Meet the Underdogs

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Boca Raton FC has MLS ambitions, sees US Open Cup as building block

May 6, 2017 by Neil Blackmon

Boca Raton FC's (right) opening game of the 2017 NPSL season was against Miami United, their First Round US Open Cup opponent. Photo: Boca Raton FC — Boca Raton FC’s (right) opening game of the 2017 NPSL season was against Miami United, their First Round US Open Cup opponent. Photo: Boca Raton FC

Boca Raton FC don’t have to look too far for a reminder of the magic of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. In fact, they don’t even need to leave South Florida.

The defining underdog story of last year’s Open Cup came thirty minutes down I-95 from Boca Raton, with the quarterfinal run of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League.

In truth, however, any comparisons between the Strikers and Boca Raton FC stop at geography.

For the Strikers, last year’s run was one about a headstrong group of players that managed to ignore the dark clouds of mismanagement and specter of financial doom off the field to deliver a lifetime of memorable magic to a small but fiercely loyal, and soon to be heartbroken, set of fans. It was a last hurrah for what had been one of American soccer’s brightest brands. The Strikers run was about defiance and bittersweet endings.

Boca Raton FC, on the other hand, is a club with a story that’s very much just beginning. Founded in 2015, Boca Raton has cultivated a unique, community-first structure from inception, and seen success in the process. Winners of four consecutive American Premier Soccer League (APSL) titles, this summer will see Boca Raton FC make the jump up to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) for the first time. The club will open its NPSL home schedule May 12, just two days after they play Miami United in the US Open Cup.

Boca has not been shied away from big ambitions as they announced the club’s intention to make a long-term push to bring MLS to Boca Raton. The club launched the website, mls2bocaraton.com to help facilitate and promote the club’s long-term ambition.

Moving to NPSL is part of that process, club chairman Douglas Heizer said last week.

“We’re excited to play in NPSL,” Heizer said. “We built a team to play in NPSL two years ago. It gives the team more exposure for sure and we think we have a very good team, but it’s a new experience and we’re more interested in the club-building process than focusing on the move to NPSL.”

Boca Raton FC poses for a team photo before a NPSL game against Miami United. Photo: Boca Raton FC

But according to Heizer, the NPSL and seeking glory in America’s oldest soccer competition are just part of the process of club-building.

“Our main goal is to build a team that the fans and community can be proud of,” Heizer said. “That’s the number one goal. Second is to go wherever the fans bring us. We don’t care about the letters of the league. We care about the fans and the letters on the crest.”

Heizer said the club doesn’t have to reach MLS to accomplish that end.

“Chattanooga FC and Detroit City FC are perfect examples ” Heizer said. “They are NPSL teams and they have more people in the stadium than many of the second division sides.”

“Fans look for good soccer. They look for a club they can be proud of. I want to go where the fans are proud and where they want us to go,” said Heizer.

Helping deliver on Heizer’s vow to give Boca Raton FC fans good soccer is the club’s academy structure, a complete pyramid effect that starts children at the age of seven and offers different club levels until they are ready to become professionals. Boca has a partnership with Barcelona Elite that facilitates the last step, along with the NPSL club.

Boca Raton FC US Open Cup history2016 US Open Cup
Round 1: L, 4-1 (AET) at Miami Fusion FC (NPSL)2017 US Open Cup Qualifying
Round 2: W, 4-1 at Hurricane FC (USASA)

Heizer said rooting his club in community helps the club grow in a way that gives the team a skilled foundation but also expands the fan base and with it, the community’s investment in the club’s success long-term.

“I’m from Rio de Janeiro,” Heizer said. “Soccer there is a path to make a living. Clubs partner with academies and in the end, kids know where they will be going. But the important thing- the idea behind the system, is that clubs begin to care about players when they are kids, on and off the field. And then the kids grow up caring about the big club, as something that inspires them.”

It’s part of the reason Heizer has brought in coaches like Athirson, who emerged from that system in Brazil, playing with Flamengo early in his career before moving to Juventus, where he played, among other stops, until returning to Flamengo in 2004.

Athirson, who earned five caps for Brazil as well, will coach the NPSL side. He’ll be joined in the coaching pyramid by Juninho, who will run the club’s South American scouting operation, and Pedro Yunes, who will run the academy. All are familiar with the pyramid, community-based club structure.

“I wanted coaches who could share with young players the story of how you start at a club as early as 12 years old and experience results, later in life, with the top team.” Heizer explained. “That is what inspires the kids. The idea they can play for the top team, get college paid for, play professionally, learn quality skills but also build life experiences.”

Signing players on the field like Edmar, a former Ukrainian national teamer and Metalist Kharkiv regular who nearly led Ukraine to a stunning upset of France in the 2014 World Cup qualifying playoffs, signed with Boca Raton FC this February.

Edmar gives the club a level of proven class not often seen at this level, but the team is hardly a one-man band. Fullback Justin Wilbanks is very capable technically, and dangerous from distance. He has three goals on the APSL season to date. And Bruno Militz, a fast winger, is dangerous on the ball or cutting in on his left foot, a player not unlike Diego Serena was in his heyday with another old south Florida club, the Miami Fusion.

All in all, it’s enough talent to give Miami United all they can handle in the Open Cup Wednesday night.

Eventually, Heizer thinks the academies will do the dirty work.

“My short-term goal is to build with a foundation from the academies,” Heizer said. “I don’t know how long it will take but I think we can do it as early as five years into the system.”

For now, he just wants the community in south Florida to know that unlike last year’s Open Cup darling, the Strikers, whose fans received little recognition from a cold, detached front office, Boca Raton FC is a club that embraces the community. And he’s anxious to keep getting the word out.

As for the Open Cup matchup with Miami United, Heizer thinks it is just the beginning.

“You always play to win, and we will play to win. But whatever happens, we’re proud to be Boca Raton’s team.”

NOTE: Boca Raton FC is offering a free ticket to the US Open Cup game against Miami United on May 10. Fans just need to use the promo code “PREZ”.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Well-traveled Colorado Rush head to Arizona for its first-ever US Open Cup match

May 6, 2017 by Robert Wilson

The Colorado Rush pose for a team photo prior to the club's 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match against the IPS Marathon Taverna. Photo: Colorado Rush — The Colorado Rush pose for a team photo prior to the club’s 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match against the IPS Marathon Taverna. Photo: Colorado Rush

The Littleton-based Colorado Rush have a big trip to make for its first-ever Lamar Hunt US Open Cup appearance. It took a long road trip to qualify, and now that they’re in, the Rush have to make the First Round’s biggest road trip, traveling more than 900 miles to Arizona to take on FC Tucson (PDL) on May 10.

The Rush qualified for the 104th edition of the competition after a strong finish in the 2016 Colorado Amateur Soccer League – since rebranded as the Colorado Premier League – placing them in the Open Division Qualification tournament last fall. They qualified without giving up a single goal. They started out with a 3-0 home win over FC Boulder, with three first half goals from Nick Blanco, Griffen Dorsey and Jack O’Brian.

In Round 2, the Rush players had to all chip in to cover the cost of traveling more than 1,200 miles to Portland Oregon to take on International Portland Select. The game ultimately proved to be the match that punched their ticket to the US Open Cup, as they cruised past the 2016 Oregon Premier League champions, 4-0.

Formed in 1997, Rush began the merger of two local youth soccer clubs: Club Columbine and Lakewood United Soccer Club. After becoming one of the largest Denver-area youth soccer clubs, Rush expanded into regional branches around the state of Colorado, then into other states and eventually around the world currently enrolling more than 40,000 youth soccer players across North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Oceania and as far away as South Africa and Nepal.

The venture into an adult “first team” was a logical step as the player pool of generations of youth players that had graduated the Rush academy was continuing to grow.

The Rush alumni in the pros include Collen Warner (Minnesota United), Paolo DiPiccolo (Louisville City FC) and Collin Clark (Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo). Clark has returned to Rush as a first team midfielder and academy coach. Led by Clark, the rest of the Rush team that will take on FC Tucson are all players that have completely learned soccer the “Rush Way” – a system that emphasizes players experimenting at multiple positions and taking risks valuing well-rounded development over results.

“The Rush Way is the embodiment of all that is Rush Soccer,” said Joe Webb, the team’s head coach. “The rules and manner in which Rush members hold themselves and how they expect other Rush members to conduct themselves. This is not inherent in all people, but can be learned. The Rush Way encourages passion, leadership, respect and, above all, quality.”

Currently the club enters two first teams; one in the Colorado Premier League as well as the recently created United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). 2017 has been the first year that Rush has entered in such an arrangement and it has not been without its troubles.

Going into the season, head coach Joe Webb stated the goal of the first season was a championship in theUPSL’s newly-formed Colorado Division. The UPSL team is well on their way to achieving this goal, leading the Colorado Division of eight teams with a 5-1-2 record and a +13 goal differential. Should Rush claim the UPSL Colorado Division title the team will be entered into the National Tournament potential making for a busy summer of games across the country in the both the UPSL National Tournament and the U.S. Open Cup.

The neglected CPL team meanwhile is second to bottom in the league with a 1-1-4 record and a minus-44 goal differential, mostly due to a number of lopsided losses on days where Rush players were clearly not prepared to compete.

Competing on multiple fronts has certainly has not been easy for the Rush.

“We certainly have had some hurdles to overcome, most of those have been put in place by a very small group of detractors though, so it has not been to hard to navigate past some of these silly things,” said Webb. “Anytime your programs are growing and having a lot of success, there are always going to be some folks who don’t like it. Right now we are making improvements and changes to how we do things, in order to better serve our players. We knew the direction we wanted to go with our program so we just set our goals ,we have stayed the course, and so far the results have been great.”

As the CPL season closes in May, and the UPSL season continues through June, the team that will show up in Tucson with their best collection of players across all teams, according to Webb.

“We are in an awesome place right now,” added Webb. “We have been able to meet the demands of all of our adult players, so it’s really exciting for us. We used to only have one level of teams and now we have a place for our higher level players who were wanting something more, we are adding a women’s program this fall too.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: In 45 minutes, Anahuac FC became Nevada’s first amateur US Open Cup entry in Modern Era

May 5, 2017 by Adam Uthe

With the number of teams qualifying for the US Open Cup steadily rising the past few years, it was inevitable that we’d meet some new teams from new places.

Enter FC Anahuac.

For the first time in the Modern Era (1995-present), an amateur team from the state of Nevada will enter the US Open Cup. (Reno 1868 FC are a first-time entry this year from the USL)

The club’s roots go back to a pair of brothers, Peter and Jose Perez, from Oxnard, Calif. who put a team together in 1966 to start playing against other Los Angeles-based teams. The current iteration of the team came to Las Vegas in 1991 and is run almost entirely by the tireless efforts of defender and coach Eduardo Arredondo.

As for the rest of the roster, one name stands out among the rest: Ramon Maldonado. The 29-year-old midfielder rejoins Anahuac after participating in the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Maldonado scored three of Mexico’s seven goals in the competition, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough as he and his countrymen were trounced 8-1 by Italy just before the quarterfinal round.

FC Anahuac currently play in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), a Southern California-based amateur league that has expanded in recent years to more than 70 members in California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Colorado. The UPSL has made waves recently by adding a form of promotion and relegation to its competitive structure. No other organized league with so many teams across the country utilizes such a system.

If the word “Anahuac” sounds familiar, it’s because it has had many different uses throughout Mexican culture. During the height of ancient Aztec civilization, it was the word used to describe the Basin of Mexico. The Anahuac Valley is another name for the Valley of Mexico and there is an Anahuac municipality in Nuevo Leon. There’s also the Anahuac University Network, a system of private higher education institutions throughout the country of Mexico.

Anahuac’s first-ever attempt to qualify for the US Open Cup could not have been easier. They won their first round qualifier after their opponents, Las Vegas Highrollers, had to forfeit. In Round 2, they took on MF 10, who actually were only able to trot out eight players to start the game. Anahuac went up 2-0 and MF 10 lost two more players (one was injured and could not continue, while the other was sent off) which forced the referee to call the game off at halftime.

So after playing a shorthanded team for 45 minutes, Anahuac punched their ticket to the tournament. Despite the relatively easy path to qualification, Arredondo is still confident that his team can do some damage in the tournament.

“I think we’ll win this one and then the next one will be very difficult,” said the do-it-all spokesman for the team. “I think we have a great team. I think we have a great defense … but it’s not going to be easy.”

Anahuac travels to Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, Calif. on Wednesday to take on NPSL side Sonoma County Sol. Should they meet their coach’s expectations and win their first game, Anahuac will attempt to slay United Soccer League (USL) giants Sacramento Republic in Round 2.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: After 20 years, amateur power Christos FC makes US Open Cup debut

May 4, 2017 by Clement Williams

Christos FC: Maryland's 2017 Rowland Cup champions — Christos FC: Maryland’s 2017 Rowland Cup champions

It’s been a long time coming but finally Christos FC, the reigning Werner Fricker Open Cup and USASA Amateur Cup champions, have qualified for the US Open Cup proper.

Established in 1997, Christos FC have waited 20 years for a chance at the Lamar Hunt trophy. After first and second qualifying round triumphs over Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks and West Chester United as well as a third qualifying round cancellation, the Baltimore squad has reached the promised land of American amateur soccer.

“Qualifying was a huge accomplishment and definitely something we had been striving for in recent years,” said founder and general manager Jody Haislip. “To have the opportunity to play against professional teams and play in such a prestigious cup is everything that we have been working towards.”

If the US Open Cup represents the zenith of amateur soccer opportunity, then surely Christos FC had already scaled the majority of American soccer’s metaphorical mountain. Beyond the Open Cup, Christos have experienced significant success throughout virtually every other area of American amateur soccer. Last year the Latrobe Park outfit won both the Region 1 Amateur Cup and the USASA Amateur Cup. In the last five years the Marylanders have won five national titles spanning several national competitions. Yet, once again despite this previous success, this season represents their first foray into US soccer’s most prestigious competition available to amateur clubs.

If success for Christos FC’s on the national level is customary then state success is expected, assumed, and essentially assured. Despite a strong Maryland soccer scene, Christos have long dominated, winning back-to-back state cup trebles. This treble included Maryland Rowland Cup (open), the Maryland Stewart Cup (amateur), and the Maryland Over-30 Cup 2016-2017 titles. Surely, the Maryland Major League side will hope this cup-based dominance carries over into yet another cup.

Christos FC: Maryland's 2017 Stewart Cup champions — Christos FC: Maryland’s 2017 Stewart Cup champions

“Winning the Open and Amateur Cups last year was at the time the biggest achievement/success for the club but yes to play in the Lamar Hunt Cup will certainly top that,” Haslip said. “To win a few games would be icing on the cake.”

The squad’s leading scorer the past few years is Petey Caringi III, a University of Maryland, Baltimore County All American player from 2013 who was drafted by MLS side Montreal Impact in 2014 and later signed by Oklahoma City Energy. Winger Levi Houapeu, also a UMBC alumni, won the Division I scoring title in 2009 and was drafted by the Philadelphia Union in 2011. Houapeu had a serious knee injury which cut his first season short. He also played with the Rochester Rhinos and Baltimore Blast.

Goalkeeper Phil Saunders, also a UMBC alumni, played professionally in Iceland for Bl Bolungarvik in Iceland’s First Division in 2014 while Central Midfielder Kaoru Forbess is a former University of Maryland player who helped the Terrapins win the 2008 National Championship. Forbess is also a former U-18 US National Team player and played professionally for the Baltimore Blast.

Haislip said that veteran centerback Josh Taylor is a Loyola University graduate and is in the perfect spot in the back to lead the defense.

“The odds are definitely against us,” Haislip said. “We are an amateur team with guys who have full-time jobs and — sad to say this but — we don’t train or practice. guys do things individually but nothing as a group.

He feels that if Christos plays its best game and believes, it could make a run.

“I’m sure we will be underestimated a little and I hope with that our desire and hunger to win is more than the other teams,” he said. “This group of guys have only lost one game in almost two years. I’d like to think the guys hate to lose more than they love to win. I’m all about this club winning because I can’t stand losing. In everything we do as a club we want to finish first. That means we hopefully have a lot of LHUSOC games ahead of us.”

Having previously been perilously close to qualification, only now have Christos achieved that important step towards the notoriety that Brooklyn Italians, Chicago A.A.C, Harpos FC and others previously garnered through the competition. Having started the season 20-0-0 before falling in the USASA National Amateur Cup quarterfinals to Rochester Riverdogz, Christos will be looking for a strong showing in the competition, not just to demonstrate that they belong but also to try and match the accomplishments of last year’s strong season. With their spot in the Hank Steinbrecher Cup this summer also secured, a scalp or two in the Open Cup would not only turn a few heads but also let Christos forget the disappointment of their Amateur Cup result and finish the year with their own heads held high.

With a First Round fixture against NPSL side Fredericksburg FC and a top ten USL side in attendance in Richmond waiting in the second round, the boys from the Charm City may be the latest amateur darlings to embody the magic of the cup and stage a cup run for the history books.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Junior Lone Star’s unlikely journey from West Africa to Philly to US Open Cup

May 2, 2017 by Michael Berton

Junior Lone Star poses for a team photo before their 2017 US Open Cup qualifier against Brick Lions FC. Photo: Junior Lone Star

The US Open Cup is full of unlikely stories. The tournament’s popularity in a given year often hinges on those stories.

Maybe the story is an amateur team beating a pro team, or maybe a last-place Major League Soccer team winning the tournament. In 2017, one team might already be that unlikely story: Junior Lone Star FC.

The unlikely story of Junior Lone Star FC in the US Open Cup is 16 years in the making. The club was founded in 2001 by West African immigrants, most of them Liberians, who fled a series of brutal civil wars in their home country. All the club had at its beginning were 11 players and a name derived from the nickname of the Liberian National Team – Lone Star.

In 2010, Junior Lone Star FC took a major step forward as one of the founding members of the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League (PPSL). Having an established league with an affiliation with the United States Adult Soccer Association gave Junior Lone Star FC regular games, as well as the opportunity to compete in regional and national tournaments.

Just two years later, Paul Konneh III joined the club as its president and shepherded Junior Lone Star through its next big step forward, which was joining the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). For Konneh, joining the NPSL came with high aspirations.

“My goal was to create the brand ‘Junior Lone Star FC,’ a soccer club that won’t just be recognized in the African communities in the United States, but a club that will be respected by all in the United States and around the world,” Konneh said.

Ebere Goodluck of Junior Lone Star dribbles against Brick Lions FC in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying match. Photo: Junior Lone Star

Remarkably, Junior Lone Star FC has achieved so much while fielding teams in both the NPSL and the PPSL. However, the US Open Cup always seemed to be out of reach as they entered every season, only to fall short in their opening game every year they entered except for 2013 when they lost in the state Quarterfinals.

In league play, they have claimed four of the seven PPSL titles and now their player base has grown to more than 70 players, despite struggling to find a place to call home.

The team trains at McCreesh Playground in Philadelphia but rarely ever plays its matches there. By his own admission, Konneh said the park is “dilapidated” and often “doesn’t even have lights when it’s dark.”

Browsing through the team’s home fixtures, one finds games at several different Philadelphia-area high and middle schools.

In attempting to qualify for the US Open Cup, Junior Lone Star FC also had to contend with the fact that much of Philadelphia’s recent history in the Open Cup and qualifying has not actually taken place in Philadelphia. Historic clubs like United German Hungarians and Vereinigung Erzgebirge play in the near-Philadelphia suburbs. Recent Open Cup participant West Chester United is a solid 30-45 minutes from the outskirts of the city. Even the city’s MLS side, the Philadelphia Union, does not actually play in the city, but instead in nearby Chester, Pa.

Because of this dynamic, for years Junior Lone Star FC has played nearly all of its Open Cup qualifiers on the road. This year was no different. In September 2016, the club “hosted” fellow PPSL side Rising Stars FC at YSC Academy Stadium, nearly an hour away from McCreesh. The “home” team won easily, 5-1.

Junior Lone Star defeated the Rising Stars FC 5-1 to advance in 2017 US Open Cup qualifying. Photo: Junior Lone Star

A month later, Junior Lone Star FC was truly the road team, traveling to New Jersey to take on Brick Lions FC. Twice the road side had to come from behind, getting goals from Anthony Allison, Ebere Goodluck and Josh Chelleh in a 3-2 victory.

“Our players admitted that the Lions were the toughest opponents we have ever faced up to this date,” said Konneh. “It was an exciting game from start to end and we worked very hard in that game to get the 3-2 victory.”

At that point, thinking they would have one more Open Cup qualifying match in 2017, the club went on a tear in Eastern Pennsylvania tournaments. Junior Lone Star finished 2016 by claiming Eastern PA’s Open and Amateur Cup tournaments, going 8-0 in the process. And yes, all eight games were on the road.

As happened before the 2016 US Open Cup, the US Soccer Federation canceled the last round of 2017 qualifying, meaning Junior Lone Star FC qualified for the tournament for the first time.

“This was a dream come true for these players,” Konneh said.

And so it should come as no surprise that this unlikely club from Philadelphia is ready and confident as it plays a Premier Development League side in a meaningful match for the first time. The Ocean City Nor’easters await in the First Round on May 10.

“We respect Ocean City Nor’easters a lot,” Konneh said. “We know that they have more experience in this tournament … however, we are going there to win and progress to the next round … Our guys are ready for this challenge.”

If Junior Lone Star FC can clear one more hurdle, the award that awaits is a meeting with professional club Harrisburg City Islanders. The Open Cup Second Round schedule currently has “To Be Determined” as the home site for that potential match-up. It might be the most unlikely of scenarios, but just maybe Junior Lone Star FC could find itself hosting a professional side in the second round of the oldest soccer tournament in the United States.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Young Chula Vista FC hopes to add another US Open Cup upset to its resume

May 2, 2017 by Ed Rue

Chula Vista FC celebrates in the locker room after their 3-0 upset of Arizona United in the Second Round of the 2015 US Open Cup. Photo: Chula Vista FC

How do you improve upon a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup debut like that of Chula Vista FC’s?

Chula Vista shut out a pro team (Arizona United SC of the USL) in its very first entry in the tournament in 2015 and enter this year as one of the youngest teams in this year’s competition. The roster is comprised mostly of players under the age of 23, but the team won’t be without its veterans though. There are 12 players returning from last year’s unsuccessful qualifying attempt, and 11 from its debut in 2015.

The team may be young, but its not without its stars. Alberto Diaz, who was a nominee for TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament in 2015, is back along with US Under-20 National Team midfielder Jose Luis Altamirano and Rodrigo Fuentes as part of the midfield.

Two years after a surprising debut in the Open Cup, Chula Vista FC look to improve an already impressive record. For this edition of the tournament Coach Hector Diaz said “the team is solid and we have set a high goal for ourselves, but nevertheless realistic.”

In 2015, the SoCal club made its first foray into one of the oldest club competitions in the world and would go on to provide some early upsets. The First Round match provided a major upset when Chula Vista went on to defeat PDL side FC Tucson after extra time. Chula Vista put on an impressive display as it dispatched Arizona United SC of the USL 3-0 in the Second Round.

The budding Cinderella story came to a close after a 7-3 loss to USL side Sacramento Republic FC.

The 2016 edition of the Open Cup had its ups and downs for Chula Vista, with a 5-2 win over NPSL side Temecula FC. This put Chula Vista up against UPSL side La Maquina FC, which resulted in a 4-0 defeat, leaving them one game short of qualifying.

Previous forays in the Open Cup have also been good learning experiences for the squad.

“When you’re a new team, you go and play without any expectations because a bar has yet to be set,” Diaz said. He went on to explain that the team cannot overlook anyone this year and thinks that this year’s team is the right mix to make another deep run.

This year’s campaign has gotten off to a terrific start with a 5-1 first qualifying round victory over UPSL side Frontera United. The match saw two goals each from Francisco Ramirez and Diaz, with a fifth coming from Angel Pinal. CVFC moved on to face FC Hasental of the UPSL. Diaz added another brace in a 4-1 second qualifying round victory over the NPSL side. The game also saw goals from Rodrigo Fuentes and Jaime Verdin.

Chula Vista will now look ahead to their First Round proper opponents Albion SC Pros of San Diego on May 10 and hope to make another memorable run.

2017 Meet the Underdogs: Outbreak SC adds former pros to tight-knit group for 2017 US Open Cup run

May 2, 2017 by Jack White

Outbreak Soccer Club will be looking to make waves in this year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as the ultimate underdog team. The club is currently in the thick of a tight title race in the SoCal Premier League and has performed exceptionally well in Open Cup qualification matches, despite the fact that their squad has an average age of over 30 years old.

The club is all about having fun and hanging out with friends, according to Outbreak FC forward Jameson Campbell.

“Preparation is limited to showing up 20 minutes before the match instead of the usual five minutes before kickoff,” he said. “We don’t train, we don’t talk about training, we just show up and hope the last six days of the week didn’t ruin our fitness too much.”

A passionate, unique club that prides itself on community and character, Outbreak SC will be looking to turn heads this year in the Open Cup. The guys in the club want to prove that a tight-knit group of friends have the ability and desire to propel themselves into Open Cup history. The heart and enthusiasm that this club show is one reason why they are the underdogs of the Cup, but at the same time, not a squad that should be ruled out.

“I love the quality of people that play for us,” said player/manager Trent Bryson. “As fathers, husbands, boyfriends and professionals, we have a great group of guys. ‎ We don’t have bad characters … We truly represent what can happen when you have amazing chemistry and a team of individuals passionate about the final score, not about individual efforts.”

Outbreak SC

Added Campbell: “So much fun comes with playing for this club, the constant banter and talking trash to each other pairs very nicely with the skill and effort we put forth on the pitch. I would say the best part is a majority of us actually enjoy each other’s company and many of the Outbreak players can be found hanging out at your local Newport or Long Beach pubs either before or after our weekly match.”

Outbreak SC was initially formed as Beach FC in 2004, and since it has won five league championships in the club’s history, including the times in which it competed in neighboring leagues under the name “Bryson Blues”

Outbreak SC qualified for the First Round of last year’s Open Cup competition, but the club was defeated by the Seattle Sounders U-23 squad 3-1 in a match that went to extra time.

This year, Outbreak SC made a statement in the first round of Open Cup qualification with a 5-0 thrashing of Buena Park FC on Sept. 18. The team then were able to secure a 2-1 victory over SFC Scorpions SC in October in order
to send it to the First Round proper of the tournament.

On expectations for this cup run, Bryson says they will take it one game at a time and enjoy every moment along the way.

“No one on our team has aspirations of going pro,” he said. “We truly play for the love of the game and the friendships we have built.”

The club is primarily composed of a group of friends from Southern California, most of who grew up in Orange County together.

The club is returning every single player from last year’s squad and adding some fresh legs in the form of former Portland Timbers forward Spencer Thompson, Randall Davis, and former OC Blues FC forward Alex Antonescu.

Yet, Bryson pointed to goalkeeper Brendon Welch as the player that could have the biggest impact for the squad.

“He’s a player that if healthy, would have played at the highest level,” Bryson said. “Additionally, we rely on our complete team to show up and compete. We don’t have superstars. We play as one unit.”

2017 Meet the Underdogs: NTX Rayados back in US Open Cup after 2016 disqualification

May 1, 2017 by Adam Uthe

North Texas Rayados 2016 US Open Cup qualifying — North Texas Rayados prepare for their 2016 US Open Cup qualifying match vs. Austin. Photo: NTX Rayados

For the fifth time in six years, Dallas-based North Texas (NTX) Rayados will enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fray.

“What happened in the off year?” you ask?

Last year, Rayados found themselves in a bit of controversy. It had qualified for the 2016 Open Cup and were all set to host Corinthians FC of San Antonio in the opening round; the visitors were in town and ready to go. But the night before the match was scheduled to take place, US Soccer disqualified the Rayados for failing to compete in a sanctioned league.

NTX Rayados compete in the North Texas Premier Soccer League. It had participated in league play in the fall of 2015, which allowed it to participate in qualifying for the 2016 Open Cup. However, because of a series of injuries and a lack of player availability, the Rayados were forced to drop out of NTPSL play in the spring of 2016. US Soccer discovered this during a roster check with the North Texas Premier Soccer Association and informed the squad about 24 hours before the 2016 First Round match.

The ruling meant the Rayados would miss the Open Cup for the first time since 2011. It seems off the field issues are the only thing that can keep the North Texas amateur powerhouse out of the Open Cup though as on the field it continues to be as dominant as ever.

North Texas are back for the 2017 Open Cup after a pair of thoroughly convincing wins in qualifying. It opened up with a 7-0 victory over Celtic Cowboy Premier and then took down CD Motagua of New Orleans in the second round of qualifying; both home wins. The result against Celtic Cowboy Premier was the first Open Cup-related match since the disqualification. When asked if the ruling had a motivating factor, player-coach Tito Salas was pretty forthcoming.

“For me personally, it left a hole … we’re always looking to improve and test ourselves against the next level in ,” he said.

The team holds weekly practices regularly and tends to recruit from smaller local-area colleges.

Salas, a former Richland College player, founded the team in 2011 as a means for him and some of his former teammates to keep playing at a high level. He is aware that he and his former teammates won’t be able to play forever though and they want the team’s success to continue on to the next generation.

“We try to keep the youth involved with us,” Salas said. “I think that people around the community see us involved in many different activities as well. A few of us are public school teachers, others are actively coaching within the (Dallas-Fort Worth) metroplex, not to mention the NTX Rayados Youth academy one of our players just started.”

Antonio Rodriguez, who is not on the Rayados Open Cup roster, launched the academy with seven teams from as young as four years old up to the Under-16 level. The team really has a feel of “more than a club”, to borrow from Spanish giants Barcelona. Even though the senior side couldn’t compete in the North Texas Premier Soccer League in 2016, it managed to stay fresh by playing against the likes of Dallas City FC, FC Dallas Academy teams, the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, Texas Spurs, and local rivals Legends FC and Liverpool Warriors. They happily play anyone, anytime, anywhere and are always anxious to prove themselves against local peers.

Although they continue qualify for the Open Cup year after year, results in the tournament itself have been a mixed bag. In 2014, NTX took down Austin Aztex (PDL) in a 4-4 match that ended with Rayados advancing via the penalty shootout. The victory was sweet for the North Texas side given that Austin won 3-0 in the previous year. It went on to put up a spirited fight against the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions, losing 4-2.

The Rayados hope 2017 is the year it can finally string together a run of wins and maybe even shock a MLS side. Open Cup fans might remember Dallas Roma FC’s then-historic run of three wins in 2006 when it took down MLS side Chivas USA on penalty kicks then lost to LA’s other MLS club, the Galaxy, in the Fourth Round.

Much like Dallas Roma FC, NTX Rayados drew the inspiration for their name from a professional club; in this case Mexican giants CF Monterrey. The team simply went by “Rayados” in its first season but decided to add “NTX” in order to broadcast its home base of Dallas.

2016 Meet the Underdogs: La Maquina fighting to earn respect in inaugural US Open Cup run

June 1, 2016 by Ted Prezelski

La Maquina lines up for player introductions before their 2016 US Open Cup qualifying match with Chula Vista FC. Photo: La Maquina

After traveling from Southern California to Portland, Ore. and dispatching the Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL) 2-0 in the opening round of the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, La Maquina has gotten the attention of the American soccer public. They followed up that performance with another 2-0 shutout in Round 2 against the NPSL’s Sacramento Gold.

They were one of eight teams entering the First Round for the first time and are a bit of an unknown.

The Santa Ana, Calif.-based club finished second in the southeast division of United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) after last year’s spring/summer season. Then the club qualified for the US Open Cup with wins in the open division tournament over Strikers FC and a surprising 4-0 defeat of former Open Cup darlings Chula Vista FC in October and November respectively.

Then things got weird.

La Maquina faced San Nicolas in an UPSL quarterfinal playoff match in December. An altercation followed the match involving players, coaches and fans. UPSL reviewed the incident and handed down hefty penalties to both teams: San Nicholas was docked six games and La Maquina was banned for the winter season.

You read that right: La Maquina were ejected from the league for the next session of play.

“It was not an easy decision, especially when you have two good teams at the table,” said UPSL commissioner Yan Skwara. “As a league, we have a zero tolerance for violence and stay firm with that. At the end of the day, I think both teams have learned from this and they will be better citizens both on and off the field.”

Both teams have served their suspensions and La Maquina will return to the league for 2016’s spring/summer session.

The team’s suspension from the league hasn’t stopped them from playing. They have continued to schedule matches and have posted strong wins in a series of friendlies against local clubs, including a recent 6-0 victory against newly-rebranded PDL side LA Laguna.

Unlike most of their counterparts, the team drew another amateur side, fellow UPSL side Los Angeles Wolves, for the Third Round. They are eager to prove themselves in the Open Cup.

The team draws most of its players from the Orange County area, and counts former members of Pateadores among its ranks. One exception is Edwin Borboa, the 33-year old former chivas de Guadalajara forward who last played professionally for Liga de Ascenso club Lobos.

“The guys are really motivated. This is what they have been waiting for,” said coach Edson Martinez. “We have had a lot of games lately, and we should be playing harder teams.”

“If we win Wednesday, anything is possible,” he added.

Martinez y La Maquina will get that chance after this round where they will face the Los Angeles Galaxy. He isn’t worried. He says that his team has something special that the others don’t.

“We’ve played together for a long time. That’s the difference,” he said. “A lot of guys that could be playing on a PDL team want to play for La Maquina. They like playing here.”

Kristen Gehrke also contributed to this report

2016 Meet the Underdogs: Boston area’s Southie FC want to be more than weekend warriors

May 18, 2016 by Brian O'Connell

Like many great success stories in American soccer, the idea of Southie FC started with a couple of college buddies who weren’t quite ready to give up playing the beautiful game after graduation.

Following the completion of their studies – as well as their NCAA soccer careers — at Providence College in 2010, Sean Bakhtiari and Roy Sandeman soon hit a fork in the road.

While Bakhtiari and Sandeman both intended to extend their playing days at the PDL level – Bakhtiari had played for Seacoast United while Sandeman suited up for Western Mass Pioneers – the reality of starting a career in the real world conflicted with that idea.

So they compromised. Initially, both were content with linking up with one of many local amateur sides in Boston. But before long, they both realized they didn’t just want to show up and play every weekend.

“After one year with this local team, we thought it would be fun to start our own team, run it in a semi-professional manner, recruit our own friends and players, and try to surpass the success of local clubs like GPS Omens, Battery Park Gunners and Boston Olympiakos,” Bakhtiari said. “So in the fall of 2012, Southie FC was launched with the vision of playing our first outdoor season in the spring of 2013.”

The duo immediately went to work on their new idea. During the winter of 2012-13, the Providence alums gathered together some of their former Providence Friar teammates and friends and put together a roster.

“We didn’t really ‘recruit’ players,” Bakhtiari said. “We’re basically a group of friends and friends of friends who love the game, played competitively growing up, and demonstrate a ‘team-first’ focus.”

In a sign that the soccer gods were clearly smiling upon the efforts of Bakhtiari and Sandeman, the Boston-based outfit was afforded the
opportunity to take over the spot formerly inhabited by Suchi FC and enter the first division Massachusetts State Soccer League (MSSL)
instead of starting from scratch in the league’s second tier.

GPS Omens and Southie FC square off in 2016 US Open Cup qualifying at Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Mass.

It didn’t take long for the newly-formed outfit to thrive. In its first season in MSSL, the so-called Boys in Neon (for its neon green
kits) finished in second place, one point behind league champion Mass United FC.

Southie’s initial success was no flash in the pan, either. Not long after, the club expanded its reach, fielding three separate teams in
different leagues in Massachusetts, all which have garnered success.

To say that the original squad has set the bar would be an understatement.

Since its debut three years ago, Southie has gone on to win the Massachusetts Amateur Cup (2015), Massachusetts State US Open Cup
(2015), MSSL Division 1 North, (2015), MSSL Cup (2014), and claimed runner-up finishes in the MSSL league (2014) and Massachusetts US
Amateur Cup (2014).

The most recent – and perhaps greatest – success came last week, when Southie pulled off a 2-0 win over Seacoast United Phantoms of the PDL during the First Round of the US Open Cup.

“ was something special for all the guys involved in our club,” Bakhtiari said. “We have about seven guys, including myself, who
played for Seacoast United growing up. Very few teams and players ever get the chance to compete in the most prestigious soccer tournament in the country and we’re very proud to have qualified and represent Massachusetts well.”

While Bakhtiari and his Southie teammates already have plenty to be proud of, they’re certainly not resting on their laurels.

“Right now, we’re focused on May 18th’s US Open Cup match in Rochester ,” Bakhtiari said. “On paper, we are heavy underdogs, but we’re confident in our ability to pull off an upset on the road midweek.”

Whether Southie can pull off another stunner against the defending USL champions remains to be seen.

No matter the outcome of the Second Round clash, Bakhtiari is clearly savoring the spoils of the dream birthed by two college buddies who simply wanted to keep playing competitive soccer after commencement day.

“Our team-first focus has always been our No. 1 motive and, in my opinion, has been the biggest contributor to our club’s success,”
Bakhtiari said. “This means, committing to the team’s goals, understanding certain player selection decisions, having each other’s back on and off the field, and focusing on team play vs. individual play.

“I’m probably most proud of our team-first attitude more than anything with Southie FC. It’s something special.”

Brian O’Connell is a freelance writer who also created and runs the website New England Soccer Today.