The Internationalists

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: Doxa Italia eliminates Cal FC, joins PSA Elite as USASA Region IV entries

April 24, 2013 by Michael Berton

PSA Elite and Doxa Italia booked their spots in the US Open Cup this past weekend, qualifying out of a historically strong USASA Region IV. PSA Elite won the tournament with a perfect 4-0-0 record while Doxa Italia qualified for its second Open Cup with a second-place finish.

After qualifying for the Open Cup in its first attempt last year, PSA Elite made it two-for-two this year with four comfortable wins. They started with a 3-0 victory in a cross-group game against Doxa Italia. Then, eight different players scored in a 10-0 win over The Internationalists. With qualification all but secured, PSA used five goals in 25 minutes to take out DV8 Defenders 9-2.

Already qualified for the Open Cup, PSA Elite took the Region IV title with a 4-1 win over Doxa. The teams had to overcome extreme heat that even resulted in one of the linesmen suffering a heat stroke.

Doxa Italia’s road to its second US Open Cup appearance was much tougher. The format for this year’s tournament involved a cross-group game, with those match-ups being determined by random draw. As luck would have it, Italia drew the strongest team from Group B and fell in that 3-0 loss to PSA Elite.

“The format certainly impacted how we approached the tournament. Because of the tiebreak rules it took a little pressure off the cross-group results and stressed the two pool games we had on Saturday. We have been in tournaments formatted like this in the past and it took a significant amount of time planning the rosters for each match,” said Alex Lujan, PSA Elite owner.

After losing its initial match, Doxa trounced San Francisco City FC 7-0, setting up a “Win & You’re In” game against Cal FC. After a magical Open Cup run last year that involved a victory over MLS side Portland Timbers, Cal FC came into this tournament as favorites. However, Doxa Italia pulled off the 2-1 upset victory, ensuring an Open Cup berth for the club for the first time since 2011.

Bryan Byrne, Doxa Italia player/coach and scorer of both goals against Cal FC, said, “It is a proud feeling to be able to say you are part of such a storied competition. For us, it is what we have been building up to all year and having the opportunity to see Doxa’s name on the list of first round teams is a real honor. But we won’t be happy this year unless we see our name in Round Two also.”

Doxa lost to the Ventura County Fusion in 2011 by a 3-1 scoreline in its only US Open Cup appearance. PSA Elite was more successful in its lone attempt, beating the PDL’s Portland Timbers U23s 3-1 in Round One, then bowing out to the NASL’s Carolina RailHawks 7-0 in Round Two.

“The US Open Cup represents an opportunity to compete against professional and top US amateur teams. We are honored to have another chance to play in this prestigious event,” Lujan said. “This also provides another platform for our players to showcase their talent. Seven players from our 2012 Open Cup roster are now living that dream in the MLS, NASL and USL Pro leagues. We feel confident that we will be able to build on last year’s experiences, make a run and represent USASA Region IV, Cal South & the Coast Soccer League well.”

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

April 19
Doxa Italia 0:3 PSA Elite
The Internationalists 2:8 DV8 Defenders
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

April 20
Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

April 21 (Championship)
PSA Elite (Group B winner) 4:1 Doxa Italia (Group A winner)
Both group winners qualify for the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup
Region IV champion advances to USASA National Cup Finals

PAST US OPEN CUP ENTRIES FROM REGION IV

2013: Doxa Italia (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2012: Cal FC (SCA), PSA Elite (SCA)
2011: Doxa Italia (SCA), DV8 Defenders (NCA)
2010: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)
2009: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA)
2008: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ – NPSL), Hollywood United (SCA)
2007: Banat Arsenal (AZ), El Paso Indios (NPSL)
2006: Arizona Sahuaros (AZ), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2005: Salinas Valley Samba (NPSL), Sonoma County Sol (NCA – NPSL)
2004: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL), Sacramento Knights (NCA – NPSL)
2003: Chico Rooks (NCA – NPSL)
2002: Mexico SC (NCA)
2001: Mexico SC (NCA)
2000: Mexico SC (NCA)
1999: Mexico SC (NCA)
1998: San Nicolas (CSA)
1997: Inter SC (NCA)
1996: San Jose Oaks (NCA)
1995: Flamengo SC (UT)

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region I, II, IV and US Club Soccer in action this weekend (with updates)

April 20, 2013 by Josh Hakala

It’s a busy weekend of qualifying for the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, as we head down the home stretch. By Monday morning, the USASA will know five of the six teams that will join Red Force (Florida) and North Texas Rayados in the 2013 US Open Cup. Also, US Club Soccer’s “lights out” semifinal match will be replayed on Sunday to determine who will play the Fresno Fuego Future in a “Win & You’re In” match the following weekend.

Here is a breakdown of this weekend’s games, and as always you can check Twitter (@USOpenCup) for updates, and remember if you’re at any of these games or have any Open Cup-related news/info/comments to make, be sure to use this year’s hashtag #USOC100.

(All Times Eastern)

FRIDAY

USASA Region IV Tournament DAY 1: Friday, April 19
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

PSA Elite 3:0 Doxa Italia
DV8 Defenders 8:2 The Internationalists
Cal FC 12:3 San Francisco City FC

It was a high-scoring opening day of the USASA Region IV tournament, as the trend of barn-burners and blowouts continue. With many teams having been burned by goal difference tiebreakers in the past, a recent tradition of running up the score has been established and ehas continued into 2013. Cal FC dropped a dozen goals on newcomers San Francisco City in their quest to qualify for the second straight year, and attempt to provide an encore to one of last year’s biggest Cinderella stories. 2011 qualifiers DV8 Defenders missed the cut last year and started their campaign to represent the Bay Area once again with a convincing 8-2 win over The Internationalists. While the most competitive match of the day was still a 3-0 shutout with PSA Elite taking out Doxa Italia. Although, with head-to-head likely the first tiebreaker in the group, and PSA Elite competing in the other group, Doxa Italia still has hope of qualifying just like they did in 2011 as long as they win both of their games on Saturday. Clearly, that will be no easy task as they must play Cal FC and DV8 Defenders.

SATURDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Saturday, April 20 – 3 p.m.
Kroc Center – Chicago, IL

FC Indiana 1:2 (AET) RWB Adria

RWB Adria, a semifinalist in 1978 and 1991, qualifies for the US Open Cup for the first time since 2008.

———————————————-

USASA Region IV Tournament DAY 2: Saturday, April 20
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA

Doxa Italia 7:0 San Francisco City FC
Cal FC 4:1 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite 10:1 The Internationalists

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

When the dust settled out west on Saturday evening, two teams punched their ticket to the 2013 US Open Cup. PSA Elite cruised to three straight wins, outscoring its opponents 22-3, en route to a Group B win and their second straight trip to the Open Cup. Fellow Southern California club, Doxa Italia, overcame a 3-0 loss to PSA Elite in the opening game and clinched their second Open Cup berth in three years. Doxa emerged from Group A despite their loss to Group B champion PSA by defeating the two clubs in their group, newcomers San Francisco City (7-0), followed by a winner-take-all game against last year’s Cinderella story Cal FC. Doxa defeated Cal FC 2-1 in the final game as the two clubs finished tied atop the group standings, with Doxa Italia moving on to the championship game by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker. PSA Elite and Doxa Italia have both clinched their spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, they will meet again in the Region IV title game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. local time) to determine who will represent the region at the USASA National Finals.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario Soccer Park – Ontario, CA – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

SUNDAY

USASA Region II Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 1 p.m.
Olathe North – Olathe, KS

Dearborn Stars SC (MI) 0:1 KC Athletics (KS)

KC Athletics player/manager Kyle Perkins scored the lone goal in the 90th minute to send the Kansas-based club to their second straight Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This will be their third Open Cup berth in the last four years.

USASA Region I Quarterfinals
Sunday, April 21 – 3 p.m.
Newtown High School – Newtown, CT

NY Pancyprian Freedoms (ENY) 0:0 Newtown Pride SC (CT)
Newtown Pride advance 7-6 in PK shootout – will play at Mass Premier Soccer on April 28 (Win & You’re In)

The two teams battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes, but it was Newtown Pride SC who advanced after winning the penalty kick shootout 7-6. The Connecticut representative are now one win away from a US Open Cup berth and they will travel to the Boston area to play Mass Premier Soccer (MA) on April 28. More details to come.

USASA Region I Semifinals (Win & You’re In)
Sunday, April 21 – 6 p.m.
Montville Community Park (130 Changebridge Rd.) – Montville, NJ

Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (MDCVA) 1:1 Icon FC (NJ)
Icon FC wins PK shootout, 7-6, to qualify for the 2013 US Open Cup

Icon FC became just the second New Jersey-based USASA team to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present) when they won a penalty kick shootout with the Aegean Hawks. 7-6. The match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes and for the second time that Sunday afternoon, a Region I match had to be decided at the penalty kick spot. More details to come.

US Club Soccer Semifinals
Sunday, April 21 – 8 p.m.
Valley Christian High School – San Jose, CA

San Ramon FC 0:2 (AET) Los Gatos Storm
Los Gatos Storm will play Fresno Fuego Future in the USCS Final

There are now two teams remaining in the US Club Soccer qualifying tournament after Los Gatos Storm needed extra time to defeat San Ramon FC 2-0 on Sunday night. The original game was cut short in the middle of the second overtime period due to a power outage, but the replay lasted the full 120 minutes as the Storm put themselves one win away from a berth in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. They will play the Fresno Fuego Future, a club that features the PDL franchise of the same name, at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA to decide US Club Soccer’s representative in the 2013 US Open Cup. The winner of that game will begin play in the Play-In Round on May 7 against an NPSL opponent still to be determined. More details to come.

#USOC100

Cal FC returns as USASA Region IV tourney features six California teams (Updates)

April 19, 2013 by Josh Hakala

Results/Updated Standings below (4/21/13 – 11:45 p.m. ET)

Check for updates on Twitter @USOpenCup and the hashtag #USOC100

For the second year in a row, the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region IV Open Cup qualifying tournament will be an all-California affair. Six teams — four from California South, two from California North — will battle for two spots in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in Ontario, Calif. the weekend of April 19-21.

The headliners of this year’s competition are the two teams that qualified for the Open Cup last year, PSA Elite and one of 2012’s biggest Cinderella stories, Cal FC. Both teams will attempt to become the first California team to qualify in back-to-back seasons since the Fresno-based Mexico SC made the tournament in 2001 and 2002. Also returning are The Internationalists, and 2011 qualifiers Doxa Italia and DV8 Defenders. The lone newcomer in the competition is San Francisco City FC.

The question entering this year’s qualifying tournament is what can Cal FC do for an encore? Last year, the Southern California-based club swept through Region IV qualifying and qualified for the US Open Cup in their first-ever attempt. They began their inaugural cup run with a 3-1 win over the Kitsap Pumas (PDL), but got the nation’s attention when they traveled across the country to thrash the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 5-0. The following round, they shocked the world by not only becoming the first USASA team to score a goal against a Major League Soccer team, but they became the first to defeat one, eliminating the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time in front of a stunned crowd at Jeld-Wen Field. The little-known club, led by their manager, former US international Eric Wynalda, found themselves trending worldwide on Twitter that night and on to the Fourth Round. Their run would end there with a 5-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders.

The PSA Elite qualified last year in their first attempt, and this year they will try to go two-for-two. Just like Cal FC, they also won their first Open Cup game against a strong PDL team by the score of 3-1. PSA eliminated the Portland Timbers U23s and just like Cal FC, they had to travel across the country to play a team from North Carolina in Round 2. The NASL’s Carolina RailHawks ended their run, however, by the score of 7-0.

Doxa Italia will make their fourth straight appearance in the Region IV tournament and will attempt to qualify again as they did in 2011. That same year, DV8 Defenders from Redwood City in the Bay Area qualified for the Open Cup in their first attempt. Both teams were one-and-done against PDL teams on the road with the Defenders falling 5-0 at Colorado Foxes and Doxa losing to the Ventura County Fusion 3-1.

The Internationalists failed to qualify in their first attempt last year, losing both of their games by a combined score of 15-0. They lost 8-0 to Doxa Italia and 7-0 to Cal FC. The Region IV tournament, because it uses goal difference and goals scored as tiebreakers, often sees high-scoring matches. Many Open Cup berths in recent years have come down to tiebreakers so teams rarely take any chances. The Internationalists will hope to be more competitive in the second year in the competition.

2013 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV Finals (April 19-21)
Ontario, California – All Times Eastern

Group A	PTS	W	L	D	GD
Doxa Italia (CA – South)	6	2	1	0	+5
Cal FC (CA – South)	6	2	0	0	+12
San Fran. City (CA – North)	3	1	1	0	-13

——————————————

Group B	PTS	W	L	D	GD
PSA Elite (CA – South)	9	3	0	0	+19
DV8 Defenders (CA – North)	3	1	2	0	-4
Internationalists (CA – South)	0	0	3	0	-18

Doxa Italia 2:1 Cal FC
PSA Elite 9:2 DV8 Defenders
San Francisco City FC 4:1 The Internationalists

Eric Wynalda’s Cal FC joins PSA Elite from Region IV to complete 2012 US Open Cup field

May 7, 2012 by Josh Hakala

MORE: 2012 US Open Cup bracket | Round 1, 2 matchups

For the first time in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present), two Southern California teams have qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup from USASA’s Region IV. Cal FC, led by their manager, former US international Eric Wynalda, and PSA Elite from Irvine, Calif., emerged as group winners in the Region IV qualifying tournament to punch their tickets to the 99th edition of the Open Cup.

Region IV received permission from the United States Soccer Federation to hold their tournament a week after the qualifying deadline. After Cal FC and PSA Elite qualified, the USSF held a coin flip to determine who each team would play in Round 1 on May 15. The coin flip determined that Cal FC will travel to Bremerton, Wash to take on the PDL’s Kitsap Pumas while the Portland Timbers U23s will host the PSA Elite at Jeld-Wen Field.

Cal FC only needed to win two games to win their group to get in after EP Elite from El Paso, Texas (representing New Mexico) failing to show and forfeiting their three games. What turned out to be one of the best games of the weekend, they started off with a 4-3 win over Doxa Italia on Friday. It looked like it was going to be a one-sided affair as Cal jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead, and then added a penalty kick after the break to make it 4-0. Doxa refused to roll over as they got goals from Kyle Holland and then a 45-yard blast from Alex Bengard and then a third to cut the lead to 4-3 but Cal was able to hold on despite multiple injuries in the second half.

Wynalda would tweet after the game: “Well done to Doxa for fighting back. We got out of there with our lives.”

It would be much easier in the second game as Cal cruised to a 7-0 win over The Internationalists from the Los Angeles area to punch their ticket. For Wynalda, it will mark the first time he has been involved in the Open Cup since he was a player and scored the only two Open Cup goals of his career during the 2001 tournament while helping the Chicago Fire reach the Semifinals.

In the other group, it was a strong defensive performance by PSA Elite that put them into the tournament for the first time. They did not allow a single goal in their three group matches. They defeated 2011 Open Cup qualifier DV8 Defenders, 3-0 to kick off group play, followed by a 6-0 win over the Pittsburg Galaxy setting up a final game with OC Crew. PSA only needed a draw to advance, and that’s exactly what they got, finishing 0-0 to edge DV8 Defenders, who rebounded with back-to-back wins to finish one point back in second place.

Cal FC and PSA Elite squared off in the championship game, and PSA came away with a 2-0 win. Eight minutes after Cal missed a penalty kick, former MLS player Mike Randolph was shown a red card in the first half and the Elite took advantage with goals by Andrew Riemer in the 63rd minute and Christian Ramirez in the 83rd. (Full recap by fellow NASR member Scott French at ESPN LA). In addition to their first trip to the US Open Cup, PSA will represent Region IV at the USASA Nationals at Toyota Park, July 20-22.

Upcoming Open Cup schedules:

PSA Elite (USASA) at Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL)
Jeld-Wen Field; Portland, Ore. – 7:30 p.m. PT
The Timbers PDL square are making their first appearance in the US Open Cup after missing out last year despite finishing qualifying with an undefeated record (3-0-1). Rather than going through a tiebreaker, they decided to have the Kitsap Pumas and the Timbers U23s use their regular season game on double as a play-in game. Kitsap Pumas won the game 3-2. PSA Elite are making their first appearance in the tournament after emerging from the USASA Region IV tournament.

Cal FC (USASA) at Kitsap Pumas (PDL)
Bremerton Memorial Stadium; Bremerton, Wash. – 7:15 p.m. PT
This is the fourth consecutive year that Kitsap will kick off the tournament at home. USASA Region IV qualifier Cal FC are led by a mix of young players and former professional players and their manager, former US international Eric Wynalda.

Check out the standings and the schedule below for more information …

2012 USASA Region IV US Open Cup qualifying tournament

GROUP A	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GD
x-Cal FC (CA-S)	3	0	0	9	14	3	+11
Doxa Italia (CA-S)	2	1	0	6	14	4	+10
The Internationalists (CA-S)	1	2	0	3	3	15	-12
EP Elite (NM)*	0	3	0	0	0	9	-9

GROUP B	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	GD
x-PSA Elite (CA-S)	2	0	1	7	9	0	+9
DV8 Defenders (CA-N)	2	1	0	6	6	5	+1
OC Crew (CA-S)	1	1	1	4	3	3	+0
Pittsburg Galaxy FC (CA-N)	0	3	0	0	3	13	-10

* – EP Elite forfeits competition; each opponent will receive three points

2012 USASA Region IV Open Cup tournament

May 4-6 – 2400 E. Philadelphia Street – Ontario, CA

Group A (Eastern Time listed)
May 4: EP Elite (L:W) The Internationalists (EP Elite forfeit)
May 4: Doxa Italia 3:4 Cal FC
May 5: The Internationalists 0:8 Doxa Italia
May 5: Cal FC vs. EP Elite (EP Elite forfeit)
May 5: EP Elite vs. Doxa Italia (EP Elite forfeit)
May 5: The Internationalists 0:7 Cal FC
Cal FC qualifies for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Group B (Eastern Time listed)
May 4: OC Crew 3:1 Pittsburg Galaxy FC
May 4: PSA Elite 3:0 DV8 Defenders
May 5: Pittsburg Galaxy FC 0:6 PSA Elite
May 5: DV8 Defenders 2:0 OC Crew
May 5: OC Crew 0:0 PSA Elite
May 5: Pittsburg Galaxy FC 2:4 DV8 Defenders
PSA Elite qualifies for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Championship Game (Eastern Time listed)
May 6: PSA Elite 2:0 Cal FC
PSA Elite will represent Region IV at the USASA National Finals

2012 US Open Cup qualifying: Seven California teams, ‘New Mexico’ rep to battle in USASA Region IV tourney

May 3, 2012 by Josh Hakala

A California-dominated group of eight teams will battle for two spots in the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in this year’s USASA Region IV tournament. Seven of the eight teams hail from California with the eighth coming all the way from El Paso, Texas, and representing the state of New Mexico (we’ll explain later). The tournament begins with two groups of four playing a round robin with each group winner advancing to the First Round of the US Open Cup, which is scheduled to begin May 15.

The Region IV tournament will take place May 4-6 in Ontario, Calif., a week past the Open Cup qualifying deadline, but Mike Maloney, the region’s cup commissioner received permission from the United States Soccer Federation. Maloney cited scheduling challenges with the teams involved because of the federation’s decision to move the start date for the Open Cup from the first week of June to May 15.

Six of the eight teams are entering the tournament for the first time, with last year’s two Open Cup qualifiers returning. DV8 Defenders, a first-time entry last year and Doxa Italia, who will be competing for their fourth year in a row will look to qualify for the second straight year. Only three clubs have ever qualified in back-to-back years out of Region IV: Arizona Sahuaros (2008-11), Mexico SC (1999-2002), Sonoma County Sol (2005-06).

The teams that advance to the Open Cup will play away from home in the opening round, as was determined by the recent unveiling of the Round 1 matchups. One group winner will play at Jeld-Wen Field against the Portland Timbers U23s, while the other will play in Bremerton, Wash. against the Kitsap Pumas who are playing in a record fourth straight Open Cup. Who will play where will likely be determined by geography.

Here are the teams that will be competing, followed by the schedule:

Cal Football Club (California South)

Being a USASA team in the greater Los Angeles area is nothing new. Having Eric Wynalda as your head coach and technical director changes things, however. It means that when your local league team holds a tryout, the level of quality talent living in the area that comes out is unlike any other city. “This team is mainly formed from players in this local area –Thousand Oaks – that went to college and came back,” said team manager and president Michael Friedman. “Then we held a tryout recently and the players that came out surprised us. The talent is really high. Eric put all of his resources to work to put this together.” Players like Danny Barrera and Mike Randolph are among a group that have recently played or trained with MLS clubs that could be in the mix for the regional tournament along with a few players from Mercialagos, a lower division Mexican club. Though the squad is undergoing a makeover that is an ongoing process, with talent coming in via the exceptional sources of Wynalda, this one-year old club could very well be making headlines in June.

Doxa Italia (California South)

This Orange County-based club is the most experienced team in the field, in terms of participation in the USASA Region IV tournament. This is the fourth year in a row that Doxa Italia has entered, and are looking to replicate last year’s performance where they qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time under the name “Doxa Italia.” They fell short in their Open Cup debut, losing 3-1 to the Ventura County Fusion of the PDL in the First Round. They formed in 1997, and later merged with the club Hollywood United in 2008. The two clubs, under the name Hollywood United, qualified for the Open Cup and combined for an historic First Round upset, eliminating the Portland Timbers (USL First Division – 2nd Division), 3-2. The merger was short-lived as Hollywood United pulled out to join the PDL, leaving the players and coaches to fend for themselves. Player/manager Derek Droze took a leadership position with the club and they pressed on under the name Doxa Italia.

This year, Doxa is competing in the Coast Soccer League, as well as the Los Angeles-based Angels Confrontational League. They are currently in first place in the CSL with two league games to play. One of those games is on April 22 against second place PSA Elite, a fellow Region IV entry. They finished runner-up in the ACL, losing the final game in overtime, 2-1.
[+] MORE: “2011 Meet the USASA: Doxa Italia”

OC Crew (California South)

OC Crew is another Orange County team that competes in the United Premier Soccer League. Last year, they played an exhibition schedule in the UPSL and finished undefeated, and early on in league play this year, they remain undefeated. Owner Robert Rake is very confident of his team’s chances, saying many of his players are ready to play at the next level and would match up very well against Major League Soccer opposition. First things first, they have to win their group which includes 2011 qualifier DV8 Defenders.

PSA Elite (California South)

PSA Elite plays in the Premier Division of the Coast Soccer League, based in Orange and eastern Los Angeles counties. PSA, based in Irvine, are league rivals with fellow qualifier Doxa Italia, and are looking to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time, much like the retooled Doxa did last year. Elite has proven to live up to their name in league play, capturing the championship three times since the 2006-07 season (2006-07, 2007-08, 2010-11), and finishing second to Italia in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

The Internationalists (Los Angeles Metro League)

The Internationalists, founded in 1992 as Arroyo ’92, play in the Los Angeles Metro League, after their former league (the Arcadia International Soccer League) folded in 2009. They had an excellent run through the Arcadia league in their 17 years, then won the LA Metro League’s Super Metro (top flight) division in their second year in the circuit. One of the key players on the team is former Galaxy player Ryan Shaw, and many players have played internationally or in the PDL. This will be their first time entering in the Open Cup qualifiers.

Pittsburg Galaxy FC (American National Soccer League)

The Galaxy were founded in 2006 and are based in Pittsburg, Calif., located just northeast of Oakland. They are the lone representative from the American National Soccer League (ANSL). They feature a strong attack with El Salvadorian striker Jorge Ruiz and former MLS player Julian Nash. Ruiz led the ANSL in scoring last year, and Nash, an Oakland native, played for the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo from 2005-07. Nash’s claim to Open Cup fame was in 2004 when he finished as the tournament’s top scorer as a member of the PDL’s Chicago Fire Reserves. He remains the only amateur player in the Modern Pro Era (1995-present) to win the scoring title outright.

EP Elite (New Mexico)

The El Paso Elite seems like a strange team name for a club representing the state of New Mexico, but it’s true. The El Paso, Texas-based club was given permission to compete in Region IV (Texas is Region III) due to the fact that El Paso is located so far away from the rest of the teams in their state. El Paso is located right next to the border of Texas and New Mexico, and they often compete in New Mexico-based competitions, so permission was given.

DV8 Defenders (California North)

The tournament’s other representative from Northern California, the Defenders are aiming to qualify for the US Open Cup like they did last year in their first attempt. Their run was short-lived, losing a road game at the PDL’s Real Colorado Foxes, 5-0, in the First Round. The team was founded in 1999 and competes in the Peninsula Soccer League, which is mostly made up of college-aged players. [+] MORE: 2011 Meet the USASA: DV8 Defenders

2012 USASA Region IV Open Cup tournament
May 4-6 – 2400 E. Philadelphia Street – Ontario, CA

Group A (Eastern Time listed)
May 4: EP Elite vs. The Internationalists – 4 p.m.
May 4: Doxa Italia vs. Cal FC – 4 p.m.
May 5: The Internationalists vs. Doxa Italia – 11 a.m.
May 5: Cal FC vs. EP Elite – 11 a.m.
May 5: EP Elite vs. Doxa Italia – 6 p.m.
May 5: The Internationalists vs. Cal FC – 6 p.m.
Winner of Group A qualifies for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Group B (Eastern Time listed)
May 4: OC Crew vs. Pittsburg Galaxy FC – 6 p.m.
May 4: PSA Elite vs. DV8 Defenders – 6 p.m.
May 5: Pittsburg Galaxy FC vs. PSA Elite – 1 p.m.
May 5: DV8 Defenders vs. OC Crew – 1 p.m.
May 5: OC Crew vs. PSA Elite – 8 p.m.
May 5: Pittsburg Galaxy FC vs. DV8 Defenders – 8 p.m.
Winner of Group B qualifies for the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

Championship Game (Eastern Time listed)
May 6: Group A winner vs. Group B winner – 12 p.m.
Winner represents Region IV at the USASA National Finals