Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Fresno Fuego

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Fresno Fuego Future cruise into US Club Soccer final; other semifinal delayed

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The semifinal round of the US Club Soccer US Open Cup qualifying tournament kicked off this weekend, but only one game was able to be completed. The Fresno Fuego Future had no trouble reaching the final, but the same couldn’t be said for the other semifinal which suffered a power outage during extra time, forcing the game to be suspended.

After a 1-1 draw in regulation, the match between Los Gatos Storm and San Ramon FC was suspended with 13 minutes left in the second extra time period. US Club Soccer has decided that Los Gatos will host a full replay of the match to decide who will join the Fuego Future in the title game. The date and time of the match is still to be determined.

For the second year in a row, US Club Soccer is conducting a qualifying tournament to determine their lone entry in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The eight-team field is made up of teams from the NorCal Premier Soccer League. The winner of the April 27 final will enter the Open Cup in the Play-In Round on May 7 against an opponent from the NPSL.

Forward Tyler Reinhart scored a hat trick to help the Fresno Fuego Future dominate Cap FC 10-2 Saturday at Clovis East High School in Clovis, Calif.

Reinhart scored in the 11th, 44th, and 55th minutes, while also setting up two goals to help the Fuego cruise into the US Club Soccer US Open Cup qualifying tournament final which is scheduled for April 27.

The Fuego Future, who also have a club that competes in the PDL, started off the game fast with Eligio Morales breaking the deadlock after being sent behind the defense by Reinhart in just the 8th minute.

Three minutes later, Fresno doubled their lead when Reinhart beat the keeper from 18 yards out off a scuffed clearance from a Cap FC center back.

Gatson Cignetti and Paul Islas each put one in the back of the net in addition to first-half braces from Reinhart and Morales to push the score to 6-0 at the break.

Islas completed a brace of his own shortly after halftime to push the game even more out of reach. After Reinhart completed his hat trick in the 55th minute, the Fuego opted to sub out some of their players, even going down to 10 men for the last few minutes of the game.

Nevertheless, there was still scoring to be done. Cap FC exposed Fuego’s new recruits with two quick goals from Uriel Guevara and Luis Arce in the 53rd and 62nd minutes respectively.

But it was too little, too late as Fresno capped off the night with a fourth and final brace, this time from prospect Jose Segura.

The final will essentially be a home game for the Fuego as it will take place at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, Calif.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: US Club Soccer

Bracket A PTS W L D GD
x-San Ramon SC 9 3 0 0 +11
x-Cap FC 6 2 1 0 +6
North Coast Tsunami 3 1 2 0 -4
Southern Oregon Fuego 0 0 3 0 -13

March 16
Cap FC 0:3 San Ramon SC
North Coast Tsunami 1:0 Southern Oregon Fuego

March 23
Southern Oregon Fuego 0:5 San Ramon SC

March 24
Cap FC 4:2 North Coast Tsunami

March 29
San Ramon SC 3:0 North Coast Tsunami

March 30
Southern Oregon Fuego 0:7 Cap FC

Bracket B PTS W L D GD
x-Fresno Fuego Future 7 2 0 1 +3
x-Los Gatos Storm 6 2 1 0 +3
Stanislaus United 2 0 1 2 -1
Bullard United 1 0 2 1 -5

March 16
Fresno Fuego Future 1:0 Los Gatos Storm

March 17
Los Gatos Storm 3:2 Stanislaus United

March 22
Bullard United 0:3 Los Gatos Storm

March 24
Stanislaus United 2:2 Fresno Fuego Future

March 27
Fresno Fuego Future 3:1 Bullard United

March 30
Bullard United 1:1 Stanislaus United

Tiebreakers: (1) Head-to-head (2) Goal diff. (3) Goals for (4) Goals against (5) Most shutouts
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Semifinals (April 6)
Cap FC 2:10 Fresno Fuego Future
Los Gatos Storm at San Ramon FC*
* The game was suspended when the lights went out at the stadium with the score tied 1-1 in extra time. Make-up date TBA

Semifinals (Replay – Date TBD)
San Ramon FC at Los Gatos Storm

Final (April 27)
Fresno Fuego Future vs. Los Gatos Storm/San Ramon FC
Chukchansi Park (Fresno, CA)

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Eight US Club Soccer teams battling for tournament berth (UPDATED)

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UPDATED 4/6/13 – 2 p.m. ET

For the second year in a row, US Club Soccer (USCS) is holding a qualifying tournament to decide a spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This year, eight teams, all of them based in the league NorCal Premier Soccer”, are taking part, with the winner taking on a National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) team in the Qualifying Round.

The eight teams are divided into two groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals for a single-elimination tournament. The team that emerges will qualify for the 100th edition of the US Open Cup, which is scheduled to begin on May 7.

Bracket A features San Ramon SC, Cap FC and a pair of former NPSL clubs, North Coast Tsunami and Southern Oregon Fuego.

The other bracket includes some familiar names, headlined by Stanislaus United, who last year became the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the US Open Cup. Also in Bracket B are the Fresno Fuego Future, which is a club under the umbrella of the PDL team of the same name. In fact, the Fresno Fuego PDL side were the team that knocked Stanislaus United out of the Open Cup in the opening round last year, 2-0.

Los Gatos Storm are in Bracket B, as they make their third attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup. In 2010, they made history as the first USCS team to register for the Open Cup. They were the lone entry that year, and since the USSF had no place to put them, they created a play-in game between them and the reigning NPSL champions, Sonoma County Sol. The Sol won that game 3-0. In 2011, USCS did not receive a spot in the tournament, but last year, the Storm tried to qualify again, but lost to Stanislaus United in the single-elimination qualifying tournament. The fourth team in the bracket is Bullard United who are based in Fresno.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: US Club Soccer

Bracket A PTS W L D GD
San Ramon SC 9 3 0 0 +11
Cap FC 6 2 1 0 +6
North Coast Tsunami 3 1 2 0 -4
Southern Oregon Fuego 0 0 3 0 -13

March 16
Cap FC 0:3 San Ramon SC
North Coast Tsunami 1:0 Southern Oregon Fuego

March 23
Southern Oregon Fuego 0:5 San Ramon SC

March 24
Cap FC 4:2 North Coast Tsunami

March 29
San Ramon SC 3:0 North Coast Tsunami

March 30
Southern Oregon Fuego 0:7 Cap FC

Bracket B PTS W L D GD
Fresno Fuego Future 7 2 0 1 +3
Los Gatos Storm 6 2 1 0 +3
Stanislaus United 2 0 1 2 -1
Bullard United 1 0 2 1 -5

March 16
Fresno Fuego Future 1:0 Los Gatos Storm

March 17
Los Gatos Storm 3:2 Stanislaus United

March 22
Bullard United 0:3 Los Gatos Storm

March 24
Stanislaus United 2:2 Fresno Fuego Future

March 27
Fresno Fuego Future 3:1 Bullard United

March 30
Bullard United 1:1 Stanislaus United

Tiebreakers: (1) Head-to-head (2) Goal diff. (3) Goals for (4) Goals against (5) Most shutouts
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Semifinals (April 6)
Cap FC 2:10 Fresno Fuego Future
Los Gatos Storm at San Ramon FC*
* The game was suspended when the lights went out at the stadium with the score tied 1-1 in extra time.

Final (April 27)
Fresno Fuego Future vs. Los Gatos Storm/San Ramon FC
Chukchansi Park (Fresno, CA)

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Fort Lauderdale Strikers run away with 7-2 win against Fresno Fuego

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Fort Lauderdale's Abel Gebor works past Fresno's Tyler Reinhart | Photo: Jon Van Woerden, Ft Lauderdale Strikers

The Premier Development League’s Fresno Fuego were doing well on the opposite of the country with a 1-1 scoreline early in the second half, but just before the hour mark things began to unravel. The North American Soccer League’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers scored four straight en route to a 7-2 victory in the Second Round, setting up a Third Round meeting with the San Jose Earthquakes in California.

Aly Hassan, who had not scored since the club’s fourth game of the season, put an end to his drought three minutes before the break and went on to notch his second hat-trick of the year. The striker won a scramble to a loose ball after a Darnell King cross to open the scoring.

Nine minutes into the second half Fresno equalized through Justin Finch, but Hassan fired right back three minutes later and the Strikers never looked back. He headed home a free kick from Scott Lorenz for his second of the night.

Another free kick led to the two-goal advantage in the 61st when Mark Anderson fired a 30-yard free kick past goalkeeper Gibert Vera at the near post, giving him goals in three consecutive games. Anderson’s chance at a second off a Nickardo Blake run in the 69th was unintentionally blocked by Hassan, who then turned to stab the ball into the goal to complete his hat-trick.

Walter Restrepo, who has had a goal or assist in four of the last five games for Fort Lauderdale, beat the keeper in the 78th minute to extend the lead to 5-1.

Fresno’s Tyler Reinhart tried to keep the score respectable with the club’s second goal four minutes from time, but Polo Morales ruined that sentiment with two goals in the dying minutes.

Fresno Fuego 2:7 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Lockhart Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Scoring Summary:

FTL: Aly Hassan 42
FRE: Justin Finch 54
FTL: Aly Hassan (Scott Lorenz) 57
FTL: Mark Anderson 61
FTL: Aly Hassan 69
FTL: Walter Restrepo 78
FRE: Tyler Reinhart 86
FTL: Polo Morales (Walter Restrepo) 89
FTL: Polo Morales 90

Discipline:

Strikers: Jack Stewart (caution) 21′, Pecka (caution) 45′
Fuego: Abraham Campos (caution) 45′, TJ Grewal (caution) 56′, Eddie Gonzalez (caution) 60′

Starting Lineups:

Strikers: Dave Martin; Nickardo Blake, Jack Stewart, Toni Ståhl, Scott Lorenz; Abel Gebor, Pecka (Alfonso Motagalvan 69), Polo Morales; Mark Anderson, Darnell King (Walter Restrepo 59), Aly Hassan (Conor Shanosky 79′)

Fuego: Gilbert Vega; Araia Berhane, Eddie Gonzalez, TJ Grewal, Emmanuel Ochoa; Abraham Campos, Gaston Cignetti, Justin Finch (Fabricio Nazare 67), Andrew Campbell (Jesus Santiago 60); Paul Islas (Ivan Yanez 79), Tyler Reinhart

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Fresno Fuego stops Turlock Express in its tracks 2-0

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After playing at the home of the Fresno Fuego on their way to earning the first spot in the history of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for a US Club Soccer team, the Stanislaus United Turlock Express welcomed the Fuego to their home in Turlock, California in the First Round of the 2012 edition. The Fuego had not been in the Open Cup since their inaugural season in 2003, where a magical run saw them make it all the way to the Fourth Round and a date with the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy. Fresno, led by Abraham Campos, made their triumphant return by defeating the Express 2-0 to advance to the Second Round.

The two clubs started off the game slow, with the first half ending scoreless. Soon after second half kickoff, Campos, the soon-to-be junior at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, scored in the 47th minute to give Fresno the 1-0 lead. In the 59th minute, midfielder Nehemias Blanco earned a red card to bring the Fuego down to ten men. That didn’t hamper Fresno down as the second-year midfielder Campos struck again, this time in the 70th minute. He received an assist from Paul Islas, the Fresno native who is set to enter his senior season at Fresno Pacific University.

The two goals by Campos would turn out to be enough as the Fresno Fuego move on to the Second Round for the first time since that 2003 run. They will now play on the road against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL on Tuesday, May 22. Kickoff time is set for 7:30 PM ET.

Stanislaus United Turlock Express 0:2 Fresno Fuego
Academia Fields – Turlock, Calif.

FRE: Abraham Campos 47
FRE: Abraham Campos (Paul Islas) 70

Discipline
FRE: Nehemias Blanco – ejection 59

TheCup.us Best of 2011 review

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As we head into the New Year with US Open Cup qualification for 2012 already under way in the USASA and all the entrants for the higher divisions (reportedly) set, we thought we would take a look back at the year 2011. We wanted to honor the great performances in the US Open Cup and by the teams and players in all competitions for the American domestic clubs. Here is the debut of TheCup.us annual honors.

US Open Cup Best 11 Performances of 2011

11 – Eric Kronberg & CJ Sapong (Sporting KC):

Qualifying for the tournament during and after a long road stretch to start the season due to stadium construction was no easy task, and the club could not be faulted if they chose to pass on playing in the event. Instead, the team dominated in qualifying with a pair of Kronberg shutouts and three goals from Sapong to top Houston, 1-0 in overtime, and New England, 5-0. Kronberg would go on to get a third shutout in the Third Round tournament opener for KC, blanking Chicago Fire’s PDL side, 3-0.

10 – Stefan Dimitrov (NY Pancyrprian Freedoms):

After being one of the club’s leading players in qualifying, he continued his stellar performance in the tournament. He struck the opening goal in the team’s 2-1 First Round win against Brooklyn Italians and nearly saw his team upset USL Pro’s FC New York in the Second Round, falling in penalties after a scoreless draw.

9 – Kitsap Pumas:

The best performance by a club from the fourth tier of US Soccer, Kitsap survived a difficult road trip to El Paso in the First Round, advancing on penalties after a scoreless draw. They then dominated fellow PDL side Real Colorado, 3-1, before giving the MLS Sounders a tough test on their home turf before exiting in a 2-1 decision.

8 – Jackson (FC Dallas):

The midfielder was the game MVP in the club’s first two contests, tallying a goal and assist in the thrilling 3-2 victory against Orlando City in the Third Round and finding the back of the net once again in their win at home against Real Salt Lake.

7 – Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas):

Filling in for the regular starter at the last minute, the netminder came out on top in a goalkeeping duel on the road against the El Paso Patriots. After a scoreless 90 minutes, he made a fantastic double-save in overtime and then stopped a penalty in the shootout to send the Pumas onto the Second Round.

6 – Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire):

A maligned start to his MLS campaign resulted in a trade to Chicago, where he would revive his reputation with some success in the Open Cup. Part of the success included game-winners in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches against Richmond and New York. Oduro, Player of the Round for the Semifinals, also finished second behind Seattle’s Fredy Montero for TheCup.us Player of the ‘Tournament.

5 – Chicago Fire:

A club struggling in league play (and ultimately missing the postseason), the Fire advanced from pre-tournament MLS qualifying, kicking it all off with a win over defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids, 2-1, before topping San Jose in penalties after a 2-2 draw to earn the berth. In the tournament they edged perennial upset-power Rochester, 1-0, before clobbering a second-string Red Bulls, 4-0, and ending the amazing run of Richmond, 2-1, to reach the championship, where they fell, 2-0, to Seattle.

4 – Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders):

The Sounders played four games en route to the title. He netted the game-winner in the last three as they topped three consecutive MLS opponents, earning Player of the Tournament honors.

3 – David Bulow (Richmond Kickers):

He finished as the leading scorer of the tournament with six goals, doubling the tally of those behind him. The effort propelled Bulow into the all-time scoring leader for the Modern Pro Era with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City. Unfortunately he had to watch his team play without him in the Kickers’ Semifinal loss to Chicago when he received a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation when he was cautioned late in the Kansas City match.

2 – Seattle Sounders:

Any other year and Seattle would have been in the top spot, which is undoubtedly where they would be for a team of the decade vote. You do not need to say anything more than Three-Peat.

1 – Richmond Kickers:

What can you say? In the 17 years of the Modern Pro Era of the tournament you can count on one hand the kind of lower division club performances equal to what the Kickers accomplished this year, becoming the first-ever team to win back-to-back road matches versus MLS opponents. They topped Columbus at Crew Stadium, 2-1, in the Third Round and stunned Kansas City, 2-0, in a thunderstorm-plagued match in the Quarterfinals. The run, which started with a pair of games against fellow USL Pro clubs and no amateur sides, did not see the team trail until it came to an end on the road in Chicago during the Semifinals.

All Competitions Best of 2011

Major League Soccer Club: Los Angeles Galaxy

It was not an easy choice between the star-laden Galaxy and the Open Cup darling Sounders as both were excellent across nearly all competitions. LA won MLS Cup as Seattle crashed out early in the playoffs again. On the other hand, Seattle knocked LA out of the early rounds of the Open Cup yet again on its way to winning their third consecutive title, making those two events basically even. In the end, that left the MLS Supporters’ Shield and CONCACAF Champions League, both of which the Galaxy were the better side. LA won their group in CCL action while the Sounders were second in theirs – both advancing to this spring’s Quarterfinals. And in the regular season, the Galaxy finished four points better as they finished one-two with LA having the better of Seattle on the narrowest of margins, 1-0 on aggregate, in their two league contests on the year – making the season opener back on March 15 the possible deciding factor in this honor as the point swing would have made Seattle Supporters’ Shield winners instead.

Major League Soccer Player: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)

With three goals in the Open Cup, he was tied with several other players for second in scoring. In MLS, he finished tied for fifth in both goals (12) and assists (9). He was also tied for sixth in CCL scoring with three goals.

Lower Division Professional Club: Orlando City

Based on Open Cup performance, selecting Richmond would have been the obvious choice. However, Orlando City dominated USL Pro this season, finishing with a 15-3-6 record and going on to capture the league double with a playoff championship in equally dominating fashion. In the Open Cup, the Floridians blew past amateurs ASC New Stars, 4-0, before becoming the first non-MLS team to oust Charleston, 1-0, in the Second Round. They gave CCL club and MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas a tough outing in the Third Round, finding themselves on the wrong end of a thrilling 3-2 contest that saw both clubs score in stoppage time.

Lower Division Professional Player: Miguel Gallardo (Orlando City)

If David Bulow was the star of the Open Cup, it was Gallardo during the USL Pro season. The netminder controlled the box with a league-leading 0.681 GAA, finishing first in shutouts (11) and tied for first in wins (12). He allowed only one goal in postseason contests against Charleston and Richmond and had a shutout in the works during the final before mistakenly taking down a Harrisburg player outside of the box, receiving a red card for the foul and allowing the City Islanders to force a 2-2 draw that saw the Lions take the title in penalties.

Amateur Club: NY Pancyprian Freedoms

The perennial USASA giants came into the tournament as defending USASA Open Cup champions and as reigning Cosmopolitan League title holders, suffering only one loss in a 11-1-4 campaign. The Freedoms topped the NPSL’s Brooklyn Italians, 2-1, in the First Round and nearly upset USL Pro FC New York in the Second Round. They took the pro club to penalty kicks in a scoreless contest before being eliminated in sudden death penalties. The club would go on to capture a second straight USASA championship, downing AAC Eagles, 6-0, in the semifinal and claiming the title in penalties after a 2-2 draw against ASC New Stars.

Amateur Club Player: Milton Blanco (Fresno Fuego)

He finished first in the league in assists (14) and tied for sixth in goals (12) to finish first overall in total points with 38. He helped lead Fresno to an unbeaten 13-0-3 season that came to an end in the second round of the playoffs, 1-0, by the professional Kitsap side that went on to win the league title. Four of Blanco’s goals came in the opening four Open Cup qualification games of the season, leading the team to a perfect 4-0-0 record that was not quite enough as they missed out on the division’s berth in the tournament to Ventura County on tiebreakers.

Professional Women’s Club: Western NY Flash

Dominant from start to finish, the newcomers to WPS finished 14-3-2 on the season and went on to win the league double with the playoff championship.

Professional Women’s Player: Abby Wambach (MagicJack)

It was a tough decision with WNY’s Christine Sinclair finishing tied for first in goals (10) and assists (8). Wambach, however, was tied for third in goals (9), having played in three fewer games. More importantly, the US international was the standout performer in the FIFA World Cup over the summer while Canada’s campaign fell flat.

Amateur Women’s Club: Atlanta Silverbacks

The W-League champions suffered only one loss on the year, an early season defeat to rival Charlotte, 3-1. Since that game, the Silverbacks gave up only two more goals during the regular season, finishing the campaign with seven shutouts. After a wild 3-2 opening round playoff win against the New Jersey Wildcats they went on to blank Charlotte, 1-0, and dominate the two Canadian giants. They topped Vancouver, 3-1, in the semifinal and shockingly crushed the perfect Ottawa Fury (12-0-0, 3-0-0) in the championship game with a stunning 6-1 result.

Amateur Women’s Club Player: Edite Fernandes (Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

With players on Canadian sides dominating the scoring charts it was Edite Fernandes that stood out in the W-League. She finished with nine goals and five assists on the season (fourth in goals, assists and points)  to help guide the second-year club to a regular season title in the Western Conference, a group home to powerhouses like Pali Blues, Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders.

Note: Pro clubs (and their players) in amateur leagues were ineligible for amateur awards. For men, they were categorized with Lower Division Professional Clubs and for women, they were categorized with Professional Women’s Club, etc.

Report: PDL selects 16 entries for 2012 US Open Cup; No qualification matches

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Update: USL confirmed the following report with its official announcement.

TheCup.us has learned from multiple sources that the Premier Development League, the amateur division of United Soccer Leagues, will receive 16 berths for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The expanded number of berths will be dispersed, with one exception, to the top two clubs from the 2011 standings in each division.

The news, coming from the USL Annual General Meeting being held currently in Clearwater, FL, is further confirmation of TheCup.us’ earlier report about upcoming changes for the tournament which will see an expansion of teams from 40 to 64 and an accelerated schedule that shifts the calendar too close to the start of the PDL season for the league to continue utilizing its four-match qualification format used since 1997. The report also noted that the expansion revolved around the inclusion of all Major League Soccer teams.

The one alteration to the PDL’s two-berth format, a total of four per conference, is in the Eastern Conference, which consists of three divisions. Based on the number of teams per division, the Mid Atlantic (9 teams last year) will receive two berths while the Northeast (5 teams) and South Atlantic (6 teams) will each receive one spot in the tournament.

With the USL AGM in the midst of planning the 2012 season, the final composition of clubs set to play next season has not been announced. Reading United AC and reigning PDL champion Kitsap Pumas are headed to a fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament, matching a record for consecutive entries from an amateur flight league set by Mexico SC (Fresno, CA) of the USASA.  The Michigan Bucks are adding a league-record ninth appearance to their ledger. The Portland Timbers U23s and the MPS Portland Phoenix (Maine) are the only two teams who will make their debut in the 2012 tournament.

The 16 PDL clubs are expected to enter the 2012 competition in the opening round, along with 16 other amateur clubs, according to an earlier report. The distribution of the remaining amateur teams, between the USASA, NPSL and possibly US Club Soccer, has yet to be unveiled.

2012 PDL Entries – Based on 2011 Standings (official 2012 alignment unknown)

Central Conference
Michigan Bucks – 1st place in Great Lakes Division – record 9th appearance (9-7-1 all-time), last appearance: 2008
Chicago Fire PDL – 2nd place in Great Lakes Division – 5th appearance (6-4-0), 3rd straight appearance
Des Moines Menace – 2nd place in Heartland Division* – 6th appearance (6-5-1, 1-0 in PKs) – Last appearance: 2010
Real Colorado Foxes – 3rd place in Heartland Division * – 2nd appearance (1-1-0), 2nd straight appearance
*Canadian club Thunder Bay finished 1st

Eastern Conference
Long Island Rough Riders – 1st place in Mid Atlantic Division – 5th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (3-5-0 all-time, 1-2-0 as a PDL team) …  Last appearance: 2010
Reading United AC – 2nd place in Mid Atlantic Division … 6th appearance, 4th as a PDL team (0-5-0 all-time, 0-3-0 as a PDL team) … 4th straight appearance (tied for the amateur record)
MPS Portland Phoenix – 1st place in Northeast Division … 1st appearance
Carolina Dynamo – 1st place in South Atlantic Division … 8th appearance, 3rd as a PDL team (10-8-0 all-time, 5-3-0 as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance

Southern Conference
Laredo Heat – 1st place in Mid South Division … 2nd appearance (0-0-1, 0-1 in PKs … lost to Dallas Roma FC in 2006, who went on to make their magical run) … last appearance: 2006
El Paso Patriots – 2nd place in Mid South Division … 10th appearance, 5th as a PDL team (8-7-3, 1-2 in PKs all-time, 2-3-2, 1-1 in PKs as a PDL team) … 2nd straight appearance
Mississippi Brilla – 1st place in Southeast Division … 2nd appearance (0-1-0) … last appearance: 2009
Orlando City U23s (previously Central Florida Kraze) – 2nd place Southeast Division … 5th appearance (0-4-0) … 3rd straight appearance

Western Conference
Kitsap Pumas – 1st place in Northwest Division…. 4th appearance (2-3-1, 1-0 in PKs), 4th straight appearance (Amateur record) … have qualified in every year of their existence
Portland Timbers U23s – 4th place in Northwest Division* … 1st appearance
Fresno Fuego – 1st Southwest Division … 2nd appearance (3-1-0) … last appearance: 2003 (advanced to the Fourth Round and lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy. 1 of only 3 PDL teams to ever advance beyond the Third Round)
Ventura County Fusion – 2nd Southwest Division … 3rd appearance (1-1-1, 0-1 in PKs), 3rd straight appearance
*Canadian clubs Victoria Highlanders and Vancouver Whitecaps U23s were 2nd & 3rd

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2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL West): Kitsap Pumas and Portland Timbers U23s finish dead even, successfully lobby for tiebreaking match

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PDL West logoUS Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

The Western Conference has a new set of dominant teams in recent years, as the Kitsap Pumas (back-to-back Northwest representatives) and Ventura County Fusion (2009 PDL champions, 2010 Southwest representative) look to make their mark by qualifying for the US Open Cup once again in 2011. 11 other teams have other ideas, and that includes the Portland Timbers U23s, who have to be scratching their heads at last year’s results. They finished 16-0 in the regular season, and won another four straight in the playoffs to finish as PDL champion with a perfect 20-0 record, the first in history. Yet they fell short to the Pumas on account of goal differential. They will surely be looking for another shot as they look to extend their streak.

Here is the how the Western Conference is currently shaping up:

Northwest Division
Final Results – Pending Fifth Match [+]

The much anticipated meeting between the Portland Timbers U23s and Kitsap Pumas, who both finished the qualifying slate 4-0-0 a year ago with Kitsap advancing via tiebreakers, finished in a surprising scoreless draw. But both teams held serve the rest of the way, defeating each of their other opponents. The final game pitted the Timbers against the Tacoma Tide, where a potential 2-0 Timbers victory would lead to a coin flip. They did exactly that. The Pumas and Timbers are tied on points, head-to-head, goal difference (+7), and goals scored (7). The first time a lottery was conducted was back in 2006, when the Des Moines Menace and Boulder Rapids Reserve finished dead even at second place in the Central Conference at 3-1 with a +5 GD and 7 goals scored. At the time, the top two in the conference qualified, and the Michigan Bucks won first place with a 4-0 record. The Menace won the lottery, and rode that all the way to the Third Round, which ended in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.

But Kitsap Pumas General Manager Ben Pecora had a great idea. The teams were to meet again at Portland’s Jeld-Wen Field on Friday anyway, why not make it a tiebreaker, to settle the score on the field? The Timbers, the USL, and US Soccer all agreed to it, and they will play on Friday, June 3 with the final US Open Cup spot on the line. If the game is tied after regulation, the match for regular season purposes will count as a draw, but the Open Cup spot will be decided by a penalty shootout.

NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Kitsap Pumas 4 3 0 1 10 10 1 7 +7
Portland Timbers U23s 4 3 0 1 10 10 0 7 +7
North Sound SeaWolves 4 0 2 2 2 2 5 2 -3
Tacoma Tide 4 0 2 2 2 5 12 5 -5
Washington Crossfire 4 0 2 2 2 2 11 2 -6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Washington Crossfire 0:0 North Sound SeaWolves 10:00
May 13 North Sound SeaWolves 2:2 Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 14 Washington Crossfire 0:3 Kitsap Pumas 4:00
May 15 Portland Timbers U23s 6:0 Washington Crossfire 9:00
May 21 Portland Timbers U23s 0:0 Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 23 Tacoma Tide 2:2 Washington Crossfire 10:00
May 25 North Sound SeaWolves 0:2 Portland Timbers U23s 2:00
May 27 Kitsap Pumas 6:1 Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 29 Kitsap Pumas 1:0 North Sound SeaWolves 6:00
May 29 Tacoma Tide 0:2 Portland Timbers U23s 8:00
FIFTH MATCH TIEBREAKER
June 3 Kitsap Pumas at Portland Timbers U23s 2:00

Southwest Division
Final Results

The Fresno Fuego finished qualifying with a perfect 4-0 record after defeating the Ogden Outlaws 4-1 on May 21. They then had to wait a week for fellow unbeaten Ventura County Fusion to play its final match as the Fusion were capable of finishing level, but better on tiebreakers. On Saturday night, the holiday weekend news was cause for celebration in Los Angeles while their rivals to the north experienced disappointment. Ventura County blanked the Southern California Seahorses , 4-0, with Mark Magee scoring two goals that propelled the Fusion past Fresno in the tiebreakers, clinching the US Open Cup berth from the division. Southern California was also 3-0 in the battle of unbeatens, but had been previously eliminated due to the tiebreaker scenario with Fresno.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Ventura County Fusion 4 4 0 0 12 21 3 12 +12
Fresno Fuego 4 4 0 0 12 13 3 11 +10
Southern California Seahorses 4 3 1 0 9 5 4 5 +1
Orange County Blue Star 4 2 2 0 6 11 9 8 +1
Ogden Outlaws 4 0 3 1 1 3 9 3 -6
BYU Cougars 4 1 2 1 4 1 5 1 -4
Los Angeles Misioneros 4 0 4 0 0 1 13 1 -9
Los Angeles Blues 23 4 1 3 0 3 2 11 2 -6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 1 Orange County Blue Star 4:0 Los Angeles Misioneros 8:00
May 7 Los Angeles Blues 23 0:5 Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 7 Ventura County Fusion 6:1 Los Angeles Misioneros 8:00
May 12 BYU Cougars 0:2 Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 13 Los Angeles Blues 23 0:4 Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 14 Los Angeles Misioneros 0:1 So. California Seahorses 7:30
May 14 Ogden Outlaws 2:4 Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 20 Fresno Fuego 3:0 BYU Cougars 10:00
May 20 Orange County Blue Star 2:7 Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 21 Fresno Fuego 4:1 Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 21 So. California Seahorses 2:0 Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 24 Ogden Outlaws 0:0 BYU Cougars 9:30
May 25 So. California Seahorses 2:0 Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 28 BYU Cougars 1:0 Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 28 Los Angeles Misioneros 0:2 Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 28 Ventura County Fusion 4:0 So. California Seahorses 10:00

Breakdown for 2011 USL PDL US Open Cup Qualifying: Western Conference

by

PDL logoThe 2011 US Open Cup qualifying process for the Premier Development League begins April 30 when the Central Florida Kraze play host to Fort Lauderdale Schulz. The match marks the beginning of what is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the upcoming edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

Here is the Western Conference portion of the four-part series of breakdowns:

Western Conference Qualifying Breakdown

The conference will be the second to kick off qualifying play across the PDL with Orange County Blue Star taking on the Los Angeles Misioneros Sunday, May 1, the day after the opening match in Florida.

Northwest Division
Kitsap Pumas, North Sound SeaWolves, Portland Timbers U23s, Tacoma Tide, Washington Crossfire

With five teams in the group, it’s a nice balanced schedule as they will each play one another in the qualifying process. The big change to the division for the year is the geographic isolation to the Pacific side of the region with all five clubs, including the expansion North Sound SeaWolves, on the Western side of the Cascade mountain range for the first time.

Paul Ogunyemi (now with FC Dallas) and the Portland Timbers U23s finished with a perfect record last year en route to winning the PDL championship, but missed out on the US Open Cup due to a tiebreaker. Photo: Portland Timbers

In a strange quirk of the scheduling Washington Crossfire will be the opening match for three of its opponents with the exception being the Tacoma Tide, who will see the Crossfire in their second outing. Washington will hit the road for the group’s opening night May 7 against the expansion SeaWolves, who will also play on closing night of the qualifying campaign as hosts of Kitsap Pumas. The other match that night, May 29, features Tacoma at Portland Timbers U23s.

The powers of the group over the past two years have been the Portland (7-1-0) and Kitsap (7-0-1). The two will meet in Kitsap May 21. It will be the first meeting of the two third-year clubs in qualifying play while Portland holds the advantage in league play over the course of two years with a 3-1-1 record, sweeping the Pumas in three games en route to their perfect championship season last year. But while Portland has the better overall results, it is Kitsap that has advanced the past two years from the group, besting Portland on tiebreakers a year ago after each finished 4-0-0.

The Tide are no slouches either with a 7-5-4 record over the past four years in qualifying, never finishing with a losing record in a single campaign. Washington’s history has not been all that horrible as well with a 3-4-1 record in two rounds through the circuit.

NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Kitsap Pumas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
North Sound SeaWolves 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Portland Timbers U23s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Tacoma Tide 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Washington Crossfire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Washington Crossfire at North Sound SeaWolves 10:00
May 14 Washington Crossfire at Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 15 Portland Timbers U23s at Washington Crossfire 6:00
May 21 Portland Timbers U23s at Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 21 North Sound SeaWolves at Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 23 Tacoma Tide at Washington Crossfire 10:00
May 25 North Sound SeaWolves at Portland Timbers U23s 2:00
May 27 Kitsap Pumas at Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 29 Kitsap Pumas at North Sound SeaWolves 6:00
May 29 Tacoma Tide at Portland Timbers U23s 8:00

Southwest Division
BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Los Angeles Blues 23, Los Angeles Misioneros, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

A large group with eight teams, the division has been split into two sub-groups for scheduling purposes based on geography. The five teams in the greater Los Angeles metropolis are in the southern group while the BYU Cougars, Ogden Outlaws and Fresno Fuego are in the other.

The smaller group of the two will see the three clubs playing home and away series against their opposition. There is not very much qualifying history between the trio as the two clubs from Utah joined the division just two years ago. The only match among them in two qualifying campaigns is a 4-0 home victory for Fresno over Ogden last year.

Bright Dike of the Portland Timbers battles for the ball with Dan Scott of the Kitsap Pumas in the second round of the 2010 US Open Cup. The Pumas have qualified the last years, but have been eliminated by the Timbers both times. Photo: Prost Amerika

BYU has had the most success of the three with a four-year qualifying record of 8-5-3 while Fresno is an even 6-6-4 and Ogden is 3-10-3. While all three have reached the tournament, none have done so since 2007 when BYU advanced for the second consecutive time. Ogden also qualified in 2006 and Fresno’s lone appearance came in 2003.

With the other sub-group consisting of five teams in arguably the smallest geographic region of any bunching within the entire PDL qualifying process, the clubs will all face one another. Among the five are two fresh faces as the Los Angeles Legends becoming the Misioneros and the LA Blues 23, affiliated with the LA Blues USL Pro club, replacing Hollywood United Hitmen. The Misioneros

The three teams within the group with tournament experience have consecutively represented the Southwest the past three years with Ventura County Fusion finishing first last year after Orange County Blue Star in 2009 and Los Angeles Legends in 2008. With at least two wins in each of the last four years, the Legends held the best record in that span with a run of 9-5-2 while Ventura County is 8-4-4 and Orange County is 6-5-5. Blue Star has been in the tournament more than any other club in all of the division with three appearances.

Veteran club Southern California Seahorses and newcomers LA Blues 23 are the lone teams in the division who have not reached the tournament. The Seahorses know this year’s opposition well having played three of their slated opponents in qualifiers last year as well.

The Southwest Division was the only group a year ago in which every team finished with at least one victory during the qualifying process. It is one of only five groups in the course of the last four years in which that has occurred.

The division wastes no time getting started with Misioneros playing host to Orange County on the First of May. The northern cluster of teams begins the qualification process May 12 with BYU visiting Fresno. May 28 marks the close of the qualifying quest with three games. The Utah duo meet in Ogden while Blues 23 hosts the Misioneros and the Fusion hit the road to face the Seahorses.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
BYU Cougars 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Fresno Fuego 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Los Angeles Blues 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Los Angeles Misioneros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Ogden Outlaws 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Orange County Blue Star 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Southern California Seahorses 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Ventura County Fusion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 1 Orange County Blue Star at Los Angeles Misioneros 9:00
May 7 Los Angeles Blues 23 at Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 7 Ventura County Fusion at Los Angeles Misioneros 9:00
May 12 BYU Cougars at Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 13 Los Angeles Blues 23 at Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 14 Los Angeles Misioneros at Southern California Seahorses 7:30
May 14 Ogden Outlaws at Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 20 Fresno Fuego at BYU Cougars 9:30
May 20 Orange County Blue Star at Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 21 Fresno Fuego at Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 21 Southern California Seahorses at Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 24 Ogden Outlaws at BYU Cougars 9:30
May 25 Southern California Seahorses at Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 28 BYU Cougars at Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 28 Los Angeles Misioneros at Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 28 Ventura County Fusion at Southern California Seahorses 10:00

Central Conference (Inside Look +)

Great Lakes Division: Akron Summit Assault, Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Indiana Invaders, Michigan Bucks, River City Rovers
Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions

Eastern Conference (Inside Look +)

Mid Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Knights, Central Jersey Spartans, Jersey Express, Long Island Rough Riders, New Jersey Rangers, Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United AC, Westchester Flames
Northeast Division: MPS Portland Phoenix, Seacoast United Phantoms, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers
South Atlantic Division: Carolina Dynamo, Fredericksburg Hotspur, Northern Virginia Royals, Real Maryland Monarchs, Virginia Beach Piranhas, West Virginia Chaos

Southern Conference (Inside Look +)

Mid South Division: Baton Rouge Capitals, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Jesters, RGV Grandes FC, West Texas United Sockers
Southeast Division: Central Florida Kraze, FC Jaxy Destroyers, Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros

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