Los Angeles Galaxy

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals preview: Will Steven Gerrard play when Real Salt Lake hosts LA Galaxy tonight? (video)

July 13, 2015 by Josh Hakala

The LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake will square off for the first time in US Open Cup play.

The Quarterfinals of the 102nd edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kick off tonight with the two-time champion Los Angeles Galaxy traveling to Utah to face Real Salt Lake. The Round of Eight may be an all-Major League Soccer affair for just the third time in the Modern Era, but the games feature a number of storylines.

First off, the defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy are battling for the Western Conferece title in league play, while RSL are struggling near the bottom of the table. The biggest question on everyone’s mind heading into tonight’s game is whether or not the newly-acquired Steven Gerrard will play for Los Angeles.

Here is the remaining Quarterfinal schedule:

Tuesday, July 21
Philadelphia Union (MLS) at New York Red Bulls (MLS) – 4 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS) – 8:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, July 22
Orlando City SC (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS) – 8:30 p.m. ET

Semifinals schedule (Date TBA)
Orlando City/Chicago winner at Philadelphia/New York winner
LA Galaxy/RSL winner at Sporting KC/Houston winner

MORE LINKS:

How it happened: Why the Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls US Open Cup match is now at 4 p.m. on July 21

LIVE UPDATES: LA Galaxy at RSL (with video)

2015 US Open Cup bracket

2015 US Open Cup Schedule/Results

2015 Meet the Underdogs series

2015 stat leaders (Goals/Assists/Points)

TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

The First Cup series (1913/14)

TheCup.us 2.0 launches | The origin of TheCup.us

Twitter (#USOC2015) | Facebook | Flickr | Reddit

Los Angeles Galaxy Open Cup records
Overall: 25-12-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 8-10-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 11-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 1-0 in OT at Carolina RailHawks of NASL in Round 5)
Best finish: 2001, 2005 US Open Cup champions

Real Salt Lake Open Cup records
Overall: 8-6-0 | Home: 8-3-0 | vs. MLS: 2-3-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 2-1 at Atlanta Silverbacks of NASL in Round 4)
Best finish: 2013 Runner-up (Lost 1-0 vs. DC United in Final)
WINNER WILL … host San Jose Earthquakes or Los Angeles Galaxy

LIVE VIDEO: LA GALAXY AT REAL SALT LAKE (YouTube.com – 10 p.m. ET)

AUDIO OPTIONS: ENGLISH RADIO | SPANISH RADIO

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

LA Galaxy
Round 4: 6-1 win vs. PSA Elite (USASA)
Round 5: 1-0 win at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)

Real Salt Lake
Round 4: 2-1 win vs. Seattle Sounders 2 (USL)
Round 5: 2-0 win vs. Portland Timbers (MLS)

Previews by Dennis Pope and Sean Walker

The question remains: Will he or won’t he?

Steven Gerrard played the first 45 minutes in LA Galaxy’s 2-1 over Club America on Saturday night, and will likely make his second appearance for the club in its Lamar Hunt US Open Cup quarterfinal matchup at Real Salt Lake on Tuesday night.

“Physically, it was tough. I haven’t played a competitive match for six or seven weeks so it was very important that I got out there and got 45 minutes,” Gerrard said. “Hopefully I get some more minutes Tuesday …”

Gerrard took two shots against Club America – both were deflected – but played a number of insightful passes through Club America’s defense to prove his poise as an attack-minded midfielder.

Robbie Keane scored a delightful goal near halftime, and Alan Gordon perfectly placed a header in the 79th minute as Galaxy pulled off the upset over the current CONCACAF Champions League champions at the International Champions Cup.

Starters Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes and Jaime Penedo remain on international duty at the Gold Cup, and are unavailable for Tuesday’s game vs. Real Salt Lake, a long-time MLS Western Conference rival.

“(Gerrard’s) passing and awareness is unbelievable and his being able to shoot from distance,” RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland told James Edwards of Utah’s Deseret News. “I think just putting pressure on him at all times throughout the game, not taking one play off.”

RSL were 2-0 winners over Portland Timbers in the fifth round to earn the home date at Rio Tinto Stadium.

US Open Cup champions in 2001 and 2005, Los Angeles was the only road team to advance out of this year’s Round of 16. Galaxy, 25-12-1 all-time in U.S. Open Cup play, are into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.

LA defeated the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, in a fifth round game on June 27. The match was another California Clasico, with Galaxy remaining unbeaten (4-0-1, 1-0 PKs) against the Quakes all-time in Open Cup play.

Including the Club America match, the defending champions come into Tuesday’s game having lost just one game in all competitions over the last month. The Galaxy are 8-6-7 in league play and are just one point out of first place in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Their last league game was a 4-0 thrashing of Toronto FC on the Fourth of July with Robbie Keane leading the way with a hat trick.

On the other side, the host Real Salt Lake remembers well the run of DC United to the US Open Cup title in 2013, most notably because the final was played in Sandy, Utah, and hosted by RSL.

Ever since, RSL has wanted to get back to that stage and finish the job with the Lamar Hunt trophy. Much like DC United in 2013, RSL are hoping to ignore their current league form, which sees them sitting second from the bottom in the Western Conference with a 5-7-8 record, and make a run at winning a trophy in the Open Cup.

To do so in 2015, they will have to contend with Gerrard and the Galaxy who are hungry for their first Open Cup title in a decade.

“He’s an amazing passer of the ball,” RSL coach Jeff Cassar said of Gerrard. “We also need to know where him and Keane are at all times.

“I think we might play a little bit differently — he’s not with Liverpool, anymore — but the Galaxy have a system in play, and I think it’s about fitting him into their system now.”

RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland grew up a Liverpool supporter in nearby Preston, England, so he’s naturally looking forward to the chance to play against one of his childhood heroes.

“I grew up idolizing Gerrard, so it will be very surreal playing against him tomorrow,” Mulholland said after training Monday. “As his career went on, he took more of a defensive midfield role, so this unit here will continue to play like L.a. does, but with his passing and awareness. It’s unbelievable, and he’s able to shoot from distance, too. He’ll be dangerous at all times, not taking one play off, and we can’t either or else he’ll punish us.”

The Galaxy also feature striker Robbie Keane, the reigning MLS MVP — but all eyes will be on the former Liverpool captain Tuesday night.

“He’s a world-class player,” RSL midfielder Javier Morales said. “I think it’s different than guys like Giovinco, Kaka, Villa. They score goals and make that special play. I think Gerrard is different; he’s the balance of the Galaxy with Juninho. I think you need to worry about him, though.”

Gerrard played a mostly attacking role, in front of Juninho, in the first half of the friendly win over Club America, which kicked off barely 72 hours before Tuesday’s Open Cup date. RSL also played at rival Colorado on Saturday in a 3-1 loss Saturday, giving the home side plenty of motivation to get back on the field.

“We’re three wins away from winning the Open Cup,” Cassar said. “We can’t let anything in the past linger. It was five wins and we’ve got two. So we can’t have any letdowns against the Galaxy.”

Despite the club’s back-to-back Open Cup wins at home, Real Salt Lake are struggling in league play. They haven’t won a game since June 21 against Sporting Kansas City, a winless streak of four games (0-2-2).

In addition to league form, the game features two teams with vastly different Open Cup histories. For Real Salt Lake, in addition to their 2013 runner-up performance, this is just the second time in seven entries that the club has won multiple games in a single tournament.

For the Galaxy, their success in the tournament took place before the arrival of David Beckham and the ushering in of the Designated Player era of MLS. From their first eight years of entering the tournament, beginning in 1999, the Galaxy reached the Semifinals six of those years, the championship game four times and lifted the trophy twice.

Since 2007, the Galaxy have failed to even qualify for the Open Cup twice (2008, 2009), haven’t won multiple games in a tournament until this year, including upset losses on the road to the USL’s Richmond Kickers in 2007 and the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks in each of the last three years. The 2015 season has been a different story, as the Galaxy have put their 3-6-0 record over the last eight years behind them and have won back-to-back games for the first time since 2006.

COMMERCIAL: LA GALAXY AT RSL

RSL PREVIEW

LA GALAXY PREVIEW

LA GALAXY INTRODUCE STEVEN GERRARD

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: LA Galaxy continues Open Cup dominance of San Jose Earthquakes with 1-0 win (video)

July 1, 2015 by Robert Jonas

Used with permission from Centerline Soccer

The LA Galaxy exacted a small bit of revenge Wednesday night for last Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in the California Clasico at Stanford Stadium, as they moved on to the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 1-0 victory at Avaya Stadium.

An early goal from forward Jose Villarreal was the difference on the night as the announced crowd of 13,329 had little to cheer for over the entirety of the 90 minute match.

“ good solid game,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “I think it was good experience for a lot of our young players. They did a good job. We had to weather the storm in the second half but did a good job.”

For San Jose, they struggled out of the gates and it cost them.

“If you start the game slow, you can get punished for it, and now you are chasing the game,” said head coach Dominic Kinnear. “It doesn’t matter how many chances you get, or if you think you are the better team, you need to start the game off correctly.”

The Earthquakes had twice as many shots as the Galaxy — 14 to 7 — and nine corner kicks to LA’s zero, but the only statistic that mattered is goals scored, and the visitors were tops in that category.

“I thought we might have learned our lesson in the game with Sacramento, because the same thing happened,” said Kinnear. “Obviously, we were playing against in a better team , and even though we worked hard and got ourselves in front of goal and got ourselves some chances, it’s the start the came back to haunt us.”

For the Galaxy, they remain undefeated against their rivals to the north in Open Cup play, improving to 4-0-1 (1-0 in PKs). With the loss, the Earthquakes remain winless against MLS opponents (0-6-3, 0-3 PKs) in the Open Cup, and are 4-5-2 (1-1 PKs) at home. San Jose is the only MLS team with a losing record at home in Open Cup play.

The Earthquakes kicked off the game in the direction of the LOBINA and had the San Jose Ultras at their backs, but it was the Galaxy that found wind in their sails in the early going. In the sixth minute, a clever pass through the midfield from Kenney Walker to Villarreal at the top of the area gave the young striker enough space to turn and fire a goal past a diving Bryan Meredith giving LA a lead they would not surrender.

San Jose appeared to equalize in the 30th minute as Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi delivered a free kick that skimmed off the gleaming dome that is Mark Sherrod’s head and off the gloves of Brian Rowe and into the net. Alas, the referee’s assistant promptly thrust her flag into the air for offside, and the goal was called off.

The Galaxy had a penalty call waved off in the 37th minute as Villarreal found himself behind the defensive line with only Meredith to beat. Instead, JJ Koval, playing center back for the Quakes, somehow managed to disrupt the forward’s shot attempt in the area without getting called for a foul, and Villarreal missed high of the target. If Villarreal had instead gone to ground when Koval initiated contact, he most likely would have earned a penalty and a red card on Koval.

The teams entered the locker room with LA up a goal at halftime, but it could have been a lot worse. Besides the controversy on Koval’s tug in the box, Quakes ‘keeper Bryan Meredith made a few good stops to keep the surging Galaxy at bay.

In the second half, the Earthquakes woke up. The midfield looked to be more direct with the ball, and for long stretches of the half, San Jose found possession on the LA side of the center line. In the 50th minute, they registered their first shot on goal, as a Tommy Thompson corner kick was headed in traffic by Koval, by Rowe was in position to deny the defender a goal.

“We had crosses, we had shots,” said Khari Stephenson. “We were in their half for 95% of the second half, but we needed to be more clinical in front of goal. We have to be better with our crosses and better with our finishing.”

The Quakes registered two more shots on target in the ensuing minutes, but neither troubled Rowe, and LA slowly settled into a defensive shape that foiled San Jose on every foray into the attacking third. In the 65th minute, Leandro Barrera blasted a ball wide of the near post in what can only be described as a missed opportunity for the ages.

“We were more aggressive, we passed the ball better, our movement off the ball was better, and second balls were ours,” said Kinnear. “In the second half, we were around the ball a heck of a lot more, and that’s the reason we were knocking on the door for as long as we were.”

With time running out, Kinnear rolled the dice and shifted his formation to a 3-5-2, but even with the extra offensive help, the Galaxy would not yield. A stoppage time effort from Sanna Nyassi, when the winger had the choice of squaring the ball into the mixer, sailed high over the crossbar, and with it sailed away the Earthquakes chances at capturing the 2015 US Open Cup.

LA moves on in the tournament to face Real Salt Lake, 2-0 winners earlier in the evening against the Portland Timbers, in a quarterfinal match at Rio Tinto Stadium to played later this month. With the loss, the Earthquakes turn their focus to Sunday’s MLS showdown with the Timbers at Providence Park.

Game notes: Avaya Stadium, the jewel of a facility opened by the Earthquakes earlier this year, has experienced a number of memorable moments so far this season. Fatai Alashe scored the first goal in MLS play back in a season opening 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire, while Stephenson “scored” a first of his own Wednesday against LA.

In the 42nd minute, the veteran Jamaican lined up a free kick from distance and went for goal. Instead, the ball soared well over its intended target and nestled into the Largest Outdoor Bar in North America — the first shot from the run of play to reach the LOBINA.

“History in the making,” said Stephenson with a laugh when told of the supposed accomplishment. “I scored the last goal at Buck Shaw and now I’m the first guy to hit the ball into the bar.

“I’ve hit a lot of long-distance free kicks and done really well with them, so you can’t hit all of them perfect,” Stephenson continued. “That one I didn’t hit to well, and as a result, it went into the bar.”

Finally, the Galaxy have now won back-to-back road games in the tournament for only the second time in franchise history. The last time they did it was back in 2002.

POST-GAME: JOSE VILLARREAL

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY AT SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: Robbie Keane’s hat trick helps LA Galaxy end PSA Elite’s Cinderella run, 6-1 (video)

June 17, 2015 by Sean Steffen

Robbie Keane became just the second LA Galaxy player to score a hat trick in the US Open Cup. Photo: LA Galaxy

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that the San Jose Earthquakes will host the Los Angeles Galaxy in the next round.

Everyone enjoys a good Cinderella team, and no doubt part of the charm of the U.S. Open Cup is the alluring nature of the multiple David vs. Goliath matchups it has to offer. PSA Elite is an Orange County-based team who plays in an amateur league that falls under the 5th level of the USA soccer pyramid — the United Premier Soccer League.

The LA Galaxy have won three of the last four MLS Cups and are lead by the reigning league MVP, Robbie Keane, who also happens to have the most international goals of any active soccer players.

David vs. Goliath.

But the thing about David vs. Goliath matchups is, as fun as it is to see the underdogs pull out an unlikely victory, far more often you’ll see the Goliaths live up to their name and crush the Davids. This was the case when Bruce Arena, head coach of the Galaxy, shocked everyone by not only sending out his near A-team, but sending out what is arguably the most attack oriented lineup the Galaxy have fielded all season in a 6-1 Fourth Round victory.

From the very first minute the Galaxy had their foot on the gas pedal and attacked the armature side with near reckless abandon. PSA Elite made them pay early for their zeal by capitalizing on the space behind the Galaxy high line with a deft ball played in behind which PSA forward Michael Salazar put away nicely in the 12th minute, but the Galaxy would level the score just three minutes later off of a set piece. Sebastian Lletget’s shot off the corner hit the underside of the bar and the assistant referee determined the ball crossed the line, although replays have shown this call was somewhat dubious.

The Galaxy took the goal and ran with it and the game was over from that point on. Keane, Ignacio Maganto, Raul Mendiola and Lletget were all extremely active in the Galaxy attack, shifting around and creating chance after chance for one another, and when PSA managed to get the ball, they’d more often than not turned the ball over in their own third.

In the 19th minute Keane drifted to the outside of the box and served up a goal on a platter for Gyasi Zardes. Ten minutes later, Kenney Walker, spurred by a deft proactive run from Ingnacio Maganto, chipped a ball from the midfield into PSA box and in behind their backline. Maganto nodded it down perfectly to Keane who took the shot in stride.

The Galaxy would go on to steamroll the Cinderella squad with Keane scoring a hat trick. With those goals Keane becomes just the second Galaxy player to score a triple, joining Carlos Ruiz from the 2003 season.

Despite the result, it was a great run from PSA which was the last remaining amateur side in the tournament and it matched last year’s feat, reaching the Fourth Round.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: PSA ELITE AT LA GALAXY

2014 US Open Cup Round 5: Rookie GK leads Carolina RailHawks to 3rd straight win over full-strength LA Galaxy

June 25, 2014 by Neil Morris

Carolina Railhawks goalkeeper Scott Goodwin saves the shot of Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan. Photo: Carolina RailHawks — Carolina Railhawks goalkeeper Scott Goodwin saves a shot taken by Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan. Photo: Carolina RailHawks

UPDATE: Scott Goodwin was named TheCup.us Player of the Round

Shots: 31 to 6. Corner kicks: 11 to 4. Time of possession: seemingly infinity to nil.

In virtually every statistical category, the LA Galaxy held sway over the Carolina RailHawks during their Fifth Round match in the US Open Cup. Except one.

Goals: 1-0 RailHawks.

It was the third consecutive year the RailHawks have hosted and now dispatched the Galaxy from the tournament. Unlike the previous two tournaments, this year was supposed to be different.

First, Galaxy manager Bruce Arena actually made the trip to Cary (unlike in 2013). The game didn’t take place in the nearly 10,000 seat WakeMed Soccer Stadium, but instead an adjacent Koka Booth Stadium (aka Field 2) lined with lawn and temporary bleacher seating with a maximum capacity of 3,000.

Moreover, unlike the roster of reservists the Galaxy have previously run out against the RailHawks, this year the Galaxy were playing for keeps.

“e’re sick of losing to Carolina and we’re sick of going out of the Open Cup early,” said LA’s Landon Donovan in the run-up to the match.

The Galaxy fielded a formidable, full-strength lineup that included Robbie Keane, Juninho, Robbie Rogers, AJ DeLaGarza, and Gyasi Zardes. And, the player with the most goals in both U.S. national and Major League Soccer history, Donovan entered the game in the 64th minute.

On the other side, the RailHawks were fielding a bit of a patchwork 11 that was missing starting striker Mike Grella and center back Toni Stahl. Both players’ Carolina contracts expired after the Chivas USA Open Cup win on June 14, and both players are absent while the team attempts to negotiate extensions for the NASL fall season.

With starting goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald still injured, Scott Goodwin got his second straight start. Against Chivas USA, all Goodwin did was make 11 saves in 120 minutes of regulation and overtime, then saved three kicks from the penalty mark to secure the RailHawks’ victory.

For those asking whether Goodwin could duplicate that stellar performance, the former Tar Heel standout answered with a clean sheet and eight saves against the formidable Galaxy attack.

It was a hot and humid start on the sunbathed Field 2, still in the mid 80s at the 7 p.m. kickoff.

It was the Galaxy putting the heat on the RailHawks in the early going. The Galaxy dominated possession against a tentative Carolina squad, and the RailHawks’ usually potent offensive met its match against a big and fast Galaxy back line. LA snuffed out virtually every through ball and attempted attack from wingers Ty Shipalane and Cesar Elizondo.

While the Galaxy sent one sortie after another into their attacking third, they were either snuffed out by Goodwin or cleared out by a RailHawks’ back line that barely made a misstep or ill-timed tackle the entire match. Quite simply, Connor Tobin, Daniel Scott, Austen King, and Kupono Low were sublime in the back; RailHawks manager Colin Clarke said it was one of the best games he’s ever seen the 35-year-old Low play.

Carolina RailHawks fans poked fun at Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena in 2013. Photo: Twitter @daveslounge — Carolina RailHawks fans poked fun at Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena in 2013 for not making the trip to Cary. Photo: Twitter @daveslounge

The RailHawks were fortunate to hold the Galaxy scoreless in the first half. That second lease on the game appeared to galvanize Carolina’s resolve in the second stanza.

While LA continued to dominate the run of play, Carolina began to find seams to attack after substituting off Shipalane and Elizondo, heroes of past Open Cup wins over the Galaxy and Chivas USA. With the Galaxy crowding the wings all match, the insertion of substitutes Daniel Jackson and Nick Zimmerman — making his first official RailHawks appearance since 2012 — stretched the field and gave Carolina more punch through the center of the field.

In the 48th minute, Leonardo got a head on a LA corner kick, but his shot sailed wide and high. In the 50th minute, Kofi Opare got his own point-blank header in the goalmouth, but Goodwin made a spectacular save.

In the 83rd minute, Donovan found the ball at his feet in the box and delivered a short range poke that Goodwin somehow managed to swat away from danger.

In a game full of close calls, Goodwin said that was the closest.

“I didn’t really think about it until five or ten minutes later,” he said. “I was like, ‘I think that was Donovan.’ You’re watching the ball and scrambling around, and you have no time to think about it during the game. It’s just onto the next play.”

In the 90th minute, Keane got free in the box and found himself in a 1-v-1 with Goodwin. But the Carolina keeper won that battle, too.

Just when it appeared the RailHawks would be fortunate to hold on for overtime, Carolina nearly snagged a shock winner on the final play of regulation. Finding space along the right flank, Jackson made an angled drive toward the south goal and cut loose a blast that was parried away by Galaxy goalkeeper Jamie Penedo.

In the 105th minute, the RailHawks improbably broke the scoreless deadlock. A one-two exchange between Jackson and Zimmerman ended with Zimmerman playing a nifty through ball behind Leonardo to a streaking, onside Jackson. With Keane and Donovan watching helplessly, Jackson drove to goal and powered his shot near post past Penedo for the 1-0 lead.

“On that possession, Nazmi had a broke up play and he played it to me,” Jackson said. “I brought in and played a one-touch with Zimmerman. I rolled around and played a ball through.”

From there, it was up to Jackson to notch his first RailHawks goal.

“It was a little similar to the I had before overtime,” he said. “I mishit the previous one, but this time I just thought I’d blast it and see where it goes. It was near post and it was good rip.”

From there, it was time for the RailHawks to intentionally park the bus. In the 114th, a seeing-eye header from Keane bounded wide left of goal. Three minutes later, Goodwin saved yet another blast in the box from Keane.

Even with three more minutes added by the referee on top of the 15-minute second overtime period, the Galaxy could never find the back of the net.

After the match, Arena declined to speak with the media, sending associate head coach Dave Sarachan in his stead. When Sarachan wasn’t griping about the supposedly poor lighting illuminating Field 2, he reflected the mood of the snake-bitten Galaxy.

“It’s a quiet locker room,” he said, “because they’re disappointed and because they put everything out there today.”

Donovan was incredulous yet gracious in defeat.

“You have to give them a lot of credit,” he said. “Ninety-nine times out of a hundred you win that game. had everything go their way tonight. They played well, they defended well and their goalie had one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. And they got the goal that they needed.

“We can’t fault our effort. We gave everything, but everyone’s been part of games like that in soccer. It’s a crazy, cruel game sometimes.”

With three straight Open Cup wins over the Galaxy on top of knocking LA out of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League when he was managing the Puerto Rico Islanders, Clarke has become quite the burr in the Galaxy’s saddle.

“ are a great team,” Clarke said. “They’ve been one of the best teams in the country for a long time. They have players with lots of talent, and they play the right way. We knew we were going to have to defend to get the result … We found a way to get a win, which is pretty special.”

The RailHawks’ midseason NASL break is turning into anything but. Carolina now advances to the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup for the second straight season. Riding an unbeaten home streak that has now reached 23 games, the RailHawks will host FC Dallas on July 9.

Before that, the RailHawks will undoubtedly take a few days to bask in the afterglow of this victory. It was an unusual outcome to an unusual event, where the RailHawks were tasked with the Herculean task of putting together a high-profile match on a converted practice field in just over a week. The configuration of the venue created a festive environment for fans. The players had to navigate their way through the stands in order to enter and exit both the park and field, and the fans took advantage of the close proximity to snare autographs from Donovan, Keane, and others.

Indeed, before saluting his players, Clarke first paid tribute to the team’s staff.

“Under tough circumstances of having to play out on Field 2, the staff put that together on short notice,” Clarke said. “I thought it looked professional and well set up. It was great to play on, and that goes a long way to winning the game. They made it a special game.”

Neil Morris writes for indyweek.com and you can follow him on Twitter @ByNeilMorris

HIGHLIGHTS: LA GALAXY AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: LA Galaxy flips second half switch, eliminates Arizona United 2-1 (video)

June 19, 2014 by Dan Hagan

In its first meeting against the LA Galaxy, Arizona United SC almost came away with the surprise win to move on to the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup but fell short 2-1 as LA was able to capitalize on Arizona’s slow start in the second half.

Both goals came from Gyasi Zardes in about two minutes.

The first half the game went back and forth with a lot of play in the midfield as both teams tried to establish their respective game plans. LA had a total of six shots to Arizona’s three.

The action picked up in the 10th minute as a set piece from Arizona defenseman Scott Morrison from 30 yards out was easily saved by the Galaxy’s Jaime Peñedo. That strike from Arizona seemed to give L.A. the shot in the arm they needed as they went on to pepper Arizona goalkeeper Evan Newton, starting with a shot from inside the box from forward Stefan Ishizaki in the 17th minute.

The Galaxy’s Ishizaki sent a cross to forward Rob Friend seven minutes later that Friend put in the back of the net, but it was called back for offside. Shortly after that close call, Arizona was awarded a corner kick that Morrison crossed to forward Bradlee Baladez that went over the bar and just out of reach of Peñedo.

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Arizona came close but so was L.A., which started pushing and got an opportunity with Zardes fading into the box and getting a shot off that went wide in the 32nd minute.

Both teams seemed to be on the brink of breaking through and just four minutes later, Arizona scored on a beautiful cross from forward Kadeem Dacres that went to forward Matt Kassel for the goal and the lead going into the half.

Kassel said he was pleased with the effort the team put forth against a tough team like the Galaxy.

“It’s exciting, it’s not what we wanted, we wanted to win the game but it’s something that we can hold our heads high about,” he said.

With the momentum clearly on Arizona’s side, L.A. needed to come out in attack mode and that’s exactly what Zardes did from the first whistle of the second half, attacking the box and nearly getting one past Newton in the first minute of the second half.

It wouldn’t take long for L.A. to get the equalizer as Zardes once again set himself up in the box and received a beautiful cross from defenseman Robbie Rogers that he easily headed past Newton for the 1-1 score in the 51st minute as the 4,000 fans at Peoria Sports Complex fell silent.

Two minutes later, Zardes put another header past Newton, this time the cross came from Ishizaki in the 53rd.

Zardes said Arena told the team at halftime that the goals would come and to be patient and that’s the mentality they took heading into the second half.

“The main goal in the second half was to put the shots on target, and that’s what I did.” Zardes said. “I had opportunities in the first half that were close and I wanted to make sure these were on target.”

Zardes — who was named man of the match — was virtually left alone on the back-to-back goals, as he was able to drift away from the defense.

The slow start by Arizona United in the second half was too much to overcome, as L.A. was able to stop the few opportunities that Arizona had in the second half. The closest Arizona got to getting their own equalizer came in the 79th and 87th as forward Jon Okafor had two point-blank shots that were saved by Peñedo, dashing the hopes of the new USL franchise and knocking them out of the US Open Cup.

With the win the Galaxy move on to face the Carolina RailHawks in North Carolina in the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup Round.

MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY AT ARIZONA UNITED

Fourth Round fun facts: Notable upsets, things you should know about Round 4

May 23, 2014 by Josh Hakala

Players from the Houston Dynamo (orange) and NTX Rayados battle for the ball in their Fourth Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Jose Castellanos | Prost Amerika

The US Open Cup has only had a Fourth Round (prior to the Quarterfinals) 12 times in the Modern Era (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012-22).

The first indoor game in US Open Cup history took place in the Fourth Round. On July 20, 2004, the Minnesota Thunder hosted the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The Thunder upset the Galaxy that day 1-0, in front of 5,505 fans. Defender Chris Brunt scored the game-winning goal in the 21st minute.

No Open Division team in the Modern Era has ever advanced beyond the Fourth Round

Only 7 USL League Two (PDL) teams have advanced to the Fourth Round, all but one have faced MLS teams
2018: FC Golden State Force (lost 3-1 at Los Angeles Galaxy)
2016: Kitsap Pumas (lost 2-0 at Seattle Sounders FC)
2014: Laredo Heat (lost 1-0 at Houston Dynamo)
2014: Orlando City U23s (lost 3-0 at Portland Timbers)
2012: Michigan Bucks (lost 2-1 AET vs. Dayton Dutch Lions)
2006: Carolina Dynamo (lost 4-2 vs. Houston Dynamo)
2005: Des Moines Menace (lost 6-1 vs. Kansas City Wizards)
2003: Fresno Fuego (lost 3-1 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy)

Only 6 Open Division Local (USASA) teams have advanced to the Fourth Round
2018: NTX Rayados (lost 5-0 at Houston Dynamo)
2017: Christos FC (lost 4-1 at D.C. United of MLS)
2016: La Maquina (lost 4-1 AET at Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS)
2015: PSA Elite (lost 6-1 at Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS)
2014: PSA Elite (lost 5-0 at Seattle Sounders of MLS)
2012: Cal FC (lost 5-0 at Seattle Sounders of MLS)
2006: Dallas Roma FC (lost 2-0 at Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS)

Only 2 NPSL teams have advanced to the Fourth Round
2019: Orange County FC (lost 3-0 at Los Angeles Galaxy)
2018: Miami United FC (lost 3-0 vs. Orlando City SC)

In 2006, only teams from Major League Soccer emerged from the Fourth Round.

touray-harrisburg-vs-red-bulls-big — The Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) won a Fourth Round game in 2012 by upsetting the New York Red Bulls 3-1 after extra time. Photo: Harrisburg City Islanders

The Chicago Fire did not lose a Fourth Round game until 2019 when they lost to Saint Louis FC. Prior to that, they had a 7-0-2 (2-0 PKs) record.

Major League Soccer began playing in the tournament in the Fourth Round for the first time in 2014 as part of an expanded format.

The attendance record in the Modern Era was set in 2013 when Sporting Kansas City (MLS) hosted Orlando City SC (USL PRO) at Sporting Park in front of an announced attendance of 15,981. Thanks to that figure, the record for Fourth Round average attendance was broken with 6,887 across the eight games. Sporting Kansas City later broke their own record in 2015 when they hosted and defeated Saint Louis FC (USL) 1-0 on June 16, 2015 in front of an announced crowd of 19,298. FC Cincinnati shattered that record in 2017 when they drew 30,160 to Nippert Stadium to watch them upset the Columbus Crew (MLS), 1-0.

In 2014, with Major League Soccer not entering the tournament until Round 4, a record three amateur teams (Laredo Heat, Orlando City U23s, PSA Elite) advanced beyond the Third Round, followed by five amateur teams reaching the Fourth Round in 2015.

Notable upsets in the Fourth Round

2003: Wilmington Hammerheads (PSL) 4:1 Dallas Burn (MLS)
2003: Seattle Sounders (A-League) 1:0 San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2004: Charleston Battery (A-League) 1:0 Metrostars (MLS)
2004: Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League) 1:1 New England Revolution (MLS) (ROC advances on PKs 3-1)
2004: Richmond Kickers (PSL) 2:1 DC United (MLS)
2004: Minnesota Thunder (A-League) 1:0 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
2005: Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL-1) 3:1 Metrostars (MLS)
2005: Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) 4:1 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
2006: None
2012: Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PROro) 3:1 (AET) New York Red Bulls (MLS)
2012: Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) 2:1 (AET) San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
2013: Carolina RailHawks (NASL) 3:1 (AET) Chivas USA (MLS)
2013: Orlando City SC (USL PRO) 1:0 Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
2014: Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) 2:1 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
2014: Carolina RailHawks (NASL) 1:1 (3:2 PKs) Chivas USA (MLS)
2014: New York Cosmos (NASL) 3:0 New York Red Bulls (MLS)
2014: Rochester Rhinos (USL) 1:0 DC United (MLS)
2015: Charlotte Independence (USL) 1:0 New England Revolution (MLS)
2015: New York Cosmos 2:2 (4:3 PKs) New York City FC (MLS)
2016: New York City FC (MLS) 0:1 New York Cosmos (NASL)
2016: D.C. United (MLS) 0:0 (3:4 PKs) Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
2017: Columbus Crew (MLS) 0:1 FC Cincinnati (USL)
2017: Miami FC (NASL) 3:1 Orlando City SC (MLS)
2017: Sacramento Republic FC (USL) 4:1 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
2018: Louisville City FC (USL) 3:2 New England Revolution (MLS)
2018: Nashville SC (USL) 2:0 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
2018: Sacramento Republic FC (USL) 2:1 (AET) Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
2019: Saint Louis FC (USL-C) 2:1 Chicago Fire (MLS)
2019: Colorado Rapids (MLS) 2:2 (2:4 PKs) New Mexico United (USL-C)
2022: None

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Carolina RailHawks repeat Galaxy upset, down LA 2-0

May 30, 2013 by Neil Morris

bruce-arena-missing — Carolina RailHawks fans poked fun at Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena for traveling with his team to his team's Open Cup game. Photo: Twitter @daveslounge

Moments after his Carolina RailHawks upset the L.A. Galaxy for the second consecutive year in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, manager Colin Clarke paused on the pitch during his walk back to the team’s locker room, gazing up into the gradually emptying grandstands as if to soak up the revelous atmosphere generated all evening by the club record 8,121 fans in attendance.

Minutes later, Clarke entered the media room for his postgame press conference. As he sauntered past on his way to the podium, Clarke glanced over and, smirking like the proverbial cat that ate the canary, shot me a quick wink.

The 2-0 win is not only the second straight year the RailHawks have ousted the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Galaxy from the US Open Cup. It is also the third time Clarke has coached a second division club to victory over MLS’s flagship franchise in Cup competition, the first being the Puerto Rico Islanders’ improbable win over the Galaxy in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League.

But while Wednesday’s result may arouse feelings of déjà vu, the match’s rather workmanlike vibe stands in marked contrast to last year’s heart-stopping, late-game heroics. Not surprisingly, the RailHawks fielded a full-strength starting XI, the lone wrinkle being Scottish center back Kevin Rutkiewicz getting only his second RailHawks start in lieu of Paul Hamilton and Austen King, who were both active for the match. Meanwhile, the Galaxy sported the expected lineup of reservists and second-stringers, two of the notable exceptions being the presence of Jose Villarreal and Michael Stephens.

Interestingly, both Robbie Rogers and forward Gyasi Zardes began on the bench. The latter’s omission was of particular note to Clarke, who, while complimenting his opponent’s overall talent level, admitted, “I was happy to see Zardes on the bench.”

Unlike last year, when the Galaxy thoroughly dominated the first half, Wednesday’s match featured a more back-and-forth opening stanza. While the Galaxy held the majority of possession, both teams fostered forays into their attacking third. However, a lack of finishing befell both sides: while the Galaxy outshot Carolina 6-2 in the first half, neither team put a single shot on target.

Although Zardes entered the match in the 56th minute, it was Carolina that struck first in the 59th. Another RailHawks walkabout in the box ended with a cross by Zack Schilawski that found its way to an unmarked Austin da Luz. Da Luz’s snap shot appeared stopped by goalkeeper Brian Rowe before the howler squirted through his arms and rolled across the goal line.

“It was deep ball, so I tried to whip it back across the top of the box,” Schilawski said. “ Shriver ran over it, da Luz hit it first time, and it deflected off the keeper and went in.”

With the Galaxy reeling, Carolina struck again just two minutes later. Schilawski gathered a pass and one-touched it ahead to a streaking Shriver, who got behind the defense and slotted his left-footed shot past Rowe for the 2-0 lead.

“We got wide to da Luz, back to the middle to Millington, and he played an easy ball to me and I was able to flick it through to Shriver,” Schilawski continued. “And he did what he’s been doing all year with a great finish.”

Galaxy assistant coach Curt Onalfo, managing in the absence of head coach Bruce Arena, who did not make the trip to North Carolina with his team, recognized this sequence as the game’s turning point.

“I don’t think our young group of players reacted the best to that situation,” Onalfo said. “Credit to Carolina, they kind of sensed that and got a second goal. And then you’re playing catch-up, and you’re on the road, you’ve traveled across the country, it’s humid and hot, and all of a sudden it becomes pretty difficult.”

Down two goals, Rogers came on in the 63rd minute for his second appearance since joining the Galaxy last week. However, it was the last time his name was mentioned for the rest of the match. Although fearing a Galaxy offensive onslaught, the visitors barely mustered a threat. Their first and last shot on goal came in the 71st minute, giving RailHawks’ goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald his only save of the match.

Meanwhile, Clarke shrewdly brought on Hamilton for a winded and cramping Rutkiewicz in the 74th minute. Indeed, the combined efforts of center backs Rutkiewicz, Hamilton and especially Julius James held the Galaxy attackers at bay.

“It’s interesting, usually Open Cup games are really fast and physical,” Rogers said. “But I thought this one was a bit slower. Maybe the weather had something to do with it. But give credit to the RailHawks. I thought they did a great job finishing their chances.”

A header by Zardes in the box flew wide in the 86th. A minute later, Ty Shipalane nearly got Carolina a third goal, but his close-range blast was blocked by Rowe. Otherwise, only the final whistle stood between the RailHawks and a fourth-round Cup match against Chivas USA on June 12 in Cary.

“We would have been disappointed if we hadn’t gotten a win tonight because we think we have a lot of guys who are on ,” Schilawski added. “I don’t think there’s a huge difference between the team they put out tonight and some of our guys who have had MLS experience.”

While the RailHawks may not have expressed surprise at their win, it’s still a victory by a second division side over the reigning MLS champions. Like last year, the Galaxy used this midweek, cross-country US Open Cup match to run out their reservists and younger talent. And like last year, it resulted in their early exit from the Open Cup.

“We’re the busiest team in MLS, so we have to utilize our whole roster,” said Onalfo. “We have reserve games where we have to utilize our roster, and we have US Open Cup games where for our organization that’s a time for our younger players to get minutes.

“If you look at Carolina, they’re a very good team. We scouted them extremely well and know what their strengths are. But they have a lot of experienced guys, and they’re a darn good team.”

While Clarke said Arena’s decision to skip the match was not a motivating factor the RailHawks, there seemed to be indirect intent behind his comments about the importance of this tournament.

“This tournament is very, very important to us and also important to me,” Clarke said. “It’s not just the Open Cup, it’s Lamar Hunt’s Open Cup. That’s someone who I worked for, our president is here and worked for him. It’s someone who gave us all a start in this game, and without people like him we wouldn’t be here in the shape we’re in today.”

The RailHawks returns to league play this weekend with a road trip to face the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. On Wednesday, June 12, Carolina hosts Chivas USA in the fourth round of the US Open Cup, a rematch of the RailHawks’ Open Cup loss last year.

But before turning their attention to another MLS opponent, the RailHawks and their manager will pause to enjoy vanquishing the Galaxy yet again.

“It’s good when you get an opportunity to play against a team from MLS,” Clarke said. “The boys relish that opportunity. We have some very, very good players, and we went out and played well tonight. I thought we deserved to win.”

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

July 31, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GROUPS

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

SCHEDULE [+]

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

July 3, 2012 by Josh Hakala

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

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

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

* Advanced to the Final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Semifinal appearances by MLS teams:

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

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

Semifinal appearances by non-MLS teams:

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

Most consecutive Semifinal appearances (all-time):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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