Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Seattle Sounders FC

2016 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Late goals by Sebastian Lletget send LA Galaxy past Seattle Sounders, 4-2

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The LA Galaxy celebrate a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the 2016 Quarterfinals. Photo: LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy celebrate a goal against the Seattle Sounders in the 2016 Quarterfinals. Photo: LA Galaxy

Sebastian Lletget is becoming a late-game legend in this edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Lletget tallied twice in the final five minutes as the Los Angeles Galaxy came from behind to defeat the Seattle Sounders, 4-2, in a quarterfinal round game at the Track and Field stadium at StubHub Center.

“Sebastian hasn’t had a regular shift in a while, so it’s good for him. He did a good job,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said.

Lletget started but did not score until the 85th minute and 88th minute, respectively, for the Galaxy, which won its first game vs. Sounders (MLS) in Open Cup play. With the win L.A. advances the semifinals for the first time since 2006.

“Now on to the semis, and it’s the first time we’ve done that. It’s the first time I can win something and I’m really excited,” Lletget said.

Suspect passing in the Galaxy defense led to the game’s first goal.

Daniel Steres put Leonardo in bad spot with a hospital back pass which Leonardo failed to clear, passing the ball almost directly to an on-rushing Michael Farfan, who played two touches before chipping past Clement Diop.

“They made a mistake in the back and I capitalized on it,” Farfan said. “It was a nice way to start but we can’t finish games like that.”

Galaxy produced a pair of scoring chances before Baggio Husidic put a ball into the box with pace in the 17th minute, finding Alan Gordon at the back post for one-touch finish.

“It was great! Right spot at the right time, buried it,” Gordon said. “We needed it.”

Herculez Gomez produced an improbable goal in the 59th minute to give Sounders a 2-1 lead, beating Diop near post.

“It’s not really a positive,” Gomez said about his eighth career Open Cup goal. “It was all or nothing. There are no moral victories.”

Arena waited to make changes until after the 70th minute, but brought in Giovani Dos Santos and Gyasi Zardes hoping for an immediate impact.

Dos Santos came on for Gordon and did not take long to make his presence felt, getting the Galaxy even at 2-2 in the 77th minute with a goal off a turnover in the back from the Sounders.

“I thought once we had the lead, 2-1, it was just a matter of getting through the rest of the game,” Schmid said. “We gave up a goal — a soft goal — and from there the flood gates opened.”

L.A., which lost to Seattle in the Open Cup quarterfinals in 2010 and ’11, asserted its will in the final 10 minutes, peppering the Sounders goal until finally taking a lead in the 85th minute on Lletget’s third goal of the tournament.

“(Dos Santos and Zardes) brought energy, and they’re just clever,” Lletget said.

It’s back line in shambles, Lletget added his fourth goal of the tournament three minutes later to seal the win, L.A.’s 31st all-time in Open Cup play.

Lletget had two late goals in Galaxy’s 5-1 win over Santa Ana (Calif.) La Maquina (UPSL) in a 4th Round game.

“Crazy, really crazy,” Lletget said. “Till the whistle blows.”

Galaxy has entered the Open Cup every year since 1999, and have a 31-15-0 all-time record.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LA GALAXY VS. SEATTLE SOUNDERS

LLETGET’S GOALS

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: Portland Timbers take advantage of Clint Dempsey meltdown, beat 7-man Seattle Sounders 3-1 in OT (video)

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Clint Dempsey is sent off in the 112th minute after ripping up referee Daniel Radford's notebook. Photo: Video screengrab
Clint Dempsey is sent off in the 112th minute after ripping up the referee’s notebook. Photo: Video screengrab

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that Real Salt Lake will host the Portland Timbers in the next round.

In what will likely go down as one of the most-memorable matches in the contentious rivalry between Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers FC, the visiting Timbers took advantage of a short-handed Sounders team in added time, delivering their hosts a 3-1 loss, marking the first time Seattle has lost in US Open Cup play at Starfire Stadium.

Despite the history, however, this match will likely be remembered more for the Sounders finishing with seven men, thanks to three red cards and an injury to Obafemi Martins that came moments after Sounders coach Sigi Schmid had used his final substitution. With Seattle already playing with nine men, but only trailing 2-1, Michael Azira was shown a red card for an apparent elbow in the 112th minute, and during the post-red card argument between the referee and the Seattle players, Clint Dempsey was sent off for ripping up the referee’s notebook. The Timbers would add a third goal in the final minutes to put the game away.

VIDEO: Clint Dempsey sent off

The first half gave no indication of the thrills that were in store for the 4,022 in attendance for the Fourth Round derby. None of the three officially tallied shots were on goal, with Aaron Kovar’s long shot from the left side was the lone pulse-quickening moment when it bulged the side netting from the wrong side.

Seattle made a change of jersey in the locker room, switching from their “Pitch Black” to mostly white tops, potentially to help better distinguish from the dark green of Portland as the Starfire lighting failed to keep pace with the fading sunlight.

Fortunately, the game also made a change, and fairly quickly after the resumption of play.
Rodney Wallace’s cross from the left flank looped over the Seattle defense and headed toward the far post. Just before Leo Gonzalez could get his head to the ball for a clearance attempt, Diego Valeri extended right foot high enough to poke it past keeper Troy Perkins, who was making his 2015 competitive debut.

Photo: Seattle Sounders FC
Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Falling behind seemed to inspire Seattle into action, as they immediately sprung into life on the offensive end and began putting together the sincere offensive threats their possession advantage in the first half failed to deliver.

But Adam Kwarasey was ready.

Obafemi Martins charged into the area and curled a hard shot toward the far post, which was sent away by a diving effort from the Portland keeper in the 51st minute. Moments later, a cross found Kovar directly in front of goal, mere feet from his target, but, again, Kwarasey parried the threat away to safety.

The game seemed to reach a potential tipping point when Brad Evans fouled Jorge Villafana. Referee Daniel Radford, who’d already given Evans a yellow for a careless foul in the 38th minute, sent the captain off for the play, dropping Seattle to ten men.

Despite the personnel advantage, though, Portland was unable regain control of the momentum as the Sounders offered no indication they were short-handed and continued to press for the equalizer. That equalizer finally came through a corner that escaped the swiping effort of Kwarasey as ended its arc in the path of Martins, who slotted the ball cleanly past the goal line in the 79th minute.

Then the man they call “Oba!” effected yet another sea change.

Moments after Tyrone Mears replaced Gonzalez in the 84th minute as Schmid’s third and final substitution, Martins went to the ground near midfield and required attention from the medical staff. At one point, Martins attempted to stand with assistance but quickly sat back down on the turf, which brought the stretcher onto the field to get the player off and play restarted.

Without their catalyst and goalscorer, the nine-man Sounders squad found themselves being pushed back by an ambitious Portland attack and struggled to carry the 1-1 scoreline through the extended injury time beyond regulation.

While the two teams prepared for the extra soccer, it became clear that Martins was not returning to action, leaving the hosts two men down for the final thirty minutes.

Or, as it would turn out, at least two men down.

Portland started the first overtime period much the way they ended regulation, using their superior numbers to create chances, but it was ultimately another set piece that broke the deadlock. A ball delivered from a corner was cleared out of the area to where George Fochive had time and space to return it goalward. Before it could get to the goal line, Fochive’s effort was deflected, finding Wallace, who tidied up and ran to the Portland bench to celebrate in the 110th minute.

After swapping ends for the final 15 minutes, Portland continued to control play, with undermanned Seattle managing the the odd push into Timbers territory. On one such venture, Michael Azira charged into a challenge, sending Gaston Fernandez to the turf. Radford produced a red card for the play, dropping Seattle to just eight players.

That is, until Clint Dempsey snatched what appeared to be the referee’s notebook from his hand, flung it to the ground, walked immediately over to the object, picked it up, tore it into pieces and threw it into the air. For his actions, Dempsey was given consecutive yellow cards and had to be restrained by teammates as he attempted to go after Radford.

Down to six outfield players, Seattle was left with no real chance to avoid the loss, nor to stop Maximiliano Urruti’s final blow in the 116th minute on a low shot from the edge of the area that got inside the post just a bit more quickly than Perkins was able to get to the ground to stop it.

For the Sounders, it was the end of a number of streaks. In the team’s franchise history, dating back to their USL days, they had never lost at Starfire Sports Complex. Their 19-game unbeaten streak would end (18-0-1). Since joining Major League Soccer, the Sounders had never lost a home game of any kind in Open Cup play (15-0-1, 1-0 in PKs). Also, this marked the first time, since joining MLS that Seattle had been defeated by another MLS team, an unbeaten streak of 16 games (14-0-2) also snapped. And between the two rivals, this was the first time the Timbers had defeated the Sounders in US Open Cup play in a decade. The last time Portland beat Seattle in the tournament was in 2005 when they were both members of the United Soccer Leagues and the Timbers beat them in the Rose City, 2-0.

The result means there will be a new champion of the US Open Cup. Portland will take their next step in a bid to win the hardware in two weeks when Round 5 is set to begin. Their opponent will be determined on June 18 when the US Soccer Federation conducts the draw.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: PORTLAND TIMBERS AT SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Kings reclaim throne: Seattle Sounders beat Philadelphia Union in OT to win 4th US Open Cup title

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2014 US Open Cup: The Seattle Sounders defeated the Philadelphia Union in the Final at PPL Park, 3-1 in extra time. Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle etched its place in the annals of US Open Cup history, winning its fourth title, 3-1 over the Philadelphia Union in a thrilling extra time affair in the tournament’s 101st Final in Chester, Pa.

The MLS-leading Sounders showed their class in overtime after ending regular time tied at 1-1. Playing counterattack soccer, star strikers Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins each scored, earning Seattle its fourth championship in six years, tying it for second all-time with the New York Greek American Atlas SC, Chicago Fire and Philadelphia club Ukrainian Nationals, and putting them one behind Maccabee AC (Los Angeles) and Bethlehem Steel for most overall.

“ know where each other are all the time. They just find each other. They have developed a really good relationship with each other,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said about the Sounders’ second goal.

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Philadelphia, who was playing for its first championship, nearly won the game in regulation. In second-half injury time, Vincent Nogueira beat Sounders goalie Stefan Frei, but his shot banged off the left post. It was the end to a dramatic finish, with the Union pushing as hard as it could for a winner. It was a historic evening for a number of Sounders.

In addition to joining the four-title club, Sigi Schmid added to his Modern Era (1995-present) record with his fifth Open Cup title as a manager (2001 with Los Angeles Galaxy and 4 with the Sounders) and Osvaldo Alonso played in his sixth cup final, which is also a record since 1995.

“We’re good at this,” Schmid told Sounders play-by-play announcer Ross Fletcher during a post-game interview.

The game started quickly, and never let up. Often finals begin as cagey affairs, with teams electing to play defensively. The Union and Sounders bucked the norm, attacking plenty. It was the home side attacking first, with an offside call eliminating a promising chance in the opening minute. Seattle’s Dempsey had the first great chance of the game in the 11th minute. A ball crossed in by Andy Rose led to a point-blank effort from the US National Team star, but he hit his attempt high over the bar.

Sebastien Le Toux, the US Open Cup Modern Pro Era leading goal scorer with 14, was the next with a good chance, but his half-shot, half-cross was calmly collected by goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Seemingly trading chances, Chad Marshall missed a free header in the 24th minute on a corner kick. Le Toux, who won an Open Cup title with Seattle in 2009, took his turn again in the 30th minute, getting on the end of Andrew Wenger’s cross, but his close-range effort was saved by Frei.

Clint Dempsey (right) of the Seattle Sounders FC scored the go-ahead goal in the 101st minute as Seattle defeated the Philadelphia Union 3-1 to win a fourth title. Photo: Bob Larson Jr.

The Union’s Maurice Edu broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. After earning a foul, Cristian Maidana whipped in a free kick from the right from about 30 yards out. The ball found the head of Edu, who was able to knock it in. Edu’s goal, his second of the tournament, gave Philadelphia a 1-0 halftime lead.

The away side caught the Union sleeping to start the second half, however. Brad Evans put in a corner kick in the 47th minute, which was poorly cleared by Philadelphia. The ball made its way back into the box, and Chad Barrett easily headed it home for his fourth career tournament goal.

Members of the Seattle Sounders celebrate after winning the 2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at PPL Park in Chester, PA. Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Tied at one apiece, the Union finally found the energy that it had in the first half fueled by 15,256 fans in attendance. That energy led to a breakaway that surely looked like it would turn into a goal. Maidana made some nifty moves to get past the Seattle defense, and was all alone in on the Seattle goal. The Sounders’ DeAndre Yedlin proved to be the hero, using his blazing speed to track back and win the ball.

Seattle also had several chances to win the game in regular time. Second-half substitute Marco Pappa’s cross hit Dempsey right next to the net, but for the second time, he missed from close range. Just a minute later, Martins also missed a golden opportunity.

In the 88th minute, Frei made a fantastic save on Pedro Ribeiro, then Nogueira’s chance hit the post to save the Sounders from giving up a late winner.

Union interim coach Jim Curtin said, “Finals are always one-play games … little breaks in the game. I’ve never been proud of a loss before. This is the first time.”

For the fourth time in five Open Cup matches in 2014, the Union went to overtime. That experience didn’t help however, as it was Seattle breaking the deadlock. On a counterattack, Dempsey passed to Martins, who was swarmed by three defenders. He passed back to Dempsey, who kicked it to the left of Zach MacMath, finally getting the goal he had been looking for. For Dempsey, his first career tournament goal couldn’t have come at a better time.

Martins put the game away in the 114th minute. One-on-one against Raymon Gaddis, Martins used his power to hold off the defender. MacMath charged out, but Martins slotted it home for an unassailable 3-1 victory.

“It’s all about people wanting to win trophies,” Schmid said. “That’s the attitude we approach the Open Cup with.”

Michael Berton is a freelance soccer writer out of the Philadelphia area. He also works at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and you can follow him on Twitter @MichaelBerton.

HIGHLIGHTS: 2014 US OPEN CUP FINAL

US OPEN CUP FINAL RECAP SHOW (MLSSOCCER.COM)

2020 UPDATE: Full Game Replay (Via US Soccer)

SOUNDERS CELEBRATE FOURTH US OPEN CUP TROPHY

PHOTOS BY BOB LARSON (Twitter: @bob_larson)

2014 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final
Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders
PPL Park – Chester, PA

Scoring Summary:
PHI: Maurice Edu (Cristian Maidana) – 38th min.
SEA: Chad Barrett (unassisted) – 47th min.
SEA: Clint Dempsey (Obafemi Martins) – 101st min.
SEA: Obafemi Martins (unassisted) – 114th min.

Lineups:

Philadelphia: Zac MacMath; Sheanon Williams (Fred-109’), Carlos Valdes, Ethan White, Raymon Gaddis; Sebastien Le Toux, Maurice Edu, Vincent Nogueira, Cristian Maidana; Andrew Wenger (Danny Cruz-81’), Conor Casey (Pedro Ribeiro-78’)

Seattle: Stefan Frei; Leo Gonzalez, Zach Scott, Chad Marshall, DeAndre Yedlin; Lamar Neagle (Marco Pappa-74’), Andy Rose, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans (Gonzolo Pineda-94’); Clint Dempsey, Chad Barrett (Obafemi Martins-60’)

Bookings:
SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (caution – 25’)
PHI: Conor Casey (caution – 57’)

Referee: Armando Villareal
Linesman: Peter Manikowski, Corey Parker
4th official: Matthew Nelson
Attendance: 15,256
Weather: Partly Cloudy – 70 degrees

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Player of the Round Osvaldo Alonso sends Seattle Sounders back to the Final

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Osvaldo Alonso of the Seattle Sounders is the Player of the Round for the Semifinals. Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Osvaldo Alonso’s tenacious play proved to be a thorn in Chivas USA’s side, and helped Seattle Sounders FC to become only the third team in the tournament’s 99-year history to reach the US Open Cup Final four years in a row. For that performance he was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Semifinals.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. Teammate Zach Scott and Sporting Kansas City’s Jacob Peterson and Graham Zusi were other leading candidates in the voting.

Alonso earned what could be called soccer’s version of hockey’s “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting penalty) in the Semifinal match: a thread-the-needle assist to Eddie Johnson, a penalty kick goal, and a yellow card on the night. His stifling, physical play spurred a solid effort by Seattle’s defense, as Chivas managed only four shots the entire game.

The 26-year-old Cuban defector earned his second POTR honor, also having captured the award for his performance in the 2011 Open Cup Final.

This game was telling of what has been a solid campaign for Alonso, nicknamed “Honey Badger,” who has four goals along with two assists in the 2012 tournament. This puts him in a tie for second place in goalscoring for this Open Cup, one goal behind Carolina RailHawks’ Brian Shriver. Danny Barrera of Cal FC and Ventura County Fusion’s Frankie Lopez are tied with Osvaldo, and teammate Sammy Ochoa is the only other active player in the scoring top 10 (3 goals).

Alonso, who defected stateside from Cuba in 2007, will be playing in his fifth straight Cup Final. He was on Charleston Battery’s losing side in 2008, before establishing himself as a mainstay with Sounders FC in their debut season in MLS the next season, tallying six goals in that span. No one in the Modern Professional Era has appeared in five straight title games, and only two other players (Andy Williams and Peter Vagenas) have played in five championship games since 1995.

He is also the third Sounders player to earn multiple POTR awards, joining Sebastien Le Toux (2007 Round 3, 2009 Semifinals) and Nate Jaqua (2010 Quarterfinals, 2010 Semifinals). Seattle players have also captured the last four Players of the Tournament: Chris Eylander in 2008, Kasey Keller in 2009, Jaqua in 2010, and Fredy Montero last year. Osvaldo has a good case to become the fifth SSFC player on that list with his strong showing throughout the tournament, in both barnburners and defensive grudge matches. However that thought will be far from his mind, as his side will be going for their fourth straight Open Cup title on the road at Sporting Kansas City. The Final will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 8:30 PM ET at LiveStrong Sporting Park.

2012 Player of the Round award winners

Round 1: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+]
Round 2: Danny Barrera (Cal FC) [+]
Round 3: Artur Aghasyan (Cal FC) [+]
Round 4: Sainey Touray (Harrisburg City Islanders) [+]
Quarterfinals: Jose Correa (Chivas USA) [+]
Semifinals: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC)

2012 US Open Cup Semifinals: Seattle Sounders make history by repeating it against Chivas USA (Video)

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The Seattle Sounders are the first team since the mid-1930s to reach the US Open Cup Final four straight years. Photo: Corky Trewin | Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC have once again made history in the US Open Cup, becoming the third team to ever to appear in four straight Finals. They earned it, ironically enough, by repeating history, knocking off Chivas USA for the second time in the Semifinals, by a score of 4-1 at Starfire Sports Complex. They defeated the Goats 3-1 at the same stadium back in 2010.

Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sammy Ochoa and Eddie Johnson all tallied for the Sounders who win their 30th all-time tournament win and add to their Modern Pro Era record unbeaten streak of 21 games.

No team has ever won four straight tournament titles in the 99-year history of the US Open Cup, and to accomplish that, the Sounders will have to win it on the road. The Final will be hosted by Sporting Kansas City, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 2-0 in the other Semifinal, at LiveStrong Sporting Park on Aug. 8.

The game was fairly crisp early on, as both teams were on top of each other’s passes. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had a chance for Seattle 11 minutes in, but Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy was up to the task to keep the game scoreless early.

Chivas was able to get a free kick 25 yards out from Sounders FC keeper Bryan Meredith’s left with the sun in his eyes, but instead of playing the ball high, went on the ground for an easy clearance with 19 minutes gone. A couple of minutes later the Goats’ Jorge Villafana threatened with a cross, but it went clear of Alejandro Moreno and out for a goal kick.

Seattle would settle down, easily clearing the Goats’ first corner at the 26 minute mark, and started to impose themselves offensively. Forward Fredy Montero went down in the box, but play was waved on with about 30 minutes gone. Seattle recovered the clearance at midfield a minute later, and Osvaldo Alonso threaded the ball through two defenders to catch Eddie Johnson onside running behind the defense. Johnson took the ball into the area, and Kennedy could only get a finger on the shot as the home team jumped in front. Johnson nearly recorded a brace three minutes later, forcing Kennedy to make an excellent kick save with his header.

For Eddie Johnson, it was his fifth career US Open Cup goal, and his first since 2005 when he played for FC Dallas.

Johnson had been mired in controversy after the last round, being involved in a postgame fracas with San Jose Earthquakes’ Jed Zayner. The US Open Cup disciplinary committee ultimately decided against issuing any discipline to either player, and his play showed that he clearly wasn’t bothered by the incident.

Play threatened to get chippy at the end of the first half, however the ref was fully determined to prevent things from getting out of hand. Osvaldo Alonso saw yellow in the 42nd for persistent infringement, while Oswaldo Minda was booked two minutes later for taking down Montero. The half ended with Seattle looking the stronger side, as Chivas had not attempted a shot in the first 45.

The Sounders seemed determined to prove that statement true, as they went on the attack immediately after the halftime break. Montero was once again pulled down inside the box, this time by Chivas’ Rauwshan McKenzie, in a nearly-identical play to the takedown in the first half. This time, however, a penalty was called, and Alonso fooled Kennedy into diving low and floated the ball above him to double the Seattle lead. Johnson would nearly put the game away after receiving a lofty cross from the other side of the field and volleying it in, but the goal was ruled offside.

After Seattle dominated the first fifteen minutes of the last half, Goats manager Robin Fraser started adding firepower to his side, subbing in Cesar Romero for Blair Gavin in the 64th minute. Brad Evans of the Sounders had been subbed in for 19-year-old Cordell Cato three minutes earlier, and both new players would prove to be important to the game’s outcome.

Romero would receive the ball inside the area in the 74th minute and fire on goal but Meridith made the save. The ball rebounded right back to the shooter though, and this time Cesar’s shot was true, cutting the home lead in half. History had begun repeating itself, as two years ago Jesus Padilla scored in the 66th to generate the same scoreline at that point in the Semifinal game. Chivas was definitely spurred on by the goal, gaining confidence in the next few minutes, however being unable to generate an equalizer.

Seattle would yet end up proving their class again with seven minutes left. Montero dribbled the ball toward the edge of the box, freezing Kennedy on his line with his long-distance prowess and willingness to pull the trigger. Once again having Kennedy fooled, Montero slid the ball to streaking sub Evans, who left the Chivas keeper helpless as he one-timed the ball into the twine, icing the game for the three-time defending champions.

Johnson’s day ended three minutes later, as Sammy Ochoa subbed on for him. With Seattle attacking, fellow sub Alvaro Fernandez lost the ball inside the box. Ochoa was keen to recover it though, and caught Kennedy out of position to tally the game’s final goal.

Chivas tried to rally for a pride goal, however the Sounders deftly played keep-away through the three minutes of stoppage time, keeping their perfect all-time record at Starfire intact (15-0-0, outscoring opponents 45-9) and improving their all-time home record to 23-2-1 (1-0 PKs).

The Sounders are just the third club in the history of the tournament to reach four straight Finals. Bethlehem Steel (1915-1919) and Stix, Baer & Fuller (1933-1937) each advanced to five straight championship games. Bethlehem Steel were National Challenge Cup (as it was called then) champions in 1915 and 1916 before finishing runner-up in 1917, and then lifting back-to-back trophies again in 1918 and 1919. St. Louis-based Stix, Baer & Fuller won three straight titles in 1933, 34 and 35 with the third championship coming under the team’s new sponsor, ‘Central Breweries.’ They changed their name to ‘Shamrocks SC’ in 1936 and finished runner-up that year and again in 1937, losing by one goal in the second leg to the New York Americans.

Full match highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Sigi Schmid post-game interview

Eddie Johnson post-game interview

Osvaldo Alonso post-game interview

Brad Evans post-game interview


SCORING:
SEA- Eddie Johnson (Osvaldo Alonso) 31′
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (PK) 48′
CHV- Cesar Romero (Unassisted) 74′
SEA- Brad Evans (Fredy Montero) 83′
SEA- Sammy Ochoa (Unassisted) 88′

LINEUPS:
SEA- Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott (Capt), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Pat Ianni, Leo Gonzalez; Cordell Cato (Brad Evans 61′), Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Rose, Alex Caskey (Alvaro Fernandez 81′); Fredy Montero, Eddie Johnson (Sammy Ochoa 86′). Subs not used: Josh Ford; Jeff Parke, Marc Burch, Mauro Rosales.

CHV- Dan Kennedy; Danny Califf, James Riley, Rauwshan McKenzie, Jorge Villafana; Oswaldo Minda, Ben Zemanski (Ryan Smith 85′), Blair Gavin (Cesar Romero 64′), Alejandro Moreno (Capt); Paolo Cardozo, Juan Pablo Angel (Jose Correa 69′). Subs not used: Tim Melia, John Alexander Valencia, Peter Vagenas, Casey Townsend.

DISCIPLINE:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso 42′ (persistent infringement)
CHV- Oswaldo Minda 44′ (tactical foul)
CHV- Danny Califf 78′ (tactical foul)

STATS:
SEA: Shots-18; Saves- 3; Corners- 6; Fouls-17; Offsides- 5
CHV: Shots- 4; Saves- 5; Corners- 1; Fouls-15; Offsides- 2

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Attendance: 4,500

2012 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Champion Sounders end Cal FC’s dream run, 5-0 (video)

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Fredy Montero scored his sixth and seventh career US Open Cup goals against Cal FC to move him into a tie for second place on the Sounders' all-time list for the tournament. Photo: Rod Mar | Seattle Sounders FC

For the first 45 minutes, US Open Cup darlings Cal FC held their own against three-time defending champions Seattle Sounders. However, in the second half, the floodgates opened for the Sounders, as they poured onto the twine, rolling to a 5-0 win at Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Tukwila, Wash. The Sounders scored all of their goals in a 20-minute span, and then continued to hold the majority of possession until the end, as the defense proved to be lock-tight in the few possessions Cal FC managed to control in the game.

With the club extending its Modern Pro Era record unbeaten streak to 19 games, and their home unbeaten streak to 14, the Sounders will hit the road for the first time since 2010 when they face the San Jose Earthquakes in the Quarterfinals on June 26.

The first half was uneventful, as Seattle controlled possession, but could not break through. Cal FC wisely chose to place most of their team in their half of the field, as they could not solve the Sounders’ defense in the rare occasions they were able to get the ball to the offensive end. Seattle kept possession and kept attacking, giving Cal FC keeper Derby Carirllo much more of a workout than he faced against the Portland Timbers last week.

Everything came to a head in the second half, as the Sounders earned a penalty shot in the 50th minute. Osvaldo Alonso shot it hard to the bottom left, and Carrillo did everything he could to get a hand on it, but couldn’t stop the ball from going into the left-side bottom corner to finally put the home side up. From there, the Sounders took advantage of the lapse in confidence of Cal’s team to full effect. Open Cup hero Fredy Montero received a gorgeous pass from Cordell Cato off an interception, and slotted the ball past Derby at the 58-minute mark to double the lead.

From then on, it was a Sounders storm. Andy Rose, who had opened up the scoring against the Atlanta Silverbacks the previous week, was once again the right man at the right time, as he headed a ball in from close range after the ball popped up out of a crowd in front. It was his second goal of the campaign in the 65th minute.

Just three minutes later, Montero struck again. Off a free kick, far outside of the box, he arced the ball over the wall, and the rebound bounced right past Carillo and into the goal to put the Sounders at 4-0. Osvaldo then took advantage of a goal-line scrum less than a minute later, as Alex Caskey connected with Alonso, sending the ball to the twine to give the home side a commanding lead.

The remaining minutes were just playing keep away and removing potential targets of chippy play from the pitch, as David Estrada, Servando Carrasco, and Open Cup hero Roger Levesque subbed on for Ochoa, Montero, and Alonso. While Cal did start commanding their offensive end late, Seattle’s back line was up for it, and when the ball did get past them, keeper Bryan Meredith was up to the challenge.

Their Quarterfinal match against San Jose, a team the Sounders have faced twice as a USL franchise (2002, 2003), will be played in San Francisco at Kezar Stadium at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Sigi Schmid: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

Fredy Montero: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

Alex Caskey: Post-game interview (SoundersFC.com)

LINEUPS:
CAL- Derby Carillo; Alberto Navarro, Hector Espinosa (Paulo Ferreira-Mendez 76), Michael Randolph, Richard Menjivar; Jesus Gonzalez, Eder Arreola (Pedro Ferreira-Mendez 60), Pablo Cruz (Alex Caceres 65), Arthur Aghasyan; Danny Barrera, Diego Barrera. SUBS NOT USED: Laurent Grill, Makai Werring, Carlos Torres, Ceasar Riviera.

SEA- Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Marc Burch; Cordell Cato, Osvaldo Alonso (Servando Carrasco 75), Andy Rose, Alex Caskey; Sammy Ochoa (Roger Levesque 73), Fredy Montero (David Estrada 81). SUBS NOT USED: Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez, Mike Seamon, Andrew Weber.

SCORING:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (PK) 50 ‘
SEA- Fredy Montero (Cordell Cato) 58′
SEA- Andy Rose (Alex Caskey) 66′
SEA- Fredy Montero 68′
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (Alex Rose) 70’

BOOKINGS:
SEA- Osvaldo Alonso (caution; Reckless Tackle) 19
SEA- Sammy Ochoa (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 45
CAL- Richard Menjivar (caution; Reckless Tackle) 74

Referee: Daniel Radford
Referee’s Assistants: Mike Rottersman, Ray Moffatte, Jr.
4th Official: Timon Berry
Attendance: 3,894
Weather: 55 degrees, cloudy.

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