PSA Elite

2014 US Open Cup Round 1: PSA Elite need PKs to overcome LA Misioneros, reach Round 2

May 10, 2014 by Josh Hakala

In a battle of Southern California amateur clubs, PSA Elite won a penalty kick shootout against the PDL’s Los Angeles Misioneros to advance to Round 2 for the second time in three years. It wasn’t looking good for the Irvine, Calif.-based club as they entered the second period of extra time trailing 1-0 and down a man, but they were awarded a penalty kick in the 111th minute to tie the game up. In a nailbiting shootout, the two teams would combine to miss five shots, but PSA emerged victorious 3-2.

The Elite, making their third straight Open Cup appearance, were awarded hosting rights for the first time and held the match at the StubHub Center Training Field in Carson, Calif. With the win, they head south to take on the NPSL’s San Diego Flash, who advanced to the second round after their opponent SC Corinthians USA forfeited.

After a relatively even first half, with both teams sharing periods of possession, the game changed in the 61st minute when PSA defender Noah Gaines was shown his second yellow card. PSA adjusted to being shorthanded, but the Misioneros, as expected, held the bulk of the possession for the remainder of the half. Despite the man advantage, Los Angeles was unable to break the deadlock as the referee blew for the end of regulation.

Not wanting to lose to a shorthanded team, the Misioneros came out on fire in the first period of extra time. They received a spark from their newest signing, former Chivas USA and US youth international Bryan de la Fuente. Streaking down the left wing, de la Fuente played the ball through to Javier Castro who got in behind the defense and put the ball past goalkeeper Kris Milton to make it 1-0.

After falling behind, PSA Elite president Alex Lujan described his team as ‘discombobulated’ after that opening goal, but managed to hold it together until the second overtime. It was desperation time for the home team as they pushed forward to get any break they could. They would get that break with about 10 minutes to play when Jose Ferciado dribbled through a couple of defenders and was taken down in the box to earn a penalty kick. Ferciado would take the kick himself and beat goalkeeper Jose Miranda-Boudy to the left side to tie the game up.

After the equalizer, the game turned physical and as a result, the number of players evened back up. After some rough play, Misioneros defender Angel de Alba received a pair of yellow cards, both for dissent to make it 10 players each for the final five minutes of extra time. Without a goal, the match went to penalty kicks.

PSA Elite got off to a good start as Milton saved Los Angeles’ first attempt and Mats Bjurman led off with a goal. However, PSA missed two straight attempts, one missed and one saved by Miranda-Boudy sending the shootout into the fourth round tied at 1-1.

The game would be decided in the fifth round as Milton saved Javier Castro’s attempt and PSA’s Ferciado played the role of hero again by scoring the game-winning spot kick to send his team into the second round.

2013 US Open Cup First Round: Laredo Heat shuts out PSA Elite to reach Round 2

May 15, 2013 by Jon Yardley

The Laredo Heat advanced to the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year, downing California amateur club PSA Elite 2-0 Tuesday night at Texas A&M International University. Laredo product Danny Garza and Brazilian forward Leo Madeiros, a rising senior at NAIA Texas-Brownsville, accounted for the Heat goals on either side of halftime.

The Heat, in their third Open Cup appearance, will travel to face the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Tuesday, May 21, in second-round action.

Like Laredo, PSA Elite reached the second round last year thanks to an opening-round win over the Portland Timbers U23s. A team made up mostly of former California college players, Tuesday’s squad included former U.S. U-17 international and current Akron standout Alfred Koroma at forward and American Samoa international Rawlston Masaniai alongside former Charleston Battery standout Darren Spicer in midfield.

Laredo was dangerous down the flanks in the early going, and forward Ljubomir Kocic, an indoor standout who played at Division II Incarnate Word in San Antonio, rang the crossbar with a shot in the 12th minute. The Heat came close to the opening goal again just three minutes later, but midfielder Hector Vallejo fired a shot high.

PSA’s best chances came mostly from set pieces, but Laredo goalkeeper Emmanuel Frias was rarely troubled, making just two saves for the game at the same field on which he played his college soccer. At the other end, former Cal State Fullerton goalkeeper Trevor Whiddon had his hands full, stopping a shot from Medeiros in the 30th minute.

Laredo’s breakthrough came shortly before halftime, when a corner kick fell to Garza at the top of the box, and his left-footed drive slipped through the hands of Whiddon for the opening goal, deflating PSA Elite’s halftime emotions.

The Heat put the game away early in the second half, as Cuban outside back Yosmel De Armas got forward to deliver a cross to the back post, where Medeiros fired a volley into the side netting to double Laredo’s lead. Whiddon had one more big save in him, stoning substitute Alejandro De la Garza in the 70th minute to finish with four stops, but Laredo breezed to the win.

The Heat are now 2-1 all-time against USASA teams in the Open Cup; Laredo beat ASC New Stars last year but fell in penalty kicks way back in 2006 at the beginning of Dallas Roma’s Cinderella run. Laredo will get its second crack at an NASL squad next week and will hope to improve on last year’s 2-0 loss at the hands of the San Antonio Scorpions.

PSA Elite 0:2 Laredo Heat
May 14, 2013 — Texas A&M-International University Soccer Complex, Laredo TX
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — Round 1

Scoring Summary:
LAR — Danny Garza 1 (Leo Medeiros 1) 44
LAR — Leo Medeiros 1 (Yosmel De Armas 1) 47

PSA Elite — Trevor Whiddon, Joel Bagby (Mitch Boland 65), Everett Pitts, Ryan Lee, Marco Franco, Rawlston Masaniai, Darren Spicer (Brandon Mulhall 84), Enrique Cardenas, Omar Jessey (Jesse Escalante 59), Athony Hamilton, Alfred Koroma.
Substitutes Not Used: Brent Reis, Lee Nishanran, Ray Estrada.

Laredo Heat — Emmanuel Frias, Yair Hernandez, Felipe Souza, Carmilo Botero, Yosmel De Armas, Gregory Mulamba, Juan de Dios Ibarra (Omar Lopez 84), Hector Vallejo, Daniel Garza (Daniel Navarro 89), Ljubomir Kocic (Alejandro De la Garza 57), Leonardo Medeiro
Substitutes Not Used: Jesus Cisneros, Placide Buduri, Eusebio Garcia, Eduardo Gonzalez.

Misconduct Summary:
LAR — Felipe Souza (caution) 26
PSA — Ryan Lee (caution) 51
LAR — Hector Vallejo (caution) 74

Referee: Kyle Phillips
Referee’s Assistants: Chris Gordon; Midge Van Es
4th official: Benny Del Castillo
Attendance: 734

Meet the USASA: Class of 2013

May 14, 2013 by Josh Hakala

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

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

Click on the links below to read about the clubs:

USASA Region I

Icon FC (New Jersey) – PENDING

Mass Premier Soccer (Massachusetts)

USASA Region II

Dearborn Stars SC (Michigan)

RWB Adria (Illinois)

USASA Region III

North Texas Rayados (North Texas)

Red Force (Florida)

USASA Region IV

Doxa Italia (California South)

PSA Elite (California South)

2013 Meet the USASA: More travel awaits PSA Elite in second straight US Open Cup appearance

May 12, 2013 by Jose M. Romero

TimbersU23svsPSAElite.051512.LP_001-4-LeahParr — Last year, the PSA Elite made their US Open Cup debut with a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers U-23s. Photo: Leah Parr | Portland Timbers

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

PSA Elite continues to make the city of Irvine, Calif. proud. The club is back in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row after cruising through this year’s USASA Region IV tournament.

The tournament win accomplished two things for PSA Elite, an amateur club that is one of the most successful in the nation. It ensured that PSA Elite will represent Region IV, the Western region, in the USASA’s four-team national championship tournament in San Antonio July 19-21, and it punched their ticket to the US Open Cup.

PSA Elite has been to the USASA final the past two years, only to come up short.

But first things first, a date with the Laredo Heat of the PDL awaits PSA Elite on May 14 at the Texas A&M International Soccer Complex. This marks the third Open Cup game in a row where PSA Elite will have to travel over 1,000 miles to play an opponent (2012: at Portland Timbers U23s, at Carolina RailHawks). Unfortunately for the Elite, the airline miles will continue to pile up if they are able to beat the Heat. The winner will travel to South Florida to take on the NASL’s Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Round 2 on May 21.

At the Region IV tourney, the team outscored their opponents 26-4, including a pair of wins against fellow 2013 Open Cup qualifier Doxa Italia to qualify for the Open Cup and the USASA National Finals.

PSA Elite won its first Open Cup game last year, defeating the Portland Timbers U23s of the PDL 3-1. Davis Paul scored a pair of goals and Christian Ramirez added another in the road victory. Then the club had to travel across the country to North Carolina in the next round and were soundly defeated by the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks, 6-0.

Owner/general manager Alex Lujan said the club wasn’t at full strength, with a number of key players unable to make the trip east last year.

“We’re not sneaking up on anybody,” Lujan said.

PSA Elite is led by captain and center midfielder Darren Spicer, a 29-year-old veteran who has played with the Minnesota Thunder (Division II) as well as the Charleston Battery and Rochester Rhinos of USL Pro. Spicer brings a lot of Open Cup experience to the table with six career goals in the competition, including finishing tied for second in goals (4) during the Battery’s run to the championship game in 2008.

Goalkeeper Trevor Widdon had five saves against the Timbers U-23s last year and is back in the net this year.

Jon Spencer is PSA Elite’s technical director and the head coach is Gary Berry.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Doxa Italia eliminates Cal FC, joins PSA Elite as USASA Region IV entries

April 24, 2013 by Michael Berton

PSA Elite and Doxa Italia booked their spots in the US Open Cup this past weekend, qualifying out of a historically strong USASA Region IV. PSA Elite won the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0 record while Doxa Italia qualified for its second Open Cup with a second-place finish.

After qualifying for the Open Cup in its first attempt last year, PSA Elite made it two-for-two this year with four comfortable wins. They started with a 3-0 victory in a cross-group game against Doxa Italia. Then, eight different players scored in a 10-0 win over The Internationalists. With qualification all but secured, PSA used five goals in 25 minutes to take out DV8 Defenders 9-2.

Already qualified for the Open Cup, PSA Elite took the Region IV title with a 4-1 win over Doxa. The teams had to overcome extreme heat that even resulted in one of the linesmen suffering a heat stroke.

Doxa Italia’s road to its second US Open Cup appearance was much tougher. The format for this year’s tournament involved a cross-group game, with those match-ups being determined by random draw. As luck would have it, Italia drew the strongest team from Group B and fell in that 3-0 loss to PSA Elite.

“The format certainly impacted how we approached the tournament. Because of the tiebreak rules it took a little pressure off the cross-group results and stressed the two pool games we had on Saturday. We have been in tournaments formatted like this in the past and it took a significant amount of time planning the rosters for each match,” said Alex Lujan, PSA Elite owner.

After losing its initial match, Doxa trounced San Francisco City FC 7-0, setting up a “Win & You’re In” game against Cal FC. After a magical Open Cup run last year that involved a victory over MLS side Portland Timbers, Cal FC came into this tournament as favorites. However, Doxa Italia pulled off the 2-1 upset victory, ensuring an Open Cup berth for the club for the first time since 2011.

Bryan Byrne, Doxa Italia player/coach and scorer of both goals against Cal FC, said, “It is a proud feeling to be able to say you are part of such a storied competition. For us, it is what we have been building up to all year and having the opportunity to see Doxa’s name on the list of first round teams is a real honor. But we won’t be happy this year unless we see our name in Round Two also.”

Doxa lost to the Ventura County Fusion in 2011 by a 3-1 scoreline in its only US Open Cup appearance. PSA Elite was more successful in its lone attempt, beating the PDL’s Portland Timbers U23s 3-1 in Round One, then bowing out to the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks 7-0 in Round Two.

“The US Open Cup represents an opportunity to compete against professional and top US amateur teams. We are honored to have another chance to play in this prestigious event,” Lujan said. “This also provides another platform for our players to showcase their talent. Seven players from our 2012 Open Cup roster are now living that dream in the MLS, NASL and USL Pro leagues. We feel confident that we will be able to build on last year’s experiences, make a run and represent USASA Region IV, Cal South & the Coast Soccer League well.”

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

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Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

April 19
Doxa Italia 0:3 PSA Elite
The Internationalists 2:8 DV8 Defenders
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

April 20
Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

April 21 (Championship)
PSA Elite (Group B winner) 4:1 Doxa Italia (Group A winner)
Both group winners qualify for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup
Region IV champion advances to USASA National Cup Finals

PAST US OPEN CUP ENTRIES FROM REGION IV

2013: Doxa Italia (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2012: Cal FC (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2011: Doxa Italia (SCA), DV8 Defenders (NCA)
2010: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)
2009: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA)
2008: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ – NPSL), Hollywood United (SCA)
2007: Banat Arsenal (AZ), El Paso Indios (NPSL)
2006: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2005: Salinas Valley Samba (NPSL), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2004: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL), Sacramento Knights (NCA – NPSL)
2003: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL)
2002: Mexico SC (NCA)
2001: Mexico SC (NCA)
2000: Mexico SC (NCA)
1999: Mexico SC (NCA)
1998: San Nicolas (CSA)
1997: Inter SC (NCA)
1996: San Jose Oaks (NCA)
1995: Flamengo SC (UT)

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region I, II, IV and US Club Soccer in action this weekend (with updates)

April 20, 2013 by Josh Hakala

It’s a busy weekend of qualifying for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, as we head down the home stretch. By Monday morning, the USASA will know five of the six teams that will join Red Force (Florida) and North Texas Rayados in the 2013 US Open Cup. Also, US Club Soccer’s “lights out” semifinal match will be replayed on Sunday to determine who will play the Fresno Fuego Future in a “Win & You’re In” match the following weekend.

Here is a breakdown of this weekend’s games, and as always you can check Twitter (@USOpenCup) for updates, and remember if you’re at any of these games or have any Open Cup-related news/info/comments to make, be sure to use this year’s hashtag #USOC100.

(All Times Eastern)

FRIDAY

USASA Region IV Tournament
DAY 1: Friday, April 19
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

PSA Elite 3:0 Doxa Italia
DV8 Defenders 8:2 The Internationalists
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

It was a high-scoring opening day of the USASA Region IV tournament, as the trend of barn-burners and blowouts continue. With many teams having been burned by goal difference tiebreakers in the past, a recent tradition of running up the score has been established and ehas continued into 2013. Cal FC dropped a dozen goals on newcomers San Francisco City in their quest to qualify for the second straight year, and attempt to provide an encore to one of last year’s biggest Cinderella stories. 2011 qualifiers DV8 Defenders missed the cut last year and started their campaign to represent the Bay Area once again with a convincing 8-2 win over The Internationalists. While the most competitive match of the day was still a 3-0 shutout with PSA Elite taking out Doxa Italia. Although, with head-to-head likely the first tiebreaker in the group, and PSA Elite competing in the other group, Doxa Italia still has hope of qualifying just like they did in 2011 as long as they win both of their games on Saturday. Clearly, that will be no easy task as they must play Cal FC and DV8 Defenders.

SATURDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Saturday, April 20 – 3 p.m.
Kroc Center – Chicago, IL

FC Indiana 1:2 (AET) RWB Adria

RWB Adria, a semifinalist in 1978 and 1991, qualifies for the US Open Cup for the first time since 2008.

———————————————-

USASA Region IV Tournament
DAY 2: Saturday, April 20
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

When the dust settled out west on Saturday evening, two teams punched their ticket to the 2013 US Open Cup. PSA Elite cruised to three straight wins, outscoring its opponents 22-3, en route to a Group B win and their second straight trip to the Open Cup. Fellow Southern California club, Doxa Italia, overcame a 3-0 loss to PSA Elite in the opening game and clinched their second Open Cup berth in three years. Doxa emerged from Group A despite their loss to Group B champion PSA by defeating the two clubs in their group, newcomers San Francisco City (7-0), followed by a winner-take-all game against last year’s Cinderella story Cal FC. Doxa defeated Cal FC 2-1 in the final game as the two clubs finished tied atop the group standings, with Doxa Italia moving on to the championship game by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker. PSA Elite and Doxa Italia have both clinched their spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, they will meet again in the Region IV title game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local time) to determine who will represent the region at the USASA National Finals.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA –
All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

SUNDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 1 p.m.
Olathe North – Olathe, KS

Dearborn Stars SC (MI) 0:1 KC Athletics (KS)

KC Athletics player/manager Kyle Perkins scored the lone goal in the 90th minute to send the Kansas-based club to their second straight Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This will be their third Open Cup berth in the last four years.

USASA Region I Quarterfinals
Sunday, April 21 – 3 p.m.
Newtown High School – Newtown, CT

NY Pancyprian Freedoms (ENY) 0:0 Newtown Pride SC (CT)
Newtown Pride advance 7-6 in PK shootout – will play at Mass Premier Soccer on April 28 (Win & You’re In)

The two teams battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes, but it was Newtown Pride SC who advanced after winning the penalty kick shootout 7-6. The Connecticut representative are now one win away from a US Open Cup berth and they will travel to the Boston area to play Mass Premier Soccer (MA) on April 28. More details to come.

USASA Region I Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 6 p.m.
Montville Community Park (130 Changebridge Rd.) – Montville, NJ

Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (MDCVA) 1:1 Icon FC (NJ)
Icon FC wins PK shootout, 7-6, to qualify for the 2013 US Open Cup

Icon FC became just the second New Jersey-based USASA team to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present) when they won a penalty kick shootout with the Aegean Hawks. 7-6. The match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes and for the second time that Sunday afternoon, a Region I match had to be decided at the penalty kick spot. More details to come.

US Club Soccer Semifinals
Sunday, April 21 – 8 p.m.
Valley Christian High School – San Jose, CA

San Ramon FC 0:2 (AET) Los Gatos Storm
Los Gatos Storm will play Fresno Fuego Future in the USCS Final

There are now two teams remaining in the US Club Soccer qualifying tournament after Los Gatos Storm needed extra time to defeat San Ramon FC 2-0 on Sunday night. The original game was cut short in the middle of the second overtime period due to a power outage, but the replay lasted the full 120 minutes as the Storm put themselves one win away from a berth in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. They will play the Fresno Fuego Future, a club that features the PDL franchise of the same name, at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA to decide US Club Soccer’s representative in the 2013 US Open Cup. The winner of that game will begin play in the Play-In Round on May 7 against an NPSL opponent still to be determined. More details to come.

#USOC100

Cal FC returns as USASA Region IV tourney features six California teams (Updates)

April 19, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Results/Updated Standings below (4/21/13 – 11:45 p.m. ET)

Check for updates on Twitter @USOpenCup and the hashtag #USOC100

For the second year in a row, the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region IV Open Cup qualifying tournament will be an all-California affair. Six teams — four from California South, two from California North — will battle for two spots in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in Ontario, Calif. the weekend of April 19-21.

The headliners of this year’s competition are the two teams that qualified for the Open Cup last year, PSA Elite and one of 2012’s biggest Cinderella stories, Cal FC. Both teams will attempt to become the first California team to qualify in back-to-back seasons since the Fresno-based Mexico SC made the tournament in 2001 and 2002. Also returning are The Internationalists, and 2011 qualifiers Doxa Italia and DV8 Defenders. The lone newcomer in the competition is San Francisco City FC.

The question entering this year’s qualifying tournament is what can Cal FC do for an encore? Last year, the Southern California-based club swept through Region IV qualifying and qualified for the US Open Cup in their first-ever attempt. They began their inaugural cup run with a 3-1 win over the Kitsap Pumas (PDL), but got the nation’s attention when they traveled across the country to thrash the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 5-0. The following round, they shocked the world by not only becoming the first USASA team to score a goal against a Major League Soccer team, but they became the first to defeat one, eliminating the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time in front of a stunned crowd at Jeld-Wen Field. The little-known club, led by their manager, former US international Eric Wynalda, found themselves trending worldwide on Twitter that night and on to the Fourth Round. Their run would end there with a 5-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders.

The PSA Elite qualified last year in their first attempt, and this year they will try to go two-for-two. Just like Cal FC, they also won their first Open Cup game against a strong PDL team by the score of 3-1. PSA eliminated the Portland Timbers U23s and just like Cal FC, they had to travel across the country to play a team from North Carolina in Round 2. The NASL’s Carolina RailHawks ended their run, however, by the score of 7-0.

Doxa Italia will make their fourth straight appearance in the Region IV tournament and will attempt to qualify again as they did in 2011. That same year, DV8 Defenders from Redwood City in the Bay Area qualified for the Open Cup in their first attempt. Both teams were one-and-done against PDL teams on the road with the Defenders falling 5-0 at Colorado Foxes and Doxa losing to the Ventura County Fusion 3-1.

The Internationalists failed to qualify in their first attempt last year, losing both of their games by a combined score of 15-0. They lost 8-0 to Doxa Italia and 7-0 to Cal FC. The Region IV tournament, because it uses goal difference and goals scored as tiebreakers, often sees high-scoring matches. Many Open Cup berths in recent years have come down to tiebreakers so teams rarely take any chances. The Internationalists will hope to be more competitive in the second year in the competition.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

USASA clubs meet in Chicago for National Championships

July 19, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

Can’t wait for the US Open Cup Final and want some more related tournament action? Well, if you are a fan of the US Open Cup and live in the greater Chicago area, be sure to check out the conclusion of the USASA’s Open Cup National Championship featuring the four regional champions that were among the USASA entries into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Semifinals are Friday, July 20 at 1:00 pm Central. One semifinal features PSA Elite of Region IV’s California South facing off against New York Greek American Atlas of Region I’s Eastern New York. The other semifinal pits the Croatian Eagles of Region II’s Wisconsin against the ASC New Stars of Region III’s Texas South.

The six-championship event, which has an off day Saturday and Finals Sunday, also features the Final Four for the Men’s Over-30, Women’s Open, Men’s U-23, Women’s U-23 and Men’s Amateur brackets. During the off day, participants and fans will have an opportunity to watch the Chicago Fire of MLS take on Aston Villa in a friendly.

PSA Elite were the only team of the Final Four that also registered a victory in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, topping the PDL’s Portland Timbers U23s, 3-1, on the road in the First Round before being knocked out by the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks, 6-0. Davis Paul scored twice with Christian Ramirez netted the other along with tallying an assist in the upset victory, but two goals surrendered in the first nine minutes of play in North Carolina doomed them versus the second division pro club.

The Orange County club got a first taste of national competition last year at the 2011 USASA National Championships in Bowling Green, Kentucky, participating in the Men’s Amateur bracket. There, after defeating the Region III champion Legends FC from Texas, they lost to Chicago side RWB Adria from Region II by a score of 3-2 in the final.

Though PSA Elite won the regional title and right to represent Region IV in Chicago and then went on to win in the US Open Cup, the team was overshadowed along the way by the club they defeated in the final. Cal FC, a small squad depleted by injury during the Region IV tournament, lost 2-0 to PSA Elite in the final, but went on to steal the headlines in the US Open Cup by upsetting professional clubs under the management of Eric Wynalda.

While the name Greek American Atlas had not been in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in seven years, the club is very intertwined with the competition’s history. Founded in 1941, the club from New York City has won the Cup four times, including a three-peat from 1967 to 1969, making them one of four clubs to do so (Fall River/New Bedford 1930-32, Stix, Baer, and Fuller 1933-35, Seattle Sounders FC 2009-11). The club is also successful on the homefront, winning their division of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League 10 times since joining in 1994, including this season. The team also captured the Dr. Manning Cup in 2009, the main cup tournament for the Eastern New York Federation.

The NY Greek American Atlas path to the Chicago began with a satisfying 4-0 win over archrival New York Pancyprian-Freedoms in the Eastern New York Federation’s Open Cup, ending Pancyprian’s two-year run of USOC qualification. They were also authoritative in the USASA’s Region I qualifying tournament, notching 2-0 wins against Massachusetts’ Battery Park Gunners and eventual qualifier Jersey Shore Boca. The Greek Americans fell in the opening round of the US Open Cup, 2-1, to the PDL’s Reading United AC, an affiliate of the MLS Philadelphia Union. Trailing 2-0, Paul Shaw connected with Stephen Roche, but it was not enough.

The Croatian Eagles of Milwaukee earned the right to make the short trip to Chicago for the Final Four by blanking two of Illinois’ top amateur teams, fellow Croatian club RWB Adria and Polish side AAC Eagles, by identical 2-0 scores in the U.S. Adult Soccer Association Region II tournament April 14 and 15 in Bensenville, Ill., to earn their first Open Cup berth since 2006. Getting to know the Windy City well, the Eagles were narrow US Open Cup First Round losers to the PDL affiliate version of the Chicago Fire, falling 1-0, on the very in which they will play their USASA Semifinal on.

Houston’s ASC News Stars, with a new crop of players, have risen to the top of Region III over the past few years, finishing as runners-up last year and 2008 before finally earning a spot in the Final Four this year. The club finished its group 2-0-1 at the Region III tournament, defeating the NTX Rayados of North Texas in the tournament final, 2-0. The First Round of the US Open Cup was a thriller with ASC equalizing once in each half to force overtime against the PDL powerhouse Laredo Heat. Lukas Simon provided the first and, playing a man down already for a half-hour, got the second late in stoppage time through Peter Kozlowski. From there, the Heat went on to score twice for a 4-2 victory.

The New Stars are making a return trip to the Final four after falling in the Semifinal a year ago in Bowling Green, 3-2 in overtime, to Doxa Italia of California South (Region IV). Doxa Italia went on to tie NY Pancyprian Freedom (Region I, Eastern NY), 2-2, before falling in penalties, 5-4.

Match Schedule for National Cups
Team (Region, State Association) – Time Location*

Men’s Open
ASC New Stars vs Croatian Eagles – 1 pm TP-PT
NY Greek American Atlas vs PSA Elite – 1 pm AHS
Championship – 10 am TP-S

Women’s Open
Turbo D’Feeters vs Chicago Red Stars – 10:30 am TP-PT
New York Athletic Club vs Salt Lake United – 10:30 am AHS
Championship – Noon TP-S

Women’s U-23
Louisiana United vs KC Dynamos – 3:30 pm TP-PT
Annandale Conquistadors vs FC Milwaukee – 6 pm AHS
Championship – 2 pm TP-PT

Men’s Amateur
Legends FC vs RWB Adria – 5:30 pm TP-PG
Battery Park Gunners vs Olympic Club – 6 pm TP-PT
Championship – 2 pm TP-S

Men’s Over-30
Kickers FC vs Belmont United – 8 am TP-PT
Christos vs San Diego Surf – 8 am AHS
Championship – 10 am TP-PT

Men’s U-23
Carolina RailHawks vs Croatian Eagles – 3 pm TP-PG
Real Caribe vs South Sound FC – 3:30 pm AHS
Championship – Noon TP-PT

*Fields
TP-PT: Toyota Park practice field (turf)
TP-PG: Toyota Park practice field (grass)
AHS: Argo High School (turf)
TP-S: Toyota Park Stadium field (grass)

Club Representation

Region I
Men’s Open Cup: NY Greek American Atlas (Eastern NY)
Men’s Amateur Cup: Battery Park Gunners (Massachusetts)
Men’s Over-30 Cup: Christos (Maryland)
Men’s Under-23 Cup: Real Caribe (Eastern NY)
Women’s Open Cup: New York Athletic Club (Eastern NY)
Women’s Under-23 Cup: Annandale Conquistadors (Metro DC/VA)

Region II
Men’s Open Cup: Croatian Eagles (Wisconsin)
Men’s Amateur Cup: RWB Adria (Illinois)
Men’s Over-30 Cup: Belmont United (Illinois)
Men’s Under-23 Cup: Croatian Eagles (Wisconsin)
Women’s Open Cup: Chicago Red Stars (Illinois)
Women’s Under-23 Cup: KC Dynamos (Kansas)
Women’s Under-23 Cup*: FC Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
*Second entry in place of Region IV

Region III
Men’s Open Cup: ASC New Stars (Texas South)
Men’s Amateur Cup: Legends FC (North Texas)
Men’s Over-30 Cup: Kickers FC (Florida)
Men’s Under-23 Cup: Carolina RailHawks (North Carolina)
Women’s Open Cup: Turbo D’Feeters (North Texas)
Women’s Under-23 Cup: Louisiana United (Louisiana)

Region IV
Men’s Open Cup: PSA Elite (Cal-South)
Men’s Amateur Cup: Olympic Club (Cal-North)
Men’s Over-30 Cup: San Diego Surf (Cal-South)
Men’s Under-23 Cup: South Sound FC (Washington)
Women’s Open Cup: Salt Lake United (Utah)
Women’s Under-23 Cup: No entry – replaced by RII

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Carolina RailHawks make quick work of PSA Elite, 6-0

May 23, 2012 by Landon Walters

CARY, NC – The Carolina RailHawks took control of the match early against visiting side PSA Elite, and never looked back. Even though the RailHawks have yet to win a match so far in the NASL season, they came out on fire in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, beating Elite 6-0 and booking a home date against defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy in the process.

web-Carolina-6 — Photo: Carolina RailHawks

The early pressure by the Carolina squad yielded a goal in only the seventh minute of the match, as Austin Da Luz sprung Zach Schilawski into the PSA Elite box. A simple centering pass to Brian Shriver for a tap in gave the RailHawks the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Before Elite could even get back in the match, a RailHawks corner kick fell at the feet of midfielder Amir Lowery near the six-yard box, and he calmly buried the shot to take a 2-0 lead in the ninth minute. Only down 2-nil, PSA Elite weathered the early assault and actually put Carolina on their heels with a bit of possession and drew some fouls against Carolina to help in the comeback bid.

Three shots by Elite players were saved or blocked over the next ten minutes of the match, but another beautiful pass by Da Luz sent Shriver in on the PSA Elite goal all alone, and he slotted his second of the match past the goalkeeper without any problems to give Carolina a 3-0 led in only the 25^th minute of the match.

The RailHawks continued to dominate possession and not give PSA Elite any chances to claw their way back into the game, spraying shots all over the Elite goal in a continuous attack. It was only a matter of time before one of the many shots found its way to the back of the net. Schilawski notched his second assist of the match, again finding Shriver for his third goal in the 40^th minute. In doing so, Shriver became only the 25^th player to score a hat trick in the U.S. Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era.

The RailHawks smelt the blood in the water and looked to finish off the PSA Elite squad before halftime. Schilawski got in on the act with Carolina’s fifth goal in the first half in the 41^st minute, and the RailHawks went into the halftime break with an extremely comfortable lead.

web-Carolina-4 — Photo: Carolina RailHawks

With the large lead, RailHawks made the first substitution of the night at halftime, in what was clearly a tactical move to make sure the lead was secure. Exiting the match was midfielder Da Luz; he was replaced by former Glasgow Rangers man Greg Shields, a defender. The accompanying formation change helped to keep PSA Elite from many chances in the opening minutes of the second half.

Credit to PSA Elite, they didn’t give up on the match even though down so many goals. The Elite coaching staff made two changes over a five minute span in an effort to try to figure out the RailHawks defense. But, the RailHawks still had command of the game.

Schilawski was replaced for fresh legs in a straight swap at forward as former MLS player Jason Garey entered the match for Carolina in the 65^th minute. Only a valiant effort – including numerous saves – by Elite goalkeeper Trevor Whiddon kept the RailHawks off the board for the majority of the second half.

But unfortunately, the RailHawks had one more goal in them before time expired. Late sub Garey put a shot on frame in the 90^th minute, which was saved by Whiddon. However, Shriver was right there to clean up the rebound and tucked his fourth goal of the match into the open net just before time expired.

The result will undoubtedly give the RailHawks a lot of confidence as they await their third round match against the struggling Galaxy next Tuesday night.

PSA Elite 0:6 Carolina RailHawks
WakeMed Park – Cary, NC

Scoring Summary

CAR: Shriver (Schilawski) 7
CAR: Lowery 9
CAR: Shriver (Da Luz) 23
CAR: Shriver (Schilawski) 40
CAR: Schilawski (Ortiz) 41
CAR: Shriver 90

LINEUPS

CAR: GK Fitzgerald, D Elenio, D Agbossoumonde, D King, D Low (c), M Zimmerman, M Lowery, M Ortiz (Palacio, 82), M Da Luz (Shields, 46), F Schilawski (Garey, 65), F Shriver
PSA: GK Whiddon, D Dunn, D Miranda, D Smith (Turner, 53), D Gafa, M Lopez, M Spicer, M Paul, M Whitfield (Ontiveros, 61), F Riemer, F Ramirez (Lopez, 69)

CAUTIONS
PSA: Miranda, 73;

SHOTS
CAR: 23
PSA: 11

SAVES
CAR: 3
PSA: 7

Meet the USASA: Class of 2012

May 20, 2012 by J.T. Alwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BONUS: US Club Soccer

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