• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • US Open Cup Central
  • US Open Cup Qualifying
  • US Open Cup History
  • Amateur Cup

Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

  • 2025 USOC Schedule
  • 2025 USOC Stat Leaders
  • 2025 USOC Qualifying Results
  • TheCup.us Awards
  • Join TheCup.us Patreon!
  • Contact Us

Tacoma Tide

Meet the 16 Premier Development League teams entering the 2013 US Open Cup

March 5, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Michigan Bucks vs. Chicago Fire - 2012 Third Round
Michigan Bucks vs. Chicago Fire - 2012 Third Round
The Michigan Bucks upset their second Major League Soccer team last year, knocking off the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Will we see another PDL team claim an MLS victim this year? Photo: Dave McCauley | Michigan Bucks

Shortly after the United States Soccer Federation announced the format for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the United Soccer Leagues confirmed which Premier Development League teams would enter the competition. As reported by TheCup.us in January, the PDL will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year.

Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, follows a similar format, and will include two addition amateur clubs, bringing the total to 34.

With the date of the 2013 tournament moved earlier in the month of May for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The Central, Southern and Western conferences will each submit the top two American-based clubs from each division, while the Eastern Conference, which is made up of three divisions, will be represented by four teams. The Ocean City Nor’easters, who finished with the conference’s best record (13-3-0), the team with the second best record in Ocean City’s division, Reading United, the South-Atlantic Division champion Carolina Dynamo, and the GPS Portland Phoenix who finished one point behind the Canadian-based Ottawa fury in the Northeast Division.

PDL logo

A dozen clubs are making a return appearance in the event, including 10 that were in the tournament this past year. Four sides will be making their US Open Cup debuts in 2013. The foursome is comprised of the River City Rovers, Ocala Stampede, FC Tucson and Seattle Sounders U-23s.

All of the PDL teams will begin play in Round 1 on May 14, and the amateur team (PDL, NPSL, USASA, USCS, USSSA) that advances the furthest this year will receive $15,000 (up from $10,000 last year).

Here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (read about the changes to the 2013 tournament here):

Central Conference

Michigan Bucks
1st place in Great Lakes Division (13-1-2)
Record 10th appearance, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 12-8-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Bucks will make their record 10th appearance in the US Open Cup and are the league’s most successful team in the tournament. With a record 12 Open Cup wins, 9 of them against professional opponents, they bring the strongest resume of any amateur team in the country. Last year, they bolstered their reputation as giant killers with their second win in franchise history over a Major League Soccer team, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Combined with their 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution in 2000, they are the only amateur team to defeat multiple MLS teams.

As you can see, not very many people were on hand to see the Michigan Bucks upset the New England Revolution in Foxboro back in 2000. Photo: Tony Biscaia | RevsNet

Last year, they crushed Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 6-0, before upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road in Round 2. In the Third Round they defeated the Chicago Fire at home in just the fourth Open Cup game in history to be played indoors.  In Round 4, their Cinderella story came to an end in front of their home fans (this time outdoors at Oakland University) by another unlikely team, the USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions who converted a penalty kick in extra time to win the game 2-1.

River City Rovers
3rd place in the Great Lakes Division (7-7-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup

The Louisville, Kentucky-based River City Rovers have qualified for the tournament for the first time, benefiting from the fact that Forest City London, the team who finished in second place in the division, are Canadian and are not eligible for the Open Cup. Forest City finished with a 7-5-4 record, two points ahead of River City, and made an improbably run through the PDL playoffs to win the championship. River City had a chance to overtake Forest City for the last playoff spot, but they lost their season finale to the Michigan Bucks 4-0.

River City becomes the first Kentucky-based club since 1993 to qualify for the Open Cup. That year, the Louisville Alliance reached the Regional Semifinals before falling to Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, 2-0.

Real Colorado Foxes
2nd place in the Heartland Division (8-4-4)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-2-0
Last appearance: 2012

The Real Colorado Foxes (no relationship with the Colorado Foxes who took part in the 1995 US Open Cup), have qualified for the third year in a row as the second place team in the Heartland Division (Division champion Thunder Bay Chill are from Canada). The Foxes won their first-ever tournament game in 2011 when they defeated USASA’s DV8 Defenders from San Jose, Calif. 5-0. Then after being eliminated by fellow PDL side Kitsap Pumas the next round, they suffered another defeat at the hands of an amateur team, losing 3-1 to the KC Athletics (USASA) at home.

Des Moines Menace
3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada.

Aside from their consistent success in the league, the Menace are best known for their back-to-back cup runs in 2005 and 2006 when they four professional teams in two years, only to fall to the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting Kansas City) both years on the road. Last year, they picked up their first Open Cup victory since 2006 with a 3-1 extra time road win over the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians, only to fall to the NASL’s (2nd Division) Minnesota Stars 2-0 in Round 2. The Menace are tied with the Ocean City Nor’easters for second place among PDL teams with 4 professional team upsets (Michigan Bucks have 9). According to TheCup.us records, the Menace are the only Iowa-based team (aside from the Iowa Menace who qualified out of the USASA in 2011) to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era, and even before that, there are no records of any Iowa team qualifying (records incomplete).

Eastern Conference

Ocean City Nor’easters
1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL)
All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2009

The Ocean City Nor'easters (shown here as the Ocean City Barons in 2009 against DC United) have upset four professional teams in their club history. Only the Michigan Bucks have more with nine. | Photo: Bill Pellegrino, Ocean City FC

The Nor’easters are back in the tournament as another PDL team with a giant killer reputation. This is their first appearance since 2009, when they defeated two Division 3 professional teams to reach the Third Round where they lost a close 2-0 decision to Major League Soccer’s DC United on the road. Only the Michigan Bucks (12) and the Des Moines Menace (7) have more Open Cup wins as a PDL team than the Nor’easters (6), who were known as the Barons the last time they entered the competition. The Bucks are also the only team with more professional team upsets in the tournament (9) than the Nor’easters (4).

Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0).

Reading United AC
2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (11-2-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), record 5th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-6-0 (1-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

Reading United are back in the US Open Cup for a fifth straight year, a Modern Pro Era record for an amateur team. Photo: Glenn Riegel / Reading United AC

For the first time in the Modern Professional Era, an amateur team will be making their fifth straight appearance in the US Open Cup. Reading United will attempt to put the past behind them, as the tournament has not been kind to United. Last year’s 2-1 home win over four-time Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas, was their first tournament win in franchise history. They would lose in the next round, 2-1 to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium. Reading has their friendly rivals, Ocean City, to thank for keeping their streak alive. The Nor’easters, by virtue of finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record, earned a berth, leaving the second place team, Reading, as the Mid-Atlantic’s representative.

GPS Portland Phoenix
2nd place in Northeast Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

In just their fourth season in the PDL, GPS Portland Phoenix will make their second straight appearance in the US Open Cup, finishing behind the Canadian-based Ottawa Fury in the Northeast Division. The Phoenix had a chance to win the division, but they finished scoreless against Seacoast United when they needed a win to overtake the Fury. Last year, Portland lost their first-ever Open Cup game 3-2 to the Brooklyn Italians of the USASA. They found themselves behind 3-0 until Blaike Woodruff scored a pair of late goals but it wasn’t enough as the they fell to the two-time tournament champions.

Carolina Dynamo
1st place in the South Atlantic Division (11-1-4)
10th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 10-9-0 (5-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

The Carolina Dynamo with their rich history dating back to 1993, will make their 10th appearance in the tournament this year, and their 5th as a PDL side. This is the third year in a row for the Dynamo as they will attempt to avoid their third straight one-and-done. Last year, they were eliminated by the Aegean Hawks from the DC-area 3-1. It was an impressive year for the Dynamo in the league as they only lost one game (11-1-4), and made a playoff run that took them all the way to the championship game, where they lost 2-1 to Forest City London. They will try to re-live their glory days this year, with their greatest moment coming in 2006 when they upset the Richmond Kickers (Div. 3) and the Seattle Sounders (Div. 2) to become the third PDL team (now there have been four) to advance beyond the Third Round. They would eventually fall in the ‘Battle of the Dynamo’, losing 4-2 to Houston of MLS in Round 4.

Laredo Heat
1st place in the Mid South Division (10-3-3)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-1-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Laredo Heat advanced to the Second Round of the 2012 US Open Cup, but lost to the San Antonio Scorpions, 2-0. Photo: Robin Jerstad | San Antonio Scorpions

The Laredo Heat are back in the Open Cup for a second straight year, and just the third time in franchise history. Three trips to the tournament in a decade is a surprising number for one of the best teams in the PDL. The 2007 league champion, and a three-time runner-up, the Heat qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2006 when they nearly eliminated Dallas Roma FC in the first round before Roma began their historic run to the Fourth Round. Last year, the Heat returned, winning their first-ever Open Cup game, 4-2 over fellow Texas amateur club ASC New Stars (USASA) in extra time.  They hit the road in Round 2 and lost 2-0 to the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions. This is a PDL team that has qualified for the league playoffs nine years in a row, and have only failed to qualify once, during their inaugural season in 2004. Single-elimination tournaments are nothing new to them, so this tournament could suit them well.

Austin Aztex
2nd place in the Mid South Division (9-5-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2008

After starting as a PDL franchise in 2008 (and qualifying for the US Open Cup), the Austin Aztex launched a professional team the following year and made two more Open Cup appearances. The franchise was moved to Orlando to form Orlando City SC, but in 2012, the Aztex franchise was revived in Austin as a PDL franchise. Their first season back was a successful one, finishing in second place behind the Laredo Heat. The only Open Cup game the Aztex PDL team played was in 2008 when they took the Atlanta Silverbacks (Div. 2) to penalty kicks, but lost the shootout 5-4.

Ocala Stampede
1st place in the Southeast Division (11-3-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

The Stampede are one of four clubs who are taking part in their first Open Cup as they were an overwhelming success in their inaugural season in the PDL. Ocala, which is located in Central Florida, just northwest of Orlando, won the Southeast Division title with an 11-3-2 record, which was the best record in the conference. They will join the nearby Orlando City U-23s in the tournament.

Orlando City U-23s
2nd place in the Southeast Division (8-3-5)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup, 4th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-5-0
Last appearance: 2012

Orlando City U-23s are back for their fourth straight Open Cup appearance and their sixth overall berth. In 2013, they will attempt to do something the previous five teams editions of the club have failed to do: win a game. Last year was the first year under the current team name. Prior to that, they were known as the Central Florida Kraze and made four trips to the competition before the team was bought by Orlando City after the 2011 season. Last year, they fell to Jacksonville United 2-1 after letting a 1-0 lead in the second half slip away. Jacksonville was awarded an 82nd minute penalty kick and then scored the game-winner in the 89th minute to seal Orlando’s doom.

Seattle Sounders U-23s
1st place in the Northwest Division (11-2-3)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

No matter what they are called, the Seattle Sounders U-23s are making their first Open Cup appearance in franchise history. The club was originally known as Tacoma FC, but never qualified from 2006-2011. Last year, the team re-branded as the Seattle Sounders U-23s and enjoyed immediate success. They won the Northwest Division championship and reached the final four in the PDL playoffs.

Portland Timbers U-23s
2nd place in the Northwest Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

After enjoying success in their first three years as a PDL franchise, including the 2010 league championship, the Portland Timbers U-23s qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time last year. They lost their first game to a USASA side, PSA Elite, 3-1 in front of their home fans, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves with their second straight berth in 2013.

Ventura County Fusion
1st place in the Southwest Division (12-2-2)
4th appearance in the US Open Cup (4th straight)
All-time Open Cup record: 3-2-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Ventura County Fusion qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2010 and were one-and-done to the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros. Each year after that, they have improved on the previous year’s performance. In 2011, they won a single game before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro). Last year, they won two games, including a revenge win over the Blues in Round 2. They nearly knocked off an MLS team, but were unable to overcome an early goal by Chivas USA, and lost 1-0. If the pattern continues, will the Fusion reach Round 4 this year?

FC Tucson
2nd place in the Southwest Division (9-3-4)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

FC Tucson became another first-year team to punch their ticket to the Open Cup after a successful inaugural season. They edged out the Fresno Fuego for second place and will be the first Arizona-based club to reach the tournament since the Arizona Sahuaros took part in 2010.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2013 US Open Cup, 2013 US Open Cup qualifying, Austin Aztex, Carolina Dynamo, Des Moines Menace, FC Tucson, GPS Portland Phoenix, Laredo Heat, Michigan Bucks, Ocala Stampede, Ocean City Barons/South Jersey Barons, Orlando City U-23s/Central Florida Kraze, PDL, Portland Timbers U23s, Premier Development League, Reading United AC, Real Colorado Foxes, River City Rovers, Seattle Sounders U23s, Tacoma Tide, Ventura County Fusion

Source: 2013 US Open Cup to feature 16 Premier Development League teams

January 14, 2012 by Josh Hakala

PDL logoThis was confirmed this yAccording to sources at the United Soccer Leagues’ annual general meeting in Tampa, Fla., the Premier Development League will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year.

Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, appears to be following a similar format, but the official announcement is yet to be made.

With the date of the 2013 tournament expected to be earlier for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The official announcement came nearly a year ago exactly with two berths, with one exception, going to each division.

A dozen clubs are making a return appearance in the event, including 10 that were in the tournament this past year. Four sides will be making their US Open Cup debuts in 2013. The foursome is comprised of the River City Rovers, Ocala Stampede, FC Tucson and Seattle Sounders U-23s.

According to sources, here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (we will be updating with brief summaries of each team’s tournament history):

Central Conference

Michigan Bucks
1st place in Great Lakes Division (13-1-2)
Record 10th appearance, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 12-8-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Bucks will make their record 10th appearance in the US Open Cup and are the league’s most successful team in the tournament. With a record 12 Open Cup wins, 9 of them against professional opponents, they bring the strongest resume of any amateur team in the country. Last year, they bolstered their reputation as giant killers with their second win in franchise history over a Major League Soccer team, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Combined with their 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution in 2000, they are the only amateur team to defeat multiple MLS teams.

Last year, the Michigan Bucks upset Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich.

Last year, they crushed Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 6-0, before upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road in Round 2. In the Third Round they defeated the Chicago Fire at home in just the fourth Open Cup game in history to be played indoors.  In Round 4, their Cinderella story came to an end in front of their home fans (this time outdoors at Oakland University) by another unlikely team, the USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions who converted a penalty kick in extra time to win the game 2-1.

River City Rovers
3rd place in the Great Lakes Division (7-7-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup

The Louisville, Kentucky-based River City Rovers have qualified for the tournament for the first time, benefiting from the fact that Forest City London, the team who finished in second place in the division, are Canadian and are not eligible for the Open Cup. Forest City finished with a 7-5-4 record, two points ahead of River City, and made an improbably run through the PDL playoffs to win the championship. River City had a chance to overtake Forest City for the last playoff spot, but they lost their season finale to the Michigan Bucks 4-0.

River City becomes the first Kentucky-based club since 1993 to qualify for the Open Cup. That year, the Louisville Alliance reached the Regional Semifinals before falling to Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, 2-0.

Real Colorado Foxes
2nd place in the Heartland Division (8-4-4)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-2-0
Last appearance: 2012

The Real Colorado Foxes (no relationship with the Colorado Foxes who took part in the 1995 US Open Cup), have qualified for the third year in a row as the second place team in the Heartland Division (Division champion Thunder Bay Chill are from Canada). The Foxes won their first-ever tournament game in 2011 when they defeated USASA’s DV8 Defenders from San Jose, Calif. 5-0. Then after being eliminated by fellow PDL side Kitsap Pumas the next round, they suffered another defeat at the hands of an amateur team, losing 3-1 to the KC Athletics (USASA) at home.

Des Moines Menace
3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada.

Aside from their consistent success in the league, the Menace are best known for their back-to-back cup runs in 2005 and 2006 when they four professional teams in two years, only to fall to the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting Kansas City) both years on the road. Last year, they picked up their first Open Cup victory since 2006 with a 3-1 extra time road win over the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians, only to fall to the NASL’s (2nd Division) Minnesota Stars 2-0 in Round 2. The Menace are tied with the Ocean City Nor’easters for second place among PDL teams with 4 professional team upsets (Michigan Bucks have 9). According to TheCup.us records, the Menace are the only Iowa-based team (aside from the Iowa Menace who qualified out of the USASA in 2011) to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era, and even before that, there are no records of any Iowa team qualifying (records incomplete).

Eastern Conference

Ocean City Nor’easters
1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL)
All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2009

The Nor’easters are back in the tournament as another PDL team with a giant killer reputation. This is their first appearance since 2009, when they defeated two Division 3 professional teams to reach the Third Round where they lost a close 2-0 decision to Major League Soccer’s DC United on the road. Only the Michigan Bucks (12) and the Des Moines Menace (7) have more Open Cup wins as a PDL team than the Nor’easters (6), who were known as the Barons the last time they entered the competition. The Bucks are also the only team with more professional team upsets in the tournament (9) than the Nor’easters (4). Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0).

Reading United AC
2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (11-2-3)
7th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), record 5th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-6-0 (1-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

For the first time in the Modern Professional Era, an amateur team will be making their fifth straight appearance in the US Open Cup. Reading United will attempt to put the past behind them, as the tournament has not been kind to United. Last year’s 2-1 home win over four-time Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas, was their first tournament win in franchise history. They would lose in the next round, 2-1 to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium. Reading has their friendly rivals, Ocean City, to thank for keeping their streak alive. The Nor’easters, by virtue of finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record, earned a berth, leaving the second place team, Reading, as the Mid-Atlantic’s representative.

GPS Portland Phoenix
2nd place in Northeast Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

In just their fourth season in the PDL, GPS Portland Phoenix will make their second straight appearance in the US Open Cup, finishing behind the Canadian-based Ottawa Fury in the Northeast Division. The Phoenix had a chance to win the division, but they finished scoreless against Seacoast United when they needed a win to overtake the Fury. Last year, Portland lost their first-ever Open Cup game 3-2 to the Brooklyn Italians of the USASA. They found themselves behind 3-0 until Blaike Woodruff scored a pair of late goals but it wasn’t enough as the they fell to the two-time tournament champions.

Carolina Dynamo
1st place in the South Atlantic Division (11-1-4)
10th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), 3rd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 10-9-0 (5-4-0 as PDL)
Last appearance: 2012

The Carolina Dynamo with their rich history dating back to 1993, will make their 10th appearance in the tournament this year, and their 5th as a PDL side. This is the third year in a row for the Dynamo as they will attempt to avoid their third straight one-and-done. Last year, they were eliminated by the Aegean Hawks from the DC-area 3-1. It was an impressive year for the Dynamo in the league as they only lost one game (11-1-4), and made a playoff run that took them all the way to the championship game, where they lost 2-1 to Forest City London. They will try to re-live their glory days this year, with their greatest moment coming in 2006 when they upset the Richmond Kickers (Div. 3) and the Seattle Sounders (Div. 2) to become the third PDL team (now there have been four) to advance beyond the Third Round. They would eventually fall in the ‘Battle of the Dynamo’, losing 4-2 to Houston of MLS in Round 4.

Laredo Heat
1st place in the Mid South Division (10-3-3)
3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 1-1-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Laredo Heat are back in the Open Cup for a second straight year, and just the third time in franchise history. Three trips to the tournament in a decade is a surprising number for one of the best teams in the PDL. The 2007 league champion, and a three-time runner-up, the Heat qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2006 when they nearly eliminated Dallas Roma FC in the first round before Roma began their historic run to the Fourth Round. Last year, the Heat returned, winning their first-ever Open Cup game, 4-2 over fellow Texas amateur club ASC New Stars (USASA) in extra time.  They hit the road in Round 2 and lost 2-0 to the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions. This is a PDL team that has qualified for the league playoffs nine years in a row, and have only failed to qualify once, during their inaugural season in 2004. Single-elimination tournaments are nothing new to them, so this tournament could suit them well.

Austin Aztex
2nd place in the Mid South Division (9-5-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: 0-0-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2008

After starting as a PDL franchise in 2008 (and qualifying for the US Open Cup), the Austin Aztex launched a professional team the following year and made two more Open Cup appearances. The franchise was moved to Orlando to form Orlando City SC, but in 2012, the Aztex franchise was revived in Austin as a PDL franchise. Their first season back was a successful one, finishing in second place behind the Laredo Heat. The only Open Cup game the Aztex PDL team played was in 2008 when they took the Atlanta Silverbacks (Div. 2) to penalty kicks, but lost the shootout 5-4.

Ocala Stampede
1st place in the Southeast Division (11-3-2)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

The Stampede are one of four clubs who are taking part in their first Open Cup as they were an overwhelming success in their inaugural season in the PDL. Ocala, which is located in Central Florida, just northwest of Orlando, won the Southeast Division title with an 11-3-2 record, which was the best record in the conference. They will join the nearby Orlando City U-23s in the tournament.

Orlando City U-23s
2nd place in the Southeast Division (8-3-5)
6th appearance in the US Open Cup, 4th straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-5-0
Last appearance: 2012

Orlando City U-23s are back for their fourth straight Open Cup appearance and their sixth overall berth. In 2013, they will attempt to do something the previous five teams editions of the club have failed to do: win a game. Last year was the first year under the current team name. Prior to that, they were known as the Central Florida Kraze and made four trips to the competition before the team was bought by Orlando City after the 2011 season. Last year, they fell to Jacksonville United 2-1 after letting a 1-0 lead in the second half slip away. Jacksonville was awarded an 82nd minute penalty kick and then scored the game-winner in the 89th minute to seal Orlando’s doom.

Seattle Sounders U-23s
1st place in the Northwest Division (11-2-3)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

No matter what they are called, the Seattle Sounders U-23s are making their first Open Cup appearance in franchise history. The club was originally known as Tacoma FC, but never qualified from 2006-2011. Last year, the team re-branded as the Seattle Sounders U-23s and enjoyed immediate success. They won the Northwest Division championship and reached the final four in the PDL playoffs.

Portland Timbers U-23s
2nd place in the Northwest Division (10-4-2)
2nd appearance in the US Open Cup, 2nd straight appearance
All-time Open Cup record: 0-1-0
Last appearance: 2012

After enjoying success in their first three years as a PDL franchise, including the 2010 league championship, the Portland Timbers U-23s qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time last year. They lost their first game to a USASA side, PSA Elite, 3-1 in front of their home fans, but they will have a chance to redeem themselves with their second straight berth in 2013.

Ventura County Fusion
1st place in the Southwest Division (12-2-2)
4th appearance in the US Open Cup (4th straight)
All-time Open Cup record: 3-2-1 (0-1 in PKs)
Last appearance: 2012

The Ventura County Fusion qualified for the Open Cup for the first time back in 2010 and were one-and-done to the USASA’s Arizona Sahuaros. Each year after that, they have improved on the previous year’s performance. In 2011, they won a single game before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro). Last year, they won two games, including a revenge win over the Blues in Round 2. They nearly knocked off an MLS team, but were unable to overcome an early goal by Chivas USA, and lost 1-0. If the pattern continues, will the Fusion reach Round 4 this year?

FC Tucson
2nd place in the Southwest Division (9-3-4)
1st appearance in the US Open Cup
All-time Open Cup record: N/A
Last appearance: N/A

FC Tucson became another first-year team to punch their ticket to the Open Cup after a successful inaugural season. They edged out the Fresno Fuego for second place and will be the first Arizona-based club to reach the tournament since the Arizona Sahuaros took part in 2010.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, 2013 US Open Cup, 2013 US Open Cup qualifying, Austin Aztex, Carolina Dynamo, Des Moines Menace, FC Tucson, GPS Portland Phoenix, Laredo Heat, Michigan Bucks, Ocala Stampede, Ocean City Barons/South Jersey Barons, Orlando City U-23s/Central Florida Kraze, PDL, Portland Timbers U23s, Premier Development League, Reading United AC, Real Colorado Foxes, River City Rovers, Seattle Sounders U23s, Tacoma Tide, Ventura County Fusion

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL West): Kitsap Pumas and Portland Timbers U23s finish dead even, successfully lobby for tiebreaking match

May 21, 2011 by Tavio Palazzolo

PDL West logoUS Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

The Western Conference has a new set of dominant teams in recent years, as the Kitsap Pumas (back-to-back Northwest representatives) and Ventura County Fusion (2009 PDL champions, 2010 Southwest representative) look to make their mark by qualifying for the US Open Cup once again in 2011. 11 other teams have other ideas, and that includes the Portland Timbers U23s, who have to be scratching their heads at last year’s results. They finished 16-0 in the regular season, and won another four straight in the playoffs to finish as PDL champion with a perfect 20-0 record, the first in history. Yet they fell short to the Pumas on account of goal differential. They will surely be looking for another shot as they look to extend their streak.

Here is the how the Western Conference is currently shaping up:

Northwest Division
Final Results – Pending Fifth Match [+]

The much anticipated meeting between the Portland Timbers U23s and Kitsap Pumas, who both finished the qualifying slate 4-0-0 a year ago with Kitsap advancing via tiebreakers, finished in a surprising scoreless draw. But both teams held serve the rest of the way, defeating each of their other opponents. The final game pitted the Timbers against the Tacoma Tide, where a potential 2-0 Timbers victory would lead to a coin flip. They did exactly that. The Pumas and Timbers are tied on points, head-to-head, goal difference (+7), and goals scored (7). The first time a lottery was conducted was back in 2006, when the Des Moines Menace and Boulder Rapids Reserve finished dead even at second place in the Central Conference at 3-1 with a +5 GD and 7 goals scored. At the time, the top two in the conference qualified, and the Michigan Bucks won first place with a 4-0 record. The Menace won the lottery, and rode that all the way to the Third Round, which ended in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.

But Kitsap Pumas General Manager Ben Pecora had a great idea. The teams were to meet again at Portland’s Jeld-Wen Field on Friday anyway, why not make it a tiebreaker, to settle the score on the field? The Timbers, the USL, and US Soccer all agreed to it, and they will play on Friday, June 3 with the final US Open Cup spot on the line. If the game is tied after regulation, the match for regular season purposes will count as a draw, but the Open Cup spot will be decided by a penalty shootout.

NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Kitsap Pumas 4 3 0 1 10 10 1 7 +7
Portland Timbers U23s 4 3 0 1 10 10 0 7 +7
North Sound SeaWolves 4 0 2 2 2 2 5 2 -3
Tacoma Tide 4 0 2 2 2 5 12 5 -5
Washington Crossfire 4 0 2 2 2 2 11 2 -6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Washington Crossfire 0:0 North Sound SeaWolves 10:00
May 13 North Sound SeaWolves 2:2 Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 14 Washington Crossfire 0:3 Kitsap Pumas 4:00
May 15 Portland Timbers U23s 6:0 Washington Crossfire 9:00
May 21 Portland Timbers U23s 0:0 Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 23 Tacoma Tide 2:2 Washington Crossfire 10:00
May 25 North Sound SeaWolves 0:2 Portland Timbers U23s 2:00
May 27 Kitsap Pumas 6:1 Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 29 Kitsap Pumas 1:0 North Sound SeaWolves 6:00
May 29 Tacoma Tide 0:2 Portland Timbers U23s 8:00
FIFTH MATCH TIEBREAKER
June 3 Kitsap Pumas at Portland Timbers U23s 2:00

Southwest Division
Final Results

The Fresno Fuego finished qualifying with a perfect 4-0 record after defeating the Ogden Outlaws 4-1 on May 21. They then had to wait a week for fellow unbeaten Ventura County Fusion to play its final match as the Fusion were capable of finishing level, but better on tiebreakers. On Saturday night, the holiday weekend news was cause for celebration in Los Angeles while their rivals to the north experienced disappointment. Ventura County blanked the Southern California Seahorses , 4-0, with Mark Magee scoring two goals that propelled the Fusion past Fresno in the tiebreakers, clinching the US Open Cup berth from the division. Southern California was also 3-0 in the battle of unbeatens, but had been previously eliminated due to the tiebreaker scenario with Fresno.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Ventura County Fusion 4 4 0 0 12 21 3 12 +12
Fresno Fuego 4 4 0 0 12 13 3 11 +10
Southern California Seahorses 4 3 1 0 9 5 4 5 +1
Orange County Blue Star 4 2 2 0 6 11 9 8 +1
Ogden Outlaws 4 0 3 1 1 3 9 3 -6
BYU Cougars 4 1 2 1 4 1 5 1 -4
Los Angeles Misioneros 4 0 4 0 0 1 13 1 -9
Los Angeles Blues 23 4 1 3 0 3 2 11 2 -6

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 1 Orange County Blue Star 4:0 Los Angeles Misioneros 8:00
May 7 Los Angeles Blues 23 0:5 Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 7 Ventura County Fusion 6:1 Los Angeles Misioneros 8:00
May 12 BYU Cougars 0:2 Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 13 Los Angeles Blues 23 0:4 Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 14 Los Angeles Misioneros 0:1 So. California Seahorses 7:30
May 14 Ogden Outlaws 2:4 Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 20 Fresno Fuego 3:0 BYU Cougars 10:00
May 20 Orange County Blue Star 2:7 Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 21 Fresno Fuego 4:1 Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 21 So. California Seahorses 2:0 Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 24 Ogden Outlaws 0:0 BYU Cougars 9:30
May 25 So. California Seahorses 2:0 Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 28 BYU Cougars 1:0 Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 28 Los Angeles Misioneros 0:2 Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 28 Ventura County Fusion 4:0 So. California Seahorses 10:00

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 PDL Qualifying, 2011 US Open Cup qualifying, 2011 USOC Qualifying, BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Kitsap Pumas, Los Angeles Blues 23, Los Angeles Legends, North Sound SeaWolves, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, PDL, Portland Timbers U23s, Southern California Seahorses, Tacoma Tide, Ventura County Fusion, Washington Crossfire

Breakdown for 2011 USL PDL US Open Cup Qualifying: Western Conference

April 22, 2011 by Gerald Barnhart

PDL logoThe 2011 US Open Cup qualifying process for the Premier Development League begins April 30 when the Central Florida Kraze play host to Fort Lauderdale Schulz. The match marks the beginning of what is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the upcoming edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

Here is the Western Conference portion of the four-part series of breakdowns:

Western Conference Qualifying Breakdown

The conference will be the second to kick off qualifying play across the PDL with Orange County Blue Star taking on the Los Angeles Misioneros Sunday, May 1, the day after the opening match in Florida.

Northwest Division
Kitsap Pumas, North Sound SeaWolves, Portland Timbers U23s, Tacoma Tide, Washington Crossfire

With five teams in the group, it’s a nice balanced schedule as they will each play one another in the qualifying process. The big change to the division for the year is the geographic isolation to the Pacific side of the region with all five clubs, including the expansion North Sound SeaWolves, on the Western side of the Cascade mountain range for the first time.

Paul Ogunyemi (now with FC Dallas) and the Portland Timbers U23s finished with a perfect record last year en route to winning the PDL championship, but missed out on the US Open Cup due to a tiebreaker. Photo: Portland Timbers

In a strange quirk of the scheduling Washington Crossfire will be the opening match for three of its opponents with the exception being the Tacoma Tide, who will see the Crossfire in their second outing. Washington will hit the road for the group’s opening night May 7 against the expansion SeaWolves, who will also play on closing night of the qualifying campaign as hosts of Kitsap Pumas. The other match that night, May 29, features Tacoma at Portland Timbers U23s.

The powers of the group over the past two years have been the Portland (7-1-0) and Kitsap (7-0-1). The two will meet in Kitsap May 21. It will be the first meeting of the two third-year clubs in qualifying play while Portland holds the advantage in league play over the course of two years with a 3-1-1 record, sweeping the Pumas in three games en route to their perfect championship season last year. But while Portland has the better overall results, it is Kitsap that has advanced the past two years from the group, besting Portland on tiebreakers a year ago after each finished 4-0-0.

The Tide are no slouches either with a 7-5-4 record over the past four years in qualifying, never finishing with a losing record in a single campaign. Washington’s history has not been all that horrible as well with a 3-4-1 record in two rounds through the circuit.

NORTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Kitsap Pumas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
North Sound SeaWolves 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Portland Timbers U23s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Tacoma Tide 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Washington Crossfire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Washington Crossfire at North Sound SeaWolves 10:00
May 14 Washington Crossfire at Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 15 Portland Timbers U23s at Washington Crossfire 6:00
May 21 Portland Timbers U23s at Kitsap Pumas 10:00
May 21 North Sound SeaWolves at Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 23 Tacoma Tide at Washington Crossfire 10:00
May 25 North Sound SeaWolves at Portland Timbers U23s 2:00
May 27 Kitsap Pumas at Tacoma Tide 10:00
May 29 Kitsap Pumas at North Sound SeaWolves 6:00
May 29 Tacoma Tide at Portland Timbers U23s 8:00

Southwest Division
BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Los Angeles Blues 23, Los Angeles Misioneros, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion

A large group with eight teams, the division has been split into two sub-groups for scheduling purposes based on geography. The five teams in the greater Los Angeles metropolis are in the southern group while the BYU Cougars, Ogden Outlaws and Fresno Fuego are in the other.

The smaller group of the two will see the three clubs playing home and away series against their opposition. There is not very much qualifying history between the trio as the two clubs from Utah joined the division just two years ago. The only match among them in two qualifying campaigns is a 4-0 home victory for Fresno over Ogden last year.

Bright Dike of the Portland Timbers battles for the ball with Dan Scott of the Kitsap Pumas in the second round of the 2010 US Open Cup. The Pumas have qualified the last years, but have been eliminated by the Timbers both times. Photo: Prost Amerika

BYU has had the most success of the three with a four-year qualifying record of 8-5-3 while Fresno is an even 6-6-4 and Ogden is 3-10-3. While all three have reached the tournament, none have done so since 2007 when BYU advanced for the second consecutive time. Ogden also qualified in 2006 and Fresno’s lone appearance came in 2003.

With the other sub-group consisting of five teams in arguably the smallest geographic region of any bunching within the entire PDL qualifying process, the clubs will all face one another. Among the five are two fresh faces as the Los Angeles Legends becoming the Misioneros and the LA Blues 23, affiliated with the LA Blues USL Pro club, replacing Hollywood United Hitmen. The Misioneros

The three teams within the group with tournament experience have consecutively represented the Southwest the past three years with Ventura County Fusion finishing first last year after Orange County Blue Star in 2009 and Los Angeles Legends in 2008. With at least two wins in each of the last four years, the Legends held the best record in that span with a run of 9-5-2 while Ventura County is 8-4-4 and Orange County is 6-5-5. Blue Star has been in the tournament more than any other club in all of the division with three appearances.

Veteran club Southern California Seahorses and newcomers LA Blues 23 are the lone teams in the division who have not reached the tournament. The Seahorses know this year’s opposition well having played three of their slated opponents in qualifiers last year as well.

The Southwest Division was the only group a year ago in which every team finished with at least one victory during the qualifying process. It is one of only five groups in the course of the last four years in which that has occurred.

The division wastes no time getting started with Misioneros playing host to Orange County on the First of May. The northern cluster of teams begins the qualification process May 12 with BYU visiting Fresno. May 28 marks the close of the qualifying quest with three games. The Utah duo meet in Ogden while Blues 23 hosts the Misioneros and the Fusion hit the road to face the Seahorses.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
BYU Cougars 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Fresno Fuego 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Los Angeles Blues 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Los Angeles Misioneros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Ogden Outlaws 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Orange County Blue Star 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Southern California Seahorses 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Ventura County Fusion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 1 Orange County Blue Star at Los Angeles Misioneros 9:00
May 7 Los Angeles Blues 23 at Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 7 Ventura County Fusion at Los Angeles Misioneros 9:00
May 12 BYU Cougars at Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 13 Los Angeles Blues 23 at Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 14 Los Angeles Misioneros at Southern California Seahorses 7:30
May 14 Ogden Outlaws at Fresno Fuego 10:00
May 20 Fresno Fuego at BYU Cougars 9:30
May 20 Orange County Blue Star at Ventura County Fusion 10:00
May 21 Fresno Fuego at Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 21 Southern California Seahorses at Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 24 Ogden Outlaws at BYU Cougars 9:30
May 25 Southern California Seahorses at Orange County Blue Star 8:00
May 28 BYU Cougars at Ogden Outlaws 8:00
May 28 Los Angeles Misioneros at Los Angeles Blues 23 10:00
May 28 Ventura County Fusion at Southern California Seahorses 10:00

Central Conference (Inside Look +)

Great Lakes Division: Akron Summit Assault, Chicago Fire, Cincinnati Kings, Indiana Invaders, Michigan Bucks, River City Rovers
Heartland Division: Des Moines Menace, Kansas City Brass, Real Colorado Foxes, Springfield Demize, St Louis Lions

Eastern Conference (Inside Look +)

Mid Atlantic Division: Brooklyn Knights, Central Jersey Spartans, Jersey Express, Long Island Rough Riders, New Jersey Rangers, Ocean City Nor’easters, Reading United AC, Westchester Flames
Northeast Division: MPS Portland Phoenix, Seacoast United Phantoms, Vermont Voltage, Western Mass Pioneers
South Atlantic Division: Carolina Dynamo, Fredericksburg Hotspur, Northern Virginia Royals, Real Maryland Monarchs, Virginia Beach Piranhas, West Virginia Chaos

Southern Conference (Inside Look +)

Mid South Division: Baton Rouge Capitals, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, New Orleans Jesters, RGV Grandes FC, West Texas United Sockers
Southeast Division: Central Florida Kraze, FC Jaxy Destroyers, Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy, IMG Bradenton Academics, Mississippi Brilla, Nashville Metros

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2011 PDL Qualifying, 2011 US Open Cup qualifying, 2011 USOC Qualifying, BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Kitsap Pumas, Los Angeles Blues 23, Los Angeles Legends, North Sound SeaWolves, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, Portland Timbers U23s, Southern California Seahorses, Tacoma Tide, Ventura County Fusion, Washington Crossfire

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us on Social Media

  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

U.S. Open Cup History

1995 us open cup rewind graphic

1995 US Open Cup Rewind series: The Modern Era begins

The 30th anniversary of the 1995 Open Cup is upon us this year, and as we did with the inaugural tournament in 1913-1914, we’re going to take you back in time and relive the 1995 US Open Cup in chronological order, as it happened.

  • I-95 Quarterfinals: Best of New York-New Jersey vs. Philadelphia in US Open Cup history
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: Richmond Kickers dominate shorthanded Spartans SC … again
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: USASA orders replay for Richmond Kickers vs. Spartans SC match
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: El Paso Patriots overcome early upset scare, beat 1989 USOC champs
  • 1995 US Open Cup Round 1: Day after a league game, Chico Rooks blank San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles

Analytics powered by

Copyright © 2025 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development