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USASA Region IV

2011 US Open Cup qualifying: USASA Region IV tournament format set

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The USASA Region IV National Cup tournament is all set for May 20-22 in Sacramento, California with six teams vying for a chance to two berths from the region into the 2011 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Five of the six clubs are from California with the lone outsider traveling in from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The tournament will feature two groups of three teams playing in a round robin format with a third game being played against a team from the opposing group in a cross-over. The teams with the greatest point total in their respective groups will not only advance to the final, but also to the US Open Cup.

Two of the clubs in Group A are from the California North region. San Francisco Italian Athletic Club comes out of the San Francisco Soccer League and the DV8 Defenders play in the Peninsula Soccer League out of Redwood City. They are paired with Metro FC from the Albuquerque Soccer League.

Group B also has two California North clubs. Rosal FAS is representing the California Premier Soccer Association and CV Eagles FC are playing in the National Star Soccer League. Doxa Italia FC hails from the Orange County region, representing California South, and participates in the Coast Soccer League.

Check back with TheCup.us for a more in-depth preview of the tournament soon.

Region IV Tournament Schedule

May 20
Group A SF Italian AC vs Metro FC 6:00 pm ET
Group B Rosal FB vs Doxa Italia FC 6:00 pm ET
Cross-over CV Eagles FC (B) vs DV8 Defenders (A) 6:00 pm ET
May 21
Group A DV8 Defenders vs SF Italian AC Noon ET
Group B Rosal FB vs CV Eagles FC Noon ET
Cross-over Metro FC (A) vs Doxa Italia FC (B) Noon ET
Group A DV8 Defenders vs Metro FC 6:00 pm ET
Group B Doxa Italia FC vs CV Eagles FC 6:00 pm ET
Cross-over SF Italian AC (A) vs Rosal FB (B) 6:00 pm ET
FINAL
May 22 Group A winner vs Group B winner Noon ET

Tiebreakers: Head-to-head, goal differential, goals for, goals against and if all else fails a flip of a coin.

2010 Meet the USASA: Bay Area Ambassadors

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Bay Area Ambassadors FC, 2010 USASA Region IV champions, make their U.S. Open Cup debut June 15 against Kitsap Pumas SC of the PDL.

It’s  a momentous occasion for the club from Hayward, Calif., a member of the NPSL Northwest Division. The Bay Area Ambassadors  were in fifth place in the six-team NPSL Northwest heading into their opening round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup game, but overcame adversity and emerged  as the winner of the Region IV tourney in Sacramento last month and thus earned a spot in the 97th edition of the tournament.

Not bad for a franchise in only its third year of existence. BAFC was started in 2008 by former Nigerian Olympic team member Tony Igwe and local businessman and real-estate broker Arif Khan to bring the highest level of amateur/semi-pro soccer to the Bay Area, Khan said.

Igwe, the team’s technical advisor, and Khan, the general manager, chose the NPSL for their club because there were several other teams in Northern California. The Ambassadors practice and play at Chabot College in Hayward.

While goalkeeper Sergio Valle is the main player to watch, the Ambassadors feature a mix of local college and non-college players. Coach Mohammed Mohammed has several players he’s developed from his youth club, including Yusuf Samy, Stefan Clemens and Pedro Osorio.

BAFC didn’t have it easy at the Region IV tournament. Three of its players were injured in the tournament opener. But the club made the regional final and won it with no substitutes, playing two games with only 10 men due to the injuries and two players unable to get international clearance.

Even with the obstacles, the Ambassadors cruised through group play, only allowing one goal in three matches. They defeated San Diego Boca FC, 2-0, Arizona Pros, 1-0, and the French Soccer Academy, 5-1. In the semifinals, it was a battle of unbeatens as Bay Area knocked off the Sacramento Gold 1-0 to qualify for the Open Cup. With the tournament berth already in place, Bay Area carried the momentum into the Region IV Open Cup final and booked a spot in the USASA National Cup Finals with a 2-0 win over fellow qualifier Arizona Sahuaros.

The Ambassadors fly into Seattle-Tacoma Airport on June 15 and play that evening at 7 p.m. in nearby Bremerton, home of the Kitsap Pumas, the Premier Development League qualifier from the Northwest Division.

2010 Meet the USASA: Arizona Sahuaros

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When you’ve been the longest-lasting franchise in what is otherwise a no-man’s land for high-level soccer and you’re about to go to your fifth US Open Cup in 20 seasons of existence, the American soccer community knows who you are.

Such is the case with the Arizona Sahuaros, a highly regarded USASA club on hiatus for the second straight year from the NPSL. The Sahuaros might be the lonely oasis of soccer in the hot and dusty Arizona desert, but they have two things going for them as they head into the first round of the US Open Cup in 2010: History in the Open Cup and a defense-first mentality that causes opponents fits.

The Sahuaros under first-year coach Orhan Kraja, a native of Albania who has coached third-division football in Italy, have never advanced past the second round of the Open Cup. But their match against the defending PDL champion Ventura County Fusion Tuesday night will mark their third straight Open Cup berth.

Arizona’s roster is always in flux with its mixture of college players trying to stay in shape over the summer, young players trying to stay in the game and advance their careers and experienced veterans who have cut their teeth in higher professional ranks.  The Sahuaros are led by veteran goalkeeper Brad Swenby, who has played for the USL’s Minnesota Thunder and commutes to key Sahuaros games from Wisconsin.

The Arizona Sahuaros pose for a team photo with Boca Juniors of Argentina as part of the 2007 Copa PanAmericana. The Sahuaros played exhibition games against Boca and Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Club America. Photo: Arizona Sahuaros.

Swenby and defender Mike Duhaney, the 1997 MLS Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, are expected to be with the club in California when they face the Fusion. Former MLS players Greg Vanney and Mike Munoz have other commitments and will not play.

That said, the Sahuaros bring a young team, for the most part, to Ventura. Those young players, with Swenby the rock in the net, played well enough at the USASA Region IV Cup in Sacramento last month to earn the second and final berth into the US Open Cup from the region, a credit to team president Ali Alexander and GM Mark Nabity for their work  and commitment to fielding a competitive team.

The Sahuaros run through the Region IV tournament was a difficult one, finishing 1-1-1 in group play. A 1-0 loss to the Sacramento Gold in their opener forced Arizona to get points in their last two matches.  The next match was a 10-1 drubbing of Yakima United, while the last was a 2-2 draw against Doxa Italia.

The nine-goal blowout proved to be the most important result as Arizona tied with three other clubs with four points, as the best second place team would book a place in the semifinals. With a plus-8 goal differencial, the Sahuaros would edge out Doxa-Italia (+6), San Diego Boca FC (+0), and the French Soccer Academy (-2) for a spot in the final four.

In the semifinals, the Sahuaros defeated Real San Jose 2-1 on a pair of goals from Pat Perkins. The second goal appeared to be a handball, but after consulting with the AR, the center ref let the goal stand.  Real San Jose pulled one back in the second half but it was too little, too late.

“I think our goalkeeper Brad Swenby was the key to our success this weekend.” said former long-time Sahuaros head coach Petar Draskin.  ”A few other players to recognize were Skelly Keller, Mitch Garcia, defenders Chris Green and Brian Green, midfielder Paul La Larva and forward Pat Perkins. This was the youngest team Sahuaros have ever brought to this event. Also, Seth George, a former pro, made his first appearance in a Sahuaros jersey.”

This year, the Arizona Sahuaros have become only the third USASA club to qualify for the US Open Cup three seasons in a row (2008, 2009, 2010). Los Lobos (Oklahoma) qualified from 1997-1999 and Mexico SC qualified four years in a row from 1999-2002.

The Sahuaros have been able to make it hard on PDL and USL teams in past Cups because of their emphasis on defense. Arizona’s belief in a system despite a constantly changing roster is what they claim to be the key to their success, along with playing games throughout Arizona to increase their exposure and tap into young talent from outside greater Phoenix.

Arizona Sahuaros qualify for 3rd straight US Open Cup, Ambassadors from Bay Area to make their debut

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After an exhausting five games in three days, Region IV of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) has submitted their two teams to the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Bay Area Ambassadors accept the USASA Region IV Open Cup championship trophy. Bay Area qualified for the US Open Cup by reaching the semifinals, and then defeated the Arizona Sahuaros in the final, 2-0. Photo: Bay Area Ambassadors

The Arizona Sahuaros and the Bay Area Ambassadors of the NPSL both reached the final of the Region IV tournament and therefore qualified for the tournament. For the Sahuaros, this is their third straight Open Cup appearance and fifth overall in the Professional Era (1995-present). The Ambassadors have not only punched their ticket to the Open Cup but won the entire tournament, defeating the Sahuaros in the final to advance to the USASA National Cup Finals.

The Ambassadors opened the weekend on a high note beating San Diego Boca 2-0. Both goals came in the 2nd half from Tony Salcicca and Jacob assisted by Pedro Osorio and Jordan Keyes. The victory was sweet for the 2nd year NPSL club as they struggled with injuries of three keys players in the first game.

On Saturday morning, BayArea FC beat the Arizona Pros 1-0. Jasko Begovic netted the game’s only goal in the 70th minute.  Fresh from the win the Ambassadors handed the French Soccer Academy a lesson with a final score of 5-1. Dannylo Ayllon scored two Goals each and Jasko Begovic assisted by Aneesh Rana.

*Bear with us on the formatting in this table, we’re trying to fix it*

WIN & YOU’RE IN (Special Play-in game)
PSA LOS GATOS STORM (US CLUB SOCCER)
0:3
SONOMA COUNTY SOL (NPSL)
PAL Stadium – San Jose, Calif.

USASA REGION IV TOURNAMENT
Qualified Clubs:
Arizona Pros (Arizona)
Arizona Sahuaros (NPSL – on hiatus)
Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)
Doxa-Italia (California South)
FC Hasental (California South)
French Soccer Academy (Washington)
Real San Jose (NPSL)
Sacramento Gold (NPSL)
San Diego Boca FC (NPSL)
San Diego United (NPSL – on hiatus)
San Francisco Italian Athletics (California North)
Yakima United (Washington)

Group A P W L T Pts GF GA GD
Real San Jose 2 2 0 0 6 5
 2 +3
FC Hasental 2 1 1 0 3 6 3 +3
SF Italian Athletics 2 0 2 0 1 1 7 -5

*San Diego United withdrew, therefore the second place
team in the group is not eligible to reach the semifinals

All times Eastern

5/21 FC Hasental 5:0 SF Italia Athletics 5:00 PM
5/22 FC Hasental 1:3 Real San Jose 1:00 PM
5/22 SF Italia Athletics 1:2 Real San Jose 6:00 PM
Group B P W L T Pts GF GA GD
Bay Area Ambassadors 3 3 0 0 9 8 1 +7
San Diego Boca FC 3 1 1 1 4 3 3 +0
French Soccer Academy 3 1 1 1 4 3 5 -2
Arizona Pros 3 0 3 0 0 1 6 -5

All times Eastern

5/21 San Diego Boca FC 0:2 Bay Area Ambassadors 5:00 PM
5/21 French Soccer Academy 2:0 Arizona Pros 5:00 PM
5/22 Bay Area Ambassadors 1:0 Arizona Pros 12:00 PM
5/22 French Soccer Academy 0:0 San Diego Boca FC 2:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Pros 1:3 San Diego Boca FC 5:00 PM
5/22 Bay Area Ambassadors 5:1 French Soccer Academy 7:00 PM
Group C P W L T Pts GF GA GD
Sacramento Gold 3 3 0 0 9 10 2 +8
Arizona Sahuaros 3 1 1 1 4 12 4 +8
Doxa-Italia 3 1 1 1 4 10 4 +6
Yakima United 3 0 3 0 0 2 24 -22

All times Eastern

5/21 Sacramento Gold 1:0 Arizona Sahuaros 7:00 PM
5/21 Doxa-Italia 7:0 Yakima United 7:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Sahuaros 10:1 Yakima United 12:00 PM
5/22 Doxa-Italia 1:2 Sacramento Gold 2:00 PM
5/22 Yakima United 1:7 Sacramento Gold 7:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Sahuaros 2:2 Doxa-Italia 7:00 PM
SEMIFINALS
5/23 Bay Area Ambassadors 1:0 Sacramento Gold 11:00 AM
5/23 Real San Jose 1:2 Arizona Sahuaros 11:00 AM
FINAL
5/23 Bay Area Ambassadors 2:0 Arizona Sahuaros 4:00 PM

Bay Area emerged as Group B winners with a record of 3-0-0 and would take on Sacramento Gold.

Come Sunday morning, the soccer Gods were with the Ambassadors. Team captain Sergio Valle who had an outstanding tournament saved a Sacramento penalty kick in the first half. BayArea FC midfield maestro Jasko Begovic scored in the 69th minute to give the Ambassadors the 1-0 victory.

In the finals, the Ambassadors came up against a strong Arizona Sahuaros who beat Real San Jose 2-1 to advance to the finals. The teams were evenly matched in the first half, not to mention exhausted playing four 90-minute competitive matches in a span of three days.

The Bay Area Ambassadors were not deterred with only a two hour rest and playing with only 10 men for most of 2nd half due to injury and no subs. In the 53rd minute Jasko Begovic rose to the occasion and slotted one home and the second goal came in the 80th minute from St. Mary’s College star player, Mohammed Yusuf Samy.

“The Bay Area Ambassadors won today because the players played with heart. Most of the players carried an injury and some of them missed their graduation to sacrifice for this victory. It is a gallant effort noting that we played with very limited men and so many games in a short span.,” said Mohammed Mohammed, Head Coach the Bay Area Ambassadors.

The Arizona Sahuaros run to the Open Cup proper was not as clear cut as Bay Area, as they finished 1-1-1 in group play.

A first match loss 1-0 to the Sacramento Gold forced Arizona to get points in their last two matches.  The next match was a 10-1 drubbing of Yakima United, while the last was a 2-2 draw against Doxa Italia.

The 9-goal blowout proved to be the most important result as Arizona tied with three other clubs with four points, as the best second place team would book a place in the semifinals. With a plus-8 goal differencial, the Sahuaros would edge out Doxa-Italia (+6), San Diego Boca FC (+0), and the French Soccer Academy (-2) for a spot in the final four.

Teams in Group A, which consisted of only three teams due to San Diego United dropping out of the competition, were informed prior to the tournament starting that the second place team in the group would not be eligible for the semifinals, since each team was only playing in two matches.

In the semi-finals the Sahuaros defeated Real San Jose 2-1.  Pat Perkins netted both goals for Arizona. The second goal appeared to be a handball, but after consulting with the AR, the center ref let the goal stand.  Real San Jose pulled one back in the second half but it was too little, too late.

“What can we do? I thought the boys battled very hard and were very unlucky on that call and unlucky not to get the game into overtime at least. In all it was great experience. We took perhaps powerhouse amateur team to the wire in our first Open Cup experience. I learned a lot about coaching from my coaching opponent today. He’s one of the best in my opinion,” said RSJ manager Nick Arellano.

“I think our GK Brad Swenby was the key to our success this weekend.” said Sahuaros head coach Petar Draskin.  “A few other players to recognize were Skelly Keller, Mitch Garcia, Defenders Chris Green and Brian Green. Midfielder Paul La larva and forward Pat Perkins. This was the youngest team Sahuaros have ever brought to this event. Also, Seth George former pro had his first appearance in the Sahuaros Jersey.”

This is the third straight US Open Cup for Arizona Sahuaros (2008, 2009, 2010).  They are the third USASA club to qualify for the US Open Cup for three straight seasons.  Los Lobos (Oaklahoma) qualified from 1997-1999 and Mexico SC qualified four years in a row from 1999-2002.

I think our GK Brad Swenby  was the key to our success this weekend. Few other players to recognize Skelly Keller, Mitch Garcia, Defenders Chris Green and Brian Green. Mid fielder Paul La larva and forward Pat Perkins. This was the youngest team Sahuaros brought to this event. Also, Seth George former pro had his first appearance in the Sahuaros Jersey.

12 teams from California, Arizona and Washington to battle for 2 Region IV Open Cup spots

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2010 US Open Cup qualification is set for USASA Region IV, and it will take place during the weekend of May 21-23 in Sacramento, California. Qualifying will be slightly different from previous years, as there are 12 entrants to the competition instead of eight. Three groups of four will compete for the right to play in the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The three group winners, as well as the best second-place finisher, will advance to a newly-created semifinal round. The winners of the semifinal matches will qualify.

Participants range from old regulars to new kids on the block. The team possibly most recognizable in the group is the Arizona Sahuaros. They are only participating team that has previously qualified for the US Open Cup, having done so four times. Their most recent appearance, in 2008, resulted in a First Round loss to the USL’s Seattle Sounders in extra time. Other teams that have previously played in Region IV qualifying include Doxa-Italia, FC Hasental, and San Diego United, who all competed in 2009 qualifying. Ironically, they all competed in the same group last year, and finished below 2009 qualifier Sonoma County Sol, who did not re-enter Region IV qualifying (their reason is explained below). Newcomers include the French Soccer Academy and Yakima United, the first qualifying entries from the State of Washington in at least the past 10 years. Both look to be the first USASA team from Washington to qualify since FTI (Seattle) made the First Round back in 1993 (before the Pro Era).

Some might wonder where Open Cup regulars Sonoma County Sol is. Well, they are taking a different path to the Open Cup. If the tournament followed the format from last year, with all of the second division and third division professional teams along with eight USASA, MLS and PDL teams, the total number of teams would add up to 39. That leaves the competition one team short of keeping an even bracket, so the USSF announced that they would add an extra amateur play-in game. The Sonoma County Sol, who has qualified for the Open Cup three times in the last five years, will take on fellow California club PSA Los Gatos Storm. The two clubs met in a friendly on April 25, with the Sol winning 3-0. The winner of the amateur play-in game will be the 17th amateur club (8 USASA, 8 PDL) entered into the tournament.

Qualified Clubs:

Arizona Pros (Arizona)

Arizona Sahuaros (NPSL – on hiatus)

Bay Area Ambassadors (NPSL)

Doxa-Italia (California South)

FC Hasental (California South)

French Soccer Academy (Washington)

Real San Jose (NPSL)

Sacramento Gold (NPSL)

San Diego Boca FC (NPSL)

San Diego United (NPSL – on hiatus)

San Francisco Italian Athletics (California North)

Yakima United (Washington)

Group A P W L T Pts GF GA GD
FC Hasental 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Real San Jose 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
San Diego United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
SF Italian Athletics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

All times Eastern

5/21 Real San Jose vs San Diego United 5:00 PM
5/21 FC Hasental vs SF Italia Athletics 5:00 PM
5/22 San Diego United vs SF Italia Athletics 12:00 PM
5/22 FC Hasental vs Real San Jose 2:00 PM
5/22 SF Italia Athletics vs Real San Jose 5:00 PM
5/22 San Diego United vs FC Hasental 5:00 PM
Group B P W L T Pts GF GA GD
Arizona Pros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Bay Area Ambassadors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
French Soccer Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
San Diego Boca FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

All times Eastern

5/21 San Diego Boca FC vs Bay Area Ambassadors 5:00 PM
5/21 French Soccer Academy vs Arizona Pros 5:00 PM
5/22 Bay Area Ambassadors vs Arizona Pros 12:00 PM
5/22 French Soccer Academy vs San Diego Boca FC 2:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Pros vs San Diego Boca FC 5:00 PM
5/22 Bay Area Ambassadors vs French Soccer Academy 7:00 PM


Group C P W L T Pts GF GA GD
Arizona Sahuaros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Doxa-Italia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Sacramento Gold 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0
Yakima United 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +0

All times Eastern

5/21 Sacramento Gold vs Arizona Sahuaros 7:00 PM
5/21 Doxa-Italia vs Yakima United 7:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Sahuaros vs Yakima United 12:00 PM
5/22 Doxa-Italia vs Sacramento Gold 2:00 PM
5/22 Yakima United vs Sacramento Gold 7:00 PM
5/22 Arizona Sahuaros vs Doxa-Italia 7:00 PM


5/23 Group B Winner vs Group C Winner 11:00 AM
5/23 Group A Winner vs Best 2nd Place 11:00 AM
5/23 Semifinal winners 4:00 PM

2009 Meet the USASA: Sonoma County Sol

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The Sol were close to becoming two time defending NPSL champions, but losses in the ’07 & ’08 playoffs prevented that. “We use the previous losses as fuel.” Ziemer says of his team motivation for the NPSL season. The Sol may very well be paving the road for their first NPSL title. They are 6-0-1 in NPSL play with four games remaining, and are coming off a 10-1 thrashing of the Salinas Samba, their league rivals for many years.

After qualifying from the USASA Region IV tournament, they open the 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup against the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star on June 9.

The team is truly a family affair, in many ways. First is the way the club is funded. Each player pays $500 each for the season, and they also raise money through hosting a golf tournament, and having friends and family volunteer on game days. Also helping fund the team is the Sol “100” Club, in which individuals who donate $100 towards the team receive a season pass, having their name mentioned on the team website and being honored at the final home game of the year.

In addition to running the club as a team, almost all of the players on the roster are locals. Many players have played, or still play, at Sonoma State, where Sol head coach Benjamin Ziemer is an assistant coach, under his brother Marcus, who has been head the head coach at SSU for 18 seasons. The other players on the team either attend Santa Rosa Junior College, or are local players who have played college soccer elsewhere.

Ziemer recalls when he applied to coach the Sol two years ago. “I told the board we could compete using primarily local players.” The success of the Sol has proven he was correct. “Although not all believed it (was) possible, we have 16 players from Sonoma County, another 5 who have been here 5-6 years to attend Sonoma State University and a few others who have moved from out of town for work.” Ziemer says.

On top of all that, Benjamin Ziemer and his three brothers grew up playing the game, and then some. As kids, they played the game on a small field their father built for them, which included lights, playing 1v1 and 2v2 for hours until they all moved away from home. When the boys were in their teens, a man named Peter Reynaud moved into their area, and the way they viewed and played soccer changed. Reynaud was the head coach at Sonoma State, and exposed the boys to a different way of training and playing.

Three of the brothers, Benjamin, Andrew, and Christopher, went on to play for Reynaud at Sonoma State for the 1989-90 season, and then for their brother Marcus for the 1990-91 season, when Reynauld stepped down to concentrate on the women’s team. During that first year, Sonoma State went undefeated, and the following year both the men’s and women’s teams reached the NCSAA Division II championship game.

While Marcus stayed on as head coach at Sonoma State, the other three Ziemer boys eventually made their way to Germany. The first to go was Christopher. After their father decided the cost of another regional camp was not worth the money. Right around this time a German team came to the area and played against Christopher’s ODP team, after which their father asked the German coach if he could set Christopher up with a youth team. Christopher then went to Germany and soon after called Andrew and Benjamin to come join him. Soon the three were playing in the 3rd and 4th division in Germany, the country where their father was born.

Andrew then went to Holland to study soccer and attend coaching courses, but he ended up playing with Quick Den Haag – a top level amateur club. While there he went to Ajax a few days a week to watch professional and youth trainings. During this time he met Frans Hoek, who working at Ajax. Frans has assisted the Ziemer brothers in studying at 50+ clubs in Holland, Spain, Belgium, Germany, England and Italy. Together, the brothers run Ziemer Brothers Soccer, where Benjamin has directed over 150 camps in Northern and Southern California, Oregon and Nevada.

In addition to all of that, Benjamin has also coached for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) State Teams, been a Hoek Method Camp coach for over eight years, currently holds a USSF ‘A’ coaching license and German ‘B’ license, currently manages the NorCal Premier Soccer League, and was recently named the boys soccer coach at Sonoma Academy.

One could say that the Sol and Sonoma State are one in the same. Three players on the Sol roster, Chris Daly, Tim Maycock and Brandon Boone, were on the team when that won the NCAA Division II Championship in 2002.

One player they will do without is Ross Middlemiss. After leading the CCAA in scoring this year with 18 goals and 45 points on his way to First Team All-American honors and capturing the Division II West Region player of the year honor, Middlemiss began the season with the Sol. Soon after, he was presented the opportunity to play for TSG Thannhausen of Oberliga Bayern (German fifth division). Middlemiss has left the team to prepare for his trip to Germany.

Another standout from Sonoma State’s 2008 campaign, were they were ranked #6 in the nation with a 15-2-4 record while winning the CCAA Championship, is Eric Lafon. Lafon currently leads the Sol with seven goals and six assists, and became SSU’s All-Time Assists Leader with 33 total assists. The team also has some veteran presence as well. Local product Shawn Percell led Santa Clara to the 1999 NCAA Final, and earned Final Four MVP honors. He has spent some time with Belmopan Bandits in Belize, before returning to the states to play with the Seattle Sounders for three seasons.

However, when asked who his standout players are, Ziemer has just one answer, “Our standout is the team.” Those words sum up what the NPSL club is all about, on and off the field.

2009 Meet The USASA: Arizona Sahuaros

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The Arizona Sahuaros pose for a team photo with Boca Juniors of Argentina as part of the 2007 Copa PanAmericana. The Sahuaros played exhibition games against Boca and Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Club America. Photo: Arizona Sahuaros.
The Arizona Sahuaros pose for a team photo with Boca Juniors of Argentina as part of the 2007 Copa PanAmericana. The Sahuaros played exhibition games against Boca and Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Club America. Photo: Arizona Sahuaros.

You might be hard pressed to find a bigger soccer advocate in the state of Arizona than the manager of the Arizona Sahuaros, Petar Draksin. The Grand Canyon University coach doesn’t get paid to manage the Sahauros, a club that has existed continuously, in many forms, since 1989. He also “will never give up” in his effort to bring high-level professional soccer to the city that he loves and works tirelessly to help his players move on to the next level.

This is the third time in the last four years that Draksin has led his team through USASA Region IV qualifying into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This year marks the fifth year that the club has qualified as a franchise. What makes that feat remarkable is that this year, just like their 2006 appearance, they have qualified without being affiliated with a league.

This year, the club is on hiatus from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) due to the fact that the league lacks enough teams in the Southwest. Arizona and San Diego United are the lone teams in that part of the country and both are sitting this year out. San Diego is playing in a local league, while Arizona is just playing exhibition games and tournaments.

“Our location is a challenge,” said Draksin. “We’re waiting for the NPSL to find teams in this area, so that travel costs won’t be such a burden.” He added that cities like El Paso and Albuquerque would be a good fit for the league.

There are plenty of local teams in the USL’s Premier Development League, but he said financially it just doesn’t work right now. “If the USL had the right financial situation, we would love to join the PDL,” said Draksin, who has a tremendous respect for the league.

The club has a very committed ownership group, but at the same time, with the economy being what it is, having to travel to places in the NPSL Western Conference like Northern California and Oregon was just too much. “We’re very lucky to have the ownership we have, but right now, playing exhibitions and competing in the Open Cup is all they can allow right now.”

SAHUAROS HISTORY
The Sahuaros have had three name changes and have played in three different leagues (as well as spending time without a league) in their 21 years as a club.

1989-92: Phoenix Hearts (Indoor)
1990-91: Phoenix Hearts (PDL)
1992-95: Arizona Cotton (PDL)
1996: Arizona Phoenix (PDL)
1997-02: Arizona Sahuaros (D3 Pro)
2003-04: MPSL
2005-07: No league
2008: NPSL
2009: No league

Draksin moved to New York City in 1976 from his native Yugoslavia. There he was thrust into the thriving club soccer scene in the city, which was dominating the Open Cup at the time. Between 1967 and 1984, the Open Cup tournament was won by a team from New York or New Jersey 12 times. Draksin describes playing at the historic Metropolitan Oval as an experience he’ll never forget as he played for the German Hungarians and the Brooklyn Italians.

He relocated to Phoenix where he has been the head coach at Grand Canyon University for almost 20 years, and has overseen the Sahuaros from the beginning. The franchise started in 1989 as an indoor team called the Phoenix Hearts and three name changes and three different leagues later, the Sahuaros are celebrating their 21st year as a club.

If two games would have gone their way over the last few years, this story would be discussing Arizona’s fifth straight Open Cup berth. The only qualifying efforts that fell short were in 2005 and 2007 when they lost to the team that advanced to the Open Cup from Region IV.

This year, it was a scoreless draw against Miran (California South) on the final day that was the club’s third near miss, leaving them two points shy of winning the group and moving on to the Cup. However, it was determined that there were multiple players on the Miran roster who were ineligible. This wasn’t discovered by Arizona until after their match was completed and the Region IV rules state that you cannot file a protest after the match is over. Therefore, the Sahuaros and the other clubs in the tournament, petitioned Region IV semifinalists Sonoma County Sol to file a protest on their behalf before the final. The protest was upheld, Miran was disqualified and the Sahuaros took their place in the US Open Cup.

ALMOST…
After winning the USASA Region IV tournament in 2008, they qualified for the national cup finals in Seattle. There they were defeated in the national championship game 2-1 in extra time by the New York Pancyprian Freedoms from Region I.

“There are rules that everyone has to follow,” said Draksin, who left as many as four players off his tournament roster due to eligibility issues. “Sonoma did the right thing to protest. Miran is a very good club and it was a learning experience for everyone.” He added that the rule that you can’t protest after a match is complete is one that needs to be evaluated and changed for future tournaments. This situation caused the Sahauros to miss out on an opportunity to play for the national finals, but Coach Draksin says he wasn’t that disappointed because he values the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup above all over competitions.

Last year’s run in the Open Cup was one that Draksin and his club will cherish. After qualifying on a goal difference tiebreaker with Sonoma County Sol (Arizona was a +5, Sonoma was a +4), the Sahuaros earned a home date with the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division. It was 117 minutes of scoreless soccer in Phoenix as the Sahuaros battled with one of the top clubs in USL-1. Seattle wasn’t taking Arizona lightly as they brought their full compliment of players to the desert that night. Finally in the 118th minute, Kenji Treschuk scored the winner for the Sounders to save them from the uncertainty of penalty kicks.

According to Draksin, Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer said his team was “lucky” to get out of Grand Canyon University with the win, which the Sahuaros head coach took as the highest compliment from a team of that quality.

Sahuaros player Carlos Gomez (left), Mexican international Jared Borgetti and Arizona head coach Petar Draksin pose for a picture after Cruz Azul and the Sahuaros played an exhibition game in 2007. Photo courtesy of Arizona Sahuaros.
Sahuaros player Carlos Gomez (left), Mexican international Jared Borgetti and Arizona head coach Petar Draksin pose for a picture after Cruz Azul and the Sahuaros played an exhibition game in 2007. Photo courtesy of Arizona Sahuaros.

One of the keys to his team’s success over the years has been treating players right. Draksin knows that not being in a league, his players might not get as much exposure playing for the Sahuaros, so he helps players find homes with other teams, even though it hurts his squad to lose key members of his team. He currently has players suiting up for PDL teams like 2009 Open Cup entrant Orange County Blue Star and the PDL champion Thunder Bay Chill. Probably their highest-profile alumni is Roger Espinoza, the Ohio State University standout who currently plays for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, as well as the Honduras National Team.

The 2009 roster features a variety of players, ranging from former professionals to local youth players.

The strength of the team is the defense, led by goalkeeper Brad Swenby from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After a few seasons as the backup for the Minnesota Thunder of the USL First Division, he is playing for Arizona and is keeping an eye out for a USL job. In front of him is veteran Carlos Gomez, former Cincinnati Kings defender Jake Slemker and promising young outside back, Nick Sykes.

On the attacking side of the ball the Sahuaros return a veteran with Dominic Papa who scored a pair of goals for the club in the 2006 Open Cup. Phillipe Garre (Gonzaga University) and Imad Id-Deen, who played for Banat Arsenal (USASA Region IV) during the 2007 tournament, will also factor into the offense.

Playing a fellow amateur club in the opening round is always better than playing a professional team, especially an amateur team that they know.

“We’re very familiar with the El Paso Patriots franchise and their style of play,” said Draksin. “We feel that we have a chance to win on Tuesday.”

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