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Orlando City SC Open Cup records
Overall: 13-6-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 3-5-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 3-6-0
As MLS: 1-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | Away: 0-0-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 1-0-0
Last entry: 2014 (as USL PRO) (Lost 5-2 at Colorado Rapids of MLS in Round 4)
Best finish: 2013 Quarterfinals (Lost 5-1 at Chicago Fire of MLS)

Chicago Fire Open Cup records
Overall: 36-12-3 (2-1 PKs) | Home: 22-1-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 18-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 6-0 at Seattle Sounders of MLS in Semifinals)
Best finish: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006 US Open Cup champions

WINNER WILL … play at Philadelphia Union or New York Red Bulls in Semifinals

LIVE VIDEO: ORLANDO CITY SC AT CHICAGO FIRE (July 22 – 8:30 p.m. ET, YouTube.com)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Orlando City SC
Round 4: 4-4 draw (8-7 PK win) at Charleston Battery (USL)
Round 5: 2-0 vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)

Chicago Fire
Round 4: 1-0 OT win vs. Louisville City (USL)
Round 5: 3-1 win vs. Charlotte Independence (USL)

By Jeff Engelhardt

When the Chicago Fire and Orlando City SC meet Wednesday in the Quarterfinals of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup it is going to look a lot different than their clash in the 2013 Quarterfinals.

Former FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka of Orlando City SC takes on the Columbus Crew defense in Round 5 of the US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

Orlando City is no longer a third division side riding out a Cinderella dream in pursuit of a US Open Cup title and the Chicago Fire are now two years removed from Mike Magee’s MVP season that ended with the team missing the MLS Playoffs by one game. Chicago certainly cannot expect a repeat of the 5-1 drubbing they delivered in that 2013 matchup.

When Orlando City walks into Toyota Park Wednesday, it will be the team flexing its muscles led by former World Player of the Year Kaka and a young core quickly coming together in its first year as a MLS club. The Lions already showed the ability to succeed in Toyota Park, taking a 3-2 victory in Bridgeview on June 6, which became part of the 1-6-1 streak the Fire are currently experiencing in league play.

In the June 6 league clash, Orlando City showed the poise and determination of a veteran club, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to rally for the 3-2 victory after trailing 2-1. While a wonder strike from Cyle Larin leveled the game, it was a second Adailton own-goal that did the Fire in. Adailton has not featured much for the club since the first-ever two own-goal performance in MLS history.

Mike Magee of the Chicago Fire celebrates one of his two goals against the Charlotte Independence. Photo: Chicago Fire

Both teams are expected to field strong sides for Wednesday’s match as each club has different reasons to value America’s most storied soccer trophy. For the Fire, the US Open Cup remains a point of pride in a season where their pride has been wounded. Chicago earned the moniker King of the Cup for hoisting the trophy a MLS record four times – a record shared with Seattle – in the Modern Era.

The tournament remains the Fire’s best and possibly only chance for glory in 2015 as the MLS Supporters’ Shield is far out of reach and a playoff spot is a distant dream that would require a miraculous run. Despite the 1-6-1 run of league form, Chicago can carry confidence knowing it has reached the US Open Cup Semifinals the past two years and boasts a 22-1-1 home record in the tournament. In fact, only two other clubs in the 102-year history of the tournament have more than 12 Quarterfinal appearances (Kutis SC with 17, FC Dallas with 14)

Orlando City, meanwhile, has declared the US Open Cup a top priority on multiple occasions this season and will be eager to win its biggest trophy in club history. While Orlando City FC holds the final playoff spot in the MLS Eastern Conference, a run to MLS Cup is much further away than the three victories needed to claim the Open Cup.

The Lions showed its ambition in its Fifth Round game against the Columbus Crew as team captain Kaka made his Open Cup debut and scored a goal in the 2-0 home victory against the Crew. Kaka became the third World Cup winner to score in US Open Cup history. The second goal came off the foot of Carlos Rivas, who is tied for the most goals in the tournament with four.

The shutout against the Crew was a strong bounce back performance from Orlando City’s Round 4 performance that saw the MLS club pushed to penalty kicks by the USL’s Charleston Battery.

Since the Fifth Round victory against the Crew on June 30, Orlando City has stumbled in league play with a three-game winless streak (0-2-1) with multiple cases of falling to 10 men because of red cards, including one issued to Kaka.

Despite the longer stretch of poor play, Chicago has enjoyed more success since its June 30 Fifth Round 3-1 victory over Charlotte Independence. Since that game, the Fire have gone 1-2-1 in league play.

Unlike Orlando City, which played an MLS side in the Fifth Round, the Fire hosted USL side Charlotte Independence. After falling 1-0 in the opening minutes, the Fire put together their best performance of the tournament as a returning Mike Magee scored two goals and defender Lovel Palmer added another.

The performance was an improvement over Chicago’s Third Round match against USL side and Orlando City affiliate Louisville City FC. The Fire took a 1-0 victory in that match courtesy of a Quincy Amarikwa header in the 115th minute. Amarikwa has since been traded to the San Jose Earthquakes. Both Louisville City FC and Charlotte Independence are first-year clubs that had never competed in the Open Cup.

Adding to the difficulty of stepping up in class is the schedule congestion the Fire are attempting to navigate. Wednesday’s match will be their fourth match in 11 days across all competitions. The usual depth has been hindered by injuries to usual-captain Jeff Larentowicz, designated player Shaun Maloney and designated player David Accam. Joevin Jones is also on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago.

A win Wednesday for Orlando City would mean a ticket to uncharted territory as the furthest it has ever gone is that 2013 quarterfinal match against Chicago in club history. A win for the Fire Wednesday would mean a third straight appearance in the Semifinals and an opportunity to win an all-time record-tying fifth cup.

Whichever team wins Wednesday will go on the road to face the winner of Tuesday’s contest between New York Red Bulls and last year’s runner-up Philadelphia Union.

Philadelphia Union Open Cup records
Overall: 8-3-2 (2-0 PKs) | Away: 1-1-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 3-3-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 in OT vs. Seattle Sounders of MLS in Final)
Best finish: 2014 Runner-up

New York Red Bulls Open Cup records
Overall: 17-16-1 (1-0 PKs) | Home: 8-5-0 | vs. MLS: 5-8-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-0 at New York Cosmos of NASL in Round 4)
Best finish: 2003 Runner-up (Lost 1-0 vs. Chicago Fire of MLS in Final)

WINNER will … host Orlando City SC or Chicago Fire in Semifinals (Aug. 11 or 12)

LIVE VIDEO: PHILADELPHIA UNION AT NEW YORK RED BULLS (4 p.m. ET, YouTube.com)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Philadelphia Union
Round 4: 0-0 draw (3-1 PK win) vs. Rochester Rhinos (USL)
Round 5: 2-1 win vs. DC United (MLS)

New York Red Bulls
Round 4: 3-0 win vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)
Round 5: 4-1 win vs. New York Cosmos (NASL)

By Brian Venard

Photo: Bob Larson | Stellar Performance Photography

In one of the more peculiar scheduling situations in recent US Open Cup history, the Philadelphia Union will travel to Harrison, N.J. to take on the New York Red Bulls with a controversial 4 p.m. kickoff time on a Tuesday afternoon. It’s all part of a crazy week at Red Bull Arena as the Union will be looking to rain on the start of the parade.

The Red Bulls are coming off of a strong 2-0 win in league play against fellow quarterfinalist Orlando City SC, with goals by Sacha Kljestan and Mike Grella. It became a bit easier when Orlando City went down to 10 men in the 32nd minute, but still, the Red Bulls were sharp, having a slight advantage in possession and featured another rock solid performance by Luis Robles in goal.

The controversy surrounding this match is that a little more than 24 hours after the Red Bulls and Union battle for a spot in the semifinals, New York has an exhibition match against Premier League’s Chelsea FC at Red Bull Arena as part of the International Champions Cup. The problem with this is that the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t allow for players to play on consecutive nights. So the Red Bulls are going to be fielding a much weaker side for one of the two games, although head coach Jesse Marsch has stated that the Open Cup match will take priority over the Wednesday night friendly.

The Red Bulls will be looking for a good performance by Bradley Wright-Phillips, having played fairly well recently. He’ll be looking to get on the scoresheet alongside Kljestan, who has been superb during this cup run.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Toronto FC in league play. The Union have been playing quite well as of recent even with the loss, picking up two wins and a draw in their last four games. If the Union want to win tomorrow, they’ll need to be able to hold off the Red Bulls dominant attacking corps and close down on players such as Wright-Phillps better than they did against Toronto’s MVP candidate Sebastian Giovinco.

The Union and Red Bulls have shown that they mean business in the Open Cup. The Union have fielded strong lineups, including designated players Maurice Edu and Cristian Maidana playing in every game over the last two years, not to mention the tournament’s Modern Era scoring leader Sebastien Le Toux. Over the years, the Red Bulls have usually not put their best foot forward in the competition, but this year has been different under Marsch and the results have backed that up. New York opened with a 3-0 home win over the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) and a 4-1 home win over the New York Cosmos (NASL).

The Union needed goalkeeper John McCarty to come up big in their opening match against the Rochester Rhinos as Philly defeated the USL side in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw. In Round 5, they came from behind with only 10 men to beat DC United in a wet and wild match at PPL Park.

Historically, the Red Bulls have had the advantage over Philadelphia. However recently the Union have dominated their East Coast rivals, winning three of the last five meetings. As far as the Open Cup goes, this is the first meeting between the clubs. The only time they have met in any Open Cup context was in 2010 when the Red Bulls edged the Union 2-1 in a qualifying match on the strength of a pair of Conor Chinn goals.

The Union are hoping to build on last year’s run to the championship game where they lost 3-1 to the Seattle Sounders in extra time. The club has enjoyed success since first entering the tournament in 2012. They have reached the Semifinals two of the last three years.

The Red Bulls, on the other hand, have very minimal success over the years. With their win over the Cosmos in the last round, it marked the first time since 2003 that the club had won back-to-back games in the Open Cup. That year, they lost in the final to the Chicago Fire 1-0 at Giants Stadium and remain without an Open Cup title.

Both clubs are aiming to snap droughts for their respective states. The state of New Jersey, where the Red Bulls are based, has not had an Open Cup champion since Elizabeth SC in 1970. For the Union, lifting the trophy would be the first for the state of Pennsylvania (and the city of Philadelphia) since 1966 (Ukrainian Nationals).

The winner of this match will go on to host the winner of Orlando City and the Chicago Fire in the semifinals.

Houston Dynamo Open Cup records
Overall: 9-7-1 (0-1 PKs) | Away: 2-5-1 (0-1 PKs) | vs. MLS: 2-5-0
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-2 in OT vs. FC Dallas in Round 5)
Best finish: 2012 Fourth Round (Lost 2-1 in OT vs. Charlotte Eagles of USL Pro)

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 19-12-4 (2-2 PKs) | Home: 14-7-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 6-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 vs. Portland Timbers of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2004, 2012 US Open Cup champions

WINNER WILL … host Real Salt Lake (MLS) in Semifinals

LIVE VIDEO: HOUSTON DYNAMO AT SPORTING KC (8:30 p.m. ET, YouTube.com)

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Houston Dynamo
Round 4: 2-0 win vs. Austin Aztex (USL)
Round 5: 1-0 win vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Sporting Kansas City
Round 4: 1-0 win vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)”
Round 5: 6-2 win vs. FC Dallas (MLS)

By Matthew DeWitt

It’s been a long three years for Sporting Kansas City and an even more agonizing five years for Houston Dynamo.

Dom Dwyer of Sporting Kansas City became the first England native to score a hat trick in the US Open Cup's Modern Era. Photo: Gary Rohman | Sporting KC — Dom Dwyer of Sporting Kansas City became the first England native to score a hat trick in the US Open Cup’s Modern Era. Photo: Gary Rohman | Sporting KC

With Real Salt Lake patiently waiting on the other end of a full 90 minutes, Sporting Park will be exited on Tuesday night with one team having a spot in the Semifinals for the first time in a few years.

Sporting’s last trip to the semifinals came on the way to its 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship. The team had been plagued with upsets in the last two, losing to its then-USL affiliate Orlando City SC in 2013, followed by an exit in the Fifth Round with a 3-1 loss to the Portland Timbers.

Houston fans are still waiting for their club’s first US Open Cup title and haven’t reached the final four since 2009. The last time the Dynamo reached the Quarterfinals was 2010, but was knocked out when Chivas USA upended Houston in a 3-1 victory in Houston.

To make it to this year’s Quarterfinals, Houston squeaked by the Colorado Rapids on June 30. The contest featured the longest win droughts of an MLS team against another MLS opponent in the Open Cup.

The initial start time was pushed back to 10:18 p.m. local time after hard rains and thunderstorms plagued the Houston area throughout the day and into the evening. Mauro Manotas provided the lone tally for Houston in the first half. His 43rd-minute goal broke the deadlock and gave Houston its first win over an MLS club since 2006.

The Rapids matched Houston in its winless drought over an MLS team – the last win came on Aug. 2, 2006, a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

In the other half of the Central Region, Sporting KC throttled another Texas opponent. Dom Dwyer scored four goals, including a first-half hat trick, and Krisztian Nemeth provided the other two strikes in a 6-2 rout over FC Dallas in front of an announced crowd of over 19,000 fans crammed into Sporting Park.

Dwyer’s goal output was the most in the Open Cup since 2013, when Fredric Piquionne put in four for the Portland Timbers, and the hat trick was the first ever by a Sporting player in the Open Cup. His efforts earned him TheCup.Us Player of the Round honors in a landslide vote.

In Sporting’s two games since the romping Dallas, both Nemeth and Dwyer have played a key role in the team’s two wins. Nemeth provided assists in each of the games, including setting up the lone goal over Vancouver on July 12. Dwyer scored the game-winning goal in the club’s 2-1 win against Montreal on Saturday. Dating back to April 25, when Kansas City and Houston last met and a 4-4 tie ended in the only meeting of the season, Sporting has only lost once (9-1-3) in 13 games.

While Sporting is riding a hot streak, Houston is coming off a 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday. The team is 6-6-2 since the draw at Houston, but has earned just four points and scored three goals in the previous five league games.

The winner of Tuesday night’s matchup will meet the last team to beat both clubs, Real Salt Lake. KC last lost to Salt Lake on June 21, ending an eight-match unbeaten streak, including Sporting’s 1-0 win over Saint Louis FC in the fourth round of the Open Cup. The semifinals will take place on either August 11 or 12, at the winner of Sporting KC or Houston Dynamo.

How it happened: Why the Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls US Open Cup match is now at 4 p.m. on July 21

July 14, 2015 by Ed Farnsworth

Some six days after the expected announcement on July 2, the date and time for the quarterfinal US Open Cup tie between New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union was finally announced for 4 p.m. on July 21.

That’s right, a US Open Cup quarterfinal game featuring one of last year’s finalists against perhaps its biggest league rival had been scheduled for 4 p.m. on a Tuesday.

The reason for the date and time, and the reason for the delay? Well, that’s a long story.

A little background

When the calendar for the 2015 US Open Cup was announced on Feb. 4, it was a a cause for celebration among fans of the venerable tournament. But an announcement on April 28 concerning the schedule of another tournament, the 2015 International Champions Cup (ICC), would eventually prove to be reason behind the delay.

Few noted then that several MLS teams were scheduled to play ICC games on the dates that had been announced in February as set aside for the quarterfinals of the Open Cup. But, the day before the start of Open Cup’s fifth round, an article at the Washington Post from Steven Goff alerted fans to the looming scheduling conflict: Fifth round opponents LA Galaxy (Barcelona) and San Jose Earthquakes (Manchester United) had also scheduled ICC games on July 21, while the New York Red Bulls were scheduled to host Chelsea at Red Bull Arena on July 22. To complicate matters further, an ICC game between Fiorentina and Paris Saint-Germain was also scheduled at Red Bull Arena to kick off on July 21 at 8:30 pm.

Following LA’s victory over San Jose, LA and Real Salt Lake announced their quarterfinal match would take place in Salt Lake on July 14 outside of the window of quarterfinal dates published in February.

With the Union’s win over DC United in the books, and the Red Bulls-New York Cosmos game yet to be played, an article published on the US Soccer website on July 1 listed the potential Red Bulls-Union quarterfinal date as July 15, with the New York Post‘s Brian Lewis and Goff tweeting the same. But the date in the US Soccer article was quickly updated to TBD and Lewis tweeted later the same day that a date around the time of the MLS All-Star Game was more likely.

Soon rumblings were heard that negotiations between the two clubs to find a new date were not going smoothly as Red Bulls and Union fans might have hoped.

Frustration

At first glance, the here-now-and-gone-again July 15 date for the Red Bulls-Union matchup seems the obvious choice. After all, LA and Salt Lake had reached an agreement to reschedule their quarterfinal matchup for July 14.
But the Union had scheduled a summer friendly against new Premier League side Bournemouth for July 14. This would this be Bournemouth’s first-ever match and the Union playing a meaningful game the next day was a no-go. Aaron Bauer wrote in the Red Bulls blog Once a Metro that the July 15 date wouldn’t work, “It is safe to say the Union would try to avoid playing the game on this date at all costs.”

Most of the reporting that has been done on the negotiations has referred to unnamed sources, but speaking in his weekly press conference on July 8 a few hours before the July 21 date was announced, Union head coach Jim Curtin described the scheduling uncertainty as “most unfair…it’s most unfair to the Philadelphia Union fans and the New York Red Bulls fans that don’t know when the game is going to be, the time, the day.” He said of the negotiations between the two clubs, “I’ve been on all correspondence with it. There’s some good healthy conversations, there’s some that aren’t productive. I think a lot of people are frustrated by it.”

No one is happy

When the 4 p.m. kickoff for the quarterfinal game was finally announced, no one was happy. Before the rescheduled date was announced, Bauer at Once a Metro suggested July 28 as a possible date for the quarterfinal but, with the All-Star Game on July 29, that date seems to never have been in serious play. Needless to say, the possibility the Red Bulls might forfeit the Open Cup game was unthinkable. Such a recourse would be bad for them and for the Open Cup tournament.

So why couldn’t the teams come to an agreement?

At the New York Post, Lewis reported after the rescheduled date had been announced that sources said “the Red Bulls found a common off date to reschedule the game, but shifting the game required not only the approval of the US Soccer Federation but the opponent. The Union countered with a proposal to move the game to Philadelphia, which the Red Bulls opted not to do.”

Citing unnamed sources, Dave Martinez reported at the New York soccer website Empire of Soccer said the Red Bulls had found “willing partners within USSF” to change the date — presumably to July 15, though Martinez does not say — but the Union had played “hardball” in the scheduling negotiations, with one source calling the Union a “bad partner.” The quotes were no doubt accurately reported but it was too easy for neutral observers to read them as an attempt by the Red Bulls to deflect widespread fan anger from themselves for the situation they created by agreeing to the ICC dates toward the Union. A tweet from Empire of Soccer reporter Mark Fishkin suggested the Red Bulls had been assured by US Soccer in January that there would be flexibility in scheduling before the team accepted the offer to play in the ICC. If that was the case, it was a curious, if not unsporting, assurance for US Soccer to make given that such flexibility was dependent on the agreement of whoever the Red Bulls’ opponent might be.

Nevertheless, Curtin’s comments in his press conference are probably a good indication of the Union’s position in the negotiations: “We knew in February that the Open Cup dates were the 21st and the 22nd; we planned our schedule accordingly.” Acknowledging the difficulties of scheduling the game on July 21 because of the ICC game that same night, Curtin explained, “The 21st, is it perfect? No, they have I believe Fiorentina-PSG play that evening at Red Bull Arena. We’re more than willing to host the game here, we’d love to.”

In other words, the Union believed they had planned responsibly in scheduling the Bournemouth friendly and were unwilling to concede competitive advantage simply because the Red Bulls had, through their own decisions, created a scheduling conflict that mostly affected them. That the Union apparently were willing to fight to gain competitive advantage in exchange for easing the Red Bulls scheduling woes should come as no surprise. It’s the kind of gamesmanship that is as old as the Open Cup tournament itself.

Interestingly, if New York Red Bulls had lost their fifth round match to New York Cosmos, the Union would have hosted the quarterfinals at PPL Park on July 22. While the winner of the Red Bulls-Cosmos match had been drawn to host the quarterfinal games, scheduling conflicts at their home field at Hofstra University and alternate grounds forced the Cosmos to give up their hosting rights to the next round before they had even played the Red Bulls.

On to the game

The Union, trying to find their feet in a difficult season and looking to redeem last year’s loss in the final to Seattle, have made it clear they will field the strongest team possible when they meet the Red Bulls. As Curtin described, “The Philadelphia Union respects the Open Cup competition. There’s two trophies you can lift in this country, and that’s one of them. It’s a prestigious tournament and one that I’ve played in.” Their “hardball” negotiations only underscore the importance of the game to the club.

But, given CBA restrictions against players playing in games within 36 hours, what kind of side will the Red Bulls field? Will they field a strong side in an attempt to win the actually meaningful Open Cup quarterfinal game, and so risk a blowout and the resulting damage to the team’s reputation by featuring a largely reserve side against Chelsea. Sure, the Chelsea game is essentially meaningless but it’ll likely be played in front of a full house, not to mention being broadcast on ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Soccer 2Go, and Chelsea TV. While it is perhaps fortunate for the Red Bulls that it’s the only game of the US leg of the ICC tournament not on Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2 and so won’t be as widely viewed as it might be, as Lewis wrote at the New York Post, “Clearly, they’ll have to prioritize, and sources said they will field the stronger team against Philadelphia.”

Red Bulls boss Jesse Marsch has confirmed he will field the strongest team possible against the Union. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Obviously we have to figure out what that means at that time but we’re going after the game, for sure.”

In case you’re wondering, the lead-up to the Open Cup game won’t be easy for either the Union or the Red Bulls. On Saturday, July 18, the Union play Toronto away at 4 p.m., and the Red Bulls play Orlando away the same day at 7:30 p.m.

For fans, though, it won’t be easy to attend the 4 p.m. US Open Cup quarterfinal game between two rivals. And that’s the real shame of it all.

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinal schedule

Tuesday, July 14
Los Angeles Galaxy at Real Salt Lake – 10 p.m. ET

Tuesday, July 21
Philadelphia Union (MLS) at New York Red Bulls (MLS) – 4 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS) – 8:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, July 22
Orlando City SC (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS) – 8:30 p.m. ET

Semifinals schedule (Date TBA)
Orlando City/Chicago winner at Philadelphia/New York winner
LA Galaxy/RSL winner at Sporting KC/Houston winner

Ed Farnsworth is the managing editor of the PhillySoccerPage.com and is a member of the Society for American Soccer History. You can follow him on Twitter @FarnsworthPSP.

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: Philadelphia Union overcome early red card, rally to beat DC United 2-1 (video)

June 30, 2015 by Michael Berton

The Philadelphia Union overcame a red card and a 45-minute weather delay to defeat DC United 2-1 in the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup on Tuesday night.

Second-half goals from Eric Ayuk and Fabinho erased a first-half strike by DC’s Jairo Arrieta. All three goals came after a questionable 24th-minute red card to CJ Sapong, who was given the card on a routine battle for a header. The referee deemed that Sapong led with his elbow and gave him a straight red card.

Union coach Jim Curtain said, “It’s a mistake by the referee for sure. It wasn’t a contentious game. made it a hard night for us.”

Arrieta scored just three minutes after the card. Miguel Aguilar made some nifty moves on the right side of the penalty box and crossed to a wide open Arrieta. The Costa Rican made no mistake, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

Even with the man disadvantage, the Union pushed forward. At times playing with all save the goalie in the offensive have of the field, Philadelphia put together a few close chances. The best chance came in the 42nd minute when Eric Ayuk’s was bobbled by DC keeper Andrew Dykstra. Andrew Wenger would have had a great chance on net on the rebound, but was offside.

The home side’s pressure meant DC could sit back and counter. Aguilar was dangerous down the right hand flank, and only last ditch defending kept the MLS leaders from scoring a second goal. The half came to an end nearly two hours after kickoff thanks to a 45-minute weather delay that stopped the game 14 minutes in.

Philadelphia kept up the pressure in the second half. In the 51st minute, Cristian Maidana played in Ayuk on the right, who crossed to a wide open Andrew Wenger in the middle of the box. Wenger’s shot somehow hit both posts before careening out of the penalty area.

Five minutes later, Ayuk got the goal that eluded Wenger. Sheanon Williams was played through on the left and crossed to Ayuk, who easily tapped home the equalizer.

In the 77th minute, it was second-half substitute Fabinho who put the Union up for good. Intricate passing between himself and Maidana eventually led to the Brazilian getting into the penalty area. Fabinho hit a screamer past DC keeper Andrew Dykstra to put the Union up 2-1.

With the early red card to Sapong, the Union were put in a strange situation of having to play Maidana, normally a creative attacker, in the target forward role. He was effective, playing a part in both goals.

“When your star striker goes out so early, it’s tough to burn a sub. We decided to let that group ride with it,” Curtain said.

With the win, the Union improve to 8-3-2 all-time in Open Cup play. Philadelphia will play the winner of the New York Red Bulls-New York Cosmos matchup in the Quarterfinals. If the Red Bulls win, the Union will travel to Red Bull Arena. Philadelphia will host if the Cosmos are the victors.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: DC UNITED AT PHILADELPHIA UNION

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: John McCarthy helps Philadelphia Union survive PK shootout with Rochester Rhinos (video)

June 16, 2015 by Michael Berton

John McCarthy of the Philadelphia Union celebrates a penalty kick save against the Rochester Rhinos. Photo: Greg Carroccio | Philadelphia Union

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that the Philadelphia Union will host DC United in the next round.

It took 120 minutes before the Philadelphia Union and Rochester Rhinos could score some goals. The teams needed a penalty kick shootout to decide things after a scoreless draw in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Fourth Round.

In the end, Union goalkeeper John McCarthy, a former Rochester Rhinos player, was the hero, saving three penalty kicks to win his team the tiebreaker. Philadelphia scored three penalties to take the shootout 3-1.

“ made some big saves for us in the PKs,” Union coach Jim Curtin said. “The second of three saves was special. He stepped up and bailed us out.”

It did not always look like McCarthy was going to be the hero, however. Several times in the second half and in extra time, he came way out of his penalty box to try to stop plays. Twice he made errors; on the first Raymon Gaddis saved the ball of the line, and on the second, a Rochester goal was disallowed due to a foul.

“I yelled at him for coming out for a couple balls he shouldn’t have,” said Curtin.

Other than a dominating opening 20 minutes for the MLS side, the match was pretty even. Rochester, which won the Open Cup in 1999, put more shots on goal than the Union (5-4), and frustrated the Union defensively. The USL outfit came into the match at 8-0-4 in league play, giving up just four goals.

The Rhinos’ best chance came in the 83rd minute. After a corner taken by Jonny Mendoza, the ball found its way to Julian Ringhof. The defender chested the ball and volleyed it, only to produce a spectacular double save by McCarthy.

“I thought they outplayed us in the second half. Credit to Rochester. That’s a tough team to break down,” Curtin said.

With neither team able to capitalize on chances in extra time, the match came down to penalty kicks. It was McCarthy making three saves—two to his right and the final to his left—to give the Union the victory.

With the win, the Philadelphia Union, last year’s runner-up, advance to the Fifth Round, winning their opening game for the fourth year in a row. The draw for the Fifth Round will occur on Thursday at 10 a.m.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: ROCHESTER AT PHILADELPHIA

TheCup.us contest: Enter to win Seattle Sounders, Philadelphia Union Bethlehem Steel jerseys, DC United scarf

June 16, 2015 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE: We have winners! SEE BELOW

As we get ready for the signature round of the 102nd edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup we thought now is a great time to give back to our loyal readers.

In honor of the launching of our new website, the Seattle Sounders, Philadelphia Union and DC United have donated some great items from the last two US Open Cup championships. All you have to do is answer some US Open Cup trivia questions.

You are welcome to answer as many questions as you like. The more correct answers you have, the more entries you get into the drawing for the prizes. Do not submit or post your answers/guesses to social media. To answer the question, use our email form HERE

Here are the questions:

* Since the designated player era began in Major League Soccer in 2007, very few DPs have actually taken part in US Open Cup games. Who was the first designated player to score a goal in a US Open Cup game?

ANSWER: Claudio Lopez scored a goal for the Kansas City Wizards in the Third Round of the 2008 US Open Cup on an 82nd minute penalty kick which tied the game in a 4-2 extra time win over the Carolina RailHawks (USL First Division).

* Who holds the single-tournament record for assists in the Modern Era? (Hint: He’s works for a team that qualified for the 2015 US Open Cup)

ANSWER: Diego Serna of the Miami Fusion (MLS) dished out five assists during the 2000 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, which still stands as a record. In reference to my hint, Serna was the head coach of Miami United that took part in the 2015 tournament

* Only four players have won back-to-back US Open Cup titles with two different teams in the Modern Era (1995-present). Name them. (Note: We’re including players who were on the team roster. We’re not limiting it to players who actually played in the Final.)

ANSWER: Ben Crawley (1995 Richmond Kickers, 1996 DC United), Brian Kamler (1995 Richmond Kickers, 1996 DC United), Richie Williams (1995 Richmond Kickers, 1996 DC United), Tom Soehn (1997 Dallas Burn, 1998 Chicago Fire)

* Who are the only players in the Modern Era who have scored multiple career goals in the US Open Cup Final?

ANSWER: Fredy Montero (2009, 2011) and Sanna Nyassi (2010) of the Seattle Sounders are the only two players to score more than one US Open Cup Final goals.

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS:

Mark De Haan from Zeeland, MI
James Shockley from Louisville, KY
Jason Klein from Madison, WI
James Coston from St. Louis, MO

#USOC2015

2014 US Open Cup Semifinals: FC Dallas, Philadelphia Union battle for right to host the Final (preview)

April 7, 2015 by Jon Arnold

A statue of the late Lamar Hunt on display outside of FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. Photo: FC Dallas

Two teams streaking in the league will take a break from Major League Soccer play to contest a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinal Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.

FC Dallas and the Philadelphia Union are seeking not only a spot in the Final but also the right to host the one-off championship match.

“It’s huge,” FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd told reporters after a 3-1 win against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. “I’ve been here five years and I haven’t won a trophy so there is a lot on the line Tuesday night. Especially, with it being the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, it means a bit more to this club than others. We’re really looking forward to it and we cannot wait to get out there Tuesday night.”

The host club, owned by the family of the late Lamar Hunt, rolled into the Semifinals after dispatching regional rivals the San Antonio Scorpions and the Houston Dynamo. Texas’ other MLS side pushed FC Dallas to the brink with rookie Tesho Akindele scoring an extra time winner, but there were no such heroics needed in the Quarterfinals. Blas Perez bagged a hat trick in a 5-2 thumping of the Carolina RailHawks, earning himself TheCup.us Player of the Round honor.

The Union overcame a bit more adversity to reach the final four. Both Harrisburg and the New York Cosmos pushed the MLS outfit to extra time. New arrival Andrew Wenger scored twice in extra time of the Fourth Round game, while Sebastian Le Toux was the hero of the clash with the Cosmos – a match that also saw three players and a pair of
Cosmos coaches sent off in the final moments. The behavior was better but the weather was worse with kickoff of the Union’s quarterfinal match being delayed by a dust storm. Once it settled, goals from Conor Casey and Le Toux saw the team advance with a 2-0 win against the New England Revolution. Le Toux’s 14th tournament goal put him alone at the top of the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) goalscoring chart

It was after a 2-0 league win against an injury-hit Revolution team on a losing streak that Oscar Pareja declared that his team sent a message that it could contend as one of MLS’ best teams.

It was a message met with skepticism by the majority of those who heard it, but FC Dallas has done its best to back up the coach’s bold statement. They enter Tuesday’s game with an 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, and have been boosted with the return of several injured elements have los Toros feeling good.

But their opponents have an unbeaten streak of their own with Saturday’s 2-1 win against the Montreal Impact making it five contests without a loss for interim manager Jim Curtin’s team. Le Toux scored both the team’s goals to extend the streak.

In addition to the good run of form, the team also was able to bring back Carlos Valdes after loan spells in South America. The center back is a welcome addition for the club which has lacked consistency on the back line.

“It’s good to be back,” Valdes said this weekend. “I’m very excited for the rest of the season and everything that’s coming our way with the Open Cup and the rest of the league games. Our fans are great and it made me very, very happy.”

Supporters of both clubs will be excited as well with the prospect of a title becoming more real. The Union, which began play in 2010, have yet to win a piece of major silverware while MLS original FC Dallas looks to add to the 1997 Open Cup in its trophy case.

#USOC2014 News and Notes

* The referee assignments were announced for this game and 2014 FIFA World Cup official Mark Geiger will be the man in the middle

* For those unable to attend the game in person, there will be a live video stream available through the FC Dallas website.

* This will mark the first time in the 101-year history of the tournament that a Pennsylvania-based club team will face a Texas-based team in the Semifinals.

* FC Dallas ranks third among MLS teams in Semifinals appearances with eight. Only the Chicago Fire (10), DC United (9) have more. Dallas is 3-4-0 in their previous semifinal matches with wins coming in 1997, 2005 and 2007.

* If the Union win, the Philadelphia area hasn’t hosted a championship game since 1994 when the United German Hungarians (Oakford, Penn., just north of Philadelphia) were the host, but didn’t reach the Final. The last time a Philadephia area team hosted and took part in the Final was when the Ukrainian Nationals won the 2nd leg and lifted the trophy at Cambria Stadium in 1966.

Kings reclaim throne: Seattle Sounders beat Philadelphia Union in OT to win 4th US Open Cup title

September 16, 2014 by Michael Berton

2014 US Open Cup: The Seattle Sounders defeated the Philadelphia Union in the Final at PPL Park, 3-1 in extra time. Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle etched its place in the annals of US Open Cup history, winning its fourth title, 3-1 over the Philadelphia Union in a thrilling extra time affair in the tournament’s 101st Final in Chester, Pa.

The MLS-leading Sounders showed their class in overtime after ending regular time tied at 1-1. Playing counterattack soccer, star strikers Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins each scored, earning Seattle its fourth championship in six years, tying it for second all-time with the New York Greek American Atlas SC, Chicago Fire and Philadelphia club Ukrainian Nationals, and putting them one behind Maccabee AC (Los Angeles) and Bethlehem Steel for most overall.

“ know where each other are all the time. They just find each other. They have developed a really good relationship with each other,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said about the Sounders’ second goal.

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US Open Cup Final: 1914-present

All-Time US Open Cup Final goalscoring leaders

PHOTOS BY BOB LARSON (Twitter: @bob_larson)

Philadelphia, who was playing for its first championship, nearly won the game in regulation. In second-half injury time, Vincent Nogueira beat Sounders goalie Stefan Frei, but his shot banged off the left post. It was the end to a dramatic finish, with the Union pushing as hard as it could for a winner. It was a historic evening for a number of Sounders.

In addition to joining the four-title club, Sigi Schmid added to his Modern Era (1995-present) record with his fifth Open Cup title as a manager (2001 with Los Angeles Galaxy and 4 with the Sounders) and Osvaldo Alonso played in his sixth cup final, which is also a record since 1995.

“We’re good at this,” Schmid told Sounders play-by-play announcer Ross Fletcher during a post-game interview.

The game started quickly, and never let up. Often finals begin as cagey affairs, with teams electing to play defensively. The Union and Sounders bucked the norm, attacking plenty. It was the home side attacking first, with an offside call eliminating a promising chance in the opening minute. Seattle’s Dempsey had the first great chance of the game in the 11th minute. A ball crossed in by Andy Rose led to a point-blank effort from the US National Team star, but he hit his attempt high over the bar.

Sebastien Le Toux, the US Open Cup Modern Pro Era leading goal scorer with 14, was the next with a good chance, but his half-shot, half-cross was calmly collected by goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Seemingly trading chances, Chad Marshall missed a free header in the 24th minute on a corner kick. Le Toux, who won an Open Cup title with Seattle in 2009, took his turn again in the 30th minute, getting on the end of Andrew Wenger’s cross, but his close-range effort was saved by Frei.

Clint Dempsey (right) of the Seattle Sounders FC scored the go-ahead goal in the 101st minute as Seattle defeated the Philadelphia Union 3-1 to win a fourth title. Photo: Bob Larson Jr.

The Union’s Maurice Edu broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. After earning a foul, Cristian Maidana whipped in a free kick from the right from about 30 yards out. The ball found the head of Edu, who was able to knock it in. Edu’s goal, his second of the tournament, gave Philadelphia a 1-0 halftime lead.

The away side caught the Union sleeping to start the second half, however. Brad Evans put in a corner kick in the 47th minute, which was poorly cleared by Philadelphia. The ball made its way back into the box, and Chad Barrett easily headed it home for his fourth career tournament goal.

Members of the Seattle Sounders celebrate after winning the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at PPL Park in Chester, PA. Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Tied at one apiece, the Union finally found the energy that it had in the first half fueled by 15,256 fans in attendance. That energy led to a breakaway that surely looked like it would turn into a goal. Maidana made some nifty moves to get past the Seattle defense, and was all alone in on the Seattle goal. The Sounders’ DeAndre Yedlin proved to be the hero, using his blazing speed to track back and win the ball.

Seattle also had several chances to win the game in regular time. Second-half substitute Marco Pappa’s cross hit Dempsey right next to the net, but for the second time, he missed from close range. Just a minute later, Martins also missed a golden opportunity.

In the 88th minute, Frei made a fantastic save on Pedro Ribeiro, then Nogueira’s chance hit the post to save the Sounders from giving up a late winner.

Union interim coach Jim Curtin said, “Finals are always one-play games … little breaks in the game. I’ve never been proud of a loss before. This is the first time.”

For the fourth time in five Open Cup matches in 2014, the Union went to overtime. That experience didn’t help however, as it was Seattle breaking the deadlock. On a counterattack, Dempsey passed to Martins, who was swarmed by three defenders. He passed back to Dempsey, who kicked it to the left of Zach MacMath, finally getting the goal he had been looking for. For Dempsey, his first career tournament goal couldn’t have come at a better time.

Martins put the game away in the 114th minute. One-on-one against Raymon Gaddis, Martins used his power to hold off the defender. MacMath charged out, but Martins slotted it home for an unassailable 3-1 victory.

“It’s all about people wanting to win trophies,” Schmid said. “That’s the attitude we approach the Open Cup with.”

Michael Berton is a freelance soccer writer out of the Philadelphia area. He also works at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and you can follow him on Twitter @MichaelBerton.

HIGHLIGHTS: 2014 US OPEN CUP FINAL

US OPEN CUP FINAL RECAP SHOW (MLSSOCCER.COM)

2020 UPDATE: Full Game Replay (Via US Soccer)

SOUNDERS CELEBRATE FOURTH US OPEN CUP TROPHY

2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final
Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders
PPL Park – Chester, PA

Scoring Summary:
PHI: Maurice Edu (Cristian Maidana) – 38th min.
SEA: Chad Barrett (unassisted) – 47th min.
SEA: Clint Dempsey (Obafemi Martins) – 101st min.
SEA: Obafemi Martins (unassisted) – 114th min.

Lineups:

Philadelphia: Zac MacMath; Sheanon Williams (Fred-109’), Carlos Valdes, Ethan White, Raymon Gaddis; Sebastien Le Toux, Maurice Edu, Vincent Nogueira, Cristian Maidana; Andrew Wenger (Danny Cruz-81’), Conor Casey (Pedro Ribeiro-78’)

Seattle: Stefan Frei; Leo Gonzalez, Zach Scott, Chad Marshall, DeAndre Yedlin; Lamar Neagle (Marco Pappa-74’), Andy Rose, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans (Gonzolo Pineda-94’); Clint Dempsey, Chad Barrett (Obafemi Martins-60’)

Bookings:
SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (caution – 25’)
PHI: Conor Casey (caution – 57’)

Referee: Armando Villareal
Linesman: Peter Manikowski, Corey Parker
4th official: Matthew Nelson
Attendance: 15,256
Weather: Partly Cloudy – 70 degrees

2014 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sebastien Le Toux breaks goalscoring record as Philadelphia Union blanks New England Revolution 2-0 (video)

July 8, 2014 by Michael Berton

A storm swept through PPL Park, halting play for an hour. Photo: Instagram @JayDClark

Neither lightning, nor rain, nor dust storm could keep the Philadelphia Union from emerging victorious in its 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinal match against the New England Revolution.

Sebastian Le Toux became the US Open Cup’s Modern Professional Era’s leading goalscorer with his 47th minute tally, adding to Conor Casey’s goal in the ninth minute to beat New England 2-0. With the win, which was delayed for an hour due to extreme weather in the second half, the Union advance to the Semifinals for the second time in three years.

The Union started out on the front foot, creating several dangerous chances in the opening minutes. Sheanon Williams took a free kick from the Union’s defensive half, hitting it over the top to Casey. The big forward beat his man, rounded New England keeper Brad Knighton, and slotted his shot into the right-side netting.

“I thought we started the game really well,” said interim Union manager Jim Curtin. “I thought we should have gone up two or three to zero at the start.”

The away side nearly equalized a minute later when Saer Sene beat Union goalie Zac MacMath, but Maurice Edu was on the line to clear the ball. The Revs got more and more into the game, but could not find an equalizer in the first half.

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New England made two substitutions at the half hoping to change the game in its favor, but it would be one of those subs that indirectly led to the Union’s second goal. AJ Soares earned a yellow card just a minute into the half, only a few yards outside the left side of the penalty area. Le Toux stepped up to take the free kick and hit a ball that should have been a routine save for Knighton.

It turned out to be anything but as the ball went through Knighton’s hands and into the net. With the goal, Le Toux scored his 14th career US Open Cup goal, moving him past David Bulow, Johnny Menyongar, and Jaime Moreno on top of the Modern Pro Era’s goalscoring chart.

“That’s something special,” Curtin said about Le Toux’s accomplishment. “It’s a great honor for him to have. It just shows that he’s been on good teams that have advanced and gone on good runs in the competition.”

New England pressed forward, forcing MacMath into two saves, but the goalie couldn’t stop what came next. An impending storm blew dust and dirt in from the parking lots, shrouding the field. The referee put a halt to the game in the 61st minute just before the thunderstorm rolled in. The Union Twitter feed cheekily called it the “end of days.”

After the break, both teams created opportunities as New England continued on the attack. Despite more possession, however, the Revolution could not break through and find a goal.

With the victory, the Union move on to the US Open Cup Semifinals where they will play on the road against either FC Dallas or the Carolina RailHawks on August 12. Two years ago, they lost to Sporting Kansas City 2-0 in the Union’s only tournament loss at home to date.

Curtin said, “To have to go on the road, it makes it more challenging. We’re familiar with Dallas. We think we can go there and win a game … is a good team. They have a special home-field advantage. I expect them to give Dallas all they can handle.”

Goalscoring Leaders (Modern Professiona Era, 1995-present)

1. Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders) – 14
2. David Bulow (Cape Cod Crusaders, Richmond Kickers) – 13
2. Johnny Menyongar (Minnesota Thunder, Rochester Rhinos) – 13
2. Jaime Moreno (DC United) – 13
5. Melvin Tarley (Minnesota Thunder) – 12
6. Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas, NY Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders) – 11

Michael Berton is a freelance soccer writer out of the Philadelphia area. He also works at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and you can follow him on Twitter @MichaelBerton.

HIGHLIGHT: LE TOUX’S RECORD-BREAKING GOAL

POST-GAME: JIM CURTIN

STORM VIDEO #1

STORM VIDEO #2

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution
PPL Park – Chester, PA

Scoring Summary:
PU: Conor Casey (Sheanon Williams) 9’
PU: Sebastian Le Toux (unassisted) 47’

Lineups:
PU: Zac MacMath; Fabinho, Sheanon Williams, Maurice Edu, Raymon Gaddis; Brian Carroll, Amobi Okugo, Sebastian Le Toux, Danny Cruz (Andrew Wenger—82’); Cristian Maidana (Fred—89’), Conor Casey (Aaron Wheeler—61’)

NER: Brad Knighton; Darrius Barnes, Jose Goncalves, Kevin Alston, Stephen McCarthy (A.J. Soars—45’); Scott Caldwell, Andy Dorman (Kelyn Rowe—61’), Lee Nguyen, Steve Neumann; Saer Sene (Diego Fagundez—45’), Teal Bunbury

Bookings:
NE: Stephen McCarthy (caution—16’)
NE: A.J. Soares (caution—46’)
PU: Amobi Okugo (caution—57’)
NE: Jose Goncalves (caution—71’)
NE: Lee Nguyen (caution—74’)
PU: Sheanon Williams (caution—75’)
PU: Aaron Wheeler (caution—76’)
NE: A.J. Soares (caution/ejection—90+)

Attendance: 2,626

2015 US Open Cup Round 5: Sebastien Le Toux’s historic brace leads Philadelphia Union past New York Cosmos, 2-1 (video)

June 25, 2014 by Michael Berton

Sebastien Le Toux scored two goals against the New York Cosmos to bring his career total to 13. Photo: Kari Haffelfinger for TheCup.us

Sebastian Le Toux scored his 12th and 13th US Open Cup goals, tying him for most in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) in a 2-1 Philadelphia Union victory over the New York Cosmos.

The MLS side struggled mightily against its second-division opponents but managed to pull out the victory after its second-straight game that required extra time.

The Cosmos were riding high after a 3-0 Fourth Round victory over the New York Red Bulls and carried that momentum over to the Fifth Round. The Cosmos had a fair amount of possession in a first half of few chances for either team.

“I knew this was going to be an ugly game where it was about competing and winning second balls and fighting for long balls, it wasn’t going to be about short passes,” Union interim manager Jim Curtain said. “The Cosmos come at you and they put pressure on you – that’s the one thing they really did well.”

The NASL side got its reward in the 56th minute when Danny Szetela found Alessandro Noselli open in the right side of the box. Union keeper Andre Blake rushed out, but Noselli calmly chipped it over him to give his squad a 1-0 lead.

That lead lasted less than a minute, when Le Toux got his 12th Open Cup goal. Andrew Wenger made a dynamic run down the right side of the field, cutting into the box. He crossed the ball across the 6-yard box to Le Toux, who easily knocked it home.

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“I like this competition…when I was in Seattle and the USL – it was kind of a competition to show that we a very good team, and two times I finished with I think six goals,” Le Toux said. “We have continuity and are now three games away from the final. It would be great to get the trophy this year.”

After experiencing two goals in one minute, the pace of the game quickly returned to normal, with neither team able to get an edge after 90 minutes. For the second time in the tournament this year, Union were taken to extra time by a lower-division opponent. The Cosmos, who entered their first-ever Open Cup this year, were experiencing their first taste of overtime soccer.

The two halves of extra time could not have been more different. The second half contained as much action as the first half did not. In the 113th minute on a long throw-in by the Union’s Sheanon Williams, Cosmos defender Jimmy Ockford pulled a Union player down in the box. Le Toux stepped up and buried the ensuing penalty kick in the bottom right hand corner. The goal was his 13th in the Open Cup, tying him for most in the Modern Pro Era with David Bulow, Johnny Menyongar, and Jaime Moreno.

“I was very confident and I was glad that it went in, but I’m not worried about the stats,” Le Toux said. “I’m just happy we won tonight.”

Things got wild after the goal in the 119th minute. A scuffle broke out, after which the referee gave Ayoze of the Cosmos and Michael Lahoud of the Union straight red cards. A minute later he showed Ockford red as well — all this after he had already tossed two Cosmos assistant coaches from the sideline.

New York coach Giovanni Savarese said, “The referee ruined the game, and it was very that he put his hand on this game. It’s a shame because our guys worked hard…and it could’ve been a much better game for sure with a better end.”

With the victory, the Union remain undefeated against lower-division sides. Philadelphia will take on the winner of New England-Rochester in the Quarterfinals.

Michael Berton is a freelance writer who is one of TheCup.us’ top USASA reporters. You can follow him on Twitter @MichaelBerton

HIGHLIGHTS: COSMOS AT UNION

POST-GAME: COSMOS REACTION

MATCH REPLAY: NEW YORK COSMOS AT PHILADELPHIA UNION

Philadelphia Union vs. New York Cosmos
PPL Park – Chester, PA

Scoring Summary:

NYC: Alessandro Noselli (Danny Szetela) 56’
PU: Sebastian Le Toux (Andrew Wenger) 57’
PU: Sebastian Le Toux (Penalty Kick) 113’

Lineups:

PU: Andre Blake; Fabinho, Sheanon Williams, Maurice Edu, Raymon Gaddis; Cristian Maidana Michael Lahoud—115’), Brian Carroll, Amobi Okugo, Danny Cruz (Leo Fernandes-60’); Sebastian Le Toux, Andrew Wenger (Antoine Hoppenot-77’)

NYC: Jimmy Maurer; Ayoze, Carlos Mendes, Hunter Freeman, Roversio (Jimmy Ockford-103’); Daniel Szetela, Hagop Chirishian (Jemal Johnson-60’), Joseph Nane (Dane Murphy-38’); Mads Stokkelien, Alessandro Noselli, Sebastian Guenzatti

Bookings:

PU: Brian Carroll (caution—21’)
PU: Danny Cruz (caution—29’)
PU: Fabinho (caution—67’)
NYC: Alessandro Noselli (caution—112’)
NYC: Jimmy Maurer (caution—114’)
NYC: Ayoze (ejection—119’)
PU: Michael Lahoud (ejection—119’)
NYC: Jimmy Ockford (ejection—120’)

Attendance: 3,846

2014 US Open Cup Round 4: Maurice Edu equalizer, Andrew Wenger brace help Philadelphia Union beat Harrisburg City Islanders 3-1 in OT (video)

June 18, 2014 by Michael Berton

Harrisburg City Islanders goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre makes one of his many saves in the losing effort against the Philadelphia Union. Photo: Kari Haffelfinger

Andrew Wenger must have thought that he would be having nightmares about Brian Sylvestre. That is, until he finally found the back of the net twice in overtime to lead his Philadelphia Union to victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders in the Fourth Round of the 2014 US Open Cup.

Sylvestre nearly single-handedly won the match for the third-division City Islanders, making 10 saves, but Maurice Edu canceled out a 39th-minute Harrisburg goal in the 89th minute, and Wenger added two more in extra time for a 3-1 win in Chester, Pa.

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2014 Round 5 draw scenarios