Lansdowne Bhoys

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: North Carolina FC blank Lansdowne Bhoys to remain perfect vs. amateurs

May 22, 2018 by Ian Foster

In their relatively storied Open Cup history, North Carolina FC (nee the RailHawks) had never lost to an amateur team. That run continued as they routed Lansdowne Bhoys 3-0 on Wednesday night behind goals from Connor Tobin, Marios Lomis, and Bernhard Luxbacher.

The rout started early at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary as NCFC pushed forward right from the kickoff, earning themselves a corner kick in the first minute. Kyle Bekker’s ball glanced off the head of Austin da Luz and snuck through to Connor Tobin, who smashed home a rare goal for the centerback.

Lansdowne didn’t generate much work for NCFC goalkeeper Austin Guerrero in the first half–their best chance was a scuffed touch behind the backline. Lansdowne goalkeeper Abdoukarim Danso (brother of NCFC centerback Futty Danso) had to work to avoid a 2-0 deficit, on the other hand. He got fingertip to a Andre Fortune shot that hit the post in the 26th minute, fought off a near own goal in the 30th minute, and pushed another shot off the post in the 42nd.

In the 44th minute, however, the hosts broke through after a smart throw-in down the line played Fortune behind the Lansdowne line. Lomis easily powered his cross home to double the advantage before the halftime whistle.

Abdoukarim Danso’s heroics once again went unrewarded in the second half, as just a minute after an amazing one-on-one save on Lomis, Luxbacher put home the third. In the 74th minute, Kyle Bekker found Luxbacher with a looping ball behind the backline. One touch put Luxbacher behind Abdoukarim Danso and, having struggled with his shot all game, the Swiss midfielder decided to simply escort the ball into the net.

With the win, North Carolina FC improves to 7-0-0 all-time against amateur teams in this tournament. They advance to the Third Round where they will host the Ocean City Nor’easters of the PDL on Tuesday, May 22.

We’re moving on!

Catch the highlights from our 3-0 @opencup victory over Lansdowne Bhoys FC! pic.twitter.com/hIpw8qYHyI

— North Carolina FC (@NorthCarolinaFC) May 17, 2018

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Lansdowne Bhoys blank Brooklyn Italians to advance to Round 2

May 13, 2018 by Anthony Merced

The dream came to an end on Wednesday night for the Brooklyn Italians as Lansdowne Bhoys took a 2-0 win at LIU Athletic Center to move on to the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. A goal from Daryl Kavanagh in the first half was all they needed to lock the game down with the Italians offering little in response on offense.

Lansdowne Bhoys started the game by spreading the ball out wide and challenging the Italians in the midfield. Despite their best efforts, the Italians seemed on the back-foot from the first whistle. That was confirmed in the eighth minute when Michi Holzer shredded the defense and fed the ball to Daryl Kavanagh for the game’s opening goal. The Bhoys continued to pour on the offense but weren’t able to find the brace before the halftime whistle.

Injuries did plague Brooklyn, forcing them to go to the bench before the 45th minute. Another injury, this time to Collyns Laokandi who assisted on two of the Italians’ three goals in the upset of the New York Cosmos B a few days before, forced another substitution in the second half, altering the game plan.

Brooklyn didn’t surrender in the second half, forcing the action and taking advantage of a visibly tired Lansdowne Bhoys team. That didn’t stop Mamadou Guirassy from taking the ball down the line and forcing a clearance that was botched by the Italians. The ball ricocheted off of the defender and into their own net, doubling the lead.

From there, Brooklyn pressed and created opportunities but none were good enough to force a save out of the Bhoys keeper. On the flip side, the winners did have opportunities only to find it difficult to beat the Italians’ keeper.

The win pushes Lansdowne Bhoys into the Second Round of the US Open Cup and sends them to North Carolina to play North Carolina FC of the USL. For the Italians, they can take solace in knowing they eliminated the New York Cosmos B in the Preliminary Round but Lansdowne Bhoys proved to be too much.

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Daryl Kavanagh’s brace helps Lansdowne Bhoys qualify for second time

November 20, 2017 by Eugene O'Driscoll

Lansdowne Bhoys FC beat Junior Lone Stars U-23s to advance to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second time in three years. The defending USASA Amateur Cup champions, playing in front of their home fans at Tibbetts Brooke Park in Yonkers, NY, won the game 3-1 to earn a spot in the 105th edition of the tournament next spring.

Irish forward Daryl Kavanagh, who spent time with numerous pro teams in his home country during his career, scored two of the three goals to lead Lansdowne to the win.

At the start, it was a very tense affair with both teams guilty of heavy touches and mishit passes. Lansdowne’s quality eventual shone through as the Bhoys started to grasp control of the game while Junior Lone Star looked dangerous on the counter. After a handful of chances for Lansdowne, Paco Navarro broke the deadlock after being slipped in from Lukas Zagres to give the Bhoys an early lead.

In the second half, the Bhoys tightened their grip on the game, coming close before a beautiful curling, left-footed Daryl Kavanagh effort gave them the second goal they were looking for.

After that goal, it was generally one-way traffic and the Bhoys added a third as Kavanagh deftly flicked in an Andrew Sousa free kick. In the last ten minutes, Junior Lone Star had their best attacking spell of the game and were rewarded for their efforts as Momoh Dolley, a substitute, scored to ruin the shutout. For the Philadelphia-based Junior Lone Star, it would be the end to a rare qualifying run as the club’s senior team was eliminated in the opening round, while the Under-23s advanced all the way to the final round.

For the Bhoys, they qualify for the US Open Cup for the second time in club history. When they made their Open Cup debut in 2016, they made the most of it by defeating the Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) in the opening round before stunning the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds on the road, 2-0. Their inaugural cup run would end with another road game, falling 2-0 at the Rochester Rhinos (USL).

Lansdowne manager Austin Friel was satisfied with the result and is looking ahead to the challenge that awaits his club when the US Open Cup begins next spring.

“I’m very happy to reach the first round,” Friel said with an eye toward the future and a reference to the past. “The next five months now is about preparing a squad to go as far as we can in the competition. We enjoyed our 2016 journey and want to go further this year.”

2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Amateur Cup titleholders Lansdowne Bhoys edge Pancyprian Freedoms in PKs

October 25, 2017 by Brendan Doherty

MORE: 2018 US Open Cup Qualifying Results/Schedule

Two of the titans of the famed Cosmopolitan Soccer League in New York City battled for 120 minutes and neither could find a goal. The match had to be decided in penalty kicks with the reigning Amatuer Cup champion Lansdowne Bhoys edging three-time US Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms, 4-3.

The Bhoys and the Freedoms have both qualified for the US Open Cup in recent years.

The Bhoys from the New York metropolitan area qualified for the 2016 edition of the tournament after defeating Newtown Pride FC and Worcester FC during qualification. That year Lansdowne Bhoys defeated PDL side Long Island Rough Riders 2-1 before traveling to Pennsylvania to stun the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 2-0. The cup-run ended with a 2-0 loss in Rochester at the hands of the Rhinos in the Third Round.

The team fell to FC Motown during qualification for 2017 tournament but returned to try to earn a spot for 2018. Lansdowne Bhoys FC defeated Jackson Lions FC of New Jersey’s Garden State Soccer League in the opening round on September 24.

The Pancyprian Freedoms defeated Newtown Pride of Connecticut 2-1 in the first round of qualifying last month.

The club has a storied history that includes both the amateur side in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League dating back to 1979 and the professional team founded in 1999 as the New York Freedom. The Freedoms pushed eventual champion Rochester Raging Rhinos to the brink in extra time during the second round of the 1999 Open Cup.

More recently, the amateur side qualified for the 2016 Open Cup and showed well. The Freedoms defeated PDL-side New York Red Bulls U-23s 2-1 in the first round and narrowly lost to another PDL team, Jersey Express 1-0.

These two sides know each other well both from league play in the CSL and in amateur cup competitions, including 2017 Open Cup qualifying last autumn. In that contest, Lansdowne Bhoys prevailed 3-2 over New York Pancyprian Freedoms after extra time in Yonkers on September 10, 2016.

The teams also met just two weeks prior to Sunday’s cup showdown, a CSL match on Oct. 10 that ended 1-1 in Yonkers. Within CSL, NY leads the league in scoring with 2.4 goals per game average and Lansdowne has the stingiest defense in the division allowing just 0.75 goals per contest.

Both the familiarity between the teams and the prize at stake added venom to Sunday night’s match. The first half was chippy, with five bookings, but produced saves from both goalkeepers. New York’s forward Andreas Chronis forced a clearance off the line in the 27th minute and struck the woodwork in the 65th.

Lansdowne Bhoys defenders had their backs against the wall late in regulation when Craig Purcell got his body in front of a header from Luis Esteves in the 90th minute.

In extra time, Lansdowne goalkeeper Abdoukarim Danso, who played during the team’s previous cup run and won TheCup.us Player of the Round, came off his line to close down New York’s Adam Himeno. The best chance of the second period of extra time came off the foot of Lansdowne Bhoys’ Joseph Lopez but his long-distance effort missed the target.

After 120 scoreless minutes of soccer could not separate the Bhoys and Freedoms, the teams lined up for a shootout. Sunday night’s opponents proved evenly matched even from the spot as the Bhoys finally prevailed.

Perhaps energized from his extra time heroics, Danso stole the show with three saves from the line as his side now advances to the third qualifying round to be played in November against the Junior Lone Star Under-23s from Philadelphia.

Lansdowne Bhoys head coach Austin Friel is now one game away from taking his team back to the Open Cup while the Pancyprian Freedoms cast attention back to their undefeated start to the league

2017 US Open Cup qualifying review: A New York-New Jersey thriller highlights opening weekend of Round 2

October 19, 2016 by Josh Hakala

FC Motown celebrates the game-winning goal scored in second half of stoppage time in the club's 3-2 win over Lansdowne Bhoys in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Photo: James O'Rourke | FC Motown — FC Motown celebrates the game-winning goal scored in second half of stoppage time in the club’s 3-2 win over Lansdowne Bhoys in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Photo: James O’Rourke | FC Motown

The second round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying tournament kicked off with four games. Three teams that qualified for last year’s US Open Cup (West Chester United, Aromas Cafe FC, Lansdowne Bhoys FC) were eliminated by teams who are seeking their first-ever tournament berth (Christos FC, Tartan Devils Oak Avalon, FC Motown). The fourth game featured recent tournament regular GPS Omens who knocked off Newtown Pride FC (CT) as they aiming to qualify for the third time in four years.

The biggest game of the weekend was between New Jersey’s FC Motown and New York’s Lansdowne Bhoys. The Bhoys tied the game up in second half stoppage time but FC Motown answered that with the game-winner in the final minute.

There are still 14 more games to be played in Round 2, but they will take place the following weekend (Oct. 22-23). Check out the full schedule, and past results, here.

Below is a brief recap of each game:

Christos FC kept the Maryland flag flying in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament with a narrow 1-0 win over one of last year’s darlings, West Chester United. In the end, it was a trio of former University of Maryland Baltimore County players who eliminated the Philadelphia-area club. Pete Caringi III headed home a pass from Geaton Caltabiano in the 87th minute to break the scoreless tie and Phil Saunders earned a clean sheet in goal. Christos FC won last year’s USASA Amateur Cup and has won three Over-30 national championships in club history. They have been a regular entry in US Open Cup qualifying, but have yet to punch their ticket to the big dance. Now they are moving on to the third round.

Keith Caldwell assisted on two of GPS Omens’ three goals as the Massachusetts-based club cruised into the third round of the tournament with a 3-1 win over Newtown Pride FC. With the win, GPS takes another step toward qualifying for the US Open Cup for the third time in four years. FULL MATCH REPORT »

Last year, the Tartan Devils Oak Avalon traveled to Charlottesville, Va. and lost 3-1 to Aromas Cafe FC. It was the second year in a row that they had lost their opening round qualifier by the score of 3-1 (They lost to the Aegean Hawks the year before). This year’s rematch took place in Pittsburgh and it was the Devils who advanced 3-1. It was the first qualifying win in club history and they did it on the strength of two goals by former Pittsburgh Riverhounds player Travis MacKenzie. FULL MATCH REPORT »

FC Motown celebrates their 3-2 win over Lansdowne Bhoys in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: James O'Rourke | FC Motown. — FC Motown celebrates their 3-2 win over Lansdowne Bhoys in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: James O’Rourke | FC Motown.

New York vs. New Jersey is always a heated rivalry, especially in the sports world. This made Sunday’s battle between FC Motown (Morristown, NJ) and Lansdowne Bhoys FC (New York City) even more intriguing because it featured two of the best amateur clubs from those respective states. The game lived up to the hype with FC Motown, who are making their US Open Cup qualifying debut, eliminating the Bhoys 3-2 on a game-winning goal scored in the final minute.

FC Motown got off to a hot start with a pair of goals in the opening 30 minutes by Dritan Sela and Max Garcia. The Bhoys pulled one back in the 36th minute and could have equalized five minutes later. They earned a penalty kick, but FC Motown’s Andrew Tartara made a full-extension save to help Motown take a one-goal lead into the halftime break.

After a more physical second half, Lansdowne Bhoys earned another penalty kick in stoppage time. This time they converted and most in attendance thought the goal would send the game into extra time. Everyone except Motown FC. They pushed forward and earned a free kick just outside the Bhoys’ penalty area. There, Martin Lukaschik delivered a cross into the box where it was headed into the back of the net by Andres Berriel to give the home team the dramatic 3-2 win.

MORE: Interview with FC Motown head coach Sacir Hot after the win (from OnceAMetro.com)

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: Lansdowne Bhoys use dramatic comeback to beat rival Freedoms in OT

September 11, 2016 by Jeziel Jimenez

A humid night in Yonkers saw a pair Cosmopolitan League champions square off in the first round of qualifying for the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It took 120 minutes, and a controversial penalty kick, but Lansdowne Bhoys took home the 3-2 come-from-behind win over the New York Pancyprian Freedoms to advance to the next qualifying round.

The game started out with Bhoys pushing the tempo early. Craig Purcell, who wore number seven, ended a run in the 5th minute with a right-footed shot saved by Freedoms keeper Nicholas Takany Jr.

The three-time defending Cosmopolitan league champion Lansdowne Bhoys looked as if they expected to win the game in the early minutes, making multiple runs into the box. However, the momentum shifted in the other direction as a 9th minute shot by the Freedoms’ Stefan Dimitrov started a run of play that looked hard for Bhoys to stop.

For the next 25 minutes, it was all Freedoms. The Bhoys were able to get a few more shots off including one from a 21st minute corner, but to no avail.

The Freedoms took advantage of Bhoys’ frustrations and kept knocking at their opponents goal. A 29th minute header by veteran Chris Megaloudis that just missed, would be a sign of what was to come. Just 10 minutes later, Megaloudis would open up scoring for the night with a goal assisted by teammate Adam Himeno.

Only a few minutes later, in the 44th minute, would the zealous Freedoms see their second player, Jeff Matteo, earn a yellow card. The first was in the 23rd for John Koutsounadis for foul right in front of the fourth official on the sideline.

The freedoms took a 1-0 lead into the second half, but the Bhoys were set to change the tempo as they used all three subs before the 70 minute mark. Sylvester Sikele came in for Glen Reid in the 52nd minute, Daryl Kavanaugh replaced Ansger Otto three minutes later and Conor Hunter came in for Jhon Estama in the 67th.

A minute later, the Freedoms’ Tzoi Tsarkani would chip a shot that deflected off the goalpost and out. But the Freedoms would keep the tempo high and it would pay off with Michael Palacio giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.

With less than 20 minutes left, the Bhoys would not give in. A Daryl Kavanaugh pass resulted in a 77th minute goal by Jason Gaylord, cutting the lead in half.

In all of the late excitement, Purcell received a yellow card in the 81st minute. Athough, the team would refocus quickly in the waning minutes of the game.

In the 88th minute, after quite a few shots, the Lansdowne Bhoys were awarded a corner kick. Kavanaugh took the corner and linked with Gaylord as the two connected for a goal for the second time.

With both teams desperate for a win, Freedoms player Adam Himeno received his first yellow of the night (his team’s third) but regulation time would expire with the game tied at 2-2.

The fourth official informed both benches that the game would have two 15 minute overtime periods with a short water break in between.

Aside from a substitution by Freedoms where Panagiotis Halkiais came in for Tzoi Tsarkani, the first half of overtime was pretty uneventful. Both teams hunkered down, trying hard not to make any early mistakes.

The second half of overtime saw a change for the Bhoys, as they controlled possession for most of the half leading to a flurry of shots toward the end of the overtime period. After several saved shots, the Freedoms goalkeeper deflected a ball high and out for a corner.

The corner from Kavanaugh would not have the same magic as his previous cross in regulation, but it still managed to produce a goal. With three minutes left, a foul was called on the Freedoms in the box but the referee allowed for advantage to be played and a shot was taken. The ref then awarded a penalty to the Bhoys despite the advantage was played, which upset the Freedoms bench.

In a game that looked like it would go to penalty kicks to decide a winner, Lansdowne Bhoys were given a chance to win it with less than three minutes left in the match.

Christiano Francios lined up to take the kick. The Pancyprian keeper guessed correctly as Francois shot to his right, but he could only grasp at air as Francois netted what would be the late winner. The game would end 3-2 as Lansdowne Bhoys were able to overcome an early deficit and take home the win.

Bhoy Christiano Francois scoring the winner in extra time. Fantastic debut Bhoy @TommySmythESPN @CosmoLeague pic.twitter.com/PUVZWIl4kU

— Lansdowne Bhoys FC (@Lansdownebhoys) September 11, 2016

The three-time Cosmopolitan League champions advanced to the next round of qualifying where they will head down to New Jersey to take on FC Motown in mid-October.

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Abdoukarim Danso leads Lansdowne Bhoys to upset, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round

June 5, 2016 by Adam Uthe

Abdoukarim Danso of the Lansdowne Bhoys FC at Highmark Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds during the 2016 US Open Cup.

Sometimes you just have to ride the hot goalie.

That’s the cliché in the National Hockey League, where sometimes you can win the Stanley Cup with one guy standing on his head for the entire tournament.

Sometimes the strategy works in soccer too. Lansdowne Bhoys goalkeeper Abdoukarim Danso was voted TheCup.us Player Of The Round for Round 2 thanks to an excellent performance in a 2-0 road upset over the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

If you’re going to spring the upset on the road against a pro team, it’s hard to overvalue the performance of your goalkeeper. Danso faced 14 shots on the night and saved three of them, earning himself a clean sheet in his team’s 2-0 upset over Pittsburgh. The magnitude of the upset no doubt played a part in voters’ decisions. The 27 year old Gambian international managed to beat out San Antonio FC’s Jacques Francois, who scored twice and assisted on the third in his team’s 3-1 win over Corinthians of San Antonio, by just two votes.

Aside from Francois, the voting was very netminder heavy this round. Other players receiving strong consideration include Chattanooga FC goalkeeper Tom Halsall and Los Angeles Wolves goalkeeper Kifi Kalani.

Or maybe this is just the Year Of The Goalkeeper. Fans of the Open Cup will recall that Round 1’s Player Of the Round award went to Detroit City FC’s Evan Louro, who notched 13 saves to help his team get to a shootout where he proceeded to come up two additional stops. Keep an eye on the goalkeepers throughout the rest of the tournament; shootouts are always going to be part of any Cup competition.

“It was a excellent game because I was top of my game ,” said Danso. “My teammates and the coaching staff gave me the go to command and control the the defense . I make classic saves and I was very commanding coming for crosses and set-pieces. After all is was great team win.”

Lansdowne Bhoys pose for a team photo before their 2016 US Open Cup match vs. Long Island Rough Riders. — Lansdowne Bhoys (Danso is in pink) pose for a team photo before their 2016 US Open Cup match vs. Long Island Rough Riders.

The 28-year-old, who goes by the childhood nickname “Kabo,” arrived in New York City from Gambia in 2013 where he was part of the pool for his home country’s Under-23 National Team. He played in a local tournament and Lansdowne Bhoys head coach Austin Friel noticed him and eventually signed him to the club.

“Kabo is an excellent goalkeeper and should be playing at a higher level,” said Friel. “He the best goalkeeper in amateur football throughout America. This award is well deserved.”

Danso is hoping that his performance in the US Open Cup will help him achieve his goal of playing at the professional level. The word is starting to get out about him as he recently trained with New York City FC (MLS) and the Carolina RailHawks (NASL). He also hopes that with some professional experience, he has the talent to one day represent Gambia at the senior international level.

One might think Danso would be the first Gambian to win the Player of the Round award but he’s actually the third. Sainey Touray of the Harrisburg City Islanders won the award in the 2012 Fourth Round for the City Islanders’ upset of the New York Red Bulls (MLS). The first was Sanna Nyassi of the Seattle Sounders who became the first player in the Modern Era to score multiple goals in a US Open Cup Final when the Sounders beat the Columbus Crew in 2010.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Past Player of the Round winners:

Round 1: Evan Louro – Detroit City FC
Round 2: Abdoukarim Danso – Lansdowne Bhoys

Josh Hakala also contributed to this story

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Rochester Rhinos play role of giant with 2-0 win over Lansdowne Bhoys

June 3, 2016 by Brendan Doherty

The Bhoys from New York City represented themselves well in a 2-0 loss to the Rochester Rhinos on Wednesday night.

Lansdowne Bhoys FC, one of six remaining teams from below the professional leagues, traveled to Rochester to face a team that, while best known as an occasional giant-killer, and the 1999 US Open Cup champion, is also a perennial minnow-crusher. The Rhinos entered Wednesday night’s game with a 15-0-0 all-time record against amateur sides in the Open Cup but the Bhoys proved they were no pushovers by defeating USL team Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Second Round.

The visitors flew up to Western New York on Tuesday night and had an extended training session on the turf at Rhinos Stadium on Wednesday morning. This rather professional preparation showed its value as Lansdowne players were competitive in every challenge from the first whistle.

Strong defenses from both teams limiting close-range chances in the first half but while Rochester attempted to make the pass in the final third, Lansdowne decided to shoot from distance. Attacking midfielder Daryl Kavanagh cut inside from the left channel to fire a right-footed shot wide of the far post from 18 yards out in the 16th minute.

In the 28th minute, Ciaran McGuigan rifled a heavy free kick just outside the post that appeared to have Rochester goalkeeper Tomas Gomez beat.

The Rhinos on the other hand tried to play short passes inside the area or low cross across the face of goal. Rochester forward Asani Samuels, who scored a hat-trick in the Second Round, dribbled towards goal along the end-line in the 12th minute but his patience allowed Lansdowne defenders to recover. Right winger Michel Guilavogui got around the corner in the 18th minute but there were no advanced teammates to meet his centering pass.

After the halftime break, the game continued in much the same way. In the 47th minute, Christian Volesky headed a cross from Bradley Kamdem tamely at Lansdowne goalkeeper Danso Abdoukarim. On the other end of the field, Ovan Oakley capitalized on a mistake by Rochester’s defense to create a breakaway but his attempted chip bounced harmlessly wide of the post in the 54th minute.

Rookie midfielder Andre Fortune II broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Rochester’s right back Dom Samuel had done well to cut inside and draw a foul from Lansdowne midfielder Craig Purcell. Several Rhinos stood around the ball but Fortune ultimately stepped up to take the free kick from 22 yards out. The Trinidad and Tobago youth international expertly curled the ball around the defensive wall and inside the post leaving Abdoukarim rooted to the spot.

The Bhoys responded well to conceding the game’s first goal, fashioning multiple chances in the next ten minutes. Purcell and Kavanagh in particular were active, forcing Gomez to make saves. The task facing the amateurs from Yonkers got considerably more difficult when Volesky doubled Rochester’s lead.

Marcos Ugarte picked up the ball after a half-clearance from Lansdowne’s defense. The second-year Rochester winger saw Volesky in a meter of space and found his teammate with a crisp, low pass. Volesky took a touch to settle the ball before burying a right-footed shot from 18 yards in the 71st minute.

Despite the two-goal deficit, Lansdowne Bhoys FC continued to battle for loose balls and challenge the Rochester goal until the final whistle.

“They were a tough team, they were physical. They came to play for sure. They beat Pittsburgh a couple weeks back,” Andre Fortune II said after the game. “We knew that after this game, whoever came out of it was playing Red Bulls and that meant a lot to both of us. They came out fighting and they were ready to play.”

Christian Volesky described his goal to media after the game. “Marcos and I have a really good chemistry,” he said. “He picked me out and I knew I was going to get the ball. I took a touch away from the pressure and just hit it and found the back of the net fortunately for me.”
The forward added, “The goalkeeper was good but I was able to beat him on this shot.”

“Obviously they’re a physical team,” Rochester head coach Bob Lilley said about Lansdowne Bhoys FC. “Their long-range shooting was impressive, they stung a lot of balls from distance … for sure, they were dangerous.

“Overall it was a good win. We knew it was going to be a tough game,” the veteran coach continued. “We took the game seriously and we told the guys that it may take a while to crack them. It was always going to be a tricky game and I think we handled it pretty well.”

After the game Lansdowne head coach Austin Friel was disappointed but proud of his team’s achievements and humble in defeat. Friel said his players knew the mental fortitude that was necessary to play against the defending USL champions.

“I knew they were very good at keeping the ball. I knew they were very dangerous on set pieces. And I knew they can hurt you if you make any mistakes. So we were coming up here basically to keep a good shape, keep a good formation, and to try and frustrate the Rochester Rhinos and to try to take our chances whenever we got them.”

We did well for nearly 60 minutes. We gave away a free kick on the edge of the box and fair play to the midfielder, he put it away well. So coming up here, we were expecting a tough game and we got one. The best team won I thought.”

The coach reflected on the context of this year’s cup run within the club’s history. “Obviously it has to be up there with the very best achievements because it’s not every day that an amateur team beats a professional team, or even beats a PDL team. But as I said, it’s the start of where the club wants to go.”

“Whenever you get a taste of what you can achieve, what the players have achieved, you want more. Definitely we’ll be back in it next year and try and have a journey again. I think it’s been like a 9 or 10 month journey already that we’ve had. It’s been a great experience. The players have really adapted themselves well and deserve all the credit they get.”

While Lansdowne Bhoys FC saw their first ever entrance to the US Open Cup end in the Third Round, the Rhinos are looking forward to a Fourth Round match against the New York Red Bulls. Rochester will host the MLS side on June 15 from Rhinos Stadium at 7 p.m.

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Lansdowne Bhoys earn Cosmo League’s first pro upset, 2-0 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

May 19, 2016 by John Krysinsky

Lansdowne Bhoys FC continue to make the most of its first-ever Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2-0 at Highmark Stadium in a Second Round match on Wednesday. Craig Purcell led the amateur club from Yonkers, NY past the United Soccer League side to become the first Cosmopolitan League team to upset a pro team in the Modern Era (1995-present).

“As I said in the lead-up to this game, if my players were able to train five, six days per week, they would do very well in the USL,” said Lansdowne Bhoys head coach Austin Friel. “We were patient, and took our chances when we had to — and made the most of them.”

In a game where the Riverhounds clearly dominated possession, they could not find the back of the net, despite having 14-8 advantage in shots — and twice as many corner kicks (8-4).

The game turned early in the match, as the Hounds’ Karsten Smith was called for a foul in the 10th minute.

Lansdowne’s James Nealis lined up a free kick from 32 yards near the center of the field. His bending ball toward the far post connected with Purcell, who cleanly headed it past Riverhounds goalkeeper Mauricio Vargas for the early lead.

“ complete breakdown,” said Riverhounds assistant coach Josh Rife. “You can’t let a guy have a free header in the box. I don’t care what level you play against. Those are bad mental mistakes. When you are not scoring goals like we are, you can’t be giving teams goals like that because right now, we’re not a team that has a lot of confidence to be able to score a lot of goals right now.”

From that point, the Bhoys were content to keep the back line and midfield tightly-organized and mostly in front of the Hounds attack. They also were willing to strategically take fouls to slow down Pittsburgh.

The Riverhounds had plenty of possession– and build up to its attack from the perimeter — and at times were getting crosses in mostly from Kevin Kerr’s right side — but few connected to create quality chances.

Zak Boggs had the only clear-cut shot on goal in the first half, and then early in the second half, in the 51st minute. Kerr sent a lining cross from the right side that connected with forward Corey Hertzog, which pinged off the bar, and bounced away from goal.

While the Hounds kept coming, Kerr and Lebo Moloto, the team’s two leading returning scorers from the team that reached the USL playoffs and the US Open Cup Fourth Round last year had an answer. The duo really started working off each other with short passes to try to get an open opportunity in the crowded box.

The highly-organized Lansdowne Bhoys held on — limiting the Hounds’ shots mostly from distance.

The Riverhounds first sub of the game turned out to be a bit of an omen.

Drew Russell entered the match for Zak Boggs in the 58th minute, and within seconds was called for a handball with intent by referee Chuck Murphy as he was trying to secure a through ball to get behind a Bhoys defender.

Eleven minutes later — Russell inexplicably redirected a ball played into the box with his hand again, and was sent off with his second yellow card.

Playing down a man, the Riverhounds became more vulnerable to the Lansdowne counter attacks. Sure enough, moments later, in the 75th minute, Ovan Oakley ripped a shot from the far left end line.

Vargas reached out to knock away the shot from a difficult angle — and it rolled right to Purcell’s foot. With an open goal in front of him, Purcell buried a one-time shot that gave the amateurs a two-goal lead with 15 minutes to play.

The 10-man Riverhounds could not surmount any additional dangerous opportunities in the final 15-plus minutes, and the Landowne Bhoys pulled off the big upset.

“I am so delighted for our club, for our community,” said Friel. “A lot of hard work has gone into this. I am very proud of my players tonight.”

For the Riverhounds, it was another lackluster effort at home, where in four games this season, they are 0-4, having been outscored 8-2.

“At the end of the day, it’s not good enough as a group,” said Rife. “Up to this point, there’s not a game where we’ve not been in. But we don’t seem to have what it takes right now. Whether or not that’s the coaching staff. The players. It just has to be better.”

“Are we disappointed, yes. Extremely disappointed. Sure,” added Rife. “The beauty of the US Open Cup is what happened out there today. That anybody on any given day can win. Obviously from our standpoint it hurts. It stings greatly for us.”

Line-ups:

Riverhounds – Mauricio Vargas – Ryan Dodson (Nick Kolarac 84′), Karsten Smith, Willie Hunt, Mike Green – Zak Boggs (Drew Russell 59′), Lebo Moloto, Stephen Okai, Kevin Kerr, Conor Branson – Corey Hertzog (Caleb Postlewait 77′)

Subs not used: Hunter Gilstrap, Alex Harlley, Sergio Campbell, Isaiah Schafer

Lansdowne Bhoys FC – Abdoukarim Danso – Shaun Foster, Sean Kelly, James Nealis, Tom Wharf (Ciaran McGuigan 30′) – Craig Purcell, Stephen Roche – Conor Hunter, Daryl Kavanagh (Karim Russel 82′), Ovan Oakley (Michael Bello 86′), Sikele Slyvester

Subs not used: Timothy O’Driscoll, Aidan Tucker

Scoring Summary:

LAN – Craig Purcell 10′ (James Nealis)

LAN – Daryl Kavanagh 76′

Misconduct Summary:

LAN – Conor Hunter 30′ (caution)

LAN – James Nealis 45′ (caution)

LAN – Ciaran McGuigan 49′ (caution)

PGH – Lebo Moloto 55′ (caution)

PGH – Drew Russell 60′ (caution)

PGH – Drew Russell 69′ (caution/ejection)

LAN – Shaun Foster 90′ (caution)

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: Lansdowne Bhoys get first Open Cup win, 2-1 over Long Island Rough Riders

May 14, 2016 by David Harris

Lansdowne Bhoys missed a late penalty but converted the rebound and held off the Long Island Rough Riders 2-1 in a hard fought and hotly contested first round game of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The two teams exchanged goals in the first half, but Lansdowne opened the scoring with a goal by Jamaican forward Ovan Oakley in the 7th minute. The goal came off some nice work by winger Sikele Sylvester to create the chance for Oakley.

Lansdowne continued their strong start in the first half, with the Rough Riders creating the occasional chance. As the half continued, the Rough Riders started to generate some better scoring opportunities through some nice combinations with forwards Tyler Botte and Junior Rosero. Midfielder Anthony “Nino” Alfonso and right back Danny Kramer also generated some chances for the Rough Riders.

Meanwhile, Lansdowne continued to look for Oakley, along with Sylvester and forward Daryl Kavanagh. Both teams used long balls out of the back to apply pressure and create scoring opportunities, but Lansdowne held the 1-0 lead at halftime.

The Rough Riders started the second half well, but just couldn’t create a dangerous scoring chance in the final third. River Seybolt came on as a substitute for the Rough Riders and he immediately provided a spark, which led to a goal by Alfonso to tie the game at 1-1.

Lansdowne stormed back and attacked the Rough Riders goal looking to get the lead back. Rough Riders goalkeeper Richard Trench was there time and again to make a key save or punch the ball away. After about five minutes of sustained pressure, suddenly the Rough Riders started to gain the advantage and put Lansdowne goalkeeper Kabo Danso under pressure. The game continued as a back and forth affair with both teams having several good scoring chances until the final whistle blew and extra time beckoned.

Both teams made substitutions as Stephen Megaloudis came on for the Rough Riders and Ciaran McGuigan came on for Lansdowne. The first fifteen minutes of extra came and went with a goal as both teams kept creating chances, but couldn’t get the final touch to any of them. At this point, both teams were also feeling the effects of a long midweek game after having played on the weekend.

With time quickly running out, Lansdowne forward Daryl Kavanagh broke through the Rough Riders defense and was fouled in the box for a penalty kick. Up stepped McGuigan to take the kick and after an initial save by Trench, McGuigan put away the rebound to give Lansdowne the 2-1 lead.
A tense few minutes followed, but Lansdowne held on to claim the victory and a place in the second round of the competition. Awaiting Lansdowne is a trip to Pittsburgh to face the Riverhounds from the USL in the Second Round of the competition.

Prior to this year, only two Cosmopolitan League teams had won an opening round match in the Modern Era (Pancyprian Freedoms in 2011, Greek American SC in 2014), but with the Bhoys’ win, combined with the Freedoms win over the New York Red Bulls U23s, that number has been doubled.

For an amateur club, the prospect of facing a full time professional club from the USL is a daunting task. After the game, Lansdowne manager Austin Friel described the challenge that awaits him and his club.

“It’ll be a very tough game for us, but we look forward to the challenge,” Friel said. “Our players are used to being challenged by strong teams like the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. As I’ve said in some recent interviews, we respect these teams, but we don’t fear them. Our club and our supporters want good games against strong competition. We’re an ambitious club and we’re looking forward to going to Pittsburgh on May 18 to compete against the Riverhounds and hopefully come away with a win.”