The nightcap of the first day of the Third Round turned out to be arguably the most exciting of them all. Six goals, including two in extra time, weren’t enough to settle this battle between the Kansas City Wizards and the Minnesota Thunder, so in penalties, the Wizards emerged triumphant as Boris Pardo made two saves to lead Kansas City to the Quarterfinals.
Melvin Tarley
2009 Second Round: Minnesota Thunder roll 4-0 in rainy game vs. PDL’s Chicago Fire
Not even the rain could cool off the Minnesota Thunder.
Leonel St. Preux and Brian Cvilikas scored in a 16-minute span in the first half, and perennial U.S. Open Cup scorer Melvin Tarley came off the bench and added two late goals as the Thunder rolled past the PDL’s Chicago Fire 4-0 at the National Soccer Center in Blaine, Minn.
2008 First Round: Tarley’s brace helps Thunder tame St. Louis Lions, 4-1
Melvin Tarley opened the scoring and then squelched any hopes of a comeback by the St. Louis Lions, as the Thunder beat the PDL side 4-1 in Blaine, Minn.
With the Thunder up 2-0 after Ricardo Sanchez’s 57th minute goal, Tommy Heinemann got the Lions on the board and sliced the lead to 2-1 in the 79th minute. But a minute later, the lead was back to two thanks to Tarley, who scored his seventh and eighth career Open Cup goals.