NTX Rayados

2017 Meet the Underdogs: NTX Rayados back in US Open Cup after 2016 disqualification

May 1, 2017 by Adam Uthe

North Texas Rayados 2016 US Open Cup qualifying — North Texas Rayados prepare for their 2016 US Open Cup qualifying match vs. Austin. Photo: NTX Rayados

For the fifth time in six years, Dallas-based North Texas (NTX) Rayados will enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fray.

“What happened in the off year?” you ask?

Last year, Rayados found themselves in a bit of controversy. It had qualified for the 2016 Open Cup and were all set to host Corinthians FC of San Antonio in the opening round; the visitors were in town and ready to go. But the night before the match was scheduled to take place, US Soccer disqualified the Rayados for failing to compete in a sanctioned league.

NTX Rayados compete in the North Texas Premier Soccer League. It had participated in league play in the fall of 2015, which allowed it to participate in qualifying for the 2016 Open Cup. However, because of a series of injuries and a lack of player availability, the Rayados were forced to drop out of NTPSL play in the spring of 2016. US Soccer discovered this during a roster check with the North Texas Premier Soccer Association and informed the squad about 24 hours before the 2016 First Round match.

The ruling meant the Rayados would miss the Open Cup for the first time since 2011. It seems off the field issues are the only thing that can keep the North Texas amateur powerhouse out of the Open Cup though as on the field it continues to be as dominant as ever.

North Texas are back for the 2017 Open Cup after a pair of thoroughly convincing wins in qualifying. It opened up with a 7-0 victory over Celtic Cowboy Premier and then took down CD Motagua of New Orleans in the second round of qualifying; both home wins. The result against Celtic Cowboy Premier was the first Open Cup-related match since the disqualification. When asked if the ruling had a motivating factor, player-coach Tito Salas was pretty forthcoming.

“For me personally, it left a hole … we’re always looking to improve and test ourselves against the next level in ,” he said.

The team holds weekly practices regularly and tends to recruit from smaller local-area colleges.

Salas, a former Richland College player, founded the team in 2011 as a means for him and some of his former teammates to keep playing at a high level. He is aware that he and his former teammates won’t be able to play forever though and they want the team’s success to continue on to the next generation.

“We try to keep the youth involved with us,” Salas said. “I think that people around the community see us involved in many different activities as well. A few of us are public school teachers, others are actively coaching within the (Dallas-Fort Worth) metroplex, not to mention the NTX Rayados Youth academy one of our players just started.”

Antonio Rodriguez, who is not on the Rayados Open Cup roster, launched the academy with seven teams from as young as four years old up to the Under-16 level. The team really has a feel of “more than a club”, to borrow from Spanish giants Barcelona. Even though the senior side couldn’t compete in the North Texas Premier Soccer League in 2016, it managed to stay fresh by playing against the likes of Dallas City FC, FC Dallas Academy teams, the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, Texas Spurs, and local rivals Legends FC and Liverpool Warriors. They happily play anyone, anytime, anywhere and are always anxious to prove themselves against local peers.

Although they continue qualify for the Open Cup year after year, results in the tournament itself have been a mixed bag. In 2014, NTX took down Austin Aztex (PDL) in a 4-4 match that ended with Rayados advancing via the penalty shootout. The victory was sweet for the North Texas side given that Austin won 3-0 in the previous year. It went on to put up a spirited fight against the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions, losing 4-2.

The Rayados hope 2017 is the year it can finally string together a run of wins and maybe even shock a MLS side. Open Cup fans might remember Dallas Roma FC’s then-historic run of three wins in 2006 when it took down MLS side Chivas USA on penalty kicks then lost to LA’s other MLS club, the Galaxy, in the Fourth Round.

Much like Dallas Roma FC, NTX Rayados drew the inspiration for their name from a professional club; in this case Mexican giants CF Monterrey. The team simply went by “Rayados” in its first season but decided to add “NTX” in order to broadcast its home base of Dallas.

2017 US Open Cup qualifying: NTX Rayados rebound from last year’s disqualication with one-sided opening win

September 17, 2016 by Adam Uthe

Celtic Cowboys Premier and North Texas Rayados line up before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Adam Uthe

Behind a pair of goals from Javan Goncalves Toledo and Gerardo Salas, the North Texas Rayados cruised comfortably to a 7-0 win over Celtic Cowboys Premier in the first round of qualifying for the 2017 US Open Cup. The North Texas powerhouse, no strangers to qualifying for the Open Cup out of Dallas, is looking to bounce back and return for the 2017 edition of the tournament after they were disqualified from the 2016 Cup for not playing in their league’s 2016 Spring season.

Rayados captain Tito Salas did say that the disqualification left the team feeling disappointed and motivated to move on.

“For me personally, it left a hole … we’re always looking to improve and test ourselves against the next level in .”, he said after the game.

The Rayados looked like a well-oiled machine as they passed circles around Celtic and controlled possession for much of the game. That shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise though, since Rayados typically recruit from Dallas-area colleges to fill out their roster. Celtic, conversely, as their name might suggest, are an Austin-based sport and social club founded in 2004 with a distinctly British flair and it showed throughout the game. They played with ten men behind the ball for much of the game and relied on a lone striker up top to try and get on the end of long balls over the top.

Midway through the first half, Rayados had frustrated the visitors to the point that several Celtic players began shouting at one another in frustration.

Not long after Celtic’s internal bickering began in the first half, NTX captain Tito Salas found himself in space 25 yards from goal and curled an exceptional shot into the upper right hand corner of the goal to give his side the breakthrough goal they had been well on their way to earning. Several minutes later, they earned their third corner of the first half and the set piece found the found center back Javan Goncalves Toledo, who calmly beat the keeper with his head. Salas found himself in the box again moments later, but his chip shot hit the crossbar and was subsequently cleared away, thus ending the first half.

Salas said he didn’t expect his goal to beat the goalkeeper.

“I mean, look at him…”, he said gesturing towards the Celtic keeper, who did appear to be all of six feet, three inches tall.

The second half started promising for Celtic. They registered their first shot on goal right out of the gate, but any momentum was quickly quashed as Toledo scored his second of the night, this time from a free kick after a hard Celtic foul. Midfielder Victor Pinal then added a fourth, crushing a powerful shot upper 90 from the edge of the box. The Salas goal parade continued for the home side as Luis Salas added the fifth and Gerardo Salas added the sixth and seventh goals to finish off the game for good.

Had they not been disqualified, NTX Rayados would’ve made it to their fifth consecutive tournament, a Modern Era (1995-present) record for an open division amateur team. Instead, they’ll have to “settle” for five out of six if they can make it to the 2017 tournament.

2016 Meet the Underdogs: North Texas Rayados returns for record fifth straight US Open Cup run

May 5, 2016 by Adam Uthe

North Texas Rayados pose for a picture before a recent exhibition game against the Tulsa Athletics. Photo: NTX Rayados

When you think of some of the more memorable amateur qualifiers from recent US Open Cups, you probably think of teams from California like PSA Elite or Cal FC; the latter did pull off the most memorable run in recent years back in 2012 with an upset of the Portland Timbers. You might also be familiar with Harpo’s FC, the somewhat notorious pub side from Boulder, Colorado. If you’re on the East Coast, maybe you prefer New York Pancyprian Freedoms and their historic title winning sides of the 1980s.

No matter what your level of familiarity with the Open Cup is, you might end up overlooking the youth soccer hotbed of North Texas.

Case in point: North Texas (NTX) Rayados.

NTX Rayados probably aren’t even the most well-known amateur team in their home city of Dallas. Open Cup fans might remember Dallas Roma FC’s then-historic run of three wins back in 2006 when they took down MLS side Chivas USA on penalty kicks and then ultimately lost to LA’s other MLS club, the Galaxy, in the fourth round.

That run in 2006 inspired former Richland College teammates Tito Salas and Raul Herrera to form a new team in the summer of 2011 comprised of friends and other Richland College players in the area who wanted to compete at a high level. Richland College was a National Junior College Athletic Association Division III power back in the mid-2000’s and former players like Salas and Herrera were anxious to continue challenging themselves. They won the North Texas Premier Soccer Association 1A title in their first season and have qualified for the Open Cup every year since, setting a new Modern Era (1995-present) record for consecutive appearances by an open division amateur side.

“We try to stay simple and keep the same base of boys playing to compete,” said Salas, who is the team’s general manager and player/coach. “As we know that we are only getting older, we try to keep the youth involved with us. I think that people around the community see us involved in many different activities as well. A few of us are public school teachers, others are actively coaching within the metroplex, not to mention the NTX Rayados Youth academy one of our players just started.”

Antonio Rodriguez, who is not on the Rayados roster this year, launched the academy with seven teams from as young as four years old up to the Under-16 level.

“The boys are very humble, very simple guys that never give you an impression that we are better than any other amateur team around here,” said Salas. “Several teams around Dallas now claim to be semi-pro, yet never get to compete at the level that we have.”

According to Salas, the team is also proud of the fact that so many of the players on the team have used their soccer talents to earn college degrees. This foundation of their friendships and their love for the game has been what has kept the club going over the years.

While Salas is listed as the team’s general manager and head coach, the team receives a lot of support both on and off the field from assistant coach Humberto Rodriguez. Sales describes Rodriguez as “another hard working, humble man that simply enjoys watching us play. He has been there since day one, and we really appreciate his support. Would not be able to do it without him.” (He’s the white-haired man in the team photo at the top of the page).

The team actually did not participate in the highly-competitive North Texas Premier Soccer Association this past season. Salas says numerous injuries combined with a lack of player availability. They have scheduled a number of exhibition games to stay fresh. They played against teams like Dallas City FC, FC Dallas Academy teams, the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletics, Texas Spurs and will be playing against local rivals Legends FC and Liverpool Warriors before the match on the 11th.

They have also entered multiple tournaments like the Metro PCS Cup. They won the tournament which gave them a cash prize that will help them pay for their US Open Cup run. They will also be taking part in the Copa Alianza, another Dallas-based tournament that they have won three of the last four years.

Much like Dallas Roma FC, NTX Rayados drew the inspiration for their name from a professional club; in this case Mexican giants C.F. Monterrey. The team simply went by “Rayados” in their first season but then quickly decided to add “NTX” in order to broadcast their home base of Dallas. The team does feature a roster loaded with Mexican influence, but several players of English descent have graced their roster over the years. They want to honor their favorite Liga MX side, but they also want the best of the best regardless of heritage.

Key players on this team include goalkeeper Eduardo Cortes and striker Alberto Rodriguez. Both entered the 2016 MLS draft but unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the Rayados, they weren’t selected. Rodriguez scored three goals during the 2014 US Open Cup (tied for third-most in the tournament), including two scores and the game-winning kick in the penalty shootout against the Austin Aztex. Returning players include Jamie Lovegrove and Kevin Ellis and left back Fernando Garza, who also play with the Dallas Sidekicks indoor team.

Even with February’s announcement about MLS-owned USL teams no longer being eligible to compete opening up more amateur side spots, NTX Rayados still had an easier path to the first round than most. They defeated Austin Real Cuauhtemoc 4-2 on Nov. 1, 2015 after the initial match the week before was postponed due to heavy rain and flooding in the Texas capital. Joshean “Yoshi” Gonzalez scored twice to help seal the deal and that was the last time the team had an Open Cup match. Their second round of qualifying saw them advance after International Portland Select (IPS) had to forfeit because they couldn’t make the 2,000 mile trip to Dallas. IPS had reached Round 2 because their opening round opponent, KC Athletics, had to drop out because they couldn’t make the long trip to Oregon. Travel was an issue for a few open division amateur teams that entered the qualifying process this year.

Despite their sustained excellence in qualifying, NTX Rayados haven’t had much success in the tournament itself. They’ve only managed to advance past their first game once since their qualifying streak began back in 2012. In 2014 they took down Austin Aztex (PDL) in a thrilling 4-4 game that ended with Rayados advancing via the penalty shootout. The victory was sweet for the North Texas side given that Austin crushed them 3-0 in the previous year. Rayados went on to put up a spirited fight against the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions but ended up losing 4-2. This year they find themselves paired with another team from San Antonio: Corinthians FC of San Antonio. The Red and Black Rayados will be hoping this is the year they can finally make a sustained run and announce themselves as a true Open Cup amateur power.

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: NTX Rayados’ quest for five still alive with win over Austin Real Cuauhtemoc

November 1, 2015 by Josh Hakala

A week after their original 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying match was rained out, the North Texas Rayados traveled two and a half hours south to eliminate Austin Real Cuauhtemoc, 4-2. The match was the final game of the opening round of the open division tournament, played at the McMasters Athletic Complex in Georgetown, Texas.

The win puts the Rayados one step closer to qualifying for the US Open Cup for the fifth year in a row, which would be a new Modern Era record for a USASA club.

Joshean Gonzalez scored the first two goals for Rayados, both in the early part of each half. The first was scored from the penalty spot in the 10th minute, followed by a left-footed blast from outside the box set up by Gerardo Salas in the 52nd minute.

In the 65th minute, Gonzalez, known to his teammates as ‘Yoshi,’ was the playmaker this time, crossing the ball from the right wing to Juan Torres who one-timed past the goalkeeper to make it 3-0 to the visitors.

Despite facing a three-goal deficit, Austin, which chose it’s team name based on the Mexican club “Real Juventud,” and the neighborhood (Cuauhtemoc) where team owner and coach Jose Bartolo grew up. didn’t give up. Edwin Madrid and Luis Maldonado each scored to pull the home team back to within one. The comeback attempt fell short though, as Davis Chavez connected on a left-footed volley into the upper corner from just outside the box to give Rayados a two-goal lead with about seven minutes to play.

North Texas advances to Round 2 where they will take on Oregon’s International Portland Select (IPS), who received a bye into the second round after the Kansas City Athletics withdraw since they were unable to make the long trip to Portland, Ore. The date and the location for the match has yet to be announced.

Meet the USASA: Class of 2013

May 14, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Eight teams from the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) qualified for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup this year.

Will a club imitate Dallas Roma FC’s famous run in 2006? Or Cal FC in 2012? These questions are yet to be answered, but we can introduce you to the amateur sides that will be taking the field in Round 1.

Click on the links below to read about the clubs:

USASA Region I

Icon FC (New Jersey) – PENDING

Mass Premier Soccer (Massachusetts)

USASA Region II

Dearborn Stars SC (Michigan)

RWB Adria (Illinois)

USASA Region III

North Texas Rayados (North Texas)

Red Force (Florida)

USASA Region IV

Doxa Italia (California South)

PSA Elite (California South)

2013 Meet the USASA: North Texas Rayados hoping youth, talent will help second straight US Open Cup run

May 14, 2013 by Michael Berton

Welcome to our continuing series of Meet the USASA features where we annually profile the clubs representing the United States Adult Soccer Association in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Advancing from the four regional tournaments, these often unknown clubs have great stories to tell and each year, our goal is to allow fans to get to know them as they attempt to become this year’s Cinderella story.

North Texas Rayados may be a young club having been formed in 2011. What the club lacks in age and tradition, though, it more than makes up for with results.

In just a few seasons, the Rayados have become a fixture at the top of the North Texas Premier Soccer Association, including finishing the Spring 2013 regular season with an 8-1-1 record. They have also become a force in USASA Region III, qualifying to the US Open Cup in both of their first two attempts. This year the Rayados cruised through qualifying with a 4-0 record, outscoring their opponents 17-2.

Much of the club’s success can be attributed to familiarity between teammates. In the summer of 2011, Richland College players Raul Herrera and Tito Salas got a group of friends together to form the club. Nearly all were recent college graduates, and several played with Herrera and Salas at Richland. This season North Texas has added some new faces, but Herrera, the goalie for the club, says that familiarity still exists.

“The core is still there,” Herrera said. “We’ve added two or three guys that are still in college…some youth…some young blood. But we’ve gelled. We’re a very complete team this year. We’re a deeper team, and we’re more dedicated.”

NTX Rayados, which takes its name from the Mexican Primera Division side FC Monterrey, was an instant success in the NTPSA, although it took some persuasion to get into the league’s top division. The club had to get many references and recommendations in order to convince NTSPA officials that Rayados belonged in the first division. Once in, however, NTX shot straight to the top, going 20-1 over two-plus seasons. In the most recent campaign, the Rayados claimed the regular season title with an 8-1-1 record.

The club has carried that success into US Open Cup qualifying play. Based in Dallas, NTX competes in USASA Region III. In its first attempt to qualify last year, the Rayados went 2-1 in group play to clinch its spot. They did even better in 2013, going 4-0 to qualify both for the Open Cup as well as the USASA National Finals.

After defeating the South Texas side Islanders FC 6-1, NTX took out the Oklahoma club Los Lobos by a 4-1 scoreline. Having won its group, North Texas advanced to the semifinals, where it defeated CD Motagua 4-0. With a spot in the US Open Cup secured, the Rayados went on to win the Region III final over Red Force from Florida 3-0.

Herrera said, “The scores are very misleading. Red Force is the best amateur team I’ve ever played against. We won because we’ve got a well-rounded team. We’ve put in a lot of dedication and sacrifice.

Now NTX will attempt to do the only thing it has failed at in its young life as a club—beat a PDL side. In its first Open Cup match last year, the Rayados fell to the PDL squad El Paso Patriots 3-1.

“It was a long trip last year. A lot of the guys didn’t know what they were getting into. We have to be a little more serious and a little more prepared. Hopefully this year we’ll get the right result,” Herrera said.

That right result would have to come at the expense of the Austin Aztex, who qualified for the Open Cup by coming in second place in the PDL Mid-South Division last summer. The winner will host the Wilmington Hammerheads, a third-tier professional club playing in USL Pro.

Despite that tantalizing potential Second Round match-up, the NTX Rayados are focused solely on their initial opponents.

“Austin is the only thing on our minds right now,” Herrera said. “We can’t think of the Second Round until we take care of business right now. I know Austin is a strong team. They finished at the top of their division for a reason. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Meet the USASA: Class of 2012

May 20, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Nine teams from the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and one from United States Club Soccer have qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup this year.

Will a club imitate Dallas Roma FC’s famous run in 2006? Will our bonus feature, Stanislaus United Turlock Express, make a name for US Club Soccer? These questions are yet to be answered, but we can introduce you to the amateur sides that will be taking the field on Tuesday. Click on the links below to read about the clubs:

Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (Region I – DC/VA – Sterling, VA)

Greek American Atlas (Region I – East New York – New York, NY)

Jersey Shore Boca (Region I – New Jersey – Toms River, NJ)

Croatian Eagles (Region II – Wisconsin – Milwaukee, WI)

KC Athletics (Region II – Kansas – Kansas City, MO)

ASC New Stars (Region III – Texas-South – Houston, TX)

North Texas Rayados (Region III – Texas-North – Dallas, TX)

Cal FC (Region IV – Southern California – Thousand Oaks, CA)

PSA Elite (Region IV – Southern California – Irvine, CA)

BONUS: US Club Soccer

Stanislaus United Turlock Express (US Club Soccer – Turlock, CA)

2012 Meet the USASA: North Texas Rayados from Dallas, TX

May 9, 2012 by Jon Sicotte

North Texas Rayados hope to take a page from the playbook of fellow North Texas Premier Soccer Association (NTPSA) Division 1A member Dallas Roma FC from six years ago and make a run in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup this season.

Roma won a United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) record three matches in 2006 before losing in the fourth round to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy. A run like that, which included the first-ever USASA wins over a First Division club (1-0 vs. Miami FC) and an MLS team (0-0, 4-2 in PKs vs. Chivas USA)-0), could be a dream that NTX Rayados hopes to see happen.

The Dallas-based NTX Rayados lost 2-0 in the USASA Region III Open Cup championship to ASC New Stars on April 28, but finished
with a 2-1-0 record in group play to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time. Wins over Florida’s Royal Eagles (4-0) and Oklahoma’s Boston Avenue Athletic Club (2-1) propelled the team to the tournament for the first time.

The team was formed in the summer of 2011 when former college teammates Tito Salas and Raul Herrera got a group of friends that had moved back home after finishing up college soccer careers.

ntx-rayados-headshot_1_Herrera_Raul_0152 — Raul Herrera of the North Texas Rayados

“ wanted to play at the highest level possible,” said Herrera, who is the Rayados’ goalkeeper and is currently the goalkeeper coach at Richland College in the Dallas area. “The NTPSA is known to be the top league in the North Texas area”

The team takes its name from Mexican Primera Division side FC Monterrey. They were called just Rayados last summer, but added the “NTX” moniker to identify with the region they are from.

Herrera said it was difficult to convince a top-flight league like the NTPSA to allow a new team to start at the top division from the start.

“They thought we would get crushed by the teams in the league,” Hererra said. “We really wanted to play in the highest division because we knew if we did well there, we would be able to compete in the US Open Cup.”

Persistence paid off.

ntx-rayados-tito-sales — Tito Sales of North Texas Rayados

“After many references and recommendations, we finally got our chance,” Herrera said. “The league is very competitive. They have teams with players from different parts of the world and different styles of play which makes it very difficult to win each week.”

NTX Rayados won the NTPSA Division 1A in their first year, qualifying for the Region III tournament in the fall.

“We played with a chip on our shoulder, you can say, being the new guys on the block,” Herrera said.

As a unit, NTX Rayados has gone 20-1 in the league over two-plus seasons. The team consists of mainly former college players of various levels, with the core group being members of the 2006 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national champions of Richland College. Richland is a powerhouse in NJCAA men’s soccer, winning national titles in 2002, ’03, ’04, ’06 and ’07 while finishing as runner-up in ’05 and ’09.

Along with Salas and Herrera, Alberto Rodriguez and Efren Castillo were also on the 2006 championship squad, which defeated Herkimer County Community College (N.Y.) 3-1. Many of the players went on from Richland to play for NAIA and NCAA schools.

The Rayados finished 6-1-0 in NTPSA play during the spring, tying for the league title with Legends FC, a three-time qualifier in the US Open Cup (2004, ’06, ’10).

2012 NTX Rayados season

North Texas Premier Soccer Association
Feb. 26 – Win, 1-0 vs. Legends FC
Mar. 4 – Win, 4-1 vs. AfricaUnited.org
Mar. 18 – Win, 4-2 vs. Dallas Roma FC
Mar. 25 – Loss, 1-3 vs. Santos
Apr. 1 – Win, 3-2 vs. United
Apr. 22 – Win, 3-1 vs. Agnew FC
Apr. 29 – Win, 3-2 vs. Liverpool FC

USASA Region III Open Cup tournament
Apr. 27 – Win, 2-1 vs. Boston Avenue AC (OK)
Apr. 28 – Win, 4-0 vs. Royal Eagles (FL)
Apr. 28 – Loss, 0-2 vs. ASC New Stars (STX)

“We don’t really have a coach on a daily basis,” Hererra said. “Tito and I run the practices and do as much as we can on our own.

“Humberto Rodriguez is a mutual friend and coach from a previous local team we played for and he is the person who helps out financially and with his time.”

NTX Rayados will face the El Paso Patriots of the USL Premier Development League in the First Round on Tuesday, May 15. If they win, they will join Dallas Roma FC as the second USASA team from the state of Texas to advance to the Second Round.

MORE: Check out the rest of the 2012 Meet the USASA series