Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

NASL

2013 US Open Cup: Ty Shipalane of Carolina RailHawks named Lower Division Player of the Tournament

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Ty Shipalane of the Carolina Railhawks has been named 2013 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament. Shipalane and the Railhawks upset two MLS sides en route to a Quarterfinals appearance in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Many players earned votes for the award, which is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Others receiving consideration were Dom Dwyer of Orlando City SC, Georgi Hristov of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Conner Bevans of FC Tucson, and Kwadwo Poku of the Georgia Revolution.

Shipalane was instrumental in the Railhawks’ opening game against the Carolina Dynamo in the Second Round. He scored the opening goal and assisted on Zack Schilawski’s tally that put the game away in the 75th minute. The RailHawks won 3-1, earning them a home game against an MLS team.

In the Third Round, Shipalane played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 home win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. They hosted another MLS team in Round 4 and he played a major role in another upset, beating Chivas USA 3-1. Shipalane scored the opening goal and assisted on the game-winning goal by Cesar Elizondo in overtime.

Carolina’s run ended in the Quarterfinals against Real Salt Lake in a 3-0 loss. However, the Railhawks were the only NASL team to make advance that far in the 2013 tournament, and one of two lower division teams to make it to the Quarterfinals. For the RailHawks it was their third and fourth MLS upsets in their seven-year history as a franchise, and it marks just the seventh time a lower division team has upset two MLS clubs in one tournament.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Visiting Rowdies prevail 2-1 in ‘Tampa Bay Derby’

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Georgi Hristov’s brace sent the Rowdies to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night as NASL side defeated cross-bay USL Pro rival VSI Tampa Bay FC 2-1 in front of a small but boisterous crowd at Plant City Stadium.

After heavy thunderstorms invaded the area for much of the afternoon, the clouds gave way for what many fans would say was a historic night in Tampa Bay soccer history. This was not only the first meeting between the two clubs, but also the first time that two professional teams representing the Tampa Bay area had ever faced off against one another. Dubbed the ‘Tampa Bay Derby,’ this match lived up to all the hype.

First-year VSI thought it had the upper hand 16 minutes in when Rowdies defender Andres Arango was called for a foul in the box, but midfielder Tony Donatelli took the penalty kick only to be denied by a great glove save by Diego Restrepo. The Rowdies goalkeeper guessed correctly and was just able to get his hand on the ball shot low to his right.

The match would not remain scoreless for long as Rowdies Hristov was fouled just inside the VSI penalty area in the 20th minute. The Bulgarian forward took the penalty and comfortably put the ball past VSI goalkeeper Alex Horwath, giving the Green & Gold a 1-0 lead.

JT Noone would equalize for VSI in the 27th minute, receiving a low cross from fellow midfielder Shawn Chin at the top of the Rowdies’ penalty area and putting it past Restrepo at the far post. For Noone, the goal was a historical one because by putting the ball in the back of the net, he became the first player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to score in five consecutive tournaments. He began his journey with a pair of goals for the PDL’s Ocean City Barons (now Nor’easters) in 2009, and scored one goal in each season with the Harrisburg City Islanders from 2010-12, before signing with VSI Tampa during the offseason.

Just before the halftime whistle, the Rowdies came back with a neat through ball up front to Hristov that proved fatal. The ensuing one-on-one with Horwath ended with the Hristov scoring the game-winner for the Rowdies. Despite scoring a historic goal against a crosstown rival, the Rowdies forward was somewhat stoic about the winner.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing against (VSI Tampa Bay FC) or some other team in another state,” he said. “My job is to score goals and I’m really happy with that.”

Rowdies head coach Ricky Hill was clearly delighted with his side’s victory.

“This is very important for us,” he said of the tournament. “We want to go as far as we can in any cup competition that we enter.”

The Rowdies will now face Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in the Third Round at Al Lang Stadium next Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It’s fantastic to host any MLS side,” the Rowdies’ boss said with excitement in his voice. “They are the number one league in the country. It’s great to see their class of players up close and personal.”

Scoring Summary:
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov – 21st minute (Penalty Kick)
VSI: JT Noone – 27th minute (Assisted by Shawn Chin)
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov – 43rd minute

Caution Summary:
Tampa Bay: Andres Arango – 16th minute
VSI: Kyle Hoffer – 20th minute
VSI: Alex Freitas – 65th minute

Starting Rosters:
Tampa Bay Rowdies:
GK Diego Restrepo; D Jordan Gafa, D Frankie Sanfilippo (Captain), D Daniel Scott, D Andres Arango; M Evans Frimpong, M Luke Mulholland, M Stuart Campbell (Kyle Clinton 82′), M Raphael Cox (Keith Savage 62′); F Georgi Hristov, F Carl Cort (Amani Walker 45′)

VSI Tampa Bay FC:
GK Alex Horwath; D Alex Freitas, D Kyle Hoffer (Captain), D Josh Rife, D Sean Reynolds; M Tony Donatelli, M JT Noone, Darren Toby, M Shawn Chin; F Douglas Dos Santos, F Andriy Budnyy

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Des Moines Menace prevail 1-0 at Minnesota in battle of giant killers

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Boasting a lengthy history of upsets against MLS opposition, fans in Minnesota relish the opportunity to take on the top flight clubs. But on Tuesday, the newly-branded Minnesota United club fell victim to a repeat ‘giant killer’ themselves as the visiting PDL Des Moines Menace claimed their fifth upset of a professional club with a 1-0 decision.

With a name that, to phrase nicely, is probably uttered often unintentionally as a replacement for a certain expletive, Brandon Fricke will no doubt find it intentional from this point forward in the Twin Cities after his dagger of a blow with four minutes remaining knocked the second division side out of the tournament.

The decisive tally was the result of a glancing header from a Fricke off a corner kick sent toward the penalty spot by Jimmy Tulloch.

Both teams had several opportunities throughout the contest. Des Moines’ Shadow Sebele and Albert Edward had excellent chances back-to-back from long range that forced fingertip saves from Matt Van Oekel.

Dramatic stops were not the sole propriety of VanOekel, however, as his counterpart Angevine made a fantastic save on an 18-yard effort from Pablo Campos and a Menace defender cleared a ball off the line amidst a scramble in the box that Minnesota’s Travis Wall got his foot to.

Wall missed another hanse wide in the 57th and Campos saw a difficult shot from a narrow angle in the 73rd go wide and weaved through several defenders before sending a 78th minute effort high.

Despite several misses, the Minnesota faithful thought they might have the equalizer in the final few minutes, however, but Campos’ header on a Michael Reed free kick rang off the crossbar.

Highlights

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Atlanta Silverbacks top Georgia Revolution again in rematch

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On a gorgeous Tuesday night in Conyers, Georgia, the Georgia Revolution hosted the Atlanta Silverbacks in the Second Round U.S. Open Cup matchup.  Dubbed the “Battle for Atlanta,” the Atlanta Silverbacks advanced to the Third Round of the US Open Cup with a 3-2 win in a game of many chances and drama.

The contest was a rematch from the Second Round a year ago in which the Silverbacks also prevailed by a single goal, moving on with a 1-0 road victory courtesy of Raphael Cox strike in the 61st minute.

The visiting Silverbacks couldn’t have started Tuesday’s “Battle For Atlanta” any better, going up 1-0 in the fourth minute. After a poor headed clearance by Revolution defender Michael Nwiloh, Silverbacks forward Ruben Luna capitalized with a strong volley into the corner of the net from 20 yards out.

The Revolution came back and equalized in the 16th minute with a quick counter attack when forward Kwadwo Poku, who tallied a hat-trick last week, played Iain Smith through on goal.  The midfielder converted beautifully, sneaking a shot inside the near post to tie the game at 1-1.

The Silverbacks had a disallowed goal in the 29th minute when a tap-in from Silverbacks midfielder Horace James was called back for offside. Minutes later, the Silverbacks would have another chance to retake the lead when Mike Randolph was pulled down in the penalty area, earning a kick from the spot.

Ruben Luna was chosen to take the penalty and he blasted it into the right corner to make it 2-1 in the 31st minute.

The Revolution came out for the second half with a renewed focus on the attack in an attempt to find the tying goal, but the Silverbacks doubled their advantage.  Pablo Cruz connected on a pass from midfielder Milton Blanco from over 20 yards out to make it 3-1 in the 57th minute.

In the 61st drama unfolded when the Silverbacks bench was warned for dissent.  A few seconds later, a Silverbacks assistant coach was ejected from the game.

After play continued, the Revolution would immediately strike a surprising goal as midfielder Rene Enang converted on a low shot through traffic.  With about 30 minutes left, the Revolution were looking to equalize while the Silverbacks were doing everything to deny scoring chances.

The best chance to equalize came in stoppage time when Revolution substitute midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko saw a ball fall to his feet at the top of the box, but he blasted the wide open shot over the bar from 12 yards out.

The Silverbacks will face a tougher challenge next week as they will travel to play Real Salt Lake, who are sitting near the top of the Major League Soccer table.  Last year, the Silverbacks were embarrassed by the Seattle Sounders in the Third Round, 5-1, and will be looking to show some improvement on that result.

SILVERBACKS LINEUP: GK Nasco, D Bloom, D Navarro, D Reiss, D Randolph, M Menjivar, M Blanco, M Barrera, M James (Willis 67’), M Cruz (Uribe 80’), F Luna (Gulley 61’)

REVOLUTION LINEUP: GK Kramer, D Davis (Redding 85’), D Nicholson, D Nwiloh, D Papanikolopoulos, M DeBoer (Landberg 61’), M Enang, M Smith (Sissoko 74’), F Poku, F Sumpter, F Maduka

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: RailHawks down Dynamo 3-1 in Carolina Clash

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Though the visiting Carolina Dynamo of the PDL made things difficult and tense at times, the NASL Carolina RailHawks came away with a 3-1 victory Tuesday night, securing a Wednesday, May 29 home date with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Last year, the Carolina RailHawks entered play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup riding a nine-game winless skid to open the NASL season. Moreover, the RailHawks knew that a loss to PSA Elite, their second round Open Cup opponent, meant squandering the lucrative opportunity to host the defending MLS champion L.A. Galaxy the next week. Carolina’s 6-0 onslaught over PSA Elite got the RailHawks off the schneid and set the stage for an improbable win over the Galaxy.

Tuesday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, a different RailHawks squad took the field, one atop the NASL standings and winners of all three of its home league matches. Yet, the Open Cup mission remained the same: defeat your lower division opponent and next week you get the chance to again host the reigning MLS Cup champion Galaxy. While the execution this year wasn’t nearly as overwhelming, the outcome was the same.

Three days after suffering their first league loss of the season in Atlanta, the somewhat leg-weary RailHawks sported a lineup of mostly regulars, particularly in the attacking third. However, a few new faces graced the starting 11, including goalkeeper Tim Murray and Scottish center back Kevin Rutkiewicz. Brian Ackley got the start over Zack Schilawski (more on that a bit later). Costa Rican signee César Elizondo made his RailHawks debut late in the match, and defender Eddie Ababio played 27 minutes off the bench.

From the outset it was obvious which was the stronger side as the RailHawks dominated possession for the vast majority of the opening stanza against a deep-lying Dynamo defense. But although the RailHawks outshot the Dynamo 9-3 in the first half, the home side proved frustratingly unable to finish their chances.

That compact defensive approach was part of the strategy for the Dynamo, a team largely comprised of offseason college players who only trained a handful of times prior to tonight’s match and just completed college exams. Nevertheless, it was also a team that defeated Chattanooga FC in an U.S. Open Cup shootout thriller a week ago.

“We wanted to come here and compete,” said Dynamo manager Marc Nicholls. “We wanted to make it a tough game. And we knew that we wouldn’t have the legs to necessarily press them as much as we like because we knew we couldn’t sustain that.”

The RailHawks got on the board in the 26th minute when Ty Shipalane jumped onto a loose ball roughly 25 yards out and uncorked a rocket that ricocheted off a Dynamo defender on its course and into the netting.

“Floyd was right in front of me, and I just jumped in front of Floyd just to be greedy a little bit,” an impish Shipalane said. “I saw the defender coming, then I saw that the goalkeeper was out of position. Lucky enough there was deflection, so credit to me for shooting it.”

Indeed, Shipalane’s self-congratulation was merited, as the RailHawks continued the oddest of team imperfections: a propensity to overpass and undershoot. One particular sequence is emblematic of the evening. In the 56th minute, Brian Shriver raced past the defense and directly toward the keeper. Yet, he forewent an open shot to lay the ball over to an open Austin da Luz. Da Luz then chose to forgo his own open shot and instead lay the ball off to Ackley atop the six-yard box. Ackley then deposited his sitter over the goal and into the pine tree forest behind the grandstands.

“I was disappointed in how we didn’t score more goals,” said RailHawks manager Colin Clarke. “We looked like we were trying to be Arsenal out there and walk it into the net. We’ve got to be a bit more ruthless and want to score goals and want to stick it in the back of the net.”

That lack of finishing bit the RailHawks in the 39th minute. N.C. State rising senior Alex Martinez – brother of RSL loanee Enzo Martinez – received the ball along the end line off a throw-in. Erroneously assuming the ball had crossed the line, defender Kupono Low backed off Martinez, permitting the midfielder to drive toward goal and unleash a short-range shot that ricocheted off a RailHawk and into the net for an own goal equalizer.

After more knocking at the door went unanswered , the RailHawks finally went ahead to stay in the 53rd minute. A long-range free kick from da Luz deflected off the head of Austen King and past goalkeeper Peyton Ford for a 2-1 lead.

The RailHawks failed to put the Dynamo totally away, thanks to missed chances by da Luz and particularly Ackley, who was gifted four shots in 74 minutes but only managed to put one on frame. A minute after Zack Schilawski came on for Ackley, the move paid off. Shipalane poked a through ball in the box ahead to Schilawski, who calmly one-touched it past Ford for the 3-1 advantage.

Nevertheless, the Dynamo didn’t go down without flashing the fight they exhibited in coming back from a 3-1 second half deficit against Chattanooga FC last week. In the 81st minute, Arthur Rex got behind the RailHawks defenders and poked a ball past Murray but right of goal. And in the 89th, Hakan Ilhan, the hat trick hero of last week’s win, found space for a short-range shot that bounded off the left woodwork.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult night,” Clarke said. “ came in, they worked hard, they defended very well. We didn’t get a goal as early as we liked, and then you start to wonder and worry.”

The match was the first-ever meeting between the RailHawks and Dynamo, a member of the USL PDL. And while the final score does not betray any RailHawks dominance, several game statistics do. For the match, the RailHawks outshot the Dynamo 19-6 (9-1 on-target) and earned six corner kicks to only one for the visitors that didn’t come until the 89th minute.

“The best team won,” Nicholls said. “I was very impressed with them. I thought they were terrific. I was pleased with our team, I thought we hung in there for the longest time.”

With no league game this weekend, the RailHawks’ full attention now turns to their rematch with the Galaxy next Wednesday. In preparation for the possibility, Clarke traveled to New York last weekend to scout the Galaxy during their MLS match against the Red Bulls.

Last week, Galaxy manager Bruce Arena groused about his team being “shuffled off” to North Carolina for their third round Open Cup match, despite the fact that the Galaxy were already traveling east for a weekend match against the New England Revolution. Though Arena’s complaint about cross-country travel for midweek cup matches sandwiched between weekend MLS matches may merit examination, it was the tenor of Arena’s remarks, in concert with his typical practice of fielding reservists for Open Cup play, that has rubbed some the wrong way.

It was also the tenor that Clarke indirectly referenced after Tuesday’s match.

“The pressure’s on ,” Clarke declared. “They got beat last year, and they were out of the Open Cup. I’m not sure what they’re going to do and how they’re going to view it – if they really value the tournament and want to win it. But it doesn’t matter who’s on the field. We know they’re going to be good, and we’ve got to be good.”

Last year, the Galaxy’s visit was a financial windfall for the club and a galvanizing event for the greater Triangle soccer community. It accelerated construction of WakeMed Stadium’s North Stands, and the three-game ticket bundle sold for the match paid dividends through even the final regular season home match of the season, which set a club attendance record for a home league game.

This year, there’s as little chance of Landon Donovan or Robbie Keane taking the field at WakeMed Park as there was David Beckham a year ago. However, it’s not every year that the defending MLS champion comes to town… well, maybe it is.

“I just think it’s a great occasion for us, for our supporters to come out and watch what has been the best team in the United States for the last four or five years.”

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Fort Lauderdale survives scare from 10-man Laredo, advance via penalties

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It wasn’t as easy as they had hoped, but the second-tier NASL Fort Lauderdale Strikers advanced 7-6 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw against amateur PDL Laredo Heat in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match at Lockhart Stadium on Tuesday.

“That’s what the US Open Cup is all about,” said Strikers’ coach Daryl Shore. “You put everything on the line when you play these games.”

With the decision, Fort Lauderdale will host MLS Western Conference leading FC Dallas at Lockhart Stadium on Tuesday, May 28, in the Third Round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

After a first half of soccer that was about as uneventful as watching grass grow, Mark Anderson finally broke the nil-nil scoreline in the 54th minute when Darnell King raced down the middle, passing through the Heat’s defense and delivering a great ball to Anderson who had no trouble putting it in the net.

In the 66th minute, Laredo’s Daniel Galvan Barbosa was given a red card after he shoved Darnell King to the ground after King broke free from the defense.

Despite playing a man down in the last 24 minutes of regulation, Laredo still managed a goal from defender Camilo Bolero in the 83rd minute, tying the score at 1-1.

“When we went up a man I think we took the foot off the gas a little,” said keeper Matt Glaeser. “Bolero’s ball took a deflection and I went the wrong way, I could have done better.”

“Matt’s our goalkeeper,” assured Shore. “He’s been here a long time, he was just on a bad run lately but he came up huge for us in the end.”

After a deadlock score through 120 minutes of play, it took penalties to declare the winner.

Shot after shot, neither team missed a penalty try until Genaro Hernandez had his shot stopped by Matt Glaeser in the seventh round. Stephane Guillaume stepped up for the Strikers with a chance to win, but his shot was saved by Emmanuel Frias.

Then Gregory Mulamba’s attempt for Laredo was saved by Glaeser, his second consecutive save. Finally, Toni Stahl took his chance, and with a short run up, struck the ball low and to the left to win the shootout for the Strikers in the eighth round of the tiebreaker, sending them on to face FC Dallas.

“I expect them to bring their full team,” said coach Shore. “It’s a chance for our guys to face an MLS team and see what we are really about.”

“We’re going to have to come out and play a lot better than we did tonight if we want to beat FC Dallas,” said Glaeser. “But I do think we are capable of beating anyone.”

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: FC Tucson ousts another pro club with PK win at San Antonio

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A week after a stunning rally at home to knock off a third division USL Pro club, FC Tucson proved it was no fluke in the Second Round by taking the lead on the road against the second-tier NASL San Antonio Scorpions in a 2-2 draw and advancing via penalties by a 4-3 tiebreaker decision. The result means FC Tucson a return trip to the Lone Star State next week to face the reigning two-time MLS Cup runners-up Houston Dynamo.

FC Tucson coach, Rick Schantz, was delighted after the match. “It was kind of a gut-wrenching game to go up 2-1. I thought the boys were playing really well but we just couldn’t hold on.”

Scorpions coach Tim Hankinson was frustrated after the match. “Our lack of intensity throughout the game and lack of effectiveness was just inexcusable. Our players should be ashamed of the performance they put in.”

The two sides exchanged chances in the first half hour before the hosts found the opening tally. In the 20th minute, San Antonio’s Javier Saavedra came close to scoring the match’s first goal but his curling right-footed free kick sailed just wide of the post. A free kick allowed FC Tucson a chance of their own as David Clemens was left free on the far post, but his header went across the face and out.

A corner on the half-hour mark allowed the Scorpions to take the lead as Ramirez’s corner found Kevin Harmse at the near post where he headed the ball home powerfully for the opening goal.

“You try and get in the box.” said Harmse. “That’s what you earn your paycheck for. Just try and link up with the guys and create something.”

In truth, the Scorpions could have and maybe should have been further ahead but too often poor communication led to a final ball going astray and the Scorpions had to settle for a 1-0 lead at the break.

Esteban Bayona had a good opportunity in the 52nd minute after he was sent clean through the Tucson defense, but he overran the ball and couldn’t recover enough to shoot on target, opening the door for the visitors.

FC Tucson stunned the hosts in the 57th minute as they leveled the match when Ricardo Velasco hit a shot from distance that curled and snuck in between Vuolo and the post

The Scorpions responded almost instantly though as they countered up the pitch and sent a ball to Bayona, whose powerful shot was well saved.

David Clemens thought he’d put the PDL team in front in the 65th minute but the Scorpions were spared by the offside defense.

Two minutes later, however, FC Tucson did claim the lead in the 67th minute as Conner Brandt used his strength to get possession and passed to last week’s two-goal hero Conner Bevans. The striker, off coming off the bench to provide heroics struck again with a cross that was easily tapped home by Saeed Robinson.

“We should never get out-muscled,” said coach Hankinson, “We physically weren’t good enough, offensively weren’t good enough and defensively weren’t good enough.”

“We were very surprised that when w e ran at them and got behind their midfield four and ran at their back four, they kind of retreated as a group and let us come at them.” said Schantz.

The Scorpions had a chance in the 81st minute as Bayona broke free only to send his shot across the face of goal, and the hosts continued to press in the final 10 minutes, believing they captured the lead in the 83rd minute only to have Hans Denissen’s goal denied for timing his run poorly and being offside.

It should have been three for Tucson in the 87th when Daktoa Collins set up Ricardo Velasco in space but he shot well over the bar.

A lifeline was quite literally handed to the Scorpions in stoppage time as a handling penalty allowed Hans Denissen a chance from the spot, and he put his team back on level terms to send the match to extra-time.

In overtime the hosts had several opportunities to find a winner, but came up empty. Luka Vucko came close to scoring in the 94th minute from a long free-kick as he was left free to head at goal but sent his effort over the bar. In the 97th minute, Denissen was left free on the left and crossed for a wide open Bayona, who again couldn’t hit the target as he headed wide. One minute later Jordan held off his defender and got in to the box but saw his shot denied by a great Dallas Jaye save. The chances kept coming and in the 100th minute Bayona was again left free on a corner but his effort was right at the keeper, keeping it 2-2 after the first half of extra-time.

The second half of extra-time was a much more sedate affair but was nearly brought alive by Galbraith-Knapp whose shot from distance scraped the crossbar just missing the goal. San Antonio should have sealed it in the 115th minute as Vucko crossed for Jordan at point blank range but his header went wide.

After converted shots in the first round, the Scorpions stung themselves when Pat Phelan skied his effort on a stuttered approach to start the second round, leaving them behind a goal. Both sides scored in the third and fourth rounds but Kevin Harmse also put his shot over the bar for San Antonio in the fifth, sending FC Tucson through to the Third Round.

“We’re very disappointed,” lamented Harmse after the match, “Me personally and Pat personally, we’re two experienced leaders and we let the guys down in a big way.”

With the loss, the Scorpions lose their chance to host Houston Dynamo; something bitterly frustrating for Hankinson. “It’s also about the business of football. We also lost hosting Houston Dynamo and a packed stadium, which is an enormous piece of revenue for the club and we blew it.”

NASL enters into US Open Cup competition for the first time

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Minnesota Dark Cloud supporters with their "US Open Cup Banned" banner. | Photo: Jeremy Olson, DigitalGopher.net

For the first time ever and after a year’s absence of the USSF 2nd Division from US Open Cup competition, the North American Soccer League (NASL) will enter into Cup play on Tuesday evening.

“We were disappointed we didn’t get in it last year but we also understood with the sanctioning and the stance US Soccer took, we had to learn to crawl before we walked,” said Fort Lauderdale Strikers head coach Daryl Shore.

Indeed, the NASL who had an on-again, off-again and then on-again sanctioning process with the USSF in late 2010 and early 2011, were deemed to have received that sanctioning too late to be included in the Cup competition in 2011. The exclusion meant that the 98-year old tournament would not include a 2nd Division team.

The NASL had a positive first year in 2011 and were sanctioned by the USSF for 2012. With the early sanctioning also came the approval to be included in the competition for the first time as a league.

NASL coach of the year Manny Lagos, who led his Minnesota Stars to the 2011 Championship, said it wasn’t just disappointing to the league, its players and coaches. “It was disappointing from a league perspective but also from a fan’s perspective,” said Lagos.

Minnesota soccer fans have a history of participating in the US Open Cup. In 2005, the last year his father Buzz Lagos coached the Minnesota Thunder, that team made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, defeating MLS teams Real Salt Lake 6-4, the Colorado Rapids 4-1 and the Kansas City Wizards 3-1 before being bounced from the tournament by the Galaxy in the Semifinals. Last year the Stars supporters, the Dark Clouds, proudly posted a banner at each and every game that stated, “US Open Cup Banned”.

Northern Ireland born Colin Clarke, head coach of the Carolina RailHawks, has plenty of experience in cup competitions, as a player in England and as a coach of FC Dallas. He participated in the Caribbean Federation Union (CFU) with his former team the Puerto Rico Islanders who had good success in that tournament. Clarke brought his FC Dallas team to the US Open Cup final in 2005 where they lost to the Galaxy 1-0. FC Dallas were defeated in the Quarterfinals of the tournament in 2006, losing to the Houston Dynamo.

Andy Herron, now a member of the NASL's Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, helped the Chicago Fire win the 2006 US Open Cup title, and was named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. Photo: Chicago Fire

Clarke’s RailHawks will host the PSA Elite (USASA) amateur team at WakeMed Soccer Park on Tuesday evening.

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” said Clarke in regard to entry back into the US Open Cup as coach of an American Division 2 team. “We (Puerto Rico Islanders) had great success in the CFU. But now that’s gone and we’ve got the Open Cup. The last time my team played in that we got close to the final with Dallas in the last couple of years there.

“It’s a big competition for us. We didn’t get to play in it last year, so were excited to get out there and hopefully get through the early rounds and play against some MLS teams. It’s our equivalent to the FA Cup back in my home of England. It’s our chance to play against the big boys and see what we can do.”

Shore also has had plenty of US Open Cup experience, serving as assistant coach for 10 years with the Chicago Fire. There he saw both sides of what can happen in a format that gives all levels of teams an equal chance to compete.

“The Fire took the Open Cup very seriously,” said Shore. “I’ve seen both sides of it. We won a couple of Open Cups with the Fire. I also remember losing to Milwaukee in the first round and another year, one of my last with the Fire, we lost to Wilmington (Hammerheads, Division 3 professional). So I know what the Open Cup is about. These young lower level teams can surprise sometimes.”

“The first thing that actually comes to my mind as a player is we were defending US Open Cup Champions when I was with the Fire,” reminisced Lagos. “We went to Rochester, New York to play a lower level team and we ended up losing 2-1. That’s the reality of the tournament. It was a tough day and we didn’t play as well as we would have liked. It can be one game and you’re done. That’s the tough part but it’s also the exciting part of the tournament.”

Coach Shore said that like the Fire, his philosophy in Ft. Lauderdale is to be the last NASL team standing in the Open Cup. “We know there’s money involved. We’re going to take it very seriously.  We’ve even brought in players who have had success in the US Open Cup. Players like Andy Herron who scored the winning goal in the 2006 Open Cup final. We’ve got guys on this team that want to take the Open Cup serious and go far in the tournament.”

“I approach it that it’s an honor to coach a team in such a storied tournament,” said MLS player turned coach, Lagos. “It’s a great format. We get to be challenged by playing higher level teams and sometimes you play lower level teams, but all of games are always exciting. It can be very tense and emotional, especially at the round we are entering into.”

Lagos’ Stars will take the 4 hour bus ride down I-35 from Minnesota to Iowa on Tuesday to play one of the better USL PDL teams, the Des Monies Menace. He points to the fact that the essence of the tournament is “representation of all the teams, amateur and professional, battling for the trophy.”

“The Menace are a really well-run PDL organization. They get a lot of top midwest college players and All-Americans. They’ve also had some good men’s league players that are on their way up to professional careers. It’s a very good team and we’re excited to go down there in front of a potentially hostile environment and get a result.”

The Menace averaged 3,372 fans last season, which was a better average attendance than all but two of the NASL teams in 2011.

“Anything can happen,” concluded Lagos. “Lower level teams play well and higher level teams play well. That’s the lure of the US Open Cup. I think as more people become aware of that one game-one day excitement, I think it will become even more of a story line in the US Soccer landscape.”

Brian Quarstad  is the creator and senior editor of IMSoccer News. You can follow him on Twitter @IMSoccerNews

2011 USOC team allocations, dates set

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The United States Soccer Federation’s US Open Cup committee has finalized the dates and the team allocations for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The 98th edition of the tournament will begin on June 14 with 40 teams entering and will wrap up with the championship game on October 4.

The only professional entries in this year’s tournament will be eight Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs and all 11 USL Pro teams (Third Division). With 16 U.S.-based MLS  teams eligible, it’s clear that MLS qualifying will return, in some form, for the fifth year in a row.

Aside from the US Soccer Federation’s exclusion of the five U.S.-based NASL (Second Division) teams, which was announced on Monday, the most notable changes to the 2011 edition of the Open Cup is on the amateur side of the competition. For the first time since the league began play in 2003, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will have four slots set aside for the competition. In the past, the Fourth-Division amateur league has had to qualify for the Open Cup through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), which retains the eight spots that it has held since 2004. The Premier Development League (PDL) will get an extra team into the tournament this year, giving the league nine entries, the most they have ever had.

CONCACAF’s official twitter account recently confirmed what most people assumed, which is that the 2011 US Open Cup champion will still qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.

The two-time defending champion Seattle Sounders FC will earn an automatic bid to the Open Cup, and have the chance to be the first team in over 40 years to win three consecutive Open Cups. The last team to achieve that feat was the New York Greek-Americans (1967-69). Only three teams in the history if the tournament have won three straight championships.

The Sounders will be joined by five other automatic qualifiers, based on the MLS league standings from 2010. The Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake and the Supporters’ Shield winning Los Angeles Galaxy will all enter the tournament in the third round.  The 10 remaining U.S.-based MLS clubs (Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, DC United, Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City) will battle for the remaining two slots.

Can the Sounders become only the second team in the tournament's 98-year history to win three straight US Open Cup titles? Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Each league chooses how their teams will qualify, and will announce their criteria at a later date. Since 2007, MLS has held a play-in tournament, with the last two years having the games separate from the regular season schedule. 2007 and 2008 saw regular season games double as Open Cup qualifiers.

While it is unknown which format MLS will take for play-in games this year, the play-in games from the last two years have struggled to spark fan interest. In 2009, the qualifying games, which were separate from the regular season schedule, drew less than 5,000 fans per game, and last year, the average fell to less than 2,500.

The PDL will keep a similar format with each U.S.-based team having four regular season games selected (usually two home, two away) to double as Open Cup qualifiers. The top team from each of the nine divisions will earn a berth into the First Round.

The USASA will keep the same qualifying format they have had for the last seven years where each of the four regions submits both finalists in their US Open Cup tournament.

MLS (8 teams – First Division): Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC + 2 qualifying teams
USL Pro (11 teams – Third Division): Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, FC New York, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, Orlando City, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, Wilmington Hammerheads
PDL (9 teams – Amateur): Teams to be determined
USASA (8 teams – Amateur): Two finalists from each of the four regional tournaments
NPSL (4 teams – Amateur): Teams to be determined

The prize money also remains the same as last year with the winner of the tournament earning $100,000, the runner-up getting $50,000 and the Third Division (USL Pro) and Amateur team that advances the furthest gets $10,000.

Much like recent Open Cup tournaments, games are scheduled to take place on Tuesdays and the first three rounds will be played in consecutive weeks with the remaining games spaced out over the rest of the season until the October 4 final.

The dates for each round are as follows and are subject to change:

May 30: Qualification Deadline
Tuesday, June 14: First Round
Tuesday, June 21: Second Round
Tuesday, June 28: Third Round
Tuesday, July 12: Fourth Round
Tuesday, August 30: Semifinals
Tuesday, October 4: Final

USSF: NASL teams will not be eligible for 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

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In a conference call to discuss the US Soccer Federation’s provisional sanctioning of the North American Soccer League (NASL), US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said the eight-team league will not be taking part in the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Five of the eight teams in the NASL — Carolina RailHawks, FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, Atlanta Silverbacks, NSC Minnesota Stars and Miami FC — will not participate due to the fact that a change to the Open Cup format at this stage of planning would be difficult.

Gulati said during the conference call, “It’s simply too late to incorporate them into the process in the various phases of the tournament. The timing does not work for the five U.S.-based teams to participate in this annual event.” He added, “It’s impossible to put them into . They’re not going to play this year.”

This marks the first time in the Professional Era (1995-present) that a pro league will not be taking part in the tournament. The last time a professional league was not represented in the Open Cup was when the previous North American Soccer League(1968-1984) refused to enter throughout the league’s 17-year existence. In 1996, the USISL Pro League did not enter a club into the Open Cup, but that was due to the qualification tournament created by the USISL, which merged all the leagues together into one competition. None of the USISL Pro teams survived the qualifying tournament.

The format for the 2011 US Open Cup has not been released, and it is unknown when it will be announced and how many teams will ultimately take part in the tournament. The last two years, the format was announced on May 5, 2010 and April 30, 2009.

The three remaining clubs, all of which are not eligible because they are not based in the United States, are still competing in their own cup competitions. The Canadian-based teams, FC Edmonton and the Montreal Impact will be taking part in the Canadian Nutrilite Championship and the Puerto Rico Islanders will also continue to participate in the Caribbean Football Union championships. Both tournaments lead to a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Currently there are a number of states who have either completed or are conducting their Open Cup qualifying tournament for the USASA.  Check back with TheCup.us with a recap of all the state qualifying to this point.

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