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FC Motown

2025 US Open Cup Round 1: Late PK delivers Westchester SC a debut win over FC Motown

March 20, 2025 by Michael Battista

Westchester SC players celebrate after scoring a PK goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Westchester SC
Westchester SC players celebrate after scoring a PK goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Westchester SC
Westchester SC players celebrate after scoring a PK goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Westchester SC

The USL League One newcomers Westchester SC earned their first-ever US Open Cup victory over tournament veterans FC Motown on Tuesday night. A late penalty kick goal by Juan Carlos “JC” Obregón was the deciding factor in a back and forth clash at Montclair State University.

“I’m very pleased, the game itself was how we were hoping it wouldn’t go, but that said tremendous credit to Motown tonight,” Westchester head coach Dave Carton said after the game. “I thought we played well and Motown matched us, especially defensively… The boys stuck with it, stayed calm and found a way to win the game.”

Obregón, a native of nearby New York City, was called on in the 81st minute. A long ball from the left side reached the former Hartford Athletic player in the middle of the box with his back turned towards the net. With three defenders around him, Motown’s Daniel Cordeiro made contact with the attacker’s leg and sent him to the ground.

The USL journeyman and one-time Honduras national team player sent a low shot to the right corner, which Motown keeper Josh Schaffer correctly predicted but couldn’t get in front of.

“(It’s a) late game penalty to put the team ahead. That’s what we dream of, that’s what we practice for,” Obregón said after the game. “At that moment I just wanted to step up and help my team come out with a victory.”

The Motown bench protested the call and nearly equalized not long after, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The team, which reached the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) final last year, exits the tournament in the First Round for a third straight year.

The visiting WSC controlled the early portions of the match. The game’s first shot on target came from forward Prince Saydee, who attacked down the right side, cut around a Motown defender to get space in the box, and curled a shot just over the crossbar. The former Miami FC player was a key part of the attack for Westchester on the night, even if he didn’t get on the scoresheet.

Overall, Westchester’s size and speed advantage kept them in the driver’s seat for the first half hour. Motown’s only shot on target of the half came down to a free kick in the 11th minute, which was easily caught by keeper Dane Jacomen.

But as the half wore on, Motown started to do more than counter. The ball movement picked up and while they couldn’t get deep into the WSC end they were garning more ball possession time. The confidence built more, exemplified by a teamplay in the 40th minute. Erick Ruiz fed Maudwindo Germain, who juked defender Conor McGlynn multiple times to get to edge of the box. The ball was passed around outside the box before former pro Chris Bermudez struck a shot into a Westchester defender.

All of those players were regulars on the Motown team that reached the NPSL final last year. However the home side also brought in new faces. Of note, former Birmingham Legion players Eli Crognale and Anderson Asiedu, with the former starting, alongside defensive midfielder Eddie Speed – the son of Welsh international legend Gary Speed and a recent regular in the lower divisions of NYC soccer.

The second half saw Motown’s momentum really pick up. The amateurs held the ball and broke down the Westchester end of the field, though the team struggled to get more shots on target. When Westchester did get the ball, they still threatened and forced Schaffer to make some huge saves.

Obregón had a shot through traffic from the top of the box that forced the Ramapo College graduate to dive for the save early in the second half. Another long shot by him forced another diving save in the 57th. Overall, Schaffer made five saves in his first USOC start as the first choice Motown goalkeeper.

Coach Carton couldn’t give his team’s opponents anymore praise.

“We had a lot of possession and we didn’t get behind them as much as I would, and that’s down to how well they defended,” the coach said. “The keeper played well and (he) should be happy with his performance.”

In the game of inches, the penalty call decided the entire game. From his spot on the bench Carton didn’t get a good look at the foul, but praised his group for taking their time.

“It’s hard to comment because I didn’t really see it well. The FC Motown guys sounded and seemed really disappointed in it, so maybe they had a case,” Coach Carton said. “What I did like about it was that we were patient in the build up. We connected a lot of passes and we hit the ball from them for a while. So bringing the ball into a dangerous area I was happy with.”

Westchester has only played one other competitive game in their short history. The team’s first-ever USL League One match earlier this month ended 1-1, with both goals also being penalty kicks. 

“We want to score goals from open play, but we’ll take them as they get them, you know, if the ball goes across the line, we’re happy,” the coach joked.

Overall, the crowd of 500 plus fans was well entertained. Much of the crowd consisted of Westchester supporters, something that Obregón and his teammates can’t get over considering how young the club is.

“It definitely gives us a lot of optimism going into the season for for our home games,” the forward said. “The Westchester fans made the drive here and supported us and gave us unwavering support for the full 90 minutes – which helped us get that energy and pull the result.”

Westchester now waits to see who they will face in the Second Round. That could be a potential match against Hartford Athletic, who Obregón played for early in his career.

“Going back to Hartford would be heartwarming because, you know, my time there was great,” he said. “I think I left a legacy there, so it would be nice to be received by the fans.”

Scoring Summary

81’ – Westchester SC – Juan Carlos “JC” Obregón (Penalty kick)

Lineups

FC Motown: Joshua Schaffer (GK), Jean Voltaire, Matthew Leong, Daniel Cordeiro (Andrew Maia 85’), Edward Speed, Eli Crognale (Luca Campbell 60’), Stevo Bednarsky, Erick Ruiz, Maudwindo Germain (Joseph Fala 85’), Israel Neto, Christopher Bermudez (Illia Tyrkus 85’)

Unused subs: Kendell Thomas, Anderson Asiedu, David Greczek (GK)

Manager: Toure Weaver

Westchester SC: Dane Jacomen (GK), Bobby Pierre, Conor McGlynn, Kemar Lawrence, Stephen Payne, Joel Johnson Alajarin (Oluwatobilba Adewole 85’), Noah Powder, Jonathan Bolanos (Ermin Mačkić 68’), Prince Saydee (Bryan Vásquez 75’), Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., Koen Blommestijn (Samory Powder 68’)

Unused subs: Andrew Hammersley (GK), Daniel Bouman

Manager: Dave Carton

Yellow Cards

Christopher Bermudez, FC Motown 22’

Edward Speed, FC Motown 59’

Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., Westchester SC 74’

Stephen Payne, Westchester SC 90+4’

Attendance: 534

Match Broadcast:

Filed Under: 2025 US Open Cup, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2025 US Open Cup, FC Motown, Westchester SC

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: NYCFC II travels to New Jersey, dominates FC Motown 3-0

March 23, 2024 by Michael Battista

Players from NYCFC II celebrate in their First Round match against FC Motown in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: New York City FC II
Players from NYCFC II celebrate in their First Round match against FC Motown in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: New York City FC II
Players from NYCFC II celebrate in their First Round match against FC Motown in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: New York City FC II

Playing at the home of their birthright rivals, New York City FC II left Montclair State University with their first ever US Open Cup win. The reserve team from Queens, NY beat FC Motown of the National Premier Soccer League, 3-0.

“I thought the boys put in a really good effort today,” said NYCFC II head coach Matt Pilkington. “This was a different game for us because it was a competition, (a) knockout game, and we talked about how excited the guys are to play in these competitions and to test themselves… It was a really good experience for the group, and I thought they really took on the challenge really well.”

In front of 450 fans at MSU Soccer Park, and without the snow squall that ripped through the field during the previous night’s Open Cup game, the younger side came out of the gate quickly. Despite two early chances by Motown’s Joe Fala, including a header that required a diving save by Alexander Rando, the Baby Blues looked more confident with the ball.

A break down the middle by Jacob Arroyave allowed him to place the ball at the feet of captain Taylor Calheira at the top of the box. He punched a shot into the top left corner past Motown goalkeeper David Greczek in the ninth minute to make it 1-0.

The goal was Calheira’s first as a member of New York City FC II. In fact, every goal scored on the night was that player’s first goal for the team.

CARRIZO TO PUT US FURTHER AHEAD ???? #USOC24 pic.twitter.com/SWnAt3zGhq

— New York City FC II (@newyorkcityfcii) March 22, 2024

“It was a great experience to perform for the team in New York City and get my first goal,” said Calheira. “But most importantly, performing with the team we knew that we had to come out early, score early, and play well. It meant a lot being the captain, too, and leading the team.”

The visitors showed no signs of stopping and nearly capitalized on a Motown defensive error in the 16th minute. A backpass at the top of the box was intercepted by Jonathan Jimenez, who shot right at Greczek. The keeper bobbled the pass and players from both teams jostled before the ball went out for a corner.

Not long after, Jimenez sent a long ball towards the right side of the field and a running Jonathan Shore. A tic-tac-toe of passes along the top of the box left Motown out of place. Calheira sent the ball back into the middle, where it deflected off a defender before a charging Andrew Baiera pump faked the home side and put it into the right corner.

NYCFC looked poised to add to their lead as the first half wore on. When everything was said and done the reserve team outshot Motown 34 to 4 in total shots taken. Motown, veterans of the US Open Cup who hold the active streak for consecutive qualifications by an Open Division team (7), looked slow on the ball. Unable to make convincing runs into the opposing end.

Fala was able to use his size advantage against the much smaller New York players, but their numbers and ability to cut off his passes made him a hermit on offense.

Motown head coach Dilly Duka, a former Major League Soccer player and a legend with the home side, knows first hand the challenges amateur teams face in the Open Cup. Having played in multiple tournaments with Morristown it’s never been easy to get match ready two months before the regular season starts.

“That’s the thing with the amateur team. We’re pulling guys early in the year that are not as fit,” said Duka. “We’re hoping to get these experienced guys. You’re up against a team that has the chemistry, that’s been training that’s been in preseason like a New York City FC II. It’s gonna be difficult.”

At halftime, Duka opted to replace the struggling Da Fonte with Handy Coby Jean Rodriguez. The Haitian has a history of saving the team, like he did in the 2022 NPSL Championship where he scored both the late equalizer and go-ahead goals to win the title. While the midfielder brought that much needed speed, and at times shored up the holes to stop City’s transitions, he wasn’t enough.

.@newyorkcityfc HOMEGROWN BAIERA MAKES IT TWO ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/zwet1POx9m

— New York City FC II (@newyorkcityfcii) March 22, 2024

New York could have had more goals in the second half if it wasn’t for Greczek, a former pro with Swope Park Rangers, and the woodwork. In the 53rd minute a long shot by Calheira got past the keeper but hit off the left post and rolled down the goal line. A subsequent corner kick saw a shot ring off the crossbar. Motown countered and earned a corner of their own in the 59th, but a Fala header went right into the arms of Rando.

Once again, another misjudged back pass by Motown gave City II a chance to score in the 62nd. Calheira beat defender Jean Voltaire for the ball and ran into the right side of the box, shooting towards the left post. Greczek dove and stopped the ball with his fingertips, allowing his teammate to get it away.

“We’re a team that’s trying to put it together early in the year and it’s difficult fitness wise to get these guys going so early in the year,” Duka said after the game.

Still, New York was going to get a third. In the 65th minute, Calheira crossed in from the left side and found Maximo Carrizo to tap in the ball from the goalline. He and his teammates were able to celebrate in front of the traveling members of the Third Rail supporter’s group.

Taylor takes us into the lead early on ???? pic.twitter.com/fOVUTlS1Gr

— New York City FC II (@newyorkcityfcii) March 21, 2024

Despite more attempts being stopped by posts or an overworked keeper, including a hockey esc save that would impress Martin Brodeur, City would not find the net again. Still the youngsters left New Jersey with their organization’s first ever win in a knockout competition.

“We can obviously learn from tonight and we can learn from how to manage games and put games away, so we don’t have to run as much and fight as much towards the end,” said Pilkington. “I think that’s something we can take away. It’s from a learning perspective. Obviously, we don’t know who we will play yet, so once that happens, we’ll start to prepare accordingly. But I think the guys are really excited about how they played and can enjoy the moment and then look forward to the next match.”

It took NYCFC II only one Open Cup to get its first win. The first team took five.

Filed Under: 2024 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2024 US Open Cup, FC Motown, NYCFC II

2023 US Open Cup Round 1: FC Motown’s protest denied, Manhattan SC still advances, source says

March 25, 2023 by Phil Naegely

Players from Manhattan SC (red) and FC Motown challenge for a header in their First Round match in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella @sonofapitchmedia
Players from Manhattan SC (red) and FC Motown challenge for a header in their First Round match in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella  @sonofapitchmedia
Players from Manhattan SC (red) and FC Motown challenge for a header in their First Round match in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella @sonofapitchmedia

FC Motown filed an official complaint related to the 2023 US Open Cup first round match against Manhattan SC due to the field of play not meeting minimum size dimensions. This was first reported by Hudson River Blue (HRB). However, TheCup.us has learned from a source within the US Soccer Federation that the protest will be denied and Manhattan SC will advance after Wednesday’s 2-1 extra time win.

Additionally, in the team’s official protest, Motown lodged complaints about the match commissioner and other officials on site not following proper protocol, according to Hudson River Blue who obtained a copy of the official protest document sent to US Soccer.

According to the US Open Cup handbook, field dimensions must meet a minimum of 112 yards by 67 yards, which was confirmed on Wednesday by game officials according to Hudson River Blue. However, an official measurement was taken of the field and it was deemed to be too narrow. However, instead of the match official ruling on the matter in consultation with US Soccer officials before deciding to play the match or deem a forfeit in favor of FC Motown. This decision led to team ownership and coaching staff debating the best course of action per HRB.

One option was to declare a forfeit in Motown’s favor, and have the two sides then play an exhibition match to entertain the crowd. But the match commissioner stated that his officiating crew would leave if Motown took the forfeit, and wouldn’t stay for an exhibition match.

Motown now contends the demands of the match commissioner, combined with the hostile environment and persistence of match officials to for a decision before the scheduled kickoff, did not allow for a proper discussion of options. In the end, the owner of Motown who wanted the forfeit felt that having an escalating argument in public wasn’t the proper path forward. He conceded, and the game went ahead with Motown losing in extra time.

There were other issues FC Motown had with Manhattan SC’s stadium and surrounding facility on the campus of the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx.

As HRB further reports and witnessed the last point of the team’s contention in-person during the game on Wednesday:

The protest letter goes on to claim that Manhattan SC made other false statements to the US Open Cup regarding the requirements of a hosting facility. This included the distance of the locker room from the field, the minimum amount of bleacher space fans, proper ticketing infrastructure to comply with tournament standards, proper bathrooms, and a functioning scoreboard for the entire match.

This is the second year in a row FC Motown protested a US Open Cup First Round match. Last year, Motown protested that West Chester United used an illegal substitution in the team’s first round loss. The US Open Cup Adjudication & Discipline Panel ruled in favor of Motown who won the replayed match and advanced to the Second Round.

Filed Under: 2023 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2023 US Open Cup, FC Motown, Manhattan SC

2023 US Open Cup Round 1: Manhattan SC completes comeback with 2-1 extra time win over FC Motown

March 25, 2023 by Dave Einhorn

Players from Manhattan SC celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella @sonofapitchmedia
Players from Manhattan SC celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella  @sonofapitchmedia
Players from Manhattan SC celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Motown in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Bolella @sonofapitchmedia

UPDATE: FC Motown file and lose protest over field dimensions of Round One match, Manhattan advances to play Flower City Union

Manhattan SC won their opening game in the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after beating FC Motown in extra time at Marillac Field in the Bronx on Wednesday night.

After falling behind early, a pair of teenagers led the way. Bibi Karamoko equalized in the second half for Manhattan and then assisted on William Lulka’s game-winner in the 106th minute to give the USL League Two side their first-ever Open Cup win. 

Manhattan advance to take on Flower City Union of NISA in the Second Round on April 4.

In the first half, both teams traded shots on goal and fouls as they felt each other out. Manhattan SC would have a few chances as the match opened up. The best of which came in the 8th minute as a well timed low cross missed everyone’s boots in the box. Shortly after, it was FC Motown who would jump out to an early lead in the 26th minute. Franco Catania finished a pass from Samunel Nii Ashitey. There was not much the Manhattan SC goalkeeper could do as Catania’s shot found the back of the net. Manhattan SC would later be denied a penalty despite numerous claims from the players. The first half would end with FC Motown in the lead, 1-0.



Manhattan SC pushed for an equalizer in the second half, and got their reward in the 54th minute. Hakim Karamoto came to his side’s rescue as his goal tied the game at 1-1. It was all about finding a winner from then on. Manhattan SC had the best chance to grab a winner later in the half. FC Motown keeper David Greczek kept his side in the match with a diving save from a header at close range. At the end of regulation, the sides could not be separated and we headed to extra time.

FC Motown had a much larger bench than Manhattan SC. They made several changes as the match went on and looked to have the fresher legs. They dominated the first period of extra time, but couldn’t come up with a goal to show for it. Their best opportunity was a header in the 101st minute. In the second half of extra time, Manhattan SC went all in. A run from William Lulka ended with the ball in the back of the net and a 2-1 lead for his side in the 106st minute. They would absorb the pressure from Motown to see out the match and secure their place in the next round.

FC Motown coach Gideon Baah had a sober tone after the match. “Unfortunately we couldn’t finish a lot of our chances. Most of the half chances we could have buried. But for me I see it in this way; perspective wise, these things happen.”

This is, without a doubt, the most beautiful field I’ve ever seen.

On site at The College of Mt. Saint Vincent (Bronx, NY) for the #USOC2023 First Round match between Manhattan SC & FC Motown. pic.twitter.com/NfQTMRjtfS

— Michael Battista (@MichaelBattista) March 22, 2023


His counter part, Ray Selvadurai, was very proud of his squad. ““It’s a big honor and a big step. Like I mentioned before about our club, we’re a youth club that took a step into pre-professional. To play against a professional team in the next round is a great honor and I think my guys showed tonight that they could compete.”

Manhattan SC will face Flower City Union in the next round on April 4th. 

Filed Under: 2023 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2023 US Open Cup, FC Motown, Manhattan SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Nine-man Rochester NY FC survives after PK shootout vs. FC Motown

April 22, 2022 by Brendan Doherty

Rochester New York FC celebrate after advancing 4-3 in penalty kicks (2-2 draw) against FC Motown in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Rochehster NY FC

Rochester New York FC celebrate after advancing 4-3 in penalty kicks (2-2 draw) against FC Motown in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Rochehster NY FC
Rochester New York FC celebrate after advancing 4-3 in penalty kicks (2-2 draw) against FC Motown in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Rochehster NY FC

DUB https://t.co/p1YsDQtQ1N pic.twitter.com/LedpkKcHmh

— Rob ????????⚽️ (@USMNT_Rob) April 21, 2022

“What can I say… A game full of emotions, a lot of things happened. A roller coaster of emotions.”

Rochester New York FC head coach Bruno Baltazar succinctly summed up an eventful Third Round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match against FC Motown, an NPSL side from New Jersey.

Baltazar’s side, who finished the game with nine men, would eventually prevail 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout, despite FC Motown scoring a late equalizer in second half stoppage time. The game finished tied 2-2 after 120 minutes of play.

It was a dramatic penalty kick win for a club with a history full of dramatic moments. Rochester New York made a name for itself in the US Open Cup under the “Rochester Rhinos” moniker, where they reached the Open Cup Final twice. After falling short in 1996 to D.C. United, the Rhinos made history by upsetting four MLS teams en route to winning the 1999 US Open Cup title. They remain the only non-MLS side to lift the trophy since 1996.

Despite the colorful antics and rather full box score, the match started slowly. Similarly, the center official would end up casting a large shadow over proceedings but began the game by having a quiet word with Motown center back Hermanus Achterkamp rather than brandishing a card in the opening quarter hour.

RNY FC center back and captain Lamar Batista earned a booking in the 18th minute for clattering into one of the Motown players that had just sandwiched his teammate Ian Garrett. The referee had not called a foul on the initial play but deemed Batista’s retaliatory challenge worthy of a yellow card.

Rochester opened the scoring with a well-worked goal by Pedro Dolabella. Winger Jesus Batiz played a cross-field pass that Gibran Rayo cleverly dummied, allowing Dolabella to rush forward from midfield. The 22-year-old isolated Motown left back Jean-Ismael Voltaire before firing a left-footed strike past goalkeeper David Greczek in the 21st minute.

The visitors probed forward but did not threaten Philip Ejimadu in Rochester’s goal until after the home side doubled its advantage. Rayo chased down an over-hit through ball and recovered to pick out Dolabella in space in the area. The midfielder found Wilterlynd Inalien just inside the six-yard-box with his first touch and Rochester’s No. 9 did not miss from point-blank range in the 38th minute.

A minute and a half later, seven-year MLS veteran Dilly Duka pulled one back for the side from Morristown, New Jersey. Winger Ryan Peterson, another player with professional experience on his resume, controlled a long ball in the left-hand channel before finding Duka open at the top of the box. The former Columbus Crew midfielder cut left on Rochester center back Gustavo Rissi to create space before firing past Ejimadu in the 40th minute.

Just a few minutes into the second half, the screws starting to come loose for RNY. Batista came together with Motown right back Samuel Pompee and the visiting player went to ground holding his calf afterwards. The referee quickly reached for his pocket and showed Batista his second yellow card and subsequent red card in the 51st minute.

The match proceeded with neither team producing clear chances on goal until the referee was called upon. Just a minute after Motown had a penalty shout of their own, Rayo drew contact from Pompee in the area and hit the deck. Inalien stepped up to the spot attempting to give Rochester a commanding 3-1 lead in the 79th minute but Greczek had done his homework, diving low to his right and stopping the penalty to keep Motown within one.

In the 85th minute, Dolabella was shown a straight red card for connecting his arm with the head of Motown’s Federico De Oliveira in the middle of the field.

“It’s the first time in my career that I’m playing with two men down because of red cards,” Baltazar said.

In the second of five minutes of stoppage time, Kian Alberto hit a ball forward from deep in midfield towards striker Joe Fala. The former Red Bulls II defender saw his initial headed effort come back off the post but he was first to the rebound and tapped in from three yards out to send the match to extra time.

With the home side down two players, the amateur side appeared to be favorites during extra time but failed to break down a resolute Rochester defensive organization. In the 111th minute, a red card was shown to the RNY bench. After going down several times and receiving medical attention, starting goalkeeper Ejimadu was replaced by Caique in the final minute of extra time in order to face penalties.

The Brazilian shot-stopper validated the substitution by making two saves in the shootout. His opposite number, Greczek, also blocked two shots for Motown.

“Going into penalties, I told the guys ‘I have all the confidence in Dave Pekarek, our goalie coach,’” said FC Motown head coach Šaćir Hot. “He has studied them, he’s had countless hours spent watching their penalties.”

Ultimately Zack Perez shot over the bar for Motown in the sixth round of kicks and Milan Vanacker sealed the win for Rochester.

After the final whistle, victorious goalkeeper Caique ran straight to the Motown bench and required multiple teammates to pull him away from opponents. In the fracas, the referee showed him a red card.

Baltazar was introspective after the match, despite advancing after winning the shootout.

“I’m happy with the win, obviously. Happy to qualify for the next round. But unhappy with some stuff that happened in the game … especially about ourselves there are a few things that are not acceptable,” he said. “We can’t do these kinds of things.

“The last two games, we had two clean sheets and if we don’t concede goals we are closer to a win. And it was a really easy goal, we can’t concede this type of goal. With that goal Motown can come back into the game again.”

In the second half, everything started to fall apart with the red cards the Portuguese coach added.

“And after that it’s all about the sacrifice, the commitment, the passion that this team is building,” he said. “It becomes stronger today after this game. But we are still building it.

“They showed the organization, they showed the commitment, they showed the passion. It’s not easy. Motown is a good team, even if it’s coming from amateur levels. They have good players, players that could be on our team.”

Baltazar said that RNY is still far away from where they want to be, competing in their inaugural season in the new MLS Next Pro league, but they are getting there.

“Cup games are always tricky to play,” Baltazar said. “Motown is a team that likes to have the ball, that likes to play the game. And yeah, we created chances but we should have scored more goals. We scored two goals. Again, we conceded one goal in the first half that I can’t accept. We need to talk about that and we need to correct that.

“We had the penalty so we can kill the game at 3-1. I think it can kill the game but we didn’t manage to score and after that everything happened.”

Hot was philosophical about the result.

“There’s things we could have done differently if we had a second chance but you can say that about everything in life,” he said. “I think that I’m disappointed, yeah. But not necessarily heartbroken. Listen, everything we’ve done to this point is house money. This is already the farthest we’ve gotten in the Open Cup, Third Round.

“Before the game, I told everyone that we were going to live and die by the sword. Their first two goals, if you notice, we were man-to-man across the whole field. We could have been conservative and sat in but I said ‘no, you know what we’re gonna put on a show for the fans and for us and we’re gonna go out swinging.’ It’s easy to resort to sitting in, packing it in, and being boring but no one likes boring. We’re gonna play and we’re gonna have fun at the same time.

“At least we put on a show. We were always gonna put on a show.”

By taking Rochester to penalty kicks, FC Motown finishes as the furthest advancing amateur team and wins $25,000 in prize money. This broke the amateur team tiebreaker with North Carolina Fusion U-23 who also forced extra time in their match against the Richmond Kickers.

Rochester advances to the fourth round, facing New York City FC on May 11 at Belson Stadium (St. John’s University).

My ball | ????⚽️

A turning-point in the game as the outstanding David Greczek (a plumber by trade) saves a @rnyfcofficial spot-kick to keep @fc_motown in the fight.

2-1 | #USOC2022 pic.twitter.com/dSBDmwoQd5

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) April 20, 2022

The Big Man does it | ????

Joe Fala follows up a shot and pulls @fc_motown back level against @rnyfcofficial (who are playing with nine men) with just minutes to go in regular time.

2-2 | #USOC2022 pic.twitter.com/3Yr5wdjLHm

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) April 20, 2022

DUB https://t.co/p1YsDQtQ1N pic.twitter.com/LedpkKcHmh

— Rob ????????⚽️ (@USMNT_Rob) April 21, 2022

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Motown, Rochester New York FC

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: FC Motown beats first pro team in shutout of AC Syracuse Pulse

April 7, 2022 by Michael Battista

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup AC Syracuse Pulse

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup AC Syracuse Pulse
Federico De Olivera of FC Motown salutes the fans after scoring a goal against AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Peter Bonilla

There’s an honest debate to be had regarding the best run from FC Motown’s 1-0 Second Round win against professional side AC Syracuse Pulse on Wednesday. On one hand there’s Federico De Oliveira who charged into the box to strike home a pass from former Portuguese professional Samuel Pompée in the 96th minute to win the game in extra time. The other option is Motown co-owner Dan Karosen who sprinted down the bleachers at MSU Soccer Park after the ball went in the net, arms fully raised in the air and screaming his lungs out.

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With the win, FC Motown — based in Morristown, N.J., and certainly not Detroit — moved on to the Third Round for the first time in its history. The result is also the team’s first win over a professional side in the competition. It’s previous attempt was a 3-1 loss against Penn FC in 2018’s Second Round.

After the match, De Oliveira was eager to credit every member of the team for the result. From goalkeeper David Greczek who punted the ball down field to start the scoring play, to Pompée who was a key attacking defender all game.

“It’s not about individual things here,” the Portuguese expat explained. “Motown is all about family and we’re very, very proud. Very proud of ourselves, the coaching staffs, the presidents, and yeah … it was a great goal.”

Officially, this is the second straight shutout for Motown and a clean sheet for Greczek in this year’s tournament. Head coach Šaćir Hot knows this team is no stranger to good defensive outings. His group that reached the 2018 NPSL National Final was led by a stout backline that earned multiple league honors.

“I always say that championship teams have to have great defense,” said Greczek, a former New York Red Bulls homegrown player. “To hold West Chester and Syracuse back-to-back zeros is a good start. It keeps me very optimistic about this team because, again, when you have a great defense you can always do something.”

The team’s third tournament match at Montclair State University in three weeks opened up as a sluggish affair. Misty conditions became light rain over the course of the game, making the field slick and hampering both teams. Even before that though, neither side looked convincing in their attacks. The first 45 minutes produced two “shots” for each side but none were on target or, frankly, convincing.

The visiting Pulse, a first year outfit in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA, Div. 3 pro), had the size advantage but struggled to build up through the middle of the field. Syracuse focused any chance it got by trying to out-physical the home team while passing up the wings. Head coach Peter Fuller wasn’t surprised though considering his team had only started training together less than three weeks ago.

“I would’ve liked to have had a little bit more time under our belt,” the coach admitted afterwards. “Obviously we’ve been together for 18 days and had one other game. In a way, it’s a little bit almost preseason for us.”

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup AC Syracuse Pulse
FC Motown pose for a team photo prior to the club’s match vs. AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup in Montclair, NJ. The team wore shirts in support of teammate Sanclair Tueno, who was hospitalized after being involved in a car crash. Photo: Peter Bonilla

“I thought our play was real disjointed. We gave away a lot of balls that we shouldn’t have given away. We were passing when we probably should have been shooting. We were not passing when we’ve opened space, like driving at guys. I think it was a team that hasn’t been together long enough.”

That one other game was a 1-0 win against fellow NISA expansion team Flower City Union two weeks ago in the season opener. The team’s game last weekend against Chattanooga FC, which Fuller previously coached, was postponed due to snow in upstate New York. Fuller went back and forth on how much that missed extra 90 minute played into Wednesday’s result saying he and his staff had talked about it a little. In the end, he lamented that it was open for debate.

Both of Syracuse’s first half shots came from forward Alexander Satrústegui and both were blocked. If his name sounds familiar, his father Jesús María Satrústegui was a legendary player at Real Sociedad and Spain national team striker. On this night, his son worked the right wing of the field. He and right back Kyle Nuel, both former teammates at Michigan Stars FC, had great chemistry all game. But it didn’t translate into looks on the net.

Motown was similarly stuffed up during the first 45. Haitian youth international Nerlin Saint-Vil was the focus of the offense early on. His speed worked both wings and allowed him chances to cut into the middle of the field. However the former Carribean pro wasn’t able to connect on any follow-up passes due to Syracuse’s heavy pressure. On the left side, Ryan Peterson looked lost all match. Following his dramatic game-winning goal against West Chester last Friday, most attacks that went through him fizzled out quickly. By the 42nd minute, his frustration boiled over after Pulse forward Stephen MacDonald picked the ball off him. Peterson fiercely pulled back on the opposing player’s jersey to hinder the attack, earning himself a yellow card.

Feel good, Federico De Oliveira? | 🥰 #USOC2022@fc_motown got that Through-to-Third Round feeling pic.twitter.com/qJBDvv8m4E

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) April 7, 2022


Outside of this moment though, Motown succeeded in not getting pulled into a physical game. Syracuse finished the match with 28 fouls and the New Jersey sideline was visibly frustrated early on with the lack of cautions shown to them. That itself resulted in Motown head coach Šaćir Hot getting a card in the 33rd due to dissent, one minute after Fuller was shown yellow for use of “colorful language.”

“I think that our guys showed very, very good maturity and very good composure,” said Hot. “I think that it could have got real chippy if they lost their heads in the first half. They’re warriors, man. These guys are warriors.”

De Oliveira pointed out their maturity was helped by how much experience Motown has. With players like international Gidean Baah on the sideline it’s easy to see how that mentality flows through the close knit unit.

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup AC Syracuse Pulse
Federico De Olivera of FC Motown celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Peter Bonilla

“We’re not rookies,” the forward said with a smile on his face. “We’ve been here, we’ve been at the pro level. We have a lot of ex pros at Motown. So we knew what to expect. AC Syracuse have a great team. They started a really strong game. Physical, but we didn’t let ourselves down actually. We have big guys, we have physical guys, and it was just a 50-50.”

The second half opened up for both teams despite the worsening weather. Syracuse kept Motown in their own end to start but eventually the home side took more control. The offense moved the ball and kept it at midfield and in the Pulse’s end. Still, a handful of mixed-bag attempts from Saint-Vil and Peterson in a six minute span (52nd to 58th minute) were the only shots toward Macklin Robinson. Meanwhile the fouls continued to build up for the visitors with three players going into the book.

The biggest chance for both teams came back-to-back in the final three minutes. In the 86th, Min-jae Kwak fed charging second half substitute Molley Karpeh a ball following a run down the middle. The forward had open space on the right side with Motown’s Kian Alberto caught out. His right footed shot to the opposite post got past Alberto and a diving Greczek but rolled inches to the left of the post. On the subsequent play, Motown passed around the Michigan defense in the 88th minute. A long pass to Joe Fala on the edge of the box was chested down towards De Oliveira, who sliced the ball inches right of the post and off the back advertisements.

For his part, from the moment Karpeh set foot on the field in the 80th minute the game shifted. The former Maryland Bobcat had a majority of his team’s best chances for the rest of the game. Coach Fuller called him the most dangerous player on the field.

In extra time, the intensity from both teams kicked up. After De Oliveira’s goal, Syracuse nearly tied the game twice in the first extra time half. Kwak demolished a shot from the penalty arc in the 101st minute that was going upper right. Greczek managed to just get a hand on it with a jumping dive and forced it up off the crossbar. The subsequent corner was sent in by Kwak and needed a Motown defender to head it out after it was heading towards the goal line.

Syracuse had one more chance to tie the game during stoppage time of the first extra time period that will be on many of the players’ minds. A low corner kick was headed over the Motown defense by Nuel and looked to be going in. In an odd moment, Karpeh raised his leg as the ball neared the goal line, inadvertently redirecting it out of play as the whistle blew.

It’s the defining moment that goes back to what coach Fuller said; this team had only known each other for 18 days. Karpeh may have not trusted Nuel enough to let the ball go in, tried to steal the goal stat for himself, or any number of other things. But it was something a team wouldn’t do if it had chemistry.

“I’m really hoping once we get to that break (in May) and get through it I’m almost looking at that as our preseason in a lot of ways,” Fuller said. “So I’m hoping once we get to the 1st of June, I’d like to believe we’re starting to click a little bit.”

For coach Hot and his team the reaction to the win is the same as any other cup game. The chance to move and possibly play the Red Bulls, a team he and many of the Motown staff have connections to, is big. But the bigger result for the team is the sense of joy and accomplishment they give one another by doing their best. That includes their teammate Sainclair Tueno, who continues to recover in hospital following an accident last month.

“I told the guys before the game that ‘nothing’s better than making someone else happy. There’s nothing better in the world than making others happy,’” he said. “I told them today that if we battle and fight and we win, regardless of who it is, we’re gonna make each other happy. And that’s what we did today. Obviously for our guy Sainclair, he saved us a couple of times today, he was there with us. Some goal line clearances. Some close calls that could have fallen their way. I think the power of our guy up there was with us.”

Please see: Tueno’s family is currently raising money on GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses.


Scoring Summary
95’ – FC Motown – Federico De Oliveira

Lineups

FC Motown: David Greczek (GK), Hermanus Achterkamp, Mike Da Fonte, Zach Perez (Jean Voltaire 59’), Mardochée Samuel Pompée, Daniel Cordeiro, John Casey (Hayden Criollo 90’), Kian Alberto, Joseph Fala, Nerlin Saint-Vil (Marcus Hackett 108’),  Ryan Peterson (Zachary Knudson 59’), Federico De Oliveira 74’)

Manager: Šaćir Hot

AC Syracuse Pulse: Macklin Robinson (GK), Morian Moussi, Kaio Dasilva, Shaun Russell (Christian Waegelin 108’), Kyle Nuel, Min-Jae Kwak, Michael Kafari, Evan Waldrep (Alec McKinley 72′), Stephen MacDonald (Molley Karpeh 80′), Kaleb Jackson (Juan Louis 59’), Alejandro “Alex” Satrústegui Lopetegui (Bruno Rendón (59′)

Manager: Peter Fuller

Yellow Cards
Hermanus Achterkamp, Motown 4’
Ryan Peterson, Motown 42’
Kaleb Jackson, Syracuse, 51’
Kaio DaSilva, Syracuse 75’
Shaun Russell, Syracuse 82’
Federico De Oliveira, Motown 90+3’
Alec McKinley, Syracuse 120+1’

Referee: Luis Arroyo
Assistant: Joseph Paolini
Assistant: Bomer Fierro
Fourth official: Caleb Firl
Attendance: 50

Link to ESPN+ Replay

 

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, AC Syracuse Pulse, FC Motown

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: As teammate fights for life, FC Motown wins inspired replay in 90th min.

April 2, 2022 by Michael Battista

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup

FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup
FC Motown pose for a team photo prior to the club’s match vs. West Chester United in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup in Montclair, NJ. The team wore shirts in support of teammate Sanclair Tueno, who was hospitalized after an accident this past weekend. Photo: FC Motown

FC Motown forward Ryan Peterson is the only person who truly knows whether his game winning goal was a cross or a shot. Ultimately, the goal in the 90th minute won FC Motown its First Round replay against West Chester United SC, 1-0, on Friday night in Montclair, N.J. This is the first time West Chester United, who won the original game 3-2 in extra time, have ever lost in the tournament’s first round.

Motown moves on to play National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) side AC Syracuse Pulse in the next round. That game is this week, April 6, back at Montclair State University.

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The team’s win wasn’t easy physically or emotionally. The Motown players took the field knowing one of their teammates is currently battling for his life. Defender Sainclair Tueno, who came on in the original Round 1 match last week as an extra time substitute, was hit by a speeding car last weekend near Pittsburgh. He is currently in a coma and on life support.

In the days since, teammates and members of the soccer community have come together to rally around his team.

Tueno’s family is currently raising money on GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses, something Motown has helped raise funds for in the last few days.

Even after his game winning goal, surrounded by his teammates near the corner flag, Peterson knew someone was missing.

“I was just thinking about Sainclair the entire time,” Peterson said. “You know, how he’d be out there with us celebrating. So I just wanted to get it for him.

“We wanted to come get this game for him because what he brings to the table, every practice, every game, is just raw emotion and heart and we wanted to bring that out and show that even without him we could still bring out the best of our team.”

The crowd of 176 braved frigid and windy weather for the historic match at MSU (Montclair State University) Soccer Park. Motown’s successful protest regarding an illegal West Chester substitute in last week’s original game meant the two teams played in the first protest replay in the tournament’s Modern Era since 1995. In a testament to how evenly-matched both clubs were, Friday’s game was nothing like last week’s original match. Motown head coach Šaćir Hot didn’t seem surprised.

“Whoever got that one breakthrough was always going to win,” the former New York Red Bulls homegrown player explained. “That’s how all of our games versus them are. It’s never a blowout, it’s never a game that you can be complacent in and just relax. It’s always tough versus West Chester.”

That breakthrough would have to come without some key players on both sides. West Chester was missing Blaise Milanek, the goal scorer from last game who was at the center of the protest, as he continues to deal with a concussion. For Motown, former Ghanaian national team player Gideon Baah did not suit up either. The former RBNY defender cited lung issues ahead of kickoff and was kept out of the lineup. He was the team’s best defender in the original game. Combined his absence with Tueno’s and the home team was lacking in natural center back talent for the night.

Like last week, Motown came out fast to start off. The first 15 minutes saw a string of Celtic attacks against the opposing backline and goalkeeper Cameron Sanders. Last week’s goal scorer Joseph Fala nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute after tipping at a West Chester pass near midfield. Breaking through a sliding defender, the former USL Championship player beat Sanders to the ball and recovered it on the left side of the box with the keeper out of place. His shot from a tight angle rolled past the open goal, not coming close to the line with no one there to tap in either.

That quick start is where the similarities ended. The original match was defined by each team controlling one of the two halves. Motown, with arguably more high-end talent, controlled that game’s first 45 minutes and took a 2-0 lead into the break. West Chester, a squad of depth and fitness, had the endurance to control the second half and extra time to win, 3-2. The replay, however, was far more evenly contested.

Hit and hope | ????

Ryan Peterson of @fc_motown lets loose from a wild angle in the dying seconds of the game to score a wacky goal that will likely seal the win over @WCUSCPredators and a place in the Second Round.

1-0 | #USOC2022 pic.twitter.com/nR4uTpBPtZ

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) April 2, 2022

After the home team’s surge, Motown had trouble maintaining a consistent offensive attack. Haitian youth international Nerlin Saint-Vil, the star goal scorer from last week, had two to three players on him whenever he got the ball. It was rare for him to break and use his speed like he had done in the original game.

“We didn’t want to hurt us, so we just put pressure on him and we figured if we close him we keep them from getting a counter. He actually didn’t get up the field too much on us. We actually made him turn back a lot,” said West Chester head coach Blaise Santangelo. “We just want to close stuff quicker. So that we’re defending just in that grid.”

His best chance of the game was in the 15th minute. A long Motown cross from the right side headed for the opposite post. As one of his teammates extended a leg to keep it in the air, Saint-Vil went for a bicycle kick just outside of the goal area. Not able to fully connect, the ball went wide of the net.

For its part, West Chester was able to garner a lot of possession time. The USL League Two representatives found a ton of success moving along Motown’s sidelines. Carter Burris was a constant annoyance in the first 45 minutes on the right, making space and crossing into the seemingly wide open penalty area. On the left, Troy Amspacher duel threatened with the ability to cut into the middle at nearly a whim.

“We thought that if we got wide we could get up and exploit them – especially on Troy’s side,” Santangelo explained. “I don’t think we changed the point of attack quick enough. The three goals that came last week were all quick changes, attack and backside goals. We weren’t successful doing that, but we created opportunities that should be finished in the game.”

Those chances were only stopped by man of the match David Greczek. The Morristown keeper made two critical saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless. In the 25th minute, Amspacher attempted to pass up the ball just outside of the penalty area. The pass to Charles Wilson was tipped, allowing Amspacher to recover the ball away from a diving Jean Voltaire. One-on-one from the penalty spot, the Rutgers University alum extended his leg out to save what should have been the opening goal.

West Chester United FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup
West Chester United (blue) and FC Motown prepare for kickoff in their replay match at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Michael Battista

Seven minutes later, Burris’ right side crossing ability came into play again. His long pass into the box initially missed a jumping Wilson but reached a charging Spencer Burkhardt. The Seton Hall star was uncovered and his header in the goal area was somehow kept out. Greczek leaped up and caught the ball with his extended right arm, moving quickly to get under it and catch it inbounds to negate a possible corner.

Both coaches threw praise at the former Swope Park Rangers goalkeeper. Coach Hot was visibly holding back emotions when speaking about his performance after the game.

“He was due for a big one and he knows how special this game was for Sainclair,” Hot said. “He came into the locker room, actually, after the game to give us a big hug to say; ‘Thank you for trusting me’.”

The biggest takeaway from the first half was that West Chester didn’t need to wait for Motown to slow down. The original game broke down for the home side after Saint-Vil and Dilaver “Dilly” Duka came off. In the replay, the visitors were challenging consistently almost immediately.

Following the break, the game fell into a deadlock. If there was a heatmap available for this game, the second half would have its biggest reading at midfield – possibly just inside of the West Chester side. When asked about it after the match Peterson said he and his teammates just needed to play simple. As he put it, they needed to “stick to the X’s and O’s.”

“What we’ve been lacking is in the second half, we’ve been coming out too flat, too unprepared,” explained Peterson. “We wanted to make sure that coming into the second half we were on top of things. We knew the game plan. How to go forward. How to defend them.”

Celtic was able to do that even after its best players had to leave the field. Despite being his team’s best attacking option, Fala was subbed off in the 65th minute. Three minutes later, Saint-Vil went down after an attempted cross to Duka and left the game not long after. Then, almost cruelly, the former Columbus Crew player aggravated a previous injury. In the 77th minute, Duka seemingly slipped on the ball and attempted to turn while going down. He immediately grabbed his left leg and needed help getting off the pitch.

After the game, it was mentioned by team staff that Duka probably won’t be available for a few weeks.

In terms of chances, Peterson led the way in the final 45. It looked as though the striker scored the game winner in the 73rd minute. Kian Alberto’s corner kick found his head and got past Sanders before a West Chester player dove into the goal to keep it out. The linesman ruled no goal and play continued.

In terms of offense, outside of that one chance neither team had real looks on goal. West Chester especially lacked a convincing drive into the Motown end. Despite how different this game was to its predecessor it seemed destined that both teams were heading to overtime.

In the final minute, Motown made one final charge up the left side. Voltaire played the ball up to Johannes Pieles, who had come on in place of Duka. Under pressure, the second half sub jumped and headed the ball forward to Peterson who chested the ball down and ran along the penalty area’s left line. With defender Clay Moyer right next to him, the striker lifted the ball towards the goal where it dinged off the right post, deflected off Sanders, and into the back of the net.

The goal was eerily similar to another big-time score by Peterson. The former Detroit City FC player’s talent for long shots from the left side earned his former team its first-ever league title in late 2020. That game-winning goal against the Oakland Roots SC won DCFC the NISA Fall Championship at historic Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich.

Having previous experience on a NISA team, including a Fall 2021 stint with San Diego 1904 FC (now Albion San Diego), Peterson knows the challenge that lies ahead for Motown.

“We know that going into the next round it’s a NISA team, they’re going to bring it obviously representing the pro ranks,” he said. “We’re not afraid of anybody. We know what we’re capable of doing. They’re coming to us, we have the home field advantage. They’re a new NISA team, we’ve been together for years. We’re not scared, we’re up for the challenge.”

While it may not have been the action that determined the outcome, what happened after the final whistle could be the most impactful moment of the night. It isn’t rare to see a head coach talking to his players in the locker room after a match. Win or lose, usually the man in charge will take a few moments to speak to the tired group. They’ll congratulate them, console them, prepare them for what’s to come and so on. That isn’t anything new.

FC Motown logoWhat is special is when the opposing coach does it to the other team. After the game, both head coaches took time to speak to the opposing players in their respective locker rooms. For two teams that compete against one-another constantly, in multiple leagues and regional tournaments, the situation surrounding the game was harder than actually playing it. Coach Hot wasn’t didn’t hold back his feelings even after seeing his team win the game.

“I hate it. I don’t like it at all. It sucks. It’s always going to be a lose-lose,” he said. “For Blaise and I it’s always going to be bittersweet. If Blaise and them went through, I’d put on a West Chester jersey right after the game and I’d cheer for them. Under these circumstances no one ever wants to win.

“Truthfully I don’t feel great about the win but hey it’s soccer, it’s sports, that’s what happens … If you get put in that position you can never be happy. It sucks to see your friend, who came over here down 2-0 and ended up winning 3-2 in a spectacular game, gets thrown out the window for something that was small. It is what it is and we have to accept it, they have to accept it and move on.”

It’s a sentiment Santangelo shared as well. The West Chester coach noted the whole event, from win to protest to loss, is a learning experience for his young players.

“The respect is there for the players and their coaching staff. Those guys work just like we work,” Santangelo said. “It’s difficult. I think people saw West Chester and what we did last week and they know the real outcome of that game. I’m just glad that the adjudication committee at least heard our side of it.”

While the result might be hard, what comes next is easy – moving on to the next challenge. The team has a date with another northeast powerhouse, US Open Cup darling Christos FC, next Sunday in the USASA Region I Amateur Cup. That’s included with continued state league games and the upcoming summer seasons in both the NPSL and USL-2. For them, the story doesn’t end in a controversy-filled game at Montclair State.

“When you play it at this kind of level and these are high stake games – you’re gonna win some, you’re gonna lose some,” he said. “But we always go back to just getting on the training pitch. That’s most important for us.”

Scoring Summary
90’ – FC Motown – Ryan Peterson

Lineups

FC Motown: David Greczek (GK), Mardochée Samuel Pompée, Mike Da Fonte, Zach Perez, Jean Voltaire, Daniel Cordeiro, Kian Alberto, Dilly Duka (Johannes Pieles 76′), Joseph Fala (Hayden Criollo 64′), Ryan Peterson,  Nerlin Saint-Vil (Federico Deoliveira 69′)

Manager: Šaćir Hot

West Chester United SC: Cameron Sanders (GK), Shane Bradle, Clay Moyer, Levi Maruca, Ryan Fincher (Justin Jaime 90+1′), Spencer Burkhardt (Derek Ramirez 79′), Conor Bradley, Michael Gonzalez, Charles Wilson (Jacob Gosselin 40′), Troy Amspacher, Carter Burris (Samuel Brown 79′)

Manager: Blaise Santangelo

Yellow Cards
Kian Alberto, Motown 54’

Attendance: 176

Link to match broadcast (Subscription to ESPN+ required): https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/e924f18e-60fe-4d88-bb0b-b3ceacfc91e9#bucketId=2

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Motown, National Premier Soccer League, protest, Replay, USL League Two, West Chester United SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: USSF uphold Motown protest, will replay West Chester this Friday

March 28, 2022 by Michael Battista

FC Motown, West Chester United SC, Daniel Cordeiro, Dilly Duka, Joseph Fala, 2022 US Open Cup, First Round

FC Motown, West Chester United SC, Daniel Cordeiro, Dilly Duka, Joseph Fala, 2022 US Open Cup, First Round
FC Motown players celebrate following Joseph Fala’s goal late in the first half against West Chester United SC in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

As first reported by TheCup.us, U.S. Soccer upheld a protest filed by FC Motown regarding the team’s extra time loss last Tuesday to West Chester United SC. The federation announced on Sunday that the two teams will replay the full match this Friday, April 1, at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM. This is only the second time in the Modern Era (1995-present) that a result has been successfully protested into a full second match.

Motown’s protest was reviewed by the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel. In conclusion, the panel determined that:

  • West Chester United SC was permitted by the referee to field an illegal substitute.
  • The result of the March 22 FC Motown and West Chester United First Round has been voided.
  • FC Motown and West Chester United are to replay this First Round Open Cup match at the first possible date, and no later than Sunday, April 3.

The winner of this game is still scheduled to host National Independent Soccer Association side AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round on Wednesday, April 6.

When reached for comment, West Chester head coach Blaise Santangelo said he accept the outcome and his team was ready for the replay.

“It’s not often that you get the chance to play in the First Round of the U.S. Open Cup twice in the same year,” Santangelo joked.

Motown co-owner Dan Karosen told TheCup.us he believes this is the right outcome.

“Given the difficult circumstances I think U.S. Soccer got to the correct decision,” he said. “Unfortunately, there was a rules violation that impacted a terrific game. A fresh start replay gives both teams a chance to move in the Open Cup under normalized game conditions.”

Karosen also said that U.S. Soccer confirmed the match will be broadcasted. Unlike the original game, it will not be on ESPN+, though. This likely means the replay will be shown on the federation’s YouTube page.

The protest stemmed from an incident late in the second half of the original game. West Chester forward Blaise Milanek tied the score at 2-2 in the 78th with a jumping header off a long cross by Levi Maruca. Following the goal, Milanek was visibly unsteady and checked on by teammates. As he left the field to be looked at by medical staff, fourth official Rafael Martinez told West Chester head coach Blaise Santangelo that his team could use a “temporary sub” while Milanek was checked out. The official told this to the coaching staff multiple times. United’s Ryan Fincher entered the game at that point. In the 84th minute, Milanek returns to the game and Fincher exits the field. The goal scorer remained in the game for the rest of regulation before being subbed out “officially” between the second half and first extra time half.

In it’s ruling, U.S. Soccer noted that this fact was not disputed by any parties. The panel also noted that the Fourth Official was the party that presented the possibility a player re-entering the match after exiting via a Concussion Substitution Card. This is likely what saved West Chester from a forfeit loss.

Motown and West Chester are no strangers to one-another. The two teams are members of three shared leagues (National Premier Soccer League, USL League Two, and the regional Northeast Elite Soccer League) and regularly compete in USASA Region I tournaments. That familiarity that helped convince Karosen to protest the last game after finding out about the substitute, noting just how much of a coin-flip the original game was. Had this been a blowout loss, Motown probably wouldn’t have used resources to file this protest. But considering the close outcome, team officials agreed that they needed to intervene. That meant protesting a result against a club which Karosen, in the words of coach Santangelo following West Chester’s original win, communicates with almost every day.

“We have a great relationship and have the utmost respect for the West Chester United program. We feel that they are one of the best in the nation and played a terrific game on Tuesday,” Karosen explained. “Unfortunately, this situation is unique and given the stakes we had a duty to our players to protest the result. Hopefully, as we move on from this, the heated feelings from Tuesday’s game will dissipate and our relationship will get back on track. What people don’t realize is that these amateur clubs don’t have the huge support staff to vet every rule and protocol. These things happen unfortunately at our level.”

Motown actually faced a similar situation last season in the NPSL. The team’s Keystone Conference regular season title hopes were crushed after a June 2021 Motown win, 2-1, was protested by Atlantic City FC. Motown unintentionally made a roster violation that wasn’t caught by either the team or fourth official. The result was overturned into a 3-0 win for ACFC and Motown finished in the season third place, having to go on the road for the playoffs.

“We know how painful it is for West Chester and sympathize with that,” Karosen said. “That being said, we are at a high enough level where you have to follow rules and protocols and have to accept the decision of U.S. Soccer.”

The committee’s decision means that the first game, essentially, never happened. That includes nullifying the red card earned by Motown goal scorer Joseph Fala. Karosen confirmed that he along with most, if not all, of the players from last Tuesday should be available for the replay. It also means Motown’s two best players, former Major League Soccer star Dilly Duka and Haitian youth international Nerlin Saint-Vil, have a chance to heal up.

The two players were the stars for the New Jersey side last Tuesday. Saint-Vil especially was a menace to West Chester’s back line. His speed was unmatched and he worked as a key connector in almost all of Motown’s attacks. Either he was the one spearing threw the defense himself, passing off to other players, or even running the entire length of the field to hamper an opposing offensive player.

However, he played nearly all of the first half with an ankle injury that forced him out of the game in the 53rd minute. Duka, who had been injured in the team’s friendly against Penn State University 48 hours prior, only lasted 45 minutes.

“As we expected going in, we felt we had more difference makers but they had a more fit and cohesive team,” Karosen said. “ The results of that played out as we had a dominant first half and they had a dominant second half and extra time.

He continued on by saying “Dilly and Nerlin are two of the best players in amateur soccer that we could find in a 20 million person metro area. We just don’t have subs who can replicate their ability… The game changed when those players came out.”

Replays are nothing new in the U.S Open Cup. Historically, they were commonplace in the tournament’s early editions. This was helped by the fact that if a match ended in a tie, a replay would be played at the visiting team’s grounds. However, replays due to rule violations were also just as common – with the inaugural National Challenge Cup having two separate protested results that led to replays.

Read: The First Cup: Farr Alpaca’s protest upheld as Second Round draw announced (Nov. 8, 1913)

Read: The First Cup: USFA reverses, orders replay of Niagara Falls Rangers, MacNaughton Rangers Second Round match (Jan. 6, 1914)

In the Modern Era (1995-present), a successful protest and replay is much rarer. There has only been one other protest since 1995 that resulted in a replay. On June 11, 1995, the Richmond Kickers (USISL Premier League) defeated Fairfax Spartans SC (USASA), 5-2, in a First Round match. Spartans SC filed a protest, claiming that they were not given enough notification for a change in kickoff time. They won and a replay was ordered for June 18, where the Maryland club once again lost, 6-1. The Spartans attempted to protest again by saying Richmond used ineligible players, five of which were injured, but were denied. The Kickers went on to win the 1995 tournament over the El Paso Patriots, 1-1 (4:2 on penalty kicks).

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Motown, protest, Replay, West Chester United SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: FC Motown protests West Chester United result, cites substitution rule

March 24, 2022 by Michael Battista

West Chester United Blaise Milanek FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup

West Chester United Blaise Milanek FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup
Players from West Chester United gather around Blaise Milanek following his goal against FC Motown in their First Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

UPDATE (March 27, 2022): U.S. Soccer has upheld FC Motown’s protest against West Chester United SC. The original result from Tuesday, March 22, a 3-2 extra time win for United, has been nullified. This has been confirmed individually with both teams.

The two sides will play a Full Replay of their First Round match this Friday, April 1, at Montclair State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM. No broadcast information has been announced.


Original story

The first game of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is being protested.

FC Motown is appealing the result of its 3-2 First Round extra time loss to West Chester United SC from Tuesday night. The reasoning stems from an alleged violation of Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and FIFA rules in regards to player substitutions. The New Jersey team filed to injunction on Wednesday afternoon to US Soccer. This has been confirmed by both teams and the USSF.

The matter will now be reviewed, discussed, and ruled on by the US Open Cup Adjudication & Discipline Panel. West Chester is currently scheduled to host AC Syracuse Pulse of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) in the Second Round on Wednesday, April 6.

TheCup.us has received a confirmed copy of Motown’s protest letter to US Soccer. In it, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side claims West Chester received a “competitive advantage” after Protocol B of the substitution rules were not properly followed.

The point of contention came immediately after West Chester’s tying goal in the 78th minute. After Blaise Milanek headed in Levi Maruca’s pass, the now prone scoring player remained on the ground, visibly shaken. His teammates crowded around him and Milanek held his head and remained seated on the ground for over a minute. This moment was captured and shared in the tweet below.

Blaise Milanek ‘21 puts his body on the line ????

The alum uses his head off a wonder cross to level @WCUSCPredators and send them to the next round of the @opencup.#GoLehigh pic.twitter.com/HHceFI3bhp

— Lehigh Men's Soccer (@LehighMSoccer) March 23, 2022

Following this, Milanek exits the field of play and is examined by medical staff.

The protest stems from what happened next.

In the 79th minute, U.S. Soccer’s official match report lists Ryan Fincher as coming in for Milanek. This was observed by TheCup.us contributor Matt Ralph (BrotherlyGame.com) and the match commissioner in the press box across the field at Montclair State University. However, it is not listed on other publicly available match reports such as ESPN.

In the 84th minute, five minutes after walking onto the sideline, Milanek returns to the game and Fincher exits the field. The goalscorer remained in the game for the rest of regulation before being subbed out “officially” between the second half and first extra time half. Reports such as ESPN confirm that Clay Moyer entered the game at this point.

The 2022 US Open Cup Handbook, Finalists’ Edition states in Section 303 “Match play” that:

“(a) Each team will be allowed to select not more than 18 players from its official league roster who shall be designated for its match day roster… A team may use not more than 3 substitutes from its match day roster unless a match proceeds into extra time, in which case an additional substitution shall be granted… Once a player leaves the match and is replaced by a substitute, the player leaving may not re-enter the match. As permitted by the Laws of the Game, the Committee may consider adding a provision for additional substitutions for a player suffering a concussion injury.”

When reached for comment, West Chester United head coach Blaise Santangelo told TheCup.us that this error solely fell on fourth official Rafael Martinez. As Milanek left the field, Martinez approached the head coach and told him he had a “temporary sub”. Santangelo questioned this and even doubted that was allowed in the tournament. Martinez insisted that the team could replace the injured player since he was suspected of having a concussion.

Santangelo provided TheCup.us videos of the match’s ESPN+ broadcast feed. In it, an unseen person, who Santangelo says is fourth official Rafa Martinez, is heard saying the USL League Two team has a “temporary sub”.

https://thecup.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Image-from-iOS.MOV-1.mp4

https://thecup.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Image-from-iOS.MOV.mp4

 

Martinez was applying rules previously in place by the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and currently used by MLS Next. The rules currently used by the latter allow teams to make temporary substitutions while players being evaluated for concussions are checked by medical staff.

Quote (Page 11):

“The temporary substitution will not count against the team’s total number of allowed substitutions or substitution moments. If the player being evaluated has received clearance from the HCP or an ATC to return to the game, that player may re-enter at any stoppage of play and must replace the original temporary substitute, who will remain an available substitute and will be permitted to re-enter the game.”

Like most US Soccer leagues and competitions, the US Open Cup has added “concussion substitutes” in the time since the 2019 tournament concluded. The 2022 US Open Cup is participating in the International Football Association Board trial of additional concussion substitutes, specifically utilizing Protocol B (the same in place for all U.S.-based professional leagues this year). This all can be found in the Open Cup handbook under the “Concussion Substitution Trial” section. But in essence: Each team receives up to two ‘concussion substitutes’. For each concussion sub used, the opposing team receives one additional substitution.

In no place does the rulebook allow a player who is suspected of being concussed to be temporarily substituted out of the game.

In this situation, the match commissioner was not seated at midfield between the two benches, which is common, but according to US Soccer, it is not a requirement. Instead, he was seated in the press box across the field. This meant an official, who may have known the correct ruling procedure, was not readily available to directly aid any of the other match officials. While he was reachable in the press box, a US Soccer official claims the match commissioner was not consulted.

Also, as the home side, Motown is required to produce two complete sets of cards for each team (one set each) to use for substitutions. These cards are color coded for normal substitutions (white, five cards), concussion substitutions (pink, 2 cards), and additional substitutions (blue, 2 cards). According to the source, and confirmed by Santangelo himself, Motown did not provide any colored cards for concussion subs. Each team only received white cards to use.

Coach Santangelo is ready to accept whatever ruling US Soccer hands down. However, he made it clear that he believes his team’s performance on the field should speak for itself.

Realistically, U.S. Soccer has four options in regards to this protest.

  1. The protest is thrown out (unlikely considering the evidence)
  2. The protest is upheld, West Chester is disqualified and Motown advances
  3. The protest is upheld, the game is restarted entirely
  4. The protest is upheld, the game is restarted from the point of the error (84th minute, the point where Milanek re-entered the match, score tied 2-2)

Interestingly, if option four is chosen it wouldn’t be the first time it has happened in US Soccer in the last six months. In October 2021, a USL Championship match between The Miami FC and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds was replayed starting from the 67th minute, 11 days after originally completing. Following the original game, which finished 0-0, it was revealed that a match official erroneously disallowed a Pittsburgh goal. The error, described as a misapplication of the FIFA Laws of the Game, forced a replay from the moment of the infraction and the Riverhounds went on to win a 23 minute game, 1-0.

Interesting note: Miami played FC Motown in the 2018 NPSL National Championship. So both teams from that final may very well compete in separate shortened replays (due to referee error) within half-a-year of each other.

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Motown, protest, US Open Cup, West Chester United SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: West Chester United kicks off tournament with comeback win

March 24, 2022 by Michael Battista

West Chester United vs FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup

West Chester United vs FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup
Players from West Chester United (blue) and FC Motown battle for the ball in their First Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

A second-half comeback and extra time goal from Jacob Gosselin lifted West Chester United SC over regional rival FC Motown, 3-2, at Montclair State University. The eastern Pennsylvania powerhouse came back from two goals down and will now play AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round next month.

This was the first US Open Cup tournament proper game since Atlanta United FC won the 2019 championship. 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

The two teams that kicked off the 107th tournament are no strangers to each other. Motown and West Chester compete in multiple leagues together (USL League Two, National Premier Soccer League, Northeast Elite Soccer League). Even the organization’s state league squads face off constantly in USASA Region I competitions.

West Chester head coach Blaise Santangelo said after the game that he and the Motown staff text each other nearly every day.

“We have mad respect for each other. I can actually say we actually love each other,” Santangelo said. “You know, you have friends in the game and you all go through the same shit with your teams. It’s nice to be able to talk to people that go through the same shit, especially us as volunteers.”

When two sides know each other that well, the edge is going to come down to the smallest thing. For West Chester the game came down to two things; fitness and a Motown injury. 

In the first half, the game revolved around one player. Former Haiti Under-23 Nerlin Saint-Vil tore apart the Predators with devastating speed. The visiting midfielders couldn’t contain him on the wide open field. Officially on ESPN, the former Caribbean professional was listed as a midfielder. But at times he’d play so far back he almost resembled a defender on the backline.

Then one second later on the ball, he’d be 20 yards down field making space for a shot attempt. Of his team’s seven shots in the first half, Saint-Vil took three. Just looking at the ones on target; he took three of his team’s four.

What makes this all even more impressive is that the young star did this all while injured. In the seventh minute, a collision with a West Chester player sent Saint-Vil to the ground where he needed help off the field. Despite coming back in for the rest of the half he showed signs of distress. He’d go down two more times and was seen consistently hunching over until he was subbed off in the 57th minute.

Motown co-owner Dan Karosen said that his player suffered a nondescript ankle injury. 

“Obviously he was our huge matchup advantage,” Karosen said. “He is possibly one of the best players in amateur soccer who really shouldn’t be with us right now… Losing him allowed them to press higher because they had to put two men back with him.”

Saint-Vil opened the scoring in the 10th minute. After breaking through United’s lines, an unassisted half volley from outside the box sipped past a stunned Cameron Sanders to give Motown the early lead. With him on the field, the Predators played in a style that isn’t typical of them; on the backfoot. In stoppage time, Saint-Vil made space again and fed former New York Red Bulls’ II player Joseph Fala on a break. 

Sanders came out to challenge the Cape May, New Jersey native on the left side, but the forward slipped the ball past him to double his team’s lead.

“I think we were a little nervy in the first half,” Santangelo admitted. “We weren’t connecting passes even when we were not being pressured. We still were turning balls over in the midfield. So once we got that done and dealt with that in the locker room, the guys came out and they performed right off jump.”

After the break, West Chester’s second advantage also came to light. Motown’s offense mostly went through Saint-Vil, former Major League Soccer star Dilly Duka, and Ryan Peterson. All three men were subbed out in the final 45 minutes. The replacements, especially Marcus Hackett for the Haitian, did not have the pace to keep up with West Chester.

One major advantage United had was its fitness. Both Santangelo and Karosen both admitted much ahead of the game. As the senior team in a large soccer program, the game never stops in West Chester. The PA side’s head coach explained after the game that outside of one weekend for New Years, his team had trained all winter. Not only with one another, but against other teams including friendly wins against Lansdowne Yonkers and professional New York Red Bulls II.

Levi Maruca scored possibly the goal of the tournament to start the comeback. Coming into center from the left side of the field, his right footed blast from the outside of the box sailed past a diving David Greczek. 

My favorite part of the video I captured of Levi Maruca’s goal for @WCUSCPredators last night is whoever yelled “hit it!” pic.twitter.com/UkrKzLX0h9

— Matt Ralph (@MattRalph_) March 23, 2022

From this point, West Chester controlled the pace of play. In the first half the offense rolled through Troy Amspacher on the right. While the forward continued to lead the team in shots his set-up passes were coming from all around. Motown’s defense tried to withstand the attacks with Ghanaian international and former RBNY player Gideon Baah showing why his addition to the team made waves. Towards the end of the game and into extra time, Baah was still able to beat multiple WCU attackers in one on one duels and served almost as a moving brick wall.

With the game winding down, Maruca used his long ranged ability one more time. In the 78th minute the Goldey-Beacom College product once again found himself on the left side with the ball. Knowing United was having success man-to-man up top, Maruca launched a kick into the box towards the net. Blaise Milanek jumped up and headed the ball towards the opposite net to tie the game. The second performance earned Maruca MVP honors from his coach following the match.

Blaise Milanek ‘21 puts his body on the line ????

The alum uses his head off a wonder cross to level @WCUSCPredators and send them to the next round of the @opencup.#GoLehigh pic.twitter.com/HHceFI3bhp

— Lehigh Men's Soccer (@LehighMSoccer) March 23, 2022

A confusing moment took place after the goal. Milanek looked unable to continue playing, needing help to reach the sidelines with concussion-like symptoms. Ryan Fincher entered the game for him in the 79th. However, in the 84th minute Milanek was back on the field.

This situation is currently being looked into.

With neither team able to break the deadlock, regulation ended with the score tied 2-2. There, West Chester only needed five minutes to score the game winner. In an outstanding play, second-half substitute Derek Ramirez sent a pass to the left and found Carter Burris. His first touch on the ball was a pass into the middle for a charging Gosselin to slam it into the top netting.

GAME WINNER…3-2. JAKE GOSSELIN ????????????in OT from Burris & Ramirez! All 3 of these players came off the bench as they ALL do to make an impact! It takes a TEEAAMM! @BrotherlyGame @USLLeagueTwo @ussoccer @usopencup @USLPA @PennFusion_SA @MattRalph_tBG @NPSLSoccer pic.twitter.com/NjtOxq66aj

— West Chester United SC (@WCUSCPredators) March 23, 2022

A 101st minute attempt nearly saw Motown tie the game back up. A long kick into the box found Fala’s head, who redirected the ball into the net before seeing the official’s flag up. Just before the first ET ended Fala was involved in another call at the other end of the field and responded by kicking the ball into the back wall. Already on a yellow card, the referee told him that this was his last warning. In the second half with his team struggling to get convincing looks, Fala took a WCU player from behind and was shown a second yellow and red card.

“Pretty devastating loss given (that the New York) Red Bulls were on a clear path (from here),” Karosen said. “We’ll just have to regroup.”

The loss mirrors Motown’s last US Open Cup game. The team fell in a penalty kick shootout on the same MSU field against New York Red Bulls U-23 in the 2019 First Round, 

For West Chester, a Second Round match against a professional team isn’t anything new. In 2019 the team played USLC’s Birmingham Legion FC to a 4-1 loss. Looking ahead to Syracuse, Santangelo thinks training will just continue as normal. 

“It’s probably gonna be more the same. We might decide how we’re gonna play a little differently, but we’ll continue to train and play leading up to it,” he said.

Scoring Summary
10’ – FC Motown – Nerlin Saint-Vil
45+1’ – FC Motown – Joseph Fala (Nerlin Saint-Vil)
56’ – West Chester United SC – Levi Maruca (Shane Bradley)
107’ – West Chester United SC – Blaise Milanek (Levi Maruca)
107’ – West Chester United SC – Jacob Gosselin (Carter Burris)

Lineups

FC Motown: David Greczek (GK), Gideon Baah, Mike Da Fonte, Zach Perez (Jean Voltaire 57′), Mardochée Samuel Pompée, Dilly Duka (Orlando Neto 45′, Armel Sainclair Tueno 100′),  John Casey, Daniel Cordeiro, Joseph Fala, Ryan Peterson, Hayden Criollo 77′), Nerlin Saint-Vil (Marcus Hackett 57′, Johannes Pieles 115′)

Manager: Šaćir Hot

West Chester United SC: Andres Vasquez (GK), Kervin Fadel, Jacob Graiber, Andy Lomeli (Max Todd 115’), Pau Mateo (Alan Rubio 103’),  Giann Magno, Jesus Perez, Peder Olsen, Amine Airaki (Ezau Millan 46’), Mounir Alami (Isiah Nieves 82’) , Ricardo Avalos (Bukola Abdulwahab-Omotose 66’)

Cameron Sanders (GK), Shane Bradle, Luca Mellor, Levi Maruca, Blaise Milanek (Clay Moyer 90′), Spencer Burkhardt (Derek Ramirez 90+2′), Thomas King (Carter Burris 27′), Conor Bradley, Michael Gonzalez, Charles Wilson (Jacob Gosselin 74′), Troy Amspacher

Manager: Blaise Santangelo

Yellow Cards
Daniel Cordeiro, Motown 54’
Joseph Fala, Motown 59’
Jean Voltaire, Motown 83’
John Casey, Motown 90’
Orlando Neto, Motown 93′
Luca Mellor, West Chester 101′
Conor Bradley, West Chester 109′
Armel Sainclair Tueno, Motown 111′
Hayden Criollo, Motown 117′

Red Cards
Joseph Fala, Motown 114’

Attendance: 323

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Motown, West Chester United SC

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U.S. Open Cup History

Jim Gregory, president of Charleston Battery supporters group The Regiment (right), presents the Coffee Pot Cup to Sachin Shah after D.C. United's 2-0 win in the 2004 Carolina Challenge Cup. Photo: Mike Buytas

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