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NTX Rayados

NTX Rayados disqualified the night before 2016 US Open Cup set to begin

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North Texas NTX RayadosThe night before they were scheduled to host Corinthians FC of San Antonio in the opening round of the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the North Texas Rayados learned that they had been disqualified.

According to North Texas player/coach Tito Salas, the reason given by the US Soccer Federation was because the Rayados did not participate in the North Texas Premier Soccer League this past season due to injuries and player availability. In order to be eligible to participate in the US Open Cup, teams must be active in a USSF-sanctioned league.

“It’s disappointing,” said Salas. “ moving forward with a positive attitude. We plan to stay active active year-round. We’ll learn from this.”

North Texas were planning to take part in their fifth straight US Open Cup, an open division record for the Modern Era, and were set to host a tournament game for the first time on Wednesday night.

The US Soccer Federation explained the decision in a statement:

U.S. Open Cup Policy 203(a) states in part: “Teams entering the Open Cup shall use their official league roster as their Open Cup roster.”

Having skipped playing in their league’s 2016 spring season, Rayados does not have any players currently registered with their league. With no existing league roster, the team has no eligible players for their 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup roster.

According to US Soccer spokesperson Neil Buethe, the issue was discovered during a roster check with the North Texas Soccer Association. North Texas was eligible to compete in the open division qualifying tournament in the fall because they were active in the North Texas Premier Soccer League at the time. When the team pulled out of the league’s spring season, that’s what led to the disqualification.

Unfortunately for Corinthians FC, according to Jon Arnold, the team had already arrived in Dallas for Wednesday’s game before they were alerted of the disqualification late Tuesday night.

With the decision, Corinthians FC gets a free pass into Round 2 where they will face the USL’s San Antonio FC at Toyota Field on May 18 at 8 p.m. ET.

Corinthians are happy to move on, but they expressed their sympathies to their disqualified opponents:

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Laredo Heat win PK shootout with NTX Rayados, advance for 4th straight year

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laredo-heat-logo-2015After 120 minutes of scoreless, back-and-forth play, the Laredo Heat made four straight penalties to beat North Texas Rayados in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday night at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex.

Laredo took a 3-2 lead in penalties before Leon Taylor stepped up to seal the deal, but he missed his first chance. Luckily for the Heat, the referee said Rayados goalkeeper Eduardo Cortez moved forward before Taylor’s shot. He smoothly made the re-take to hand his team the win.

The Heat, who are unbeaten (3-0-1) in their last four Open Cup openers, will travel to Austin for a matchup with the Austin Aztex of the USL on May 20 in the Second Round of the win-or-go-home tournament.

“Me retaking it, I was like ‘You’ve got another chance, you better make it,’” Taylor said. “I didn’t want to put the team in jeopardy.”

It took awhile for both teams to settle in and find their footing in the first half. The first 40 or so minutes of the game were played in the middle of the field without much attacking from either side.

Rayados midfielder David Robleo missed a sitter from the middle of the 18-yard box with less than five minutes to go until halftime. And Laredo’s Angel Hernandez chested down a cross right in front of the net, but his effort was pushed over the top of the net by Cortez a minute later.

While most of the first half was played with Rayados sitting behind the ball and absorbing the Heat attack, the second half was a different story. They came out of the break aggressively, and committed six fouls in the first 20 minutes of the half.

“It was a good test for us as far as our conditioning and what we’ve been working on during the preseason,” Laredo defender Fransisco Lara said. “It went well, and it did get a little bit physical, but that’s what we expect with the American style.”

Second half substitute Salvador Luna had the best chance of the game between both teams in the 90th minute when he got behind the North Texas defense and was one-on-one with Cortez. His shot sailed just over the crossbar.

It was the first game of the season for Laredo, who will begin the PDL Season on May 23, but surprisingly the Heat were the more in shape team. NTX used all its subs before the added extra time, so when the 120th minute rolled around, they were visibly gassed.

“It’s good for us because we have more time to play and more chances in the season,” Luna said. “We only had four preseason games, so it was good that we play 120 minutes and even better that we won the game.”

Looking ahead to Round 2, Austin and Laredo have a recent history. Prior to moving to the USL, the Aztex and Heat were in the same division of the PDL. In 2013, Austin beat the Heat in the conference final before going on to win the 2013 PDL Championship.

2015 US Open Cup qualifying: North Carolina’s Triangle Brigade wins USASA Region III title over NTX Rayados

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Jason Sisneros lifts the Region III Open Cup trophy
Triangle Brigade FC manager Jason Sisneros lifts the 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup trophy. Photo: Twitter @JasonMSisneros

Triangle Brigade FC was formed in January 2014 with the intention of creating an elite level of amateur soccer in North Carolina. Head coach Jason Sisneros expected to start small, earning success in his state before moving on to bigger and better things, using the 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup tournament as an opportunity just to get better.

It came as a surprise then when Triangle Brigade not only competed in the Region III tournament, but they won the championship by defeating reigning champions North Texas Rayados in the process and earning an expected berth in the 2015 US Open Cup (assuming the format remains the same as 2014).

“We’re very excited,” said Sisneros, who is also an assistant coach with the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team. “Winning the tournament was huge. It gives us all kinds of new opportunities to train for. Being able to take an amateur team from North Carolina a few wins away from facing professional teams is incredible.”

The Region III Open Cup tournament, which was held at the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex in Montgomery, Ala., featured six teams split into two groups of three. Each group winner then would earn a berth to the 2015 US Open Cup. Reigning champions North Texas Rayados were in Group A along with Lynch’s FC, one of two teams from Florida in the tournament. Lynch’s won Region III in 2003 and 2009 and have qualified for the US Open Cup three times. Rounding out Group A was CD Motagua New Orleans (LA), which rolled through an expanded Louisiana qualifying tournament, winning a state title in the process.

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Triangle Brigade was in a Group B that featured Florida’s Red Force, last year’s Region III runners-up. In the 2014 Open Cup, Red Force became the first USASA club from the sunshine state to win an Open Cup game since 2001 when it defeated Colorado Rovers of the USSSA 2-1. Group B also featured Cajun SC, the runner-up from Louisiana.

In the first fixtures, Rayados got off to a winning start, scoring two second-half goals to beat Lynch’s. Red Force needed an 89th minute penalty kick to see off Motagua 3-2, and Triangle Brigade squeaked out a 2-1 win over Cajun SC.

Group play continued with Rayados earning 4-2 win over Cajun, Lynch’s outscoring Motagua 4-2, and Triangle Brigade earning a surprising 5-2 victory over Red Force. Sisneros said that Red Force was shorthanded, unlike Brigade, which had a full bench. According to Sisneros, his ability to use many substitutes helped immensely throughout the tournament.

Triangle Brigade was formed at the end of the UNC club season. Sisneros met and got to know the players, then decided to field an amateur team with a mix of club players and other amateurs. “These are players who potentially could have played Division I, just not at UNC. They sacrificed soccer ambition to have a very strong club team,” he said.

usasa-region-3-logoWith Rayados and Triangle Brigade having all but wrapped up their spots in the final, the third round of games featured some wacky results. Rayados tied Motagua 3-3, and Cajun SC beat Red Force 4-3. Resting his players, Sisneros’ side lost 11-0 to Lynch’s in its final game. However, Rayados and Triangle Brigade won their groups and earned berths to the 2015 US Open Cup.

The Brigade took it one step further, however, beating Rayados 4-1 in the final. Rayados got on the board first, but two goals each from Jonathan Rivera and Brett Griffith helped Triangle Brigade win the title.

Assuming they qualify for next year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, they will be the first USASA club to represent the Tar Heel State since the Raleigh CASL Elite in 2010.

Sisneros said, “A lot of my players hadn’t won anything before. They deserved it. We feel fortunate, and we’re very happy.”

2014 USASA Region III Tournament results

Group A P W L D Pts GF GA GD
NTX Rayados (NTX) 3 2 0 1 7 9 5 +4
Lynch’s FC (FL) 3 2 1 0 6 15 4 +11
CD Motagua NO (LA) 3 0 2 1 1 7 10 -3
Group B P W L D Pts GF GA GD
Triangle Brigade (NC) 3 2 1 0 6 7 14 -7
Cajun SC (LA) 3 1 2 0 3 7 9 -2
Red Force (FL) 3 1 2 0 3 8 11 -3

Schedule/Results (All times Eastern)

June 20, 7 p.m.

NTX Rayados 2:0 Lynch’s FC
Red Force 3:2 CD Motagua NO
Triangle Brigade 2:1 Cajun SC

June 21, 10 a.m.

NTX Rayados 4:2 Cajun SC
Lynch’s 4:2 CD Motagua NO
Triangle Brigade 5:2 Red Force

June 21, 6 p.m.

Lynch’s FC 11:0 Triangle Brigade
Red Force 3:4 Cajun SC
CD Motagua 3:3 North Texas Rayados

Championship

June 22, 12 p.m.

NTX Rayados 1:4 Triangle Brigade
Both teams expected to qualify for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2014 US Open Cup Round 3: San Antonio Scorpions overcome early deficit, defeat upset-minded Rayados 4-2

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San Antonio Scorpions logoDespite a slow start, the North American Soccer League’s (NASL) San Antonio Scorpions managed to defeat the upset-minded North Texas Rayados of the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) by a final score of 4-2 in a Third Round US Open Cup match.

San Antonio fell behind early as NTX Rayados scored twice in the first 20 minutes to take the lead, which they ultimately carried to halftime. First it was Rayados captain Ryan Spence who pounced on a loose ball off a scramble in the box following a corner kick by Jaime Lovegrove in the 11th minute.

Then in the 20th minute, substitute Alberto Rodriguez, who had replaced the injured Salas just minutes before, was on the receiving end of a punt from goalkeeper Eduardo Cortez and managed to chip Scorpions goalkeeper Jeremy Vuolo.

Desperate for a goal, head coach Alen Marcina brought on his top striker Walter Restrepo to start the second half and Restrepo repaid him in kind with a diving header in the 49th minute courtesy of a Josue Soto cross.

Forward Sainey Touray scored the next two for San Antonio five minutes apart in the 64th and 69th minutes. His second goal came courtesy of another Josue Soto assist. Soto would cap off the evening’s affairs by converting a 76th minute penalty kick that had been drawn by Touray.

The win over NTX Rayados helped San Antonio erase some recent Open Cup demons. They were upset in their first match of the 2013 Open Cup by USL-PDL side FC Tucson. However, in 2012, the Scorpions managed to win their first two Open Cup matches in their inaugural season, including an upset win over MLS side Houston Dynamo.

The Scorpions will now travel to Frisco, Texas to take on FC Dallas in a fourth round Open Cup match on Tuesday, June 17 at 8pm CDT. San Antonio striker Eric Hassli is quite familiar with FC Dallas; he made 15 appearances for the MLS club in 2013.

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: North Texas Rayados equalizes three times, stuns Austin Aztex in PK thriller (video)

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NTX-rayados-logo-bigIn a rematch of the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the North Texas Rayados of the USASA traveled south to take on the PDL’s Austin Aztex, hoping to avenge last year’s 2-0 opening round loss.

Unlike most Hollywood films, the sequel was far better than the original by a wide margin as the Rayados fell behind three times, and equalized each time, including the third time in second half stoppage time. In the extra session, North Texas finally took the lead in the 118th minute, but before the celebration could begin, Austin gave them a taste of their own medicine, equalizing in the final minute of extra time to force penalty kicks.

North Texas won the PK shootout to advance to Round 2 for the first time in club history. They have earned themselves another road game as they will travel to San Antonio to take on the NASL’s Scorpions in Round 3 on May 28.

This was the second match for the host Aztex in 2013 after opening their season last Saturday with a convincing win over the Houston Dutch Lions. They came into their Open Cup debut without Devin Cook Perales, who had been sent off in last year’s Open Cup game against the Wilmington Hammerheads and was forced to serve his suspension. The game would be a homecoming of sorts, as former Aztex Super-20 midfielder Shane Dockery who would be playing for the visitors, along with Richland College teammates Flavio Guzman and Jamie Lovegrove.

As the match got underway, the Rayandos suffered a setback when Javan Toledo had to be replaced by Fernando Garza after the starting midfielder sprained his ankle in the 6th minute. The Aztex tried to take advantage of the replacement and nearly scored in the 8th minute when Adam Black narrowly missed his shot off to the right of the goal.

In the 22nd minute, Aztex striker Sito Seoane’s shot was saved by Rayados keeper Raul Herrera. Three minutes later, Seoane found a way to produce a goal, as he delivered a corner kick to the head of Adam Black who put the Aztex up 1-0.

To their credit, the Rayados were able to pick themselves up and press hard for the equalizer which nearly came in the 34th minute when Raul Rodriguez’s free-kick was saved by Aztex keeper John Kaschak. The match started to get a bit chippy as the visitors continued attacking. In the 41st minute, Austin’s Chuy Cortez and North Texas’ Kevin Ellis were booked for some off-the-ball pushing and shoving.

The visitors would get their equalizer in the 43rd minute when Fernando Garza would burst through on the Aztex goal and slot his shot into the net between the goal post and Kaschak’s outstretched foot. The Rayados nearly took the lead deep into first half stoppage time, but Kaschak came up with another big stop on Garza’s attempt on goal.

As the second half got underway, there was more hard play in the midfield. Reece Wilson of North Texas and Austin’s Kalen Ryden were each booked for committing hard challenges. Aztex head coach Manuel Buentello decided a larger attacker was needed so he took off smaller striker Cortez for the larger Tucker Hume in the 53rd minute. The substitution changed the momentum for the home side and they took the lead in the 57th minute when Tony Rocha hit a through pass for Seoane and the forward was able to score. Less than 10 minutes later, Austin nearly added to their lead when Hume had his header on goal saved by Herrera.

They would regret not scoring when the Rayandos equalized again in the 67th minute. Wilson would take advantage of a defensive mistake by Aztex winger Josh Alcala and break through on goal to easily slot home past Kaschak.

In the 71st minute, the Aztex’s Jeff Harwell was brought on for Alcala and the Rayados’ Eduardo Cortez came on for Luis Salas. The substitutions caused a bit of confusion in the Rayado’s defense in the 79th minute. Harwell was able to get through them and hit a pass for Tucker Hume to power home to put the Aztex back into the lead 3-2.

Just when it looked like the Eberly’s Army home fans would be celebrating the victory, an incredible stroke of bad luck twisted the match in a new direction. In the 88th minute, Aztex midfielder Jacob Powell made a hard challenge and although he came up with the ball, the referee ruled he had made the tackle with his studs up and over the ball. Powell was shown a straight red card for the foul and the Aztex were reduced to 10 men. Although they tried to bunker in and hold on for the end of the match, just as the final whistle was about to blow, the North Texas equalized. Shane Dockery got behind the Aztex defense and found himself one-on-one with keeper Kaschak whom he easily beat and rolled the ball into the empty net.

As the match went into extra time, both sides would have their opportunities to score in the first half, though neither side came close to hitting the goal. It was the Rayados who broke the tie in the second half of extra time when midfielder Fernando Garza gave North Texas their first lead of the game at 4-3. To the hosts’ credit, they did not quit and in the final minute of the stoppage time, Harwell sent the game into penalty kicks when he poked home a loose ball that the Rayados defense failed to clear.

Compared to the 120 minutes that proceeded it, the penalty kick shootout was a bit anti-climactic as the Aztex had one of their spot kicks saved and one bounce off the post. The Rayados made all of their attempts to send themselves through to the next round and off to San Antonio to face the Scorpions.

Aztex coach Manuel Buentello, who took over for Paul Dalglish this season, could only shake his head and curse the bad luck that had befallen his team. Rayados player-coach Tito Salas has his team in position to make a run in the tournament, but no matter what happens in San Antonio on May 28, the club can be proud of being a part of one of the most exciting games in recent Open Cup history.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

2013 US Open Cup First Round: Austin Aztex blanks NTX Rayados despite playing down a man

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The 100th edition of the US Open Cup had its first round on Tuesday and Austin Aztex won their first US Open Cup game since the squad’s rebirth thanks to a 3-0 win against amateurs NTX Rayados despite playing with 10 men for a majority of the contest.

Andres Cuero scored in the first half and Tony Rocha added one in the second half for the Aztex while the team benefitted from a Rayados own goal in the first half.

Austin will play the Wilmington Hammerheads in the second round on May 21 at House Park in Austin.

It was all Austin in the early going but the USL PDL team that opened its season on Saturday could not find a final touch to put the ball in right away.

In the third minute Austin’s Kris Tyrpak got the ball on the right of the box and hit a powerful shot in space that came back off the crossbar allowing North Texas to clear safely.

North Texas had a chance in the 10th minute as Victor Pinal broke free but timed his run poorly as he was flagged off for an offside.

Austin took the lead in the 14th minute after a shot from Chuy Cortez was saved but the Rayados failed to clear, which allowed Cuero to sneak the ball in. North Texas’ Raul Herrera made the save after it crossed the line.

Cortez nearly had a goal of his own as the roles were reversed with Cuero on the edge of the box volleying across for Cortez before shooting over the bar.

Later, Austin’s Aaron Guillen was shown a straight red card for contact with Herrera, who rolled around theatrically. To the referee’s credit Herrera was also shown a yellow for simulation.

The Aztex replaced Cortez with Walker Hume to cover Guillen’s position at the center defense in an effort to keep their passage into the second round safe.

Austin doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute as Tyrpak’s shot was redirected by Clifford Spencer into the back of his own net.

The second half started nervously with neither side really taking charge in what was an end-to-end period that produced little in a final product.

Austin had the first chance of the second half after a fluid series of passes allowed Tyrpak space in the box but he went wide of the post with his shot.

After the opening ten minutes of the half, North Texas saw plenty of the ball, but the closest it got was a solid shot from Alberto Rodriguez that could only find Austin keeper Josh Mikolewicz’s hands.

Austin looked content with a two-goal lead and a man disadvantage as they held off the Rayados and operated on the counter.

In the 72nd minute, Cuero ran at goal from the right and had a powerful low shot blocked away by Herrera over the crossbar.

Austin had a corner that almost went in off the foot of Rocha, but the ball was pushed out before the same happened again on the resulting corner. North Texas was able to recover in the scramble and clear the ball.

North Texas had a good chance in the 77th minute as Reese Wilson got through and saw his initial effort saved before the rebound was cleared by Zach Pope.

Austin added a third in the 85th minute as Rocha’s footwork bamboozled the Rayados defense before squeezing it through Herrera.

Herrera came to the rescue in stoppage time to prevent a fourth as Max Gunderson made a superb run and crossed for Jacob Powell but quick work from the keeper allowed him to make the stop.

Florida’s Red Force, North Texas Rayados emerge from USASA Region III tourney, qualify for 2013 US Open Cup

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USASA Region III, representing most of the southern part of the United States, has submitted their two entries for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

In the region’s Open Cup qualifying tournament in New Orleans, Florida-based newcomers Red Force and the North Texas Rayados advanced to the competition’s championship game to punch their tickets to the Cup. The Red Force, making their first Open Cup appearance, become the first team from the Sunshine State to qualify since 2009 (Lynch’s FC). The Rayados will make their second straight appearance, something a North Texas-based club hasn’t done since Dallas Roma FC qualified in 2005 and 2006. Both teams will begin play in Round 1, scheduled for May 14.

In addition to competing in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, North Texas defeated Red Force in the title game, 3-0, to advance to the USASA National Finals.

This weekend’s play saw nine sides compete in three groups of three, resulting in Sunday’s semifinal matches involving group winners CD Motagua (Louisiana), Rayados, Red Force and the top second place team, ASC New Stars (Texas South) all competing for a spot in the final and an Open Cup berth.

Both 2012 Region III entrants, ASC New Stars (who were beaten in Round 1 by the PDL’s Laredo Heat, 4-2) and Rayados (beaten in Round 1 by PDL’s El Paso Patriots, 3-1) managed to reach the semifinal qualifying stages again this year, but both would take different routes.

The New Stars were attempting to qualify for the Open Cup for the fourth time and they began play on Friday by stamping their authority on the competition once again with a 3-0 win over newcomers Dallas TNT. Rayados also kicked off this year’s competition with a thumping 6-1 win over Texas South entrants Islanders FC, who lost out at this stage last year.

Saturday saw the bulk of the matches and in Group A, the host state’s lone entry CD Motagua took the bull by the horns early in the day with a magnificent 11-1 victory over Dallas TNT, that not only set the benchmark for scoring for the day, but also eliminated the Dallas side from the competition. In the final group match, ASC New Stars scored early, but CD Motagua equalized in the 68th minute and scored the game-winner in the final minute of extra time to take the group. ASC would find out later that their +2 goal difference was enough to make them the top second place team to earn them a spot in Sunday’s final four.

In Group B, Oklahoma runner-up Los Lobos, who qualified after state champion Boston Avenue withdrew, began their first tournament run since 1999 with a 4-1 defeat to the Rayados. North Texas clinched the group after already defeating Islanders FC 6-1 earlier in the day. The only hope Los Lobos had to stay alive to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time since 1999 was to win their second game to stay alive for the wild card spot. Islanders FC had to do the same, and they did so by defeating the Oklahoma representative 4-2.  Unfortunately, their opening loss to North Texas would come back to haunt them as the team’s goal difference of minus-3 would not be enough to overtake ASC New Stars as the top runner-up.

Group C may have produced the most entertaining game, but in the end was the least competitive group. After Red Force defeated Barracudas FC to open play on Friday, the Houston-based Barracudas would face North Texas side FC Rahr in the early match on Saturday. In the second half, FC Rahr found themselves up 2-1 but after putting a ball into their own net, the game was tied in the 54th minute. The two teams looked headed for a draw but the Barracudas scored a late goal in the 86th minute to take the lead and possibly put one foot in the semifinals. However, FC Rahr spoiled the party for both teams as they scored a 90th minute equalizer and the match would end that way. Red Force would clinch the group ame de open.

Later that day, Red Force eliminated FC Rahr and cruised into the semifinals with a 3-0 victory.

The semifinals were set, with CD Motagua facing Rayados and Red Force taking on ASC New Stars. The start of Sunday morning’s proceedings was delayed by thunderstorms, but after the weather cleared up, it was Rayados and Red Force who emerged victorious with 4-0 and 2-0 victories, respectively.

They will join an abundance of fellow Region III sides to compete for the ultimate prize in cup competition within the United States this summer.

With the largest number of sides competing this year (68), joining them from Region III are also the largest percentage (31%) of soccer sides in comparable terms to the other three regions. A total of 21 sides (31%) from the eventual 68 taking part will be from our Region III.

USASA will join Round 1 with NTX Rayados (2nd straight entry), & Red Force (1st entry)
NPSL sides will join either in the Play-In Round or Round 1: Georgia Revolution (2nd straight entry) Chattanooga FC (2nd entry – 2011)
PDL will join in Round 1: Austin Aztex (1st entry), Carolina Dynamo (10th entry), Laredo Heat (3rd entry), Ocala Stampede (1st entry), Orlando U23s (6th entry)
USL PRO’s VSI Tampa Bay will join in Round 1
USL PRO sides that will join Round 2: Charleston Battery (14th entry), Charlotte Eagles (11th entry), Wilmington Hammerheads (11th entry)
NASL will join in Round 2: Atlanta Silverbacks (9th entry), Carolina Railhawks (6th entry), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (7th entry), San Antonio Scorpions (2nd entry), Tampa Bay Rowdies (3rd entry)
MLS will join in Round 3: Houston Dynamo (7th entry), FC Dallas (16th entry)

The winner of this year’s competition will receive a $250,000 cash prize and a berth into the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League while the runner-up will received $60,000. The top finisher from each lower division will receive $15,000.

You can follow Marc Roseblade on Twitter @region3soccer

2013 USASA Region III Open Cup tournament (April 12-14)
New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds (New Orleans, LA)
Division winners + best 2nd place team advance to Semifinals
All times Eastern

Group A PTS W L D GD
CD Motagua (LA) 6 2 0 0 +11
ASC New Stars (TX South) 3 1 1 0 +2
Dallas TNT (North TX) 0 0 2 0 -13

April 12
Dallas TNT 0:3 ASC New Stars

April 13
CD Motagua 11:1 Dallas TNT
CD Motagua 2:1 ASC New Stars

Group B PTS W L D GD
NTX Rayados (North TX) 6 2 0 0 +8
Islanders FC (TX South) 3 1 1 0 -3
Los Lobos (OK) 0 0 2 0 -5

April 12
North Texas Rayados 6:1 Islanders FC

April 13
North Texas Rayados 4:1 Los Lobos
Los Lobos 2:4 Islanders FC

Group C PTS W L D GD
Red Force (FL) 6 2 0 0 +4
FC Rahr (North TX) 1 0 1 1 -3
Barracudas FC (TX South) 1 0 1 1 -1

April 12
Red Force 2:1 Barracudas FC

April 13
FC Rahr 3:3 Barracudas FC
Red Force 3:0 FC Rahr

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Goal diff. (3) Goals for (4) Goals against (5) Most shutouts

—————————————————

Semifinals (April 14)
Red Force 2:0 ASC New Stars
NTX Rayados 4:0 CD Motagua
* Both semifinal winners qualify for 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Final
NTX Rayados 3:0 Red Force
North Texas Rayados advance to USASA National Finals

2012 US Open Cup First Round: El Paso Patriots down North Texas Rayados, 3-1, to advance

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El Paso Patriots News Release

Naoyas Aizawa sandwiched an assist between two goals, and while it wasn’t quite a feast for the El Paso Patriots, a 3-1 win over the North Texas Rayados was satisfying enough to whet their appetite for more in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

They’ll get all they can handle next Tuesday, May 22nd, when the Charlotte Eagles of the USL Pro division come calling.

Until then, Patriots’ fans can feel satisfied after watching Aizawa and fellow forwards David Salas and Michael Griego take bite after bite of the North Texas defense.

If there was disappointment, it was in squandered opportunities for more offense. Consistent in possession and dominant in midfield, El Paso found itself on the Rayados’ doorstep time-after-time Tuesday night, only to be turned away by the solid goalkeeping of Raul Herrera or by its own errant shots.

Griego has only been able to practice with the team twice, once again donning his hometown side’s jersey after completing the season as coach of his own young club team. The rust showed at times Tuesday night, but so did the solid positioning and passing.

Perhaps it was head coach Hugo Samano’s decision to go at North Texas with a 3-4-3 lineup, but it always seems El Paso’s offensive anemia is cured by the transfusion Griego brings. A team that scored only twice in its first two Premier Development League games suddenly scores three times.

It has been the same the last few years, as well.

Aizawa had a lot to do with the end result Tuesday, but Griego’s presence as a holding forward provides a fulcrum on which the rest of El Paso’s offense swings.

It was that solid build-up and some hard work on the wings by Aizawa’s fellow former CF Indios teammate, Sergio Villasenor, that put El Paso on the board in the 26th minute.

From Griego to Villasenor to the nimble feet of Salas to Aizawa, the Patriots danced into the Rayados area; Aizawa taking the final few steps that got him past his marker and got Herrera diving for the shot the forward didn’t take until the goalie was in the dirt.

As pretty as the first goal was, the second may have been the ugliest Griego has scored in his Patriots career. Stretching North Texas on the counter, Aizawa lasered a beautiful cross from the right wing. Griego only clipped the ball. Perhaps Herrera was surprised the ball actually kept moving…but it did, all the way into the net in the 61st minute.

Halftime substitute Raul Rodriguez got Rayados on the board in the 78th minute, blasting a 22-yard direct kick bomb past the Patriots’ wall and goalie Victor Rodriguez.

But as North Texas pushed for the equalizer, El Paso’s counterattack finished the game. No dancing from Aizawa this time, only a 20-yard blast from the top of the box that beat Herrera in the 84th.

The Patriots will hit the road this weekend for a pair of PDL away games against arch-rival Laredo Friday and Austin Saturday before returning home next Tuesday for the Open Cup’s second round against Charlotte.

After that much road food, the Patriots can only hope the home cooking is just as good next week.

USASA Region III tournament updates: ASC New Stars, NTX Rayados clinch US Open Cup berths

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UPDATE: The ASC New Stars and the North Texas Rayados both qualified for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after winning their respective groups in the USASA Region III tournament. The New Stars become the first team from Southern Texas to qualify in back-to-back seasons in the Modern Pro Era, while the Rayados, from North Texas, are in the tournament for the first time. We will have more on this weekend as we receive the details.

While both teams have clinched a spot in the US Open Cup, the two clubs will square off on Sunday at 10 a.m. local time to determine who will represent Region III at the USASA Nationals in Chicago this summer.

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Saturday results will be updated with the standings below

The first day of the USASA Region III tournament in Houston is in the books with four matches and four winners. The competition, that will determine the region’s two entries into the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, is divided into two groups of four with the winner of each group punching their ticket.

In Group A, ASC New Stars are looking to return to the tournament for the second year in a row, and they got off to a good start with a 3-1 victory over the NPSL’s Galveston Pirate SC. It was Galveston who struck first with an early goal, but the New Stars took over with three unanswered goals before the halftime break. They are joined at the top of the table with fellow Texas club, FC Rahr who shut out the Greenville Eagles 2-0.

The two first place clubs will square off on Saturday morning  at 10 a.m. local time with the winner of that match being put in the driver’s seat for one of the two US Open Cup spots. If the match finishes in a draw, then it will come down to the final round of matches at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Much like in Group A, Saturday morning will feature a match between the Group B co-leaders. The Royal Eagles from Florida and the North Texas Rayados both were victorious and will play each other at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The Eagles, who are representing Florida in the tournament for the second straight year, defeated the South Texas club Barracudas 2-0. The North Texas Rayados edged Oklahoma champion Boston Avenue AC 2-1 to earn the full three points.

Check out the standings and the schedule below for more information …

2012 USASA Region III US Open Cup qualifying tournament

GROUP A W L T PTS GF GA GD
ASC New Stars (TXS) 2 0 1 7 9 2 +7
Galveston Pirate SC (TXS) 2 1 0 6 7 6 +1
FC Rahr (NTX) 1 2 0 3 4 8 -4
Greenville Eagles (SC) 0 2 1 1 2 6 -4
GROUP B W L T PTS GF GA GD
NTX Rayados (NTX) 2 1 0 6 8 9 -1
Royal Eagles (FL) 2 1 0 6 7 8 -1
Boston Avenue AC (OK) 1 2 0 3 7 7 +0
Barracudas (TXS) 1 2 0 3 8 6 +2

Friday, April 27 – 8 p.m. CT

Group A
ASC New Stars (TXS) 3:1 Galveston Pirate SC (TXS)
FC Rahr (NTX) 2:0 Greenville Eagles (SC)

Group B
Royal Eagles (FL) 2:0 Barracudas (TX)
NTX Rayados (NTX) 2:1 Boston Avenue AC (OK)

Saturday, April 28 – 10 a.m. CT

Group A
Greenville Eagles (SC) 1:3 Galveston Pirate SC (TXS)
ASC New Stars (TXS) 5:0 FC Rahr (NTX)

Group B
Royal Eagles (FL) 0:4 NTX Rayados (NTX)
Barracudas (TX) 0:2 Boston Avenue AC (OK)

Saturday, April 28 – 8 p.m. CT

Group A
FC Rahr (NTX) 2:3 Galveston Pirate SC (TXS)
Greenville Eagles (SC) 1:1 ASC New Stars (TXS)

Group B
Boston Avenue AC (OK) 4:5 Royal Eagles (FL)
NTX Rayados (NTX) 2:8 Barracudas (TX)

Sunday, April 29 – 10 a.m. CT
ASC New Stars vs. NTX Rayados
Both group winners qualify for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2012 USASA Region III participants

ASC New Stars (South Texas): The New Stars are the top-flight side from the Houston-based Aria Soccer Club that was founded in 1974. After winning the title last year, the team fell 4-0 in the first round on the road to Orlando City, who went on to nearly upset MLS’ FC Dallas in the third round as well as win the USL Pro championship. The defending champions were winless two years ago (0-2-1) in the Region III tournament, but qualified previously in 2008 for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, finishing runners-up in a 2-1 decision against Clearwater Galactics (FL) for the regional title. They were blanked, 3-0, by the USL First Division’s Charleston Battery (pro second division) in the First Round that year. They participated in the regionals in 2006, finishing second in their group after withdrawing the previous year. MORE: 2011 Meet the USASA – ASC New Stars

Boston Athletic (Oklahoma): The entrants from the Oklahoma Soccer Association were complete unknowns that were simply listed as the Tulsa-based BAAC Reserves, who won the Adult State Cup Division I tournament in mid-March. They had advanced with a 2-1 victory over COASL IFC in the championship of the three-team event, which also included Ponca City Tiburones. This year, only the club team from Oklahoma University stood in the way. The early March contest was a back-and-forth affair that saw BAAC rally twice for a 3-2 victory on three goals from Ashley McInnes, a former University of Tulsa star. According to TheCup.us records, this year will mark only the seventh time in the last 18 years where a team from the Sooner state has entered the Region III tournament. Prior to 2010, the last team to enter from Oklahoma was a club called Guerrero finished last in Region III group play back in 2001.

Greenville Eagles (South Carolina): The faith-oriented club, which has numerous teams in local Greenville 11v11 and 7v7 leagues, returns for a second chance.  The full-sided team is currently dominating the local league with a 3-0 record and 13-2 aggregate goal ledger. Last summer the club had the top two teams in the local league with identical 7-1-0 records as well as the first-place team in the second-flight. The club was well-rounded a year ago with seven different players accounting for their eight goals. Juan Martinez scored in the 2-0 opening victory and his second in a 9-0 rout to finish the group in second with a 2-1 record. They advanced last year from the South Carolina tournament in Myrtle Beach.

Royal Eagles (Florida): Launched in 2009 in the Lakeland area, east of Tampa, and during their brief existence, they’ve experienced nothing but success. They were undefeated in Division 3 of the Florida Suncoast Soccer Leagues (FSSL), winning the league and the Florida Classic tournament in their inaugural campaign. The following year, because of their high level of play, the FSSL approved an unprecedented jump from Division 3 to the Premier Division. They edged Florida Gators, the only other state entrant, in a thrilling 3-2 decision for the state title.

FC Rahr (North Texas): A team a lot of fans can get behind, it is a successful side that is one of the powerhouses in Fort Worth. It is also sponsored by the popular local microbrewery, Rahr and Sons Brewing Company. The club, consisting of 120 players on eight teams, has won 14 league and tournament championships out of the Fort Worth Adult Soccer Association.

NTX Rayados (North Texas): A largely unknown side, the team is currently in first place in the North Texas Premier Soccer Association’s 1A Division with a 6-1-0 record. The league features past US Open Cup participants, Legends FC and Dallas Roma FC.

Barracudas (South Texas): An unknown side, the team had a good showing in the state tournament, qualifying with 2-0 and 4-3 wins in their group. The second victory was over fellow Region III participant Galveston Pirate.

Galveston Pirate (South Texas): The team was a late addition to fill the eighth berth in the tournament. The Pirates fell 4-3 to fellow Region III participant Barracudas in the state tournament and, according to the South Texas site, did not play its second – likely due to Barracudas having already won the three-team group. The club is also a member of the National Premier Soccer League’s four-team South Central Conference.

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