Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Laredo Heat

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: San Antonio Scorpions handily beat Laredo Heat 2-0 in first-ever Open Cup match

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Photo: Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Scorpions

The San Antonio Scorpions played in their first ever US Open Cup game against the Laredo Heat of the PDL in the Second Round of the 2012 edition, and they won 2-0 to advance to face the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

Fielding a surprisingly full strength line up, the Scorpions went for it early, with Pablo Campos nearly capitalizing on a Laredo mistake but his header was much too light. The Scorpions were sloppy early on, far too often giving the ball away in the opening 15 minutes as they struggled to string things together.

In the 21st minute, Walter Ramirez had a good chance from distance after being put in to space by Hans Dennison, but his shot was high and wide. In the 24th minute Laredo had a great chance when Juan Nava was left wide open on the far post but sent it just wide.

In the 25th minute things all went wrong for the Scorpions as Walter Ramirez went in for a header with Carlos Ordaz but ended up getting it all wrong and was shown a straight red card for a heavy body charge. “Everything changes,” said Scorpions defender Wes Knight, “but it’s adversity like that which makes a great team.”

The Scorpions almost got in front in the 28th minute as Campos found space in the box, but his curling shot went narrowly wide. The Scorpions had a good chance in the 43rd minute after some neat team work that played Dennison through on the right, but Emmanuel Frias came out well and claimed the ball, denying the four advancing Scorpions the opportunity. The Scorpions surged in stoppage time and had a great opportunity as Dennison sent in a corner for Ryan Cochrane, who got away a diving header but couldn’t find the target as the half ended scoreless.

The Scorpions were handed a lifeline in the 47th minute when Laredo player Adan Villanueva brought down Pablo Campos when he was clean through, forcing the referee to pull out another red card. Unfortunately for the Scorpions, they were unable to convert the free kick, sailing it over the bar. Kevin Harmse reflected, “I thought hurt them more than it hurt us. We were looking to play a block of eight (four midfielders and four defenders) so we felt comfortable.”

The Scorpions had a penalty shout in the 58th denied but the referee correctly called that it was a 50-50 challenge and awarded a goal kick. On the hour mark, Hans Dennison put Pablo Campos through in the box and Campos squared the ball but was unable to find anyone as the chance went away. In the 65th minute Wes Knight was found on the right and he sent in a wonderful cross in to a crowd that was cleared by Laredo.

Photo: Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Scorpions

In the 67th minute the Scorpions had the lead as Wes Knight sent the ball in again, finding Jonathan Greenfield who sent the ball on for Pablo Campos, who bundled the ball over the line. The Scorpions doubled their lead in the 74th minute when Hans Dennison put Kevin Harmse into space, allowing him to shoot low and hard and send it past Frias.

Laredo went down to nine men in the 77th minute when Juan Nava reacted poorly to a challenge and fought with his defender, earning a second yellow card and then throwing his shoes off and into the ground in frustration. Just one minute later Knight again sent in a wonderful cross, finding Pablo Campos whose header was solid but came off the bar.

Laredo showed little intent late on as the Scorpions eventually cruised to the 2-0 victory despite a nervous first half and will advance to face the Houston Dynamo.

Scorpions head coach Tim Hankinson was not entirely satisfied after the match. “I was disappointed we didn’t come out of the blocks faster and that red card…. there was no intent to play the man, so I thought it was a harsh call… we got lucky that they didn’t take advantage after the red.”

Kevin Harmse thought it was a tough game. “Whenever you have these games you fight hard and then after the red card… which I thought was a bit soft, but we played much better in the second half.” Wes Knight is seeking to get back to MLS in 2013 and was pleased. “Anything that gets you on the radar is great, but when you get there you have to perform.”

The Houston Dynamo will travel to Heroes Stadium in San Antonio for a 7:30pm kick off on Tuesday, May 29.

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

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Laredo Heat get by valiant ASC New Stars, 4-2 in OT

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In a showdown of two Texas clubs, powerhouses in their leagues, familiar with one another through player movement, it was no surprise that it came down to overtime to decide the outcome. The Laredo Heat prevailed, 4-2 in extra time, over a valiant ASC New Stars side that fought well after being reduced to 10 men.

Early in the match, the Heat appeared to be in great position to earn the result that the club was looking for after dropping their season opener over the weekend. In only the eleventh minute, midfielder Ernesto Serrato converted a penalty kick to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

ASC New Stars made the first substitution of the night 23 minutes in, and drew level with the Heat only minutes later on an equalizing goal by Lukas Simon.

For the remainder of the first half, both sides held their ground and went into the break still level at 1-1 and had to feel that it was anyone’s game in the second half.

That all changed in the 47th minute as the Heat’s Irving Villanueva scored shortly to put Laredo back in front, 2-1.

The game could have gotten out of hand after a straight red card was issued to New Stars player Marcos Carrizales after a hard tackle in the middle third of the field gave the Heat a man advantage for the remaining 30-plus minutes of the match.

However, the New Stars gave a valiant defensive effort to keep the game close until the late stages. The Heat coaching staff brought in substitutions late to hold the lead, with the first goal scorer Serrato being replaced by Eduardo Gonzalez in a straight swap at forward in the 76th minute. This was followed by another substitution as Martin Moreno was moved to the bench in favor of midfielder Placide Buduri as the Heat looked to finish off the game.

The clock hit 90:00 and with three minutes of added time indicated, the Heat only had to hold on for a while longer to advance for the first time since making the Open Cup field in 2006. But a goal late in stoppage time by the New Stars’ Peter Kozlowski gave the Houston side new life, even as they were still down a man.

The match would be decided in extra time, and with the man advantage, the Heat were just too much for the New Stars. Buduri, the late substitute, rewarded his coaching staff with a goal in the first 15 minutes of extra time and then scored his second in the 119th minute, just before the final whistle would sound, giving Laredo the 4-2 victory over the visiting New Stars.

The Heat now moves on to face the San Antonio Scorpions on the road in the second round of the Open Cup. The game will be played on May 22.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Central Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eastern Conference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL South): El Paso Patriots qualify, Central Florida Kraze repeats as entrant

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

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

The Southern Conference has undergone a massive overhaul from last year, including many new additions, as well as a few losses. One of those losses was the DFW Tornados, last year’s Mid-South representative and the last remaining USL franchise from its humble indoor beginnings back in 1986. Teams to watch for are the El Paso Patriots (who have qualified every odd-numbered year since 2001) and the Central Florida Kraze (last year’s Southeast representative). They have qualified three times each from the PDL. Ten other teams will be looking to earn their own opportunity to fight for the US Open Cup as one of two representatives from the South.

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

Mid-South Division
Final Results

The Chivas El Paso Patriots (as they are known this year) have qualified for their ninth US Open Cup (fourth as a member of the PDL) after defeating the Baton Rouge Capitals 1-0. With that, they finished with a perfect 4-0 record, and have continued their streak in qualifying for the US Open Cup every other year since 2001.

MID-SOUTH DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Chivas El Paso Patriots 4 4 0 0 12 7 2 7 +5
Laredo Heat 4 3 1 0 9 6 3 6 +3
New Orleans Jesters 4 2 2 0 6 5 6 5 -1
West Texas United Sockers 4 2 2 0 6 5 6 5 -1
Baton Rouge Capitals 4 1 3 0 3 2 4 2 -2
Rio Grande Valley Grandes 4 0 4 0 0 2 6 2 -4

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

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

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

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

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

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 13 Chivas El Paso Patriots 2:1 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 13 West Texas United Sockers 1:2 Laredo Heat 9:15
May 14 West Texas United Sockers 2:1 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 14 Chivas El Paso Patriots 1:0 Laredo Heat 9:15
May 19 Baton Rouge Capitals 1:2 West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 19 New Orleans Jesters 1:3 Chivas El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 21 New Orleans Jesters 2:0 West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 21 Baton Rouge Capitals 0:1 Chivas El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 27 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0:1 Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00
May 27 Laredo Heat 3:1 New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 28 Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0:1 New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 29 Laredo Heat 1:0 Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00

Southeast Division
Final Results

The Central Florida Kraze didn’t have the easy road to the US Open Cup that they thought they did. The Mississippi Brilla are matching and beating the Kraze’s efforts, with three wins of their own. And what wins they are. Their last two results have been 5-0 wins against FC Jax Destroyers and the Nashville Metros – both on the road. Each had one home game left on the holiday weekend that would determine their fate. The Kraze fired the opening salvo Saturday evening with three second half goals from three different players to maximize their potential in the table from the match with a 3-0 victory against central Florida rival IMG Bradenton Academics. Central Florida, perfect at 4-0, took the advantage in tiebreakers, moving ahead of Brilla by one in goal differential and goals scored, but had to wait for Mississippi’s Monday finale at home versus Nashville to see if it holds up. With Brilla leading 2-1 late in the match it looked as though Mississippi was heading to the tournament – then disaster. A 90th minute Nashville strike leveled terms at 2-2 and when the final whistle blew moments later, Central Florida got the news that the Kraze had qualified for the second consecutive year.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Central Florida Kraze 4 4 0 0 12 10 1 10 +9
Mississippi Brilla 4 3 0 1 10 15 3 11 +8
Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 4 1 2 1 4 5 7 5 -2
FC Jax Destroyers 4 1 2 1 4 5 10 5 -3
Nashville Metros 4 0 2 2 2 4 11 4 -5
IMG Bradenton Academics 4 0 3 1 1 3 10 3 -7

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

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

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

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

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

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

April 30 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 0:1 Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 6 Central Florida Kraze 3:1 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 7:00
May 8 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 1:0 Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 12 Central Florida Kraze 3:0 Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 13 FC Jax Destroyers 1:3 Mississippi Brilla 8:00
May 15 Bradenton Academics 3:3 Ft. Lauderdale Schulz Acad. 6:00
May 15 FC Jax Destroyers 2:0 Nashville Metros 8:00
May 19 Mississippi Brilla 5:0 FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 23 Nashville Metros 2:2 FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 26 Mississippi Brilla 5:0 Nashville Metros 8:00
May 28 Bradenton Academics 0:3 Central Florida Kraze 7:00
May 30 Nashville Metros 2:2 Mississippi Brilla 6:00

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

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PDL logoThe 2011 US Open Cup qualifying process for the Premier Development League begins April 30 when the Central Florida Kraze play host to Fort Lauderdale Schulz. The match marks the beginning of what is arguably the most intense opening to any league season, making it the most pressure-packed portion of the PDL schedule league-wide. The task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

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

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

Southern Conference Qualifying Breakdown

Mid South Division
Baton Rouge Capitals, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Jesters, RGV Grandes FC, West Texas United Sockers

Previously an all-Texas group, the addition of the Baton Rouge Capitals and New Orleans Jesters marks the return of Lone Star State outsiders to the qualification process after a two-year absence.

Last year, Central Florida qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

The bigger news for this division is how compact the nature of the qualification process will be as four of the six clubs will play all four of their designated matches within, at most, an 11-day span. The Capitals will play all four games in that period while their Louisiana counterparts will do the same in one fewer. The Chivas El Paso Patriots and West Texas United Sockers both will determine their fate during a stretch of nine days.

The only two clubs that will have the opportunity to relax and take their time in qualifying are the Laredo Heat and expansion side RGV Grandes. Both open the group’s fixture list May 13 at home as RGV plays host to El Paso and Laredo takes on West Texas. They also close out the campaign with RGV traveling to New Orleans May 28 and Laredo visiting Baton Rouge the following day.

But while the Louisiana duo are making a return to the group, the pair will not see one another during the qualifying process as each club will face their four Texas rivals, leaving the local derby for the rest of the season.

US Open Cup tournament history is extremely limited outside of El Paso, where the Patriots have appeared in the official bracket eight times through its storied past, which includes the 1995 US Open Cup Final. The only other appearance in the tournament proper among the six-team field was Laredo’s 2006 appearance.

El Paso and Laredo, historically, have been among the leaders in the qualifying process from the group with the Patriots boasting a 9-4-3 record over the past four years while the Heat were 7-5-4. The other three clubs, though, have respectable records for the past four years with New Orleans at 6-4-6, Baton Rouge at 5-7-4 and West Texas at an even 3-3-2 in its two-year history.

MID-SOUTH DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Baton Rouge Capitals 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
El Paso Patriots 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Laredo Heat 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
New Orleans Jesters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Rio Grande Valley Grandes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
West Texas United Sockers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

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

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

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

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

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 13 El Paso Patriots at Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 13 West Texas United Sockers at Laredo Heat 9:15
May 14 West Texas United Sockers at Rio Grande Valley Grandes 9:00
May 14 El Paso Patriots at Laredo Heat 9:15
May 19 Baton Rouge Capitals at West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 19 New Orleans Jesters at El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 21 New Orleans Jesters at West Texas United Sockers 8:30
May 21 Baton Rouge Capitals at El Paso Patriots 10:00
May 27 Rio Grande Valley Grandes at Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00
May 27 Laredo Heat at New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 28 Rio Grande Valley Grandes at New Orleans Jesters 8:00
May 29 Laredo Heat at Baton Rouge Capitals 8:00


Southeast Division
Central Florida Kraze, FC Jax Destroyers, Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros

While it is one of four six-team groups across the PDL, the Southeast faction is completely unique in that the fixture schedule features two sub-groups of three playing home and away schedules as their qualifying matches. As the northern-most Floridian side, the expansion Jax Destroyers of Jacksonville have been paired up with the Nashville Metros and Mississippi Brilla in one half while the trio of the Bradenton Academics, Central Florida Kraze and second-year Fort Lauderdale Schulz are in the other.

Mississippi Brilla 2010
Can the Mississippi Brilla return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after falling just short in last season? Photo: Mississippi Brilla

The threesomes are fairly comparable as both feature a pair of veteran clubs along with a third that is only in its first or second season in the league.

Mississippi, a qualifier in 2009, is the standout of the northern trio as the club boasts an 8-4-4 record in qualifying over the last four years. Although Nashville has not been in the tournament since 2003, the club has not exactly been a doormat over the last four years with a record of 5-7-4. A year ago, Brilla won the lone qualifier between the two by a 3-0 scoreline as they swept the four game season series en route to finishing the season unbeaten at 11-0-3.

The all-Florida trio is a little more balanced as Central Florida is 9-5-2 over the past four years in its qualification efforts and Bradenton is 8-4-4. The Kraze took the top spot a year ago for their third appearance in the tournament while Bradenton’s lone appearance came in 2008. Fort Lauderdale had a rough outing a year ago with four losses, including a 3-1 defeat to the Kraze and 1-0 to the Academics. Bradenton and Central Florida did not face one another head-to-head a year ago, but split the regular season series with a pair of 1-0 decisions.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Bradenton Academics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Central Florida Kraze 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
FC Jax Destroyers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Mississippi Brilla 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Nashville Metros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

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

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

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

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

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

April 30 Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy at Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 6 Central Florida Kraze at Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 7:00
May 8 Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy at Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 12 Central Florida Kraze at Bradenton Academics 5:30
May 13 FC Jax Destroyers at Mississippi Brilla 8:00
May 15 FC Jax Destroyers at Nashville Metros 4:00
May 15 Bradenton Academics at Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy 6:00
May 19 Mississippi Brilla at FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 23 Nashville Metros at FC Jax Destroyers 7:00
May 26 Mississippi Brilla at Nashville Metros 8:00
May 28 Bradenton Academics at Central Florida Kraze 4:00
May 30 Nashville Metros at Mississippi Brilla 6:00


Here is a quick look at all of the eligible clubs with links to previews by conference (as available):

Central Conference (Coming Soon)

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

Eastern Conference (Coming Soon)

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

Southern Conference

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

Western Conference (Coming Soon)

Northwest Division: Kitsap Pumas, North Sound SeaWolves, Portland Timbers U23, Tacoma Tide, Washington Crossfire
Southwest Division: BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, LA Blues 23, Los Angeles Legends, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

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