Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

FC Hasental

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL’s San Diego Flash back after 13 years; CD Aguiluchos USA to debut in 2014

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San Diego Flash and FC Hasental players battle for the ball in their 2014 US Open Cup qualifying final match. Photo: FC Hasental

Two west coast National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) teams have presumably qualified for the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with wins Saturday. While the US Soccer Federation has yet to announce the format for the 2014 edition of the tournament, the game between the San Diego Flash and FC Hasental and the match between CD Aguiluchos USA and Spartans Futbol Club were largely predicted as “Win & You’re In.” The Flash and Aguiluchos both won their games 2-1, and are now awaiting the final word from USSF.

For San Diego, if you include the club’s past history, it will mark the sixth time the Flash have qualified for the US Open Cup and the first time since 2001 when they were an A-League team (2nd Division). In fact, the last time the Flash qualified for the Open Cup, their head coach Warren Barton was still playing for Newcastle United in England.

Now, in their fourth season as an NPSL side, they have returned to the tournament by avenging last year’s qualifying tournament final loss to FC Hasental.

“We think is great for our city of San Diego,” Flash CEO Clent Alexander said. “It’s great for our players. We re-started the organization about four years ago. We’ve been knocking on the door. This means that we got through. It’s great for our players and staff. It’s great for our organization overall.”

San Diego FlashThe match, hosted by Hasental at Oak Park High School Stadium in Oak Park, Calif., started out slow but the home side finally took the lead with a penalty kick by Moises Orozco in first half stoppage time.

However, the scoreline was reversed early in the second half when Flash forward Justin Picou scored a pair of goals in the 58th and 63rd minutes to lead the Flash to victory.

“This loss stings considering we have to wait an entire year for another shot at qualifying,” Hasental head coach Eric Warner said after the match.

The last time the Flash qualified for the Open Cup, they were knocked out thanks to a brace by then-Chicago Fire forward Eric Wynalda at Milwaukee Sports Complex in Franklin, Mil.

Wynalda is now a part-owner of the club. That performance by Wynalda continued the trend of the San Diego club getting knocked out with a brace from a US National team star as they were also knocked out in 1999 thanks to a two-goal effort from Clint Mathis, then with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The farthest they have ever gone in the tournament was in 1999 and 2000 when they reached the third round before losing to the Galaxy both times.

“The last four years has been a magical ride, getting my partner Warren Barton involved,” Alexander said. “Warren Barton is here to put San Diego on the map in outdoor soccer. And ride with Cal FC a few years ago was special. If we can do anything like he did, we’d like to see our local media involved with what we do.”

Meanwhile, CD Aguiluchos USA of Oakland, Calif. continued their dream run towards qualifying for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by defeating Spartans Futbol Club of Vancouver, Wash. Saturday night at Raimondi Park in Oakland.

Aguiluchos, the Golden Gate Conference Open Cup Qualifying tournament champion, faced the Spartans who won the qualifying tournament for the newly-formed Northwest Conference.

“ a big opportunity for all the fans that we have in the whole of the United States,” said Aguiluchos chairman Roger Amaya, who’s club is named as an homage to 15-time Salvadorian champion C.D. Aguila. “We have a lot of fans from Maryland, New Jersey and LA where there is a big concentration of Salvadorian people.”

“They’re watching us,” Amaya added. “We’re showing all the fans that we’re working hard to compete at a good level.”

The home side was the first to score when Jorge Ruiz collected a ball in the midfield, then dribbled the ball to the top of the box and unleashed a right-footed shot that caromed off of the post and into the net.

The Spartans then tied the match when defender Jordan Selland found forward Nino Ayala for the equalizing goal shortly before halftime.

Late in the match, Aguiluchos won a penalty and up stepped former Salvadorian international Rudis Corrales, who scored for El Salvador as recently as 2011.

The veteran converted the penalty to give Aguiluchos the win. CD Aguiluchos are now expected to take part in the US Open Cup for the first time in just their second season under head coach and former CD Aguila player Hugo Coria.

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Sonoma County Sol, three other NPSL clubs, advance in qualifying

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Robbie Giuk (red) of the Santa Clarita Storm battles for the ball against Del Rey City in the opening round of the NPSL Southwest Conference's Open Cup qualifying tournament. The Storm won 1-0 on Giuk's 17th minute goal. Photo: Paul Sundie | Santa Clarita Storm

Second half strikes from Tyler Hurst and Taylor Varnadore lifted the Sonoma County Sol to a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Real San Jose Saturday night in the semifinals of the Golden Gate Conference US Open Cup qualifying tournament. The Sol are one of four National Premier Soccer League teams to take another step toward qualifying for the 2014 US Open Cup.

With the win, the Sol ensured they will play next weekend in the tournament final at Rancho Cotate High School, the site of Saturday night’s triumph.  Their scheduled opposition, CD Aguiluchos USA, saw off the San Francisco Stompers 1-0 in the conference’s other tense semifinal. The deciding goal came in the 89th minute when Nestor Palacios came through with a 30-yard strike to send the club to the Golden Gate Conference’s championship game. The winner is expected to qualify for the 2014 US Open Cup, but the official format has yet to be announced by the US Soccer Federation.

Hurst, who netted his second goal in as many games, opened the scoring for Sonoma County in the 47th minute in opportunistic fashion.  As a frantic scramble in the Real San Jose goalmouth cast doubt on the continuation of the scoreless stalemate, the ball fell perfectly into the path of the on-charging midfielder, who promptly fired the ball into the lower-left corner and the Sol into a lead they would not relinquish.

Reacting to the setback, Real San Jose opted to switch to a more attacking formation, pushing an extra player forwards and leaving just three back to defend. The move failed to spur the desired effect, though, as a skilled Sol side poured forward with even more gusto than before.  The orange-clad Sonoma County squad were especially busy on the right flank, repeatedly testing the mettle of their reeling southern neighbors during a dominant stretch sandwiched between both goals.

The insurance the Sol craved finally arrived in the 71st minute and took the form of an extraordinary solo effort. Varnadore, who had been a prime culprit in terrorizing the San Jose defense, narrowly missed doubling the lead twice in the preceding exchanges—once with a downward header from a long throw that was well saved, and once with a close-range shot that appeared to skim the right post.  But on this occasion, he left no doubt about the outcome.

In the undisputed highlight of the night, Varnadore stormed through the gap between Real San Jose’s defense and midfield and into the final third with the ball roped to his feet and then unleashed a left-footed stunner into the top-left corner to cap his splendid run and give the Sol a 2-0 cushion. The goal all but extinguished Real San Jose’s lingering hope of equalizing.

The remaining twenty minutes offered more of the same, as the Sol continued to assert their influence on the increasingly one-sided encounter. With the affair beginning to take on the air of an inevitable Sonoma County Sol victory, Brandon Boone very nearly added a third.  As the Real San Jose keeper was sprawled on the ground, Boone latched onto a bouncing ball, but his effort from the penalty spot was deflected and fell agonizingly to the wrong side of the crossbar.

Then, as Real San Jose was forced to come to grips with their waning hopes in the latter stages, the yellow cards started to emerge from the referee’s pocket more frequently.  Despite the frustration on both sides, none of the cautions turned a darker shade and both teams finished the game with their squads numerically intact.

As mentioned in the report of the Sol’s 2-1 first round victory against the Sacramento Gold last week, the Sonoma County side is bidding to make its first appearance in the US Open Cup since 2010, when the Californians fell in the opening round to the Portland Timbers.  At the time, the Timbers were in their final season prior to joining Major League Soccer as an expansion club along with fellow Cascadia Cup contender Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Sol have qualified for the Open Cup four times since 2005, tied for the most by any NPSL club with the Brooklyn Italians.

In other NPSL US Open Cup qualifying action Saturday in California, two teams advanced to the semifinals of the Southwest Conference. The Santa Clarita Storm only needed a 17th minute goal from Robbie Giuk and a stingy defense to keep Del Rey City at bay and advance by a slim 1-0 margin. According to the Storm, they limited their opponents to just three shots on goal for the entire game. The Storm move on to the conference final four where they will meet FC Hasental on Saturday. FC Hasental will host at Thousand Oaks High School in an attempt to qualify for the second year in a row.

In the other opening round game, FC Force defeated Temecula FC 5-2 to reach the semifinals. The 2014 expansion team will face a big test in the next round as they will travel to San Diego to take on the Flash, who have won two of the last three division titles.

The Golden Gate final will take place on Saturday, March 8 at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif., while the Southwest semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, March 9. Details are listed below.

2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

First Round
Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

Semifinals (Mar. 1)
Real San Jose 0:2 Sonoma County Sol
CD Aguiluchos USA 1:0 San Francisco Stompers

Final (March 8 – Win & You’re In)
CD Aguiluchos USA at Sonoma County Sol
Rancho Cotate HS; Rohnert Park, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

First Round (Mar. 1)
FC Force 5:2 Temecula FC
Santa Clarita Storm 1:0 Del Ray City

Semifinals (Mar. 9)
FC Force at San Diego Flash
Mira Mesa HS; San Diego, Calif. – 6:30 p.m. PT
SC Storm at FC Hasental
Thousand Oaks HS; Thousand Oaks, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

Final (Mar. 15 – Win & You’re In)
Site/Time TBD

NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

2013 US Open Cup First Round: Ventura County Fusion rallies twice for historic win over FC Hasental (video)

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In a showdown of two Los Angeles area clubs, it was a true back and forth affair with the visiting FC Hasental side taking the lead twice before ultimately falling 3-2 on a late goal from the Ventura County Fusion, sending them on to face the Los Angeles Blues of USL Pro in Round 2.

With the win, the Fusion made history by tasting victory in three straight Open Cup tournaments. The Michigan Bucks (1999-2001) are the only other amateur team to win at least one game in three consecutive tournaments during the Modern Professional Era (1995-present).

The dramatic contest started to heat up near the half-hour mark when Agustin Cazarez nearly put Hasental up in the 27th minute with a shot that rang off the woodwork and was subsequently cleared away from the line by defender Dylan Riley.

Cazarez, however, would find the opener 12 minutes later. A ball over the top sent Alberto Anguiano down the left edge of the box all alone. He turned his gaze inside the box and seeing a nearing defender crossed it into the area where it was brought down at the penalty mark by a Fusion defender, who fell after making the hard twist back to make the play. The ball, consequently, was left wide open for the incoming Cazarez, who ripped it home from 11 yards out.

Two minutes before the break it appeared the hosts would have a perfect chance to pull even when Peter Schmetz was taken down while attempting to cross the ball within the area, but Hagop Chirishian’s spot kick to the lower left was denied by Hasental keeper Trey Mitchell.

The equalizer, however, did come just before the intermission for the Fusion when Ema Boateng, after being fouled, launched a free kick toward the far post where Frankie Lopez got his head on it to make things even.

Hasental again had some quality chances initially in the second half, chief among them being a shot from Ruben Rodriguez in the 63rd that forced a dynamic save from Sam Hayden.

Despite the pressure, it was an unexpected quick play that resulted in the visitors reclaiming the lead four minutes later. A bouncing ball was cleared out by the Hasental center back and headed forward at midfield over the defense, putting Gustavo Villalobos, who scored twice in the opening round a week ago, through in a goal similar to the club’s tallies last week.

The Fusion, though, would get another chance to pull even from the penalty spot after defender Connor Dreschler was fouled in the area by Kleber Ortiz. This time Patrick Otte put away the subsequent penalty in the 77th minute to create a tension-filled final 13 minutes.

Hasental nearly took the lead again five minutes later when Armando Gaitan slipped a 40-yard free kick narrowly over the crossbar, but it was Ventura County who would find the winner.

In the 87th minute Riley drove forward and sent a fantastic cross in to Chase Minter, who finished with a diving header. The Fusion nearly added another in stoppage time for insurance when Chirishian sent a free kick into the upper corner, forcing a brilliant save from Mitchell a minute into the added-on time.

Scoring Summary
HAS: Agustin Cazarez (Alberto Anguiano) 39
VC: Frankie Lopez (Ema Boateng) 45
HAS: Gustavo Villalobos 65
VC: Patrick Otte (pen) 77
VC: Chase Minter (Dylan Riley) 87
Discipline
HAS: Joel Contreras (yellow) 33
VC: Kip Colvey (yellow) 63
Lineups
VC: Sam Hayden; Kip Colvey, Connor Drechsler, Peter Schmetz, Dylan Riley; Patrick Otte, Hagop Chirishian, Manny Guzman (Steve Palacios 55); Ema Boateng (Artur Aghasyan 65), Chase Minter, Frankie Lopez
HAS: Trey Mitchell; Ruben Rodriguez, Sebastian Rivas, Kleber Ortiz (Ericson Penate 88), Joel Contreras; Agustin Cazarez, Alberto Rosas, Armando Gaitan (Milan Radovic 45); Gustavo Villalobos, Alberto Anguiano, Manuel Cazares (Liviu Leu 77)

FC Hasental Highlights

Cazarez Goal

Villalobos Goal

Mitchell PK Save

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Preliminary Round: FC Hasental win tournament debut, 5-3 over Fresno Fuego Future (VIDEO)

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UPDATE: Video of FC Hasental goals added below.

First-time US Open Cup entry FC Hasental of the National Premier Soccer League posted an impressive result in their debut, registering a 5-2 victory at Chukchansi Park in Fresno Tuesday night against the Fuego, who were 13-3-2 at home in league play the last two years.

And the visitors had to come from behind as well to do it. The Fuego took the initial advantage three minutes into the contest when they capitalized on a defensive error that resulted in Alexander Caceres finding Paul Islas for the opening goal.

Unfortunately for the Fuego, FC Hasental would score four straight goals and five total to set up a first round match-up with Ventura County Fusion next Tuesday at Ventura College.

The 1-0 margin stood until Gustavo Villalobos nailed a volley past Gilbert Vega in the 29th minute off a ball from Joel Contreras.

The visitors nearly took the lead in the first minute of the second half when Alberto Anguiano sent a chip off the crossbar, but the Agoura Hills side would find the go-ahead strike four minutes later when Armando Gaitan struck on a 20 yard free kick.

It was the first of three consecutive for Hasental. Manny Cazares found Villalobos for his second on the hour mark and seven minutes later set up Anguiano to make it 4-1 in favor of the NPSL entry.

Fresno answered through Abraham Campos in the 75th, but saw the visitors answer right back three minutes later through Anguiano to restore the three-goal margin. Ferid Celosmanovic capped the match for Fresno with a tally in the 90th minute.

FC Hasental advances to the First Round of the tournament where they will play the Ventura County Fusion of the PDL on May 14 at Ventura College.

Scoring Summary
FRE: Paul Islas (Alexander Caceres) – 3rd min
HAS: Gustavo Villalobos (Joel Contreras) – 29th min
HAS: Armando Gaitan – 50th min
HAS: Gustavo Villalobos (Manny Cazares) – 60th min
HAS: Alberto Anguiano (Manny Cazares) – 67th min
FRE: Abraham Campos – 75th min
HAS: Alberto Anguiano – 78th min
FRE: Ferid Celosmanovic – 90th min

Discipline
HAS: Gustavo Villalobos 45, Kleber Ortiz 62
FRE: N/A #20 55, Gaston Cignetti 66

Starting Lineups
FC Hasental : Mitchell, Rodriguez, Ortiz, Ramos, Contreras, Rosas, Cazarez, Gaitan, Villalobos, Anguiano, Cazares

Fresno Fuego: Gilbert Vega; Jesus Garcia, M. Gutierrez, Justin Finch, Trevor Spurgeon; Abraham Campos, Gaston Cignetti, Alexander Caceres; Tyler Reinhart, Paul Islas, Eligio Morales

FC HASENTAL GOALS IN ORDER:





#USOC100

Great Lakes Division teams decline 2013 US Open Cup berths as NPSL entries finalized

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Thanks, but no thanks.

That was the sentiment expressed by a pair of Great Lakes Division teams from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as they were offered a chance to represent the league in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Erie Admirals, last year’s Great Lakes Division regular season champions, were expected to join the other five division winners from a year ago and the two spring tournament qualifiers from the Western Conference, but according to NPSL secretary and chairman of the NPSL Open Cup committee Joe Barone, they declined.

Erie owner John Moody said the decision was made due to a variety of reasons. First, the Admirals depend on college players to fill out their roster and many of them wouldn’t be able to join the team until the middle of May. And even if they could, there would be no time to practice or prepare for their opponent.

“It’s important to respect the game … the tournament and our opponents and we felt putting out a ‘B-team’ wouldn’t be fair,” said Moody.

He also cited the financial burden of taking part in the Open Cup, especially in terms of making travel arrangements on relatively short notice. As it stands, when the draw is announced at the end of April, his team could be chosen to play the Colorado Rovers of the USSSA, or the Northern California-based US Club Soccer team in the Play-In Round on May 7. If the draw doesn’t go their way, they could travel to that game. As of last year, the US Soccer Federation reimburses up to $8,000 in travel costs, but depending on where they have to travel, that money can be eaten up rather quickly. On the other side, according to Moody, if they had to host, that would also be a challenge for his club because they would have difficulty securing a local venue. Not to mention, there is a cost to hosting as well. Most teams have to pay to rent a field, pay the referees, and coordinate gameday efforts, just to name a few of the primary expenses.

“We would love to take part in this great tournament … but there’s just too many unknowns for a club like ours,” he added.

With the division’s regular season champions out of the running, AFC Cleveland was next in line as the division’s playoff champions. Detroit City FC had finished ahead of Cleveland in the regular season standings by a point, but when the two teams squared off in the playoffs, Cleveland won 2-1, and the defeated Erie in penalty kicks in the division final.

But just like the Admirals before them, Cleveland also turned down the opportunity to play in the 2013 US Open Cup. The second-year club also cited player availability as their main reason for turning down the invitation.

“AFC Cleveland really wanted to participate in such a historic tournament, but scheduling issues during that time made this an impossible task,” said Cleveland chairman Terry Lawriw.

After the top two teams from the Midwest Conference declined, NPSL management decided that rather than giving an Open Cup berth to the division’s third choice (Detroit City FC), they would award the berth to the club that had the best overall record among the remaining teams league wide (excluding Western Conference), which – coincidentally – ended up being the Brooklyn Italians, a team that Barone has worked for over the last two decades.

The Italians will join the Georgia Revolution (Southeast Division playoff finalist) and Atlantic Division winners New York Red Bulls NPSL to complete the eight team NPSL field for the 2013 tournament.

The five remaining NPSL clubs include: Western Conference qualifying winners FC Hasental and Sacramento Gold, as well as the Madison 56ers (Central Division champions), Chattanooga FC (Southeast Division playoff champion) and FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic (Keystone Division champions).

TheCup.us has also confirmed that the NPSL is no long guaranteeing spots in the First Round of the 2013 US Open Cup to particular clubs or regions.

It was originally reported that the Madison 56ers, Chattanooga FC, FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic, and the two Western Conference winners (FC Hasental and Sacramento Gold) would begin play in Round 1 of the US Open Cup. Of the remaining three teams, which had yet to be determined, two of them would begin in the Play-In Round against either the US Club Soccer or the USSSA champion.

Now, the two Play-In Round teams won’t be known until the US Soccer Federation unveils the 2013 US Open Cup draw at the end of April. It is expected that the teams will be ones that are located closest to the Northern California-based US Club Soccer representative and the Colorado Rovers of the USSSA in an effort to minimize travel costs.

2013 NPSL entries in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (8 teams)

Brooklyn Italians
Chattanooga FC
FC Hasental
FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic
Georgia Revolution
Madison 56ers
New York Red Bulls U23s
Sacramento Gold

* 2 teams (still TBD) will begin play in Play-In Round

NPSL qualifying tournament: FC Hasental gets first win over San Diego Flash to qualify for first US Open Cup (video)

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For the second week in a row, a National Premier Soccer League team from the Western Conference has clinched a spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time. After the Sacramento Gold punched their ticket with a 5-2 win over the Sonoma County Sol last Saturday, FC Hasental earned their first Open Cup berth with a 2-0 win over the San Diego Flash.

In a game hosted by the Flash, FC Hasental withstood some early first half pressure from the home team before scoring the opening goal on a Armando Gaitan free kick. Gaitan’s free kick came from over 30 yards out to five Hasental a 1-0 lead on a team that they had never defeated in league play (0-2-2).

Just before halftime Hasental doubled their lead when a corner kick by Augustine Cazares found Gustavo Villalobos in the 42nd minute, marking the first time the club had scored multiple goals against the Flash in four previous all-time meetings. They were able to hold on in the second half to secure their first win over the Flash.

“We made US Open Cup qualification a real priority this year,” said Hasental manager Eric Warner. “In the past we challenged players’ technique and insight, and took more chances. This year we’re playing primarily to win and we were fortunate enough to do that.”

Hasental qualifies after falling short in 2009, 2010 (USASA Region IV tournament) and 2012. The club lost a tight 1-0 game to the Fullerton Rangers in the semifinals of last year’s NPSL tournament.

“The result was reflective of how competitive the guys are,” said Hasental midfielder Agustin Cazarez. “We felt we were the better team and had to prove it by winning.”

Hasental and Sacramento join Lehigh Valley United Sonic, Chattanooga FC and the Madison 56ers as the confirmed NPSL entries for the 100th US Open Cup. Three spots remain and will be announced by the league at a later date.

Hasental’s first goal by Armando Gaitan

Hasental’s second goal by Gustavo Villalobos

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental 2:0 San Diego Flash

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold

2013 US Open Cup entries: NPSL

1.) Chattanooga FC
2.) Lehigh Valley United Sonic
3.) Madison 56ers
4.) Sacramento Gold
5.) FC Hasental
6.) To be announced
7.) To be announced*
8.) To be announced*
* Will begin play in the Qualifying Round on May 7

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Saturday’s NPSL “Win & You’re In” to decide who will join Sacramento Gold in Open Cup (video)

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The National Premier Soccer League’s Western Conference US Open Cup qualifying tournament will wrap up this weekend when the San Diego Flash take on FC Hasental in a “Win & You’re In” match on Saturday. The winner will join the Sacramento Gold in the 100th edition of the tournament who punched their ticket with a convincing 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol back on March 23.

The Western Conference represents two of the NPSL’s eight spots in the Open Cup, with three teams yet to be announced by the league.

The qualifying tournament was split into the conference’s north and south divisions. All five teams took part from the Northern Division and the Gold cruised their way into the championship game with back-to-back shutouts over newcomers CD Aguiluchos USA (3-0) and Real San Jose (2-0).

The Sol entered the tournament as the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. In fact, they have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009. They used their experience and skill to crush the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 in the semifinal round while getting goals from Brandon Boone, Chris Daly and the Hurst brothers Tyler and Trevor.

WIN & YOU’RE IN
FC Hasental at San Diego Flash
March 30 – 5 p.m. PT
Del Norte High School
San Diego, CA

The Northern Division’s “Win & You’re In” match came down to the Sol, who ran away with the division crown last year with a 4-0-2 record, and the Gold, who finished second last year. In the opening 20 minutes, it appeared as though the Sol, who swept both games against the Gold last year by a combined score of 8-3, were going to make another Open Cup appearance.

Sonoma’s Ross Middlemass opened the scoring in the 18 minute, but it was all Sacramento after that. The Gold scored five unanswered goals, including a hat trick and an assist by Manolo Pina.  Clemente Fonseca also scored and assisted on two other goals, including a goal by John Jones II. With the win, the Gold become the first Sacramento-based club to qualify for the US Open Cup since the Sacramento Knights of the NPSL (then known as the MPSL) reached the Second Round in 2004. If they are lucky enough to host their opening round game, that will mark the first time an Open Cup game has been played in the city of Sacramento since 1982.

In the other bracket, both first round games were forfeited, as the Las Vegas Stallions and Orange County Spartans did not properly register their players. This sent FC Hasental and San Diego Boca into the final four where they were matched up against the Santa Clarita Storm and the San Diego Flash, respectively.

In what was a theme that weekend, the Storm scored an early goal, but Hasental rallied with goals from Manuel Cazares and Alberto Anguiano to win 2-1. (SEE highlights below)

In the other semifinal, it was a San Diego derby as the Flash came back to beat San Diego Boca 4-2. Boca got on the board early with goals from David Luquen and Joe Schloss in the first 15 minutes. However, just like the other two games, the team that fell behind early came roaring back as the Flash scored four unanswered goals from Brandon Zuniga, Daniel Ortega, Justin Picou, and Andy Ortega.

The Flash will host the “Win & You’re In” match against FC Hasental on March 30 at 5 p.m. local time at Del Norte High School. If Hasental wins, it will mark their first appearance in the US Open Cup, but if the Flash qualify, it will be the franchise’s first time in the tournament since 2001 when they were a professional team in the USL’s A-League. (Highlights below)

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School (San Diego, CA) – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL West tournament continues this weekend; Sacramento Gold qualify (UPDATED)

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UPDATE: According to the San Diego Flash’s official website, the Orange County Spartans had to forfeit their 2-0 win over San Diego Boca due to improper player registration.

UPDATE (3/24 – 12:41 a.m. ET): The Sacramento Gold have qualified for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol.  FC Hasental also advanced to a “Win & You’re In” match next weekend with a 2-1 win over the Santa Clarita Storm. Results updated below.

The National Premier Soccer League Western Conference is holding a qualifying tournament for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, and the competition is down to six teams. Of the six remaining teams, just two will advance to the US Open Cup, and according to NPSL officials, both will begin play in Round 1.

Each division of the Western Conference will submit their winner into the 2013 Open Cup, and the Northern Division has already determined their championship game. On Saturday, March 23, the Sacramento Gold will host the Sonoma County Sol at River City High School in West Sacramento in a “Win & You’re In” match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

The Sacramento Gold reached the Northern Division final with a pair of shutout victories away from home. On March 9, they traveled to Oakland, Calif. and defeated CD Aguiluchos USA 3-0. The scoring opened with an own goal in the 31st minute, and the game remained tight until John Jones and Eliot Ricks-Chambers scored clinching goals in the 78th and 83rd minute respectively.

“We came away with a positive result but we only expect to get better,” said Sacramento coach Ruben Mora. “With a lot of returning players it will not take long to find our rhythm. You can’t say enough about the role the solid defense and goalkeeping played in the shutout.”

A week later, the Gold earned a 2-0 win at Real San Jose to punch their ticket to the final where they will face the Sol who only needed to win one game to reach the championship game. The Sol received a bye into the semifinals and defeated the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 on March 16.

The Sol are the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

In the other bracket, the final four is set with the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — traveling to San Diego to take on the Flash, while Santa Clarita will host FC Hasental. Both games will take place on March 23 and are both are scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

The Spartans were the only team that had to earn their way into the semifinals, as they defeated San Diego Boca 2-0 in the opening round. FC Hasental was scheduled to play the Las Vegas Stallions in Round 1, but according to Hasental team officials, the Stallions failed to submit the necessary paperwork for their players and were forced to forfeit. The Flash and Santa Clarita both received byes into the semifinals. The final is set for March 30.

Last year, the NPSL received 6.5 spots and the West had 1.5 berths. The Rangers qualified while the Bay Area Ambassadors claimed the “half berth.” Bay Area faced fellow California club Stanislaus United Turlock Express in a play-in game — Stanislaus United won that match 3-0 to become the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the Open Cup.

This year, the NPSL received eight spots, and three of those teams have been confirmed: FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, Madison 56ers and Chattanooga FC. According to NPSL officials, the two teams that emerge from the Western Conference will join those three teams in the first round of the US Open Cup. The remaining three teams are still to be determined, with two of them beginning their cup run in the Qualifying Round against either the US Club Soccer representative or the US Sports Specialty Association representative. The third team will begin play in Round 1.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold
River City High School (West Sacramento)

NPSL Western Conference kicks off 2013 US Open Cup qualifying tournament this weekend

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UPDATED 3/17/13

The National Premier Soccer League will enter eight teams into the 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, but those teams have not yet been announced. Six of the eight teams are expected to be chosen from the Northeast, Midwest and Southern conferences but the league’s Western Conference kicks off their qualifying tournament this tournament.

The six-team tournament for the Northern Division kicked off with the Sacramento Gold defeating CD Aguiluchos in Oakland, Calif. 3-0. The Gold move on to play Real San Jose in the semifinals on March 16. In the other semifinal the next day, the San Francisco Stompers will square off with the Sonoma County Sol. The final is scheduled to be played on March 23.

The Sol are the only team among the Northern Division teams who has qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

The following weekend, in the Southern Division, the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — play host to San Diego Boca FC in a rematch of last year’s Open Cup qualifying final. The Rangers beat Boca 3-2 last spring to earn their first Open Cup berth, and lost to the PDL’s Ventura County Fusion 6-2 after extra time in their tournament debut.

Reigning regular-season conference champion San Diego Flash and FC Santa Clarita received first-round byes in this year’s tournament and will host semifinal matches on March 23. The Flash will face either Orange County or city rival Boca, while Santa Clarita will take on the winner of the Hasental-Las Vegas match. The final is set for March 30.

Last year, the NPSL received 6.5 spots and the West had 1.5 berths. The Rangers qualified while the Bay Area Ambassadors claimed the “half berth.” Bay Area faced fellow California club Stanislaus United Turlock Express in a play-in game — Stanislaus United won that match 3-0 to become the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the Open Cup.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying
Updated 3/17/13

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental
Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans

Semifinals (March 23)
Orange County Spartans at San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT
FC Hasental at Santa Clarita
Canyon High School – 5 p.m. PT

Final (March 30)
Time/Location TBD

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23)
Sonoma County Sol at Sacramento Gold
River City High School – 7 p.m. PT

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Fullerton Rangers clinch NPSL berth, Bay Area Ambassadors reach play-in game

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Bay Area Ambassadors (left) defeated the Sacramento Gold in penalty kicks to advance to an April 28 US Open Cup play-in match against a representative from US Club Soccer. Photo: Eric Harding

The National Premier Soccer League qualifiers for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are nearly complete with one Western Conference team clinching a spot, while another put themselves one win away from the 99th edition of the tournament.

The Fullerton Rangers defeated San Diego Boca, 3-2, in their final qualifying match to punch their ticket to the US Open Cup. The club formerly known as the Santa Ana Winds before an off-season rebranding, will enter the tournament in the first round, which is scheduled to begin May 15. It was a single-elimination tournament for the Western Conference’s Northwest flight and Fullerton advanced to the final without allowing a goal. They defeated Santa Clarita Storm 5-0 on March 24 and three days later, edged FC Hasental 1-0 to reach the final against Boca.

On the north side of the conference, the Bay Area Ambassadors punched their ticket to the tournament with a win over the Sacramento Gold in a penalty kick shootout (VIDEO BELOW). It looked as though Bay Area was going to walk away winners in regulation with Brayan Walle scoring off a rebound in the 64th minute, but Sacramento’s Manolo Pina tied the game in the 82nd minute. There was no extra time played as the match was decided by penalty kicks. The shootout was knotted up at 4-4 when Bay Area goalkeeper Derek Leslie dove to his left, but was still able to get a foot on Mykell Bates’ shot down the middle to make the save. Mohamed Abalil would follow up with a goal on the next attempt to send the Ambassadors to an April 28 Open Cup play-in match that they will host against the winner of US Club Soccer’s qualifying tournament. The Ambassadors will be attempting to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2010, when they lost an opening round match against the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas, 4-2.

Bay Area’s path to the play-in game started in the Southwest Flight’s round-robin competition. They blew a 3-1 lead in the final minutes to Sonoma County Sol to finish regulation 3-3. The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks to decide the outcome, but the Ambassadors made sure that error didn’t matter as they stomped the San Francisco Stompers by a score of 8-0 to put them into the final against Sacramento. Walle and Dylan Leslie each scored a pair of goals in the victory. The Gold cruised through their group, beating Real San Jose 2-0 and North Coast Tsunami 5-0.

There was some confusion following both teams earning their respective victories as to which team would enter the Open Cup directly, and which would participate in the play-in game against a US Club Soccer representative. The league website erroneously announced that Bay Area would get the Open Cup spot, but TheCup.us later confirmed that Fullerton have indeed qualified.

Five other NPSL clubs have already booked their place in the 2012 competition, as all of the other conferences decided to submit their teams based on 2011 results. Already qualified are last year’s NPSL champion Jacksonville United, Southeast Conference co-champion Georgia Revolution, Northeast-Atlantic Conference title holder Brooklyn Italians, and Midwest Conference winner Milwaukee Bavarians (the NPSL version of the Bavarian Soccer Club). Originally the league announced the Erie Admirals would represent the Northeast-Keystone Conference, but the club elected to withdraw from the Open Cup, allowing runner-up FC Sonic to replace them (as TheCup.us had originally reported).

This is just the second year NPSL teams have been given direct access to the Open Cup. Prior to last season, clubs had to get in through the USASA’s regional qualifying tournaments.

NPSL qualifying results

West – Northern Conference
Group A
March 10: Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
March 17: Real San Jose 2:0 North Coast Tsunami
March 24: North Coast Tsunami 1:5 Sacramento Gold
Group B
March 10: Sonoma Sol 3:3 Bay Area Ambassadors*
March 17: Sonoma Sol 3:3 San Francisco Stompers (Sol win PKs 6-5)
March 24: San Francisco Stompers 0:8 Bay Area Ambassadors
* The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks

FINAL
March 31: Bay Area Ambassadors 1:1 Sacramento Gold (Bay Area win PKs, 5-4)
Bay Area qualify for the US Open Cup play-in game vs. US Club Soccer rep

West – Southern Conference
FIRST ROUND
March 24: Phoenix Monsoon 5:4 San Diego Boca (Phoenix win PKs 5-4)
March 24: Fullerton Rangers 5:0 Santa Clarita Storm

SEMIFINALS
March 25: San Diego Boca 1:0 San Diego Flash
March 27: FC Hasental 0:1 Fullerton RangersFINAL
March 31: Fullerton Rangers 3:2 San Diego Boca
Fullerton qualify for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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