Sacramento Gold

Series of forfeits, teams with ineligible players overshadow 2016 US Open Cup

May 31, 2016 by Evan Ream

With dozens of amateur and professional teams battling for the United States’ true national championship, every Lamar Hunt US Open Cup creates numerous storylines.

Whether it’s the 1999 Rochester Rhinos doing the impossible of becoming the only lower division side to win the final since the introduction of MLS teams, or amateur teams Cal FC and the Michigan Bucks both upsetting MLS teams in 2012, every Cup is usually remembered for at least one or two moments.

The early part of the 2016 edition of the tournament has featured three disqualifications, the most of any competition in the Modern Era (1995-present). And those three disqualifications were just the ones that were caught in what appears to be a combination of spotty rule enforcement from the United States Soccer Federation and a lack of rule awareness by teams and players.

Section 203. Part (c) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook is pretty clear:

“Any player who plays in any part of an Open Cup match for a team, including any match in any Open Division qualifying round, may not be included in the Open Cup roster or play for any other team in the Open Cup competition for that competition year.”

This rule is new for 2016 as the federation kicked off its inaugural open division qualifying tournament, a single-elimination competition made up of any amateur team that does not belong to the Premier Development League (PDL) or the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Prior to this year, players were only cup-tied if they played for a team in the Open Cup proper.

The reason for the ruling was to keep players from jumping from team to team. Occasionally players would play for one team during qualifying and if they got eliminated, sign with a team that qualified.

At publishing time, TheCup.us is aware of at least five teams who broke this rule by fielding or including on their roster cup-tied players in the first or second rounds of the tournament. However, only two of the teams were discovered in time to file a protest and have the result of the match overturned.

1. In their Second Round penalty kick upset victory over the Charleston Battery (USL), the Villages SC of the Premier Development League (PDL) started Paulo Vaz, who had previously played for Boca Raton FC in the open division qualifying tournament that took place last fall. The Battery discovered this after the game and immediately filed a successful protest which eliminated the PDL side and pushed Charleston into the next round.

“We were unaware of Paulo Vaz playing for another team in the qualifying rounds of the Cup,” said Alex Perez, a spokesperson for The Villages SC. “In all of his registration paperwork with us that we filed with the PDL, Paulo listed his last club as Floridians FC. It’s an unfortunate situation.”

Villages SC defeated Kraze United in Round 1 with that same ineligible player, which led Kraze United to file a protest after the Battery match in Round 2 was complete. The protest by Kraze United was denied due to the rule that states that “official match protests are required to be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CT the day following the match. (Section 306. Part (a) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook.)

2. In a 3-1 First Round loss to the Sacramento Gold, the Burlingame Dragons started Gabe Silveira, who had taken part in the open division qualification tournament for San Francisco City FC.

According to the Dragons, they were told by US Soccer that Silveira was cleared to play. This was not discovered in time and no protest was filed.

3. In that same game, the Sacramento Gold included Andre Brown on their bench, who played for Davis Legacy in the qualifying tournament. While he didn’t appear in the match, just having him on the gameday roster is a potential violation. The USASA has disqualified teams for such a violation during qualifying, however, there is no precedent in the US Open Cup proper in the Modern Era.

4. CD Aguiluchos USA fielded ineligible players in both their first and second round matches. In their 3-0 Round 1 win over San Francisco City, substitute Ahmad Hatifie was cup-tied to Ballistic IFX. CDA also subbed on a cup-tied player in Arthur Bahr in their 5-0 loss to Sacramento Republic FC. Bahr played for San Francisco City in qualifying.

San Francisco, like Kraze United, submitted a protest, but it was also denied since it was filed long after the deadline.

5. Perhaps the most notable protest involved the Ventura County Fusion’s use of Gabe Gonzalez, who had played for Cal FC in qualification, in a 2-1 First Round victory over the LA Wolves FC.

According to the Fusion, the club was aware of Gonzalez’s participation in the qualifying rounds, but were told specifically by USSF that Gonzalez was cleared to play for the Fusion. How did the Wolves know he was ineligible? Because he played against them in qualifying for Cal FC. The Wolves edged Cal FC 2-1 to clinch their first-ever Open Cup berth.

The Wolves protested the decision and the Fusion were disqualified from the tournament.

“Rules are in place for a reason and they must be followed by all teams,” said Skwara. “The new rules for 2016 may not be perfect, but all teams still have to follow the rules or risk the repercussions.”

Ventura County then filed an appeal on the decision, which was denied by the USSF and the Wolves advanced to Round 2 to face the Orange County Blues of the USL.

According to Fusion media coordinator Polo Ascencio, the Fusion were never given a reason for the denial.

“The reply was a very simple, ‘your appeal was not successful,’ Ascencio told TheCup.us. “They just said, ‘no.’”

The federation has yet to confirm why the appeal was denied or if informing teams of the specifics of the decision are a common practice.

Ascencio said decisions like these only hurt the credibility of the tournament and the amateur teams participating in it.

“It needs to change,” Ascencio said of the roster rules. “The teams, the amateur teams, and you guys know this, in the lower levels, they take this very, very seriously for many reasons … it gives you exposure. it’s given us exposure that we didn’t want, not this way. It gives you exposure. It gives your players a chance to play against higher competition as you move on and on and on.”

With the forfeit, the Fusion’s Modern Era record streak of six consecutive First Round victories came to an end.

“We have really good, young talent looking forward for a chance and to have the chance taken away by a system that is broken,” Ascencio said. “But at the end, we did nothing wrong. We asked our players, the players that came forward didn’t play, we thought we were good. But obviously we were not good.

“We asked US Soccer for a list before the tournament started … of players who have played . Give us rosters of the teams that have played so we know,” he added. “To this day, it’s been already a couple of weeks since the started the first round, we don’t have any of those lists.

Ascencio believes the federation must have too much on its plate.

“Either they’re too busy doing something, MLS or Copa America-related, or the US Open Cup doesn’t really matter until you get the big teams in the Cup,” Ascencio said. “It’s a chance for our players to succeed, to put a spotlight on them. It’s a chance for our teams to bring our fans an experience that they might not get with our local, amateur team.

For the Fusion, Ascencio says its a missed opportunity for the team and the players.

“And obviously there’s money involved there,” he concluded. “The more you advance, the more money you can make. For some of these amateur teams … $15,000 could be a lot of money. It could be a couple year’s worth of attendance. It hurts for all the reasons, but at the end of the day it hurts because we won, but at the end, somebody said, ‘no you guys didn’t because you used a player that we said was okay to play. But, guess what, he’s not okay to play.”

Ascencio said that the Fusion plan to participate in future tournaments due to the opportunity it provides but maintains that the kinks need to be worked out.

“There has to be , there has to be,” Ascencio said. “Because if they’re not gonna change it, then things like this are going to keep happening and the teams that are going to be affected are going to be the amateur teams, not the professional teams. This is a cup that is made so that the amateur teams can flex their muscles or go on to face top competition. To have something like this happen, not only to us, but a few other teams around the nation…I feel bad for all those teams,”

None of the other teams involved in the situation that TheCup.us reached out to chose to comment on the record. The US Soccer Federation did not respond to a request for comment.

TheCup.us senior editor Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: La Maquina earn second straight shutout, 2-0 over Sacramento Gold

May 21, 2016 by Alicia Rodriguez

Orange County’s La Maquina defeated NPSL side Sacramento Gold 2-0 at Westminster High School in Westminster on Wednesday in the US Open Cup Second Round.

The game remained scoreless through the first 70 minutes, but La Maquina scored two goals inside of 10 minutes, courtesy of Edwin Borboa and Jose Castro Perez, to grab the result and advance to the third round.

La Maquina, in their first ever US Open Cup tournament, controlled the run of play throughout the night, as second-time Open Cup participant Sacramento tried to hold firm and grab chances when they could.

“Basically, we just told the guys they have to keep playing the same way they have,” said La Maquina assistant coach Edson Martinez on Thursday.

“As soon as they were able to score that first goal, that gave them more confidence to score another one or two, which they did.”

The hosts, who went on the road to claim their first-round win over Portland Timbers U-23s, showed why they have been a successful tournament team in recent years on the local Southern California circuit, with former pros like Borboa, who won two Mexican league titles, meshing well with a core group of players who have been playing together for several years for the team.

Martinez praised Borboa’s “stellar performance” and ability to “always come through for the team,” an important feature in a tournament atmosphere, and also singled out the twin brothers in central midfield, the goal scorer Perez and his brother Rosando.

“They’re the motor of the team that keeps everyone going,” he said. “Those guys don’t stop, they just run, run, run.

“They’re twins, and they know what doing. They play with their eyes closed-type of thing.”

La Maquina will now host fellow UPSL competitors LA Wolves FC in the third round on June 1 at Westminster High School with a match-up against two-time US Open Cup winners LA Galaxy in the following round on the line.

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: Sacramento Gold rally to beat Burlingame Dragons in NPSL vs. PDL battle

May 12, 2016 by Evan Ream

Players from the Sacramento Gold and Burlingame Dragons battle for the ball in a 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match. Photo: Sacramento Gold

SACRAMENTO – Feats of awe-inspiring skill may be rarer in lower division soccer, but they still exist on a regular basis – Sacramento Gold forward Manolo Pina is living proof of this.

Tied with visiting Burlingame Dragons FC in the second half, Pina produced two immaculate bits of skill to propel the Gold to a 3-1 comeback victory, the first Open Cup victory in Sacramento’s six-year history.

“It’s exciting,” said head coach Ruben Mora Jr. “We knew we had the players here five years ago. We just had to find our momentum and combination of guys and get the right match-up. Today it happened to be that way, so we’re excited.

“I don’t think many gave us an opportunity to win today, but we did.

In the 58th minute, just three minutes after Gold forward Jose “Cuco” Martinez leveled the game with a header, Pina received a pass near the top of the box with his back to the goal.

The diminutive attacker quickly turned, leaving his opposite number scrambling on the turf, and blasted an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net for the winning goal of the match.

Pina then helped ice the game in stoppage time, taking the ball down the line as he appeared to head for the corner to stall. Instead though, the creative forward drew two defenders and then crossed the ball to a wide open Chimdum Mez, who tapped the ball in to seal the victory.

“I know if we took them down the line, we would get them,” Pina said. “Fortunately I got by them, did a cross, and Chimdum beautifully just tapped it in. It was a good goal. We worked for it, got it, off to the next round.”

“He’s been scoring goals and tallying up assists from day one when he arrived in 2010,” Mora Jr. said. “He’s put on a few more pounds and a few more years, but he’s still putting up the goals and assists. He’s a special player for sure.”

The Dragons originally took the lead in first half stoppage time when forward Jamael Cox curled in a 20-yard free kick goal that beat Gold goalkeeper John Connolly.

But it was because of Connolly that it was only 1-0 at that point in the game as Burlingame came out of the gate flying and probably could have scored three or four in the first half if it weren’t for Connolly.

The young netminder, serving as captain on the night, produced five saves in the first half and seven overall to keep the Dragons at bay.

“He was instrumental, he kept us alive,” Mora Jr. said of Connolly. “Without him, we wouldn’t have had a chance to be in the position that we were, where we just needed to come to life. And we did. We had the right players respond. It was a team effort, but it all started with John Connolly keeping us in the game.”

Leading up to the game, much of the talk around the tournament had been how the Premier Development League was allegedly a stronger league than the National Premier Soccer League.

While both are de facto fourth division sides due to the fact that the United States Soccer Federation only sanctions the top three divisions in the country, the Gold had something to say about the perceived inferiority.

“I think we’re building a name for ourselves and credibility for league as well,” Mora Jr. said. “I don’t think the staff for the Burlingame team really gave our league much credit and took us a little lighter than they should have.”

Sacramento now moves on to travel to Southern California next Wednesday for a match-up against USASA side La Maquina, who defeated the Portland Timbers U-23’s 2-0.

“I believe we can win the next round and make it to the third round, I think. It would be great for us,” Mora Jr. said. “We definitely believe in ourselves and we can make it at least to the third round.”

“We can get pretty far if we step up our game,” Pina said. “The first half was awful. (We) stepped it up in the second half.

“We play like that every game, we can get as far as we want.”

Evan Ream covers Sacramento Republic FC and soccer in Northern California for the Davis Enterprise. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanReam.

2014 US Open Cup qualifying: Sonoma County Sol knock off Sacramento Gold to kick off NPSL qualifying

February 24, 2014 by Evan Ream

Behind goals from Eric Larson and Tyler Hurst, the Sonoma County Sol dispatched the Sacramento Gold 2-1 Saturday night at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park, Calif. to move one step closer to qualifying for the 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The win puts the Sol into the semifinals of the 2014 Golden Gate Conference US Open Cup Qualifying Tournament.

“It wasn’t our most beautiful game, but it was our first game , so we feel like we’re going to get better with our style of play and get back to the way we want to play the game,” said third-year Sol head coach Vinnie Cortezzo. “That being said, it was a great result for us. Last year, Sacramento knocked us out in the early rounds of Open Cup qualifying so it was nice to get a little revenge.”

Sonoma got off to a fast start in the match when some prolonged possession through Nico Spann on the right wing. Spann crossed it to Hurst who took a heavy touch past a defender then knocked the ball across the mouth of the goal to Eric Larson who smashed the ball into the net from eight yards out in the 14th minute.

Sacramento, who qualified for last year’s Open Cup, quickly responded when a 35-yard set piece was served into no man’s land and headed home by Jose Martinez in the 22nd minute.

Shortly after the break, Hurst scored what would prove to be the game-winner. In the 47th minute, Larson received the ball at the top of the Sacramento box, dribbled in, and found Hurst who hit a slow-roller off the inside of the far post and into the back of the net.

The Sol, who were the 2013 NPSL runners-up, dominated the rest of the game, coming close on a few more occasions, but further goals were not needed.

“I thought we could have scored a couple more,” Cortezzo said. “We had some really great opportunities.”

The Sol will now change their focus to Real San Jose who they will host Saturday at 7 p.m. also at Rancho Cotate High School.

“There tends to be quite a bit of change from year-to-year and I haven’t seen so I don’t know exactly what to expect,” Cortezzo said. “We’re expecting a good game and a tough team and a very physical game. That has always been the case with San Jose.”

The Sol last qualified for the US Open Cup proper in 2010 where they were beaten in the first round of the then USSF Division 2 Professional League Portland Timbers.

Their best runs of the four times that they have qualified were in 2006 when they made it to the second round before losing 1-0 to the USL First Division Charleston Battery in Charleston and in 2009 when they made it to the second round before losing to the Portland Timbers 3-0, who were that year playing in the USL First Division, in Santa Rosa. The Sol and the Brooklyn Italians remain the only clubs from the NPSL who have qualified for the Open Cup four times since the league launched in 2005.

2014 US Open Cup qualifying (NPSL)

GOLDEN GATE CONFERENCE

First Round
Sacramento Gold 1:2 Sonoma County Sol

Semifinals (Mar. 1)
Real San Jose at Sonoma County Sol
Rancho Cotate HS; Rohnert Park, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT
CD Aguiluchos USA at San Francisco Stompers
Lowell High School; San Francisco, Calif. – 3 p.m. PT

Final (Mar. 8 or 9 – Win & You’re In)
Site TBD

SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE

First Round (Mar. 1)
FC Force at Temecula FC
Great Oak HS; Temecula, Calif. – 8:30 p.m. PT
Santa Clarita Storm at Del Ray City
Malibu HS; Malibu, Calif. – 3 p.m. PT

Semifinals (Mar. 9)
FC Force/Temecula FC at San Diego Flash
Mira Mesa HS; San Diego, Calif. – 6:30 p.m. PT
SC Storm/Del Ray City at FC Hasental
Thousand Oaks HS; Thousand Oaks, Calif. – 7 p.m. PT

Final (Mar. 15 – Win & You’re In)
Site/Time TBD

NOTE: The 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup format has not been officially announced by the US Soccer Federation yet, so this tournament is operating under the assumption that the number of teams awarded to the NPSL will not change from 2013.

2013 US Open Cup First Round: Timbers U23s survive scare at home, rally to beat Sacramento Gold 3-2

May 15, 2013 by Michael Orr

Timbers.U23.Sacramento.DB-4 — Photo: David Blair | Portland Timbers

“Mark scored a lot of goals for us last year and we expect a lot of goals from him this year. But I don’t think he scored any as pretty as that,” said a satisfied Timbers U23 manager Jim Rilatt minutes after his team’s 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Sacramento Gold at Jeld-Wen Field. Sherrod, chipped Sacramento goalkeeper Dominic Jakubek in the 78^th minute to complete the home side’s comeback after the Timbers trailed 2-0 in the first half.

Max Alvarez was the catalyst for the Gold, pressuring the Timbers from the start and lashing a 20-yard shot past David Meves in the game’s fifth minute. Though Portland controlled most of the possession and had several chances to level the score, it was Alvarez who was the most dangerous player on the field over the first half-hour.

On 25 minutes, the diminutive forward scored his second following a determined effort on the wing by Eliot Chambers. The Gold’s midfielder did all the hard work before placing a square pass into the six-yard box for Alvarez to smash home for a stunning 2-0 lead.

Portland finally regrouped and sought better finishing late in the half, having dictated the pace of the game but failed on the final pass too often in the early going. In the 37^th minute, Zach Foxhoven nicked a shot off the inside of the near post and into the net to pull the Timbers back into the game. “It just took one of them to put one in and then we would get stronger,” Rilatt said.

Just four minutes later, Gabriel Conelian forced an errant Sacramento clearance with upfield pressure. While the chance might have been wasted earlier in the game, Conelian patiently controlled the loose ball and fired to the far post. The shot deflected off a Gold defender, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and drawing the score even in the 41^st minute.

Jakubek made two big saves at the end of the first half to keep Sacramento even going into half, though Alvarez nearly gave the visitors another lead when his shot in injury time caromed off the crossbar.

Timbers.U23.Sacramento.DB-9 — Photo: David Blair | Portland Timbers

The second half was less spectacular than the first as both teams settled in and tried to avoid losing the Cup tie. The balance was with the Timbers though, as they continued to pour forward whenever they turned Sacramento over. Mid-way through the half, Portland ratcheted up the pressure, mimicking Caleb Porter’s first team style and forcing repeated turnovers. Sacramento struggled to get the ball out of its own half at times, yet Chambers and Alvarez popped up on counter attacks when the Gold did clear midfield.

Sherrod, who had been a force in the air all night, finally got a long ball he could play from his feet in the 78^th minute. Left back Mitch Laurie’s ball dropped to Sherrod, who had beaten Sacramento’s offside trap. Jakubek came out to challenge but the second-year Timbers forward chipped the goalkeeper, celebrating in front of the gathered Timbers Army.

Portland wasted several chances in the final quarter hour to truly put the game away but misses by Michael Escobar and Anthony Hobbs kept Sacramento in the game until the final whistle. Alvarez almost got his hat-trick in the 84^th minute but his free kick skipped just wide to the right.

The Timbers advance to Tuesday’s second round and will host the USL Pro Charleston Battery at Jeld-Wen Field. They host Seattle Sounders U23s on Thursday morning in Portland before traveling to Edmonds, Washington to face North Sound SeaWolves on Saturday, making for quite the first week together.

Scoring Summary

SAC: Max Alvarez, 5

SAC: Max Alvarez (Eliot Chambers), 25

POR: Zack Foxhoven (Eric Miller), 38

POR: Gabriel Conelian, 41

POR: Mark Sherrod (Mitch Lurie), 78

Misconduct Summary

POR: Will Seymore (Caution), 33

SAC: Eliot Chambers (Caution), 47

SAC: Clemente Fonseca (Caution), 61

SAC: Rene Piña (Caution), 71

POR: Eric Miller (Caution), 84

POR: Mitch Lurie (Caution), 87

POR: Zach Barnes (Caution), 90

Lineups

POR: GK David Meves, D Anthony Hobbs, D Mitchell Lurie, D Travis Brent, D Will Seymore, M Eric Miller, M Zach Barnes, M Gabriel Conelian (Clark Phillips, 83), F Mark Sherrod, F Zack Foxhoven (Will Vitalis, 86), F Jose Ribas (Michael Escobar, 72)

Subs not used: D Bryan Gallego, F Jaime Velasco

SAC: GK Dominic Jakubeck, D Fernando De Alba (Rene Piña, 70), D Diego Marroquin, D Utodi Madu, D Robert Zevallos, M Eliot Chambers, M Adam Smarte, M Jimmy Frazelle (Oscar Sandoval, 46), M Clemente Fonseca, F John Jones (Manolo Piña, 64), F Max Alvarez

Subs not used: GK Christopher Shultz, M Abraham Prado

Great Lakes Division teams decline 2013 US Open Cup berths as NPSL entries finalized

April 9, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Thanks, but no thanks.

That was the sentiment expressed by a pair of Great Lakes Division teams from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as they were offered a chance to represent the league in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Erie Admirals, last year’s Great Lakes Division regular season champions, were expected to join the other five division winners from a year ago and the two spring tournament qualifiers from the Western Conference, but according to NPSL secretary and chairman of the NPSL Open Cup committee Joe Barone, they declined.

Erie owner John Moody said the decision was made due to a variety of reasons. First, the Admirals depend on college players to fill out their roster and many of them wouldn’t be able to join the team until the middle of May. And even if they could, there would be no time to practice or prepare for their opponent.

“It’s important to respect the game … the tournament and our opponents and we felt putting out a ‘B-team’ wouldn’t be fair,” said Moody.

He also cited the financial burden of taking part in the Open Cup, especially in terms of making travel arrangements on relatively short notice. As it stands, when the draw is announced at the end of April, his team could be chosen to play the Colorado Rovers of the USSSA, or the Northern California-based US Club Soccer team in the Play-In Round on May 7. If the draw doesn’t go their way, they could travel to that game. As of last year, the US Soccer Federation reimburses up to $8,000 in travel costs, but depending on where they have to travel, that money can be eaten up rather quickly. On the other side, according to Moody, if they had to host, that would also be a challenge for his club because they would have difficulty securing a local venue. Not to mention, there is a cost to hosting as well. Most teams have to pay to rent a field, pay the referees, and coordinate gameday efforts, just to name a few of the primary expenses.

“We would love to take part in this great tournament … but there’s just too many unknowns for a club like ours,” he added.

With the division’s regular season champions out of the running, AFC Cleveland was next in line as the division’s playoff champions. Detroit City FC had finished ahead of Cleveland in the regular season standings by a point, but when the two teams squared off in the playoffs, Cleveland won 2-1, and the defeated Erie in penalty kicks in the division final.

But just like the Admirals before them, Cleveland also turned down the opportunity to play in the 2013 US Open Cup. The second-year club also cited player availability as their main reason for turning down the invitation.

“AFC Cleveland really wanted to participate in such a historic tournament, but scheduling issues during that time made this an impossible task,” said Cleveland chairman Terry Lawriw.

After the top two teams from the Midwest Conference declined, NPSL management decided that rather than giving an Open Cup berth to the division’s third choice (Detroit City FC), they would award the berth to the club that had the best overall record among the remaining teams league wide (excluding Western Conference), which – coincidentally – ended up being the Brooklyn Italians, a team that Barone has worked for over the last two decades.

The Italians will join the Georgia Revolution (Southeast Division playoff finalist) and Atlantic Division winners New York Red Bulls NPSL to complete the eight team NPSL field for the 2013 tournament.

The five remaining NPSL clubs include: Western Conference qualifying winners FC Hasental and Sacramento Gold, as well as the Madison 56ers (Central Division champions), Chattanooga FC (Southeast Division playoff champion) and FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic (Keystone Division champions).

TheCup.us has also confirmed that the NPSL is no long guaranteeing spots in the First Round of the 2013 US Open Cup to particular clubs or regions.

It was originally reported that the Madison 56ers, Chattanooga FC, FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic, and the two Western Conference winners (FC Hasental and Sacramento Gold) would begin play in Round 1 of the US Open Cup. Of the remaining three teams, which had yet to be determined, two of them would begin in the Play-In Round against either the US Club Soccer or the USSSA champion.

Now, the two Play-In Round teams won’t be known until the US Soccer Federation unveils the 2013 US Open Cup draw at the end of April. It is expected that the teams will be ones that are located closest to the Northern California-based US Club Soccer representative and the Colorado Rovers of the USSSA in an effort to minimize travel costs.

2013 NPSL entries in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (8 teams)

Brooklyn Italians
Chattanooga FC
FC Hasental
FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic
Georgia Revolution
Madison 56ers
New York Red Bulls U23s
Sacramento Gold

* 2 teams (still TBD) will begin play in Play-In Round

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Saturday’s NPSL “Win & You’re In” to decide who will join Sacramento Gold in Open Cup (video)

March 27, 2013 by Josh Hakala

The National Premier Soccer League’s Western Conference US Open Cup qualifying tournament will wrap up this weekend when the San Diego Flash take on FC Hasental in a “Win & You’re In” match on Saturday. The winner will join the Sacramento Gold in the 100th edition of the tournament who punched their ticket with a convincing 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol back on March 23.

The Western Conference represents two of the NPSL’s eight spots in the Open Cup, with three teams yet to be announced by the league.

The qualifying tournament was split into the conference’s north and south divisions. All five teams took part from the Northern Division and the Gold cruised their way into the championship game with back-to-back shutouts over newcomers CD Aguiluchos USA (3-0) and Real San Jose (2-0).

The Sol entered the tournament as the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. In fact, they have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009. They used their experience and skill to crush the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 in the semifinal round while getting goals from Brandon Boone, Chris Daly and the Hurst brothers Tyler and Trevor.

WIN & YOU’RE IN

FC Hasental at San Diego Flash
March 30 – 5 p.m. PT
Del Norte High School
San Diego, CA

The Northern Division’s “Win & You’re In” match came down to the Sol, who ran away with the division crown last year with a 4-0-2 record, and the Gold, who finished second last year. In the opening 20 minutes, it appeared as though the Sol, who swept both games against the Gold last year by a combined score of 8-3, were going to make another Open Cup appearance.

Sonoma’s Ross Middlemass opened the scoring in the 18 minute, but it was all Sacramento after that. The Gold scored five unanswered goals, including a hat trick and an assist by Manolo Pina. Clemente Fonseca also scored and assisted on two other goals, including a goal by John Jones II. With the win, the Gold become the first Sacramento-based club to qualify for the US Open Cup since the Sacramento Knights of the NPSL (then known as the MPSL) reached the Second Round in 2004. If they are lucky enough to host their opening round game, that will mark the first time an Open Cup game has been played in the city of Sacramento since 1982.

In the other bracket, both first round games were forfeited, as the Las Vegas Stallions and Orange County Spartans did not properly register their players. This sent FC Hasental and San Diego Boca into the final four where they were matched up against the Santa Clarita Storm and the San Diego Flash, respectively.

In what was a theme that weekend, the Storm scored an early goal, but Hasental rallied with goals from Manuel Cazares and Alberto Anguiano to win 2-1. (SEE highlights below)

In the other semifinal, it was a San Diego derby as the Flash came back to beat San Diego Boca 4-2. Boca got on the board early with goals from David Luquen and Joe Schloss in the first 15 minutes. However, just like the other two games, the team that fell behind early came roaring back as the Flash scored four unanswered goals from Brandon Zuniga, Daniel Ortega, Justin Picou, and Andy Ortega.

The Flash will host the “Win & You’re In” match against FC Hasental on March 30 at 5 p.m. local time at Del Norte High School. If Hasental wins, it will mark their first appearance in the US Open Cup, but if the Flash qualify, it will be the franchise’s first time in the tournament since 2001 when they were a professional team in the USL’s A-League. (Highlights below)

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School (San Diego, CA) – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: NPSL West tournament continues this weekend; Sacramento Gold qualify (UPDATED)

March 20, 2013 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE: According to the San Diego Flash’s official website, the Orange County Spartans had to forfeit their 2-0 win over San Diego Boca due to improper player registration.

UPDATE (3/24 – 12:41 a.m. ET): The Sacramento Gold have qualified for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the Sonoma County Sol. FC Hasental also advanced to a “Win & You’re In” match next weekend with a 2-1 win over the Santa Clarita Storm. Results updated below.

The National Premier Soccer League Western Conference is holding a qualifying tournament for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, and the competition is down to six teams. Of the six remaining teams, just two will advance to the US Open Cup, and according to NPSL officials, both will begin play in Round 1.

Each division of the Western Conference will submit their winner into the 2013 Open Cup, and the Northern Division has already determined their championship game. On Saturday, March 23, the Sacramento Gold will host the Sonoma County Sol at River City High School in West Sacramento in a “Win & You’re In” match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

The Sacramento Gold reached the Northern Division final with a pair of shutout victories away from home. On March 9, they traveled to Oakland, Calif. and defeated CD Aguiluchos USA 3-0. The scoring opened with an own goal in the 31st minute, and the game remained tight until John Jones and Eliot Ricks-Chambers scored clinching goals in the 78th and 83rd minute respectively.

“We came away with a positive result but we only expect to get better,” said Sacramento coach Ruben Mora. “With a lot of returning players it will not take long to find our rhythm. You can’t say enough about the role the solid defense and goalkeeping played in the shutout.”

A week later, the Gold earned a 2-0 win at Real San Jose to punch their ticket to the final where they will face the Sol who only needed to win one game to reach the championship game. The Sol received a bye into the semifinals and defeated the San Francisco Stompers 5-2 on March 16.

The Sol are the only team in the field who have qualified for the US Open Cup. They have reached the tournament four times: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010. They have a 1-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) record in their four appearances with their lone regulation win coming against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star in 2009.

In the other bracket, the final four is set with the Orange County Spartans — formerly known as the Fullerton Rangers — traveling to San Diego to take on the Flash, while Santa Clarita will host FC Hasental. Both games will take place on March 23 and are both are scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

The Spartans were the only team that had to earn their way into the semifinals, as they defeated San Diego Boca 2-0 in the opening round. FC Hasental was scheduled to play the Las Vegas Stallions in Round 1, but according to Hasental team officials, the Stallions failed to submit the necessary paperwork for their players and were forced to forfeit. The Flash and Santa Clarita both received byes into the semifinals. The final is set for March 30.

Last year, the NPSL received 6.5 spots and the West had 1.5 berths. The Rangers qualified while the Bay Area Ambassadors claimed the “half berth.” Bay Area faced fellow California club Stanislaus United Turlock Express in a play-in game — Stanislaus United won that match 3-0 to become the first US Club Soccer team to qualify for the Open Cup.

This year, the NPSL received eight spots, and three of those teams have been confirmed: FC Sonic Lehigh Valley, Madison 56ers and Chattanooga FC. According to NPSL officials, the two teams that emerge from the Western Conference will join those three teams in the first round of the US Open Cup. The remaining three teams are still to be determined, with two of them beginning their cup run in the Qualifying Round against either the US Club Soccer representative or the US Sports Specialty Association representative. The third team will begin play in Round 1.

2013 NPSL Western Conference Southern Division qualifying

First Round (March 17)
Las Vegas Stallions at FC Hasental*
*Las Vegas forfeits (player paperwork issues)
San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Orange County Spartans**
**Orange County forfeits (player paperwork issues)

Semifinals (March 23/24)
FC Hasental 2:1 Santa Clarita – Mar. 23
San Diego Boca 2:4 San Diego Flash – Mar. 24

Final (March 30) – “Win & You’re In”
FC Hasental vs. San Diego Flash
Del Norte High School – 5 p.m. PT

2013 NPSL Western Conference Northern Division qualifying

First Round (March 9)
Sacramento Gold 3:0 CD Aguiluchos USA

Semifinals (March 16)
Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
San Francisco Stompers 2:5 Sonoma County Sol

Final (March 23) – “Win & You’re In”
Sonoma County Sol 1:5 Sacramento Gold
River City High School (West Sacramento)

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Fullerton Rangers clinch NPSL berth, Bay Area Ambassadors reach play-in game

April 6, 2012 by Josh Hakala

bay-area-sacramento-npsl-qualifying-2 — Bay Area Ambassadors (left) defeated the Sacramento Gold in penalty kicks to advance to an April 28 US Open Cup play-in match against a representative from US Club Soccer. Photo: Eric Harding

The National Premier Soccer League qualifiers for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are nearly complete with one Western Conference team clinching a spot, while another put themselves one win away from the 99th edition of the tournament.

The Fullerton Rangers defeated San Diego Boca, 3-2, in their final qualifying match to punch their ticket to the US Open Cup. The club formerly known as the Santa Ana Winds before an off-season rebranding, will enter the tournament in the first round, which is scheduled to begin May 15. It was a single-elimination tournament for the Western Conference’s Northwest flight and Fullerton advanced to the final without allowing a goal. They defeated Santa Clarita Storm 5-0 on March 24 and three days later, edged FC Hasental 1-0 to reach the final against Boca.

On the north side of the conference, the Bay Area Ambassadors punched their ticket to the tournament with a win over the Sacramento Gold in a penalty kick shootout (VIDEO BELOW). It looked as though Bay Area was going to walk away winners in regulation with Brayan Walle scoring off a rebound in the 64th minute, but Sacramento’s Manolo Pina tied the game in the 82nd minute. There was no extra time played as the match was decided by penalty kicks. The shootout was knotted up at 4-4 when Bay Area goalkeeper Derek Leslie dove to his left, but was still able to get a foot on Mykell Bates’ shot down the middle to make the save. Mohamed Abalil would follow up with a goal on the next attempt to send the Ambassadors to an April 28 Open Cup play-in match that they will host against the winner of US Club Soccer’s qualifying tournament. The Ambassadors will be attempting to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2010, when they lost an opening round match against the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas, 4-2.

Bay Area’s path to the play-in game started in the Southwest Flight’s round-robin competition. They blew a 3-1 lead in the final minutes to Sonoma County Sol to finish regulation 3-3. The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks to decide the outcome, but the Ambassadors made sure that error didn’t matter as they stomped the San Francisco Stompers by a score of 8-0 to put them into the final against Sacramento. Walle and Dylan Leslie each scored a pair of goals in the victory. The Gold cruised through their group, beating Real San Jose 2-0 and North Coast Tsunami 5-0.

There was some confusion following both teams earning their respective victories as to which team would enter the Open Cup directly, and which would participate in the play-in game against a US Club Soccer representative. The league website erroneously announced that Bay Area would get the Open Cup spot, but TheCup.us later confirmed that Fullerton have indeed qualified.

Five other NPSL clubs have already booked their place in the 2012 competition, as all of the other conferences decided to submit their teams based on 2011 results. Already qualified are last year’s NPSL champion Jacksonville United, Southeast Conference co-champion Georgia Revolution, Northeast-Atlantic Conference title holder Brooklyn Italians, and Midwest Conference winner Milwaukee Bavarians (the NPSL version of the Bavarian Soccer Club). Originally the league announced the Erie Admirals would represent the Northeast-Keystone Conference, but the club elected to withdraw from the Open Cup, allowing runner-up FC Sonic to replace them (as TheCup.us had originally reported).

This is just the second year NPSL teams have been given direct access to the Open Cup. Prior to last season, clubs had to get in through the USASA’s regional qualifying tournaments.

NPSL qualifying results

West – Northern Conference
Group A
March 10: Sacramento Gold 2:0 Real San Jose
March 17: Real San Jose 2:0 North Coast Tsunami
March 24: North Coast Tsunami 1:5 Sacramento Gold

Group B
March 10: Sonoma Sol 3:3 Bay Area Ambassadors*
March 17: Sonoma Sol 3:3 San Francisco Stompers (Sol win PKs 6-5)
March 24: San Francisco Stompers 0:8 Bay Area Ambassadors
* The referee mistakenly failed to call for penalty kicks

FINAL

March 31: Bay Area Ambassadors 1:1 Sacramento Gold (Bay Area win PKs, 5-4)
Bay Area qualify for the US Open Cup play-in game vs. US Club Soccer rep

West – Southern Conference

FIRST ROUND
March 24: Phoenix Monsoon 5:4 San Diego Boca (Phoenix win PKs 5-4)
March 24: Fullerton Rangers 5:0 Santa Clarita Storm

SEMIFINALS
March 25: San Diego Boca 1:0 San Diego Flash
March 27: FC Hasental 0:1 Fullerton RangersFINAL
March 31: Fullerton Rangers 3:2 San Diego Boca
Fullerton qualify for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2011 US Open Cup qualifying update: Hollywood claims NPSL West berth after league ruling

May 20, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Competition Update (as of 5/20/11) ** Final Update: On Thursday, May 19 the NPSL commissioner and other committee members upheld the league’s decision to penalize the San Diego Flash use of an illegal player in two matches by ruling the games as 3-0 forfeitures.

With the news Thursday that the appeal by the San Diego Flash to overturn the penalties levied against them for using an illegal player in its matches versus Hollywood and Bay Area had failed, the club was officially eliminated from US Open Cup contention.

The ruling gives the US Open Cup berth to Hollywood United, which is now perfect at 7-0-0 and uncatchable. Hollywood finished with a nearly flawless record with 34 goals scored and only three allowed.

Second to Hollywood in the table are the Santa Ana Winds, whose only loss of the six games played on their slate thus far was a 1-0 decision against the leaders in just the second game of the season.

The Flash would have had a perfect 7-0-0 record with the win against the Sacramento Gold. Instead, it is Hollywood United that sits atop the table with a perfect record, including their victory against the Flash, one of the two forfeitures. Along with news of the NPSL ruling, the Flash management commented on their Facebook page, “As an Organization, we will move forward from this decision and do our best to have a great 1st season in the NPSL.”

See the updated standings below (includes penalties):

NPSL WEST	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GD
Hollywood United	7	7	0	0	21	34	3	+31
Santa Ana Winds	6	5	1	0	15	15	6	+9
San Diego Flash	7	5	2	0	15	14	9	+5
Sonoma County Sol	6	3	2	1	10	16	10	+6
San Diego Boca	7	3	4	0	9	14	16	-2
Sacramento Gold	6	2	2	2	8	10	8	+2
FC Hasental	7	2	4	1	7	13	17	-4
Bay Area Ambassadors	7	1	5	1	4	9	22	-13
Rattlers FC	4	1	3	0	3	4	9	-5
Real San Jose	7	1	6	0	3	4	32	-28

Top team qualifies for the 2011 US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

NPSL West tiebreakers

(1) Goal difference (2) Goals scored

* Denotes forfeiture – All times Eastern

April 1	Sonoma County Sol	3:1	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 2	Hollywood United	1:0	Santa Ana Winds	Final
April 2	Real San Jose	1:2	San Diego Boca	Final
April 3	FC Hasental	1:3	San Diego Flash	Final
April 9	San Diego Flash	0:3*	Hollywood United	Final
April 9	Sacramento Gold	4:1	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 9	FC Hasental	0:1	San Diego Boca	Final
April 16	Hollywood United	4:0	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 16	Bay Area Ambassadors	0:2	Real San Jose	Final
April 16	Santa Ana Winds	4:1	FC Hasental	Final
April 17	Hollywood United	3:0	Sacramento Gold	Final
April 17	Real San Jose	0:8	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 17	San Diego Boca	1:2	San Diego Flash	Final
April 23	Sacramento Gold	0:0	Sonoma County Sol	Final
April 23	Real San Jose	0:11	Hollywood United	Final
April 23	San Diego Flash	0:3*	Bay Area Ambassadors	Final
April 23	Santa Ana Winds	3:2	San Diego Boca	Final
April 23	FC Hasental	3:1	Rattlers FC	Final
April 30	Santa Ana Winds	3:0	Rattlers FC	Final
April 30	Sacramento Gold	4:0	Real San Jose	Final
April 30	Bay Area Ambassadors	2:2	FC Hasental	Final
May 1	San Diego Boca	3:5	Hollywood United	Final
May 1	Sonoma County Sol	0:1	San Diego Flash	Final
May 7	Bay Area Ambassadors	2:4	San Diego Boca	Final
May 7	San Diego Flash	5:0	Real San Jose	Final
May 8	Bay Area Ambassadors	0:7	Hollywood United	Final
May 8	Rattlers FC	1:2	Santa Ana Winds	Final
May 14	FC Hasental	4:5	Sonoma County Sol	9:30
May 14	Sacramento Gold	1:1	Hollywood United	10 p.m.
May 14	San Diego Boca	1:3	Santa Ana Winds	10 p.m.
May 14	Rattlers FC	2:1	Real San Jose	10:30
May 15	San Diego Boca	1:2	FC Hasental	5 p.m.
May 15	Sacramento Gold	1:3	San Diego Flash	6 p.m.
May 21	Real San Jose	at	Santa Ana Winds	10 p.m.
May 21	Rattlers FC	at	San Diego Boca	10 p.m.
May 22	Rattlers FC	at	San Diego Flash	6 p.m.
May 22	FC Hasental	at	Sacramento Gold	8 p.m.
May 28	Rattlers FC	at	FC Hasental	10 p.m.
May 29	Sonoma County Sol	at	Sacramento Gold	8 p.m.

PREVIEW

The most sought-after US Open Cup berth in the National Premier Soccer League numerically, the 10 clubs in the West Division, at the time of this article being written, are a third of the way through the qualification process. The berth at stake will go to the club with the best point total after its first seven matches of the league campaign.

Given the method of determining the qualifier, the quest began on April 1 when the Sonoma County Sol won on the road against the 2010 US Open Cup qualifier Bay Area Ambassadors. Both are returning teams to the division. The final qualification match, of 40 total, also features Sonoma County when they travel to play May 29 against the Sacramento Gold.

Qualifying for NPSL teams was previously done via the USASA Regional tournaments. The 2011 edition of the US Open Cup gave the league four automatic entrants into the event. Last year, the division was comprised of six teams. With one team folding, five new clubs join the fray this year, including former United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League teams Hollywood United Hitmen and Lancaster Rattlers. The other three newcomers are FC Hasental, Santa Ana Winds and San Diego Flash, a new version of a former USL club from years past.

Last year, four of the NPSL sides participated in the Region IV tournament and found success. Real San Jose, Bay Area Ambassadors and Sacramento Gold each won their groups with perfect records. Bay Area then edged Sacramento 1-0 in the semifinals while San Jose fell 2-1 to former NPSL and USL side Arizona Sahuaros, who earned the wild card berth in a tiebreaker with the NPSL San Diego Boca. With the two US Open Cup berths already determined, the Ambassadors won the regional championship, 2-0. Sonoma County Sol also qualified via a special play-in match.

Ian Carrington Hollywood United celebrate win vs Portland Timbers — Hollywood United coach Ian Carrington celebrates his club’s upset win over the Portland Timbers in the 2008 US Open Cup. Photo: Allison Andrews | SoccerCityUSA.com

The qualifying format for the West upon closer inspection is fairly balanced based in the breadth of opposition each club is facing as five teams only play one opponent twice and the Rattlers are the lone club that plays two teams twice. The Rattlers, the remaining club yet to begin their league campaign, are also the only side that has four matches against clubs that were not in the NPSL or PDL a year ago while Real San Jose and Santa Ana are the only two teams that only play one match against said opponents.

The other balanced schedule aspect comes via the home-away composition. Only two clubs have more than four home or road games on the schedule. Both Sacramento and the Rattlers will be forced to play away from home five times during the campaign. The Gold have four consecutive on the road at one point while the Rattlers play both home matches at the top of the schedule before finishing out on the road five straight. No other clubs have four consecutive matches home or away on the fixture list.

The selection of seven games as the determining point matches the fact that Sonoma County, Santa Ana and the Rattlers only have seven matches prior to the official Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying deadline. With other clubs playing more than seven by the deadline, the scheduling creates a unique scenario in which a handful of games only count as qualifiers for one club. Sonoma has one such match against an opponent whose qualifying campaign is already concluded. Sacramento, Santa Ana and the Rattlers each have three such games at the ends of their campaigns. Sacramento’s match May 14 against Hollywood United is the first of the 10 specific matches. The final six games, overall, from May 21-29 only count as qualifiers for one team.

About the Teams

Bay Area Ambassadors: A 2009 addition to the NPSL, the Ambassadors entered the US Open Cup fray a year ago with outstanding success, winning all three group games in the USASA Region IV tournament and earning a berth with a semifinal win against fellow NPSL side Sacramento, 1-0, en route to winning the championship against Arizona Sahuaros, 2-0. Bay Area made a thrilling comeback in the First Round of the US Open Cup on the road against the PDL Kitsap Pumas. Trailing since the third minute, Phil Silva scored twice in the 71st and 77th minutes to send the match to overtime where Kitsap scored twice for the 4-2 victory. The club’s two-year league record is 9-10-3.

FC Hasental: While the club is new to the NPSL, it is not new to US Open Cup qualifying. Established in 2005, the team has entered the Region IV tournament the past two years, coming up short in the quest for a berth. Last year FC Hasental was 1-1-0 in the group with Real San Jose of the NPSL. Hasental translates from German to English as Hare-Valley, also known as Conejo Valley, the home of the club.

Hollywood United: The side is the feature team of the Hollywood United Football Club that is famous for numerous celebrities and former internationals playing on its teams over the years as well as participating in the club’s many charity events. As an independent team, the team qualified for the US Open Cup in 2008 through the USASA Region IV tournament, going 3-0-0 with victories against three NPSL teams. They then shocked many in the First Round of the US Open Cup by eliminating then USL First Division (pro second division) Portland Timbers in a 3-2 affair. They were then defeated by the USL-1 Seattle Sounders 6-0. In the past two years, Hollywood finished in the top two of the PDL Southwest Division, but missed out on qualifying for the US Open Cup, finishing 1-2-1 in the group a year ago after narrowly missing out in 2009 at 3-1-0.

Rattlers FC: The club is in its first season in the NPSL after spending four in the USL PDL. The club struggled in PDL play, finishing 10th in its first two seasons and seventh the past two for a combined record of 12-38-14. The Rattlers are a total 3-11-2 in Open Cup qualifiers, but had their best PDL qualifying campaign last year at 1-1-2.

Real San Jose: A member of the NPSL since 2007, the club reached the postseason for the first time last year with a record of 5-3-2. The team is a combined 8-8-6 the past two league campaigns. The club reached the Region IV Semifinals a year ago in its qualification quest, winning its two group matches before falling to the Arizona Sahuaros in the Final Four, 2-1.

San Diego Boca: New to the NPSL last year, the club finished the season fourth in the division at 4-3-3, but surprised second-seed Real San Jose 4-0 in the playoffs before falling to division and eventual league champion Sacramento. In qualifying, San Diego Boca finished 1-1-1 in its group, second to league-mate Bay Area and missed out on the wild card based on tiebreakers.

San Diego Flash: A familiar name, the club is new to the NPSL. The team is a rebirth of the former A-League (pro second division) team that played in United Soccer Leagues from 1998-2001. The new club is guided by former English international Warren Barton (Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Derby County, QPR), who is also an analyst for Fox Soccer Channel. The previous Flash side was 2-3 in the tournament after failing to qualify in its first season. In 1999 and 2000 the club posted victories against pro third division USL clubs before being ousted back-to-back times by the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy in the Third Round. In 2000, they were knocked out by the MLS Chicago Fire in the Second Round.

Santa Ana Winds: A new addition to the NPSL, the club was founded in 2009 and has played locally the past few years. This is the club’s first campaign to qualify for the US Open Cup.

Sonoma County Sol: The oldest club in the division, Sonoma County is looking to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall, having advanced via the USASA Region IV tournament previously. The club joined the league in 2004 and reached the US Open Cup for the first time in 2005. It has advanced to the Second Round of the tournament twice, downing the Ogden Outlaws (PDL) in penalties, 6-5, after a 1-1 draw in 2006 and topping Orange County Blue Star (PDL), 5-2, in 2009. They were knocked out by the USL First Division’s (pro second division) Charleston Battery, 1-0, and Portland Timbers, 3-0, in the Second Round contests, respectively. In their 2005 debut they were ousted in penalties, 6-5, after a 2-2 draw with Salinas Valley Samba in the First Round. Last year, extra amateur spots led to a special amateur play-in game that gave the defending NPSL champions the opportunity to qualify in one match, defeating a fellow California side PSA Los Gatos 3-0 to reach the tournament where they were blanked, 3-0, by the USL-1 Timbers again.