Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Columbus Crew

2010 US Open Cup Semifinals: Columbus Crew back in the final with OT win over 10-man DC United

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After a US Open Cup hiatus that saw the Columbus Crew absent from the tournament for the last two years, the Crew have returned to the championship game with a 2-1 extra time victory over DC United in the semifinals.

Andy Iro atoned for his foul that gave DC United a 13th minute penalty kick, by scoring an 89th minute equalizer. Photo: Tony Quinn | DC United

The visitors battled back from an early 1-0 deficit, which was helped by a 59th minute red card issued to United’s goalscorer Pablo Hernandez. DC United appeared on their way to becoming the first team in almost 30 years to reach the championship game three years in a row, but Andy Iro directed a shot that bounced off United defender Matthew Burch for an own goal in the 89th minute. In extra time, Guillermo Barros Schelotto converted a penalty kick in the 98th minute to send the Crew back to the title game for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2002.

In 2002, Columbus won the US Open Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0, on a first half goal by Freddy Garcia set up by Brian West. They celebrated their first championship of any kind in front of their home fans at Crew Stadium in 2002, but in order to win it this year, they will have to play on the road. If Seattle wins their semifinal match, the Crew will travel to Qwest Field on October 5, and if Chivas USA win, the final will be played on October 12 at the Home Depot Center.

Both teams created chances early in the game, but DC would break through in the 13th minute. Pablo Hernandez was taken down just inside the penalty area by the Crew’s Andy Iro and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Hernandez would step to the spot and score his first goal as a member of DC United to give his team an early lead.

After the halftime break, United nearly doubled their lead when Andy Najar fired a shot from close range, but the ball rang off the post.

The game changed in the 59th minute when the goalscorer Hernandez lashed out at Columbus midfielder Danny O’Rourke. Hernandez was shown a straight red for attempting to kick O’Rourke, who was shown a yellow card for his role in the dust-up.

Eddie Gaven of the Columbus Crew tackles DC United's Andy Najar. Photo: Tony Quinn | DC United

Despite playing a man down, DC was able to hold off Columbus’ attack. In the 71st minute, Eddie Gaven broke in on the left side of the penalty area and found himself one-on-one with DC goalkeeper Bill Hamid, but the rookie made the save and covered up the rebound to preserve the 1-0 lead.

The Crew continued to put on the pressure and it paid off in the final minutes. Iro atoned for his earlier foul that led to a penalty kick when he received a ball just inside the box. He used his size to fight off his defender, finding enough space to turn and fire a low shot that struck United defender Marc Burch on the way into the back of the net.

In extra time, the Crew would punch their ticket to the final when Steven Lenhart was taken down in the penalty area. Guillermo Barros Schelotto would take a cool strike from the penalty spot to give Columbus a 2-1 lead. Shorthanded DC would still threaten in the last 20 minutes, but the Crew’s defense would hold them off.

Scoring:
DCU – Pablo Hernandez (PK) – 13th minute
CLB – Andy Iro (Jason Garey) – 89th minute
CLB – Guillermo Barros Schelotto (PK) – 98th minute

Misconduct Summary:
DCU – Devon McTavish (Yellow) – 26th minute
DCU – Dejan Jakovic (Yellow) – 34th minute
DCU – Pablo Hernandez (Red) – 59th minute
CLB – Danny O’Rourke (Yellow) – 59th minute
CLB – Steven Lenhart (Yellow) – 96th minute
DCU – Carey Talley (Yellow) – 97th minute

Lineups:

DCU: Bill Hamid (GK), Stephen King, Devon McTavish (Jamie Moreno 99th), Julius James (Carey Talley 90th), Clyde Simms, Santino Quaranta, Danny Allsopp (Jordan Graye 72nd), Pablo Hernandez, Andy Najar, Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic

CLB: Andy Gruenebaum (GK), Frankie Hejduk, Andy Iro, Chad Marshall, Danny O’Rourke (Dilly Duka 68th), Gino Padula (Jason Garey 68th), Adam Moffat (Kevin Burns 78th), Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Steven Lenhart, Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Stats

Shots – Columbus 11:12 DC United
Shots on goal – Columbus 6:4 DC United
Saves – Columbus 3:5 DC United
Fouls – Columbus 13:12 DC United
Corner Kicks – Columbus 1:4 DC United
Offsides – Columbus 7:1 DC United

Referee: Chris Penso
Referee’s Assistants: Sean Hurd, Cyril Madukanya
4th Official: Jeff Gontarek
Weather: Clear, 91 degrees
Attendance: 3,411

Media Links:
Post-game quotes (MLSSoccer.com)
DC disappointed, angry at red-card decision (MLSSoccer.com)
Crew final-bound, despite imperfect performance (MLSSoccer.com)
Crew 2, DC United 1 (OT): Schelotto helps put Crew in final of US Open Cup (Columbus Dispatch)
DC United loses to Columbus Crew in overtime of US Open Cup semifinal (Washington Post)

2010 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Columbus Crew cruise past Battery, return to semifinals

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The Columbus Crew dispatched the Charleston Battery 3-0, ending the USL-2 club’s underdog run. Emilio Renteria, Steven Lenhart, and Eddie Gavin all hit the net for the Crew.

Photo: Jason Mowry | Columbus Crew

The Crew controlled play through the first half, but needed a hard tackle from Charleston’s Stephen Armstrong in the box to capitalize. Armstrong, who played for the Crew in 2005, fouled Steven Lenhart in minute 37, setting up a Renteria penalty kick. Emilio sent the ball past Tim Melia, snapping the goalkeeper’s 187 minute Open Cup scoreless streak. Columbus kept attacking, but were frustrated by missed opportunities through an hour of play.

Lenhart, the hero of the Crew’s Third Round win over Rochester, once again stepped up and delivered at 70′. Emmanuel Ekpo fed the ball to a waiting Duncan Oughton, as Lenhart took the pass and sent it through to seal the game for Columbus. Ekpo got into the action again at 87′ taking a pass from sub Leandre Griffit and taping it to another sub, Eddie Gaven, to drive the last nail into the Battery’s Open Cup season.

Columbus awaits the winner of July 21st’s Harrisburg City Islanders/DC United match. That semifinal match will either be August 31st at home against Harrisburg, or September 1st at DC.

Scoring Summary:

CLB – Emilio Renteria (penalty kick) 38’
CLB – Steven Lenhart (Duncan Oughton) 70’
CLB – Eddie Gaven (Emmanuel Ekpo) 87’

Misconduct Summary:

CLB – Jed Zayner (caution: reckless tackle) 24’
CHA – Ian Fuller (caution: dissent) 37’
CLB – Steven Lenhart (caution: unsporting behavior) 42’
CHA – O’Brian Woodbine (caution: reckless tackle) 64’

Lineups:

Charleston – Tim Melia; O’Brian Woodbine, Colin Falvey, John Wilson, Nigel Marples; Brandon Massie (John Gruenewald, 70’), Alioune Gueye, Ian Fuller (Kevin Jackson, 82’), Stephen Armstrong (Amaury Nunes 72’); Lamar Neagle, Tom Heinemann.

Columbus – Andy Gruenebaum; Jed Zayner, Chad Marshall, Eric Brunner, Shaun Francis; Duncan Oughton, Danny O’Rourke, Dilly Duka (Eddie Gaven 61’), Emilio Renteria (Leandre Griffit 76’), Emmanuel Ekpo; Steven Lenhart (Jason Garey88’).

Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Referee’s Assistants: John Safar, Pierre Saintil Francillon
4th Official: Rizal Millikan
Weather: 90 and sunny
Attendance: 1,847

2010 US Open Cup Third Round: Crew advance on stoppage time goal

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Columbus Crew forward Steven Lenhart broke a 1-1 tie with a goal four minutes into stoppage time to send the Crew into the quarterfinals over the Rochester Rhinos of the USSF Second Division.

Columbus took control early on, and broke through first. Eddie Gaven crossed a corner into position, and Andy Iro headed the ball past Scott Vallow for a 1-0 lead. The Crew couldn’t capitalize on their dominance any further, and took the single goal into the half.

Rochester got going in the second half thanks to Darren Spicer, who subbed in for Ryan Heins at 62′. Spicer sparked the Rhinos immediately, and scored 7 minutes after coming in on a rocket from the edge off the box to tie the score at 1. The match continued evenly across the board until 84′ in, when Felix Motagalvan of the Rhinos tackled the Crew’s Emilio Renteria with his studs up, drawing a straight red card. This let Columbus take back control, and they pressed ahead hoping to avoid extra time. Four minutes of stoppage time were added, however it seemed that for all the Crew’s pressure, they were headed for extra time. That changed in an instant, as Eric Brunner’s long pass bounced off a Rhino defender and right to Lenhart, who capped the heroics with an edge-of-the-box shot that went through the right side of the net.

The Crew will host the Charleston Battery of USL-2 on Tuesday, July 6, attempting to avoid becoming the Battery’s second straight MLS victim.

SCORING:
CLB- Iro (Gaven) 30′
ROC- Spicer 69′
CLB- Lenhart 90+4′

DISCIPLINE:
ROC- Motagalvan 84′ (straight red, Serious foul)

SUBSTITUTIONS:
ROC- Spicer for Heins, 62′
CLB- O’Rourke for Ekpo, 64′
CLB- Renteria for Duka, 70′
ROC- Kissi for Franks, 91′

2009 Third Round recap: Portland, Seattle renew rivalry, Houston face Battery (again)

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2009 US Open Cup Third Round
(Home team listed on right)
June 30
Columbus Crew 1:1 Rochester Rhinos
Rochester advance on PKs 5-3
Chicago Fire 0:1 Wilmington Hammerheads
Harrisburg City Islanders 2:1 (aet) New England Revolution
Ocean City Barons 0:2 DC United
Chivas USA 1:3 Charleston Battery
Kansas City Wizards 3:3 Minnesota Thunder
Kansas City advance on PKs 4-2
July 1
Houston Dynamo 2:0 Austin Aztex
Seattle Sounders 2:1 Portland Timbers

Player of the Round: Randi Patterson
Notable upsets in Third Round history
Things you should know about the Third Round

The underdogs of the United Soccer Leagues ruled on day one of the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, but the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo each earned wins on Wednesday to level the tournament with four MLS teams and four USL teams in the Quarterfinals. The draw for the next round dictates that for the second year in a row, the USL will have at least one team in the Semifinals.

The Houston Dynamo defeated the Austin Aztex 2-0 on Wednesday to set up a date with the Charleston Battery next Tuesday at Blackbaud Stadium. This will be the third year in a row that the Battery and the Dynamo square off in the Open Cup with Charleston eliminating Houston in both years.

Later that night, the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders renewed their rivalry in front of a sold-out PGE Park in Portland, Ore. The more than 16,000 fans in attendance was the fourth largest attendance (Source: Kenn.com) during the Professional Era (1995 – present) and a modern era first for the Timbers.

The biggest upsets of the night came from USL Second Division clubs. In New Britain, Conn., the Harrisburg City Islanders defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 in extra time. Ahead 1-0, the Revs allowed the game-tying goal after losing a player to injury after having used all of its substitutions. Another New England player left near the end of full time due to injury, leaving the MLS side with just nine men. The City Isles took advantage and scored the game-winning goal in extra time.

In Wilmington, the USL-2 Hammerheads edged out the four-time Cup champion Chicago Fire 1-0. TheCup.us Player of the Second Round Kenny Bundy scored the deciding goal in the 37th minute to give Wilmington just their second win over an MLS foe in Open Cup play. With Rochester winning their penalty kick tiebreaker over the Columbus Crew after a 1-1 draw, the two clubs will meet in the quarterfinals, assuring the USL of at least one club in the Semifinals for the third year in a row.

2009 Third Round: Rhinos need PKs to knock out defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew

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Marina Auto Stadium – Rochester, N.Y. | 7 p.m.
1
AET
 1
Rochester advances on PKs 5-3
Ty Harden 32’
       37’ Duncan Oughton
Penalty Kick Summary
Darren Kenton – GOAL      
GOAL – Emmanuel Ekpo
Mauricio Salles – GOAL       GOAL – Alejandro Moreno
Andrew Gregor – GOAL       SAVED – Duncan Oughton
Kenney Bertz – GOAL       GOAL – Jason Garey
Ryan Heins – GOAL        

It took an extra hour to kick off the game due to lightning, but it was worth the wait. The Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division defeated Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew 5-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw in regulation.

In the third all-time meeting (1-1-1) between the clubs in the US Open Cup, Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum was tested early and often as the Rhinos bombarded him with shots in the first half. In the 32nd minute, Rochester would finally break through as Ty Harden, on a month-long loan from the Colorado Rapids, received a cross from Johnny Menyongar and put home the opening goal of the match. Just 5 minutes later, Columbus would respond. Veteran and New Zealand native Duncan Oughton put in a volley through two defenders and past Rhinos keeper Tim Melia to tie the game at one.

In the 55th minute, the Rhinos got a huge break as Ryan Heins was fouled in the box, earning a penalty kick for Rochester. Andrew Gregor took the kick, but Gruenebaum was up to the task and made the crucial save for Columbus. No one would break the tie through the rest of regulation and both extra time periods, sending the game into a penalty kick tiebreaker.

Rochester would make their first three penalty kicks, but then the Crew’s third wouldn’t end so well. Duncan Oughton’s shot was deflected, then recovered on the rebound, by Melia. Ryan Heins would go on to put home the winning goal for the Rhinos, who now move on to host the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division in the Quarterfinals.

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