Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

The Villages SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 2, Day 1 Review: MLS Next Pro wins debut, one amateur side survives

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Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup
Toby Sims of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds dribbles against the Maryland Bobcats in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger | Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The first MLS NEXT Pro team to enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup scored the league’s first win in the Second Round of the tournament, and USL League Two scored an upset over a nearby USL League One counterpart Tuesday night as 11 teams punched their tickets to the next round of the 107th edition of the US Open Cup. 

Round 2 continues Wednesday with 13 matches, with seven more to be decided Thursday. All of the games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Several MLS clubs will join the competition in the Third Round, which will hold a draw Friday to determine the matchups. The draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. 

Here’s a look at all 11 Second Round matches from Tuesday.

Click here for a preview of all the Round 2 games on Wednesday and Thursday

North Carolina Fusion U-23s (USL League Two) 4:2 Charlotte Independence (USL League One)
American Legion Memorial Stadium – Charlotte, NC
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The North Carolina Fusion U23 pulled off the first upset of the second round, knocking off their professional USL League One opponent Charlotte Independence 4-2 in Charlotte.

Charlotte opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Shalom Dutey found the end of a Ayrton Paez free kick just in front of goal near the post, beating Fusion goalkeeper Josh Perryman. Twenty-three minutes later, a shot by Faisal Almabaslat was blocked by Charlotte goalkeeper Keegan Meyer, but Luis Neto was right there to put away the rebound to draw the Fusion level 1-1. It took Charlotte just five minutes to regain the lead, as Ivan Luquetta took the ball to the touch line in the penalty area, then passed back to Paez for the goal.

The Fusion tied things up minutes into the second half when Joao Silva took a shot at the top of the box that deflected off a Charlotte defender. Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute when Tresor Mbuyu was sent off for an altercation with a Fusion player after a hard tackle. With just a few minutes remaining in regulation, Charlotte goalkeeper Meyer fumbled an easy shot by Alexandre Horveno, and Tom Marriott scored on a wide-open goal. The Fusion cemented the upset in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Colton Sessoms easily scored on a 3-on-1 breakaway, the youngster’s fourth goal of the night, to book a spot in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Maryland Bobcats (NISA) 0:2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship)
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

On a rainy Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the USL Championship Riverhounds entertained the visiting Maryland Bobcats of NISA. A pair of goals from Toby Sims on either side of halftime was all the Riverhounds needed to see off the Bobcats 2-0 and advance to the third round. Simms’ first goal came in the 38th minute from the center of the penalty area off a Luis Argudo assist. Almost 10 minutes into the second half, Simms tallied from the left side of the penalty area on a Mohamed Sesay assist. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

St. Louis CITY 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) 2:0 Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI) – Indianapolis, IN
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

St. Louis City 2 notched the first-ever Open Cup win for a MLS NEXT Pro team with a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven of the USL Championship.

St. Louis drew first blood when Joshua Yaro sent an attempted clearance back into the box, where Era Armstrong collected the ball and beat Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk. The reserve club of the future St. Louis MLS club doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Armstrong passed to substitute Celio Martins, who then fed Wan Kuzain at the top of the box for the goal. From then on. Indy only managed a couple of chances on goal and the St. Louis reserves made their way to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Michigan Stars FC (NISA) 0:3 Detroit City FC (USL Championship)
Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

In a battle of former NISA rivals, the USL Championship Detroit City FC smoked the Michigan Stars 3-0 in Detroit.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Just as the first half looked to end scoreless, Detroit stuck twice on corner kicks. In the 45th minute, Connor Ruiz put away a Maximilliano Rodriguez corner kick. In the second minute of stoppage time, Rodriguez served up another corner, and this time Matthew Lewis headed the ball home for a 2-0 lead. For the rest of stoppage time, the air was filled with smoke from jubilant City supporters.

 

After a pair of crosses Detroit extended their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute. After Michigan headed away an initial cross, Michael Bryant sent the ball back into the box, where Connor Ruiz headed the ball to the feet of Matthew Lewis for his second goal of the game. From that point, Detroit easily saw out the remaining time to book their first ever appearance in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Villages SC (USL League Two) 0:6 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)
Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Villages SC of USL League Two were no match for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, with the hosts steamrolling to a 6-0 win. Lucky Mkosana quickly put the Rowdies ahead 2-0 with two goals early in the first half. Jordan Scarlett pushed the lead to 3-0 on a header from a Jake Areman free kick. In the 53rd minute Mkosana appeared to have completed his hat-trick, connecting on a cross from Jake Areman, however the goal was later credited to Kyle Greig.

The goals continued to flow in as Jake LaCava (63rd minute) and Laurence Wyke (73rd minute) finished the rout of their amateur opponents, and confirmed a spot in the third round for the Rowdies. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Des Moines Menace (USL League Two) 1:2 Union Omaha (USL League One)
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.) – Omaha, NE
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Menace opened the scoring in the 15th minute when a shot from Gabriel Rodriguez struck the crossbar and was swatted away by Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu. Corey Hertzog then slammed home the loose ball. Five minutes later, Union found the equalizer when John Scearce headed home a corner from Joseph Brito.

Union Omaha kept control most of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, Omaha gained the lead on a Menace mistake when Alefu Bertini accidentally headed a lobbed pass from Conor Doyle past his own goaleeper. Omaha withstood a desperate Menace search for an equalizer to win their debut Open Cup match and advance to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) 1:2 FC Tulsa (USL Championship)
ONEOK Field – Tulsa, OK
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The USL Championship’s FC Tulsa came out on top in the Tulsa derby, defeating the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, 2-1.

FC Tulsa wasted no time grabbing the lead, as Jorge Corrales sent a cross into the box that Brian Brown managed to put away while being pulled down by a Tulsa Athletics defender. FC Tulsa scored again in the 19th minute, this time on a Ronald Rodriguez header off a corner kick from Joaquin Rivas. Tulsa Athletic had a few promising free kicks in the rest of the half but the score remained 2-0 at the break.

Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Tulsa Athletic managed to cut the lead in half with thirteen minutes remaining. Halftime substitute Billy Nzojyibwami’s goal from the right side of the penalty area gave the amateurs a glimmer of hope. But FC Tulsa kept the visitors at bay in the final minutes to book their place in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

D’Feeters Kicks (USCS / The Roja League) 1:3 San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
Lynchburg City Stadium – Lynchburg, VA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

For 45 minutes, the amateur D’Feeters Kicks had hope of an upset over the professional San Antonio FC of the USL Championship. However, in four quick minutes that dream was interrupted.

San Antonio scored three goals in four minutes of the second half to separate themselves from their amateur guests en route to a 3-1 win. In the 53rd minute, Henrik Sakshaug scored from the top of the penalty area after a free kick pinballed between players from both teams. Just a minute later, a shot by Justin Dhillon deflected off a D’Feeters defender, allowing Connor Maloney to easily beat goalkeeper Anthony Rodriguez for San Antonio’s second goal. Three minutes later, Sakshaug struck again from the center of the penalty area, assisted by Shannon Gomez, and suddenly San Antonio were comfortably ahead 3-0.

D’Feeters regained a slight glimmer of hope when San Antonio goalkeeper Matt Cardone was unable to handle a long shot from the left side, allowing Sebastian Mendez to easily tap home the goal. With seven minutes remaining, D’Feeters were reduced to 10 men when Juan Ramirez was shown his walking papers after a hard foul. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) 0:5 New Mexico United (USL Championship)
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex – Albuquerque, NM
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends saw their luck run out in the second round as New Mexico United of the USL Championship rolled to an easy 5-0 victory.

The hosts set the tone in the seventh minute when Chris Wehan converted a penalty after Sergio Rivas was fouled by the Legends’ Hector Casillas. Jerome Kiesewetter scored the first of his two goals from close range in the 17th minute, and Randy Ovouka placed his shot in the bottom left corner of the goal five minutes from halftime for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Carl Sainte made it 4-0 from a shot outside the penalty area shortly after halftime. Eduardo Guzman was sent off in the 82nd minute, leaving Las Vegas with 10 men. New Mexico was awarded another penalty with four minutes remaining after another foul by Hector Casillas in the box. Kiesewetter stepped to take the penalty and New Mexico cruised to a berth in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

El Paso Locomotive (USL Championship) 1:4 Central Valley Fuego (USL League One)
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.) – Clovis, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Villyan Bijev scored a brace, and USL League One side Central Valley Fuego stunned El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championships, 4-1 at Lamonica Stadium in Clovis, California.

Nathan Smith and Christian Chaney also scored for the Fuego, which needed less than five minutes to score and never looked back.

Bijev opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, chipping the goalkeeper from the left side of the box to put Central Valley up 1-0 mere moments into the game. The goals kept coming, too, through Smith’s golazo in the 15th minute and a second from Bijev in the 44th minute en route to a 3-0 halftime advantage. Chaney added a goal in the 62nd minute for the Fuego.

Eric Calvillo scored in the 90th minute for El Paso, which turned out to be the first Open Cup goal in Locomotive history for the 2019 debutants. El Paso was playing its second of three games in eight days after a four-match winless skid to open USL Championship play, and had traveled up the California coast following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the San Diego Loyal in league play.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

LA Force FC (NISA) 2:5 Orange County SC (USL Championship)
Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Former Real Salt Lake homegrown signing Milan Iloski had a goal and an assist as Orange County SC of the USL Championship rolled by the NISA’s LA Force, 5-2 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, California.

Daniel Pedersen, Sean Okoli, Mikko Kuningas and Kobi Henry each added a goal for Orange County, which converted five of its six shots on target into goals and out-shot the Force 22-15.

Samuel Goni scored a brace for LA Force FC, including a 37th-minute strike that pulled the Open Cup debutants within 3-1 at halftime. But Iloski dished a pinpoint backheel pass to Kuningas to restore Orange County’s three-goal lead, and Henry’s goal in the 69th minute helped seal the win for good.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Tampa Bay Rowdies cruise in rematch with The Villages SC

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Tampa Bay Rowdies The Villages SC 2022 US Open Cup Photo by Morgan Tencza
Kyle Greig (22) and Yann Ekra of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrate a goal against The Villages SC in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Morgan Tencza

For the second straight round, The Villages SC were part of a 6-0 result. However, instead of the drubbing they dealt Orlando FC Wolves in the First Round off the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the USL League Two side was on the opposite end of the scoreline. The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship scored early and often en route to a Second Round victory. 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.


An announced crowd of 2,579 witnessed a rematch of the Second Round of the last US Open Cup that was played back in 2019, also played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rowdies also won that match convincingly, by the score of 4-1.

Having cruised to a 3-0 lead on the back of two first-half goals from Lucky Mkosana — both assisted by Kyle Greig — Tampa Bay turned its attention towards some history for the club, handing professional debuts to just-signed Academy players Tate Johnson and Santi Castaneda.

“The most important thing was to move on to the next round,” said Rowdies head coach Neill Collins. “I thought it was important for two reasons. The players, I think they want that opportunity to play against the best. And for our fans. I get the impression they want us to progress and have those nights in the Open Cup hopefully here at Al Lang. So I’m pleased we’re on to the next round. Any night you can have the opportunity to give two young players that trained with us for two months and played in preseason games their professional debuts, that’s a good night.”

Also making their mark on the scoresheet were Jordan Scarlett, heading in a cross from Jake Areman in the 36th minute; Kyle Greig, getting to another cross put in by Areman in the 53rd; Jake LaCava in the 63rd, hammering home shortly after being introduced as a second-half sub; and Laurence Wyke in the 73rd. The midfielder made a run down the right side before turning in and lobbing the ball at the near post, where Gried just missed out on tapping home, but a moment’s hesitation by the GK meant that Wyke’s ball found it’s way across the line. The six-goal outburst set a new club record for goals scored in an Open Cup match, surpassing the four Tampa Bay scored previously against The Villages in 2019.

“We had a vision going into the game,” Mkosana said. “Neill told us to press from the front and we were able to keep that organization. Everything came from just playing and taking our chances. It was a really good effort from the team.”

Despite the scoreline, the visitors put up a valiant effort and created several chances for themselves, most notably around the 30th minute, but were unable to give their contingent of traveling supporters something to celebrate.

Tampa Bay will now wait until Friday to learn it Third Round opponent and will undoubtedly hope to be handed an opportunity to host an MLS side at Al Lang Stadium, where the club is currently undefeated in its previous five Open Cup matches.

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: The Villages set club record in six-goal win vs. Orlando FC

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Daniel Oliveira the villages vs orlando fc wolves 2022 us open cup
Daniel Oliveira of The Villages SC dribbles the ball against Orlando FC Wolves in their First Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: The Villages SC

The Villages SC hosted Orlando FC Wolves at The Villages Soccer Complex Tuesday evening. The home side would come out dominant winners by a 6-0 scoreline.

The six goals set a new single-game mark for the club in Open Cup play and earned themselves a Second Round date with the USL Championship’s Tampa Bay Rowdies on April 5.

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Tonight’s game was the first competitive game for The Villages. Because of this, they were able to give three of their academy players game minutes, including Payton Rausch, a high school senior who capped his experience, all 15 minutes of it, with the team’s sixth and final goal of the evening.

The game began with the home side dominating play. Just three minutes in, Rafael Barba shot wide to set the tone early. The first 25 minutes was one-way traffic. In the 12th minute, Juan Felipe Rojas received a pass from Christopher Dilan about 12 yards out and beat the keeper to his right for the opening goal.

Just nine minutes later, Rafael “Tete” Barba would double the score on an inch-perfect ball to just inside the penalty spot from Caleb Franke.

The beginning of the end would happen in the 41st minute when Daniel Oliveira received a ball from Austin Lakasik on the near wing, then sailed past Orlando’s Rahmel Stewart and chipped beautifully into the far-side netting to make it 3-0.

Orlando would spend the 10 minutes either side of halftime on the front foot but it was too little, too late. The remainder was more wide open, Villages would show their experience, despite being a little shorthanded. Jose Victor France added a fourth goal in the 56th minute after receiving a pass from Daniel Oliveira and beating Orlando’s James Taberham, he buried into the upper 90 from about 24 yards out.

The fifth goal came from Rafael Barba in the 63rd minute from a Daniel Oliveira corner, the dipping ball was met with a backheel flick to lift it over the Orlando goalkeeper. Finally, in the 75th minute, Rausch would replace Jose Victor France. Christopher Dilan sent a ball across the face of goal, which was touched by the Orlando keeper, but it deflected into the path of Rauch who slotted it home for his first career US Open Cup goal.

“They came in, they didn’t let the level come down,” The Villages head coach Anderson DaSilva said about his team’s substitutes. “They got the level better because they brought more energy to the group.”

The victory does two things for The Villages. First, it snaps a five-game US Open Cup winless streak Second, it sets up a date at Al Lang Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Second Round. A rematch of the 2019 tournament.

Scoring Summary

Juan Felipe Rojas 12th minute assisted by Christopher Dilan
Rafael Vacas Barba in the 21st minute assisted by Rojas
Daniel Farias De Oliveira in the 41st minute assisted by Austin Lakasik
Jose Victor Rua France in the 56th minute assisted by Oliveira
Rafael Vacas Barba in the 63rd minute assisted Oliveira (corner)
Payton Rausch in the 83rd minute assisted by Dilan

The Villages Roster
G 12 Andrew Muller
D   3 Yago Lopes
D   6 Austin Lakasik
D 13 Caleb Franke
D 14 Vandyke Gyau
M   4 Juan Felipe Rojas
M   7 Christopher Dilan
M 10 Daniel Oliveira
M 20 William Centeno
M 11 Rafael “Tete” Barba
F 21 Jose Victor France

Orlando FC Wolves roster
G   1 Juan Butrago
D 17 Fernando Galvis II
D   7 Damian Iamarino
D 14 Caesar Kwesi
D   6 Rahmel Stewart
M 13 Patrick Sandidge
M 12 Cale Saunders
M   5 James Taberham
M 31 Zak Woodward
M   9 Grant Blackhurst
F 10 Dennis Zapata

MATCH BROADCAST

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).

2019 US Open Cup Round 1: The Villages need PKs to win all-Florida battle with Lakeland Tropics

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Players from The Villages SC (left) and Lakeland Tropics battle for the ball in a 2019 US Open Cup First Round match. Photo: Christopher Arnold
Players from The Villages SC (left) and Lakeland Tropics battle for the ball in a 2019 US Open Cup First Round match. Photo: Christopher Arnold

The opening round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in Auburndale, Florida, featured two USL League Two (formerly Premier Development League) teams from Central Florida with the Lakeland Tropics hosting The Villages SC.

One could not ask for a more balanced match than this one. So much so that it ultimately took extra time and ten rounds of penalty kicks to determine the victor with The Villages advancing 8-7 after the game finished tied 1-1 after 120 minutes.

While it was an equal match, both sides had very distinctly different styles of play. Lakeland Tropics, being the home team, were comfortable quickly working the ball up to the forwards and attacking midfielders but being calm and patient around the box, moving the ball to try and open scoring opportunities.

When the Villages had possession, it was a different game. The visitors focused primarily on finding the piercing balls into the attacking third to utilize their speed and quick movements to disrupt the defense.

The Villages found one of these breakthroughs in the 16th minute in what appeared to be the start of a very one-sided match. With a powerful overlapping run far into the Tropics penalty box, left back Danilo Seglio opened the scoring after his first shot rebounded to him from the keeper.

Not to be undone, the Tropics picked up their tempo from this point forward and attacked with more initiative. Bringing their fullbacks further forward, right back Chase Hovious broke down the flank and played a beautiful ball in to Raheem Taylor-Parkes inside the penalty box who leveled the scoring.

From there, the match got scrappy. A fierce midfield battle saw frustrations flair and two cautions were issued at the end of the first half.

 

In the second half, Lakeland appeared knackered come the 60th minute. This saw their midfield break up and they began to attack and defend with two lines. The strong defenders and confident and technical attackers kept the team in the game while fashioning two big chances of their own.

While the Villages remained the more organized side, they struggled to dominate the midfield. All level, the teams headed into extra time to settle the score.

Extra time showed Lakeland’s substitutions proving worthwhile. In both halves they managed 65% possession and had the only three shots after the ninety. With fatigue fighting both sides, this match was destined for penalties and that is just where it went.

Both sides sealed their first kicks but the Villages SC had their second chance saved. However, the Tropics would miss their fourth and fifth shots courtesy of nice saves by goalkeeper Jerfesson.

It would be Jerfesson who would step up to take the Villages fifth kick in attempt to seal the match. His attempt proved too easy for the Tropics keeper Joel Serrano and the penalty rounds continued.

With both teams making their next four kicks it was a deft save by the Villages goalkeeper who broke the run. The Villages SC secured their victory by way of midfielder Sukrija Dudic who would be the hero on the day.

After a thrilling match through ten penalty rounds The Villages SC will try to upset their first pro team in team history when they face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 14 in St. Petersburg Fla. in the Second Round.

2018 US Open Cup: Armada edge The Villages SC, face short turnaround for next round

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The Jacksonville Armada celebrate their opening goal against The Villages SC in the 6th minute of the club's 2018 US Open Cup Preliminary Round match. Photo: Eldy Mendez | Armada FC
The Jacksonville Armada celebrate their opening goal against The Villages SC in the 6th minute of the club’s 2018 US Open Cup Preliminary Round match. Photo: Eldy Mendez | Armada FC

As a late addition into the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the Jacksonville Armada FC came ready to play as they kicked off against The Villages SC Sunday night at Southern Oak Stadium on the campus of Jacksonville University.

For the third year in a row, the Armada were victorious in their opening round game in the US Open Cup, defeating The Villages SC, 2-1.

Jacksonville was relentless in the first half, dominating possession and creating several quality scoring chances. In the sixth minute, Michael Melvin attacked the left side and sent a beautiful ball to Ciaran Kilduff in the box, who put the Armada FC out front early with a sensational header.

After halftime, The Villages SC immediately put pressure on Jacksonville, eventually leading to an equalizer. Midfielder Gabriel Cabral provided teammate Leonardo Paiva with an excellent through ball in the box. Paiva found defender Gabriel Torres unmarked in the box and Torres was quick to find the right corner to even the score.

Jacksonville was able to seize momentum back, creating several scoring opportunities. In the 70th minute, defender Mechack Jèrôme lined up for a free kick just outside of the box. Jèrôme’s initial shot attempt was blocked by the wall, but his second shot was deflected into the net by a diving Wesley Charpie to give the Armada FC its second lead of the match.

Armada FC head coach Mark Lowry praised Charpie after the game.

“He attacks the ball well. If you attack the ball well with the quality players we put him with like Michael (Melvin), Conor (Doyle) and Mechack (Jèrôme), you’ll score goals,” said Lowry.

During the final stretch, the Armada FC kept the pressure on as forward Conor Doyle nearly struck from a great look in the box. Jacksonville held on in a physical 2-1 win to advance to the First Round of the US Open Cup.

The Armada FC will have limited rest as they travel to Central Florida for their next match on Wednesday, but that doesn’t worry Lowry.

“We’re fine. We didn’t exert ourselves physically tonight. We were in control most of the game. We’ll be fine for Wednesday.”

Jacksonville takes on SIMA Àguilas of the PDL in Montverde, Fla. on Wednesday night as the First Round of the Open Cup begins. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

2017 US Open Cup: Defender scores “surreal” game-winner as Jacksonville Armada U23s edge The Villages SC

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jacksonville-armada-logoCameron Grassmyer isn’t known for finding the back of the net, but with the game in the balance, the 6’4″ defender provided a game-winner in the closing minutes on Wednesday night. Grassmyer’s 89th minute header off a free kick proved to be the difference in a 2-1 victory for the Jacksonville Armada U23 team against The Villages SC in the First Round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. For Grassmyer it’s a great experience he won’t forget.

“This is my first game ever in the US Open Cup, I know it has a huge tradition to it, and for me to have scored, it was such a long time for me to get back in the score sheet, the feeling was so surreal.” said Grassmyer.

For those who arrived late to Patton Park, they missed a blistering start for the visiting Buffalo. Ericksson Alves needed less than a minute to put The Villages SC ahead 1-0 after slamming home a rebound right in front of the net. But that was all the scoring the defending PDL Southeast division champs would see on this night. Despite some late chances for The Villages SC it was Jacksonville who took control after halftime under head coach Pat Cannon.

“To start the game we had some nerves, gave up a tough goal, but the boys settled in at halftime and we talked about putting more numbers forward, a little more sense of urgency and getting behind their back four.” said Cannon.

Substitutions proved to be a key swing for the Armada U23 side with a pair of changes at the 60th and 62nd minutes helping spur on the game-tying goal. Josh Castellanos scored the equalizer for the home team in the 63rd minute and momentum continued to roll the Armada’s way as the match went on.

Now Jacksonville turns its attention to Round 2 of the U.S. Open Cup and a trip to Al Lang Stadium next Tuesday night to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League. Nurdin Hrustic knows what it’s like to face the Rowdies from his time with the Armada’s senior club in the NASL and hopes to lead the U-23 side to similar success.

“We’re trying to be the Cinderella story and take it as far as possible, try to lead these young guys, with their power and energy coming out of college and try to do the best we can.” said Hrustic.

Series of forfeits, teams with ineligible players overshadow 2016 US Open Cup

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2016-usoc-ineligible-players-bigWith dozens of amateur and professional teams battling for the United States’ true national championship, every Lamar Hunt US Open Cup creates numerous storylines.

Whether it’s the 1999 Rochester Rhinos doing the impossible of becoming the only lower division side to win the final since the introduction of MLS teams, or amateur teams Cal FC and the Michigan Bucks both upsetting MLS teams in 2012, every Cup is usually remembered for at least one or two moments.

The early part of the 2016 edition of the tournament has featured three disqualifications, the most of any competition in the Modern Era (1995-present). And those three disqualifications were just the ones that were caught in what appears to be a combination of spotty rule enforcement from the United States Soccer Federation and a lack of rule awareness by teams and players.

Section 203. Part (c) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook is pretty clear:

“Any player who plays in any part of an Open Cup match for a team, including any match in any Open Division qualifying round, may not be included in the Open Cup roster or play for any other team in the Open Cup competition for that competition year.”

This rule is new for 2016 as the federation kicked off its inaugural open division qualifying tournament, a single-elimination competition made up of any amateur team that does not belong to the Premier Development League (PDL) or the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Prior to this year, players were only cup-tied if they played for a team in the Open Cup proper.

The reason for the ruling was to keep players from jumping from team to team. Occasionally players would play for one team during qualifying and if they got eliminated, sign with a team that qualified.

At publishing time, TheCup.us is aware of at least five teams who broke this rule by fielding or including on their roster cup-tied players in the first or second rounds of the tournament. However, only two of the teams were discovered in time to file a protest and have the result of the match overturned.

1. In their Second Round penalty kick upset victory over the Charleston Battery (USL), the Villages SC of the Premier Development League (PDL) started Paulo Vaz, who had previously played for Boca Raton FC in the open division qualifying tournament that took place last fall. The Battery discovered this after the game and immediately filed a successful protest which eliminated the PDL side and pushed Charleston into the next round.

“We were unaware of Paulo Vaz playing for another team in the qualifying rounds of the Cup,” said Alex Perez, a spokesperson for The Villages SC. “In all of his registration paperwork with us that we filed with the PDL, Paulo listed his last club as Floridians FC. It’s an unfortunate situation.”

Villages SC defeated Kraze United in Round 1 with that same ineligible player, which led Kraze United to file a protest after the Battery match in Round 2 was complete. The protest by Kraze United was denied due to the rule that states that “official match protests are required to be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CT the day following the match. (Section 306. Part (a) of the 2016 US Open Cup handbook.)

2. In a 3-1 First Round loss to the Sacramento Gold, the Burlingame Dragons started Gabe Silveira, who had taken part in the open division qualification tournament for San Francisco City FC.

According to the Dragons, they were told by US Soccer that Silveira was cleared to play. This was not discovered in time and no protest was filed.

3. In that same game, the Sacramento Gold included Andre Brown on their bench, who played for Davis Legacy in the qualifying tournament. While he didn’t appear in the match, just having him on the gameday roster is a potential violation. The USASA has disqualified teams for such a violation during qualifying, however, there is no precedent in the US Open Cup proper in the Modern Era.

4. CD Aguiluchos USA fielded ineligible players in both their first and second round matches. In their 3-0 Round 1 win over San Francisco City, substitute Ahmad Hatifie was cup-tied to Ballistic IFX. CDA also subbed on a cup-tied player in Arthur Bahr in their 5-0 loss to Sacramento Republic FC. Bahr played for San Francisco City in qualifying.

San Francisco, like Kraze United, submitted a protest, but it was also denied since it was filed long after the deadline.

5. Perhaps the most notable protest involved the Ventura County Fusion’s use of Gabe Gonzalez, who had played for Cal FC in qualification, in a 2-1 First Round victory over the LA Wolves FC.

According to the Fusion, the club was aware of Gonzalez’s participation in the qualifying rounds, but were told specifically by USSF that Gonzalez was cleared to play for the Fusion. How did the Wolves know he was ineligible? Because he played against them in qualifying for Cal FC. The Wolves edged Cal FC 2-1 to clinch their first-ever Open Cup berth.

The Wolves protested the decision and the Fusion were disqualified from the tournament.

“Rules are in place for a reason and they must be followed by all teams,” said Skwara. “The new rules for 2016 may not be perfect, but all teams still have to follow the rules or risk the repercussions.”

Ventura County then filed an appeal on the decision, which was denied by the USSF and the Wolves advanced to Round 2 to face the Orange County Blues of the USL.

According to Fusion media coordinator Polo Ascencio, the Fusion were never given a reason for the denial.

“The reply was a very simple, ‘your appeal was not successful,’ Ascencio told TheCup.us. “They just said, ‘no.’”

The federation has yet to confirm why the appeal was denied or if informing teams of the specifics of the decision are a common practice.

Ascencio said decisions like these only hurt the credibility of the tournament and the amateur teams participating in it.

“It needs to change,” Ascencio said of the roster rules. “The teams, the amateur teams, and you guys know this, in the lower levels, they take this very, very seriously for many reasons … it gives you exposure. it’s given us exposure that we didn’t want, not this way. It gives you exposure. It gives your players a chance to play against higher competition as you move on and on and on.”

With the forfeit, the Fusion’s Modern Era record streak of six consecutive First Round victories came to an end.

“We have really good, young talent looking forward for a chance and to have the chance taken away by a system that is broken,” Ascencio said. “But at the end, we did nothing wrong. We asked our players, the players that came forward didn’t play, we thought we were good. But obviously we were not good.

“We asked US Soccer for a list before the tournament started … of players who have played . Give us rosters of the teams that have played so we know,” he added. “To this day, it’s been already a couple of weeks since the started the first round, we don’t have any of those lists.

Ascencio believes the federation must have too much on its plate.

“Either they’re too busy doing something, MLS or Copa America-related, or the US Open Cup doesn’t really matter until you get the big teams in the Cup,” Ascencio said. “It’s a chance for our players to succeed, to put a spotlight on them. It’s a chance for our teams to bring our fans an experience that they might not get with our local, amateur team.

For the Fusion, Ascencio says its a missed opportunity for the team and the players.

“And obviously there’s money involved there,” he concluded. “The more you advance, the more money you can make. For some of these amateur teams … $15,000 could be a lot of money. It could be a couple year’s worth of attendance. It hurts for all the reasons, but at the end of the day it hurts because we won, but at the end, somebody said, ‘no you guys didn’t because you used a player that we said was okay to play. But, guess what, he’s not okay to play.”

Ascencio said that the Fusion plan to participate in future tournaments due to the opportunity it provides but maintains that the kinks need to be worked out.

“There has to be , there has to be,” Ascencio said. “Because if they’re not gonna change it, then things like this are going to keep happening and the teams that are going to be affected are going to be the amateur teams, not the professional teams. This is a cup that is made so that the amateur teams can flex their muscles or go on to face top competition. To have something like this happen, not only to us, but a few other teams around the nation…I feel bad for all those teams,”

None of the other teams involved in the situation that TheCup.us reached out to chose to comment on the record. The US Soccer Federation did not respond to a request for comment.

TheCup.us senior editor Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Charleston Battery advance after The Villages field ineligible player (updated)

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The Charleston Battery face The Villages SC from the PDL in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery face The Villages SC from the PDL in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Charleston Battery

UPDATE: The US Soccer Federation announced that The Villages SC fielded an ineligible player during their match against the Charleston Battery and the federation has ruled that they have been disqualified and the Charleston Battery will advance to Round 3.

The Villages SC’s inaugural cup run is off to a spectacular start after pulling off a Second Round upset over The Charleston Battery of the USL in penalties.

The Villages’ attack got things started early, with forward Carlos Araujo burying a shot passed Keeper Alex Tambakis in the 24th minute.

Despite the early deficit Charleston seemingly dominated the remainder of the 1st half finding the lion’s share of chances, but The Villages’ keeper Paulo Pita came to play, putting on a monster performance keeping the Battery attack at bay.

The Battery would finally break even in the waning moments of the 2nd half, when MF Dante Marini put a spectacular bending left-footed shot passed Pita and into the bottom left corner of the net to level the score going into halftime.

Charleston continued to control the match through the bulk of the 2nd half, but The Villages managed to take the lead once again in the 66th minute.

Midfielder Danilo Dias would pick up the assist on the goal, putting in a great cross to Araujo who headed in his goal of the night.

With the clock winding down the Battery pushed the attack forward, finding chance after chance and finally breaking through the brick wall that was Paulo Pita in the 81st minute.

Forward Chris Tsonis would score the late equalizer, finding the receiving end of a corner by MF Maikel Chang.

Regulation ended with the score still knotted up at 2-2, taking the match into extra time.
Charleston looked the better side through both halves of extra time with The Villages rarely finding their way out of their defensive 3rd. Pita would prove to be the decisive difference for The Villages keeping out shot after shot by the Battery attack in extra time and coming up big for his club when the match went to penalties.

Pita would go on to save the Battery’s 1st two penalty attempts, with both Ricky Garbanzo and Romario Williams converting the 3rd and 4th, But The Villages would convert on all four attempts ending the Battery’s 2016 Cup campaign.

It’s the third consecutive year the Battery have seen their US Open Cup run end in penalties to a team from the state of Florida. A disappointing early exit for a club known for making deep runs into the later rounds of the tournament.

The Villages SC’s victory advances the club to the 3rd round where they will travel to Everbank Field to take on NASL side Jacksonville Armada.

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: The Villages stun Kraze United in stoppage time in battle of re-branded teams

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The_Villages_Soccer_ClubOne of the early features in Wednesday’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup first round pitted two of the more uniquely-named teams at one of the more interesting venues in this year’s tournament. The Villages SC (PDL) of The Villages, Fla. hosted Kraze United (NPSL) of Orlando at The Villages Polo Field, stunning their guests after 91 minutes of scoreless soccer on a last-minute goal to move on to the second round.

Playing their first home game ever after taking the spot of the disbanded Ocala Stampede in the US Open Cup tournament, The Villages SC is a mainly Brazilian outfit that goes by the nickname “The Buffalo.” Kraze United, for its part, has been around since 1999, won the USL PDL National Championship in 2004, and features mainly college players from Florida, with a smattering from schools as far away as The University of Chicago and Amherst College.

In spite of their lack of previous experience playing together, the Buffalo started the match by sending several warning shots within yards of the Kraze goal. After the 20th minute, though, the Kraze found themselves and started to gain more possession and assume the run of play.

The Kraze put opportunities over the bar in the 23rd minute off a free kick and in the 26th minute on a Lucas Kuscevic header off a cross by midfielder Omar Vallejo.

In the 27th minute, the Kraze midfield sent another diagonal cross in from the left side which found Kevin Rockwell at the backpost. Paolo Pita, Buffalo’s goalie, was completely beaten as Rockwell placed a perfect bicycle kick into the lower corner for what would have been a guaranteed goal of the round. Unfortunately for Rockwell and the Kraze, the linesman’s flag snapped immediately into the air and the referee ruled the play offside.

Play remained back-and-forth for the rest of the half. The Kraze showed intelligence in possessing and switching the side of play, but the counterattacking skill of several Buffalo midfielders troubled the guests.

Roberto De Lima, arguably the man of the match for The Villages, consistently split the Kraze defense with incisive passes. The Kraze resorted to physical play to stop the quick parries by De Lima and Carlos Vitor Alvarenga. The half still ended deadlocked 0-0.

After attacking down the left through Vitor Alvarenga in the first half, The Villages SC switched him to the right in the second. De Lima seemed to be everywhere as he recovered Kraze turnovers and looked dangerous whenever he was able to connect with Alvarenga.

After Alvarenga subbed out in the 58th minute, ceding his spot to Cristian Martinez, The Villages lost momentum. For the rest of the half, the Kraze dominated the midfield as the Buffalo slowly retreated into their own half to pack the final third in front of their goal.

In spite of close efforts by the Kraze as Keneil Haye cut the ball back from the touchline in the 75th and 85th minutes, the Villages defense held steady. After the 75th minute, the Kraze resorted to more long-distance shots in an effort to penetrate the packed but tired Buffalo defense.

As regulation time ran down, it seemed like the game was headed into overtime. The Kraze were looking for the winner, and with their defense stretched, De Lima split the defense yet again from the midfield stripe, finding a streaking Pedro Ivo Dias on his way to goal. Dias took the ball in stride to the left of the Kraze goal and calmly struck the ball past the charging Marco Lujan into the lower far corner, sending the Villages bench into frenzy.

Two minutes later, the victory was in the record books. In the second round, The Villages SC will face off against the USL’s Charleston Battery on May 18th.

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