Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Lansdowne Yonkers FC

2025 US Open Cup Qualifying: NY Renegades qualify for first USOC after PK shootout win

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The New York Renegades celebrate after beating Lansdowne Yonkers 4-1 in a PK shootout (after a 1-1 draw) to clinch a spot in the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Michael Anderer
The New York Renegades celebrate after beating Lansdowne Yonkers 4-1 in a PK shootout (after a 1-1 draw) to clinch a spot in the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Michael Anderer

With a qualifying spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the line, both the visiting team, Lansdowne Yonkers FC and hosts, New York Renegades were ready to play a physical game with elevated intensity. The game would end in a penalty kick shootout but that scoreline does not tell the full story.

In the end, the Renegades qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time in club history with a 4-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Within the first two minutes of the match, the play would go from end to end with both sides trading early corner kicks. At first glance the teams showed themselves as evenly matched but it quickly became apparent that Lansdowne relied heavily on the play of defenders Musa Bala Danso and Jack Mulhare. The two were often forced to defend in one-v-one situations. When the New York attack could find overloads, goalkeeper Daniel DiMarco was up to the task.

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The teams would settle in and the Renegades would prove to be the stronger side, constantly winning the midfield battles and creating chances. New York’s best chance to take control of the game came in the 29th minute.  A ball over the top would leave Renegades striker, Rances Reneau Bardales, in a foot race with Danso. A foot race that Reneua Bardales would win leading to a one-v-one against the goalkeeper. What, at first look, appeared to be a clean save by DiMarco would result in a penalty kick call by head referee, Gurkan Dolugan. Oscar Rivas Romero would take the spot kick, but he was unable to put it past the diving netminder. The teams would end the first half knotted up 0-0 despite three big chances including the penalty kick that was wasted by the Renegades.

Renegades head coach Christian Turizon would make his first change at halftime displaying the obvious advantage of his team depth bringing in Matthews Carriel for Milton Campos.  Lansdowne Yonkers FC head coach Matt Kane, would counter the move by replacing Liam Walsh with veteran player Daryl Kavanagh. Kavanagh, who played professionally for a number of years in his native Ireland, came into an advanced midfield role to both offer more attacking options but also to help control some of the possession for Lansdowne.

It would be Kavanagh that eventually broke the deadlock between the two sides in the 78th minute. A Lansdowne corner kick would find the head of its target Danso. Danso nodded the ball back across the goal area where Kavanagh was standing unmarked allowing him to beat goalkeeper Eric Edwards with a strong right-footed shot from close range.

Less than 15 minutes to play and it would seem like the visitors from Yonkers might add another Open Cup appearance. The Renegades would again use their bench and bring on Alex Palais in the 80th minute and he would have an immediate impact. A poor turnover by Lansdowne in the middle third of the field would allow New York to connect two passes to Palais wide on the right side with time and space. Palais found the head of attacker Jeison Solano for the equalizer in the 82nd minute.  
The score was 1-1 at the end of regulation and the teams would have to decide the game in extra time each delivering chances to seal the victory but neither side could find the back of the net.

Tempers would flare in the 113th minute after Renegades goalscorer, Solano, was issued a violent conduct red card. The glory of his earlier shining moment was dulled by his lack of discipline late in the affair forcing his team to play a man down for the last seven minutes plus injury time in an attempt to get the game into penalty kicks. The strength and depth of the Renegades would prove to be enough to carry the game to the end of the extra time periods and the winner would come from the PK spot.

Just as the homeside showed their advantage in the regulation play they would also show it in the shootout. Each Renegades shooter calmly approached the area and scored their chances beating DiMarco despite the keeper diving the correct way in two of the four attempts. Lansdowne’s Kyle Galloway put his attempt over the bar and after Patrick Burns scored to quiet the enthusiastic home crowd, early hero, Daryl Kavanaugh, would have his shot saved by Eric Edwards giving the Renegades a chance to win on their next attempt. 

“Our boys are hungry and they want to show the nation why we feel that we can be amongst the best amateur teams on the East Coast,” said New York Renegades head coach Christian Turizo. “The game showed our grit and ability to grind out these games.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Elvis Amoh’s hat trick sends Hartford Athletic past Lansdowne Yonkers

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Elvis Amoh of Hartford Athletic strikes the ball in a 2023 US Open Cup match against Lansdowne Yonkers FC. Photo: Hartford Athletic
Elvis Amoh of Hartford Athletic strikes the ball in a 2023 US Open Cup match against Lansdowne Yonkers FC. Photo: Hartford Athletic

Elvis Amoh’s hat-trick pushed Hartford Athletic to a Second Round win over Lansdowne Yonkers FC, 3-0, for the team’s first win of the year overall. The Connecticut side wins its third straight US Open Cup home opener against an amateur team. For Yonkers, this is the second straight Second Round exit.

Hartford head coach and 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Tab Ramos knew his team was favored going into Tuesday night. But having grown up in Kearny, N.J., he knew the caliber of player the NYC metro produces.

“We grew up watching the Celtic bhoys come to us and we’d play against them and every summer (and) we’d try so hard to give them a good game,” Ramos said after the match. “If there’s one thing I told my team it’s that ‘look these guys, they might not be as fit as we are, they might not train all the time but I’ll tell you what they’re gonna fight for 90 minutes. And if we give them a chance and they can survive, they’ll pull one out because they can do it.’ So we knew that it would be a dangerous game because their demeanor was going to be that they were going to go as hard as they could from the first minute till the last.”

On the other sideline, the ruckus Bonanza Supporter’s Group was one of the difference makers. With many of the members still celebrating (and hung over from) the previous night’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament national championship win by the University of Connecticut, their support felt even louder. Considering where the team currently sits in the USL Championship standings, SG vice president Mike Peshka knows how the night could be a “get it right” type of match.

“Get things right, get things in motion for the season tonight,” Peshka said ahead of the match. “We’re taking it one day at a time. We’ll see who we’re playing next, we’re kinda hoping we’re playing the Revs… we’re taking it game by game.”

The final scoreline might be a little misleading. Athletic was the better team but for over two-thirds of the match Lansdowne held the second division team back. The amateurs were already familiar with Trinity Health Stadium after defeating NPSL side Hartford City FC, 2-1, in the previous round. However the  team was also still dealing with the effects of that match with two players sidelined with injury.

For the first half Hartford controlled possession but struggled to get actual shots. The team’s formation had four defenders in the back but it shifted into an almost 3-4-3 at times. That extra midfielding talent wasn’t enough to make a dent early. It took until the 16th minute when a long pass on the far side hit a running Antoine Hoppenot. The French journeyman shot low at the far post but was met by Lansdowne keeper Clément Anet, who made the sliding save.

(Of note, this was followed by a hydration/Ramadan break in the 17th minute, something that was only officially announced a few days ahead of this round).

“We created a number of chances in the first half to be up four, five (to) zero,” Ramos said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get the goal. The important part was the team kept going.”

The home side broke through in the 27th minute. A long cross to the near post found Kyle Edwards’ head who directed the ball towards Amoh. His follow-up header was essentially a point-blank chip that crossed the line to make it 1-0.

Yonkers’ goalkeeper Clément Anet was the star of the match for the visiting amateurs. On a team where veteran keeper Kabo Danso has been a staple of Open Cup runs and national titles, the University of Bridgeport graduate student filled his shoes well. Most of his six saves kept the Bhoys in the game while only trailing by one goal.

One of those came in the 37th minute. Hartford midfielder Luke Merrill took the ball into the box on the near side before passing in to Kyle Edwards. He broke away from a defender, with just Anet to beat in front of the net. His shot hit directly off the keeper’s chest and back into play, right in the path of striker Prince Saydee. His hard attempt was only pushed over the crossbar by Anet charging towards him and reaching a hand out, gracing the ball with his fingertips to force a corner kick.

Saydee had another chance in the 68th minute. A Danny Barrera run up the nearside saw him cross into the box, where the one-time Liberian national team player was unmarked. His direct shot on goal was, again, tipped over by Anet reaching up and using his fingers to redirect the ball.

While he and the defensive line held out, Lansdowne’s offense struggled to get going. In total, the team only made six shots with none on target. The amateur side playing in its sixth tournament match, including four qualifying round games, had their best looks on counter attacks. While Hartford used the wings, the bhoys played up the middle. Players like Edward Speed, son of legendary Wales National Team player Gary Speed, were quick but lacked the killer final touch. That was seen in the 22nd minute when a through pass found Shaquille Suanchez between two Athletic defenders on a run. He hesitated and the defense poked the ball away, where Julio Espinal stepped in to shoot. He hit the side netting.

All of this was broadcasted by Yonkers’ honorary president and former UEFA Champions League broadcaster Tommy Smyth.

Eventually Hartford’s possession and pushing advantage caught up. Elvis hit the post two minutes after his first goal and Edwards barely missed the net on a shot from inside the box in the 33rd. However the former put the game away in the 73rd minute. His shot in the 72nd hit off the extended hand of Musa Bala Danso, earning the Yonkers’ player a yellow and sending the Ghanian to the spot. Anet guessed right when Elvis shot low and to the right, but couldn’t get a hand in front of the attempt.

With the game at 2-0, both teams made numerous subs in the next ten minutes. Lansdowne head coach Sean Kelly brought on former USL midfielder Patrick McCann and attacker Victor Ogunwale to try and find the net. Meanwhile Ramos swapped formations and brought on 18 year-old Ali Taleb to make his first team debut.

“Ali has been training with us for about six months,” Ramos said. “So we’ve been bringing him along and I know he was ready to play in the game. We were going to bring him along regardless because we really wanted to get him some minutes.”

Elvis helped Yonkers leave the building with one final goal in the 82nd. A pass from Jeciel Cedeño on a counter went through the legs of Jonathan Filipe to find Elvis alone on the far side. He slotted a shot into the opposite netting to make it 3-0.

“We have been creating chances and we had not been scoring,” Ramos said about his team in the early USL Championship season. “Fortunately today we were able to score three goals but more importantly we created a ton more chances. So I thought we played pretty well, in particular the first half was pretty good. We played a team that worked really hard and that was a good team and we’re happy to move on.”

 

Scoring Summary

27’ – Hartford Athletic – Elvis Amoh (Kyle Edwards)
73’ – Hartford Athletic – Elvis Amoh (Penalty)
82’ – Hartford Athletic – Elvis Amoh (Jeciel Cedeño)

 

Lineups

Hartford Athletic: Joseph Rice (GK), Conor McGlynn, Niall Logue, Robin Lapert (Walid Yacoubou 74′), Beverly Makangila (Ashkanov Apollon 75′), Jeciel Cedeno, Antoine Hoppenot (Jonathan Filipe 74′), Luke Merrill, Kyle Edwards (Danny Barrera 65’), Elvis Amoh, Prince Saydee (Ali Taleb 85′)

Manager: Tab Ramos

 

Lansdowne Yonkers FC: Clément Anet (GK), Humbert Ferrer, Musa Danso, Edward Speed, Jack Mulhare (Shamir Mullings 45’), Julio Espinal (River Seybolt 79’), Yusuf Mikaheel, Matthew Lynch, Pat McCann (74’), Joseph Devivo, Shaquille Suanchez (Victor Ogunwale 74’), Steven Nolan

Manager: Sean Kelly

 

Yellow Cards

Jeciel Cedeno, Hartford 51’
Edward Speed, Lansdowne 52’
Musa Danso, Lansdowne 72’

2023 US Open Cup Round 1: Joseph Devivo’s brace leads Lansdowne Yonkers past Hartford City

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Players from Lansdowne Yonkers FC celebrate after a 2-1 win over Hartford City FC in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup.
Players from Lansdowne Yonkers FC celebrate after a 2-1 win over Hartford City FC in the First Round of the 2023 US Open Cup.

In a very physical match that featured 18 fouls and seven yellow cards, Lansdowne Yonkers FC advanced to the Second Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 win at Trinity Health Stadium on Thursday.

“Obviously, it’s fantastic to get the win,” said Lansdowne manager Sean Kelly. “These boys deserve it more than anybody, no disrespect to Hartford City, but I am watching these guys come to train. Most of these boys have full-time jobs. They come from halfway across New York, Tuesday or Thursday or whenever we decide to train, and they put in the hard work. It’s just a fantastic group. This has been going on since we lost last year.”

Lansdowne have now advanced in their opening round game in each of the last four Open Cups they have qualified for (2016, 2018, 2022, 2023). Last year, they narrowly lost 1-0 to Rochester New York FC in the Second Round, and they will be looking to improve on last year’s finish when they return to Trinity Health Stadium on April 4 to take on another pro team: Hartford Athletic (USL Championship). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Kelly believes that physical fitness was the primary weakness in the loss to Rochester, and believes his side has learned and is better equipped in 2023.

“This is the best team we have had in this club, and I have been here 11 years,” said Kelly.

Lansdowne, who qualified for this tournament by winning four games in the fall qualifiers by a combined score of 14-1, was the more physical outfit and produced the most dangerous chances throughout the match.

The game-winning goal came in the 73rd minute as Joseph Devivo scored on the rebound of his saved penalty kick. It was his second goal of the game as his first-half stoppage time goal provided the equalizing goal and the change in momentum.

However, the Hartford City side saw the decision to award a penalty differently.

“I think I saw what a lot of people in the crowd saw, which was a pretty clean tackle,” said Hartford City manager Nicholas Balistierri. “Obviously, the officiating crew felt differently. It’s unfortunate a game like this can swing based on a decision like that. A penalty in the second half really impacts the outcome of the match.”

After consistent pressure for most of the half, Lansdowne finally capitalized on its chances as Joseph Devivo knocked in a pass from Edward Speed at the back post in the first minute of stoppage time.

“Scoring the two, you know, we did a lot of work as a team to get those opportunities,” said Devivo.

“I think the momentum shifted with 20 minutes left in the half,” Devivo continued. “We started to move the ball, create chances. We could of had one or two (goals), but definitely getting one on the scoresheet right before half changes everything.”

Hartford City FC opened the scoring as Hugo Guerra was fouled in the box, and then cashed in the penalty kick in the 28th minute. It was the first-ever Hartford City FC goal in the US Open Cup. City is now 0-2 all-time in the tournament as they fell to Oyster Bay United FC 3-0 a season ago.

With learning in early February that they will be competing in this tournament, Hartford City was forced to quickly assemble a team, and the lack of practice time hurt the hosts. With college players still in school, the Hartford City team could look dramatically different when they return to the pitch.

2023 US Open Cup Qualifying: Lansdowne Yonkers tops SC Vistula Garfield for 2nd straight berth

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Photo: Michael Battista


Lansdowne Yonkers FC qualified for its a second consecutive US Open Cup with a 2-0 win over SC Vistula Garfield in New Jersey on Saturday.

Dean Dillon scored for Yonkers along with a second half own goal by Vistula moved the New York side to the tournament proper for the fourth time in team history.

Head coach Sean Kelly’s team started 2022 hot, winning an Open Cup match via penalty kicks against the Ocean City Nor’easters. Sunday’s result means they end the year with another tournament win.

“Us, as a club, should be in this competition,” Kelly said. “If we can keep this group together, which we kinda have, our goal is going to be … the last amateur team remaining.”

Lansdowne looked as though it went ahead just two minutes in, with both players and a match official seeing as such. A Julio Espinal free kick on the far side made it’s way into the Vistula box. A few headers brought the ball towards Steven Nolan on the right side, whose scissor kick shot was on target. He began to celebrate while the linesman raised his flag. The main referee ruled a good goal, leading to a few moments of confusion until the two officials discussed. It was officially ruled Nolan was offside, however.

Still, Lansdowne’s offense remained the main story for the entire match. Despite only scoring one goal themselves the team held possession for most of the game. Somewhere between 70-80% of the ball game saw the ball in Yonkers’ control. Vistula’s main form of counter whenever it had control was playing it long towards striker Paul Kondratowicz. A mix of bad passes and stout defense kept the ball from ever reaching keeper Abdou Karim “Kabbo” Danso.

According to Vistula player-coach Chris Karcz this was all according to plan. Knowing the type of team Lansdowne and knowing his team would be without a few players, the team decided to play more conservative.

“We kinda conceded a lot of the possession — we knew that we were going to do that,” Karcz said. “Couple injuries that we had, about three or four guys, we were missing today so we sort of sat back a little more.”

However Lansdowne’s increased time with the ball meant more chances for the visitors. A foul on the far side of the Garfield box gave Patryk Gruca the game’s first yellow and a free kick right behind the line. However the kick sailed high over the box and past the touchline for a goal kick. Garfield’s best chance came in the 43rd minute with its first corner kick which was brought down and grabbed by Danso.

The game looked to head into the break knotted at zero but the New Yorkers chances finally paid off. With two minutes of stoppage time, Lansdowne held possession for nearly the whole 120 seconds. Vistula had just cleared a corner kick attempt from the box with a header, but Yonkers recovered the ball quickly. A long pass from the far side headed towards the near post, where Dean — a former League of Ireland player — headed the chance on net. Garfield keeper Anthony Caruso, who’d made multiple saves up until this point, couldn’t block the shot as he dove.

“It was real unfortunate for us,” Karcz said. “The last five minutes of the half they put on a lot of pressure. Last kick of the first half, they scored. That really hurt us. I think if we ended the first half 0-0 (it would have been) a totally different game.”

It didn’t get much better for Garfield in the second half. In the 49th minute, Lansdowne attacked yet again. Countering off a broken up Vistula throw-in, the visitor’s passed up the near side before finding Nolan once again. He crossed in from the right side of the net and the ball hit off Gruca to make it 2-0.

From there physicality picked up while Garfield tried to bring the game back into their favor. Things like quickly taking free kicks to try and catch Lansdowne off guard had little effect. That didn’t deter the home fans from loudly supporting the group, including loud calls for a penalty in the 73rd minute for an alleged handball inside the Lansdowne box. While the crowd was mostly a mix of Yonkers’ supporters and members of the local Polish community, one more group came out. Torcida 96, a young New York Red Bulls supporter’s group, loudly cheered Vistula with smoke bombs at the ready for any potential goal.

To them, cheering for a New Jersey team that wears red and white against a team from north of Manhattan might as well have been a proxy war for the Hudson River Derby. It made sense considering Karcz formerly played for RBNY in the mid-2000s. Originally drafted by the Chicago Fire in the third round (27th overall) of the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, Karcz joined RBNY in 2007 but never made it past the reserve team.

Those same supportive fans had a lot to be vocal about. Throughout the night the lead official was consistently challenged by both sides, complaining about the quality of his calls. Best summed up at halftime by a Vistula player loudly voicing his displeasure on the bench asking “Who hired this ref?” followed by an expletive. In fairness, a few notable no-calls had both sides yelling from the benches. Late in the second half, the fourth official had to directly intervene on the Garfield bench and helped award a yellow card caution to non-rostered player for offering an official a disparaging remark.

The temperature continued to drop as the wind picked up in the second half. In turn, the home side picked up the pace in the last 20 minutes. Garfield matched Lansdowne in attempts even as they continued to be out-possessed. More long balls and set pieces tested Danso in net forcing him to make two key saves in the final moments. One play in the 89th minute forced a Yonkers defender to help clear the ball off the line after a cross got past Danso in net.

For Lansdowne the year will end on multiple high notes. After an incredible stretch between late 2020 and early 2022, including winning the National Amateur Cup, the team began to stumble this past spring. A loss in the semifinals of the Eastern Premier Soccer League conference semifinals meant no defense of its championship the previous season. Combined with a Second Round loss in the Open Cup and two straight state cup final losses (Amateur & Werner Fricker) in the last month has been a lot to take in. Elsewhere though the team has returned to form, including entering the EPSL’s winter break atop the Metropolitan Conference.

“Things are turning around, it’s not easy,” Kelly said. “We had a tough offseason in terms of losing a few players. Plus the season didn’t end the way we wanted to. But there was a lot that went with that, like injuries and fatigueness. We were going on, like, 14-15 months in a row.”

Vistula’s run to a tournament berth ends on a sour note but Karcz can still admire what his team has accomplished. Entering the winter break his team is second in the Garden State Soccer League’s Super Division. Meanwhile, 2022 has seen multiple high’s including a win in the regional Amateur Cup tournament and just reaching a “Win & You’re In” USOC qualifying game. While Vistula Garfield celebrated its 70th anniversary this year he thinks the team’s soccer history is only just beginning.

“It’s so great. The Red Bulls’ club, the Polish community is here supporting us. It feels great to where we were a year ago,” Karcz said. “So much improvement. It’s unlucky that we came so close to making this tournament but we had a great run against a lot of difficult teams, we got through them. Couldn’t make it over the finish line but I’m proud of our whole team for fighting every single game, all four of them.

“We’re gonna keep on going, keep on entering more cup tournaments, get more experience for the younger guys.”

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Gibran Rayo’s strike edges Rochester NY FC past tough Lansdowne Yonkers

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Thursday evening’s Second Round encounter between Rochester New York FC and Lansdowne Yonkers FC was a physical affair. The first minute of the match saw RNY captain Lamar Batista go to ground holding his face following an aerial challenge with an opponent. This contentious nature continued through to the final whistle.

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Rochester head coach Bruno Baltazar told theCup.us, “We found a tough opponent, really physical, a lot of tackles and a lot of physical game, and we struggled a bit with how they play.”

Though both sides have since changed their names, the game was a rematch of a 2016 Third Round match won by the Rochester Rhinos 2-0. In its first Open Cup contest since coming off hiatus, Rochester put a stellar 16-0-0 record against amateur teams on the line against the reigning National Amateur Cup champions.

Rochester added to their perfect record against amateur teams (19-0-0) with a narrow 1-0 win over Lansdowne on the strength of a first half goal by Gibran Rayo.

Rochester made a name for themselves under the name “Rochester Raging Rhinos” in 1999 when they became the first lower division club in the Modern Era (1995-present) to win the US Open Cup. More than two decades later, they remain the only non-MLS team to lift the trophy.

Baltazar discussed the club’s history after the match and how he used it as a motivation rather than a burden.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure, I would call it a positive energy and a positive feeling that we have to represent this club, to honor the big history that this club has,” said Baltazar.

Rochester’s Portuguese coach went on to allude to his preparations to avoid being upset despite only having two friendlies and two club games with his squad so far.

“It’s a tough game, always. Cup games are always tough, in American soccer, all other the world,” Baltazar addeed. “There’s a lot of surprises happening in every round and we were aware of that.”

To that end, the home side started on the front foot. Rochester’s Pedro Dolabella saw his 22 yard free kick tipped over the bar in the fifth minute before Ojai Bedford made a last-ditch tackle for the visitors a few minutes later.

Just after the half-hour mark, the hosts pressured again with a through ball on the edge of the area but Lansdowne’s Kyle Parish slid in with a timely intervention for a corner. On the ensuing corner kick, goalkeeper Abdou Karim Danso made a diving save to his left to preserve the deadlock. Danso flapped at the next ball into the box but his defense was able to complete the clearance in the 33rd minute.

MORE: American soccer’s greatest modern underdog story: Rochester Raging Rhinos win 1999 US Open Cup 

As the match looked destined to head into the break scoreless, Rochester hit on the counter attack and Gibran Rayo played a wallpass before neatly finishing past Danso deep in stoppage time.
Lansdowne Yonkers FC head coach Sean Kelly commended his team’s work rate in the first half but stressed that they improved after the intermission.

“We wanted to go and make it as hard as possible for them and I think we did,” said Kelly. “I think we worked hard. We defended really well in the first half. We were nearly there, we nearly made it into the dressing room 0-0. We defended really well even though we didn’t play well – they played really well, credit to them.”

“It was just an absolute knife to the heart, just a knife to the heart!” Kelly, who played in the 2016 match against the Rhinos, elaborated on the emotional toll of conceding just before halftime. “We had just had a free kick … and they cleared it and within a minute the ball was in the back of the net. And when you play against teams of this standard, that’s what will happen. They’ll punish you. If you don’t aim to punish them first, they will punish you on counters.”

Lansdowne came out for the second half looking to switch their style of play. A key addition in the underdog’s quest for an equalizer was former Shamrock Rovers attacker Dean Dillon, who entered the contest in the 51st minute. A sloppy midfield characterized much of the second half, with multiple substitutions for both teams and the referee handing out yellow cards rather haphazardly.

2022 MEET THE UNDERDOGS: No longer Bhoys, Lansdowne Yonkers FC continuing unprecedented success

The visiting team grew as the match wore on and developed a number of chances in the dying minutes of the games. In the 89th minute, Lansdowne had a deep free kick that drew Rochester’s Philip Chijioke Ejimadu off his line but the goalkeeper did not punch cleanly before his defense cleaned up the mess.

In second half stoppage time, Dillon saw a headed chance fly just over the frame of the net and forward Shamir Mullings, who scored the equalizer in the club’s penalty kick win over the Ocean City Nor’easters in Round 1, directed a header from an in-swinging corner kick just wide of the far post. After six minutes of time added on, the referee blew an end to the match and Rochester NY FC will advance to the Third Round where they will face another amateur team, FC Motown of New Jersey in the NPSL.

Kelly was almost beaming after the match despite the result.

“The gameplan didn’t really go to plan in the first half but in the second half we were much better,” said Kelly. “And I’m really proud of the boys for that. This group has come a long way. It’s just more experience for us as a club and as a team. Hopefully we can grow and get better from this.”

“We had two half-chances towards the end. But if you start the game slow in the first half, you can’t just come out and turn it around in the second half and expect rewards. Saying that, I would have loved it if we had gotten an equalizer but it just wasn’t meant to be today. Rochester needed a win at the same time and they got it.”

Thursday’s result means that Rochester has advanced in a Modern Era record 17 straight opening round cup matches dating back to 2002.

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: Lansdowne Yonkers win rainy PK shootout in Ocean City

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Shamir Mullings Lansdowne Yonkers FC 2022 US Open Cup
Shamir Mullings of Lansdowne Yonkers FC celebrates after his team’s 4-3 PK shootout win over the Ocean City Nor’easters in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

OCEAN CITY, N.J. – After trading early goals in the first half, a tight 1-1 match played in windy and rainy weather conditions a couple hundred yards from the Atlantic Ocean had to be decided by a penalty kick shootout Wednesday night with Lansdowne Yonkers prevailing over hosts Ocean City Nor’easters.

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“Conditions played a massive part,” Lansdowne Yonkers FC forward Shamir Mullings said after the match. “They were a great side, they didn’t give up and we pushed and pushed and had loads of chances.”

Mullings, who also serves as the New York club’s technical director, scored the equalizer in the 12th minute to cancel out a goal from Pablo Da Silva Marques that had given the hosts the lead four minutes earlier. Marques was able to beat Lansdowne goalkeeper Kabo Danso on a knuckling ball, shooting as he was falling down after collecting a pass from Jason Plumhoff from the near the corner flag on the right side.

Minutes later, Paul McVeigh sent a long ball down the right side of the field that Mullings was able to get to first and fire past Keasel Broome to level the score.

Lansdowne had the better of the chances the rest of the way but as weather conditions worsened the play on the field suffered too with both teams getting a fair share of opportunities on set pieces after fouls. Marques put his teammates in a bind after earning a second yellow – minutes after his first – with a late challenge out of bounds but the visitors from Yonkers were unable to find a winner and the game went to penalties. 

After 37-year-old Ocean City native Adam Sternberger converted their first kick, the Nor’easters found themselves in a hole with a miss and a save by Dabo, but a miss from Lansdowne and a save by Broome leveled the shootout at 3-3 after five rounds. Mullings was able to beat Broome to open the sixth round of kicks and another miss from Ocean City’s Leandro Louro ended the evening with the rain still swirling and Lansdowne celebrating.

“We’ve put everything into getting here,” Mullings said. “It means so much to us.”

After winning just about every piece of hardware they could competing in league and state, regional and national cups over the past year, the reigning National Amateur Cup champions were finally able to add an Open Cup victory to their list of recent accomplishments after two straight cancellations of the oldest competition in American soccer. Lansdowne won a first round match in their last appearance in the competition in 2018 and advanced to the third round in 2016 after upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. (Danso was the goalkeeper in that Riverhounds upset, winning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors)

“The last few years, it’s been tremendous,” Lansdowne head coach Sean Kelly said after the match. “This group has come a long, long way.”

The travel and the weather conditions made it a tricky fixture for Lansdowne despite the advantage they had as a side with more recent experience playing together. Since Ocean City is a summer team that relies heavily on college players, they had to scramble to field a team of alumni who showed well in the match against a team that has played countless games together. In the end, that sharpness showed with the Lansdowne penalty kick takers showing a more clinical edge from the spot.

“This group deserves it,” Kelly said. “These boys have been playing for a solid year just to get to this one game.”

That one game has now turned into at least two with Lansdowne Yonkers FC now slated to travel to face MLS Next Pro club Rochester New York FC (formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos) for a Round 2 match at Monroe Community College on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m.

“We know what’s at stake and these boys are hungry to achieve it,” Kelly said.

2022 Meet the Underdogs: No longer Bhoys, Lansdowne Yonkers continuing unprecedented success

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Lansdowne Yonkers FC 2021 USASA Amateur Cup Champions
Lansdowne Yonkers FC players, staff, and family pose with the National Amateur Cup following a 2-1 win over Cal FC in Bridgeview, IL on August 7, 2021. Photo: Patrick Murphy

490 days. That’s how long Lansdowne Yonkers FC went without losing a game in any competition (league, state, or national). The team from just north of New York City won nine trophies in that span including two national titles. Last August, the team defeated legacy amateur side Cal FC in the shadow of SeatGeek Stadium, 2-1, to win its second National Amateur Cup.

In the process, Yonkers became the third team to secure a US Open Cup qualification as the amateur champions.

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Note: Newtown Pride FC qualified for the 2020 tournament as champions but never participated due to its cancellation.

Despite that streak coming to an end last week against the New York Greek Americans, coincidentally in the Eastern New York Amateur Cup final, Lansdowne can still be considered the front-runner in the group of open division locals. The team is the most experienced out of the group with two previous qualifications (2016 & 2018). Each of those runs included wins as well, including a Second Round road upset against the professional Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL).

Club president William McGrory is quick to note that this Lansdowne team is a completely different unit than ones of the past. The team has grown into a full organization with youth development which has drastically changed the look of the eleven players on the field at any given time.

“Compared to it’s a younger coaching setup. Obviously a hungrier team. There’s a good dynamic, a good will to wanting it,” McGrory said in an interview with TheCup.us.

While this squad might be younger, those two previous Open Cup teams were “Bhoys”. Lansdowne Yonkers was originally founded at Bronx Bhoys SC in 1997, a pub team offshoot of the still existing Bronx Bhoys Celtic SC, which originally met at The Lansdowne Bar on Broadway in the Bronx. After the bar’s closure in the early 2000s, the group moved to playing more in Yonkers. The team changed to its more iconic name, “Lansdowne Bhoys FC”, to reflect the original pub and “Bhoys” to reflect the Celtic SC roots.

After nearly two decades, the Lansdowne organization decided its future hinged on building a youth academy. The growth of other academies in the city and surrounding area meant not only would it be better competitively but also for the local area too. An agreement was made in 2017 to acquire the well-known Yonkers United program and start from there.

With a new program dedicated to girls soccer, the tough decision was made to drop the “Bhoys” name. Lansdowne Yonkers FC came not long after and in only a few short years the name has become synonymous with amateur soccer in the northeast.

The focus on youth hasn’t meant completely losing experienced talent. Striker Shamir Mulling joined the club in late 2020 and has since became a director in the youth program. His first game with team was a 2-0 loss on November 15, 2020 against Eastern Premier Soccer League counterpart Doxa SC. Two days later, the team started it’s year long undefeated run.

“We have such a great squad, such a great management team, a great board that all believes in what we want to do. I think going into the first round we’re going to take Ocean City very seriously and put our all into it.”

The team’s success has come with drawbacks. Two players who played critical roles during the successful run have left the team for other opportunities. Stephen Elias (a player who also spent time with the Ocean City Nor’easters), who had been with the club since 2019, signed with first year National Independent Soccer Association club Valley United FC in January. More recently Jack Beer, one of the team’s younger stars, moved across the river to join New York City FC’s new MLS Next Pro team.

Players from North Carolina FC and Lansdowne Bhoys FC battle for the ball in their 2018 US Open Cup match. Photo: Rob Kinnan, NCFC
Players from North Carolina FC and Lansdowne Bhoys FC battle for the ball in their 2018 US Open Cup match. Photo: Rob Kinnan, NCFC

This isn’t even including the three to four possible injuries the team is dealing with ahead of the First Round. McGrory noted that the team has been trying to “replace quality with quality” whenever it can. This includes bringing back former League of Ireland player Dean Dillon, who last played for the group during 2020 tournament qualifying.

“Sean Kelly and Craig Purcell have a very good eye for talent,” McGrory said. “They have a system that they play. If they find a player that can play within that system, he doesn’t have to be the best player but they can get the best out of each one of them. It’s one of the reasons we’re successful. We can have a squad of 30 players and each of them would have participated at some stage of the season. It keeps everyone on their toes.”

McGrory and Mullings both admit the biggest challenge of the tournament is getting players ready for it who can commit. With nearly all of them having a full time job outside the club it makes consistency a challenge. However, after a year of playing competitive matches McGrory almost welcomes the the tournament as a way to change pace.

“It’s very difficult to keep that up week in and week out. So we’re actually looking forward to the Open Cup as a different challenge.

On a final note, a few members of the team noted that it was ironic that the winner of this game will travel to play Rochester New York FC in the Second Round. The former Rochester Rhinos knocked the Bhoys out of the tournament in 2016 at Rochester Rhinos Stadium. In the half decade since, both teams have gone in totally different directions. Lansdowne has done everything mentioned above while Rochester went on hiatus following the 2017 United Soccer League season. The team that won the 1999 US Open Cup, under the moniker “If you can’t join ’em, beat ’em”, is now playing in MLS Next Pro – a reserve league to Major League Soccer.

If given the chance, Lansdowne would love the opportunity to play Rochester again and show just how much things have changed since 2016.

Lansdowne Yonkers wins second National Amateur Cup, qualifies for 2022 US Open Cup

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Lansdowne Yonkers FC players, staff, and family pose with the National Amateur Cup following a 2-1 win over Cal FC in Bridgeview, IL on August 7, 2021. Photo: Patrick Murphy

(This story was originally published by Once A Metro on Aug. 12, 2021)

This is the second time the team has won the cup after a 2017 triumph. The win secures Yonkers a spot in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and $7,000 in prize money.

Speaking to Once A Metro, club president William McGrory said this trophy has been a long time coming. Long before the pandemic, the work started on a field in Glendale, Wisconsin after the team’s previous title.

“It’s an amazing achievement considering what we have won already this season,” he said. “It’s something we have aspired to do since our first one in 2017. This is not an accident. There is a plan implemented and an enormous amount of hard work required by the coaches and players.”

The championship came after a grueling two game weekend at SeatGeek Stadium’s turf fields. Lansdowne, representing Region I of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), entered alongside Springfield FC (IL, Region II), Nashville United (TN, Region III), and Cal FC (CA, Region IV).

Against Nashville in Friday’s semifinal Lansdowne quickly learned the team from the volunteer state was stacked. The same team has recently seen former New York City FC star Kwadwo Poku and Tampa Bay Rowdies all-time leading scorer Georgi Hristov in its ranks and they came to play with other ex-pros according to McGrory.

Ten minutes into the match former College of the Holy Cross soccer star Joseph DeVivo scored the match’s only goal when his shot deflected off a Nashville player and into the net. Despite constant back and forth, including Nashville owning possession to start the second half, the team pulled through for the narrow win. Meanwhile Cal beat Springfield, 4-2, to set-up a classic LA vs NY final.

Cal, who are best known for beating the Portland Timbers in the Open Cup back in 2012 under USMNT Eric Wynalda, are a major power out west. The team had only been eliminated from the UPSL national quarterfinals two weeks prior and were one of the amateur teams snubbed after they qualified for the 2020 Open Cup.

With under 24 hours to rest for both finalists the match was never going to be pretty. After taking the early game to feel eachother out, Cal struck first in the 30th minute. A cut-in from the right side and quick 180 reversal by forward German Alfaro gave him enough space at the top of the box. The low bouncer to the opposite net got past the diving Kabo Danso and Lansdown trailed heading into the half.

Whatever head coach Sean Kelly told his team during the break struck a nerve because it only took 40 seconds to tie the game. A long cross to the right side was headed by Shamir Mullings towards the opposite post. Former Richmond Kicker trialist Patrick McCann jumped up and popped another header over the keeper’s head. The Bhoys didn’t stop and in the 61st minute were awarded a penalty kick after a McCann shot attempt came off a Cal defender’s hand inside the area. DeVivo’s low conversion from the spot made it two goals in as many games for him.

The rest of the match was hectic as both teams fought valiantly. Cal earned a late spark when DeVivo earned a second yellow in extra time for decent (aka talking mad shit to the referee). The west coast side had two chances against the ten remaining New Yorkers but as the final one trickled wide right the final whistle blew.

“The entire team was superb,” McGrory said. “Johan Mauritzon, Bala Danso and Kabo Danso (were) outstanding, supported by Sean Reilly and Stephen Elias. Veterans Pat McCann and Daryl Kavanagh did well. Shamir Mullings was carrying an injury but did well when he was involved.

Huge team performance and from our two young first year coaches Sean Kelly and Craig Purcell.”

(Fun note: After the match Cal went on Twitter and called out USASA’s president by claiming the match was rigged against them)

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Lansdowne Yonkers FC’s haul of trophies won during 2021, including the National Amateur Cup (third from left). Photo: Lansdowne Yonkers FC

The team previously known Lansdowne Bhoys FC will be making their third appearance in the tournament in 2022 (which has been officially confirmed by US Soccer). In both of their previous tournaments the team has one at least one game, including a professional upset over Pittsburgh River Hounds SC of USL in 2016. During that match keeper Abdoukarim “Kabo” Danso helped his team earn the 3-1 win and earned himself Player of the Round honors.

Despite being five years older the native Gambian has not lost a step, helping lead his team to an Eastern Premier Soccer League title while only allowing 15 goals all season. During the National Amateur Cup, from state to the national finals, the team still only allowed seven goals through nine games.

2021 has also been a highly productive year for Lansdowne. Winning multiple major trophies is hard enough but Yonkers won eight during the calendar year. This included the Eastern New York State Soccer Association Amateur Cup (not pictured above), EPSL regular season & league titles, and the 2021 Werner Fricker Open Cup. The later national title is also important since Yonkers is the first team to win both the Amateur Cup and Fricker both in the same year on two separate occasions (previously won in 2017).

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