The USASA Region I tournament that got underway this weekend, is the beginning of what will eventually send two clubs to the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The opening round which kicked off this weekend will be followed by the quarterfinals on May 2 and the semifinals on May 23. The two teams that emerge victorious in the semifinals will both be awarded a spot in the US Open Cup, and if the format remains true to recent form, they will be matched up with either a second division or a third division side. Major League Soccer teams will not enter the competition until the third round.
There will be a lot of familiar faces when the quarterfinal round of the USASA Region I tournament begins on May 2. Out of the six opening round matches, five of the winners have qualified for the US Open Cup before with Go Soccer FC from New Jersey representing as the lone newcomer.
Two games were not played due to forfeits. Fenerbahce USA of Eastern New York got a bye because the NPSL’s Erie Admirals couldn’t field a full team due to player availabilities and injuries. Maryland’s Charm City FC, a former NPSL club, got a free pass when Athletic Club (Western PA) lost their main sponsor.
Here are the results from the weekend:
Olympia Stamford (CT) 0:1 Go Soccer FC (NJ) | Sat. April 10 at Torpey Athletic Complexl
Go Soccer FC from New Jersey defeated Olympia Stamford of Connecticut 1-0 on Saturday to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals. Alex Russo scored the lone goal in the 35th minute as the Go Soccer defense held Olympia in check for most of the evening. CLICK HERE FOR A FULL REPORT.
Jilly’s Bar & Grill (MD) 0:3 Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA) | Denison Nursery – Ft. Washington, MD
The Aegean Hawks, the runner-up from the Metro D.C. / Virginia tournament, dispatched Jilly’s Bar & Grill from Maryland, 3-0. Watson Prather converted a penalty kick for the Hawks in the 37th minute and it wasn’t until the 76th when Ricky Schramm added a second and John Stephens put the game away in the 82nd to make it 3-0. The Hawks move on to the quarters to face the New York Pancyprian Freedoms. CLICK HERE FOR A FULL REPORT FROM AEGEANHAWKS.com
Boston Olympiakos (MA) 1:2 Danbury United (CT) | Portuguese Cultural Center – Danbury, CT
Danbury United avenged their 2007 Region I tournament loss with a 2-1 win over Boston Olympiakos. Back in 2007, the two teams squared off in the Region I semifinals, with a spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the line. Danbury scored midway through the first half on a penalty kick that was scored by Gerson Canhao. On the other side of halftime, Valdo Miguel tied the game up at 1-1 around the 65th minute. The game-winner would arrive near the 80th minute when veteran Toni Fernandes sent a blast into the back of the net from outside the box.
“It was two different styles of play,” said Danbury United manager Victor Sousa. “Olympiakos played a very direct and physical brand of soccer with long balls being sent directly from the defense, so their chances were limited in the first half. We played more short passes, bringing the ball up the field, creating chances to score. In my opinion, the result showed justice.”
With the win over Boston, Danbury snap a two-game losing streak to Massachusetts-based clubs in the Region I competition. United will face Fenerbahce USA of Eastern New York in the quarterfinals.
Danbury United lineup: Andres Sanchez, Robert Miller, Justin Dell, Walter Salinas, Daniel Tomas, John Meyer, Michael Mingione, Toni Fernandes, Lamar Chancey, Gerson Canhao, Mauro Dos Santos | Dennys Farias, Joseph Dos Santos, Arthur Hilario, Ryan Chmielewski, Mauro Costa, Kenneth Cook, Ajani Maillard
Emigrantes Das Ilhas (MA) 3:2 Brooklyn Italians (East NY) | John Dewey High School – Brooklyn, NY
Almir “Zoro” Barbosa scored a pair of first half goals to help put Emigrantes Das Ilhas on their way to a 3-2 win over the NPSL’s newest team, the Brooklyn Italians. Brooklyn, who has a rich history and is a two-time Open Cup champion (1979, 1991), mounted a comeback with a goal by Marco Ruiz in the second half but Jose Veiga of Emigrantes extended the lead back to two with a goal in the 70th. 18-year old Kevin Beaton scored a second for Brooklyn, but it was too late as Emigrantes win to move on to face Go Soccer FC in the next round.
Phoenix SC (East PA) 2:3 NY Pancyprian Freedoms (East NY) | Belson Stadium (St. John’s Univ.) – Queens, NY
Julio Cesar Dos Santos carried the New York Pancyprian Freedoms past Phoenix SC 3-2. Phoenix scored twice in the first 30 minutes, then the Freedoms, specifically, Dos Santos (featured by the USL as one of the best players in USL players in the last decade) stormed back. Dos Santos scored two and also had an assist in leading his team to the next round, where they will play Aegean Hawks FC on May 2. CLICK HERE FOR A FULL REPORT FROM THE NY POST
Club Atletico Virginia (DC/VA) 2:2 (1:4 PKs) United German Hungarians (East PA) | UGH Field (Oakford, PA)
One of the tighest matches of the opening round, the United German Hungarians eliminate Club Atletico Virginia in a penalty kick shootout after a 2-2 draw. UGH, hosting the match at their home field in Oakford, PA, just outside of Philadelphia, trailed 1-0 at the break after CAV’s Billy Whittington scored on a header in the 20th minute after a cross from the right side from Andrew Richardson. UGH came out in the second half and leveled the match a few minutes after the break, after a shot on goal was saved but spilled by CAV goalkeeper Matt Scheer. UGH forward Jeremy Ortiz jumped on the loose ball to tie the game up 1-1. UGH added a second in the 70th minute off a corner kick that found Ben Marucci in the box, but CAV equalized ten minutes later. Virginia’s John Carson sent a long throw into the box and multiple defenders failed to clear, leaving the ball to Billy Whittington who missed on a volley attempt. After the ball snuck through all that penalty area traffic, it fell to Victor Krasij, who put it away. After going scoreless through extra time, United won the penalty kick shootout 4-1 to move on to the next round to play Charm City FC.
CAV lineup: Matt Scheer (GK) Tremaine Chinapoo & Phil Purdy (center backs), Jordan Cullinane (right back), Dave Leon (left back), Matt Davis and Victor Krasij (defensive center mids), John Carson (offensive center mid), Andrew Richardson (right mid), Fabio Andrade (left mid), Billy Whittington (forward)
UGH lineup: GK – Eric Talbot, (13) Tony Rod, (6) Will Thornton, (7) Blair Carson, (20) Ken Tomczuk, (9) Brian Blesi (Capt), (19) Matt Hemberger, (12) Ben Marucci, (10) Tim O’Neill, (15) Ryan Moseley, (8) Jeremy Ortiz
Subs: (5) Ryan Tadley for Moseley (46’), (18) Kevin Sherry for O’Neill (46’), (11) Brian Bowers for Blesi (87’), (4) Lou Daniele for Tadley (117’)
2010 USASA Region I tournament – first round results:
Olympia Stamford (CT) 0:1 Go-Soccer FC (NJ) – Sat. April 10
Boston Olympiakos (MA) 1:2 Danbury United (CT)
Emigrantes Das Ilhas (MA) 3:2 Brooklyn Italians (East NY)
Jilly’s Bar & Grill (MD) 0:3 Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (DC/VA)
Phoenix SC (East PA) 2:3 NY Pancyprian Freedoms (East NY)
Club Atletico Virginia (DC/VA) 2:2 (UGH advances on PKs 4-1) United German Hungarians (East PA)
Athletic Club (West PA) at Charm City FC (MD) – Athletic Club forfeits (Loss of sponsor)
Erie Admirals (NPSL) at Fenerbahce USA (East NY) – Erie forfeits (Injuries/Not enough players avail.)
Quarterfinal schedule (May 2)
Fenerbahce USA at Danbury United – 2 p.m., Portuguese Cultural Center (Danbury, CT)
Aegean Hawks FC at NY Pancyprian Freedoms – 2 p.m., Belson Stadium (St. John’s University)
Charm City FC at United German Hungarians – 2 p.m., UGH Field (Oakford, PA)
Go-Soccer FC vs. Emigrantes Das Ilhas *Emigrantes Das Ilhas disqualified*
Go Soccer FC at Brooklyn Italians – 4p.m., John Dewey High School (Brooklyn, NY)
Phoenix responded by changing tactics and pushing players forward, which nearly brought immediate dividends as they created several chances by Ben Castor, Pat Dillon and Roman Escobar. UGH continued to be dangerous on the counter and from set plays, with Blair Carson nearly putting the game out of reach on a free kick that missed the target.
The German Hungarians came out strong early in the match. The hosts put pressure on VE’s backline and scored the game’s only goal 20 minutes into the game.
