Long Island Rough Riders

2025 US Open Cup Round 1: Charlotte Independence survive wild OT with Rough Riders

March 21, 2025 by Ben Land

Players from the Long Island Rough Riders (right) and the Charlotte Independence battle for the ball in the First Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Long Island Rough Riders

The Long Island Rough Riders hosted the USL League One’s Charlotte Independence on a foggy evening in Uniondale, New York. Mitchel Field was the venue for the First Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fixture where there were goals galore, especially late in the game. The final goal was scored by Rafael Jauregui who bagged a brace before being subbed off in extra time. The match ended 3-2 in favor of the visitors who were tested and nearly brought to the brink of elimination.

The Rough Riders had their first berth in the United States’ oldest soccer tournament since 2008. The Independence, conversely, were in the US Open Cup in 2024. The Rough Riders came into the match having lost four of their last five competitive matches. Charlotte entered the fixture in considerably better form having only lost two of their last five and keeping clean sheets in their two victories.

Charlotte are lucky to have the guidance and leadership of someone with over 70 Premier League appearances, assistant coach Gaberial Obertan. Obertan faced some of the best players in the world during his 15+ year career but gave respect to the minnows and American soccer in general after the match.

“We have kind of the same experience in Europe, small clubs playing against bigger clubs,” said Obertan, who spent time with Manchester United and Newcastle United as a player. “You know what to expect, it was a tough game. They made our lives really tough. College players are getting better and better. So, I was not surprised that the level was good.”

The level of the match was indeed good. Goal number one was a cracking strike in the 49th minute from Jacob Woznicki, who was recently drafted by the LA Galaxy. Woznicki sliced through the ball causing it to swerve dramatically into the roof of the net. The Nassau County-based side took the lead deservingly through him before momentum shifted toward the end of the second half.

There were chances galore throughout the match but it became skewed toward the visitors after a triple substitution from the Rough Riders about midway through the second half.

Jauregui, a 20-year-old for Charlotte, showed his promise tonight, leading the lines and finishing clinically when called upon. Undoubtedly man of the match.

The Rough Riders were resilient in the face of stacked odd and adversity. Fourteen minutes into extra time, the ball was whipped into the box from the right hand side about waist high for Charlotte’s Christian Chaney. Chaney contorted his body to execute a delicious scissor kick resulting in the net piercing for Charlotte’s second.

Almost immediately after the Chaney front flip, back hand spring celebration, two more goals came, with one of them icing the game.

Less than a minute after Chaney’s goal the Rough Riders were back into the game. Elia Khodri met a poor clearance off a set piece with a thunderous first time volley from about 15 yards from goal to tie the game back up at 2-2.

After some stoppage time for the goals, the first half of extra time ended and the opening minutes of the second half belonged to the Independence. They controlled possession and in the 107th minute a low cross was fired in from the left wing near the end line and a Long Island defender attempted to clear it to safety. The defender played the ball up the field but it fell right to the foot of Jauregui who volleyed it past the helpless goalkeeper to give them a lead that they would not relinquish.

“Our staff did a good job of not downplaying them,” said Charlotte captain and right back Clay Dimick about the importance of sealing the game after taking the lead in the 107th minute. “Our mentality is brilliant and I think that’s one thing that is going to carry us throughout the season.”

The Jacks defense would hold strong for the last 13 minutes as the club would win their opening game for the third year in a row. It also marked the first time in club history that they won a game that ended after extra time and didn’t go to penalty kicks.

Charlotte will play again in seven days versus the Chattanooga Red Wolves who narrowly avoided defeat in penalties in Newark on Tuesday night.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City crushes Long Island Rough Riders in this year’s amateur blowout

May 19, 2018 by Jonathan Lintner

Having watched film of his club’s Second Round opponent in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Louisville City FC forward Ilija Ilic saw in advance the type of play that led the Long Island Rough Riders to a Premier Development League conference final appearance a year ago.

“They have some movements that are next level,” Ilic said of the amateur side. But as the professionals in the PDL-USL matchup, Ilic added, “We were ready for it.”

It showed as Louisville City posted a dominant 5-0 victory Wednesday night at Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky. It was the second year in a row that City began the US Open Cup with a one-sided blowout of an amateur side. Last year, they traveled to Pittsburgh and embarrassed Tartan Devils Oak Avalon by the score of 9-0.

Ilic assisted Kyle Smith’s opening goal in the 25th minute before scoring one of his own own off a corner 12 minutes later. The game that was never in doubt from there with the Rough Riders unable to record a shot until the second half. In turn, Louisville goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski had to make just one save all night.

“They’ve had some success there as well,” Louisville coach James O’Connor said of Long Island, which defeated the Kingston Stockade to advance to the Second Round and also opened their PDL season with a win.

“It’s easy to see why, because they play really well. They’ve got good movement. We caused them a lot of problems and didn’t really allow them to get a foothold in the game, which was important, because if you do, then they’ll capitalize. It was great to see that intensity tonight.”

Rounding out scoring, Oscar Jimenez crossed to Luke Spencer for a tap-in goal in the 67th minute; Brian Ownby juked a defender on the end line and rocketed a shot in the upper corner in the 81st; and Cameron Lancaster scored on a gem of a curling free kick in the 86th.

Luke Spencer and Oscar Jiminez of Louisville City celebrate a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Matthew Ballard

Lancaster shrugged, smiled, and ensured LouCity was on to the Open Cup’s Third Round against fellow USL side Saint Louis FC, a former rival now playing in the Western Conference.

“I thought the guys performed really well,” O’Connor said. “I thought there were some lovely passages — some really good finishes. We can be really pleased.”

The scoreline would have been more lopsided were it not for a standout effort by Long Island’s goalkeeper, Danny Vitiello, whose University of Albany last year won the America East Conference and knocked traditional powerhouse Maryland out of the NCAA tournament.

Vitiello prevented a brace for Smith by diving to his right, stopping a penalty try in the 50th minute. And in the 60th, City midfielder Magnus Rasmussen played a shot through a defender’s legs. Vitiello couldn’t have seen much of the ball — but he got a hand on it nonetheless.

Ultimately, Louisville out-shot the Rough Riders 18-3 in what was a bounce-back performance. The 2017 USL champions entered having lost consecutive league games for the first time in nearly two years.

1️⃣ @RealKyleSmith24
2️⃣ Ilija Ilic
3️⃣ @luke_spenc
4️⃣ @BrianOwnby90
5️⃣ @CameronPL

Last night’s goals all in one place #LouCity pic.twitter.com/70mDTlmoOm

— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) May 17, 2018

“I think it’ll certainly help,” O’Connor said. “It’s great to see some of the guys go on and get goals.”

The victory came in the University of Louisville’s soccer-specific Lynn Stadium, which is about half the size of what the club is currently constructing. For now, LouCity plays regular-season home games in a Triple-A baseball stadium, but will open its own facility in 2020.

“The first thing I’d like to do is really thank everyone connected with U of L,” O’Connor said. “Genuinely, a heartfelt thanks for allowing us to come and play at such a wonderful facility.”

“It was great — I’ll tell you that,” Ilic said of playing to a home crowd in the more intimate environment. “It was really good.”

And they’ll do it again next week, with Louisville-Saint Louis FC also to be played at Lynn Stadium.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Long Island Rough Riders’ offense tramples Kingston Stockade in extra time

May 13, 2018 by Michael Anderer

It looked like it was going to be a long night for the host team, the Long Island Rough Riders.

Kingston Stockade FC took the three hour plus drive from Kingston, NY and along with their fans, the Dutch Guard Supporters Group, they set the tone early in the match. After already beating his mark twice, Pedro Espindola would win the endline battle against Long Island’s Jeffrey Medina and slot a cross that Stockade’s Bruce Jeter would stuff into the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.

What possibly could be one of the turning points of the game, Espindola on his next attempt to attack the Long Island goal went down after a tackle and would not be able to finish the game. David Lindholm, head coach for Stockade would be forced into an early substitution replacing Espindola in the 25th with Matel Anasta.

Lindholm said after the game about the switch, “We felt good about the guys we had coming off the bench even though you don’t want to have to make a change like that. You hope that you can cope with that, a team in more than just one player.”

The Rough Riders would be able to hold the visitors at one for the remainder of the half and created a few of their own chances, usually utilizing the pace and skill of left winger Charlie Ledula. Despite their effort Long Island would go into the break trailing 1-0.

Recognizing that he had to be proactive Rough Riders’ head coach, Stephen Roche, would make his first substitution at half time replacing right back Jeffrey Medina with Jacob Bohm. The change would not yield the desired result as Joshua Maley got free on the left side and find Michael Creswick for an easy goal and Stockade FC would double their lead in the 52nd minute.

All they had to do in order to advance is hold on for the remaining 38 minutes. Stockade couldn’t even hold Long Island for five minutes. Shortly after thinking they had already punched their ticket to Louisville for Round 2, Stockade would concede their first of the night. Alex Dexter found himself inside the box near the endline and, from a tight angle, drove a cross into the box where he found Tyler Botte who put it in the back of the net to give the Rough Riders life. Long Island now found themselves trailing 2-1 with just over a half an hour left in regulation.

In the 58th minute, the center referee would issue his first yellow card of the game to Long Island’s Thomas Wharf. After that, the cards just kept coming. Stockade’s Bernardo Mattos would get one in the 63rd and a few minutes later the Rider’s Tyler Botte and Stockade’s Juan Gatti would go into the book.

Realizing that time is running out, Roche would make his second change replacing captain and center back Dan Gwyther with midfielder Colin Murphy in the 68th minute. The change would pay off. Just over ten minutes later, after it felt like most of the game was being played in the Stockade FC goal box, Wharf would knock in the equalizer with 10 minutes plus stoppage time remaining.

Long Island defensive midfielder Shaun Foster, was outstanding in the game, protecting the back line and forcing the Stockade attack to rely on their wing play. Foster would get a yellow for a hard tackle in the 88th minute. And then a minute later, the game would change completely as Bernardo Mattos would get his second yellow after Charlie Ledula forced him into a risky tackle. With just stoppage time remaining the work horse Foster would go down unable to finish the game and give way to Junior Rosero. Rosero’s first touch was a blistering shot from distance that rose too much ending out of play, but it wouldn’t be his last chance at goal.

Regulation ended all square, two a piece and the team would begin their two 15 minute extra time periods. While Long Island poured on the pressure and kept Stockade on their back foot the entire first ET period, the only benefit they could yield from it was a yellow card against Stockade’s Michael Creswick in the 100’.

Lindholm said after the game, “I told my boys, we had 105 minutes of game in our bodies, but unfortunately we had to play for 120.”

Long Island would take over in the second extra time session with Junior Rosero scoring the go-ahead goal just three minutes in making it 3-2. Four minutes later, Charlie Ledula would find himself one on one with Stockade keeper Steve Skonieczny and beat him to the left giving the Rough Riders a 4-2 lead. And two minutes after that, Tyler Botte would put away his second giving the home team a comfortable 5-3 advantage with five minutes to play. Stockade were still pushing forward and earned a PK for their efforts that Matt Koziol would stick into the lower left corner giving Kingston a glimmer of hope for the waning minutes of the game. That hope was extinguished when Charlie Ledula would find himself in a similar position, 1v1 with the keeper and just like last time, easily past him to the left. Rough Riders would win 6-3.

“We’re delighted with the win,” said Roche of the result. “Stockade were what we expected, ferocious, hard working and very difficult to break down. Especially after going two-nil down, I’m very proud of our guys getting back into the game.”

It should be noted, Long Island’s Shaun Foster entered the field of play during the goal celebration of Rosero’s goal. For his action Foster who was already on a yellow was shown a red card. Roche said of Foster, “We’ll be appealing the referee’s action. He ran on the field thinking it was a golden goal and the game was over. He was given a straight red, that’s an incorrect decision, so we’ll definitely be appealing that one.”

Another player that stood out for the Rough Riders was Ledula with his two-goal performance.

“He had a great game, even without the goals,” said Roche. “He’s got a lot of ability and he’s here to showcase himself. Hopefully he’s one of the guys we can push on to the next level. We believe he’s got what it takes to be a professional player.”

Long Island will travel to play Louisville City FC in the Second Round on May 16.

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 pose for a team photo before their 2016 US Open Cup match vs. Long Island Rough Riders.

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.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Real Monarchs capitalize on Rough Riders mistake, win first cup match, 1-0

May 21, 2015 by Brian Venard

The matchup between the Long Island Rough Riders and Real Monarchs SLC was without a doubt skewed in favor of the latter, but you would have never guessed that after seeing tonight’s match. And while the Monarchs still pulled out a victory, it did not come easy for them. The only goal in the match was scored in the 76th minute by Ricardo Velazco, who put the ball in the back of the net after a series of miscommunications by the goalkeeper and the defender.

Even though the final result of the match was based partially on a communication error, the error is not telling of how close the match was. Going into halftime, the match was a complete stalemate, with neither team breaking through the others defense consistently. While the first half was quite a bore, the second half was very different. Both squads were much more willing to shoot the ball from the get go, and that’s what inevitably led to the goal that broke the stalemate.

Even though the Rough Riders as a whole were fairly strong tonight, there were a few players who were extremely underwhelming during the match. The one that sticks out in particular is Benjamin Wignall, who was subbed off in the 46th minute. After a great performance in Round 1, Wignall lacked inspiration in the forward role, rarely touching the ball and not having any significant impact on the game. In addition to the lack of quality shown by Wignall, in the 68th minute, Joe Holland was subbed off after sustaining an injury when he fell awkwardly to the ground after tripping. Holland is one of the star players for the Rough Riders and will surely be missed if the injury is serious.

On the other side of the pitch, one particular player had the night of his life. Tyler Arnone, a Long Island native and former Rough Rider, made his first appearance in the starting 11 this season, and he had a major impact on his team. When asked about how it felt to come back to Long Island to play the Rough Riders, Arnone humbly said, “…It meant the world to me to play at Saint Anthony’s again cause I dedicated so many hours of my time to playing here…” Arnone proved himself to be a great candidate for first team soccer tonight, and I would not be surprised if he gets another chance very soon.

The match was very hard fought, and it was obvious by the crowd’s reaction at Saint Anthony’s High School that they felt the Rough Riders could have gone farther in this prestigious competition. But now the Monarchs are bound to the 3rd round, where they will host fellow USL team, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Joe Holland carries Long Island Rough Riders to 3-1 win over Brooklyn Italians

May 13, 2015 by Michael Anderer

In what used to be a regular occurance in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a battle between two teams from New York City has become more rare in the Modern Era (1995-present). For just the fifth time since 1995, two teams from the Big Apple squared off as the Long Island Rough Riders defeated the Brooklyn Italians 3-1. Long Island’s Joe Holland was involved in all three goals as he led the team with a pair of goals and an assist as the Rough Riders won their first US Open Cup game since 2012.

Rough Riders head coach Paul Roderick highlighted Holland as a player to watch in tonight’s US Open Cup match.

“Joe can sometimes be a hot and cold player, but when he’s on, it’s special”, Roderick shared as the teams warmed up. Another notable player for Long Island was Jimmy Nealis. Nealis was drafted in 2013 by the Houston Dynamo but injured in the preseason of that year. After rehabbing, he was signed by the New York Cosmos and played for two seasons.

Tonight was definitely one of the better performances for the emerging star. Holland and the Rough Riders wasted no time taking the game to visiting Brooklyn side scoring in the first minute. This was Joe Holland’s first US Open Cup goal. Long Island controlled the game for most of the first half with quick, smart play, but also helped by a Brooklyn attack that was constantly caught offsides and a slew of unforced turnovers by the back line.

In the 38th minute, Brooklyn’s Yannick Laroche drove into the box with a quick change of pace catching defender Danny Kreamer off balance forcing a Brooklyn penalty kick. Yvener Guerrier stepped up and cooly placed the shot past Joe Martin leveling the game at 1-1, a score that would stand for the rest of the first half.

Both squads remained unchanged to start the second half, but almost immediately Long Island would need to make a change. In the 46th minute, midfielder Dan Reid rolled his ankle. The injury would prove to be too much for him to return and Dom Iovino would enter in his place.

The second half was much improved on the first with both teams settling in. The play was organized and each chance was harder to earn, but equally more dangerous as they tried to break the deadlock. The Rough Riders, sensing they were close switched up the midfield again, subbing out Adriana Gabrielle for the fresh legs of Ben Withcomb in the 60th minute.

Four minute later, the constant pressure by Long Island forced another Brooklyn error as Alejandro Penzini was called for a handball in the box. Holland took the kick, but a fantastic diving effort by 19-year-old Michael Bernardi kept the score tied. While some might think the save by the Brooklyn keeper would have put momentum on their side, that was not the case tonight. In the 66th minute, Ben Wignall found himself with a clear look on the left side about twenty yards out. His laser beat a fully extended Bernandi and Long Island would take the lead 2-1.

The more fit and organized Long Island team continued to control the pace of the game and in the 74th minute, the star of the night, Holland scored his second putting the Rough Riders ahead 3-1.

The Italians would not let the game go without a fight. The late substitutions of Armen Katchaturian (Diego Zuniga), Kevin Lue (Yannick Laroche) and Vincent Benzecourt (Martin Williams) gave the attack a little more pace, but many of their chances were the result of individual effort and not team play. Long Island used their last sub in the bringing in Junior Rosero for goal scorer Wignall to keep the pressure and possession in the Brooklyn third.

At the final whistle it would remain a 3-1 win for the home side. Nealis after game while happy with the result knows the team can play better.

“It’s still the start of our season,” said Nealis. “It’s tough, we are still getting comfortable together, but the more we practice and the fitter we get, the better we will be.”

Entering the game, the Rough Riders had just one league game under their belt, a 3-1 home win in league play the previous Saturday. For Coach Roderick, with so little time together as a team, he’ll take the victory.

“In a cup, it’s nice to get any type of win,” said Roderick. “We made it harder than it needed to be. After the early goal we eased up a bit and credit to Brooklyn they fought back.”

Holland was proud of the way the team performed as well.

“Fantastic win,” said Holland. “In the first half we were a little haphazard and all over the place. Despite giving up the goal, we came out for the second half much more organized and compact and in the end it was comfortable.”

After the game the team immediately moved their attention to next week’s match as they will host the Real Monarchs, the United Soccer Leagues reserve team of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

Holland knows that the match up against the USL side will be a tough challenge.

“I can’t wait,” said Holland. “It’s a good team, and obviously they have some professional links there so you’re going to see some good players. They move the ball around well as we do when we play right, so it should make for a very good game.”

Roderick gave a brief scouting report looking ahead to next year.

“Well, they will come in more fit and more organized,” said Roderick. “They are a team that trains everyday. But these are the games that our players want to be in, to play against the better clubs so it should be a great match.”

Former Long Island Rough Rider, Tyler Arnone currently plays with the Real Monarchs and will be making his return to Cy Donnelly stadium next week when the teams meet up Wednesday, May 20 at 8 p.m.

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Harrisburg City Islanders down Long Island Rough Riders again, 2-0 (video)

May 23, 2012 by Michael Berton

web-Har-LI-2 — Brian Ombiji scored the second | Photo: Harrisburg City Islanders

The amateur Premier Development League side Long Island Rough Riders put up a good fight, but in the end their professional counterparts in Harrisburg were just too much.

The City Islanders scored two second half goals to win 2-0 and advance to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, where they will play host to the New England Revolution of MLS. Yann Ekra scored in the 48th minute, and Brian Ombiji scored in the 77th in front of 418 fans at the Skyline Sports Complex in Harrisburg, Pa.

Coming into the game, Long Island was looking for some revenge against the team that knocked it out of the tournament in 2010. Harrisburg on the other hand, was looking for redemption after an early Second Round exit in the cup to the Rochester Rhinos last year. Despite the 2-0 scoreline, Harrisburg was far from dominant. In fact, Long Island had the better of play for a good portion of the first half. After some early City Islanders pressure, the Rough Riders earned two corners. Both set pieces forced Harrisburg goalkeeper Nick Noble to come off his line to punch the ball away.

In the 27th minute, the Rough Riders faced some poor luck with starting midfielder Ben Arikian picking up an injury. Just six minutes later, Adriano Gabriele was also forced to come out of the game for Long Island with an injury. After the two substitutions Harrisburg started to assert its dominance. The City Islanders struck soon after the whistle to start the second half. In the 48th minute, Morgan Langley found Ekra in the box. Ekra, coming off a hat-trick performance over the weekend in league play, calmly tucked the ball past the Rough Rider goalie and into the net to put Harrisburg up 1-0.

web-Har-LI — Photo: Harrisburg City Islanders

The goal seemed to jumpstart the Long Island offense. During a period of extended pressure, Matthew Wendelken forced a nice save off a corner in the 59th minute. Later, in the 73rd minute, a Long Island player went down in the box. To the dismay of the Rough Rider bench, however, no penalty was called. On the ensuing play, Keith Detelj was able to round the keeper, but he could not get a shot on net. Detelj would end up regretting his missed chance, as four minutes later Harrisburg’s Andrew Welker found Ombiji with a pass behind the defense. Ombiji slotted it past the onrushing goalie to double Harrisburg’s lead.

As the game wound down, Detelj had yet another chance, but his header hit the post and was cleared. The City Islanders were able to see the game out and improve to 8-0-0 against amateur clubs in the US Open Cup.

Ekra’s goal

Ombiji’s goal

Shot on goal

Harrisburg supporters: Sons of the Susquehanna

Harrisburg City Islanders 2:0 Long Island Rough Riders
Skyline Sports Complex – Harrisburg, Pa.

HCI: Yann Ekra (Morgan Langley) 48
HCI: Brian Ombiji (Andrew Welker) 77

Discipline:
HCI: Brian Ombiji – caution 40
LI: James Mulligan – caution 41
LI: William Hole – caution 61

Lineups:
Harrisburg City Islanders: Nick Noble; Stephan Basso, Tommy Brandt, Andrew Marshall, Bilal Duckett; JT Noone, Andrew Welker (Adrian LeRoy-85), Morgan Langley (Tom Mellor-71), Drew Yates (Garret Pettis-63); Brian Ombiji, Yann Ekra

Long Island Rough Riders: Thomas Booth; Matthew Wendelken, Timothy Parker, Tom Wharf, William Hole; Gary Flood, Adriano Gabriele (Matthew Uy-33), James Mulligan (Sean Sepe-66), Stephan Barea, Ben Arikian (Dakota Barnathan-27); Keith Detelj

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Long Island Rough Riders blank FC Sonic Lehigh Valley 2-0

May 16, 2012 by Michael Berton

Neither gloomy weather nor a change in venue could keep the visiting Long Island Rough Riders of the PDL from earning a comfortable 2-0 victory over FC Sonic Lehigh Valley of the NPSL in the opening round of the 2012 US Open Cup.

Goals from Thomas Wharf and Shaun Higgins in the first half were enough to propel the Rough Riders into a second round matchup against USL Pro side Harrisburg City Islanders. The Rough Riders will be looking for some revenge, as Harrisburg knocked them out of the tournament in 2010 by a score of 1-0.

Unlike Long Island, FC Sonic had no prior Open Cup experience. They finished second in the NPSL Keystone Division last year, but qualified for the tournament when division champion Erie Admirals decided not to participate.

Instead of being held at the normal home field of FC Sonic at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., strong rains forced the game to be moved to a turf field at Whitehall High School several miles away. However, the change did not affect the visitors, as it was Long Island with the first chance of the game in the 10th minute. After FC Sonic replied with a shot of its own, the Rough Riders took control of the game.

In the 19th minute, Wharf got his head on a free kick and put it in the back of the net. Just three minutes later, Long Island doubled its lead when Higgins got on the end of a cross from James Mulligan. The 30-year-old Higgins’ goal gave the Rough Riders a 2-0 lead that FC Sonic could not overcome.

With neither team being able to make a breakthrough in the second half, both coaches decided on a change of emphasis. FC Sonic coach Dave Weitzman opted for a more attacking approach, bringing in two forwards in for two defenders. Long Island coach Paul Roderick, on the other hand, brought on two defenders in exchange for a forward and a midfielder.

In the end, the changes made little difference, and FC Sonic could muster only one real chance toward the end of the game. Long Island earned its fourth Open Cup victory and improved to 3-2-0 against amateur clubs all-time.

Scoring Summary:

Long Island – Thomas Wharf (Assist?) – 19
Long Island – Shaun Higgins (James Mulligan) – 22

Lineups: N/A

Discipline: FCS – Brandon Turner (caution, 23)

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

December 16, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

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

MLS & USSF establishing long-term calendar? [+]