Meet the Underdogs

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Arizona Sahuaros are reborn as Sporting AZ FC

May 8, 2018 by Yvette Sanchez

Sporting AZ FC poses for a team photo before a recent UPSL game. Photo: Sporting AZ FC

Gilbert, Arizona is getting noticed for much more than the heat and scenery. The town is home to Sporting Arizona Football Club, or better known to the local fans as Sporting AZ FC.

The team that traces its roots back to 1989 when they were founded as the Phoenix Hearts in the Southwest Independent Soccer League. The team played under a few different names in the 1990s (Arizona Cotton, Arizona Phoenix) before joining the USL’s D3 Pro League in 1997 as the Arizona Sahuaros. The Sahuaros made six US Open Cup appearances (1998, 1999, 2006, 2008-10), advancing four times in 10 games. After six years in the D3 Pro League, the Sahuaros transitioned into an amateur team where they were a founding member of the NPSL in 2003 (originally called the Men’s Premier Soccer League). The team was an on-again, off-again member of the NPSL until the club when on hiatus in 2011.

The Sahuaros were revived in 2014 when Barry Rybicki and former Sahuaros assistant coach Tim Marchisotto bought the team and the club played an exhibition game schedule from 2014-16 before re-brandeding as Sporting AZ FC and joining the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) at the end of 2016.

Sporting began play in the UPSL in the spring of 2017 and have built some momentum both on and off the field. The team splits their home games between Highland High School and Campo Verde High School, both of them located in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert.

The caliber of this team is not to be taken lightly, with head coach Aidan Davison, who has a strong resume from his playing days. Davison was a goalkeeper who represented Northern Ireland at the international level and played for a number of English clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, and Bradford City. With his professional experience, he makes sure that his men are at their best to perform on the field.

On this particular day, practice at Chandler-Gilbert Community College starts promptly at 6:45 a.m. and goes on till 9 a.m. With the scorching Arizona heat, these men are playing at full effort. Sweat dripping from their faces, dives and kicks, not one beat is skipped.

When it comes to Sporting AZ FC and their mission, Davison is clear when he says, “Simply to improve soccer in this area, offer a quality product for the community, spring ball players at the professional level, and provide a really solid professional club so everyone can be proud of it.”

The team has returning players under coach Davison, but they’re new to the Sporting AZ family. With his dynamic coaching style, the team fuses well as if they’ve been a solid unit for years.

Players come from all around the globe to be apart of this team. 27 year-old Costa Rican native, Alejandro Aguilar has been in the United States since 2010 and playing for Sporting AZ for the last two years.

“This team has a good organization and a great mission, that’s what called my attention to them,” said Aguilar, who like other Spanish-speaking players, hasn’t let a language barrier hold him back in blending in with the team.

One player they will be missing from last season is goalkeeper Jake Rybicki, the son of Sporting AZ majority owner Barry Rybicki. Rybicki recently signed with Malta First Division club Hibernians FC, who just advanced to the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying.

The opening round match between Sporting and FC Arizona has an extra layer of drama, aside from the fact that the two teams are separated by less than 20 miles. Coach Davison used to coach the team and many of the players on the Sporting roster were on the FC Arizona team that finished the regular season with an undefeated record (12-0-4) in their inaugural season in the NPSL. Mo Salama, Jon Guse, Alejandro Aguilar, David Paul, Kenny McAvoy, Paul LaMarca, and Andrew Weber, who was part of the 2015 MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers.

This team has the potential to be a well-oiled machine by the time they make their US Open Cup debut against FC Arizona (NPSL) in the First Round on May 9. With all the right pieces working in unison, coach Davison expects to make a run in the tournament to put Arizona soccer on the map.

2018 Meet the Underdogs: LA Wolves are “young and hungry” ahead of 3rd US Open Cup

May 5, 2018 by Omar Avalos

Players from the LA Wolves FC and Buena Park FC go up for a header in a 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Tmesis FC

The Los Angeles Wolves, last year’s USASA Region IV Champion under coach Eric Wynalda, are back to their usual winning ways, just in time for their return to the US Open Cup, this being their third consecutive qualification to the tournament.

The Wolves lost their footing soon after Eric Wynalda’s departure, finishing in an unusual sixth place in the fall season of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) Western Conference.

However, this season, they’ve bounced back. They have yet to lose a game in this new UPSL season, after six games at the time of this writing, and racking up 16 out of 18 points.

The club has built another strong squad, after the departures of Bryan De la Fuente, Duncan Capriotti, Paolo Cardozo who joined California United.

The new Wolves head coach, Felipe Bernal, is eager and grateful for the opportunity to coach the Wolves in the Open Cup.

“We’re very grateful that the UPSL is out there, for the homegrown players that really don’t get that prime opportunity in Major League Soccer,” said Bernal. “And leagues like this give the opportunity for local clubs, and for those players to shine and grow into the next level. That’s very important. It’s definitely exciting for the league and clubs like the Wolves to create these opportunities.”

Coach Bernal sees having to travel in the first, and would-be, second Open Cup round as opportunities to make his team stronger, due to the expected hostile environments.

“I was brought in to change some dynamics … a lot of our players are new, but they’ve played Division 1, Division 2, Junior College and are well-experienced,” said Bernal. “They’re young and hungry.”

The Wolves have enjoyed quite a bit of success in the tournament in their first two years. In 2016, they advanced to Round 2 by way of forfeit and then upset a pro team in their first Open Cup game, eliminating the USL’s Orange County Blues by penalty kicks. They would fall to fellow amateur side La Maquina in Round 3.

Last year, the draw was favorable and the Wolves won back-to-back home games against amateur sides (San Diego Zest, Chula Vista FC) before Orange County SC got their revenge with a 1-0 win.

The Wolves qualified to the Open Cup, through the Open Division qualifying process, where they defeated Real Sociedad Royals (SoCal Premier League) by a score of 6-1 in the opening round. They got a free pass into the final round after Vanquish FC (UPSL) withdrew from the tournament, and they clinched their third straight Open Cup berth with a 4-0 win over Buena Park FC (SoCal Premier).

The club opens the first round versus FC Golden State, no stranger to the Open Cup, having qualified out of the Premier Development League for the second year in a row.

LA Wolves vs FC Golden State in the first round of the Open Cup kicks off on May 9 at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif at 7 p.m. local time.

Paul Blackman also contributed to this story

2018 Meet the Underdogs: What will Christos FC do for an encore?

May 5, 2018 by Craig Tower

Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That could be the motto for Christos FC heading into their second straight Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Long a mainstay on the Maryland-DC soccer scene, the Cinderella team of the 2017 tournament has grown deeper roots in the area but hasn’t changed its approach because of, or in spite of, their recent success.

The Baltimore amateur side rode victories over Premier Development League (PDL) and United Soccer League (USL) squads in last year’s Cup to earn a shot at D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS). Christos ended up falling to their MLS foes in a thrilling match after drawing first blood and sending the Maryland Soccerplex crowd into a frenzy.

No Change in Attitude

How has the club changed?

“As a club we grew a little bit, we got more organized. We got deeper,” said head coach and club vice president Larry Sancomb.

Assistant coach and director of player personnel Andrew Dicea agrees: “We still expect to win, we try to play the best soccer we can, and most of the time we come out victorious.” He still says that there’s one difference – the opponents. “The only thing is that the bullseye on our back has gotten much larger. The attitude towards us is different – now we’re ‘the Christos from Baltimore.’”

Sancomb adds, “We’re gonna be a little bit better organized than we were last year … I think last year we were in five cars driving down, but I think this year we’ll have a team van to get there (to the Round 1 game against Reading United AC of the PDL).”

The team normally plays in the local Maryland Major Soccer League in the fall to avoid overload, according to Dicea.

“The cups are a bigger thing now. There are more teams in cups, out on social media more, people understand more what we’re doing. We could have had a team in the Majors, but it wouldn’t have been a Christos team. It wouldn’t be Christos quality.”

D.C. United scored three late goals to pull away from Christos FC in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United | Tony Quinn

Still, qualification out of the Maryland-DC area is no cakewalk, in Sancomb’s mind. Citing the play of local Majors rival Izee Autobody FC, the club VP said “if they were in some other states they’d be qualifying through. They’re really athletic, there are very good players on that team. We played them five times and four were championship games. We have to play through tough teams from D.C., too, so it’s a grind.”

To qualify this year, Christos shut out D.C. area power Aegean Hawks 3-0 in the opening round of the open division tournament. In Round 2, they needed extra time to get past the aforementioned Izee Auto FC, 1-0. They punched their ticket to the tournament with a 5-1 home win over Phoenix SC (Philadelphia area).

New Challenges Off the Field

The biggest opponent for Christos may be life outside of soccer. Anyone who read about Christos last year knows that this club, that gets its name from a local liquor store, are not over coached.

“We don’t practice, we’ve never practiced, we’ve never had a tryout,” says Dicea. “We rarely have a kick around. Our guy are all working guys, some work nights, some work days, some have families. Still, they’re all talented and they do play a lot soccer. They have leagues or they’re playing indoors 2-3 nights of the week.”

In spite of the obstacles to getting all of the players on the field at once, Christos is taking on other challenges to build soccer in their area.

Sancomb described the initiative this way: “We’re trying to build a rec program that’s super affordable to kids across the state, but mainly in the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County area for now. We made a connection with a little rec program out of the Annapolis area called Arden.

“We’re really gonna build that into a program. We’re not about going out and stealing kids, we’re about developing kids in these programs… Back in the day there were a lot of guys, we had to go to the Baltimore County area to play. We want to make it an elite thing for low-income and working class families to make it affordable.”

Christos FC poses for a team photo after winning the 2018 Maryland State Cup. Photo: Christos FC

“A lot of us, I don’t think we would have been able to play soccer with the way the system’s set up now,” he added. “Christos isn’t looking to make money. If we make zero every year and the coaches are paid well and the kids are getting a lot out of it, I think it’s a success.”

New Faces on the Field

At the senior level, most of the players from the 2017 squad are returning, including forwards Pete Caringi III and Levi Houapeu, midfielder Mamadou Kansaye, and goalkeeper Phil Saunders – all of whom flirted with pro ball in the United States or Europe, though they’re not the only Christos players with that experience.

Caringi made a big impression in last year’s Open Cup when he scored all three goals for Christos in a 3-0 win over Fredericksburg FC (NPSL) and was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the opening round. The following round, Saunders was the Player of the Round when he made seven saves in a 1-0 road upset of the USL’s Richmond Kickers. Saunders also made a strong case for TheCup.us’ Lower Division Player of the Tournament, finishing third in the voting behind the FC Cincinnti duo of Mitch Hildebrandt (winner) and Djiby Fall.

Being in multiple cups at once was a challenge for the team last year, as players juggle work and family obligations in addition to soccer.

@MenInBlazers this actually just happened. @ChristosFC has the lead on D.C. United in the #USOpenCup. Scenes. @davejsports this is nuts pic.twitter.com/RaRN4O5bSc

— Gooners In The USA Podcast (@GoonersinUSA) June 13, 2017

“We brought in some new guys. I think also we weren’t as deep as we needed to be – Petey (Caringi) got hurt in that game against D.C. and it really kind of affected us,” said Sancomb.

“I think we do set pretty high standards for the guys we accept for our club. We don’t accept just anybody,” said Sancomb. “There are some really good players that we could add that just don’t fit our mold.”

Character is a key qualification.

“I’m looking for a good guy that cares about the team more than they care about himself,” said Sancomb. “They can all play somewhere else and get more minutes, but they all sacrifice a little bit of their time for the next guy. We want those kind of characters.”

Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers — Phil Saunders of Christos FC makes one of his seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers in Round 2 and was named TheCup.us Player of the Round. Saunders was a strong candidate for Lower Division Player of the Tournament in 2017. Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

Luckily for Christos, they have been able to find players that fit their mold in the run up to the 2018 US Open Cup.

“Losing Collin (Fisher) – he was a different kind of player,” Sancomb notes with some regret. But his replacement, Malcolm Harris, was offered a spot at the Bradenton Academy in Florida, according to Dicea. Sancomb adds, “he’s been at a lot of trials, trying to play overseas. He was on that Final Four team at .”

Chris Ports has also left the team. “He’s older,” Sancomb points out, “and his job at Under Armour has taken flight.”

Other new additions include Josh Patterson a Duquesne Unversity product who was selected in the MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps. “He’s a strong kid and he’s helped us a lot,” said Sancomb.

Tyler Rudy, who scored a stunning free kick goal in Christos’ Nov. 19 Open Cup qualifier against Phoenix SC, one of the oldest active clubs in the country based in the Philadelphia area. “He played for the New England Revolution, Puerto Rico FC, Rochester Rhinos, and he was a four-year starter at Georgetown,” said Dicea.

Facing Reading United AC

“We know Reading will be young college guys with energy, and they’ll be athletic,” says Sancomb about his team’s First Round opponent, Reading United AC.

Dicea is cautious in discussing the game. “We have a game May 6 (the Werner Fricker USASA Open Cup Semifinal against Vereinigung Erzgebirge, another Philadelphia area team), so we’re not even thinking about May 9 yet.”

“It’s hard to prepare the team when you’re not seeing them but once a week, twice a week,” he adds. “Since we lost in the Amateur Cup (Quarterfinal) to West Chester United, we’re in just two cups (Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the Werner Fricker Open Cup) instead of three. The message is just to keep mental stability, do the things you would have done in college to stay fit and be ready for the games.”

In the end, Sancomb is philosophical: “I think were gonna play Christos-style soccer and have a good time playing.”

2018 Meet the Underdogs: FC Denver hopes US Open Cup will lead to national recognition

May 5, 2018 by Evan Ream

FC Denver poses for a team photo during a trip where they traveled to play two friendlies against USL side Saint Louis FC. Photo: FC Denver

Followers of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and amateur soccer in Colorado may very well be aware of the recent national success of Harpo’s FC, but this year’s tournament will see another emerging power from the Rocky Mountain State look to follow in the footsteps of the two-time Second Round qualifier.

Playing in the Colorado Premier League, FC Denver has been one of the top teams in the state since its inception in 2005, with two USSSA State Cup championships under its belt as well as several other regional titles.

Denver qualified for the 2018 US Open Cup through the open division qualifying tournament, showing excellent form in pitching three shutouts in victories over Gam United FC (3-0), Fort Collins United (1-0), and Indios Denver FC (2-0 AET).

And if the club has anything to say about it, this qualification is just the first step toward growing FC Denver into what player-coach Drew Melin hopes will be a club that garners national recognition.

“I think eventually our goal is to get to a higher level,” said Melin, who plays outside back for FC Denver. “Whether that’s joining a national league or going even farther and joining NPSL or something like that, that’s one of our primary goals, just to continue to grow and become a national team here representing Denver.”

Comprised mostly of former collegiate varsity and club players — Melin played for the club team at Colorado State — FC Denver plays a possession-based, technical style of play that leaves little room for its opponents to generate any quality attacks.

FC Denver lines up before a recent game. Photo: FC Denver

With a defense led by former University of St. Francis (Joilet, Ill.) goalkeeper Michael Moberg and classy center back Joel Miller, opponents will be hard-pressed to score on FC Denver, while its attack is led by former UC Santa Barbara standout and Chivas USA reserve Cesar Castillo.

However, like any other amateur side anywhere in the world, it can sometimes be a challenge for Melin and Co. to get a consistent batch of players to train and play.

“The biggest challenge is getting people to have a commitment level of making it every week,” Melin said. “We only practice once a week and then we play on Sundays. But guys have their own lives, they have work, they have their own schedules, they go out of town.

“We have some teachers that go on spring breaks, one of our top defenders works in the field, so for almost a whole season, he couldn’t practice with us,” he added. “And with the travel, it’s very hard to get guys consistently out.”

Usually limited to the confines of Colorado, that travel was expanded this past spring when — due to its Open Cup qualification — FC Denver was invited to play two friendlies against United Soccer League (USL) club Saint Louis FC.

“It was a great bonding experience,” Melin said. “We went out there with hope that we would at least learn a ton. Not many people (on our team) have played a team of that level so we were going out there, give it our all, learn as much as we can, and get a lot of playing time for everyone out there.

“It was unbelievable,” he added .”Just Saint Louis FC, they were super classy, they were very skilled, very well-coached. Off the field, their fans chatted with us after both games and during the games.”

FC Denver players (white) battle for the ball during an exhibition game with Saint Louis FC of the USL. Photo: FC Denver

Those fans, the St. Louligans, even chipped in some of the proceeds from their organization to help FC Denver, which had a goal of raising $6,000 to cover expenses for its First Round US Open Cup game.

On the field, FC Denver lost both games by a combined 13-0 scoreline, but according to Melin, the experience was invaluable.

“We focus less on the scoreline and more on how we actually played in that second game,” he said. “We learned a lot. If we just take the scoreline, we’re using that as our rock bottom and just trying to improve from there.”

Now the focus shifts to a team FC Denver is already familiar with, Azteca FC, a fellow Colorado Premier League squad that knocked off the aforementioned Harpo’s FC to qualify for the Open Cup.

Denver will host Azteca FC on May 9 at 7:15 p.m. local time at North Stadium in Westminster, Colo.

“It will be a very skilled, very physical game, very technical,” Melin said. “With two teams that know each other as well as we do and with so much on the line, you never know. It could get pretty feisty, but I expect it to be very technical and very physical.”

FC Denver and friends out on the town. Photo: FC Denver

Both squads know that there’s plenty to play for, with the winner moving on to face the USL’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks just one week later.

“It would probably be the biggest game any of us has played in up to this point,” Melin said about a possible Switchbacks match. “And for some of us to do it at the age that we’re doing it — because we have a couple of guys in our 30s — for us to be able to do it at this age and at this stage of our lives and soccer careers, it’s massive. It’s kind of unheard of.

“Obviously, you think of the US Open Cup as a whole and what the potential of what you could do, with some of the amateur teams in the past playing MLS teams, sometimes it’s hard to just limit yourself to looking at USL teams, but what we just have to make sure to do is to focus on the Azteca team,” he added. “We know that if we win, it would be a quick turnaround, to play the Switchbacks in a week, but we have to get past this Azteca team.”

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Kendall Wanderers, formerly The Black Rose, confidently making US Open Cup debut

May 4, 2018 by Ben Ferree

Kendall Wanderers of the Bay State Soccer League pose for a team photo after defeating Mass United FC 2-1 to clinch the club's first-ever trip to the US Open Cup. Photo: Kendall Wanderers — Kendall Wanderers of the Bay State Soccer League pose for a team photo after defeating Mass United FC 2-1 to clinch the club’s first-ever trip to the US Open Cup. Photo: Kendall Wanderers

Every year there’s a surprise team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. A squad of players that makes it farther than anyone thinks they should. A team vying for that title this year is the Kendall Wanderers from Massachusetts.

Playing in their first-ever US Open Cup, the road to get there wasn’t easy.

In the first game of the qualifying tournament, they could only dress 11 players and even had to use their head coach, Phil Keane, as a player. Still, they won 5-2 over Boston Siege FC (UPSL). Their next match came against fellow Bay State Soccer League (BSSL) competitors, and perennial Open Cup qualifiers, GPS Omens. Things looked bleak for the Wanderers when a red card set them down a man, but they still managed to earn a 2-2 draw and prevailed in the penalty kick shootout, 4-3. Their official qualification came after beating Mass United FC of the American Soccer League, 2-1.

“Getting into the Open Cup is massive for us. It exposes the club to a bigger audience. But as a team and as individual players, it’s always great to test yourself against top opposition,” Keane said.

Keane went on to praise the Wanderers’ team captain and club president, Eric Robertson. Robertson is a center back who went to Brown University. Another Brown alumnus plays for the Wanderers in midfield, Taylor Gorman. But the real X factor for the team is Ian Sweeney, who formerly played for Athlone Town AFC, the oldest club in Ireland. He helped the squad capture the first division title in 2013 for just the second time ever (the first was in 1987-88).

The Wanderers themselves are one of the oldest teams in the BSSL. The club was formed in 1976 as The Black Rose, who were the sponsor at the time. The name changed to Kendall Wanderers in mid 1990s when sponsors changed to The Kendall Cafe. The original name of the team is still incorporated by a black rose on the team crest. The club operates a full six teams, three in the BSSL and three in the OTHSL (over 30s and 40s). The “A” team has won the BSSL Division 1 title twice (2008, 2013).

The US Open Cup will be their biggest challenge to date.

“We don’t have any expectations on how far we can go. We are just going to try to win the next game,” Keane said, “But we are very confident we can compete against anyone.”

The Wanderers kick off their inaugural US Open Cup run on May 9 when they travel to take on the Seacoast United Phantoms of the Premier Development League in Amesbury, Mass.

2018 Meet the Underdogs: River Dogz using Doug Miller's US Open Cup championship recipe

May 4, 2018 by Matt Ralph

Rochester River Dogz pose for a team photo before their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Stegman's SC. Photo: Domenico Vella | Rochester River Dogz — Rochester River Dogz pose for a team photo before their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Stegman’s SC. Photo: Domenico Vella | Rochester River Dogz

Nineteen years after hoisting the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with an unlikely band of underdogs, Doug Miller is back in the competition with a group of players who have grew up with the legend of the Rochester Raging Rhinos.

The head coach of the amateur Rochester River Dogz, a “farm team” for the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Rochester Lancers, Miller doesn’t mind using his former team’s historic run as the last non-MLS team to win the competition as motivation for his players.

“I bust my team and my players’ chops and say I won the Open Cup as a player and I’m undefeated as a coach so the least you can do is make some national news out of it,” Miller said in a recent interview. Miller not only helped the Rhinos win the 1999 US Open Cup title, but he came off the bench in the Final at Columbus Crew Stadium and scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.

While the circumstances are much different — the River Dogz are an amateur team — Miller said the approach isn’t all that dissimilar to what he and his Rhinos teammates in the late ’90s took entering the competition.

“You saw a little bit nationally with Christos FC last year, which is the same boat we fall in as ex-pro and other high level amateur players who want to go and compete on the national level against teams that do this for a full-time living,” Miller said, referring to the only amateur team to advance to the Fourth Round in 2017. “Nobody believed we could do it back in 1999. I want to give my players the same belief we had.”

Belief for the River Dogz or any of the other amateur teams in the competition doesn’t mean entertaining ideas of winning it all. Simply advancing to take on a top level team like Christos FC did last year when they played D.C. United in the Fourth Round can be a dream fulfilled.

“To play into the Fourth Round or Fifth Round and actually set foot in an MLS stadium, that’s something that’s possible and that’s fun to always dream about,” said River Dogz defender and captain Jake Schindler.

A 30-year-old who grew up in Rochester, Schindler is fully aware of the history and the present state of soccer in his city. Ten days after the RiverDogz qualified for the Open Cup with a 2-1 win over Stegman’s SC in the freezing rain, the Rhinos announced that they would go on hiatus for the 2018 USL season.

“This community has such a rich history, it’s inspiring just to have an opportunity to step on a somewhat familiar stage,” Schindler said. “And because of what happened with the Rhinos, it feels like the local community is getting a second chance.”

Qualifying wasn’t just historic for the young club founded in 2015. The River Dogz became the first open division amateur team from Western New York to qualify in the Modern Era of the of the competition (1995-present). Rochester only needed to win two games to punch their ticket to the 105th edition of the tournament. They edged the Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League) 2-1 in the Steel City before getting a free pass into the final round when Ann Arbor FC had to forfeit.

Rochester Raging Rhinos: 1999 US Open Cup champions

To get the party started, they’ll travel to Erie on May 9 to take on familiar NPSL rival Erie Commodores. The teams split their home and home series last season, each winning their game at home. While the River Dogz compete in the Rochester District Soccer League, their team that travels to Erie will feature several players who also play for the Lancers.

“We’re going to go with the same attitude,” Miller said. “We’ll go there with the goal of not conceding a goal.”

To prepare for the match, Miller was able to get an early start on training, utilizing the indoor facility that also houses the Lancers youth programs he oversees, to build chemistry among a large pool of players, something that is needed at the amateur levels because of jobs, families and other commitments that can limit participation from game to game.

“When you’re talking about trying to compete on a national level, you need to have a big roster pool,” Miller said. “We bring them in, 35-40 guys in training each day, competing for opportunities. The ones that are playing well at that time will get the opportunity to showcase themselves.”

Doug Miller of the Rochester Raging Rhinos scores an equalizing goal against the Chicago Fire in the 2005 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Rochester Raging Rhinos

Schindler, who is an optical engineer by day and plays at the professional indoor level through the winter, said the training sessions are where the dedication of the team — some players drive in several nights a week from Buffalo, Syracuse and other areas outside Rochester — really shines.

“It’s no longer a drink beer and go play soccer kind of environment,” he said.

While Schindler is the seasoned veteran at age 30 (“If you come to practice there’s probably two voices you’re going to hear, mine and Doug’s), there’s another even more seasoned player on the sidelines who could be called upon in a pinch. He’ll turn 49 a few days before the game and he last laced up his boots for the Syracuse Silver Knights in indoor soccer in 2016 but he did win an Open Cup once.

“Most likely no,” Miller said when asked if he’d complete the Open Cup circle by subbing himself into the game. “But you never know.”

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Goalscoring club director leads La Maquina to 3rd straight US Open Cup

May 3, 2018 by Thomas Hodul

Edwin Borboa of La Maquina celebrates a goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy during the Fourth Round of the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: LA Galaxy

La Maquina of Southern California have slowly become less of an underdog, and more of a team filled with experience and expectations when it comes to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The 2014-15 United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) champions are making an impressive third straight appearance in the US Open Cup proper rounds, having qualified through the US Soccer Federation’s new open division qualifying tournament in every year since the format came into existence in 2015.

The club is now somewhat well known to American soccer enthusiasts after their impressive run in the 2016 tournament, when they famously went to extra time with MLS powerhouse LA Galaxy in the Fourth Round. The game winning goal that night for the Galaxy was a controversial one that left many soccer fans, who were looking for the Cinderella story, upset with the end result. The loss also left La Maquina eager for a rematch.

The 2016 US Open Cup run was something that the club can be quite proud of, despite the refereeing decision that led to what would prove to be the Galaxy’s game-winning goal. They comfortably dispatched one club from each of the top amateur leagues in the country to earn their spot in Round 4 against the Galaxy. They beat the Portland Timbers U-23s of the PDL 2-0 in the First Round. This was followed by a win over a former NPSL champion Sacramento Gold in Round 2 by the same score. La Maquina knocked off their UPSL rivals LA Wolves with another 2-0 victory in the Third Round. Former Chivas de Guadalajara and Pachuca player Edwin Borboa finished with five goals, having scored at least one in every round, to give him co-Golden Boot honors for the competition.

“Edwin Borboa came to La Maquina by chance, actually. He was brought to us by one of our players at the time, and the chemistry was instant,” said La Maquina assistant coach Jesee Magallon. “His role with the club has evolved a lot over the past few years.”

In his short time with the club, Borboa has laid the foundation for the club on a long-term basis when he was named club director last year.

“ has been running the youth club, Maquina FC, which consists of about 120 kids from Los Angeles and Orange County,” said Magallon. “The creation of this feeder program by Borboa has helped ensure the future of our club. The concept was Edwin’s idea, to have actual players who play for La Maquina teach the youth players our style and our approach to the game.”

While they qualified for the second year in a row, the 2017 version of the Open Cup did not yield quite the same run as 2016. La Maquina lost their opening round game to the PDL’s Fresno Fuego, 4-1. This meant the dream rematch against the Galaxy would have to wait for another season.

They qualified for the 2018 tournament with an impressive 5-0 win over Bell Gardens FC of the UPSL in Round 1 of qualifying. La Maquina was once again led by their star Borboa, who came up with two more Open Cup goals to add to his resume. Beto Godinez also contributed two goals that day, while the fifth goal was scored by Jose Montes de Oca.

La Maquina advanced on a forfeit in the next round, when the Las Vegas Mobsters failed to show up for the match. Then, they earned an impressive 4-1 win over Chula Vista FC in a “Win & You’re In” match to punch their ticket to the competition. Borboa notched another goal in the victory, while Rosendo Castro led the way for La Maquina with his two-goal effort.

“That game was tough, because we had to play it with 60% of our starting lineup,” said Magallon. “We ran into early issues. To start, we were only able to have 13 players present and that made making adjustments a bit tricky.”

La Maquina has no shortage of experienced players when it comes to UPSL and Open Cup play. Other than Borboa, who has six years of Liga MX experience and two Apertura titles to his name, the team is loaded with experienced players.

The club has multiple players back to appear in the Cup for a third consecutive year. Those players include Luis Sosa, Edgar Orozco, Ricky Ramirez, David Paniagua, Rosendo Castro, Jose Castro, Thales Serra, Jorge Pineda, and Rodolfo Godinez. Two of the new faces to look out for include José Montes de Oca, another former Mexican pro who scored in qualifying play, and Joel Palomares, one of the club’s top young talents.

“I’d say our experience in the Cup is our biggest advantage. It’s great to be able to have guys that have felt the pressures of what the Open Cup really means,” said Magallon. “There are teams out there that have wonderful squads, but have never been under that kind of pressure. We have played in front of big crowds, on the road, and we feel that’s been a great learning experience. The Cup has really humbled us. There’s not much left but to wish FC Tucson and all the other participating teams good luck.”

The club, whose name pays homage to Liga MX’s Cruz Azul, is currently in fourth place of the very competitive UPSL Western Conference Pro Premier. They are currently 3-1-2 with their biggest win coming against fellow Open Cup qualifier Santa Ana Winds by the score of 3-0. It’s a budding rivalry that some have started calling the Downtown OC Derby.

Just like last year, their opening round opponent is another strong team from the PDL on the road.

“Our hopes for this year’s Open Cup is to make it further than ever before. Last year was a bit of let down,” added Magallon. “We traveled unprepared to face a team we knew nothing about and had little preparation. This time, we are much more focused and we have been craving a rematch with the Galaxy for a while now. I think it’s time we get another shot at it.”

“We will not overlook FC Tucson because we know they are going to come to play.”

2018 Meet the Underdogs: NTX Rayados preps for record 7th straight US Open Cup run

April 25, 2018 by Adam Uthe

NTX Rayados pose for a team photo in 2018. Photo: Tito Salas

Deep in the heart of (Dallas) Texas, you’ll find one of the best kept secrets in American soccer.

NTX Rayados find themselves back in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the seventh year in a row, the longest streak of any open division local entry in the Modern Era (1995-present). While they have qualified for the last seven tournaments, they have only participated in six of them. A 2016 disqualification, which was handed down the night before their first round game, is the only interruption of their record streak.

Their success is no secret to fans of the Open Cup, but the details of the team’s approach to the Open Cup may surprise some.

Tito Salas helped found NTX Rayados in 2011 and the following spring in 2012, he and his squad got their first taste of what it’s like for an amateur team to play in the US Open Cup.

“Back in 2012, we learned so much from that experience,” said Salas.

Back then, Salas had recently graduated college and was just looking for a way to continue playing competitively. You might think a former college soccer player would bring that competitive fire with him to his new team and institute mandatory practices to work on tactics and mold the best possible team. After all, the tournament is serious business for amateur teams now that the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) is increasing prize money and revamping its travel expense policy to help amateur sides get to away games that require expensive, long distance travel arrangements.

NTX Rayados in the US Open Cup
2012 Round 1: Loss, 3-1 at El Paso Patriots (PDL)
2013 Round 1: Loss, 3-0 at Austin Aztex (PDL)
2014 Round 2: Draw, 4-4 (4-2 PK win) at Austin Aztex (PDL)
2014 Round 3: Loss, 4-2 at San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
2015 Round 1: Draw, 0-0 (4-2 PK loss) at Laredo Heat (PDL)
2016 Round 1: Forfeit loss (DQ’d due to not participating in league play)
2017 Round 1: Loss, 3-1 at Dutch Lions FC (NPSL)
2018 Round 1: Home vs. Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL) – May 9

But Salas, who is married with two kids and works full time as an assistant principal in the Dallas Independent School District, takes a very pragmatic approach to organizing his team ahead of the Open Cup every year.

“We don’t practice,” Salas reveals. “We just can’t. We’re with our families, we have jobs. We’ll be lucky if we can have five players get together. Our practices consist of league games on Sunday.”

For NTX Rayados, they have only managed to play five league games in the spring season of the North Texas Premier Soccer Association due to a variety of weather-related postponements. As of now, they are 4-1-0 and sit in second place. Despite playing fewer league games than he would like, Salas is still optimistic about his team’s preparation for the US Open Cup.

“We still feel good about it,” he said. “These next couple weeks we plan on having a couple mandatory scrimmages.”

Not all of the players on his squad work full-time to support their families, but they still have their own difficulties getting together with the team. Seven players on the roster, all of whom grew up in the area, are currently away from Dallas at college. But they all want to answer the call of the Open Cup for Rayados.

“For things like the Open Cup, they will make the effort to come back and play,” said Salas.

Salas wouldn’t have it any other way either. He doesn’t believe Rayados exist to fight for glory in the Open Cup. His ultimate goal is for players who spend time with the team to go on to college and make a better life for themselves. He’s dedicated to helping them in any way possible.

“This is kind of the norm: you come here, you play here during the summer … but we expect you to move on and play in college. That’s something that I really am proud of,” said Salas. “Whenever you move on, let me know how I can help you.”

It’s the same for Salas year in and year out. He is willing to let his roster turn over every year, even if it’s detrimental to the team; though there’s no evidence that’s actually the case. In fact, if you pressed him, he might tell you that ends up benefiting the team in the long run.

“We take the positives out of everything,” he said. “We lose (players) for good reasons. We’re known, we’re pretty well known.”

Salas does sometimes wonder what his team might be capable of if they had a dedicated practice facility and used it to try and take the team to the next level. But he still maintains everything Rayados do is about more than just winning and advancing in the tournament. His expectations for the tournament are just as pragmatic as his approach to the team’s ultimate purpose.

“I’m satisfied with the guys going out and giving it their best. My expectation is for us to go out there and give everyone a good night of soccer, whether they’re there for us or not.”, he states, without skipping a beat.

All of that said, Salas still has a roster stacked with local, homegrown talent and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the team to make a run in this year’s tournament.

Up front, Salas has a variety of options to help supply the goals. Veteran forward Alberto Rodriguez grew up with Salas and has been with the team since 2011. Salas also expects big things from forward Mohamed Sesay.

“(It’s the) first time he’ll see Open Cup action, but he’s played with us. We’re going to be relying on him a lot as well.”

There’s also midfielder Christian Okeke, who supplied the 85th minute game-winner in the team’s final qualifying match against CD Motagua New Orleans. Even center back Javan Goncalves-Toledo scored a spectacular overhead kick in the team’s qualifying victory over Celtic Cowboys Premier.

NTX Rayados will open their 2018 tournament run on May 9 when they will host a game for the first time. They will face off with first-time entry Fort Worth Vaqueros of the National Premier Soccer League at Richland Community College (Field No. 10) in Dallas.

No amateur team can boast an Open Cup qualification record to match Rayados’ these past seven years, but they are still missing a signature win in the tournament itself. In fact, technically speaking, they are missing a win. Their lone trip to the Second Round occurred in 2014 when they defeated the PDL’s Austin Aztex in a penalty kick shootout after a thrilling 4-4 draw.

Cal FC’s 2012 victory over the Portland Timbers (MLS) is etched into Open Cup history, La Maquina FC took the Los Angeles Galaxy to extra time in 2016 and Baltimore’s Christos FC made national headlines last year for their valiant effort against D.C. United. All three of those teams pulled off their magical Open Cup run in their first trip to the tournament. Sometimes, in the Open Cup, the ball just needs to bounce your way.

Tito Salas’ priorities may lie in accomplishments off the field, but perhaps this is the year his Rayados can get over the hump and bring their story into the national spotlight.

2018 Meet the Underdogs: Santa Ana Winds building momentum ahead of US Open Cup debut

April 23, 2018 by Omar Avalos

The Santa Ana Winds defeated the San Pedro Monsters 4-1 in the final round of Open Division qualifying to punch their ticket to the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Santa Ana Winds

Santa Ana Winds FC owes its recent form to the continuity of play achieved in United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) play and US Open Cup qualifying. The club has had spells of quality over time with wins over clubs like La Máquina FC and the Los Angeles Wolves, but consistency has eluded them, until now.

The club enters the 2018 US Open Cup for the first time in their second attempt. In 2017 Open Cup qualifying, Winds FC fell one game short of qualification, to another Santa Ana-based UPSL club and regional standout, La Máquina FC. Winds FC’s goal is to have its recent success against some of the UPSL’s best, be reflected in this Open Cup where they drew a county rival, Orange County FC (NPSL), in the First Round.

Winds FC began play in the SoCal Premier League in 2006, and played there for five seasons before joining the NPSL in 2011, a stay that lasted only one season due to a split in ownership. One faction stayed in the NPSL and operated the former Santa Ana Winds FC under different names, while club owner Leonel López kept the Santa Ana Winds FC name and founded a new league: the UPSL.

Since then, the Winds has won one league title, was a finalist in the most recent UPSL National Championship and has seen it’s league grow exponentially into a league with more than 160 teams from around the country. But at the root of the UPSL’s growth is the Western Conference (that has undergone name changes over time), one that has been comprised of some of the best clubs, and former Open Cup entrants, in the Los Angeles region including the aforementioned La Máquina and LA Wolves, and 2017 entries Anahuac FC and Moreno Valley FC. The division continues to attract clubs, even from other leagues, namely San Diego Zest FC (PDL), California United (NASL) and Orange County FC (NPSL), precisely because of the division’s competitiveness. Being in this division allowed Winds FC to forge itself into the seasoned squad that it looks like now.

Winds FC qualified to the Open Cup by defeating fellow UPSL club Newcastle United (based in Upland, CA), and SoCal Premier League standouts Outbreak Soccer and punching their ticket with a win over the San Pedro Monsters FC. The Santa Ana club recently reached the quarterfinals of the Cal South State Cup, and fell 5-4 to another SoCal Premier League standout and former Open Cup entrant, Chula Vista FC on April 7. This State Cup tournament provides a path to the larger USASA National Amateur Cup tournament. The last two USASA Region IV Champs (Moreno Valley FC and LA Wolves FC) came from Winds FC’s UPSL Western Conference, speaking again to the competitiveness of this conference.

The Winds FC attack is spearheaded by strikers Jordan Gorman and Kramer Runager, the son of former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Max Runager. The Winds midfield attack is engineered by 2017 UPSL MVP Kyle O’Brien and Jorge Herrera. Other standouts include left backs Juan Arellano and Juan Carlos Fuentes, among others. Overall, each Winds FC player is characterized by his quickness and ability to create space for himself, particularly from the wings and midfield, feeding into the attack.

Santa Ana drew Orange County FC, a club active in the NPSL and the UPSL (under the name OCFC 2), for the First Round of the 2018 Open Cup. This will be the first-ever Open Cup game for both teams. The last time these two clubs faced off was at the Orange County Great Park’s Championship Stadium, site of the upcoming May 9 opening round match, in the UPSL playoffs where Santa Ana advanced after winning in penalty kicks by a score of 6-5, after finishing in a 2-2 draw. Winds FC is 3-0 all-time playing at Championship Stadium (vs LA Wolves, East Bay Stompers Jrs, and OCFC 2), and 2-1 overall against OCFC including exhibition games, UPSL season and UPSL postseason play. Their May 9 Open Cup match features an intra-county face off between Santa Ana Winds FC, headquartered in the City of Santa Ana, the county seat, representing Central Orange County, and Orange County FC, a club headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif. representing South Orange County.

“Our team is aware of the importance and great opportunity that is the Open Cup,” said Santa Ana Winds general manager Marco Paniagua. “We believe that we have the conditions to give more than we have in recent games. We’ve had some injuries that have affected our system and style of play that we’ve been developing since early 2017, but we believe that the team will come out strong and go forth with the right attitude, playing the style that characterizes us by controlling the ball well, going out wide and creating the spaces to be decisive with every scoring opportunity.”

When asked about his opinion of Orange County FC, led by US Soccer legend Paul Caligiuri, Paniagua knows it will be a tough battle in their Open Cup debut.

“We know they’re a team that’s started out well in their league,” said Paniagua. “We respect every club we face, we know they have good players, but here the most important thing is the work that we do as a group and to focus on our game and get a result. Every game is different and in our case the mental aspect plays a large part, and how we manage the game during the 90 minutes.”

2017 US Open Cup Quarterfinals preview: Miami FC hosts FC Cincinnati in battle of underdogs (Live Video)

August 2, 2017 by Neil Blackmon

Miami FC (NASL) and FC Cincinnati (USL) will square off in the Quarterfinals, assurring that at least one lower division team will reach the Semifinals for the first time since 2011.

Links to full #USOC2017 coverage located at the bottom

In a battle of tournament underdogs, the NASL’s Miami FC will host the USL’s Cincinnati FC Wednesday night in a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup quarterfinal. The game, rescheduled from July 12 due to inclement weather, will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET and be live streamed online (it will be embedded above when it’s made available). The winner will become the 13th lower division side to reach the Open Cup semifinals since 1996, and the first since 2011 (Richmond Kickers, USL)

Adding a little extra flavor to the matchup, it features a team from the NASL and the USL. The two leagues have been rivals since a handful of teams broke away from the USL to form the NASL back in 2010. This is the 21st Open Cup meeting between NASL and USL sides, with the USL holding a narrow 10-8-2 edge in those contests.

A reasonable accounting would suggest Miami FC, champions of the NASL’s spring season, are the favorites, but circumstances have changed for the two clubs in the three weeks since the postponement of the original quarterfinal. While Miami have lost only two games during the NASL’s spring season, they suffered easily their most convincing defeat of the year Saturday in their NASL fall season opener against the New York Cosmos.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati, led by the reigning TheCup.us Player of the Round, goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt. The Oakland University (Mich.) product, who carries a staggering US Open Cup personal shutout streak of 379 minutes into the quarterfinal, is better-rested. Entering the July 12 match, the Queen City club would have been playing for the seventh time in 19 days. Entering the Aug. 2 reschedule, the schedule has slowed, and despite a 3-2 loss over the weekend to the Rochester Rhinos, Cincinnati play tonight’s game with far fresher legs.

Mitch Hildebrandt made 10 saves and stopped three of the Chicago Fire's four penalty kick attempts to send FC Cincinnati to the Quarterfinals. Photo: Erik Schelkun | FC Cincinnati — Mitch Hildebrandt made 10 saves and stopped three of the Chicago Fire’s four penalty kick attempts to send FC Cincinnati to the Quarterfinals. Photo: Erik Schelkun | FC Cincinnati

Above all, tonight’s game is a credit to two smart front offices, an intriguing contrast of soccer styles, with Alan Koch and Cincinnati’s compact, organized defense and counterattacking style a stylistic opposite to Miami FC’s possession-intensive pressure attack.

Still, Cincinnati aren’t without goalscoring threats, led by Senegal international Dijby Fall, who has tallied three goals for the side in the Open Cup. There is attacking depth in Jamaica international Omar Cummings and the bruising Dane, Danni König. There is also Premier League veteran and former Arsenal product Justin Hoyte, a Trinidad and Tobago international, who provides speed and width on the break, and often plays off the bench, giving the team an electric option as legs tire.

Cincinnati will also have fresh faces available, as recently acquired striker Kevin Schindler, who has played for Werder Bremen, will be eligible for Wednesday’s match. Vancouver Whitecaps product Sem de Wit, a centerback, is unlikely to travel for the fixture but would be eligible to play if he did.

The Cincinnati calling card is defense, starting with a stout midfield that covers ground first. Aodhan Quinn, Kenney Walker and Paul Nicholson patrol the midfield, putting in hard tackles and waiting for the opponent to make mistakes, distributing quickly in transition when Cincy win the ball. And behind them, Cincinnati play an organized trap and when all else fails, have Hildebrandt, whose heroics against the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire are a huge reason the club are here.

Miami FC, with their cupboard of attacking talent in the tournament’s leading scorer Stefano Pinho, Ariel Martinez, Jaime Chavez, Enzo Rennella and Kwadwo Poku, will test Cincinnati’s defense as intensely as any team they’ve played in this competition. And this time, there won’t be 30,000 fans at Nippert Stadium urging Cincinnati forward. But Miami know and respect what a difficult challenge it will be to finally be the team that breaks through and scores against Cincinnati in this competition.

“Cincinnati are a good team that’s very good at what they do, especially defensively,” said Miami FC captain Michael Lahoud. “They have had an amazing Open Cup run to get to this round, and have really benefited from their inspiring home crowds. I expect them to be well organized and a lethal counter-attacking team, looking to take advantage of whatever chance they get, while keeping it extremely tight at the back.”

Stefano Pinho of Miami FC scored one of his three goals against Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC

Still, Miami FC are eager to show they are more than just a splendid blend of attacking riches. They defend too, as one would expect from a team managed by Alessandro Nesta, a World Cup winner with Italy nicknamed “The Minister of Defense.”

“If you play for Nesta, you’ll defend,” Kwadwo Poku said. “We have to suffer that together.”

The orange and blue have done enough defensively to get to this point, despite conceding two goals to both the South Florida Surf (PDL) and more understandably, Atlanta United of MLS. They stifled the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ counterattack and frustrated Kaka and Orlando City for ninety minutes, using defensive pressure to earn chances high up the pitch. It’s a formula for success, and the club are looking forward to building on the championship resume they secured in the spring.

“We are excited about the match and the opportunity to take one step closer to one of our biggest goals this season,” Lahoud said. “It will be an incredible night for my teammates, the fans, and the city of Miami.”

If Miami do win, they will become the first team from the state of Florida to reach the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinals since 2000 (Miami Fusion, MLS). Meanwhile, Cincinnati are playing to become the first team from southern Ohio to reach the semifinals of the competition since the Columbus Crew accomplished the feat in 2010. No team from either city has ever lifted the US Open Cup trophy, and no lower division team has done so since the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League) in 1999.

One underdog’s dream will live on. And with these two well-coached and well-constructed teams, who’s to say it stops there?

FC Cincinnati Open Cup records
Overall: 4-1-1 (1-0 PK) | Home: 4-0-1 (1-0 PK) | Away: 0-1-0 | vs. Div. 2: 1-1-0
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 1-0 at Tampa Bay Rowdies of NASL in Round 3)
Best finish: 2016 Third Round (Lost 1-0 at Tampa Bay Rowdies of NASL)
Leading goalscorer: Djiby Fall – 3 goals (T-2nd in 2017 US Open Cup)

How they got here
Round 2: 1-0 (AET) home win vs. AFC Cleveland (NPSL)
Round 3: 1-0 home win vs. Louisville City FC (USL)
Round 4: 1-0 home win vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)
Round 5: 0-0 home draw (3-1 PK win) vs. Chicago Fire (MLS)

Miami FC Open Cup records
Overall: 4-1-0 | Home: 3-1-0 | Away: 1-0-0 | vs. Div. 2: 1-0-0
Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-1 vs. Wilmington Hammerheads of USL in Round 3)
Best finish: 2016 Third Round (Lost 2-1 vs. Wilmington Hammerheads of USL)
Leading goalscorer: Stefano Pinho – 4 goals (1st in 2017 US Open Cup)

How they got here
Round 2: 3-2 home win vs. South Florida Surf (PDL)
Round 3: 2-0 home win vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL)
Round 4: 3-1 road win vs. Orlando City SC (MLS)
Round 5: 3-2 home win vs. Atlanta United (MLS)

#USOC2017 coverage:

Quarterfinals
* Wondolowski’s brace gives Earthquakes first USOC win over rival Galaxy
* Inspired Sporting KC explode in OT to dethrone FC Dallas
* BWP scores late winner as Red Bulls edge 10-man Revolution

#USOC2018 qualifying coverage

* Which NPSL teams will qualify for 2018 US Open Cup?
* Which PDL teams will play in the 2018 US Open Cup?

MORE:
* Cincinnati’s forgotten US Open Cup history
* California Clasico isn’t new: North has battled South in US Open Cup since 1950s
* Who is the US Open Cup equivalent to Lincoln City FC and their magical FA Cup run?
* Eric Wynalda hired to lead LA Wolves for 2017 US Open Cup run
* Reading United qualifies for record 9th straight US Open Cup, seeking more than an opening round win
* Things you should know about the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup
* The nine upsets of the US Open Cup Quarterfinals (Modern Era)

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