Osvaldo Alonso

Osvaldo Alonso of Seattle Sounders, Danny Barrera of Cal FC take TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors

August 28, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

In an open vote that saw six different players names selected on ballots for the TheCup.us Player of the Tournament, it was five-time finalist Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders that received the honor while Cal FC’s Danny Barrera was an overwhelming choice as TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament as well as runner-up behind Alonso.

TheCup.us Player of the Tournament: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)

Alonso, who was named the Player of the Round for last year’s Open Cup Final, was the main offensive reason that the Sounders returned to their fourth straight Final, a Modern Professional Era record fifth straight personally dating back to being a member of the 2008 Charleston Battery.

Alonso scored four goals, which tied for second in the 2012 tournament, and dished out two assists in four games before falling in the Final via a penalty kick tiebreaker where his miss in the shootout was perhaps his only blemish in another fantastic campaign. Alonso had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 Third Round win over the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), and also had a pair of goals in their 5-0 rout of Cal FC in the Fourth Round, including one from the penalty spot.

The Cuban defensive midfielder did not play in the team’s 1-0 Quarterfinal win at San Jose, but returned to the lineup in the Semifinals to assist on Eddie Johnson’s opening goal before adding another penalty kick to defeat Chivas USA, 4-1. His performance earned him his second career TheCup.us Player of the Round honor.

TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)

In the debut of the honor, there was little debate as Barrera’s performance for the USASA entrant Cal FC was impressive. He also finished second to Alonso in the POTT voting, coming close to becoming the first lower division player to earn the honor since Chris Eylander won the award for leading the USL-1 Sounders to the Semifinals in 2008.

cal-fc-vs-psa-elite-2012-region-4 — Danny Barrera's journey to the US Open Cup Fourth Round began in the USASA Region IV tournament (with Chicago Fire jerseys), shown here playing PSA Elite in the Final. Photo: PSA Elite

Cal FC became the story of the 2012 tournament thanks to the play of Barrera. The Southern California club managed by former US international Eric Wynalda played every one of their games on the road and made a run all the way to the Fourth Round, becoming just the sixth amateur club and second from USASA to reach Round 4 in the Modern Pro Era.

The journey began when Barrera scored two goals in a 3-1 win against last year’s PDL champion the Kitsap Pumas. That performance earned Barrera TheCup.us Player of the Round recognition for the opening round. He would earn the honor again after traveling across the country and handing USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads a stunning 4-0 drubbing. Barrera scored two goals in the game en route to repeating as TheCup.us Player of the Round, something no one else from a lower division team has done dating back to the debut of the honor in 2006.

The only previous repeat honorees were Pat Noonan, who was recognized following the Semifinals and Final of the New England Revolution’s run to the 2007 title, and Nate Jaqua, who was honored for the Seattle Sounders in the 2010 Quarterfinal and Semifinal wins en route to the team’s second championship. Both MLS players also went on to be named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament.

The personal recognition ended there for Barrera, but Cal FC’s headlines did not as they pulled off a shocking upset, knocking out Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, 1-0, with Barrera leading the way once again. He delivered the game-winning assist to Artur Aghasyan in the 95th minute of extra time in the Rose City before the Cinderella run came to an end in Tukwila, WA as the Seattle Sounders dispatched Cal FC 5-0 in a game that Barrera played the full 90.

Danny sounders2-goalwa — TheCup.us Player of the Tournament Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders knocks Danny Barrera of Cal FC, the Lower Division Player of the Tournament, off the ball during their Round 4 meeting.Photo: Wilson Tsoi | GoalWa.net

Barrera went on to sign with the Atlanta Silverbacks of the second division NASL in July during Wynalda’s interim management of the club, but has played only 181 minutes since, spending some time on trials overseas.

Voting

The award is voted on by the staff of TheCup.us and a select panel of members from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Other receiving votes for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament behind Alonso and Barrera were the duo of Jimmy Nielsen and Graham Zusi of tournament champion Sporting Kansas City. The list was rounded out by Seattle’s Zach Scott and Brian Ombiji of the Harrisburg City Islanders.

Though Barrera was the runaway winner of TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament honors, also receiving votes were Ombiji and Clint Irwin, goalkeeper of the Charlotte Eagles. Lower Division players are eligible to win both awards. The striker is the first to receive the newly-created award.

“We began discussing the idea of adding a Lower Division honor a year ago because we felt there were a number of players from clubs below MLS that had quality tournament performances that were being overlooked because their team did not win the championship,” said TheCup.us senior editor Josh Hakala. “It is natural to look at the tournament finalists when it comes time to vote for the event’s best player, but with those being almost entirely MLS clubs, that leaves outstanding play in the first three or four rounds when teams are playing opposition from higher flights out of the equation.”

Since the second-division Rochester Rhinos won the tournament championship in 1999, only the 2008 Charleston Battery have reached the US Open Cup Final from the lower ranks.

2012 TheCup.us Tournament Honors

Player of the Tournament: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
Lower Division Player of the Tournament: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)
Championship Player of the Round: Matt Besler (Sporting KC)
Semifinals Player of the Round: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
Quarterfinals Player of the Round: Jose Correa (Chivas USA)
Fourth Round Player of the Round: Sainey Touray (Harrisburg City Islanders)
Third Round Player of the Round: Artur Aghasyan (Cal FC)
Second Round Player of the Round: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)
First Round Player of the Round: Danny Barrera (Cal FC)

Past winners of TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

2012: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders)
2011: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)
2010: Nate Jaqua (Seattle Sounders)
2009: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders)
2008: Chris Eylander (Seattle Sounders)
2007: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
2006: Andy Herron (Chicago Fire)

Finalists for the 2012 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament awards unveiled

August 22, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

After three amazing years of the Seattle Sounders as US Open Cup champions, there are new kings of the tournament. In that theme, TheCup.us embarks on a new era for the post-tournament awards, unveiling for the first time finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament as well as the newly-created Lower Division Player of the Tournament honor.

Since the second-division Rochester Rhinos won the tournament championship in 1999, only the 2008 Charleston Battery have reached the US Open Cup Final from the lower ranks.

The following players, in alphabetical order, are the top vote-getters for both honors among the ballots received from select members of North American Soccer Reporters as well as TheCup.us staff. Lower Division players are eligible to win both awards. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders – MLS)
The main offensive reason that the Sounders returned to their fourth straight Open Cup Final, a Modern Professional Era record fifth straight dating back to being a member of the 2008 Charleston Battery. Alonso scored four goals (tied for 2nd in the 2012 tournament) and dished out two assists in four games before losing the Final in PKs. Alonso had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 Round 3 win over the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), and also had a pair of goals in their 5-0 rout of Cal FC in Round 4 (one from the penalty spot). He did not play in the team’s 1-0 Quarterfinal win at San Jose, but returned in the Semifinals to assist on Eddie Johnson’s opening goal and added another penalty kick to defeat Chivas USA, 4-1. In the Final, he played a solid game for 120 minutes, but launched his penalty kick attempt in the shootout high over the bar.

Danny Barrera (Cal FC – USASA)
Apologies to the Michigan Bucks who also upset an MLS team, but amateur side Cal FC became the story of the 2012 tournament thanks to the play of Danny Barrera. The Southern California club managed by Eric Wynalda played every one of their games on the road and made a run all the way to the Fourth Round (just the 6th amateur club and 2nd USASA club to reach Round 4 in the Modern Pro Era). The journey began when Barrera scored two goals in a 3-1 win against last year’s PDL champions the Kitsap Pumas. That performance earned Barrera TheCup.us Player of the Round award and he would earn the award again by traveling all the way to the East Coast to defeat the USL Pro’s Wilmington Hammerheads 4-0. Barrera scored two goals in that game as he was named the Player of the Round for the second round in a row, something no one else has done. In Round 3, Cal FC pulled off a shocking upset, knocking off Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers 1-0 and Barrera was involved once again. He delivered the game-winning assist to Artur Aghasyan in the 95th minute of extra time. The Cinderella run came to an end in Tukwila, WA as the Seattle Sounders dispatched Cal FC 5-0 in a game that Barrera played the full 90.

Clint Irwin (Charlotte Eagles – USL Pro)
The goalkeeper for USL Pro’s Charlotte Eagles carried his team to the Quarterfinals despite the Eagles’ offense struggling to score goals. The run began in Round 2 with a 1-0 shutout on the road against the El Paso Patriots in a game decided by an own goal in the 72nd minute. In the following game, Irwin made 10 saves and shutout FC Dallas of MLS 2-0 to help the Eagles advance beyond the Third Round for the first time in franchise history (Est. 1993). In Round 4, Irwin made eight saves in a 2-1 extra time win at San Antonio Scorpions of the NASL, but the Eagles’ first-ever run to the Quarterfinals would come to an end with a 2-1 loss at Chivas USA of MLS with Irwin making four saves.

Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City – MLS) The captain of Sporting Kansas City led his team to the 2012 US Open Cup title while also posting a personal 356-minute shutout streak from the Fourth Round to the Final (4th best personal streak in the Modern Pro Era). As he will be the first to tell you, he didn’t achieve all of this on his own as he was only forced to make four saves in the four matches his played in. His three straight shutouts included a 2-0 home win over the Colorado Rapids (MLS) where he made two saves, followed by a 3-0 home win over USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions where he didn’t have to make a single save and a 2-0 road win over the Philadelphia Union (MLS) in the Semifinals (1 save). In the championship game, he only faced two shots. One was a save on an Eddie Johnson header in the first half and the other was a goal off a header by Zach Scott off a free kick in the 86th minute to level the match at 1-1. In the penalty kick shootout for the Final, he made one save (two attempts missed high) as Kansas City won 3-2.

Brian Ombiji (Harrisburg City Islanders – USL Pro)
Ombiji is the main reason why the City Islanders made yet another run in the US Open Cup. The USL Pro side (Div. 3) advanced to the Quarterfinals for the fourth time in the last six years and it started in Round 2 with a 2-0 home win over the Long Island Rough Riders of the PDL. Ombiji scored the goal that put the game away in the 77th minute. In Round 3, the City Islanders eliminated another MLS club with an overtime comeback for the ages. After going into extra time scoreless, the New England Revolution scored three goals in the opening 15 minutes to start sending fans to their cars, but those that stuck around saw Harrisburg score three goals in the final nine minutes (Ombiji scored the second in the 117th minute) and advanced to the Fourth Round on penalty kicks. The City Islanders eliminated their second straight MLS opponent, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in extra time with Ombiji assisting on Harrisburg’s opening goal. Ombiji’s goal at Philadelphia in the Quarterfinal started a rally that saw Harrisburg cut the Union lead to 3-2, but a pair of late goals by the home team put their Open Cup run to rest.

Who do YOU think deserves to be the Player of the Tournament? Which non-MLS player should win the lower division honor?

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Player of the Round Osvaldo Alonso sends Seattle Sounders back to the Final

July 30, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Osvaldo Alonso’s tenacious play proved to be a thorn in Chivas USA’s side, and helped Seattle Sounders FC to become only the third team in the tournament’s 99-year history to reach the US Open Cup Final four years in a row. For that performance he was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Semifinals.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Teammate Zach Scott and Sporting Kansas City’s Jacob Peterson and Graham Zusi were other leading candidates in the voting.

Alonso earned what could be called soccer’s version of hockey’s “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting penalty) in the Semifinal match: a thread-the-needle assist to Eddie Johnson, a penalty kick goal, and a yellow card on the night. His stifling, physical play spurred a solid effort by Seattle’s defense, as Chivas managed only four shots the entire game.

The 26-year-old Cuban defector earned his second POTR honor, also having captured the award for his performance in the 2011 Open Cup Final.

This game was telling of what has been a solid campaign for Alonso, nicknamed “Honey Badger,” who has four goals along with two assists in the 2012 tournament. This puts him in a tie for second place in goalscoring for this Open Cup, one goal behind Carolina RailHawks’ Brian Shriver. Danny Barrera of Cal FC and Ventura County Fusion’s Frankie Lopez are tied with Osvaldo, and teammate Sammy Ochoa is the only other active player in the scoring top 10 (3 goals).

Alonso, who defected stateside from Cuba in 2007, will be playing in his fifth straight Cup Final. He was on Charleston Battery’s losing side in 2008, before establishing himself as a mainstay with Sounders FC in their debut season in MLS the next season, tallying six goals in that span. No one in the Modern Professional Era has appeared in five straight title games, and only two other players (Andy Williams and Peter Vagenas) have played in five championship games since 1995.

He is also the third Sounders player to earn multiple POTR awards, joining Sebastien Le Toux (2007 Round 3, 2009 Semifinals) and Nate Jaqua (2010 Quarterfinals, 2010 Semifinals). Seattle players have also captured the last four Players of the Tournament: Chris Eylander in 2008, Kasey Keller in 2009, Jaqua in 2010, and Fredy Montero last year. Osvaldo has a good case to become the fifth SSFC player on that list with his strong showing throughout the tournament, in both barnburners and defensive grudge matches. However that thought will be far from his mind, as his side will be going for their fourth straight Open Cup title on the road at Sporting Kansas City. The Final will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 8:30 PM ET at LiveStrong Sporting Park.

2012 Player of the Round award winners

Round 1: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+] Round 2: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+] Round 3: Artur Aghasyan (Cal FC) [+] Round 4: Sainey Touray (Harrisburg City Islanders) [+] Quarterfinals: Jose Correa (Chivas USA) [+] Semifinals: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC)

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Seattle Sounders make history by repeating it against Chivas USA (Video)

July 12, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

2012-sea-celebrates-goal-vs-chivas-big — The Seattle Sounders are the first team since the mid-1930s to reach the US Open Cup Final four straight years. Photo: Corky Trewin | Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC have once again made history in the US Open Cup, becoming the third team to ever to appear in four straight Finals. They earned it, ironically enough, by repeating history, knocking off Chivas USA for the second time in the Semifinals, by a score of 4-1 at Starfire Sports Complex. They defeated the Goats 3-1 at the same stadium back in 2010.

Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sammy Ochoa and Eddie Johnson all tallied for the Sounders who win their 30th all-time tournament win and add to their Modern Pro Era record unbeaten streak of 21 games.

No team has ever won four straight tournament titles in the 99-year history of the US Open Cup, and to accomplish that, the Sounders will have to win it on the road. The Final will be hosted by Sporting Kansas City, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 2-0 in the other Semifinal, at LiveStrong Sporting Park on Aug. 8.

The game was fairly crisp early on, as both teams were on top of each other’s passes. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had a chance for Seattle 11 minutes in, but Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy was up to the task to keep the game scoreless early.

Chivas was able to get a free kick 25 yards out from Sounders FC keeper Bryan Meredith’s left with the sun in his eyes, but instead of playing the ball high, went on the ground for an easy clearance with 19 minutes gone. A couple of minutes later the Goats’ Jorge Villafana threatened with a cross, but it went clear of Alejandro Moreno and out for a goal kick.

Seattle would settle down, easily clearing the Goats’ first corner at the 26 minute mark, and started to impose themselves offensively. Forward Fredy Montero went down in the box, but play was waved on with about 30 minutes gone. Seattle recovered the clearance at midfield a minute later, and Osvaldo Alonso threaded the ball through two defenders to catch Eddie Johnson onside running behind the defense. Johnson took the ball into the area, and Kennedy could only get a finger on the shot as the home team jumped in front. Johnson nearly recorded a brace three minutes later, forcing Kennedy to make an excellent kick save with his header.

For Eddie Johnson, it was his fifth career US Open Cup goal, and his first since 2005 when he played for FC Dallas.

Johnson had been mired in controversy after the last round, being involved in a postgame fracas with San Jose Earthquakes’ Jed Zayner. The US Open Cup disciplinary committee ultimately decided against issuing any discipline to either player, and his play showed that he clearly wasn’t bothered by the incident.

Play threatened to get chippy at the end of the first half, however the ref was fully determined to prevent things from getting out of hand. Osvaldo Alonso saw yellow in the 42nd for persistent infringement, while Oswaldo Minda was booked two minutes later for taking down Montero. The half ended with Seattle looking the stronger side, as Chivas had not attempted a shot in the first 45.

The Sounders seemed determined to prove that statement true, as they went on the attack immediately after the halftime break. Montero was once again pulled down inside the box, this time by Chivas’ Rauwshan McKenzie, in a nearly-identical play to the takedown in the first half. This time, however, a penalty was called, and Alonso fooled Kennedy into diving low and floated the ball above him to double the Seattle lead. Johnson would nearly put the game away after receiving a lofty cross from the other side of the field and volleying it in, but the goal was ruled offside.

After Seattle dominated the first fifteen minutes of the last half, Goats manager Robin Fraser started adding firepower to his side, subbing in Cesar Romero for Blair Gavin in the 64th minute. Brad Evans of the Sounders had been subbed in for 19-year-old Cordell Cato three minutes earlier, and both new players would prove to be important to the game’s outcome.

Romero would receive the ball inside the area in the 74th minute and fire on goal but Meridith made the save. The ball rebounded right back to the shooter though, and this time Cesar’s shot was true, cutting the home lead in half. History had begun repeating itself, as two years ago Jesus Padilla scored in the 66th to generate the same scoreline at that point in the Semifinal game. Chivas was definitely spurred on by the goal, gaining confidence in the next few minutes, however being unable to generate an equalizer.

Seattle would yet end up proving their class again with seven minutes left. Montero dribbled the ball toward the edge of the box, freezing Kennedy on his line with his long-distance prowess and willingness to pull the trigger. Once again having Kennedy fooled, Montero slid the ball to streaking sub Evans, who left the Chivas keeper helpless as he one-timed the ball into the twine, icing the game for the three-time defending champions.

Johnson’s day ended three minutes later, as Sammy Ochoa subbed on for him. With Seattle attacking, fellow sub Alvaro Fernandez lost the ball inside the box. Ochoa was keen to recover it though, and caught Kennedy out of position to tally the game’s final goal.

Chivas tried to rally for a pride goal, however the Sounders deftly played keep-away through the three minutes of stoppage time, keeping their perfect all-time record at Starfire intact (15-0-0, outscoring opponents 45-9) and improving their all-time home record to 23-2-1 (1-0 PKs).

The Sounders are just the third club in the history of the tournament to reach four straight Finals. Bethlehem Steel (1915-1919) and Stix, Baer & Fuller (1933-1937) each advanced to five straight championship games. Bethlehem Steel were National Challenge Cup (as it was called then) champions in 1915 and 1916 before finishing runner-up in 1917, and then lifting back-to-back trophies again in 1918 and 1919. St. Louis-based Stix, Baer & Fuller won three straight titles in 1933, 34 and 35 with the third championship coming under the team’s new sponsor, ‘Central Breweries.’ They changed their name to ‘Shamrocks SC’ in 1936 and finished runner-up that year and again in 1937, losing by one goal in the second leg to the New York Americans.

Full match highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Sigi Schmid post-game interview

Eddie Johnson post-game interview

Osvaldo Alonso post-game interview

Brad Evans post-game interview

SCORING:
SEA- Eddie Johnson (Osvaldo Alonso) 31′
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (PK) 48′
CHV- Cesar Romero (Unassisted) 74′
SEA- Brad Evans (Fredy Montero) 83′
SEA- Sammy Ochoa (Unassisted) 88′

LINEUPS:
SEA- Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott (Capt), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Pat Ianni, Leo Gonzalez; Cordell Cato (Brad Evans 61′), Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Rose, Alex Caskey (Alvaro Fernandez 81′); Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson (Sammy Ochoa 86′). Subs not used: Josh Ford; Jeff Parke, Marc Burch, Mauro Rosales.

CHV- Dan Kennedy; Danny Califf, James Riley, Rauwshan McKenzie, Jorge Villafana; Oswaldo Minda, Ben Zemanski (Ryan Smith 85′), Blair Gavin (Cesar Romero 64′), Alejandro Moreno (Capt); Paolo Cardozo, Juan Pablo Angel (Jose Correa 69′). Subs not used: Tim Melia, John Alexander Valencia, Peter Vagenas, Casey Townsend.

DISCIPLINE:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso 42′ (persistent infringement)
CHV- Oswaldo Minda 44′ (tactical foul)
CHV- Danny Califf 78′ (tactical foul)

STATS:
SEA: Shots-18; Saves- 3; Corners- 6; Fouls-17; Offsides- 5
CHV: Shots- 4; Saves- 5; Corners- 1; Fouls-15; Offsides- 2

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Attendance: 4,500

2012 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Champion Sounders end Cal FC’s dream run, 5-0 (video)

June 6, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

20120605_SOUNDERSFC_CAL_1038 — Fredy Montero scored his sixth and seventh career US Open Cup goals against Cal FC to move him into a tie for second place on the Sounders' all-time list for the tournament. Photo: Rod Mar | Seattle Sounders FC

For the first 45 minutes, US Open Cup darlings Cal FC held their own against three-time defending champions Seattle Sounders. However, in the second half, the floodgates opened for the Sounders, as they poured onto the twine, rolling to a 5-0 win at Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Tukwila, Wash. The Sounders scored all of their goals in a 20-minute span, and then continued to hold the majority of possession until the end, as the defense proved to be lock-tight in the few possessions Cal FC managed to control in the game.

With the club extending its Modern Pro Era record unbeaten streak to 19 games, and their home unbeaten streak to 14, the Sounders will hit the road for the first time since 2010 when they face the San Jose Earthquakes in the Quarterfinals on June 26.

The first half was uneventful, as Seattle controlled possession, but could not break through. Cal FC wisely chose to place most of their team in their half of the field, as they could not solve the Sounders’ defense in the rare occasions they were able to get the ball to the offensive end. Seattle kept possession and kept attacking, giving Cal FC keeper Derby Carirllo much more of a workout than he faced against the Portland Timbers last week.

Everything came to a head in the second half, as the Sounders earned a penalty shot in the 50th minute. Osvaldo Alonso shot it hard to the bottom left, and Carrillo did everything he could to get a hand on it, but couldn’t stop the ball from going into the left-side bottom corner to finally put the home side up. From there, the Sounders took advantage of the lapse in confidence of Cal’s team to full effect. Open Cup hero Fredy Montero received a gorgeous pass from Cordell Cato off an interception, and slotted the ball past Derby at the 58-minute mark to double the lead.

From then on, it was a Sounders storm. Andy Rose, who had opened up the scoring against the Atlanta Silverbacks the previous week, was once again the right man at the right time, as he headed a ball in from close range after the ball popped up out of a crowd in front. It was his second goal of the campaign in the 65th minute.

Just three minutes later, Montero struck again. Off a free kick, far outside of the box, he arced the ball over the wall, and the rebound bounced right past Carillo and into the goal to put the Sounders at 4-0. Osvaldo then took advantage of a goal-line scrum less than a minute later, as Alex Caskey connected with Alonso, sending the ball to the twine to give the home side a commanding lead.

The remaining minutes were just playing keep away and removing potential targets of chippy play from the pitch, as David Estrada, Servando Carrasco, and Open Cup hero Roger Levesque subbed on for Ochoa, Montero, and Alonso. While Cal did start commanding their offensive end late, Seattle’s back line was up for it, and when the ball did get past them, keeper Bryan Meredith was up to the challenge.

Their Quarterfinal match against San Jose, a team the Sounders have faced twice as a USL franchise (2002, 2003), will be played in San Francisco at Kezar Stadium at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Sigi Schmid: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

Fredy Montero: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

Alex Caskey: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

LINEUPS:
CAL- Derby Carillo; Alberto Navarro, Hector Espinosa (Paulo Ferreira-Mendez 76), Michael Randolph, Richard Menjivar; Jesus Gonzalez, Eder Arreola (Pedro Ferreira-Mendez 60), Pablo Cruz (Alex Caceres 65), Arthur Aghasyan; Danny Barrera, Diego Barrera. SUBS NOT USED: Laurent Grill, Makai Werring, Carlos Torres, Ceasar Riviera.

SEA- Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Marc Burch; Cordell Cato, Osvaldo Alonso (Servando Carrasco 75), Andy Rose, Alex Caskey; Sammy Ochoa (Roger Levesque 73), Fredy Montero (David Estrada 81). SUBS NOT USED: Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez, Mike Seamon, Andrew Weber.

SCORING:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (PK) 50 ‘
SEA- Fredy Montero (Cordell Cato) 58′
SEA- Andy Rose (Alex Caskey) 66′
SEA- Fredy Montero 68′
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (Alex Rose) 70’

BOOKINGS:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (caution; Reckless Tackle) 19
SEA- Sammy Ochoa (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 45
CAL- Richard Menjivar (caution; Reckless Tackle) 74

Referee: Daniel Radford
Referee’s Assistants: Mike Rottersman, Ray Moffatte, Jr.
4th Official: Timon Berry
Attendance: 3,894
Weather: 55 degrees, cloudy.

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: Seattle Sounders tame Silverbacks as third title defense beginso)

May 31, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

Sammy Ochoa | Photo: Brandon Bleek/Prost Amerika

Three-time defending Open Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC returned to the field on Wednesday, hosting the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks. The fact that this game was at Starfire Soccer Complex in itself was controversial, as Seattle had bought the hosting rights from Atlanta, one of two MLS teams to do so. However, the Sounders avoided the fate Real Salt Lake had endured the night before with a 5-1 rout of their Southern opponent.

With the win, the Sounders extend their record 18-game Open Cup unbeaten streak (15-0-3, 2-1 in PKs) that dates back to 2008. The club has still yet to lose a game in the tournament since joining MLS in 2009.

Cordell Cato causes problems for Raphael Cox. Photo: Mike Russell | Prost Amerika

Seattle controlled the run of play early and often from the start, with Sammy Ochoa forcing Atlanta keeper Joe Nesco to save a low shot 30 seconds into the match. Ochoa, Cordell Cato, and Osvaldo Alonso were all active in the early going, as Seattle fired freely, and fired often. While not fielding all of their starters, the Sounders had plenty of battle-tested depth to pick from, and the Silverbacks had a hard time containing, bending, but somehow not breaking under the pressure. Nesco appeared to have less and less confidence in his defense as the half rolled on, playing off the line unusually often for a netminder.

Atlanta finally started getting some chances about 25 minutes in, but Seattle’s defense was locked tightly, as keeper Bryan Meredith did not register a save in the half. The Silverbacks were visibly frustrated, as forward Reinaldo Navia was seen shouting at the referee and his assistants throughout the rest of the half, flirting very closely with being carded. The Sounders came very close to breaking through on a very bizarre play 38 minutes in, as Nasco collieded with a defender, and Alonso shot from around 40 yards away. Nasco did get a hand on the ball, but was extremely close to being outside of the box, though the refs instead let the ball slide out for one of ten corner kicks for the home side. Alex Caskey continued the pressure two minutes from half, forcing Nesco to tip a shot over the crossbar for another corner. On the ensuing corner, the ball bounced through traffic to the back of the penalty box. Andy Rose was right in position, and shot a screaming right footer that burned the twine as it gave Seattle the lead going into the half.

20120530_SOUNDERS_ATL_0009-big — Sounders fans want to see their team win an unprecedented fourth straight US Open Cup title. Photo: Rod Mar | Seattle Sounders FC

The Sounders doubled their lead quickly in the second half, as Cato continued to frustrate the Silverback defense. He sent the ball up to Alonso, who ran right around the defense and deposited the ball past Nasco for a 2-0 lead. Atlanta then gave Seattle a scare (and proved that a 2-0 lead is the hardest to keep in soccer) six minutes later. Defender Shane Moroney sent a ball onto Navia, whose hammer just inside the box beat Meredith and put the Silverbacks on the board. However, Caskey answered quickly for the Washingtonians, as he intercepted a clearance, outran the defense and once again had Nasco fetching the ball from the twine just a minute later.

The goal seemed to take the steam out of the Silverbacks, and things got chippy in the 59th minute as Navia came in with a real late tackle on Seattle’s Marc Burch, and the two engaged in a shoving match in Atlanta’s half. The scrum was eventually sorted out, and both players ended up with yellow cards. The Sounders refused to sit back though, as Alonso played a through ball to Ochoa after the ordeal was sorted out, and Ochoa shot inside the far post to make it 4-1. Just four minutes later, Ochoa once again capitalized on a sloppy Atlanta defense, taking subsitute David Estrada’s blocked shot and slicing twthe defense from the right side of the box to notch a brace. He was subbed out to a standing ovation shortly thereafter for Open Cup hero Roger Levesque, a smart move as Atlanta continued to play chippy.

Levesque, Estrada, and fellow sub Servando Carrasco were intent on getting in on the action as well, continuing to put pressure on Nasco and the defense to the end. Cato, who had tormented the Atlanta defenders all match long, was dealt a hard foul by late sub Jordan Davis, who earned a yellow for his late bump in the back. Seattle finished with 24 shots, and 14 on goal, never giving Atlanta much breathing room on the night.

Seattle will once again be back in action at Starfire next tuesday, as they host Eric Wynalda’s Cal FC. Cal FC beat the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time on Wednesday, becoming the first USASA side since Dallas Roma in 2006 to knock off an MLS team in the Open Cup. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Pacific/10:30 p.m. Eastern.

LINEUPS:

ATL- Joe Nasco (GK); Shane Moroney, Martyn Lancaster, Jose Burciaga, Jr., Raphael Cox; Tony McManus (Jordan Davis 84′), Ciaran O’Brien, Danilo Turcois, Borfor Carr (David Santamaria 72′); Matt Horth (Nico Colaluca 63′), Reinaldo Navia. SUBS NOT USED: Daniel Illyes (GK), Lucas Paulini, Willie Hunt, Lindemar Ferreira.

SEA- Bryan Meredith; Marc Burch, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Zach Scott; Alex Caskey, Andy Rose, Osvaldo Alonso (Servando Carrasco 72′), Cordell Cato; Sammy Ochoa (Roger Levesque 70′), Eddie Johnson (David Estrada 46′). SUBS NOT USED: Andrew Weber (GK), Brad Evans, Fredy Montero, Christian Sivebaek.

SCORING
SEA: Andy Rose 44′
SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (Cordell Cato) 47′
ATL: Reinaldo Navia (Moroney) 53′
SEA: Alex Caskey 54′
SEA: Sammy Ochoa (Osvaldo Alonso) 62′
SEA: Sammy Ochoa 66′

BOOKINGS:
ATL- Reinaldo Navia 59′ (caution; Reckless Tackle)
SEA- Marc Burch 59′ (caution; Unsporting Behavior)
ATL- Jordan Davis 87′ (caution; Reckless Foul)

STATS:
Shots: ATL- 8; SEA- 24
Saves: ATL- 9; SEA- 2
Fouls: ATL- 11; SEA- 8
Corners: ATL- 2; SEA- 10
Offsides: ATL- 4; SEA- 4

Referee: Josh Wilkens
Referee’s Assistants: Ron Lagraff, Jeremy Hanson
4th Official: Chipalo Street
Attendance: 3,703
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 65 degrees

2011 US Open Cup: Finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament unveiled

October 11, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

The 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament will undoubtedly go down in history with the Seattle Sounders and Richmond Kickers as the leading stories. Both clubs made history, resulting in two players from each club as the four finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors. The duo of Osvaldo Alonso and Fredy Montero are up for the award from the champion Sounders and David Bulow and Ronnie Pascale are in the running from Richmond.

The award, to be announced Thursday, October 13, is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. The panel previously honored Alonso, Pascale, Bulow as TheCup.us Players of the Round along with Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire), Mike Fucito (Seattle) and Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas).

Also receiving votes for the honor were Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and Pumas netminder Bryan Meredith.

Alonso, Player of the Round for the Final, started in all four matches of Seattle’s historic run to the championship, leading the team defensively along the way and capping it off with a goal in stoppage time of the 2-0 championship against Chicago. Leo Gonzalez was the only other Sounder to start all four contests while Jeff Parke and Mike Fucito were the only two others to see action in all four games.

Montero scored the game-winning goal in each of the last three contests in guiding the Sounders to the historic championship, also topping in addition to the Fire, fellow league Champions League sides Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds.

Bulow finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals, becoming the career leading in US Open Cup goals in the modern professional era (1995-present) with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City.

The venerable Pascale added yet another accolade to his fantastic lower division career, earning Player of the Round honors in leading Richmond to the shutout win in Kansas City. The victory made the Kickers the first lower division club to win back-to-back road games versus MLS opposition in the history of the tournament.

Osvaldo Alonso leads Seattle Sounders to 2011 US Open Cup title, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round honor

October 7, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

sounders-alonso-2011-final-2 — Osvaldo Alonso (center) celebrates his third straight US Open Cup trophy with Seattle Sounders teammates Lamar Neagle (left) and Fredy Montero (right). Photo: Gerald Barnhart | TheCup.us

The American Dream. That is something that most Americans whose families have been in the United States for generations take for granted. In 2007, Osvaldo Alonso defected while playing for the Cuban National Team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup. On Tuesday, he helped lead the Seattle Sounders to a historic third consecutive US Open Cup trophy, setting an American soccer record as an individual player and earning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. Alonso was challenged for the award by teammates Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

With the Sounders leading and running out the clock in stoppage time, Alonso put the cap on the match with a fantastic goal six minutes into the additional play, driving through the Fire defense at the edge of the box and creating an open goal for a euphoric conclusion for a record crowd of 35,615 at CenturyLink Field.

It was a perfect finish for a record-setting night for Alonso, who became the first player in the modern professional era of the tournament (1995-present) to play in four consecutive US Open Cup championship games. He has yet to miss the tournament final since his career in US soccer began with the Charleston Battery in 2008.

In fact, in order to get to his first US Open Cup Final, Alonso helped lead the Battery past the USL-1 Sounders in the 2008 Semifinals. It was a quixotic start to the historic run as Seattle’s goal in the 1-1 draw came courtesy of an Alonso own goal in the 20th minute with Charleston’s Randi Patterson equalizing in the 32nd. Alonso would redeem himself by converting his penalty kick in the tiebreaker as the Battery advanced 4-3 to the Final, where they fell in a close contest to DC United, 2-1.

Alonso is one of a dozen players that have played in four US Open Cup championships, a list led by Andy Williams, Tyrone Marshall and Peter Vagenas with five appearances. He tops the list though in consecutive finals played, a ledger where behind him are six players that have played in three straight championships. With their third appearances, his Seattle teammates Kasey Keller, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero and James Riley joined former Richmond Kickers 1995 champions Brian Kamler and Richie Williams, who both went on to play in the next two finals with DC United.

As a defensive midfielder Alonso often goes unheralded. When his American career began in 2008 his compatriot Maykel Galindo, who defected during the 2005 Gold Cup, was the more talked about Cuban in MLS courtesy of his goal scoring exploits.

The path of the two players, not surprising due to their backgrounds, intertwines and has coincidences. Both were forced to begin their careers in the USL First Division. Despite a trial and developmental contract offer with Galindo’s Chivas USA, Alonso opted for the potential for more playing time with the Battery. The move proved wise as he was named the team MVP as well as the league’s Rookie of the Year. Even better, his performance was seen up close in the Open Cup Semifinal meeting and league campaign by the then USL-1 Seattle Sounders, the club that gave Galindo his professional start for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. That led to a transfer that sent Alonso to the northwest in January of 2009.

At the time, Battery coach Mike Anhseuser wished his player well in the future, perhaps underestimating exactly how well he would do. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Osvaldo to expand his career at the next level. We would have loved to keep him but understand the economics for both parties. We wish him all the best and are hopeful that he will bring success to Seattle Sounders F.C.”

That hope was not only realized, but one could argue that the Cuban international and American soccer record holder Osvaldo Alonso has achieved the American Dream.

2011 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

Round 1: Zach Lubin – Kitsap Pumas
Round 2: David Bulow – Richmond Kickers
Round 3: Michael Fucito – Seattle Sounders
Quarterfinals: Ronnie Pascale – Richmond Kickers
Semifinals: Dominic Oduro – Chicago Fire
Final: Osvaldo Alonso – Seattle Sounders

Player of the Tournament: TBA

2011 US Open Cup Final: Seattle Sounders smother Fire, earn historic three-peat in front of record crowd

October 5, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Three-peat. That special status is something new in Major League Soccer circles. The Seattle Sounders Tuesday night at CenturyLink Field defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 on a pair of late goals from Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso to become the first team since 1969 to conclude a third straight US Open Cup championship. They also became the first team in MLS history to win three consecutive titles in any event, including MLS Cup.

A year ago Seattle became the first MLS club to defend a championship in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, an event named after one of the league’s founders, downing the Columbus Crew, 2-1, in front of a then record crowd of 31,311 fans. They topped themselves for a new record attendance by opening more of the stadium, reaching 35,615 – a total that also surpasses eight of the 15 MLS Cup Finals.

In MLS play there has been two Supporters’ Shield repeats and only two teams have won back-to-back MLS Cups. Like MLS newcomers Seattle, DC United famously won the first two MLS Cup trophies in league history in 1996 and 1997 before falling to the Chicago Fire in the third consecutive championship appearance in 1998. DC is also one of the two clubs to win two Shields in a row, claiming the league’s regular season title in 2006 and 2007. Columbus followed them with the next two. The Houston Dynamo won two MLS Cups in a row in 2005-06.

“We always wanted to be the first. Sigi talked about it a lot,” said General Manager Adrian Hanauer after the match before a jubilant crowd about becoming the first MLS side to win three straight Open Cup titles.

“Three in a row is a tremendous accomplishment, and to have two of them here at home – unbelievable. Another record crowd here at CenturyLink Field, which we are kind of getting used to that,” said Kasey Keller, who is retiring after the season with a historic finish to his career.

But after the game tonight, history did not seem to be enough for a Sounders squad that still has three regular season games, the MLS Cup playoffs and CONCACAF Champions League, which resumes with Quarterfinals next spring after one more group contest, remaining.

“We still got more to come. You know, we got one more cup to win this year,” added Keller, who has missed out on winning the league championship since returning to the United States to play.

Defender Jeff Parke picked up on that sentiment. “We’re here and we are ready to go,” he said in reference to other MLS playoff teams looking their way. We still have some things to work on. Tonight is just a great night,” he said, adding that after a day off Wednesday the team will be right back at preparing for the postseason.

“This is my second year here. The team now has been knocked out in the first round the past two years and we want to do something special here. We want to win the cup and make it past the first round obviously. These guys are finding it inside them and they are willing to do whatever it takes and it’s starting to show on the field. We are gearing up for the MLS Cup hopefully.”

An MLS Cup title would further the team’s history-making campaign as only three other clubs have captured the double in the MLS era. DC accomplished the feat in the inaugural MLS season, Chicago won both in its expansion 1998 outing and the Galaxy were the last to do so in 2005.

History took quite some time to make though. Despite a frenzied start, both teams had good free kick chances in the first two minutes, starting a back-and-forth affair with many eye-opening moments. There was certainly no typical feeling out period that often comes in the sport, especially in momentous occasions.

After a frenetic first 10 minutes, the match began to turn physical, resulting in a Patrick Nyarko yellow card for a tough tackle along the touchline on Alonso. After the first half-hour though, the balance of play swayed in favor of the home club, as the Sounders began to take control of possession and slow the match down slightly.

The first moment that those in attendance will remember on the historic night came just as the first half was coming to a close. Montero, who scored the lone g

Montero with Cup — Fredy Montero raises the Open Cup trophy amidst the post-game celebrations

oal in the Semifinal win versus FC Dallas, acquired the ball and beat Parvel Pardo while driving in toward the penalty arc. He would let loose a 20-yard effort that whispered past the fingertips of a diving Sean Johnson, only to smack squarely into the left post. The immense crowd was still in disbelief moments later when the whistle sounded for the break.

Eight minutes into the second half it looked again as though history was about to happen when Erik Friberg, on the left side, headed the ball in to Mike Fucito, who flicked the ball over Johnson on an acute angle. The ball bounced several times along the goalline with defenders chasing, bouncing off the inside of the far post and out.

The on-field silence – since there was still plenty of noise from a stadium filled with a raucous crowd – was broken in the 78th minute. Friberg delivered a corner into the box that found the head of Parke, who nodded it straight down and forced Johnson to drop to the ground to make the save. The instant play prevented the keeper from holding the ball, allowing it to rebound out directly to an awaiting Montero, who buried it for his fifth game-winning goal in all competitions dating back to the Semifinal victory. It was his second tally in Open Cup Final, history having scored the opening goal in the 2009 championship as well, a 2-1 victory over DC United.

The strike was the latest opening goal in the modern professional era for a game decided in regulation. Two contests went to overtime scoreless, with the 1997 Final finishing in a scoreless stalemate taken in penalties by DC, and the 2004 Final finishing with a dramatic golden goal from Kansas City against the Fire (the last FIFA championship decided in that fashion).

The match came to a fitting finish, as Alonso dribbled through the Fire defense at the edge of the box, creating an open goal for a euphoric conclusion. Alonso, a refugee from the Cuban national team in June of 2007, was playing in his fourth consecutive Open Cup Final, having played for the Charleston Battery in the 2008 championship against DC United. He has yet to miss the tournament’s championship contest in his professional career in the United States.

2011 – Chicago Fire (MLS) 0:2 Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
10/4/11 | CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Washington

Scoring Summary
Seattle: Fredy Montero (Jeff Parke) – 77th min.
Seattle: Osvaldo Alonso (Unassisted) – 90th+ min.

Seattle Sounders: GK Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Alvaro Fernandez (Erik Freiberg 46th), Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Lamar Neagle, Michael Fucito (Roger Levesque 90th+1), Fredy Montero

Cautions – Alonso 90th, Montero 90th

Chicago Fire: GK Sean Johnson; Gonzalo Segares, Cory Gibbs, Josip Mikulic (Jalil Anibaba 61st), Dan Gargan (Sebastien Grazzini 84th); Marco Pappa, Pavel Pardo, Logan Pause, Daniel Paladini (Diego Chaves 80th); Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko

Cautions – Nyarko 27th, Paladini 39th, Anibaba 90th

Match Stats
Shots – Seattle 27:8 Chicago
On Goal – Seattle 7:4 Chicago
Saves – Seattle 4:5 Chicago
Fouls – Seattle 12:17 Chicago
Corners – Seattle 10:6 Chicago
Offsides – Seattle 0:3 Chicago

Attendance: 35,615 | Referee – Alex Prus | Linesmen – Steven Taylor; Eric Boria | 4th Official – Josh Wilkens
Weather: Rain, 58 degrees

2008 Semifinals: Battery beat Sounders in PKs to reach first Open Cup Final

August 12, 2008 by

The Charleston Battery earned a place in the US Open Cup Final for the first time in club history after winning a penalty kick shootout with the Seattle Sounders in the Semifinals. The Battery are the first non-MLS team to advance to the Final since the Rochester Raging Rhinos won the tournament in 1999.

The Sounders struck first with a goal in the 20th minute when a short corner ended up at the feet of Youseff Kante just outside the penalty area. He drove a shot toward goal and the ball took a deflection off of the Battery’s Osvaldo Alonso and ended up in the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

In the 32nd minute, the Battery were on the attack and sent a ball into the box from the right wing. A glancing header by Darren Spicer forced a save by Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander, but he was unable to hang onto it. Randi Patterson was on the doorstep and pounced on the loose ball and tied the game at 1-1, ending Seattle’s single-tournament record shutout streak at 453 minutes.

Both teams were unable to break the deadlock through 120 minutes, despite a few close calls, and the match had to be decided by penalty kicks. The Battery led 2-1 when Sebastien Le Toux had his attempt saved by Dusty Hudock. Mike Richardson had a chance to put the Battery up 3-1, but Chris Eylander came through for Seattle making the stop to keep it close. After both teams traded goals, Hudock saved the attempt by Kevin Forrest in the fifth round to send Charleston to the Open Cup Final.

TheCup.us Fun Fact: Dusty Hudock’s saves in the penalty kick shootout, helped eliminate the Seattle Sounders, the team that he made his Open Cup debut with in the First Round of the 1995 US Open Cup (June 14, 1995). He was given the starting job that night in Seattle’s 9-2 win over the Everett BigFoot of the USISL Pro League, as regular starter Marcus Hahnemann was given the night off.