Orange County Spartans/Fullerton Rangers

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Saturday’s NPSL “Win & You’re In” to decide who will join Sacramento Gold in Open Cup (video)

March 27, 2013 by Josh Hakala

The National Premier Soccer League’s Western Conference US Open Cup qualifying tournament will wrap up this weekend when the San Diego Flash take on FC Hasental in a “Win & You’re In” match on Saturday. The winner will join the Sacramento Gold in the 100th edition of the tournament who punched their ticket with a convincing 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol back on March 23.

The Western Conference represents two of the NPSL’s eight spots in the Open Cup, with three teams yet to be announced by the league.

The qualifying tournament was split into the conference’s north and south divisions. All five teams took part from the Northern Division and the Gold cruised their way into the championship game with back-to-back shutouts over newcomers CD Aguiluchos USA (3-0) and Real San Jose (2-0).

The Sol entered the tournament as the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. In fact, they have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009. They used their experience and skill to crush the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 in the semifinal round while getting goals from Brandon Boone, Chris Daly and the Hurst brothers Tyler and Trevor.

WIN & YOU’RE IN

FC Hasental at San Diego Flash
March 30 – 5 p.m. PT
Del Norte High School
San Diego, CA

The Northern Division’s “Win & You’re In” match came down to the Sol, who ran away with the division crown last year with a 4-0-2 record, and the Gold, who finished second last year. In the opening 20 minutes, it appeared as though the Sol, who swept both games against the Gold last year by a combined score of 8-3, were going to make another Open Cup appearance.

Sonoma’s Ross Middlemass opened the scoring in the 18 minute, but it was all Sacramento after that. The Gold scored five unanswered goals, including a hat trick and an assist by Manolo Pina. Clemente Fonseca also scored and assisted on two other goals, including a goal by John Jones II. With the win, the Gold become the first Sacramento-based club to qualify for the US Open Cup since the Sacramento Knights of the NPSL (then known as the MPSL) reached the Second Round in 2004. If they are lucky enough to host their opening round game, that will mark the first time an Open Cup game has been played in the city of Sacramento since 1982.

In the other bracket, both first round games were forfeited, as the Las Vegas Stallions and Orange County Spartans did not properly register their players. This sent FC Hasental and San Diego Boca into the final four where they were matched up against the Santa Clarita Storm and the San Diego Flash, respectively.

In what was a theme that weekend, the Storm scored an early goal, but Hasental rallied with goals from Manuel Cazares and Alberto Anguiano to win 2-1. (SEE highlights below)

In the other semifinal, it was a San Diego derby as the Flash came back to beat San Diego Boca 4-2. Boca got on the board early with goals from David Luquen and Joe Schloss in the first 15 minutes. However, just like the other two games, the team that fell behind early came roaring back as the Flash scored four unanswered goals from Brandon Zuniga, Daniel Ortega, Justin Picou, and Andy Ortega.

The Flash will host the “Win & You’re In” match against FC Hasental on March 30 at 5 p.m. local time at Del Norte High School. If Hasental wins, it will mark their first appearance in the US Open Cup, but if the Flash qualify, it will be the franchise’s first time in the tournament since 2001 when they were a professional team in the USL’s A-League. (Highlights below)

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School (San Diego, CA) – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL West tournament continues this weekend; Sacramento Gold qualify (UPDATED)

March 20, 2013 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE: According to the San Diego Flash’s official website, the Orange County Spartans had to forfeit their 2-0 win over San Diego Boca due to improper player registration.

UPDATE (3/24 – 12:41 a.m. ET): The Sacramento Gold have qualified for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol. FC Hasental also advanced to a “Win & You’re In” match next weekend with a 2-1 win over the Santa Clarita Storm. Results updated below.

The National Premier Soccer League Western Conference is holding a qualifying tournament for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, and the competition is down to six teams. Of the six remaining teams, just two will advance to the US Open Cup, and according to NPSL officials, both will begin play in Round 1.

Each division of the Western Conference will submit their winner into the 2013 Open Cup, and the Northern Division has already determined their championship game. On Saturday, March 23, the Sacramento Gold will host the Sonoma County Sol at River City High School in West Sacramento in a “Win & You’re In” match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

The Sacramento Gold reached the Northern Division final with a pair of shutout victories away from home. On March 9, they traveled to Oakland, Calif. and defeated CD Aguiluchos USA 3-0. The scoring opened with an own goal in the 31st minute, and the game remained tight until John Jones and Eliot Ricks-Chambers scored clinching goals in the 78th and 83rd minute respectively.

“We came away with a positive result but we only expect to get better,” said Sacramento coach Ruben Mora. “With a lot of returning players it will not take long to find our rhythm. You can’t say enough about the role the solid defense and goalkeeping played in the shutout.”

A week later, the Gold earned a 2-0 win at Real San Jose to punch their ticket to the final where they will face the Sol who only needed to win one game to reach the championship game. The Sol received a bye into the semifinals and defeated the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 on March 16.

The Sol are the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

In the other bracket, the final four is set with the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — traveling to San Diego to take on the Flash, while Santa Clarita will host FC Hasental. Both games will take place on March 23 and are both are scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

The Spartans were the only team that had to earn their way into the semifinals, as they defeated San Diego Boca 2-0 in the opening round. FC Hasental was scheduled to play the Las Vegas Stallions in Round 1, but according to Hasental team officials, the Stallions failed to submit the necessary paperwork for their players and were forced to forfeit. The Flash and Santa Clarita both received byes into the semifinals. The final is set for March 30.

Last year, the NPSL received 6.5 spots and the West had 1.5 berths. The Rangers qualified while the Bay Area Ambassadors claimed the “half berth.” Bay Area faced fellow California club Stanislaus United Turlock Express in a play-in game — Stanislaus United won that match 3-0 to become the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the Open Cup.

This year, the NPSL received eight spots, and three of those teams have been confirmed: FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, Madison 56ers and Chattanooga FC. According to NPSL officials, the two teams that emerge from the Western Conference will join those three teams in the first round of the US Open Cup. The remaining three teams are still to be determined, with two of them beginning their cup run in the Qualifying Round against either the US Club Soccer representative or the US Sports Specialty Association representative. The third team will begin play in Round 1.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold
River City High School (West Sacramento)

NPSL Western Conference kicks off 2013 US Open Cup qualifying tournament this weekend

March 1, 2013 by Eric Anderson

UPDATED 3/17/13

The National Premier Soccer League will enter eight teams into the 100th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, but those teams have not yet been announced. Six of the eight teams are expected to be chosen from the Northeast, Midwest and Southern conferences but the league’s Western Conference kicks off their qualifying tournament this tournament.

The six-team tournament for the Northern Division kicked off with the Sacramento Gold defeating CD Aguiluchos in Oakland, Calif. 3-0. The Gold move on to play Real San Jose in the semifinals on March 16. In the other semifinal the next day, the San Francisco Stompers will square off with the Sonoma County Sol. The final is scheduled to be played on March 23.

The Sol are the only team among the Northern Division teams who has qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

The following weekend, in the Southern Division, the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — play host to San Diego Boca FC in a rematch of last year’s Open Cup qualifying final. The Rangers beat Boca 3-2 last spring to earn their first Open Cup berth, and lost to the PDL’s Ventura County Fusion 6-2 after extra time in their tournament debut.

Reigning regular-season conference champion San Diego Flash and FC Santa Clarita received first-round byes in this year’s tournament and will host semifinal matches on March 23. The Flash will face either Orange County or city rival Boca, while Santa Clarita will take on the winner of the Hasental-Las Vegas match. The final is set for March 30.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying
Updated 3/17/13

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental
Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans

Semifinals (March 23)
Orange County Spartans at San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT
FC Hasental at Santa Clarita
Canyon High School – 5 p.m. PT

Final (March 30)
Time/Location TBD

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23)
Sonoma County Sol at Sacramento Gold
River City High School – 7 p.m. PT

2012 US Open Cup First Round: Ventura County Fusion generate OT electricity, history in 6-2 win over Fullerton Rangers

May 16, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

The Ventura County Fusion started off hot, and exploded for a record-tying four extra time goals to take out the hosting Fullerton Rangers on Tuesday night. The Fusion notched a brace in the first 22 minutes, but couldn’t make the lead hold in the second half.

After the game started as an end-to-end affair, the Fusion proved to win that game even-handed. Michael Roman took the feed from Kennedy Chongo in the back of the penalty box at 17′, and lofted it over Fullerton keeper Geovanni Hernandez to put Ventura on the board. Fullerton insisted in continuing the fast pace, and were torched again at 22′. The Rangers were caught napping, as three Ventura County players found themselves onside at close range. Francisco Lopez received from Chris Tsonis at close range, and slotted his second. Realizing their situation, Fullerton slowed the game down, their defense holding serve to prevent more damage going into the half.

The urgency started to build for the Rangers early in the 2nd half, and they started clawing their way back 55 minutes in. David Arvizu slid the ball in past Sam Hayden, cutting the deficit down to 1. Despite Sean Toth recieving a red for his second booking, Fullerton rallied around their lost man and leveled at the 67′ mark, with Eder Roldan doing the honors. Roldan put an excellent shot past Hayden, shocking Ventura. With both defenses proving sturdy, neither team could capitalize on rare chances by the end of regulation.

However, Ventura attacked early in extra time, and it paid off. Chongo was fouled in the box by the Rangers’ Leobardo Alvarez, and Francisco Lopez calmly slotted home the penalty bottom left to restore Ventura’s lead three minutes in. They seemingly plunged the dagger in at 98′, Chongo sliding in to restore the two-goal lead. Daniel Steres and Rodrigo Lopez would propel the Fusion into history with goals in the last ten minutes. Ventura County ended with four tallies in extra time, tying a Pro Era record. Miami FC notched the same amount in ET against the Central Florida Kraze (now Orlando City U23s) in the first round of 2010. Ventura’s chemistry proved to be electric to equal that goal, and look to continue that momentum next Tuesday, as they travel to Fullerton Stadium to play the Los Angeles Blues at 7:30 PM Pacific.

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Fullerton Rangers clinch NPSL berth, Bay Area Ambassadors reach play-in game

April 6, 2012 by Josh Hakala

bay-area-sacramento-npsl-qualifying-2 — Bay Area Ambassadors (left) defeated the Sacramento Gold in penalty kicks to advance to an April 28 US Open Cup play-in match against a representative from US Club Soccer. Photo: Eric Harding

The National Premier Soccer League qualifiers for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are nearly complete with one Western Conference team clinching a spot, while another put themselves one win away from the 99th edition of the tournament.

The Fullerton Rangers defeated San Diego Boca, 3-2, in their final qualifying match to punch their ticket to the US Open Cup. The club formerly known as the Santa Ana Winds before an off-season rebranding, will enter the tournament in the first round, which is scheduled to begin May 15. It was a single-elimination tournament for the Western Conference’s Northwest flight and Fullerton advanced to the final without allowing a goal. They defeated Santa Clarita Storm 5-0 on March 24 and three days later, edged FC Hasental 1-0 to reach the final against Boca.

On the north side of the conference, the Bay Area Ambassadors punched their ticket to the tournament with a win over the Sacramento Gold in a penalty kick shootout (VIDEO BELOW). It looked as though Bay Area was going to walk away winners in regulation with Brayan Walle scoring off a rebound in the 64th minute, but Sacramento’s Manolo Pina tied the game in the 82nd minute. There was no extra time played as the match was decided by penalty kicks. The shootout was knotted up at 4-4 when Bay Area goalkeeper Derek Leslie dove to his left, but was still able to get a foot on Mykell Bates’ shot down the middle to make the save. Mohamed Abalil would follow up with a goal on the next attempt to send the Ambassadors to an April 28 Open Cup play-in match that they will host against the winner of US Club Soccer’s qualifying tournament. The Ambassadors will be attempting to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2010, when they lost an opening round match against the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas, 4-2.

Bay Area’s path to the play-in game started in the Southwest Flight’s round-robin competition. They blew a 3-1 lead in the final minutes to Sonoma County Sol to finish regulation 3-3. The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks to decide the outcome, but the Ambassadors made sure that error didn’t matter as they stomped the San Francisco Stompers by a score of 8-0 to put them into the final against Sacramento. Walle and Dylan Leslie each scored a pair of goals in the victory. The Gold cruised through their group, beating Real San Jose 2-0 and North Coast Tsunami 5-0.

There was some confusion following both teams earning their respective victories as to which team would enter the Open Cup directly, and which would participate in the play-in game against a US Club Soccer representative. The league website erroneously announced that Bay Area would get the Open Cup spot, but TheCup.us later confirmed that Fullerton have indeed qualified.

Five other NPSL clubs have already booked their place in the 2012 competition, as all of the other conferences decided to submit their teams based on 2011 results. Already qualified are last year’s NPSL champion Jacksonville United, Southeast Conference co-champion Georgia Revolution, Northeast-Atlantic Conference title holder Brooklyn Italians, and Midwest Conference winner Milwaukee Bavarians (the NPSL version of the Bavarian Soccer Club). Originally the league announced the Erie Admirals would represent the Northeast-Keystone Conference, but the club elected to withdraw from the Open Cup, allowing runner-up FC Sonic to replace them (as TheCup.us had originally reported).

This is just the second year NPSL teams have been given direct access to the Open Cup. Prior to last season, clubs had to get in through the USASA’s regional qualifying tournaments.

NPSL qualifying results

West – Northern Conference
Group A
March 10: Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
March 17: Real San Jose 2:0 North Coast Tsunami
March 24: North Coast Tsunami 1:5 Sacramento Gold

Group B
March 10: Sonoma Sol 3:3 Bay Area Ambassadors*
March 17: Sonoma Sol 3:3 San Francisco Stompers (Sol win PKs 6-5)
March 24: San Francisco Stompers 0:8 Bay Area Ambassadors
* The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks

FINAL

March 31: Bay Area Ambassadors 1:1 Sacramento Gold (Bay Area win PKs, 5-4)
Bay Area qualify for the US Open Cup play-in game vs. US Club Soccer rep

West – Southern Conference

FIRST ROUND
March 24: Phoenix Monsoon 5:4 San Diego Boca (Phoenix win PKs 5-4)
March 24: Fullerton Rangers 5:0 Santa Clarita Storm

SEMIFINALS
March 25: San Diego Boca 1:0 San Diego Flash
March 27: FC Hasental 0:1 Fullerton RangersFINAL
March 31: Fullerton Rangers 3:2 San Diego Boca
Fullerton qualify for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup