NASL

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Indy Eleven rally to avenge last year’s loss to Louisville City

June 12, 2016 by Mike Carney

On a beautiful night under the lights at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, the Indy Eleven got their US Open Cup revenge on Louisville City with a come-from-behind win on Wednesday night. The Eleven will now advance to play the Chicago Fire of MLS in the next round.

Louisville took control early as Chandler Hoffman scored in the 21st minute from a George Davis IV through ball at the top of the 18. The Eleven did not get on the scoresheet until the 58th minute when a poor clearance by LCFC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh allowed Omar Gordan to collect the ball and fire a low shot into the back of the net. The Eleven sealed the win in the 68th minute as substitute Éamon Zayed was able to redirect Duke Lacroix’s cross into the back of the net on a counter attack.

This was only the second loss of the season for Louisville City. They should take reassurance in the fact they were on the brink of eliminating a team from a higher league and that they dominated the game for long stretches. Louisville City controlled possession in the first half and in front of goal through their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. By having three central midfielders Louisville was able to play numbers up and force the Eleven to chase the game early. Indy adjusted their formation to a 4-2-3-1 in the second half, eliminating the mismatches Louisville exposed in the first 45 minutes. This did not stop LCFC from creating chances to score and perhaps their best opportunity came in the 67th minute when Hoffman fired a free kick past Keith Cardona but was denied by the crossbar.

It is also encouraging for Louisville that they played well with their captain and defensive midfielder, Aodham Quinn, on the bench. Guy Abend and Paolo DelPiccolo were able to frustrate the Eleven when they tried to play the ball through the middle. On the offensive side, Abend and DelPiccolo distributed and cleared the ball, helping Louisville generate counter attacks going forward.

Dealing with multiple injuries and even one player with an Open Cup suspension, the Eleven entered this match with an extensively altered lineup. In the early stages of the bout this was most evident on the defensive side of the ball where it took players time to settle in and establish confidence in one another. After poor communication resulted in Louisville’s opening tally, Nemanja Vukovich, who was at center back instead of his usual role on the left, did well as captain to settle the back line and stop the bleeding.

Victory for Indy Eleven would be achieved through a remarkable display of coaching from Tim Hankinson. The veteran manager began the game relying heavily on second-stringers in the usual 4-4-2, began to shake things up as early as the 41st minute when he brought on regular starter, Justin Braun. In the second half he revealed more of his plan, putting in front man Eamon Zayed and moving Omar Gordon back into his accustomed position on the wing. Proving that he can play just about anywhere, Vukovich switched with Daniel Keller and moved into the midfield in the 56th where he dominated possession and helped the wingers create chances.

Having shifted formation, individuals, and played “gotcha” with Louisville through his lineup, Hankinson finally opened his hand to reveal a late, blistering attack which overwhelmed Louisville City for the win. Indy Eleven now remain the only undefeated pro club in the United States.

Indy Eleven’s next US Open Cup tie will be with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on June 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: New York Cosmos begin Cup run with second straight shutout of Jersey Express

June 7, 2016 by Michael Anderer

Prior to the start of the 2016 MLS season, Jason Davis from Soccer Morning asked a variety of soccer reporters for their preseason predictions. One of the questions was, “Who’s going to win the Lamar Hunt Open Cup?” Brian Dunseth picked the NASL’s New York Cosmos. There are some members of the media who think that the Cosmos have bolstered their roster enough to make a run at the US Open Cup.

The Cosmos began their quest for the cup with a 2-0 Third Round win against Jersey Express on Wednesday at St. John’s University’s Belson Stadium in Queens, N.Y.

Despite being the favorite, the Cosmos did not take anything for granted playing a strong lineup including regular season starters like Carlos Mendes, David Ochieng, Ayoze, Danny Szetela, Ruben Bover and Sebastian Guenzatti. By all accounts, the decision to go with a balance of starters and reserve players proved pivotal. Jersey came out with a well organized defense that allowed the Cosmos to control the tempo and possession, but most of the chances from the home side were on crosses that were blocked or long range shots parried away by keeper David Greczek.

Jersey’s backline was anchored by solid play of both Chris Krez and Jonathon Onyeaka. An early yellow card to midfielder Pinto Goulart added extra stress for the visitors, but solid attacking play by Angser Otto would force the Cosmos to recognize how well these teams matched up to each other.

In the 35th minute, the Cosmos broke through on a fantastic free kick from Ayoze after Bover had been taken down just outside the eighteen-yard box. With a four-man wall in front of him, Greczek was completely screened. Ayoze’s placement and pace were perfect and the ball sailed into the upper corner to give the Cosmos a 1-0 lead.

That’s how teams would enter halftime after exchanging low percentage shots as both defenses set the tone for the match. The Cosmos thought they had another goal as Lucky Mkosana put a cross into the goal in the 54th, but the goal was offside. Feeling the pressure, Jersey made its first change bringing in Rajrir Khalon for Jack Ponce, but it would be Jersey’s second substitution that cost them. After a strong 66 minutes but still trailing by a goal, Jersey swapped Tyler Morris for Jonathon Onyeaka. Six minutes later, the long-awaited assurance goal for the Cosmos came as substitute Yohandry Orozco was left wide open on the back post for a simple tap-in header. With the second goal, Jersey was forced to press more and the tired legs could not keep the pace up. The Ayoze goal would stand as the game winner.

The Cosmos now set their sites on finishing up the Spring NASL in first place and then look ahead at a rematch of last year’s Open Cup derby with NYCFC.

“Our goal is to win every game, whether it be in the regular season, or in this competition, so obviously we are happy with the result and we can focus on the next opponent,” Mkosana said.

Cosmos Captain Carlos Mendes said that while it’s great to win the Open Cup game, the focus has to remain on the spring season, but he is excited to play against NYCFC later in the month.

Cosmos coach Gio Savarese was very pleased with the performance. He noted earlier in the week that the match was of the most difficult in the Open Cup format.

“It’s hard because some players and sometimes whole teams, overlook this round of the competition,” he said. “The players get soft mentally and think that they are better, and that’s dangerous. Jersey had a lot of good chances, more than we wanted them to have.”

Savarse calls the derby against NYCFC, the type of game that is really good at growing the sport with a lot of passion and drama.

The Cosmos will visit NYCFC on June 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Coffey Stadium at Fordham University.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Minnesota United avenge last year’s loss, defeat Saint Louis FC 2-0

June 5, 2016 by Phill Grooms

Minnesota United and Saint Louis FC square off in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Henry Hauck | HHFooty.com

The Third Round of US Open Cup play came to Saint Louis for the second year in a row in a repeat matchup between Saint Louis FC and Minnesota United FC. The two sides played their style of soccer for two thirds of the match without scoring, but it was Minnesota United that made the least mistakes down the stretch and scored a pair of late goals to avenge last year’s loss with a 2-0 win.

The first half came and went with a few dangerous looks from each team, but in different ways. Minnesota, who was upset in last year’s matchup in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw, kept the ball on the ground while Saint Louis typically sent the ball through the air.

The physical contest got a little more heated in the second half as both teams attempted to gain an edge. This brought a sleuth of fouls drawing many a “boo” from the home crowd.

However, said fouls cannot be directly blamed for the goal that came in the 68th minute. Fullback Parker Maher was dispossessed by Kevin Venegas in the midfield with a timely defensive press. Christian Ramirez found Venegas, who immediately bolted for the goal, where he was able to put in a calm and collected goal past the charging goalkeeper, Mark Pais.

Saint Louis coach, Dale Schilly, continued to bring on impact subs to try and make up the difference. He officially went all-in on the attack when striker Vince Cicciarrelli came in for fullback Richard Dixon in the 78th minute. Saint Louis dominated the game from this point on with many corners after well-thwarted attempts on goal. Unfortunately for them, it was the attack that was St. Louis’ undoing.

Minnesota’s new signing, Jack Blake, was able to capitalize on a counterattack, which was very effective as St. Louis was very dedicated to the attack at this point. Danny Cruz made a great run down the wing to the goal line and sent the ball across on the ground to the aforementioned Blake who was on a late run. And that’s how the previous year’s upset was redeemed.

Minnesota United FC gets a chance at an upset of their own when they face Sporting Kansas City at home on June 15. United will attempt to do something they have only done once before: defeat a pro team. The only professional team they have beaten, as well as the only time the club has won multiple games in a single US Open Cup, was in 2012 when they won their second game of the tournament on the road against Real Salt Lake.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Wilmington Hammerheads strike early, hold off Miami FC, 2-1

June 4, 2016 by Craig Tower

Justin Moose of the Wilmington Hammerheads scored what would prove to be the game-winner against Miami FC in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC- Orovio Photography

Playing at home in their ninth competitive match, Miami FC fell by a 2-1 score to the USL Wilmington Hammerheads. Miami (1-3-4 in the NASL) hoped to build on Saturday’s first-ever franchise win over FC Edmonton, but the Hammerheads, coming off of their own 3-1 victory against Toronto FC II, ended up notching their second in a row instead.

The Hammerheads (3-4-3 in USL play) came ready for action and took the lead in the 2nd minute when Michael Lahoud of Miami FC coughed up the ball to Mathew Barnes-Homer in central midfield 35 yards from his own goal. Homer found the feet of Jeff Michaud, and with no pressure on the ball from Miami, the midfielder trapped the ball and took a touch to his right, into the center of the Miami defense. He lashed a dipping right-footed shot from 25 yards out to the near post, beating Miami keeper David Sierra for the lead, silencing the faint cheers from the stands of the Florida International University stadium.

The sparse home crowd soon fell into an even deeper funk. A normally harmless Wilmington throw-in taken inside the visitor’s own half, was tipped back by Miami’s Hugo Leroux, straight into the path of a charging Justin Moose on the left side of the Miami defense. The midfielder drove in diagonally from the touchline, battling off a Miami FC challenge. Moose found himself loose in the Miami box. Sierra rushed unafraid into the path of the charging Moose, only to see the Hammerhead’s shot from 12 yards out sail low to his right and inside his far post.

Punch-drunk, Miami only recorded one shot on goal during the first half, and only began to string together passes in the midfield with five minutes remaining until the break.

At halftime, Miami made two changes. Jaime Chavez came in for Dane Richards, and Dario Cvitanich entered for Pablo Campos.

The newcomers made a significant impact on the game. Cvitanich initiated the most dangerous offensive movements for Miami in the second half, and Chavez was on the end of many of them.

Miami’s Martinez saw his low 25 yard drive in the 49th minute deflected to the left of the Wilmington goal by Eric Ati. Less than a minute later, Chavez found himself pursuing a chipped ball into the box, and barely missed to the same side with a looping ball over the keeper’s outstretched arms.

In the 52nd minute the Floridians broke through on a long ball from defender Adailton from 10 yards inside his own half. The ball arced over the center of the Wilmington backline and into the path of Chavez, who took the ball 30 yards away from the Wilmington goal. He took a shot from about 16 yards out, the ball flew over the keeper’s hips as he dove towards his near post.

Miami continued to press, and were dominating the game. In the 64th minute, Wilmington’s Tom Parrat charged into the outstretched leg of Cvitanich to draw the game’s first yellow card. Miami’s Lahoud followed with his own when he dropped a streaking Austin Martz before the Hammerhead could escape his own half on a breakaway.

Miami had a golden chance to tie the score in the 79th minute when Cvitanich’s chipped pass in to the box found Chavez, who was caught by Eric Ati after he tipped ball over the keeper’s right shoulder and towards the far post. Ati felled Chavez, and the referee decided that Ati should receive a yellow card and Miami a penalty kick.

Cvitanich took the kick, cooly driving it with his right foot to the keeper’s right post. Ati read the kicker’s intentions and dove with conviction, parrying the kick harmlessly past his post.

Miami seemed deflated after the setback, and lost their patience during the rest of regular time. In the 88th minute Adailton drew his own yellow for tripping a Wilmington player on his way into the Miami half.

With the win, Wilmington secures their first win over a Division 2 team in regulation since 2006.

Miami registered one more shot on goal during four minutes of added time, but it was a weak toe poke by Chavez that Ati collected easily.

Wilmington will go on to the next round where they face MLS side Real Salt Lake.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Jacksonville Armada need OT to earn first tournament win, 2-1 over Charleston Battery

June 3, 2016 by Neil Blackmon

Patrick Otte of the Jacksonville Armada celebrates with Armada fans after scoring a goal against the Charleston Battery in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Gary Lloyd McCullough | Jacksonville Armada

The Jacksonville Armada defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1 after extra time in the third round of the 2016 US Open Cup Wednesday night at picaresque Southern Oak Stadium on the campus of Jacksonville University. A capacity crowd of 1,200 saw the Armada win for the first time since an April 15 NASL league triumph over The Miami FC. The win was also the first US Open Cup win for the Jacksonville Armada in their young franchise history.

The chances came early and often for Jacksonville, who dominated possession in the game’s first twenty minutes. Matt Fondy, starting in place of the struggling Alhassane Keita, rewarded manager Tony Meola’s confidence, holding the ball up well and creating multiple chances with his vision and passing. Only the first of a handful of marvelous saves from Charleston goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper, who earned seven caps for Cuba before defecting in 2012, kept the game on level terms after fifteen minutes. The Armada broke through, however, in the 17th minute on a late run by Patrick Otte, who buried a Matt Fondy lay-off.

Charleston, however, looking to become one of, if not the first US Open Cup side to advance a round after losing the prior round (a penalties defeat to Villages SC was overturned due to The Villages fielding an ineligible player) leveled quickly.

Montreal Impact loanee Romario Williams delivered a splendid ball with a defender on his shoulder to an onrunning Chris Tsonis, who easily slotted past Miguel Gallardo to bring the Battery level. Williams was a handful for Jacksonville all evening, his physical and speedy runs stretching the Armada on the counterattack consistently. been so physical and strong he often lacks supporting runs.

In the second half, the Armada again controlled the ball and collected the most chances. Junior Sandoval’s blast in the 48th minute was saved well by Odisnel Cooper in the 48th minute and Beto Navarro fired over the goal from seven yards in the 54th minute, but the go-ahead goal would not come.

Indeed, it was Charleston who nearly took the lead in the 64th minute on a fantastic run by Romario Williams, who manhandled Beto Navarro and fired across the net only to have Miguel Gallardo deflect the ball away. That chance was the closest either side came to scoring until extra time.

Patrick Otte of the Jacksonville Armada celebrates his goal against the Charleston Battery in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Gary Lloyd McCullough | Jacksonville Armada

Alhassane Keita, who entered in the second half for Matt Fondy, nearly put Jacksonville ahead in the first fifteen minutes of extra time, only to be denied by the wingspan of Cooper. Cooper’s save came moments after it appeared Alex Dixon was taken down in the area by Brian Woodbine, only to see referee Kevin Terry Jr. signal “play on.”

The teams remained even until the 108th minute, when Junior Sandoval played a ball to Alex Dixon on the edge of the area and Dixon played a one-time lovely flick to Keita, who beat Cooper far post to give the Armada the winner. The goal was the first for Keita in any competition all year for Jacksonville, and a sigh of relief for the Guinean, who led the Armada in goals in their inaugural season.

The win was particularly meaningful for Tony Meola, who captained Sporting Kansas City (then the Wizards) to a US Open Cup championship in 2004. “It means a lot to me personally, with Lamar Hunt’s name on the trophy, a man who was special to me and a competition that was special to me for the nine years I was in Kansas City. We said we’d do our best to put the best team out and we did that tonight.”

Meola was pleased to see Alhassane Keita, his troubled goalscorer, end his slump, but even more pleased to see a young player like Alex Dixon make a difference with the game-winning assist. “I’m happy for Keita, obviously, but one guy I’m particularly happy for is Dixon, because it has been tough for him, to be completely fair, and he came in tonight and did everything he was asked to do. Of course I’m happy for the group, but sometimes certain guys when you see them every day, you want to see them do well.”

Dixon deflected the praise. “It’s not about anyone or me. I was happy to contribute and make a little difference. I saw Sandoval cut in and then Keita peeled off and I flicked it his direction. He did the rest but we’re thrilled to get the result.”

Jacksonville will host Orlando City in fourth round action on June 15.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Early goal advances Tampa Bay Rowdies past FC Cincinnati

June 1, 2016 by Zach Smith

Georgi Hristov scored in the 11th minute and the Tampa Bay Rowdies held off surging FC Cincinnati 1-0 Wednesday night in the Third Round of the US Open Cup.

Cincinnati of the USL outshot the NASL Rowdies 14-7 but only had a pair of shots on target and had an 8-3 advantage in corners in the second Open Cup game of their first season as a franchise. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will travel to Ohio to face off with MLS side Columbus Crew SC in the Fourth Round on June 15.

“We did great with our effort and intensity,” Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell said. “It’s tough playing a team from that league because they’ve got nothing to lose. The longer the game went, the more got numbers forward.”

Kenney Walker had the best chance of the first half for FC Cincinnati less than ten minutes in with a shot from the top of the box that was pushed aside by Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Hristov let a long, high ball from Neill Collins up the right side take a big bounce in the box in the 11th minute and took three touches to get around the two defenders before slotting it past Cincinnati goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt.

“Right before the game, me and Neill were talking about it,” Hristov said. “I was ready for that run, I knew he was going to play the ball there and it worked out. The whole team played well and we deserved to win.”

Each team had five shots apiece in the first half, but Cincinnati had just one shot on goal compared to three for Tampa Bay.

“It’s always crucial to get the first goal and set the tempo of play,” Campbell said. “They’re a threat going forward and we knew they had goals in them so I never moan anyone for shooting.”

Cincinnati came out in the second half pushing hard for a goal. An early chance was easily corralled before a weak shot from the top of the box by Ross Tomaselli was deflected and forced Pickens into a diving save to his right.

Both teams could have had a man sent off with under 30 minutes to play. Pickens came out of his net in the 66th minute and went one-on-one before clearing the ball with no foul given. The Rowdies came right back when Hristov was taken down from behind at midfield four minutes later. Tomaselli was given a yellow.

Cincinnati had its best chance of the second half with less than five minutes to play. Sean Okoli tapped a header back to Andrew Wiedeman just above the penalty spot, but he sent it way over the bar. Antoine Hoppenot had another chance to level the game a minute later but he too sent it wide of the post.

Advancing to the Fourth Round is already one step further than Tampa Bay has gotten in recent years. The Rowdies lost in Round 3 the last two years and they last won an Open Cup game against VSI Tampa Bay FC in the Second Round in 2013.

“This is my fifth season here and we don’t have a good record,” Campbell said. “I’m delighted to get a win and progress to the next round against a good MLS team. It’s about time we had a run in this competition.”

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Energy FC win first Oklahoma City derby over Rayo OKC

June 1, 2016 by Jay F. Marks

Substitute Kyle Hyland powered home a header in extra time to propel Oklahoma City Energy FC past crosstown rival Rayo OKC, 2-1, in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Hyland, who may have been the smallest man on the pitch at the time, said fullback Kyle Harris did a good job getting up the line and whipping a ball into the box, just over leaping striker Wojciech Wojcik.

“I was able to get my head on it and it went in,” said Hyland, who entered the match in the 62nd minute.

The goal proved to be the match-winner in the first ever matchup between Energy FC, a third-year USL franchise, and Rayo OKC, which is eight games into its first season in the NASL. It was also Rayo’s first-ever U.S. Open Cup game.

The match drew 4,385 fans to Rayo’s home, Miller Stadium in the Oklahoma City suburb of Yukon.

Energy players were jubilant after the game, which ended with Rayo fielding only nine players after two late red cards.

Energy coach Jimmy Nielson said his team was “extremely weak” for much of the first half, but found its footing after going behind on a 43rd minute goal by Rayo’s Billy Forbes.

The Rayo winger pounced on a rebound, smashing the ball past Energy goalkeeper Cody Laurendi, after a nice interplay on the right wing by Georgios Samaras and Kosuke Kimura.

Samaras played a ball into the middle of the box to fullback Richard Menjivar. Menjivar’s shot was saved by Laurendi, but Forbes was there to capitalize on the loose ball.

Nielson said going down 1-0 seemed to galvanize his team.

“I think we were a little bit too impressed” with the NASL side, the coach said.

The Energy responded quickly with a goal just before halftime. Fullback Kalen Ryden carried by ball along the end line and placed a perfect ball into the box for Sebastian Dalgaard to bury in the back of the net.

In the second half, the Energy seemed to be the better side, but neither team was able to add to its goal tally.

The stalemate continued in the first period of extra time, as Rayo goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes kept the game tied with a diving 99th minute save to prevent an Energy header from nestling in his net.

Hyland scored early in the second overtime period, then Rayo saw a ball glance off the inside of the post off a set piece two minutes later.

It was the home team’s last threat however, as the Energy was able to fend off Rayo’s long-ball attacks.

The USL side was able to hold possession to bolster its defense in the game’s dying minutes, forcing Rayo to attempt some questionable tackles to win the ball back.

Midfielder Derek Boateng earned two quick yellows in the 115th minute for a late tackle and some harsh words for referee Daniel Radford.

Rayo captain Michel was sent off a few minutes later, drawing his second yellow card for a tackle inside the Energy’s goal box. The foul sparked a brief scuffle that resulted in a yellow card for Energy keeper Laurendi.

After the final whistle, Energy players celebrated in front of a large knot of traveling fans, while Rayo players trudged back into their locker room.

Rayo coach Alen Marcina said his team dominated the match, but was not able to capitalize on its scoring chances.

“In my humble opinion, the better team lost,” Marcina said. “We put ourselves in this position by not burying chances.

“You’ve got to them them in the back of the net. You’ve got to be clinical.”

The stats kept by the NASL show both teams managed 19 shots, but Rayo had six shots on target to Energy FC’s five. Possession was relatively even, with Rayo managing a 53-47 advantage.

With the win, Energy FC advances to plays FC Dallas, its MLS affiliate, in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup. FC Dallas will host the match June 15 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Fort Lauderdale Strikers earn rare PK shutout over Richmond Kickers

June 1, 2016 by Zach Smith

Players from the Richmond Kickers and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers track down a ball in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Diego Restrepo was looking for redemption. Twice during the regular season, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers went to penalties and both times he failed to stop a shot.

He recovered in a huge way in the third round of the Open Cup.

Restrepo saved three of four penalties and made three saves in the game as the Strikers beat the Richmond Kickers 2-0 on penalties after drawing 1-1 Wednesday afternoon. They will take on DC United in the Fourth Round on June 15.

“I’ve always been confident in my penalties,” Restrepo said. “Penalty shootouts are what goalkeepers dream of – it’s our big chance to showcase our talent.”

On the first shot of the game, Manny Gonzalez gave the hosts a one-goal lead after a bending free kick goal just two minutes in. Less than 30 minutes later, Richmond’s Yudai Imura got in behind the back line for the equalizer.

Charlie Horton of the Richmond Kickers goalkeeper tries to save a goal by Fort Lauderdale Strikers' Manny Gonzalez in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers — Charlie Horton of the Richmond Kickers goalkeeper tries to save a goal by Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Manny Gonzalez in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Kelsey Hinds | Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Victor Pagliari Giro scored the first PK for the Strikers and Geison Moura won it on the fourth try. Restrepo saved three of the four shots from the Kickers and the other was missed wide of the net. It was the first time a shootout finished 2-0 in modern Open Cup history.

“It was one of the toughest atmospheres in terms of field conditions that I’ve played on in my life,” Restrepo said of the 90-plus degree temperatures and high humidity. “It wasn’t great for either team.”

Strikers midfielder Adrianinho was brought down just outside the 18-yard box right after the opening whistle and Gonzalez’s ensuing free kick bent around the Richmond wall for the opening goal of the third round and tying the fastest Open Cup goal in Strikers history.

Facing an early deficit, the Kickers pushed forward. Richmond’s Anthony Grant, Imura, and defenders Alex Lee and William Yomby all had shots on goal for the Kickers, but Diego Restrepo kept them at bay.

After a short water break due to temperatures nearing triple digits, Grant fed Imura with a low ball that he slotted past Restrepo. Both teams had their chances the rest of the half, but neither could capitalize.

That trend continued in the second half until the 76th minute when lightning was spotted and the game was delayed for 30 minutes. After the delay, both teams pushed for the game-winner but Restrepo continued his big day with two saves.

Ramon Nuñez’s free kick found Maicon Santos, who headed it home for what looked like the go-ahead goal at the beginning of the first half of extra time for Ft. Lauderdale, but it was called back after an offside call.

Restrepo continued his huge game in the shootout, saving three penalties and keeping an opponent scoreless for just the second time in the Modern Era (1995-present) of the US Open Cup.

With the draw, however, Ft. Lauderdale now has a six-game winless streak, tying Orlando City U23, Chico Rooks and Carolina Dynamo for the Modern Era Open Cup record. The Strikers will look to snap that streak and earn their first-ever win against a MLS team when they face DC United on June 15 at the Maryland Soccerplex.

After losing two of its first four NASL regular season games, Ft. Lauderdale hasn’t lost in five straight in five straight games in all competitions. The Strikers host league-leading New York Cosmos this Saturday and travel to Edmonton on June 12 before continuing the Open Cup.

“There are only five guys from last year on this year’s roster so it takes some time to bond,” Restrepo said. “Time makes everything better and we’re clicking. Now and we’ve got keep fighting and playing.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: Red Bulls are Kings of New York after 4-1 revenge win over Cosmos (video)

July 1, 2015 by Romulo Vieira

Mike Grella of New York Red Bulls celebrates his 90th minute goal against New York Cosmos. Photo: Bob Larson for TheCup.us — Mike Grella of New York Red Bulls celebrates his 90th minute goal against New York Cosmos. Photo: Bob Larson | Stellar Performance Photography – FULL GALLERY

For the second year in a row the New York Red Bulls and the New York Cosmos were drawn to face each other in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Last year the Cosmos eliminated the Red Bulls, this time for the Fifth Round, the game was at Red Bull Arena and the home team got revenge over their NASL rivals eliminating them with a convincing 4-1 win.

Three-time U.S. Open Cup winner and current Red Bull coach Jesse Marsch, assured everyone that this year the team would take the cup more seriously. Marsch continued to keep his word during his teams’ Round of 16 clash putting together a strong team. The Cosmos came into the game motivated to take out another New York rival after defeating NYCFC in the last round. The team is also currently undefeated this season and find themselves in first place in the NASL.

Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese coached against one of his old clubs. He played for the Red Bulls during their inaugural season and scored their first goal. Cosmos captain Carlos Mendes also made a return to his former home on Wednesday. He played for the Metrostars/Red Bulls for seven seasons.

PHOTO GALLERY FROM BOB LARSON AT STELLAR PERFORMANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

It was a special night for soccer with so many stars on the field. The game began with big names like Sach Kljestan for the Red Bulls and former Villareal star Marcos Senna and former U.S. Olympic team player Danny Szetela for the Cosmos. Another big name on the Cosmos squad list was former Spanish national team captain Raul who started on the bench.

The game started off hot with both teams hungry to score the first goal. The Cosmos showed they were not going to be intimidated by their MLS counterparts. However, the home team struck first early in the fifth minute when Lloyd Sam crossed the ball into the area for Sal Zizzo to header the ball pass Cosmos goalkeeper James Maurer.

After the goal both teams continued pressing forward. The Cosmos looked dangerous taking shots and putting dangerous crosses in the box. However, many shots taken by both teams went wide.

The Cosmos were rewarded for their efforts in the 16th minute, when goalkeeper Maurer sent the ball down the line for midfielder Walter Restrepo who was able to get passed the defender and pass the ball to Lucky to tie the game after a failed attempt from Matt Miazga to clear the ball.

Later in the 32nd minute the Red Bulls had a goal called back for offside after Lloyd Sam attempted to play a ball to Zizzo. However, in the 42nd the Red Bulls scored a valid goal from a corner kick. Sacha Kljestan crossed the ball straight at Anotole Abang to header the ball into the goal putting the Red Bulls up 2-1.

Both teams kept the same pace coming into the second half. The Cosmos Cup dreams suffered another blow when Red Bulls defender Chris Duvall went down in the box after a tackle from a Cosmos defender forcing the referee to award the home team a penalty kick. Kljestan struck the ball in the middle passed the goalkeeper putting the Red Bulls up 3-1 against their rivals.

Later in the half, Raul came into the game and almost made an immediate impact. After receiving a cross he headed the ball onto the cross bar and Mkosana shot the rebound on the post. Minutes later Senna shot a beautiful free kick on target, but was saved by Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles.

The Cosmos fought hard to put themselves back in the game, but the task was too difficult and it only got worse in the 90th. Grella sealed the game for the Red Bulls after beautifully getting passed a Cosmos defender in the box and putting the ball away passed the goalkeeper in the far corner of the goal.

After the match Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch praised his team for keeping their composure throughout the entire game. “Even when they put the goal in on us I don’t think there was any panic in our team and we knew just to stick to our game.”

In the quarterfinals the Red Bulls will host the Philadelphia Union.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: COSMOS AT RED BULLS

Photo: Bob Larson | Stellar Performance Photography

2015 US Open Cup Round 5 preview: Another Big Apple clash highlights Day 2 of Round of 16 (video links)

June 30, 2015 by Josh Hakala

Can the Red Bulls avenge last year's loss to the Cosmos or will the NASL spring champions complete the Big Apple sweep? Photo: Dennis Schneidler/Delaney B. James Sports Photography) — Can the Red Bulls avenge last year’s loss to the Cosmos or will the NASL spring champions complete the Big Apple sweep? Photo: Dennis Schneidler/Delaney B. James Sports Photography)

The Fourth Round, the annual highlight of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is in the books, and only two lower division teams survived to reach Round 5. With 14 of the 16 teams hailing from Major League Soccer, that doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of drama for the Fifth Round, which will be split, four games each, between Tuesday, June 30 and Wednesday, July 1.

On Tuesday, four Major League Soccer teams advanced to the Quarterfinals. A 10-man Philadelphia Union overcame a 1-0 deficit to knock off DC United. The Union advance to the Quarterfinals where they will either host the New York Cosmos or travel to the New York Red Bulls for their next game.

One of the two lower division clubs fell as the USL’s Charlotte Independence couldn’t hold on to a 1-0 lead and eventually fell to the Chicago Fire 3-1 on the strength of two Mike Magee goals. The Fire will host Orlando City in the Quarterfinals after the Lions handed the Columbus Crew their first-ever shutout in US Open Cup play, 2-0. Kaka made his Open Cup debut and scored a goal while Carlos Rivas scored to move into a tie for the tournament lead with four goals.

And finally, after a nearly three hour weather delay to start the match, the Houston Dynamo edged the Colorado Rapids 1-0 to book a place in the round of eight for the first time since 2009.

Today, the opening game is a rematch many in the New York area have waited for. The New York Red Bulls, who just finished thumping New York City FC in league play, are hoping to avenge last year’s upset loss to the New York Cosmos at Red Bull Arena. Last year, the Cosmos dominated the Red Bulls 3-0. Next up, FC Dallas will travel to Sporting Park to take on 2012 champion Sporting Kansas City as Dallas aims for their first Open Cup title since 1997. Another matchup between two clubs who have been close to winnning their first Open Cup title will take the first at Rio Tinto Stadium when Real Salt Lake hosts the Portland Timbers. The game is a rematch of the 2013 Semifinals when RSL beat the Timbers 2-1 in the same stadium. The round will conclude with the California Classico with the San Jose Earthquakes hosting the Los Angeles Galaxy. The two clubs are fierce rivals, but in Open Cup play, it’s been dominated by the Galaxy as they have never been eliminated by the Quakes in four all-time meetings (3-0-1, 1-0 PKs).

All of the games will be streamed online, with some teams providing radio broadcasts in addition to video streams. You can also follow all the action on TheCup.us LIVE SCORES PAGE where you can get the latest scores and jump between live video and you can join the conversation with a Twitter feed of all the #USOC2015 tweets.

Scroll down for previews of every Round 5 game:

MORE LINKS:

LIVE SCORES: Round 5 (with video)

NEWS:
Clint Dempsey’s ‘referee abuse’ gets two-year or six-game US Open Cup ban from US Soccer (video)
2015 US Open Cup bracket is set: Round of 16 draw revealed, potential hosts for Semifinals

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

New York Cosmos Open Cup records
Overall: 3-1-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 0-1-0 | vs. MLS: 1-1-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 2-1 in OT at Philadelphia Union of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2014 Fifth Round (Lost 2-1 in OT at Philadelphia Union of MLS)

New York Red Bulls Open Cup records
Overall: 16-16-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 7-5-0 | vs. Div. 2: 5-5-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-0 at New York Cosmos of NASL in Round 4)
Best finish: 2003 Runner-up (Lost 1-0 vs. Chicago Fire in Final)

IF RED BULLS WIN … they will host Philadelphia Union (July 15)
IF COSMOS WIN … they will play at Philadelphia Union

LIVE VIDEO: NEW YORK COSMOS AT NEW YORK RED BULLS (7:30 p.m. ET)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

New York Cosmos
Round 3: 3-0 win vs. Jersey Express (PDL)
Round 4: 2-2 draw (4-3 PK win) vs. New York City FC (MLS)

New York Red Bulls
Round 4: 3-0 win vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)

By Romulo Vieira

UPDATE: USSF announced that if the New York Cosmos eliminate the New York Red Bulls, the Philadelphia Union would be the host in the Quarterfinals.

The New York Derby between MLS side New York Red Bulls and NASL side New York Cosmos promises to be one of the fiercest games of the Fifth Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The two sides met last year in the fourth round of the tournament. The Cosmos comfortably beat their New York rivals 3-0 at Shuart Stadium. Striker Mads Stokkelien netted two goals and Alessandro Noselli scored the other. Last years’ Fourth Round clash between these two teams was the first meeting between the two teams.

This year the Cosmos will probably have to play a tougher game. This time the Red Bulls are playing at home and they will be using their starters like they did against the Atlanta Silverbacks in the Fourth Round.

To reach the Fifth Round the Cosmos began with an easy 3-0 victory in Round 3 over the PDL’s Jersey Express. Next, the Cosmos faced another New York opponent when they took on MLS newcomers New York City FC. The Cosmos rallied from a 2-0 second half deficit and after the match finished extra time tied at 2-2, the Cosmos won an exciting penalty kick shootout with goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer making three saves in a 4-3 win.

Being a MLS team, the Red Bulls began play in Round 4. In their clash against the Atlanta Silverbacks they were able to dominate the game and win at home easily by a scoreline of 3-0.

This will be a special game for Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese. When the Red Bulls were the Metrostars in MLS’ inaugural season, he scored the first goal in Metrostars history. He played three seasons with the Metrostars and scored a total of 44 goals for the club. Club captain Carlos Mendes also has a strong connection to the MLS team. Carlos played for both the Metrostars and Red Bulls. He spent a total of seven seasons with the organization appearing in a total of 146 games for the club, the second-highest in club history.

The Red Bulls will be confident going into this game having beaten NYCFC for the second time this season with a score line of 3-1 away from home. They currently find themselves in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The team has won their last two games and is going to want to keep the momentum going.

The last time the Cosmos stepped onto the field was for their fourth round encounter against NYCFC. It will be interesting to see how the team will look going up against a side that has been inactive for the last couple of weeks.

Both teams will be looking to their best to stay alive in a tournament neither team has ever won. This time around the Red Bulls will field a more experienced team as they continue to take this tournament seriously after so many years of fielding reserve teams. The Cosmos will have another opportunity to show again they can keep up with their MLS counterparts in New York.

FC Dallas Open Cup records
Overall: 27-15-5 (4-1 PKs) | Away: 11-9-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 8-10-3 (2-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Drew 1-1, Lost 4-3 in PKs vs. Philadelphia Union of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 1997 US Open Cup champions

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 18-12-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 13-7-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 5-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 vs. Portland Timbers of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2004, 2012 US Open Cup champions

WINNER WILL … host Houston Dynamo

LIVE VIDEO: FC DALLAS AT SPORTING KC (8:30 p.m. ET)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

FC Dallas
Round 4: 4-1 win vs. Oklahoma City Energy (USL)

Sporting Kansas City
Round 4: 1-0 win vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)

By Matthew DeWitt

Sporting Kansas City: 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions. Photo: Steve Olson | SoccerSTL.net

“Lack of goals” has not been a term used when describing Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas’ meetings this year.

If the 2015 league matchups between Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas could be an indicator for what is to expect come Wednesday night, the fans crammed into Sporting Park will be treated to a high-scoring affair.

In the previous two meetings this season, Dallas and Kansas City have combined for eight goals. Dallas produced a 3-1 win in front of a home crowd on March 14, while Sporting’s home win on May 29 ended in a lopsided score, 4-0.

Sporting’s win in May came in the midst of eight-match unbeaten streak. KC lost the dominant stretch on a late goal at Real Salt Lake on June 21, but bounced back with a 2-0 home win against Colorado on June 27.

Inside of Sporting Park this season, the home side is undefeated, boasting a record of 6-0-3. This could be pivotal for the 2004 and 2012 Open Cup champion if they plan on adding a third Open Cup to their trophy case. The winner of this match will host the Houston Dynamo in the Quarterfinals. If they advance to the final four, they would host that game as well.

The Texans have produced a win streak of their own shortly after that 4-0 loss in Kansas, starting with a 4-1 win over Oklahoma City Energy (USL) in their Open Cup opener. David Texeira and Michael Barrios each scored twice to propel Dallas to the win on June 16. OKC drew a goal back late, but the hosts – played at TCU’s Garvy-Rosenthal Stadium in front of a standing room only crowd – held on for the victory.

Despite winning just one US Open Cup title (1997), FC Dallas is one of the most consistent teams of the Modern Era. They have finished runner-up twice (2005, 2007) and have the second-most quarterfinal appearances (14) of any time in the history of the tournament. Only St. Louis’ Kutis SC (17) has more.

This will be Dallas’ second straight Open Cup game against Sporting or a team with Sporting ties. The team FC Dallas dispatched in the Fourth Round, Oklahoma City Energy, is the United Soccer League affiliate of Sporting KC.

While the affiliate team was bounced from the competition, Sporting took down Missouri-based Saint Louis FC. The USL side STLFC held strong until Sporting’s Graham Zusi nodded home the game’s only goal in the 70th minute. Zusi’s goal moved him into a tie for sixth on the all-time scoring list for the club with three goals. His chances at moving forward will be delayed, as he recently received a call-up for the United States Men’s National Team Gold Cup roster.
In addition to Zusi being unavailable, Sporting’s Marcel De Jong will be joining the Canadian National Team for the Gold Cup. He’ll be joined by FC Dallas teammates Tesho Akindele and Kyle Bekker in the Canadian camp.

Portland Timbers Open Cup records
Overall: 13-9-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 8-4-0 | vs. MLS: 3-5-1 (0-1 PKs)
As MLS: 6-3-0 | Away: 3-2-0 | vs. MLS: 3-2-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 in OT at Seattle Sounders of MLS in Quarterfinals)
Best finish: 2013 Semifinals (Lost 2-1 at Real Salt Lake of MLS)

Real Salt Lake Open Cup records
Overall: 7-6-0 | Home: 7-3-0 | vs. MLS: 1-3-0
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 SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (10:30 p.m. ET)

AUDIO OPTIONS: ENGLISH RADIO | SPANISH RADIO

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Portland Timbers
Round 4: 3-1 OT win at Seattle Sounders (MLS)

Real Salt Lake
Round 4: 2-1 win at Seattle Sounders 2 (USL)

By Zach Smith

This 2013 US Open Cup Semifinal match featured two teams that have never reached the final four. Real Salt Lake won 2-1. Photo: Real Salt Lake

It’ll be strength versus strength Wednesday night when the Portland Timbers travel to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake in Round 5 of the 2015 US Open Cup.

Portland has one of the best away records in the Open Cup (8-4-0 all-time), while Salt Lake is one of the better home sides in recent tournament history (7-3-0). RSL ended Portland’s best tournament run in 2013 with a 2-1 win in the Semifinals to earn the club’s first trip to the Final where they lost to DC United.

The winner will host either LA Galaxy or San Jose Earthquakes in the Quarterfinals.

Portland and RSL played to a scoreless draw in the opening game of the MLS regular season this year, and are two of the nine US-based MLS teams that have never lifted the Open Cup.

The noise around the Timbers’ first game in the tournament seemed deafening at times. By now the story is clear, Seattle captain Clint Dempsey ripped up the referee’s notebook and was handed a massive Open Cup suspension.

But what gets lost in all the hullaballoo surrounding the last game is that Portland played well for the last 30 minutes against the vastly undermanned Sounders. And, for the most part, they’ve looked better in league play ever since, clawing their way to third place in the Western Conference somewhat inconspicuously.

Portland romped against those very same Sounders — minus Dempsey — 4-1 Sunday at home in front of a raucous crowd thanks to two goals from Fanendo Adi, one from Rodney Wallace and and absolute beauty by Darlington Nagbe.

Real Salt Lake’s journey to this stage was far less stressful. They needed second half goals from Joao Plata and Javier Morales to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit and beat USL’s Seattle Sounders 2 in Round 4.

RSL’s most recent league game ended 2-2 with 10 men at home against Columbus Crew SC Saturday night. Salt Lake gave up a lead twice before Jordan Allen was sent off with less than 15 minutes to go.

This will be Nat Borchers’ first time back at Rio Tinto Stadium since being traded to the Timbers last December. In six years with Salt Lake, Borchers scored 10 goals and is one of just four players with more than 200 appearances for RSL. He was a stalwart on the back line of the team that won MLS Cup in 2009 and got to the final in 2013.

Los Angeles Galaxy Open Cup records
Overall: 24-12-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 7-10-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 10-7-1 (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

San Jose Earthquakes Open Cup records
Overall: 11-8-6 (3-3 PKs) | Home: 4-4-2 (1-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 0-5-3 (0-3 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Drew 1-1, Lost 4-1 in PKs at Seattle Sounders of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2004 Semifinals (Lost 1-0 at Kansas City Wizards of MLS)

WINNER WILL … play at Portland Timbers or Real Salt Lake

LIVE VIDEO: LA GALAXY AT SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Los Angeles Galaxy
Round 4: 6-1 win vs. PSA Elite (USASA)

San Jose Earthquakes
Round 4: 2-2 draw (6-5 PK win) vs. Sacramento Republic (USL)

By Evan Ream

Apparently MLS Rivalry Week is continuing into the US Open Cup as the San Jose Earthquakes will partake in their second California Classico in just five days as they host the Los Angeles Galaxy Wednesday at Avaya Stadium in the Fifth Round of the Open Cup.

Over the weekend, the Earthquakes defeated their biggest rivals 3-1 in front of 50,000 fans at Stanford Stadium in a comeback victory where U.S. international Chris Wondolowski scored the winning goal of the game.

But Wednesday’s game was almost a different version of the California Classico, as the Earthquakes trailed the USL’s Sacramento Republic FC in the Fourth Round 2-0 with just 16 minutes left.

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate their 6-5 penalty kick shootout win over the Sacramento Republic. Photo: John Todd | Isiphotos | San Jose Earthquakes

And then Wondo was Wondo, scoring a brace in five minutes to eventually take the game to penalty kicks where the more experienced Earthquakes prevailed.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy advanced to Round 5 by beating PSA Elite, the final amateur team left in the competition, by a 6-1 scoreline.

Irish international Robbie Keane tallied a hat trick for LA, while fellow forward Gyassi Zardes managed the winning goal in what was a surprisingly strong lineup fielded by head coach Bruce Arena.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will face the winner of Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers in the quarterfinals later in July.

While the Galaxy have won the title twice – in 2001 and 2005 – the Earthquakes have never won the Open Cup. The farthest in the competition they have ever gotten was the Semifinals in 2004. In many of those years, it was the Galaxy that have gotten in the way. The Earthquakes have yet to eliminate the Galaxy in Open Cup play (0-3-1, 0-1 PKs), and have never defeated a MLS opponent in the tournament.

UPDATE: Union overcome early red card, rally to beat DC United 2-1 (video)

DC United Open Cup records
Overall: 31-11-4 (2-2 PKs) | Away: 9-7-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 10-7-2 (0-2 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 1-0 at Rochester Rhinos of USL PRO in Round 4)
Best finish: 1996, 2008, 2013 US Open Cup champions

Philadelphia Union Open Cup records
Overall: 7-3-2 (2-0 PKs) | Home: 6-2-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 2-3-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 in OT vs. Seattle Sounders of MLS in Final)
Best finish: 2014 Runner-up

WINNER WILL … play at New York Red Bulls or New York Cosmos in Quarterfinals

LIVE VIDEO: DC UNITED AT PHILADELPHIA UNION (7 p.m. ET)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

DC United
Round 4: 3-1 win at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL)

Philadelphia Union
Round 4: 0-0 draw (3-1 PK win) vs. Rochester Rhinos (USL)

By Michael Berton

Nick DeLeon (18) of DC United pulls the ball away from Raymon Gaddis (28) of the Philadelphia Union during Tuesday's US Open Cup match. Photo: Tony Quinn | DC United — Nick DeLeon (18) of DC United pulls the ball away from Raymon Gaddis (28) of the Philadelphia Union during the 2012 US Open Cup match. Photo: Tony Quinn | DC United

When it comes to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the result of any given match-up so often comes down to motivation.

Take the Philadelphia Union for example. A struggling team last season that had just fired its manager, the Union were highly motivated to make their season count. They nearly did just that, making a run to the Final, only to lose to the Seattle Sounders in extra time.

On the other side last season was DC United. Vying for the top spot in MLS, DC United opted to rest starters in the Fourth Round against the Rochester Rhinos, leading to a 1-0 upset loss.

The two teams face one another on Tuesday in Philadelphia in much the same position as in 2014. DC United leads MLS by three points and has an 11-point cushion at the top of the Eastern Conference. With eight games in July, DC has regularly been rotating its lineup. This Open Cup Fifth Round matchup is sandwiched between a 0-0 draw against Toronto FC and an upcoming trip to Seattle.

The Philadelphia Union, on the other hand, are seventh in the Eastern Conference, but are third-to-last in all of MLS in points per game. Philadelphia is coming off a 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact, but gets a short break before a July 11 match with the Portland Timbers.

If Open Cup results were contingent on talent, DC would seem to have the advantage, but which team will be more motivated come Tuesday? The Union are desperate for a trophy, using that as motivation in last year’s tournament. They struggled in the Fourth Round against Rochester though, only sneaking out a penalty kick victory after a scoreless draw after 120 minutes.

DC is in the hunt for what it might consider more important trophies, but a comfortable lead in league play means coach Ben Olsen might have some wiggle room when it comes to his starting lineup. DC United managed to get past the Pittsburgh Riverhounds by a 3-1 score in Round 4.

The Union and DC United split a pair of meetings this season, each earning a victory in its home stadium. On May 17, the Union snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the league leaders 1-0. Just two weeks later, on May 30, DC gave up an early goal, but came back to win 2-1 at RFK Stadium in Washington.

The Union entered the US Open Cup for the first time in 2012, and now in their fourth year, this will be their third meeting with United. Both games were played at the Maryland Soccerplex with the Union winning the first meeting 2-1 in extra time in 2012, and DC getting revenge the following year on their way to winning the tournament.

So who will be more motivated? Will it be a Philadelphia team still searching for its first trophy, or bringing an Open Cup title to the city for the first time since 1966, or will it be MLS leaders DC United, looking to add to its already illustrious trophy cabinet? Find out on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

UPDATE: Kaka scores in debut as Orlando City hands Columbus Crew first-ever shutout loss (video)

Columbus Crew Open Cup records
Overall: 21-12-2 (0-2 PKs) | Away: 7-6-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 9-9-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 4-2 in OT at Chicago Fire of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2002 US Open Cup champions

Orlando City SC Open Cup records
Overall: 12-6-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 9-1-0 | vs. MLS: 2-6-0
As MLS: 0-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 0-0-0 | vs. MLS: 0-0-0
Last entry: 2014 (as USL PRO) (Lost 5-2 at Colorado Rapids of MLS in Round 4)
Best finish: 2013 Quarterfinals (Lost 5-1 at Chicago Fire of MLS)

WINNER WILL … play at Chicago Fire or Charlotte Independence in Quarterfinals

LIVE VIDEO: COLUMBUS CREW AT ORLANDO CITY (7:30 p.m. ET)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Columbus Crew
Round 4: 3-1 win at Richmond Kickers (USL)

Orlando City SC
Round 4: 4-4 draw (8-7 PK win) at Charleston Battery (USL)

By Brian Venard

As the field in the 2015 US Open Cup continues to wither down in size, the odds of this matchup became more and more likely to happen. Orlando City SC and the Columbus Crew are sure to be up in arms about another chance to bring this budding rivalry outside of league play.

In both of the meetings between these two sides, there has been some bad blood and aggressive play, so there will surely be more of that on Tuesday.

Adam Bedell scored a pair of goals in the Columbus Crew's 3-1 win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Brian L. Zimmerman | Richmond Kickers — Adam Bedell scored a pair of goals in the Columbus Crew’s 3-1 win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Brian L. Zimmerman | Richmond Kickers

The Crew made it to the Fifth Round with a convincing 3-1 road victory over the Richmond Kickers with rookie Adam Bedell leading the way with a pair of goals. Meanwhile, Orlando City barely escaped the Fourth Round with a penalty kick shootout win over the Charleston Battery (USL). After Carlos Rivas became the first player in the Modern Era to score three penalty kick goals, the Lions lost a 4-2 lead in extra time, and won the shootout 8-7.

Orlando City are going to have to put in a much better performance Tuesday evening if they want to get past the 2002 US Open Cup champions. While Orlando has had plenty of success prior to joining MLS this year (12-6-0 overall, with two wins over MLS opponents), the Crew have struggled in recent years. Since finishing as runner-up in 2010, they have failed to win multiple games in a tournament in each of the last four years (2-5-0).

Orlando City will obviously have to have a good performance by Kaka in the attacking third (if he starts), but they will also need a strong performance by Donovan Ricketts in front of the net, as the Crew will be throwing men forward, led by Federico Higuain, in an attempt to punish Orlando City’s aggressive keeper.

The Citrus Bowl is expecting a big midweek crowd to see if the bad blood will carry over into Open Cup play.

UPDATE: Mike Magee returns to spark Chicago Fire to end Charlotte Independence’s cup debut, 3-1 (video)

Charlotte Independence Open Cup records
Overall: 3-0-0 | Away: 2-0-0 | vs. MLS: 1-0-0
Last entry: N/A (First entry)
Best finish: N/A (First entry)

Chicago Fire Open Cup records
Overall: 35-12-3 (2-1 PKs) | Home: 21-1-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. Div. 3: 10-1-1 (0-1 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 6-0 at Seattle Sounders of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 US Open Cup champions

WINNER WILL … host Columbus Crew or Orlando City SC

LIVE VIDEO: CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE AT CHICAGO FIRE (8:30 p.m. ET)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Charlotte Independence
Round 2: 4-1 win vs. Upward Stars (NPSL)
Round 3: 1-0 win at Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
Round 4: 3-1 win at Richmond Kickers (USL)

Chicago Fire
Round 4: 1-0 OT win vs. Louisville City (USL)

By Jeff Engelhardt

Chicago Fire's Fourth Round hero Quincy Amarikwa has been traded to San Jose. Photo: Chicago Fire — Chicago Fire’s Fourth Round hero Quincy Amarikwa has been traded to San Jose. Photo: Chicago Fire

Charlotte Independence will look to continue their dream run in the US Open Cup Tuesday when they head to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., to play one of the tournament’s most successful clubs in the Chicago Fire.

Off to a 4-4-4 start in their inaugural season in the USL, the Charlotte Independence unexpectedly have carried the third division’s flag into the Fifth Round of the Open Cup after a shocking 1-0 victory against the heavily-favored New England Revolution in Boston on June 17. As the lone USL team remaining in the tournament, Charlotte earned the $15,000 tournament prize money.

The Fourth Round victory is part of a four-game unbeaten streak for the Independence, who are coming off a 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery and a scoreless draw against the Richmond Kickers that was cut short Friday because of heavy rain.

Charlotte will look to continue its unexpected run with help from scoring leaders Ryan Finley and Jorge Herrera, both of whom have been integral in the team’s Open Cup run. Finley notched the lone goal against NASL side Carolina Railhawks in the Third Round to secure Charlotte’s first-ever road win. Herrera followed up that performance with the club’s most famous goal to date, striking a curling effort to the back corner to put away the Revolution.

Bilal Duckett (Left, #15), Jorge Herrera (Right, #10) and Patrick Slogic (Rear) of Charlotte Indepedence celebrating Herrera’s goal against the New England Revolution. Photo: Elise Amendola, AP

Herrera was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his efforts against New England and joined the likes of Taylor Twellman, Jason Kreis, and Herculez Gomez with seven career goals in the Open Cup. His seven career tallies rank him second among all Division 3 players in the Modern Era.

Contrary to Charlotte’s dream run, the Chicago Fire are mired in nightmare form, losing four straight MLS games with only the 1-0 extra time Fourth Round Open Cup victory against Louisville City FC offering a taste of victory in the month of June.

The Fire survived a 120-minute affair with the expansion USL side after Quincy Amarikwa connected with a header in the 116th minute to secure the 1-0 victory over Louisville. The Fire will be without the Fourth Round hero after the club traded Amarikwa to the San Jose Earthquakes last week.

In Open Cup competition, the Fire boast an impressive 21-1-1 home record and a 10-1-1 record against Division 3 opponents. But the Fire will still be depleted and looking for answers Tuesday after suffering a 1-0 loss to DC United on June 24 to extend their league losing streak to four games.

Chicago’s big-money, offseason acquisition Shaun Maloney will be out of action after hurting his back against Louisville City. Dynamic speedster David Accam could also be sidelined with a lingering hamstring tweak and the versatile Joevin Jones had to leave Wednesday’s contest because of illness.

The winner of Tuesday’s game will go on to host the winner of the Columbus Crew and Orlando City.

UPDATE: After nearly three-hour delay, Houston Dynamo edge Colorado Rapids to return to Quarterfinals (video)

Colorado Rapids Open Cup records
Overall: 11-14-0 | Home: 5-1-0 | vs. MLS: 4-5-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 2-1 vs. Atlanta Silverbacks of NASL in Round 5)
Best finish: 1999 Runner-up (Lost 2-0 vs. Rochester Raging Rhinos in Final)

Houston Dynamo Open Cup records
Overall: 8-7-1 (0-1 PKs) | Home: 6-2-0 | vs. MLS: 1-5-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-2 in OT vs. FC Dallas in Round 5)
Best finish: 2012 Fourth Round (Lost 2-1 in OT vs. Charlotte Eagles of USL Pro)

WINNER WILL … play at FC Dallas or Sporting KC

LIVE VIDEO: COLORADO RAPIDS AT HOUSTON DYNAMO (9 p.m. ET)

AUDIO OPTIONS: ENGLISH RADIO | SPANISH RADIO

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Colorado Rapids
Round 4: 4-1 win vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL)

Houston Dynamo
Round 4: 2-0 win vs. Austin Aztex (USL)

By Justin Jerkins

There is a mutually shared feeling between the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo. It is a feeling of frustration as both teams sit in the bottom two slots of Major League Soccer’s highly competitive Western Conference. Halfway through the season, both are several points outside the playoffs with less and less time to make a move.

Part of that frustration is tied to the teams’ poor form in recent matches. In each of their last five fixtures, the lone victory belongs to the Dynamo from nearly a month ago. These teams enter Tuesday’s Fifth Round Open Cup match after road losses – Colorado posted a quiet 2-0 defeat at Sporting Kansas City while Houston recorded a disjointed 2-0 loss to intrastate rivals FC Dallas. This upcoming match serves as an opportunity for one team to regain a little bit of confidence heading into the tough remainder of the MLS season.

Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle has signaled that observers will see another youthful lineup similar to the one that dispatched Austin Aztex from the Fourth Round on June 17. That means more playing time for midfielders Leonel Miranda and Alex who combined skillfully to twist Austin’s defenders in and around the box. Miranda even notched the game-winning goal in that 2-0 victory against Austin, earning him MLS minutes since.

Colorado have also witnessed the breakout of a rookie in the Fourth Round. Defender Joseph Greenspan earned his first start in a 4-1 trouncing of the USL’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks in which Greenspan also netted the game-winning goal for the Rapids. Since then, he’s appeared in two league matches – both of them losses.

DIllon Serna scored two goals and assisted on another in the Rapids' 4-1 win over the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Photo: John Babiak — DIllon Serna scored two goals and assisted on another in the Rapids’ 4-1 win over the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Photo: John Babiak

These two clubs have faced each other in league play back in late March for what resulted in a listless and uneventful scoreless draw in Houston. Colorado have since gone on to tally six more ties for what stands as a league-high nine draws from 17 matches this season.

Both clubs are not only seeking their first US Open Cup title, but they are looking to snap a bad string of results in the tournamnet. The Houston Dynamo have reached the Semifinals twice (2006, 2009), but since they advanced to the final four in 2009, they haven’t won multiple games in a single tournament, including not qualifying for the competition in 2011.

On the other side, the Rapids lost the US Open Cup Final to the Rochester Raging Rhinos in 1999 and since then they have competed in the tournament 11 times. Not once during those 11 seasons have they won more than a single game, which is a Modern Era record the club would rather not have. Whoever wins on Tuesday will win that elusive second straight game and will advance to the Quarterfinals.