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New York Greek Americans

A Seattle Sounders three-peat could put them among American sports elite

August 29, 2011 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Photo: Jane Gershovich | Prost Amerika Soccer

It’s one of the hardest accomplishments in all of team sports, winning three championships in a row. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley even trademarked the phrase “three-peat” in November 1988 for use on merchandise and apparel. Just fifteen times in the modern history of the four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) has a team managed to win three or more championships in consecutive order.

If you want an international soccer perspective on how hard it is to win three cup titles in a row, chew on this. The Spanish Copa del Rey has only seen five three-peat winners, none since Barcelona in 1953. The English FA Cup has had only two teams win three or more titles in a row, the last in 1886 by Blackburn Rovers. The German DFB Pokal (played since 1935) and the Italy’s Coppa Italia (1922) have NEVER had a three-peat champion.

In terms of soccer in the United States, only six teams have achieved a three-peat in league play, all in the ASL and none since 1964. Two teams, Clark O.N.T. and Bethlehem Steel, achieved the feat in the American Cup competition, which predated the Open Cup to 1885, but was restricted to clubs from the Northeast United States.

Only three teams have won the US Open Cup three times in a row since it began in 1914, the Fall River Marksmen, NY Greek Americans and Stix, Baer and Fuller (St. Louis). This means the Seattle Sounders are just three games away from joining one of the elite lists in American sports history. TheCup.us takes a look at what stands in the way of writing the Sounders name in the history books. (LINK: The “Three-Peat” US Open Cup winners)

OPPONENTS

This is the wild-card factor facing the Sounders three-peat. What kind of team will the Los Angeles Galaxy put on the field for their Quarterfinal match? How strong will the Sounders lineup be? The Galaxy will face the same schedule situation as the Sounders heading into the Quarterfinal, with the Open Cup being their third game in eight days. However, Los Angeles will not have another league game after that until July 20 while the Sounders jump right back into MLS play four days later on July 16. The Galaxy does have a “World Football Challenge” match against Real Madrid on the same day.

Three-peat winners in other
professional team competitions
NFL
Green Bay Packers (1929-1931)
NBA
Minneapolis Lakers (1952-1954)
Boston Celtics (1959-1966)
Chicago Bulls (1991-1993)
Chicago Bulls (1996-1998)
Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002)
MLB
New York Yankees (1936-1939)
New York Yankees (1949-1953)
Oakland Athletics (1972-1974)
New York Yankees (1998-2000)
NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs (1947-1949)
Montreal Canadians (1956-1960)
Toronto Maple Leafs (1962-1964)
Montreal Canadians (1977-1979)
New York Islanders (1980-1983)

SOCCER
American Cup (1885-1924)
Clark O.N.T. (1885-1887)
Bethlehem Steel (1916-1919)

American Soccer League
Fall River Marksmen (1924-1926)
Fall River Marksmen (1929-1930)*
Kearny Scots (1937-1941)
Philadelphia Nationals (1949-1951)
New York Hakoah (1957-1959)
Ukrainian Nationals (1961-1964)|
*1929 and 1930 seasons split into separate Spring/Fall seasons

Copa Del Rey (Spain)
Real Madrid (1905-1907)
Athletic Bilbao (1914-1916)
Athletic Bilbao (1930-1933)
Athletic Bilbao (1943-1945)
Barcelona (1951-1953)

FA Cup (England)
Wanderers (1876-1878)
Blackburn Rovers (1884-1886)

The Galaxy only used five regular starters in their 2-1 Third Round win over USL Pro’s Los Angeles Blues. Seattle used just one regular starter in its lineup versus the Kitsap Pumas of the PDL.

When the west coast league rivals met in the 2010 Open Cup Quarterfinals, the lineup Los Angeles put on the field featured just four players who would end the MLS season with 10 or more starts for the Galaxy. Among the players in the opening lineup, Omar Gonzalez was the only Galaxy player to start at least half of LA’s MLS games by the end of the season. Seattle was better at playing regulars for the match, but not by much. Three of the Sounders eleven at the opening whistle earned starts in at last half of Seattle’s MLS games: Patrick Ianni (24), Jeff Parke (20) and Nathan Sturgis (16).

In other words, don’t be surprised if both teams’ lineups for the match feature reserve or bench players, just for the sake of keeping the regular starters fresh for the upcoming schedule.

Should Seattle get by Los Angeles, they will play either Real Salt Lake or FC Dallas in the Semifinals, which is likely to mark the point of dedication from all of the Final Four clubs. Being two games away from a trophy, MLS clubs are more likely to put a stronger team on the field than in earlier rounds. For their 2010 Semifinal match against Chivas USA, Seattle’s lineup combined for 233 2010 MLS appearances, and 196 starts, a jump of 85 appearances and 115 starts over their Quarterfinal match.

SCHEDULE CONGESTION

This could be the biggest hurdle for the Sounders on the way to a three-peat. Schedule congestion has been used as the main reason why many MLS teams rest starting players in the Third and Quarterfinal rounds. As it stands now, the Sounders only have to deal with MLS matches surrounding the Quarterfinal Open Cup game, though they will play an MLS game two days prior to their Cup contest.

After that, it gets a bit tricky as a third ball enters the juggling act.

Should the Sounders get past San Francisco FC of Panama in the Preliminary Round of the CONCACAF Champions League, their schedule leading up to a possible August 30 Open Cup Semifinal will get a bit more crowded, barring any approved league or Cup schedule alterations. In addition to the four MLS league games on tap for August, they will have their second match of Champions League group play on August 23-25. With a league game on August 27, that would give Seattle three games in seven days to contend with.

If they manage to make their way to the Open Cup Final on October 4, another stretch of 3 games in 7 days potentially awaits them. By this point two important wild cards come into play: If the Sounders are fighting for an MLS playoff spot, AND still in contention to advance from their CCL group, a tough stretch of important games lie ahead of them. Will Seattle shoot for a three-peat, or will they focus on winning the Champions League or MLS Cup for the first time. Maybe the club’s depth will help them give a solid effort toward all three. The Sounders’ reserve squad has a perfect 7-0-0 record.

Schedule congestion wasn’t much of an issue years ago for teams like the Fall River Marksmen, Stix, Baer and Fuller, and the NY Greek Americans. Those teams accomplished their Open Cup three-peats back when the Cup games took precedence over everything. Since most of the players were making semi-pro money at best, a regular work schedule meant that league and cup games took place on Sundays. In some cities an entire league schedule would be put on hold to ensure the lone Open Cup game was the center of attention that day. There was no concern over resting players for a playoff push, because the Open Cup was the playoffs – it was the national championship. The tournament was the biggest prize that soccer in the United States could offer, so if there was any resting of starters it would be in preparation for the upcoming Cup game.

INJURIES / ROSTER CHANGES

Injuries are the type of obstacle you cannot prepare for in advance, because you never know when they will pop up or how severe they will be. Right now the Sounders are without their second leading goal scorer from the 2010 season, Steve Zakuani, who suffered a broken leg on April 22 against the Colorado Rapids. Also missing from the roster is Jamaican international O’Brien White, who has been out since April 28 after having a blood clot surgically removed from his left leg. There is some speculation that White may be able to return to play within a month.

The Sounders won their first US Open Cup title in their inaugural season in 2009. Photo: Seattle Sounders

During last year’s Open Cup run, a major roster shakeup seemed to energize the Sounders. In late-July Seattle traded former Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg following what turned out to be a falling out with the club. Before the trade, the Sounders were struggling in the standings, bobbing up and down past the final MLS playoff slot. After the move, Seattle surged up the standings to the point that their playoff fate was no longer in question.

The mid-season transfer window for MLS, which allows players from clubs outside the United States and Canada to join the league, opens July 15 and closes August 14. Playmakers coming into the league could directly influence the Open Cup clubs by joining their rosters or through ancillary trades to create the moves, particularly if it is for a designated player.

PLAYING ON THE ROAD

Something that definitely favors the Sounders is playing their Open Cup matches at home. Of the nine Cup matches Seattle has played since joining MLS, six have been at home, and two of the road matches were in relatively nearby Portland, Oregon. This year they began their Open Cup quest at home against the Kitsap Pumas, and they’ll host their Quarterfinal match against the Los Angeles Galaxy. If Seattle progresses into the semifinals, odds are 50-50 if they will have to travel depending on who wins the contest between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas. The Sounders will likely be rooting for the home side to take the contest in Texas Tuesday night.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Quarterfinals, 2011 US Open Cup, 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals, Fall River Marksmen, New York Greek Americans, Seattle Sounders MLS, Stix

Notable Semifinal matches in US Open Cup history

August 27, 2011 by

4/18/14  Pawtucket, Rhode Island
New Bedford FC 1-2 Brooklyn Field Club

New Bedford – Beckton 24’
Brooklyn – Robert Millar (2)
Sent Off – Clark (Brooklyn) 34’, Chadwick (New Bedford) 34’

4/26/14  Olympic Park – Paterson, New Jersey
Brooklyn Celtic 6-2  Niagara Falls Rangers (3-0 HT)

Celtic – O’Hallaran (3), King (Campion), Campion, Lonie
Rangers – Kemp, Wallace

The very first Semifinal round of the US Open Cup (then called the National Challenge Cup) saw a pair of Brooklyn teams reach the Final. On April 18, the Brooklyn Field Club, which finished first in the National Association Football League, defeated New Bedford FC 2-1, on two goals by Hall of Famer Robert Millar, after Beckton had given the New Englanders a 1-0 lead. Both teams played much of the game with ten men each, after Clark of Brooklyn and Chadwick of New Bedford were sent off in the 35th minute for fighting.

In the other Semifinal on April 26 Brooklyn Celtic, eventual winners of the New York State Amateur Foot Ball League, easily defeated the Niagara Falls Rangers 6-2. O’Hallaran lead the way for Celtic with a hat trick.

3/17/29  Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
Madison Kennels 7-4 Sparta A & BA

Madison – Bud Grennon (3), Dinty Moore, Worden, Oster, Eddie Flavin
Sparta – Barger (2), Kratochvil, Oster (og)

St. Louis’s Madison Kennels and Chicago’s Sparta A & BA combine for 11 goals, setting a new Semifinal mark that would later be equaled in 1962. Madison’s Bud Grennon led all scorers with three goals, while Barger led Sparta with two.

3/16/30  Polo Grounds – New York, New York
Bethlehem Steel 1-1 Fall River Marksmen (Match Report)

Bethlehem – Sandy Dick
Fall River – Alex McNab 82’

Bethlehem – Fraser, Finlayson, McGregor, Reid, Carnihan, Pitt, Gillespie, Jaap, Stark, Massie, Dick

Marksmen – Reder, McGill, R. McAuley, McPherson, Priestley, Ballantyne, McNab, Gonsalves (Nilsen), Patenaude, J. McAuley, White

Att – 17,000   Referee – C. E. Creighton. Linesmen – F. DeGroof and M. Hutchinson

3/23/30  Battery Park – New Bedford, Massachusetts
(replay) Fall River Marksmen 3-2 Bethlehem Steel

Fall River – Billy Gonsalves 50’, Dave Priestley 67’, Bobby Ballantyne 71’
Bethlehem – Archie Stark 64’ 70’

Bethlehem Steel makes their final appearance in the National Challenge Cup, losing to the Fall River Marksmen 3-2 and ending the first great dynasty of the Cup. After a 1-1 draw at the Polo Grounds in New York, Fall River took the replay at New Bedford. Billy Gonsalves gave the Marksmen a 1-0 lead after 50 minutes, but Archie Stak put Bethlehem ahead with two goals in the middle of the half. Fall River snatched the lead for good on scored from Dave Priestly and Bobby Ballantine. Effects of the Great Depression forced Bethlehem Steel to stop fielding a team after 1930.

Bethlehem made the Semifinals a total of nine times from 1915-1930, including five in a row from 1915-1919, in which they reached the Final each time.

3/6/32  St. Louis, Missouri
(first leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 3-2 Bricklayers FC

Stix – McCarthy (2), Willie McLean
Bricklayers – Lillie, Coutis

3/14/32  Sparta Field – Chicago, Illinois
(second leg) Bricklayers FC 2-0 Stix, Baer & Fuller

Bricklayers – Munro, Lillie

3/19/32  Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 1-0 Bricklayers FC

Stix – Jack O’Reilly 1’

Stix, Baer & Fuller, featuring Hall of Famers Billy Gonsalves, William Lehman, Alex McNab, Willie McLean, began their run of six straight appearances in the Open Cup Final by defeating Chicago’s Bricklayers SC over three legs in the 1932 Western Final. The team reached the 1932, 1933 & 1934 Finals under the sponsorship of Stix. Baer and Fuller, a St. Louis department store. The team switched sponsorship for the 1935 season, playing as Central Breweries. Sponsorship changed again, and the team reached the 1936 & 1937 finals under the name Shamrocks. The team finally folded after many of its players left to play for another St. Louis club, St. Patricks.

3/24/35  St. Louis, Missouri
(First leg) Central Brewery 2-1 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

4/1/35  De Paul Field – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 1-1 (aet) Central Brewery

Weibolt – Littie 28’
Central – McNab 30’

4/6/34  St. Louis, Missouri
(Second leg replay) Central Brewery 3-3 (aet) Weiboldt Wodnerbolts

4/14/35  Sparta Stadium – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg – second replay) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 3-2(aet) Central Brewery (0-2 HT, 2-2 FT)

Weibolt – Monroe (2 PK), Hill
Central – Billy Gonsalves, Bert Patenaude

4/21/35  St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Central Brewery 1-0 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

Central – Bert Patenaude 68′

The longest Semifinal matchup was between Chicago’s Weiboldt Wonderbolts and Central Brewery of St. Louis. The three-leg Western Final actually lasted five games. Central won the first game 2-1 in St. Louis. The second leg in Chicago finished 1-1 after extra time. A week later in St. Louis, the second leg replay finished 3-3, meaning a second replay of the second leg would take place a week later in Chicago. That game also went to extra time, but the Wonderbolts managed to come out on top 3-2. Nearly a month after it started, the series finally ended when Central won the decisive leg 1-0.

4/23/44  Winnemac Park – Chicago, Illinois
(first leg) Viking AA 0-2 Morgan Strasser

Morgan – Elgie Grant 21′ 80′

5/7/44  Bridgeville Park – Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
(second leg) Morgan Strasser 9-0 Viking AA (Chi.) (4-0 HT)

Morgan – Aldo Donelli 15′ (Hart) n/a’ , Felix Mitchell (2), Pucker (2), Urbanic, Grant, Pietersek

The most lopsided Semifinal pairing was in 1944, when Pittsburgh’s Morgan Strasser demolished Chicago’s Viking AA 11-0 over two legs. Morgan won the first leg in Chicago 2-0, but the return leg in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania turned into a rout. Aldo Donelli, Felix Mitchell and Pucker each scored twice as Morgan ran away with a 9-0 win, a mark that still stands as the highest score by a single team in a single Semifinal game.

3/28/54  Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
Scots SC 0-1 Kutis SC
Att-4,000

The Scots SC of Los Angeles became the first team West of St. Louis to appear in a US Open Cup Semifinal, losing to Kutis SC 1-0. 1954 was also the first year teams from California participated in the US Open Cup, and the winner between Los Angeles and San Francisco went on to face the survivor between St. Louis and Chicago in the Semifinals.

6/10/62  St. Louis, Missouri
Kutis SC 5-6 (aet) San Francisco Scots 6-5

Scots – Tom Dawkins n/a’ 118′

The Scots and Kutis combine for 11 goals in the 1962 Western Final, equaling a mark set by Madison Kennels and Sparta A & BA in 1929 for the most combined goals in a single Semifinal game. Tom Dawkins scored twice for the Scots, including the winning goal with a minute left in extra time. The game was tied 3-3 after ninety minutes, and also marked the first time a club from San Francisco would reach the Open Cup Final.

3/6/71  Seattle, Washington
(1st Leg) Heidelberg Brewers (Sea.) 1-0 Yugoslav SC

3/14/71  Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
(2nd Leg) Yugoslav SC 2-0 Heidelberg Brewers

Yugoslav – Karlo Mertisek, Rade Savic

In the last two-leg Semifinal in Open Cup play, San Pedro, California’s Yugoslav SC edged out Seattle’s Heidelberg Brewers on a 2-1 aggregate.

5/27/73  Metropolitan Oval – Queens, New York
New York Greek Americans 1-3 Inter-Italia SC

NYGA – Joe Ognajac 31’
Inter – Valentino Stavole 3’, Vito Colonna 40’, Gianpietro Gasparin 41’)

Cleveland’s Inter-Italia SC halted a six-year streak of New York/New Jersey clubs appearing in the US Open Cup Final, thanks to a 3-1 victory over New York Greek Americans. Inter dominated play for the most part, and were lead by Gianpietro Gasparini, a priest by trade, who played a part in all three of Inter’s goals.

Cleveland started off right away, as Gasparini fed a pass to Valentino Stavole, who beat G-A goalkeeper Joe Canal from 15 yards out after just two minutes of play. The Greeks managed to draw the match level after 31 minutes however, as Joe Ognajac put in a header from close range.  Cleveland took the lead for good just before halftime, as Vito Colonna scored in the 40th minute, and Gasparini scored just a minute later. Cleveland kept up the pressure, but missed several chances to further grow the scoreline.

6/3/79  Norton Park – St. Petersburg, Florida
H. Brooks Dodge Chargers 0-3 Brooklyn Dodgers

The St. Petersburg, Florida-based Chargers are the first team from the Southern US to make an appearance in the Semifinals of the US Open Cup. By this time the tournament was split into four regions, and only three teams entered from the southern region.

6/20/87  St. Louis Soccer Park – Fenton, Missouri
Mitre Eagles 5-4(aet) Busch SC  (2-2 FT)

Eagles – John Klein 119’ (2), Eddie Kruger, Peter Klein, Andy Churlin
Busch- Steve Trittschuh 85’

St. Louis’s Busch SC tried the game at 2-2 in the 85th minute on a goal from Steve Tritschuh. The teams traded goals in extra time to make it 4-4, and John Klein sent the Eagles to the final with a 25-yard shot in the 119th minute.

6/25/94
Bavarian Leinekugel w/o McCormick Kickers

The Kickers are forced to forfeit since most of the team held tickets to a World Cup game in Orlando that fell on the same day. The team had purchased the tickets well in advance, and were assured the dates for the Open Cup would not conflict.

9/2/97  Stagg Memorial Stadium – Stockton, California
San Francisco Bay Seals 1-2 DC United

The Cinderella run of the San Francisco Bay Seals comes to an end with their Semifinal loss to DC United. The D3 Pro League Seals had upset two MLS teams (Kansas City and San Jose) on their way to becoming the only team from the third tier of US soccer to reach the Semifinals in the Professional Era (1995-present).

9/1/99  Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-2 Columbus Crew

Rochester – Darren Tilley 68’, Scott Schweitzer 86’, Tom Hardy 90’
Columbus – Robert Warzycha 56’, Brian West 77’

9/1/99  Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Colorado Rapids 3-0 Charleston Battery

Colorado – Jorge Daly Valdes 55’ 87’, Paul Bravo 82’

For the first time in Pro Era history, two non-MLS teams reach the Semifinals. Rochester’s 3-2 triumph over Columbus paved the way for the only time a lower league club would win the Open Cup title in the Pro Era. While Charleston fell 3-0 to Colorado, their run was catapulted by their famous 4-3 sudden death extra time win over DC United in the Fourth Round. Both games were played in Virginia Beach, Virginia due to the fact that they were scheduled to host the 1998 Open Cup Final, but a hurricane forced a venue change.

8/12/08  Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Battery 1-1 (aet) Seattle Sounders
Charleston advance on penalty kicks, 4-3

Charleston – Randi Patterson 32’
Seattle – Osvaldo Alonso 20’ (og)

For the only time in the Pro Era, a Semifinal match is contested between two lower league teams, ensuring the Final would feature at least one non-MLS team.

7/21/09 Starfire Sports Complex – Tukwila, Washington
Seattle Sounders FC 2:1 (aet) Houston Dynamo

The Seattle Sounders, in their inaugural season in Major League Soccer, advanced to the Final in dramatic fashion. Houston’s Ade Akinbiyi put the Dynamo up in the 32nd minute, but the home team wasn’t able to equalize until the 89th minute when Nate Jaqua sent the game into extra time. With all the momentum and the home crowd behind them at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash., Stephen King scored what would prove to be the game-winner in the 95th minute on an assist from Sebastien Le Toux and the club would hold on to the 2-1 lead throughout extra time, despite defender Jhon Hurtado being sent off in the 110th minute. The Sounders become the first Seattle-based team to reach the Open Cup Final since the Mitre Eagles did it in 1987.

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Baer & Fuller, Bavarian SC, Bethlehem Steel FC, Bricklayers FC, Brooklyn Celtic, Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn Field Club, Busch SC, Central Brewery, Charleston Battery, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, Fall River Marksmen, H. Brooks Dodge Chargers, Heidelberg Brewers, Houston Dynamo, Inter-Italia SC, Kutis SC, Madison Kennels, McCormick Kickers, Mitre Eagles, Morgan Strasser, New Bedford FC, New York Greek Americans, Niagara Falls Rangers, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals, San Francisco Scots, Scots SC, Seattle Sounders MLS, Seattle Sounders USL, Sparta A & BA, Stix, Viking AA, Weiboldt Wonderbolts, Yugoslav SC

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