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Hollywood United adds celebrity to Open Cup
Arizona Sahuaros return to Cup with 0-0 draw
 Hollywood United, a celebrity club put together by Australian actor Anthony Lapaglia (Without A Trace), has qualified for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They are the first of two teams to qualify out of the United States Adult Soccer Association’s (USASA) Region IV. The other team to qualify from Region IV are the Arizona Sahuaros, edging out Sonoma County on goal difference after a scoreless draw in their final group match.United qualified with a pair of 2-0 victories on Friday and on Saturday morning. The first opponent was the Santa Cruz County Breakers of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Eduardo Gonzalez-Pinto and Matt Taylor scored on either side of halftime and goalkeeper Michael Littman earned the clean sheet, including a save of a penalty kick late in the match. In the morning game on Saturday, Hollywood United came out victorious in a competitive match against San Diego United. The game was scoreless at the halftime break, but second half subs Derek Droze and Matt Taylor each scored goals to send United to the Open Cup. The game later that night didn’t matter but United finished a clean sweep of their group, defeating Banat Arsenal 3-2, with most of their reserves in the starting eleven. 
The Arizona Sahuaros not only have returned to the NPSL this season, but will now re-appear in the U.S. Open Cup. On the strength of their 0-0 draw against fellow NPSL side Sonoma County Sol in their final Group A match, the Sahuaros edged out the Sol on goal difference after finishing with seven points each. Both Arizona and Sonoma County won their afternoon games on Saturday. The Sahuaros narrowly got by Rockstar United 2-1, while the Sol defeated NPSL rivals Salinas Valley Samba 3-0.
The Sahuaros will be making their fourth appearance in the U.S. Open Cup, and their second as a USASA side, with the first two coming as members of the USL D3 Pro League in 1998 & 1999. In their last appearance in 2006, Arizona won their opening game 5-1 over PDL side BYU Cougars, before falling to the visiting Virginia Beach Mariners of the USL First Division 1-0 in the second round.
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