NPSL

Who has qualified for 2016 US Open Cup? 10 PDL, 8 NPSL teams are in so far

July 30, 2015 by Josh Hakala

The Michigan Bucks upset the Chicago Fire of MLS in 2012 Third Round. Photo: Kelly Haapala

The 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is a little more than nine months away, but 18 amateur teams have already earned a spot in the 103rd edition of the tournament.

With the 2015 Premier Development League (PDL) regular season wrapping up, and the Quarterfinals of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) playoffs complete, the entries from each league have been determined, barring an unlikely reduction in the number of amateur teams in the tournament. The remaining entries for both leagues will be announced by the United States Soccer Federation at a later date.

The PDL will determine all of their entries based on the 2015 regular season results, while the initial NPSL entries will be based on which eight teams reached the national quarterfinals in the league playoffs. The USSF’s Open Cup handbook for 2016 US Open Cup qualifying lays out how the remaining NPSL teams will be determined, based on the number of teams the league is awarded. The NPSL’s Open Cup entries will be prorated based on the size of each of the league’s four regions (Midwest had 13 teams; Northeast 19; South 24; West 12). The preliminary number of teams will be announced Aug. 10 with the final number announced in January.

These teams have qualified for the 2016 tournament, but there’s no guarantee that every club will accept the invitation to the competition. In recent years, some amateur teams have declined to participate for various reasons. Some teams have cited financial or travel concerns, while others have had issues with player availability, which is difficult in early May with college players finishing up finals and other school commitments.

In 2012, the Erie Admirals were the 2011 Northeast-Keystone Conference champion and were awarded a spot, but declined their invitation. FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, the second place finisher in the conference replaced them. In 2013, the Admirals and the second choice AFC Cleveland both declined, causing the NPSL to go with the remaining team with the best regular season record (Brooklyn Italians), rather than a third choice team from the Great Lakes Division, which left Detroit City FC out in the cold. Last year, the Minnesota United Reserves turned down a spot in the tournament, and this time, Detroit City FC was allowed in to take their place.

The remaining amateur teams from the USASA, US Club Soccer and the USSSA can qualify for the 2016 US Open Cup by entering a qualifying tournament set up by the federation that will begin in the fall. The deadline to enter is Aug. 3.

Here are the teams who have qualified for the 2016 US Open Cup:

PREMIER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE (PDL)

Michigan Bucks (11-1-2, Great Lakes Division champions)
The Bucks won their 12th division title on the final day of the season, by one point over K-W United FC, but K-W got their revenge in the playoffs, beating the defending PDL champions in the conference final. The Bucks will add to their Modern Era record with their 13th appearance in the tournament next year, the most of any amateur club. The Bucks hold nearly every amateur record in the Modern Era: wins (13), pro teams eliminated (9), as well as MLS teams eliminated (2). Last year, they snapped a three-game losing streak in the tournament with a convincing 3-0 win over fellow Michigan club Detroit City FC (NPSL).

Sean Dong scores the third and final goal for the Des Moines Menace in their 3-0 home win over the Real Colorado Foxes in 2014. Photo credit: Joe Nalefski | Des Moines Menace.

Des Moines Menace (11-2-1, Heartland Division champions)
If the Michigan Bucks are the best amateur team in the US Open Cup, then the Des Moines Menace are a close second. The Menace picked up their second straight division title which punches their ticket to the US Open Cup for the eighth time. They are 10-8-1 (1-0 PKs) all-time in the tournament with five pro team upsets under their belt. Last year, they defeated the USASA’s Madison Fire 2-1 before giving Saint Louis FC (USL PRO) all they could handle in a 2-1 extra time loss on the road.

New York Red Bulls U23s (9-2-3, Mid-Atlantic Division champions)
The 2016 US Open Cup is going to have a little extra caffeine this year as the Red Bulls U23s are expected to be the third Red Bulls team that will be joining the competition next year. With the MLS and USL PRO teams expected to be in, it will create a scheduling challenge as the ‘Baby Bulls’ (as some refer to them as) will compete for the third time and the first time since 2014. The club qualified in 2013 and 2014 as a member of the NPSL, but after winning the 2014 NPSL title, they left the league and joined the PDL, therefore, not qualifying for the 2015 US Open Cup. Some fans were disappointed to see the U23s miss out in 2015, but the logic was that it would be odd for the NPSL to give up one of their Open Cup spots to a team that was no longer part of their league.

GPS Portland Phoenix (8-1-5, Northeast Division champions)
After dropping the first game of the season to 2015 qualifier Seacoast United Phantoms, GPS Portland Phoenix wouldn’t lose another game the rest of the season on their way to finishing tied with the Phantoms on top of the Northeast Division standings. The Phoenix won the division and a spot in the 2016 US Open Cup for the fourth time in five years. When they first qualified for the 2012 tournament, according to TheCup.us records, they were the first team from the state of Maine to ever compete in the Open Cup.

As a pro team, the Charlotte Eagles upset the NASL's San Antonio Scorpions in 2012. Photo: San Antonio Scorpions — As a pro team, the Charlotte Eagles upset the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions in 2012. Photo: San Antonio Scorpions

Charlotte Eagles (10-0-4, South Atlantic Division champions)
After spending 20 years as a professional team, the Charlotte Eagles made the move to the PDL and had no trouble transitioning as they finished undefeated and ran away with the division. Last year, the Eagles missed out on the tournament for the first time since 2003 and they will hope to recapture the magic from their franchise’s greatest run in 2012 where they upset teams from MLS and the NASL before falling short to Chivas USA in the Quarterfinals.

Mississippi Brilla (6-3-3, Mid South Division champions)
The Brilla are back in the tournament for the first time since 2012, and the third time overall after winning a tiebreaker with 2015 qualifier Midland/Odessa Sockers FC. The two teams finished tied atop the Mid South Division but Mississippi won the season series (2-1-1) over the Sockers to get back into the tournament. The Brilla are still seeking their first Open Cup game after being one-and-done in 2009 and 2012.

Ocala Stampede (8-3-3, Southeast Division champions)
The Ocala Stampede are back in the tournament for the fourth year in a row after winning the Southeast Division with a win over FC Miami City Champions on the final weekend. The Stampede won their Open Cup debut in 2013 over the USASA’s Red Force, but have lost their last three matches (two of them were against USL Pro’s Orlando City SC). This past year, they nearly picked up their second win, but Chattanooga FC scored an equalizer in the 87th minute, leading to penalty kicks where Ocala fell short, 5-3.

Kitsap Pumas (10-0-2, Northwest Division champions)
Other than the Charlotte Eagles, the only other undefeated team in the league this year was the Kitsap Pumas and they little trouble winning the Northwest Division title over the Portland Timbers U23s and the Seattle Sounders U23s who both tied for second place. The Pumas qualified in their first four seasons in the PDL, but fell short two straight years before returning in 2015. They cruised past NPSL newcomers FC Tacoma 253 in Round 1 before losing to the Seattle Sounders 2 (USL) in extra time.

FC Tucson (8-2-4, Mountain Division champions)
FC Tucson have qualified for the Open Cup for the third time in four years after a 4-1 road win over the Orange County Blues on the final day of the season clinched the Mountain Division title. They ended their season in the playoffs with a loss to the Sounders U23s, but not before Tucson ended the Kitsap Pumas’ undefeated season in the opening round of the league playoffs. After last year’s one-and-done loss to Chula Vista (USASA) in the Open Cup, they will hope to regain the magic from their Open Cup debut in 2013 where they upset in-state USL PRO club Phoenix SC, followed by another upset in Round 2 on the road against the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions in penalty kicks. Their run ended with what every amateur club aims for, getting a shot at a MLS team. They fell to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium, 2-0.

Burlingame Dragons FC (10-1-3, Southwest Division champions)
Last year, the Dragons made their Open Cup debut with a 2-1 extra-time loss at the Sonoma County Sol (NPSL) and they will be back for their second straight year after winning the Southwest Division title. It was a two-horse race for the division but the Dragons managed to clinch with a 1-0 win over the Ventura County Fusion on the second to last game of the season.

NATIONAL PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (NPSL)

New York Cosmos B (11-0-1, North Atlantic Conference champions)
After finishing their inaugural season undefeated, the New York Cosmos B are expected to make their first Open Cup voyage in 2016. Led by head coach Alecko Eskandarian the Cosmos dominated their opponents this year, outscoring the opposition 49-7 with eight of the 12 matches ending in a shutout.

CD Aguiluchos USA (7-4-1, 3rd place in Golden Gates Conference)
Despite losing their last two regular season games and finishing third in the Golden Gates Conference, CD Aguiluchos USA advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NPSL playoffs to clinch their second Open Cup berth. The club was founded in 2013 and first qualified for the tournament the year after when they lost a 2-1 road decision to the PDL’s Ventura County Fusion in the First Round.

Indiana Fire (7-2-3, 4th place in Midwest Region)
The Indiana Fire put a fourth place finish in the Midwest Region behind them and advanced to the Quarterfinals, and later the Semifinals of the NPSL playoffs. Their journey doesn’t get any easier in the final four as they will travel to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga FC on Aug. 1. By reaching the Quarterfinals, the Fire will make their first appearance in the US Open Cup.

Gregory Hartley of Chattanooga FC was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 2015 First Round. Photo: Madonna Kemp

Chattanooga FC (8-1-1, Southeast Conference champions)
Chattanooga FC are back in the US Open Cup for the fifth time in the last six years trying to add to their tournament resume. The three-time NPSL runner-up, who have advanced to the league Semifinals for the fourth time, have made history the last two years. In 2014, Chattanooga became the first NPSL club to defeat a professional team when the club hosted and defeated the USL’s Wilmington Hammerheads 3-1 in Round 2. This year, after escaping the Ocala Stampede (PDL) in penalty kicks, Chattanooga earned a rematch with the Hammerheads in Wilmington. This time, the match went to penalty kicks and the amateur visitors prevailed. They remain the only NPSL club in 30 attempts to eliminate a pro team.

Clarkstown Eagles (7-2-1, Keystone Conference champions)
In the club’s third season in the NPSL (originally known as the Jersey City Eagles), they won their first conference championship this year. Once in the playoffs, they reached the Quarterfinals to earn their first-ever Open Cup berth. They fell 2-0 to the New York Cosmos B to end their season.

Sacramento Gold (7-3-2, 2nd place in Golden Gates Conference)
For the first time since their Open Cup debut in 2013, the Gold are back in the Open Cup. After a second place finish in the Golden Gates Conference, Sacramento defeated FC Tacoma 253 and the San Diego Flash in the playoffs to earn a spot in the round of eight and an Open Cup berth. In their only tournament appearance two years ago, they lost a 3-2 road decision to the Portland Timbers U23s (PDL).

Myrtle Beach Mutiny (10-1-1, South Atlantic Conference champions)
The Mutiny only lost one regular season game to earn the club’s first-ever conference title and its first Open Cup berth. The Mutiny’s only loss came against the Carolina RailHawks U23s in midseason, and it was a playoff win over FC Wichita that put them into the Quarterfinals (before losing to Chattanooga FC) and into next year’s tournament.

AFC Cleveland (8-2-2, 3rd place in Midwest Region)
Cleveland came into the Midwest playoffs as the third place team but surprised many by eliminating Detroit City FC and the Indiana Fire (who had upset the No. 1 seed Madison 56ers) to reach the Quarterfinals. Cleveland has qualified, but it is unclear if they will take part in the tournament for the first time. They were offered a spot in the tournament in 2013, but declined.

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Atlanta Silverbacks force OT, knock off last NPSL club Chattanooga FC 2-1 (video)

May 28, 2015 by David Walker

Last year this same fixture featured a Chattanooga team that had just made history by being the first NPSL team to defeat a professional side of any level in the US Open Cup, besting the Wilmington Hammerheads 3-1 in the 2nd Round. Hard reality set in when Eric Wynalda brought the Silverbacks into town and administered a 5-0 beating to CFC.

This year’s results are much different. The fine line that separated the two teams last year was even finer, and at times you couldn’t tell which side was in the second tier of American soccer and which was in the fourth.

Surprises in the starting lineup of Chattanooga, as Luke Winter and Luis Trude started on the bench. Bill Elliott’s strategy was to conserve their legs (in addition to league and cup play, Chattanooga are also playing in the National Amateur Championship Tournament this weekend) and bring them in late should the score be close. It was a practical plan, and it nearly paid off.

For the first 15 minutes, Chattanooga did in fact look like the professional side; playing patient possession soccer while Atlanta played long balls over the top. Atlanta settled down quickly and began to control things for about 20 minutes. The only thing that separated the sides in terms of quality was speed, particularly that of Atlanta’s Jaime Chavez, who caused all sorts of trouble making runs down the left wing.

With ten minutes left in the first half, Chattanooga took complete control. Sustained pressure, several shots, including a side volley at point blank range by Jose Ferraz that, had it been struck just a bit more sweetly, would surely have been the first goal of the match.

The second half started with Atlanta firmly in control, unlucky not to score on more than one occasion. As the half went on, Chattanooga once again took control, and when Winter and Trude came on, you could start to believe a major upset was in the making.

Then in the 86th minute, the Cinderella story seemed to be coming true. A long ball from Ferraz was dummied onto Winter, who struck it first time from sixteen yards out, and the front office team began to mentally make plans to fit a trip to Red Bull Arena into their already busy fixture list.

But fate, and referee Guido Gonzalez, Jr., stepped in to change the evening from a moment of history to yet another close game between seemingly mismatched teams. Having let play go on relatively uninterrupted for most of the match, Gonzalez called a penalty in the 89th minute on what looked like a good tackle in the box. Shaka Bangura made no mistake from the spot and overtime was in play.

Yet even in overtime Chattanooga came agonizingly close on three occasions, including a header off the crossbar and a shot into the side netting that everyone at Finlay Stadium thought, briefly, was the go ahead goal.

But in the end it was Jaime Chavez scoring from the right side of the penalty area with a perfectly executed half-volley that beat Gregory Hartley to the near side.

Final: Atlanta 2, Chattanooga 1.

Silverbacks coach Gary Smith was highly complimentary to both the Chattanooga players and coach Bill Elliott. “In all honesty, I felt they were the better team for the vast majority of the game. They had a lot of great chances that on another day could have been the end of us. We managed to scrape through by the skin of our teeth.”

REPLAY: Atlanta Silverbacks at Chattanooga FC

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Richmond Kickers sink Jacksonville Armada, 3-0

May 28, 2015 by Scott Wyant

Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw has said the team’s secondary goal in the US Open Cup is to bring an MLS team to Richmond. With the club’s 3-0 Third Round win over the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada FC that goal was achieved.

Richmond will now play host to the Columbus Crew in the Fourth Round. That game will be played June 17 at City Stadium.

Richmond had a chance to strike first when Fred Owusu Sekyere lofted a well-timed ball into Brian Ownby. The Kickers midfielder got on to the ball and broke towards the box sending a through ball in. Jacksonville’s Lucas Trejo defended the dangerous ball out, keeping the match scoreless.

Owusu Sekyere proved to be dangerous again in the 20th minute when his corner kick found the head of Ownby. The midfielder was able to launch the ball past Jacksonville’s Miguel Gallardo giving Richmond a 1-0 lead.

“I think there was a size mismatch, we had all our taller players in and their players were a bit shorter,” Ownby said. “So we definitely wanted to use our set pieces to expose them in the back and it worked.”

Armada FC was able to piece together a long attack in the Richmond end in the 37th minute. A misplayed ball ended in a turnover at the feet of Richmond’s Jason Yeisley near midfield.

“I knew they had a high line and he just got in and Jason’s got great speed and he’s a good finisher,” Ownby said. “I saw him get in behind, take a couple touches and I knew he was gonna bury it.”

The midfielder took the ball to the box 3-on-2 but called his own number, ripping the shot past Gallardo, doubling the Richmond lead.

At the break Richmond led in both shots (8-0) and corner kicks (3-0).

A Jacksonville foul in the box in the 50th minute gave Richmond their first opportunity in the second half. Midfielder George Davis IV capitalized on the chance blasting the kick towards the right of the goal beating Gallardo who guessed left.

The Jacksonville Armada had back-to-back shots from point blank range off the feet of Akiel Barrett and Jaime Castrillón. Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Taylor pushed both shots away to keep Richmond in front.

“’s come out big a few times this year and he keeps improving every day and that’s huge for us if we want to keep going,” Ownby said.

The two saves made by Taylor marked the only shots on goal from Jacksonville.
The Kickers performance was highlighted by an 11-5 edge in shots. Richmond also took more corner kicks (4-2) than the NASL side.

Up next is Columbus.

“We always want to compete against the best,” Cowlishaw said. “It’ll be a great night and there’ll be a big crowd for it and the atmosphere will be lively and we’ll be there to try and knock Columbus out. I’m sure they won’t be thrilled with the draw having to go on the road to City Stadium and we’ll be looking forward to it.”

This marks the fifth consecutive year the Kickers have advanced to take on an MLS side in the event. The Richmond club has lost its previous four matchups with teams from the United States’ top league.

“We’re gonna treat it like any other game and get to the next round,” Ownby said. “It’s just one game at a time and anything can happen. It doesn’t matter what level you are, obviously we saw that here tonight.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Rochester Rhinos dominate stat sheet, squeak out 1-0 win over Greater Binghamton Thunder

May 23, 2015 by Brendan Doherty

Kenardo Forbes of the Rochester Rhinos scored the lone goal in the 39th minute. Photo: Luis Rosario | www.LuisRosar.io

Despite blowing away their opponents on the stat sheet, the Rochester Rhinos were only able to put one past Greater Binghamton Thunder goalkeeper Jason Stenta in a 1-0 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Second Round victory. The goal by Kenardo Forbes was one of 16 shots that Rochester took but a combination of wastefulness in the final third and great positioning from Stenta kept the game close until the final whistle.

Wednesday night’s match between the former tournament winner and the second-year entrant started out physical almost from the opening whistle. Players from both sides exchanged rather aggressive challenges to set the tone in the early minutes. Slavisa Ubiparipovic, younger brother of Ottawa Fury FC midfielder Sinisa, was booked by referee David Mon for a particularly egregious tackle from behind on Rochester’s left Onua Obasi in the 13th minute. Even though the match never lost this chippy edge in the remaining time, the referee kept his cards in his pocket after that.

At the half hour mark, Marcos Ugarte sent a low cross into the middle from the left channel. The ball eluded both Duba and Kenardo Forbes but fell to Drew Ruggles near the top of the area. The first-year Rhino blasted his opportunity over the goal and into the top row of seats.

The rookie winger out of Providence College probably should have won a penalty for the Rhinos in the 38th minute. Ugarte cut in from the left wing and darted in between several Binghamton defenders. Jacob Sutherland and Domenico Vitale combined to sandwich Ugarte off the ball as he drove through the area towards goal but David Mon saw nothing awry with the physical challenge.

Rather than discourage Ugarte, the previous non-call seemed to encourage him. The very next minute Ugarte again broke free down the left flank and played low service into the box. Duba met the cross wide of the near post and attempted to feed Drew Ruggles with a ball through the goalmouth instead of shooting from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Stenta came off his line to intercept the pass but the ball bobbled around off him, Ruggles, and Jherrett Maroney.

Former Jamaican international Forbes saw the loose ball rolling toward him inside the area. Intelligently Forbes took a touch away from goal to create space before turning and chipping a shot over the goalkeeper. Three Binghamton defenders took up positions on the goal line but Patrick Thompson was unable to prevent the ball from going in and his header deflected into the roof of the net.

While the goal was not the cleanest attacking sequence for the home side, the 39th minute goal was still good enough for a 1-0 lead to take into halftime.

Rochester created a number of half-chances to open the second half but couldn’t manage to take quality shots on frame. Binghamton’s determination in the face of a challenging professional side was on display in the second half at Sahlen’s Stadium. The visitors’ best chances of the game all came towards the end of regulation.

Ubiparipovic, Božidar Jelovac, and substitute Daniel Kraynak combined well to weave an attack through Rochester’s high defensive line in the 75th minute. A ball came in from Kraynak on the right flank to the feet of Ubiparipovic at the top of the box. Julian Ringhof came in hard on Ubiparipovic in a challenge deemed fair by David Mon. A couple of inches difference on the tackle and Rochester may have been facing a penalty and the rest of the game a man down.

In the 86th minute Jelovac raced up the left channel and made quick work of both right back Sean Totsch and center back Ringhof but was stranded with no options to retain possession. The game became stretched in the last few minutes of regulation and during the four additional minutes of stoppage time as Rochester seemed intent to add a second rather than look after the ball.

After Ubiparipovic forced Rochester goalkeeper Adam Grinwis into a hurried clearance, the ball fell to Binghamton captain Christopher Riley. Without hesitation Riley unleashed a volley from about 35 yards out that forced Grinwis into his first save of the game. Binghamton’s lone shot on the night came in the 92nd minute.

After the game, Rochester coach Bob Lilley spoke about the result. “It’s disappointing that we didn’t put it together and put the game away a little sooner. Most of the times these games are close, at least we didn’t have to burn another 30 minutes; we just played 90 tonight,” Lilley joked, referring to the two cup games last year that went to extra time for the Rhinos.

“I think we were fairly comfortable but there were a few moments in the second half where maybe they could have gotten a chance and hit a shot into the corner of the net.”

“It was not a great performance but it’s the result we needed,” Lilley said, summing up the general sentiment of his players.

Rochester will now travel to central Pennsylvania next week for a Third Round matchup against Harrisburg City Islanders, who defeated PDL-side Reading United AC in the last round. It will be the second meeting between the two clubs. Rochester defeated the City Islanders 1-0 in Harrisburg back in 2011. Greater Binghamton FC can build on their strong performance and organized team shape when they return to NPSL action this Saturday, May 23 at home against Clarkstown SC Eagles.

The Rhinos head to Harrisburg to face their league rivals City Islanders on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. The two have not met yet in USL play this season but Harrisburg holds a 4-2-1 record, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Tommy Stewart’s hat trick leads Sacramento Republic to win over Sonoma County Sol, 4-2 (video)

May 23, 2015 by Evan Ream

It was a night of firsts in California’s capital.

Sacramento Republic FC forward Tommy Stewart became the first Northern Irish player in the US Open Cup modern era to score a hat trick.

That hat trick was the first hat trick tallied in the Republic’s four-game Open Cup history.

The Republic became the first team to draw over 10,000 fans (10,386) in a Second Round game, breaking the previous record of 9,339 set by the Columbus Crew in 2001.

In the end, it was a wild 4-2 win for Sacramento over the NPSL’s Sonoma County Sol that, in classic Open Cup fashion, featured plenty of drama.

First it appeared as if the Republic would score an easy victory as Stewart scored a goal and set up another from Gabe Gonzalez in the first 12 minutes of the match.

Though Sacramento dominated the possession, the Sol pulled a goal back 14 minutes later when Sonoma forward Omar Nuno picked up a ball near the top of the box, turned and fired it into the upper 90 of Dominik Jakubek’s goal to half the deficit.

“I think this game should have been over , but we made it a little difficult for ourselves,” said Republic head coach Preki. “We got lucky in the end.”

Just as the Sol thought they were getting momentum, Stewart scored his second goal just before halftime after capitalizing on a defensive miscue set up by Republic midfielder Zev Taublieb.

Stewart scored the fourth goal – set up by Sacramento-native Cameron Iwasa – 16 minutes after the break to extend the lead, but the Sol answered right back with another banger from Nuno just 12 minutes after the break.

In the 76th minute, the Sol looked to be making a legitimate case for a comeback when Jakubek took a Sol player down in the box, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Up stepped Taylor Varnadore, whose shot beat Jakubek, but not the post, leading to an eruption from the Tower Bridge Battalion, who were standing behind the goal that Varnadore shot on.

Holding a two-goal lead, the Republic figured to be in the next round drama free until the 87th minute, when a rough tackle from Jesus Arroyo brought down Stewart in the middle of the field.

Writhing in pain, Stewart had to be stretchered off the field due to an apparent ankle injury, and the Republic were forced to play the rest of the game with 10 men as they had already used all their subs.

“Goals will come in bunches and different places. I’m not really worried who scores them. Tommy was on the end of some goals tonight and that was good, but we still should have had more goals,” Preki said.

The Republic will host Chula Vista FC of the USASA on Wednesday at Bonney Field in a Third Round matchup.

“They’re not amateurs. They went to Arizona and beat Arizona, who’s in our league,” Preki said. “I’m expecting a tough game.”

To help cover travel costs, Chula Vista have started a GoFundMe campaign (gofundme.com/uvvs9h6e).

Full match replay: Sonoma County Sol at Sacramento Republic

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City gives Kentucky first win in 22 years, 1-0 over Lansing United

May 23, 2015 by Brooks Laimbeer

Lansing United's Sons of Ransom created a home field advantage, but Louisville City prevailed 1-0. Photo: Paul Swaney | StadiumJourney.com — Lansing United’s Sons of Ransom created a home field advantage, but Louisville City prevailed 1-0. Photo: Paul Swaney | StadiumJourney.com

Unlike last round where penalty kicks seemed to be the hot commodity, the match between Louisville City FC and Lansing United ended in 90 minutes. Louisville scored three minutes into the second half to eventually win the match 1-0 in what is the first victory by a Kentucky team in the US Open Cup since 1993 (Louisville Soccer Alliance).

From the opening kickoff at Archer Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., Louisville came out strong offensively and dominated possession in the first half.

“We expected to possess the ball a lot. We knew Lansing would make it very difficult for us,” said City head coach James O’Connor. “Great credit to them, they defended very well, they got numbers behind the ball and made it difficult for us to break them down.”

In the third minute of the game, forward Nate Polak, hit a shot that went wide of the United goal.

The game went back and forth for the next few minutes and in the 10th, Lansing United forward Matt Brown had a good look at the top of the box and struck a shot wide of the City goal.

In the 25th minute, City midfielder Charlie Adams ripped a shot 20 yards out. But the ball flew just over the crossbar on the far side of the goal.

United got a few more looks at goal in the first half, but none that would cause a scare for City goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh.

“They held the ball for a really long time, but our guys really stayed to our tactics, we defended extremely well and I thought we chased the game,” said United head coach Eric Rudland.

In the second half United put pressure on Louisville by earning an early free kick, but Lansing couldn’t make anything of it as defender Ben Lamb headed it wide of the goal.

Off a corner kick in the 48th minute, City midfielder Magnus Rasmussen played it short to Adams who hit a shot towards goal which deflected off Brown and into the United goal.

“The short corner was on to play and it was one of them ones where you’re shaping it with the inside of your foot that you want it to go towards goal,” Adams said. “I was aiming for the back post and to gradually get in the goal. But it’s one of those ones that’s difficult for defenders so it’s likely for you to get a deflection and I scored.”

Lansing broke out of their defensive mode and pressured the Louisville defense which cut down City’s time of possession to 60-40 15 minutes into the second half.

By the 70th minute, United switched their tactics and moved left back Ade Adeniyi to the striker position and dropped Brown into the midfield while midfielder Jack Smith dropped into the defensive back role.

This switch gave United a spark offensively as the big and strong Adeniyi created havoc for the City defense and just missed netting the equalizer in the 88th minute as his shot rung off the outside of the right post.

“We were able to make the adjustment to bump Ade up, he had a nice couple chances,” Rudland said. “Then we had guys getting around their outside backs in the last few minutes of the second half.”

Louisville held strong defensively at the end and almost added a few more goals if it wasn’t for a few big saves from United goalkeeper Quinn McAnaney.

“Honestly I think this was more to do with our backline and their performance,” McAnaney said. “I had to make one big save and the rest of the game they held them in check. This one goes to our backline and they were great all day.”

Louisville City FC will play the Indy Eleven Wednesday in the Third Round.

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Chattanooga FC upsets Wilmington Hammerheads for second year in a row (video)

May 21, 2015 by Marissa Blackman

In 2014, Chattanooga FC made history by becoming the first National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) team to eliminate a professional team when they beat Wilmington Hammerheads, 3-1. A year later, those same two teams squared off, and history repeated itself. This time, after a 1-1 draw, it took penalty kicks for Chattanooga to oust the Hammerheads.

By winning the penalty kick shootout 5-3, Chattanooga sets up another rematch. Just like last year, the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks will travel to Finley Stadium, the place where they cruised to a 5-0 victory.
“As an amateur team playing on the road against a professional team, we just needed to try to be in the game at the end,” said Chattanooga FC coach Bill Elliott. “We didn’t have any allusions that we were going to go out and win it early. We just wanted to hang around and be in it at the end.” That is exactly what Elliot’s team did.

The Second Round US Open Cup match began with the Wilmington club keeping control of possession. The Hammerheads controlled possession with accurate midfield passing, but when Chattanooga got the ball, no time was wasted attempting a goal. Several Hammerhead chances fizzled out in front of the goal because of passing. Each team took three shots by the end of the half. A foul committed by Chattanooga FC resulted in a Hammerheads penalty kick at the 37th minute taken by Zimmerman, who scored the first goal of the night.

The second half was a continuous cycle of each team taking chances that were either cleared in the box or saved, but neither club seemed to be discouraged by this. They never stopped trying. There were several instances where the ball was right feet away from the goal bouncing like a pinball between players. In the 58th minute, Chattanooga broke the cycle when Chrispin Ochieng capitalized on an assist from Samuel Goni. Possession was more evenly distributed throughout the later half. Since neither team was able to score again, the match went into extra time.

The pace of the game slowed slightly during extra time. Both clubs continued taking shot after shot, but neither club was giving away chances. After 30 minutes of extra time, many shots, and several saves, the score still remained even.

Chattanooga FC finally wrestled away the victory by outscoring Wilmington Hammerheads FC 5-3 in penalties.

“They worked as hard as they possibly could,” Hammerheads coach Carson Porter said about his team. “So you can’t ask for anything more on the work. We talked about trying to make plays, and I think we didn’t make a play at the end there. That was a little disappointing, but overall it was a great effort. I feel a bit disappointed for the players.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Heviel Cordoves scores, sent off in Charleston Battery’s narrow 1-0 win over Miami United

May 21, 2015 by Corbin Ensminger

Heviel Cordoves scored in the first half and the Charleston Battery was able to hold on for the 1-0 win over Miami United in the Second Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday night at Blackbaud Stadium.

Cordoves scored in the 40th minute against the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side after Memo Rodriguez played a ball from the right side that curved right into Cordoves’ path. He beat the defenders and easily slotted the ball past goalkeeper Eric Perilla for the goal.

The Battery move on to Round 3 where they will host the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Blackbaud Stadium on May 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Charleston, which is in second place in the USL Eastern Conference, dominated the game in the first half, but Miami was able to survive the onslaught with limited damage and did a good job of making it an even contest in the second half.

The Battery could have had multiple goals in the first 45 minutes, as Cordoves nearly scored in the opening minute on a backpass to Perilla that went awry and Dante Marini hit the post in the fifth minute.

It felt like Charleston was destined to score several goals, but ultimately only one was needed. Miami came out much stronger in the second half, so the Battery spent more time on defense and looked to counterattack with long balls over the midfield.

Charleston coach Mike Anhaeuser said the longer the game went on, the more confident Miami felt that they had a chance to tie or win the game.

“They made a few mistakes and we didn’t make them pay early, and that’s what you need to do against a team like that. They were able to bleed through their mistakes and got their confidence,” he said.

The Battery had several opportunities to put the game away, but Perilla made five saves on the night, including an amazing stop in the 79th minute. Cordoves, on a breakaway from one of those quick counterattacks down the flanks, found Navion Boyd alone in front of goal and delivered the ball to him. Boyd directed it to goal but somehow Perilla slid over, extended his leg and was able to kick the ball off the line.

Miami finished the game with seven shots, six of which had to be saved by Battery goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper. Ignacio Calcagno had one of the best shots for Miami when he whipped a ball in from outside the box, and he earned his side a corner kick in the first half. But the NPSL team struggled to create chances against the Battery defense.

The second half turned feisty, as Cordoves was sent off for shoving a Miami player in the back. Because it was ruled as violent conduct, Cordoves will be ineligible for the next two Cup games, should the Battery advance that far. In total, there were eight yellow cards handed out.

Charleston central midfielder Sebastian Thuriere said he has never known a US Open Cup game to be easy. He is a player that can attack or defend well, but had to spend a lot of time in his own half as the Battery played down a man for the final seven minutes of regulation.

“Toward the end of the game we realized the pressure was on them to push,” said Thuriere. “They added some extra defenders and the card made it harder on us,”

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Tomasz Zahorski’s hat trick leads Charlotte Independence over Upward Stars FC

May 20, 2015 by Zach Hall

On a still and humid South Carolina night, Charlotte Independence began its first ever US Open Cup tournament with a convincing 4-1 win over NPSL side Upward Stars SC. While Independence was technically the home side, Rock Hill, SC, is pretty much half the distance between the two. Charlotte’s home stadium is still under construction (due to open June 13th), so this Open Cup fixture was played across the state border on Winthrop University’s campus.

The beginning of the night didn’t seem like a “David and Goliath” situation, with Andre Carle of the Stars opening up the scoring on the night. Independence goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and centerback Mechack Jerome had some miscommunication that Carle took advantage of, leaving Restrepo ten feet away from his goal while Carle simply walked the ball into the back of the net.

The Charlotte defense wouldn’t allow another mistake like that to happen for the rest of the game, as the players turned it on, pressed high and bossed possession for the next 25 minutes. Just eight minutes after going down, Independence forward Tomasz Zahorski got his head on the end of a Ben Newnam corner, put the ball in the near corner where Stars keeper Matt Amis had no chance of reaching it. Twenty minutes later Charlotte right back Jack Metcalf hoofed a long ball up to local lad Enzo Martinez, who headed it toward goal. The ball bounced down off the top bar and the referee Jeffery Muschik judged that it went over the line, giving the home side a 2-1 advantage. Just before the halftime whistle Zahorski would find the back of the net again, this time from the middle of a scrum in front of goal. Martinez found the ball at his feet, quickly put it in a good position for Zahorski to take care of business and it he didn’t miss his opportunity. By the time the dust settled, Independence was going into the locker room at halftime up 3-1.

Martinez’s goal would be the last one they needed, as the Stars struggled to put together many meaningful attacks against the home team in the second half. Carle had two half chances around the 60 minute mark, but his team was slow to aid him pushing forward and both would end up in uneventful corners.

Tomasz Zahorski wasn’t done yet though. Earning his hat trick in the first minute of second half extra time after Ben Newnam pulled Amis off his line, crossed the ball to the other side of the box where Zahorski chested the ball down and laid the ball clean into the back corner.

Charlotte coach Mike Jefferies after the game: “Credit to the Upward Stars, they made it difficult for us and we made it difficult for ourselves after that first goal, thats a gift and gives them momentum that we had pretty well under control. Credit to the guys for keeping their composure.”

“Minimum expectation was tonight. We obviously wanted to get through and give ourselves an opportunity to play upper division teams. The goal for most teams in lower divisions is to get a game against a MLS team and see how far you go and we’re no different.”

Charlotte midfielder Enzo Martinez on playing in front of family in hometown: “To play in front of my family and friends is a huge blessing.”

Martinez on earning more regular season minutes: “That’s my mentality right now. Its a lot of games, so we all have to be ready. Hopefully I keep taking advantage of the opportunities given to me and make a case for myself.”

On how far he wants to go: “We take it a game at a time, but we want to win it. Obviously it would be really tough, but there’s no reason why we can’t do it.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers win in-state battle, 2-0 over Virginia Beach City

May 20, 2015 by Scott Wyant

Richmond Kickers celebrate a goal against Virginia Beach City FC in the US Open Cup Second Round. Photo: James Loving | Richmond Kickers

Two second-half goals pushed the Richmond Kickers past Virginia Beach City FC and into the US Open Cup’s Third Round Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory.

Nate Shiffman and Jason Yeisley each scored to advance the Kickers as they will host Jacksonville Armada FC on May 27.

After successfully defending six corner kicks in the first half, Virginia Beach City FC couldn’t clear the first corner of the second half.

Fred Owusu Sekyere’s kick bounced around the six-yard box’s near post and Shiffman was able to put the ball in.

“We talked about working on that near post,” Owusu Sekyere said. “ Yomby out-jumped the keeper and deflected perfectly into Nate’s path and he was able to knock it over the line.”

Added Shiffman: “I was just in the right place at the right time. Yomby headed it down and I was a yard out so I just flicked it, and it deflected off one of the defenders and it went in the side netting.”

With Virginia Beach City FC poised to defend in the first half, the Kickers found it tough to attack the visitors’ goal. The hosts found their chances taking long strikes and threatening on corner kicks.

As the first half progressed the Kickers began to open up the Virginia Beach City defense with quick passes. In the 45th minute the best opportunity came for the Kickers as Brian Ownby raced down the left hand side and cut into the box. The midfielder threaded a pass into Shiffman but Virginia Beach City FC goalkeeper Sean Stowe was able to push the shot away to keep the score 0-0 at the half.

“I felt we played pretty well in the first half, we just didn’t test the keeper enough,” said Richmond coach Leigh Cowlishaw. “In the last 20 minutes of the half we felt a goal was going to come but we blew a couple chances.”

In the first half Richmond held the edge in shots (7-1) and corner kicks (6-1).
Virginia Beach FC’s lone shot on goal came halfway through the second half as Chris Albiston took a shot just outside the box. The shot went directly into the hands of Ryan Taylor who made the easy save.

The Kickers nearly doubled their lead in the 72nd minute as second-half substitute George Davis IV lined up a shot just outside the box. The attempt went past the sprawled Sean Stowe and out of play.

An Owusu Sekyere cross in the 89th minute found a diving Yeisley who buried the shot in the net to put the hosts up 2-0.

The Kickers bested Virginia Beach City FC in both shots (15-3) and corners (9-8) in the win.
With the victory, the Richmond Kickers have now won six straight US Open Cup openers.

“We have a good team we’re used to winning,” Cowlishaw said. “There’s a lot of guys who are winners on the team and we take it very seriously. We want to bring an MLS team to Richmond. It’s our second goal, we want to win a regular season championship and we want to bring an MLS team to Richmond.”

With a win next week, Cowlishaw and company would get that chance.