Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Western Mass Pioneers

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: Joe Gallardo’s hat trick leads Union Omaha to blowout win at Western Mass Pioneers

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Players from Western Mass Pioneers (red) and Union Omaha battle for the ball in a First Round match in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: David Henry
Players from Western Mass Pioneers (red) and Union Omaha battle for the ball in a First Round match in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: David Henry

Freezing temperatures and over a thousand miles of travel weren’t enough to disrupt Union Omaha, as the USL League One side cruised to an easy 4-0 victory against USL League Two’s Western Mass Pioneers at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass.

With the thermometer hovering around 30 degrees and the 106-year-old stadium being battered by 40 mile-per-hour wind gusts, it seemed possible that both teams would get off to a cold start. 

Instead, the defending USL League One Players’ Shield Winners rocketed out of the gate, as forward Joe Gallardo slotted a 4th minute goal that deflected off a Pioneer defender, giving Omaha a 1-0 lead. 

For the rest of the half, the combination of the wind and Omaha’s relenting pressure caused the Pioneers to struggle to build momentum. One Union attempt found the crossbar, and a 30th minute cross into the box from Gallardo required some panicked defending from Western Mass to diffuse the chance. 

The impact of the home side’s lack of practice time and hodgepodge roster, which contained many players that were new to the squad, was evident through the game. 

In the second half, Omaha’s pressure became too much to bear. 

The 67th minute saw Steevan dos Santos continue the form he showed in the 2023 USL League One regular season, scoring with his right foot to give his team the 2-0 lead, with the assist going to Brazilian midfielder Pedro Dolabella. 

Six minutes later in the 73rd minute, Joe Gallardo added a second goal to increase Omaha’s lead to third. He would score his third right-footed goal in the 89th minute, earning the hatrick and capping the game off at 4-0 for the away side.

Facing a team that had only trained together twice, Omaha goalkeeper and captain Rashid Nuhu spent most of the game focusing on staying warm and admiring his side’s form, seeing no official shots on target. While it wasn’t the most difficult conditions the Ghanaian goalkeeper and Fordham University alum has played in, it was close. 

“I wouldn’t say it was the worst, but it was up there,” Nuhu said, “For sure, very cold and it’s hard with the atmosphere, with no fans out here.”

Despite the shutout, he showed respect to the Pioneers.

“They’re tough, I know them,” said Nuhu, who played for the Westchester Flames in 2016 and for New York Red Bulls U-23s in 2018, when USL-2 was known as the PDL. “I knew it was going to be tough. We had to stay on our game and stay focused the whole game. If not, we could lose.”

Omaha Union moves on to the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup in a game against a yet to be determined opponent that will take place on either April 2 or 3. This marks the third consecutive year that they’ve won their first cup game; they made the Third Round in 2023 and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals in 2022, their first ever time playing in the competition. 

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: 10-man Flower City Union hold off Western Mass in OT

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Flower City Union Western Mass Pioneers 2022 US Open Cup
Gabriel Ganzer of the Western Mass Pioneers (red) is tackled by a Flower City Union player in their Second Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: David Henry

Flower City Union made history in a number of ways on Wednesday in a 1-0 extra time victory over the Western Mass Pioneers at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass.

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Not only was this Flower City’s first ever win in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup — it was also the first ever victory in the young franchise’s history. The team — based out of Rochester, New York —was founded in 2021 and began play just this spring in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).

The game remained goalless until a left-footed strike by Captain Lukas Fernandes in the first half of extra time propelled Flower City into the lead. They would hold onto their one goal lead until the final whistle, despite going a man down in the 110th minute of the game when defender Marcus Micheletti received a red card.

Head coach Zach Agliata — one of the youngest coaches in professional soccer at age 29 — was thrilled with his team’s performance, despite the caginess of the game.

“It was beautiful. It was ugly, but we got it done,” Agliata said following the game, “They fought. That’s what matters. It was awesome.”

The Pioneers came out strong in the first half, and had a number of chances early. In the 9th minute, a cross into the box by Gabriel Ganzer fell perfectly for Anthony Basile, but he lost his footing and slipped without making contact with the ball. Pioneers head coach Federico Molinari appeared frustrated with his squad as they failed to finish a number of early chances.

In the second half, the Pioneers again missed an opportunity to take the lead in the 55th minute when a corner kick was crossed into the box by Tyler Carlos — Benjamin Brewster headed the ball to Federico Gurierrez Losada, whose own header sent the ball just wide of the left post.

Flower City had just three shots on target heading into the 70th minute, with Western Mass continuing to press forward. Flower City goalkeeper Maykell Ortega Campos was tested a number of times, including by a header by Justin Frietas in the 79th minute that nearly found the back of the net.

Flower City quickly found their footing following the start of extra time. In the 94th minute, a short looping pass from Alex Ainscough found the captain Lukas Fernandes, who curled the ball into the top corner with his left foot, netting the franchise’s first goal in US Open Cup history, and only the second goal in the history of the club.

“It feels awesome. I’m just happy we got the win,” said Fernandes, who grew up in Rochester. “We’ve been through a lot in the past couple months being a brand new organization. To get the first win in franchise history is amazing.”

It appeared that the win may be in jeopardy in the 110th minute, when Flower City Union defender Marcus Micheletti appeared to deliberately step on a prone Western Mass Pioneer player in the aftermath of a corner kick. The head official spotted the infraction and showed Micheletti a red card, leaving Flower City down a man for the final ten minutes of extra time. However, Western Mass failed to capitalize on the advantage despite a wild attacking sequence in the final minute and Flower City hung on for their first ever win.

Agliata was quick to praise the Pioneers for their determination following the match.

“They fought so much harder than we thought,” Agliata said. “Full credit to them, it was a much tougher game than we expected.”

Fernandes had similar praise for their opponents regarding Western Mass.

“They’re an opponent with a lot of history. They’ve done well for a number of years now,” said Fernandes. “This is my first time in the stadium, the atmosphere is great.”

Fernandes also felt the pressure to step up for his new hometown club.

“I felt the need with the armband and being a Rochester guy to put my stamp on the game.”

Flower City United will now move on to the Third Round of the US Open Cup, where it’s possible they will be drawn against a Major League Soccer side. Agilata relishes such an opportunity.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Agalita of the chance to play against a top division team, “That’s what you want, to compete against the very best in the country.”

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: With minimal practice, Western Mass Pioneers blank Brockton FC United

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Western Mass Pioneers Brockton FC United 2022 US Open Cup
Gabriel Ganzer of the Western Mass Pioneers leads the break against Brockton FC United in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Burt Granofsky, @burtphoto

Despite a lack of practice and this being their first official game in 2022, the Western Mass Pioneers fended off fellow Massachusetts side Brockton FC United 2-0 in a First Round match at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass., that saw both teams finish with 10 men.

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The teams headed into the half goalless — though Brockton was a man down after captain Ruddy Delgado was sent off in the 44th minute for bringing down Pioneers forward Gabriel Ganzer from behind as he broke in on goal alone. Ganzer went on to score the game’s opening goal in the 48th with a powerful header off a distant, looping cross by fellow striker Jacob Mannix.

In the 5th minute of stoppage time, Ganzer returned the favor, delivering a pass across the box that gave Mannix an easy finish to cement the Pioneers’ victory. They’ll return to Lusitano Stadium in two weeks’ time to face NISA side Flower City Union in the second round April 6.

The game got off to a slow start as both teams attempted to feel the other out.

A tackle in the box by Brockton in the 3rd minute led to calls for a penalty from the Western Mass bench, but nothing came of it. Three minutes later, Brockton’s Rick Alves put a shot over the crossbar, one of a few early chances for the visitors. Western Mass goalkeeper Jermaine Fordah made a number of contributions, helping tidy up after several corner kicks by Brockton, and made a diving save to take away a goal in the 29th.

The most impactful moment of the first half came just before the halftime whistle. Western Mass looked to have an open break at goal, only to see Delgado slide in from behind and take down Ganzer. While Delgado was adamant that he got the ball, after a moment of reflection the official showed Delgado the red card and the Bay State Soccer League side were down to 10 men.

“It’s always nice to go against 10 players,” Pioneers coach Federico Molinari said. “I think it put more pressure on us to go and win the game.”

The pressure ended up paying off for the Pioneers, as they found the opener 3 minutes into the second half. Mannix put a looping cross into the box from the far touchline and about 45 yards from goal. Ganzer leaped from around the penalty spot and put his header over the keeper’s reach and under the crossbar to give the USL League Two side a 1-0 lead.

Western Mass Pioneers Brockton FC United 2022 US Open Cup
Western Mass Pioneers players celebrate a second, clinching goal at the end of the second half against Brockton FC United in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Burt Granofsky, @burtphoto

“I knew the center back was going to wait for the ball, so I went first,” Ganzer said of the first goal in his club’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup campaign. “It was a great experience. I am happy for the team. It was a good, hard game.”

A potential opportunity opened for Brockton in the 69th when the Pioneers were also reduced to 10 men. Following a yellow card in the 50th for kicking the ball away following a foul, a rough tackle by Western Mass’ Joshua Calderon led the official to brandish a second yellow, ending Calderon’s night early. In total, six yellow cards were issued in a game that got increasingly physical as the night wore on.

Brockton continued to throw men forward as the game entered the final 10 minutes, with a chance developing in the 83rd following a Pioneers foul at the top of the box. However, the free kick by forward Geo Alves deflected harmlessly off the wall and led to a counter attack.

Western Mass had chances to take advantage of United’s desperation a number of times in the final minutes, with numerous counter attacks eventually leading to Mannix’s stoppage-time goal that sealed the victory. The final whistle came a few minutes later, ending Brockton FC United’s inaugural US Open Cup experience at the first stop. It was also the first US Open Cup win by the Pioneers since 2014, snapping a four-game tournament winless streak.

Molinari was happy with the result, particularly considering the limited amount of preparation time he and his team had for the game.

“We got the players together and they knew what to do. Credit goes to all of them,” he said. “We have two weeks to prepare for the game. Hopefully, we can get healthy and prepare the team for the next round.”

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Asante picks GK’s pocket, scores game-winner for Elm City Express

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Players from the Elm City Express and the Western Mass Pioneers battle for the ball in their 2018 US Open Cup match. Photo: David Henry | SweetDogPhotos.com
Players from the Elm City Express and the Western Mass Pioneers battle for the ball in their 2018 US Open Cup match. Photo: David Henry | SweetDogPhotos.com

Anthony Asante knew on the second touch he might be in business. What followed was a goalkeeper’s worst nightmare: In the 82nd minute of an even match, Western Mass. goalkeeper Rafael Pereira received a routine backpass and figured rather than immediately clearing it, a hard-charging Asante would run right by him if he pulled the ball back.

Asante didn’t.

Instead, the Elm City Express striker poked the ball away with his toe and tapped it into the open goal from three yards out. It was the game-winner, as the defending NPSL national champions won their inaugural Lamar Hunt Open Cup match 2-1 over the Pioneers in front of about 800 people at historic Lusitano Stadium Wednesday night.

“When the goalie made the second touch, I knew he was going to cut back,” Asante said. “I could see it. I was just gambling, but then I saw that touch and I was able to get a toepoke on it and that’s all I needed.”

Not bad for a team that didn’t even exist until January of last year. The Express finished last season 15-1-2, winning six straight games to capture the national title. And they dominated the early proceedings of the contest as the PDL Pioneers – who had only practiced three times prior to Wednesday – chose to conserve energy and try to counter through their veteran superstar, Brazilian Alencar Junior. While Junior got loose once, Elm City’s territorial advantage finally paid off in the 23rd minute.

After Pereira (5 saves), who unfortunately had a stellar match other than his one moment of infamy, denied Asante on a clear breakaway, the Pioneers never got themselves settled on the ensuing corner, and Asante was wide open at the top of the six-yard box to head home Lucas Sousa’s ball for the game’s opening goal.

“I told Rafael (Pereira) after the game I’ve seen that happen at the highest levels, so it can happen to the best,” Elm City coach Teddy Haley said. “You really don’t want to see a goal like that decide a game either way. I wouldn’t want that to happen to my keeper or their keeper. But the first half we performed better, but overall it was a great match, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

About 40 minutes in, Western Mass. coach Federico Molinari decided it was time to step up and challenge further up the field and the move almost immediately paid dividends. Junior got loose at the top of the box and was dragged down by Graciano Brito (who did not agree with the call). Junior followed with a perfectly placed free kick in first-half stoppage time to make it 1-1 at the half.

The Pioneers were the most dangerous team in the second half, and won a free kick in an almost identical spot as their goal in the 50th minute, but Maxi Viera blazed it high. The best chance for either team prior to the winner came in the 66th minute when a Western Mass. cross somehow made it all the way across the Elm City goal to Daniel Fabian, but Fabian couldn’t quite get his feet set and put it over the goal from six yards out.

From there, both teams tired, with neither having much of a preseason to speak of, U.S. Open Cup play allowing just three subs per side, and both coaches wary of a looming 30 minutes of extra time. But it was Asante, who is from Ghana but played for Syracuse and now hails in the Bronx, who was still running deep into the second half, and chasing one extra seeming lost cause resulted in the game-winner.

Both teams immediately made double subs after the goal and the Pioneers got the ball into the Elm City box a few times and got a couple of corner kicks in stoppage time (including one where Pereira went forward trying for the ultimate retribution), but never seriously threatened Matt Jones in the Express goal.

It was the second straight home first-round Open Cup loss for the Pioneers, who fell in penalties to Boston City FC last season.

“Going forward, I think we’ll keep getting better,” Western Mass. midfielder Edward Speed said. “It’s unfortunate because these opportunities (U.S. Open Cup) don’t come around all the time. But that’s the way it goes.”

While there are some significant changes to the squad that rolled through the NPSL last season (and a different home, as renovations at Yale means Elm City will have to play its home games at Southern Connecticut State), Haley is confident they will give their second-round opponent Seacoast United Phantoms of the PDL all they can handle.

“It’s certainly a different makeup of the side, so it’s a little more difficult to know where to put people,” Haley said. “It’s going to take some time to play good football for longer spells. In the second half, we fell off a little and lost our momentum, but I think we’ll still be pretty good in the long run.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: GBFC Thunder advance for first time, edging Western Mass Pioneers in PKs

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Greater_Binghamton_FC_LogoDaniel Kraynak’s successful penalty sent Greater Binghamton Thunder FC (NPSL) on to the Second Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after beating Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) 4-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at Lusitano Stadium.

After Thunder keeper Jason Stenta made his second penalty stop, Kraynak sent his shot left, where it deflected off the fingertips of Pioneers keeper Nick Zucco and fell into the back of the net to seal the first round result for the guests. For the Thunder it was the first time they will advance to the next round in their second straight attempt. Last year, they lost 5-2 at Reading United.

The match went to penalties after Thunder midfielder Zebulun Cross’ 53rd minute strike canceled out Ryan Taylor’s 24th minute goal.

Western Mass finished with 10 after Kyle Tomas received his second caution in the 57th minute.
With the win, the Thunder will face fellow Empire State squad the Rochester Rhinos on May 20 at Sahlen’s Stadium.

Although the guests prevailed in the end, it was the hosts who opened the scoring midway through the first half. With the Pioneers pushing forward, Zach Grady sent a cross to Taylor, who put it through in the 24th minute.

But not long after Taylor’s goal, an experienced Thunder selection started to make some headway of their own. Using the right flank to great effect, the guests nearly pulled one back right before halftime when Jacob Sutherland sent a low drive toward Zucco, who scooped it up and smothered it in the 44th minute.

Persistence eventually paid off for Greater Binghamton not long after the break. Sutherland sent a pass into the box for Cross, who poked it through to level the match in the 53rd minute.

Not long after Cross’ equalizer, the Pioneers dug themselves into a hole after Tomas was sent off after receiving his second caution. With only ten men for the duration, the hosts went with a 4-4-1, looking to find the go-ahead on a well-timed counter.

While that was taking place, the Thunder busied themselves by building out of the back and putting the Pioneers under siege. Slavisa Ubiparpovic curled a dangerous cross for Patrick Thompson in the 64th minute, but Zucco stood firm.

Cross made a bid for the game-winner in the 78th minute on a long-distance blast that briefly gave Zucco some trouble. But the Pioneers’ keeper quickly recovered the rebound, and the match went to extra time not long after.

Western Mass made its intentions known early on in the first period of extra time by stationing nine players in the final third. Down a man, and tired legs abound, the Pioneers were clearly looking ahead to penalties.

Greater Binghamton, to its credit, tried to permeate the defensive shell. Substitute Lucas Heffron found no fewer than three opportunities to grab the game-winner in extra time with 97th minute shot that required a reaction save from Zucco, and a pair of long-distance blasts veered just off target in the 115th and 120th minutes.

With the match knotted at 1-1 at the end of 120 minutes, the spotlight fell on Zucco and Stenta with penalties on tap. Stenta stopped Tyler Carlos and Marcelo Cunha on the Pioneers’ second and fifth tries, while Zucco denied Sutherland. Moments after Cunha’s effort was stopped, Kraynak converted to send the reigning Keystone Conference champions to Rochester for the second round.

2014 US Open Cup Round 2: Rochester Rhinos avoid first-ever upset, edge Western Mass Pioneers 2-1 in OT

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Rochester Rhinos logoThe Western Mass Pioneers pushed the Rochester Rhinos to extra time, but a pair of late goals doomed the PDL side in a 2-1 loss at Sahlen’s Stadium in the Second Round of the US Open Cup.

A scoreless match gave way to a three-goal bonanza in the second period of extra time when Levi Houapeu (110’) and Thomas Obasi (114’) both scored for the Rhinos, while Will Daniels (117’) brought one back for the Pioneers.

With the win, the Rhinos advance to the Third Round, where they’ll host Reading United AC at Sahlen’s Stadium on May 21.

The Pioneers faced the Rhinos without goalscoring maestro Alencar Junior, who was unable to travel to Rochester on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the guests found a way to absorb the pressure, and collect a couple of chances.

After Jossimar Sanchez of the Rhinos pressed Warren Gross into action with a low shot in the 5th minute, the Pioneers began settle in and put the Rhinos on their heels.

While the Rhinos struggled to connect passes, and the Pioneers were unable to find strong chances in the final third, play turned chippy. Both sides traded hard challenges, with Onua Thomas Obasi of the Rhinos seeing yellow in the 31st minute.

At halftime, the Rhinos held the edge on shots (2-1), but were unable to put the Pioneers away. The scoreboard was unblemished going into the second half, but Rochester would improve its form and test the Western Mass back line.

In the 69th minute, Obasi found Samuel Petrone for a Rhinos chance, but Petrone’s shot veered wide. Ten minutes later, Petrone was cut down near the outer edge of the final third, setting up a dangerous free kick. Levi Houapeu sent it on frame, but Gross denied the shot to keep the game scoreless.

With 90 minutes not enough to separate the sides, overtime was called. And in the second period of overtime, the Rhinos finally grabbed the goal that eluded them all evening when Houapeu easily tapped through the remnants of a JC Banks header in the 110th minute.

Rochester widened the gap four minutes later when Obasi scored to put the Rhinos in command. But the Pioneers wouldn’t go quietly, as Daniels grabbed a pass from Kyle Tomos and tallied in the 117th minute.

With the victory, the Rhinos will host Reading United of the PDL in a 3rd round matchup on May 28th.

2014 US Open Cup Round 1: Western Mass Pioneers use double-doubles to pull away late, beat GPS Massachusetts 4-1 (video)

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Alencar Junior scored two goals to lead Western Mass Pioneers to a 4-1 win over GPS Massachusetts. Photo: David Henry | sweetdogphotos.com

The Western Mass Pioneers proved the old truism that it’s not how you start, but rather, how you finish following a 4-1 First Round Open Cup win over GPS Massachusetts on Wednesday at Lusitano Stadium.

After conceding a 7th minute goal to Santiago Bedoya and putting in a listless first half performance, the Pioneers came alive in the second stanza with four unanswered goals. Will Daniels scored in the 70th and 86th minutes, while Alencar Junior struck in the 75th and 76th minutes.

“They played well and complimented each other,” head coach Federico Molinari said of Daniels and Junior. “I told them that this game is going to be (all about) the last 30 minutes, they’re going to have a lot of opportunities because played last Sunday. And I knew they were going to run out of gas.”

With the win, the Pioneers advance to the second round, where they will face the Rochester Rhinos at Sahlen’s Stadium on Wednesday, May 14. Unable to field many of their college prospects due final exams, the Pioneers fielded a veteran-heavy side. While they struggled to find cohesion early, GPS Massachusetts gifted them an early chance when Bryce Ciambella was brought down inside the area in the sixth minute, and a penalty was awarded. But Jayme Kapinos couldn’t convert from the spot, as Jeff Newman smothered it right on the line.

With that bullet dodged, the guests wasted no time making the best of an opportunity that unfolded in the 11th minute. Bedoya, whose older brother, Alejandro, is a US Men’s National Team regular, ran at goal and fired a shot that beat Warren Gross to give the USASA side the lead.

Despite a slew of mistakes in the midfield, the Pioneers tried to respond to Bedoya’s strike before the interval. Evan Burokas fired a shot from distance in the 30th minute that forced a save from Newman, while Junior glanced a wide open header that strayed away from frame a minute later.

Jayme Kapinos and his Western Mass Pioneers enjoyed the only decisive win of the round, beating GPS Massachusetts, 4-1. Photo: David Henry | sweetdogphotos.com

One last crack before the break saw Daniels force Newman to make a diving save at the far post in stoppage time. Although the Pioneers boasted a fair number of first half chances, it was evident that GPS Massachusetts was the better side in the opening 45. They moved the ball well from east to west, and north to south, and clogged up the passing lanes on defense.

“I played last month against them, so I know them,” Junior said. “And that’s what I was telling in the locker room: we’ll figure it out. Because in the first half we didn’t play so well; we were too open.”

The second half, however, would prove to be a far different story for both sides. The guests began to tire after the witching hour, and it was at the point that the hosts, who switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 to improve their success in the midfield, smelled blood.

A speedy Samuel Naiwo took advantage of a depleted GPS defense in the 70th minute by racing down the right and sending a low cross in front for Daniels, who easily tapped it through. Five minutes later, Junior collected a pass over the top from Jay Willis and beat the defense before chipping it over Newman, who came well off his line in an attempt to intercept it. But the keeper was too late as Junior’s gentle lob fell into the back of the net.

Junior, who was a shadow of his usual self in the first half, scored his second in the 76th minute when Ciambella released him into the final third, where the Brazilian striker would coolly finish.

“The second goal was beautiful,” said Junior. “I got the ball in the back, started on the left side, and then he passed the ball to me, a really good pass, and I finished it nicely.”

Daniels capped the scoring in the 86th minute when he sliced through the midfield, broke into the box, and put it through to collect his second goal of the game to clear the path to next week’s Second Round clash at Rochester.

“It’s nice for the club to face a big team like Rochester,” Molinari said. “So we need to prepare now, play better than how we played in the first half, and go there and play .”

Brian O’Connell writes for New England Soccer Today. You can follow him on Twitter @BrianOConnell21

Game Highlights

Post-game reaction

Full match replay


LINEUPS

GPS Massachusetts: Jeff Newman (GK), Alan Ashenfelter, Pumele Maqubela, Matt Handy, Jake Edwards, Matt Lemire, Harris Smirko (Derek Nobrega 68’), Nick Christman, Santi Bedoya, Nick Figueiredo (TJ Thompson 63’, Dan MacGregor 77′), Tyler Macnee

Western Mass Pioneers: Warren Gross, Jayme Kapinos, Jay Willis, Jesse Pereira, Evan Burokas, Kyle Clancy (Mike Matera 46’), Bryce Ciambella, Tyler Carlos (Samuel Naiwo 46’), Alencar Junior (Brandon Wilson 81’), Will Daniels, James Beeston

SCORING SUMMARY

GPS Massachusetts: Santi Bedoya (unassisted) – 11’
Western Mass Pioneers: Will Daniels (Samuel Naiwo) – 70’
Western Mass Pioneers: Junior Alencar (Jay Willis) -75’
Western Mass Pioneers: Junior Alencar (Bryce Ciambella) – 76’
Western Mass Pioneers: Will Daniels (unassisted) – 86’

BOOKING SUMMARY

Western Mass Pioneers: Jay Wills -20’
GPS Massachusetts: Alan Ashenfelter – 88’

ATTENDANCE: 411

2011 US Open Cup New York Red Bulls bracket preview: FC New York at NY Pancyprian Freedoms

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SECOND ROUND

FC New York at NY Pancyprian Freedoms
Belson Stadium – Queens, NY – 7:30 p.m.
Broadcast: None

THIRD ROUND

FC New York / NY Pancyprian Freedoms at New York Red Bulls
June 28, 8 p.m. ET – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, NJ

NY Pancyprian Freedoms

Founded in 1974, the club has been a long-time member of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. The Freedoms also played under the USL auspices for several years, launching in the PDL in 1999 and moving up to the professional third division league for two seasons before leaving USL. Meet the USASA Feature [+]

Path to Open Cup: The Region I tournament kicked off May 1 with the Freedoms dominating former Open Cup qualifier Danbury United, 4-0, with two goals from Julio Cesar Dos Santos. Three weeks later in the Semifinal May 22, New York traveled to Massachusetts for a “Win & You’re In” match and defeated Mass Premier Soccer, rallying from a two-goal deficit at halftime with a pair of goals each from Dos Santos and Stefan Dimitrov to post a 4-2 victory. Region I Semifinal Recap [+]

First Round: Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) 2:1 Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)
In a showdown of longtime local and Open Cup rivals with five Cup titles between them, the Freedoms and Italians were in a stalemate in the First Round until Stefan Dimitrov gave the Freedoms the lead in the 65th minute. Brooklyn answered back in the 80th only to see Dimitrov immediately reply a minute later with the 2-1 winner. Full recap[+]

League form: The Freedoms are idle in league play. They captured the Cosmopolitan Soccer League First Division championship June 5, rallying from a two-goal deficit to tie NY Athletic Club 2-2 with a penalty from Stefan Dimitrov (55) and goal from Julio Cesar Dos Santos (71) en route to claiming the title via penalties 4-2.

Open Cup History: One of the most successful clubs in the history of the tournament, it is one of the few current long-time participants that have played in the tournament in four decades and one of seven clubs all-time to win the tournament at least three times. The three-time champions won their titles in 1980, 1982 and 1983 when the tournament was an all-amateur event. The third title led to an appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup where they upset Mexican side Puebla via penalties and Vida from Honduras, but were disqualified in the final stage for the North/Central America Zone, along with opponent Guadalajara, when they failed to agree on match dates, giving the Caribbean winner Violette AC the title by default. The Freedoms were the last US club to reach the equivalent of the semifinals in the competition until the Seattle Sounders reached the four-team group stage Final in 1996.

The club also reached the Open Cup semifinals in 1988 and the quarterfinals in 1993 before professional teams began to enter in 1995. The club launched a PDL team in 1999 that would qualify and upset professional third division club Cape Cod Crusaders in their debut campaign before falling in a narrow 2-1 overtime defeat in Rochester to the defending second division champion and eventual US Open Cup champion Rhinos. The team played four more seasons, two in the third division, before leaving the USL. They continued to compete in the CSL, qualifying for the tournament through the USASA in 2008. The new Freedoms lost to USL Second Division’s Real Maryland 3-2 in overtime in the First Round. Last year they were also knocked out in the opening round, 2-0, by the PDL Long Island Rough Riders.
PRO ERA RECORD: 3-4-0 overall | 0-1-0 vs. professional teams (0-1-0 vs. 2nd Division)

FC New York

The club is an expansion side playing in USL Pro.

Path to the Open Cup: Automatic entrant from USL Pro.

First Round: FC New York (USL Pro) 3:0 Western Mass Pioneers (PDL)
The expansion New York side dominated the First Round match Tuesday against Western Mass with Jhonny Arteaga scoring all three goals in the 3-0 victory. Recap [+]

League Form: The club is idle in league play this week. The team has only lost once in the last five games (2-1-2) and are in fourth place in the USL Pro National Division with a 3-5-4 overall record.

Open Cup History: First appearance in the tournament. PRO ERA RECORDS: 1-0-0 overall | 1-0-0 vs. amateur teams

New York Red Bulls

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: The Red Bulls came away with a dramatic come-from-behind 3-3 draw at Portland on Sunday. Down 3-1, Thierry Henry scored in the 73rd minute, but it was a Timbers handball that led to a Dwayne De Rosario penalty kick in second half stoppage time. They have two more games to play before their Third Round matchup. They will make trips to Seattle on Thursday, June 23 and to Chicago on June 26 before returning home two days later for the Open Cup. They opened the month with a 1-1 draw at home against the Columbus Crew June 4 in which they allowed a 92nd minute equalizer after leading since Mehdi Ballouchy’s ninth-minute strike. They rebounded from the setback a week later on June 10 with a 2-1 victory at home against the New England Revolution. The Red Bulls were the recipient of an own goal and Thierry Henry delivered the second before the Revs answered.
Last Five: D-W-D-D-D | Season record: 5-2-8 (4-1-3 at home), first place in Eastern Conference, fourth overall.

Open Cup History: The Red Bulls have come close early in their history with trips to the Semifinals in 1997, 1998 and 2000, but have never won the US Open Cup. The closest they came was in 2003 when they lost to the Chicago Fire in their only trip to the championship game. Since then, it’s been a series of short runs in the tournament with a 1-5 record the last five times they have qualified, including a pair of upsets to third division clubs (Crystal Palace Baltimore, Harrisburg City Islanders) and two more to second division teams (Charleston Battery, Rochester Rhinos). New York did not qualify in 2007 or 2009.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 12-12-1 (1-0 in PKs)

FIRST ROUND

Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) 1:2 N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA – East NY)
Belson Stadium, St. Johns University – Queens, N.Y. – 7:30 p.m.
Full Recap[+]

Western Mass. Pioneers (PDL) 0:3 FC New York (USL PRO)
Met Oval – Queens, N.Y. – 7 p.m.
Full Recap [+]

ELIMINATED TEAMS

Brooklyn Italians

Founded in 1949, the club played in the Metropolitan Soccer League and later the American Soccer League through 1964. Since then, the club has played in the amateur ranks, recently joining the National Premier Soccer League in 2010.

Path to the Open Cup: The club was one of three teams in the NPSL Northeast that entered the qualifying competition. Brooklyn played host to FC Buffalo in the opening game, defeating the Western New York side by a narrow 1-0 margin on a 25th minute goal from Jorge Joseph. The club advanced to face the defending league champions Sonic Lehigh Valley, winning on the road 2-1.

June News Updates: Drew 2-2 against Morris County, rallying from two down on goals from Don Smart and Kordel Samuels.

Open Cup History: One of the 21 clubs to have won the US Open Cup on two occasions, it also one of the few current long-time participants that has played in the tournament in four decades. Brooklyn won the championship as the “Dodgers” in 1979 with a runners-up finish two years later. During that run to the Final in 1981, they defeated the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in the Semifinals to deny them a shot at repeating as champions.

Brooklyn returned to Open Cup prominence as runners-up in 1990 (falling to 2011 qualifier AAC Eagles from Chicago) before winning the championship a second time the following year. They won their 1991 title 1-0 over Houston’s Richardson Rockets on a sixth minute goal by Ernest Inneh. The club, however, did not return to the tournament until last year, falling 4-2 in overtime to the USL Second Division’s Harrisburg City Islanders despite taking the lead twice in regulation. Read more about the Freedoms/Italians rivalry [+]
PRO ERA RECORD: 0-1-0 overall | 0-0-0 vs. USASA

Western Mass Pioneers

Founded in 1998, the club was a long-time member of the professional third division league in USL prior to moving to the PDL in 2010. The team has made the playoffs only six times in 13 previous seasons, but reached the final twice (1999, 2005) and winning the 1999 championship.

Path to the Open Cup: Playing in the smallest of the nine PDL groups, the Pioneers’ campaign came down to the final game against MPS Portland Phoenix. Western Mass opened with a 2-1 win in New Hampshire and then defeated the Phantoms in the return match 4-2. They then played to a scoreless stalemate in Vermont, leaving them at 2-0-1 and needing at least a draw against the 2-1-0 visitors from Maine in the finale. Chris Roswess scored the winning goal in the 71st for the 1-0 win. Kyle Clancy was the lone player with multiple games in the campaign, scoring in both matches against the Phantoms. PDL East Qualifying [+]

June News Updates: The Pioneers fell at home 2-1 June 11 to Vermont with TJ Popolizio scoring an equalizer in the 65th minute while following up with a 1-0 win at Ottawa on June 4 that snapped the Fury’s 26-game regular season home unbeaten streak on a 56th-minute James Mooney strike. Their June 1 match versus Vermont was postponed.

Open Cup History: The Pioneers qualified for the tournament in its inaugural campaign in 1998 and advanced to the second round via a forfeit by USASA entry NY Greek American Atlas. Their run would end with a 3-1 loss to the second division Rochester Rhinos 3-1. They did not return until the 2004 tournament, the first of five appearances over the next six seasons. The club reached the Third Round only once, and that came in the 2005 season when they defeated Reggae Boyz FC (USASA) in their opening second round match 5-0 before falling 3-1 to the Chicago Fire. The club’s five tournament wins have all come against USASA opponents. The Pioneers last qualified in 2009 and were eliminated via penalties by league rival Harrisburg after a scoreless draw.

While Tuesday’s game is being held in New York, Open Cup soccer in the Pioneers’ home of Ludlow, Mass. goes back to 1937, when the Gremio Lusitano club began Cup play. The team continued through the 50s and 60s, and often called Lustiano Stadium their home, the same place the Pioneers play their home games. In 1956, Gremio Lusitano reached the Quarterfinals, but were stopped by a Big Apple team, New York Hakoah. After a 2-2 extra time draw at Zerega Oval in the Bronx, on Feb. 26, 1956, Hakoah won the replay 1-0 on the same field two weeks later.
PRO ERA RECORD: 5-4-1 (0-1 in PKs) overall | 0-1-1 (0-1 in PKs) vs. 3rd Division


2011 US Open Cup First Round: Arteaga hat trick against former club leads FC New York over Western Mass Pioneers

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The expansion USL Pro side FC New York registered a memorable 3-0 victory in the club’s US Open Cup debut with Jhonny Arteaga recording a hat trick for the first time in his professional career. It was bad news for the Western Mass Pioneers, who were unable to find the same production from the Colombian three years ago.

Arteaga scored three against his former club

The Pioneers were also making a tournament debut of sorts, reaching the Open Cup for the first time since joining the PDL in 2010 after playing in what is now USL Pro since its founding in 1998.

The result left Western Mass scoreless in its last two outings after suffering their first two years ago in a scoreless draw against league rival Harrisburg City Islanders, who knocked the Pioneers out on penalties. The second round stalemate in 2009 ended a run of 10 games with a goal in six appearances for Western Mass, including one contest against the Chicago Fire (3-1 loss) in the 2005 Third Round and two against USL First Division opponents.

Arteaga tallied the opener in the first half and added two more in the second, surpassing his goal total of two in nine regular season appearances for the first-year franchise. Only Graciano Brito has more goals on the squad (4) for the season for FC New York, who sits fourth in the National Division with a 3-5-4 record.

Western Mass Pioneers (PDL)
0:3
FC New York (USL PRO)
Met Oval – Queens, NY – 7 p.m.
Scoring Summary
NY: Jhonny Arteaga
NY: Jhonny Arteaga
NY: Jhonny Arteaga

Born in Cali, Colombia, Arteaga grew up in nearby Stamford, Connecticut and was an award-winning striker at Dominican College located just 17 miles outside New York City in Orangeburg. Prior to graduating, he played in the PDL with the Albany BWP Highlanders in 2007, scoring only twice in 12 appearances.

Arteaga then moved onto the Pioneers in 2008, but failed to crack into the club’s starting lineup, logging only 75 minutes of play and no goals in nine appearances for the mid-table campaign. He would return to New York a year later, but only played three matches for the Westchester Flames in the PDL.

A trip to Poland though looks to have been what Arteaga needed to transition to the professional level. After a trial with top-flight Lechia Gdansk in early 2010 he signed on with LKS Lomza of the third division where he notched eight goals in 14 games.

2011 US Open Cup qualifying (PDL East): Reading & Western Mass qualify; Carolina Dynamo clinch via tiebreakers

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PDL East logoUS Open Cup qualifying for the Premier Development League is already underway for 2011 as the season began on April 30. It is arguably the most exciting portion of the event for the league as the task of qualifying can be more daunting than the professional opponents awaiting them in the tournament proper.

In the 2011 edition of the tournament, the PDL will be represented by a record nine clubs after seven consecutive years with eight representatives. With nine berths available, the league will send one from each division based on four league contests that will double as qualification matches – a format long established by the parent United Soccer Leagues.

For the first time since 2008, the Eastern Conference has three divisions – the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the new South Atlantic (which last appeared in 2006). Four teams have a recent history with qualifying for the US Open Cup on multiple occasions. Two of them were last year’s representatives (Long Island Rough Riders, Reading United AC), and two more have qualified at least three times each from the PDL (Carolina Dynamo, Ocean City Nor’easters). A total of 18 teams are fighting for a record three spots from the East this year.

Here is the how the Eastern Conference is currently shaping up:

Northeast Division
Final Results

The Western Mass Pioneers qualified for the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over the MPS Portland Phoenix in a head-to-head match between the two Northeast Division group leaders to determine the berth. Halftime substitute Chris Roswess scored the game’s only goal in the 71st minute when he hammered the ball into the net on a half volley from 18 yards out.  “In the first half Portland controlled the majority of play and dictated the tempo of play,” Pioneers Head Coach Joe Calabrese said.  “But in the second half we made a couple of substitutions and we thought those two changes had a positive impact on the game.”

An automatic entrant numerous times as a USL-2 professional third division club (now USL PRO), it is the first time in two years in the PDL that it has qualified, finishing third in its group at 2-1-1 last year.  “For some of our collegiate players this is a dream come true,” Calabrese said.  “Many of our college players will never aspire to be professional players.  This is once in a lifetime for many of them.  You don’t know when your career is going to end so it’s spectacular to have them get this experience.”

NORTHEAST DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Western Mass Pioneers 4 3 0 1 10 7 3 6 +4
MPS Portland Phoenix 4 3 1 0 9 5 2 5 +3
Vermont Voltage 4 0 2 2 2 1 4 1 -3
Seacoast United Phantoms 4 0 3 1 1 3 7 3 -4

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Seacoast United Phantoms 0:1 MPS Portland Phoenix 6:00
May 14 Western Mass Pioneers 2:1 Seacoast United Phantoms 4:00
May 14 Vermont Voltage 0:2 MPS Portland Phoenix 6:00
May 20 Seacoast United Phantoms 2:4 Western Mass Pioneers 7:00
May 21 MPS Portland Phoenix 2:1 Vermont Voltage 7:00
May 25 Western Mass Pioneers 0:0 Vermont Voltage 7:00
May 27 MPS Portland Phoenix 0:1 Western Mass Pioneers 7:00
May 28 Vermont Voltage 0:0 Seacoast United Phantoms 7:00


Mid-Atlantic Division
Final Results

Reading United continued to cruise through Open Cup qualifying with a 4-1 win over the Ocean City Nor’easters on May 20, to finish with a perfect 4-0-0 record. Even though it was Ocean City’s season opener, one loss eliminated them from contention, and it also knocked Long Island out of the running despite their 2-0-0 record. Based on the tiebreaking situation, even if Long Island were to win their final qualifier by three goals or more, they would still fall short in the goal difference tiebreaker. They clinched their place as the first team to qualify from the PDL as the Jersey Express fell to the Rough Riders 3-1. Reading has now qualified for the third straight year.

This marks the third year in a row that Reading has finished qualifying without a loss. When they were known as the Rage in 2009, they finished 3-0-1, and in 2010 they finished tied with the Newark Ironbound Express at 4-0-0. Unfortunately for the Express, Reading qualified based on a tiebreaker, having scored one more goal than Ironbound. This was an unfortunate bit of history for the Express as they became not only the third PDL team in the Pro Era (1995-present) to miss out after a 4-0-0 record, but they were the first team to register four straight shutout victories, and fail to qualify.

MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Reading United AC 4 4 0 0 12 15 3 12 +11
Long Island Rough Riders 4 3 0 1 10 9 4 9 +5
Jersey Express 4 3 1 0 9 7 3 7 +4
Westchester Flames 4 2 2 0 6 9 11 7 -2
New Jersey Rangers 4 2 2 0 6 3 8 3 -4
Ocean City Nor’easters 4 0 3 1 1 3 8 3 -5
Central Jersey Spartans 3 0 3 0 0 2 6 2 -4
Brooklyn Knights 3 0 3 0 0 5 10 4 -5

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Reading United AC 3:1 Brooklyn Knights 7:00
May 8 Westchester Flames 3:0 New Jersey Rangers 6:00
May 11 Long Island Rough Riders 2:0 Brooklyn Knights 7:00
May 14 Westchester Flames 0:3 Jersey Express 7:00
May 15 New Jersey Rangers 0:4 Reading United AC 6:00
May 18 Reading United AC 4:1 Westchester Flames 7:30
May 19 Central Jersey Spartans 1:2 Long Island Rough Riders 8:00
May 20 Ocean City Nor’easters 1:4 Reading United AC 7:30
May 21 Jersey Express 1:3 Long Island Rough Riders 7:30
May 22 Brooklyn Knights at Central Jersey Spartans PPD
May 22 New Jersey Rangers 1:0 Ocean City Nor’easters 6:00
May 25 Central Jersey Spartans 1:2 New Jersey Rangers 8:00
May 27 Ocean City Nor’easters 0:1 Jersey Express 8:00
May 28 Brooklyn Knights 4:5 Westchester Flames 7:30
May 29 Long Island Rough Riders 2:2 Ocean City Nor’easters 6:00
May 30 Jersey Express 2:0 Central Jersey Spartans 5:00

South Atlantic Division
Final Results

The West Virginia Chaos finished their qualifying slate with a 3-1 win over the Virginia Beach Piranhas May 21, leaving them in a wait-and-see situation as the Carolina Dynamo and Real Maryland Monarchs could pull level or move past them. They got some help the following night as the Dynamo slipped up in a 1-0 road loss to the Northern Virginia Royals, creating the possibility of a three-way tie at 3-1 after the final weekend. With Real Maryland set for its finale Monday, the Monarchs were awaiting good news that would not come as Carolina blanked the visiting Virginia Beach Piranhas 3-0 Saturday evening, clinching the top spot in the division and berth to the US Open Cup via tiebreaker scenarios.

SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L T PTS GF GA GF GD
Carolina Dynamo 4 3 1 0 9 7 1 7 +6
Real Maryland Monarchs 4 3 1 0 9 8 2 8 +6
West Virginia Chaos 4 3 1 0 9 10 4 9 +5
Northern Virginia Royals 4 2 2 0 6 5 6 5 -1
Virginia Beach Piranhas 4 1 3 0 3 3 9 3 -6
Fredericksburg Hotspur 4 0 4 0 0 1 12 1 -10

Note: Carolina qualifies based on head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Real Maryland & West Virginia

Top team qualifies for the US Open Cup

Clinched Open Cup berth – Eliminated from contention

Note: Columns on the far right are for tiebreaker purposes

USL Premier Development League tiebreakers

(1) Head-to-head record based on total points in Open Cup qualifiers

(2) Total wins in Open Cup qualifying games

(3) Goal difference (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(4) Goals scored (+/- 3 goals maximum for each USOC qualifier)

(5) Lottery conducted by the USL

All times Eastern

May 7 Fredericksburg Hotspur 0:2 Virginia Beach Piranhas 7:00
May 7 Northern Virginia Royals 1:3 West Virginia Chaos 7:00
May 14 Real Maryland Monarchs 3:0 Virginia Beach Piranhas 5:30
May 14 West Virginia Chaos 0:2 Carolina Dynamo 7:00
May 15 West Virginia Chaos 4:0 Fredericksburg Hotspur 2:00
May 15 Northern Virginia Royals 0:2 Real Maryland Monarchs 4:00
May 21 Carolina Dynamo 2:0 Real Maryland Monarchs 7:00
May 21 Virginia Beach Piranhas 1:3 West Virginia Chaos 7:30
May 22 Carolina Dynamo 0:1 Northern Virginia Royals 7:00
May 28 Virginia Beach Piranhas 0:3 Carolina Dynamo 7:00
May 29 Fredericksburg Hotspur 1:3 Northern Virginia Royals 7:00
May 30 Real Maryland Monarchs 3:0 Fredericksburg Hotspur 5:00

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