Houston Dynamo

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

The Michigan Bucks upset the Chicago Fire of MLS in 2012 Third Round. Photo: Kelly Haapala

MORE: Things you should know about the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2006 – Dallas Roma FC (USASA) 0:0 Chivas USA (MLS)
(Dallas advances 4-2 in PKs)

For all of you who ever wanted the #16 seed to win in the NCAA basketball tournament, we hope you are soccer fans.

Dallas Roma FC, from the North Texas Premier Soccer Association, made history defeating Chivas USA of Major League Soccer on penalties, after playing to a 0-0 draw after extra time. Not only did they defeat their second straight professional opponent in the US Open Cup, they became the first USASA club to eliminate a team from Major League Soccer in the US Open Cup. Chivas was dealt a major blow when their leading scorer, Ante Razov, was sent off in the 57th minute for a reckless foul on Roma defender Todd Paulette. Soon after, Chivas head coach Bob Bradley sent in more of his regular starters, Jason Hernandez, Tim Regan and Juan Francisco Palencia.

The Roma defense, named TheCup.us Players of the Round for their win vs. Miami FC, held firm yet again against the Chivas attack, holding the scoreless draw through 120 minutes, at times keeping all 11 players in their own end in extra time.

Roma had a few chances in the second half as well, most notably Dominic Schell hitting the crossbar after Mark Rowland’s shot was knocked away by Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Chivas took the first spot kick in the penalty session, and Juan Francisco Palencia saw his attempt saved by Jessie Llamas. Roma’s Matt Clark and Mark Rowland converted the next kicks, as Sacha Kljestan for Chivas. Fortunes turned Roma’s way when Llamas came through again and saved Jesse Marsch’s kick, and Brad Flanagan scored for Roma to make it 3-1. After Claudio Suarez made it 3-2, Dominic Schell stepped up and put Roma in the history books. Previously, the closest a USASA side has come to defeating an MLS club was in 2000, when Florida’s Uruguay SC fell to the Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 in extra time.

1997 – Chicago Stingers (D3 Pro) 2:1 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
1997 – San Francisco Bay Seals (D3 Pro) 2:1 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)

The Modern Era of the Open Cup was still young, and Rochester caused a stir in ’96 with their amazing run to the final.

The San Francisco Bay Seals and Chicago Stingers were determined to top that, and top it they did.

Each team made their way to the third round, no small feat in itself. Both clubs defeated A-League sides in the second round, and now stepped up to face the daunting challenge of Major League Soccer. The Seals were first, taking on the Kansas City Wizards on July 24.

As if being the underdog wasn’t motivation enough, Seals forward Marquis White had something to prove of his own. White was dropped in 1996 by the New England Revolution, and he was eager to prove that he could play at the highest level. White didn’t waste any time, scoring in the very first minute of the game, taking a pass from Chris Davini and racing past the Wizards defenders and goalkeeper Chris Snitko for the goal. On the other end, the Seals defense kept the Kansas City forwards stifled and frustrated, but the Wizards eventually equalized in the 39th minute with a Frank Klopas goal.

Marquis White then stepped up a second time, taking another Davini pass home for the game-winning goal in the 55th minute, setting off celebrations at Negoesco Fiield once the final whistle blew. “I knew I could play, and this proves it” said an ecstatic White after the game. The Seals, as a team, also proved they could play, defeating the San Jose Clash in the quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals, eventually losing a close game to DC United 2-1.

Six days later, the Chicago Stingers took their turn at giant killing, knocking off the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in front of 4,730 fans at Chicago’s Forest View Park. Misfortune started early for Colorado, as the Rapids goalkeeper Paul Grafer was sent off after 17 minutes. The Stingers then took control, as Matt Hamnett and Chris Jahr scores goals before and after halftime to take a lead they would never surrender. Chris Henderson pulled one back for Colorado, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the upstart Stingers. Chicago were eventually overwhelmed by the Dallas Burn in the next round, 4-1, but the Seals and Stingers proved that the Open Cup would never be an easy walk for any MLS team.

2012 – Cal FC (USASA – 4th Div.) 1:0 (AET) Portland Timbers (MLS)

2012 – Michigan Bucks (PDL – 4th Div.) 3:2 (AET) Chicago Fire (MLS)

The Third Round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was one of the craziest rounds in tournament history. 16 Major League Soccer teams joined the competition and only eight of them survived to play in Round 4. The two biggest stunners came from the Michigan Bucks (PDL) and newcomers Cal FC (USASA).

14 of the 16 games were played on Tuesday, May 29 and among those were the Michigan Bucks hosting four-time champion Chicago Fire indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. It was just the 4th US Open Cup game ever played indoors and the Bucks upset the Fire 3-2 in extra time.

The Bucks struck first just nine minutes into the match when Tommy Catalano received a pass from star veteran Kenny Uzoigwe to put the home team up 1-0. The Fire would equalize on a goal from Corben Bone in the 28th minute and take the lead in the 58th minute thanks to Frederico Puppo and it looked like the MLS team was going to take control, as they so often do in these underdog scenarios, but today wasn’t their day as a cross from Crnkic found the head of Nate Boyden in the box to tie the match at 2-2. The match would go into extra time and after play resumed, the Bucks wasted no time in putting the pressure on the Fire. What proved to be the eventual game-winning goal came just three minutes in when Crnkic ripped a shot toward the net. The goalkeeper got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough to keep it out as the Bucks would go on to win 3-2 to become the first amateur club in the Modern Era to defeat two MLS teams (They upset the New England Revolution back in 2000).[+]FULL MATCH RECAP

After seven MLS teams were eliminated on Tuesday, what could possibly be in store for the following day? It would turn out to be arguably the biggest upset of the Modern Era (1995-present).

Cal FC, led by their manager former US international Eric Wynalda, traveled from Southern California up to Portland, Ore. and upset the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time. After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, Artur Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well placed through ball and calmly chipped goalkeeper Troy Perkins. It was the only goal they would need to become the first USASA team to defeat a Major League Soccer team (Dallas Roma FC in 2006 eliminated Chivas USA in a penalty kick shootout). A USASA team defeating a MLS team was rare enough, but there had only been four previous USASA teams that had advanced far enough to even play against the top division. In those four games, none of the USASA teams even scored a goal. They were also just the fifth amateur team to eliminate a MLS sidse, and the 12th USASA team to eliminate a pro team of any kind. [+]FULL MATCH RECAP

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: More Michel set pieces help FC Dallas win ‘Texas Derby,’ reach quarterfinals

June 13, 2013 by Jon Yardley

Brazilian midfielder Michel worked his magic again on Wednesday night, bending in two decisive free kicks, both of which led to Kenny Cooper goals, as FC Dallas cruised past rival Houston Dynamo 3-0 at FC Dallas Stadium to reach the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons.

Dallas will host the Portland Timbers on June 26.

As in the team’s regular-season meeting on March 17, when Dallas took a 2-0 lead on a pair of set-piece goals, Michel’s free kicks made the difference on Wednesday (despite 10 Houston corner kicks) in a game that was otherwise relatively even.

Dallas, playing an almost full-strength starting lineup (without Raul Fernandez and Blas Perez because of international duty and with David Ferreira on the bench) despite facing a league game on Saturday, almost took the lead in the 28th minute, but Eric Hassli’s chip was ruled offside.

Houston, meanwhile, left starters Tally Hall, Jermaine Taylor, Corey Ashe, and Giles Barnes – several of whom are coming back from nagging injuries – on the bench. Hall’s replacement, fifth-year pro Tyler Deric, who is highly regarded by the Dynamo and handled the team’s CONCACAF Champions League games last fall, joined the ranks of MLS goalkeepers who have struggled to deal with Michel’s delivery.

After a 25th-minute Michel corner kick got over Deric’s head before being cleared, the breakthrough came in the 38th minute. Bobby Boswell fouled Cooper on the left wing, and Michel whipped the ensuing free kick to the back post, where Andrew Jacobson headed it across the face of goal, allowing Cooper to tap the ball into an empty net.

Houston came out with increased urgency in the first 10 minutes of the second half, pushing its midfielders into the attack and creating two chances for Alex Dixon, both of which were deflected wide for corner kicks, and a reaching effort by rookie Jason Johnson, easily handled by Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz. Dynamo winger Andrew Driver, dangerous all night, sent in a teasing cross in the 53rd minute, but saw it deflected out for a corner kick.

Having weathered the storm, Dallas put the game away in the 59th minute, when Michel rifled a corner kick to the back post that again beat Deric and left Cooper with a point-blank header for a 2-0 Dallas lead.

Seitz was called into action several times in the final 30 minutes, including stops on Will Bruin in the 60th minute and Brian Ching in the 90th, preserving the shutout. Dallas made it 3-0 in the 76th minute when Deric punched away a cross at the top of the box, colliding with Jackson in the process, and Dallas right back Zach Loyd – who was excellent all night – calmly lobbed the ball over the stranded goalkeeper into the side netting to complete the rout.

Houston Dynamo 0:3 FC Dallas

Scoring Summary:

FCD — Kenny Cooper 1 (Andrew Jacobson 1) 38

FCD — Kenny Cooper 2 (Michel 2) 59

FCD — Zach Loyd 1 (unassisted) 76

Houston Dynamo — Tyler Deric, Kofi Sarkodie, Ricardo Clark, Bobby Boswell, Mike Chabala, Warren Creavalle, Luiz Camargo, Alex Dixon (Cam Weaver 71), Jason Johnson (Omar Cummings 79), Will Bruin (Brian Ching 62), Andrew Driver.

Substitutes Not Used: Tally Hall, Corey Ashe, Giles Barnes, Jermaine Taylor.

FC Dallas — Chris Seitz, Zach Loyd, George John (Stephen Keel 88), Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez, Jackson, Michel (Bobby Warshaw 78), Andrew Jacobson, Fabian Castillo (David Ferreira 72), Eric Hassli, Kenny Cooper.

Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Zobeck, Bradlee Baladez, Jonathan Top, London Woodberry.

Misconduct Summary:

FCD — Fabian Castillo (caution) 68

Referee: Juan Guzman. Referee’s Assistants: Jonathan Johnson; Fabio Tovar. 4th official: Leszek Stalmach

Attendance: 4,006

Weather: Sunny-and-93 degrees

Shots: Houston 13, Dallas 11

Shots On Goal: Dallas 5, Houston 4

Saves: Dallas 4, Houston 2

Fouls: Dallas 9, Houston 8

Corner Kicks: Houston 10, Dallas 2

Offsides: Houston 2, Dallas 1

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Houston Dynamo end FC Tucson run with 2-0 win

May 30, 2013 by Jon Yardley

Despite the best efforts of Cinderella upstart FC Tucson, the Houston Dynamo had little trouble advancing to the Fourth Round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scoring once in each half for a 2-0 win at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on Wednesday night.

With their depth hit by injuries and national team call-ups, the Dynamo started two players who have spent time on loan this year: Brian Ownby (Richmond Kickers) and Alex Dixon (Tampa Bay Rowdies). The duo started and finished the game’s opening goal in the 26th minute. Ownby won possession near the halfway line and Luiz Camargo spread the ball to rookie Jason Johnson on the left. Johnson slipped a pass to fullback Mike Chabala making a run to the end line and Chabala cut the ball back to the penalty spot, where Dixon provided a deft one-time finish out of the reach of Tucson goalkeeper Dallas Jaye.

Having allowed the first goal for the third consecutive Open Cup game, FC Tucson stepped up its offensive efforts, with lone forward Saeed Robinson, a Division II all-American last year at Grand Canyon University, firing wide with several looks from the top of the area. Robinson then set up Tucson’s best chance of the half, cutting the ball back for David Clemens, who fired wide from the top of the box in the 38th minute.

The PDL team, which fields a mix of mostly West Coast current and former college players, including several from both the University of San Diego and Gonzaga University, were on their heels most of the night. Houston included veterans like Bobby Boswell, Chabala and Brian Ching (himself a Gonzaga alumnus) in an otherwise reserve-laden lineup that included professional debuts for rookie defender Anthony Arena and teenage signing Bryan Salazar.

Houston had one more good chance in the first half, with Salazar – who otherwise had a quiet evening – feeding a surging Ownby. The second-year man in turn fed Ching for a shot that was knocked away by Jaye, who was fortunate when Houston’s Johnson failed to make solid contact with the rebound.

Houston appeared on cruise control at times in the second half, but Tucson almost conjured an equalizer in the 69th minute when Clemens poked the ball away from the Houston back line. Substitute forward Dakota Collins raced onto the ball in the box, but his left-footed shot from a bad angle was stuffed by charging Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric, who then smothered the rebound at the edge of the penalty area.

From there Houston substitutes Andrew Driver and Giles Barnes combined to dominate the tired Tucson back line, eventually putting the game away in the 85th minute. Tucson’s Brandon Zimmerman was yellow-carded for hauling down Barnes at the top of the penalty area, and Barnes delivered a well-hit free kick just inside the right post from about 21 yards away.

From there, the Dynamo threatened to make it a rout, as Driver and Johnson combined for four close-range chances in the ensuing four minutes, but Jaye made three saves and got help from a defender to clear a soft header off the goal line to stay within two goals.

The win for Houston’s reserves sent the Dynamo to what could be a fierce rivalry game with Dallas on June 12. Both teams are off on the weekend before the match, and Houston is off the following weekend as well, which could lead both teams to pick strong lineups. The in-state rivals last met in Open Cup play in the 2006 quarterfinals, with the Dynamo winning 3-0 in Houston, but FC Dallas won the teams’ prior meeting this year, in Frisco, by a 3-2 score.

Tucson’s run came to an end, but it will not be forgotten in the Arizona desert any time soon. Tucson bowed out of its first Open Cup appearance after eliminating two professional teams – Phoenix FC and the San Antonio Scorpions – but fell short of the $15,000 prize money as the top amateur team in the competition as the Des Moines Menace defeated an NASL club (Minnesota United FC) in regulation. Since the remaining four PDL teams all lost in the Third Round, the tiebreaker goes to the team that defeated the highest level of competition.

FC Tucson vs. Houston Dynamo

May 29, 2013 — BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston TX

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — Round 3

Scoring Summary:

HOU: Alex Dixon 1 (Mike Chabala 1) 26

HOU: Giles Barnes 1 (unassisted) 85

FC Tucson: Dallas Jaye, Edgar Reyna, Travis Campbell, Greg Carter, Tim Harbison, Connor Brandt (Conner Bevans 64), Brandon Zimmerman, Eli Galbraith-Knapp, Ricardo Velazco, David Clemens (Stephen Poza 79), Saeed Robinson (Dakota Collins 64).

Substitutes Not Used: Michael D’Arrigo, Kevin Gould.

Houston Dynamo: Tyler Deric, Brian Ownby, Anthony Arena, Bobby Boswell, Mike Chabala, Luiz Camargo (Adam Moffat 83), Warren Creavalle, Alex Dixon, Bryan Salazar (Andrew Driver 61), Brian Ching (Giles Barnes 72), Jason Johnson.

Substitutes Not Used: Erich Marscheider, Eric Brunner, Kofi Sarkodie, Will Bruin.

Misconduct Summary:

TUC: Saeed Robinson (caution) 26

HOU: Warren Creavalle (caution) 71

HOU: Andrew Driver (caution) 75

TUC: Brandon Zimmerman (caution) 84

Officials: Referee: Eli Aguilar, AR1: Greg Boles, AR2: Daniel Vehabovic; fourth: Kyle Phillips

Attendance: 2,917

Team Stats

Shots: Houston 21, Tucson 7

Shots On Goal: Houston 9, Tucson 1

Saves: Tucson 7, Houston 1

Fouls: Houston 10, Tucson 4

Corner Kicks: Houston 8, Tucson 0

Offsides: Houston 1, Tucson 1

Champions League kicks off tonight; Open Cup champ Sounders play Thursday

July 31, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

The fifth edition of the CONCACAF Champions League begins Tuesday evening with two matches featuring the defending two-time champions Monterrey in one contest and Real Salt Lake of MLS in the other. The 2011 US Open Cup champion representative Seattle Sounders open their third consecutive CCL campaign Thursday.

2012-13CCL-sounders-web — Sounders celebrate third Open Cup title | photo: Gerald Barnhart

The reigning three-time Open Cup champion Sounders, who will try for an unprecedented fourth August 8 in Kansas City, face Trinidad & Tobago side Caledonia AIA in their first match of group-play as the event kicks off under a revised format that has seen the elimination of the Preliminary Round that was utilized the past four years. Instead of the 16 non-seeded teams playing in a two-leg series to advance to the four groups of four, the tournament has shifted to a group format that has eight groups of three, leaving little room for error while providing more schedule flexibility.

The Sounders’ group also features Marathon, who return to the tournament for a fourth appearance after failing to qualify for last year’s event. The two sides previously squared off in the 2010-11 Group Phase with the Hondurans winning the opening match at home, 2-1, and the Sounders taking the second, 2-0, in Seattle. Caledonia AIA is making its first appearance in the tournament, and is the fourth different side to represent T&T.

Two of the Sounders’ four fellow MLS sides in the event are also kicking off their CCL campaigns this week. Real Salt Lake faces Herediano (Costa Rica) Tuesday night. Canadian champion Toronto FC opens against Aguila (El Salvador) Wednesday. Tauro (Panama) is the third team in RSL’s group while Toronto’s group features last year’s runner-up Santos Laguna.

The Houston Dynamo play their first game August 22 versus FAS and the LA Galaxy open up the following night against Isidro Metapan (El Salvador). Olimpia (Honduras) is the third team in Houston’s group. The Galaxy’s group features Caribbean power and CCL darling Puerto Rico Islanders, who stunned the Galaxy two years ago in the Preliminary Round. The US Second Division NASL entry reached the tournament yet again and will begin their campaign this Wednesday against Metapan.

The Islanders are one of only three teams that have advanced to the event all five years. Group foe Metapan, who eliminated Puerto Rico in the Preliminary Round a year ago, is one and and Olimpia of Honduras is the other. On the flip side, only five of the 24 teams are making their CCL debuts, two of them from Mexico. All five MLS teams have played in the event previously.

GROUPS

1: Toronto FC (MLS, 4th appearance)… Aguila (El Salvador, 1st appearance)… Santos Laguna (Mexico, 4th appearance)
2: Real Salt Lake (MLS, 2nd appearance)… Herediano (Costa Rica, 3rd appearance)… Tauro (Panama, 4th appearance)
3: Houston Dynamo (3rd appearance)… Olimpia (Honduras, 5th appearance)… FAS (El Salvador, 2nd appearance)
4: Seattle Sounders (MLS, 4th appearance)… Caledonia AIA (T&T, 1st appearance)… Marathon (Honduras, 4th appearance)
5: LA Galaxy (MLS, 3rd appearance)… Puerto Rico Islanders (NASL, 5th appearance)… Isidro Metapan (El Salvador, 5th appearance)
6: Alajulense (Costa Rica, 3rd appearance)… Real Esteli (Nicaragua, 3rd appearance)… UANL Tigres (Mexico, 1st appearance)
7: Chorrillo (Panama, 1st appearance)… Monterrey (Mexico, 3rd appearance)… Municipal (Guatemala, 4th appearance)
8: Guadalajara (Mexico, 1st appearance)… W Connection (T&T, 2nd appearance)… Xelaju (Guatemala, 2nd appearance)

SCHEDULE [+]

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Things you should know about the Semifinals of the US Open Cup

July 3, 2012 by Josh Hakala

The New York Red Bulls take on FC Cincinnati in the US Open Cup Semifinals at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH on Tuesday August 15, 2017. Photo: Ryan Meyer | New York Red Bulls

Since 1996, only 14 non-MLS teams have advanced to the Semifinals.

2022 – Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship)*
2017 – FC Cincinnati (USL)
2011 – Richmond Kickers (USL Pro – 3rd Division)
2009 – Rochester Rhinos (USL First Division)
2008 – Charleston Battery (USL First Division)*, Seattle Sounders (USL First Division)
2007 – Carolina RailHawks (USL First Division), Seattle Sounders (USL First Division)
2005 – Minnesota Thunder (USL First Division)
2004 – Charleston Battery (A-League)
1999 – Charleston Battery (A-League), Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League)*
1997 – San Francisco Bay Seals (USISL Division 3 Pro League)
1996 – Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League)*

* Advanced to the Final

Since 1996, only seven teams have advanced to the Semifinals after beginning play in the First Round. The Richmond Kickers (2011), Rochester Rhinos (2009), Charleston Battery (2008), Carolina RailHawks (2007), San Francisco Bay Seals (1997) and the Seattle Sounders who did it twice in 2007 and 2008. San Francisco and Richmond are the only Third Division pro clubs to advance to the final four during that span.

When the Sacramento Republic eliminated Sporting Kansas City in penalty kicks in the 2022 Semifinals, they became just the fourth lower division club in the Modern Era (1995-present) to advance to the Final. They joined the Charleston Battery who eliminated the Seattle Sounders in the 2008 Semifinals, and the Rochester Raging Rhinos in 1996 and 1999. The Rhinos were the only non-MLS team (since 1996) to win the title when they defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in 1999.

In 2008, the Charleston Battery and the Seattle Sounders ended in a 1-1 draw, and then went to penalties where the Battery moved on 4-3. It was the first time a Semifinal game went to penalties during the Modern Era and the first time two non-MLS teams met in the final four.

The Chicago Fire entered Major League Soccer as an expansion team in 1998, and won the US Open Cup (and MLS Cup) in their inaugural season. In total, they have advanced to the Semifinals 13 times, which is more than any team in the history of the tournament (1913-present).

After Major League Soccer debuted in 1996 (1996 doesn’t make sense to include, since every Semifinalist was in their inaugural season that year), only four teams have advanced to the Semifinals in their inaugural season. The Fire (1998), Houston Dynamo (2006 – although they were essentially the San Jose Earthquakes, but they were still technically a “new franchise”), Carolina RailHawks (2007). The Seattle Sounders were a new MLS franchise in 2009, but the club had existed in the USL for several years prior to joining MLS.

In 2010, the Seattle Sounders became the first MLS expansion team to win a Semifinal match in each of their first two seasons as a franchise. They also won a Semifinal match in their third year (2011), and their fourth year (2012).

The Houston Dynamo celebrate after defeated LAFC in a PK shootout in the 2018 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Houston Dynamo — The Houston Dynamo celebrate after defeating LAFC in a PK shootout in the 2018 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Houston Dynamo

The 2007 US Open Cup marked the first time that both Semifinal matches went to extra time. The New England Revolution edged the Carolina RailHawks 2-1, followed by FC Dallas eliminating the Seattle Sounders (USL-1) by the same scoreline. Since then, this has only happened one other time: 2017 US Open Cup when Sporting Kansas City needed penalty kicks to take out the San Jose Earthquakes and then the New York Red Bulls came back to beat FC Cincinnati, 3-2 in extra time. It happened again in 2017 when Sporting Kansas City eliminated the San Jose Earthquakes in penalty kicks while the New York Red Bulls edged USL side FC Cincinnati 3-2 in extra time.

Semifinal appearances by MLS teams:

Chicago Fire – 13 (6-7-0 record)
DC United – 9 (5-4-0)
FC Dallas – 9 (4-4-1, 0-1 PKs)
LA Galaxy – 7 (4-3-0)
New York Red Bulls – 6 (2-4-0)
Sporting Kansas City – 6 (3-1-2, 1-1 PKs)
Seattle Sounders – 5 (5-0-0)
Columbus Crew – 4 (3-1-0)
New England Revolution – 4 (3-1-0)
Philadelphia Union – 4 (2-1-1, 1-0 PKs)
Houston Dynamo – 4 (1-2-1, 1-0 PKs)
Real Salt Lake – 3 (1-2-0)
Chivas USA – 2 (0-2-0)
Colorado Rapids – 2 (1-1-0)
Orlando City SC – 2 (1-1-0)
Portland Timbers – 2 (0-2-0)
San Jose Earthquakes – 2 (0-1-1, 0-1 PKs)
Atlanta United FC – 1 (1-0-0)
FC Cincinnati – 1 (0-0-1, 0-1 PKs)
Inter Miami CF – 1 (0-0-1, 1-0 PKs)
Los Angeles FC – 1 (0-0-1, 0-1 PKs)
Miami Fusion – 1 (1-0-0)
Minnesota United FC – 1 (1-0-0)
Tampa Bay Mutiny – 0

Note: The New York Red Bulls (Metrostars) have the most semifinal appearances (six) without an Open Cup championship.

Semifinal appearances by non-MLS teams:

Charleston Battery – 3 (0-2-1, 1-0 PKs)
Rochester Rhinos – 3 (2-1-0)
Seattle Sounders – 2 (0-1-1, 0-1 PKs)
Carolina RailHawks – 1 (0-1-0)
FC Cincinnati – 1 (0-1-0)
Minnesota Thunder – 1 (0-1-0)
Richmond Kickers – 1 (0-1-0)
Sacramento Republic FC – 1 (0-0-1, 1-0 PKs)
San Francisco Bay Seals – 1 (0-1-0)

Most consecutive Semifinal appearances (all-time):

Ukrainian Nationals (Philadelphia) – 8 (1959-66) — champions: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966
Seattle Sounders (USL/MLS) – 6 (2007-2012) — champions: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Stix, Baer & Fuller (St. Louis) – 6 (1932-37) — champions: 1933, 1934, 1935
Bethlehem Steel (Bethlehem, Pa.) – 5 (1915-19) — champions: 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919
Chicago Fire – 4 (2003-06) — champions: 2003, 2006
Chicago Fire – 4 (2013-16) — champions: None
Los Angeles Galaxy – 4 (2000-03) — champions: 2001
Philadelphia Nationals (1949-52) — champions: None
DC United – 3 (2008-2010) — champions: 2008
Pawtucket Rangers – 3 (1933-35) — champions: 1941
Dallas Burn (FC Dallas) – 3 (1996-98) — champions: 1997
Maccabee AC (Los Angeles) – 3 (1980-82) — champions: 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981
NY Greek Americans (New York City) – 3 (1967-69) — champions: 1967-69
Brooklyn Hispano (Brooklyn, NY) – 3 (1943-45) — champions: 1943, 1944
Croatian SC (Chicago) – 3 (1979-81) — champions: None
Ponta Delgada (Mass.) – 3 (1946-48) — champions: 1947
Fall River Rovers (Mass.) – 3 (1916-18) — champions: 1917
Scullin Steel (St. Louis) – 3 (1921-23) — champions: 1922

The most popular Semifinal matchup in the Modern Era has been the Chicago Fire against the Los Angeles Galaxy who have played each other three times.

2000: Chicago Fire 2:1 (ASDET) Los Angeles Galaxy (at Los Angeles)
2001: Los Angeles Galaxy 1:0 (ASDET) Chicago Fire (at Los Angeles)
2003: Chicago Fire 3:2 Los Angeles Galaxy (at Chicago)

The highest attendance for a Semifinal match in the Modern Era was 16,117 set by Sporting Kansas City when they defeated Real Salt Lake 3-1 at Sporting Park in Kansas City on Aug. 12, 2015. Two years later, USL side FC Cincinnati more than doubled that record with an announced crowd of 33,250. At the time, according to TheCup.us records, this was the second-highest attendance ever recorded for a US Open Cup match.

The highest average attendance between two Semifinal matches came in 2013 when Real Salt Lake hosted the Portland Timbers and the Chicago Fire hosted DC United. The average was 12,889. Real Salt Lake drew a then-record 14,742 and Chicago had an announced crowd of 11,036. However, in 2017, FC Cincinnati’s record crowd of 33,250 pushed the average attendance to nearly double the previous record: 24,722.

The following states have never had a team advance to the Semifinals:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kentucky
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Tennessee
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming

The longest current Semifinal drought is from the state of Rhode Island, who hasn’t had a time reach the Semifinals since 1942 when the Pawtucket Rangers reached the final four for the ninth and final time.

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: San Antonio Scorpions PK enough to upset Houston Dynamo

May 30, 2012 by Chris Hockman

The expansion San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL stunned the 2011 MLS Cup runners-up in an incredible night of US Open Cup action when they defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at Heroes Stadium Tuesday night.

The Scorpions came out determined, lining up in an incredibly attack oriented formation, playing 4-3-3, looking to get at the Dynamo from the start.

That attacking philosophy, though, would not pay off until early in the second half. The Scorpions got the winner in the 50th minute after Kevin Harmse sent a ball over the top for Pablo Campos, who was brought down in the box. The foul gave a penalty to the Scorpions that Hans Dennison converted with a strike into the upper left corner of the net.

Scorpions Coach Tim Hankinson was delighted, saying “If you look at our chances compared to theirs we could have had three goals. We were a little unlucky not to have three goals.”

web-SAvsHou-2929-RobinJerstad — Photo: Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Scorpions

Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear, on the other hand, was obviously disappointed after the match. “We were expecting to win, but we knew it wasn’t going to easy. It’s difficult (to shuffle the line-up) but I thought that was a team that was going to win the game tonight. It’s all about energy and desire to play; and it doesn’t matter what I do, it’s ultimately down to the players.”

The Scorpions will now face USL’s Charlotte Eagles, who defeated FC Dallas with a surprising 2-0 upset at Pizza Hut Park. Tim Hankinson, though, was not taking anything for granted. “I’m sure FC Dallas thought it would be easy, but they’re a very good team.”

Houston had the first chance of the game as they worked through to allow Cam Weaver space, but his shot went straight at Daryl Sattler.

The Scorpions had a great opportunity in the eighth minute as Pablo Campos made space on the left and sent in a beautiful ball that Estaban Bayona couldn’t connect with, allowing Colin Clark to clear for a corner.

Houston got back control after the quarter-hour mark, setting up a number of good set pieces, but without Brad Davis lacked that threat and failed to convert.

Bayona had another good opportunity in the 24th minute as he was able to get away a header from the edge of the area but there wasn’t enough power on the header making it an easy save for Tyler Deric.

Cam Weaver did brilliantly in the 26th minute but his effort to keep the ball in play but his hard work was not rewarded by his team mates.

Estaban Bayona got through one-one-one after an amazing 40 yard run that was very well saved by Deric to deny the opportunity and set up a great counter that saw Alex Dixon shoot from the edge of the area only to see another great save, this time from Sattler, to keep it scoreless at half time.

Five minutes after San Antonio took the lead, Adam Moffatt hit a typically powerful free kick that was well struck but the San Antonio defense stood up and blocked the shot.

Dennison was again put clean through in the 59th minute but again Deric stood up well and denied another one-on-one.

Pablo Campos again got clean through in the 68th minute with some neat footwork but his shot went across the face of goal with no one to tap it in.

In the final 20 minutes the match became much more physical as the fouls flew in preventing the build up at all costs.

Kevin Harmse set up Wes Knight clean through of the defense, but his shot with plenty of time and space but sent his shot just wide.

Chris Hockman is a freelance writer who also covers the sport forSanAntonioSoccerNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisomni

CONCACAF Champions League makes changes; All 24 clubs enter altered group format

January 12, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

A day after the United States Soccer Federation announced significant changes to its annual championship tournament, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the governing confederation CONCACAF announced its own major alterations to its Champions League competition. The new format for the 2012-2013 edition of the event will see the elimination of the 16-team Preliminary Round in favor of advancing all 24 qualified teams into an opening group stage of eight, three-team groups.

The new CONCACAF Champions League format will largely utilize the same date windows as was done previously with group matches running from late July to mid October. The changes appear to incorporate a flexible schedule format for the main stage with six dates available for four group contests, allowing the clubs to balance their play in multiple competitions. It will also, undoubtedly assist CONCACAF with severe weather situations which have arisen in the Caribbean and Central America in previous years.

The Championship stage – Quarterfinals to Final – remains unaltered with the eight group winners advancing from the opening stage. The three rounds of two-leg series will continue to run from early March to the first of May.

Previously, US Open Cup champions were unseeded clubs that were required to play in the Preliminary Round, though the 2011 champion Sounders were slated for a direct entry into the Group Phase due to the LA Galaxy winning both the MLS Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. Under the new format, the clubs that were previously seeded will now be placed in a pot together for the draw that will determine the composition of the groups, ensuring the seeded teams will be distributed equally and avoid one another.

Clubs will also continue to be placed in groups without members from their own nation, though the Can-Am nature of Major League Soccer could still see a Canadian MLS club in the same group as a US MLS side.

The 2012-13 tournament will mark the fifth edition of the event. The Seattle Sounders will represent the US Open Cup for a third consecutive year while league foes Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo also participate. A fifth MLS club is likely again via the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The Sounders struggled in their first campaign, winning just once in the 2010-11 group phase after winning the Preliminary Round series against El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan. The lone win came against Marathon (Honduras).

Seattle has advanced the success of Open Cup champions under the current CONCACAF format, becoming the first to reach the Quarterfinals. The 2007 champion New England Revolution were stunned in the Preliminary Round in 2008, falling 6-1 on aggregate to Joe Public (T&T). DC United, champions in 2008, also advanced versus an El Salvadoran club, Luis Angel Firpo, in 2009 to reach the group phase, winning a penalty kick tiebreaker after a pair of 1-1 draws. In the group phase DC was 3-2-1, missing the cut by two points despite having higher point totals than the second-place clubs in two of the other groups.

The Sounders continue their second CCL campaign with the Quarterfinals in March. They will face Mexico’s Santos Laguna, a regular contender in the CCL, March 7 and 14 while their league rivals Toronto FC and LA Galaxy square off those same nights in the series that would determine their Semifinal opponent should they advance. Seattle rallied from a 1-0 Preliminary Round deficit against Panama’s San Francisco to win 2-1 in overtime. Seattle finished second in the group at 3-2-1 behind Monterrey, whom they defeated 1-0 in Mexico.

Prior to the Champions League format the Columbus Crew were the last club to represent the US Open Cup in the confederation’s club championship event. The 2002 champion Crew won the 2003 First Round series, 4-2 on aggregate (1-2, 3-0) versus Panama’s Arabe Unido before exiting in the Quarterfinals against Monarcas Morelia, who cruised to the aggregate win with a 6-0 opening win, allowing Columbus to take the second meeting, 2-0.

The Other US Opens and marketing the ‘US Soccer Majors’

September 25, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Every year when the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament rolls into the lights shining down onto the stadium pitch, the inevitable comparisons to the FA Cup in England come into play as part of the explanation to what the tournament is for journalists. And often times it’s followed by the unfortunate analogizing of the event to minor and major league baseball teams playing one another in a single-elimination tournament.

But perhaps the better comparisons we should all be making is to the other Opens in which the American media already treat as serious events. These events also pit amateurs versus professionals on an open entry basis, and are also among numerous events within the specific sport. These events, of course, are the US Open tennis tournaments held annually in New York and the US Open golf championship held in a different location each year around the United States.

Each fall, the world’s best tennis players convene on the hard courts of the USTA’s Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY for the tour’s fourth and final major of what the sport considers the Grand Slam. Those top-flight professionals are joined by winners of an open playoff system that is comprised 16 sectionals and a national playoff event in which only USTA members may participate. In the end, 128 participants each take part in the men’s and women’s brackets (64 for doubles).

Last year, over 1,200 players took part in the USTA’s National Playoffs for a chance to compete in the singles events at the US Open. Unlike US Soccer’s Open Cup, only one male and one female earned qualification spots to compete against the world’s best in the tournament.

Toyota Park — The Chicago Fire have won six majors, including four US Open Cup championships | Photo by Brian Kersey/Wireimage.com

The US Open golf tournament, held in June, is comparatively more open with approximately half the participants advancing from qualification play to join the world’s top players who are automatically in the field through 17 exemptions categories via such things as being tournament winners or holding a certain world ranking.

At the 2010 tournament, 75 of the 156 participants were non-exempted players who qualified through the two-stage process to reach the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links for the championship. The process begins with Local Qualifying, a series of over 100 18-hole tournaments held around the country. Many top players not already qualified through full exemption are, however, exempt from local qualifying and join the process at the Sectional Qualifying stage where they participate in one of several one-day, 36-hole tournaments in the United States. There is also a Sectional tournament in both Europe and Japan where 11 and 4 individuals qualified, respectively, in 2010.

The major difference between the US Open Cup and the US Open tennis and golf duo is that the US Soccer Federation event is the only one that is a championship tournament for Americans while the other two are open to foreign participants. The only clubs eligible for the US Open Cup are American-based teams that are affiliated through the USSF; however, for argument’s sake it does still feature a foreign component as teams are comprised, in part, of players that are not American.

la-galaxy-2000-champions-cup-winners — The Los Angeles Galaxy have won eight majors, and are one of only two MLS clubs to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup (DC United). They won the Champions Cup in 2000 | Photo: Los Angeles Galaxy

Continuing on the golf tangent, another significant open tournament American media and sports fans are very familiar with and follow every July is the British Open (officially known as The Open Championship), which is the oldest of the four golf majors and is the only one held outside of the United States. Similar to the US Open, the majority of the 156 participants are automatic entrants through exemption with the remaining players advancing from a two-stage qualification process.

Through 2004, players from around the world were only able to qualify through 18-hole Local Qualifying events held around Britain and Ireland within two weeks of The British Open followed by 36-hole Local Final Qualifying tournaments a few days later. International Qualifying events, 36-hole tournaments, were added in 2004 to assist foreign professionals wishing to participate, holding qualifiers in Africa, Australia, Asia, America and Europe with more stringent entrance standards than Local Qualifying.

Packaging & Marketing US Soccer Majors

The golf and tennis tours are lengthy seasons that run from January to the fall with tournament events nearly every week, but it is the majors where media coverage amps up and fan viewership heightens. With the similarities of the American Open majors to the US Open Cup, perhaps there are other lessons to be learned from the golf and tennis tours, such as the incorporation US Soccer Majors as a marketing tool for the sports’ leading championship events for American clubs.

A matching structure of four championships already exists with the US Open Cup joined by the MLS Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield (regular season championship) and the CONCACAF Champions League. Currently, the MLS Cup is the leading championship, but by creating a platform that raises the perception of the other three events to a comparable level to the league’s championship playoff, it will increase awareness among the media and fans while also, hopefully, creating a greater sense of seriousness and urgency to win the other events among the clubs and coaches.

Bringing these four championships together into one packaged series allows for a greater ability to compare the success of clubs beyond just winning MLS Cup as though this was the NFL and the Super Bowl while clubs around the rest of the world are evaluated on all the various events in which they participate. It would be similar to how tennis players and golfers are measured by majors won.

1996dcunited — DC United lead all MLS clubs with 11 majors, including the 1996 US Open Cup championship | Photo: DC United

For instance, the Los Angeles Galaxy and DC United are the only two clubs that have won all four majors (dating back to the CCL precursor CONCACAF Champions Cup). In fact, the two also hold the most total majors with DC boasting 11 (4 MLS Cups, 4 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and a CCC) and the Galaxy having eight (2 MLS Cups, 3 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and the CCC).

Only five clubs have won all three of the domestic majors with the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City having won everything but a CONCACAF championship at least once. The Fire are third in total majors (6) and the Crew are fourth (5).

Only three American MLS clubs are without a major championship, excluding expansion Portland. The New York Red Bulls, Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union have yet to claim one of the big prizes.

In the last five years, the most successful clubs in the United States have been Columbus and DC, each having won three majors. The Crew have won the Supporters’ Shield twice and the MLS Cup once. DC also has two Supporters’ Shields, but has a US Open Cup championship to round things out. Houston and Seattle each have two titles with the Dynamo winning MLS Cup twice in a row and the Sounders taking the Open Cup title back-to-back. Five other teams each have one major as nine clubs have won the 15 possible domestic majors while coming up empty in the Champions League, which is completing its third run with Real Salt Lake still in the hunt for a second major in the same cycle in which it won the MLS Cup title and qualified for the event.

All-Time ‘US Soccer Majors’ Winners List

11 – DC United (4 MC, 4 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
8 – Los Angeles Galaxy (2 MC, 3 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
6 – Chicago Fire (1 MC, 1 SS, 4 OC)
5 – Columbus Crew (1 MC, 3 SS, 1 OC)
3 – San Jose Earthquakes (2 MC, 1 SS)
3 – Sporting Kansas City (1 MC, 1 SS, 1 OC)
2 – Houston Dynamo (2 MC)
2 – Seattle Sounders (2 OC)
1 – Colorado Rapids (MC), FC Dallas (OC), Real Salt Lake (MC), New England Revolution (OC), Rochester Rhinos (OC), Tampa Bay Mutiny (SS), Miami Fusion (SS)

(MC – MLS Cup, SS – Supporters’ Shield, OC – US Open Cup, CCC/CCL – CONCACAF Champions Cup/League)

Notable Semifinal matches in US Open Cup history

August 27, 2011 by

4/18/14 Pawtucket, Rhode Island
New Bedford FC 1-2 Brooklyn Field Club

New Bedford – Beckton 24’
Brooklyn – Robert Millar (2)
Sent Off – Clark (Brooklyn) 34’, Chadwick (New Bedford) 34’

4/26/14 Olympic Park – Paterson, New Jersey
Brooklyn Celtic 6-2 Niagara Falls Rangers (3-0 HT)

Celtic – O’Hallaran (3), King (Campion), Campion, Lonie
Rangers – Kemp, Wallace

The very first Semifinal round of the US Open Cup (then called the National Challenge Cup) saw a pair of Brooklyn teams reach the Final. On April 18, the Brooklyn Field Club, which finished first in the National Association Football League, defeated New Bedford FC 2-1, on two goals by Hall of Famer Robert Millar, after Beckton had given the New Englanders a 1-0 lead. Both teams played much of the game with ten men each, after Clark of Brooklyn and Chadwick of New Bedford were sent off in the 35th minute for fighting.

In the other Semifinal on April 26 Brooklyn Celtic, eventual winners of the New York State Amateur Foot Ball League, easily defeated the Niagara Falls Rangers 6-2. O’Hallaran lead the way for Celtic with a hat trick.

3/17/29 Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
Madison Kennels 7-4 Sparta A & BA

Madison – Bud Grennon (3), Dinty Moore, Worden, Oster, Eddie Flavin
Sparta – Barger (2), Kratochvil, Oster (og)

St. Louis’s Madison Kennels and Chicago’s Sparta A & BA combine for 11 goals, setting a new Semifinal mark that would later be equaled in 1962. Madison’s Bud Grennon led all scorers with three goals, while Barger led Sparta with two.

3/16/30 Polo Grounds – New York, New York
Bethlehem Steel 1-1 Fall River Marksmen (Match Report)

Bethlehem – Sandy Dick
Fall River – Alex McNab 82’

Bethlehem – Fraser, Finlayson, McGregor, Reid, Carnihan, Pitt, Gillespie, Jaap, Stark, Massie, Dick

Marksmen – Reder, McGill, R. McAuley, McPherson, Priestley, Ballantyne, McNab, Gonsalves (Nilsen), Patenaude, J. McAuley, White

Att – 17,000 Referee – C. E. Creighton. Linesmen – F. DeGroof and M. Hutchinson

3/23/30 Battery Park – New Bedford, Massachusetts
(replay) Fall River Marksmen 3-2 Bethlehem Steel

Fall River – Billy Gonsalves 50’, Dave Priestley 67’, Bobby Ballantyne 71’
Bethlehem – Archie Stark 64’ 70’

Bethlehem Steel makes their final appearance in the National Challenge Cup, losing to the Fall River Marksmen 3-2 and ending the first great dynasty of the Cup. After a 1-1 draw at the Polo Grounds in New York, Fall River took the replay at New Bedford. Billy Gonsalves gave the Marksmen a 1-0 lead after 50 minutes, but Archie Stak put Bethlehem ahead with two goals in the middle of the half. Fall River snatched the lead for good on scored from Dave Priestly and Bobby Ballantine. Effects of the Great Depression forced Bethlehem Steel to stop fielding a team after 1930.

Bethlehem made the Semifinals a total of nine times from 1915-1930, including five in a row from 1915-1919, in which they reached the Final each time.

3/6/32 St. Louis, Missouri
(first leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 3-2 Bricklayers FC

Stix – McCarthy (2), Willie McLean
Bricklayers – Lillie, Coutis

3/14/32 Sparta Field – Chicago, Illinois
(second leg) Bricklayers FC 2-0 Stix, Baer & Fuller

Bricklayers – Munro, Lillie

3/19/32 Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 1-0 Bricklayers FC

Stix – Jack O’Reilly 1’

Stix, Baer & Fuller, featuring Hall of Famers Billy Gonsalves, William Lehman, Alex McNab, Willie McLean, began their run of six straight appearances in the Open Cup Final by defeating Chicago’s Bricklayers SC over three legs in the 1932 Western Final. The team reached the 1932, 1933 & 1934 Finals under the sponsorship of Stix. Baer and Fuller, a St. Louis department store. The team switched sponsorship for the 1935 season, playing as Central Breweries. Sponsorship changed again, and the team reached the 1936 & 1937 finals under the name Shamrocks. The team finally folded after many of its players left to play for another St. Louis club, St. Patricks.

3/24/35 St. Louis, Missouri
(First leg) Central Brewery 2-1 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

4/1/35 De Paul Field – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 1-1 (aet) Central Brewery

Weibolt – Littie 28’
Central – McNab 30’

4/6/34 St. Louis, Missouri
(Second leg replay) Central Brewery 3-3 (aet) Weiboldt Wodnerbolts

4/14/35 Sparta Stadium – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg – second replay) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 3-2(aet) Central Brewery (0-2 HT, 2-2 FT)

Weibolt – Monroe (2 PK), Hill
Central – Billy Gonsalves, Bert Patenaude

4/21/35 St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Central Brewery 1-0 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

Central – Bert Patenaude 68′

The longest Semifinal matchup was between Chicago’s Weiboldt Wonderbolts and Central Brewery of St. Louis. The three-leg Western Final actually lasted five games. Central won the first game 2-1 in St. Louis. The second leg in Chicago finished 1-1 after extra time. A week later in St. Louis, the second leg replay finished 3-3, meaning a second replay of the second leg would take place a week later in Chicago. That game also went to extra time, but the Wonderbolts managed to come out on top 3-2. Nearly a month after it started, the series finally ended when Central won the decisive leg 1-0.

4/23/44 Winnemac Park – Chicago, Illinois
(first leg) Viking AA 0-2 Morgan Strasser

Morgan – Elgie Grant 21′ 80′

5/7/44 Bridgeville Park – Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
(second leg) Morgan Strasser 9-0 Viking AA (Chi.) (4-0 HT)

Morgan – Aldo Donelli 15′ (Hart) n/a’ , Felix Mitchell (2), Pucker (2), Urbanic, Grant, Pietersek

The most lopsided Semifinal pairing was in 1944, when Pittsburgh’s Morgan Strasser demolished Chicago’s Viking AA 11-0 over two legs. Morgan won the first leg in Chicago 2-0, but the return leg in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania turned into a rout. Aldo Donelli, Felix Mitchell and Pucker each scored twice as Morgan ran away with a 9-0 win, a mark that still stands as the highest score by a single team in a single Semifinal game.

3/28/54 Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
Scots SC 0-1 Kutis SC
Att-4,000

The Scots SC of Los Angeles became the first team West of St. Louis to appear in a US Open Cup Semifinal, losing to Kutis SC 1-0. 1954 was also the first year teams from California participated in the US Open Cup, and the winner between Los Angeles and San Francisco went on to face the survivor between St. Louis and Chicago in the Semifinals.

6/10/62 St. Louis, Missouri
Kutis SC 5-6 (aet) San Francisco Scots 6-5

Scots – Tom Dawkins n/a’ 118′

The Scots and Kutis combine for 11 goals in the 1962 Western Final, equaling a mark set by Madison Kennels and Sparta A & BA in 1929 for the most combined goals in a single Semifinal game. Tom Dawkins scored twice for the Scots, including the winning goal with a minute left in extra time. The game was tied 3-3 after ninety minutes, and also marked the first time a club from San Francisco would reach the Open Cup Final.

3/6/71 Seattle, Washington
(1st Leg) Heidelberg Brewers (Sea.) 1-0 Yugoslav SC

3/14/71 Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
(2nd Leg) Yugoslav SC 2-0 Heidelberg Brewers

Yugoslav – Karlo Mertisek, Rade Savic

In the last two-leg Semifinal in Open Cup play, San Pedro, California’s Yugoslav SC edged out Seattle’s Heidelberg Brewers on a 2-1 aggregate.

5/27/73 Metropolitan Oval – Queens, New York
New York Greek Americans 1-3 Inter-Italia SC

NYGA – Joe Ognajac 31’
Inter – Valentino Stavole 3’, Vito Colonna 40’, Gianpietro Gasparin 41’)

Cleveland’s Inter-Italia SC halted a six-year streak of New York/New Jersey clubs appearing in the US Open Cup Final, thanks to a 3-1 victory over New York Greek Americans. Inter dominated play for the most part, and were lead by Gianpietro Gasparini, a priest by trade, who played a part in all three of Inter’s goals.

Cleveland started off right away, as Gasparini fed a pass to Valentino Stavole, who beat G-A goalkeeper Joe Canal from 15 yards out after just two minutes of play. The Greeks managed to draw the match level after 31 minutes however, as Joe Ognajac put in a header from close range. Cleveland took the lead for good just before halftime, as Vito Colonna scored in the 40th minute, and Gasparini scored just a minute later. Cleveland kept up the pressure, but missed several chances to further grow the scoreline.

6/3/79 Norton Park – St. Petersburg, Florida
H. Brooks Dodge Chargers 0-3 Brooklyn Dodgers

The St. Petersburg, Florida-based Chargers are the first team from the Southern US to make an appearance in the Semifinals of the US Open Cup. By this time the tournament was split into four regions, and only three teams entered from the southern region.

6/20/87 St. Louis Soccer Park – Fenton, Missouri
Mitre Eagles 5-4(aet) Busch SC (2-2 FT)

Eagles – John Klein 119’ (2), Eddie Kruger, Peter Klein, Andy Churlin
Busch- Steve Trittschuh 85’

St. Louis’s Busch SC tried the game at 2-2 in the 85th minute on a goal from Steve Tritschuh. The teams traded goals in extra time to make it 4-4, and John Klein sent the Eagles to the final with a 25-yard shot in the 119th minute.

6/25/94
Bavarian Leinekugel w/o McCormick Kickers

The Kickers are forced to forfeit since most of the team held tickets to a World Cup game in Orlando that fell on the same day. The team had purchased the tickets well in advance, and were assured the dates for the Open Cup would not conflict.

9/2/97 Stagg Memorial Stadium – Stockton, California
San Francisco Bay Seals 1-2 DC United

The Cinderella run of the San Francisco Bay Seals comes to an end with their Semifinal loss to DC United. The D3 Pro League Seals had upset two MLS teams (Kansas City and San Jose) on their way to becoming the only team from the third tier of US soccer to reach the Semifinals in the Professional Era (1995-present).

9/1/99 Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-2 Columbus Crew

Rochester – Darren Tilley 68’, Scott Schweitzer 86’, Tom Hardy 90’
Columbus – Robert Warzycha 56’, Brian West 77’

9/1/99 Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Colorado Rapids 3-0 Charleston Battery

Colorado – Jorge Daly Valdes 55’ 87’, Paul Bravo 82’

For the first time in Pro Era history, two non-MLS teams reach the Semifinals. Rochester’s 3-2 triumph over Columbus paved the way for the only time a lower league club would win the Open Cup title in the Pro Era. While Charleston fell 3-0 to Colorado, their run was catapulted by their famous 4-3 sudden death extra time win over DC United in the Fourth Round. Both games were played in Virginia Beach, Virginia due to the fact that they were scheduled to host the 1998 Open Cup Final, but a hurricane forced a venue change.

8/12/08 Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Battery 1-1 (aet) Seattle Sounders
Charleston advance on penalty kicks, 4-3

Charleston – Randi Patterson 32’
Seattle – Osvaldo Alonso 20’ (og)

For the only time in the Pro Era, a Semifinal match is contested between two lower league teams, ensuring the Final would feature at least one non-MLS team.

7/21/09 Starfire Sports Complex – Tukwila, Washington
Seattle Sounders FC 2:1 (aet) Houston Dynamo

The Seattle Sounders, in their inaugural season in Major League Soccer, advanced to the Final in dramatic fashion. Houston’s Ade Akinbiyi put the Dynamo up in the 32nd minute, but the home team wasn’t able to equalize until the 89th minute when Nate Jaqua sent the game into extra time. With all the momentum and the home crowd behind them at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash., Stephen King scored what would prove to be the game-winner in the 95th minute on an assist from Sebastien Le Toux and the club would hold on to the 2-1 lead throughout extra time, despite defender Jhon Hurtado being sent off in the 110th minute. The Sounders become the first Seattle-based team to reach the Open Cup Final since the Mitre Eagles did it in 1987.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: CJ Sapong’s goal gives Sporting KC first qualifying win, 1-0 over Dynamo

April 6, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

2011 US Open Cup qualifying bracket (MLS)

Tyler Deric, Houston Dynamo — Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric made four saves in Wednesday’s US Open Cup qualifier against Sporting Kansas City. Photo: Wilf Thorne | Houston Dynamo

A goal three minutes into overtime from second half substitute CJ Sapong proved to be the difference as Sporting Kansas City registered their first Major League Soccer qualification victory for the US Open Cup in team history, downing Houston Dynamo, 1-0. The club entered the match with a 0-2-1 record, advancing just once on penalties.

The rookie striker, selected as the 10th overall pick, is no stranger to dramatic early goals through just four games. His first career goal in MLS came in the very first minute of the club’s 3-2 victory on the road against Chivas USA in the season opener.

After receiving a pass from Teal Bunbury, who has a co-league leading three goals, Sapong drove through the Dynamo defense and let loose a curling shot into the upper right corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Tyler Deric.

Sapong is looking to return to the tournament after being eliminated, 2-1 in overtime, in the First Round a year ago while playing for the USL Premier Development League’s Reading United AC by the then USL Second Division Real Maryland Monarchs. The former DC United Academy player tallied two goals and two assists as Reading swept all of its qualifiers in the PDL a year ago, starting all four contests. He also went on to help lead the team to the PDL Final Four with four goals and three assists in 11 games.

Kansas City advances to the final round of the eastern MLS qualification bracket and will travel to play the winner of the second round match between the New England Revolution and host DC United. Details of the match will be announced at a later date.

The two clubs came in with contrasting results in league play as Houston featured low-scoring affairs and Kansas City thrilling goalfests, but the scoreline followed the Dynamo trend. Houston opened with a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia and came into the match on back-to-back 1-1 draws in Seattle and New York. Sporting, meanwhile, saw at least four fewer goals. Following the win in California, Kansas City dropped a 3-2 contest in Chicago and saw a three-goal lead disappear in Vancouver for a 3-3 draw last weekend.

Back-up goalkeeper Eric Kronberg was critical for the visitors in the shutout, making six saves and patrolling his area well on the night. Houston’s youngster was also stellar in goal in relief of usual starter Tally Hall, making an acrobatic save seven minutes in to deny Kei Kamara’s header from six yards and stuffing Omar Bravo point-blank in the 25th minute.

Houston returns to league play, hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps Sunday evening. Kansas City, meanwhile, are idle this weekend and will next play in Columbus April 16 as Sporting continues its 10-game stretch away from home to start the league campaign while its new home stadium, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, is completed for the June 9 opener versus Chicago.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City 1:0 Houston Dynamo (After Extra Time)
April 06, 2011 — Aggie Soccer Stadium, College Station, Tx.

Scoring Summary
SKC: CJ Sapong (Teal Bunbury) – 92nd minute

Sporting Kansas City lineup: Eric Kronberg (GK), Michael Harrington, Matt Besler, Shavar Thomas, Roger Espinoza, Luke Sassano (Davy Arnaud – 91st), Craig Rocastle (Birahim Diop – 76th), Milos Stojcev, Kei Kamara, Omar Bravo (CJ Sapong – 46th), Teal Bunbury. | Substitutes Not Used: Kevin Ellis, Mike Jones, Scott Lorenz, Jon Kempin.

Houston Dynamo lineup: Tyler Deric (GK), Kofi Sarkodie, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson (Jordan Graye – 86th), Mike Chabala, Danny Cruz, Alex Dixon, Lovel Palmer, Colin Clark (Corey Ashe – 76th), Cam Weaver (Will Bruin – 83rd), Jason Garey. | Substitutes Not Used: Hunter Freeman, Francisco Navas Cobo, Josue Soto, Tally Hall.

Misconduct Summary
HOU: Kofi Sarkodie (caution; Tactical Foul) – 5th
HOU: Lovel Palmer (caution; Tactical Foul) – 43rd
SKC: Omar Bravo (caution; Reckless Foul) – 46th+
HOU: Mike Chabala (caution; Tactical Foul) – 65th
HOU: Bobby Boswell (caution; Tactical Foul) – 73rd

Referee: Ismail Elfath
Referee’s Assistants: Greg Boles; Marcel Theriot
4th Official: Luis Guardia
Attendance: 2,383
Weather: Sunny-and-75-degrees