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San Francisco Bay Seals

San Francisco Bay Seals, the ‘amateur’ pro team that reached 1997 US Open Cup Semifinals

September 6, 2022 by Thomas Hodul

San Francisco Bay Seals 1997

One of the most overlooked and dramatic runs in the history of the US Open Cup occurred in 1997. That year, the San Francisco Bay Seals, who competed in the USISL’s D-3 Pro League, upset two MLS teams and the defending A-League champions to earn a spot in the Semifinals.

Filed Under: Feature - History, Feature - Main, Feature Right - US Open Cup History, Featured Post - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central, US Open Cup History Tagged With: 1997 US Open Cup, San Francisco Bay Seals

Who is the US Open Cup equivalent to Lincoln City FC and their magical FA Cup run?

May 26, 2017 by Josh Hakala

Who is the American equivalent to Lincoln City FC in the US Open Cup?

Filed Under: Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: fa cup, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals, US Open Cup History

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

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

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery, Chicago Fire MLS, Chicago Stingers, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Dallas Roma FC, DC United, El Paso Patriots, Fresno Fuego, Harrisburg City Islanders, Houston Dynamo, Long Island Rough Riders, Los Angeles Galaxy, Nashville Metros, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls/Metrostars, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals, Seattle Sounders USL, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards, Staten Island Vipers, Things You Should Know, Wilmington Hammerheads

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

July 3, 2012 by Josh Hakala

Since 1996, only six teams have advanced to the Semifinals after beginning play in the First Round. The Rochester Rhinos (2009), Charleston Battery (2008), Carolina RailHawks (2007), San Francisco Bay Seals (1997) and the Seattle Sounders who did it twice in 2007 and 2008. San Francisco remain as the only “third division” club (now the USL Pro) to advance to the final four during that span.

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery, Chicago Fire MLS, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Dallas/Dallas Burn, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy, Miami Fusion, Minnesota Thunder, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls/Metrostars, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals, San Jose Earthquakes/San Jose Clash, Seattle Sounders USL, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards, Things You Should Know

Notable Semifinal matches in US Open Cup history

August 27, 2011 by

The very first Semifinal round of the US Open Cup (then called the National Challenge Cup) saw a pair of Brooklyn teams reach the Final. On April 18, the Brooklyn Field Club, which finished first in the National Association Football League, defeated New Bedford FC 2-1, on two goals by Hall of Famer Robert Millar, after Beckton had given the New Englanders a 1-0 lead. Both teams played much of the game with ten men each, after Clark of Brooklyn and Chadwick of New Bedford were sent off in the 35th minute for fighting.

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Baer & Fuller, Bavarian SC, Bethlehem Steel FC, Bricklayers FC, Brooklyn Celtic, Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn Field Club, Busch SC, Central Brewery, Charleston Battery, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, Fall River Marksmen, H. Brooks Dodge Chargers, Heidelberg Brewers, Houston Dynamo, Inter-Italia SC, Kutis SC, Madison Kennels, McCormick Kickers, Mitre Eagles, Morgan Strasser, New Bedford FC, New York Greek Americans, Niagara Falls Rangers, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals, San Francisco Scots, Scots SC, Seattle Sounders MLS, Seattle Sounders USL, Sparta A & BA, Stix, Viking AA, Weiboldt Wonderbolts, Yugoslav SC

2011 US Open Cup: Richmond Kickers are ‘The Last Men Standing’

July 8, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

Heading into the 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals the Richmond Kickers are the last men standing as representatives of the lower divisions in the tournament, As the lone underdog in the Elite Eight, the club will need to defeat three top flight Major League Soccer teams in order to become the second lower division team to win the championship since the 1996 launch of MLS. The ‘Last Men Standing’ club is a small group comprised now of seven sides that have been the solitary lower division team remaining in the tournament on nine occasions.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 Quarterfinals, 2011 US Open Cup, 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals, Charleston Battery, Milwaukee Rampage, Minnesota Thunder, Nashville Metros, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, San Francisco Bay Seals

Chicago Fire to Honor Open Cup great CJ Brown; TheCup.us takes a look back

June 22, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

CJ Brown with the 1997 San Francisco Bay Seals. Photo: San Francisco Bay Seals

If one were to assemble a list of players to include in an inaugural group honored on a wall of fame or ring of honor dedicated to US Open Cup performances during the professional era, there is one name that would certainly come to the forefront. On Wednesday, with the Chicago Fire six days away from playing in its 14th consecutive appearance in the tournament, the club will honor standout defender CJ Brown, who played for the team each year since its 1998 launch before retiring last fall.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: Chicago Fire MLS, CJ Brown, San Francisco Bay Seals, Tom Simpson

Notable upsets in the Second Round of the US Open Cup

September 3, 2009 by Aaron Stollar

The Mid-Michigan Bucks have always been one of the lower division troublemakers of the US Open Cup, and this match against the New England Revolution at Foxboro Stadium helped build that reputation. Goalkeeper Eric Pogue was the early hero for the Bucks, saving a Shaker Asad penalty kick in the 7th minute to keep the score 0-0. The Bucks stayed with the Revolution for 90 minutes using a high-tempo style of play and eventually sending the sparse crowd of 1,857 Revolution fans home disappointed.

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Adam Throop, Bavarian SC, Carolina Dynamo, Chad Schomaker, Charleston Battery, Chicago Sockers, Chicago Stingers, Cincinnati Kings, Cleveland City Stars, Colorado Rapids, Connecticut Wolves, Dallas Roma FC, Des Moines Menace, Eric Pogue, FC Dallas/Dallas Burn, Hershey Wildcats, Jesse Llamas, Josh Wolff, Miami FC, Michael Schell, Michigan Bucks, Milwaukee Rampage, Minnesota Thunder, New England Revolution, Orange County Zodiac, Orlando Nighthawks, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Reading Rage, Richmond Kickers, Romario, San Francisco Bay Seals, Seattle Sounders Select, Seattle Sounders USL, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards, Tampa Bay Mutiny, Things You Should Know, Zinho

Things you should know about the First Round of the US Open Cup

September 1, 2009 by Josh Hakala

David Geno and the Seattle Sounders Under-23s celebrate one of the club's five goals in a 5-1 win over Doxa Italia in the First Round of the 2013 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Coulter | SoundersPhotos.com

What is the attendance record for the First Round of the US Open Cup (Modern Era)? What is the most lopsided game? How far has a team advanced after starting in Round 1? We answers to those questions and more.

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Argjent Duka, Arizona Sahuaros, Atlanta Silverbacks, Azzurri, Bavarian SC, Carolina Dynamo, Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery, Chicago Stingers, Dallas Roma FC, David Geno, Georgia Revolution, Hakan Ilhan, Hollywood United, Icon FC, Kwadwo Poku, Los Lobos, Luke Griffith, Mexico SC, Milford International, Reggae Boyz FC, Ryan Walker, SAC Wisla, Salinas Valley Samba, San Francisco Bay Seals, Seattle Sounders U23s, Seattle Sounders USL, Sonoma County Sol, Things You Should Know, Uruguay SC, Wilmington Hammerheads

Notable upsets in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup

September 1, 2009 by Josh Hakala

Shane Watkins of the San Francisco Bay Seals eludes San Jose Clash defender John Doyle during the Seals' 2-1 Quarterfinal upset at Spartan Stadium on August 20, 1997. Photo: San Francisco Bay Seals

There have only been seven “upsets” in the Quarterfinal round of the US Open Cup since 1995, therefore all of them are, in fact, “notable.”

Filed Under: US Open Cup, US Open Cup History Tagged With: Carlos Valderamma, Charleston Battery, Chris Kennell, Colorado Rapids, Doug Miller, Evans Wise, FC Dallas/Dallas Burn, Henry Gutierrez, Ian Fuller, Jason Kreis, Johnny Menyongar, Kenny Cooper, Lazo Alavanja, Mauro Biello, Michael Kirmse, Minnesota Thunder, Randi Patterson, Rochester Rhinos, Ronald Cerritos, Roy Lassiter, San Francisco Bay Seals, San Jose Earthquakes/San Jose Clash, Seattle Sounders USL, Shane Watkins, Shani Simpson, Sporting Kansas City/Kansas City Wizards, Tampa Bay Mutiny, Things You Should Know, Ugo Ihemelu, Will Hesmer

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U.S. Open Cup History

Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders FC is shown a red card during a 2015 US Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers.

A history of violence against referees in US Open Cup

Unfortunately, in the long history of the US Open Cup, this was not the first time that there have been more then a few incidents where games were halted due to referee abuse.

  • How St. Petersburg Kickers became Florida’s first US Open Cup champion
  • San Francisco Bay Seals, the ‘amateur’ pro team that reached 1997 US Open Cup Semifinals
  • Vasco De Gama’s journey from Connecticut to 1978 US Open Cup Final as Pele’s opening act at Giants Stadium
  • 1938-1939 National Challenge Cup: The first time the US Open Cup was invite-only
  • American soccer’s greatest modern underdog story: Rochester Raging Rhinos win 1999 US Open Cup

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