caringi in the 69th minute, soon to be joined by Levi Houapeu and Christopher Panian. The pace of Joe and Houapeu caused Phoenix particular problems, but it was Joe’s blistering shot that drew blood in the 74th minute as he turned just inside the 18-yard box and rifled the ball into the upper right corner of the Phoenix goal. “Panian played it one time to me, and I just hit far post as hard as I could. It went there, exactly where I wanted it to,” Joe said after the game. Daniel Baxter pounced on a deflection off his own shot in the 78th minute to extend the Christos lead to four.

At that point, Phoenix SC started to lose control, registering yellow cards in the 78th (Joseph Brocker), 79th (Shane Kronick), and 80th minutes (Jamen Rowen) as they tried to halt the Christos attack.

Elton Joe was having none of it as he found himself behind the defense on a break in the 86th minute and settled the ball in the left corner after Pratico had saved a similar break by Joe in the 84th.

Ben Castor of the Phoenix registered a consolation goal in the 88th minute to ruin the Christos shutout.

After the game, Joe echoed Saunders on the strategy of bringing Joe off the bench: “The message from the coach coming off the bench was to come on the pitch and take over – or at least to close the game out.” Joe was confident about the prospects for Christos in 2018, having marched to the 4th round in the 2017 tourney before dropping a heartbreaking decision to DC United by a deceiving 4-1 scoreline. “We’re trying to come this year very strong. We’re definitely going to go farther than we went last year. That’s the plan.”

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup qualifying, Christos FC, Phoenix SC

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: D.C. United pulls away late to end Christos FC’s Cinderella run (video)

June 13, 2017 by Beau Dure

D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn
D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

The Johns Hopkins Hospital X-ray tech ran his heart out on the right wing. The former USL player and current ODP coach scored a wonder goal. The 30-year-old A/V equipment sales manager, older than most of the players on either side, nailed down central defense.

And fans of Daniel Baxter (X-rays), Mamadou Kansaye (ODP), Josh Taylor (A/V) and the rest of Baltimore amateur club Christos FC flocked to the Maryland SoccerPlex, some arriving early and some not making it through the long lines until late in the first half, when the only spaces for spectators were standing room along the concourses and in the bushes.

In the end, the amateurs put a good scare into D.C. United on Tuesday night, taking an early 1-0 lead and remaining tied through the 80th minute, but were unable to match Dallas Roma FC (2006) and Cal FC (2012) as regional amateur clubs who have knocked off an MLS side in US Open Cup play. Lloyd Sam and Julian Buescher combined for three goals as United rallied to win 4-1.

D.C. United overcame an early 1-0 deficit to defeat amateur side Christos FC 4-1 in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United
D.C. United overcame an early 1-0 deficit to defeat amateur side Christos FC 4-1 in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

“I thought it was pretty good up until the last 10 minutes,” said Christos FC co-coach and master of understatement Brian Bugarin.

The MLS side, starting a mix of regulars and reserves, pressed early on a sweltering night at the Plex, surely hoping their fitness would overwhelm a team that rarely trains. Sebastien Le Toux, the Modern Era’s all-time leading scorer, had two chances in the first three minutes.

But Christos, despite sitting back a bit, quickly equalized the shot count. Kaoru Forbess, a former indoor soccer pro and now a loan officer, had a well-placed header off a corner kick that forced United keeper Travis Worra to leap and punch it over.

“We didn’t get it in the first half,” said United coach Ben Olsen. “A few guys were off the pace for one reason or the other.”

Halfway through the first half, Christos unleased a dazzling series of passes on the right win, with Baxter heavily involved. It ended with a clattering in the arc and some testy face-to-face conversations.

Then Kansaye, a left back/midfielder from Mali who played for N.C. State, Maryland-Baltimore County and the Charlotte Independence (USL), calmly hit a dipping free kick over the seven-man wall and outside Worra’s grasp. The Christos-leaning crowd was thrilled.

@MenInBlazers this actually just happened. @ChristosFC has the lead on D.C. United in the #USOpenCup. Scenes. @davejsports this is nuts pic.twitter.com/RaRN4O5bSc

— GoonersInUSA Podcast (@GoonersinUSA) June 13, 2017

“It was good team play for us to get the ball up there,” Kansaye said. “I just saw an open shot. Thank the Lord, it went in.”

United stepped up the attack. Le Toux shot wide again. Another shot was deflected, forcing former Icelandic pro keeper Phil Saunders to punch it over, to the delight of some vocal fans in the crowd.

The class of Julian Buescher finally shone through for United. The German midfielder shrugged off a terrible giveaway and came back on the next possession with some deft close-quarters dribbling at the top of the box and finished cleanly to the far post for the equalizer in the 35th minute.

Christos had another good flurry late in the half, but then the pace of the game started to take a toll. Leading scorer Pete Caringi III, son of Maryland-Baltimore County coach Pete Caringi Jr., left the game in the first half. Kansaye cramped several times, once limping back on the field after getting permission to re-enter.

United piled on the pressure and brought in quality players off the bench. Ian Harkes entered the fray and had a steadying influence in midfield. Lloyd Sam brought fresh legs to the attack. Buescher remained the danger man, firing off a couple of blocked shots and incisive passes.

Christos FC celebrates their opening goal against D.C. United in their Fourth Round match in the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

Christos managed one strong counterattack in the 69th minute, spraying the ball wide to 30-year-old fitness specialist Brian Graham. The winger played it into pesky attacker and sales representative Elton Joe, who collided with Worra. While Worra stayed down, United defender Jalen Robinson got a yellow card for shoving Joe, and Christos’ Levi Houapeu saw yellow as one of several Christos players to run to their teammate’s defense.

That play started the best spell for Christos in the second half, but after 80 minutes of challenging every United attacker, Christos finally lapsed on defense. Sam took advantage, sliding through the defense and finishing for the 2-1 lead.

Christos used its last sub to bring on Baltimore Celtic youth Geaton Caltabiano for the ailing Kansaye and putting him up front. United countered by bringing Ike Opare into the defense, replacing Bobby Boswell after the veteran went down.

But Sam set up Buescher for a clinching goal late. They pressed hard for a fourth goal in the 90th minute and had several shots blocked by Saunders and determined Christos defenders.

After Christos pressed at the other end, United countered, and Buescher dinked the ball back for Harkes to score a fourth. The announced four minutes of stoppage time weren’t over, but the referee halted proceedings at that point, like a UFC ref declaring a TKO.

For D.C. United, they have been competing in the Open Cup since winning it in the club’s inaugural season in 1996. In 49 games, United has only hit the four-goal mark one other time, and that came in a Second Round match against the Charleston Battery in 2000.

Christos players, though, took a lap of honor, saluting fans in all corners of the crowd of 5,286. That announced attendance was, by far, the biggest crowd to witness a US Open Cup game at that venue.

Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

“Baltimore is such a big soccer town, but you rarely get anyone out on a Sunday afternoon. We hosted a national tournament and had 4-500 people, maybe,” Bugarin said.

Olsen didn’t mind that many of the fans in an alleged United home game were cheering for the underdog.

“Nah, it was great out there,” Olsen said with a relieved smile. “And I think the guys prefer it over playing some out-of-town team. Great supporters bring life.”

The final stats were predictably lopsided. United outshot Christos 30-7 and outpassed Christos 556-194, according to Opta.

But one stat stood out: Officially, Christos blocked nine shots.

“That’s Baltimore,” said Cody Albrecht, a defender and former D.C. United Academy player who has to be back at work at Northrop Grumman at 7:30 a.m. “We go hard for each other. Blocking shots, making tackles, doing the extra plays — that’s what make Baltimore teams Baltimore teams. I think that’s why we stayed in the game so long.”

Olsen was suitably impressed.

“I’m assuming as we grow as a soccer country that this is going to happen more and more. Better quality amateurs who can make this type of run. That’s what great about the Open Cup.”

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, Christos FC, DC United

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Christos FC, last amateur team, win to earn $15K, date with D.C. United

June 1, 2017 by Tom Arnison

Christos FC logo

Christos FC continued its Cinderella run in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a narrow 1-0 road win over the PDL’s Chicago FC United.

By the end of the night, Christos FC was the last amatuer team still standing in the tournament, which earns them a $15,000 cash prize. The win also makes them the 13th amateur team in the Modern Era (1995-present) to reach the Fourth Round, where they will play D.C. United of Major League Soccer on June 14.

“It was a great team effort from all the players and coaches,” said Christos FC founder and general manager Jody Haislip. “Couldn’t have envisioned a better start to the game but sometimes that bites you in the ass. You kind of want to sit back and rest on the lead but the guys didn’t do that and we still generated a few solid opportunities.”

Christos FC opened the scoring in the first minute off a throw-in from the right corner. The long throw found the head of Peter Caringi, who won TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for his hat trick in Round 1 against Fredericksburg FC (NPSL). Caringi flicked the ball to the back post where Levi Houpeau was able to force the ball into the back of the net.

Houpeau, who was a Third Round MLS SuperDraft pick by the Philadelphia Union out of Maryland-Baltimore County, scored his first career US Open Cup goal, and it proved to be the difference.

MORE >> 2017 Meet the Underdogs: After 20 years, amateur power Christos FC makes US Open Cup debut

The first half was a very physical affair with fouls from both sides disrupting the flow of play. In the 32nd minute, Caringi would muscle off a defender before curling a shot around the keeper and into the net, only to be ruled offside by the assistant referee.

Mark Segbers would be the lone attacking threat for Chicago FC United in the first half, working his way into the box from the left side to generate two shots on goal, but he was unable to beat Phil Saunders, last round’s top performer.

Momentum would switch in the second half when United midfielder Chris Mueller would hit a dipping shot from the top of the box that Saunders would nudge just over the bar. From that point on, United would keep the ball in the offensive half for most of the match, forcing Christos to rely on the long ball. Segbers and Mueller would generate several chances through link-up play, but only to be turned away by Saunders time and time again.

After 90 minutes of play, a visibly exhausted Christos side would weather the storm from United and advance 1-0.

After three straight road wins in the club’s first-ever trip to the tournament, they will play a fourth road game in Round 4. Although, fortunately, that road game will be in their home state when they face D.C. United at the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, Maryland.

For Christos, the fact that they started the day one win away from a game against a Major League Soccer team was a little hard to ignore.

“When the Fourth Round draw was announced it definitely was a ‘wow’ moment,” said Haislip, who started the club back in 1997. “It just had to be D.C. . If it were the Union or another club it would still be the biggest game of our lives but to go up against them will be what Baltimore soccer needs and wants. The entire city of Baltimore and surrounding areas will be behind us and we will put an forth an effort that they will be proud of win or lose.”

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, chicago fc united, Christos FC, US Open Cup

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Phil Saunders of Christos FC named TheCup.us Player of the Round

May 24, 2017 by Craig Tower

Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers
Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

To casual soccer fans, the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run of Christos FC may seem like an interesting anomaly for the Baltimore amateur side. But for Phil Saunders, TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Second Round, it says a lot about where he grew up and learned to play.

“I feel we’ve always had a lot of talent coming out of Baltimore, but we have a tough time getting seen, or getting opportunities,” said Saunders. “I think it’s shown the talent that’s coming out of this city.”

Saunders was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance against the USL’s Richmond Kickers, where he made seven saves and notched a shutout to carry his side to a 1-0 victory and a trip to the next round. Other players who received strong consideration were Charlotte Independence’s Enzo Martinez and Jose Angulo of Saint Louis FC.

TheCup.us Player of the Round is voted on by TheCup.us staff, and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. With Christos FC forward Pete Caringi III winning last round, this marks just the fourth time since 2006 that a team has won back-to-back awards prior to the Semifinals. (Cal FC, 2012 / Seattle Sounders, 2007 / Dallas Roma FC, 2006)

Saunders started making waves long before 2017 in his hometown where he was an award-winning field player before racking up an NCAA semifinal appearance and championships in the Under-19 Maguire Cup, the amateur national championship and the Amateur Open Cup.

In high school, his Perry Hall team played in the state finals his junior year with him between the sticks. By his senior year, Saunders had already committed to play for the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) when he graduated.

MORE >> 2017 Meet the Underdogs: After 20 years, amateur power Christos FC makes US Open Cup debut

“The other was Zach Kane who ended up going to Loyola , so we ended up having two Division I keepers at Perry Hall. I played the field growing up, so I said I’d be willing to play center back my senior year … and ended up getting All-State center back.”

The success continued for Saunders after high school. After his freshman year at UMBC, he rejoined his teammates on the Baltimore Bays for the Maguire Cup Under-19 US Youth Soccer National Championships. Saunders talked about that experience casually, saying simply “when we were 19, we got the team together and ended up winning nationals. So that was pretty cool.” He humbly doesn’t mention that he was awarded the Golden Glove award for his performance in the tournament.

His success continued in college, as UMBC topped the America East table in 2012 and 2013, and won three successive tournament titles from 2012 and 2014, moving on to the NCAA tournament each time. During their first two trips, the Retrievers fell in penalty kicks in the Second Round – first to Virginia, then to UConn. In 2014, though, the team thrilled tournament watchers with a run to the Semifinals, during which they took the scalps of a Who’s Who of college soccer powerhouses – Wake Forest, Maryland, Louisville, and Creighton – before falling to Virginia.

“I had a great career at UMBC,” said Saunders. “The coaching staff was great and they do everything for you.”

MORE >> 2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Caltabiano’s late heroics propel Christos FC to upset of Richmond Kickers

That’s when things got interesting for Saunders.

“Post-college, I didn’t get picked up by any MLS team, and I didn’t know a whole lot about going pro. But my dad’s from England, so I had dual citizenship,” said Saunders.

He ended up having a tryout with Crewe Alexandra in League One, but didn’t get an offer.

“I went to a few combines, and then I went to the Atlanta combine for Soccer Viza, and had few offers from a couple different countries,” Saunders explained. “Joe Funicello sort of took me under his wing and I had a trial in Iceland and it went well. I ended up playing there in the second half of the 2014 season.”

His team in Iceland, Bi/Bolungarvik, signed him again for 2015.

Phil Saunders of Christos FC made seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL). Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers
Phil Saunders of Christos FC made seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL). Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

“It was a great experience, the level’s really good,” said Saunders. “We had ex-Premier League players on our team, guys from Scotland, England, France, they’re kind of from all over … It’s a summer season, it’s about 5 or 6 months long. There’s a winter league, but a lot of the international guys go home.”

The Icelandic First Division was pretty different from Baltimore, though.

“The practice field is right up next to the side of a mountain. The views were insane,” Saunders described. “It was definitely an awesome experience living there for two years. There’s only about 2,000 people in the town. I think there’s only about 300,000 people in Iceland overall, and most of them are in Reykjavik.”

Injuries that Saunders picked up in Iceland and while playing for the MISL’s Baltimore Blast convinced him to retire after the 2015 season. That’s when he decided to join Christos FC (the team is named after their main sponsor, a Baltimore County liquor store).

MORE >> Christos FC reaches Third Round of US Open Cup but why are they asking you for money?

“All the guys either played for the Bays or other teams in the area, like DC United Academy, or University of Maryland, UMBC, Towson,” said Saunders, who is also the head coach of the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, Md.

In fact, some, such as Pete Caringi III, Levi Houapeu, and Mamadou Kansaye, flirted with MLS or USL. But the coaches at Christos kept tabs on Saunders, and “they said if I was done playing pro I could just come over.”

He adds matter-of-factly, “last year we won the amateur nationals and Amateur Open Cup nationals. Winning two national championships in a year was cool.” To Saunders, winning is almost secondary to the team experience, saying “it’s like a family. We all call each other ‘brother.’”

Phil Saunders of Christos FC made seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL). Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers
Phil Saunders of Christos FC made seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL). Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

Coach Andrew Dicea doesn’t mince words when he talks about Saunders’ important role on the team.

“Phil’s like the heart and soul,” said Dicea. “He’s saved our behinds on many occasions. He’s the backbone of our defense. He’s the leader, and he was with us from Day 1.”

Phil showed that in the game against Richmond, but he almost focusses more on the experience the team had on the road.

“First of all, it was a great experience. We met up at a Park and Ride and took a van down,” Saunders explained. “There’s no pressure on us, there’s no reason for us to be beating a pro team, so we just had a good time driving down. We had the same 20-minute warmup we always do. It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve had in my soccer career, just going down there with a bunch of buddies and beating a pro team. It was a really, really cool experience.”

MORE >> 2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Peter Caringi’s hat trick delivers Christos FC its first US Open Cup victory

Coach Dicea saw the game a little differently.

“We were up 1-0 and they started throwing the kitchen sink at us. made a save on an upper 90 shot that he pushed out for a corner kick – there aren’t many people who are amateur who could do what he does. ”

Saunders did mention one unusual aspect of the Kickers game, that made Christos’ defensive effort even more impressive.

“The other crazy thing is that we didn’t even have two true center backs. One of them had a bad head injury a couple weeks ago. And the other guy had work. So we had a couple holding midfielders playing center back, but they did great in front of me.”

Coach Dicea has started thinking about their opponents in the Third Round, Chicago FC United (PDL).

“They beat the Riverhounds, that’s a feat in itself,” Dicea said. “It’s gonna be a tough match, but if we go out there and play our game we can beat anybody. If we go out there and play their game, from what I’ve seen on YouTube, they could put a waxing on us.”

“We’re flying out on a Tuesday,” Saunders said of the upcoming match Third Round match against Chicago FC United. “It should be another awesome experience going out there with the guys… We know if we go out there and play like we can play, we give ourselves a chance to win the game. I don’t think anything really changes. It’s not like we’re starting to practice or anything. It’s just the same old Christos.”

MORE >> 2017 US Open Cup Round 1: Pete Caringi of Christos FC spaces out hat trick to earn TheCup.us Player of the Round

Still, this Baltimore team is quietly seeking to make a point. Jody Haislip, the founder and general manager of Christos, mentions the fact that Baltimore lacks a pro team, though he is holding out hope for a USL team in the near future.

“Each of these guys if they were in the right situation … would be able to play in USL or NASL,” said Haislip. “We need that rumor to become true and get a USL team here in Baltimore. That would help these local guys out.”

Saunders is understated when asked about the team’s prospects, but is embracing the club’s underdog mentality.

“It’s a great tournament,” he said. “We’re just staying humble, keeping that chip on our shoulder, and seeing where the ride takes us.”

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Player of the Round

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Caltabiano’s late heroics propel Christos FC to upset of Richmond Kickers

May 20, 2017 by Greg Wolfe

Christos FC (yellow) played a strong defensive game in a 1-0 upset road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL) in the Second Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography
Christos FC (yellow) played a strong defensive game in a 1-0 upset road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL) in the Second Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

Amateur side Christos FC and the USL’s Richmond Kickers played a stress-heavy game on both sides Wednesday night, as both teams had many opportunities to find the net in a scoreless stalemate for much of the game.

But it was Greaton Caltabiano who provided the late drama, scoring the winner in the 79th minute to lift Christos to a 1-0 win in the Second Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday at City Stadium in Richmond.

The hero of the match was Christos’ goalkeeper Phil Saunders, who defended his goal to the point where it was practically impenetrable. He was in control all night, with seven saves to record his second straight shutout of the tournament.

“We’re from Baltimore, we’ve got that chip on our shoulder going into these games,” Saunders said. “This group of guys coming together is so great; I’ve been playing with them for 10-12 years. We’re a group, it’s a team effort.”

In the first half, Christos came out of the gate with some great speed and had some early shots on goal to catch Richmond slightly off guard. The Kickers turned it around quickly however, as Mikey Minutillo started to heat up and make some great attempts at the goal. Saunders was there every time, though, keeping his team in the game.

The entire half was a continuous trade of ball possession, as neither team necessarily dominated the other. Christos’ Pete Caringi, who had a hat trick last week, never even got a shot on goal in the first half as Richmond held him completely silent.

The stalemate continued through most of the second half as well, as the feeling of overtime started to wash over the stadium. Richmond looked to be the team to break the tie with multiple shots on goal in less than 30 seconds at the 70th minute, really testing the Christos’ defense that ultimately stood tall. In the 79th minute, it was Caltabiano who played hero with the game deciding goal assisted by Brian Graham.

Both Caltabiano and Graham were recent subs into the game, as Christos’ coach Andrew Dicea tried to inject some new life into his offense with some fresh legs. The plan worked resoundingly, to say the least.

After the game, Caltabiano was proud of his team’s effort to put them in a winning position at the end.

“Our team battled defensively all night, they worked their butts off,” he said. “My job coming in there at the end was to try and create some offense. We rallied to get that goal.”

Richmond had more than its fair share of opportunities throughout the game. Missed opportunities were what plagued the USL team, as they were never quite able to convert any clean shots when they needed it the most.

They put up a heart-filled effort in the final minutes of play, charging down the field after Christos’ goal in a desperate attempt to save the night. After Caringi had to go to the sideline to get checked for a head injury, the Kickers tried to capitalize on Christos playing down a man. But it was Saunders there again playing like a wall, which sealed Richmond’s fate.

Richmond, the 1995 US Open Cup champions, has a rich history in the tournament. They entered the game tied with the Charleston Battery for the fifth-most wins in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present). Exiting the tournament early is rare for the Kickers as this marked just the third time that they have been eliminated in the club’s opening round (2006 vs. Carolina Dynamo of PDL, 2009 vs. Carolina RailHawks of USL-1).

This win is huge for Christos, an amateur side making its Open Cup debut has beaten two powerful home teams to start the season, both in upset fashion. They will try to continue to work off that magic as they will play Chicago FC United of the PDL later this month.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Richmond Kickers

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U.S. Open Cup History

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1995 US Open Cup Rewind series: The Modern Era begins

The 30th anniversary of the 1995 Open Cup is upon us this year, and as we did with the inaugural tournament in 1913-1914, we’re going to take you back in time and relive the 1995 US Open Cup in chronological order, as it happened.

  • Dating back to 1913, Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh soccer rivalry returns to US Open Cup
  • How a US Open Cup classic, locker room vandalism inspired fans to create Coffee Pot Cup
  • Highs and lows of Los Angeles’ 25 all-time US Open Cup Final appearances
  • Before Lionel Messi’s 2023 US Open Cup impact, Pele changed the 1975 Final in a different way
  • A history of violence against referees in US Open Cup

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