Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Red Force

Meet the USASA: Class of 2013

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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: Newcomers from Florida, Red Force, bring experienced players to US Open Cup debut

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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.

The most compelling thing about the Red Force is not their impressive championships from the last two years but how Coach Gabriel Vega has managed to grow a successful and competitive team that started with his sons and their friends as a youth team. This year’s squad has a mix of veterans and promising youth. The Red Force are competing in their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and will open the 100th edition of the tournament against the PDL’s Ocala Stampede at Florida International University.

The Red Force were the only team that entered Open Cup qualifying from the state of Florida and therefore earned a bye into the USASA Region III tournament where they were able to secure a spot in the US Open Cup. When discussing the team’s participation in the Cup, Vega said “ fantastic feeling… The satisfaction of seeing them win was amazing. We are a like a family. We play a very nice soccer.”

Red Force cruised through the Region III tournament, winning three straight games including an Open Cup-clinching 2-0 win over the ASC New Stars, who were attempting to qualify for the third year in a row.

The Red Force began its adult incarnation in the 2008 season when they began competing as an independent team in the SSM Premier League which they have won three of the last four years.

Young stars

Life for Vega and the Red Force started much earlier than that when Vega was coaching his son as a youth. The commitment to the team is infectious as Coach Vega excitedly talks about the players that played for the Red Force in their younger days. Coach Vega quickly rattles off the names and colleges and accomplishments of many former members of the Red Force squad.

“Some of those players come to our matches and help us in training,” Vega mentions. This legacy of playing with the club as a youth continues with the team today as six players from the Under-18 team that played together are currently on the squad. At least eight former Red Force players are now or have played in the past for college soccer programs on scholarship. Vega counts this as one of his most important accomplishments as coach for the Red Force.

Growing a competitive team

From that core youth team staying together after their teammates went to college, Coach Vega has added many impressive players. These players that have joined the Red Force and made them a formidable team in Southeast Florida. With professional experience both in the United States and abroad these players understand how to play in a “big game.”

    Daniel Gomez: 2007-2009 C.A. River Plate (Puerto Rico), 2009 Fluminense of Puerto Rico.
    Richard Perdomo: 2008 Carolina Railhawks, 2009 Miami FC, 2010 Platense (Honduras).
    Kevin Nylen: 2003-2006 Wilmington Hammerheads, 2006-2008 Charleston Battery.
    Ryan Solle: 2005 Raleigh CASL Elite, 2006 Carolina Dynamo, 2007 New England Revolution, 2008 Carolina Railhawks, 2009 Wilmington Hammerheads.
    David Holguin: 2009-2011 America de Cali (1st Division Colombia)
    Hernan Acosta: pro player in Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Puerto Rico until 2010.
    Joan Carvajal: 2003-2005 Creighton University, 2006 North Carolina Tarheeels.
    Alan Sanchez: 2007 Carolina Dynamo, 2008-2009 Cary Clarets, 2010 Real Maryland Monarchs, 2011 Charlotte Eagles.

Coach Vega also played in Argentina before coming to the United States and has been coaching since 1997. The team is also excited to be hosting the match.

“We have a great relationship with , so they are letting us use their fields.”

Despite being in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time, the Red Force are not unfamiliar with big matches and taking on opponents who are expected to beat them.  Before attending the Region III qualifying tournament, the Red Force faced the Venezuela Under-19 World Cup team in Miami and played them to a 1-1 draw at halftime. The game was close throughout the match, and as Vega says, the Venezuelan team outlasted them because they were “basically so incredibly fit.  In the last minute they scored two goals and we lost 3-1.”

Other notable Red Force accomplishments include being a semifinalist in Copa Latina 2011, a finalist in the Region III finals, champion of the Hiatian Cup in Miami and a two-time champion of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers open tournament (2011-2012).

Vega and his players are ready and excited for the challenge of competing in The Cup and plan on this being only the first appearance of many.

“We are training hard to compete. I always believe in my team always. The Red Force never give up.”

Florida’s Red Force, North Texas Rayados emerge from USASA Region III tourney, qualify for 2013 US Open Cup

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USASA Region III, representing most of the southern part of the United States, has submitted their two entries for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

In the region’s Open Cup qualifying tournament in New Orleans, Florida-based newcomers Red Force and the North Texas Rayados advanced to the competition’s championship game to punch their tickets to the Cup. The Red Force, making their first Open Cup appearance, become the first team from the Sunshine State to qualify since 2009 (Lynch’s FC). The Rayados will make their second straight appearance, something a North Texas-based club hasn’t done since Dallas Roma FC qualified in 2005 and 2006. Both teams will begin play in Round 1, scheduled for May 14.

In addition to competing in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, North Texas defeated Red Force in the title game, 3-0, to advance to the USASA National Finals.

This weekend’s play saw nine sides compete in three groups of three, resulting in Sunday’s semifinal matches involving group winners CD Motagua (Louisiana), Rayados, Red Force and the top second place team, ASC New Stars (Texas South) all competing for a spot in the final and an Open Cup berth.

Both 2012 Region III entrants, ASC New Stars (who were beaten in Round 1 by the PDL’s Laredo Heat, 4-2) and Rayados (beaten in Round 1 by PDL’s El Paso Patriots, 3-1) managed to reach the semifinal qualifying stages again this year, but both would take different routes.

The New Stars were attempting to qualify for the Open Cup for the fourth time and they began play on Friday by stamping their authority on the competition once again with a 3-0 win over newcomers Dallas TNT. Rayados also kicked off this year’s competition with a thumping 6-1 win over Texas South entrants Islanders FC, who lost out at this stage last year.

Saturday saw the bulk of the matches and in Group A, the host state’s lone entry CD Motagua took the bull by the horns early in the day with a magnificent 11-1 victory over Dallas TNT, that not only set the benchmark for scoring for the day, but also eliminated the Dallas side from the competition. In the final group match, ASC New Stars scored early, but CD Motagua equalized in the 68th minute and scored the game-winner in the final minute of extra time to take the group. ASC would find out later that their +2 goal difference was enough to make them the top second place team to earn them a spot in Sunday’s final four.

In Group B, Oklahoma runner-up Los Lobos, who qualified after state champion Boston Avenue withdrew, began their first tournament run since 1999 with a 4-1 defeat to the Rayados. North Texas clinched the group after already defeating Islanders FC 6-1 earlier in the day. The only hope Los Lobos had to stay alive to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time since 1999 was to win their second game to stay alive for the wild card spot. Islanders FC had to do the same, and they did so by defeating the Oklahoma representative 4-2.  Unfortunately, their opening loss to North Texas would come back to haunt them as the team’s goal difference of minus-3 would not be enough to overtake ASC New Stars as the top runner-up.

Group C may have produced the most entertaining game, but in the end was the least competitive group. After Red Force defeated Barracudas FC to open play on Friday, the Houston-based Barracudas would face North Texas side FC Rahr in the early match on Saturday. In the second half, FC Rahr found themselves up 2-1 but after putting a ball into their own net, the game was tied in the 54th minute. The two teams looked headed for a draw but the Barracudas scored a late goal in the 86th minute to take the lead and possibly put one foot in the semifinals. However, FC Rahr spoiled the party for both teams as they scored a 90th minute equalizer and the match would end that way. Red Force would clinch the group ame de open.

Later that day, Red Force eliminated FC Rahr and cruised into the semifinals with a 3-0 victory.

The semifinals were set, with CD Motagua facing Rayados and Red Force taking on ASC New Stars. The start of Sunday morning’s proceedings was delayed by thunderstorms, but after the weather cleared up, it was Rayados and Red Force who emerged victorious with 4-0 and 2-0 victories, respectively.

They will join an abundance of fellow Region III sides to compete for the ultimate prize in cup competition within the United States this summer.

With the largest number of sides competing this year (68), joining them from Region III are also the largest percentage (31%) of soccer sides in comparable terms to the other three regions. A total of 21 sides (31%) from the eventual 68 taking part will be from our Region III.

USASA will join Round 1 with NTX Rayados (2nd straight entry), & Red Force (1st entry)
NPSL sides will join either in the Play-In Round or Round 1: Georgia Revolution (2nd straight entry) Chattanooga FC (2nd entry – 2011)
PDL will join in Round 1: Austin Aztex (1st entry), Carolina Dynamo (10th entry), Laredo Heat (3rd entry), Ocala Stampede (1st entry), Orlando U23s (6th entry)
USL PRO’s VSI Tampa Bay will join in Round 1
USL PRO sides that will join Round 2: Charleston Battery (14th entry), Charlotte Eagles (11th entry), Wilmington Hammerheads (11th entry)
NASL will join in Round 2: Atlanta Silverbacks (9th entry), Carolina Railhawks (6th entry), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (7th entry), San Antonio Scorpions (2nd entry), Tampa Bay Rowdies (3rd entry)
MLS will join in Round 3: Houston Dynamo (7th entry), FC Dallas (16th entry)

The winner of this year’s competition will receive a $250,000 cash prize and a berth into the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League while the runner-up will received $60,000. The top finisher from each lower division will receive $15,000.

You can follow Marc Roseblade on Twitter @region3soccer

2013 USASA Region III Open Cup tournament (April 12-14)
New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds (New Orleans, LA)
Division winners + best 2nd place team advance to Semifinals
All times Eastern

Group A PTS W L D GD
CD Motagua (LA) 6 2 0 0 +11
ASC New Stars (TX South) 3 1 1 0 +2
Dallas TNT (North TX) 0 0 2 0 -13

April 12
Dallas TNT 0:3 ASC New Stars

April 13
CD Motagua 11:1 Dallas TNT
CD Motagua 2:1 ASC New Stars

Group B PTS W L D GD
NTX Rayados (North TX) 6 2 0 0 +8
Islanders FC (TX South) 3 1 1 0 -3
Los Lobos (OK) 0 0 2 0 -5

April 12
North Texas Rayados 6:1 Islanders FC

April 13
North Texas Rayados 4:1 Los Lobos
Los Lobos 2:4 Islanders FC

Group C PTS W L D GD
Red Force (FL) 6 2 0 0 +4
FC Rahr (North TX) 1 0 1 1 -3
Barracudas FC (TX South) 1 0 1 1 -1

April 12
Red Force 2:1 Barracudas FC

April 13
FC Rahr 3:3 Barracudas FC
Red Force 3:0 FC Rahr

Tiebreakers: (1) Head to head (2) Goal diff. (3) Goals for (4) Goals against (5) Most shutouts

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Semifinals (April 14)
Red Force 2:0 ASC New Stars
NTX Rayados 4:0 CD Motagua
* Both semifinal winners qualify for 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Final
NTX Rayados 3:0 Red Force
North Texas Rayados advance to USASA National Finals

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