MLS

2016 US Open Cup Round 4: Late goal gives Colorado Rapids second straight win over Switchbacks

June 14, 2016 by Robert Wilson

Dillon Serna once again pushed the Rapids past their in-state rivals, advancing to the Round of 16 for the third year in a row. The deciding goal came in the 84th minute off a Marco Pappa corner kick, initially headed by Dominique Badji towards a patiently-waiting Serna located just beyond the 18-yard box. The lone goal was enough to clinch the tactical battle.

With the 1-0 win, the Rapids eliminated the Switchbacks for the second year in a row, after defeating the USL side 4-1 at the same stadium last year.

Despite being in-between two away league matches this week, Switchbacks head coach Steve Trittschuh decided to go with a mostly full strength lineup. The prematch instructions were simple. Drop a fifth defender, typically wingers Aaron King or Saeed Robinson or central midfielder Ronny Arguta, and force the Rapids to either opt for the long shot from midfield or attempt wayward crosses from the corners. Even with tired legs after a gritty 0-0 draw at Los Angeles two days ago the Switchbacks managed to keep the Rapids attack at bay for the majority of the game while managing a fair amount of counter attacks that resulted in attempts on Rapids’ goalkeeper Zac MacMath’s net.

Returning to the field for the first time in over two weeks, the Rapids were rusty. The front four of Dominique Badji, Marco Pappa, Dillon Serna and Conor Doyle skied numerous shots far and wide over the net often playing into the visitors defense. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni added after the game that is was the “first time this season we faced a team that dropped 10 guys the whole game … but at the end of the day you want to see a group of guys figuring it out together.”

And that they did, as the game progressed Pappa, Serna and midfielder Dillon Powers shook off the rust and forced a total of thirteen corners, eventually converting one near the very end.

The result aside; one of the many positives that Trittschuh pointed out was the closer contest compared to last year’s 4-1 drubbing but just as important the growing atmosphere around this budding rivalry. Within shouting distance of each other directly behind the two benches the two teams boasted their own growing contingent of supporters waging a vocal tug of war throughout the match.

“However many people came down, it was loud it was great, we need to keep growing it,” said Trittschuh, “It would be nice to host this match sometime.”

The Rapids advanced and tally their second win in as many chances but everyone involved is certainly looking forward to the next year’s tournament hoping to see the same matchup again.

Man of the Match:
Dillon Serna, scored the game winning goal and was the catalyst for the Rapids across the 90 minutes. For the Switchbacks, center midfielder Ronny Argueta and defender Jordan Burt had memorable defensive efforts breaking up passes left and right. The two kept the backline organized and efficient not allowing the Rapids a quality look at the net for most of the game. Goalkeeper William Thompson deserves some recognition for his two saves, both full extension punching saves that kept the scoreless until the very end.

SERNA’S GAME-WINNING GOAL

2015 US Open Cup Semifinals: Benny Feilhaber, Sporting KC beat RSL to earn spot in 102nd Final

August 12, 2015 by Matthew De Witt

One game separates Sporting Kansas City from a third Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title, and this time, they will have to earn it on the road.

The final stage is set, as Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake 3-1 to earn a date with the Philadelphia Union in the championship game at PPL Park on Sept. 30. Benny Feilhaber assisted on Soni Mustivar’s first half equalizer and scored one of his own in the 80th minute before Krisztian Nemeth put the game away five minutes later.

“We want to win. It’s what we’re all about,” Sporting manager Peter Vermes said. “It’s what we start the season off thinking about. It’s obvious, it’s very pleasing, but we’ve been here before. We know, at the end, you have to be prepared for the game.”

With a spot in the title game on the line, the semifinal opened with ome up-tempo play on both sides. Sporting came out firing on all cylinders, but it was Real Salt Lake who opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Olmes Garcia, beating the back line on an over-the-top ball from Tony Beltran, tallied his Open Cup goal with an easy slot into the back of the net.

Kansas City tied the game up nearly 10 minutes later as Soni Mustivar beat RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando to a Benny Feilhaber free kick and nodded home the equalizer. His goal – the first of his career – seemed to take the wind out of Salt Lake’s sails.

“When we got even at halftime, I knew the second half was going to be full of opportunities,” Vermes said. “I think one of the things that our guys sensed was that they were breathing pretty heavy going into the locker room. Our whole objective in the second half was to turn up the heat for them.”

Vermes was correct, but it took a bit of patience to produce results. The breakthrough came in the 80th minute. Open Cup goalscoring leader Dom Dwyer broke into the RSL backline, fought off a defender and fired a shot that struck the far post. Feilhaber made an alert run on the backside and smashed the follow-up into the back of the empty net for his second goal of the competition.

Feilhaber has been on fire lately having scored five goals in his last six games across all competitions, including two in the Open Cup. The MLS co-leader in assists is now the Open Cup’s co-leader in assists with four, which is one shy of the single-tournament Modern Era record.

The final dagger came as Krisztian Nemeth finished off his final of five shots. A miscue from the backline gifted the forward with a one-v-one against Rimando. Nemeth got the better of the goalkeeper, dancing around the outstretched arms and putting a shot into the near corner for his fourth goal of the tournament.

“I knew we were going to score because we were the better team,” said Nemeth, who is one goal behind Dwyer for the tournament lead.

Sporting’s victory sets up a rematch of the 2012 Semifinal match at PPL Park that KC won 2-0 en route to winning their second Open Cup title. Sporting is undefeated in Open Cup Final, while Philadelphia is hunting for its first trophy with a repeat appearance hosting the final.

Philly’s final appearance in last year’s Open Cup ended in an extra-time thriller. Seattle got the better of the Union, 3-1.

Sporting has hoisted the trophy twice, under the name of the Kansas City Wizards in 2004 (1-0 AET vs. Chicago Fire) and under their current name, they won a penalty kick shootout with the Seattle Sounders after a 1-1 draw. Both wins came in front of a home crowd, making this year’s final the first ever Final for Sporting on the road.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: REAL SALT LAKE AT SPORTING KC

FULL MATCH REPLAY: REAL SALT LAKE AT SPORTING KC

2015 US Open Cup Semifinals: Philadelphia Union reach second straight title game as Sebastien Le Toux makes more history (video)

August 12, 2015 by Michael Berton

Sebastien Le Toux scores the game-winning goal for the Philadelphia Union against the Chicago Fire in the 2015 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Paul Rudderow/Philly Soccer Page

For the first time since 1964, a Philadelphia team will compete in back-to-back US Open Cup Final after the Philadelphia Union defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0.

Sebastien Le Toux added to his legendary Open Cup resume with his record 15th career tournament goal, and his fifth game-winner which ties Matthew Delicate’s Modern Era record.

“ has had a heck of a run in this competition,” Union coach Jim Curtin said. “I’m glad took the initiative and took the hit there.”

The hit came in the 74th minute. Cutting in from the right side, Le Toux dribbled along the top of the penalty box, took a hit with his left foot, and placed his shot in the bottom right corner of the net just past the fingers of Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

That goal came after numerous Union chances throughout the game. The home side outshot the Fire 11-3.

Curtin, who won two US Open Cup titles as a player with the Fire, said his team controlled the game but were only able to find the back of the net once.

“There are moments of nerves. But defensively we were very good. We like to make it tough.”

Philadelphia had good opportunities from the onset of the match. In the eighth minute, Cristian Maidana’s shot was saved by Johnson – one of several great chances for the Union in the half. Maidana also hit a post in the 24th minute, and Johnson made a point-blank save on Brian Carroll a few minutes later.

Chicago encountered some bad luck in the first half as well. Making his first appearance for the Fire, Gilberto had to exit the match with a thigh contusion, forcing Chicago to make its first substitution in the 21st minute.

The four-time Open Cup champions had their best chances come after the Union got the go-ahead goal. The most spectacular chance coming when Kennedy Igboananike’s bicycle kick had to be saved by Union keeper John McCarthy.

But Chicago could not find an equalizer, and the Union will be heading to their second championship game in a row. Last season, Philadelphia hosted the Seattle Sounders, falling 3-1 after extra time.

The Union will now host the 102nd edition of the US Open Cup Final at PPL Park on Sept. 30.

Curtin said, “ is everything. It’s why you play. It’s forever. The fans deserve it, and the club deserves it. We’re ready to take that next step.”

POSTGAME: SEBASTIEN LE TOUX, PHILADELPHIA UNION

POSTGAME: JIM CURTIN, PHILADELPHIA UNION

POSTGAME: PHILLY SOCCER PAGE ANALYSIS

FULL MATCH REPLAY: CHICAGO FIRE AT PHILADELPHIA UNION

Roger Espinoza of Sporting KC suspended two US Open Cup games for punching Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis (video)

August 7, 2015 by Justin Jerkins

In this video screen shot, Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City appears to punch the Houston Dynamo's Brad Davis — In this video screen shot, Roger Espinoza of Sporting Kansas City appears to punch the Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis

Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza has been handed a two-game suspension by the US Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel. This punishment stems from an incident that occurred during the Open Cup Quarterfinal match against the Houston Dynamo on July 21.

In the 67th minute of that match, Roger Espinoza and Dynamo captain Brad Davis began an argument as players prepared for a Kansas City free kick whistled by referee Ted Unkel. It escalated to a point where Espinoza appears to throw a punch, connecting with Davis’ face.

The incident was not seen by the referee but yellow cards were eventually distributed to each player as a fracas ensued and the two refused to stop arguing.

The suspension comes as Sporting Kansas City prepares for a crucial Semifinal at home against Real Salt Lake on August 12. Espinoza will then miss either the Open Cup Final or his club’s opening match of the 2016 US Open Cup tournament, whichever occurs first.

Ultimately, it was unlikely that Espinoza would play in any of the remaining matches of this year’s tournament due to a foot injury sustained against Houston in a league match on August 1. The injury, a left sesamoid fracture, was sustained from a red card challenge by Houston’s Nathan Sturgis and could sideline Espinoza for the remainder of the season.

Espinoza also picked up a one-game suspension from Major League Soccer’s Disciplinary Committee for a dangerous play in that same match. The ban arises from a second half play that saw Espinoza strike Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric’s shin with the underside of his cleat.

Espinoza, a Honduran international, is best known for being the only player in soccer history to win the US Open Cup (Sporting KC, 2012) and the FA Cup (Wigan Athletic in 2012/13) in consecutive seasons.

And in slow(er)-mo, FWIW. pic.twitter.com/su67k1dLyt

— Andy Edwards (@AndyEdMLS) July 22, 2015

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Late goals help Chicago Fire tame Orlando City, reach record-tying 11th Semifinal (video)

July 23, 2015 by Jeff Engelhardt

It was a game of explosive chances as the Chicago Fire erupted for three goals with each score starting out of their defensive zone before finding Patrick Nyarko, David Accam and Kennedy Igboananike that ultimately left Orlando City with a 3-1 defeat.

The Men in Red got off to a blistering start when goalkeeper Jon Busch punted a ball from his own box that found an opportunistic Nyarko ready to split the central defense. As Busch’s pass bounced toward the Orlando City box, Nyarko slipped in and on his first touch shot the ball to the lower left post to beat a diving Tally Hall, giving the Fire an early 1-0 lead. For Busch, he joined a short list of goalkeepers who have been credited with assists. In the Modern Era, according to TheCup.us records, Busch is just the ninth goalkeeper to directly contribute to a goal.

The remainder of the first half would belong to the Fire as Orlando City, featuring former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka, failed to get a single shot on goal and only attempted two shots total in the opening frame. Chicago was bolstered by the return of Shaun Maloney, who found Harry Shipp early for a few modest chances the led to shots off the post.

The attack continued to build with left back Joevin Jones, who returned from international duty with Trinidad & Tobago. He had one interception in the first half that resulted him dribbling all the way upfield before being fouled right outside the Orlando City box. The ensuing free kick was taken by Maloney who put his shot on goal but was answered by Hall who deflected it over the bar.

Orlando City’s only chances in the opening half came on corner kicks. All four of their attempts from the corner were caught by Busch or punched out by the veteran keeper with no real dangerous moments.

The Lions came out with more fight in the second half, controlling the flow of the game for the first 15 minutes. Orlando City took advantage of its only shot on goal in the 56th minute when Eric Avila worked up the right flank and sent in a pinpoint cross to Cyle Larin who headed home the equalizer with no real pressure from the defense.

The game took a feel of deja vu after the Larin equalizer, as he was also responsible for the equalizer in Toyota Park in a June MLS match that eventually ended with Orlando City taking a 3-2 victory. But a repeat of that performance was not in the cards.

After the Orlando City goal, Chicago regained control and dictated the flow of the game the rest of the way. Frank Yallop brought on speedsters David Accam in the 59th minute and Kennedy Igboananike in the 66th minute, turning the game completely in favor of the home team.

Accam took no time making his presence felt, forcing a diving save from Hall in the 63rd minute that led to a rebound effort from Jason Johnson just missing the frame.

But like the first goal, Chicago would use its speed to open Orlando City for the lead. Defensive midfielder Matt Watson sent a pass from the Fire’s zone to Accam who raced up the left side in a one-on-one situation. Accam took a shot that deflected off the near post, falling to the feet of an unmarked Igboananike in the middle of the box who easily put the chance away.

“David has world-class speed,” Yallop said of Accam’s game changing performance. “The whole team was excellent tonight.”

Though Orlando City looked to press after the Accam goal, Chicago’s defense would spring another counter attack. Joevin Jones played a long pass toward Igboananike in the 91st minute and the Nigerian made no mistake as he blazed passed the lone defender and danced around a diving Hall to shoot across his body and bury the 3-1 security goal.

The impressive spell of possession and tight defense led the Fire to 18 shots, six of which were on goal compared to Orlando’s five shots with only the Larin header hitting the frame.

“When we have our guys on the field we are pretty good,” Yallop said of finally seeing injured stars such as Maloney and Accam take the field. “I thought we thoroughly deserved to win the game.”

The victory added to the Chicago Fire’s lengthy Open Cup resume. The club’s 37 tournament wins remain a Modern Era record and with a fifth straight win at Toyota Park, the Fire improve to 23-1-1 (0-1 PKs) at home.

Chicago also made history tonight by reaching the Semifinals for the 11th time, tying an all-time record held by Kutis Soccer Club of St. Louis. Kutis, a two-time champion (1957, 1986), made their 11 Semifinal appearances over four decades from 1953 to 1986.

Conversely, Orlando City failed to make it to the Semifinals on its second attempt, once again falling to Chicago in the Quarterfinals after suffering the same fate in 2013 when they were a USL PRO team. Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath said unlike the 2013 performance when the Lions were coming in as a third-division underdog, there was no excuse for the toothless performance.

Calling the performance sloppy and embarrassing, the England native said the club failed to seize an opportunity for a major trophy.

“We were second best on every decision,” Heath said. “We played slow. We played sloppy.”

The Chicago Fire will now advance to the final four for the third year in a row. They are just the sixth MLS team to achieve that feat and the only club in tournament history to do it twice. (The Fire reached four straight from 2003-06), and the 18th team in tournament history. The Fire will travel to Philadelphia on Aug. 12 to take on last year’s runner-up, the Union, as Chicago’s quest for a record-tying fifth title continues.

HIGHLIGHTS: ORLANDO CITY SC AT CHICAGO FIRE
POSTGAME: FRANK YALLOP, CHICAGO FIRE

POSTGAME: KENNEDY IGBOANANIKE, CHICAGO FIRE

FULL MATCH REPLAY: ORLANDO CITY SC AT CHICAGO FIRE

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sporting KC pulls away late from shorthanded Houston Dynamo, 3-1 (video)

July 21, 2015 by Matthew De Witt

Benny Feilhaber scores the equalizing goal for Sporting KC against the Houston Dynamo in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Graham Green | Prost Amerika

The 2013 MLS Cup rematch is set. The only thing missing? The four-degree temperature.

Sporting Kansas City, earning its first berth in the US Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since its championship run in 2012, came from behind and used a man-advantage to upend the Houston Dynamo, 3-1. Sporting was trailing 1-0 but an equalizer from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute and a pair of late goals from tournament goalscoring leader Dom Dwyer and Krisztian Nemeth sealed the game. The Sporting win sets up a rematch of the December 2013 meeting in the MLS Cup championship, with Real Salt Lake coming to Sporting Park on Aug. 12.

Falling behind in the 59th minute on a cleanup goal from Will Bruin, Sporting rattled off three goals in the final 20 minutes to earn the right to host Real Salt Lake.

Bruin’s goal came while the Dynamo was at a man-disadvantage. After Luis Garrido was sent off in the 30th minute for a studs-up tackle, Ricardo Clark forced a save from Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia off a corner kick and Bruin volleyed home the rebound for his first career Open Cup goal.

Kansas City’s response came from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute. Feilhaber received a ball in from Matt Besler, took two touches and whipped a shot from 25 yards out to the far post. His shot from the right edge of the penalty arc curled around Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis’ outstretched arms.

Not to be outdone, the dynamic duo, Krisztian Nemeth and Dom Dwyer, who combined to score all six of Sporting’s goals in the last round against FC Dallas, combined to put the final nails in the coffin. In the 86th minute, Nemeth, receiving the ball in the middle of the attacking third, looked around, saw nobody within 10 yards of him, and first-touch slotted Dwyer through on net.

“When he is the final third, he has an excellent awareness of when he should be the guy to take the shot and when he should make the final pass,” Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said of Nemeth. “I think that’s why he and Dom have linked up so well. The position that he plays, he’s now embraced coming in from the left, which has really helped Dom a lot. He has a very high soccer IQ when it comes to the final third.”

Dwyer’s shot from the left side of the penalty area split Willis’ legs and sent Sporting Park into a frenzy with his a goal in his fifth straight game against Houston – dating back to the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs.

Two minutes later, Dwyer returned the favor. With the lead, Dwyer drove into the middle of the attacking third and found Nemeth open on the left side. From there, the Hungarian struck a shot destined for the upper right corner, but caromed off a Dynamo player and into the middle of the net.

Nemeth and Dwyer have scored eight of Sporting’s ten goals in the Open Cup. In addition, the two lead the team scoring, with Nemeth having 10 in all competitions and Dwyer with 11.

“He’s always trying to look for me, and I’m always trying to look for him,” Dwyer said. “We’re starting to get more of an understanding every single game.”

Dwyer keeps adding to his Open Cup tally. Last round against FC Dallas, he smashed four goals and earned TheCup.Us Player of the Round honors for his effort. This is his fifth tally in the competition this year, while eight goals belong to him overall – three for Sporting’s then-USL affiliate Orlando City SC in 2013. With five goals this year, he leads the tournament in goals scored and combined with the assist tonight, he leads the competition in points with 11.

Kansas City entered the match having missed out on the Quarterfinals of the Open Cup in the past two seasons. The last came in 2012, when the team won its last Open Cup championship.

Sporting’s Open Cup woes do not compare to Houston. The Dynamo ended a 5-game winless streak against MLS teams with last round’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. Houston had not won against an MLS team since 2006, when the Dynamo beat Dallas, 3-2. The Texas squad has yet to make a Semifinal appearance since 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS: HOUSTON DYNAMO AT SPORTING KC

POST-GAME: MATT BESLER

POST-GAME: SONI MUSTIVAR

POST-GAME: PETER VERMES

POST-GAME: BENNY FEILHABER

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: 10-man Philadelphia Union beat New York Red Bulls in PKs to reach third Semifinal in four years (video)

July 21, 2015 by Brian Venard

The Philadelphia Union celebrate their penalty kick shootout win over the New York Red Bulls in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Bob Larson

UPDATE: John McCarthy of Philadelphia Union has been voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

The Philadelphia Union, playing with 10 men for 80 minutes, won a PK shootout with the New York Red Bulls to punch their ticket to the Semifinals for the second year in a row. Despite Conor Casey’s straight red card in the 40th minute, the Union scored the first goal in the 55th minute through Eric Ayuk. They were less than a minute away from winning the match in regulation until Lloyd Sam equalized deep into second half stoppage time to send the game into extra time. Philadelphia goalkeeper John McCarthy, who came up big on a number of occasions for the Union, made two saves and Bradley Wright-Phillips missed his attempt to give the visitors a 4-3 shootout win.

“I would say, first and foremost, it’s the Union’s biggest win in their history,” said head coach Jim Curtin. “I thought the fan support was incredible. I thought that our players showed a ton of heart – the heart of a lion. I couldn’t be more proud. They represented the badge very well. They represented our fans, our city, and they left everything on the field.”

The Union move on to host the winner of Orlando City SC and the Chicago Fire in the final four which is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET at PPL Park. The Fire host Orlando on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

At the opening kickoff the temperatures were in the 90s and the play on the field got off to a blazing start. The Union pushed forward and earned themselves a corner kick within the first 45 seconds of the match. After a short burst of energy by the Union, the Red Bulls held possession for the large portion of the half.

Fernando Aristeguieta scores the winning penalty kick for the Philadelphia Union against the New York Red Bulls in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Bob Larson

In the 40th minute, the game took a major turn when Union forward Conor Casey shown a straight red card for an aggressive challenge on Conor Lade. There was little argument from the veteran as he quietly marched off the field leaving his team short a man.

The Red Bulls had several oppertuinites in the following five minutes after the red card, but nothing came of it. Multiple times, New York would gain the penalty area, they would misfire or McCarthy would come off his line to put an end to the play.

The second half got off to a fast start as well, with the Red Bulls getting a handful of solid attempts on net. The pattern continued from the first half where the ball remained in the Union’s defensive third, and every few minutes there would be a counter attack.

“There’s not a moment when you can relax,” said McCarthy who has started every game for the Union in the tournament. “You’re always on your toes because you know the pressure’s coming nonstop.”

As the second half progressed, the Union started to get their footing, and started denying the Red Bulls from shooting on nearly every possession.

The Union got the ultimate gratification for their resurgence with a well deserved goal in the 55th minute by Eric Ayuk.

After the goal, the Red Bulls were clearly deflated, letting off a lot of the pressure they applied in the opening 10 minutes of the half. The Union continued to control the game as it progressed, and with only one minute left of stoppage time, it seemed certain that the Union were moving on to the Semifinals. But the Red Bulls kept fighting as Lloyd Sam tied the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time, connecting on a ball after a series of headers in the penalty area. The shorthanded Union and the hometown Red Bulls, both who had used all of their substitutions, were headed to extra time.

Stoppage time was dominated by the Red Bulls as they pushed the ball forward throughout the first 15 minutes, but nothing came out of it. Union were on their heels throughout but McCarthy kept the Union in the game as he finished the game with nine saves. The second half of extra time provided more drama as the Union had more possession, but the Red Bulls still had the majority of the ball at their feet with the extra man.

The Red Bulls nearly stole the game at the end as Bradley Wright-Phillips headed in what most of the fans in attendance thought was the game-winner in the 120th minute, but the referee’s assistant ruled him offside. That was the last real chance of extra time for either side, so the ultimate decider, penalty kicks, came into play.

Wright-Phillips missed the opening attempt of the shootout off the crossbar and after everyone converted their attempts the Union were up 3-2 going into Round 4. The Red Bulls’ regulation hero Lloyd Sam had his shot saved in spectacular fashion by McCarthy, diving to his left and pulling the ball off the line. New York’s Luis Robles saved an attempt by Fred which meant it was coming down to the final round. Sasha Kljestan scored for the home team, but it was Fernando Aristeguieta who sent the Union into the final four, much to the delight of their traveling fans in the upper deck.

After the game, there was a very dampened mood in the New York locker room and Robles summed it up.

“What feels different, is that walking into this locker room today, we all expected to win,” said the goalkeeper who made two saves. “The hardest part is dealing with the result when you believed you would win.”

The confident Red Bulls will have to wait until next year to get another shot at their first Open Cup title. While the victorious Philadelphia will advance to play in their third Semifinal in the last four years as they continue their quest to bring the Open Cup trophy back to Pennsylvania for the first time since 1966.

POST-GAME: JIM CURTIN

POST-GAME: FERNANDO ARISTEGUIETA

POST-GAME: JOHN MCCARTHY

POST-GAME: RAY GADDIS

FULL MATCH REPLAY: PHILADELPHIA UNION AT NY RED BULLS

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Real Salt Lake spoils Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy debut with late winner (video)

July 14, 2015 by Dennis Pope

Real Salt Lake celebrate Aaron Maund's game-winning goal in the 87th minute against the LA Galaxy. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika — Real Salt Lake celebrate Aaron Maund’s game-winning goal in the 87th minute against the LA Galaxy. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika

Aaron Maund scored his first professional goal as Real Salt Lake continued its 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run with a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

Maund’s header from Luke Mulholland’s cross in the 87th minute caught Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe off balance, and RSL keeper Jeff Attinella finished with four saves and a clean sheet to preserve the result.

“I don’t think a lot of people outside this locker room thought we were going to win this game tonight – and we did,” Attinella told Chris Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune.

The victory advances RSL to the Semifinals where the club will play the winner of next week’s Houston Dynamo-Sporting Kansas City match. The date of the match is expected to be Aug. 11 or 12. It’s the second appearance in the Open Cup Semifinals in the last three seasons for Real Salt Lake, who were runners-up in 2013.

“That game could have gone either way,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “Credit to them; They’re the ones that finished it off.”

Maund’s goal culminated heaping pressure from RSL, which produced 10 corner kicks – three in a span of less than two minutes – and controlled possession for long stretches.

“(Luke) puts a perfect ball in there, just got get my head on it, so credit to Luke,” Maund told Kamrani. “I get in good spots, but I’m heading it up. Finally I was able to get my head down and get it on target.”

Steven Gerrard made his LA Galaxy debut in the US Open Cup against Real Salt Lake in the Quarterfinals. Photo: Tino Arana | Prost Amerika

L.A.’s newest Designated Player, Steven Gerrard, came on to start the second half and had a one-on-one opportunity against Attinella in the 55th minute which RSL’s reserve keeper pushed aside.

“I’m going to save the YouTube clip, probably,” Attinella said.

Attinella, starting while Nick Rimando is away on international duty at the Gold Cup, was otherwise rarely tested.

“It’s always tough when you lose on the road, especially towards the end of the game,” said Gerrard. “We had some good chances to at least take the game to extra time.

“I’m strangely very happy at the moment,” he added. “It gave me a flavor of the MLS standard tonight. I’m very confident that the goals and the assists and the dangerous play will come to me in the future.”

Part of the challenge for the England international is trying to get match fit and playing a game at roughly 4,500 feet.

“I think always when you play at altidude when you have your first couple of strides or sprints, you feel it in your throat, and you feel it in your lungs. As soon as I got my second wind, I was fine,” said Gerrard. “I felt really dangerous. I felt like when I came in and played behind Robbie (Keane) we were creating chances, but unfortunately we never took one.”

Combined with his exhibition debut against Club America, Gerrard has had four shots on goal but has yet to score in over 90-plus minutes in the Galaxy’s previous two games but has yet to produce his first goal or assist.

The Galaxy, last season’s Major League Soccer champions, were eliminated from the Open Cup with a shutout for the third year in a row. The road has not been kind to the Galaxy either with Los Angeles getting eliminated from the tournament away from home eight straight years. They are still seeking their first Open Cup title since 2005.

RSL advance to the final four where they are seeking to become the first Utah-based club to ever win the US Open Cup.

AARON MAUND’S GAME-WINNER FOR RSL
POSTGAME: STEVEN GERRARD

POSTGAME: LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY AT REAL SALT LAKE

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

July 14, 2015 by Ed Farnsworth

Photo: Bob Larson, Stellar Performance Photography

Some six days after the expected announcement on July 2, the date and time for the quarterfinal US Open Cup tie between New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union was finally announced for 4 p.m. on July 21.

That’s right, a US Open Cup quarterfinal game featuring one of last year’s finalists against perhaps its biggest league rival had been scheduled for 4 p.m. on a Tuesday.

The reason for the date and time, and the reason for the delay? Well, that’s a long story.

A little background

When the calendar for the 2015 US Open Cup was announced on Feb. 4, it was a a cause for celebration among fans of the venerable tournament. But an announcement on April 28 concerning the schedule of another tournament, the 2015 International Champions Cup (ICC), would eventually prove to be reason behind the delay.

Few noted then that several MLS teams were scheduled to play ICC games on the dates that had been announced in February as set aside for the quarterfinals of the Open Cup. But, the day before the start of Open Cup’s fifth round, an article at the Washington Post from Steven Goff alerted fans to the looming scheduling conflict: Fifth round opponents LA Galaxy (Barcelona) and San Jose Earthquakes (Manchester United) had also scheduled ICC games on July 21, while the New York Red Bulls were scheduled to host Chelsea at Red Bull Arena on July 22. To complicate matters further, an ICC game between Fiorentina and Paris Saint-Germain was also scheduled at Red Bull Arena to kick off on July 21 at 8:30 pm.

Following LA’s victory over San Jose, LA and Real Salt Lake announced their quarterfinal match would take place in Salt Lake on July 14 outside of the window of quarterfinal dates published in February.

With the Union’s win over DC United in the books, and the Red Bulls-New York Cosmos game yet to be played, an article published on the US Soccer website on July 1 listed the potential Red Bulls-Union quarterfinal date as July 15, with the New York Post‘s Brian Lewis and Goff tweeting the same. But the date in the US Soccer article was quickly updated to TBD and Lewis tweeted later the same day that a date around the time of the MLS All-Star Game was more likely.

Soon rumblings were heard that negotiations between the two clubs to find a new date were not going smoothly as Red Bulls and Union fans might have hoped.

Frustration

At first glance, the here-now-and-gone-again July 15 date for the Red Bulls-Union matchup seems the obvious choice. After all, LA and Salt Lake had reached an agreement to reschedule their quarterfinal matchup for July 14.
But the Union had scheduled a summer friendly against new Premier League side Bournemouth for July 14. This would this be Bournemouth’s first-ever match and the Union playing a meaningful game the next day was a no-go. Aaron Bauer wrote in the Red Bulls blog Once a Metro that the July 15 date wouldn’t work, “It is safe to say the Union would try to avoid playing the game on this date at all costs.”

Most of the reporting that has been done on the negotiations has referred to unnamed sources, but speaking in his weekly press conference on July 8 a few hours before the July 21 date was announced, Union head coach Jim Curtin described the scheduling uncertainty as “most unfair…it’s most unfair to the Philadelphia Union fans and the New York Red Bulls fans that don’t know when the game is going to be, the time, the day.” He said of the negotiations between the two clubs, “I’ve been on all correspondence with it. There’s some good healthy conversations, there’s some that aren’t productive. I think a lot of people are frustrated by it.”

No one is happy

When the 4 p.m. kickoff for the quarterfinal game was finally announced, no one was happy. Before the rescheduled date was announced, Bauer at Once a Metro suggested July 28 as a possible date for the quarterfinal but, with the All-Star Game on July 29, that date seems to never have been in serious play. Needless to say, the possibility the Red Bulls might forfeit the Open Cup game was unthinkable. Such a recourse would be bad for them and for the Open Cup tournament.

So why couldn’t the teams come to an agreement?

At the New York Post, Lewis reported after the rescheduled date had been announced that sources said “the Red Bulls found a common off date to reschedule the game, but shifting the game required not only the approval of the US Soccer Federation but the opponent. The Union countered with a proposal to move the game to Philadelphia, which the Red Bulls opted not to do.”

Citing unnamed sources, Dave Martinez reported at the New York soccer website Empire of Soccer said the Red Bulls had found “willing partners within USSF” to change the date — presumably to July 15, though Martinez does not say — but the Union had played “hardball” in the scheduling negotiations, with one source calling the Union a “bad partner.” The quotes were no doubt accurately reported but it was too easy for neutral observers to read them as an attempt by the Red Bulls to deflect widespread fan anger from themselves for the situation they created by agreeing to the ICC dates toward the Union. A tweet from Empire of Soccer reporter Mark Fishkin suggested the Red Bulls had been assured by US Soccer in January that there would be flexibility in scheduling before the team accepted the offer to play in the ICC. If that was the case, it was a curious, if not unsporting, assurance for US Soccer to make given that such flexibility was dependent on the agreement of whoever the Red Bulls’ opponent might be.

Nevertheless, Curtin’s comments in his press conference are probably a good indication of the Union’s position in the negotiations: “We knew in February that the Open Cup dates were the 21st and the 22nd; we planned our schedule accordingly.” Acknowledging the difficulties of scheduling the game on July 21 because of the ICC game that same night, Curtin explained, “The 21st, is it perfect? No, they have I believe Fiorentina-PSG play that evening at Red Bull Arena. We’re more than willing to host the game here, we’d love to.”

In other words, the Union believed they had planned responsibly in scheduling the Bournemouth friendly and were unwilling to concede competitive advantage simply because the Red Bulls had, through their own decisions, created a scheduling conflict that mostly affected them. That the Union apparently were willing to fight to gain competitive advantage in exchange for easing the Red Bulls scheduling woes should come as no surprise. It’s the kind of gamesmanship that is as old as the Open Cup tournament itself.

Interestingly, if New York Red Bulls had lost their fifth round match to New York Cosmos, the Union would have hosted the quarterfinals at PPL Park on July 22. While the winner of the Red Bulls-Cosmos match had been drawn to host the quarterfinal games, scheduling conflicts at their home field at Hofstra University and alternate grounds forced the Cosmos to give up their hosting rights to the next round before they had even played the Red Bulls.

On to the game

The Union, trying to find their feet in a difficult season and looking to redeem last year’s loss in the final to Seattle, have made it clear they will field the strongest team possible when they meet the Red Bulls. As Curtin described, “The Philadelphia Union respects the Open Cup competition. There’s two trophies you can lift in this country, and that’s one of them. It’s a prestigious tournament and one that I’ve played in.” Their “hardball” negotiations only underscore the importance of the game to the club.

But, given CBA restrictions against players playing in games within 36 hours, what kind of side will the Red Bulls field? Will they field a strong side in an attempt to win the actually meaningful Open Cup quarterfinal game, and so risk a blowout and the resulting damage to the team’s reputation by featuring a largely reserve side against Chelsea. Sure, the Chelsea game is essentially meaningless but it’ll likely be played in front of a full house, not to mention being broadcast on ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Soccer 2Go, and Chelsea TV. While it is perhaps fortunate for the Red Bulls that it’s the only game of the US leg of the ICC tournament not on Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2 and so won’t be as widely viewed as it might be, as Lewis wrote at the New York Post, “Clearly, they’ll have to prioritize, and sources said they will field the stronger team against Philadelphia.”

Red Bulls boss Jesse Marsch has confirmed he will field the strongest team possible against the Union. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Obviously we have to figure out what that means at that time but we’re going after the game, for sure.”

In case you’re wondering, the lead-up to the Open Cup game won’t be easy for either the Union or the Red Bulls. On Saturday, July 18, the Union play Toronto away at 4 p.m., and the Red Bulls play Orlando away the same day at 7:30 p.m.

For fans, though, it won’t be easy to attend the 4 p.m. US Open Cup quarterfinal game between two rivals. And that’s the real shame of it all.

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinal schedule

Tuesday, July 14
Los Angeles Galaxy at Real Salt Lake – 10 p.m. ET

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

Ed Farnsworth is the managing editor of the PhillySoccerPage.com and is a member of the Society for American Soccer History. You can follow him on Twitter @FarnsworthPSP.

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: Real Salt Lake shut out Portland Timbers in rematch of 2013 Semifinals (video)

July 2, 2015 by Eric Anderson

Javier Morales scored his second goal of the tournament for Real Salt Lake from the penalty spot. Photo: Real Salt Lake

Sebastian Jaime continued his fine run of form Wednesday night as Real Salt Lake continued its success against the Portland Timbers on their home turf.

Jaime scored for the third time in four games, opening the scoring in the 54th minute, and Javier Morales added a 71st-minute penalty as RSL blanked the Timbers 2-0 in a fifth-round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in Sandy, Utah.

A crowd of 15,840 turned out at Rio Tinto Stadium on a sweltering night that saw the mercury at 97 degrees at kickoff, and the vast majority left happy with the claret and cobalt having booked a quarterfinal berth against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

“It’s about the Open Cup. It’s about winning a trophy. It’s about winning three games and we’re there,” said RSL coach Jeff Cassar, whose team advanced to the final eight in the tournament for the third time in the past five years. “I wrote it up on the board yesterday: Four games. We got one out of the way and we have three more. We’ve got to take them one at a time. It’s not really about who you’re playing, it’s just about getting the victory.”

Neither team was at full strength. The home side was without goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Kyle Beckerman (U.S.) and striker Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica), who were with their respective national teams preparing for the Gold Cup. Portland’s Will Johnson (Canada) also was away on international duty, while fellow midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara didn’t make the trip to Utah and standouts Diego Valeri and Fanendi Adi started the match on the bench.The Timbers had the better chances in a rather ho-hum first half.

They actually had the ball in the net in the 7th minute after a great combination sequence between George Fochive and Argentinian forwards Maxi Urruti and Gaston Fernandez that ended with Fernandez putting the ball past RSL keeper Jeff Attinella, but the flag was up for offside. Six minutes later, Urruti ripped a shot from the top of the box that forced Attinella to make a diving save, then scramble to corral the rebound before a Timbers player could get to it.

Center back Aaron Maund provided RSL with its best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes, sending a header over the crossbar off a free kick by Morales in the 28th.

The hosts finally broke through early in the second half. Olmes Garcia slid a pass to Jaime on the right side of the box between Portland center backs Liam Ridgewell and Nat Borchers – the latter a former RSL fan favorite making his first return to Rio Tinto – and the Argentinian forward slotted a shot past Timbers keeper Adam Kwarasey to the far post.

“Jaime, he’s feeling it right now,” Cassar said of the designated player, who scored his first goal for RSL in a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on June 21 and added another in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew. “He’s confident, he’s making good runs when the guys are delivering the ball.”

Referee Jose Carlos Rivero had decisions to make on potential penalties on both ends with 20 minutes remaing. Rivero waved play on when Urruti went down in the box, then pointed to the spot when Fochive clipped RSL striker Joao Plata just inside the box on the other end.

“I have to watch it again. For me it’s a bit harsh … It’s on the edge of the box, tangling, but I’ve got to watch it,” Portland coach Caleb Porter said. “You’ll look at the first goal we scored; you’ll probably notice he wasn’t offside, so there’s a good goal. If we get that the game’s different. Maxi goes down in the box and no call; their guy goes down in the box and it’s a call. It’s a game of moments, it’s a game of mistakes, it’s a game of capitalizing on opportunities. It fell in their favor today. Otherwise I thought it was a very tight, even game – what you would expect of a cup game.”

Morales took a long run-up on the penalty, stutter-stepped and beat Kwarasey on a shot to the keeper’s right – the Ghanaian dove the right way but couldn’t stop Morales from scoring his fifth goal of the season in all competitions.

Valeri, who came on just after the hour mark, nearly pulled one back for the Timbers off a free kick from 23 yards out on the left side in the 77th, but the wicked strike skimmed the top of the crossbar. Jaime, meanwhile, nearly added another insurance goal in the 83rd, only to see Kwarasey deny his blast from the top of the box on the right side.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT REAL SALT LAKE