The Professional Era’s greatest First Round upset came in 2008 when Hollywood United, the USASA Region IV qualifier from California, traveled to PGE Park in Portland Ore. and knocked out the Portland Timbers 3-2. Hollywood United trailed twice during the match, but each time they trailed, Matt Taylor would convert a penalty kick to tie the game back up. With the score level at 2-2, Earl Alexander scored a 90th minute goal to send United to the Second Round and left Portland fans stunned. It was only the second time in the Professional Era that a USASA team has defeated a USL First Division team, and the first time that a USASA team had upset a USL-1 team on the road.
Miami FC
2009 Second Round recap: Thriller in Carolina, Barons are last amateur survivor
The Ocean City Barons and the Wilmington Hammerheads pulled off the lone upset of the US Open Cup Second Round. The Barons get a penalty kick in the 108th minute and JT Noone breaks a scoreless tie and Ocean City earns a date with DC United at the Maryland Soccerplex in Round 3. The Barons, based on the rest of the results, won the $10,000 prize money as the amateur team that has advanced the farthest in the tournament.
2009 Second Round: Lone PK enough for Battery, edge Miami FC in defensive struggle
Tyler Hemming converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute to send the Charleston Battery to the Third Round of the US Open Cup with a 1-0 win over Miami FC.
The Battery got running out of the gate early with a couple of chances. Hemming had a 30-yard shot sail wide in the 15th minute, and then a cross in the 21st minute fell to defender Matt Bobo, whose shot also went wide. Miami got its own chances in the game, with a shot from Diego Serna in the 35th minute and one from Edwin Miranda in the 52nd, with both shots missing off target.
2009 First Round recap: Favorites survive first day, Barons pull off upset, Hawks just upset on day 2
If seeing the underdogs prevail is your thing, then you went to sleep disappointed last night.
Of the fourteen matches first round U.S. Open Cup matches last night, only one was won by a team from the lower division, and even that wasn’t much of an upset.
2009 First Round: Miami FC avoid repeat of 2006, edge USASA’s Lynch’s FC 2-1
Bolstered by second half goals from Paulo Arajuo Jr. and Diegop Serna, the Miami F.C. Blues survived a potential upset scare with a 2-1 win over USASA club Lynch’s F.C.
Lynch’s took a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal from a Tomas Kracinovic penalty kick in the 44th minute, but Arajuo and Serna struck in the 64th and 65th minutes, respectively.
Miami will host a fellow USL-1 club, the Charleston Battery, next Tuesday in the Second Round.
2008 Third Round: Abe Thompson named Player of the Round in close vote
Abe Thompson’s pair of stoppage-time goals, including the game-winner against Miami FC, gave him the TheCup.us Player of the Round award for Round 3.
2008 Third Round: Abe Thompson’s timely goals bounce the Blues, put FC Dallas in Quarterfinals
Abe Thompson sure has a thing for timing.
The F.C. Dallas forward scored goals in stoppage time at the end of both halves, with the latter coming just moments before the final whistle, to push Dallas over Miami F.C. 2-1 at Pizza Hut Park.
2008 Second Round: Miami FC edge Silverbacks, earn first win over pro team
With Alex Afonso’s lone strike of the game in the 40th minute, Miami FC advanced past the Second Round of the US Open Cup for the first time with a 1-0 win over the visiting Atlanta Silverbacks.
In a rare switch, Miami FC head coach Zinho decided to rest players in advance of Tuesday’s Open Cup contest, instead of the other way around.
2008 First Round recap: Hollywood United historic upset headlines the opening round
In the lone upset in this year’s opening round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Hollywood United became only the second USASA club to defeat a USL First Division team in the tournament, knocking off the Portland Timbers with a dramatic, stoppage-time goal from Earl Alexander.
2008 First Round: Miami FC (finally) earns first Open Cup win vs. Bradenton
Miami F.C. finally shook the Open Cup monkey off their back, earning their first win in three tries with a 4-2 victory over the PDL’s Bradenton Academics. They were not only trying to avoid their third straight Open Cup loss, but their third loss to an amateur club. In 2006, they famously were beaten by Dallas Roma F.C. of the USASA and last year the PDL’s El Paso Patriots eliminated them in a penalty kick shootout.