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Eagles soar into U.S. Open Cup
After three games, Charlotte clinches Cup berth
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Charlotte Eagles
U.S. Open Cup History
1998
1r - v. Los Lobos (USASA), 4-3
2r - v. Worcester Wildfire (A-Lg), 0-2
2004
2r - v. Carolina Dynamo (PDL), 2-4
2005
2r - v. El Paso Patriots (PDL), 4-1
3r - v. CD Chivas USA (MLS), 2-3 (aet)
2006
2r - v. Wilmington Hammerheads
(USL2), 1-3
2007
1r - v. Lynch’s Irish Pub (USASA), 2-0
2r - v. Atlanta Silverbacks (USL1), 0-1
USL Second Division qualifying
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The Charlotte Eagles used dramatic means to secure their fifth consecutive appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. A stoppage-time game winning goal from Patrick Daka gave Charlotte a 3-2 road victory over the Wilmington Hammerheads on Saturday night. The win, along with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-1 draw with Harrisburg, assured the Eagles of not finishing last in the qualifying standings.
Charlotte reached the second round last season, losing a narrow 1-0 decision to the USL First Division’s Atlanta Silverbacks. The Eagles most famous cup appearance came in 2005, when they dropped a 3-2 extra time affair with Major League Soccer’s CD Chivas USA in the final minute of extra time.
In Pittsburgh, over 3,000 fans welcomed the Riverhounds home as they gained their first point of the 2008 season after holding the defending USL-2 champions to a draw. The point lifts Pittsburgh out of the dreaded last place spot in the USL-2 qualifying table, while Wilmington slid outside the qualifying zone with a 0-2-0 record.
At Lusitano Stadium in Lowell, Massachusetts, the Western Mass Pioneers moved within percentage points of qualification with their 1-0 win over Real Maryland. The Pioneers minimum points percentage is at 40%, just eight points higher than Pittsburgh’s maximum percentage, which is 48%. Since only one team will fail to qualify for the Open Cup this year, as long as a team’s minimum points percentage is higher than at least one team’s maximum percentage, they are assured of a spot in the tournament.
Sunday’s lone game saw Crystal Palace Baltimore remain perfect (2-0-0) with a 2-0 victory over the Richmond Kickers. Gary Brooks and Val Texeira scored a goal in each half to lift Palace over the Kickers, who have already earned their Open Cup place as last year’s regular season champions.
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