Columbus Crew

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: PK shootout decided by goalkeepers as Chicago Fire oust Crew SC again

June 7, 2018 by Ben Ferree

Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew players battle for the ball in their Fourth Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew SC.

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Fire had to go to a shootout to determine a winner against an Ohio team. This year things were different. After falling to FC Cincinnati in their magical cup run, the Fire were able to come out on top against league rivals Columbus Crew SC, a 10-9 penalty kicks win after a 2-2 draw in the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup.

Chicago started many of their offensive starters, while Crew SC opted for a lineup full of reserve players. Still, it was Columbus who struck first in an sloppy — but even — first half. After a bad turnover, Niko Hansen was able to feed Cristian Martinez for an open look that the Panamanian buried. Columbus came close to taking a lead into the half, but Nemanja Nikolic found the back of the net at the buzzer after a perfect cross from Rafeal Ramos.

The deadlock would hold until extra time, when Nikolic again found the net in the 109th minute. Crew SC keeper Logan Ketterer parried a shot away, but the ball dropped right at Nikolic’s feet for an easy goal. Somehow, Columbus was able to strike again just five minutes later with Adam Jahn powering a shot past Richard Sanchez. That brought the game to a shootout.

Nikolic took the first kick and missed, giving Crew SC the advantage. But Hector Jimenez missed the second attempt for Columbus, and Chicago wouldn’t miss again. It came all the way down to the keepers, and Sanchez scored on Ketterer and was able to then stop his Crew SC counterpart to advance Chicago into the round of 16.

@RICHSANZ45 #USOC2018 #cf97 pic.twitter.com/CoXwUbdvSN

— Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) June 7, 2018

“If you told me my first game was going to be 120 minutes and 11 rounds of PKs I’d tell you that you were crazy,” Ketterer said. “It was a great experience, tons of credit to the guys, for battling for that long, getting that goal. Going until the end, just like that Toronto game last weekend. It shows a lot of the character that is in this locker room.”

“I don’t recall taking a PK in these circumstances, but you do train for them,” Sanchez said. “You train for them during practice and I myself train them, so it feels good. It gives me confidence. I think it gives the players confidence as well for the ones that made it and we just continue to build from this.”

Head Coach Veljko Paunovic was pleased with his squad.

“I think it was important to advance to the next round,” he said. “I think it was a huge effort from the team. Both teams I think did a huge effort today. I think we both tried until the end. It literally decided the small detail, with the PK spot. The last player had to take it, the goalkeepers in this case. I think it is good for us to get this win in the Open Cup and it’s very important for our club.

This very important competition gives us more confidence to move on. Not only in the next round, but in the next couple of games, the next stretch of games we have at home and on road.”

With the win, the Fire remain unbeaten (5-0-1, 1-0 PKs) all-time against the Crew in US Open Cup play. The four-time champions also maintain their unbeaten record (8-0-2, 2-0 PKs) in Fourth Round games.

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Cincinnati makes case for MLS with record crowd, win over Crew SC

June 15, 2017 by Ralph Schudel

FC Cincinnati earned its first win over an MLS opponent with a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Brett Hansbauer | FC Cincinnati

The long-awaited clash between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew SC finally occurred. FC Cincinnati fans saw this as an audition against the founding club in Major League Soccer. A second-half goal by Cincinnati’s Djiby Fall stood tall against the Major League Soccer Crew as the hometown USL club stood tall in a 1-0 victory in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday.

One of the stories of the match was found in the stands at Nippert Stadium. An announced crowd of 30,160 shattered the Modern Era (1995-present) attendance record for a non-final. The previous record was 20,376 set in Third Round of the 1999 tournament when the Colorado Rapids of MLS hosted the Seattle Sounders of the USL’s A-League. The match’s attendance was boosted by the fact that it was a doubleheader with the US Men’s National Team as they played against English club Derby County in a friendly. the field. The announced attendance of 30,160 seemed to play a role for the hometown team.

Both clubs began the evening like heavyweight boxers as they tried to get a feel for one another and learn each others tendencies. Initially, Cincinnati were quite content with committing numbers to defense while Columbus threw numbers forward and committed to the attack looking for an early advantage.

Crew SC midfielders Federico Higuain and Justin Meram were catalysts for the Columbus offense as they looked to get the attack going. While Fall was relentless for Cincinnati. Fall was responsible for the two most threatening scoring attempts in the first half. He harassed Crew SC homegrown defender Alex Crognale through a series of bumps and scuffles and bumps to try to rattle the rookie.

One of the brightest stars for Cincinnati was goalie Mitch Hildebrandt. He had two clutch saves in the first half stopping dangerous shots by Meram and Hector Jimenez. Things got interesting towards the end of the half as Crew SC defender Waylon Francis committed a foul just outside of his 18-yard-box and led to a dangerous Cincinnati set-piece. The opportunity was foiled and referee Yours Marrakchi blew the whistle to signal halftime.

The second half showed that both teams would come out a bit more aggressive. The game was a tactical stalemate until the defender Justin Hoyte was subbed into the game for Cincinnati. Hoyte was the primary assist on the 64th minute goal that was scored by Fall. Hoyte lofted the ball on a cross that took a deflection off of Crew defender Alex Crognale and Fall was engaged in an aerial battle with Jimenez in which he leapt above the shorter defender to head the ball into the back of the net for the lead

The goal from Fall made Nippert become unglued. Chants from The Bailey of “F-C-C” began to ring out across the stadium as fans began to sense that this could victory could become a reality for the USL side.

“It was an event for our team, our club and our city,” said Cincinnati manager Alan Koch as he touted the fan’s performance.

Koch wasn’t the only one to take notice of the fantastic atmosphere. Crew SC manager Gregg Berhalter added, “This is what makes soccer special, it’s great to give Americans a real cup atmosphere. That’s exactly what this is. You have our fans who were amazing, their fans were amazing and it made an atmosphere that was electric. For the spectators that’s what you want to see.”

Both groups of supporters affectionately dubbed the match the “Hell is Real” derby. It’s in reference to an infamous sign one encounters on the drive between Cincinnati and Columbus.

Berhalter was asked if Cincinnati was deserving of an expansion bid into Major League Soccer. He simply responded: “That’s above my pay grade.”

Koch was asked if he considered this a rivalry with Columbus.

“People can say it’s the first game so there’s not a rivalry,” he said. “Of course there’s a rivalry.”

Random #USOC2017 fact: FC Cincinnati is the first club in the Modern Era to win three consecutive 1-0 games.

2016 US Open Cup Round 5: David Accam’s first half brace propels Chicago Fire past Columbus Crew

June 28, 2016 by Patrick Murphy

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

It’s a story that seems to be told nearly every year in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

When the Chicago Fire meets the Columbus Crew, put your money on The Men in Red. The Fire entered unbeaten in four matches against the Crew in Open Cup play (five if you count a 2008 qualifying match) and Tuesday night’s match at Toyota Park was no different.

Behind two first half goals from forward David Accam, Chicago dispatched of Columbus 2-1.

It didn’t take long for Accam to get on the board. The attacker, who had two goals and one assist in his previous three matches, was the benefactor of a quick counter by the Fire seven minutes in. Accam collected the ball outside the 18-yard box and cut back to his right foot before rifling a shot by Columbus goalkeeper Brad Stuver for the early 1-0 advantage. Accam nearly doubled his tally just three minutes later. Once again it was a counterattack by the Fire who found the speedy forward, but Accam’s strike this time went wide.

Crew SC had the team’s lone shot on goal in the first half after 15 minutes of play.

Midfielder Hector Jimenez used the space given to him to fire a shot that took a couple of deflections, ultimately hitting Columbus forward Ola Kamara last. The redirect ultimately rolled slowly to Chicago goalkeeper Matt Lampson.

Despite dominating in possession, the Crew struggled to create any real chances. The Fire punished Columbus just before the half hour mark, once again through Accam.

Columbus defender Waylon Francis gave right back Rodrigo Ramos far too much space out wide in the 29th minute. The Fire defender picked up his head and served a ball to the back post that found an open Accam for the redirect and a 2-0 lead.

Following halftime, Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter attempted to change the match by bringing in midfielder Wil Trapp for Tony Tchani and winger Ethan Finlay for Kamara.

As Columbus continued to control the ball, Chicago looked to counter again and nearly found the net twice early in the second half. The first saw defender Chad Barson block a Kenny Igbonananike shot that may have crept into the far post. The second was on an Igbonananike cross that appeared destined to find Accam if not for the effort of defender Tyson Wahl inside the 18-yard box.

In the 56th, Columbus thought it scored through 19-year-old Cristian Martinez. After a Justin Meram shot deflected off a Fire defender, Martinez beat Lampson but was judged to be offside.
The Crew were handed a lifeline by referee Nima Saghafi in the 78th minute. Chicago defender Johan Kappelhof was judged to have his hand in an unnatural position when the ball struck it on a Finlay shot from the top of the penalty box.

Finlay, who scored from the penalty spot in the last round of the Open Cup, stepped up and converted to cut the deficit in half.

Despite pressure by Columbus, including bringing Stuver forward on a corner kick, the Fire held on for the remaining 11 minutes for the win. With the victory, Chicago will now face the winner of Orlando City SC and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who play Wednesday night.

With the win, the Fire improve to 38-13-4 (3-1 PKs) all-time in Open Cup play, the most wins of any club in the Modern Era (1995-present). They move on to the Quarterfinals for the 13th time, which is the third most in the 103-year history of the tournament (Kutis SC – 17, FC Dallas – 14).

FULL MATCH REPLAY

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: Kaka scores in debut as Orlando City hands Columbus Crew first-ever shutout loss (video)

July 1, 2015 by Brian Venard

Kaka became just the third World Cup champion in the Modern Era to score a US Open Cup goal. Photo: Orlando City SC

It was clear right from the get go that Orlando City SC wasn’t going to repeat the near-disasterous performance they had in the US Open Cup Fourth Round, and in the end, the MLS expansion side prevailed winning 2-0 over the Columbus Crew. Last round against the Charleston Battery, Orlando blew a two-goal lead in extra time, but prevailed in penalty kicks. This time, they held on to their two-goal lead.

Kaka, the club’s major signing since moving up from the United Soccer League, scored his first Open Cup goal, while Carlos Rivas added another to give Orlando the lead they needed to pick up their first regulation victory of their new era. Kaka becomes just the third World Cup champion in the Modern Era (1995-present) to score a goal in the US Open Cup. He joins fellow Brazilians Zinho (Miami FC, 2007) and Branco (Metrostars, 1997).

Less than a minute after having a goal disallowed for offside, Kaka opening the scoring in the 21st minute. Darwin Ceres stepped up and stole the ball from the Crew backline and started a break into the Columbus penalty area. Ceres played a pass over to the former World Player of the Year, who beat the keeper from the top of the box.

Just 14 minutes later, Carlos Rivas, who became the first Modern Era player to score three penalty kick goals against Charleston in Round 4, scored his first goal of the tournament in the run of play. Pedro Ribeiro brought the ball to the edge of the penalty area, but had the ball knocked away by a swarming Crew defense but the loose ball fell into the path of Rivas who hit a one-time rocket shot into the upper part of the goal.

Orlando head coach Adrian Heath was impressed with Rivas and his goal, but he wasn’t surprised for one of the team’s up-and-coming young players.

“I’ve never been involved with a kid who can kick the ball as hard as he can,” said Heath. “He’s going to be a big player for us moving forward. It’s early days for him, but he’s starting to make an impression.”

The Crew were uninspiring throughout the game, with only a few chances that were very spread out. Orlando goalkeeper Tally Hall only had to make two saves for the home team to pick up his fourth career Open Cup shutout and send the Lions into the Quarterfinals for the second time in the last three years. While the general performance of the visitors was underwhelming, they received a spark midway through the second half but were unable to capitalize on it as Columbus was shut out for the first time in club history, which covers a span of 36 Open Cup games.

Orlando City’s dominant performance further shows not only that they take the Open Cup seriously, but also that the first team can bounce back from a stretch of disappointing performances in both the cup and league play. Heath reiterated after the match how the Open Cup is one of the club’s top priorties and the lineup he put out on the field reflected that. Orlando City, being a former USL team themselves, understands the benefits of a deep Cup run, and if anything, being in MLS makes it easier to do that with a deeper bench.

The standout player from tonight was Rivas, who played an all-around game and even scoring the safety goal for Orlando City. He was rightfully awarded ‘man of the match’ at the stadium even after being subbed off in the 67th minute.

An announced crowd of 13,684 at the Citrus Bowl was small by Orlando City standards, but understandable considering the United States was competing in the Women’s World Cup Semifinal against Germany and the final four of the Copa American tournament was also on the schedule for Tuesday evening. Even with a smaller crowd, Orlando fans still managed to create a strong home field advantage.

Orlando advances to the Quarterfinals where they will play on the road against the Chicago Fire. City’s first trip to the round of eight in 2013 as a USL club ended at the hands of the Fire as Chicago eliminated them 5-1 at Toyota Park. The date of the Quarterfinal match won’t be announced until later this week.

POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE: ADRIAN HEATH

FULL MATCH REPLAY: COLUMBUS CREW AT ORLANDO CITY SC

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: Adam Bedell’s brace boosts Columbus Crew to 3-1 win over Richmond Kickers (video)

June 17, 2015 by Scott Wyant

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that Orlando City SC will host the Columbus Crew in the next round.

Facing the Kickers for the third time in the Open Cup, Crew SC won their first road match of the season to advance to the tournament’s round of 16. Columbus will learn its opponent and round of 16 location Thursday and will play June 30 or July 1.

Crew SC will have Michael Parkhurst available after serving a suspension for a red card earned in last year’s tourney.

As is the case with many cup contests featuring MLS teams, the stronger foes tend to play new sides.

It was no different for Crew SC, as coach Gregg Berhalter used a 3-5-2 formation, rather than his normal 4-2-3-1, with numerous fresh faces.

One of those fresh faces was Bedell, who hadn’t earned a start all year. Still, the 6-foot-7 striker made the most of his season debut, putting two balls in the back of the net.

“It was big for me, I haven’t seen anytime with the first team this year, so to get two goals in my first start is special,” Bedell said.

Early on, the pace played in favor of the MLS side as Crew SC controlled much of the possession.

“The guys worked extremely hard and did exactly what we asked them to do,” Berhalter said. “They stayed concentrated, they stayed focused and moved the ball quickly, and it wasn’t easy against a well-organized opponent.”

The dominance in possession led to a perfect chance down the right flank in the 13th minute. Midfielder Ben Speas sped down the wing, beating his man to the outside and creating space for a cross. Bedell broke towards the cross, beating Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Taylor to the ball and heading the ball into the net from the near post to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

“Once the ball gets wide my first thing is to make a good run whether it’s near post or far post,” Bedell said. “I was the first guy, so I shot in front of their center backs and the ball was perfect from Ben Speas, doesn’t get any better.”

Once the Crew took the lead, Richmond’s pace picked up and they began to press forward. Leading the way was the smallest man on the field, 5-foot-9 Fred Owusu Sekyere — his pace giving the Kickers their first chance as he blasted a shot high and wide in the 23rd minute.

A foul a minute later gave Owusu an even better scoring chance. In the 24th minute, the midfielder lined up the free kick 25 yards out and to the left of the goal. With one strike, Owusu wrapped the ball around the wall, beating Brad Stuver and equalizing the contest, 1-1.

Crew SC broke down the Kickers defense in the 42nd minute when midfielder Hector Jimenez broke away from his defender on the right wing and took advantage of the good look, striking a cross far post.

Taylor seemingly gobbled up the attempt, but a bobble allowed the ball to get loose in the box and forward Ethan Finley capitalized, putting the ball in the net, allowing Columbus to regain the lead, 2-1.

“There were times in the first half where we were really patient and we were able to get some good looks,” Jimenez said.

Crew SC led in both shots (9-3) and corner kicks (3-0) at the break as the MLS side kept the pressure high the entire half and doubled up the Kickers shot total for the game (14-7) and corners (6-3).

Starting the second half, neither team pressed the ball, but Columbus maintained the possession they had in the first.

“It was the quick ball movement when we switched field and opened up spaces,” Berhalter said. “Once we had the ball in the spaces in the side we were taking advantage of that.”

The possession paid off in the 63rd minute as Bedell had just enough space in the box to lob a shot over Taylor, hitting the far upper 90 and bouncing into the net.

“We possessed the ball really well the whole game and really pinned them back, and that was the result of our build up,” said Bedell. “Tony (Tichani) played a really good ball and I got turned and no one stepped to me, so it was just instinct to go far post and I did.”

The striker’s second goal of the contest extended the visitor’s lead out to 3-1.

“We were coming here to get a W and everyone came here with that mentality and at the end of the day, it wasn’t easy,” Jimenez said. “It’s a team that took us a little bit to break down and it was huge to get that first goal, because once we got that first one we really opened up.”

FULL MATCH REPLAY: COLUMBUS CREW AT RICHMOND KICKERS

2014 US Open Cup Round 5: Chicago Fire need extra time to keep perfect record vs. rival Columbus Crew (video)

June 26, 2014 by Jeff Engelhardt

With two goals in extra time the Chicago Fire improve to 4-0-0 all-time against the Columbus Crew in US Open Cup play. Photo: Chicago Fire

For the second time in as many years the Chicago Fire ended the Columbus Crew’s US Open Cup campaign, this time led by a brace from Juan Luis Anangono during a 4-2 victory in extra time.

Substitutes played a key role for both sides, accounting for three of the six goals scored over the 120 minutes of play.

“The fighting spirit of the guys to come back and go on and win the match is great,” Fire coach Frank Yallop said. “I was pleased with the subs that came on. They did a nice job. I think the whole team responded when we did that.”

In an uneventful first half, the Fire found themselves enjoying one-way traffic though they were only able to challenge Columbus goalkeeper Steve Clark on rare occasion. Clark was first called into action at the 14-minute mark when Grant Ward sent a cross in from the right side of the box to Quincy Amarikwa who put a solid header on the pass. Clark extinguished the shot.

It was 20 minutes later when the Fire got on the scoreboard. Standing only a few yards in front of the center line, Harry Shipp took a deep free kick and sent in a precision pass to an unmarked Patrick Ianni who streaked down the middle of the box and beat Clark with a sliding shot on goal.

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The Crew enjoyed slightly more possession in the last five minutes of the first half with their best chance coming on a free kick from about 20 yards out. After Matt Watson was called for a penalty right at the top of the center of the box, Justin Meram lined up to take a free kick but was unable to put the shot on frame as Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson watched the attempt sail over his head.

Chicago outshout Columbus 10-2 in the first half, putting five on frame compared to the Crew’s zero.

The second half was a different story for the Crew who found a spark offensively when Jairo Arrieta came in for Meram to start the half.

Right from his introduction, Arrieta helped create the Crew’s best chance to that point when he was wide open to the left of Johnson. Arrieta missed the wide open goal on his first opportunity but soon redeemed himself about 10 minutes later, converting a much more difficult chance.

On a long free kick, Ben Speas sent a ball to the left side of the box that was chased down and chipped to the middle by Ben Sweat. Arrieta, lurking in the middle of the box, attempted a bicycle kick and made no mistake, finding the back of the net to even the score.

The Crew continued its pressure throughout the half and find the back of the net at the 69th minute when a deflected cross fell to Bernador Anor at the top of the box. Anor fired a shot past Johnson to give Columbus a 2-1 lead.

Both teams opted for substitutions in the 71st minute with Columbus bringing on Michael Parkhurst and Will Trapp for Hector Jimenez and Tony Tchani, respectively, while the Fire brought Alex on for Logan Pause to push for a late goal. It was the 77th minute substitution of Anangono for Mike Magee that proved to be the difference.

With only seven minutes of regular time remaining, Matt Watson made a run down the right sideline, cut inside the box and found an unmarked Anangono who fired a shot past Clark to even the score at 2-2.

The late momentum for the Fire continued in part because of a reckless challenge by Parkhurst on Amarikwa in the 97th minute that drew a red card without any protest.

It was just the beginning for the Ecuadorian striker who played a pivotal role both of Chicago’s goals in extra time. Only two minutes into the extra period, Greg Cochrane crossed a ball into the box and found Anangono who hit a header to Shipp, then hit the ball to Amarikwa who finished the sequence with a header of his own to give the Fire a 3-2 lead.

Anangono got into the action again only three minutes into the second set of extra time. Alex, making a run up the left side, found a streaking Anangono unmarked in the center which led to the team’s final goal.

“He is a terrific professional,” Yallop said of Anangono. “He tries very hard for the team. I am very, very happy for him.”

Chicago will visit the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks on July 9 in a Quarterfinal matchup. Atlanta will be undermanned after three players were shown red cards in the game against Colorado on Tuesday.

Jeff Engelhardt is a contributor to the Chicago soccer site Hot Time In Old Town. You can follow him on Twitter @JWEngelhardt.

HIGHLIGHTS: COLUMBUS CREW AT CHICAGO FIRE

FULL MATCH REPLAY: COLUMBUS CREW AT CHICAGO FIRE

POST-GAME: QUINCY AMARIKWA

POST-GAME: FRANK YALLOP

POST-GAME: JUAN LUIS ANANGONO

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: 9-man Columbus Crew get OT penalty kick to get past Indy Eleven 2-1 (video)

June 18, 2014 by Brandon Gee

After finding themselves down to nine players, the Columbus Crew found a way to hold off the upset bid from their NASL foe, the Indy Eleven, with a converted penalty late in extra time.

After an early goal by the Crew’s Bernardo Anor in the 4th minute, the hosts were in good shape until the 34th minute when Adam Bedell was sent off for a bad tackle. Indy wouldn’t level the match until the 62nd minute, as the match ended up going to overtime. In the extra frame, Columbus’ Daniel Paladini was shown the team’s second red card. However, the MLS side caught a break as their NASL opponents were called for a foul in the box and Jairo Arrieta put the Crew in front to stay to give them their first win over a second-tiered club since 2010.

Before a crowd of 1,913 at the University of Akron’s First Energy Stadium, the match started out with the Crew exploiting gaps in the Eleven defense and the Crew struck early. In the 4th minute, Ben Speas put a corner kick over the box and Anor was there to head the ball past Indy keeper Kristian Nicht.

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Following the gaffe, the Eleven’s backline tightened up, particularly Fejiro Okiomah, who made a number of defensive clearances over the next ten minutes. The Crew’s continued pressure broke through again as Adam Bedell headed down a cross from Hector Jimenez in the 15th minute after a scramble in front of the Indy goal but had it called back due to offsides. Though the Crew dominated possession through the first half, Indy had a number of solid scoring chances, including a header by Chris Estridge in the 20th minute that saw Crew keeper Steve Clark dive and knock the ball away as it was headed to the lower left corner.

The dynamic of the first half changed in the 32nd minute, when Bedell went in on a dangerous challenge to Indy’s Estridge. Initially, the referee issued Bedell a caution but after conversing with the fourth official, decided to rescind the yellow card and give a red instead. The referee clarified that the yellow was rescinded due to Bedell’s challenge being particularly high, putting the targeted player at serious risk. The Crew were now down to 10 men with nearly two-thirds of the game still to play.

Momentum swung Indy’s way in the second. Don Smart came on for Mendes to start the half and provided an instant spark to the Eleven attack. Minutes into the half, Smart sent a shot through the Crew goal box that nearly sent Clark tumbling in order to get into position and later set up Blake Smith for the equalizer in the 62nd minute, a pass to the top of box that Smith took, evading a defender before slotting it past the keeper. Minutes later, Nicht made a huge save for the Eleven as Ethan Finlay streaked around his defender and put a shot to the lower right side that Nicht kicked away.

Being up a man, Indy dominated possession through most of the second half and forced the Crew backline to defend a number of chances. Indy’s Ben Spencer nearly had the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute before being called back due to offsides as the match stayed tied after regulation time.

In the first extra time, possession balanced out with the teams trading chances but neither scored. Into the second period, Paladini’s flagrant elbow in the 110th minute earned the Crew midfielder a straight red, putting Columbus down two players late in the match. Perhaps fatigue caught up with the Eleven, but the Crew didn’t appear to be rattled by the latest infraction, defending aggressively and tying up possession.

In the 113th minute, Columbus worked the ball to the Indy end, where it ended up at the feet of Finlay, who attempted a run from the left side of the box. His defender Brad Ring made the unfortunate mistake of taking Finlay down in the area, with a penalty awarded to the Crew as extra time dwindled away. Arrieta scored on the PK and put Columbus up for good.

Columbus now awaits the winner of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds/Chicago Fire match to see where they’ll be playing in next week’s Fifth Round matchups.

REPLAY: INDY ELEVEN AT COLUMBUS CREW

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

The Michigan Bucks upset the Chicago Fire of MLS in 2012 Third Round. Photo: Kelly Haapala

MORE: Things you should know about the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2006 – Dallas Roma FC (USASA) 0:0 Chivas USA (MLS)
(Dallas advances 4-2 in PKs)

For all of you who ever wanted the #16 seed to win in the NCAA basketball tournament, we hope you are soccer fans.

Dallas Roma FC, from the North Texas Premier Soccer Association, made history defeating Chivas USA of Major League Soccer on penalties, after playing to a 0-0 draw after extra time. Not only did they defeat their second straight professional opponent in the US Open Cup, they became the first USASA club to eliminate a team from Major League Soccer in the US Open Cup. Chivas was dealt a major blow when their leading scorer, Ante Razov, was sent off in the 57th minute for a reckless foul on Roma defender Todd Paulette. Soon after, Chivas head coach Bob Bradley sent in more of his regular starters, Jason Hernandez, Tim Regan and Juan Francisco Palencia.

The Roma defense, named TheCup.us Players of the Round for their win vs. Miami FC, held firm yet again against the Chivas attack, holding the scoreless draw through 120 minutes, at times keeping all 11 players in their own end in extra time.

Roma had a few chances in the second half as well, most notably Dominic Schell hitting the crossbar after Mark Rowland’s shot was knocked away by Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Chivas took the first spot kick in the penalty session, and Juan Francisco Palencia saw his attempt saved by Jessie Llamas. Roma’s Matt Clark and Mark Rowland converted the next kicks, as Sacha Kljestan for Chivas. Fortunes turned Roma’s way when Llamas came through again and saved Jesse Marsch’s kick, and Brad Flanagan scored for Roma to make it 3-1. After Claudio Suarez made it 3-2, Dominic Schell stepped up and put Roma in the history books. Previously, the closest a USASA side has come to defeating an MLS club was in 2000, when Florida’s Uruguay SC fell to the Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 in extra time.

1997 – Chicago Stingers (D3 Pro) 2:1 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
1997 – San Francisco Bay Seals (D3 Pro) 2:1 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)

The Modern Era of the Open Cup was still young, and Rochester caused a stir in ’96 with their amazing run to the final.

The San Francisco Bay Seals and Chicago Stingers were determined to top that, and top it they did.

Each team made their way to the third round, no small feat in itself. Both clubs defeated A-League sides in the second round, and now stepped up to face the daunting challenge of Major League Soccer. The Seals were first, taking on the Kansas City Wizards on July 24.

As if being the underdog wasn’t motivation enough, Seals forward Marquis White had something to prove of his own. White was dropped in 1996 by the New England Revolution, and he was eager to prove that he could play at the highest level. White didn’t waste any time, scoring in the very first minute of the game, taking a pass from Chris Davini and racing past the Wizards defenders and goalkeeper Chris Snitko for the goal. On the other end, the Seals defense kept the Kansas City forwards stifled and frustrated, but the Wizards eventually equalized in the 39th minute with a Frank Klopas goal.

Marquis White then stepped up a second time, taking another Davini pass home for the game-winning goal in the 55th minute, setting off celebrations at Negoesco Fiield once the final whistle blew. “I knew I could play, and this proves it” said an ecstatic White after the game. The Seals, as a team, also proved they could play, defeating the San Jose Clash in the quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals, eventually losing a close game to DC United 2-1.

Six days later, the Chicago Stingers took their turn at giant killing, knocking off the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in front of 4,730 fans at Chicago’s Forest View Park. Misfortune started early for Colorado, as the Rapids goalkeeper Paul Grafer was sent off after 17 minutes. The Stingers then took control, as Matt Hamnett and Chris Jahr scores goals before and after halftime to take a lead they would never surrender. Chris Henderson pulled one back for Colorado, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the upstart Stingers. Chicago were eventually overwhelmed by the Dallas Burn in the next round, 4-1, but the Seals and Stingers proved that the Open Cup would never be an easy walk for any MLS team.

2012 – Cal FC (USASA – 4th Div.) 1:0 (AET) Portland Timbers (MLS)

2012 – Michigan Bucks (PDL – 4th Div.) 3:2 (AET) Chicago Fire (MLS)

The Third Round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was one of the craziest rounds in tournament history. 16 Major League Soccer teams joined the competition and only eight of them survived to play in Round 4. The two biggest stunners came from the Michigan Bucks (PDL) and newcomers Cal FC (USASA).

14 of the 16 games were played on Tuesday, May 29 and among those were the Michigan Bucks hosting four-time champion Chicago Fire indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. It was just the 4th US Open Cup game ever played indoors and the Bucks upset the Fire 3-2 in extra time.

The Bucks struck first just nine minutes into the match when Tommy Catalano received a pass from star veteran Kenny Uzoigwe to put the home team up 1-0. The Fire would equalize on a goal from Corben Bone in the 28th minute and take the lead in the 58th minute thanks to Frederico Puppo and it looked like the MLS team was going to take control, as they so often do in these underdog scenarios, but today wasn’t their day as a cross from Crnkic found the head of Nate Boyden in the box to tie the match at 2-2. The match would go into extra time and after play resumed, the Bucks wasted no time in putting the pressure on the Fire. What proved to be the eventual game-winning goal came just three minutes in when Crnkic ripped a shot toward the net. The goalkeeper got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough to keep it out as the Bucks would go on to win 3-2 to become the first amateur club in the Modern Era to defeat two MLS teams (They upset the New England Revolution back in 2000).[+]FULL MATCH RECAP

After seven MLS teams were eliminated on Tuesday, what could possibly be in store for the following day? It would turn out to be arguably the biggest upset of the Modern Era (1995-present).

Cal FC, led by their manager former US international Eric Wynalda, traveled from Southern California up to Portland, Ore. and upset the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time. After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, Artur Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well placed through ball and calmly chipped goalkeeper Troy Perkins. It was the only goal they would need to become the first USASA team to defeat a Major League Soccer team (Dallas Roma FC in 2006 eliminated Chivas USA in a penalty kick shootout). A USASA team defeating a MLS team was rare enough, but there had only been four previous USASA teams that had advanced far enough to even play against the top division. In those four games, none of the USASA teams even scored a goal. They were also just the fifth amateur team to eliminate a MLS sidse, and the 12th USASA team to eliminate a pro team of any kind. [+]FULL MATCH RECAP

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Chicago Fire rally to top rival Columbus 2-1 in delayed game

June 13, 2013 by Scott Fenwick

Postponed due to severe weather on Wednesday evening, rivals Chicago Fire and the Columbus Crew squared off at high noon Thursday in the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup. Recent trade acquisition Mike Magee continued his hot streak, spurring a Fire comeback with a first half equalizer as the hosts downed the Crew 2-1 on a 77^th minute winner from Patrick Nyarko.

Prior to hitting the pitch this time around, bitter rivals Chicago and Columbus had forged a lot of dramatic history in the U.S. Open Cup. The Fire went into Thursday’s match as extra time victors in all three previous tournament contests played with Columbus. The clubs’ most memorable Cup clash has to be Chicago’s 1998 Final win over the Crew at Soldier Field, secured by a 99^th minute Frank Klopas golden goal that gave the Fire its first and only cup double.

Chicago came into the match at full strength, save for injured defenders Steven Kinney and Arne Friedrich – the latter not having seen the pitch at all in 2013. The Crew had three starters out and a fourth (Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta) on international duty. Chicago’s Frank Klopas elected to go with a full-strength starting lineup while Columbus’s Robert Warzycha, on the other hand, put out a side with only four regulars.

The Fire came out flat – literally and figuratively – in its new 4-4-2 setup. Columbus countered with similar tactics until center back Glauber went down near his own 18-yard box, only to be stretchered off in the ninth minute. Lacking defensive depth due to a rash of injuries to his back line, Crew manager Warzycha responded to the setback, changed his tactics, and sent Dominic Oduro up top as his lone striker.

As time ticked upward, Columbus asserted itself in the offensive third, pressuring the Fire into conceding numerous corners and free kicks. Chicago had little control of the ball during the first 20 minutes and, per usual, conceded first.

Crew reserve team standout Ben Speas linked up with Konrad Warzycha to exploit Chicago’s Achilles heel: weak set-piece defending. Speas launched a free kick from well out on the left flank, finding the head of Warzycha near the penalty spot for a redirection inside the left post to make it 1-0 Crew and leaving the Fire looking tactically out of sorts in the 22^nd minute.

“It’s just mentality, soccer I.Q.,” said Mike Magee. “We have to learn from because we’re not going to get out of these holes every time.”

But get out they would. The Men in Red, with Magee prowling, quickly shaped up and struck back on a counterattack.

After a turn of possession in the midfield in the 29^th minute, Alex and Chris Rolfe worked the ball left and found full back Gonzalo Segares making an overlapping run on the flank. Segares took the ball to the near post and drew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and the Columbus defense’s attention just long enough to create enough space to patiently slot a ball to Mike Magee in the middle of the six-yard box. Magee obliged with a cool finish – his fourth goal in as many consecutive matches since donning Fire red.

“I got the tap in,” said Magee, “but it was a lot of work for me to just touch it into the goal.”

As the first half wore on, Columbus regained the advantage and kept Chicago honest with some quality chances. The Fire answered in turn though, with Magee missing just wide on a nifty chip over Gruenebaum in the 43^rd minute. The Crew ‘keeper remained busy, as he foiled a scoring opportunity by Patrick Nyarko soon thereafter.

With the squads locked at one goal apiece, the second half began with Chicago opting to sit midfielder Dilly Duka – a precautionary measure taken after the young winger felt dizziness at halftime after taking a blow to the head during the first half.

Frank Klopas subbed on Maicon Santos, slotted him up top with Magee, and shifted Chris Rolfe out on the right wing – a tactical move that would later pay dividends for Chicago.

As the crowd continued to swell, taking advantage of the open gates, it was a back and forth affair, a slow burn marked by increasingly chippy play from both sides.

As the 70^th minute arrived, Warzycha sent on midfield maestro Federico Higuain for young Ben Speas, an offensive move that motivated Chicago to press its attack. To be sure, aggressive, forward-looking play through the middle by Paladini, Alex, and Magee opened up space on the flanks, and the Fire wingers obliged.

With Columbus on their heels, looking to organize their defense in the middle of the park, Chris Rolfe took a ball wide on the right flank in the 77^th minute and launched a curving, back post cross onto the head of an unmarked Patrick Nyarko, who calmly netted Chicago’s winner.

“It’s a play me and Chris have talked about over and over,” said Nyarko. I told him that whenever he got it out wide, if there’s no outlet, just get it to the back post. It was a perfect ball. I couldn’t miss.”

“We talked about it at halftime,” Rolfe revealed. “We knew we’d have space open on the far side, and were definitely on the same page.”

Despite an aggressive, courageous effort, the Crew could not find an equalizer, as the Fire battened down the defensive hatches to protect the win with hard men Bakary Soumare and Jeff Larentowicz.

Chicago’s victory marks its fourth in four meetings with Columbus in U.S. Open Cup play, and advances them to a quarterfinal matchup versus USL Pro winner Orlando City on Wednesday, June 26^th at Toyota Park.

Fire gaffer Frank Klopas on what lies ahead: “We feel good that we’re at home, but we know it’s going to be a difficult match. It’s never easy. You see what happens in the Open Cup, with opportunities that teams like Orlando get. It will be the match of the year for them. We respect them. We’re going to make sure we don’t underestimate them.”

“I don’t know a lot about them,” said Patrick Nyarko of Orlando City, “but they beat Sporting in KC. I think they’re pretty good.”

Chicago’s winger continued, “We keep reminding all the guys here that to win a championship you’ve got to go through the toughest teams, whoever they are. Whether they’re in the second division or wherever, they’re going to be tough to play against.”

“We’re going to be ready for them,” Nyarko said, “They’re going to come here with a lot of intensity, but our goal has been to win the Open Cup from the start, and I think we’re focused on that.”

Indeed, Chicago Fire looks determined to assert itself in the centennial addition of America’s tournament and further stake its claim as “Kings of the Cup” with a record fifth USOC championship in the modern professional era.

STORMY DECISION

The Massive City Columbus supporters group dubbed it the “Derecho” cup on Wednesday night, although in the end the storm that swept across Northern Illinois didn’t quite live up to expectations once it reached Bridgeview. In the end, it was a tease.

A number of hardcore Fire fans arrived at Toyota Park ready to brave severe weather, endure a lengthy delay, and watch some late night soccer, but their plan was nipped in the bud around 8 pm CST: U.S. Soccer match commissioner Minos Vlamakis postponed the 4^th round U.S. Open Cup match to the following day at 12 noon.

“We wanted to keep the integrity of the Cup in mind. There was no reason to wait for 11 or 12 o’clock (to see if the weather cleared). Both teams were in agreement that this is in their best interests as well as that of the fans,” said Vlamakis.

While a noon start time on a Thursday certainly wasn’t convenient for most, the match could not be rescheduled for Thursday night because the Toyota Park grounds crew and operations staff was scheduled to begin preparation for an upcoming all-day concert on Saturday.

To soften the blow of postponement, Chicago Fire graciously announced free admission and free parking for those who decided to return the following afternoon.

After U.S. Soccer rendered its decision, many speculated Columbus would be unhappy with the decision to not wait for the weather to pass. With a Saturday night home fixture vs. Montreal Impact looming, wouldn’t they want to get the match in and get out of town ASAP, even if it meant playing past midnight? Apparently not.

According to Vlamakis, “Columbus was good sports about . They understand that it’s not something we have any control over. To be fair to them, they would prefer to know what the plan was vs. waiting two hours or two hours after that.”

True, but many were justifiably perturbed with the handling of the situation. Critics claimed the match should have been called much earlier in the day, citing safety concerns for fans who made the trip to Toyota Park on Wednesday night.

Fourth Round – Columbus Crew 1 :: 2 Chicago Fire

June 13 – Toyota Park, Bridgeview IL – Attd: 2,006

Scoring Summary

CLB: Konrad Warzycha (Ben Speas) 22

CHI: Mike Magee (Gonzalo Segares) 29

CHI: Patrick Nyarko (Chris Rolfe) 77

Cautions

CLB: Konrad Warzycha 71, Bernardo Anor 90+

CHI: Mike Magee 71, Patrick Nyarko 82, Bakary Soumare 90+

Lineups

Columbus: Andy Gruenebaum; Kevan George, Glauber (Dominic Oduro 9), Eric Gehrig, Tyson Wahl; Konrad Warzycha, Bernardo Anor, Tony Tchani (Aaron Schoenfeld 82), Ben Speas (Federico Higuain 70); Justin Meram, Ethan Finlay… Substitutes not used: Matt Lampson, Chad Barson, Danny O’Rourke, Matias Sanchez

Chicago: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Bakary Soumare, Austin Berry, Gonzalo Segares; Patrick Nyarko, Alex (Jeff Larentowicz 81), Logan Pause (Daniel Paladini 59), Dilly Duka (Maicon Santos 46’); Chris Rolfe, Mike Magee… Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Hunter Jumper, Michael Videira, Sherjill MacDonald

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Columbus Crew avenge last year’s upset, defeat Dayton Dutch Lions 2-1

May 30, 2013 by Brandon Gee

Exactly one year ago to the day, the Dayton Dutch Lions went into Columbus Crew Stadium and shocked Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew with two goals in the last 11 minutes on their way to a 2-1 win. This year, Columbus would start five regulars including Eddie Gaven and 2012’s MLS Newcomer of the Year, Federico Higuain to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. The Crew would dominate most of the rematch before Dayton attempted to recreate last year’s heroics. However, it was the Crew who would take the late lead and held on to a 2-1 victory over the USL Pro side.

For the Crew, they snapped a franchise worst three-game losing streak in the tournament that dated back to the 2010 US Open Cup Final. After losing to the Sounders that year, they were the victims of consecutive one-and-done upsets to the Richmond Kickers in 2011 and the Lions last year. All three losses were by the score of 2-1. This year, they flipped the score around.

The Crew came out with an aggressive attack and kept play in Dayton’s end for much of the first ten minutes. The MLS side kept the Dutch Lion defense on their heels with heavy passing as they dominated possession. Momentum stayed in the Crew’s favor as Dutch Lions defender Brock Granger earned a straight red card in the 14th minute for a two-footed tackle just outside the penalty area on Gaven. The infraction forced the now short-handed Lions to move Shintaro Harada from the midfield back to defense.

Despite the Crew’s offense running the first half, they struggled to get shots on net, only testing Dayton keeper Josh Williams on a few occasions.

Neither side made any roster changes as the second half started, and Columbus would finally break through in the 52’ as Gaven knocked down a pass from Higuain and put it past the Dayton keeper from a tight angle.

After taking the lead, Columbus seemed to fall back a bit, a similar situation from last year’s game and right on cue, Dayton picked up their offense.

Following a back and forth exchange of possession, Dayton would finally break through in the 78th minute as Shane Smith took an assist from Klaasse and put the equalizer past the Crew’s Matt Lampson. Dayton nearly took the lead in the 82nd minute as Brandon Swartzendruber got a shot past Lampson only to see Crew defender Eric Gehrig clear the loose ball off the goalline.

Despite the late surge by Dayton, the Crew would answer and regain the lead in the 84th minute on a goal by Justin Meram, sending a ball from outside the penalty area past the keeper Williams. Gaven got the assist on Meram’s goal and would end up going down minutes later with an injury in the 88th minute. If the injury turns out to be something serious, it could be a big blow to Columbus as Gaven, despite his scoring struggles this year, has remained a veteran leader for the club.

Through the rest of the match, including five minutes of stoppage time, the Crew were content to just hold possession and burn out the clock. The Columbus Crew would survive the late flurry to avenge last year’s defeat and advance in the Open Cup for the first time since 2010.

The Crew will now go on to face their rivals, the Chicago Fire, at Chicago’s Toyota Park for the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 12th. Chicago defeated the Crew at Toyota Park in MLS play last month 1-0 off a goal by Jeff Larentowicz.

U.S. Open Cup – Third Round – Columbus Crew vs. Dayton Dutch Lions

5/29/2013 – Columbus Crew Stadium

Scoring:

CLB: Gaven (Higuian) 52’

DAY: Smith (Klaasse) 78’

CLB: Meram (Gaven) 84’

Discipline:

DAY: Granger – Red 14’

DAY: Lord – Yellow 37’

CLB: Glauber – Yellow 55’

CLB: Schoenfeld – Yellow 76’

Attendance: 1,302