Phoenix SC

2010 US Open Cup qualifying: Region I down to 14 teams as tournament begins this weekend

April 10, 2010 by Josh Hakala

The USASA Region I tournament gets underway this weekend, the beginning of what will eventually send two clubs to the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The opening round kicks off with a game on Saturday, April 10, with the rest of the round to be played Sunday, April 11, followed by the quarterfinals on May 2, and the semifinals on May 23. The two teams that emerge victorious in the semifinals will both be awarded a spot in the US Open Cup, and if the format remains true to recent form, they will be matched up with either a second division or a third division side. Major League Soccer teams will not enter the competition until the third round.

The 2010 edition of the tournament was expanded to 16 teams, but it wasn’t meant to be as two teams were forced to drop out. Athletic Club, the lone entry from Western Pennsylvania, had their main sponsor abandon them, thus making it impossible for them to cover their travel expenses to Maryland to take on Charm City FC.

The other team that won’t be competing is the Erie Admirals of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). A combination of injuries and a lack of player availability left them without a full roster for their game against Fenerbahce USA, the Eastern New York runner-up.

The two teams who benefit from the forfeits, Fenerbahce USA and Charm City FC, will both move on to the quarterfinals where they will be forced to play on the road.

The rest of the games on the opening round schedule feature a number of intriguing matchups.

Boston Olympiakos has been a regular in Open Cup qualifying, but has only reached the Region I tournament twice. In 2004, they lost in the semifinals and in 2008, they defeated Danbury United from Connecticut in the group final to punch their ticket to the Open Cup. Those two teams will meet again on Sunday at the Portuguese Cultural Center. Danbury qualified for the Open Cup in 2007, but lost that deciding game against Boston in 2008 and last year to Emigrantes Das Ilhas, another Massachusetts team.

That win over Danbury last year was the first trip to the Open Cup for Emigrantes. Repeating will be a challenge as they will travel to New York to take on the Brooklyn Italians. The two-time Open Cup champions (1979, 1991) just joined the NPSL after decades as a member of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League.

On Saturday, Olympia Stamford from Connecticut will begin their quest to qualify for the Open Cup for the second time in a decade when they open up against Go-Soccer FC from New Jersey. Olympia last made a trip to the big dance in 2001 when they had a one-and-done Cup run, falling to the PDL’s Seattle Sounders Select.

The Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks, complete with their committed sponsor, are aiming to be a Region I finalist (and thus, an Open Cup participant) for the third time in four years, a rare feat among USASA clubs. They will begin at home against one of the Maryland co-champions Jilly’s Bar & Grill, who highlighted the opening round of the Maryland Open Cup tournament with a 10-0 thrashing of and knocked out the defending state champions, Christos, by a score of 3-0.

Phoenix SC of Eastern Pennsylvania will have the task of facing the New York Pancyprian Freedoms, a club that not only plays in the ultra-competitive Cosmopolitan Soccer League, but they also boast the greatest Open Cup pedigree of any club in the tournament. The Freedoms have qualified for the Open Cup three times in the Professional Era (1995-present) and prior to that, they won the competition three times (1980, 1982, 1983) and are the last team to ever repeat as champions. Phoenix SC is making their first appearance in the tournament after beating the United German Hungarians (UGH) 2-1 in overtime in the Eastern PA final.

With the expansion of the Region I finals, that made room for UGH as Eastern PA runners-up and they will take on Club Atletico Virginia. The champions of the DC/VA Open Cup championship, beat the Aegean Hawks for the first time in nine tries, denying the Hawks their fifth straight DC/VA title. The Washington Premier League club will take on UGH who have not qualified for the Open Cup since 1999 when they upset the Staten Island Vipers of the D3 Pro League. UGH have finished runners-up in the Open Cup twice (1977, 1993).

2010 USASA Region I tournament – first round schedule:
(All times Eastern)

Boston Olympiakos (MA) at Danbury United (CT) – 2 p.m. at Portuguese Cultural Center
Erie Admirals (NPSL) at Fenerbahce USA (East NY) – Erie forfeits (Injuries/Not enough players available)
Olympia Stamford (CT) at Go-Soccer FC (NJ) – Sat. April 10, 5:30 p.m. at Torpey Athletic Complex
Emigrantes Das Ilhas (MA) at Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) – 3 p.m. at John Dewey High School
Jilly’s Bar & Grill (MD) at Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA) – 2 p.m. at Denison Nursery
Phoenix SC (East PA) at NY Pancyprian Freedoms (East NY) – 2 p.m. at Belson Stadium (St. John’s Univ.)
Athletic Club (West PA) at Charm City FC (MD) – Athletic Club forfeits (Loss of sponsor)
Club Atletico Virginia (DC/VA) at United German Hungarians (East PA) – 2 p.m. at UGH Field

Quarterfinal schedule (May 2)

Fenerbahce USA at Danbury United/Boston Olympiakos
Go-Soccer FC / Olympia Stamford vs. Brooklyn Italians / Emigrantes Das Ilhas – Site TBA
Aegean Hawks FC / Jilly’s Bar & Grill vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms / Phoenix SC – Site TBA
Charm City FC at United German Hungarians / Club Atletico Virginia

Bracket

First Round (April 11)	Quarterfinals (May 2)	Semifinals (May 23)	Final (June 27)
Danbury United (CT)
Boston Olympiakos (MA)

Fenerbahce USA (E NY)	Fenerbahce USA (E NY)
Erie Admirals (NPSL) (forfeit)	Fenerbahce USA (E NY)

Go-Soccer FC (NJ)
Olympia Stamford (CT)

Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)
Emigrantes das Ilhas (MA)

DS Aegean Hawks (DC/VA)
Jilly’s Bar & Grill (MD)

NY Pancyprian Freedoms (E NY)
Phoenix SC (E PA)

Charm City FC (MD)	Charm City FC (MD)
Athletic Club (W PA) (forfeit)	Charm City FC (MD)

UGH Majors (E PA)
Club Atletico (DC/VA)

2010 US Open Cup qualifying: Phoenix SC win USASA Eastern PA Open Cup title, advance to Region I Finals

December 14, 2009 by adamspangler

Phoenix SC wins their first Eastern PA Open Cup title with a 2-1 overtime victory over the United German Hungarians

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA – Despite playing in a torrential downpour throughout the match, Phoenix SC captured their first Eastern Pennsylvania Open Cup championship, defeating the United German Hungarians (UGH) 2-1 in overtime. The Final went ahead despite nature’s best attempts to dampen the participants’ spirits. Played in a high school football stadium, the field was narrow, but the artificial turf ensured the game would go on despite the heavy rain.

UGH came out of the blocks quickly, as they tried to win their second Open Cup inside of three years. Using the narrow field, they deployed a high-pressure strategy and controlled the opening 25 minutes, with Tommy DeGeorge fashioning the best opportunities for UGH. Phoenix was not without creativity of its own, as both Ben Castor and Steve Mellor missed out on opportunities to get on the scoresheet in the opening moments of the game.

Phoenix eventually found their footing and started to hold possession, matching UGH for the remainder of the half as both teams created several more chances in the final 20 minutes, but were unable to break the scoreless tie before halftime.

With the wind at their backs, Phoenix came out and gained the upper hand in the second half, although, it would be UGH that would make the first breakthrough. In the 67th minute, a clearance by a UGH defender slipped away from the control of a Phoenix player, allowing Tim O’Neill to be released down the left side. He surprised everyone in attendance when he toe poked the ball from 22 yards into the far upper corner to give UGH a 1-0 lead.

Phoenix responded by changing tactics and pushing players forward, which nearly brought immediate dividends as they created several chances by Ben Castor, Pat Dillon and Roman Escobar. UGH continued to be dangerous on the counter and from set plays, with Blair Carson nearly putting the game out of reach on a free kick that missed the target.

However, in the 81st minute, Phoenix would find the equalizer. A flowing pass culminated in substitute Brian McKinney, playing in his first Open Cup Final after 10 years with the club, releasing Kamara Freebolle to round the keeper and slot home the tying goal. Phoenix, however, were not content to go to extra time as Freebolle and Danny Murtagh both came close to winning the game in the final, frantic moments.

The first overtime session was evenly played, with Phoenix controlling possession and UGH looking to hit them on the counter. In the second session, Phoenix finally made a breakthrough. With nine minutes remaining, a Matt Lapish freekick found the head of McKinney, whose flick traveled 25 feet into the air. Jack Pocorobba was the first to react, getting under the ball and heading across goal and into the far corner, sparking jubilant scenes in the stadium. UGH pressed forward to find a goal to send the match into penalty kicks, but they fell short, losing to Phoenix 2-1.

For Phoenix SC, it was their first state Open Cup title, giving coach Blair Thomson the only trophy which has eluded him in his 28-year association with the club. Thomson’s team, with the victory, have qualified for the 2010 USASA Region I Finals, which will take place in the Spring.

Phoenix SC Lineup

GK – Tony Pratico
LB – Greg Mangels (captain)
CB – Matt Lapish
CB – Mark Scaccia (Brian McKinney, 72nd)
RB – Jack Pocorobba
LM – Danny Murtagh
CM – Ben Castor
CM – Steve Mellor (Pat Dillon, 70th)
CM – Roman Escobar
RM – Ryan Soroka
ST – Kamara Freebolle
Unused Sub – Matt Rominger

2010 Qualifying: Phoenix SC, United German Hungarians advance to Eastern PA Final

November 25, 2009 by

Eastern Pennsylvania Logo

Eastern PA Open Cup Final

United German Hungarians at
Phoenix SC
December 6 – 2 p.m.
Feasterville, Pa. | Map

Eastern Pennsylvania will soon have a representative in the USASA Region I Finals as the championship game was set in stone this past weekend. The United German Hungarians (UGH) and Phoenix SC will meet in the deciding game after posting Semifinal victories in matches held around the Philadelphia area.

Phoenix earned their spot in the the Eastern PA Open Cup Final with a 3-1 win over Danubia SC with UGH defeating long-time rivals Vereinigung Erzgebirge (VE) 1-0 in the second game. Phoenix SC will host the title game on December 6 with a kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.

At Beneficial Bank Field at the United German Hungarian club in Oakford, Pa., the game was a rematch of last year’s Open Cup Final, which VE won 3-0. UGH had eliminated VE in the Semifinals the year before on their way to capturing their last Eastern PA title.

Vereinigung Erzgebirge logo The German Hungarians came out strong early in the match. The hosts put pressure on VE’s backline and scored the game’s only goal 20 minutes into the game.

Central midfielder Blair Carson sent a long ball over the top to forward Ryan Mosley, who controlled and dribbled in from nearly 40 yards out with a VE defender on his shoulder and beat the goalkeeper from just inside the penalty area.

UGH continued to put pressure on the VE goal, but before the halftime break, the visitors shifted the momentum. Their attack on the UGH goal continued into the second half and the pressure increased at the midway point of the half when they went up a man.

United German Hungarians have finished as the runner-up in the US Open Cup twice (1977, 1993)

The German Hungarians had their outside midfielder ejected, which shifted their focus to defending. With the back four and the midfield dropping back to help out, UGH limited VE’s chances. The best scoring chance for VE came late in the game when a cleared ball struck a VE player in the chest and rebounded toward the UGH net and nearly caught goalkeeper Eric Talbot off his line. Talbot was able to recover in time and keep the ball out of the back of the net to preserve the clean sheet.

In the other Semifinal, Phoenix SC took another step toward capturing their first Eastern PA Open Cup title as they knocked off Danubia SC.

On a bumpy field, each team kept their shape and played conservatively in the early going while probing for weaknesses in their opponent. In the 22nd minute, Phoenix forced the Danubia backline into an error, with Steve Mellor’s pressure allowing Roman Escobar to steal the ball and poke it home from 10 yards out. The goal spurred Phoenix on as they created several other chances, before capitalizing again in the 36th minute. Danny Murtagh and Steve Mellor’s one-two in the midfield released Murtagh down the left side, whose cross found the foot of Mellor for the second goal of the game. Danubia found a lifeline just before halftime as they were able to capitalize on an error by the Phoenix defense, with Pete Pitoulis slotting the ball into an empty net to make it 2-1.

With mascot Carlson Thomson performing a rousing rendition of Phoenix’ “Lisztomania” at halftime, Phoenix came out ready to rise to the challenge of defending their one-goal lead. The visitors used the crowd to soak up Danubia’s momentum as the half began. The Danubia goalkeeper kept his team in the game with fine saves on shots by Ryan Soroka and Kamara Freebolle. Phoenix were in full flight in the 71st minute when Ben Castor released Murtagh down the left with a 30-yard first time ball, Murtagh cut inside and forced the goalkeeper into a flying save, only for substitute Billy James to put the ball into the back of the net with his first touch of the game.

The state final will be a rematch of a United Soccer League match from last week when UGH came out on top by a score of 1-0. The German Hungarians will be playing in their fourth Eastern PA title game in five years, having only lifted the trophy in 2007 (for 2008 Open Cup qualifying). UGH has a strong history of not only in regional qualifying, but in the national tournament as well. They have never won the US Open Cup, but they were the runner-up in 1977 and 1993.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=301+W+Bristol+Rd,+Feasterville-Trevose,+PA+19053&sll=45.160799,-93.234949&sspn=0.111116,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=301+W+Bristol+Rd,+Feasterville-Trevose,+Bucks,+Pennsylvania+19053&ll=40.166986,-74.99568&spn=0.007526,0.01929&z=16&iwloc=A

2010 Qualifying: Phoenix knocks off their Ukrainian rivals, advance to Eastern PA semis

November 9, 2009 by

With unseasonable 70 degree weather in Feasterville, Pa., Phoenix SC and the Ukrainian Nationals met in the latest edition of a long-standing rivalry. In one of four Eastern Pennsylvania Open Cup games played that day, Phoenix got the best of their Ukrainian rivals, beating them 3-0 to advance to the Third Round of the tournament.

While the Ukies have tasted success in the Open Cup in recent seasons, Phoenix came out hoping to win the club’s first state Open Cup title having won two United League and two state Amateur Cup titles in the past three seasons.

Phoenix SC (Eastern PA)

Phoenix started the game well, maintaining possession and putting the Ukies under pressure. That pressure finally paid off after 20 minutes when Daniel Murtagh put a 25-yard bending ball past the Ukies goalie after a pass from Greg Mangels. Five minutes later, Phoenix had the chance to go up 2-0 from the penalty spot, but goalkeeper Jason Sherman made a diving save to his left on Bobby Francis. Phoenix did not allow the momentum to change after the saved penalty and quickly scored their second goal when Steve Mellor lashed a shot to the far corner from the right side of the 18 after a driving run and feed by Ryan Soroka.

Wanting to avoid a let down after the halftime break, Phoenix came out and scored the third and final goal when halftime substitute Kamara Freebolle struck a 25-yard thunderbolt off a pass from Ben Castor. For the rest of the half, Phoenix dominated possession while the Ukies were not able capitalize on their opportunities.

Phoenix progresses to the Semifinals where they will host Danubia, who thrashed Hunter Inazu 7-0 in their Second Round match.

Phoenix lineup
Tony Pratico
Greg Mangels
Pat Dillon (Mark Scaccia-70)
Jack Poccoroba
Matt Lapish
Ben Castor
Steve Mellor
Bobby Francis
Daniel Murtagh (Brian McKinney-65)
Ryan Soroka
Virgis Anusauskas (Kamara Freebolle 45)

Unused Sub
Matt Rominger

The scores of the Eastern PA tournament are listed below. If you have any details to pass along, contact us.

Second Round
(Home teams listed on the right)

Ukrainian National Tryzub 0:3 Phoenix Majors
Scoring Summary: Daniel Murtagh, Steve Mellor, Kamara Freebolle
Danubia 7:0 Hunter Inazu
United German Hungarians Majors 2:1 Intare FC
Fishtown 1:4 Vereinigung Erzgebirge Majors

The Semifinals of the Eastern PA tournament is scheduled for November 22.
—————————————————

First Round Results
(Home teams listed on the right)

Ukrainian National Tryzub 2:1 (aet) United German Hungarians Ultra
Danubia 2:1 Plymouth Ultra
Wallace FC 1:5 Hunter Inazu
Keystone Pride 1:2 Intare FC
Quakertown 1:4 Fishtown

2010 Qualifying: Eastern Pennsylvania First Round results

October 28, 2009 by

Eastern Pennsylvania Open Cup has begun and the opening round is complete. See below for the results. Details of the games will be passed along as soon as they are made available. If you have any details to pass along, contact us.

First Round
(Home teams listed on the right)

Ukrainian National Tryzub 2:1 (aet) United German Hungarians Ultra
Danubia 2:1 Plymouth Ultra
Wallace FC 1:5 Hunter Inazu
Keystone Pride 1:2 Intare FC
Quakertown 1:4 Fishtown

Here are the matchups for the Second Round, which are scheduled to take place on November 8, 2009.

Ukrainian National Tryzub at Phoenix Majors
Danubia at Hunter Inazu
United German Hungarians Majors at Intare FC
Fishtown at Vereinigung Erzgebirge Majors

The Third Round of the Eastern PA tournament will be held on November 22.