Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Rochester New York FC

2023 US Open Cup: Rochester NY FC becomes first pro team to forfeit match after ceasing operations

by

Kevin O’Toole of NYCFC dribbles the ball against Rochester New York FC in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. This is Rochester NY FC’s final Open Cup match. Photo: NYCFC

US Soccer has announced that Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC of USL Championship will receive a 1-0 forfeit win over Rochester NY FC of MLS NEXT Pro. This is after the club formerly named the Raging Rhinos has suspended all operations and will not be playing a 2023 season in the league.

This is a first for a professional team in the Modern Era (1995 to present), with a possible exception for when Colorado Rapids of MLS replaced the Colorado Foxes of the A-League in the 1996 tournament after the Foxes did not have enough players to compete due to World Cup qualifying at the same time as the match. At the time of this article’s publication, we have not confirmed if the Foxes withdrawal officially went down as a forfeit.

All forfeits are referred to the Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel. Section 307 of the US Open Cup policy states: If a team forfeits or fails to appear timely for a match, the team forfeits the match and must pay a fine that is at least equal to 3 times the entry fee of that team. The Adjudication and Discipline Panel shall determine the amount of the fine.

Division III teams like Rochester NY FC pay a $400 entry fee, making it a minimum fine of $1200. The separate $1500 performance bond all teams must post will not be returned to Rochester as well. The Panel also has the power to enforce penalties that are not monetary.

In the past, professional teams will decide before US Soccer finalizes the competition team list and format whether they are operating for the upcoming year. This announcement of Rochester’s withdrawal from MLS NEXT Pro comes after US Soccer had already decided the final format and announced the first and second round schedule on Feb. 3 and Feb. 16, respectively. These announcements were delayed from their planned January 2023 releases. Round 1 is scheduled to be played March 21-23 and Round 2 is scheduled to be played April 4-6.

Had this been decided in a more timely manner before US Soccer had to finalize the competition, the current format would have resulted in 30 Open Division slots instead of 28 for Round 1. This is because Rochester NY FC was a second round entrant, which means their place in the second round needs to be filled by a winner of a first round match, thus requiring two more teams. By rule, these two extra slots would be allocated to the two Open Division National Leagues, NPSL and USL League Two, with each league receiving one additional slot.

According to TheCup.us records regarding the NPSL here, the next team that would have qualified for the 2023 US Open Cup is Med City FC of Rochester, Minnesota. We have confirmed with the club that they were fully intending on participating in the competition had they been invited.

According to TheCup.us records regarding USL League Two here, the next team that would have qualified for the 2023 US Open Cup is Kalamazoo FC of Michigan. At the time of this article’s publication, we have not confirmed with them or any other club who would have accepted an invitation had they been invited. If Kalamazoo FC did not want to participate, the invitation may have gone to Long Island Rough Riders or Western Mass Pioneers as the next two best teams.

Adding specifically Med City FC to the tournament would have changed how the Round 1 draw and schedule panned out. Instead of Des Moines Menace traveling to Murfreesboro, TN to play Beaman United, the Menace would have had a much shorter trip up to Rochester, MN. Round 1 and Round 2 matches are paired up with geography in mind as best as possible.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds become the beneficiaries of this forfeit, making it one fewer game they have to play on the schedule and one game closer to the $25,000 prize as the furthest advancing Division II team. While their fellow league members in Division II USL Championship will be playing a second round match as scheduled. As Sacramento Republic did last season, they are also one game closer to the champion prize of $300,000 or the finalist prize of $100,000.

2022 US Open Cup Round 4: NYCFC trio helps knock Rochester New York out, 3-1

by

Kevin O’Toole of NYCFC dribbles the ball against Rochester New York FC in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: NYCFC

New York City FC fought off a challenge from Rochester New York FC in Round 4 of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, emerging as 3-1 victors in front of 1,513 Wednesday night at Belson Stadium on the St. John’s University campus.

At times, Rochester — a tournament entrant from MLS Next Pro, the third-tier league in American professional soccer — looked more dangerous than the reigning MLS Cup champions, threatening with dynamic runs down the flanks and quick counters.

But after successfully absorbing stretches of Rochester pressure, NYCFC opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.

The decisive play started on the right flank with Gabriel Pereira, who cut to his left foot and floated a beckoning cross toward the top of the penalty area for an oncoming Thiago Andrade. Free of a marker by several feet, Thiago struck the feed with a one-time lob and sent the ball looping past goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu and into the back of the net.

It was Thiago’s fifth goal this year across all competitions.

Eight minutes later, a goalkeeping howler doubled NYCFC’s advantage. Ejimadu lingered on a back pass just long enough for Heber to create calamity; the goalkeeper’s botched clearance never left the box, instead caroming off Heber’s thigh and bouncing into the net for the 2-0 lead.

On a different day, and with slightly more precision, Rochester may have produced a historic USOC upset. The visitor’s matched NYCFC’s physicality throughout the night and started with a higher tempo, producing the game’s first two scoring chances.

Raymond Drai rolled an effort just wide of the far post after finding space on the right side of the box inside the first 38 seconds, and Gibran Rayo narrowly missed an open net off Christian Wood’s 17th minute feed.

Jesus Batiz scored what would become a consolation goal for Rochester in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, poking a loose ball past NYCFC goalkeeper Luis Barraza.

“I think we felt a little bit under it in the first 15 minutes…backs were against the wall a bit,” said NYCFC defender Kevin O’Toole, who made his first team appearance of the year. “Thiago’s finish was amazing, and that really gave us a lift. I think we felt more comfortable after that, we were able to possess it through the midfield, we got our outside backs high, and that sort of took the pressure off a little bit.

“Then we were able to get the second with Heber pressing really hard on the goalkeeper. It was a good way to get into halftime with those two goals.”

NYCFC limited Rochester throughout the second half, their third goal arriving in the 76th minute as Maxime Chanot headed in Santiago Rodriguez’s corner.

Ejimadu partially redeemed himself for his error on NYCFC’s second goal by saving Gedion Zelalem’s penalty after referee Ernie Constantine awarded a spot kick for a late foul on Andres Jasson.

More late-game drama ensued, as both teams had players sent off. For NYCFC it was Pereira — who received his second yellow in a fracas inside the penalty area following the penalty save — and Rochester’s Preston Popp in added time for a late hit near the benches.

NYCFC, which extended its unbeaten run across all competitions to six with the win, advances to the Round of 16 for the second time in club history.

“These games are always hard,” NYCFC head coach Ronny Deila said. “Rochester was physical, they were organized and they gave everything. It was a tough game, but I think the boys did the job. They were fighting, we got three goals, and we win in the end.”

While NYCFC has never advanced past the quarterfinals, clubs representing the state of New York have had an impressive record: Since the tournament’s inception in 1913, 26 New York-based teams have won the trophy – the most of any state – with the most recent being the Rochester Raging Rhinos (ceased operations in 2017 as the precursor to Rochester New York FC) in 1999. The other 25 teams were based in New York City, but the Big Apple has not had a team lift the trophy since the Brooklyn Italians in 1991.

 

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Nine-man Rochester NY FC survives after PK shootout vs. FC Motown

by

Rochester New York FC celebrate after advancing 4-3 in penalty kicks (2-2 draw) against FC Motown in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Rochehster NY FC
Rochester New York FC celebrate after advancing 4-3 in penalty kicks (2-2 draw) against FC Motown in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Rochehster NY FC

“What can I say… A game full of emotions, a lot of things happened. A roller coaster of emotions.”

Rochester New York FC head coach Bruno Baltazar succinctly summed up an eventful Third Round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match against FC Motown, an NPSL side from New Jersey.

Baltazar’s side, who finished the game with nine men, would eventually prevail 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout, despite FC Motown scoring a late equalizer in second half stoppage time. The game finished tied 2-2 after 120 minutes of play.

It was a dramatic penalty kick win for a club with a history full of dramatic moments. Rochester New York made a name for itself in the US Open Cup under the “Rochester Rhinos” moniker, where they reached the Open Cup Final twice. After falling short in 1996 to D.C. United, the Rhinos made history by upsetting four MLS teams en route to winning the 1999 US Open Cup title. They remain the only non-MLS side to lift the trophy since 1996.

Despite the colorful antics and rather full box score, the match started slowly. Similarly, the center official would end up casting a large shadow over proceedings but began the game by having a quiet word with Motown center back Hermanus Achterkamp rather than brandishing a card in the opening quarter hour.

RNY FC center back and captain Lamar Batista earned a booking in the 18th minute for clattering into one of the Motown players that had just sandwiched his teammate Ian Garrett. The referee had not called a foul on the initial play but deemed Batista’s retaliatory challenge worthy of a yellow card.

Rochester opened the scoring with a well-worked goal by Pedro Dolabella. Winger Jesus Batiz played a cross-field pass that Gibran Rayo cleverly dummied, allowing Dolabella to rush forward from midfield. The 22-year-old isolated Motown left back Jean-Ismael Voltaire before firing a left-footed strike past goalkeeper David Greczek in the 21st minute.

The visitors probed forward but did not threaten Philip Ejimadu in Rochester’s goal until after the home side doubled its advantage. Rayo chased down an over-hit through ball and recovered to pick out Dolabella in space in the area. The midfielder found Wilterlynd Inalien just inside the six-yard-box with his first touch and Rochester’s No. 9 did not miss from point-blank range in the 38th minute.

A minute and a half later, seven-year MLS veteran Dilly Duka pulled one back for the side from Morristown, New Jersey. Winger Ryan Peterson, another player with professional experience on his resume, controlled a long ball in the left-hand channel before finding Duka open at the top of the box. The former Columbus Crew midfielder cut left on Rochester center back Gustavo Rissi to create space before firing past Ejimadu in the 40th minute.

Just a few minutes into the second half, the screws starting to come loose for RNY. Batista came together with Motown right back Samuel Pompee and the visiting player went to ground holding his calf afterwards. The referee quickly reached for his pocket and showed Batista his second yellow card and subsequent red card in the 51st minute.

The match proceeded with neither team producing clear chances on goal until the referee was called upon. Just a minute after Motown had a penalty shout of their own, Rayo drew contact from Pompee in the area and hit the deck. Inalien stepped up to the spot attempting to give Rochester a commanding 3-1 lead in the 79th minute but Greczek had done his homework, diving low to his right and stopping the penalty to keep Motown within one.

In the 85th minute, Dolabella was shown a straight red card for connecting his arm with the head of Motown’s Federico De Oliveira in the middle of the field.

“It’s the first time in my career that I’m playing with two men down because of red cards,” Baltazar said.

In the second of five minutes of stoppage time, Kian Alberto hit a ball forward from deep in midfield towards striker Joe Fala. The former Red Bulls II defender saw his initial headed effort come back off the post but he was first to the rebound and tapped in from three yards out to send the match to extra time.

With the home side down two players, the amateur side appeared to be favorites during extra time but failed to break down a resolute Rochester defensive organization. In the 111th minute, a red card was shown to the RNY bench. After going down several times and receiving medical attention, starting goalkeeper Ejimadu was replaced by Caique in the final minute of extra time in order to face penalties.

The Brazilian shot-stopper validated the substitution by making two saves in the shootout. His opposite number, Greczek, also blocked two shots for Motown.

“Going into penalties, I told the guys ‘I have all the confidence in Dave Pekarek, our goalie coach,’” said FC Motown head coach Šaćir Hot. “He has studied them, he’s had countless hours spent watching their penalties.”

Ultimately Zack Perez shot over the bar for Motown in the sixth round of kicks and Milan Vanacker sealed the win for Rochester.

After the final whistle, victorious goalkeeper Caique ran straight to the Motown bench and required multiple teammates to pull him away from opponents. In the fracas, the referee showed him a red card.

Baltazar was introspective after the match, despite advancing after winning the shootout.

“I’m happy with the win, obviously. Happy to qualify for the next round. But unhappy with some stuff that happened in the game … especially about ourselves there are a few things that are not acceptable,” he said. “We can’t do these kinds of things.

“The last two games, we had two clean sheets and if we don’t concede goals we are closer to a win. And it was a really easy goal, we can’t concede this type of goal. With that goal Motown can come back into the game again.”

In the second half, everything started to fall apart with the red cards the Portuguese coach added.

“And after that it’s all about the sacrifice, the commitment, the passion that this team is building,” he said. “It becomes stronger today after this game. But we are still building it.

“They showed the organization, they showed the commitment, they showed the passion. It’s not easy. Motown is a good team, even if it’s coming from amateur levels. They have good players, players that could be on our team.”

Baltazar said that RNY is still far away from where they want to be, competing in their inaugural season in the new MLS Next Pro league, but they are getting there.

“Cup games are always tricky to play,” Baltazar said. “Motown is a team that likes to have the ball, that likes to play the game. And yeah, we created chances but we should have scored more goals. We scored two goals. Again, we conceded one goal in the first half that I can’t accept. We need to talk about that and we need to correct that.

“We had the penalty so we can kill the game at 3-1. I think it can kill the game but we didn’t manage to score and after that everything happened.”

Hot was philosophical about the result.

“There’s things we could have done differently if we had a second chance but you can say that about everything in life,” he said. “I think that I’m disappointed, yeah. But not necessarily heartbroken. Listen, everything we’ve done to this point is house money. This is already the farthest we’ve gotten in the Open Cup, Third Round.

“Before the game, I told everyone that we were going to live and die by the sword. Their first two goals, if you notice, we were man-to-man across the whole field. We could have been conservative and sat in but I said ‘no, you know what we’re gonna put on a show for the fans and for us and we’re gonna go out swinging.’ It’s easy to resort to sitting in, packing it in, and being boring but no one likes boring. We’re gonna play and we’re gonna have fun at the same time.

“At least we put on a show. We were always gonna put on a show.”

By taking Rochester to penalty kicks, FC Motown finishes as the furthest advancing amateur team and wins $25,000 in prize money. This broke the amateur team tiebreaker with North Carolina Fusion U-23 who also forced extra time in their match against the Richmond Kickers.

Rochester advances to the fourth round, facing New York City FC on May 11 at Belson Stadium (St. John’s University).

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Gibran Rayo’s strike edges Rochester NY FC past tough Lansdowne Yonkers

by


Thursday evening’s Second Round encounter between Rochester New York FC and Lansdowne Yonkers FC was a physical affair. The first minute of the match saw RNY captain Lamar Batista go to ground holding his face following an aerial challenge with an opponent. This contentious nature continued through to the final whistle.

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Rochester head coach Bruno Baltazar told theCup.us, “We found a tough opponent, really physical, a lot of tackles and a lot of physical game, and we struggled a bit with how they play.”

Though both sides have since changed their names, the game was a rematch of a 2016 Third Round match won by the Rochester Rhinos 2-0. In its first Open Cup contest since coming off hiatus, Rochester put a stellar 16-0-0 record against amateur teams on the line against the reigning National Amateur Cup champions.

Rochester added to their perfect record against amateur teams (19-0-0) with a narrow 1-0 win over Lansdowne on the strength of a first half goal by Gibran Rayo.

Rochester made a name for themselves under the name “Rochester Raging Rhinos” in 1999 when they became the first lower division club in the Modern Era (1995-present) to win the US Open Cup. More than two decades later, they remain the only non-MLS team to lift the trophy.

Baltazar discussed the club’s history after the match and how he used it as a motivation rather than a burden.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure, I would call it a positive energy and a positive feeling that we have to represent this club, to honor the big history that this club has,” said Baltazar.

Rochester’s Portuguese coach went on to allude to his preparations to avoid being upset despite only having two friendlies and two club games with his squad so far.

“It’s a tough game, always. Cup games are always tough, in American soccer, all other the world,” Baltazar addeed. “There’s a lot of surprises happening in every round and we were aware of that.”

To that end, the home side started on the front foot. Rochester’s Pedro Dolabella saw his 22 yard free kick tipped over the bar in the fifth minute before Ojai Bedford made a last-ditch tackle for the visitors a few minutes later.

Just after the half-hour mark, the hosts pressured again with a through ball on the edge of the area but Lansdowne’s Kyle Parish slid in with a timely intervention for a corner. On the ensuing corner kick, goalkeeper Abdou Karim Danso made a diving save to his left to preserve the deadlock. Danso flapped at the next ball into the box but his defense was able to complete the clearance in the 33rd minute.

MORE: American soccer’s greatest modern underdog story: Rochester Raging Rhinos win 1999 US Open Cup 

As the match looked destined to head into the break scoreless, Rochester hit on the counter attack and Gibran Rayo played a wallpass before neatly finishing past Danso deep in stoppage time.
Lansdowne Yonkers FC head coach Sean Kelly commended his team’s work rate in the first half but stressed that they improved after the intermission.

“We wanted to go and make it as hard as possible for them and I think we did,” said Kelly. “I think we worked hard. We defended really well in the first half. We were nearly there, we nearly made it into the dressing room 0-0. We defended really well even though we didn’t play well – they played really well, credit to them.”

“It was just an absolute knife to the heart, just a knife to the heart!” Kelly, who played in the 2016 match against the Rhinos, elaborated on the emotional toll of conceding just before halftime. “We had just had a free kick … and they cleared it and within a minute the ball was in the back of the net. And when you play against teams of this standard, that’s what will happen. They’ll punish you. If you don’t aim to punish them first, they will punish you on counters.”

Lansdowne came out for the second half looking to switch their style of play. A key addition in the underdog’s quest for an equalizer was former Shamrock Rovers attacker Dean Dillon, who entered the contest in the 51st minute. A sloppy midfield characterized much of the second half, with multiple substitutions for both teams and the referee handing out yellow cards rather haphazardly.

2022 MEET THE UNDERDOGS: No longer Bhoys, Lansdowne Yonkers FC continuing unprecedented success

The visiting team grew as the match wore on and developed a number of chances in the dying minutes of the games. In the 89th minute, Lansdowne had a deep free kick that drew Rochester’s Philip Chijioke Ejimadu off his line but the goalkeeper did not punch cleanly before his defense cleaned up the mess.

In second half stoppage time, Dillon saw a headed chance fly just over the frame of the net and forward Shamir Mullings, who scored the equalizer in the club’s penalty kick win over the Ocean City Nor’easters in Round 1, directed a header from an in-swinging corner kick just wide of the far post. After six minutes of time added on, the referee blew an end to the match and Rochester NY FC will advance to the Third Round where they will face another amateur team, FC Motown of New Jersey in the NPSL.

Kelly was almost beaming after the match despite the result.

“The gameplan didn’t really go to plan in the first half but in the second half we were much better,” said Kelly. “And I’m really proud of the boys for that. This group has come a long way. It’s just more experience for us as a club and as a team. Hopefully we can grow and get better from this.”

“We had two half-chances towards the end. But if you start the game slow in the first half, you can’t just come out and turn it around in the second half and expect rewards. Saying that, I would have loved it if we had gotten an equalizer but it just wasn’t meant to be today. Rochester needed a win at the same time and they got it.”

Thursday’s result means that Rochester has advanced in a Modern Era record 17 straight opening round cup matches dating back to 2002.

Copyright © 2026 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development