Richmond Kickers

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

The Michigan Bucks upset the Chicago Fire of MLS in 2012 Third Round. Photo: Kelly Haapala

MORE: Things you should know about the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2006 – Dallas Roma FC (USASA) 0:0 Chivas USA (MLS)
(Dallas advances 4-2 in PKs)

For all of you who ever wanted the #16 seed to win in the NCAA basketball tournament, we hope you are soccer fans.

Dallas Roma FC, from the North Texas Premier Soccer Association, made history defeating Chivas USA of Major League Soccer on penalties, after playing to a 0-0 draw after extra time. Not only did they defeat their second straight professional opponent in the US Open Cup, they became the first USASA club to eliminate a team from Major League Soccer in the US Open Cup. Chivas was dealt a major blow when their leading scorer, Ante Razov, was sent off in the 57th minute for a reckless foul on Roma defender Todd Paulette. Soon after, Chivas head coach Bob Bradley sent in more of his regular starters, Jason Hernandez, Tim Regan and Juan Francisco Palencia.

The Roma defense, named TheCup.us Players of the Round for their win vs. Miami FC, held firm yet again against the Chivas attack, holding the scoreless draw through 120 minutes, at times keeping all 11 players in their own end in extra time.

Roma had a few chances in the second half as well, most notably Dominic Schell hitting the crossbar after Mark Rowland’s shot was knocked away by Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Chivas took the first spot kick in the penalty session, and Juan Francisco Palencia saw his attempt saved by Jessie Llamas. Roma’s Matt Clark and Mark Rowland converted the next kicks, as Sacha Kljestan for Chivas. Fortunes turned Roma’s way when Llamas came through again and saved Jesse Marsch’s kick, and Brad Flanagan scored for Roma to make it 3-1. After Claudio Suarez made it 3-2, Dominic Schell stepped up and put Roma in the history books. Previously, the closest a USASA side has come to defeating an MLS club was in 2000, when Florida’s Uruguay SC fell to the Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 in extra time.

1997 – Chicago Stingers (D3 Pro) 2:1 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
1997 – San Francisco Bay Seals (D3 Pro) 2:1 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)

The Modern Era of the Open Cup was still young, and Rochester caused a stir in ’96 with their amazing run to the final.

The San Francisco Bay Seals and Chicago Stingers were determined to top that, and top it they did.

Each team made their way to the third round, no small feat in itself. Both clubs defeated A-League sides in the second round, and now stepped up to face the daunting challenge of Major League Soccer. The Seals were first, taking on the Kansas City Wizards on July 24.

As if being the underdog wasn’t motivation enough, Seals forward Marquis White had something to prove of his own. White was dropped in 1996 by the New England Revolution, and he was eager to prove that he could play at the highest level. White didn’t waste any time, scoring in the very first minute of the game, taking a pass from Chris Davini and racing past the Wizards defenders and goalkeeper Chris Snitko for the goal. On the other end, the Seals defense kept the Kansas City forwards stifled and frustrated, but the Wizards eventually equalized in the 39th minute with a Frank Klopas goal.

Marquis White then stepped up a second time, taking another Davini pass home for the game-winning goal in the 55th minute, setting off celebrations at Negoesco Fiield once the final whistle blew. “I knew I could play, and this proves it” said an ecstatic White after the game. The Seals, as a team, also proved they could play, defeating the San Jose Clash in the quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals, eventually losing a close game to DC United 2-1.

Six days later, the Chicago Stingers took their turn at giant killing, knocking off the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in front of 4,730 fans at Chicago’s Forest View Park. Misfortune started early for Colorado, as the Rapids goalkeeper Paul Grafer was sent off after 17 minutes. The Stingers then took control, as Matt Hamnett and Chris Jahr scores goals before and after halftime to take a lead they would never surrender. Chris Henderson pulled one back for Colorado, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the upstart Stingers. Chicago were eventually overwhelmed by the Dallas Burn in the next round, 4-1, but the Seals and Stingers proved that the Open Cup would never be an easy walk for any MLS team.

2012 – Cal FC (USASA – 4th Div.) 1:0 (AET) Portland Timbers (MLS)

2012 – Michigan Bucks (PDL – 4th Div.) 3:2 (AET) Chicago Fire (MLS)

The Third Round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was one of the craziest rounds in tournament history. 16 Major League Soccer teams joined the competition and only eight of them survived to play in Round 4. The two biggest stunners came from the Michigan Bucks (PDL) and newcomers Cal FC (USASA).

14 of the 16 games were played on Tuesday, May 29 and among those were the Michigan Bucks hosting four-time champion Chicago Fire indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. It was just the 4th US Open Cup game ever played indoors and the Bucks upset the Fire 3-2 in extra time.

The Bucks struck first just nine minutes into the match when Tommy Catalano received a pass from star veteran Kenny Uzoigwe to put the home team up 1-0. The Fire would equalize on a goal from Corben Bone in the 28th minute and take the lead in the 58th minute thanks to Frederico Puppo and it looked like the MLS team was going to take control, as they so often do in these underdog scenarios, but today wasn’t their day as a cross from Crnkic found the head of Nate Boyden in the box to tie the match at 2-2. The match would go into extra time and after play resumed, the Bucks wasted no time in putting the pressure on the Fire. What proved to be the eventual game-winning goal came just three minutes in when Crnkic ripped a shot toward the net. The goalkeeper got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough to keep it out as the Bucks would go on to win 3-2 to become the first amateur club in the Modern Era to defeat two MLS teams (They upset the New England Revolution back in 2000).[+]FULL MATCH RECAP

After seven MLS teams were eliminated on Tuesday, what could possibly be in store for the following day? It would turn out to be arguably the biggest upset of the Modern Era (1995-present).

Cal FC, led by their manager former US international Eric Wynalda, traveled from Southern California up to Portland, Ore. and upset the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time. After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, Artur Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well placed through ball and calmly chipped goalkeeper Troy Perkins. It was the only goal they would need to become the first USASA team to defeat a Major League Soccer team (Dallas Roma FC in 2006 eliminated Chivas USA in a penalty kick shootout). A USASA team defeating a MLS team was rare enough, but there had only been four previous USASA teams that had advanced far enough to even play against the top division. In those four games, none of the USASA teams even scored a goal. They were also just the fifth amateur team to eliminate a MLS sidse, and the 12th USASA team to eliminate a pro team of any kind. [+]FULL MATCH RECAP

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers dominate city derby, 6-1 over NPSL champion RVA FC (video)

May 15, 2014 by Sean Maslin

The Richmond Kickers' Red Army cheers on their team as they battled NPSL power RVA FC in an all-Richmond US Open Cup battle. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers — The Richmond Kickers’ Red Army cheers on their team as they battled NPSL power RVA FC in an all-Richmond US Open Cup battle. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers

Sometimes it takes a rival to bring out what’s best in us. After the 2013 USL Pro playoffs and an opening to their 2014 campaign that left many questioning whether the Richmond Kickers could compete with the best in US Soccer, the club came out on Wednesday looking to dominate. It just so happens that they did not have to go far to find someone to take out their frustrations on.

In the first-ever Richmond derby, the Kickers defeated their in-town rival, RVA FC of the NPSL, by a score of 6-1 in the second round of the US Open Cup at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va. With the win, they move on to host four-time US Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas SC in a Round 3 match at Richmond City Stadium on May 28.

At the beginning of the first half, the Kickers tried to pressure the young RVA FC defense with several good possessions built through the midfield. Kickers midfielder George Davis IV orchestrated their attack going inside in the 17th minute then pushing the ball out to midfielder Sacha Gorres. However, RVA defender Garrett Harvey to use his body separate Gorres from the ball and make the decisive clear. The Kickers combination of Davis IV and Gorres would test the Virginia Commonwealth University defender throughout the entire 90 minutes with Harvey staying relatively composed.

Shay Spitz of the Richmond Kickers battles for the ball with RVA FC's Dakota Barnathan in their Second Round US Open Cup match. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers — Shay Spitz (red) of the Richmond Kickers battles for the ball with RVA FC’s Dakota Barnathan in their Second Round US Open Cup match. Photo: Chris Moore | Richmond Kickers

Despite having constant pressure, the RVA defense held strong at the beginning of the first half and would use the counter-attack on several occasions. In the 20th minute, RVA midfielder Todd Wharton made an excellent cross into open space for midfielder Justin Grove. However, Gorres intercepted the pass intended to shift the field of possession before any attack could begin.

While the NPSL champions did have their opportunities early in the first half, the Kickers dominated play as the game went on. In the 24th minute, Kickers defender Alex Lee hit a cross on the right hand side into midfielder Samuel Asante who headed the ball down and past RVA goalkeeper Bill Groben to give the Kickers the early advantage.

The Kickers would add to their lead in 34th minute when midfielder Shay Spitz would convert off of a rebound on a shot originally taken by Asante. Groben made an excellent reaction save but unfortunately had no assistance from his defense to clear it out. Instead, Spitz was there to tap the ball into the back of the net.

Richmond would add another goal late in the first half when forward Jason Yeisley scored off of a rebound on a good save by Groben. Groben had a very good first half, making several excellent stops and giving the RVA defense some respite between Kickers attacks. However, the lack of communication between himself and his defense hurt them in this match.

The Kickers would continue their dominance of RVA right into the second half. In the 61st minute, Kickers forward Tishan Handley would connect off of a long cross by Davis IV and go right past RVA defender Zach Carroll and Groben to give the Kickers a 4-0 lead. Richmond Kickers logo 2012

RVA would try and strike back in the 62nd minute when midfielder Ryan Zinkhan made a pass on the outside of his foot to forward Manel Bel, whose shot went just wide of Kickers goalkeeper Joe Willis. Willis, who won a US Open Cup title with DC United last year, would then get the ball out to the Kickers midfield who would deliver yet another cross to Handley. Handley would once again get past the RVA defense and give himself a brace, upping the lead of the Kickers to 5-0.

Johnny Orlando of RVA made a slight dent into the Kickers lead with his goal 65th minute. However, the Kickers would get their five goal advantage back when Davis IV would score in the 88th minute to seal the Kickers victory by the score of 6-1.

For the Kickers it was a rare offensive explosion in the tournament. The 6 goals was the most they had scored since their 8-4 barnburner with the Ocean City Barons (now Ocean City Nor’easters) in 2005. It also marked the club’s first game, and win, against a NPSL side.

Sean Maslin writes for Global Football Today, Soccerly magazine, DC Soccer, and Soccer Without Limits. He can be followed on Twitter @SeanMaslin.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

FULL MATCH REPLAY

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Struggling DC United finds hope, downs Richmond Kickers in PKs

May 30, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

A DC United squad that has not won since their second game of the MLS season (0-8-2) was dearly hoping for a change in fortune in the US Open Cup, and barely even got that as they prevailed in Richmond via penalties 4-2 after a grueling scoreless stalemate with the Kickers, their official affiliate in USL Pro.

Back-up goalkeeper Joe Willis was the man of the match from start to finish for DC United, coming out of the goal 17 minutes into the match to prevent on onrushing Michael Seaton, on loan from DC, from having an easy one-on-one opportunity at the top of the box, and then later making two saves in the penalty kick tiebreaker to send DC onto the Fourth Round.

Eight minutes after beating Seaton to the ball Willis was called upon again to squelch another chance when Joseph Ngwenya connected with Stanley Nyazamba, who proceeded to find Nate Robinson for a low shot that the keeper stopped.

DC nearly took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Kyle Porter’s corner was headed onto the crossbar by Lionard Pajoy, and again saw the frame of the goal come into play four minutes later when former Kickers star Dwayne De Rosario sent a header off of the post, falling along the goalline where it was gathered by United loanee Andrew Dykstra.

The Kickers nearly gave the visitors the advantage right before halftime with a potential own goal when back pass was complicated by miscommunication that saw it scoot past Dykstra, who had to recover to send the ball over the endline instead of the back of the net.

The second half continued to be the Willis show with the netminder denying two quality opportunities for the Kickers and watched another from a free kick sail just over the crossbar in the 90^th minute as overtime loomed.

That is when things began to get interesting. DC saw two players sent off in extra time with Chris Korb receiving a second yellow in the 113^th minute and Carlos Ruiz getting his walking orders just four minutes later with a straight red card. But the seven minutes of having one or two extra players came too late as the two sides ultimately played things out from the spot.

The Kickers were unable to recover after seeing Sascha Gorres and Ngwenya’s attempts in the first two rounds saved by Willis despite conversions from Luke Vercollone and Nate Robinson as De Rosario, Perry Kitchen, Nick De Leon and James Riley were all perfect.

Scoring Summary

None

PK Summary

RIC – 2: Sascha Gorres (save), Joseph Ngwenya (save), Luke Vercollone (goal), Nate Robinson (goal)

DC – 4: Dwayne De Rosario (goal), Perry Kitchen (goal), Nick De Leon (goal), James Riley (goal)

Discipline

RIC: Jason Yeisley (caution) 57^th

RIC: Matthew Delicate (caution) 73^rd

DC: Chris Pontius (caution) 82^nd

DC: Chris Korb (caution) 90^th

DC: Chris Korb (caution, ejection) 113^th

DC: Carlos Ruiz (ejection) 117^th

RIC: Andrew Dykstra (caution) 120^th

Lineups

Kickers: GK Andrew Dykstra, Henry Kalungi, Shane Johnson (Matthew Delicate – 69’), William Yomby, Luke Vercollone, Michael Seaton (Juan Arbelaez – 60’), Mike Callahan, Stanley Nyazamba (Sascha Gorres – 60’), Nate Robinson, Jason Yeisley, Joseph Ngwenya

D.C. United: GK Joe Willis, Daniel Woolard, James Riley, Chris Korb, Raphael Augusto (Chris Pontius – 58’), Perry Kitchen, Conor Shanosky, Nick De Leon, Kyle Porter (Sainey Nyassi – 91’), Dwayne De Rosario, Lionard Pajoy (Carlos Ruiz – 80’)

Referee: Eric Weisbrod

Assistant Referees: James Brooks, Dean Fairweather

Fourth Official: J.T. Alukonis

Attendance: 4,752 Weather: Partly cloudy, 85º

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Richmond pull away from Icon FC to set up another rematch with DC United

May 22, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

Michael Callahan of the Richmond Kickers dribbles through the Icon FC defense. Photo: Suz Kitsteiner | Richmond Kickers

Despite some early setbacks, the USL Pro’s Richmond Kickers sent Icon FC of the USASA home packing, 4-1 Tuesday night. Icon FC, anchored by former US international Danny Szetela, didn’t go without a fight, however, tallying an early goal and holding tough until late in a rough, chippy affair.

It took just nine minutes for the first goal to be scored in this contest, as Icon FC’s Argjent Duka got on the end of defender Kevin Garcia’s through ball in the Richmond box and slotted a goal past Kickers keeper Andrew Dykstra. The celebrations didn’t last long as Richmond’s Stanley Nyazamba scored just seconds later off of a Joseph Ngwenya assist. Both of those players would be involved further as the game progressed. Ngwenya converted a penalty 14 minutes later after a Richmond player was dragged down in the box. The MLS veteran calmly placed his shot in the lower-right corner of the goal after catching Icon’s keeper, Chris Duggan, out of position with a stutter-step. Icon then turned on the pressure, forcing Dykstra into making two saves in a four-minute span right before halftime. Despite their efforts, Icon went into the half down 2-1.

Coming out of halftime, the Kickers started peppering the Icon goal. Richmond forward Nate Robinson narrowly missed the open goal in the 52nd minute and Ngwenya put a scissor-kick just high in the 55th. There was some controversy in the 58th minute, as two Icon players seemed to handle the ball inside of the box. Center referee Mark Gorak saw it differently and allowed play to go on. Richmond responded with two shots in rapid succession, both well saved by Dugan.

Three minutes later, Dugan couldn’t keep his string of great saves going when Kickers midfielder Mike Callahan collected a ball from Ngwenya on the right wing and attempted to cross it in. The cross skipped off the shin of Icon defender Teddy Niziolek and nestled neatly under the crossbar to give Richmond a 3-1 lead. The official scorer credited the goal to Callahan, his first in the tournament this year.

In the 68th minute, Icon FC won a free kick on the corner of the Richmond area and was looking to punch a second goal in directly. The shot was easily collected by Dykstra for his fourth save, and the Kickers played on. Gorak, the referee, started to put his mark on the game from this point, clamping down on fouls and dealing two Icon yellows in a ten-minute span. The discipline wasn’t the only action left, however, as Richmond forward Stanley Nyazamba got on the end of a ball from Nate Robinson in the 85th and put it past Dugan to propel the Kickers to a 4-1 win.

The Richmond Kickers move on to host MLS side D.C. United on May 28th at City Stadium. This will mark the second year in a row, and the sixth time overall, that the two teams have faced each other in Open Cup play with United winning the last five of the six meetings.

#USOC100

Things you should know about the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup

June 26, 2012 by Josh Hakala

MORE: Notable upsets in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup (Modern Era)

SHANNIE &N SHANE — The 1997 San Francisco Bay Seals are one of two Division 3 clubs to not only reach the Quarterfinals, but to advance to the Semifinals. Photo: San Francisco Bay Seals

In 2019, Los Angeles FC broke the Modern Era’s Quarterfinal attendance record in the club’s 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers at Banc of California Stadium. The announced attendance was 18,947, which narrowly broke the previous record of 17,898 which was set last year in the same stadium, against the same opponent.

That big number for LAFC in 2019, combined with 12,401 at Minnesota United’s win over New Mexico United, it broke the Modern Era’s Quarterfinal record for average attendance for the entire round with 11,525. Elsewhere, Atlanta United drew 7,523 in their 2-0 win over Saint Louis FC (USL-C) and Orlando City SC drew 7,227 in their penalty kick win over New York City FC.

The 2008 US Open Cup marked the first time that a pair of 2nd Division teams advanced out of the Quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.

In 2007, when the Seattle Sounders (USL First Division) defeated the Colorado Rapids (MLS) 5-0, it was the worst loss suffered by an MLS team in the US Open Cup.

In 2007, the USL First Division (2nd Division) had three teams in the Quarterfinals (Carolina, Charleston, Seattle), the most ever. That same year, only three MLS teams advanced to the Quarterfinal round, the fewest ever. For the first time ever, two USL Second Division (3rd Division) teams (Richmond Kickers, Harrisburg City Islanders) made the round of eight in the same year. In 2010, a pair of USL-2 clubs advanced to the Quarterfinals (Charleston Battery, Harrisburg City Islanders) in the same year.

2012 marks the first year in the Modern Era that three Division 3 clubs reached the Quarterfinals with the Harrisburg City Islanders, Dayton Dutch Lions and the Charlotte Eagles all playing in the Round of Eight.

The Carolina RailHawks and the Seattle Sounders won their Quarterfinal matches in 2007, marking only the second time that two USL First Division (2nd Division) teams had done that in the same year. In 1999, the Charleston Battery and the Rochester Raging Rhinos both made the Semifinals, with Rochester eventually winning the tournament.

The Second Division of US Soccer has been represented in the Quarterfinals by at least one team in all but five tournaments (2000, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2015). In 2010, it was the first year that the Quarterfinals were without Second Division representation but there were still USL Second Division (3rd Division of US Soccer) remaining: Charleston Battery and the Harrisburg City Islanders.

The Harrisburg City Islanders are the first Third Division team to ever reach the Quarterfinals in consecutive seasons (2009, 2010). 2010 also marked the first time that two USL-2 clubs (Third Division) reached the Quarterfinals two years in a row. (Wilmington & Harrisburg in 2009, Charleston & Harrisburg in 2010).

FC Dallas have the most Quarterfinals appearances among all Major League Soccer teams.

16	FC Dallas	8-7-1 (1-0)	1996^ 1997^ 1998^ 1999 2000 2002^ 2004 2005^ 2006 2007^ 2008 2011^ 2013, 2014^ 2016^ 2017
14	Chicago Fire	11-1-2 (2-0)	1998^ 2000^ 2001^ 2003^ 2004^ 2005^ 2006^ 2008 2011^ 2013^ 2014^ 2015^ 2016^ 2018^
12	LA Galaxy	6-5-1 (1-0)	1999 2000^ 2001^ 2002^ 2003^ 2005^ 2006^ 2010 2011 2015 2016^ 2017
11	DC United	9-1-1 (0-1)	1996^ 1997^ 2000 2001^ 2003^ 2005 2006^ 2008^ 2009^ 2010^ 2013^
11	Sporting Kansas City	5-5-1 (0-1)	1996 2002^ 2004^ 2005 2008 2009 2011 2012^ 2015^ 2017^ 2018
9	NE Revolution	2-5-2 (2-0)	2001^ 2003 2006 2007^ 2008^ 2013 2014 2016^ 2017
9	New York Red Bulls	4-3-2 (1-1)	1997^ 1998^ 2000^ 2002 2003^ 2006 2011 2015 2017^
9	San Jose Earthquakes	1-5-3 (1-2)	1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2004^ 2005 2012 2017^
7	Columbus Crew	4-2-1 (0-1)	1998^ 1999^ 2000 2001 2002^ 2004 2010^
6	Colorado Rapids	2-4-0	1996^ 1999^ 2002 2003 2006 2007
6	Houston Dynamo	3-3-0	2006^ 2009^ 2010 2015 2016 2018^
6	Seattle Sounders	5-1-0	2009^ 2010^ 2011^ 2012^ 2014^ 2016
5	Philadelphia Union	3-0-2 (1-1)	2012^ 2014^ 2015^ 2016 2018^
4	Tampa Bay Mutiny	0-4-0	1996 1997 1998 1999
4	Portland Timbers	2-2-0	2013^ 2014 2018 2019^
3	Real Salt Lake	2-1-0	2011 2013^ 2015^
2	Chivas USA	2-0-0	2010^ 2012^
2	Miami Fusion	1-1-0	1998 2000^
3	Orlando City SC	0-2-1 (1-0)	2015 2018, 2019^
2	Los Angeles FC	1-1-0	2018^, 2019
1	Atlanta United FC	1-0-0	2019^
1	Minnesota United FC	1-0-0	2019^
1	New York City FC	0-1-0	2019

^ Advanced in their Quarterfinal match

The Charleston Battery have the most lower division Quarterfinal appearances since 1996.

6	Charleston Battery	3-3-0	1999^ 2004^ 2007 2008^ 2009 2010
5	Rochester Rhinos	3-1-1 (0-1)	1996^ 1999^ 2004 2005 2009^
4	Richmond Kickers	1-3-0	2001 2004 2007 2011^
4	Seattle Sounders	1-2-1 (1-0)	1996 2003 2007^ 2008^
4	H’burg City Islanders	0-4-0	2007 2009 2010 2012
3	Carolina RailHawks	1-2-0	2007^ 2013 2014
2	Minnesota Thunder	1-0-1 (0-1)	2004 2005^
2	Wilm. Hammerheads	0-2-0	2003 2009
1	Atlanta Silverbacks	0-1-0	2014
1	Carolina Dynamo	0-1-0	1996
1	Charlotte Eagles	0-1-0	2012
1	Chicago Stingers	0-1-0	1997
1	Crystal Palace Baltimore	0-0-1 (0-1)	2008
1	Dayton Dutch Lions	0-1-0	2012
1	Ft. Lauderdale Strikers	0-1-0	2016
1	L.I. Rough Riders	0-1-0	1997
1	Louisville City FC	0-1-0	2018
1	Milwaukee Rampage	0-1-0	2002
1	Nashville Metros	0-1-0	1998
1	New Mexico United	0-1-0	2019
1	Orlando City SC	0-1-0	2013
1	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	0-1-0	2001
1	Saint Louis FC	0-1-0	2019
1	San Fran. Bay Seals	1-0-0	1997^
1	Staten Island Vipers	0-1-0	1999
1	FC Cincinnati	1-0-0	2017^
1	Miami FC (NASL)	0-1-0	2017

^ Advanced in their Quarterfinal match

2012 US Open Cup Round 3: DC United needs OT to win latest chapter of Richmond Kickers rivalry

May 30, 2012 by Jimmy LaRoue

web-Rich-DC-USOC-SuzKitsteiner — Photo: Suz Kitsteiner, Richmond Kickers

A more rested and healthier D.C. United absorbed and endured a stubborn Richmond Kickers team, and in particular, a fountain-of-youth-like performance from goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale, outlasting the USL PRO side 2-1 in extra time of the third round U.S. Open Cup match.

“They made it tough,” said United coach Ben Olsen. “Any team that wants to sit back and counter like that, it’s not easy to break it down. It takes a full game of focus, and not to get too caught up and be patient and know that if you play the right way, eventually you’ll get the win.”

United was patient enough, but had trouble breaking through a patchwork Kickers defensive unit.

And when they did break through, they had to contend with Pascale.

“He did well,” Olsen said. “He’s been here forever. He’s been having great games against us since I remember. We’ve played Richmond like 10 times over the years. He’s a legend here and he had a great game tonight.”

Pascale stymied a persistent United side on numerous occasions, making seven saves, several of the diving, fingertip variety, but he didn’t have an answer for Marcelo Saragosa’s goal in the 107th minute.

And the Kickers, out of gas and healthy bodies, didn’t have an answer for that.

“It was one of the best games he’s ever played, I thought,” said Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw. “He had some fantastic saves on the night. He should save that for the weekend as well.”

Pascale said it was one of those games where he seemed to be able to put himself in the right spot at the right time.

“Personally, it was one of the better games I’ve played,” Pascale said. “There have been a lot of games, but this is definitely one that is going to stand out, especially this year being my last year, and now, the last chance to play an MLS team, and being D.C.”

The win for United means they’ll face Philadelphia Union next Tuesday in a fourth round matchup at the Maryland Soccerplex. Union and United survived the third round, while seven MLS teams did not.

“It was a classic Cup tie,” Cowlishaw said. “We did very well, gave them a lot of scares and had a lot of chances.”

The Kickers, with just 13 healthy bodies due to injuries to central defenders William Yomby and Henry Kalungi–away with the Ugandan national team–as well as to midfielder Michael Callahan, were forced to alter their lineup, starting forward Jason Yeisley as a center back and midfielder Bobby Foglesong as right back. United, meanwhile, did not have former Kicker Dwayne DeRosario and and Dejan Jakovic due to callups to the Canadian national team.

“I’m just really proud of their hunger and their desire,” Cowlishaw said. “This was just a shame. This was perhaps the worst result because we went to overtime, and the big one for us is Friday , so we’ve got to try and recover physically as well as mentally.

Cowlishaw described it as a nightmare scenario.

The injuries, combined with two league matches Friday and Saturday, put the Kickers in the inevitable position of having to sit back, absorb United’s best, and try to strike on the counter attack.

“Pretty much that’s what it looks like every year in the Open Cup early rounds,” Olsen said. “And you just have to survive. I’m sure there’ll be some losses for some MLS teams. It always happens, but I always tell the guys, ‘Expect the unexpected in these games, and you’re going to have to gut it out.’ It never comes easy in these games.”

That plan changed a bit when United struck first in the 24th minute from in-form Hamdi Salihi. Maicon Santos, from midfield, found Salihi streaking toward goal, and Salihi finished past Pascale to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Almost immediately, the Kickers began to show some attacking flair, and in the waning moments of the first half, were rewarded with a dubious penalty after former Real Salt Lake forward Chris Agorosor went down with minimal contact from Saragosa in the box. Stanley Nyazamba converted the penalty to tie the match going into the half.

“It was disappointing because it wasn’t a PK,” Olsen said. “It just wasn’t a PK. It happens. It’s part of these games–the intrigue of them, the chaos of them because the refereeing isn’t always the best. It’s not a knock on the refs; it’s just the reality. It just adds to the games not being very easy.”

Cowlishaw said getting the call was important to keep the team in the match, but acknowledged that it was a generous call.

“To be fair, the first might have been a little bit soft anyway,” Cowlishaw said.

“It was huge because we were trying to keep the game as short as possible,” Cowlishaw said. “We didn’t come out very strongly, actually, but I wanted to go for it in regulation because the overtime was no good to us.”

The second half began much like the first, with the Kickers sitting back and trying to weather United’s pressure, content to let the visitors pass the ball around.

However, Ryan Heins had a great chance to put the home side ahead, but his effort off a quick Kickers counterattack went inches wide left of Joe Willis’s goal.

When the makeshift Kickers defense bent, Pascale was there to bail them out. Twice in the 60th minute, Pascale made point-blank saves, and a third United attempt from that sequence went just wide.

Without a deep bench, the Kickers pushed for a second goal late in regulation, bringing in slightly injured forward Matthew Delicate and forward David Bulow to replace the lively Edson Elcock and Nyazamba.

“Right at the end, I thought we were going to sneak it in regulation,” Cowlishaw said. “We had a couple of really good looks to try and just squeeze out of there, which would have been perfect.”

In the 78th minute, the spry Andy Najar ripped a laser from 20 yards that had Pasacle saving at full stretch to his left. Najar tested Pascale again in the 86^th minute, but the 35-year old goalkeeper was up to the task.

Neither team had anything to offer in the four minutes of second half stoppage time, forcing an extra 30 minutes of overtime.

Cowlishaw said at that point, he was hoping to ride out the overtime and turn to Pascale to save the Kickers in penalties.

“We were just walking wounded by then,” Cowlishaw said.

Second half United substitute Nick DeLeon had an early chance snuffed out by a left middle-fingertip save that pushed the shot just inches wide of the right post.

The first 15 minutes had the 5,014 Kickers fans in attendance at Richmond City Stadium nervously confident that the home side could get to penalties and knock off yet another MLS team, as it did twice in last season’s U.S. Open Cup run to the semifinals.

However, Saragosa made sure that wouldn’t be the case, as he slammed home an eight-yard shot from a Branko Boskovic corner in the 107th minute.

“I’m happy to score and get a chance to step onto the next level,” Saragosa said. “It was hard for us because we scored and then was fighting hard to get another , but everybody helped each other and I think it’s a great win.”

Said Pascale of the play: “Unfortunately it was just one of those weird set pieces where a couple of people fell into each other and the ball fell right to the guy’s foot eight yards out,” Pascale said. “Credit to him, he finished it well.”

Boskovic said the corner was “nothing special.”

“I just put the ball in the box and we scored,” Boskovic said. “We had a lot of corner kicks and free kicks, but this team was also good on set pieces.”

The Kickers made one last gasp effort, with Gerson dos Santos heading a corner by Sascha Goerres inches wide of goal.

Olsen said United “made a meal” out of the game, but was pleased that he was able to give minutes to players not seeing as much, singling out the play of Ethan White and Lewis Neal, playing his first-ever game at left back, and said Saragosa got better as the match went along, and was justly rewarded with his match-winner.

“Gut checks sometimes are not the end of the world,” Olsen said.

The Kickers are now left to get what little rest they can before they play two games in two days this weekend–Friday at Harrisburg, who will be confident after knocking off New England in penalties, and Saturday at Rochester, in the first matchup since former Kickers assistant Jesse Myers took the top job with the Rhinos.

“The guys really came together and fought for each other,” Pascale said. “We really enjoyed fighting for each other and working for each other, just making it diffiicult for them, and we created a couple of good chances too. I thought it was a good game, kind of back and forth. Probably, at the end of the day, they deserved to win, but I was hoping for PKs.”

DC United 2:1 Richmond Kickers
University of Richmond Stadium – Richmond, VA

Scoring Summary
24th minute: D.C. United: Hamdi Salhi (Maicon Santos)
45th minute: Stanley Nyazamba (Penalty)
107th minute: Marcelo Saragosa (Branko Boskovic)

Lineups
Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, Shane Johnson, Gerson Dos Santos, Luke Vercollone, Sascha Görres, Edson Elcock (Matthew Delicate – 77’), Ryan Heins (Nozomi Hiroyama – 87’), Bobby Foglesong, Stanley Nyazamba (David Bulow – 77’), Jason Yeisley, Christopher Agorsor

United: GK Joe Willis, Ethan White, Emiliano Dudar, Chris Korb (Perry Kitchen – 104’), Marcelo Saragosa, Andy Najar, Stephen King (Branko Boskovic – 75’) Lewis Neal, Hamdi Salihi (Nick DeLeon – 45’), Josh Wolff, Maicon Santos

Cautions:
111th minute: Perry Kitchen (D.C. United)

Ejections:
None

Referee: Kai Goodrich
Assistant Referees: Robert Velbis, Mark Gorak
Fourth Official: Matthew Franz
Attendance: 5014
Weather: Sunny, 90º

2012 US Open Cup Second Round: Richmond Kickers defeat Aegean Hawks 4-0 to earn rematch with DC United

May 23, 2012 by Jimmy LaRoue

They may not be saying, “Oh no, we have to play Richmond,” but D.C. United will know to be wary, and prepared, for a Kickers squad experienced at taking down Major League Soccer teams in the U.S. Open Cup.

United travels to Richmond next Tuesday for a Third Round match to face a Kickers squad that is similar to the one that in last year’s U.S. Open Cup took down the MLS’s Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City on the road, before falling 2-1 at Toyota Park against the Chicago Fire in the semifinals.

The Kickers advanced to host United by virtue of a convincing 4-0 win over Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks FC of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association at the Maryland Soccerplex. The Kickers received two goals from Christopher Agorsor, as well as single goals from Gerson dos Santos and Nozomi Hiroyama to lock down the Hawks.

Agorsor opened the scoring in the 20^th minute, as defender Henry Kalungi played a long ball from midfield toward forward Jason Yeisley, who flicked the ball into Agorsor’s path. The former University of Virginia standout made a quick turn and fired low into the left corner for the 1-0 lead.

The Kickers struck again before the half, this one coming off a Mike Callahan corner in the 28^th minute. Callahan played the ball to defender Luke Vercollone, who took a touch and then hit an outswinging ball in the box to dos Santos, whose header went into the upper 90.

The Hawks had two quality chances before the half, but just missed. The Kickers then used the second half to seal the match, getting two more goals late.

In the 82^nd minute, dos Santos put a free kick from 20 yards off of Agorsor’s heel and into the net at the near post to put the Kickers up 3-0. Two minutes later, Hiroyama took a pass from Bobby Foglesong near midfield and dribbled 45 yards through the Hawks defense before scoring from 14 yards.

The last time United played the Kickers in the U.S. Open Cup was in 2010, when United won 2-0 in a round of 16 game at George Mason University (highlights below).

In 2004, the Kickers defeated United in the Open Cup 2-1 in the third round before falling to the Chicago Fire.

In their history, besides winning the U.S. Open Cup in 1995, the Kickers have taken down the following MLS teams at various points–Colorado Rapids, Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, L.A. Galaxy.

D.C. United, meanwhile, has won the U.S. Open Cup twice, in 1996 and 2008.

Kickers History vs. Major League Soccer

March 15, 1997 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. Columbus Crew 1 (UR Stadium)
June 17, 1997 – Exhibition – D.C. United 4 vs. Richmond Kickers 2 (UR Stadium)
July 23, 1997 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – MetroStars 3 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (UR Stadium)
June 14, 2000 – U.S. Open Cup (2nd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. Colorado Rapids 0 (UR Stadium)
July 25, 2000 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – San Jose Earthquakes 2 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (Spartan Stadium)
April 1, 2001 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 0 vs. Dallas Burn 0 (UR Stadium)
July 24, 2001 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – D.C. United 2 vs. Richmond Kickers 1 (RFK Stadium)
April 13, 2002 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 0 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
July 17, 2002 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Columbus Crew 3 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (Crew Stadium)
April 5, 2003 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
July 21, 2004 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
August 4, 2004 – U.S. Open Cup (Quarterfinals) – Chicago Fire 1 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (UR Stadium)
August 3, 2005 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. D.C. United 3 (UR Stadium)
July 10, 2007 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs Los Angeles Galaxy 0 (UR Stadium)
March 22, 2008 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. D.C. United 0 (UR Stadium)
June 30, 2010 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – D.C. United 2 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (George Mason Stadium)
June 28, 2011 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. Columbus Crew 1 (Crew Stadium)
July 12, 2011 – U.S. Open Cup (Quarterfinals) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. Sporting Kansas City 0 (Livestrong Sporting Park)
August 30, 2011 – U.S. Open Cup (Semifinals) – Chicago Fire 2 vs. Richmond Kickers 1 (Toyota Park)

The Kickers return to regular season action May 26 when they host the Wilmington Hammerheads, who fell 4-0 to Eric Wynalda’s Cal FC.

Box Score First Half Second Half Final

Aegean Hawks 0 0 0

Richmond 2 2 4

Scoring Summary

Richmond: Christopher Agorsor (Jason Yeisley) 20

Richmond: Gerson Dos Santos (Luke Vercollone) 30

Richmond: Christopher Agorsor (Gerson Dos Santos) 82

Richmond: Nozomi Hiroyama (Bobby Foglesong) 84

Lineups

Kickers: GK Ronnie Pascale, William Yomby, Henry Kalungi, Sascha Görres, Shane Johnson, Gerson Dos Santos, Luke Vercollone, Mike Callahan, Ryan Heins, Christopher Agorsor, Jason Yeisley (Nozomi Hiroyama – 59’)

Cautions:

Richmond: Gerson Dos Santos (Richmond) 70

Ejections:

None

Referee: Charles Carson

Assistant Referees: Matthew Kreitzer, Alexander Luttmann

Fourth Official: Adrian Krell, III

Attendance: 150

Weather: Cloudy, 72º

Richmond Kickers goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale to play final campaign in 2012

February 14, 2012 by Gerald Barnhart

pascale-retires-zimmerman — Pascale was TheCup.us Player of the Round for 2011 Quarterfinals. photo: Brian Zimmerman

Arguably one of the US Open Cup’s most successful goalkeepers, Ronnie Pascale, has announced that 2012 will be his final season with the Richmond Kickers, ending his career where he made a name for himself for the last 12 seasons and transitioning into a coaching role with the club, serving a dual role as player and assistant coach.

It has been quite the career for the 35-year-old Furman University product. He has led the Kickers to the postseason in all but one season since he began serving as the starting netminder in 2002, winning championships in 2006 and 2009 and reaching the final on four other occasions. He also led the team to a pair of regular season titles in 2006 and 2007 and three consecutive runners-up finishes immediately thereafter, earning three Goalkeeper of the Year honors during the process.

Though he registered only one shutout in five US Open Cup matches in 2011, his leadership proved a critical element as Richmond made one of the most historic runs in tournament history by a lower division team. The lone clean sheet was the second half of the first-ever back-to-back pair of road wins by a lower division club against Major League Soccer opposition. The 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on a stormy night July 13 sent the Kickers on to the Semifinals for the first time since the club won the 1995 tournament and earned Pascale not only TheCup.us Player of the Match honors, but Player of the Round.

The 2011 run began with 4-1 victories over fellow USL Pro sides Dayton Dutch Lions and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the opening two rounds, respectively. Then Richmond stepped into the spotlight with a surprising 2-1 victory at Columbus Crew Stadium in the Third Round to reach the quarterfinal contest against KC. The Kickers’ run would come to a close, 2-1, in Chicago.

The shutout against Kansas City was the fifth clean sheet of Pascale’s career in the tournament and his 16 career appearances in the event are the most among goalkeepers since 2007. The next closest are Dusty Hudock (11) and Chris Eylander (10). Pascale’s performance in that span has been quite outstanding as well with an 11-5-0 record and a goals-against average of 1.10 against all opposition. Three of the five losses were against MLS clubs with the then higher division Carolina RailHawks attributing to the other two.

News Release +

Richmond Times-Dispatch +

TheCup.us Best of 2011 review

December 30, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

As we head into the New Year with US Open Cup qualification for 2012 already under way in the USASA and all the entrants for the higher divisions (reportedly) set, we thought we would take a look back at the year 2011. We wanted to honor the great performances in the US Open Cup and by the teams and players in all competitions for the American domestic clubs. Here is the debut of TheCup.us annual honors.

US Open Cup Best 11 Performances of 2011

11 – Eric Kronberg & CJ Sapong (Sporting KC):

Qualifying for the tournament during and after a long road stretch to start the season due to stadium construction was no easy task, and the club could not be faulted if they chose to pass on playing in the event. Instead, the team dominated in qualifying with a pair of Kronberg shutouts and three goals from Sapong to top Houston, 1-0 in overtime, and New England, 5-0. Kronberg would go on to get a third shutout in the Third Round tournament opener for KC, blanking Chicago Fire’s PDL side, 3-0.

10 – Stefan Dimitrov (NY Pancyrprian Freedoms):

After being one of the club’s leading players in qualifying, he continued his stellar performance in the tournament. He struck the opening goal in the team’s 2-1 First Round win against Brooklyn Italians and nearly saw his team upset USL Pro’s FC New York in the Second Round, falling in penalties after a scoreless draw.

9 – Kitsap Pumas:

The best performance by a club from the fourth tier of US Soccer, Kitsap survived a difficult road trip to El Paso in the First Round, advancing on penalties after a scoreless draw. They then dominated fellow PDL side Real Colorado, 3-1, before giving the MLS Sounders a tough test on their home turf before exiting in a 2-1 decision.

8 – Jackson (FC Dallas):

The midfielder was the game MVP in the club’s first two contests, tallying a goal and assist in the thrilling 3-2 victory against Orlando City in the Third Round and finding the back of the net once again in their win at home against Real Salt Lake.

7 – Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas):

Filling in for the regular starter at the last minute, the netminder came out on top in a goalkeeping duel on the road against the El Paso Patriots. After a scoreless 90 minutes, he made a fantastic double-save in overtime and then stopped a penalty in the shootout to send the Pumas onto the Second Round.

6 – Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire):

A maligned start to his MLS campaign resulted in a trade to Chicago, where he would revive his reputation with some success in the Open Cup. Part of the success included game-winners in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches against Richmond and New York. Oduro, Player of the Round for the Semifinals, also finished second behind Seattle’s Fredy Montero for TheCup.us Player of the ‘Tournament.

5 – Chicago Fire:

A club struggling in league play (and ultimately missing the postseason), the Fire advanced from pre-tournament MLS qualifying, kicking it all off with a win over defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids, 2-1, before topping San Jose in penalties after a 2-2 draw to earn the berth. In the tournament they edged perennial upset-power Rochester, 1-0, before clobbering a second-string Red Bulls, 4-0, and ending the amazing run of Richmond, 2-1, to reach the championship, where they fell, 2-0, to Seattle.

4 – Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders):

The Sounders played four games en route to the title. He netted the game-winner in the last three as they topped three consecutive MLS opponents, earning Player of the Tournament honors.

3 – David Bulow (Richmond Kickers):

He finished as the leading scorer of the tournament with six goals, doubling the tally of those behind him. The effort propelled Bulow into the all-time scoring leader for the Modern Pro Era with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City. Unfortunately he had to watch his team play without him in the Kickers’ Semifinal loss to Chicago when he received a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation when he was cautioned late in the Kansas City match.

2 – Seattle Sounders:

Any other year and Seattle would have been in the top spot, which is undoubtedly where they would be for a team of the decade vote. You do not need to say anything more than Three-Peat.

1 – Richmond Kickers:

What can you say? In the 17 years of the Modern Pro Era of the tournament you can count on one hand the kind of lower division club performances equal to what the Kickers accomplished this year, becoming the first-ever team to win back-to-back road matches versus MLS opponents. They topped Columbus at Crew Stadium, 2-1, in the Third Round and stunned Kansas City, 2-0, in a thunderstorm-plagued match in the Quarterfinals. The run, which started with a pair of games against fellow USL Pro clubs and no amateur sides, did not see the team trail until it came to an end on the road in Chicago during the Semifinals.

All Competitions Best of 2011

Major League Soccer Club: Los Angeles Galaxy

It was not an easy choice between the star-laden Galaxy and the Open Cup darling Sounders as both were excellent across nearly all competitions. LA won MLS Cup as Seattle crashed out early in the playoffs again. On the other hand, Seattle knocked LA out of the early rounds of the Open Cup yet again on its way to winning their third consecutive title, making those two events basically even. In the end, that left the MLS Supporters’ Shield and CONCACAF Champions League, both of which the Galaxy were the better side. LA won their group in CCL action while the Sounders were second in theirs – both advancing to this spring’s Quarterfinals. And in the regular season, the Galaxy finished four points better as they finished one-two with LA having the better of Seattle on the narrowest of margins, 1-0 on aggregate, in their two league contests on the year – making the season opener back on March 15 the possible deciding factor in this honor as the point swing would have made Seattle Supporters’ Shield winners instead.

Major League Soccer Player: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)

With three goals in the Open Cup, he was tied with several other players for second in scoring. In MLS, he finished tied for fifth in both goals (12) and assists (9). He was also tied for sixth in CCL scoring with three goals.

Lower Division Professional Club: Orlando City

Based on Open Cup performance, selecting Richmond would have been the obvious choice. However, Orlando City dominated USL Pro this season, finishing with a 15-3-6 record and going on to capture the league double with a playoff championship in equally dominating fashion. In the Open Cup, the Floridians blew past amateurs ASC New Stars, 4-0, before becoming the first non-MLS team to oust Charleston, 1-0, in the Second Round. They gave CCL club and MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas a tough outing in the Third Round, finding themselves on the wrong end of a thrilling 3-2 contest that saw both clubs score in stoppage time.

Lower Division Professional Player: Miguel Gallardo (Orlando City)

If David Bulow was the star of the Open Cup, it was Gallardo during the USL Pro season. The netminder controlled the box with a league-leading 0.681 GAA, finishing first in shutouts (11) and tied for first in wins (12). He allowed only one goal in postseason contests against Charleston and Richmond and had a shutout in the works during the final before mistakenly taking down a Harrisburg player outside of the box, receiving a red card for the foul and allowing the City Islanders to force a 2-2 draw that saw the Lions take the title in penalties.

Amateur Club: NY Pancyprian Freedoms

The perennial USASA giants came into the tournament as defending USASA Open Cup champions and as reigning Cosmopolitan League title holders, suffering only one loss in a 11-1-4 campaign. The Freedoms topped the NPSL’s Brooklyn Italians, 2-1, in the First Round and nearly upset USL Pro FC New York in the Second Round. They took the pro club to penalty kicks in a scoreless contest before being eliminated in sudden death penalties. The club would go on to capture a second straight USASA championship, downing AAC Eagles, 6-0, in the semifinal and claiming the title in penalties after a 2-2 draw against ASC New Stars.

Amateur Club Player: Milton Blanco (Fresno Fuego)

He finished first in the league in assists (14) and tied for sixth in goals (12) to finish first overall in total points with 38. He helped lead Fresno to an unbeaten 13-0-3 season that came to an end in the second round of the playoffs, 1-0, by the professional Kitsap side that went on to win the league title. Four of Blanco’s goals came in the opening four Open Cup qualification games of the season, leading the team to a perfect 4-0-0 record that was not quite enough as they missed out on the division’s berth in the tournament to Ventura County on tiebreakers.

Professional Women’s Club: Western NY Flash

Dominant from start to finish, the newcomers to WPS finished 14-3-2 on the season and went on to win the league double with the playoff championship.

Professional Women’s Player: Abby Wambach (MagicJack)

It was a tough decision with WNY’s Christine Sinclair finishing tied for first in goals (10) and assists (8). Wambach, however, was tied for third in goals (9), having played in three fewer games. More importantly, the US international was the standout performer in the FIFA World Cup over the summer while Canada’s campaign fell flat.

Amateur Women’s Club: Atlanta Silverbacks

The W-League champions suffered only one loss on the year, an early season defeat to rival Charlotte, 3-1. Since that game, the Silverbacks gave up only two more goals during the regular season, finishing the campaign with seven shutouts. After a wild 3-2 opening round playoff win against the New Jersey Wildcats they went on to blank Charlotte, 1-0, and dominate the two Canadian giants. They topped Vancouver, 3-1, in the semifinal and shockingly crushed the perfect Ottawa Fury (12-0-0, 3-0-0) in the championship game with a stunning 6-1 result.

Amateur Women’s Club Player: Edite Fernandes (Santa Clarita Blue Heat)

With players on Canadian sides dominating the scoring charts it was Edite Fernandes that stood out in the W-League. She finished with nine goals and five assists on the season (fourth in goals, assists and points) to help guide the second-year club to a regular season title in the Western Conference, a group home to powerhouses like Pali Blues, Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders.

Note: Pro clubs (and their players) in amateur leagues were ineligible for amateur awards. For men, they were categorized with Lower Division Professional Clubs and for women, they were categorized with Professional Women’s Club, etc.

2011 US Open Cup: Finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament unveiled

October 11, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

feature-POTT-Finalists — The top four finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament (from top left, clockwise): Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders), Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders), Ronnie Pascale (Richmond Kickers) and David Bulow (Richmond Kickers)

The 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament will undoubtedly go down in history with the Seattle Sounders and Richmond Kickers as the leading stories. Both clubs made history, resulting in two players from each club as the four finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors. The duo of Osvaldo Alonso and Fredy Montero are up for the award from the champion Sounders and David Bulow and Ronnie Pascale are in the running from Richmond.

The award, to be announced Thursday, October 13, is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. The panel previously honored Alonso, Pascale, Bulow as TheCup.us Players of the Round along with Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire), Mike Fucito (Seattle) and Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas).

Also receiving votes for the honor were Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and Pumas netminder Bryan Meredith.

Alonso, Player of the Round for the Final, started in all four matches of Seattle’s historic run to the championship, leading the team defensively along the way and capping it off with a goal in stoppage time of the 2-0 championship against Chicago. Leo Gonzalez was the only other Sounder to start all four contests while Jeff Parke and Mike Fucito were the only two others to see action in all four games.

Montero scored the game-winning goal in each of the last three contests in guiding the Sounders to the historic championship, also topping in addition to the Fire, fellow league Champions League sides Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds.

Bulow finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals, becoming the career leading in US Open Cup goals in the modern professional era (1995-present) with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City.

The venerable Pascale added yet another accolade to his fantastic lower division career, earning Player of the Round honors in leading Richmond to the shutout win in Kansas City. The victory made the Kickers the first lower division club to win back-to-back road games versus MLS opposition in the history of the tournament.