2018 US Open Cup

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

April 23, 2018 by Omar Avalos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2018 US Open Cup: Potential Second Round pairings announced as pros join the tournament

April 11, 2018 by Josh Hakala

According to TheCup.us records, FC Cincinnati's sold-out crowd of 33,250 at Nippert Stadium for the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinal against the New York Red Bulls was the second-largest crowd to ever witness a tournament game. Photo: Erik Schelkun | FC Cincinnati — According to TheCup.us records, FC Cincinnati’s sold-out crowd of 33,250 at Nippert Stadium for the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinal against the New York Red Bulls was the second-largest crowd to ever witness a tournament game. Photo: Erik Schelkun | FC Cincinnati

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the potential Second Round pairings for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The late addition of New York Cosmos B, Miami FC 2 and the Jacksonville Armada to the competition pushed this announcement back a week, but now open division teams will know who they will play if they advance beyond the First Round (May 8-9).

The 22 US-based United Soccer League (Division 2 pro) teams will join 26 First Round winners for 24 games that are scheduled to take place on May 16. The teams that survive Round 2 will advance to the Third Round which is scheduled to take place the week after (May 23).

The Second Round gives Open Division teams their first chance to pull off an upset. However, last year, the Davids didn’t fare as well against the Goliaths. Only four Open Division teams survived the Second Round (Reading United AC, Michigan Bucks, Chicago FC United of the PDL and Christos FC, the lone Open Division local qualifier)

[+] 2018 US Open Cup Schedule/Results

Potential pairings for the Second Round
(All matches scheduled for May 16, 2018 – All Times Eastern)

NORTHEAST REGION
Date	Game (home team listed first)	Time	Venue
May 16	North Carolina FC (USL) vs. Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)/New York Cosmos B (NPSL)/Lansdowne Bhoys FC (N.Y.) winner	7 p.m. ET	Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
May 16	Charlotte Independence (USL) vs. AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL)/Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL) winner	7 p.m. ET	Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, N.C.
May 16	Erie Commodores FC (NPSL) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Gannon University Field; Erie, Pa.
	-or-
May 16	Rochester River Dogz (N.Y.) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Capelli Sport Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
May 16	Reading United AC (PDL) vs. Richmond Kickers (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Don Thomas Stadium (Exeter Twp. H.S.); Reading, Pa.
	-or-
May 16	Richmond Kickers (USL) vs. Christos FC (Md.)	7 p.m. ET	City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
May 16	Kingston Stockade FC (NPSL) vs. Louisville City FC (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Tenney Stadium (Marist College); Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
	-or-
May 16	Louisville City FC (USL) vs. Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)	7 p.m. ET	Woehrle Athletic Complex – Turf Field; Jeffersonville, Ind.
May 16	FC Motown (NPSL) vs. Penn FC (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Ranger Stadium (Drew University); Madison, N.J.
	-or-
May 16	New York Red Bulls U23 (PDL) vs. Penn FC (USL)	7:30 p.m. ET	Red Bull Training Facility; Whippany, N.J.
May 16	Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) vs. Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL)/Kendall Wanderers (Mass.) winner	7 p.m. ET	Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass.
	-or-
May 16	Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL) vs. Elm City Express (NPSL)	7:30 p.m. ET	Seacoast United Sports Park; Amesbury, Mass.
	-or-
May 16	Kendall Wanderers (Mass.) vs. Elm City Express (NPSL)	TBD	Home Team TBD
May 16	FC Cincinnati (USL) vs. Detroit City FC (NPSL)/Michigan Bucks (PDL) winner	7:30 p.m. ET	Gettler Stadium (Univ. of Cincinnati); Cincinnati, Ohio
SOUTHEAST REGION
Date	Game (home team listed first)	Time	Venue
May 16	Charleston Battery (USL) vs. Myrtle Beach Mutiny (PDL)/South Georgia Tormenta FC (PDL) winner	7 p.m. ET	MUSC Health Stadium; Charleston, S.C.
May 16	SIMA Aguilas (PDL) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Montverde Academy; Montverde, Fla.
	-or-
May 16	Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL)	7 p.m. ET	Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville University), Jacksonville, Fla.
	-or-
May 16	Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL) vs. The Villages SC (PDL)	7:30 p.m. ET	Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla.
May 16	Miami FC 2 (NPSL) vs. Miami United FC (NPSL)/FC Kendall (Fla.) winner	7 p.m. ET	FIU Soccer Stadium; Miami, Fla.
	-or-
May 16	Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. FC Miami City (PDL)	7:30 p.m. ET	Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla.
	-or-
May 16	Red Force FC (Fla.) vs. Miami United FC (NPSL)/FC Kendall (Fla.) winner	8:30 p.m. ET	Tropical Park Stadium; Miami, Fla.
	-or-
May 16	FC Miami City (PDL) vs. FC Kendall (Fla.)	TBD	Home Team TBD
May 16	New Orleans Jesters (NPSL) vs. Indy Eleven (USL)	7 p.m. CT	Pan American Stadium; New Orleans, La.
	-or-
May 16	Mississippi Brilla FC (PDL) vs. Indy Eleven (USL)	7 p.m. CT	Clinton High School; Clinton, Miss.
May 16	Nashville SC (USL) vs. Charlotte Eagles (PDL)/Inter Nashville FC (NPSL) winner	7:30 p.m. CT	Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex; Nashville, Tenn.
CENTRAL REGION
Date	Game (home team listed first)	Time	Venue
May 16	Tulsa Roughnecks FC (USL) vs. FC Wichita (NPSL)/OKC Energy U23 (PDL) winner	7 p.m. CT	Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium; Tulsa, Okla.
May 16	Duluth FC (NPSL) vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)	7 p.m. CT	Public Schools Stadium; Duluth, Minn.
	-or-
May 16	Dakota Fusion FC (NPSL) vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)	7 p.m. CT	Jim Gotta Stadium; Moorhead, Minn.
May 16	NTX Rayados (Texas) vs. OKC Energy FC (USL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Richland Community College (Field 10); Dallas, Texas
	-or-
May 16	Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL) vs. OKC Energy FC (USL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Farrington Field; Fort Worth, Texas
May 16	Midland-Odessa Sockers FC (NPSL) vs. San Antonio FC (USL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Grande Communications Stadium; Midland, Texas
	-or-
May 16	San Antonio FC (USL) vs. Lakeland Tropics (PDL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas
May 16	Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL) vs. FC Denver (Colo.)/Azteca FC (Colo.) winner	7 p.m. MT	Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo.
WEST REGION
Date	Game (home team listed first)	Time	Venue
May 16	FC Arizona (NPSL) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USL)	7 p.m. MST	John Riggs Stadium; Mesa, Ariz.
	-or-
May 16	Sporting AZ FC (Ariz.) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USL)	7 p.m. MST	Chandler-Gilbert Community College; Chandler, Ariz.
May 16	Fresno FC (USL) vs. Orange County FC (NPSL)/Santa Ana Winds FC (Calif.) winner	7 p.m. PT	Chukchansi Park; Fresno, Calif.
May 16	Orange County SC (USL) vs. FC Golden State Force (PDL)/L.A. Wolves FC (Calif.) winner	7 p.m. PT	Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif.
May 16	Kitsap Soccer Club (NPSL) vs. Reno 1868 FC (USL)	7 p.m. PT	Gordon Field; Bremerton, Wash.
	-or-
May 16	Reno 1868 FC (USL) vs. Portland Timbers U23 (PDL)	7:30 p.m. PT	Greater Nevada Field; Reno, Nev.
May 16	Sacramento Republic FC (USL) vs. CD Aguiluchos USA (NPSL)/San Francisco City FC (PDL) winner	7:30 p.m. PT	American River College; Sacramento, Calif.
May 16	Las Vegas Lights FC (USL) vs. FC Tucson (PDL)/La Máquina FC (Calif.) winner	8 p.m. PT	Peter Johann Soccer Field; Las Vegas, Nev.

Why is it against the rules to change leagues during the US Open Cup?

April 6, 2018 by Josh Hakala

The scene from historic Boxer Stadium in San Francisco with El Farolito hosting Burlingame Dragons in the First Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Evan Ream

On Nov. 19, 2017, El Farolito dominated Cal Victory FC 8-0 to clinch a spot in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was a “Win & You’re In” game in the Open Division qualifying tournament for the 105th edition of the competition. It was the second year in a row that the San Francisco-area club would punch their ticket and they did it by not allowing a single goal in three games, outscoring their opponents 16-0.

However, when they made the decision to change leagues from the historic San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL) to the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), they violated a rule in the US Open Cup bylaws and it cost them a trip to the 2018 tournament.

So, why is that rule in place?

It began before the 2015 US Open Cup when the tournament committee made a change to the bylaws about team eligibility. In Section 202, subsection c reads that teams entering through the Open Division must adhere to the following rules to remain eligible throughout the tournament:

“(i) A team must remain a playing member in good standing within its club/league competition, starting from the Open Division entry deadline and continuing until the Open Cup Final for the competition year;

(ii) A team’s league must be in operation from the Open Division entry deadline until the Open Cup Final for the competition year.”

During the qualifying tournament, El Farolito had been in talks with the NPSL and were hoping to be accepted into the league.

“We always knew about the rule,” said El Farolito general manager Santiago Lopez. “But there was a deadline to enter the US Open Cup and we didn’t know if NPSL was going to accept us.”

A portion of Section 202 of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup handbook.

So they decided to continue with the qualifying tournament as a backup plan just in case they weren’t accepted into the NPSL. Shortly after they defeated Cal Victory FC to clinch a spot in the tournament, the NPSL decided to accept El Farolito into the fold.

@NPSLSoccer 2018 pic.twitter.com/qUcsy2Of3N

— El Farolito (@elfarolito_npsl) December 3, 2017

After the tweet was sent out, it didn’t take long for US Soccer to give Lopez a call to confirm the news and to let him know what his options were. Lopez was told what he already knew, if he decided to join the NPSL and leave the SFSFL completely, they would be disqualified. There have been other teams who have changed leagues during the tournament, but the workaround is that they keep a team in the old league, or field a reserve team, in order to remain in good standing with the league.

They would either have to field two teams or play their first team twice each weekend. That wasn’t an option for El Farolito.

“SFSFL is one of the toughest amateur leagues in the country and having two clubs at the same time is extremely difficult,” Lopez said. “The President decided to just focus on NPSL.”

This wasn’t the first time since 2015 that a team was disqualified for switching leagues. On Oct. 22, 2016, Minneapolis City SC defeated Michigan’s Oakland County FC 2-1 in extra time to clinch a spot in the 2017 US Open Cup before they learned that their plans to move from the Premier League of America to the NPSL was a violation of tournament rules. Once it became clear that they were in violation of the Open Cup bylaws, Minneapolis approached the USSF to see if they could work out an arrangement that would allow them to continue. In the end, they were disqualified.

Some fans and members of the media have asked why this rule was added in 2015. Also, why does the New York Cosmos B, Jacksonville Armada and Miami FC 2 get to participate in the 2018 US Open Cup despite technically changing leagues.

As for the motivation for the rule change, a USSF spokesperson explained it this way.

By changing leagues, even if the team in question leaves to join another US Soccer-affiliated league, there is an “interruption” to their affiliation with the federation. In theory, a team could drop out of their current league, join another league and if they are eliminated from the Open Cup, they could drop out of the new league before they even play a game.

In an extreme scenario, a club could drop out of its current league and register to join another, followed by losing its next Open Cup game without having played a match in its new league. With the Open Cup out of reach, the club could then decide to immediately withdraw from its new league (which it might have joined to retain Open Cup eligibility as its only intention).

While this scenario may be unlikely, based on this explanation, the federation is just concerned with covering their bases.

2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup results

April 4, 2018 by Josh Hakala

The Houston Dynamo celebrate the 2018 US Open Cup championship. Photo: Jose Castellanos | Twitter: @Vos_Castellanos, IG: @FutbolAndBrews

Click on the scores below for match reports
All Times Eastern

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

PRELIMINARY ROUND	AWAY TEAM	RESULT	HOME TEAM	VENUE
May 6	Miami FC 2 (NPSL)	3:1	FC Miami City (PDL)	Tropical Park Stadium – Miami, FL
May 6	The Villages SC (PDL)	1:2	Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL)	Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville Univ.) – Jacksonville, FL
May 6	New York Cosmos B (NPSL)	2:3	Brooklyn Italians FC (NPSL)	Long Island University Athletic Complex – Brooklyn, NY

ROUND 1	AWAY TEAM	RESULT	HOME TEAM	VENUE
May 8	Kitsap SC Pumas (NPSL)	0:5	Portland Timbers U23s (PDL)	McCulloch Stadium – Salem, OR
May 9	Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)	3:0	AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL)	Scicluna Field (Eastern Michigan Univ.) – Ypsilanti, MI
May 9	Elm City Express (NPSL)	2:1	Western Mass Pioneers (PDL)	Lusitano Field – Ludlow, MA
May 9	New York Red Bulls U23s (PDL)	1:2	FC Motown (NPSL)	Ranger Stadium (Drew Univ.) – Madison, NJ
May 9	Christos FC (USASA)	1:1 (4:5 PK)	Reading United AC (PDL)	Alvernia University Stadium – Reading, PA
May 9	Rochester River Dogz (USASA)	1:1 (4:5 PK)	Erie Commodores FC (NPSL)	Gannon Univ. Field – Erie, PA
May 9	Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL)	2:0	SIMA Aguilas (PDL)	Montverde Academy – Montverde, FL
May 9	Inter Nashville FC (NPSL)	6:1	Charlotte Eagles (PDL)	Mecklenburg Co. Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
May 9	Red Force FC (USASA)	0:4	Miami FC (NPSL)	FIU Stadium – Miami, FL
May 9	South Georgia Tormenta FC (PDL)	2:1	Myrtle Beach Mutiny (PDL)	North Myrtle Beach Sports Park (Field 6) – Little River, SC
May 9	Kendall Wanderers (USASA)	2:2 (5:6 PK)	Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL)	Seacoast United Sports Park – Amesbury, MA
May 9	Michigan Bucks (PDL)	2:2 (5:6 PK)	Detroit City FC (NPSL)	Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
May 9	FC Kendall (USASA)	1:5	Miami United FC (NPSL)	Ted Hendricks Stadium – Hialeah, FL
May 9	Lansdowne Bhoys FC (USASA)	2:0	Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)	Long Island University Athletic Complex – Brooklyn, NY
May 9	Kingston Stockade FC (NPSL)	3:6 (AET)	Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)	John Burns Park – Massapequa, NY
May 9	Mississippi Brilla (PDL)	1:1 (3:2 PK)	New Orleans Jesters (NPSL)	Pan American Stadium – New Orleans, LA
May 9	OKC Energy U23s (PDL)	1:3	FC Wichita (NPSL)	Adair-Austin Stadium (Friends Univ.) – Wichita, KS
May 9	Dakota Fusion FC (NPSL)	4:4 (0:3 PK)	Duluth FC (NPSL)	Public Schools Stadium – Duluth, MN
May 9	Lakeland Tropics (PDL)	0:3	Midland-Odessa FC (NPSL)	Grande Communications Stadium – Midland, TX
May 9	Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL)	1:2	NTX Rayados (USASA)	Richland Comm. College (Field 10) – Dallas, TX
May 9	San Francisco City FC (PDL)	4:0	CD Aguiluchos USA (NPSL)	Raimondi Park – Oakland, CA
May 9	Azteca FC (USSSA)	2:4	FC Denver (USSSA)	North Stadium – Westminster, CO
May 9	LA Wolves FC (USASA)	1:3	FC Golden State Force (PDL)	Rio Hondo College – Whittier, CA
May 9	Santa Ana Winds FC (USASA)	0:3	Orange County FC (NPSL)	Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
May 9	Sporting AZ FC (USASA)	1:0	FC Arizona (NPSL)	John Riggs Stadium – Mesa, AZ
May 9	La Maquina FC (USASA)	1:2	FC Tucson (PDL)	Kino North Stadium – Tucson, AZ

ROUND 2	AWAY TEAM	TIME	HOME TEAM	VENUE
May 16	Lansdowne Bhoys FC (USASA)	0:3	North Carolina FC (USL)	Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Park – Cary, NC
May 16	Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)	3:1	Charlotte Independence (USL)	Mecklenburg County Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
May 16	Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL)	2:1	Erie Commodores FC (NPSL)	Gannon University Field – Erie, PA
May 16	Richmond Kickers (USL)	1:1 (4:3 PK)	Reading United AC (PDL)	Alvernia University Stadium – Reading, PA
May 16	Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)	0:5	Louisville City FC (USL)	Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville) – Louisville, KY
May 16	South Georgia Tormenta FC (PDL)	0:1	Charleston Battery (USL)	MUSC Health Stadium – Charleston, SC
May 16	Penn FC (USL)	3:1	FC Motown (NPSL)	Ranger Stadium (Drew University) – Madison, NJ
May 16	Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL)	0:1	Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL)	Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville Univ.) – Jacksonville, FL
May 16	Miami United (NPSL)	3:1	Miami FC 2 (NPSL)	FIU Stadium – Miami, FL
May 16	Elm City Express (NPSL)	2:0	Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL)	Seacoast United Sports Park – Amesbury, MA
May 16	Detroit City FC (NPSL)	1:4 (AET)	FC Cincinnati (USL)	Gettler Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
May 16	Indy Eleven (USL)	0:1	Mississippi Brilla (PDL)	Clinton High School – Clinton, MS
May 16	FC Wichita (NPSL)	4:3	Tulsa Roughnecks (USL)	Hurricane Soccer & Track Stadium – Tulsa, OK
May 16	Saint Louis FC (USL)	2:0	Duluth FC (NPSL)	Public Schools Stadium – Duluth, MN
May 16	San Francisco City FC (PDL)	1:3	Sacramento Republic (USL)	Hornet, Field – Sacramento, CA
May 16	Inter Nashville FC (NPSL)	0:2	Nashville SC (USL)	Vanderbilt Soccer Lacrosse Complex – Nashville, TN
May 16	Oklahoma City Energy (USL)	2:5 (AET)	NTX Rayados (USASA)	Richland Community College (Field 10) – Dallas, TX
May 16	San Antonio FC (USL)	4:0	Midland-Odessa FC (NPSL)	Grande Communications Stadium – Midland, TX
May 16	FC Denver (USSSA)	1:3	Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL)	Weidner Field – Colorado Springs, CO
May 16	Orange County FC (NPSL)	0:2	Fresno FC (USL)	Chukchansi Park – Fresno, CA
May 16	FC Golden State Force (PDL)	4:2	Orange County SC (USL)	Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
May 16	Phoenix Rising (USL)	1:1 (4:5 PK)	Sporting AZ FC (USASA)	Chandler-Gilbert Community College – Chandler, AZ
May 16	Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL)	3:7	Reno 1868 FC (USL)	Greater Nevada Field – Reno, NV
May 16	FC Tucson (PDL)	2:4	Las Vegas Lights FC (USL)	Peter Johann Soccer Field – Las Vegas, NV

ROUND 3	AWAY TEAM	TIME	HOME TEAM	VENUE
May 22	Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)	1:4	North Carolina FC (USL)	Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Park – Cary, NC
May 23	Elm City Express (NPSL)	0:1	Charleston Battery (USL)	MUSC Health Stadium – Charleston, SC
May 23	Saint Louis FC (USL)	0:1	Louisville City FC (USL)	Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville) – Louisville, KY
May 23	FC Cincinnati (USL)	3:1	Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL)	Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
May 23	Penn FC (USL)	2:3	Richmond Kickers (USL)	City Stadium – Richmond, VA
May 23	Miami United FC (NPSL)	2:0	Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL)	Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville Univ.) – Jacksonville, FL
May 23	Mississippi Brilla FC (PDL)	1:3	Nashville SC (USL)	Vanderbilt Soccer Lacrosse Complex – Nashville, TN
May 23	FC Wichita (NPSL)	2:3	NTX Rayados (USASA)	Richland Community College (Field 10) – Dallas, TX
May 23	Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL)	1:1 (3:5 PK)	San Antonio FC (USL)	Toyota Field – San Antonio, TX
May 23	Las Vegas Lights (USL)	1:2	FC Golden State Force (PDL)	Allen Layne Stadium (Downey HS) – Downey, CA
May 23	Fresno FC (USL)	2:1 (AET)	Sporting AZ FC (USASA)	Chandler-Gilbert Community College – Chandler, AZ
May 23	Sacramento Republic (USL)	1:0	Reno 1868 FC (USL)	Greater Nevada Field – Reno, NV

ROUND 4	AWAY TEAM	SCORE	HOME TEAM	VENUE
June 5	Richmond Kickers (USL)	0:5	Philadelphia Union (MLS)	Talen Energy Stadium – Chester, PA
June 5	New England Revolution (MLS)	2:3	Louisville City FC (USL)	Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville) – Louisville, KY
June 6	North Carolina FC (USL)	1:1 (3:4 PK)	D.C. United (MLS)	Maryland Soccerplex – Boyds, MD
June 6	Chicago Fire (MLS)	2:2 (10:9 PK)	Columbus Crew SC (MLS)	MAPFRE Stadium – Columbus, OH
June 6	New York City FC (MLS)	0:4	New York Red Bulls (MLS)	Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ
June 6	Orlando City SC (MLS)	3:0	Miami United FC (NPSL)	Ted Hendricks Stadium – Hialeah, FL
June 6	Charleston Battery (USL)	0:3	Atlanta United (MLS)	Fifth Third Bank Stadium (Kennesaw State Univ.) – Kennesaw, GA
June 6	Minnesota United (MLS)	0:0 (3:1 PK)	FC Cincinnati (USL)	Nippert Stadium (Univ. of Cincinnati) – Cincinnati, OH
June 6	Colorado Rapids (MLS)	0:2	Nashville SC (USL)	Vanderbilt Stadium – Nashville, TN
June 6	NTX Rayados (USASA)	0:5	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, TX
June 6	FC Dallas (MLS)	1:0	San Antonio FC (USL)	Toyota Field – San Antonio, TX
June 6	Sporting Kansas City (MLS)	2:0	Real Salt Lake (MLS)	Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, UT
June 6	Fresno FC (USL)	0:2	Los Angeles FC (MLS)	Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
June 6	FC Golden State Force (PDL)	1:3	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)	StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium – Carson, CA
June 6	San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)	0:2	Portland Timbers FC (MLS)	Providence Park – Portland, OR
June 6	Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)	1:2 (AET)	Sacramento Republic FC (USL)	Papa Murphy’s Park – Sacramento, CA
ROUND 5 (RD of 16)	AWAY TEAM	SCORE	HOME TEAM	VENUE
June 15	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)	0:1	Portland Timbers (MLS)	Providence Park – Portland, OR
June 16	New York Red Bulls (MLS)	1:2	Philadelphia Union (MLS)	Talen Energy Stadium – Chester, PA
June 16	FC Dallas (MLS)	2:3	Sporting Kansas City (MLS)	Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS
June 18	Minnesota United (MLS)	0:1	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, TX
June 20	Orlando City SC (MLS)	1:1 (4:2 PK)	D.C. United (MLS)	Maryland Soccerplex – Boyds, MD
June 20	Nashville SC (USL)	1:2	Louisville City FC (USL)	Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville) – Louisville, KY
June 20	Chicago Fire (MLS)	1:0	Atlanta United (MLS)	Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA
June 20	Sacramento Republic (USL)	2:3	Los Angeles FC (MLS)	Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
QUARTERFINALS	AWAY TEAM	SCORE	HOME TEAM	VENUE
July 18	Orlando City SC (MLS)	0:1	Philadelphia Union (MLS)	Talen Energy Stadium – Chester, PA
July 18	Louisville City FC (USL)	0:4	Chicago Fire (MLS)	Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL
July 18	Sporting Kansas City (MLS)	2:4	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, TX
July 18	Portland Timbers (MLS)	2:3	Los Angeles FC (MLS)	Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
SEMIFINALS	AWAY TEAM	SCORE	HOME TEAM	VENUE
August 8	Chicago Fire (MLS)	0:3	Philadelpia Union (MLS)	Talen Energy Stadium / Chester, PA
August 8	Los Angeles FC (MLS)	3:3 (6:7 PK)	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	BBVA Compass Stadium / Houston, TX
FINAL	AWAY TEAM	SCORE	HOME TEAM	VENUE
Sept. 26	Philadelphia Union (MLS)	0:3	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	BBVA Compass Stadium / Houston, TX

Opening round pairings for 2018 US Open Cup announced; 105th tournament kicks off in May

April 4, 2018 by Josh Hakala

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the draw for the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The 105th edition of the United States national championship will feature a three-game Play-In Round before the First Round kicks off May 8 with the first of 26 games.

The details on the Play-In Round are still yet to be finalized but they are scheduled to take place the first weekend in May (May 5-6). The New York Cosmos B, Jacksonville Armada FC and Miami FC 2 were recently announced as late entries to the tournament after the North American Soccer League canceled the 2018 season. The three teams will compete in the upcoming National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

The First Round begins on May 8 when the Kitsap SC Pumas, who joined the NPSL after eight years in the Premier Development League, will travel to Oregon to take the Portland Timbers Under-23s (PDL) in a matchup of two former division rivals.

The following day, on May 9, the tournament kicks into high gear with 25 games on the schedule. The round will feature the three winners of the Play-In Round, combined with 19 PDL teams and 17 entries from the NPSL. The remaining 13 mostly amateur teams from Open Division local entries that got in through the federation’s qualifying tournament that concluded last Fall.

The 26 games feature a number of compelling matchups between rival leagues as fans will see a minimum of 11, and as many as 12, games between PDL and NPSL opponents.

The hosts for the First Round, and all future rounds, are determined by random selection. If both teams apply to host and both teams meet the federation’s minimum venue standards, then the home team is decided by random draw.

The format for the 2018 competition will remain largely the same, with some minor changes to prize money, travel reimbursement and schedule flexibility. For the first time since 2013, USSF has increased the prize money with the champion now receiving $300,000, and the runner-up getting $100,000. The team that advances the furthest from each division (Division 2 pro, Open Division) will get $25,000 (up from $250k, $60k, and $15k, respectively).

In addition to the $300,000, the winner also receives a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.

The potential Second Round pairings were supposed to be announced today but the addition of the Play-In Round pushed that draw back to April 11.

Here is schedule for the Play-In Round and the First Round of the 2018 US Open Cup:

PLAY-IN ROUND (Home team listed first)

Date	Game	Time	Venue
May 6	Jacksonville Armada (NPSL) vs. The Villages SC (PDL)	7 p.m. ET	Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville Univ.); Jacksonville, Fla.
May 6	FC Miami City (PDL) vs. Miami FC 2 (NPSL)	7 p.m. ET	Tropical Park Stadium; Miami, Fla.
May 6	Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) vs. New York Cosmos B (NPSL)	8 p.m. ET	Long Island University Brooklyn Athletic Facility; Brooklyn, N.Y.

FIRST ROUND (Home team listed first)

Northeast Region

Date	Game	Time	Venue
May 9	AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL) vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)	6 p.m. ET	Scicluna Field (Eastern Michigan Univ.); Ypsilanti, Mich.
May 9	Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) vs. Elm City Express (NPSL)	7 p.m. ET	Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass.
May 9	Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) vs. Kingston Stockade FC (NPSL)	7 p.m. ET	John Burns Park; Massapequa Park, N.Y.
May 9	FC Motown (NPSL) vs. New York Red Bulls U23 (PDL)	7 p.m. ET	Ranger Stadium (Drew University); Madison, N.J.
May 9	Reading United AC (PDL) vs. Christos FC (Md.)	7 p.m. ET	Don Thomas Stadium (Exeter Twp. H.S.); Reading, Pa.
May 9	Erie Commodores FC (NPSL) vs. Rochester River Dogz (N.Y.)	7 p.m. ET	Gannon University Field; Erie, Pa.
May 9	Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL) vs. Kendall Wanderers (Mass.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Seacoast United Sports Park; Amesbury, Mass.
May 9	Detroit City FC (NPSL) vs. Michigan Bucks (PDL)	7:30 p.m. ET	Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich.
May 9	New York Cosmos B (NPSL) vs. Lansdowne Bhoys FC (N.Y.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Commisso Stadium (Columbia Univ.); New York, N.Y.
	-or-
	Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) vs. Lansdowne Bhoys FC (N.Y.)	8 p.m. ET	Long Island University Brooklyn Athletic Facility; Brooklyn, N.Y.

Southeast Region

Date	Game	Time	Venue
May 9	SIMA Aguilas (PDL) vs. The Villages SC (PDL)/Jacksonville Armada (NPSL) winner	7 p.m. ET	Montverde Academy; Montverde, Fla.
May 9	Charlotte Eagles (PDL) vs. Inter Nashville FC (NPSL)	7 p.m. ET	Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, N.C.
May 9	Myrtle Beach Mutiny (PDL) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (PDL)	7:10 p.m. ET	North Myrtle Beach Sports Park (Field 6); Little River, S.C.
May 9	Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. FC Kendall (Fla.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla.
May 9	New Orleans Jesters (NPSL) vs. Mississippi Brilla FC (PDL)	7 p.m. CT	Pan American Stadium; New Orleans, La.
May 9	Red Force FC (Fla.) vs. FC Miami City (PDL)/Miami FC 2 (NPSL) winner	8:30 p.m. ET	Tropical Park Stadium; Miami, Fla.

Central Region

Date	Game	Time	Venue
May 9	FC Wichita (NPSL) vs. OKC Energy U23 (PDL)	7 p.m. CT	Adair-Austin Stadium (Friends Univ.); Wichita, Kan.
May 9	Duluth FC (NPSL) vs. Dakota Fusion FC (NPSL)	7 p.m. CT	Public Schools Stadium; Duluth, Minn.
May 9	Midland-Odessa Sockers FC (NPSL) vs. Lakeland Tropics (PDL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Grande Communications Stadium; Midland, Texas
May 9	NTX Rayados (Texas) vs. Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL)	7:30 p.m. CT	Richland Community College (Field 10); Dallas, Texas
May 9	FC Denver (Colo.) vs. Azteca FC (Colo.)	7:15 p.m. MT	Five Star Stadium; Thornton, Colo.

West Region

Date	Game	Time	Venue
May 8	Portland Timbers U23 (PDL) vs. Kitsap Soccer Club (NPSL)	7 p.m. PT	McCulloch Stadium; Salem, Ore.
May 9	CD Aguiluchos USA (NPSL) vs. San Francisco City FC (PDL)	6 p.m. PT	Raimondi Park; Oakland, Calif.
May 9	FC Golden State Force (PDL) vs. L.A. Wolves FC (Calif.)	7 p.m. PT	Rio Hondo College; Whittier, Calif.
May 9	Orange County FC (NPSL) vs. Santa Ana Winds FC (Calif.)	7 p.m. PT	Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif.
May 9	FC Arizona (NPSL) vs. Sporting AZ FC (Ariz.)	7 p.m. MST	John Riggs Stadium; Mesa, Ariz.
May 9	FC Tucson (PDL) vs. La Máquina FC (Calif.)	7:30 p.m. MST	Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz.

USSF allows NY Cosmos B, Miami FC 2, Jacksonville Armada into 2018 US Open Cup in unprecedented decision

April 2, 2018 by Josh Hakala

Despite not qualifying for the 2018 US Open Cup, Jacksonville Armada U-23s, New York Cosmos B, and Miami FC 2 will be allowed in because their senior teams were left out as members of the NASL. — The three remaining North American Soccer League (NASL) teams Jacksonville Armada, New York Cosmos, and Miami FC are being allowed to enter the 2018 US Open Cup.

UPDATE: All three Play-In Round games will take place on May 6. Click here for the full schedule.

A little over two weeks ago, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the format for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The 105th edition of the United States championship tournament would feature 94 teams, but last Friday afternoon, in an unprecedented decision, the federation added three teams that didn’t originally qualify for the competition into the 2018 field.

The New York Cosmos B, Jacksonville Armada Under-23s, and Miami FC 2, the three reserve teams for the remaining clubs in the North American Soccer League (NASL), will be allowed to enter the US Open Cup. Since the NASL canceled the 2018 season, the three teams shifted their remaining players to their reserve squads which all compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as professional teams.

In previous years, the only way for NPSL teams entered the US Open Cup is through the NPSL qualifying process, which is determined (somewhat complexly) by the previous year’s league and playoff results. Cosmos B and the Armada U-23s failed to qualify and Miami FC 2 are a 2018 expansion team and did not compete in league play last season.

The statement from the US Open Cup Committee read: “The Committee carefully considered the teams’ exceptional situation which involved all three moving from Professional Division II status in 2017 to solely Open Division league participation earlier this year. Since the move occurred after the Open Division league’s 2018 Open Cup entry deadline in mid-2017, the Committee decided to allow the three teams the opportunity to compete in the 2018 edition of the U.S. Open Cup.”

All three teams accepted their invitations and will enter the tournament in a newly-created Play-In Round that is scheduled to take place the weekend of May 5-6.

As a member of the @usopencup committee, I am happy with this outcome. Everyone should have a chance to participate in this prestigious cup, and I’m happy that we gave the @JaxArmadaFC, The @NYCosmos and the @TheMiamiFC an opportunity to compete. Good luck to all the teams

— John Paul Motta (@JohnPMotta) March 31, 2018

US Soccer announced on Monday, April 2 that the New York Cosmos B will face the Brooklyn Italians FC of the NPSL, while the PDL’s FC Miami City will take on Miami FC 2, and The Villages SC (PDL) will face off with the Jacksonville Armada. The winners of those three matches will move on to the First Round on May 9.

The dates, times and locations for the Play-In Round will be announced at a later date. Brooklyn, FC Miami City and The Villages will have the first option to host and according to the press release, they have until 4 p.m. ET on Friday, April 6 to submit their hosting proposal to the federation.

The USSF will also announce the First Round pairings and the potential Second Round matchups on Wednesday, April 4.

“These three teams, the players and the coaching staff and their fans, who had planned to participate in the 2018 US Open Cup, and because they are no longer in a professional league and because now they are participating in an amateur league, they missed all of the deadlines to participate in the 2018 tournament,” said John Motta, President of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and Open Cup committee member. “This situation was out of their control … and in my opinion, we had to find a way to allow these three teams to participate. Because it’s not the fault of any of the players, their fans, their coaches, so let’s take the politics aside and let them play.”

The NASL lost their Division 2 professional sanctioning on Sept. 3, 2017, which was after the registration deadline to enter the Open Division qualifying tournament for the 2018 US Open Cup.

The argument, as detailed in a letter submitted to the USSF by New York Cosmos chairman Rocco Commisso and shared on social media, laid out a number of complaints.

One of them being that Indy Eleven and North Carolina FC both left the NASL and were automatically entered into the US Open Cup as members of the USL. The main difference between the two situations is that since 2012, every US-based professional team is automatically entered into the competition. The Premier Development League (PDL) and the NPSL both choose their Open Cup entries based on the previous season’s results. All other teams are required to enter the Open Division qualifying tournament.

The letter also cited MLS (Los Angeles FC) and USL (Nashville SC, Las Vegas Lights FC, Fresno FC) expansion teams as examples of clubs that have been allowed to enter the tournament. Again, all professional teams are automatically entered into the Open Cup, so this is common practice.

Miami FC CEO Sean Flynn also submitted a similar letter to the US Soccer Federation.

TheCup.us has confirmed that the three NPSL teams will all be competing in the 2018 league season and the US Open Cup tournament as fully professional teams. There is no rule, either at the federation level or with the NPSL itself that prevents them from doing this. Although they are in the minority, they are not the only NPSL teams that compete in the league as professionals.

Earlier this year, amateur side El Farolito, winners of the 1993 US Open Cup, were disqualified for switching leagues during the qualifying process. They made the move from the San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL) to the NPSL. Motta was quick to point out the difference between the two situations. One of them had a choice.

“These NASL teams were left out, through no fault of their own … while made a decision to change leagues mid-way through and that’s a clear violation of the Open Cup bylaws,” said Motta.

Section 202c1i of the Open Cup Handbook clearly states: “To remain eligible throughout the tournament, a team must remain a playing member in good standing within its club/league competition, starting from the Open Division entry deadline (which was last summer) and continuing until the Open Cup Final for the competition year.”

One minor detail is that the Jacksonville Armada Under-23s, who prior to this year were largely made up of college players, are putting that franchise on hiatus as the team converts to a fully-professional roster. Miami FC 2, which was announced prior to the NASL canceling the 2018 season, will remain under that name despite the team being converted to a roster full of NASL players. The New York Cosmos will be entering their usual professional roster under the name “Cosmos B”, therefore, just like Miami FC 2, they will be making the club’s first tournament appearance.

With this change, for the first time in tournament history, the NPSL will have more entries (22) than the PDL (20). This will also give the state of Florida 11 entries and the state of New York seven entries in this year’s tournament, both are Modern Era records.

Ian Foster also contributed to this report

2018 US Open Cup just got more rewarding: USSF announces changes, format, dates and team entries

March 14, 2018 by Ian Foster

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) released its 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Finalists’ Handbook this week (download it here). The 105th edition of the competition will feature 94 teams and is scheduled to kick off May 9. The tournament features a Modern Era record 33 different states represented and a record 37 different state associations.

Of the 94 teams, 52 of them are amateur clubs (20 PDL, 19 NPSL, 13 Open Division) and 42 are professional teams from Major League Soccer (Division 1) and the United Soccer League (Division 2). The North American Soccer League recently announced the cancellation of the 2018 season and for the second year in a row, there will not be a Division 3 pro league taking part in the Open Cup.

The First Round will feature all 52 amateur clubs with the 26 winners advancing to Round 2 (May 16) where they will be joined by all 22 United Soccer League clubs. Defending champion Sporting Kansas City and the rest of the Major League Soccer clubs will join the competition in the Fourth Round (June 4-5), where they will be joined by 12 Third Round winners.

The draw for the tournament is scheduled to take place on April 4.

Near the beginning of the handbook, USSF outlined all the changes they’re making from the previous year.

But which changes are the most significant?

Sporting Kansas City celebrates after defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the 2017 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Bob Larson

Prize Money

For the first time since 2013, USSF has upped the prize money. The champion will now get $300,000, the runner-up will get $100,000, and the team that advances the furthest from each division will get $25,000 (up from $250k, $60k, and $15k, respectively).

While the top two increases aren’t all that significant ($50,000 is less than a minimum-salary MLS player earns), an additional $10,000 for the lower-league teams is. It represents perhaps an additional trip to an amateur tournament or an extra summer camp coach or two.

Moreover, the first prize money increase in five years could portend additional investment in a new era for USSF.

Travel Expenses

In an effort to prevent last year’s messy Christos FC situation, where the Baltimore-based amateur team had to crowd-fund their Third Round trip to Chicago, the USSF has dramatically revamped their travel expense policy for the Open Cup.

From the First Round through to the Semifinals, USSF plans to reimburse teams for up to $12,000 on travel expenses per away game. These reimbursements, according to USSF, will be paid a maximum of 75 days after the game. Further, USSF instructs teams to use an airfare service that would bill USSF directly. That would massively defray upfront costs for amateur teams.

Increased Regionalization

Perhaps as a result of USSF agreeing to take on more travel expenses, they’re prioritizing geographic proximity in every round.

In prior years, a PDL team, for example, would never be matched up with a fellow PDL team in the First Round. This year, under certain geographical conditions, that could change. Fans could potentially see, for example, PDL Conference rivals Myrtle Beach Mutiny and Charlotte Eagles play each other in the First Round on account of the nearest non-PDL amateur team would come from Maryland and Florida.

Proximity is emphasized from the First Round all the way through the Semifinals, meaning fans could see more regional matchups that are more common in recent years like the Sounders against the Timbers (the most common rivalry in the Modern Era with seven meetings). This is all for the sake of minimizing travel costs.

Schedule Flexibility

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

Starting in the Third Round, the Open Cup may allow hosting teams to change dates. This could help alleviate a common problem in the lower leagues where home venues cannot be secured two months in advance (this led to the forfeiture of the San Diego Flash in 2013) or on short notice.

Other changes include the freedom for tournament organizers to make changes to set match dates outside of the predetermined schedule, making alterations to the process of filing a protest and the enforcement of penalties for teams forfeiting or withdrawing from matches. Read about them all here.

2018 US Open Cup entries

Major League Soccer (Div. 1 professional – 20 teams)
Atlanta United FC, Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew SC, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Galaxy, Minnesota United FC, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Sporting Kansas City

All US-based MLS teams automatically qualify for the US Open Cup

United Soccer League (Div. 2 professional – 22 teams)
Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, FC Cincinnati, Fresno FC, Indy Eleven, Las Vegas Lights FC, Louisville City FC, Nashville SC, North Carolina FC, Oklahoma City Energy FC, Orange County SC, Penn FC (formerly Harrisburg City Islanders), Phoenix Rising FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Reno 1868 FC, Richmond Kickers, Sacramento Republic FC, Saint Louis FC, San Antonio FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tulsa Roughnecks FC

All US-based USL teams automatically qualify for the US Open Cup

Premier Development League (Div. 4 amateur – Open Division National – 20 teams)
Charlotte Eagles, FC Golden State Force, FC Miami City, FC Tucson, Lakeland Tropics, Long Island Rough Riders, Michigan Bucks, Mississippi Brilla, Myrtle Beach Mutiny, New York Red Bulls U-23s, Ocean City Nor’easters, OKC Energy U-23s, Portland Timbers U23s, Reading United AC, San Francisco City FC, Seacoast United Phantoms, SIMA Aguilas, South Georgia Tormenta FC, The Village SC, Western Mass Pioneers

PDL determines their US Open Cup entries based on 2017 league results (DETAILS)

National Premier Soccer League (Div. 4 amateur – Open Division National – 19 teams)
AFC Ann Arbor, Brooklyn Italians, CD Aguiluchos USA, Dakota Fusion FC, Detroit City FC, Duluth FC, Elm City Express, Erie Commodores, FC Arizona, FC Motown (merged with Clarkstown SC Eagles), FC Wichita, Fort Worth Vaqueros, Inter Nashville FC, Kingston Stockade FC, Kitsap Soccer Club, Miami United FC, Midland-Odesssa FC, New Orleans Jesters, Orange County FC

NPSL determines their US Open Cup entries based on 2017 league results (DETAILS)

Open Division Local Qualifiers (Div. 4 amateur – 13 teams)
Azteca FC (Colorado)
Christos FC (Maryland)
FC Denver (Colorado)
FC Kendall (Florida)
Kendall Wanderers (Massachusetts)
La Maquina (California South)
Lansdowne Bhoys (New York East)
Los Angeles Wolves FC (California South)
NTX Rayados (Texas North)
Red Force FC (Florida)
Rochester River Dogz (New York West)
Santa Ana Winds FC (California South)
Sporting AZ FC (Arizona)

Open Division Local Qualifiers are determined based on the results of a qualifying tournament (DETAILS).

NOTE: El Farolito qualified for the tournament but was disqualified for switching leagues during the competition.

As has been the case in past tournaments, professional teams that are “majority-owned or having their player roster materially controlled by a higher-level professional club” are no longer eligible for the tournament. This includes the following teams:

ATL UTD 2 (USL)
Bethlehem Steel FC (USL)
LA Galaxy II (USL)
New York Red Bulls II (USL)
Portland Timbers II (USL)
Real Monarchs SLC (USL)
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USL)
Seattle Sounders FC 2 (USL)
Swope Park Rangers (USL)

The following pairs of teams (amateur clubs and their parent club) will not be allowed to play each other until the Final:

1. New York Red Bulls (MLS) / New York Red Bulls U-23s (PDL)
2. Oklahoma City Energy FC (USL) / OKC Energy U-23s (PDL)
3. Portland Timbers (MLS) / Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL)

And finally, the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) are not allowed to play against Reno 1868 FC of the USL (unless they both reach the Final) to, as the handbook states, “to prevent the possibility of a team who receives material technical support from another club from playing that side.”

2018 US Open Cup dates (subject to change)

April 4: 2018 US Open Cup First Round pairings and Second Round possible matchups announced
May 9: First Round
May 16: Second Round
May 23: Third Round
May 24: Fourth Round Draw
June 6: Fourth Round
June 7: Round of 16 Draw
June 20: Round of 16
July 18: Quarterfinals
July 19: Draw to determine hosts for Semifinals & Final
Aug. 8: Semifinals
Sept. 26: Final

NOTE: Any game in the Fourth Round, Round of 16, Quarterfinal Round and Semifinal Round where one of the participants has a league game the following Friday will be moved up a day (exception to this is when the team’s opponent is scheduled for a league game the preceding Sunday; in this case, the provisions elsewhere in the Open Cup Handbook to resolve such an issue prevail). Also, any game chosen by U.S. Soccer to be broadcast nationally is subject to being moved up a day. The Commissioner shall have the authority to set outside of the confirmed schedule the date for any match if such a change is in the best interests of the tournament.

El Farolito, 1993 US Open Cup champions, disqualified from 2018 tournament

January 18, 2018 by Ian Foster

The 1993 US Open Cup Champions will not get a chance at a second title this year as El Farolito, a San Francisco-based amateur club, has been disqualified on account of moving leagues. After decades of thriving in the famed San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL), El Farolito decided to take its talents to the continually-growing National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

Minneapolis City SC suffered a similar fate last year as they transitioned from the Premier League of American to the NPSL. However, while last year’s Minneapolis City disqualification resulted from a miscommunication, El Farolito seems like they knew exactly what they were getting into.

“Yes, we understand the rule and it is unfortunate that we, like other amateurs clubs in the past years, have been eliminated,” Santiago Lopez, El Farolito general manager and head coach told TheCup.us.

After qualifying in 2017 for the first time since the club won the tournament under the name CD Mexico in 1993, El Farolito will miss out on the competition due to the rule spelled out in this year’s Open Cup Handbook. Section 202c1i reads: “To remain eligible throughout the tournament, a team must remain a playing member in good standing within its club/league competition, starting from the Open Division entry deadline (which was last summer) and continuing until the Open Cup Final for the competition year.”

Some teams have gotten around this rule by keeping a team in their previous league while also playing in their new league. For example, Boca Raton FC continued to compete in the American Premier Soccer League to maintain their Open Cup eligibility when they joined the NPSL.

This was a non-starter for El Farolito.

A undated team photo of El Farolito — An undated team photo of El Farolito

“SFSFL is one of the toughest amateur leagues in the country and having two clubs at the same time is extremely difficult,” Lopez said. “The President decided to just focus on NPSL.”

Further, that regulation would have forced the Open Cup team to continue in the SFSFL, meaning El Farolito would either have to field two teams or play their first team twice each weekend.

So while the regulation is clear, the purpose behind the regulation is less so. TheCup.us reached out to USSF for comment but received no response as of Thursday morning. Lopez implied that the regulation existed to prevent teams from qualifying and simply moving to unsanctioned leagues to focus on the Open Cup and other tournaments.

Further complicating matters is that, according to Lopez, El Farolito didn’t yet know whether they’d be accepted into NPSL once the Open Cup Qualifying deadline rolled around. But that uncertainty didn’t deter the former champions from applying for, and eventually winning three games in, the open division qualifying tournament.

“We wanted to play and show everyone we are an Open Cup team,” Lopez said.

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Miami Nacional suspended, fined for quitting match before halftime

December 4, 2017 by Josh Hakala

Trailing 4-0 in the 40th minute of a 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying match October 22, Miami Nacional SC committed a foul on a Red Force FC player in the penalty box. The referee pointed to the spot and Red Force was given a chance to add a fifth goal to the one-sided game before halftime. They would not get that chance.

Miami head coach David Garcia entered the playing field to protest the call and refused to leave. According to Nacional’s head coach and their team president, the penalty kick was one of many calls that went against them in the first half. The penalty kick was the last straw for Garcia, and after a lengthy protest, he walked his team off the field, never to return.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced a punishment for Miami Nacional’s actions during the match. The National Soccer League club will be suspended for one year and has been fined an undisclosed amount. (Since the announcement, TheCup.us has learned that the amount of the fine is $1,000.)

This is the first time in recent memory that a team has walked off the field in the middle of a game during qualifying rounds or during the tournament proper, so this was the first time that the federation was forced to hand out a punishment for a team quitting before the end of a match.

“We were asked to send a letter to US Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline panel, after another very poor work of the referees that without my intervention could have ended with a very serious problem on the field,” said Miami Nacional president Gaston Basulto.

According to Miami’s team president Gaston Basulto, a series of bad calls by the referee led to his head coach’s on-field protest. Among his complaints about physical play, he claims that Red Force had as many as six offside plays that were not called in the opening 40 minutes. Those plays led to a pair of Red Force goals and the controversial penalty kick call that ultimately brought the game to an abrupt end.

With the win, Red Force advanced to the final round of qualifying where they would punch their ticket to the US Open Cup for the second year in a row and the fourth time in the last six years.

“I would like to thank USSF for their quick response to the action Miami Nacional took during our match,” said Red Force team president Gabriel Vega. I hope in the future they make it a bit tougher for teams to enter this prestigious tournament so that scenarios like this do not occur. But once again it is much appreciated that some form of punishment was taken to a team forfeiting and leaving the field mid-match. Red Force can now move on and look forward to represent the cup in the best way possible.”

MORE SUSPENSIONS

Along with the announcement about Miami Nacional, the USSF also announced two player suspensions. Upon further review, Sporting Kansas City’s Diego Rubio got away with kicking Felipe Martins of the New York Red Bulls in the 2017 US Open Cup Final. After the Adjudication and Discipline Panel reviewed the incident, they handed down a one-game suspension to Rubio.

Elsewhere, Cal Victory FC’s Jesus Quintero received a five-game suspension after “making deliberate contact with the referee” during the club’s second round qualifying match. The forward received a red card in the 44th minute, but according to the referee’s report, Quintero stepped on the official’s feet as he walked off the field. Cal would win the game 4-2 despite playing the game shorthanded.

As road teams huddle in bathrooms, warehouses, what are venue standards for US Open Cup qualifying?

November 28, 2017 by Matt Ralph

Players from Motagua of New Orleans gather in a warehouse in Balch Springs, Texas, the site of their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against NTX Rayados. Photo: Motagua of New Orleans Facebook page

Like all knockout competitions, open division qualifying for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is a grind that often has a charming edge to it lost in the later rounds when professional teams enter the fray. But there’s hardly anything romantic about a coach giving his team a halftime talk in a public bathroom or another team finding shelter from the cold in a storage shed only to be kicked out by a groundskeeper.

That’s the situation a couple of amateur teams found themselves in when they went to great lengths to travel and play in unsuitable venues for the final round qualifying two weekends ago.

For Stegman’s SC, the parent club of the NPSL’s Minneapolis City SC, that meant flying to Rochester, New York to play in 30-degree weather at a venue that didn’t have suitable locker rooms. Instead, the team had to huddle in a bathroom during halftime while it was actively in use by the public.

“They definitely weren’t prepared to host us, which was particularly disappointing considering how far we had to travel,” Stegman’s SC player Daniel Warner said.

But hey! We got to wait in the cold while they got ready in a heated room until we demanded access to it to get dressed. #Hospitality pic.twitter.com/p1WmvljGZK

— Minneapolis City SC (@mplscitysc) November 20, 2017

Sarah Schreier had an even more difficult time as a member of the team’s staff, noting that because the facility was locked when they arrived there were no restrooms available.

“I was told I could go into the woods or drive into town,” she said. “I’m a staff member of Stegman’s City, traveling with a skeleton staff, so I couldn’t just leave for 25 minutes just to use the bathroom. After the guys had checked in, and about 15 minutes before kickoff, I took a van ‘into town’ about 15 minutes away so I could finally go to the bathroom. I missed kickoff and our first and only goal.”

Would thank them for their hospitality but… pic.twitter.com/DZnreIFgQv

— Minneapolis City SC (@mplscitysc) November 19, 2017

Motagua of New Orleans traveled more than seven hours to Balch Springs, Texas, where they claim to have had an interesting encounter with a groundskeeper.

“Well, we had to go into a warehouse just to keep warm last night,” a post on the club’s Facebook account reads. “To add insult to injury, the groundskeeper kicked us out stating we could not utilize said space. Not to say this was reason we lost but after traveling long hours, to find out we have no where (sic) to rest, change, prepare for a very important match, is very unacceptable.”

The argument from both teams is that they were better equipped to host the match, but instead had to travel. Stegman’s also traveled to Illinois in the second round and won by forfeit in the first round. Motagua traveled to Missisippi in the first round and to Lafayette, Louisiana for Round 2.

Host sites for the qualifying rounds are determined by “a random draw or coin flip” but there is a process by which teams have to submit up to two potential venues should they be selected to host.

While there are extensive requirements for suitable venues once the “US Open Cup proper” begins, the responsibilities of the home team are limited to providing a safe playing field a minimum of 100 yards by 65 yards, regulation-size goals and corner flags, at least three properly-inflated match balls and making sure the officiating crew is paid at the end of the match. Beyond that, it’s on the host team.

Tito Salas, a player/coach/manager for NTX Rayados, was surprised to hear of the complaints from CD Motagua, a team he has become well-acquainted with in regional competitions and for whom his brother-in-law Reece Wilson plays.

Both Salas and Wilson missed the game that sparked the complaints, which the Rayados won, because they were away on a family vacation but Salas said the two teams played at the same facility in the second round last year and he didn’t hear any complaints. The weather was a factor, however, this year as the wind chill was in the 40s.

“I think locker rooms for me are very much an extra,” Salas said. “I get it, they expect more and they want more and that’s fine but there are a lot of reasons, financial and availability, that we can’t play in a stadium that has all of those things for qualifying.”

Elizabeth Sánchez, a spokeswoman for the US Open Cup, organized by the US Soccer Federation, said the looser venue standards for local qualifying are designed to enable more teams to participate.

“We want as many amateur teams as possible to participate in Open Cup qualifying,” she wrote in an email to TheCup.us. “The venue requirements for this phase of the tournament are meant to allow for this. In all practicality, only an adequate field marked for soccer, goals, nets, corner flags and balls are needed. This is not unlike most amateur-level leagues.”

Rochester River Dogz, which beat Stegman’s SC 2-1 in their game, did not respond to a request for comment.