Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Tampa Bay Rowdies

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Steinberger leads Tampa Bay Rowdies past The Villages SC, into Round 3

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Players from the Tampa Bay Rowdies (right) and The Villages SC battle for the ball in their Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Players from the Tampa Bay Rowdies (right) and The Villages SC battle for the ball in their Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies advanced to the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after a 4-1 home win against The Villages SC (USL League Two). Midfielder Zach Steinberger was the driver of the Rowdies offense on the night with a goal and two assists, putting in a star-studded performance to help the Rowdies win their tournament opener for the third time in the last four years.

Brandon Allen, Antoine Hoppenot, and Leon Taylor got on the scoresheet as well for the Rowdies while Vandyke Gyau scored for The Villages. On the other end of the pitch, the Rowdies keeper Chris Konopka stole the show with some truly tremendous saves in what could have been a much closer match.

The Villages played with tremendous effort and passion, but the Rowdies were not to be undone in front of their home fans. The score was held level for some time and there was the thought that the visitors would grab the shock early goal.

“We spoke before the game that these games almost feel like a lose-lose because you’re expected to win,” said Rowdies head coach Neill Collins. “I thought tonight they went out and played fantastically well. We should have been up before we were, but we just kept going. There’s so many positives to take out of tonight.”

Early in the match, The Villages SC showed their determination and confidence by utilizing a rather aggressive counter-pressing scheme when losing the ball in the final third. This led to several counter-attacking opportunities for the Rowdies as the visitors struggled to mark runners in behind. With the Rowdies wingbacks enjoying a lot of verticality, thanks to the coverage by the three center backs, they were able to force The Villages into defending man-to-man.

Offensively, The Villages enjoyed time in possession between the first two defensive lines of the Rowdies, with Poku and Doherty unwilling to step out of their mid-block to apply pressure on the opposing holding midfielders.

After many chances in the first half, the Rowdies finally opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a towering header by the Burkina Faso national teamer Mohamed Kone. Zach Steinberger would get his first assist of the match and the Rowdies would be content going into halftime up a goal.

However, it didn’t take long for the second. The Villages committing numbers forward at the end of the half to level the tie and the Rowdies forward Antoine Hoppenot broke behind the defense and found an open Steinberger who slotted home just before half.

The second half the match was open once again, and The Villages regained their fighting spirit. After a few quality chances for the visitors it would be another counterattack for the Rowdies in the 62nd minute to seal the win. This time it was Steinberger himself who found space behind the Villages defense and contributed another, providing a lofted cross just behind Brandon Allen who put it past Jerfesson with a tremendous effort.

The Villages refused to leave this match without something to show, and rightfully so. They continued to throw numbers forward until the final minutes, forcing the home side into some rash challenges forcing a yellow card from midfielder Robbie Soronellas in the 83rd minute and one from Mohamed Kone in the 88th. It would be from Kone’s foul that The Villages took a deep free kick opportunity by way of Gabriel De Freitas who found a marauding Vandyke Gyau who beat his man and netted a first-time chance past Konopka.

In stoppage time The Villages continued their pursuit until a missed clearance by Gyau saw Rowdies substitute Leon Taylor round the keeper and close out the match at 4-1.

The Rowdies advance to the third round of the US Open Cup and will face fellow USL team OKC Energy FC in Norman, Okla. on May 29. Since they first entered the tournament in 2010, Tampa Bay has yet to defeat a professional team from the second division (0-3-0).

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Jacksonville Armada win rain-soaked rivalry game with Tampa Bay Rowdies

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JC Banks of the Jacksonville Armada scored the lone goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Keith Garrett | Jacksonville Armada
JC Banks of the Jacksonville Armada scored the lone goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Keith Garrett | Jacksonville Armada

There was no love lost between the former NASL foes Wednesday night as the Tampa Rowdies and the Jacksonville Armada met in the Second Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The two clubs fought aimlessly for possession throughout the match, but it was the Armada who ultimately came away with the victory, 1-0.

While Jacksonville are a rare professional team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), it still marked an accomplishment for the mostly-amateur league. Since the league was founded in 2003, only one NPSL club (Chattanooga FC, who did it twice) has defeated a professional team. (NOTE: FC Wichita joined the club later that evening)

The Armada also made some history for themselves, as they won three games in a single tournament for the first time.

It took a while for the game to get started as lightning delayed the start by 90 minutes. The delay and the soaked field could have affected the players as the first half produced very few quality chances as the two teams went into the halftime break scoreless.

Starting the second half, the Armada went on the attack and won a key possession in front of the Rowdies net. Josh Castellanos got a second chance and crossed it to JC Banks who buried in the back of the net. With that goal, the Armada were able to hold off the Rowdies for the remaining 40 plus minutes.

“The guys put everything out there today,” said Armada Coach Mark Lowry. “Tampa is very direct and put the ball in the box a lot. It wasn’t pretty but we defended fantastically well.”

This was certainly true as around the 65th minute, the Rowdies maintained the ball for a solid 10 minutes. Shot after shot, which led to four corner kicks in a row, the Armada held off the attack.

“Grinding, just grinding,” said JC Banks on recapping the match. “It wasn’t a pretty game, but you need to win those games.”

With their victory, the Armada now move on to the Third Round of the US Open Cup and will host Miami United FC, another NPSL team.

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Miami FC excel during “hot moments”, eliminate Tampa Bay Rowdies

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Miami FC logo

Miami FC broke a scoreless tie with two second half goals to defeat the visiting Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Wednesday night. The 2-0 win was the first in the competition for the hosts over the cross-state rival Rowdies and secures the young franchise their first date with a MLS side in the competition.

Miami FC will visit Orlando City SC in Fourth Round action on June 14.

For Miami FC midfielder Michael Lahoud, the victory was a statement about the quality of NASL and the talent on Miami FC.

“As someone who has played in two US Open Cup finals, I love this competition,” Lahoud said. “This tournament is about survive and advance. We beat a very good team, and made a statement for our league , that we’re better than one of the best teams in USL. We earned the right to show we can compete against MLS teams, and hopefully we continue this great run.”

Lahoud, who will represent Sierra Leone in their upcoming African Nations Cup qualifiers, credited his manager, Alessandro Nesta.

“Italians are never satisfied,” he said of the Azzurri great. “Fortunately, and unfortunately, we have a full staff of Italians, and our coach happens to be one of the greatest Italians to ever play the game, which is saying something. He keeps us humble with his demands, and he has a lot of demands, but he’s proud of us tonight” Lahoud said.

With the visitors playing very narrowly through the middle, chances were hard to come by early in the match. In fact, the Rowdies had the best chance of the opening 20 minutes, when following a turnover near midfield, former Chelsea FC star Joe Cole danced through the Miami FC defense and flicked a shot that Daniel Vega saved high.

Miami FC had a chance minutes later, with Lahoud dancing around defenders Luke Boden and Neil Collins and firing a rocket at the far post that was marvelously parried away by Akira Fitzgerald. It was the best chance either side would have in the opening frame.

Miami seized the initiative as the second half began, and nearly went ahead when Roberto Baggio Kcira made a menacing run down the left flank and crossed to an unmarked Poku, who had time to take a touch but shot one time, shanking the ball harmlessly wide.

Nesta credited his team’s patience and mentality for the break through on a night where space and chances were at a premium.

“The largest issue in Florida to play soccer is the heat,” said Nesta. “Finding energy is not easy. Patience is critical. You cannot force balls and you need to keep the ball. The heat and the rest make it harder to invest defensively.”

Lahoud agreed that his team had the right mentality to win a tough and physical game that included 22 Rowdies fouls.

“Nesta talks about moments that define character, what he calls “hot moments”, moments where you really find out what you are all about,” Lahoud said. “Tonight, it was a hot moment, and we were up for it. That’s what it takes to be a good team. A championship team.”

The breakthrough finally came in the 73rd minute, when for the second consecutive round, a Nesta substitution changed the game. Following a Rowdies turnover near midfield, substitute Dylan Mares was fouled in the area by Georgi Hristov. The referee pointed quickly to the spot, and Vincenzo Rennella buried the spot kick to give Miami FC a 1-0 lead.

Miami kept the pressure on after the opener, and added a second goal in the 83rd minute. Mares was involved again, making a powerful run down the left channel and crossing to Jaime Chavez, who was rewarded when Rowdies keeper Akira Fitzgerald mishandled his soft shot.

Miami FC is now unbeaten in eight games in all competition, building confidence that they, like the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of a year ago, can go to Orlando and collect a victory.

“I’m very happy. My first managerial position and we (advance) to play a team in Orlando with Kaka, Nocerino, beautiful players, beautiful new stadium” Nesta said.

Lahoud thinks Miami can win. “For a club like ours, now there’s a feeling of `We can beat Orlando’. We don’t just want to check off that box of playing an MLS team. They have very good players, but I don’t think they’re a team we should fear. We should respect them, but at the end of the day, it’s a soccer game. If this tournament shows anything, it is that over 90 or 120 minutes, anything can happen. We stand an amazing chance.”

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Tampa Bay Rowdies cruise to 3-0 win over shorthanded Jacksonville Armada U-23s

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Tampa Bay Rowdies logoThe Second Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup started in St. Petersburg with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL hosting the Jacksonville Armada U-23s from the NPSL.

With the Rowdies having a quick turnaround from last Saturday’s league win over Louisville City and looking ahead to a trip to Toronto for another league match this Friday night, squad rotation was the order of the day, as manager Stuart Campbell made nine changes to his last starting XI. Regulars such as Joe Cole, Marcel Schäfer, Martin Vingaard and Matt Pickens either were not named to the matchday 18 or began the night on the bench.

Regardless, Tampa Bay coasted to a 3-0 victory and will now await the result of tomorrow night’s match between Miami FC of the NASL and the South Florida Surf of the PDL. Should Miami win, the Rowdies will travel south for a Round 3 match with their former league foe, however, they would host the next round if the Surf can pull off a “cupset”.

The Rowdies matched their club record for most goals in a US Open Cup game with three. The last time they scored three goals in a game was when they faced this same Armada U23s team (then known as Jacksonville United) in the Second Round of the 2012 tournament. Tampa Bay also won that match 3-0.

Kyle Porter opened the scoring for the home side in the 4th minute, when he spotted the goalkeeper off his line and took a shot from the right sideline, about 40 yards from goal, which was slapped down by Armada GK Juan Fajardo and ruled to have crossed the line by assistant referee Janessa Gunn. For the next 40 minutes, the Rowdies controlled possession and created several chances but tallied no further goals until the 43rd minute when midfielder Alex Morrell took the ball off an Armada defender at the edge of the box, then chipped a shot from the left side that went between the GK and another defender before settling in the right side of the goal.

Describing his goal, Morrell said, “Luckily, the guy had a bad pass and I picked it off – I made the most out of it and scored on my old keeper from college.” (Morrell & Fajardo were college teammates at the University of North Florida.)

The Rowdies made one change at the half with Darwin Jones replacing Georgi Hristov in the 46th minute. He took up his customary spot on the wing as Leo Fernandes moved inside to play as a 10 and from the wing position Jones provided the cross that Martin Paterson finished for Tampa Bay’s third and final goal. Before that sequence of events however, there were some fireworks as Armada defender Dener Dos Santos received a straight red for a clenched fist strike to the face of Morrell, to the dismay of Jacksonville’s captain, who earned a yellow for dissent.

“When you’re not playing games, it’s hard to keep fitness,” Paterson said. “Not motivation, because I love football, but it’s hard to keep your fitness and your sharpness. I’ve trained hard and today was an opportunity to get out there and get going again.”

Content with the lead, the Rowdies played out the remainder of the game with ease. Jacksonville managed their two best chances of the night in the 72nd and 74th minutes but still failed to register a shot on target for the match.

“I thought it was a really, really professional performance by the team, we went out and got the job done, which was to win the game and get into the next round,” said Campbell. “As a player, I’ve always enjoyed cup competitions in England, it’s a totally different feeling than playing in league games.”

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Early goal advances Tampa Bay Rowdies past FC Cincinnati

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RowdiesLogo_2star_greenGeorgi Hristov scored in the 11th minute and the Tampa Bay Rowdies held off surging FC Cincinnati 1-0 Wednesday night in the Third Round of the US Open Cup.

Cincinnati of the USL outshot the NASL Rowdies 14-7 but only had a pair of shots on target and had an 8-3 advantage in corners in the second Open Cup game of their first season as a franchise. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will travel to Ohio to face off with MLS side Columbus Crew SC in the Fourth Round on June 15.

“We did great with our effort and intensity,” Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell said. “It’s tough playing a team from that league because they’ve got nothing to lose. The longer the game went, the more got numbers forward.”

Kenney Walker had the best chance of the first half for FC Cincinnati less than ten minutes in with a shot from the top of the box that was pushed aside by Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens.
Hristov let a long, high ball from Neill Collins up the right side take a big bounce in the box in the 11th minute and took three touches to get around the two defenders before slotting it past Cincinnati goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt.

“Right before the game, me and Neill were talking about it,” Hristov said. “I was ready for that run, I knew he was going to play the ball there and it worked out. The whole team played well and we deserved to win.”

Each team had five shots apiece in the first half, but Cincinnati had just one shot on goal compared to three for Tampa Bay.

“It’s always crucial to get the first goal and set the tempo of play,” Campbell said. “They’re a threat going forward and we knew they had goals in them so I never moan anyone for shooting.”

Cincinnati came out in the second half pushing hard for a goal. An early chance was easily corralled before a weak shot from the top of the box by Ross Tomaselli was deflected and forced Pickens into a diving save to his right.

Both teams could have had a man sent off with under 30 minutes to play. Pickens came out of his net in the 66th minute and went one-on-one before clearing the ball with no foul given. The Rowdies came right back when Hristov was taken down from behind at midfield four minutes later. Tomaselli was given a yellow.

Cincinnati had its best chance of the second half with less than five minutes to play. Sean Okoli tapped a header back to Andrew Wiedeman just above the penalty spot, but he sent it way over the bar. Antoine Hoppenot had another chance to level the game a minute later but he too sent it wide of the post.

Advancing to the Fourth Round is already one step further than Tampa Bay has gotten in recent years. The Rowdies lost in Round 3 the last two years and they last won an Open Cup game against VSI Tampa Bay FC in the Second Round in 2013.

“This is my fifth season here and we don’t have a good record,” Campbell said. “I’m delighted to get a win and progress to the next round against a good MLS team. It’s about time we had a run in this competition.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Rob Vincent’s stoppage time winner lifts Pittsburgh Riverhounds over Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1-0 (video)

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Rob Vincent celebrates his stoppage time winner for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Photo: Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Rob Vincent celebrates his stoppage time winner for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Photo: Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Rob Vincent’s stoppage time goal propelled the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Riverhounds advance to the fourth round of the Open Cup and will stay home to face Major League Soccer’s DC United on June 17.

In a pretty evenly played match that became more physical in the latter stages, Vincent — the Riverhounds’ leading scorer with eight goals, and two now in the Open Cup — found some space just outside the box after receiving a ball from Tyler Pasher.

With room to spare from about 25 yards, Vincent drilled a shot that gave the Riverhounds the lead just as the announcement came over that there would be three minutes of stoppage time added to the match.

“Every time Robbie gets the ball in attacking half, I say, ‘Shoot Robbie, shoot,’” said Riverhounds coach Mark Steffens.

It was an intense match, as both teams exchanged possessions and found various counter-chances. The Riverhounds were able to keep the ball for longer stretches and attempted 17 shots, forcing Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens to make four saves, and the home side set up 11 corner kicks to just four for the Rowdies.

Concerned about the potential of the matching going into extra time, Steffens hoped for a goal in regulation as his team was playing its fourth game in the past 11 days, while the Rowdies hadn’t played since May 16.

“I knew we needed something magical, and we got it,” Steffens said.

In the opening stages, the Rowdies came out, as Steffens described, “with a lot of intensity,” setting up a corner kick in the first minute. They continued to advance the ball in the first 20 minutes numerous times with overlapping runs, crosses, but only tested Riverhounds first-year goalkeeper Ryan Hulings a few times.

In the 18th minute, Hulings had to make a nice save, going to his right to thwart an attempt by Martin Munez that was heading just inside the post.

Pittsburgh’s best chances of the first half came in a few sequences beginning in the 38th minute, on the second of three consecutive corners, when Kevin Kerr headed a high service from Vincent that sailed past a few heads and went past the left post.

Moments later, Kerr’s one-timer hit the right post, and the teams went into halftime scoreless.

Lebo Moloto was creating problems for the Rowdies back line at times and made runs into the box, but he was unable to set up any quality finishes.

Still, momentum swung toward the home side early in the second half.

“It seemed like as we were able to develop some rhythm and get going, they seemed to lose their intensity,” Steffens said of the Rowdies. “I thought we played very well and had momentum going into the second half.”

In the 51st minute, Vincent had let loose a blast, again from the top of the circle, that forced Pickens to make a diving save.

In one strange sequence in the 69th minute, Moloto battled Rowdies central defender Stefan Antonijevic for a ball by the right endline in the box.

Antonijevic fell, and with the ball lodged between his legs, Moloto fiercely tried to nudge it away from him.

For a split second, everyone seemed to look to referee Chuck Murphy to make a decision.

And then he did.

Murphy awarded the Hounds with an indirect kick for Antonijevic’s dangerous play. From the far right side just inside the penalty area, the kick was played back to Stephen Okai near the top of the box, but he sent his shot over the bar.

The Rowdies looked late for an opportunistic counter, but were not able to sustain any dangerous chances, with Darwin Espinal runs into the box stymied by a wall of black shirts defending the Riverhounds goal.

The Riverhounds outshot the Rowdies 17-11. Hulings made two saves while Pickens made four. Both teams had eight fouls.

The Rowdies drew the only two bookings of the match, as Ben Sweat knocked over Mike Green in the 15th minute and Robert Hernandez pushed Pasher in the 82nd minute as the Riverhounds defender was shielding a ball heading over the endline.

After Vincent’s goal, the Rowdies had three minutes of stoppage time to get the equalizer, but the Riverhounds got through it unscathed.

With the win, the Riverhounds remain unbeaten in five Open Cup matches played at Highmark Stadium since it opened in 2013. The Rowdies bow out of the competition in the third round for the second consecutive season.

REPLAY: Tampa Bay Rowdies at Pittsburgh Riverhounds

2014 US Open Cup Round 3: Orlando City SC calm Tampa Bay Rowdies to earn rematch with Colorado Rapids

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orlando-city-logoIn a showdown of central Florida foes, the future MLS side Orlando City of USL Pro dominated from the opening and cruised to a 4-1 victory over the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Lions used thee goals from three different players in the first half-hour to build an insurmountable lead. Kevin Molino scored 11 minutes in and Austin da Luz doubled the advantage in the 22nd. Adama Mbengue added the third four minutes later and Molino scored a second four minutes before halftime to make it a four-goal margin.

Tampa Bay found some hope just before the break through Blake Wagner, but the second half would go scoreless as the Lions stood firm for the victory and a Fourth Round meeting on the road with the Colorado Rapids.

More details to come …

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Portland Timbers blank Tampa Bay 2-0 for first Quarterfinal appearance

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Portland Timbers logoThe Portland Timbers advanced to the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup for the first time with an easy 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay Rowdies at Jeld-Wen Field. The Timbers will travel to Texas June 26 to face FC Dallas.

The Fourth Round game was not as close as the score would indicate with the Rowdies managing just three shots and the Timbers dominating long stretches of possession throughout.

Just two regular starters were in the line-up for Portland as Diego Valeri wore the captain’s armband for the first time and Andrew Jean-Baptiste played in central defense for the Timbers. Yet it was little used Michael Nanchoff who contributed to both goals in Portland’s workmanlike win.

The opener came in the ninth minute as a deflected Jose Valencia pass sailed forward to Nanchoff. The first-year Timbers midfielder hit a shot on the volley across goal, just beyond the reach of Rowdies goalkeeper Diego Restrepo. The diminutive Nanchoff has been a key member of Portland’s reserve team but the goal was his first in a competitive match with the Timbers.

While Tampa Bay was able to string together several passes, their attacking sequences never quite led to much of a threat in the first half. Raphael Cox took the Rowdies’ only shot of the half, though former Timber Keith Savage and Luke Mulholland contributed to play that kept Tampa Bay in the game throughout the half.

The second half was more lively for both teams though it was again the Timbers who struck early in the half. Nanchoff’s 55th minute free kick was flicked across the box by Third Round hero Frederic Piquionne and poked into goal by substitute Jack Jewsbury. The goal was the first of the season for Jewsbury and gave Portland a comfortable advantage for most of the rest of the half.

Tampa Bay countered by inserting hulking forward Amani Walker in the hopes of finding a goal to get the visitors back into the game. Instead it was Valencia who forced multiple diving saves by Restrepo midway through the second half and had a headed goal called back for offside in the 71st minute. The 21-year-old Timbers forward gave Rowdies captain Frankie Fanfilippo all he could handle in defense, consistently making runs and playing physically up top after Piquionne exited in the 57th minute.

The Rowdies’ cross-country trip nearly got an exciting finish to a fairly mundane game when Mulholland slammed a 79th minute free kick off the crossbar. His shot had Milos Kocic well beaten but angled just high enough to ricochet away from any danger to the Timbers’ defense and effectively end Tampa Bay’s threat of a late comeback.

On a night when two MLS clubs could not top second and third tier opponents, Portland glided through its Fourth Round encounter and set up a high profile match-up with FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas on Wednesday June 26. The game will be the second between the two clubs in eleven days as Portland hosts Dallas this weekend in league play.

Fourth Round :: Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 :: 2 Portland Timbers

June 12 – JELD-WEN Field, Portland OR

Scoring Summary:

POR: Michael Nanchoff (Jose Valencia) 9

POR: Jack Jewsbury (Frederic Piquionne, Michael Nanchoff) 55

Cautions:

TB: Georgi Hristov 43, Jay Needham 45+, Georgi Hristov 89

POR: None

Ejections:

POR: Georgi Hristov (second yellow) 89

Lineups:

Tampa Bay: GK Diego Restrepo, D Stuart Campbell, D Jay Needham, D Frankie Sanfilippo ©, D Arango, M Raphael Cox (Amani Walker, 67), M Shane Hill, M Keith Savage, M Luke Mulholland, F Mike Ambersley (Devin Del Do, 88), F Georgi Hristov… Substitutes Not Used: GK Andrew Fontein, D Thurstan Johnston, M Kyle Clinton, M Evans Frimpong

Portland: GK Milos Kocic, D Sal Zizzo, D Rauwshan McKenzie, D Andrew Jean-Baptiste, D Ryan Miller, M Diego Valeri © (Jack Jewsbury, 45), M Ben Zemanski, M Michael Nanchoff, F Kalif Alhassan (Steven Evans, 76), F Frederic Piquionne (Darlington Nagbe, 57), F Jose Valencia… Substitutes Not Used: GK Jake Gleeson, M Diego Chara, M Mobi Fehr, F Sebastián Rincón

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Tampa Bay Rowdies end Seattle Sounders’ 22-game unbeaten streak

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Tampa Bay’s Georgi Hristov fights to control the ball with Seattle’s Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. Hristov scored in the 75th minute for the Rowdies, the game’s only goal. Photo: Mike Carlson | Tampa Bay Rowdies

Seattle Sounders FC has had a long history of success in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, winning three titles in three consecutive years, reaching the semifinals of the competition for the past six years in a row and holding a record 22-game tournament unbeaten streak.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies didn’t care.

Georgi Hristov tapped in a rebound in the 75th minute and Diego Restrepo saved a late Sounders penalty, carrying the North American Soccer League’s Rowdies to a 1-0 third-round upset over the Major League Soccer side.

Players fight for the ball between the Seattle Sounders and the Tampa Bay Rowdies during the Third Round match in the 2013 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Carlson | Tampa Bay Rowdies

“We’re incredibly disappointed … I don’t even know what to say,” Sounders defender and captain Zach Scott said. Scott had to watch his younger brother Daniel celebrate as a member of the Rowdies.

The Rowdies fielded a mostly first-choice side, and the Sounders a lineup of mostly reserves, with two designated players on the bench. It was a tactic that would come back to bite the MLS side, as they were unable to score during a fragmented first half or find the equalizer late in the second.

Tampa Bay’s Luke Mulholland got free on a breakaway in the 75th minute and forced Sounders keeper Marcus Hahnemann into a save – but the keeper didn’t hold the ball and Hristov was there at the back post to finish the play off in front of a delirious home crowd.

Ten minutes later, the visitors had a chance to answer.

Seattle designated player – striker and substitute – Obafemi Martins headed a corner kick on goal, only to have it blocked nearly on the goal line by Rowdies defender Jordan Gafa’s arm. Gafa received a red card and the Sounders were given a golden chance to level the match with a penalty.

When Martins stepped up to take it himself, his low shot to the left side of goal was beaten away by a diving Restrepo, denying Martins the equalizer and sending Tampa Bay on their way to victory.

Along with the Carolina Railhawks, who knocked off the LA Galaxy, Tampa Bay is one of two teams from the North American Soccer League still alive in the 100th edition of the U.S. Open Cup.

The Rowdies will face MLS-side Portland Timbers in the 4th round on June 12.

HIGHLIGHTS: SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs. TAMPA BAY ROWDIES

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: SOUNDERS vs. ROWDIES

FAN EXPERIENCE: SOUNDERS vs. ROWDIES

Scoring

Rowdies – Georgi Hristov 75.

Discipline

Sounders FC – Alex Caskey (caution) 52; Mario Martinez (caution) 90.

Rowdies – Jordan Gafa (ejection) 85.

Lineups

Sounders FC – Marcus Hahnemann, Dylan Remick (Obafemi Martins 80), Zach Scott, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Marc Burch, Mario Martinez, Servando Carrasco, Andy Rose, Alex Caskey (Sammy Ochoa 68), Lamar Neagle, David Estrada.

Rowdies – Diego Restrepo, Jordan Gafa, Daniel Scott, Takuya Yamada, Andrew Arango, Luke Mulholland, Shane Hill, Keith Savage, Raphael Cox, Devin Del Do (Mike Ambersley 64), Georgi Hristov.

2013 US Open Cup Second Round: Visiting Rowdies prevail 2-1 in ‘Tampa Bay Derby’

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Georgi Hristov’s brace sent the Rowdies to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night as NASL side defeated cross-bay USL Pro rival VSI Tampa Bay FC 2-1 in front of a small but boisterous crowd at Plant City Stadium.

After heavy thunderstorms invaded the area for much of the afternoon, the clouds gave way for what many fans would say was a historic night in Tampa Bay soccer history. This was not only the first meeting between the two clubs, but also the first time that two professional teams representing the Tampa Bay area had ever faced off against one another. Dubbed the ‘Tampa Bay Derby,’ this match lived up to all the hype.

First-year VSI thought it had the upper hand 16 minutes in when Rowdies defender Andres Arango was called for a foul in the box, but midfielder Tony Donatelli took the penalty kick only to be denied by a great glove save by Diego Restrepo. The Rowdies goalkeeper guessed correctly and was just able to get his hand on the ball shot low to his right.

The match would not remain scoreless for long as Rowdies Hristov was fouled just inside the VSI penalty area in the 20th minute. The Bulgarian forward took the penalty and comfortably put the ball past VSI goalkeeper Alex Horwath, giving the Green & Gold a 1-0 lead.

JT Noone would equalize for VSI in the 27th minute, receiving a low cross from fellow midfielder Shawn Chin at the top of the Rowdies’ penalty area and putting it past Restrepo at the far post. For Noone, the goal was a historical one because by putting the ball in the back of the net, he became the first player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to score in five consecutive tournaments. He began his journey with a pair of goals for the PDL’s Ocean City Barons (now Nor’easters) in 2009, and scored one goal in each season with the Harrisburg City Islanders from 2010-12, before signing with VSI Tampa during the offseason.

Just before the halftime whistle, the Rowdies came back with a neat through ball up front to Hristov that proved fatal. The ensuing one-on-one with Horwath ended with the Hristov scoring the game-winner for the Rowdies. Despite scoring a historic goal against a crosstown rival, the Rowdies forward was somewhat stoic about the winner.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing against (VSI Tampa Bay FC) or some other team in another state,” he said. “My job is to score goals and I’m really happy with that.”

Rowdies head coach Ricky Hill was clearly delighted with his side’s victory.

“This is very important for us,” he said of the tournament. “We want to go as far as we can in any cup competition that we enter.”

The Rowdies will now face Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in the Third Round at Al Lang Stadium next Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It’s fantastic to host any MLS side,” the Rowdies’ boss said with excitement in his voice. “They are the number one league in the country. It’s great to see their class of players up close and personal.”

Scoring Summary:
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov – 21st minute (Penalty Kick)
VSI: JT Noone – 27th minute (Assisted by Shawn Chin)
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov – 43rd minute

Caution Summary:
Tampa Bay: Andres Arango – 16th minute
VSI: Kyle Hoffer – 20th minute
VSI: Alex Freitas – 65th minute

Starting Rosters:
Tampa Bay Rowdies:
GK Diego Restrepo; D Jordan Gafa, D Frankie Sanfilippo (Captain), D Daniel Scott, D Andres Arango; M Evans Frimpong, M Luke Mulholland, M Stuart Campbell (Kyle Clinton 82′), M Raphael Cox (Keith Savage 62′); F Georgi Hristov, F Carl Cort (Amani Walker 45′)

VSI Tampa Bay FC:
GK Alex Horwath; D Alex Freitas, D Kyle Hoffer (Captain), D Josh Rife, D Sean Reynolds; M Tony Donatelli, M JT Noone, Darren Toby, M Shawn Chin; F Douglas Dos Santos, F Andriy Budnyy

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