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2011 US Open Cup Qualifying: Brooklyn Italians defeat FC Sonic Lehigh Valley 2-1 for NPSL Northeast berth

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UPDATE: The Brooklyn Italians qualified for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 victory on the road versus FC Sonic Lehigh Valley. More details to come…

Match Preview:

The third of four 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup berths allotted to the National Premier Soccer League will be determined Friday night at Lehigh University’s Ulrich Sports Complex in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania when the Brooklyn Italians visit FC Sonic Lehigh Valley at 7:30 pm ET.

The match is the final of the three-team Northeast Division tournament that began with the two-time US Open Cup champion Brooklyn Italians (1979, 91) narrowly defeating visiting FC Buffalo 1-0 Saturday, May 7.

The two clubs will be meeting for the first time as both teams play in the NPSL, but in a different conference. FC Sonic is the NPSL defending champions, hailing out of the Keystone Conference. Brooklyn plays in the Atlantic Conference.

“We need to play a very good game to win,” Italians coach Tony Noto said “They are a very good team.”

Since the first qualification match victory against Buffalo, another Keystone Conference club, Brooklyn opened its season with a 2-1 loss on the road to Mass United FC. FC Sonic, meanwhile, is unbeaten through four games and are on a three-game win streak since a draw in the season opener, outscoring their opponents 8-2 on aggregate.

“I traveled to watch play this past weekend,” Noto said. “They are very organized and attack well. They have a great atmosphere in the stadium.”

FC Sonic won the 2010 NPSL Championship

FC Sonic tied the NY Red Bulls 1-1 in the opener and followed it up with two consecutive road wins against the NJ Blaze, 2-1, and the Pocono Snow, 2-0, before returning home to blank the Buxmont Torch, 3-0.

FC Sonic received the bye as the defending NPSL Regional Champion. Buffalo and Brooklyn were the only other clubs in the 14-team division who chose to enter.

Previously, NPSL clubs needed to qualify through the USASA Regional tournaments. Only two clubs from the league entered for Region I a year ago. The Erie Admirals (PA) withdrew prior to the first match while the Brooklyn Italians went on to qualify from the region courtesy of a reprieve. After falling in the opening round to Imigrantes Das Ilhas, administrators overturned the result due to an ineligible player. With their second life, Brooklyn went on to defeat Go Soccer FC and Fenerbahce USA to earn one of the region’s two berths in the US Open Cup.

The Italians acquitted themselves well in the First Round of the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, taking the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division (pro third division) to overtime before falling 4-2. They took the lead once in each half only to see their hosts equalize both times.

About the Teams

Brooklyn Italians: New members of the NPSL in 2010, the club’s history is lengthy and dynamic. The club played in the second edition of the American Soccer League from 1956-64 before playing as an amateur club since. All along, the club has played under numerous names. While its recent history is as an amateur club, it was one of the premier teams to play in the US Open Cup over the course of 12 years during the tournament’s amateur era. The side won the tournament in 1979 and was runner-up two years later. They returned to prominence in 1990 as runners-up, following it up with a second US Open Cup title the next year that led to appearances in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup in 1991. Head coach Joey Barone is no stranger to qualifying, but was unable to lead the West Michigan Edge into the US Open Cup in two attempts (2005-06) in the PDL. Last year, Brooklyn finished second in the Northeast Division’s Atlantic Conference, losing out on the playoff berth via a tiebreaker. The club was level with New York Red Bull NPSL (10-1-1, 31 points) in the conference table as well as having the same totals as the division champion FC Sonic Lehigh Valley.

FC Sonic Lehigh Valley:  New to the NPSL a year ago, the club performed well in its debut, finishing first in the division’s Keystone Conference and winning the divisional playoff game to advance to the league semifinals. After falling to eventual champion Sacramento Gold, they rebounded to finish third. This is the team’s first attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup. They are led by head coach Dave Weitzman, a local high school and former collegiate men’s assistant coach.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying update: Hollywood claims NPSL West berth after league ruling

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Competition Update (as of 5/20/11) ** Final Update: On Thursday, May 19 the NPSL commissioner and other committee members upheld the league’s decision to penalize the San Diego Flash use of an illegal player in two matches by ruling the games as 3-0 forfeitures.

With the news Thursday that the appeal by the San Diego Flash to overturn the penalties levied against them for using an illegal player in its matches versus Hollywood and Bay Area had failed, the club was officially eliminated from US Open Cup contention.

The ruling gives the US Open Cup berth to Hollywood United, which is now perfect at 7-0-0 and uncatchable. Hollywood finished with a nearly flawless record with 34 goals scored and only three allowed.

Second to Hollywood in the table are the Santa Ana Winds, whose only loss of the six games played on their slate thus far was a 1-0 decision against the leaders in just the second game of the season.

The Flash would have had a perfect 7-0-0 record with the win against the Sacramento Gold. Instead, it is Hollywood United that sits atop the table with a perfect record, including their victory against the Flash, one of the two forfeitures. Along with news of the NPSL ruling, the Flash management commented on their Facebook page, “As an Organization, we will move forward from this decision and do our best to have a great 1st season in the NPSL.”

See the updated standings below (includes penalties):

NPSL WEST GP W L T PTS GF GA GD
Hollywood United 7 7 0 0 21 34 3 +31
Santa Ana Winds 6 5 1 0 15 15 6 +9
San Diego Flash 7 5 2 0 15 14 9 +5
Sonoma County Sol 6 3 2 1 10 16 10 +6
San Diego Boca 7 3 4 0 9 14 16 -2
Sacramento Gold 6 2 2 2 8 10 8 +2
FC Hasental 7 2 4 1 7 13 17 -4
Bay Area Ambassadors 7 1 5 1 4 9 22 -13
Rattlers FC 4 1 3 0 3 4 9 -5
Real San Jose 7 1 6 0 3 4 32 -28

Top team qualifies for the 2011 US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

NPSL West tiebreakers

(1) Goal difference (2) Goals scored



* Denotes forfeiture    –    All times Eastern

April 1 Sonoma County Sol 3:1 Bay Area Ambassadors Final
April 2 Hollywood United 1:0 Santa Ana Winds Final
April 2 Real San Jose 1:2 San Diego Boca Final
April 3 FC Hasental 1:3 San Diego Flash Final
April 9 San Diego Flash 0:3* Hollywood United Final
April 9 Sacramento Gold 4:1 Bay Area Ambassadors Final
April 9 FC Hasental 0:1 San Diego Boca Final
April 16 Hollywood United 4:0 Sonoma County Sol Final
April 16 Bay Area Ambassadors 0:2 Real San Jose Final
April 16 Santa Ana Winds 4:1 FC Hasental Final
April 17 Hollywood United 3:0 Sacramento Gold Final
April 17 Real San Jose 0:8 Sonoma County Sol Final
April 17 San Diego Boca 1:2 San Diego Flash Final
April 23 Sacramento Gold 0:0 Sonoma County Sol Final
April 23 Real San Jose 0:11 Hollywood United Final
April 23 San Diego Flash 0:3* Bay Area Ambassadors Final
April 23 Santa Ana Winds 3:2 San Diego Boca Final
April 23 FC Hasental 3:1 Rattlers FC Final
April 30 Santa Ana Winds 3:0 Rattlers FC Final
April 30 Sacramento Gold 4:0 Real San Jose Final
April 30 Bay Area Ambassadors 2:2 FC Hasental Final
May 1 San Diego Boca 3:5 Hollywood United Final
May 1 Sonoma County Sol 0:1 San Diego Flash Final
May 7 Bay Area Ambassadors 2:4 San Diego Boca Final
May 7 San Diego Flash 5:0 Real San Jose Final
May 8 Bay Area Ambassadors 0:7 Hollywood United Final
May 8 Rattlers FC 1:2 Santa Ana Winds Final
May 14 FC Hasental 4:5 Sonoma County Sol 9:30
May 14 Sacramento Gold 1:1 Hollywood United 10 p.m.
May 14 San Diego Boca 1:3 Santa Ana Winds 10 p.m.
May 14 Rattlers FC 2:1 Real San Jose 10:30
May 15 San Diego Boca 1:2 FC Hasental 5 p.m.
May 15 Sacramento Gold 1:3 San Diego Flash 6 p.m.
May 21 Real San Jose at Santa Ana Winds 10 p.m.
May 21 Rattlers FC at San Diego Boca 10 p.m.
May 22 Rattlers FC at San Diego Flash 6 p.m.
May 22 FC Hasental at Sacramento Gold 8 p.m.
May 28 Rattlers FC at FC Hasental 10 p.m.
May 29 Sonoma County Sol at Sacramento Gold 8 p.m.

PREVIEW

The most sought-after US Open Cup berth in the National Premier Soccer League numerically, the 10 clubs in the West Division, at the time of this article being written, are a third of the way through the qualification process. The berth at stake will go to the club with the best point total after its first seven matches of the league campaign.

Given the method of determining the qualifier, the quest began on April 1 when the Sonoma County Sol won on the road against the 2010 US Open Cup qualifier Bay Area Ambassadors. Both are returning teams to the division. The final qualification match, of 40 total, also features Sonoma County when they travel to play May 29 against the Sacramento Gold.

Qualifying for NPSL teams was previously done via the USASA Regional tournaments. The 2011 edition of the US Open Cup gave the league four automatic entrants into the event. Last year, the division was comprised of six teams. With one team folding, five new clubs join the fray this year, including former United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League teams Hollywood United Hitmen and Lancaster Rattlers. The other three newcomers are FC Hasental, Santa Ana Winds and San Diego Flash, a new version of a former USL club from years past.

Last year, four of the NPSL sides participated in the Region IV tournament and found success. Real San Jose, Bay Area Ambassadors and Sacramento Gold each won their groups with perfect records. Bay Area then edged Sacramento 1-0 in the semifinals while San Jose fell 2-1 to former NPSL and USL side Arizona Sahuaros, who earned the wild card berth in a tiebreaker with the NPSL San Diego Boca. With the two US Open Cup berths already determined, the Ambassadors won the regional championship, 2-0. Sonoma County Sol also qualified via a special play-in match.

Hollywood United coach Ian Carrington celebrates his club’s upset win over the Portland Timbers in the 2008 US Open Cup. Photo: Allison Andrews | SoccerCityUSA.com

The qualifying format for the West upon closer inspection is fairly balanced based in the breadth of opposition each club is facing as five teams only play one opponent twice and the Rattlers are the lone club that plays two teams twice. The Rattlers, the remaining club yet to begin their league campaign, are also the only side that has four matches against clubs that were not in the NPSL or PDL a year ago while Real San Jose and Santa Ana are the only two teams that only play one match against said opponents.

The other balanced schedule aspect comes via the home-away composition. Only two clubs have more than four home or road games on the schedule. Both Sacramento and the Rattlers will be forced to play away from home five times during the campaign. The Gold have four consecutive on the road at one point while the Rattlers play both home matches at the top of the schedule before finishing out on the road five straight. No other clubs have four consecutive matches home or away on the fixture list.

The selection of seven games as the determining point matches the fact that Sonoma County, Santa Ana and the Rattlers only have seven matches prior to the official Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying deadline. With other clubs playing more than seven by the deadline, the scheduling creates a unique scenario in which a handful of games only count as qualifiers for one club. Sonoma has one such match against an opponent whose qualifying campaign is already concluded. Sacramento, Santa Ana and the Rattlers each have three such games at the ends of their campaigns. Sacramento’s match May 14 against Hollywood United is the first of the 10 specific matches. The final six games, overall, from May 21-29 only count as qualifiers for one team.

About the Teams

Bay Area Ambassadors: A 2009 addition to the NPSL, the Ambassadors entered the US Open Cup fray a year ago with outstanding success, winning all three group games in the USASA Region IV tournament and earning a berth with a semifinal win against fellow NPSL side Sacramento, 1-0, en route to winning the championship against Arizona Sahuaros, 2-0. Bay Area made a thrilling comeback in the First Round of the US Open Cup on the road against the PDL Kitsap Pumas. Trailing since the third minute, Phil Silva scored twice in the 71st and 77th minutes to send the match to overtime where Kitsap scored twice for the 4-2 victory. The club’s two-year league record is 9-10-3.

FC Hasental: While the club is new to the NPSL, it is not new to US Open Cup qualifying. Established in 2005, the team has entered the Region IV tournament the past two years, coming up short in the quest for a berth. Last year FC Hasental was 1-1-0 in the group with Real San Jose of the NPSL. Hasental translates from German to English as Hare-Valley, also known as Conejo Valley, the home of the club.

Hollywood United: The side is the feature team of the Hollywood United Football Club that is famous for numerous celebrities and former internationals playing on its teams over the years as well as participating in the club’s many charity events. As an independent team, the team qualified for the US Open Cup in 2008 through the USASA Region IV tournament, going 3-0-0 with victories against three NPSL teams. They then shocked many in the First Round of the US Open Cup by eliminating then USL First Division (pro second division) Portland Timbers in a 3-2 affair. They were then defeated by the USL-1 Seattle Sounders 6-0. In the past two years, Hollywood finished in the top two of the PDL Southwest Division, but missed out on qualifying for the US Open Cup, finishing 1-2-1 in the group a year ago after narrowly missing out in 2009 at 3-1-0.

Rattlers FC: The club is in its first season in the NPSL after spending four in the USL PDL. The club struggled in PDL play, finishing 10th in its first two seasons and seventh the past two for a combined record of 12-38-14. The Rattlers are a total 3-11-2 in Open Cup qualifiers, but had their best PDL qualifying campaign last year at 1-1-2.

Real San Jose: A member of the NPSL since 2007, the club reached the postseason for the first time last year with a record of 5-3-2. The team is a combined 8-8-6 the past two league campaigns. The club reached the Region IV Semifinals a year ago in its qualification quest, winning its two group matches before falling to the Arizona Sahuaros in the Final Four, 2-1.

San Diego Boca: New to the NPSL last year, the club finished the season fourth in the division at 4-3-3, but surprised second-seed Real San Jose 4-0 in the playoffs before falling to division and eventual league champion Sacramento. In qualifying, San Diego Boca finished 1-1-1 in its group, second to league-mate Bay Area and missed out on the wild card based on tiebreakers.

San Diego Flash: A familiar name, the club is new to the NPSL. The team is a rebirth of the former A-League (pro second division) team that played in United Soccer Leagues from 1998-2001. The new club is guided by former English international Warren Barton (Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Derby County, QPR), who is also an analyst for Fox Soccer Channel. The previous Flash side was 2-3 in the tournament after failing to qualify in its first season. In 1999 and 2000 the club posted victories against pro third division USL clubs before being ousted back-to-back times by the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round. In 2000, they were knocked out by the MLS Chicago Fire in the Second Round.

Santa Ana Winds: A new addition to the NPSL, the club was founded in 2009 and has played locally the past few years. This is the club’s first campaign to qualify for the US Open Cup.

Sonoma County Sol: The oldest club in the division, Sonoma County is looking to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall, having advanced via the USASA Region IV tournament previously. The club joined the league in 2004 and reached the US Open Cup for the first time in 2005. It has advanced to the Second Round of the tournament twice, downing the Ogden Outlaws (PDL) in penalties, 6-5, after a 1-1 draw in 2006 and topping Orange County Blue Star (PDL), 5-2, in 2009.  They were knocked out by the USL First Division’s (pro second division) Charleston Battery, 1-0, and Portland Timbers, 3-0, in the Second Round contests, respectively. In their 2005 debut they were ousted in penalties, 6-5, after a 2-2 draw with Salinas Valley Samba in the First Round. Last year, extra amateur spots led to a special amateur play-in game that gave the defending NPSL champions the opportunity to qualify in one match, defeating a fellow California side PSA Los Gatos 3-0 to reach the tournament where they were blanked, 3-0, by the USL-1 Timbers again.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: Brooklyn Italians top FC Buffalo in first NPSL Northeast qualifier (Video)

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In the first of two qualification matches for the National Premier Soccer League’s berth into the US Open Cup from the league’s Northeast Conference, the two-time US Open Cup champion Brooklyn Italians (1979, 91) narrowly defeated visiting FC Buffalo 1-0 Saturday. Brooklyn advances to face FC Sonic Lehigh Valley in the final May 27 in Bethlehem, PA for a spot in the tournament.

Strengthened by some recent collegiate additions, but with little preparation, FC Buffalo took it to the hosts in the early going with Stephen Baker and Mike Reidy challenging up the flanks. The second portion of the first half saw the two clubs go back and forth with Brooklyn attempting to find striker Jorge Joseph over the top.

The plan of attack would pay off for the Italians when they countered with a quick ball up the right side that found Joseph all alone behind the defense in the 25th minute. He drove in toward goal and slipped the ball from 14 yards past goalkeeper Pat Regna as he came sliding out to challenge the breakaway, finding the far back corner (2:19 on video).

As Buffalo searched for the equalizer, the visitors hopes were dashed by a controversial call and saw their keeper leave the game after a bloody clash.

On one of Buffalo’s best chances of the game a ball from Reidy found Stedman, who beat his defender into the box and was all alone with the keeper. The keeper dove at Stedman to break up the opportunity, taking out his feet in the process, eliciting calls from the sidelines for a penalty which was not given.

Regna turned away numerous Brooklyn opportunities to double the advantage in the second half before being knocked out of the game with injury. On a counter from Mustafa Haridi, the pair collided awkwardly with force. Haridi left the match and needed dental surgery after suffering a bloody mouth injury while Regna was forced out with a significant cut beneath the knee.

Craig Yanni did well in Regna’s place, making several saves to keep the visitors in the match for the final 10 minutes, but the club was unable to find the equalizer.

Madison 56ers awarded NPSL Midwest US Open Cup spot

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Madison 56ersJim Launder has always wanted the Madison 56ers to play in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, giving his National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) team a shot at playing against a professional side.

So after the 56ers won the NPSL Midwest Region title last year, they started making plans to play in this spring’s USASA Region II Open Cup tournament.

That included putting together a roster of players who would be available for the early rounds of the tournament – many of the 56ers’ players are college athletes and aren’t allowed to start playing with the team until mid-May due to NCAA regulations.

But in February, the US Soccer Federation announced that the NPSL would receive four berths into the US Open Cup, and the league in turn revealed that each of its four regions would be allocated one spot.

While the league’s other three regions have recently unveiled a qualifying format, the Midwest Region opted to award its Open Cup berth to the 56ers as the 2010 champion.

“It’s pretty cool that we’re going right in,” Launder said, “but I wish I hadn’t done all the work to put this whole team together and now have to tell the guys, ‘Just kidding.’

“But this is better, and in the long run it’s a good thing to have (the automatic berths).”

56ers general manager Charles Billings, a member of the NPSL Board who handles much of the organization for the Midwest Region, said none of the other six Midwest teams expressed interest in a qualifying tournament.

Perhaps one reason the teams didn’t want to add qualifying was that by the time the U.S. Soccer announcement was made, the regional schedule already had been set and would have had to be redone.

The 56ers have made four previous appearances in the Open Cup, all before the Professional Era (1995-present). They fell in the Region II semifinals from 1988 to ’90, and were ousted by Illinois’ RWB Adria 7-6 on penalty kicks following a 4-4 tie in the 1991 quarterfinals.

Launder coached the team – then known as the Princeton-56ers – in the USASA Region II tournament in 2007 and ’08, falling to Michigan’s Detroit United 2-1 in the first round in 2007 and 2-0 to RWB Adria in the semifinals the next year. Region II has traditionally awarded the NPSL Midwest champion an automatic spot in its tournament the following year.

The roster Launder put together for the anticipated Region II tournament was a combination of 56ers players who are not in college, some of the team’s standouts from recent years and other current and former pro players.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL Southeast Conference tournament announced

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The qualification process has been set for one of the four National Premier Soccer League’s automatic berths into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Southeast Division’s spot will feature a six-team tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. May 27-29, according to the website of host Chattanooga FC.

Hosted at Finley Stadium, the event kicks off Friday, May 27 with a pair of First Round matches. Knoxville Force and Jacksonville United FC meet in the first match followed by Rocket City United versus FC Tulsa.

The two winners advance to play the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves and host Chattanooga FC Saturday evening. The tournament champion will be played Sunday night to determine the US Open Cup entrant. New club Georgia Revolution are the only team in the division not slated to participate.

Previous NPSL qualification opportunities were primarily held via the regional USASA tournaments. Three clubs participated in the Region III tournament a year ago, but were unable to earn one of the two berths on the line, finishing a combined 2-4-3 in group play.

About the Teams

Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves: Formerly known as Atlanta FC, the club has been in existence since 2008 as members of the NPSL and previously only qualified for the US Open Cup once. In their lone appearance in 2009, the club was eliminated in the First Round on the road, 2-0, by the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division (pro second division). The new name reflects new ownership and affiliation with the new NASL team of the same name (provisionally sanctioned pro second division). Atlanta won the division in its first season in 2008. Last year, Atlanta finished third in its Region III tournament group. (MORE: Atlanta FC – 2009 Meet the USASA)

Chattanooga FC: The club from Tennessee is entering its third year in the league and are the defending conference champion. This will be the team’s first attempt at qualifying for the US Open Cup. The team is coached by Brian Crossman, the 21-year coach of local Covenant College.

FC Tulsa: Entering their second season in the NPSL, the Oklahoma side finished second in the division a year ago after finishing second in the USASA Region III tournament while trying to qualify for the US Open Cup. The club’s director of coaching is Ali Adibi, who also manages the women’s side and formerly coached the Tulsa Roughnecks for eight years during the USL era in which they never qualified for the US Open Cup.

Jacksonville United FC: The Florida club is a new entry into the NPSL this season, but fans of the US Open Cup will recognize the team. Jacksonville United is a product of a merger of Open Cup regulars Lynch’s FC (Lynch’s Irish Pub / DS United) and the Jacksonville United youth academy. Lynch’s has qualified for the Open Cup three times (2003, 2007, 2009) in the last eight years. The team is coached by Pat Cannon, a recent inductee into the University of West Florida Hall of Fame. (MORE: Lynch’s FC – 2009 Meet the USASA)

Knoxville Force: Another new club in the NPSL, the Force are led by Derek Broadley, who previously served as head coach of Reading United AC of the Premier Development League from 2005-07. Reading did not qualify for the US Open Cup during his tenure.

Rocket City United: A member of the NPSL since 2008, the club finished first in the division in 2009, but has not qualified in its attempts to reach the US Open Cup the past two years. Located in Huntsville, Alabama, the club is under its third coach in four years with Gerry Cleary at the helm.

2011 USOC team allocations, dates set

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010 Meet the USASA: Sonoma County Sol

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The Sonoma County Sol broke their duck last season by claiming their first NPSL Championship in club history.  Now this season they have their sights set on advancing deep into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

2010 has not been a particularly kind year to the Sol as they sit in fourth place in the NPSL Northeast Conference with nine points and a 2-3-2 record. However, the Sol have been strong in the US Open Cup prior, advancing to the second round in 2006 and 2009.

The Sol’s road to the US Open Cup this season was a bit different than years past, as they were placed in a one-off match against PSA Los Gatos Storm of US Club Soccer.  Undaunted by the ‘Win and You’re In’ match, the Sol rolled to a 3-0 victory.

Sonoma open the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup against the USSF-2nd Division’s Portland Timbers at PGE Park. The Timbers dismissed the Sol 3-0 last year in the second round of the tournament.

The Sol are no strangers to the US Open Cup, having qualified four times in the last six years (2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010).  Last season the Sol defeated the Orange County Blue Star 5-2 in the opening round and were one of only two amateur teams to advance to the second round.

The team is truly a family affair, in many ways. First is the way the club is funded. Each player pays $500 each for the season, and they also raise money through hosting a golf tournament, and having friends and family volunteer on game days. Also helping fund the team is the Sol “100” Club, in which individuals who donate $100 towards the team receive a season pass, having their name mentioned on the team website and being honored at the final home game of the year.

In addition to running the club as a team, almost all of the players on the roster are locals. Many players have played, or still play, at Sonoma State, where Sol head coach Benjamin Ziemer is an assistant coach, under his brother Marcus, who has been head the head coach at SSU for 18 seasons. The other players on the team either attend Santa Rosa Junior College, or are local players who have played college soccer elsewhere.

Ziemer recalls when he applied to coach the Sol two years ago. “I told the board we could compete using primarily local players.” The success of the Sol has proven he was correct. “Although not all believed it (was) possible, we have 16 players from Sonoma County, another 5 who have been here 5-6 years to attend Sonoma State University and a few others who have moved from out of town for work.” Ziemer says.

On top of all that, Benjamin Ziemer and his three brothers grew up playing the game, and then some. As kids, they played the game on a small field their father built for them, which included lights, playing 1-v-1 and 2-v-2 for hours until they all moved away from home. When the boys were in their teens, a man named Peter Reynaud moved into their area, and the way they viewed and played soccer changed. Reynaud was the head coach at Sonoma State, and exposed the boys to a different way of training and playing.

Three of the brothers, Benjamin, Andrew, and Christopher, went on to play for Reynaud at Sonoma State for the 1989-90 season, and then for their brother Marcus for the 1990-91 season, when Reynauld stepped down to concentrate on the women’s team. During that first year, Sonoma State went undefeated, and the following year both the men’s and women’s teams reached the NCSAA Division II championship game.

While Marcus stayed on as head coach at Sonoma State, the other three Ziemer boys eventually made their way to Germany. The first to go was Christopher. After their father decided the cost of another regional camp was not worth the money. Right around this time a German team came to the area and played against Christopher’s ODP team, after which their father asked the German coach if he could set Christopher up with a youth team. Christopher then went to Germany and soon after called Andrew and Benjamin to come join him. Soon the three were playing in the 3rd and 4th division in Germany, the country where their father was born.

Andrew then went to Holland to study soccer and attend coaching courses, but he ended up playing with Quick Den Haag – a top level amateur club. While there he went to Ajax a few days a week to watch professional and youth trainings. During this time he met Frans Hoek, who working at Ajax. Frans has assisted the Ziemer brothers in studying at 50+ clubs in Holland, Spain, Belgium, Germany, England and Italy. Together, the brothers run Ziemer Brothers Soccer, where Benjamin has directed over 150 camps in Northern and Southern California, Oregon and Nevada.

In addition to all of that, Benjamin has also coached for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) State Teams, been a Hoek Method Camp coach for over eight years, currently holds a USSF ‘A’ coaching license and German ‘B’ license, currently manages the NorCal Premier Soccer League, and was recently named the boys soccer coach at Sonoma Academy.

However, when asked who his standout players are, Ziemer has just one answer, “Our standout is the team.” Those words sum up what the NPSL club is all about, on and off the field.

2010 Meet the USASA: Bay Area Ambassadors

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Bay Area Ambassadors FC, 2010 USASA Region IV champions, make their U.S. Open Cup debut June 15 against Kitsap Pumas SC of the PDL.

It’s  a momentous occasion for the club from Hayward, Calif., a member of the NPSL Northwest Division. The Bay Area Ambassadors  were in fifth place in the six-team NPSL Northwest heading into their opening round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game, but overcame adversity and emerged  as the winner of the Region IV tourney in Sacramento last month and thus earned a spot in the 97th edition of the tournament.

Not bad for a franchise in only its third year of existence. BAFC was started in 2008 by former Nigerian Olympic team member Tony Igwe and local businessman and real-estate broker Arif Khan to bring the highest level of amateur/semi-pro soccer to the Bay Area, Khan said.

Igwe, the team’s technical advisor, and Khan, the general manager, chose the NPSL for their club because there were several other teams in Northern California. The Ambassadors practice and play at Chabot College in Hayward.

While goalkeeper Sergio Valle is the main player to watch, the Ambassadors feature a mix of local college and non-college players. Coach Mohammed Mohammed has several players he’s developed from his youth club, including Yusuf Samy, Stefan Clemens and Pedro Osorio.

BAFC didn’t have it easy at the Region IV tournament. Three of its players were injured in the tournament opener. But the club made the regional final and won it with no substitutes, playing two games with only 10 men due to the injuries and two players unable to get international clearance.

Even with the obstacles, the Ambassadors cruised through group play, only allowing one goal in three matches. They defeated San Diego Boca FC, 2-0, Arizona Pros, 1-0, and the French Soccer Academy, 5-1. In the semifinals, it was a battle of unbeatens as Bay Area knocked off the Sacramento Gold 1-0 to qualify for the Open Cup. With the tournament berth already in place, Bay Area carried the momentum into the Region IV Open Cup final and booked a spot in the USASA National Cup Finals with a 2-0 win over fellow qualifier Arizona Sahuaros.

The Ambassadors fly into Seattle-Tacoma Airport on June 15 and play that evening at 7 p.m. in nearby Bremerton, home of the Kitsap Pumas, the Premier Development League qualifier from the Northwest Division.

Sol defeat PSA Los Gatos Storm 3-0 in US Open Cup play-in match

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On a chilly Saturday night at PAL Stadium in San Jose, California, the defending NPSL champions Sonoma County Sol booked passage into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the fourth time since 2005 with a 3-0 victory over PSA Los Gatos Storm.

The single game play-in contest was made necessary when it was found that the US Club Soccer affiliated Storm could not participate in the USASA’s Region IV tournament since US Club Soccer are competitors. US Soccer does not have any plans in place for US Club Soccer teams to qualify, since no team from that organization has ever expressed interest in participating in the tournament.

The Sol jumped in front quickly on a 9th minute goal from team veteran Eric Larson. The Storm found it difficult to create chances at goal against the Sol defense. After thirty minutes, Sonoma County doubled their lead when Lee Summerscales headed in a corner kick. The opening 45 minutes finished with the Sol’s 2-0 advantage.

Just five minutes into the second half, Sonoma County put the game out of reach. Tyler Hurst, another of the Sol’s veteran players, scored on a cross from the far left corner after a defensive lapse by the Storm.

Sources: NPSL makes proposal for four berths

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The National Premier Soccer League has made a proposal to the US Soccer Federation for the league to receive four berths in the US Open Cup, sources confirmed to TheCup.us.

Over the first five seasons of the NPSL, league teams have had to qualify through their respective US Adult Soccer Association regional tournaments to get into the US Open Cup.

It’s not clear if the plan proposes taking the four berths from the eight currently assigned to the USASA. If that happens, only the four regional champions would qualify, rather than each region having two entries. Adding four berths to the NPSL and keeping eight for the USASA would require another revamp of the US Open Cup setup and possibly taking spots away from the Premier Development League (PDL).

The NPSL berths would be awarded using an in-season qualification process similar to the Premier Development League (PDL).

Six current NPSL teams have qualified for the US Open Cup, compiling a 1-7-4 record — the Sonoma County Sol posted the first victory with a 5-2 victory over the Orange County Blue Star in the first round this year.

The Salinas Valley Samba (2005) and the Sol (2006) also advanced to the second round on penalty kicks following ties in first-round matches; the Samba also drew their qualifying-round match in 2005 and advanced on penalties.

Two of the NPSL’s founding members who did not field teams in the league this season, the Chico Rooks and the Sacramento Knights, also have qualified for the US Open Cup in the past.

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