Meet the Underdogs

2016 Meet the Underdogs: North Texas Rayados returns for record fifth straight US Open Cup run

May 5, 2016 by Adam Uthe

North Texas Rayados pose for a picture before a recent exhibition game against the Tulsa Athletics. Photo: NTX Rayados

When you think of some of the more memorable amateur qualifiers from recent US Open Cups, you probably think of teams from California like PSA Elite or Cal FC; the latter did pull off the most memorable run in recent years back in 2012 with an upset of the Portland Timbers. You might also be familiar with Harpo’s FC, the somewhat notorious pub side from Boulder, Colorado. If you’re on the East Coast, maybe you prefer New York Pancyprian Freedoms and their historic title winning sides of the 1980s.

No matter what your level of familiarity with the Open Cup is, you might end up overlooking the youth soccer hotbed of North Texas.

Case in point: North Texas (NTX) Rayados.

NTX Rayados probably aren’t even the most well-known amateur team in their home city of Dallas. Open Cup fans might remember Dallas Roma FC’s then-historic run of three wins back in 2006 when they took down MLS side Chivas USA on penalty kicks and then ultimately lost to LA’s other MLS club, the Galaxy, in the fourth round.

That run in 2006 inspired former Richland College teammates Tito Salas and Raul Herrera to form a new team in the summer of 2011 comprised of friends and other Richland College players in the area who wanted to compete at a high level. Richland College was a National Junior College Athletic Association Division III power back in the mid-2000’s and former players like Salas and Herrera were anxious to continue challenging themselves. They won the North Texas Premier Soccer Association 1A title in their first season and have qualified for the Open Cup every year since, setting a new Modern Era (1995-present) record for consecutive appearances by an open division amateur side.

“We try to stay simple and keep the same base of boys playing to compete,” said Salas, who is the team’s general manager and player/coach. “As we know that we are only getting older, we try to keep the youth involved with us. 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 metroplex, not to mention the NTX Rayados Youth academy one of our players just started.”

Antonio Rodriguez, who is not on the Rayados roster this year, launched the academy with seven teams from as young as four years old up to the Under-16 level.

“The boys are very humble, very simple guys that never give you an impression that we are better than any other amateur team around here,” said Salas. “Several teams around Dallas now claim to be semi-pro, yet never get to compete at the level that we have.”

According to Salas, the team is also proud of the fact that so many of the players on the team have used their soccer talents to earn college degrees. This foundation of their friendships and their love for the game has been what has kept the club going over the years.

While Salas is listed as the team’s general manager and head coach, the team receives a lot of support both on and off the field from assistant coach Humberto Rodriguez. Sales describes Rodriguez as “another hard working, humble man that simply enjoys watching us play. He has been there since day one, and we really appreciate his support. Would not be able to do it without him.” (He’s the white-haired man in the team photo at the top of the page).

The team actually did not participate in the highly-competitive North Texas Premier Soccer Association this past season. Salas says numerous injuries combined with a lack of player availability. They have scheduled a number of exhibition games to stay fresh. They played against teams like Dallas City FC, FC Dallas Academy teams, the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletics, Texas Spurs and will be playing against local rivals Legends FC and Liverpool Warriors before the match on the 11th.

They have also entered multiple tournaments like the Metro PCS Cup. They won the tournament which gave them a cash prize that will help them pay for their US Open Cup run. They will also be taking part in the Copa Alianza, another Dallas-based tournament that they have won three of the last four years.

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

Much like Dallas Roma FC, NTX Rayados drew the inspiration for their name from a professional club; in this case Mexican giants C.F. Monterrey. The team simply went by “Rayados” in their first season but then quickly decided to add “NTX” in order to broadcast their home base of Dallas. The team does feature a roster loaded with Mexican influence, but several players of English descent have graced their roster over the years. They want to honor their favorite Liga MX side, but they also want the best of the best regardless of heritage.

Key players on this team include goalkeeper Eduardo Cortes and striker Alberto Rodriguez. Both entered the 2016 MLS draft but unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the Rayados, they weren’t selected. Rodriguez scored three goals during the 2014 US Open Cup (tied for third-most in the tournament), including two scores and the game-winning kick in the penalty shootout against the Austin Aztex. Returning players include Jamie Lovegrove and Kevin Ellis and left back Fernando Garza, who also play with the Dallas Sidekicks indoor team.

Even with February’s announcement about MLS-owned USL teams no longer being eligible to compete opening up more amateur side spots, NTX Rayados still had an easier path to the first round than most. They defeated Austin Real Cuauhtemoc 4-2 on Nov. 1, 2015 after the initial match the week before was postponed due to heavy rain and flooding in the Texas capital. Joshean “Yoshi” Gonzalez scored twice to help seal the deal and that was the last time the team had an Open Cup match. Their second round of qualifying saw them advance after International Portland Select (IPS) had to forfeit because they couldn’t make the 2,000 mile trip to Dallas. IPS had reached Round 2 because their opening round opponent, KC Athletics, had to drop out because they couldn’t make the long trip to Oregon. Travel was an issue for a few open division amateur teams that entered the qualifying process this year.

Despite their sustained excellence in qualifying, NTX Rayados haven’t had much success in the tournament itself. They’ve only managed to advance past their first game once since their qualifying streak began back in 2012. In 2014 they took down Austin Aztex (PDL) in a thrilling 4-4 game that ended with Rayados advancing via the penalty shootout. The victory was sweet for the North Texas side given that Austin crushed them 3-0 in the previous year. Rayados went on to put up a spirited fight against the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions but ended up losing 4-2. This year they find themselves paired with another team from San Antonio: Corinthians FC of San Antonio. The Red and Black Rayados will be hoping this is the year they can finally make a sustained run and announce themselves as a true Open Cup amateur power.

2016 Meet the Underdogs: UPSL champ San Nicolas survive brawl, ready to make US Open Cup debut

May 3, 2016 by Dennis Pope

San Nicolas FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is a young club, and it’s already building a strong reputation.

The Pomona (Calif.)-based club has qualified for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time this year and has gained standing as a hard-working group with big aspirations. They have been on a roll as of late, winning their final five league matches to finish fourth in the Southeast division standings and qualify for the playoffs. They kept that streak rolling and won the UPSL championship, defeating fellow 2016 Open Cup qualifier LA Wolves FC in the title game.

“We literally had to win every single game to clinch the last spot to get in (to the playoffs),” said San Nicolas general manager Daniel Collazo.

Their difficult road to the championship started with a win over old rival and fell 2016 US Open Cup qualifier La Maquina FC. After San Nicolas rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win their quarterfinal meeting, 3-2, a brawl broke out. According to Collazo, La Maquina’s goalkeeper was sent off but after the match was over, he confronted the San Nicolas player involved with the incident that got him sent off. The situation escalated quickly.

When the dust settled, San Nicolas advanced to the semifinals, later winning the championship game, but the incident was reviewed by the UPSL. After San Nicolas lifted the trophy, the review was completed and the league ruled that San Nicolas would be suspended for the first six games of next season, while La Maquina would be suspended for the entire campaign.

“It was very hard, to receive the six-game suspension,” said Collazo, who has an Open Cup resume that includes being the general manager of PSA Elite.

However, the suspension could be viewed as a blessing in disguise with a busy schedule ahead of them. The UPSL actually did two things: They suspended them six games and because the venue where the brawl took place — a common field for many teams in the division — banned both teams, the league moved San Nicolas to a new division, requiring additional travel. Starting off with six losses, and all the extra travel made it a lost season for the club, so they decided to field a B-team in the league and focus their efforts on the Open Cup, the Silver Mug International Tournament in Las Vegas (of which they have won three times) and friendlies.

The club has played friendlies against United Soccer League clubs LA Galaxy II and OC Blues this year, and recently defeated the UPSL Arizona’s Phoenix Monsoon, 3-0. They have another friendly scheduled with NPSL club Deportivo Coras USA next on Friday, May 6.

The team travels to Arizona to take on the Premier Development League’s (PDL) FC Tucson at Kino North Stadium in a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup first round game on Wednesday, May 11.

“All the players come from different backgrounds and they have a lot of different things to do, but they’ve kept a piece of their mind on this task,” said Collazo.

New head coach Jose Botello, who spent time in the 1990s with the Los Angeles Galaxy and is an accomplished youth coach in Southern California, has a talented roster to work with. The most notable name on the roster is former Cuban international and Major League Soccer veteran Maykel Galindo, but the Lions have a range of talented players.

Amilcar ‘Mike’ Lopez and Eduardo ‘Lito’ Barba were San Nicolas’ top scorers during qualification, and Collazo expects stalwart goalkeeper Cesar Castillo, a former standout at Sacramento State, to be in between the pipes.

“Our priority this season, what we wanted is to bring the reinforcements,” Collazo said. “There’s a lot of leagues in , and the core of the players are constantly playing together.”

The club only had to win one game to qualify for the Open Cup. Their opening match was forfeited when their opponent, Corinthians USA, failed to register enough players. However, the forfeit proved to be costly as the two teams decided to play the game anyway, even though Corinthians had forfeited. Unfortunately, Galindo, San Nicolas’ 34-year-old star veteran, suffered an injury and missed their second round game.

However, they would not need the former Chivas USA forward as they cruised to a 3-0 win over So Cal Premier League side Real Sociedad. With the final round of the qualifying tournament canceled, the win proved to be their ticket to the Open Cup.

For a club making its first appearance in the tournament proper, the opportunity is lost on Collazo.

“Every single player, myself, all the sacrifice for four to five years has been developed into this,” he said.

Meet the Underdogs: GPS Massachusetts back for third straight US Open Cup seeking first tournament win

May 13, 2015 by Sean Donahue

Every year, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup includes a new batch of amateur clubs hoping to be the tournament’s latest Cinderella story. And every year, TheCup.us introduces soccer fans across the country to these teams that have been the heart and soul of this competition for more than a century. This year, we are expanding our annual “Meet the USASA” series to include the USSSA and US Club Soccer. We bring you “Meet the Underdogs.”

Bay State Soccer League (BSSL) side Global Premier Soccer Massachusetts (GPS) is set to kick off its 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup campaign on Wednesday against the USL-PDL Seacoast United Phantoms at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass. at 8 p.m. For GPS, who as a United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) club that earned qualification by finishing runner-up in the Region I Open Cup tournament last June, it’s the third straight year the club has made it to the tournament. When they first made it in 2013, they were the first USASA club based in Massachusetts in five years to make the tournament.

“The team at its core has remained much the same , particularly the way we go ahead and approach the way we show up every day,” said GPS-Massachusetts player/coach Gregory Zuboff who joined the team in the Fall of 2013, after their first Open Cup run. “We’re a group of guys that are young professionals here in Boston and most of us have played soccer through our whole lives and just continue to play for the love of the game. We come out and meet up once a week during the week to get some fitness and keep our form and then get a game or two in on the weekends to stay competitive.”

GPS, which changed its name from Mass Premier Soccer shortly before last year’s Open Cup to fall in line with the name of the youth clubs it is affiliated with, is an adult amateur team that plays its home games in Wayland, Mass. The team has had some players that have gone through the GPS system, but the affiliation, which began in 2008, has mostly benefited the club in other ways.

Mass Premier Soccer: 2011 Massachusetts Open Cup champions — GPS Massachusetts, formerly Mass Premier Soccer, won their first Massachusetts Open Cup championship in 2011 and since then have three of the last four years.

“They’ve been very supportive of us – always helpful in terms of managerial responsibilities such as finding fields,” said Zuboff. “Anytime we’re in a crunch they come through. We have a great relationship with Joe Bradley who runs the organization, so we like to stay as involved as we can and they’ve been a great organization to be a part of.”

The affiliation just adds further to the credibility of one of the most successful amateur teams in Massachusetts. The team has built its continued success around a core of players who have stuck with the club long term.

“A lot of the guys have been with the team 5, 6, 7 years and it’s a testament to the team that they stick around,” said Zuboff. “They love to come on Saturday morning for the game, at the coolers after the game and so it’s pretty similar makeup of the team.”

The team is further aided by a host of players with professional experience. Among them are Keith Caldwell (formerly on MLS side Colorado Rapids and brother of current New England Revolution midfielder Scott Caldwell), Charles Romero (USL’s Charleston Battery), and Joe Vella (lower divisions in Spain). Perhaps most notable is Sam Brill, who played for the New England Revolution as well as lower division teams in Germany and Sweden. Brill scored the game-winning goal for the Revolution in a 3-0 victory over the USL’s Richmond Kickers in the Third Round of the 2008 Open Cup. He also started at center back for the Revolution in their quarterfinal penalty kick win over USL’s Crystal Palace Baltimore that year, but didn’t play when the team was eliminated by D.C. United in the semifinals.

“Sam is a great leader for this team,” said Zuboff. “He’s never been a captain, but he’s been a stronghold in our defense for a number of years and he’s a real leader on and off the field. Very composed guy, very talented guy, so he in many ways is a leader on the team and the players on the team look to him for guidance and really respect what he has to say. Particularly on the field during tough games we look to him to show up and perform and he does.”

But, although GPS has done well to make it to three straight US Open Cups, the team has fallen in the first round on both occasions thus far: 4-1 to the Western Mass Pioneers (USL-PDL) in 2014 and 2-0 to GPS Portland Phoenix (USL-PDL)—another team under the GPS umbrella—in 2013. An impressive history of success and championships in the BSSL and amateur cups has yet to translate when facing teams higher up in the soccer pyramid in the Open Cup.

“We do quite well in our local leagues here in Massachusetts,” said Zuboff. “We have some great competition here, but we typically perform. We’ve had some tough results when we’ve gotten to the Open Cup as of late. It’s definitely top of mind for us, we’ve know we’ve got to come out and show up right from the get go. Seacoast is going to be a great competitor, so we know we’ve got to show up and certainly the results from the past will fuel us to work that much harder.”

GPS’ recent results show just what the club is capable of in the BSSL. This past Saturday they crushed Oneida FC 6-0. The weekend before Kendall Wanderers B was their victim, falling 7-0. The team now sits at 3-1 to start the BSSL season and is riding a three game winning streak. Undoubtedly, momentum is on their side.

“We’re hoping to carry that forward into the Cup game ,” said Zuboff.

If they do that successfully, a first ever trip to the second round and a home match against USL’s Tulsa Roughnecks awaits.

Meet the Underdogs: PSA Elite returns strong core of players for 4th straight US Open Cup run

May 13, 2015 by Jose M. Romero

Kenny Cooper of the Seattle Sounders scored his 8th and 9th career US Open Cup goals in the Sounders' 5-0 win over PSA Elite. Photo: Seattle Sounders — PSA Elite (in highlighter yellow) became just the third USASA club to reach the Fourth Round last year, where they fell 5-0 to Kenny Cooper and the eventual champion Seattle Sounders of MLS. Photo: Seattle Sounders

A photo of PSA Elite’s starting XI from in its Lamar Hunt US Open Cup fourth-round match of 2014 against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders begs at least two key questions.

First, who looks better and brighter in neon green, PSA Elite or the Sounders? PSA Elite wore highlighter green/yellow kits that day in Tukwila, Wash., at Starfire Sports Complex. Answer: Debatable, but give the visitors credit for the ploy.

Earl Edwards Jr. of PSA Elite blocks a shot by the Los Angeles Galaxy II in their Third Round match. Photo: Aaron Jaffe | LA Galaxy

Second, which team is one of only three USASA sides ever to get to the US Open Cup’s fourth round in 101 years of the tournament? Answer: PSA Elite.

The Orange County-based club makes its fourth consecutive Open Cup appearance this year, opening on May 13 against Golden State Misioneros FC at East L.A. College’s Weingart Stadium.

Five of the 11 players PSA Elite started last year in that match against Seattle are back and healthy this season. Former US youth internationals Aaron Simmons, Nathan Smith and Michael Amick, will join Belize international Michael Salazar and UC Irvine standout Mats Bjurman on the new-look roster.

One key player that is missing is Earl Edwards Jr., the UCLA product who received a lot of attention after his performance in last year’s Open Cup. He earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors in the Third Round for his 14-save, 120-minute shut out of USL PRO’s LA Galaxy II, which ended with him stopping two penalty kicks in the shootout to help his club advance to Round 4. Edwards is now playing in Major League Soccer for Orlando City SC and recently made his debut for the expansion team.

PSA Elite qualified for the tournament as a wild card entry by the USASA. The fact that they advanced to the Fourth Round of the tournament last year, made it difficult for them to field a full squad in the 2014 USASA Region IV tournament, so they sent a B-squad to the tournament in Orem, Utah and finished 1-3-0 as a result. However, since the reason for their shorthandedness was because of their success in the Open Cup, the USASA awarded the club its fourth straight entry. PSA Elite looks to make another run this year, perhaps going even deeper in the American championship tournament.

Club president Alex Lujan prefers to play it close to the vest as to who his 18 active players will be against Misioneros FC, a PDL side. He said he’ll choose from a pool of 30 players on the roster.

PSA Elite-Misioneros is a rematch of the USOC first round last year, which PSA Elite won in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at the StubHub Center Training Field in Carson, Calif.

PSA Elite, a team of college players mixed with veteran professionals mainly based in Southern California, has one win over another PDL side in the tournament. It was a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers U23s in Portland, Ore., in 2012.

Jose Romero is a freelance sports journalist from Phoenix who is always looking for a game of any kind to watch. He’s a former Seattle Sounders beat writer who has written about soccer regularly since late 2008. You can follow him on Twitter@RomeroJoseM

Meet the Underdogs: Madison Fire make US Open Cup debut representing Wisconsin

May 12, 2015 by Eric Anderson

Wednesday’s first-round matches of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are a chance for the 42 remaining amateur teams in the record 91-team field to take center stage.

But on a night that will feature exclusively players who aren’t being paid to play, the Madison Fire might best exemplify the “Sunday League” amateur teams that decided to try their luck on a higher level in the national tournament.

The Fire have been around since 2003, when two teams in Madison, Wisconsin — Dionysus and Hooligans — merged, but the team didn’t have a logo until one of its players created one last month in preparation for its Open Cup debut against the Des Moines Menace.

Technically, David Kommavang is the Fire’s manager. But he said that’s more of an organizational role rather than an on-field role. Decisions about lineups and strategy are made by the team as a whole — and he’s usually busy playing in the midfield anyway, so he can’t make those calls.

“We talk about what we want to do as a team before we go in,” said Kommavang, who added that the team is hoping to find someone to handle the managerial duties on the sideline Wednesday night for the match in West Des Moines, Iowa. “We’ll be like ‘OK, we’ll start David in the middle and if it goes bad, we’ll push him up to the left and we’ll sub this guy out or something.’ We have ‘what-if’ in place already and we have game plans.”

The Fire have enjoyed great success in the Madison Soccer Association over the past decade, winning four of the past seven Division 1 titles. But last fall, with the top division in the city league shrinking, the current team decided to take a step up and join the Wisconsin Soccer Leagues Major Division.

“A lot of the players wanted to play different teams, because MSA only has six teams (in Division 1). Everybody knows everybody, so that sort of competitiveness, I guess you could say, got lost a little bit,” said Kommavang, a Madison native. “A lot of them thought it would be a good idea to have a Major team … You know, different teams, different atmosphere and maybe the other teams aren’t going to like us.”

The Fire struggled somewhat in the fall, going 3-5-2 against the Milwaukee-area clubs in the WSL Major Division.

“I knew that was going to be a challenge,” said Kommavang, one of several players who played in the league with Madison United. “We’re like, ‘Let’s go ahead and do it. We’ll get through the fall and in the spring, we’re going to make a run for it.’ There’s no doubt in my mind that we’re one of the best teams in the Majors.”

Indeed, the Fire have gone 3-0-1 in their first four matches of the spring, outscoring opponents 13-3 and posting three clean sheets in the process.

In addition to moving into the WSL Majors, the Fire took a shot and signed up for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Only two other teams entered the US Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region II tournament — Kansas City Athletics drew a bye and qualified for the Open Cup proper, while the Fire drew FC Indiana at home with the winner also earning a spot.

“We did take a risk and we got lucky that was a home game,” Kommavang, whose team still only had 12 players for the match — after much confusion over the date and location of the game, it was played at Reddan Soccer Park in nearby Verona.

Ali Barry scored the lone goal and Demba Camara recorded the shutout as the Fire won 1-0 on Oct. 4, 2014 to claim a berth in the 102nd tournament.

“Oh, it’s amazing,” Kommavang said of playing in the US Open Cup. “It’s another step and I think it’s a good way to test our skills to see where we’re at.

“I hope we can get through the first round and see as far as we can go and just give the team and our teammates a good experience, a different level of soccer. Just to be a part of that, to me, that’s just awesome.”

As part of their preparations to play Premier Development League powerhouse Des Moines Menace in Round 1 on Wednesday, the Fire borrowed a page from the successful Wisconsin men’s basketball team and started running up a large hill at Elver Park on Madison’s west side. Badgers coach Bo Ryan, whose team has advanced to the NCAA Final Four each of the past two seasons, has had his teams run the hill as part of their preseason conditioning program for years.

“We will play teams that will be more skilled than us or will have more great players than we have, but we have control over how fit we are,” Kommavang said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime-thing maybe, let’s just go in there 100 percent in shape.”

While the sentiment might ring true, Wednesday won’t be Kommavang’s US Open Cup debut — he played with the Madison 56ers in the 2011 tournament, coming on as a sub in a 4-0 victory over Illinois club AAC Eagles in a first-round match.

The Fire’s roster includes a mix of players from both local and international backgrounds. Trevor Banks (Old Dominion), Brian Bultman and Erol Goknur (Wisconsin), Ryan Germann (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Will McAteer (Wright State) and Sabastian Xiong (Wisconsin-Green Bay) are former NCAA Division I players, while many other players starred at Division III and junior college programs.

Also on the roster is Khalid “Johnny” Zafari, a 43-year-old native of Afghanistan who has been a constant with the Fire and in Madison soccer circles for years.

“He’s played a few games this season,” Kommavang said of Zafari. “He’s in amazing shape, man. We call him ‘The Godfather.’

“As for the Fire’s chances against the Menace and possibly USL professional club Saint Louis FC in the second round?

“We could be like the California team,” Kommavang said, referring to Cal FC, which beat the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL Pro and Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers as they advanced to the fourth round of the tournament in 2012.

Meet the Underdogs: First-timers Chula Vista FC enter US Open Cup to build ‘a club for life’

May 12, 2015 by Ted Prezelski

It can be hard to ask a coach or team official to pick out one or two stars of the team. It takes all eleven guys out there, working as a unit, to give a win. Still, when Hector Diaz, Director of Soccer for Chula Vista FC had to answer that question, he had a name.

“One guy in particular I would point out, because he got me into this, is Alberto Diaz,” he said. “He’s my brother.”

Fraternal connections aside, Alberto Diaz’s situation is common among Chula Vista’s players. He had talent recognized from an early age (he played for the US Under-15 team), but like many of the players who have gone through Chula Vista FC’s youth academy, didn’t see college as an option.

“There is not really a chance for these players to go to college,” Hector Diaz said. “We decided to build the next step. Our first team is composed of U-23 players … we are building a club for life and not just a youth club.”

Organizing a youth academy is difficult given the schedules of working class families, but the area doesn’t lack for talent. Joe Corona and Paul Arriola, both players with Tijuana Xolos, come from the area. Alejandro Guido, also a player for Tijuana, played for Chula Vista FC. All three players are part of the US national team pool.

Chula Vista FC’s academy works in the shadows of both the Nomads academy in La Jolla and Tijuana’s academy on the other side of the border. Add that to the local popularity of the Xolos, it can be intimidating, but Diaz thinks there is a strong market for a local soccer team. “We could have a MLS, USL Pro or PDL team here,” he said.

The team staged an exhibition between Chula Vista’s U-20s and Xolos’s U-20 team two years ago. They sold out a small high school stadium.

“There weren’t a lot of Xolos supporters,” Diaz said. “Xolos scored and everyone was quiet. Chula Vista scored and everyone was making noise. People are hungry, they just don’t have an option.”

This is the first appearance in the US Open Cup for Chula Vista, who qualified out of Region IV of the United States Adult Soccer Association. They finished runner-up in the Region IV tournament in a competition that came down to the final day. On June 8, 2014 in Orem, Utah, Cal FC and Chula Vista found themselves in a three-way tie for first place in the group standings with Cal FC and Oregon’s IPS Marathon Taverna. With one game left on the final day, Cal FC shut out a shorthanded PSA Elite team 3-0, while CV drew 2-2 with Marathon Taverna.

Chula Vista FC drew FC Tucson for their opening US Open Cup match on May 13. Diaz is familiar with the management of the team (he’s tried to arrange scrimmages before) but admits that he’ll need some preparation before the team hops on I-8 for the ride to the Old Pueblo.

“This upcoming month, I know I’ll get very familiar with who they are,” he said. “We’ll be ready.”

Meet the Underdogs: Greek American SC, winner of 4 US Open Cup titles, aiming for success in modern era

May 12, 2015 by Jack Cumming

Josh Trott (No. 9) celebrates one of his two goals with his New York Greek American Atlas teammates in their 2-0 win over Ocean City Nor'easters. Photo: Paul Rudderow | PhillySoccerPage.net — Josh Trott (No. 9) celebrates one of his two goals with his New York Greek American Atlas teammates in their 2-0 win over Ocean City Nor’easters. Photo: Paul Rudderow | PhillySoccerPage.net

Founded in 1941, the New York Greek American Soccer Club, also known as “The Greeks” are the second oldest soccer club outside Greece representing members of the Greek community. This Astoria-based neighborhood club, which is a long-time member of the historic New York Cosmopolitan League, has a rich history in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, winning the crown four times: in 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1974. They are one of just seven clubs in the tournament’s 102 year history to win four titles, one shy of the all-time record of five.

This year, the club is back for the sixth time in the modern era (1995-present), seeking to carry over their winning tradition into success in the 21st century.

Unlike other amateur leagues, the Cosmopolitan League and the USASA provide players the opportunity to play year-round. The Greek Americans are typically comprised of two types of players: former professional players who need a club to play with before moving on to their next professional team, and aspiring professional players who are looking for exposure in tournaments like the US Open Cup. The club provides year-round training and cup competition experience at both the amateur and professional level.

In the 2014 edition of the US Open Cup, the Greeks snapped a five-game tournament losing streak by taking down one of the Premier Development League’s biggest giant killers, the Ocean City Nor’Easters. They won the game 2-0 on the strength of a pair of goals by Josh Trott before falling to the USL Pro’s Richmond Kickers 2-1 in the third round.

The Greeks have qualified for the tournament for the second year in a row through the USASA’s Amateur Cup. In 2013, USASA Region I decided to award their two Open Cup spots to the region’s Amateur Cup and Open Cup champions, rather than the Open Cup winner and the runner-up. The Greeks won the Region I Amateur Cup title each of the last two years to punch their ticket to the tournament. They clinched their tournament berth with a 5-1 win over Western New York’s Italian American Sport Club in the Region I Amateur Cup Final back on June 13, 2013. Chris Megaloudis scored four goals and Stephan Pierce added another to lead the route.

This season, the Greeks hope to capitalize on last year’s successes and use their momentum to make a run this year’s Cup. The Greeks have already been preparing and believe sound preparation and a steady roster will make a difference in the success of lower division teams in the tournament.

Greek American SC team in 1969. Photo: Bill Graham Guide | National Soccer Hall of Fame

“Preparation and quality does make a difference,” said head coach Stavros Zomopoulos. “We have to be better prepared and our players need to know what we’re getting into.”

The Greeks will look to the leadership and experience of their players heading into the cup stretch. Two notable players to look out for are Megaloudis and Stephan Barea. In last season’s US Open Cup, Megaloudis scored off of a Barea assist to take a 1-0 lead on professional side Richmond Kickers. Both players will be looking to make an impact again this year’s competition.

The Greeks will also look to have a formulated plan as they head into their second round cup matchup against the PDL’s Jersey Express on May 13 in Newark, New Jersey. If the Greeks win, they are scheduled for a third round matchup against the New York Red Bulls II (USL) at Red Bull Arena on May 20. The Greeks will also attempt to reclaim back-to-back USASA National Amateur Championships from May 26-29 in Chattanooga, Tenn., meaning that fitness and training will be a priority going into the next few weeks.

Meet the Underdogs: Triangle Brigade, born out of UNC, representing North Carolina in US Open Cup debut (video)

May 11, 2015 by Michael Berton

Jason Sisneros lifts the 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup trophy

For Triangle Brigade FC coach Jason Sisneros, every moment is an educational opportunity. Each game, each practice, each tournament is a chance to learn and grow with the overall goal to create an elite level of amateur soccer in North Carolina and the surrounding region.

That focus on learning and growth shouldn’t come as a surprise—Sisneros is an assistant coach for the women’s team at the University of North Carolina. Teaching is part of his job description.

As a coach for the UNC women’s team, he often got to work with the UNC men’s club soccer team, against whom the women regularly trained. After observing the club players for a few months, witnessing their work ethic and passion, Sisneros pushed forward with an idea to create an amateur team, Triangle Brigade FC.

“I knew that these guys needed a more consistent environment. This would give guys an opportunity to train, and to play and seek out better competition,” Sisneros said.

The club was launched in January 2014 and gained entry into the Triangle Adult Soccer League (TASL). Pulling from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding areas, more than 50 people tried out and or trained with the team initially. Some of those players are used in TASL, but some players needed even more opportunities to learn and grow.

Triangle Brigade: 2014 USASA Region III Open Cup champions.

So, the club tested itself at higher levels. In its first year of existence, Triangle Brigade entered the USASA Region III Open Cup Tournament, with the winner getting a chance to progress to the national tournament as well as earning a berth in the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

To the surprise of the head coach, the team did not just compete well, it won the tournament. After going 2-1 in the group stage, Brigade beat North Texas champions and perennial Open Cup entrants NTX Rayados 4-1 in the final.

“I personally knew we were capable of competing, but I wasn’t thinking about winning the tournament,” Sisneros said. “It was about testing ourselves at a higher level. We knew we would get to play games against teams that have historically done really well. The tournament really pushed us. We were humble and proud to win.”

In addition to knowing his team would get a chance to compete nationally, Sisneros also scheduled a number of non-league games to push his team. Triangle Brigade has played teams like Gate City SC of the NPSL and the Carolina Railhawks reserves. Sisneros said that the eventual goal is to get Triangle Brigade into the NPSL.

“We have so many different kinds of players and levels,” he said. “I create opportunities for all these different levels of players because it makes everyone better. The best players will push everyone else to higher levels.”

A couple of key players for the Brigade include UNC club player Jonathan Rivera, who played a big role for the team in the Region III tournament and one of the club’s founders, Hayden Gridley. Gridley is back after nursing an injury, and was unable to play at regionals because he was working in Africa. One unknown comodity will be the club’s new Brazilian import Gabrielle De Silva.

The next major hurdle for the team was the USASA National Open Cup Tournament. Drawn against Region I champions Maryland Bays, Triangle Brigade fell to a 4-1 defeat. While he and his team were initially unhappy, they were extremely excited at getting that national experience.

Sisneros said, “Maryland was excellent, which is what we are searching for. We want to know what the best teams are doing and how they play. If you want to be great, you have to find great competition.”

Triangle Brigade will get another chance at “great competition” in this year’s US Open Cup. The team was drawn away to the NPSL’s Upward Stars out of South Carolina. The game will take place at 7 p.m. on May 13. Looming large is a potential second-round contest against the Charlotte Independence, a newly-formed pro team from the USL.

“If we are able to advance and play a professional club, it’d be huge and so much fun. It’d be a dream come true opportunity for our guys,” Sisneros said.

But for now, Triangle Brigade is taking things one step at a time, focusing on its first-ever Open Cup match. One thing is certain—Sisneros will make sure, win or lose, his team learns something from the experience.

Michael Berton is a freelance soccer writer out of the Philadelphia area. He also works at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and you can follow him on Twitter @MichaelBerton.

Meet the Underdogs: Harpo’s FC transitions from beer league team to USSSA champions, US Open Cup debutants

April 23, 2015 by Josh Hakala

Harpo's FC celebrate its 2014 CASL Fall League championship. Photo: Richard Laemming Wheeler | Harpo's FC — Harpo’s FC celebrate its 2014 CASL Fall League championship. Photo: Harpo’s FC

For the third year in a row the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will kick off in the State of Colorado. This year, it will be Boulder-based Harpo’s FC of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) hosting the Kansas City Athletics of the United States Adult Soccer Assocation (USASA) on April 25. The game will be played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Field No. 20, just outside of the home of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids.

Harpo’s FC, which is sponsored by a local bar, Harpo’s Sports Grill, will be making its first-ever appearance in the US Open Cup. Founded in 1997 as a rec-league team, Harpo’s has gradually grown into one of the regional powers in the Colorado Amateur Soccer League (CASL). Just in the last few years they have won the City of Boulder Men’s D-1 title four times, and won three CASL D-1 championships in addition to multiple tournaments, including last year’s state cup.

In 2014, they were 35-2-4 in outdoor games. With their outdoor success, they decided to take their game indoors. They joined the Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL) and their winning ways continued. This past season, under the name Avery Brewing FC, they were Rocky Mountain Division champions (7-1-0) and the Brewers finished as the 2014-15 National Cup runner-up in the second-tier indoor league (behind the Major Arena Soccer League).

Johnny Freeston, the club’s owner and manager, says the team has come a long way since their ‘beer league’ beginnings.

“Admittedly, when the team started it was just a group of guys who just wanted to keep on playing after high school and college,” said Freeston. “In those early days, there was probably more drinking than playing, but could still ball.”

Freeston arrived in Boulder around 2005 and eventually found himself in a leadership role. In 2012, he decided they had enough talent on the roster and in the area to start challenging for trophies. For Freeston, who works in sales and handles all the financial aspects of the club, an appearance in the US Open Cup has been a couple years in the making. After a number of years living up to their rec-league roots, the team started to get older and having families. And with players training on their own and living their own lives, it was about changing the team’s mentality.

“It was all about creating a culture of winning and a brotherhood,” said Freeston. “I think we’ve done that, and it’s shown in the results.”

Harpo’s brotherhood starts with their captain, Dan Campbell. The California native moved to Boulder to work on his MBA after playing soccer and getting a degree from the University of California-Davis. He met a few players and was brought into the fold and over time has become the veteran leader that the team needs in midfield.

One of the main goalscorers is Boulder native Shane Wheeler, who is hoping that playing for Harpo’s and making a run in the US Open Cup could help him earn a pro contract. He has been on trial with a number of pro teams, but has yet to catch on. Freeston describes him as a ‘diamond in the rough’ and has high hopes for his confident number nine who scored two vital free kick goals to help Harpo’s qualify for this year’s tournament.

Another player to watch is Justin Geibel, another outsider who has joined the Harpo’s family. Freeston describes him as the team’s horse who never stops running. Geibel followed an interesting path to end up in Boulder as he grew up in Massachusetts and played college ball at Vermont before ending up in Australia playing for Brisbane Strikers, a lower division pro team. (Brisbane Strikers reached the Round of 16 of Australia’s FFA Cup last season) The 29-year-old brings a veteran work ethic to the midfield, both for the outdoor and indoor teams.

The last few years have seen various amateur teams having trouble securing venues for the tournament, and that was a challenge for Harpo’s as well. They originally planned to play at the University of Colorado’s Pretnup Field, but they learned that the field would be unavailable due to some field maintenance. Luckily for Harpo’s, one of their center midfielders, Sean Sullivan, works in the ticket sales department with the Colorado Rapids. The Kentucky native, who played his college ball at Siena College in New York, was able to help his team find a new home field at Field No. 20 at the Dick’s Sporting Good Park facility in Commerce City, Colo.

Harpo's FC: 2014 USSSA Colorado State Champions — Harpo’s FC: 2014 USSSA Colorado State Champions

On Saturday, they will host the Kansas City Athletics, which will be making its third appearance in the Open Cup (2010, 2012 and 2015) after qualifying through Region II of the USASA. The Overland Park, Kan.-based team has enjoyed relative success in the national tournament, beating Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 3-1 back in 2012, and giving NSC Minnesota Stars (now Minnesota United in the NASL) all they could handle in a 4-2 loss in the opening round in 2010. The Athletics thought they had qualified in 2013, but they were forced to withdraw after they were ordered to replay their tournament on short notice after the Dearborn Stars filed a protest over the size of Kansas City’s home field.

The matchup is unusual in that these two teams are quite familiar with each other having faced off twice in the USSSA qualifying tournament a month ago. The two sides first met in the opening game of group play where Harpo’s cruised to a 4-1 win over the Athletics behind a free kick goal by Wheeler and a hat-trick by Kyle Luetkehans. Harpo’s ultimately secured their entry into the 2015 US Open Cup after defeating two-time defending champion Colorado Rovers 3-2 in the semifinals thanks to a dramatic free kick from 25 yards out that deflected off the post and into the back of the net.

The win put them into the championship game against Kansas City. However, since the Athletics had already qualified for the Open Cup through the USASA, and were just participating to get game experience ahead of the tournament, Harpo’s was awarded the spot as the last remaining USSSA team. The two clubs would square off in the Final to crown a champion and it was the Athletics getting revenge with a 3-1 win.

“It was very interesting circumstances which saw us play (KC Athletics) twice at the USSSA National Cup and those experiences were valuable with each team earning a win,” said Freeston. “However, it’s all about the here and now. Both sides will be better prepared for this rubber match. We expect a top quality battle and we’re excited for the opportunity to face them again.”

The third meeting will take place on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT with the winner traveling to Provo, Utah to take on the BYU Cougars in the First Round on May 13. The team that emerges from the opening round will earn a road date with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, a professional team out of USL on May 20.

Harpo’s are the fourth amateur club from Colorado to qualify in the modern era (1995-present), and the previous three were undefeated in their opening game (Boulder Rapids Reserve, Real Colorado Foxes, Colorado Foxes – all PDL). To carry on that tradition, Freeston plans to build on his club’s past successes to make their inaugural cup run a memorable one.

“To be successful we never lose, we either win or learn, and always strive to improve. Our team motto is Brothers, Character and Excellence. Onwards and upwards!”

Robert Wilson also contributed to this article

Josh Hakala is a sports broadcaster and the creator/senior editor of TheCup.us. You can reach him on Twitter @USOpenCup or on his personal account @JoshHakala. Anyone interested in contributing (writing, research, website design), sponsoring TheCup.us, or if you have any questions or have some historical information about the US Open Cup to share, please email him here.

Meet The Underdogs: Fan-owned San Francisco City brings US Open Cup, professional aspirations back to city

April 23, 2015 by Evan Ream

San Francisco City FC celebrates after winning the 2015 US Club Soccer Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Lynsday Radnedge | CenterLineSoccer.com

In a market flush with technology, entrepreneurs, and some of the smartest young minds in the world, San Francisco City FC is aiming to be the next big start up in the Bay Area.

Less than a year old, San Francisco City has become the first amateur club from the city to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in nearly 20 years. City will kick off its first-ever cup run on April 25 with a home game at Kezar Stadium against Cal FC (USASA).

The club has done this using classically San Franciscan, outside-the-box thinkingl which has given the club aspirations taller than the Transamerica Pyramid.

Similar to Nashville FC of the NPSL, City’s model is that of fan ownership, where each willing fan can buy into the team and possibly have a say in the operations of the club.

“Our goal is to expand to 10,000 active members and reach the highest level of US Soccer competition by 2020,” reads the end text of each club press release. “Our mission is to provide top quality football and honor the civic and sporting legacy of San Francisco, while acting in meaningful service to the local community, and offering local youth the opportunity to learn and grow as students of the game & citizens in San Francisco’s unique cultural environment.”

With 258 members as of April 7, City is obviously short of its membership goal, but it has checked off nearly every other in its mission statement.

Playing in the NorCal Adult Premier League last fall as Ticket Arsenal FC, the name of left back Jordan Gardner’s company in the city, the club compiled an impressive 10-1-0 record to qualify for the league’s postseason tournament in which the winner would receive a US Open Cup berth.

Before easily dominating the postseason tournament, Ticket Arsenal decided to merge with San Francisco City FC, which founded youth teams as early as 2012, but were unable to secure a first team despite attempts to join the NPSL.

Through head coach Andrew Gardner, a former American football kicker at Cal Poly and brother of Jordan, Ticket Arsenal had the players but not the infrastructure. For SF City FC, the opposite was true with the deep pockets of the long board member list, and thus a perfect marriage was formed.

“We, as in San Francisco City, have done all this off-the-field work and it looks like Ticket Arsenal has done all this on-the-field work and is making a huge push for the off-the-field stuff, but just doesn’t have a ton of infrastructure outside of (the Gardner brothers),” Andrew Gardner said.

“So they called me up and set up a meeting and said, ‘Look, this is who we are, this is what we’re about, this is what we think we can provide you guys. You guys do your thing, we trust what you’re doing, it’s amazing,” Gardner added. “This is like a perfect fit where we merge our clubs.”

The system the club has set up is relatively unheard-of in American sports, giving fans an unusual amount of power.

“It’s a natural, supporter-run team, where, say we start playing like shit and they decide to fire me, when I go off board, the team is still there because the team is the city,” Andrew Gardner said. “What we’ve been pushing for is to really integrate the soccer community here in San Francisco, to unite it into one group. From the adult, all the way to the youth level, and really bring high-quality, passionate soccer to San Francisco, which we see the potential.”

David Romney helped San Francisco City qualify for the 2015 US Open Cup but left shortly after when he was signed by LA Galaxy II of USL. Photo: Lynsday Radnedge | CenterLineSoccer.com

City’s efforts to make a difference in the community took a step forward in March, when the club announced a pair of jersey sponsors in Classy and Street Soccer USA. The former is the largest fundraising platform for socially “good” organizations in the world, featuring over 1,000 nonprofits and social enterprises such as The World Food Programme and National Geographic, while the latter is a company that uses street soccer to advocate for social change and better community health.

Featuring mainly former Division I college players, City is off to an impressive start in league play, beating 2014-15 runner-up Stanislaus United Academica 5-0 before trouncing Juventus SC Juventus Adult Soccer Academy by the same score. City defeated both teams in the Open Cup qualifying tournament in January. They enter Saturday’s match with Cal FC undefeated in league play at 4-0-0.

In addition, City has come up with one-sided friendly results in beating the Division I University of San Francisco 4-1 and Division II Holy Names University 5-1 as part of its preseason.

Results like this brought the attention of United Soccer League clubs LA Galaxy II and Tulsa Roughnecks FC, who swooped in and weakened City’s roster by picking up David Romney and Ben Brewster, respectively.

According to the club, that same success has also developed interest from the North American Soccer League as the second division professional league looks to expand westward in the coming years.

But for now City is focused on the season ahead, with home games scheduled to be played at Kezar Stadium, the razed-and-rebuilt former home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and the location for numerous US Open Cup games over the last 30 years (According to TheCup.us records, the earliest known game took place in 1983). It’s also known for being a location for the movie Dirty Harry in its NFL heyday.

The 10,000-seat stadium located in Golden Gate Park was recently renovated to include seats from the soon-to-be demolished Candlestick Park, another famous 49ers venue.

Shane Watkins of the San Francisco Bay Seals eludes San Jose Clash defender John Doyle during the Seals' 2-1 Quarterfinal upset at Spartan Stadium on August 20, 1997. The Seals will be honored during a halftime ceremony on Saturday. Photo: San Francisco Bay Seals — Shane Watkins of the San Francisco Bay Seals eludes San Jose Clash defender John Doyle during the Seals’ 2-1 Quarterfinal upset at Spartan Stadium on August 20, 1997. The Seals, who made history with a run to the Semifinals that year, will be honored during a halftime ceremony on Saturday. Photo: San Francisco Bay Seals

Perhaps no event at Kezar will be more important for the young club than its April 25 Open Cup Preliminary Round match against Cal FC, the Southern California-based amateur club that qualified out of Region IV of the USASA made a name for itself in 2012. That year, under the leadership of former US international Eric Wynalda, Cal FC knocked off a pair of professional teams, including a stunning upset of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers.

“We are excited and honored to be hosting Cal FC in the of the US Open Cup. Their 2012 run led by Eric Wynalda was truly a remarkable accomplishment,” Andrew Gardner said. “We are so fortunate to be able to host this year’s historic matchup here in San Francisco. The community here has rallied around our club, and this game really means so much to the soccer community. On the pitch, this game will be a very challenging test for our club, but I am confident that we will end up on top.”

Notes: At halftime, San Francisco City FC will honor other San Francisco teams who have played in the Open Cup including 1993 champion Club Deportivo Mexico, two-time winner Greek-American Athletic Club (1985, 1994), 1976 winners San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, 1997 semifinalists San Francisco Bay Seals, and the last professional team to qualify from the city, the California Victory (2007). The club will also honor the passing of Jim Rally, the co-founder of Greek-American AC.

Evan Ream covers Sacramento Republic FC for the Davis Enterprise. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanReam