Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Real Salt Lake

CONCACAF Champions League makes changes; All 24 clubs enter altered group format

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A day after the United States Soccer Federation announced significant changes to its annual championship tournament, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the governing confederation CONCACAF announced its own major alterations to its Champions League competition. The new format for the 2012-2013 edition of the event will see the elimination of the 16-team Preliminary Round in favor of advancing all 24 qualified teams into an opening group stage of eight, three-team groups.

The new CONCACAF Champions League format will largely utilize the same date windows as was done previously with group matches running from late July to mid October. The changes appear to incorporate a flexible schedule format for the main stage with six dates available for four group contests, allowing the clubs to balance their play in multiple competitions. It will also, undoubtedly assist CONCACAF with severe weather situations which have arisen in the Caribbean and Central America in previous years.

The Championship stage – Quarterfinals to Final – remains unaltered with the eight group winners advancing from the opening stage. The three rounds of two-leg series will continue to run from early March to the first of May.

Previously, US Open Cup champions were unseeded clubs that were required to play in the Preliminary Round, though the 2011 champion Sounders were slated for a direct entry into the Group Phase due to the LA Galaxy winning both the MLS Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. Under the new format, the clubs that were previously seeded will now be placed in a pot together for the draw that will determine the composition of the groups, ensuring the seeded teams will be distributed equally and avoid one another.

Clubs will also continue to be placed in groups without members from their own nation, though the Can-Am nature of Major League Soccer could still see a Canadian MLS club in the same group as a US MLS side.

The 2012-13 tournament will mark the fifth edition of the event. The Seattle Sounders will represent the US Open Cup for a third consecutive year while league foes Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo also participate. A fifth MLS club is likely again via the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The Sounders struggled in their first campaign, winning just once in the 2010-11 group phase after winning the Preliminary Round series against El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan. The lone win came against Marathon (Honduras).

Seattle has advanced the success of Open Cup champions under the current CONCACAF format, becoming the first to reach the Quarterfinals. The 2007 champion New England Revolution were stunned in the Preliminary Round in 2008, falling 6-1 on aggregate to Joe Public (T&T). DC United, champions in 2008, also advanced versus an El Salvadoran club, Luis Angel Firpo, in 2009 to reach the group phase, winning a penalty kick tiebreaker after a pair of 1-1 draws. In the group phase DC was 3-2-1, missing the cut by two points despite having higher point totals than the second-place clubs in two of the other groups.

The Sounders continue their second CCL campaign with the Quarterfinals in March. They will face Mexico’s Santos Laguna, a regular contender in the CCL, March 7 and 14 while their league rivals Toronto FC and LA Galaxy square off those same nights in the series that would determine their Semifinal opponent should they advance. Seattle rallied from a 1-0 Preliminary Round deficit against Panama’s San Francisco to win 2-1 in overtime. Seattle finished second in the group at 3-2-1 behind Monterrey, whom they defeated 1-0 in Mexico.

Prior to the Champions League format the Columbus Crew were the last club to represent the US Open Cup in the confederation’s club championship event. The 2002 champion Crew won the 2003 First Round series, 4-2 on aggregate (1-2, 3-0) versus Panama’s Arabe Unido before exiting in the Quarterfinals against Monarcas Morelia, who cruised to the aggregate win with a 6-0 opening win, allowing Columbus to take the second meeting, 2-0.

The Other US Opens and marketing the ‘US Soccer Majors’

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Every year when the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament rolls into the lights shining down onto the stadium pitch, the inevitable comparisons to the FA Cup in England come into play as part of the explanation to what the tournament is for journalists. And often times it’s followed by the unfortunate analogizing of the event to minor and major league baseball teams playing one another in a single-elimination tournament.

But perhaps the better comparisons we should all be making is to the other Opens in which the American media already treat as serious events. These events also pit amateurs versus professionals on an open entry basis, and are also among numerous events within the specific sport. These events, of course, are the US Open tennis tournaments held annually in New York and the US Open golf championship held in a different location each year around the United States.

Each fall, the world’s best tennis players convene on the hard courts of the USTA’s Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY for the tour’s fourth and final major of what the sport considers the Grand Slam. Those top-flight professionals are joined by winners of an open playoff system that is comprised 16 sectionals and a national playoff event in which only USTA members may participate. In the end, 128 participants each take part in the men’s and women’s brackets (64 for doubles).

Last year, over 1,200 players took part in the USTA’s National Playoffs for a chance to compete in the singles events at the US Open. Unlike US Soccer’s Open Cup, only one male and one female earned qualification spots to compete against the world’s best in the tournament.

The Chicago Fire have won six majors, including four US Open Cup championships | Photo by Brian Kersey/Wireimage.com

The US Open golf tournament, held in June, is comparatively more open with approximately half the participants advancing from qualification play to join the world’s top players who are automatically in the field through 17 exemptions categories via such things as being tournament winners or holding a certain world ranking.

At the 2010 tournament, 75 of the 156 participants were non-exempted players who qualified through the two-stage process to reach the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links for the championship. The process begins with Local Qualifying, a series of over 100 18-hole tournaments held around the country. Many top players not already qualified through full exemption are, however, exempt from local qualifying and join the process at the Sectional Qualifying stage where they participate in one of several one-day, 36-hole tournaments in the United States. There is also a Sectional tournament in both Europe and Japan where 11 and 4 individuals qualified, respectively, in 2010.

The major difference between the US Open Cup and the US Open tennis and golf duo is that the US Soccer Federation event is the only one that is a championship tournament for Americans while the other two are open to foreign participants. The only clubs eligible for the US Open Cup are American-based teams that are affiliated through the USSF; however, for argument’s sake it does still feature a foreign component as teams are comprised, in part, of players that are not American.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have won eight majors, and are one of only two MLS clubs to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup (DC United). They won the Champions Cup in 2000 | Photo: Los Angeles Galaxy

Continuing on the golf tangent, another significant open tournament American media and sports fans are very familiar with and follow every July is the British Open (officially known as The Open Championship), which is the oldest of the four golf majors and is the only one held outside of the United States. Similar to the US Open, the majority of the 156 participants are automatic entrants through exemption with the remaining players advancing from a two-stage qualification process.

Through 2004, players from around the world were only able to qualify through 18-hole Local Qualifying events held around Britain and Ireland within two weeks of The British Open followed by 36-hole Local Final Qualifying tournaments a few days later. International Qualifying events, 36-hole tournaments, were added in 2004 to assist foreign professionals wishing to participate, holding qualifiers in Africa, Australia, Asia, America and Europe with more stringent entrance standards than Local Qualifying.

Packaging & Marketing US Soccer Majors

The golf and tennis tours are lengthy seasons that run from January to the fall with tournament events nearly every week, but it is the majors where media coverage amps up and fan viewership heightens. With the similarities of the American Open majors to the US Open Cup, perhaps there are other lessons to be learned from the golf and tennis tours, such as the incorporation US Soccer Majors as a marketing tool for the sports’ leading championship events for American clubs.

A matching structure of four championships already exists with the US Open Cup joined by the MLS Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield (regular season championship) and the CONCACAF Champions League.  Currently, the MLS Cup is the leading championship, but by creating a platform that raises the perception of the other three events to a comparable level to the league’s championship playoff, it will increase awareness among the media and fans while also, hopefully, creating a greater sense of seriousness and urgency to win the other events among the clubs and coaches.

Bringing these four championships together into one packaged series allows for a greater ability to compare the success of clubs beyond just winning MLS Cup as though this was the NFL and the Super Bowl while clubs around the rest of the world are evaluated on all the various events in which they participate. It would be similar to how tennis players and golfers are measured by majors won.

DC United lead all MLS clubs with 11 majors, including the 1996 US Open Cup championship | Photo: DC United

For instance, the Los Angeles Galaxy and DC United are the only two clubs that have won all four majors (dating back to the CCL precursor CONCACAF Champions Cup). In fact, the two also hold the most total majors with DC boasting 11 (4 MLS Cups, 4 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and a CCC) and the Galaxy having eight (2 MLS Cups, 3 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and the CCC).

Only five clubs have won all three of the domestic majors with the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City having won everything but a CONCACAF championship at least once. The Fire are third in total majors (6) and the Crew are fourth (5).

Only three American MLS clubs are without a major championship, excluding expansion Portland. The New York Red Bulls, Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union have yet to claim one of the big prizes.

In the last five years, the most successful clubs in the United States have been Columbus and DC, each having won three majors. The Crew have won the Supporters’ Shield twice and the MLS Cup once. DC also has two Supporters’ Shields, but has a US Open Cup championship to round things out. Houston and Seattle each have two titles with the Dynamo winning MLS Cup twice in a row and the Sounders taking the Open Cup title back-to-back. Five other teams each have one major as nine clubs have won the 15 possible domestic majors while coming up empty in the Champions League, which is completing its third run with Real Salt Lake still in the hunt for a second major in the same cycle in which it won the MLS Cup title and qualified for the event.

All-Time ‘US Soccer Majors’ Winners List

11 – DC United (4 MC, 4 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
8 – Los Angeles Galaxy (2 MC, 3 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
6 – Chicago Fire (1 MC, 1 SS, 4 OC)
5 – Columbus Crew (1 MC, 3 SS, 1 OC)
3 – San Jose Earthquakes (2 MC, 1 SS)
3 – Sporting Kansas City (1 MC, 1 SS, 1 OC)
2 – Houston Dynamo (2 MC)
2 – Seattle Sounders (2 OC)
1 – Colorado Rapids (MC), FC Dallas (OC), Real Salt Lake (MC), New England Revolution (OC), Rochester Rhinos (OC), Tampa Bay Mutiny (SS), Miami Fusion (SS)

(MC – MLS Cup, SS – Supporters’ Shield, OC – US Open Cup, CCC/CCL – CONCACAF Champions Cup/League)

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Recap: Historic pair of nights as Richmond, Seattle post wins

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The first of two nights in the 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals was a night in which we saw three different kinds of coach reactions of note. The final match Wednesday evening was yet another Sounders-fest as the two-time defending champions cruised to another win.

Photo: FC Dallas

First there was the complete disregard for the event with the Red Bulls sending one first team player, 13 reserves and second-level assistant coach to Chicago. Not surprisingly, it was an easy victory for the Fire, who took the match seriously.

Then there were a pair of coaches who were vocal in the lead up that they wanted to win and perhaps even more vocal in defeat. Reports indicate both Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City coaches reprimanded their star-laden squads after lackluster performances in losses. RSL fell yet again in Dallas after winning at home against the same team over the weekend. Kansas City suffered its first-ever loss in the new stadium, which ended a 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.

And finally, there was the genius of Richmond Kickers manager Leigh Cowlishaw. A stunning starting lineup for the last remaining lower division side saw the two stars David Bulow and Matthew Delicate start on the bench. The surprising tactic, though mostly out of need to rest the pair, proved brilliant for a club that saw a stormy night of action for the second time in five nights.

Perhaps prepared by the lengthy two-hour lightning delay the Kickers waited out Friday evening in league play, the side made a couple switches when play resumed after a similar break of approximately 80 minutes Tuesday at the 65th minute mark and caught the hosts asleep. Two second half goals led to a historic result that included a laundry list of achievements at the team and individual player levels.

In the Semifinals, set for August 30, the Richmond Kickers will be traveling to face the Chicago Fire while the Seattle Sounders play host to FC Dallas.

Richmond Kickers 2:0 Sporting Kansas City

The Kickers became the first lower division club to record back-to-back road wins against MLS clubs in the tournament and David Bulow’s penalty made him the all-time leading scorer in the Professional Era, passing Jaime Moreno and Johnny Menyongar. TheCup.us Match MVP: Ronnie Pascale

New York Red Bulls 0:4 Chicago Fire 

Dominic Oduro wasted no time with the opening goal after seven minutes. The Fire ran away with it early in the second half as well with Orr Barouch scoring twice. TheCup.us Match MVP: Orr Barouch

Real Salt Lake 0:2 FC Dallas 

Trends won out as first-time Quarterfinalists RSL remained winless at Pizza Hut Park, falling to all-time leading Quarterfinalist (12 appearances) FC Dallas. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

Los Angeles Galaxy 1:3 Seattle Sounders

A year later it was Nate Jaqua again in the spotlight as Seattle downed the visiting Galaxy in the Quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Jaqua notched a goal and an assist in the first 25 minutes as Seattle advanced to a Professional Era record fifth consecutive Semifinal appearance via the USL and MLS clubs.  TheCup.us Match MVP: Nate Jaqua

2011 Quarterfinal Scoreboard [+]
2011 Quarterfinal Lineups [+]
2011 US Open Cup Bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup Participant Map [+]
2011 US Open Cup Goalscoring Leaders [+]

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: FC Dallas burns visiting Real Salt Lake again

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Although the match was a reversal of the league result on the weekend in Utah, it was a night in which trends won out as FC Dallas blanked the visiting Real Salt Lake side 2-0 in the Quarterfinals, booking their seventh trip to the US Open Cup Semifinals. Jair Benitez and Jackson scored in the win as they advance to play the winner of the remaining Quarterfinal between Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders.

Photo: FCDallas.com

The leaders in Quarterfinal appearances in the Professional Era with 12, and an unbeaten record at home (9-0-1) all-time versus Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas looked the more comfortable side in the match from the beginning. The first-time Quarterfinalists found themselves trailing after just 18 minutes, when Benitez curled a perfectly-placed free kick into the upper corner from 25 yards out. It was his first goal of the season in all competitions.

Just before the break, an FC Dallas corner resulted in a play that could have created plenty of post-game controversy had the visitors rallied for a different result. George John headed down to the near post from just outside the six, and the ball bounced up into what appeared to be, on replays, the arm of Ned Grabavoy, who was defending the goalline. The ball dropped down in front of the line where backup goalkeeper Kyle Reynish gathered it.

RSL had a quality chance to equalize in the first minute of the second half, when Tony Beltran went to fire from eight yards only to see Zach Lloyd appear at the last second to block the shot.

In the 53rd minute it was Fabian Espindola looking to level when he curled a shot from the right corner of the penalty area that went inches wide of the far post.

The miss proved critical, as less than a minute later Dallas doubled the advantage on the counter. Midfielder Eric Alexender found Jackson behind the defense, sending him in on goal. Facing goal, Jackson lifted the bouncing ball from 19 yards up over Reynish to match Saturday’s 2-0 scoreline.

Jackson, who had a goal and an assist in the club’s thrilling 3-2 Third Round win against USL’s Orlando City, nearly added a third tally to his career Open Cup account in the 61st minute, when an acute angle five yard shot that was two yards from the end line skimmed across the mouth of the goal.

Collen Warner nearly brought the visitors new life in the 73rd minute, with a shot from distance that smashed off the crossbar and bounced right in front of the goalline, dashing RSL’s hopes of a comeback.

Jackson continued to be a threat as time ticked away, keeping RSL on their heels. In the 81st minute, he sent a ball to Brek Shea in the box, but the striker’s shot on the bounce was blocked point-blank by Jamison Olave at that last moment.

The shutout would hold for Kevin Hartman. It was the first time Dallas blanked its opposition in the tournament since defeating the Chicago Fire in the 2005 Semifinals, going 10 games without a clean sheet in between.

The upcoming trip to the Semifinals is the club’s seventh. Only the Chicago Fire and DC United have reached the Final Four on more occasions (8 each) with the Galaxy also capable of reaching a seventh pending Wednesday’s contest in Tukwila, Wash. Dallas will play host to the Semifinal match with a Galaxy win, but will have to travel to play the defending two-time champion Sounders at Starfire should LA fall.

TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

Full match archive (FCDallas.com)
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Scoring Summary:
DAL – Jair Benitez 18
DAL – Jackson (Eric Alexander) 54

Misconduct Summary:
RSL – Fabian Espindola (caution; reckless foul) 14
DAL – Jair Benitez (caution; dissent) 37
RSL – Jamison Olave (caution; reckless foul) 40
DAL – Zach Loyd (caution; reckless foul) 45+
DAL – Andrew Wiedeman (caution; delay of game) 87

Lineups:

FC Dallas –- Kevin Hartman, Zach Loyd (Andrew Wiedeman 68), George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez, Eric Alexander, Bruno Guarda, Eric Avila, Ricardo Villar (Brek Shea 64), Bobby Warshaw, Marvin Chavez (Jackson 45).
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Milton Rodriguez, Peri Marosevic, Daniel Hernandez.

Real Salt Lake –- Kyle Reynish, Tony Beltran, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert (Collen Warner 58), Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy (Arturo Alvarez 58), Will Johnson, Andy Williams, Fabian Espindola (Jean Alexandre 66), Luis Gil.
Substitutes Not Used: Tim Melia, Robbie Russell, Chris Schuler, Jean Alexandre, Collen Warner, Nelson Gonzalez, Arturo Alvarez.

Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee’s Assistants: Jonathan Johnson, Adam Garner
4th Official: Matthew Foerster
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 97 degrees

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas Preview

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QUARTERFINAL ROUND

Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX
July 12 – 9:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: FCDallas.com (Video)

Real Salt Lake

Third Round: Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 0:2 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Looking to book their return to the CONCACAF Champions League where they were in the Final just months prior, RSL handled the overmatched Wilmington Hammerheads with ease for a 2-0 win. It took 40 minutes to register the team’s control on the scoreboard when Tony Beltran took a pass from Jean Alexandre on the right side, beating Hammerheads goalkeeper Kyle Polak with a close angle shot to the near post, just outside the 6-yard box. Then in the 44th, Canadian international Will Johnson played in Alexandre, who worked past a defender and pulled Polak off his line to increase the lead to 2-0. It was RSL’s first Open Cup victory since 2006.  Full Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: In a wild Fourth of July contest, RSL kicked the month off in dramatic fashion against the New England Revolution, erasing a two-goal deficit from the first 16 minutes on a Will Johnson strike in the 24th and a penalty from Alvaro Saborio in the 56. Saborio would connect with Fabian Espindola for another equalizer in the 83rd in a 3-3 final scoreline. The team heads into the two-match league-Cup series with Dallas on a high note, blanking the Texas side 2-0 in Utah Saturday. Andy Williams netted two minutes into the second half and Espindola struck four minutes into stoppage time to rub salt in the wound.
Last Five: W-D-W-D-D | Season Record: 8-3-6 (2-2-3 Away), Fourth in Western Conference, Fourth overall.

Open Cup History: This is Real Salt Lake’s first time in the Open Cup since 2006, struggling as much in tournament qualifying as they have in the tournament itself. The team bowed out to second division Minnesota Thunder in 2005, and making the quarterfinals the next year, before bowing out to Rocky Mountain Cup rivals Colorado Rapids.The team would not make it out of qualification again since, having earned an automatic spot for this year’s tournament.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 2-2-0 | 0-1-0 vs. MLS teams

FC Dallas

Third Round: Orlando City (USL Pro) 2:3 FC Dallas (MLS)
The hosts had to work for the victory against the lower division visitors as Orlando City got the surprising lead 24 minutes in. Jackson, on an assist from Ricardo Villar, would score in the 39th minute to make it 1-1 at the break. Villar would tally himself five minutes into the second half for what looked increasingly like the winner until Orlando found an equalizer in stoppage time. But less than a minute later the stunned home crowd were sent into a frenzy when Jackson found Milton Rodriguez for the winner.  Full Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: Dallas took advantage of a possibly disheartened Columbus side that was coming off the Open Cup upset loss, blanking the visiting Crew 2-0 July 2 on second half goals from Brek Shea and Jackson to claim the Pioneer Cup. Dallas would meet the same fate themselves on the road though Saturday, falling 2-0 in Utah. RSL struck for two unanswered goals in the second half.
Last Five: L-W-W-W-L | Season Record: 10-5-4 (7-2-2 Home),  Third in Western Conference, Third Overall.

Open Cup History: Up to 2009, FC Dallas could claim the distinction of being the only MLS team to participate in every Pro Era Open Cup tournament since the league began in 1996. Dallas found success early in their Open Cup history, reaching the Semifinals in 1996 and winning the title on penalties over DC United in 1997. This is Dallas’ 12th Quarterfinals appearance, which is more than any MLS team in the Pro Era (1995-present). They enter Tuesday’s contest with a 5-5-1 (1-0 in PKs) all-time in Quarterfinals.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 20-12-4 (4-0 in PKs)| 5-8-2 vs. MLS teams

Head to Head 2011
The teams will be very familiar with each other, as Real Salt Lake defeated Dallas over the weekend, notching a 2-0 home win on July 9. The teams played to a scoreless draw on May 22 in Dallas.

2011 US Open Cup Semifinal Scenarios

Seattle Sounders / LA Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
9:00 pm – Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
OR
FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders
10:00 pm – Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
OR
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas
9:00 pm – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas

2011 US Open Cup: Semifinal host scenarios unveiled

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The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairing and hosting scenarios for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinals Thursday, unveiling that Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City would host the winners from the opposite side of their bracket with victories in the Quarterfinals.

The USSF also officially revealed a schedule change for the Quarterfinals. The contest between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy was moved back one day to July 13 with the three other matches remaining on July 12.

The lone remaining lower division club Richmond Kickers learned that it will face another contest on the road should they register a second consecutive upset over an MLS team. The Kickers, currently coming off a road victory against the Columbus Crew, will travel to play either the Chicago Fire or New York Red Bulls if they defeat Kansas City.

The Kickers and the Galaxy are the only two clubs that are guaranteed to play away from home. The Galaxy will travel to play the winner of the quarterfinal between RSL and FC Dallas.

Of the six potential 2011 semifinal hosts, the Sounders will be the only club slated to utilize an alternate venue from league play. Seattle also played both semifinals in 2009 and 2010 at the Starfire Sports Complex en route to winning the championship.

Should the Red Bulls and Kickers fall Tuesday, it would mark only the third time in the Professional Era in which no club from the Eastern Time Zone advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Dallas and the Galaxy were both members of the final four the previous two times in 2002 and 2005.

2011 Semifinal Host Scenarios – August 30

Chicago Fire / NY Red Bulls at Sporting Kansas City
8:30 pm – LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.
OR
Richmond Kickers at Chicago Fire
8:30 pm – Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill.
OR
Richmond Kickers at New York Red Bulls
8:00 pm – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.
———————————————————————
Seattle Sounders / LA Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
9:00 pm – Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
OR
FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders
10:00 pm – Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
OR
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas
9:00 pm – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas

^All times ET. Schedule subject to change

2011 US Open Cup Third Round Recap: Richmond Kickers post lone upset on night of close contests

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Photo: Columbus Crew

With what is arguably a contingent of the hottest teams currently in Major League Soccer taking the pitch Tuesday night for the Third Round of the US Open Cup, the top flight saw seven of the eight clubs advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time under the current format since it was introduced initially in 2002 before returning permanently in 2007.

On a night in which it was the first time no game in the Round of 16 went to overtime, the tally of seven also marked a high for the league since it comprised the full field in the 2006 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. The league had six teams among the final eight a year ago.

It is only the fifth time in 15 years of the tournament MLS has had at least seven remaining at the quarterfinal stage, hitting the mark in 2002 and 1998 and also previously sweeping the field in 2000 as well as 2006. There are two clubs that have been a part of all five of these high-percentage MLS fields: New York and Dallas. While both have changed names since their early years, they were among the field of at least seven on each of the previous four occasions. The Red Bulls earned a narrow 2-1 victory against their local lower division rivals and FC Dallas nabbed a last-second 3-2 win in a thrilling finish.

The lone exception on a night filled with close contests and dramatic finishes was the defeat suffered by the Columbus Crew at the hands of the Richmond Kickers, who registered their 4th upset over an MLS team in the tournament since winning it in 1995, the beginning of the Professional Era of the tournament.

Overall, despite the losses it was a respectable evening for USL as only two of the seven defeats were by more than one goal and they led in three. One of those two multi-goal losses was the amateur Chicago Fire PDL side and the other the Wilmington Hammerheads, who had a vast trip crossing three-quarters of the country and experiencing a significant elevation change in playing at Real Salt Lake.

FC New York 1:2 New York Red Bulls – Recap [+]

One of four MLS clubs to fall behind on the night, the Red Bulls rallied with two unanswered as US international Gold Cup returnees Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream played key roles as Corey Hertzog equalized and John Rooney hit the winner. TheCup.us Match MVP: John Rooney

Chicago Fire 1:0 Rochester Rhinos – Recap [+]

The Rhinos’ nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2, PK 2-0) at home came to an end with the 37th minute strike from Diego Chaves, also giving the Fire their first regulation win in three tries in Rochester. TheCup.us Match MVP: Diego Chaves

Richmond Kickers 2:1 Columbus Crew– Recap [+]

A Matthew Delicate diving header five minutes from time proved the difference as the Kickers finished the night as the only remaining lower division club. TheCup.us Match MVP: Matthew Delicate

Chicago Fire PDL 0:3 Sporting Kansas City – Recap [+]

Three different scorers gave Sporting KC its first-ever Open Cup win at its new home, two coming a minute apart in the second half. TheCup.us Match MVP: Milos Stojcev

Wilmington Hammerheads 0:2 Real Salt Lake – Recap [+]

The Hammerheads traveled a long way to see a four-minute span end the club’s run in the tournament as Jean Alexandre set up a goal and connected for one of his own in the final five minutes of the first half for the 2011 CONCACAF Champions League finalists. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jean Alexandre

Orlando City SC 2:3 FC Dallas – Recap [+]

Trailing, the lower division Orlando City thought they extended the game to overtime with a stoppage time equalizer from Yordany Alvarez only to have their hopes dashed less than a minute later with a Milton Rodriguez winner for Dallas at the other end. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

Kitsap Pumas 1:2 Seattle Sounders – Recap [+]

Mike Fucito scored twice for the two-time defending champions, but it nearly proved to not be enough for Kitsap as the Pumas rallied in the Puget Sound Showdown. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mike Fucito

LA Blues 1:2 LA Galaxy – Recap [+]

The current MLS Player of the Week for his role in goal for the Galaxy for more than a half in a scoreless draw three days prior in San Jose, midfielder Mike Magee was the hero yet again with the game-winner nine minutes from time to conclude the Galaxy’s rally for the win. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mike Magee

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Schedule

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill. – 8:30 pm ET

Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
LiveStrong Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kan. – 8:30 pm ET

Real Salt Lake (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX – 9:00 pm ET

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Starfire Sports Stadium – Tukwila, Wash. – 10:00 pm ET

LINKS

2011 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders [+]
2011 US Open Cup bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup participant map [+]
Meet the USASA: Class of 2011 [+]

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Real Salt Lake knocks out Wilmington Hammerheads in Open Cup return

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Real Salt Lake made a winning return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup proper.

Jean Alexandre set up Tony Beltran’s 40th-minute opener – the left back’s first professional goal – and doubled the lead with a goal of his own 4 minutes later in a 2-0 victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads in front of 7,620 fans Tuesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

Goal, assist for Jean Alexandre Photo: Melissa Majchrzak / RSL

By winning their first Open Cup match since 2006, RSL earned a quarterfinal matchup against FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, where the Utah side has never won. Salt Lake is 0-9-1 all-time in road games against Dallas, with the lone result a 0-0 draw on May 23. Coincidentally, the teams meet in an MLS match three days earlier at Rio Tinto.

Real Salt Lake’s lineup featured primarily regular starters, as the team is focused on the Open Cup and its connection to the CONCACAF Champions League. RSL lost in the finals of the 2010-11 tournament, but failed to qualify for the 2011-12 event. The Open Cup champion earns a berth in the 2012-13 tourney.

Alexandre and 17-year-old strike partner Luis Gil each had early chances for RSL, but the match remained scoreless until Beltran opened his account. The third-year pro took a pass from Alexandre on the right side, beating Hammerheads goalkeeper Kyle Polak with a close angle shot to the near post, just outside the 6-yard box.

Then in the 44th, Canadian international Will Johnson played in Alexandre, who worked past a defender and pulling Polak off his line, to increase the lead to 2-0. It was the second goal of the season for the 24-year-old Haitian.

USL Pro side Wilmington, which brought only 15 players to the match, got an impressive performance from Polak and some luck as RSL fired away – the home team had an 18-6 advantage in shots, including 9-1 in the second half, and saw blasts by Johnson and Andy Williams crash off the woodwork in the final 20 minutes.

On one sequence in the 78th minute, Polak stopped back-to-back shots by Williams and Johnson and then watched Alexandre’s header flash just wide of the goal.

RSL backup keeper Kyle Reynish earned his second shutout in as many appearances this season. The crowd for the first Open Cup match at Rio Tinto was easily the largest among the seven MLS teams that played host to third-round games.


TheCup.us Match MVP:  Jean Alexandre

Scoring Summary

Real Salt Lake – Tony Beltran (Jean Alexandre) 40
Real Salt Lake – Jean Alexandre (Will Johnson) 44

Lineups

Real Salt Lake: Kyle Reynish; Tony Beltran, Rauwshan McKenzie, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler (Robbie Russell 63); Andy Williams, Kyle Beckerman (Ned Grabavoy 63), Collen Warner (Nelson Gonzalez 74), Will Johnson; Jean Alexandre, Luis Gil. Substitutes not used: Tim Melia (GK), Artur Aghasyan, Jamison Olave, Donny Toia.

Wilmington Hammerheads: Kyle Polak; Tom Parratt, Ivan Becerra, Gareth Evans, Dylan Riley; Emanual Guzman (Jyler Noviello 60), Tom Taylor (Richard Jata 52), Paul Nicholson, Hakop Avesyan (Julio Cuero 74); Luke Mulholland, Andriy Budnyy. Substitute not used: Chris Banks.

Discipline: W – Taylor (caution-reckless foul, 17); W – Guzman (caution-reckless foul, 35); RSL – Grabavoy (caution-tactical foul, 68); W – Nicholson (caution-persistent infringement, 83).

Attendance: 7,620.

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Bracket C: Wilmington Hammerheads at Real Salt Lake; Orlando City at FC Dallas

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THIRD ROUND

Wilmington Hammerheads at Real Salt Lake
June 28, 9 p.m. ET  Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Video/Audio: Video N/A; Radio: Real Salt Lake

Orlando City SC at FC Dallas
June 28, 9 p.m. ET  Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas
Video/Audio: Video: Dallas; Audio: TBA

Wilmington Hammerheads

The club has been a member of USL’s professional third division league since its founding in 1996 with the exception of its hiatus in 2010. The club was at its peak early in the 2000’s, finishing first in the division in back-to-back years and reaching the final in 2002 and 2003, claiming the title on the second try.

First Round: Central Florida Kraze (PDL) 0:4 Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro)
The Hammerheads blanked the visiting Central Florida Kraze 4-0 in the First Round Tuesday with first half goals from Jyler Noviello and Luke Mulholland. Andriy Budnny tallied twice in the second stanza put put the match out of reach. Full Recap [+]

Second Round: Charlotte Eagles (USL Pro) 2:3 (AET) Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro)
The visitors got out to a surprising two-goal lead with goals in the 44th and 54th minutes before the Hammerheads began to fight back. Chris Banks found Andriy Budnyy in the 61st minute and then found the back of the net himself in the 78th to level terms. In overtime it was Luke Mulholland finding the winning goal on a nicely placed strike in the 103rd minute. Full Recap [+]

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

This Month in USL Pro: The Hammerheads were downed 2-0 Friday evening at home versus Charleston, leaving them with only one win in their last seven league games. Wilmington played its fourth in league play June 18 at Orlando City, nabbing a late draw 1-1 on the foot of Budnyy. They opened the month with a 4-2 loss at home June 4 against Orlando, in which Julio Cuero and Chris Banks gave the Hammerheads the lead in the first half before allowing four unanswered in the second stanza. A week later, they played two back-to-back, rallying to down Pittsburgh 3-1 June 10 on goals from Budnyy, Banks and Mulholland, before traveling to Charlotte for a 3-0 defeat. The Hammerheads are in sixth place (last) in the American Division with a 5-4-3 record.

Open Cup History: The club’s second quarterfinal appearance in eight trips to the tournament in 2009 was followed up with the club taking a hiatus last year due to financial issues. The run began by downing state rivals Charlotte and Carolina. They blanked league rival Eagles 2-0 in the First Round, and downed the second division RailHawks in the Second Round via penalties after a 3-3 draw. Wilmington then surprised the Chicago Fire of MLS, 1-0, in the Third Round before being knocked out by second division Rochester 2-1. The previous quarterfinal campaign in 2003 also included upsets as Wilmington downed second division Atlanta Silverbacks, 2-1, in the Third Round and MLS’s FC Dallas in a stunning 4-1 result in the Fourth Round before falling, 1-0, to DC United. FC Dallas would avenge the loss in the Third Round in 2005, but needed overtime in a 3-1 decision. The club’s other MLS contest was a 2-1 loss to New York in the Fourth Round in 2006, following another 2-1 upset of the Silverbacks.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 13-8-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 7-7-1 (1-0 in PKs) vs. pro teams (2-4 vs. MLS)

Real Salt Lake

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: Real Salt Lake played to a scoreless draw at Chicago Wednesday evening in the first of two games on the week, returning home for a big 3-1 win Saturday against Toronto FC. Nat Borchers struck the opener and Alvaro Saborio netted the next two with Kyle Beckerman setting up all three.  Real Salt Lake returned home from a two-game road swing to face DC United June 18, giving up a late penalty in a 1-1 draw in which they tallied first from the spot via Fabian Espindola. They opened the month with a 2-0 victory against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps (under new coach Tom Soehn) on June 4, with Nick Rimando in goal as Jean Alexandre tallied a goal and an assist. Four days later in Columbus, they fell 2-1 to the Crew after Jamison Olave gave them the initial lead seven minutes in. RSL played to a 1-1 draw in Philadelphia June 11 against the Union with Fabian Espindola providing the equalizer in the 53rd minute. Last Five: W-D-D-D-L | Season Record: 7-3-5 (5-1-2 Home), fourth in Western Conference, tied for fifth overall.

Open Cup History: Having last participated in the Open Cup proper in 2006, Real Salt Lake’s qualifying is the longer of the two lists. RSL’s debut in the Cup in 2005 was an epic 6-4 extra time upset loss to the USL’s Minnesota Thunder. After playing the first half to a 2-2 draw, both teams scored twice more to level the score at 4 after 90 minutes. Minnesota scored twice in extra time for the 6-4 win, leaving Jason Kries’ hat trick for RSL on the losing side. 2006 saw RSL needing extra time again in their opening match, this time against the Virginia Beach Mariners. Jeff Cunningham (RSL) and Tim O’Neill (VBM) traded goals in the first half, and Andy Williams’ 93rd minute strike held up for Salt Lake’s first ever Open Cup win. RSL would be eliminated 1-0 in the next round by their Rocky Mountain Cup rivals, the Colorado Rapids. Colorado would keep the Utah side out of the Open Cup in 2007, defeating them 2-1 in the final round of MLS qualifying. 2008 and 2009 saw RSL eliminated in the opening round of MLS qualifying, while in 2010 they fell yet again in the final round, this time to 2-1 to DC United in overtime. This season, RSL avoided qualifying all together by virtue of their second-place finish in the 2010 MLS regular season.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 1-2-0 | 1-1-0 vs. Non-MLS teams

Orlando City SC

Essentially an expansion club off the field, the team itself is the former Austin Aztex side that played in the professional second division the past two seasons. However, despite their connections to the Austin franchise, the Orlando City team is a completely new club.

First Round: ASC New Stars (USASA) 0:4 Orlando City (USL Pro)
A lightning delay of nearly 90 minutes itself stretched the First Round match into a late night, but host Orlando enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 victory over the ASC New Stars. Devorn Jorsling scored twice with Kevin Molino and Dennis Chin each adding to the tally. Full Recap [+]

Second Round: Orlando City (USL Pro) 1:0 Charleston Battery (USL Pro)
The visitors made history, becoming the first non-MLS team to defeat the Battery at Blackbaud Stadium in the US Open Cup since the stadium’s opening in 1999. Orlando City defender Rob Valentino supplied the difference maker, getting his head to the ball in the 40th minute as the keeper extended to knock it away, popping it over his hands and into the empty net.  Full Recap [+]

Path to Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

This Month in USL Pro: The club opened a two-game visit to Antigua Friday with a 3-1 victory, grabbing the lead via an own goal and claiming the victory with goals from Max Griffin and Luke Boden. They played the second match Sunday with Devorn Jorsling scoring twice in a 2-1 victory. Orlando City played host to Wilmington June 18, settling for a 1-1 draw on a late Hammerheads equalizer after Open Cup hero Jorsling had given them the lead. The club opened the month with a scoreless draw at home June 2 against Charlotte, then traveled to Wilmington two days later, where they fell behind two goals before rallying for a stunning 4-2 victory. Jamie Watson scored two to equalize, before Demar Stewart and Maxwell Griffin provided the winning and sealing goals. June 10 proved to be an off night though, as the club lost at home for the first time in a 2-1 defeat to Antigua, ending the club’s 11-game unbeaten run since its debut loss at Richmond. Trailing by two, Max Griffin scored the lone goal in the loss. Orlando City is currently in first place in the American Division with a 10-2-4 record.

Open Cup History (Austin Aztex): This is officially the first appearance in the US Open Cup for Orlando City, but with such close ties to the Austin Aztex franchise, it’s worth mentioning that the Aztex reached the Third Round the last two years. In 2009, the Aztex downed PDL sides Mississippi Brilla, 2-0, and El Paso Patriots, 2-0, before falling by the same 2-0 scoreline to the Houston Dynamo of MLS. Last year, the team blanked the PDL’s DFW Tornados 3-0 and downed the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros 3-1, before a 1-0 loss on the road to Chivas USA of MLS in Round 3.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 2-0-0 overall | 1-0-0 vs. professional teams (0-0-0 vs. MLS)

FC Dallas

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: FC Dallas thumped the visiting Portland Timbers Saturday 4-0, on goals from four different players. Daniel Hernandez set up Zach Loyd and George John in the first half, while Brek Shea and Ruben Luna tallyed in the second half. The club played their third contest of the month June 18 in Los Angeles against Chivas USA, winning 2-1 with Brek Shea scoring the opener and Jackson Goncalves adding the late winner.  FCD opened the month June 4 with a 1-0 win in New England, on from Marvin Chavez’s 69th minute goal and Kevin Hartman recorded the shutout. They returned home June 12 and were stunned 4-1 by Sporting Kansas City, in which Break Shea had an equalizer in the 32nd before seeing KC strike three unanswered.
Last Five: W-W-L-W-D Season Record: 9-4-4 (6-2-2 Home), tied for second in Western Conference, tied for second Overall.

Open Cup History: Up to 2009, FC Dallas could claim the distinction of being the only MLS team to participate in every Pro Era Open Cup tournament since the league began in 1996. Poor finishes in MLS play in 2009 and 2010 left them to the mercy of MLS qualifying, where they lost both times to DC United. Dallas found success early in their Open Cup history, reaching the Semifinals in 1996 and winning the title on penalties over DC United in 1997. Another semifinal appearance in 1998 and two quarterfinal finishes in ’99 and 2000 were followed in 2001 by one of the biggest upsets in Pro Era history, a 3-2 sudden death extra time loss to the PDL’s Seattle Sounders Select in the Second Round. It remains the only time Dallas failed to advance past their opening match. Finals appearances in 2005 and 2007 bolstered their Open Cup resume a bit, although they will look to regain some stature after missing the last two tournaments.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 19-12-4 (4-0 in PK’s)| 2-1-0 vs. 3rd Division teams

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Scenarios

Real Salt Lake / Wilmington Hammerheads at FC Dallas
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX – 9:00 pm ET
OR
Orlando City SC at Real Salt Lake
Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, Utah – 9:00 pm ET
OR
Wilmington Hammerheads at Orlando City SC
Florida Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Fla – 7:30 pm ET

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2011 Gold Cup & US Open Cup: The Overlap

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Rafael Marquez is away with Gold Cup favorite Mexico, which could affect Third Round Red Bulls roster

Beyond the obvious fact that the first two rounds of the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup occur during the current edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup that kicked off Sunday, there is some extended overlap with players. The overlap will come when the Major League Soccer teams enter the competition in the Third Round, set for June 28 – three days after the Gold Cup Final.

Six of the eight MLS clubs playing in the US Open Cup this year have a total 17 players away for national team duty for the Gold Cup, representing 10 of the 12 nations (excludes Cuba & Panama).

International duty has long led to the traditional argument from MLS coaches excusing multitudes of players from Open Cup play to ensure they are properly rested for league competition. That rationale will likely come into play as the New York Red Bulls (5), Sporting Kansas City (4) and Real Salt Lake (4*) each have at least three players in action at the Gold Cup.

Perhaps hardest hit are the Red Bulls, who have three players for the CONCACAF heavyweights Mexico (Rafael Marquez) and USA (Tim Ream, Juan Agudelo) that will likely be in action in the June 25 Final. On top of that, New York arguably has the toughest MLS schedule on either side of the Open Cup Third Round road matches in Chicago on the 26th and San Jose the following Saturday.

And then there is the case of injury. On Monday Kansas City’s Craig Rocastle went down after a collision playing against Jamaica shortly before halftime. Grenada took him out of the game during the break.

Landon Donovan will lead US in Gold Cup, has Champions League in future. What will that mean for US Open Cup?

The Los Angeles Galaxy, who have Donovan Ricketts (Jamaica) and Landon Donovan (USA) on international duty, also have the Champions League in their future, which will no doubt create discussion amongst Bruce Arena’s coaching staff about conserving player energy.

The other two Open Cup and Champions League clubs, FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders, are not in that situation as of yet. The two sides were the only ones among the eight MLS US Open Cup participants that did not have any players leave for the Gold Cup.

One thing is for certain. No matter what the coaches of the clubs in question decide to do, it will not have as big of an impact as the 1996 US Open Cup when the Colorado Foxes withdrew from the tournament after losing five Jamaican players to the Gold Cup, prompting the Colorado Rapids to fulfill their spot.

2011 US Open Cup Clubs & Players in Gold Cup

New York Red Bulls: Rafael Marquez (Mexico), Dane Richards (Jamaica), Dwayne DeRosario (Canada), Tim Ream (USA), Juan Agudelo (USA)

Sporting Kansas City: Craig Rocastle (Grenada), Roger Espinoza (Honduras), Shavar Thomas (Jamaica), Stephane Auvray (Guadeloupe)

Real Salt Lake: Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica), Arturo Alvarez (El Salvador), Will Johnson (Canada), Nick Rimando* (USA) – *Rimando on call as 3rd GK, staying with RSL unless needed

LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts (Jamaica), Landon Donovan (USA)

Chicago Fire: Marco Pappa (Guatemala)

Columbus Crew: Robbie Rogers (USA)

FC Dallas: None

Seattle Sounders: None

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