2018 US Open Cup

2018 US Open Cup Round 2 review: Nine open division teams advance in upset-heavy round

May 17, 2018 by Josh Hakala

The 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup features 97 teams from a Modern Era record 33 different states. Graphic by: Gilberto Hernandez | @GilbertoHdz200

The Second Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is in the books and it featured a number of surprising results. Nine teams from the mostly-amateur “open division” advanced to the Third Round, which is the round that puts teams one win away from a possible date with Major League Soccer (MLS).

Scroll down to get a brief recap of all 24 games (with links to match reports as they become available)

#USOC2018 coverage:
* 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup schedule, results
* 2018 US Open Cup statistical leaders

News
* USSF allows NY Cosmos B, Miami FC 2, Jacksonville Armada into 2018 US Open Cup
* El Farolito, 1993 US Open Cup champions, disqualified from 2018 tournament
* Why is it against the rules to change leagues during the US Open Cup?
* FC Cincinnati at Gettler Stadium: “Like Metallica playing a small venue”

2018 Meet the Underdogs series
* Christos FC
* FC Denver
* FC Kendall
* Kendall Wanderers
* La Maquina FC
* Los Angeles Wolves FC
* NTX Rayados
* Red Force FC
* Rochester River Dogz
* Santa Ana Winds
* Sporting AZ FC

Qualifying
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying results
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Win & You’re In review
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Round 2 review
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Round 1 review

* Things you should know about the Second Round of the US Open Cup

* Support TheCup.us: Special “TheCup.us” Del Rey City jerseys available for purchase
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Twitter (#USOC2018) | Facebook | Instagram | Flickr | Reddit

North Carolina FC held strong at home against the reigning Amateur Cup champion Lansdowne Bhoys FC, winning 3-0 to punch their ticket to the Third Round. NCFC, competing for the first time since moving to the United Soccer League, maintained the club’s perfect all-time record against amateur teams at 7-0-0. Connor Tobin set the tone with a goal in the second minute of the game and the home team maintained control with a Marios Lomis goal just before halftime, later sealing the deal in the 74th minute with Benard Luxbacher. North Carolina will put their perfect record against amateurs on the line in Round 3 when they host the upset-minded Ocean City Nor’easters of the PDL. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Ocean City Nor’easters came into their Second Round road match against the Charlotte Independence (USL) as the underdogs. A team full of college players making the 600-mile trip south to take on the pro team from Charlotte, they wasted no time in showing their resume — which features five pro team upsets — is not a fluke. The Nor’easters punched the pro team in the mouth, with Kyle Gurrier scoring two goals in the opening seven minutes, followed by a third goal by Haitian striker Fredlin “Fredinho” Mompremier just before halftime. Deri Corfe, a former Manchester City youth player, assisted on the second and third goals, giving him a tournament-high four assists. The Ocean City defense would hold off the Independence in the second half to earn the club’s sixth upset of a pro team. Only two amateur clubs (Michigan Bucks, Des Moines Menace) have more pro team upsets than the Nor’easters and they can match the Des Moines Menace with seven with a return to North Carolina next week to take on North Carolina FC (USL). [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds came into the 2018 US Open Cup needing to bounce back after two straight one-and-done tournaments. With both of those losses coming at the hands of amateur teams (Lansdowne Bhoys in 2016, Chicago FC United of the PDL in 2017), the Riverhounds were anxious to end their losing streak on the road against the Erie Commodores (NPSL) from Western Pennsylvania. Thomas Vancaeyezeele opened the scoring in the 4th minute, with Kevin Kerr, who assisted on the first goal, added a 30th minute penalty kick to give them a two-goal cushion. Erie would cut the lead in half just before halftime but the Hounds will hold on in the second half to earn the win to snap their seven-game road winless streak and clinch a Third Round home game against USL rival FC Cincinnati on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Richmond Kickers (USL) and Reading United AC (PDL) came in with impressive Open Cup resumes. Richmond, the 1995 US Open Cup champions, were one victory shy of joining the Modern Era’s 30-win club, while Reading United came in having qualified for a record 10 straight tournaments and winning a record seven straight opening games. It was a physical battle with each team scoring a goal in either half and despite a red card to Richmond’s Oscar Umar during extra time, the Kickers held on to force penalties. Richmond advanced to earn a home game against fellow USL side Penn FC on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

For the second year in a row, Louisville City kicked off their US Open Cup run with a one-sided shutout of an amateur team in front of their home fans. Last year, they defeated the Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (USASA), 9-0, and this year, they stayed home and dominated the PDL’s Long Island Rough Riders, 5-0. The defending USL champions spread out five goals across five different goalscorers to punch their ticket to Round 3 where they will host fellow USL team Saint Louis FC on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

For the 13th year in a row, the Charleston Battery (USL) won their opening round game, edging South Georgia Tormenta FC (PDL) 1-0. The win extends the Battery’s home unbeaten streak in the tournament to eight games. Patrick Okonkwo’s headed home a 21st minute goal to score the only goal of the game. Tormenta had their opportunities as Charleston’s Nico Rittmeyer received his second yellow card in the 63rd minute, giving the PDL side a man advantage. That advantage lasted nearly 25 minutes until South Georgia received a red card of their own, but they were unable to capitalize. With the victory, the Battery win their 32nd all-time win in the tournament which moves them into a tie with D.C. United for fifth-most in the Modern Era. Charleston moves on to Round 3 where they will host the defending NPSL champion Elm City Express on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

FC Motown (NPSL) opened up the scoring in the 53rd minute with a low shot to the far post on Dilly Duka’s third goal of the tournament. However, Penn FC (USL) scored three goals in the final twelve minutes to defeat the hosts and win the Second Round encounter, 3-1. Miguel Jaime tied the game in the 79th minute and Prince Boffo’s strike from 25 yards out gave the visitors the lead for good moments later. Pedro Galvao’s stoppage-time goal insure the win for the USL side as it advances into the Third Round of the 2018 US Open Cup where they will play at the Richmond Kickers on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

After nearly 80 minutes of scoreless soccer, defending NPSL champion Elm City Express scored two goals in the final ten minutes to pick up a road win over Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL). Shaquille Saunchez scored both goals as the Express became the first Connecticut team to win multiple games in a tournament in the Modern Era (1995-present). The Express will face off with a pro team for the first time in Round 3 when they travel to South Carolina to take on the Charleston Battery (USL) next Wednesday. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Detroit City FC and FC Cincinnati, two teams that have received a lot of national attention for their passionate fanbases, squared off on the field at a small soccer venue in the Queen City in Round 2. Both teams traded goals in the first half and when the game went to extra time, the USL side took over with Cincinnati scoring three goals to advance. Emery Welshman scored three of the team’s four goals and became the second Canadian to score a hat trick in the Modern Era. FC Cincinnati will hit the road in Round 3 when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Riverhounds on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Jacksonville Armada won their third straight game in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. After a scoreless first half, JC Banks buried a shot with help from Joshua Castellanos in the 58th minute to give the Armada a 1-0 lead. The Rowdies had a chance for the equalizer in the 71st minute but Zac Portillos’ shot hit the crossbar. The Rowdies tried again to get a last minute equalizer late in the match with former Armada player Jack Blake getting a free kick to Lance Rozeboom for the Rowdies but goalkeeper Brian Holt came up with a huge save to keep the shutout and the win for the Armada. This marks the first NPSL team not named Chattanooga FC to eliminate a professional team since the league was founded in 2003. The Armada will host NPSL Sunshine Conference rivals Miami United in the Third Round next Wednesday. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

In this Magic City classico derby, Miami United, finally defeated their crosstown rivals Miami FC 2 with a convincing 3-1 win on the road at FIU Stadium in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup second round match. In the first half Miami FC 2 got on the board in the 18th minute when Dylan Mares blasted a half volley in the back of the net to give Miami FC 2 the lead. The game changed just before half time when Miami FC 2 Forward Kris Tyrpak was shown a straight red card after an off the ball call from the referee. Miami United FC took advantage with a man up in the second half with David Ochoa getting 2 goals in the 49th and 52nd minute and there was no looking back for this team. Victor Pelae all but sealed it for United late into stoppage time for a 3-1 victory and send their fans home happy as they’ll finally get to see their team get past the Second Round in the tournament and will travel to Jacksonville in the Third Round to take on NPSL Sunshine Conference rival, the Jacksonville Armada. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Brilla FC became the first Mississippi-based club to reach the Third Round of the US Open Cup and the first to upset a professional team after a 1-0 win over Indy Eleven (USL). Koray Easterling scored the game-winner in the 82nd minute. Mississippi will take on another pro team in Round 3 when they travel to the Music City to take on Nashville SC of the USL on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Tulsa Roughnecks (USL) took the lead three times and three times FC Wichita (NPSL) tied the game. Then, in the end, with the score tied 3-3, Franck Tayou score his second goal of the game in the 90th minute to give FC Wichita their first win over a professional team. FC Wichita made history with the win as they become just the fourth NPSL team to eliminate a pro team in the US Open Cup. Chattanooga FC did it twice and the Jacksonville Armada FC (a pro team themselves) did it on the same night when they eliminated the Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL). FC Wichita benefited from an upset because they will play another amateur team, NTX Rayados, in Round 3 with a chance at playing a Major League Soccer team on the line. NTX Rayados will host FC Wichita on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

With temperatures dropping from 90 degrees to a more seasonal 50 degrees, Duluth FC (PDL) played a defensive game against Saint Louis FC (USL), but Duluth surrendered two first-half goals in front of its home crowd. Kadeem Dacres gave the visitors the lead in the 25th minute as he collected Corey Hertzog’s cross and fired the shot into the net. Ten minutes later, Dacres returned the favor as he beat his man on the left touchline and found Corey Hertzog on a near post run. Hertzog’s header went just under Duluth’s bar and between the outstretched arms of Duluth’s goalie. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Sacramento Republic are in their fifth year of existence and for the fifth year in a row they were victorious against an amateur team in their opening round US Open Cup game. They defeated the supporter-owned San Francisco City FC 3-1 to advance. The win sets up an all-USL matchup in Nevada as the Republic will take on Reno 1868 FC on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Tucker Hume was the man of the match as he scored two goals, both with the help of Robin Shroot who offered assists on both, to lead Nashville SC to a 2-0 victory over the Inter Nashville FC. Nashville was coming into the game having snapped a three-game winless streak against USL Cup champion Louisville City FC over the weekend. They won the “Elnashico Derby” and will host the Mississippi Brilla (PDL) next week. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The NTX Rayados from the North Texas Premier Soccer Association have qualified for seven straight US Open Cup tournaments, but only last week did they finally pick up their first tournament win (they advanced via penalty kicks in 2014 which is officially listed as a draw). A week later, North Texas picked up their first win over a pro team and they did it in dramatic fashion. It looked like the Rayados were on their way out of the tournament until Christian Okeke scored a 90th minute equalizer. Then, in extra time, Okeke scored another and the Rayados added two more to put the Oklahoma City Energy away. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

San Antonio FC held on to an early goal by Darnell King on the road against amateur side Midland-Odessa FC and then put the game away with three goals in the final few minutes of the game to advance to Round 3. The win earns San Antonio a home game in Round 3 against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

In an all-Colorado Second Round battle, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks avoided an upset thanks to an 86th minute game-winner by Jordan Burt. FC Denver’s Cesar Castillo, who scored a hat trick in their First Round win over Azteca FC, tied the game in the 77th minute and it looked like the momentum was shifting toward the visitors but Burt came to the rescue to avoid the Switchbacks’ first-ever loss to an amateur team. The Switchbacks will travel to play San Antonio FC in the Third Round on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

USL expansion side Fresno FC nearly had a disastrous US Open Cup debut as Orange County FC, led by head coach and former US international Paul Caliguri, took them to extra time with the score deadlocked at 0-0. Fresno would eventually take control in extra time with goals from Terran Campbell in the 95th minute and a late 118th minute goal by Renato Bustamante. Fresno will travel to the Phoenix area in Round 3 to take on amateur side Sporting AZ FC (UPSL) on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

FC Golden State Force upset their first pro team in their brief club history. The third-year PDL club knocked off Orange County SC, which put the USL club in some unfortunate company. With the loss, Orange County has been eliminated by five amateur teams in their eight trips to the tournament. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are the only other team to suffer five upsets at the hands of amateur teams. Orange County took the lead twice in the first half only to see the Force equalize each time before taking a 3-2 lead in the 67th minute on a goal by Samuel Goni Villava. Pedro Fonseca put the game away with an 89th minute goal as the Force not only advance to Round 3 for the first time but they will host the game against the expansion Las Vegas Lights (USL) on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The UPSL’s Sporting AZ FC are making the most of their US Open Cup debut. A week after defeating local rival FC Arizona (NPSL) in Round 1, they eliminated the USL’s Phoenix Rising in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. This was just the fourth time that an open division local qualifier (non-PDL, non-NPSL) eliminated a Division 2 pro team. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Despite the amateur side taking the early lead, Reno’s Jerry van Ewijk’s hat trick helped the USL side get past the Timbers U-23s side, 7-3. Portland’s Ryo Shimazaki and Wouter Verstraaten finished two goals off set pieces earlier in the game. Ewijk finished his hat trick in the 81st minute as the professional side now hosts Sacramento Republic in the Third Round of play. This also marked just the eighth time that two teams have combined for 10 or more goals in a single Open Cup game in the Modern Era. (The record is 12) [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Las Vegas broke the 2-2 tie in the second half as Sammy Ochoa scored two goals in the 56th and 65th minutes to give the Lights their first US Open Cup victory in club history. Carlos Alvarez contributed to the action-packed game with a goal and assist as well. Las Vegas will hit the road in Round 3 as they travel to Southern California to face the PDL’s FC Golden State Force on May 23. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Cesar Castillo’s hat trick helps FC Denver beat Azteca FC in all-Colorado Premier League battle

May 16, 2018 by Robert Wilson

FC Denver outscored Colorado Premier League rivals Azteca FC, 4-2 in their first ever appearance in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

FC Denver jumped out to a big lead after the first half. FCD’s number ten Cesar Castillo scored the first of his three goals in the 28th, Alex Berhardt headed in the second goal in the 37th off a long free kick, and Castillo made it 3-0 in the 55th minute.

Just when it looked like it might be a blowout, Azteca knocked in a goal of their own from Jesus Munoz in the 57th minute.

The match was marred by Azteca midfielder Adrian Gutierrez’s reckless open field hit on FC Denver center back Kyle Heppenstall who left the field in an ambulance with a severe concussion in the 75th minute. According to FC Denver’s social media, Happenstall was released from the hospital later that night and is recovering.

In the 74 minutes preceding the reckless play that led to the serious injury, the game was riddled with foul after foul. A total of 22 fouls were called, many, more were not called.

After the ambulance left the field a total of 16 minutes was added to the match. During this time Azteca FC had a brief moment of resurgence when Roberto Aguilera pounced on a temporarily saved free kick, bringing the match to within a goal, 3-2.

Despite Azteca’s physical tactics, man of the match Cesar Castillo had no problem weaving around and creating space in the Azteca defense. Castillo scored his third goal in what would be the last kick of the match in the 96th minute.

This victory was the first ever US Open Cup match for FC Denver. For Azteca FC, this was the club’s second appearance in the Open Cup including last year’s first round loss at FC Wichita. Up next for the victors, an away trip to Weidner Field to play second division professional side Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2 preview: USL teams join the tournament

May 16, 2018 by Josh Hakala

The 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup features 97 teams from a Modern Era record 33 different states. Graphic by: Gilberto Hernandez | @GilbertoHdz200

The Second Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicks off on Wednesday with 24 games. With 26 open division teams surviving the First Round, they are joined by 22 professional teams from the United Soccer League (USL).

Of those 24 games, 20 of them will have live video streams (SEE LINKS BELOW).

Scroll down for a brief preview of each game

#USOC2018 coverage:
* 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup schedule, results
* 2018 US Open Cup statistical leaders

News
* USSF allows NY Cosmos B, Miami FC 2, Jacksonville Armada into 2018 US Open Cup
* El Farolito, 1993 US Open Cup champions, disqualified from 2018 tournament
* Why is it against the rules to change leagues during the US Open Cup?
* FC Cincinnati at Gettler Stadium: “Like Metallica playing a small venue”

2018 Meet the Underdogs series
* Christos FC
* FC Denver
* FC Kendall
* Kendall Wanderers
* La Maquina FC
* Los Angeles Wolves FC
* NTX Rayados
* Red Force FC
* Rochester River Dogz
* Santa Ana Winds
* Sporting AZ FC

Qualifying
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying results
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Win & You’re In review
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Round 2 review
* 2018 US Open Cup qualifying Round 1 review

* Things you should know about the First Round of the US Open Cup

Twitter (#USOC2018) | Facebook | Instagram | Flickr | Reddit

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

Eighteen days. That is how long it will be between North Carolina FC’s last match they played and their US Open Cup match versus Lansdowne Bhoys FC on Wednesday, May 18.

After starting the season with three straight losses, North Carolina FC have gone unbeaten in their last four matches. Their last outing saw the new USL club pull out a 3-0 win over Penn FC. North Carolina FC will look to muster the magic of their Carolina Railhawk days that saw them reach the Semifinals in 2007 and the Quarterfinals in 2013 & 2014.

To do that, they will have to defeat New York club Lansdowne Bhoys FC, who defeated the Brooklyn Italians of the NPSL 2-0 in last week’s U.S. Open Cup First Round.

Daryl Kavanagh opened the scoring early for Lansdowne, notching a goal in the 8th minute and Mamadou Guirassy wasted no time in the second half to get Lansdowne’s second goal, scoring in the 46^th minute to seal the 2-0 win for the Bhoys.

North Carolina FC, whose roster features former Timbers Michael Harrington and Futty Danso, take on Lansdowne Bhoys FC at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Other than being a professional teams, there are some historical numbers that lean in NCFC’s favor. NCFC has enjoyed a lot of success at WakeMed Soccer Park over the years. They are 17-6-2 (1-1 PKs) at home in US Open Cup play, and they have never lost to an amateur team (6-0-0).

If NCFC wins, they will host the winner of the Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) and the Charlotte Independence (USL). If the Bhoys pull off the upset, they will play either Ocean City or Charlotte on the road.

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

Erie Commodores FC hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Second Round action on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The match will be played in McConnell Family Stadium on the campus of Gannon University.

Pittsburgh enters the match at 4-4-0 in USL play, and will be looking for their first triumph in the Open Cup’s Second Round for the first time in three years. Notably, the Riverhounds haven’t won a match on the road in Open Cup play since 2008 when they defeated Chicago-based amateur side AAC Eagles.

Neco Brett is Pittsburgh’s top scorer with five goals to his credit, while Brett and Kevin Kerr are tied atop the team leaderboard with two assists each. The Riverhound defense has proven stingy this season, with just three goals getting past goalkeeper Daniel Lynd.

Commodores FC are enjoying their first-ever Open Cup campaign, advancing to the Second Round by virtue of a 1-1 (4-3 PK) result over the Rochester River Dogz last Wednesday. Cameron Phillips scored the first goal in Erie’s Open Cup history in the 27th minute last week.

The winner of this game will host the winner of FC Cincinnati (USL) and Detroit City FC (NPSL) in Round 3 next Wednesday.

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

This matchup pits two teams, with some of the best Open Cup resumes for their respective leagues, up against one another. The host Reading United AC are one of the most successful PDL sides in the Modern Era of the Cup as they are making an impressive tenth straight trip into the Open Cup, a record for amateur teams since 1995. It is their 12th appearance overall, and they have gone as far as to make the Third Round three times (2013, 2014, 2017). To reach last year’s Third Round they had to upset the NASL’s New York Cosmos. While they have yet to beat an MLS side, they are no stranger to upsetting pro sides having beaten multiple USL and NASL teams over the past decade. Reading began their PDL season this past weekend with a 2-0 victory over Lehigh Valley after beating last year’s Cinderellas, Christos FC, on penalties in round one of the Cup.

Their opponent is a former US Open Cup champion Richmond Kickers who famously won the Cup as a high-powered amateur team in 1995. Richmond currently feature one of the US Open Cup’s best Modern Era goalscorers Dane Kelly, who is on loan to them from D.C. United. Dane was last years USL Golden Boot winner while at Reno 1868, and knows how to score in the Open Cup with seven career goals in the tournament . The Kickers picked up a 1-0 victory this past weekend over Tampa Bay in USL play to climb into 10th place in the USL Eastern Conference Standings.

The winner of the this second round match will host either FC Motown (NPSL) or Penn FC (USL) in the Third Round of the Cup next week.

BROADCAST: NONE

Louisville City FC have lost back-to-back games for the first time since July 2016. The USL side will look to get back to winning ways against the Long Island Rough Riders from the PDL in the Second Round of the US Open Cup on Wednesday.

Long Island won a nine-goal thriller against Kingston Stockdale FC in the First Round of the Open Cup on May 9. Thomas Wharf scored in the 80th minute to send the game into added extra time where five goals would be scored between the two sides. All five would be scored in the second half of added extra time.

Junior Rosario got things underway in the 108th minute and Charlie Ledula made it 4-2 just four minutes later. Tyler Botte scored his second of the game to make it 5-2 in the 114th minute. Kingston would get a goal back in the 119th minute but Ledula sealed the win in the second minute of stoppage time for the 6-3 victory. The four goals scored in extra time by Long Island ties a Modern Era record.

Cameron Lancaster, the man who’s 88th minute goal in the 2017 USL Cup final gave Louisville City FC the title, will lead the charge for Louisville City as he has scored four goals this season for the club.

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

A week after a miracle comeback against their Premier Developmental League (PDL) rival, South Georgia Tormenta FC travel to Charleston to take on a red-hot Battery team in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Tormenta FC scored twice in the final 15 minutes with Jordan Walshaw’s free kick in the 82nd minute proved to be the winner in a 2-1 win over the Myrtle Beach Mutiny back on Wednesday, May 9.

The 2-1 result was Tormenta FC’s first-ever Open Cup victory and the club from Statesboro, Ga. is hoping to create a miracle but for them to do that, they will have to take down the Charleston Battery.

Charleston is no stranger to Open Cup runs, reaching the Quarterfinals four straight years from 2007 to 2010 with the 2008 team making it to the Final. The Battery have also reached the semifinals in 1999 and 2004. The Battery also haven’t lost an opening round Open Cup game in 12 years

The Battery are currently on a six-game unbeaten streak, with their last lost coming at the hands of New York Red Bulls II back on March 31. Charleston has won their last four games, including a 2-0 Southern Derby win over the Charlotte Indepence.

It is going to be a herculean task for Tormenta to defeat Charleston, especially when a player like Ataulla Guerra is firing on all cylinders. After scoring only six goals last season, Guerra has already scored five in nine United Soccer League matches.

Over the weekend, Tormenta FC kicked off their 2018 PDL campaign with a 2-2 draw against Peachtree City MOBA. Tormenta had to play from behind against Peachtree City but a penalty in the 65th minute from Manolo Sanchez helped secure a point for the club. For Tormenta, the goal for them in their matchup with Charleston is stop Guerra, which is easier said than done. Especially when a player like Gordan Wild can easily step up and score if Guerra has a rare night off.

If Seacoast United Phantoms win their Second Round match, the Phantoms will host the winner of the Battery and Tormenta FC. If the Elm City Express defeat the Phantoms, the Battery or Tormenta FC will be the host

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

This matchup will feature two newly re-branded clubs as the former Clarkstown Eagles, now FC Motown, take on the Harrisburg City Islanders, now known as Penn FC. FC Motown’s team in the Garden State Soccer League qualified for last year’s tournament, beating New Jersey Copa in Round 1 before falling to the Rochester Rhinos on the road.

This club carries on the history of the Eagles in the NPSL, a team that is taking part in the Open Cup for the third year in a row.

FC Motown reached the Second Round for the first time this season after a 2-1 win last week over the New York Red Bulls U-23s. The hero on the night was Dilaver Duka, a former MLS player from 2010-2017 including time with the Red Bulls just last season. Duka scored both the goals for Motown to send them into the second round. FC Motown have yet to begin league play so they should be well rested after last week’s win.

Their opponent, Penn FC have a reputation for being a club known for beating MLS sides in the later rounds of the Cup. While under their previous branding, Penn FC having eliminated MLS sides on five different occasions, most recently in 2012 when they upset the New England Revolution in Round 3 followed by a win over the New York Red Bulls in Round 4.

Penn FC currently sit in eleventh place in the USL Eastern Conference following a 1-0 win over Toronto II by a score of 1-0. They are led by the man who scored the NASL Soccer Bowl’s game winning goal last season and long time lower league standout striker Tommy Heinemann who has a knack for scoring in the Cup, with four career tallies in the tournament, including two last year with the now-defunct San Francisco Deltas.

The winner of this Round 2 match will have to travel in Round 3 to take on the winner of the Richmond Kickers vs. Reading United match next Wednesday.

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Jacksonville Armada were once North American Soccer League (NASL) foes, but the Rowdies left to join the United Soccer League (USL) ahead of the 2017 season; a move that seems to have paid off well for them. The NASL cancelled its 2018 season and now the two clubs find themselves paired together in Round 2 of the US Open Cup.

Tampa Bay, who actually defeated the Armada’s U-23 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side in the Second Round of last year’s tournament, currently find themselves in seventh place in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings, with four wins, and five losses in nine games. The Rowdies currently find themselves in a spell of bad form, having lost their last three league games. They have not won since a 2-0 victory over Real Monarchs SLC on April 21. Georgi Hristov leads the Rowdies with four goals on 15 shots this season and former English Premier League standout Joe Cole has chipped in a pair as well.

Jacksonville Armada have found their new home as a professional team in the NPSL. The Aramada got here by beating a pair of Premier Development League (PDL) teams, The Villages SC in the Preliminary Round, and a few days later, they defeated SIMA Aguilas 2-1 behind goals from Joshua Castellanos and Connor Doyle. The season is still young, but they’re off to a good start. They’ve taken four points from their first two league games and find themselves in second place in the NPSL Sunshine Conference standings. The Armada will also look across the field on Wednesday and see former midfielder Jack Blake dressed in green and yellow for the Rowdies. Blake scored nine goals in 27 appearances during the senior team’s 2017 NASL campaign.

The winner of this one will get to host the winner of Miami FC 2 (NPSL) and Miami United (NPSL) next week in the Third Round.

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO (USSoccer.com)

Hosting their First Round match at home last week, Miami United dispatched the USASA side FC Kendall 5-1, featuring a hat trick from David Ochoa. The club has now reached the Second Round in three of the last four years, and now will travel across town to FIU Soccer Stadium to face a fellow NPSL Sunshine Conference member who have placed a big emphasis on a tournament run, Miami FC 2.

After a tumultuous offseason which saw the parent club’s North American Soccer League cancel the 2018 season, and then having to petition US Soccer in order to gain entry to this year’s tournament, Miami FC 2 now features numerous players with pro experience in the lower divisions and are angling for another long tourney run. Last year, the senior team Miami FC made it all the way to the Quarterfinals where they lost a competitive match 1-0 to FC Cincinnati(USL). This year’s team features 11 players from last year’s NASL roster and has 20 players with Open Cup experience, including Don Smart, a former player with the USL’s Indy Eleven, who scored in the club’s Preliminary Round match & Tyler Polak, a member of that Cincinnati side.

The two clubs have actually already faced off twice this year, with a home-and-away series to open NPSL play in April. Both matches ended tied 1-1. After the two competitive matches, United has broken away from the rest of the teams and currently sits at the top of the Sunshine Conference table with 11 pts after five matches (3-0-2) and a goal difference of 16. Meanwhile, FC Cincinnati sits in the middle of the table with three draws in three matches.

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After going four straight games without a goal, the Charlotte Independence piled four goals onto FC Cincinnati in a 4-1 win at Matthews Sportsplex on Saturday, May 12.

Charlotte’s next opponent is no stranger to scoring goals as the Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) scored three goals in the first half in route to a 3-0 road win over AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL) on May 9 in the first round of the Open Cup.

Ocean City is making their ninth all-time appearance in the US Open Cup and are one of the most accomplished amateur teams of the Modern Era (1995-present). Only two amateur teams in the country (Michigan Bucks, Des Moines Menace) have more Open Cup wins (10) and pro team upsets than the Nor’easters. All five of their pro team upsets have been shutouts, something no amateur team has accomplished. Defense has been their calling card in the tournament. They have won 11 tournament games (including their time as a D-3 Pro League team) and of those 11 wins, 10 of them are shutouts.

They have another strong defense headlined by the Uros Ilic (NAIA National Player of the Year) and a pair of North Carolina Tar Heels in center back Sam Jones and goalkeeper Alex Smir. Smir, who made seven saves in last Wednesday’s shutout win over AFC Ann Arbor, is no stranger to tough games as he helped guide the Tar Heels to the 2017 NCAA College Cup, recording 22 saves in 12 games played, boasting a record of 10-1-1 in the ultra-competitive ACC.

Charlotte will have to find a way to get into Smir’s head if they want to recreate their barrage of goals they scored this past weekend. Jorge Herrera and Cordell Cato have combined to score seven goals for the Independence this season. They will need to be on top of their game if they want to lead the Independence to victory and into the next round of the US Open Cup. The Independence will try to recapture past glory as they reached the Round of 16 in their inaugural season in 2015. That year, they knocked off the Carolina RailHawks (now North Carolina FC) and the New England Revolution (MLS).

If North Carolina FC wins their Open Cup game, they will host the winner of this game (it would be the fourth straight year that Charlotte would face NCFC — a Modern Era first). If Lansdowne Bhoys win, the winner of this game will host.

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The defender NPSL champion Elm City Express got a win in their US Open Cup debut last week, edging Western Mass Pioneers on the road, 2-1. It was the first win for a Connecticut team in the tournament since 2006 (Milford International). The Express got off to a slow start in league play, dropping their NPSL opener to Hartford City last weekend.

Seacoast United Phantoms, previously known as the New Hampshire Phantoms, are making their sixth appearance in club history, with three of those taking place in 2003, 2004 and 2006 when they were a pro team. They didn’t qualify as a PDL team until 2015 and now they have qualified for three of the last four years (2015, 2016, 2018). They defeated the Kendall Wanderers (PDL) in their first tournament home game since 2006.

If Seacoast wins, they will host the winner of the Charleston Battery and South Georgia Tormenta FC. If Elm City wins, they will travel to play the winner of Tormenta and the Battery in Round 3 next week.

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Last year, FC Cincinnati stunned the country as they made it all the way to the US Open Cup Semifinals. Now, they look to recreate that journey as their Open Cup run begins against Detroit City FC this Wednesday.

Detroit City FC is riding off of a high after they defeated local rival Michigan Bucks in a penalty shootout for the second year in a row. Detroit took an early second half lead thanks to Shawn Lawson but it was cancelled out after Afonso Pinheiro scored in the 84th minute, leveling things at one goal apiece.

Detroit would eventually pull out a 6-5 penalty shootout win over the Bucks, sending the crowd of 3,000-plus in attendance into a frenzy.

Detroit will be down a man as former pro, and former Michigan State Spartan Greg Janicki is facing a suspension following a red card he received in the 97th minute of their match against the Bucks. DCFC are playing in their fourth US Open Cup but have actually yet to win a game. Penalty kicks are a regular thing with this club as they have gone to penalty kicks in four of their five games. They are 2-2 in PK shootouts.

FC Cincinnati is looking for a bright spot after being thrashed 4-1 by the Charlotte Independence this past weekend. Before their 4-1 loss to Charlotte this past weekend, FC Cincinnati had scored 12 goals in four games. The Southern Ohio club sure can pour on the goals when they want to and they will have to do so if they want to defeat Detroit City FC.

The winner of this game will play on the road against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL) or the Erie Commodores (NPSL) next Wednesday.

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Central Mississippi will be the site for a key Second Round US Open Cup match. Mississippi Brilla FC, who were victors in their first cup match against the New Orleans Jesters, will host the USL’s Indy Eleven.

Brilla topped the New Orleans Jesters on penalty kicks in a tense first round affair. The team has already equaled their best ever tournament appearance, which came last season. A win in this match would be historical for the club. No Mississippi team has ever reached the Third Round in tournament history.

The Indy Eleven will be making a fifth straight US Open Cup appearance. The former NASL champions now call the USL home, and they currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Eleven have former MLS players such as Soony Saad, Justin Braun, and Jack McInerney in their ranks. They will be looking to make deep tournament run.

The winner will advance to Round 3 where they will play on the road against the winner of Nashville SC (USL) and Inter Nashville (NPSL).

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Tulsa Roughnecks and FC Wichita are set to battle it out inside the University of Tulsa Soccer and Track Stadium in the Second Round of the US Open Cup.

FC Wichita reached the Second Round for the second straight year after dispatching Oklahoma City Energy U-23s, 3-1, in Wichita, Kan., last Wednesday. Leo Sosa bagged a first-half brace, and has three career goals in Open Cup competition.

Across all competitions, Jose Landaverde leads the squad with four goals. Steven Hamersky started in goal the first two matches for Wichita this season, but was replaced between the sticks by Mark Weir ahead of this past Saturday’s NPSL league match, a 4-2 win over Saint Louis Club Atletico. Were Wichita to prevail on Wednesday night, the club would reach the Third Round for the first time in club history.

The Roughnecks enter Wednesday’s match looking for their first win across all competitions in 2018 after opening USL play at 0-5-4. Tulsa were able to make a run in Open Cup play last year, however, with wins over OKC Energy U23 (5-3) and San Antonio FC (0-0 AET, 7-6 pen).

Offensively, Joaquin Rivas leads TRFC with four goals scored this season. Fabián Cerda, who was narrowly named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance against San Antonio FC, has collected 33 saves and one clean sheet in goal.

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Duluth FC enters Round 2 off of a high-scoring penalty kick victory over fellow NPSL club Dakota Fusion FC. The teams were tied 4-4 at the end of extra time, but Duluth won quickly in penalty kicks with a 3-0 finish. It was just the second time in the Modern Era that a shootout has finished 3-0. They are the first amateur team from Minnesota to qualify for the tournament and are looking to make the best of their inaugural run.

Since its founding in 2015, Saint Louis FC has competed in every US Open Cup since. They’ve been quite successful in their short history, having reached the Fourth Round twice in those three years. Last season, they fell 1-0 to Chicago Fire in the Round 4.

If Louisville City defeats the Long Island Rough Riders in their game, they will host the winner of Saint Louis and Duluth FC. If Long Island wins, Saint Louis or Duluth FC will host in Round 3 next week.

BROADCAST: NONE

The supporter-owned San Francisco City FC earned their first ever US Open Cup win in club history last week with an impressive 4-0 thumping of the NPSL side CD Aguiluchos USA. With that win the Iron and Gold earned a trip to face MLS hopefuls and USL powerhouse from the state’s capital, Sacramento Republic. Coming into last Wednesday, SF City was 0-2 in the Open Cup having lost to Cal FC in 2015 and to the Aguiluchos in 2016. They picked up that first Open Cup victory behind a master class coaching performance from Paddy Coyne and a dominant defensive midfield performance out of Onah Power. While the first round of the Open Cup could not have gone any more perfectly for City, their start to the PDL season has not gone so well. They are currently 0-3 while conceding 10 goals and have yet to score a single goal in league play.

Their opponent Sacramento has had a hot start to the season as they currently sit in third place of the USL Western Conference. The team has been transformed from last year under new head coach Simon Elliot and new general manager Todd Dunivant. They are coming off a tough loss to rivals Reno 1868 over the weekend in which they lost 3-2 as they will look to bounce back in the Open Cup. The Republic had their best ever Open Cup run a year ago when they were able to reach the fifth round following an historic 4-1 destruction of MLS side Real Salt Lake in the fourth round. They would go onto lose in the fifth round 2-0 to the LA Galaxy.

This match will take place at Sacramento State University Hornet Field with kick off coming at 5pm local time. The winner of this match up will face the winner of Reno and Timbers U23 in round 3.

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Nashville SC in their inaugural USL season host Inter Nashville FC of the NPSL at the Vanderbilt Soccer Lacrosse Complex for the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Nashville SC comes into the match defeating defending USL champions Louisville City, 2-0 at home, this past Saturday. While Inter Nashville is still celebrating their 6-1 trouncing of the Charlotte Eagles last Wednesday night in Charlotte, the first US Open Cup win for a Nashville team in 20 years.

Inter Nashville’s Chuka Aruh, the 6’3, 208 lb forward is a beast with speed to match and he was named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance. The 2017 NPSL Offensive Player of the year, was impossible to contain for Charlotte as he scored a brace within the first six minutes of the match, followed up with his hat trick by the 35th minute. Ivan Sakou contributed to the win, recording a brace for Inter Nashville as well as the assist from this amazing bicycle kick.

Come for the goal, stay for the ???? assist. ????

Richard Reichenberger puts @internashfc ahead of @CharlotteEagles by 3️⃣.

Watch: https://t.co/sv8pCEp7Jj pic.twitter.com/CnKfcloc9u

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) May 9, 2018

Inter Nashville drove the ball hard and was able to make the passes and crosses that ultimately led to their 6-1 win over Charlotte.

For the pros from Nashville SC, Ropapa Mensah leads the team with three goals scored. However, Lebo Moloto recorded a brace against Louisville City this past Saturday in their 2-0 defeat of the reigning USL champions. Nashville sits right in the middle of the USL’s Eastern Conference table in 8th position with a 3-3-2 overall record. All 7 of Nashville goals have come from inside the box.

The winner of this game will stay home for Round 3. They will host the winner of the Mississippi Brilla and Indy Eleven next Wednesday.

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Dallas-based NTX Rayados will look to survive and advance in the 2018 US Open Cup when they host OKC Energy of the United Soccer League (USL) on Wednesday night. Rayados defeated National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side Fort Worth Vaqueros 2-1 in Round 1 last week.

NTX Rayados, founded in 2011, have qualified for the Open Cup every year of their existence and they’ll be looking to advance to the third round of the tournament for the first time 2014. That year they found themselves up 2-0 early against the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League (NASL) but could not hold on and fell 4-2. This year’s squad, which does not practice on a regular basis, features a group of players who have returned home from college (where they play for their respective schools). Due to some consistently poor weather, the team had only played two league games prior to their first round match last week. But the team is taking things one game at a time and will look to carry the momentum from last week into their showing with OKC and they have plenty of reason to be optimistic about their chances.

OKC Energy currently find themselves at the bottom of the USL’s Western Conferfence standings, with one win and eight losses in nine games player so far this season. Steve Cooke could not have envisioned a worse start to his inaugural campaign when he replaced former MLS goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen as the club’s head coach this past offseason. Not only has the team conceded 17 goals in nine games, but the attack has also been horrendous with just three goals scored. If they’re going to rescue anything from their league campaign, they may need to look to the Open Cup for a spark.

The winner of this one will either host FC Wichita (NPSL) or head out on the road to face the Tulsa Roughnecks (USL) in Round 3.

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South Texas will be well represented in this Second Round matchup when the United Soccer League’s (USL) San Antonio FC hit the road to take on the Midland-Odessa FC on Wednesday night. Midland-Odessa got here by way of a 3-0 win over the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Lakeland Tropics in Round 1 last week.

The hosts are still early in their season, having only played two games (including last weeks Round 1 affair) so far but they have looked sharped. Forward Xavier Lao has been especially impressive, having notched two goals (both from the penalty spot) and an assist in all competitions this season. His first half penalty gave the Sockers the lead and then in the second half he provided the assist to teammate Jhonatan Velasquez on the third and final goal. Lao also converted a penalty into what would prove to be the game winner in the Sockers’ NPSL season opener against FC Brownsville.

San Antonio FC currently find themselves in ninth place in the USL’s Western Conference standings with 13 points from their first nine games. They’ve been in good form recently though, having won two of their last three. Texas native Mikey Lopez, a former college star at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who also featured for several seasons in MLS, leads San Antonio with two goals this season and an impressive four shots on goal from five total, despite starting just three games.

The winner of this one will be fortunate enough to host the winner of FC Denver (USSSA) and Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL) in Round 3 next week.

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The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC got their first win in almost a month this past weekend, defeating Las Vegas Lights FC 1-0. Prior to the win, the Switchbacks had gone on a four-match winless run and winning three of their first 10 matches to the 2018 USL season.

The Switchbacks are not the goal-scoring type club, only finding the back of the net 10 times in 11 matches. In fact, Switchbacks FC have been shutout in six matches this season.

That shutout statistic is music to Cesar Castillo’s ears as the FC Denver forward netted a hat trick in FC Denver’s 4-2 win over Azteca FC last Wednesday. Castillo is one of three players to score a hat trick in the First Round of the Open Cup.

Castillo will certainly look to expose the Switchbacks defense and find the back of the net like how he did in the first-round match. However, the Switchbacks have attacking prowess of their own with Shane Malcolm, Jordan Schweitzer and Akwafei Ajeakwa. Not to mention having Tobenna Uzo coming off the bench.

The winneer will travel south to take on the winner of Midland-Odessa FC (NPSL) and San Antonio FC (USL).

BROADCAST: NONE

NPSL’s Orange County FC will travel north to take on USL expansion side Fresno FC.

Orange County FC defeated Santa Ana Winds 3-0 in the US Open Cup’s First Round. Daniel ten Bosch scored a brace and Alessandro Canale added a goal of his own. The club is coached by former US men’s national team midfielder Paul Caligiuri. Orange County FC’s match against Fresno will be their first official match against a professional club.

The USL’s Fresno FC will be playing their first ever USOC match. They enter the match with no wins in their previous seven fixtures, currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference. Jemal Johnson leads the Foxes with four goals on the season. Renato Bustamante and Christian Chaney are also dangerous attacking options.

The winner will host the winner of the Las Vegas Lights and FC Tucson in Round 3 next week.

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FC Golden State Force will look to upset the USL’s Orange County SC in US Open Cup second round action.

In their First Round matchup, the 2017 PDL Western Conference champion FC Golden State Force topped LA Wolves 3-1, goals courtesy of Marcelo Manfredini, Allisson Faramilio, and Amilcar Lopez Ruiz. They advanced to the Second Round last season, but they were handily defeated by tonight’s opponent. This is the club’s second year in a row qualifying for the tournament and they have won both opening games in those appearances. (Last year: 2-0 vs. Outbreak SC)

Orange County SC enter the match as the fourth place team in the USL’s Western Conference. With new additions like captain Christian Duke, they have one of the league’s best midfields. Last season, they advanced to the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup, defeating Golden State Force and LA Wolves before losing to LA Galaxy 3-1. Last year’s run was a welcome sight to Orange County fans. Prior to last year, they had failed to win multiple games in five straight tournaments, including three straight one-and-done losses to amateur teams (2014-16).

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The Phoenix Rising will enter the US Open Cup on a hot streak. They are unbeaten in their last six USL matches, and they will be hoping to keep the run alive in their first Cup match of the season. The team is captained and co-owned by former Chelsea FC great Didier Drogba. The Ivorian striker is tied for the team lead with four goals.

This is the fifth trip to the tournament for Phoenix Rising, the club formerly known as Arizona United SC, but they have only reached the Fourth Round one time and never beyond that.

Sporting AZ FC (UPSL) topped FC Arizona 1-0 to win their first ever Open Cup match. Jon Guse’s 73rd minute finish was the history-making goal. The team will be looking to pull off one of the shockers of the Second Round.

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The Portland Timbers U-23s easily dispatched the Kitsap Pumas 5-0 in their first match of the US Open Cup. A second round appearance this year has already equaled their best tournament performance. Confidence is high in the team, as the 2017 Northwest Division Champions will be looking to pull off a road upset of Reno 1868 FC. This is the fifth trip to the tournament for the Timbers PDL team. The win over Kitsap Pumas was the club’s first win since 2013.

Reno 1868 had a memorable debut season last year, grabbing a spot in the USL Playoffs. They also made it to the Third Round of the Open Cup, and they will be looking to make an even deeper tournament run this year. The run last year came to an end at the hands of the USL’s Sacramento Republic. The team is managed by Ian Russell, a former San Jose Earthquakes midfielder.

BROADCAST: NONE

Las Vegas Lights FC will play their first ever US Open Cup match when they host FC Tucson at UNLV’s Peter Johann Field.

The first professional soccer team in Sin City, Lights FC has broken the mold in their first USL season. They have groundbreaking sponsorship deals, flashy jerseys with emojis, and their own llamas. On the pitch, they are led by midfielder Carlos Alvarez. The former Chivas USA first round pick has three goals on the season. Mexican national team veteran Joel Huiqui and the flamboyant goalkeeper Ricardo Ferrino help control the opponents’ attack.

FC Tucson has been a symbol of success in the PDL. They’ve won the last four Mountain Division crowns. To get to this stage, they defeated La Maquina FC 2-1, with goals from Jason Romero and Alejandro Gonzalez. Tucson has lost to USL opponents the last two years, 5-0 to Phoenix Rising FC in 2016 and 2-0 to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2017.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Paul Caligiuri’s Orange County FC blows past Winds FC, 3-0

May 16, 2018 by Wendy Pintor

Orange County FC defeated neighboring UPSL club Santa Ana Winds FC by the score of 3-0 on Wednesday night in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. With the win, Orange County moves on to Round 2 where they will take on FC Golden State Force on the same field at Orange County Great Park on May 16.

Orange County, who are led by their head coach, US National Team legend Paul Caligiuri, raised the momentum at the beginning of the game showing Winds a little bit of their endurance and skill that frustrated Winds FC, which fell behind 1-0 on a goal by Daniel Ten Bosch.

With at least half of the fan support behind them (398 people attended the game), Winds FC went into the second half pressing for an equalizer, but one never materialized. Instead, they lost control of their emotions, sharing unpleasant comments to one another on the field and then watched at minute 66’ when OCFC’s Tomas Canale, who assisted the first goal, double the lead.

Winds did not give up, even though OCFC tried to slow down the game with midfielder Daniel Crisostomo drawing fouls. Quinnin Harter and Espinoza Isreal, both received yellow cards for Winds as they struggled to get back into the game.

OCFC took all of their opportunities and goalkeeper Gomez Hugo, Gomez kept the clean sheet. Ten Bosch left Winds with no chance to get back in the game when he added his second of the game in the 86th minute to make the final score 3-0 to OCFC.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Sporting AZ edges FC Arizona in budding rivalry in the desert

May 16, 2018 by Gilberto Hernandez

Players from Sporting AZ (blue) and FC Arizona challenge for the ball in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Arianna Grainey

Two Phoenix teams separated by fewer than 20 miles squared off in the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Sporting AZ FC of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) got the better of the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) FC Arizona with a 1-0 win in the tournament debut for both clubs.

A single goal in the 72nd minute by Sporting captain Jon Guse sealed the deal for Sporting AZ. The game-winning goal came off a scramble in front of the goal following a corner kick.

It was a physical match between two teams that are not only competing for fans in the same metropolitan area, but for talent on the field. Several players on the Sporting AZ roster played for FC Arizona last year, and Sporting head coach Aidan Davison was on the FC Arizona sideline last year. This added to the drama of the first meeting between these two clubs.

As the match progressed, each side traded possession for some time, and led to numerous chances for both sides. As both teams had shots that hit the post in the first half.

Sporting AZ coach Aidan Davison summed up the match performance as “ugly, but effective,” noting that “…with cup soccer, it’s about getting to the next round.”

In a post-game interview, Guse mentioned that the difference in the second half came from pushing up and pressing on the defense, and it helped create more chances. As the game wore on, that press gave Sporting AZ some notable chances, such as a 3-on-2 counter cut off in the penalty box in the 89th minute.

Aside from the FC Arizona players that defected to Sporting AZ, the NPSL side was also missing six starters due to being cup tied because they took part in the US Open Cup’s open division qualifying tournament. According to the tournament rules that were put in place a few years ago, any player who appears in a qualifying game is cup-tied with that club for the remainder of the tournament, through to the US Open Cup Final.

“It’s tough at this level to be missing six starters,” FC Arizona head coach Maxi Viera. “It’s been a weird year, we deserve to win some games but haven’t. But today I am not going to take anything away from Sporting … They deserve to win.”

Sporting AZ FC will look to balance their schedule with an added home game against Phoenix Rising FC, where the USL side will make a trip across the east valley to Campo Verde High School in Gilbert, to play the Second Round matchup on May 16.

Arianna Grainey also contributed to this report

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Chuka Aruh of Inter Nashville wins TheCup.us Player of the Round

May 15, 2018 by David Walker

Chuka Aruh of Inter Nashville poses with a couple of fans. Photo: Inter Nashville

With a first half hat trick against Charlotte Eagles, Inter Nashville’s Chuka Aruh earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Aruh scored in the 5th, 6th, and 35th minutes in a road game against the reigning PDL Champions. A Richie Reichenberger goal and a brace from Ivan Sakou rounded out a convincing 6-1 victory in front of 300 fans in Matthews, North Carolina.

The award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Other players who received strong support were the other two players who scored hat tricks in the opening round: Cesar Castillo of FC Denver and David Ochoa of Miami United FC. Dilly Duka of FC Motown and Nate Steinwascher, the goalkeeper from Detroit City FC, also received support in what was a fairly spread out vote.

Asked when he knew he was going to have a big night, Aruh said, “Before the game, I was actually a bit anxious, but once the first goal went in, I was a lot more relaxed, the touches came easy, then after the second, I just wanted to get the ball.”

Inter Nashville celebrate their 6-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Inter Nashville

Aruh, a native of London, England, came to Nashville to train with Rich Askey at the now-defunct Nashville FC and also played at Cumberland University in Antioch, just outside Nashville. When Askey took over coaching duties for Inter Nashville one of the first calls he made was to the young Englishman. The rest is, literally, history. It was Inter’s first game in the US Open Cup, and Aruh has the club’s first ever hat trick in the competition and just the third player from an NPSL team to score a hat trick.

Aruh is also just the second England-born player to score three goals in a game in the Modern Era. (Dom Dwyer, Sporting Kansas City in 2014)

With the win, Inter moves on to play the USL’s Nashville SC in a “Nashville Derby”. It marks the first time that two Tennessee clubs have faced each other in the history of the tournament.

“I don’t have a personal relationship with any of the guys on Nashville SC, but it’s hardly just another game for me,” said Aruh. “I feel like Inter Nashville gets overlooked around here, and I want to go out there and prove to people that Nashville SC isn’t the only team in town.”

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: FC Tucson edges La Maquina to capture third straight USOC opener

May 14, 2018 by Roberto Payne

In a tightly contested, win or go home First Round matchup of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, it was FC Tucson who prevailed over La Maquina FC 2-1 on a 55th minute go-ahead goal from midfielder Alejandro Gonzalez.

The victory ensures FC Tucson advances to the second round of the US Open Cup for the third year in a row and will hit the road to face Las Vegas Lights FC on May 16.

After a rather sluggish first half in which the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie, the second half of play saw La Maquina FC open with possession and a different attitude, as the guests came out energized and hungry for a go-ahead goal.

However, it was FC Tucson that was able to drive in the game-winning goal in the 55th minute on a curling cross from midfielder Julian Gaona to Gonzalez.

“We had talked about getting the ball wide at halftime… and I thought Julian (Gaona) delivered a great ball,” FC Tucson coach David Cosgrove said. “Alejandro (Gonzalez) made about a 30 yard run to get to the back pole and he wasn’t too tired to get to the ball and knock it down.”

To start off play in the first half, it took less than two minutes for play to heat up in the first round matchup between FC Tucson and La Maquina FC at Kino North Complex in Tucson, Ariz. on Wednesday.

FC Tucson forward Jason Romero got in behind the La Maquina FC defensive backline and received a through pass from defender Gavino Carranza. From that point, Romero had only the keeper to beat and slotted in the opening goal through the legs of La Maquina FC goalkeeper Luis Sosa for the 1-0 lead just 80 seconds into play.

Two minutes later, midfielder Damian German had his own one-on-one with the goalkeeper and just missed the right post on a curved shot past the outstretched arms of Sosa.

“We thought there would might be a chance to get after them in the first five or 10 minutes and… I thought they would come out with more energy, and they didn’t,” FC Tucson coach David Cosgrove said. “So that gave us an opportunity to build and, of course, we got an opening goal…. but i wish we would’ve kept going. We got that goal and I felt like we could’ve had a couple more.”

Nearly everything went in favor of FC Tucson for the opening 30 minutes of play and it looked as if the home team would be well on its way to an easy first round victory over La Maquina.

However, the good favor ended in the 32nd minute of play when La Maquina FC forward Alejandro Velazquez received a through ball behind the FC Tucson backline and drove in the equalizer on a richotted shot off the top crossbar over FC Tucson goalkeeper Andreu Cases to tie up play at 1-1.

La Maquina nearly added in the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute when Velazquez saw a headed goal off a corner disallowed for a handball. Players and coaches alike rose in an uproar as referees conferred and confirmed the goal would be disallowed.

For a match that was played fairly clean for the opening 75 minutes of play, there sure was a lot of pushing, shoving and frustration over the final 15 minutes on Wednesday night.

La Maquina FC was shown four cards on the game (three yellows and one red), with the red card coming in stoppage time. Already playing on a yellow card, midfielder Jorge Pineda aggressively took down a FC Tucson player and was shown a straight red card.

It didn’t take long for controversy to strike again, with a hard foul coming from La Maquina as soon as play restarted, with FC Tucson players and coaches voicing their displeasure on the sideline.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: FC Golden State Force advance for second year in a row, 3-1 over LA Wolves

May 14, 2018 by Brian Von Wolfe

Home side FC Golden State Force eased past visitors Los Angeles Wolves in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup by a score line of 3-1 at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif.

Absorbing some early offensive pressure by the LA Wolves, GSF struck first against the run of play through a goal by Marcelo Manifredini in the 16th minute of the first half.

“They’re a pretty good possession team, so we kind of invited them to come play in our half a little, and then we were going to counter. And that’s how we got two out of the three goals, and it worked,” FC Golden State Force midfielder Jose Carrera-Garcia said.

Despite losing veteran center back Erlys Garcia-Baro in the 36th minute, the Force kept up the pressure through the half and maintained their counter attacking game plan.

“We have a big group with a lot of really good players who can step in. When the next players came in, there was no difference. We trust everyone in the group, everyone plays well and we just have to work hard and support each other,” Carrera-Garcia added.

If not for some defensive heroics by LA Wolves defender Mason Klerks, the score line could have easily been 3-0 going into the half. Klerks managed back to back clearances off of the goal line the 25th minute and provided a goal saving tackle in the box in 34th minute.

“The last 10 minutes of the first half, they had us on our back,” LA Wolves head coach Felipe Bernal said. “It seemed like they could’ve put one in at the end of the first half, but we managed to get away with that. I think that was the worst part of the game for us,”

It didn’t take long for the Force long to pick up where they left off in the first half, as they struck early in the second half through a 56th minute goal by Allisson Faramilio as the LA Wolves failed to clear their lines after a Golden State corner kick.

The LA Wolves remained in what seemed like defensive damage control early in the second half and the Force attack was able to break through with another goal in the 69th minute by Amilcar Lopez-Ruiz.

Having switched to a two forward attack in the middle of the second half, Jose Gomez was able to pull one back for the Wolves in 84th minute off of a long thrown in.

Despite Golden State seemingly dominating long stretches of the match they only outshot the visitors by 12-10 margin, but the LA Wolves lacked the finishing touch.

“Second half, we created some opportunities over here, but nobody closed up to tap it in” Bernal concluded. “Unfortunately, that’s the way it goes. You know soccer, it’s not how many opportunities you create, it’s the opportunities you take advantage of.”

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: San Francisco City heads across the Bay to find first USOC win

May 14, 2018 by Thomas Hodul

San Francisco City picked up a first-ever win in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with an impressive 4-0 thumping of the home side, CD Aguiluchos USA, the NPSL club based out of Oakland, Calif. While City deserved the victory in the end, the 4-0 score is a bit misleading as the Aguiluchos controlled long portions of the match and were never truly out of the match until the final 10 minutes.

“The Aguiluchos are a solid team, some really experienced players,” said SF City head coach Paddy Coyne. “And to come here and get a 4-0 result, I’m pretty happy.”

The Aguiluchos had some of the best chances early on in the match, including a few chances to star striker, Simon Rawnsley, who saw a left footed effort sail just over the bar in the 21st minute as well as two headed chances that just went over the bar in the 40th and 42nd minute.

The two best chances came for the Aguiluchos in back-to-back minutes when first Victor Ramirez hit the cross bar in the 31st minute, and then Jose Cabeza fired a volley right to the keeper a minute later.

City then went on to turn the game on its head late in the first half when Bengy Ruiz, the Aguiluchos defender, took down Sean Bowman in the box. This led to a penalty kick in the 44th minute. Aaron Lombardi stepped up for SF City only to see his shot saved. However, none of the Aguiluchos defenders followed up to help their keeper, and Lombardi buried the rebound to give SF City the 1-0 lead.

“I think the pressure we were building created that penalty, and Aaron has finished it off the rebound,” said Coyne about the opening goal.

Then just a minute later, former Phoenix Rising striker Matt Hurlow added a second goal for City with a brilliant left-footed volley from the top of the box.

“Next thing you know, we get another bouncing ball from Matt Hurlow, pulls a left foot on it, and it’s a goal,” said Coyne about his surprise of the second goal. “It’s always nice going into half time with a two nil buffer.”

The Aguiluchos went on to use up all three subs early in the second half as they searched for a way back into the match. They continued to create half chances much like in the first half before they went down two goals. Ross Middlemiss and Octavio Guzman started to give the SF City defense some problems, but it was never enough to cause any serious threats.

As the Aguiluchos pushed for a goal, they left themselves exposed at the back, including twice conceding goals that just barely got called back for offsides. Then, in the 80th minute, City eventually found a third goal to seal the match as Jordan Hughes chipped the keeper much to the delight of the traveling City supporters.

“We changed our formation in the second half. It really helped us out on the wings,” said Coyne about the team’s second half performance. “We made three subs and all of them came in and made a great impact.”

The final goal of the match was probably the best of the night and it came from one of those subs, Armand Bagramyan, who curled in a perfect free kick from the edge of the box to make the score 4-0 just before the ref blew the full time whistle.

SF City will travel south for a PDL double header this weekend before traveling north to play Sacramento Republic in the Second Round of the US Open Cup. This schedule will test the depth in the SF City squad early in the season.

Coach Coyne didn’t seem too concerned, saying confidently about his team: “We are deep. We have 35 on our roster, so we can call up lads to play any role in any system and they should be doing as well as the man who played the week before.”

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Leo Sosa’s brace, including 40-yard bomb, leads FC Wichita past OKC Energy U23s

May 14, 2018 by Matt Will

In a First Round matchup in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Oklahoma City Energy U-23s were set to travel to Wichita, Kan. to take on FC Wichita in a Wednesday night contest. FC Wichita had qualified for the last three US Open Cups, spanning all three years of the team’s existence and for the second year in a row they advanced in their opening round game, beating the Energy U-23s, 3-1.

Leo Sosa led the way with a pair of goals to earn Wichita a trip to Oklahoma to take on the Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL in Round 2 next week.

The opening 30 minutes were scoreless but eventful. FC Wichita had a couple opportunities including two corner kicks. These minutes were somewhat clean, with only a few fouls and no cards. It was not until the 36th minute that the tie was broken up. FC Wichita’s Leo Sosa, a midfielder, broke through the OKC Energy U-23s back line, beating the keeper with a hard shot.

Before the crowd could even settle, FC Wichita added another goal from Sosa, this time a strong strike from 40 yards out in the 38th minute.

“I’m a guy who’s always ready, my blood is always pumping,” Sosa said. “I just want to go, more and more.”

Other than a couple minute stoppage to assist two player who smacked heads together, the remainder of the first half had little opportunities, keeping it a 2-0 contest heading into the break.

The second half began with fury, as Energy U-23s midfielder Louis Bennett had a couple hard, yet clean, tackles to apply pressure to a now confident FC Wichita squad. The first card of the game was awarded in the 64th minute to FC Wichita midfielder Eddie Gomez and minutes later, OKC Energy was awarded their first yellow card, this one to forward Josh Garcia.

It was not until the 78th minute that OKC Energy U-23 had their first real opportunity of the game. FC Wichita goalkeeper Steve Hamersky misplayed a ball, picking it up just outside the goalie box, giving OKC Energy a great free kick chance, just 20-yards out. A strong strike from Garcia ended Hamersky’s clean sheet, moving the game to 2-1. Not even 30 seconds later, FC Wichita midfielder Taylor Henry was awarded a yellow card on a late tackle.

In the 84th minute, OKC Energy subbed an extra attacker in for a defensive man to attempt to score an equalizing goal. The result was flipped as FC Wichita’s left forward Ben Andoh found the back of the net on a cross by FC Wichita striker Franck Tayou in the five-minute stoppage time at the end of the half. The 3-1 score would hold true to the end, giving FC Wichita a win, their second win in a US Open Cup game.

“Winning a US game, it has a special feeling,” Gonzalo Carranza, a member of the FC Wichita coaching staff said. “We know we need to continue to step our game up, and we will make sure we do that.”

FC Wichita owned the shots category tonight, taking 18 shots to OKC Energy U-23’s 13. FC Wichita has three corner kicks to OKC Energy U-23’s one. Hamersky recorded 10 saves for FC Wichita and goalkeeper Cooper Clark stopped 13 stops for OKC Energy U-23. FC Wichita was called offsides seven times to OKC Energy U-23’s 5.
FC Wichita advances to the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second straight year. They will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to play the Tulsa Roughnecks on May 16. The Roughnecks received a first-round bye to automatically advance to the second round. That game kicks off at Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kick off has not been announced.