GPS Portland Phoenix

2017 US Open Cup Round 1: GPS Omens earns first-ever win in rematch with GPS Portland Phoenix

May 23, 2017 by Ian Foster

GPS Omens, of the Bay State Soccer League, took down GPS Portland Phoenix of the PDL, 2-0, to advance to the Second Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was the second-ever Open Cup meeting between these two members of the Global Premier Soccer organization and Omens made good on avenging their 2-0 loss to Portland in the 2013 Second Round.

Jake Johnson opened up the affair early with a 2nd minute strike to give Omens the 1-0 lead at Memorial Park in Portland, Maine. But it was Ben Shuleva, centerback for the Omens, who really shone on the night.

Omens found themselves a set piece opportunity in the 25th minute of a relatively dominant first half. Shuleva came up from the backline and headed in the insurance goal.

Shuleva and Zach Abdu-Glass, the goalkeeper for Omens, kept the door shut on Portland despite ever mounting pressure on the visitors’ goal. Portland pounded four of their five shots at the Omens goal, but Abdu-Glass saved four of them to preserve the shutout.

“This game is historically a tough one for us as we have very little lead in time,” said Portland coach Craig Fannan after the match. “We were a little naive in the first half and got punished for it. We continued to push, never gave up and can count ourselves unlucky not to get back into the game.”

After their first win in Open Cup history, GPS Omens has a Boston derby to look forward to as they take on Boston City FC in the Second Round.

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: AFC Cleveland travels far to earn first Open Cup win

May 12, 2016 by Brian O'Connell

Story used with permission from New England Soccer Today

Matt Danilack nearly scored a last-gasp equalizer for GPS Portland Phoenix, but the flag went up as AFC Cleveland survived to secure a 1-0 win in Wednesday’s US Open Cup first round tie at Deering High School in Portland, Me.

The Royals scored their lone goal in the 26th minute when Antonio Manfut converted on a cross from outside the box. The Phoenix nearly leveled it before the hour when substitute Guilherme Da Silva Leme hit the post moments after he entered the match in the 56th minute.

Danilak appeared to level the match in stoppage time on a deflected shot, sending the home crowd into jubilation. But the cheers immediately died down when the attention turned to the raised flag of the assistant referee, which nullified the would-be goal.

The Phoenix was the aggressor for much of the match, outshooting the Royals 10-2 on the evening. However, the one shot on goal that went in was all Cleveland needed to earn its first Open Cup win in franchise history.

Portland earned their first round spot by winning the PDL’s Northeast Division championship in 2015 with a 9-2-3 mark while Cleveland booked its ticket via an at-large NPSL berth after finishing 8-2-2 in NPSL play last season. Cleveland, who qualified but declined to enter due to lack of player availability in 2013, became the first amateur team from the city to qualify since the Cleveland Kickers in 1994.

Cleveland made the roughly 750-mile trip to Maine to pick up their first Open Cup win. How will they be rewarded? With a nearly 600-mile trip to Fenton, Mo. to play Saint Louis FC on May 18. Meanwhile, Portland will begin its divisional title defense on Saturday when they face AC Connecticut at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Ct.

2014 US Open Cup Round 1: Lehigh Valley United’s OT winner edges GPS Portland Phoenix (video)

May 8, 2014 by Andrew Scott

coach taking team pic — Lehigh Valley United pose for a team photo before their 2014 US Open Cup match against GPS Portland Phoenix. Photo: Meg Scott | PhillySoccerPage.net

Recap courtesy of PhillySoccerPage.net

National Premier Soccer League club Lehigh Valley United Sonic made the long 7-hour bus ride to Portland, ME to take on PDL club GPS Portland Phoenix on Tuesday. The first round match in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup took place under clear skies at Deering High School’s Memorial Field. It took extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes of regulation time but LVU were victorious by the score of 1-0.

Sonic started the match well with two great scoring chances in the first 15 minutes of the match through forward Roshane Ellison. Ellison’s second chance required an excellent save from GPS goalkeeper Lee Johnston. In the 26th minute, with Sonic midfielder Shastri Spencer running towards a loose ball, Johnston had to race out of his net for the clearancet. Right before the half, GPS had a free kick from 25 yards out but Jonathan Remond put it over the bar.

After the half, both teams returned to the field with the same lineups. In the 54th minute, a hard sliding tackle on Roshane Ellison caused him to stay down for a couple minutes. No foul was called on the play. Ellison tried to shake off the tackle but in the 62nd minute Sonic head coach Dave Weitzman had to substitute in George Tsirukis.

Immediately after the substitution Sonic had its best chance of the game with two point blank shots stopped by a GPS defender and the keeper, Johnston. GPS had a free kick in the 86th minute but Remond shot right at Sonic keeper Charlie Sales. With the game heading for extra time both teams pushed for a winner but couldn’t find the back of the net.

In the first period of 15 minutes of extra time, Sonic had another chance to go ahead in the 103rd minute when the ball was crossed in from the left to a wide-open player on the back post. He had the whole net open but his shot was blocked by his own teammate and bounced out for a goal kick. GPS followed up in the 108th minute with their best chance of the game off a corner kick that was headed off the underside of the crossbar. The Sonic defense recovered and was able to clear the ball.

In the 115th minute, Sonic was able to break the deadlock after Tsirukis collected the ball near midfield and ran 20 yards before passing the ball to a streaking Shastri Spencer on the left, who lofted the ball over the GPS keeper to hand LVU Sonic the 1-0 lead.

At the death of the game in the 120th minute, Sonic keeper Charlie Sales had to make a desperate save from a GPS shot that deflected off a defender to preserve the shutout and the win for the visitors.

LVU Sonic will now host USL Pro side Harrisburg City Islanders in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup next Wednesday, May 14 at Whitehall High School Soccer Stadium in Whitehall, Pa. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

After Wednesday night’s victory, LVU Sonic head coach Dave Weitzman took a few minutes to answer some questions:

On having the midfielders rotate positions and switch wings:

“They were playing a 4-4-2 against our 4-3-3 and I said to the guys that I really thought we had to try and manage the central midfield… I was really trying to make sure we were solidified and then on the flanks I really wanted to try to get a little bit more speed in there. The game plan was to get George Tsirukis, the left footed player, into the match around the 60th minute because we really though he would tire them out a little bit.”

On the goal:

“The turn George had at midfield and then he took the ball about 30 yards and found Shastri. That is his great individualism and great creative play. Great goal.”

On looking forward to next round:

“Absolutely! Soccer has a real deep strong tradition in the Lehigh Valley… There has been a really strong soccer community in the Lehigh Valley that are really supportive of this team and the teams in the past and to be able to bring a pro game back to the valley for the first time since the early 80’s is great!”

Scoring Summary
LVU: Shastri Spencer 115 ‘ (George Tsirukis)

Disciplinary Summary
LVU: Tom Mustac 107’ (Yellow)
GPS: Jonathan Lupinelli 109’ (Yellow)

Lehigh Valley United Sonic (4-3-3)
Charlie Sales; Paddy Farrell, Ali Famili, Toric Robinson, Brendon Boucard (Richard Guedes 99’); Schuylar Rimmelee, Thomas Ryan, Shastri Spencer; Josh Cirocco (Joe Joe Jappah 73’), Roshane Ellison (George Tsirukis 62’), Tom Mustac

GPS Portland Phoenix (4-4-2)
Lee Johnston; Raiff Gwinnett, Neil Harries, Cameron Omsberg, Jonathan Lupinelli; David Magee (Zach Zurita 59’), Jonathan Remond, Mitch McPike, Eric Anderson; Kyle Shangraw, McKauley Tulloch (Wyatt Omsberg 69’)

Attendance: 80

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Famed coach Ercoli leads Rochester Rhinos past GPS Portland 1-0 in first game back

May 22, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

Brendan Doherty & Rob Elder contributed to this report

After a terrible start to the season due to a torturous road schedule and a plague of injuries, the one thing the Rochester Rhinos can almost always count on for sunshine is the US Open Cup. Though it was not easy, the club posted its first win under returning, but interim, coach Pat Ercoli Tuesday night by defeating GPS Portland Phoenix of the PDL 1-0, advancing to play host to the New England Revolution, who also happen to be their MLS affiliate, in the Third Round.

Ironically enough, the deciding goal for Rochester on the night came from one of their loaned players from the Revolution, Bilal Duckett. The right back got his head on the ball at the far post in the 65^th minute to redirect a corner from Danny Earls past the keeper for the win.

The victory is only the second on the year for the Rhinos, who played six of their first eight on the road and had lost both home contests, including Saturday’s late 1-0 decision to league leading Orlando City side that played over an entire half a man down, prompting the dismissal of head coach Jesse Myers the following day.

The change resulted in Ercoli returning to the sidelines for the first time since 2004, though he has been serving as COO. The USL Hall of Famer won 16 trophies as the head coach of the Rhinos reached the Final on seven occasions in major competitions, including a runners-up finish in 1996 and the famous 1999 championship campaign in the US Open Cup.

The opening sequences were fairly wide open as both teams enjoyed promising chances even though Lance Rozeboom and Tyler Rosenlund combined well to control midfield. Portland found a break on the counter attack that resulted in a couple of corners in the 10 minutes, but both were cleared by the Rhinos without much worry.

Ross LaBaeux was fouled in the 14^th minute which allowed Danny Earls to play a ball in to Blake Brettschneider at the far post. He headed it back across the front of goal to Tam McManus who had the first real chance for the Rhinos with his first timed volley smacked off the crossbar. Reidy was active again for the Rhinos down the right flank and trying to cut inside to find a shot.

In the 18^th minute Blake Brettschneider had a chance from service by Bilal Duckett but the Portland goalkeeper does well to block the attempt and smother and rebound. Brettschneider failed to keep up the pressure on Portland’s net as he appeared under the same spell as the rest of the Rhinos team as of late and was keen to pass the ball back at every chance.

GPS Portland’s first shot of the night came just after the hour mark but sailed wide of the mark without calling Nicht into action. Before the halftime whistle, GPS Portland had two yellow cards for late challenges

At the break the Rhinos had 4 shots, 2 on target, 4 corners, and 10 fouls. Portland only had one total shot, 2 corners and 4 fouls. There was a delay for a little over an hour as a summer thunderstorm passed through Rochester. GPS Portland took advantage of the time to regroup and came out for the second half to sub Ben Havey in for central midfielder Sean Rosa.

In the 54^th minute Interim Head Coach Pat Ercoli, after watching Mike Reidy cross into the accepting arms of Portland goalkeeper Perron, decided he didn’t like what he was seeing on the field, 2012 Rhinos player of the year and USL All-League team J.C. Banks came on for Ross LaBaeux.

GPS Portland showed they weren’t pushovers in the 56^th minute as Danny Earls cleared a headed corner kick off the line before Appiah’s forced Kristian Nicht into a diving save. In the 60^th minute George Kyriazis comes off for Tyler Bellamy but it appears to be a hamstring injury not the upper body injury from the end of the first half.

Mike Reidy showed Pat Ercoli why he should stay in the starting line up by latching onto the end of a long ball in the 64^th minute but his shot was saved by a diving Perron for a corner. New England Revolution loanee Duckett nodded home the resulting corner served up by Danny Earls in the 65^th minute.

Earls did well to overlap down the left side to cross balls into the box in the 83^rd. Immediately after their goal the Rhinos pressed to apply the killing blow but after a corner kick the play moved back to the midfield.

In the 78^th minute Bompart came out for Diebold who was active crossing into the box late. DaSilva went down under questionable contact outside of the area but the Portland bench was outraged calling for a penalty. Former Rochester Rhino Nano Short put a header just wide for Portland within the last 8 minutes.

The flow of the match swung back to Portland as they forced another Kodak-moment save from Kristian Nicht. Portland had a chance late but their free kick from within 30 yards was deflected out for a corner. The resulting kick was punched out by Kristian Nicht who earned his shutout.

The final whistle had the USL-Pro Rochester Rhinos over the PDL GPS Phoenix 1-0. The Rhinos their 18 year winning streak in their opening round in the US Open Cup alive and will now host their MLS affiliate New England Revolution next Tuesday at 7:35PM.

2013 US Open Cup First Round: GPS Portland Phoenix earn first Open Cup win, 2-0 over Mass Premier Soccer

May 15, 2013 by Greg Reid

Pierre Omanga scored two goals – once in the opening 45 seconds and again on a penalty kick in the closing minutes — to lead GPS Portland Phoenix to a 2-0 victory over Mass Premier Soccer (MPS) in a U.S. Open Cup First Round match Tuesday night.

The Phoenix, which plays in the fourth-tier Premier Development League, advances to a Second Round match on May 21st at the Rochester Rhinos, which plays in the third-tier U.S.L. Pro Division.

This was Portland’s second straight year of qualifying for the U.S. Open Cup. In 2012, Phoenix fell 3-2 to the Brooklyn Italians of the National Professional Soccer League in an opening round game played in a driving rain at Memorial.

Adam Perron made eight saves for the Phoenix. Jeff Newman made five saves for MPS, an amateur team that plays in Region I of the USASA.

Portland took a 1-0 lead just 45 seconds in. Right midfielder Emmanuel Appiah’s free kick from 25 yards found Pierre Omanga at the back post for a header into the bottom corner.

“We set out to be a lot more direct, get out ahead nice and early,” said GPS Phoenix manager Ally Bain. “We did that the first five minutes and then we stopped doing it. We stopped the passing that gave us success in the early part of the game, broke down and we really struggled. I was impressed with MPS. They passed the ball well. But it was good to drag it out there in the end.”

MPS was undeterred by the early deficit.

“We hadn’t even started to play yet,” MPS midfielder/manager Nick Christman said. “I thought our response the next 15 minutes of the game was good. We settled down and made it clear it was going to be more of a battle.”

MPS held a 6-3 edge in corners, and outshot the Phoenix, 16-10.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way we played,” Christman said. “I thought we created as many chances as they did. They had a couple nice finishes and we couldn’t quite get one across the line. For a men’s league team, the guys got off work, came up and gave it a valiant effort.”

When MPS threatened in the half, it came from the right side, as midfielder Matt Lemire and forward Tyler Macnee proved a handful. Play went back and forth early, but by the 18th minute, MPS was controlling the midfield and sending in long-range bids.

Phoenix began pressing about nine minutes later, as evident by Clement Bompart’s hard tackle on Tyler Macnee in the 27th minute, which drew the first yellow card of the game.

Defender Roy Sandeman’s tackle on Appiah drew a yellow card for MPS with about two minutes left in the half. Appiah nearly made it 2-0 on the ensuing free kick, but a diving save by Newman kept the score at 1-0 heading into intermission.

With a precarious 1-0 lead and a motivated opponent, things looked bleak for Portland when Richardo Israel was sent off in the 71st minute for a hard tackle on Christman.

MPS pressed the 10-man Phoenix hard, forcing defender Jonathan Lupinelli to prevent an equalizer during a scramble off an MPS corner in the 76th, heading away a sure goal.

MPS keeper Newman stoned Omanga and Nick Weightman on a a shot and a rebound on a break in with four minutes to play. Thirty seconds later, Lemire nearly tied it again with a low shot that ran wide of the right post.

Portland finally iced it when Omanga was taken down near the end line in the 89th minute. His low shot on the penalty kick beat Newman and pushed Portland on to a 2-0 victory.

“Omanga gives us everything going forward,” Bain said. “He’s got energy and pace. He’s the real deal.”

The Phoenix opened their PDL season on Saturday night with a dramatic 5-4 win over the Vermont Voltage. Phoenix trailed 3-1 at halftime and 4-3 in the final minutes before scoring twice to pull out a victory. Tuesday night showed a significant step forward.

“Overall (Tuesday) was a far better defensive display,” Bain said. “We really wanted to lock it down and play better in the back, and we did that.”

Mass Premier Soccer, which competes in Bay State Soccer League in USASA Region I, was making its first appearance in the Open Cup. MPS defeated Newtown Pride FC of Connecticut 6-0 in the USASA regional semifinals to become just the third Massachusetts-based USASA club to qualify for the tournament in the modern era.

“We’re proud to get this far,” Christman said. “We wanted to give it a roll and see how we could do against a team that trains every day.”

Now, for Portland, it’s on to Rochester, one of the most historic clubs in the country.

“A lot of the boys have aspirations to play professional soccer,” Bain said. “So for them to get a taste of playing against that next level is going to be a great experience for them. It’s also fantastic for the club to get that national exposure as one of the PDL sides progressing to the next round.”

Meet the 16 Premier Development League teams entering the 2013 US Open Cup

March 5, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Michigan Bucks vs. Chicago Fire - 2012 Third Round — The Michigan Bucks upset their second Major League Soccer team last year, knocking off the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Will we see another PDL team claim an MLS victim this year? Photo: Dave McCauley | Michigan Bucks

Shortly after the United States Soccer Federation announced the format for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the United Soccer Leagues confirmed which Premier Development League teams would enter the competition. As reported by TheCup.us in January, the PDL will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year.

Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, follows a similar format, and will include two addition amateur clubs, bringing the total to 34.

With the date of the 2013 tournament moved earlier in the month of May for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The Central, Southern and Western conferences will each submit the top two American-based clubs from each division, while the Eastern Conference, which is made up of three divisions, will be represented by four teams. The Ocean City Nor’easters, who finished with the conference’s best record (13-3-0), the team with the second best record in Ocean City’s division, Reading United, the South-Atlantic Division champion Carolina Dynamo, and the GPS Portland Phoenix who finished one point behind the Canadian-based Ottawa fury in the Northeast Division.

A dozen clubs are making a return appearance in the event, including 10 that were in the tournament this past year. Four sides will be making their US Open Cup debuts in 2013. The foursome is comprised of the River City Rovers, Ocala Stampede, FC Tucson and Seattle Sounders U-23s.

All of the PDL teams will begin play in Round 1 on May 14, and the amateur team (PDL, NPSL, USASA, USCS, USSSA) that advances the furthest this year will receive $15,000 (up from $10,000 last year).

Here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (read about the changes to the 2013 tournament here):

Central Conference

Michigan Bucks
1st place in Great Lakes Division (13-1-2)
Record 10th appearance, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 12-8-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Bucks will make their record 10th appearance in the US Open Cup and are the league’s most successful team in the tournament. With a record 12 Open Cup wins, 9 of them against professional opponents, they bring the strongest resume of any amateur team in the country. Last year, they bolstered their reputation as giant killers with their second win in franchise history over a Major League Soccer team, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Combined with their 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution in 2000, they are the only amateur team to defeat multiple MLS teams.

Bucks vs. NE Revs - 2000 — As you can see, not very many people were on hand to see the Michigan Bucks upset the New England Revolution in Foxboro back in 2000. Photo: Tony Biscaia | RevsNet

Last year, they crushed Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 6-0, before upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road in Round 2. In the Third Round they defeated the Chicago Fire at home in just the fourth Open Cup game in history to be played indoors. In Round 4, their Cinderella story came to an end in front of their home fans (this time outdoors at Oakland University) by another unlikely team, the USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions who converted a penalty kick in extra time to win the game 2-1.

River City Rovers
3rd place in the Great Lakes Division (7-7-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup

The Louisville, Kentucky-based River City Rovers have qualified for the tournament for the first time, benefiting from the fact that Forest City London, the team who finished in second place in the division, are Canadian and are not eligible for the Open Cup. Forest City finished with a 7-5-4 record, two points ahead of River City, and made an improbably run through the PDL playoffs to win the championship. River City had a chance to overtake Forest City for the last playoff spot, but they lost their season finale to the Michigan Bucks 4-0.

River City becomes the first Kentucky-based club since 1993 to qualify for the Open Cup. That year, the Louisville Alliance reached the Regional Semifinals before falling to Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, 2-0.

Real Colorado Foxes
2nd place in the Heartland Division (8-4-4)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-2-0
Last appearance: 2012

The Real Colorado Foxes (no relationship with the Colorado Foxes who took part in the 1995 US Open Cup), have qualified for the third year in a row as the second place team in the Heartland Division (Division champion Thunder Bay Chill are from Canada). The Foxes won their first-ever tournament game in 2011 when they defeated USASA’s DV8 Defenders from San Jose, Calif. 5-0. Then after being eliminated by fellow PDL side Kitsap Pumas the next round, they suffered another defeat at the hands of an amateur team, losing 3-1 to the KC Athletics (USASA) at home.

Des Moines Menace
3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada.

Aside from their consistent success in the league, the Menace are best known for their back-to-back cup runs in 2005 and 2006 when they four professional teams in two years, only to fall to the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting Kansas City) both years on the road. Last year, they picked up their first Open Cup victory since 2006 with a 3-1 extra time road win over the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians, only to fall to the NASL’s (2nd Division) Minnesota Stars 2-0 in Round 2. The Menace are tied with the Ocean City Nor’easters for second place among PDL teams with 4 professional team upsets (Michigan Bucks have 9). According to TheCup.us records, the Menace are the only Iowa-based team (aside from the Iowa Menace who qualified out of the USASA in 2011) to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era, and even before that, there are no records of any Iowa team qualifying (records incomplete).

Eastern Conference

Ocean City Nor’easters
1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL)
All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2009

kevin-curran-vs-boyzz-kuhmalo-dcu-barons — The Ocean City Nor'easters (shown here as the Ocean City Barons in 2009 against DC United) have upset four professional teams in their club history. Only the Michigan Bucks have more with nine. | Photo: Bill Pellegrino, Ocean City FC

Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0).

Reading United AC
2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (11-2-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), record 5th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-6-0 (1-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

web-Reading-NYGAA-GlennRiegel — Reading United are back in the US Open Cup for a fifth straight year, a Modern Pro Era record for an amateur team. Photo: Glenn Riegel / Reading United AC

For the first time in the Modern Professional Era, an amateur team will be making their fifth straight appearance in the US Open Cup. Reading United will attempt to put the past behind them, as the tournament has not been kind to United. Last year’s 2-1 home win over four-time Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas, was their first tournament win in franchise history. They would lose in the next round, 2-1 to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium. Reading has their friendly rivals, Ocean City, to thank for keeping their streak alive. The Nor’easters, by virtue of finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record, earned a berth, leaving the second place team, Reading, as the Mid-Atlantic’s representative.

GPS Portland Phoenix
2nd place in Northeast Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

In just their fourth season in the PDL, GPS Portland Phoenix will make their second straight appearance in the US Open Cup, finishing behind the Canadian-based Ottawa Fury in the Northeast Division. The Phoenix had a chance to win the division, but they finished scoreless against Seacoast United when they needed a win to overtake the Fury. Last year, Portland lost their first-ever Open Cup game 3-2 to the Brooklyn Italians of the USASA. They found themselves behind 3-0 until Blaike Woodruff scored a pair of late goals but it wasn’t enough as the they fell to the two-time tournament champions.

Carolina Dynamo
1st place in the South Atlantic Division (11-1-4)
10th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 10-9-0 (5-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

The Carolina Dynamo with their rich history dating back to 1993, will make their 10th appearance in the tournament this year, and their 5th as a PDL side. This is the third year in a row for the Dynamo as they will attempt to avoid their third straight one-and-done. Last year, they were eliminated by the Aegean Hawks from the DC-area 3-1. It was an impressive year for the Dynamo in the league as they only lost one game (11-1-4), and made a playoff run that took them all the way to the championship game, where they lost 2-1 to Forest City London. They will try to re-live their glory days this year, with their greatest moment coming in 2006 when they upset the Richmond Kickers (Div. 3) and the Seattle Sounders (Div. 2) to become the third PDL team (now there have been four) to advance beyond the Third Round. They would eventually fall in the ‘Battle of the Dynamo’, losing 4-2 to Houston of MLS in Round 4.

Laredo Heat
1st place in the Mid South Division (10-3-3)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-1-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

web-SA-LAR2-RobinJerstad — The Laredo Heat advanced to the Second Round of the 2012 US Open Cup, but lost to the San Antonio Scorpions, 2-0. Photo: Robin Jerstad | San Antonio Scorpions

The Laredo Heat are back in the Open Cup for a second straight year, and just the third time in franchise history. Three trips to the tournament in a decade is a surprising number for one of the best teams in the PDL. The 2007 league champion, and a three-time runner-up, the Heat qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2006 when they nearly eliminated Dallas Roma FC in the first round before Roma began their historic run to the Fourth Round. Last year, the Heat returned, winning their first-ever Open Cup game, 4-2 over fellow Texas amateur club ASC New Stars (USASA) in extra time. They hit the road in Round 2 and lost 2-0 to the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions. This is a PDL team that has qualified for the league playoffs nine years in a row, and have only failed to qualify once, during their inaugural season in 2004. Single-elimination tournaments are nothing new to them, so this tournament could suit them well.

Austin Aztex
2nd place in the Mid South Division (9-5-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2008

After starting as a PDL franchise in 2008 (and qualifying for the US Open Cup), the Austin Aztex launched a professional team the following year and made two more Open Cup appearances. The franchise was moved to Orlando to form Orlando City SC, but in 2012, the Aztex franchise was revived in Austin as a PDL franchise. Their first season back was a successful one, finishing in second place behind the Laredo Heat. The only Open Cup game the Aztex PDL team played was in 2008 when they took the Atlanta Silverbacks (Div. 2) to penalty kicks, but lost the shootout 5-4.

Ocala Stampede
1st place in the Southeast Division (11-3-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

The Stampede are one of four clubs who are taking part in their first Open Cup as they were an overwhelming success in their inaugural season in the PDL. Ocala, which is located in Central Florida, just northwest of Orlando, won the Southeast Division title with an 11-3-2 record, which was the best record in the conference. They will join the nearby Orlando City U-23s in the tournament.

Orlando City U-23s
2nd place in the Southeast Division (8-3-5)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup, 4th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-5-0
Last appearance: 2012

Orlando City U-23s are back for their fourth straight Open Cup appearance and their sixth overall berth. In 2013, they will attempt to do something the previous five teams editions of the club have failed to do: win a game. Last year was the first year under the current team name. Prior to that, they were known as the Central Florida Kraze and made four trips to the competition before the team was bought by Orlando City after the 2011 season. Last year, they fell to Jacksonville United 2-1 after letting a 1-0 lead in the second half slip away. Jacksonville was awarded an 82nd minute penalty kick and then scored the game-winner in the 89th minute to seal Orlando’s doom.

Seattle Sounders U-23s
1st place in the Northwest Division (11-2-3)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

No matter what they are called, the Seattle Sounders U-23s are making their first Open Cup appearance in franchise history. The club was originally known as Tacoma FC, but never qualified from 2006-2011. Last year, the team re-branded as the Seattle Sounders U-23s and enjoyed immediate success. They won the Northwest Division championship and reached the final four in the PDL playoffs.

Portland Timbers U-23s
2nd place in the Northwest Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

After enjoying success in their first three years as a PDL franchise, including the 2010 league championship, the Portland Timbers U-23s qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time last year. They lost their first game to a USASA side, PSA Elite, 3-1 in front of their home fans, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves with their second straight berth in 2013.

Ventura County Fusion
1st place in the Southwest Division (12-2-2)
4th appearance in the US Open Cup (4th straight)
All-time Open Cup record: 3-2-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Ventura County Fusion qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2010 and were one-and-done to the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros. Each year after that, they have improved on the previous year’s performance. In 2011, they won a single game before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro). Last year, they won two games, including a revenge win over the Blues in Round 2. They nearly knocked off an MLS team, but were unable to overcome an early goal by Chivas USA, and lost 1-0. If the pattern continues, will the Fusion reach Round 4 this year?

FC Tucson
2nd place in the Southwest Division (9-3-4)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

FC Tucson became another first-year team to punch their ticket to the Open Cup after a successful inaugural season. They edged out the Fresno Fuego for second place and will be the first Arizona-based club to reach the tournament since the Arizona Sahuaros took part in 2010.

Source: 2013 US Open Cup to feature 16 Premier Development League teams

January 14, 2012 by Josh Hakala

This was confirmed this yAccording to sources at the United Soccer Leagues’ annual general meeting in Tampa, Fla., the Premier Development League will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year.

Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, appears to be following a similar format, but the official announcement is yet to be made.

With the date of the 2013 tournament expected to be earlier for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The official announcement came nearly a year ago exactly with two berths, with one exception, going to each division.

According to sources, here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (we will be updating with brief summaries of each team’s tournament history):

Bucks-Fire 2012 3rd Round — Last year, the Michigan Bucks upset Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich.

Des Moines Menace
3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada.

Eastern Conference

Ocean City Nor’easters
1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL)
All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2009

The Nor’easters are back in the tournament as another PDL team with a giant killer reputation. This is their first appearance since 2009, when they defeated two Division 3 professional teams to reach the Third Round where they lost a close 2-0 decision to Major League Soccer’s DC United on the road. Only the Michigan Bucks (12) and the Des Moines Menace (7) have more Open Cup wins as a PDL team than the Nor’easters (6), who were known as the Barons the last time they entered the competition. The Bucks are also the only team with more professional team upsets in the tournament (9) than the Nor’easters (4). Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0).