2015 US Open Cup

Lamar Hunt US Open Cup gets a new logo ahead of Wednesday’s draw for 103rd tournament

April 5, 2016 by Josh Hakala

UPDATE: The draw for Round 1 and the Round 2 scenarios was released

The day before the draw for the first two rounds of the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the US Soccer Federation tweeted out the tournament’s new logo.

The new look coincides with the federation’s rebranding that included a new crest. It is the first update of the crest since 1995.

The First Round and the Second Round potential pairings for the 103rd edition of the US Open Cup will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 6 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. The draw will be live tweeted by the federation’s official Twitter account, and no video will be available.

All of the amateur clubs, with the exception of Chattanooga FC (NPSL) and Kitsap Pumas (PDL) who received first round byes, will find out who they will play in the opening round of the tournament. The First Round is scheduled to take place on May 11. The potential pairings for Round 2, which is scheduled for the following week on May 18, will also be announced.

The procedure for the draw is that the teams are separated on a regional basis to minimize travel and are drawn randomly from those groups.

The home teams are determined based on the teams that applied to host. The teams that were interested in hosting submitted an application. When two teams are drawn together, and they both meet the federation’s venue standards, then they do a coin flip to determine the host.

TheCup.us will post the matchups as soon as they are released on Twitter @USOpenCup. Also, be sure to check out Rabble TV for live audio analysis after on Wednesday after the draw.

2015 US Open Cup Final: Sporting KC wins third USOC title after PK shootout with Philadelphia Union

September 30, 2015 by Michael Berton

Sporting Kansas City celebrates the club's third US Open Cup title. Photo: Bob Larson — Sporting Kansas City celebrates the club’s third US Open Cup title. Photo: Bob Larson

UPDATE: Tim Melia was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round and Sporting KC rookie Krisztian Nemeth was voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

For the second time in four years, Sporting Kansas City is the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Champion. And for the second time in four years, the victory was claimed in penalty kicks.

Jordi Quintilla’s conversion in the eighth round of penalties was the difference as Sporting Kansas City topped the Philadelphia Union 7-6 in kicks after a 1-1 regulation draw. It is the third time that Kansas City has lifted the Open Cup trophy (2004, 2012, 2015).

Sporting had to come from behind to get to penalty kicks, giving up the opening goal in the 23rd minute. Looking dangerous throughout the first half, the Union got that goal when Vincent Nogueira hit a laser of a diagonal pass to Sebastian Le Toux. The Frenchman made no mistake with his right foot, putting the ball in the back of the net. That goal was Le Toux’s 16th in Open Cup play — the most of anyone in the Open Cup Modern Era.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE 2015 US OPEN CUP FINAL

The Union, playing in their second Final at home in a row, could not find a second goal however. The lack of a killer second goal gave Sporting hope heading into the second half.

“In the first half we pushed the tempo,” Union coach Jim Curtin said. “I was sitting on the sideline saying ‘we need a second goal.’ ”

The road team pushed forward in the second half and were eventually rewarded. In the 65th minute, Chance Myers crossed a ball into the Union box that was played by Graham Zusi. Krisztian Nemeth collected the ball and hit a right-footed curler to the far post, past Andre Blake to tie the match. It was the fifth goal of the competition for Nemeth who would finish the Open Cup tied with teammate Dom Dwyer in goals (5) and points (11). It also marked the fourth straight game that Nemeth had scored a goal in, which ties a Modern Era record.

“Our biggest thing was that we wanted to get set higher up the field,” said Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes. “We couldn’t get ourselves out . I knew we had the ability to break down.”

For 10 minutes after the goal, Philadelphia looked down and out. Conor Casey came in as a sub and changed that, getting a shot on goal with his first touch. Casey remained influential for the remainder of the match, but Kansas City and keeper Tim Melia kept him off the scoreboard.

The crowd of 14,463 wet fans — including a fair amount of Sporting Kansas City supporters — were not treated to a game-winner. Instead, the teams headed to overtime, something the Union especially were used to in Open Cup play.

Both teams had a few chances in the second half, but the most interesting moment came when Curtin made his final sub. With a minute left in the second overtime, Curtin switched goalkeepers, bringing in John McCarthy for Blake. McCarthy was the hero against both Rochester and the New York Red Bulls in earlier rounds of the Open Cup, winning penalty kick shootouts in each game.

“It’s something we talked about all week,” Curtin said. “He is special at PKs.”

But it was Sporting Kansas City that came out on top. After two rounds, Melia saved Maurice Edu’s shot, but McCarthy followed up with a save on Nemeth. Both teams converted four more kicks until the Union’s Andrew Wenger had his shot stopped by Melia. Quintilla was the hero, putting his shot away to give Kansas City the victory.

Highlights: 2015 US Open Cup Final

US Open Cup championship celebration

Sporting KC lifting the trophy

Sporting KC fans celebration/reaction

Preview: Philadelphia Union aim to save season, Sporting KC seek to join elite in 102nd US Open Cup Final

September 30, 2015 by Josh Hakala

The 102nd edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will come to a close tonight at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. The Philadelphia Union will host the championship game for the second year in a row, and for the second straight year, the club will try to win its first-ever trophy. On the opposing side, Sporting Kansas City are seeking a third Open Cup title and a sixth US Major trophy, something only three other clubs have done (LA Galaxy, DC United, Chicago Fire).

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and, for the first time, on the Univision Deportes Network. You can also join the conversation and share your photos during the match by using the hashtag #USOC2015 on Twitter and Instagram.

MORE THECUP.US LINKS:

2015 US Open Cup Final: A look back at Philadelphia Union’s tournament history

The history of Philadelphia and the US Open Cup Final

Designated Players in US Open Cup: Evolution of DPs from David Beckham to Steven Gerrard, Philadelphia Union duo

Which goalkeeper should Union start in US Open Cup Final?

2015 US Open Cup Final: Ted Unkel to referee Wednesday’s championship game

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Open division tournament begins in October; PDL gets 15 spots, NPSL gets 13

2016 US Open Cup qualifying: Matchups announced for open division amateur tournament

Roger Espinoza of Sporting KC suspended two US Open Cup games for punching Houston Dynamo’s Brad Davis (video)

Not up for the Cup: Why so few amateur Cascadian clubs enter the US Open Cup

2015 US Open Cup bracket

2015 US Open Cup Schedule/Results

2015 Meet the Underdogs series

2015 stat leaders (Goals/Assists/Points)

TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

The First Cup series (1913/14)

TheCup.us 2.0 launches | The origin of TheCup.us

Twitter (#USOC2015) | Facebook | Flickr | Reddit | Instagram

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup records
Overall: 21-12-4 (2-2 PKs) | Away: 5-5-3 (1-2 PKs) | vs. MLS: 8-7-1 (1-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 vs. Portland Timbers of MLS in Round 5)
Best finish: 2004, 2012 US Open Cup champions

Philadelphia Union Open Cup records
Overall: 9-3-3 (3-0 PKs) | Home: 8-2-1 (1-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 4-3-2 (2-0 PKs)
Last entry: 2014 (Lost 3-1 in OT vs. Seattle Sounders of MLS in Final)
Best finish: 2014 Runner-up

STAT LEADERS

GOALS
SKC: Dom Dwyer 5 goals (No. 1 in tournament)
Philadelphia: Eric Ayuk 2 goals

ASSISTS
SKC: Benny Feilhaber 4 assists (Tied No. 1 in tournament)
Philadelphia: Cristian Maidana 1 assist, Vincent Nogueira 1 assist, Sheanon Williams 1 assist

HOW THEY GOT HERE …

Sporting KC
Round 4: 1-0 win vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)
Round 5: 6-2 win vs. FC Dallas (MLS)
Quarterfinals: 3-1 win vs. Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Semifinals: 3-1 win vs. Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Philadelphia Union
Round 4: 0-0 draw (3-1 PK win) vs. Rochester Rhinos (USL)
Round 5: 2-1 win vs. DC United (MLS)
Quarterfinals: 1-1 draw (4-3 PK win) at New York Red Bulls
Semifinals: 1-0 win vs. Chicago Fire (MLS)

If Philadelphia wins … they will win the club’s first-ever trophy and become the first Philadelphia-area club to win the tournament since 1966 (Ukrainian Nationals)

If Kansas City wins … they will win the club’s third US Open Cup title and become the second Kansas-based club to win the tournament (2012 – Sporting KC)

———————

Both teams will enter Wednesday’s US Open Cup Final well-rested as the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City rested many of their starters in their respective league matches. This could make for an explosive title game at PPL Park. However, considering the defensive performances that both teams have shown this year, it could be a typical cup final, as they say, where goals are at a premium.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Defense has been the theme for Sporting KC in reaching a third Open Cup Final. Tim Melia has been in goal throughout the competition but he hasn’t been tested very much thanks to the backline in front of him. In their four games, they have held their opponents to 22 shots. Melia has only had to make nine saves. This is similar to the club’s 2012 championship run where Kansas City’s Jimmy Nielsen and Jon Kempin only needed to make 10 saves over five games.

Sporting began their run to the final in Round 4 where they edged Saint Louis FC (USL) 1-0. Graham Zusi scored the game-winner in the 70th minute. There was little drama in their next match, cruising to a 6-2 win against FC Dallas. Dom Dwyer became the first KC player to score a hat trick in tournament play when he scored four goals to go along with Krisztian Nemeth. Dwyer and Nemeth connected again in the Quarterfinals as they each scored a goal and dished out an assist in 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo. They punched their ticket to the Final with a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake thanks to Benny Feilhaber’s goal and an assist that earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The Union’s run to a second straight final nearly ended where it started. Philadelphia hosted the Rochester Rhinos (USL) and the two teams went scoreless for 120 minutes before going to a penalty kick shootout. The Union had a secret weapon for the penalty kick shootout: goalkeeper John McCarthy. The former Rhinos netminder made three straight saves to send the Union into Round 5.

Next up, the Union faced another challenge in DC United (MLS). To make matters worse, Philadelphia’s CJ Sapong was shown a red card in the 24th minute, leaving the home team down a man for the remainder of the game. Despite falling behind 1-0 three minutes later, the Union rallied with an equalizer in the 56th minute by Eric Ayuk and what would prove to be a game-winner by Fabinho in the 79th minute. McCarthy made six saves to keep Philly in the game and beat United 2-1.

After a lengthy episode over who would host the game and when (the match kicked off at 4 p.m.), there was more shorthanded drama in the Quarterfinals as Philly’s Conor Casey was sent off in the 40th minute, leaving the visitors with 10 men at Red Bull Arena. Ayuk scored to put the Union up in the 55th minute and they were a minute away from claiming a surprising win in regulation but Lloyd Sam leveled the match deep into second half stoppage time. After a scoreless extra time, they went to penalty kicks and once again McCarthy came up big with an acrobatic save on a Sam attempt in the fourth round that sent the Union back to the Semifinals.

In the Semifinals against the Chicago Fire at PPL Park, the only goal came from Sebastien Le Toux in the 74th minute. For Le Toux, it was his 15th career tournament goal, which tops the Modern Era goalscoring chart.

LEAGUE FORM

The Union are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot, but their window is nearly shut. With three games left in the season, they are eight points behind Montreal for the sixth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. It would take three wins and a massive collapse by the Impact to have any hope of a postseason berth. The Open Cup final represents Philadelphia’s only hope for a trophy and a chance to salvage what has been a disappointing campaign.

The month of September has produced some positive results for the Union. In four matches, they earned seven points, including a pair of wins against the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo. In their most recent outing, they traveled to Gillette Stadium and earned a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution. Andre Blake stole the headlines and in the process, created a goalkeeper controversy as he set a new single-game club record with 10 saves. With John McCarthy earning a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over the Dynamo the week before, both keepers have earned the right to start.

A win would provide a boost toward building for next season as the winner of the tournament receives $250,000 in cash, $150,000 in allocation money and a spot in the 2016/17 CONCACAF Champions League.

Kansas City are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, but their playoff spot isn’t set in stone. Sporting has four games to play and are two points ahead of seventh place San Jose. The month of September has not helped their playoff stability as they earned just one win in five matches (1-2-2). Their most recent outing was a national TV game on Sunday where they finished 1-1 with last year’s Open Cup champion Seattle Sounders. Dom Dwyer, the tournament’s leading goalscorer with five, bagged his 11th league goal of the season with a 79th minute equalizer.

CONNECTIONS

The biggest connection between the two teams is CJ Sapong. The Union striker, who was acquired from Sporting Kansas City in an offseason trade, is having a career year with nine goals in league play. As a Sporting player, Sapong was on the 2012 Open Cup championship team that eliminated the Union in the Semifinals that year. (More on CJ Sapong in the links below)

PREVIEWS

Here is a collection of some of the best previews and Open Cup stories from across the web:

Union look for another electric night in Open Cup final (Philly.com)

Tactics Talk: Strategic analysis of Sporting Kansas City, a story of subtle change (PhillySoccerPage.net)

Open Cup: Story of the Dewar Cup, the historic tournament’s first, and now retired, prize (MLSsoccer.com)

Commentary: Andre Blake must start the U.S. Open Cup final (PhillySoccerPage.net)

Know Your Opponent: Sporting visits for the Final (PhiladelphiaUnion.com)

Union motivated by last year’s loss as they seek first U.S. Open Cup title (SI.com)

Winning Open Cup could reap many benefits for Union (Philly.com)

Open Cup: Andre Blake or John McCarthy? Philadelphia Union have goalkeeping question (MLSsoccer.com)

ExtraTime Radio: Just when you thought MLS results made sense… | USOC final preview with Peter Vermes (MLSsoccer.com)

Open Cup: Sporting KC to bring taste of home to final at PPL Park with 800 traveling supporters (MLSsoccer.com)

Quote Sheet: Curtin, Le Toux, Vermes and Besler Talk 2015 USOC Championship Game (USSoccer.com)

The Vault: Ghosts of Bethlehem Steel still linger in Philadelphia soccer lore (MLSsoccer.com)

You play to win the game: Why the Open Cup Trophy constitutes a successful season (PhillySoccerPage.net)

Matchday Guide (PhiladelphiaUnion.com)

By The Numbers: 2015 US Open Cup Final (USSoccer.com)

Countdown to Cup: Sporting KC could move into rare territory with third trophy in four years (SportingKC.com)

Nemeth flourishing in first year with Sporting KC (KC Star)|

Sapong to face old team in Open Cup final (Daily Local News)

US Open Cup final roundtable (PhillySoccerPage.net)

U.S. Open Cup Final: Sporting KC’s three keys to victory (KC Star)

Road to U.S. Open Cup final has been strange one for Union’s CJ Sapong (The Trentonian)

Open Cup Flashback: Notable individuals share memories of 2004 championship game (SportingKC.com)

My Open Cup story: Maurice Edu (BrotherlyGame.com)

My Open Cup Story: Fred (BrotherlyGame.com)

Commentary: What winning the US Open Cup would mean to us (BrotherlyGame.com)

2015 U.S. Open Cup Final Intro Video

The Story of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup Semifinals

Road To The Cup (Philadelphia Union)

The journey to the Open Cup Final all in one GIF. pic.twitter.com/p5nXtlqc5X

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) September 29, 2015

2015 US Open Cup Final: Ted Unkel to referee Wednesday’s championship game

September 28, 2015 by Josh Hakala

Ted Unkel was the center referee for the New York Cosmos vs. New York Red Bulls match in Round 5. Photo: Bob Larson

The United States Soccer Federation announced the referee assignment for Wednesday’s 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final between the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. American official Ted Unkel will be the referee the match along with assistants Ian Anderson and James Conlee, and Chris Penso as the 4th official.

This will be the second championship game that Unkel has officiated in his six years as a professional. The 37-year-old was the center referee for the 2014 North American Soccer League championship game between the San Antonio Scorpions and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Other notable games include a 2011 NASL Semifinal (Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Puerto Rico Islanders), a 2011 WPS Semifinal (Philadelphia Independence vs. MagicJack FC) and a 2009 WPS Semifinal (Saint Louis Athletica vs. Sky Blue FC).

Unkel has been the center official for four career US Open Cup games. His first came in the 2012 Fourth Round as the Carolina RailHawks hosted Chivas USA. His next two were a pair of Orlando City SC home games: a 2013 Third Round match against the Colorado Rapids and a 2014 Third Round match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. His most recent Open Cup outing was the referee for the highly-anticipated New York Cosmos vs. New York Red Bulls Fifth Round match at Red Bull Arena earlier this year. In those four games has has averaged 4.25 yellows per game and has given out three total red cards (One to an assistant coach).

Confirmed: 2015 US Open Cup Final to air live on ESPN2, Univision

September 24, 2015 by Josh Hakala

UPDATED (9/25/15) with US Soccer Federation’s confirmation.

Fans unable to make the trip to PPL Park to witness the 2015 US Open Cup Final between the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City will be able to watch it from the comfort of their homes. The tournament’s 102nd championship game is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 and the Univision Deportes Network on Wednesday, Sept. 30 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. This was first revealed on Thursday when it was posted on the network’s TV listings page and wasn’t officially confirmed by the US Soccer Federation until late Friday. The game will also be available on the WatchESPN app.

The last time the Final was broadcast on ESPN, the A-League’s Rochester Raging Rhinos lifted the trophy at Columbus Crew Stadium in their historic in 1999. It was the only time the title game was broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. This will be the first time Univision has broadcast the championship game.

Since then, the championship game has bounced back and forth between Fox and GolTV. Fox Sports World broadcasted the Final from 2000-2003, then GolTV picked up the rights for two years before Fox Soccer Channel held it for six years (2006-11). GolTV then bought the rights in a three-year deal beginning with the 99th edition of the title game in 2012 through last year’s Final.

Chicago Fire first in line to host 2015 US Open Cup Final on Sept. 30 after blind draw (video)

August 5, 2015 by Josh Hakala

The United States Soccer Federation conducted a blind draw to determine the hosting priorities for the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final on Sept. 30. After it was all said and done, the Chicago Fire, who are seeking a record-tying fifth US Open Cup title, are the top priority to host the championship game if they defeat the Philadelphia Union in the Semifinals on Aug. 12.

If the Chicago Fire advance to the Final, they will be the 23rd Illinois club to play for an Open Cup title, which would move them into fourth place among all the states (New York, California, Pennsylvania). A win would allow them to host the tournament finale for the fourth time (1998, 2000, 2006) and the second time at Toyota Park.

Real Salt Lake finished as the second priority, so they will host the Final if they defeat Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 12 at Sporting Park. Back in 2013, Real Salt Lake hosted the first-ever Open Cup Final in the state of Utah in a 1-0 loss to DC United at Rio Tinto Stadium.

If both home teams win their Semifinal matches (Philadelphia and Sporting Kansas City), then the Philadelphia Union will host the championship game. If the Union host, it will be just the third time in the Modern Era that a team has hosted the Final in back-to-back seasons. The last time a Philadelphia team played for a title in two straight seasons was the Ukrainian Nationals in 1963 adn 1964.

As the fourth option, if Sporting Kansas City win their final four matchup with Real Salt Lake, then they will play the title game on the road. Statistically, it wouldn’t be a disaster as the road team is on a three-game unbeaten streak (2012 Final went to penalty kicks and is officially listed as a draw).

The potential times and venues for the Final have yet to be announced.

2015 US Open Cup Semifinals (Aug. 12)
Chicago Fire at Philadelphia Union – 7:30 p.m. ET
Real Salt Lake at Sporting Kansas City – 8:30 p.m. ET

2015 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sporting KC pulls away late from shorthanded Houston Dynamo, 3-1 (video)

July 21, 2015 by Matthew De Witt

Benny Feilhaber scores the equalizing goal for Sporting KC against the Houston Dynamo in the 2015 Quarterfinals. Photo: Graham Green | Prost Amerika

The 2013 MLS Cup rematch is set. The only thing missing? The four-degree temperature.

Sporting Kansas City, earning its first berth in the US Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since its championship run in 2012, came from behind and used a man-advantage to upend the Houston Dynamo, 3-1. Sporting was trailing 1-0 but an equalizer from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute and a pair of late goals from tournament goalscoring leader Dom Dwyer and Krisztian Nemeth sealed the game. The Sporting win sets up a rematch of the December 2013 meeting in the MLS Cup championship, with Real Salt Lake coming to Sporting Park on Aug. 12.

Falling behind in the 59th minute on a cleanup goal from Will Bruin, Sporting rattled off three goals in the final 20 minutes to earn the right to host Real Salt Lake.

Bruin’s goal came while the Dynamo was at a man-disadvantage. After Luis Garrido was sent off in the 30th minute for a studs-up tackle, Ricardo Clark forced a save from Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia off a corner kick and Bruin volleyed home the rebound for his first career Open Cup goal.

Kansas City’s response came from Benny Feilhaber in the 71st minute. Feilhaber received a ball in from Matt Besler, took two touches and whipped a shot from 25 yards out to the far post. His shot from the right edge of the penalty arc curled around Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis’ outstretched arms.

Not to be outdone, the dynamic duo, Krisztian Nemeth and Dom Dwyer, who combined to score all six of Sporting’s goals in the last round against FC Dallas, combined to put the final nails in the coffin. In the 86th minute, Nemeth, receiving the ball in the middle of the attacking third, looked around, saw nobody within 10 yards of him, and first-touch slotted Dwyer through on net.

“When he is the final third, he has an excellent awareness of when he should be the guy to take the shot and when he should make the final pass,” Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said of Nemeth. “I think that’s why he and Dom have linked up so well. The position that he plays, he’s now embraced coming in from the left, which has really helped Dom a lot. He has a very high soccer IQ when it comes to the final third.”

Dwyer’s shot from the left side of the penalty area split Willis’ legs and sent Sporting Park into a frenzy with his a goal in his fifth straight game against Houston – dating back to the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs.

Two minutes later, Dwyer returned the favor. With the lead, Dwyer drove into the middle of the attacking third and found Nemeth open on the left side. From there, the Hungarian struck a shot destined for the upper right corner, but caromed off a Dynamo player and into the middle of the net.

Nemeth and Dwyer have scored eight of Sporting’s ten goals in the Open Cup. In addition, the two lead the team scoring, with Nemeth having 10 in all competitions and Dwyer with 11.

“He’s always trying to look for me, and I’m always trying to look for him,” Dwyer said. “We’re starting to get more of an understanding every single game.”

Dwyer keeps adding to his Open Cup tally. Last round against FC Dallas, he smashed four goals and earned TheCup.Us Player of the Round honors for his effort. This is his fifth tally in the competition this year, while eight goals belong to him overall – three for Sporting’s then-USL affiliate Orlando City SC in 2013. With five goals this year, he leads the tournament in goals scored and combined with the assist tonight, he leads the competition in points with 11.

Kansas City entered the match having missed out on the Quarterfinals of the Open Cup in the past two seasons. The last came in 2012, when the team won its last Open Cup championship.

Sporting’s Open Cup woes do not compare to Houston. The Dynamo ended a 5-game winless streak against MLS teams with last round’s 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. Houston had not won against an MLS team since 2006, when the Dynamo beat Dallas, 3-2. The Texas squad has yet to make a Semifinal appearance since 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS: HOUSTON DYNAMO AT SPORTING KC

POST-GAME: MATT BESLER

POST-GAME: SONI MUSTIVAR

POST-GAME: PETER VERMES

POST-GAME: BENNY FEILHABER

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Richmond Kickers sink Jacksonville Armada, 3-0

May 28, 2015 by Scott Wyant

Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw has said the team’s secondary goal in the US Open Cup is to bring an MLS team to Richmond. With the club’s 3-0 Third Round win over the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada FC that goal was achieved.

Richmond will now play host to the Columbus Crew in the Fourth Round. That game will be played June 17 at City Stadium.

Richmond had a chance to strike first when Fred Owusu Sekyere lofted a well-timed ball into Brian Ownby. The Kickers midfielder got on to the ball and broke towards the box sending a through ball in. Jacksonville’s Lucas Trejo defended the dangerous ball out, keeping the match scoreless.

Owusu Sekyere proved to be dangerous again in the 20th minute when his corner kick found the head of Ownby. The midfielder was able to launch the ball past Jacksonville’s Miguel Gallardo giving Richmond a 1-0 lead.

“I think there was a size mismatch, we had all our taller players in and their players were a bit shorter,” Ownby said. “So we definitely wanted to use our set pieces to expose them in the back and it worked.”

Armada FC was able to piece together a long attack in the Richmond end in the 37th minute. A misplayed ball ended in a turnover at the feet of Richmond’s Jason Yeisley near midfield.

“I knew they had a high line and he just got in and Jason’s got great speed and he’s a good finisher,” Ownby said. “I saw him get in behind, take a couple touches and I knew he was gonna bury it.”

The midfielder took the ball to the box 3-on-2 but called his own number, ripping the shot past Gallardo, doubling the Richmond lead.

At the break Richmond led in both shots (8-0) and corner kicks (3-0).

A Jacksonville foul in the box in the 50th minute gave Richmond their first opportunity in the second half. Midfielder George Davis IV capitalized on the chance blasting the kick towards the right of the goal beating Gallardo who guessed left.

The Jacksonville Armada had back-to-back shots from point blank range off the feet of Akiel Barrett and Jaime Castrillón. Kickers goalkeeper Ryan Taylor pushed both shots away to keep Richmond in front.

“’s come out big a few times this year and he keeps improving every day and that’s huge for us if we want to keep going,” Ownby said.

The two saves made by Taylor marked the only shots on goal from Jacksonville.
The Kickers performance was highlighted by an 11-5 edge in shots. Richmond also took more corner kicks (4-2) than the NASL side.

Up next is Columbus.

“We always want to compete against the best,” Cowlishaw said. “It’ll be a great night and there’ll be a big crowd for it and the atmosphere will be lively and we’ll be there to try and knock Columbus out. I’m sure they won’t be thrilled with the draw having to go on the road to City Stadium and we’ll be looking forward to it.”

This marks the fifth consecutive year the Kickers have advanced to take on an MLS side in the event. The Richmond club has lost its previous four matchups with teams from the United States’ top league.

“We’re gonna treat it like any other game and get to the next round,” Ownby said. “It’s just one game at a time and anything can happen. It doesn’t matter what level you are, obviously we saw that here tonight.”

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Asani Samuels sparks OT stampede as Rochester Rhinos beat Harrisburg City Islanders 3-1 (video)

May 28, 2015 by Michael Berton

Asani Samuels only played 32 minutes in the Rochester Rhinos’ US Open Cup Third Round win over the Harrisburg City Islanders, but that was plenty of time to turn in a man-of-the-match performance.

Samuels assisted on one goal and scored two others in the Rhinos 3-1 extra-time victory. With the win, Rochester moves on to play the MLS’ Philadelphia Union in the Fourth Round.

The game struggled to get going, with both teams content to play defensive soccer. The game was unexpectedly turned on its head, however, when Rochester’s Steevan dos Santos picked up his second yellow card in the 38th minute, meaning the Rhinos would have to play a man down the rest of the game.

Harrisburg, which was trying to advance to the Fourth Round for the second year in a row, pressed forward in the second half, but chances were few and far between. The 1999 Open Cup champs, Rochester was able to keep the City Islanders off the scoreboard and even had a few chance of its own.

Samuels entered the game in the 88th minute and instantly produced problems for Harrisburg defenders. It was the home side with the best chance at the end of the game, however, when Jose Barril’s free kick from 25 yards out was saved by Rochester keeper Brandon Miller.

After a scoreless first half of extra time, the second half produced more action than the rest of the match combined. In the 106th minute, Harrisburg’s Eric Bird (on loan from Philadelphia) hit a laser of a shot that was initially saved by Miller. The rebound fell to Brett Jankouskas who easily scored from the left side of the box.

At this point Samuels began to put in a man-of-the-match performance.

Two minutes later, Samuels headed the ball in the Harrisburg box to Kenardo Forbes, who slotted it home to tie the game.

In the 115th minute, after a scrum in the City Islanders penalty area, the ball bounced to Samuels, who put it home for a 2-1 lead.

Harrisburg threw everything forward, giving Samuels another chance to show off his goal-scoring prowess. In injury time, Samuels dribbled to about 20 yards out from the Harrisburg goal and got the ball past Harrisburg City keeper Kyle Renfro for the final goal.

It may have taken a while to get to the action in this Third Round matchup, but that just made it all the sweeter for Samuels and the Rochester Rhinos, which will now play the Union on June 16.

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Seattle Sounders 2 beat Portland Timbers 2 in OT to add new chapter to rivalry (video)

May 28, 2015 by Randall Hauk

Photo: Charis Wilson | Seattle Sounders 2

Seattle Sounders 2 extended their early dominance over rival Portland Timbers 2 with Pablo Rossi delivering the game winner in overtime of a 2-1 thriller to advance to the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup.

Timbers 2 got on the board first, but ten minutes after Rennico Clarke headed Portland into the lead, Andy Craven finally cashed in on one of his many shots to equalize, leading to the decisive overtime.
“We just wanted to come out there with the right mentality and set the tone for the rest of the game,” Craven said.
S2 pressed early, appearing to want to dictate terms and put T2 a bit on their heels. Seattle was able to get into interesting positions several times in the first ten minutes of the match, but lacked a finishing touch, as Portland keeper Justin Luthy was kept busy collecting shots that were never hard enough to cause him too much trouble.

A huge error in Portland’s back end gave Seattle a huge chance to make the early pressure pay. In the 8th minute, Danny O’Rourke attempted to pass across the field from the right flank, deep in his own territory. Unfortunately for O’Rourke, Vic Mansaray was the only person in the area. Mansaray quickly moved into attack and slid a nice ball forward for an on-rushing Sam Garza. Garza was able to get a shot off with plenty of heat behind it, but the ball was targeted at the chest of Luthy, who parried it away with a double fist.

After the resumption of play, it was T2’s turn to make an early push to tilt the battle in their favor, and unlike Seattle did during their early aggressive play, they created a goal from it.

Portland won a succession of corners by getting the ball deep and forcing S2 captain Damion Lowe to hurriedly shove the ball past the goal line. On the second such instance in a span of just a few minutes, Blair Gavin curled the ball in nicely from the right corner, finding Rennico Clarke, who skied above everyone to meet the cross and head it decisively past Kerawala for the 1-0 lead in the 55th.

“When we go down a goal, it’s like the energy just kicks up, and we just go to another level,” Garza said.
Seattle clearly found inspiration in finding themselves behind, launching into attack mode directly from the kickoff following the Portland goal. Mansaray was the catalyst for Seattle’s biggest chance of the match when he provided another great through-ball, this time for Craven. In what seemed like a must-score situation, the Seattle striker’s shot found only the keeper Luthy after the hour mark.

A few minutes later, Craven, perhaps frustrated by the blown chance, earned the game’s first yellow with a foul at midfield.

Craven found a more-productive outlet for his energy a few minutes after going into the book. With Mansaray again delivering a great opportunity through a well-placed ball, Craven beat the Portland back line, circled Luthy, and made no mistake in equalizing for the home side in the 65th.

Though the two sides are natural-born rivals, due to geography and the history of their two parent MLS clubs, there were few signs of animosity between the players on the pitch, nor much bloodlust from the S2 fans directed toward the T2 players.

And then Danny O’Rourke emerged as the first villain in the USL version of the Cascadian melodrama.

Upon the resumption of play after Mansaray exited the match for substitute Lorenzo Ramos in the 74th, the bearded Portland right back wrapped his arm around the neck of Craven and pulled, with the action taking place in full view of the 1,737 spectators in the S2 stands. From that point on, any touching of the ball by O’Rourke was met with a chorus of booing, the last round of which came when his substitution was announced via the stadium PA after the start of overtime.

Pablo Rossi was already the S2 hero of the US Open Cup for his game-winning goal from a direct free kick a week ago. Last week, Rossi delivered just a few minutes into the first overtime to put an S2 stamp on the extra frame. This time, Rossi waited until near the end of the first overtime to send Seattle into the next round.

After both sides exchanged interesting chances in overtime, it was Sam Garza making a great individual play to escape his mark in midfield and start a rush toward the Portland goal. Garza sent a pass along the ground into the area for Rossi, but the ball didn’t have enough steam to catch up to Rossi as the midfielder moved toward goal. Rossi adjusted to move back toward the ball, turn, and launch the game winner across the area, out of the reach of Luthy and inside the far post in the 104th.

Portland managed a few chances in the final fifteen minutes, the most-notable in the 116th which was Harrison Delbridge’s header, off a corner kick, that skirted just wide of the post.

S2 had two huge chances, with Portland conceding space in the back end as they pressed for the equalizer, but neither were converted.

REPLAY: Timbers 2 at Sounders 2