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Chicago Fire round out MLS Open Cup field
Andy Herron's brace pace Fire to extra time win over Crew
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MLS Play-in Qualifier
Shea Stadium (Bradley Univ.)
Peoria, Illinois
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AFTER EXTRA TIME
CHI - Stephen King 10’
CLB - Emmanuel Ekpo (Gaven) 63’
CHI - Andy Herron (Mapp, Plotkin) 65’
CLB - Jason Garey (Zayner, Rogers) 67’
CHI - Andy Herron 116’ (PK)
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It just wouldn’t seem the same without the Chicago Fire in the U.S. Open Cup. Andy Herron made sure we wouldn’t have to find out what that would be like in 2008.
In front of a crowd of 3,829, the largest to see a soccer game at Bradley University’s Shea Stadium, the Chicago Fire held off the Columbus Crew 3-2 in extra time, to claim the eighth and final MLS berth in the 2008 U.S. Open Cup.
Both clubs started the game with a mix of regulars starters and reserve players in their lineups. The Fire jumped out in front in the 10th minute when Stephen King beat Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer with a shot after Hesmer had just blocked a shot on goal. 
Wizards clinch 7th MLS spot in shootout
Kansas City, Colorado finish extra time 2-2, Wizards win 5-3 in spot kicks
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Kansas City Wizards
2:2
Colorado Rapids
Kansas City wins 5-3 on PKs
Scoring Summary
20 (KC) Ryan Pore (Unassisted)
36 (COL) Herculez Gomez (Ciaran O’Brien)
57 (COL) Jacob Peterson (Mehdi Ballouchy)
86 (KC) Ivan Trujillo (Claudio Lopez)
PK Summary
KC - Jewsbury (Goal, 1-0)
COL - Gomez (Goal, 1-1)
KC - Lopez (Goal, 2-1)
COL - Ballouchy (Goal, 2-2)
KC - Trujillio (Goal, 3-2)
COL - Grazier (Goal, 3-3)
KC - Conrad (Goal, 4-3)
COL - Erpen (Miss - Crossbar, 4-3)
KC - Morsink (Goal, 5-3)
MLSnet.com Match Report
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After missing out on the U.S. Open Cup last year, the Kansas City Wizards are back in the tournament.
On Wednesday night at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kan., the Wizards and the Colorado Rapids battled to a 2-2 draw, and after 30 minutes of scoreless extra time, penalty kicks decided the second-to-last Major League Soccer (MLS) entry. After each team scored in their first three attempts, Facundo Erpen put Colorado’s fourth try off the crossbar, allowing Kurt Morsink’s goal, the fifth in five attempts, to put his team into the Open Cup Round of 16.
The Wizards will return to the tournament with hopes of improving their rather limited Open Cup success over the years. Excluding their 2004 championship winning season, Kansas City has only five wins in nine Open Cup appearances - and two of those wins were against the PDL’s Des Moines Menace.
The last MLS entry will be decided Tuesday night, as the Columbus Crew face the Chicago Fire in Peoria, Ill.
2008 Open Cup bracket revealed
Two MLS play-in games remain, first round begins June 10
U.S. Soccer has announced the first round pairings for the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The first round features 32 teams from the United Soccer Leagues’ (USL) First Division, USL Second Division, Premier Development League and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). Pairings for the opening round were determined by separating the teams into regional groups and then conducting a blind draw among those groups. The first round will be played on Tuesday, June 10, with the winners facing off in the second round on June 24. All of the games are scheduled to take place on Tuesday nights, including the championship game on August 24, the earliest title game since the Professional Era began in 1995.
Crew, Rapids one win from Open Cup
Columbus tops RSL; Colorado tips Galaxy
Home teams got mixed results Tuesday night in Major League Soccer Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying, with the host Columbus Crew ousting Real Salt Lake 2-0 and the Colorado Rapids slipping past the homestanding Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0.
Columbus advances to play the Chicago Fire on June 10 in Peoria, Ill., for an Open Cup berth, while Colorado will take on the Kansas City Wizards on June 4 in Overland Park, Kan., in the other play-in game.
Academics and Bucks qualify on final day
Bradenton and Michigan are only PDL clubs with Open Cup experience
  With each club winning on the final day of U.S. Open Cup qualifying, the Michigan Bucks and the Bradenton Academics both qualified for the tournament. As the last two clubs to punch their tickets, they represent the only PDL teams who enter the competition with previous Open Cup experience.
Playing what seems to be a traditional game on the final day, the Michigan Bucks defeated the Cleveland Internationals 2-1 to give themselves a perfect 4-0-0 record and a third straight Open Cup berth. The Bucks are the only PDL team to ever qualify three times in a row, and this is the second time that they have accomplished that feat (1999-2001, 2006-2008). Michigan also extends their PDL record with their eighth appearance in the 94-year old tournament.
Three more from PDL set for Cup debut
Final two PDL berths to be decided on Memorial Day
  The Fredericksburg Gunners, Brooklyn Knights and St. Louis Lions became the latest PDL clubs to qualify for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this afternoon. Brooklyn secured their bid with a 1-1 draw at New Hampshire, enough for them to pass Cape Cod for the top spot and clinch. Later in the day, Fredericksburg (4-0-0) became the first PDL club to post a perfect qualifying record when they defeated the Rhode Island Stingrays 1-0 at home. The St. Louis Lions punched their Open Cup ticket with a 2-2 draw at Kansas City. The result also eliminated the Chicago Fire from contention. This will be the first Open cup appearance for all three clubs, and all six PDL clubs that have qualified thus far will be making their cup debut in the 2008 tournament.
 Two spots remain to be filled to complete the PDL field, both of which will be decided on Memorial Day. The Michigan Bucks visit Cleveland Internationals to determine the final Central Conference berth. A win or draw will get Michigan in, while Cleveland must win to qualify.
In the Southern Conference, Central Florida visit Bradenton to settle the Southeast Division berth. The situation is the same as in the Central, Central Florida is in with a win or draw, while Bradenton must win outright.
Region III tournament wraps up Monday
ASC New Stars, Clearwater Galactics to make first Open Cup
  Both USASA Region III representatives in this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will be making their first-ever appearance. Clearwater Galactics, the Florida State Soccer Association champions, and the ASC (Aria Soccer Club) New Stars from South Texas will join the six other teams from the USASA in this year’s tournament. Both teams finished with a 2-0-1 record, and won their respective groups by a single point.
On Monday, the Galactics defeated ASC 2-1 in the Region III final to book a place in the USASA National Finals. For all the results from this weekend’s tournament, visit the Region III Qualifying page. More details to follow...
Pittsburgh back into the Cup
Riverhounds qualify when late Maryland goal drops Wilmington
 In what seemed a strange game of who wants it least, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds "outlasted" the Wilmington Hammerheads for the final USL Second Division berth, and they have the Real Maryland Monarchs to thank for it.
Pittsburgh’s game in Cleveland kicked off a half hour before the Wilmington-Real Maryland contest, so once the Riverhounds finished their 3-0 defeat to the Stars, they knew their only way in was for Wilmington to lose. Pittsburgh’s prospects were looking bleak heading into the final minutes at Germantown, Maryland, as 10-man Wilmington was hanging on to a 1-1 draw with the Monarchs, having seen Trey Alexander sent off in the first half. With three minutes remaining, a shot from Ronald Cerritos stuck a Wilmington defender on the hand, and the Monarchs were awarded a penalty kick. Nilson Perez converted the spot kick to give Real Maryland the win and send Pittsburgh to the U.S. Open Cup, despite not winning any games as part of the qualifying process.
Long and the short of it: Austin & Yakima qualify
Aztex gain Open Cup in first year, Yakima finally arrive after 14
  After 14 years, the Yakima Reds will make their debut in the U.S. Open Cup, while the first-year Austin Aztex didn’t have to wait nearly that long. Austin clinched their Open Cup berth without playing on Saturday, as they awaited a pair of results from this weekends matches involving Mississippi Brilla after finishing their qualifying run with a 1-0 win over Laredo on Friday.
Brilla had a tough hill to climb, needing to win both matches by three goals to pass Austin on tiebreakers. As it turned out, the roles were reverses and Mississippi dropped a 3-0 decision to the Houston Leones at the Soccer World Complex in Houston.
At Marquette Stadium in Yakima, the Reds held their fate directly at their feet. Win and they were in, draw, and hope for the same from BYU and Tacoma. While BYU and Tacoma did end in a 1-1 draw, the Reds overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with second half goals from Alonso Rojas and Jake Sagare to secure thier place in the First Round on June 10. Having debuted in the USL in 1995, the win ends Yakima’s fourteen year Open Cup drought, the longest any current USL club has gone without an Open Cup appearance.
PDL qualifying scenarios - After Friday's games
17 clubs vie for seven Open Cup spots this weekend
 PDL U.S. Open Cup qualifying is entering it’s final three days, and since our last look at the qualifying scenarios at the beginning of the week, many clubs have fallen to the wayside. 17 clubs still remain to try to stake a claim to one of the seven remaining PDL U.S. Open Cup berths. USOpenCup.com takes a revised look at all of the conference races, and who needs to do what in order to get in.
Legend-ary preformance lifts LA into the Cup
5 goal rout of SFV Quakes puts LA into the cup field
 The Los Angeles Legends, needing to win by two or more goals, did that and more in defeating the San Fernando Valley Quakes 5-0 at Azusa Pacific University’s Cougar Stadium, claiming the first of eight PDL U.S. Open cup berths up for grabs this weekend. The Legends came into the match knowing exactly what was needed to advance. A single goal win would leave them short of surpassing the San Jose Frogs on tiebreakers. What they received was a convincing five-goal triumph over the visiting Quakes.
Region III tournament down to eight teams
Real Madrid drops out at the last minute to make it two groups of four
As the opening games of the USASA Region III tournament begin on Friday night, the tournament’s organizers learned that one of the teams would not be participating. Real Madrid, a club from South Texas that qualified for the 2002 U.S. Open Cup, withdrew from the tournament bringing the number of teams down to eight. While the reason for their last minute withdrawal has yet to be made public, this changes the format from three groups of three to two groups of four in this weekend’s competition. The winner of each group will qualify for the Open Cup, and move on to the Region III championship game.
9 teams battle for 2 remaining Open Cup spots
Region III tournament begins with a blind draw on Thursday night
Region III of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is the final tournament of this year’s Open Cup qualifying season. On Thursday, May 22, a blind draw will be held at the Golf Club at Fleming Island in Orange Park, Florida to determine which groups the nine teams will fall into. The tournament will feature three groups of three, with the winners of each group, and the best second place team, moving on to the semifinals. The two finalists will qualify for the Open Cup and will battle on Memorial Day to see which team will represent the region at the USASA National Finals.
USSF releases 2008 Open Cup format
Similar to '07 format with games moved to Tuesdays
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) has revealed the dates and tournament format for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The 95th edition of the competition will begin on June 10, and will conclude with the Final on August 26, the earliest championship game date of the Professional Era (1995-present). The format will be similar to that of the 2007 tournament, with the winner of the tournament earning a spot in the 2009/10 CONCACAF Champions League along with $100,000.
The format will be very similar to the 2007 edition with all 32 non-MLS teams beginning play in the first round. Like last year, every amateur team (PDL, USASA) will be matched up with a professional side (USL-1, USL-2) to begin the tournament, and Major League Soccer’s eight teams will join the competition in the third round.
2008 U.S. Open Cup Dates:
June 10 - First Round
June 24 - Second Round
July 1 - Third Round
July 8 - Quarterfinals
August 12 - Semifinals
August 26 - Final
More details to follow once U.S. Soccer makes their official announcement.
PDL qualifying scenarios
Who's in the driver's seat and who needs help down the stretch
The Premier Development League (PDL) is headed into the home stretch of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying. Four conferences will send eight teams to the tournament and the scenarios are starting to become a little more clear. USOpenCup.com takes a look at each conference to see where each team stands heading into the final two weeks and also examines how finishing unbeaten in qualifying doesn’t always guarantee a place in the Open Cup.
3-time Open Cup champs emerge from Region I
Pancyprian Freedoms qualify with first timer Boston Olympiakos
 With the results of Sunday’s United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) Region I semifinals, two very different clubs have qualified for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was a passing of the torch, in a way, as both Open Cup entrants from Region I last year (Danbury United, Aegean Hawks FC) lost to make way for this year’s entries.
Boston Olympiakos find themselves in the tournament for the first time ever after they defeated Danbury United, 1-0. In the other semifinal, the three-time U.S. Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms outgunned the Aegean Hawks, 3-2.
Monarchs crowned with Open Cup berth
Wilmington and Pittsburgh left to fight for final spot
With their 3-2 come from behind win over the Cleveland City Stars, the Real Maryland Monarchs became the seventh USL Second Division club to qualify for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Remaining Schedule
May 24
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Wilmington at Real Maryland
Minimum Point
Percentage Possibilities
Wilmington
Win - 27%, Draw - 13%, Loss - 7%
Pittsburgh
Win - 24%, Draw - 14%, Loss - 10%
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The Stars jumped out to an early 2-0 first half lead through goals from Luke Williams and Floyd Franks. El Salvadoran international Denis Alas cut the lead in half for Maryland in the 29th minute, when his 25-yard shot just got by Cleveland goalkeeper Eric Reed. About ten minutes before halftime, Cleveland defender Jeremy Tolleson and Maryland forward Nilson Perez challenged for a 50/50 ball. Tolleson was struck by Nilson’s elbow, knocking out two of his teeth. The ensuing melee took seven minutes to settle, and in the end Cleveland assistant coach Aaron Treadway was sent off.
Windy City teams blow into Cup
RWB Adria, AAC Eagles qualify from USASA Region II
Illinois stood tall in USASA Region II qualifying, as Chicago-area clubs RWB Adria and AAC Eagles claimed the region’s two berths in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Defending regional champion RWB Adria knocked off the Princeton-56ers of Madison, Wis., 2-0 in a semifinal in Lake Forest, Ill., behind first-half goals by Adis Husidic and Semir Mesanovic.
At the same time over at the Chicago Academy Field, AAC Eagles grabbed their fourth Open Cup berth in the pro era with a 2-1 victory over the Des Moines Menace Reserves.
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.
Final MLS qualifying match set
Wizards to play Galaxy or Rapids on June 4
The Kansas City Wizards will play host to the Los Angeles Galaxy or the Colorado Rapids in an MLS Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying match at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 4 at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kan.
Region IV qualifying this weekend
Hollywood United, Banat Arsenal, six others vie for two Open Cup spots
Region IV of the United States Adult Soccer Association will determine its entrants in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this weekend in Scottsdale, Ariz. The eight teams in the qualifying tournament are split into two groups, with each group winner advancing to the Open Cup.
City Stars join the Open Cup field
Two spots left for Wilmington, Pittsburgh and Real Maryland
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Two out of Three ain’t Bad
Remaining Schedule
May 17
Cleveland at Real Maryland
Harrisburg at Wilmington
May 24
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Wilmington at Real Maryland
Minimum Point
Percentage Possibilities
Wilmington
win, win - 33%
win, tie - 22%
win, loss - 17%
tie, tie - 11%
loss, tie - 6%
loss, loss - 0%
Real Maryland
win, win - 50%
win, tie - 37%
win, loss - 33%
tie, tie - 28%
loss, tie - 22%
loss, loss - 17%
Pittsburgh
win - 24%
tie - 14%
loss - 10%
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USL Second Division qualifying will revolve around four matches in the next two weeks, as Real Maryland, Pittsburgh and Wilmington will battle for the final two qualifying spots.
With a resounding 4-0 win at home over Real Maryland, the Cleveland City Stars secured their spot in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. All of the Stars’ goals came in the second half, with Adam Ruud scoring twice and Sallieu Bundu scoring a goal and assisting the first of Ruud’s tallies. The loss leaves Real Maryland with a points percentage of 25, tops among the non-qualified clubs in USL-2.
The Wilmington Hammerheads’ Open Cup chances took another hit with a 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace Baltimore. Gary Brooks and Matthew Mbuta scored in the first half for Baltinmore, moving CPB to 3-0-0 while dropping Wilmington to 0-3-0.
The second year Bermuda Hogges are beginning the season as rude hosts to their American visitors. The Hogges upended Pittsburgh 2-1, notching their second home win in as many tries. Bermuda jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and by the time Leon Browne cut the lead in half, only five minutes remained and the Riverhounds were not able to find the tying goal.
Pioneers' draw books them spot in Open Cup
Thursday's result also clinches a place for Crystal Palace Baltimore
Two more USL Second Division teams clinched a spot in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ahead of this weekend’s schedule.  On Thursday, the Western Mass Pioneers punched their ticket with a 1-1 draw with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Joseph Zewe opened the scoring for the Riverhounds just after halftime, but less than 20 minutes later, the home side tied the game up with a goal by Jeff Deren. With the teams earning a point each, that brought Pittsburgh’s maximum points percentage down to 38%, while Western Mass’ minimum points percentage dropped to 47% - ensuring that the Pioneers cannot finish in last place in the USL-2 qualifying standings.
Pittsburgh’s draw also helped Crystal Palace Baltimore qualify for the tournament with a minimum percentage of 40%. The winless Riverhounds will have an opportunity to pull themselves out of the bottom half of the table as they travel to Bermuda to take on the Hogges on Saturday.
Four remain in Region I tournament
Danbury United, Aegean Hawks remain on course for return to the Cup
 Danbury United and Aegean Hawks FC, the 2007 US Open Cup qualifiers from Region I of the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA), stayed on track for berths in this year’s competition with wins on Sunday. They are joined in the Region I semifinals by the New York Pancyprians and Boston Olympiakos.
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. 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.
Region II down to the final four
Both Illinois teams to host semis with winners qualifying for Open Cup
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"Win & You’re In"
USASA Region II
May 17, 2008
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Princeton-56ers
at
RWB Adria
Des Moines Menace Reserves
at
AAC Eagles
USASA Region II Qualifying
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Saturday’s first round of matches in the USASA Region II U.S. Open Cup qualifying was an eventful one.
Reigning champion RWB Adria from Chicago needed penalty kicks to get past Michigan’s Carpathia Kickers after the teams played 120 minutes of scoreless soccer. The match between the host Des Moines Menace Reserves and Missouri’s WC Arsenal was without a goal until the final minutes of extra time before the Menace Reserves won 2-0. And perhaps the most successful amateur team in Open Cup history, Bavarian SC, dropped a narrow 3-2 decision to Illinois’ AAC Eagles in Milwaukee.
The other scheduled quarterfinal wasn’t even played, as game officials ruled that defending NPSL Midwest Region champion Princeton-56ers from Madison, Wis., would receive a forfeit victory over the Bloomington (Ind.) Cutters, as the host team did not have enough players with valid player passes.
RSL whitewashes Earthquakes 4-0
MLS reveals play-in format and schedule
After failing to qualify last season, Real Salt Lake took a step toward returning to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a convincing 4-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night.
The two teams celebrated the end of the month of April with a snow storm in Salt Lake City. It was the first Major League Soccer (MLS) play-in game for 2008, with RSL moving on to play at the Columbus Crew on May 27.
Kyle Beckerman, one of the few regular starters on the field for either team, led the way, scoring the first two goals of the game in the first half. Less than a minute after the second strike by Beckerman, Yura Movsisyan made it 3-0 thanks to an assist by Matias Cordoba. Andy Williams added insult to injury with a fourth goal in the 90th minute.
RWB Adria win Illinois Open Cup title
Both finalists looking ahead to Region II finals
RWB Adria survived the weather and player absences on April 13 as they defeated AAC Eagles by a score of 4-1 to capture their second consecutive Illinois Open Cup championship.
Kelto sends Aegean Hawks to next round
Hawks advance to face Baltimore Colts FC in Group S semifinals
 The Aegean Hawks, last year’s USASA Region I champions, took a step toward defending their title with a 1-0 win over the Champions League representative Sport Club Portuguese (SCP).
At the West Side Park in Newark, NJ, both teams found themselves in a stalemate at the halftime break. Tactical changes by the Hawks created chances, and the game’s only goal. Anders Kelto, who came on as a substitute, scored on his first touch of the game when he headed home a cross by Watson Prather in the 60th minute.
USL-2 Qualifying : Round Two
Charlotte close to qualification, 'Hounds dig an 0-3 hole
Five matches were featured in the second week of USL Second Division qualifying, and one team is already one victory away for securing their spot in the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, while another has dug itself a giant hole to climb out of. Defense has also been tough at home in week two with four of the five matches featuring shutouts by the home team.
USL unveils Open Cup qualifying format
Layout similar to 2007, but changes made to PDL
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2008 U.S. Open Cup
Automatic Entries
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MLS: Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution, DC United, Chivas USA, FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls.
USL-1: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Charleston Battery, Miami FC Blues, Minnesota Thunder, Portland Timbers, Rochester Rhinos, Seattle Sounders
USL-2: Harrisburg City Islanders (defending league champion), Richmond Kickers (defending regular season champion) |
The qualifying format for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will look a lot like the 2007 format, according to the United Soccer Leagues Web site.
An official announcement hasn’t been made by U.S. Soccer, which runs the tournament.
Each league participating in the Open Cup this year - Major League Soccer, USL First and Second Divisions, Premier Development League and the United States Adult Soccer Association - will have eight entries, marking the first time every league will have the same number of teams entered.
Colts secure Region I berth
Lotocki's goal and two assists pace club to 4-0 win
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Maryland
Open Cup Champions
2008 - Baltimore Colts FC
2007 - A.C. United
2006 - Allied SC
2005 - Baltimore Colts FC
2004 - Allied SC
2003 - Brilla Baltimore Colts FC
2002 - Christos SC
2001 - DiPasquale Baltimore Colts FC
2000 - Jerry D’s
1999 - Jerry D’s
1998 - High Topps
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For the third time since 2003, Baltimore Colts FC will represent Maryland in the Region I U.S. Open Cup Finals, after defeating Maryland Allyance FC 4-0 at the Soccerplex in Germantown, Maryland on March 2.
The Colts quickly took control of the match, scoring all four goals in the first half. Mike Lotocki and Kyle Sterling combined for the first two scores, with Sterling scoring twice off of corner kicks from Lotocki in the 21st and 30th minutes. Sterling had also scored the game winning goal in the Colts’ 1-0 semifinal win over AC United. Sterling’s teammate at Salisbury State University, Bill Whittington, gave the Colts a 3-0 lead off an assist from Guil Costa in the 35th minute. Costa provided help again on the final goal, scored this time by Lotocki himself.
BCFC’s victory means that the last six Maryland Open Cup tournaments have been won by either the Colts or AC United (formerly Allied SC), both teams winning three apiece. It also marks the sixth time overall the Colts have won Maryland’s Open Cup berth, representing the state in 2001, 1997 and 1996.
Maryland final set
Colts and Allyance FC will battle for Region I berth on March 2
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Maryland
Open Cup Final
March 2, 2008
Maryland Soccerplex (Germantown, MD)
Maryland Allyance FC
vs.
Baltimore Colts FC
Kickoff - 5:00 p.m.
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The Maryland Open Cup qualifying tournament is down to two teams after Sunday’s semifinal contests.
AC United, who was hoping to repeat as Maryland’s representative in the USASA Region I finals, were eliminated by the Baltimore Colts FC, 1-0. In the other matchup, Maryland Allyance FC took care of Select FC 5-2 to reach the championship game which is scheduled to take place March 2.
Allyance FC had little trouble in their match thanks to a pair of individual performances by Andre Bishop and Bill Rinehardt. Bishop scored two goals and Rinehardt was one better, with a hat trick. This is Allyance FC’s first state championship game appearance since they began entering the competition in 2006.
Maryland begins USOC qualifying
Semifinals set after Allyance FC's opening victory
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Maryland Open Cup Qualifying Semifinals
February 17, 2008
Western Regional Park
Baltimore Colts FC
vs. AC United
Kickoff - 11:00am
Maryland Allyance FC
vs. Select FC
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The opening match of the Maryland State Soccer Association’s Open Cup qualifying is complete and the semifinals are set. Maryland Allyance FC defeated Baltimore Bays 91, 4-1, denying the Bays a spot in the state’s final four.
Allyance, making their third straight appearance in cup qualifying, were eliminated last year in the first round by Baltimore Colts FC, 6-2. Entering their opening round match, Allyance FC were in first place in the Maryland Major Soccer League (MMSL) with a 9-1-1 record. They will take on Select FC, a mid-table team from the MMSL, in the next round. The Bays’ struggles continue in Open Cup qualifying, with the club failing to place a team in the state cup final for the fifth consecutive year.
The other semifinal, scheduled to take place February 17, features AC United and Baltimore Colts FC.
United German Hungarians conquer Eastern PA
UGH advance to USASA Region I finals
On a pitch made sloppy by the chilly December rain, United German Hungarians booked their spot in next spring’s USASA Region I U.S. Open Cup finals tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Pennsylvania Rush.  UGH grabbed the lead early on a goal from Matt Hemberger, a former La Salle University player. Rush took control of the match for much of the run of play after the goal, with the goalpost keeping them out of the net once and leaving the score 1-0 at halftime. After the restart, both clubs had good chances, and UGH appeared to have doubled their lead, but a disputed offside call kept the visitors within a goal. Rush then threw everything they had at UGH in hopes of finding the equalizer. The UGH defense, headed by goalkeeper Stash Graham, held on for the victory.The win avenged UGH’s 3-1 Open Cup loss to Rush (then known as Montco Azzurri) last season in the opening round of the Eastern Pennsylvania tournament. This year, Rush also fell to UGH’s Reserve team in the USASA Amateur cup tournament, in which UGH and their Reserve squad have reached the EPASA semifinals. UGH last qualified for the U.S. Open Cup in 1999, and have reached the finals twice, in 1977 and 1993. UGH join Aegean Hawks (DC/Virginia), Garfield Vistula (New Jersey) and Queen City FC (NPSL) in next spring’s USASA Region I finals so far.
Region I action kicks into full swing
Busy month for qualifying, matches played in five associations
The 2008 Region I Finals are starting to shape up with New Jersey and the Champions League submitting their tournament’s winners. Eastern Pennsylvania will be decided this weekend (December 9) and Eastern New York is also down to their final two teams.
Massachusetts are in the home stretch of their qualifying, but mother nature hasn’t been kind to the schedule makers. Two of the four quarterfinal matches have yet to take place.
The winners for each organization receive a place in the Region I Finals next year. The two finalists of that tournament qualify for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
For a full report of all the action from around the Northeastern part of the USASA, click continue.
Three is the magic number for Aegean Hawks
Andreas Nydal's hat trick leads Hawks to 3rd straight MDCVSA crown
The Aegean Hawks continued their dominance of the Metro DC/Virginia Soccer Association with a narrow 3-2 win over World Bank SC in the MDCVSA final. Andreas Nydal scored a hat trick for the Hawks to lead them to their third straight MDCVSA championship, and a place in the USASA Region I finals next year.
10 minutes into the match, World Bank struck first, only to have Nydal equalize in the 37th minute after he put home a rebound off an Alan Golden shot. Just after the halftime break Justin Bodiya sent a cross into the area that found Nydal for his second of the game. In the 60th minute, World Bank brought the game level after the referee awarded them a penalty kick, but 10 minutes later, Nydal dribbled through traffic and completed the hat trick and scored the game-winner with an impressive individual effort.
The Hawks held on for the last 20 minutes to make their third straight trip to the Region I finals. Last year, they won the regional tournament and not only earned their first appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but they booked their ticket to the national cup finals in Seattle. They were knocked out of the Open Cup in the first round by the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division, and advanced to the national semifinals where they fell to eventual champion El Paso Indios USA of the NPSL.
The Bavarian dynasty continues
Bavarian SC wins Wisconsin state title, advances to Region II finals
Bavarian SC captured their 12th Wisconsin state championship in the last 14 years on Sunday with a 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Kickers.  The club advances to the USASA Region II finals next year, giving them a shot to qualify for the Open Cup for the sixth time, the most by any USASA club in the professional era (1995 - present).
At the Wisconsin State Cup Final at Marquette’s Valley Field on Sunday, Brian Doherty and Jake Provan gave Bavarian SC a comfortable 2-0 halftime lead. Brian McGuire’s second half goal that cut the lead in half for the Kickers, but Blair Kohlmeyer would eventually seal the deal for the Bavarians with a goal to make it 3-1.
United German Hungarians advance to semis
Eastern PA qualifying underway, UGH will take on VE in the final four
The United German Hungarians (UGH), a Philadelphia-based club with a proud tradition dating back to 1910, defeated Hunter SC 7-1 to advance to the semifinals of the Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association’s Open Cup qualifying.  Jason Karasow and Tim O’Neil both scored a pair of goals to lead the way for UGH, along with tallies by Ryan Moseley, Matt Hemberger and Ben Marucci.
The semifinal match, which is scheduled to take place November 18, will see UGH, the 1993 and 1977 Open Cup runners-up, take on another team from the Philadelphia area, Vereinigung Erzgebirge (VE). Both teams with rich traditions are looking to return to the tournament for the first time in a while. VE last qualified in 2002, while UGH last trip to the tournament was in 1999, when they pulled off a big upset over the New Jersey Stallions of the D3 Pro League (now the USL Second Division). The team that survives will between UGH and VE will play the winner of Danubia (Philadelphia, PA) and the PA Rush (Doylestown, PA) in the Eastern PA Final.
Aegean Hawks cruise into MDCVSA final
Hawks dismantle Real International 8-0 in the semifinals
 The Hawks rolled over Real International on Saturday in the MDCVSA Open Cup semifinals by a score of 8-0. Andreas Nydal scored a hat trick in the opening 25 minutes of the match, leading the club to a 5-0 halftime lead, and putting the game out of reach. The Hawks performed well despite a busy recent schedule. On Thursday, they defeated Mercernaries FC of the Northern Virginia Soccer League 12-0 in an Amateur Cup quarterfinal match. They move on to the MDCVSA Final later this month against World Bank, a team also from the Washington Premier League.
Bavarian SC moves on to Wisconsin final
Open Cup veterans advance after PK shootout with Croatian Eagles
Matt Schmidt stopped Tyler Hawley’s penalty kick in the seventh round of a shootout as Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC got past the Croatian Eagles after a 1-1 draw in the Wisconsin Open Cup semifinals Saturday at Marquette University’s Valley Fields.
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Wisconsin State Cup Final
Bavarian SC vs. Milwaukee Kickers
Sat. November 3 - 2 p.m. (Eastern)
Marquette University’s Valley Fields
Winner advances to the Region II finals
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The match was scoreless after regulation, but each team scored in extra time to force the shootout. Scott Dombrowski gave Bavarian SC the lead in the 97th minute, only to see the Eagles equalize on Jason Willan’s penalty kick in the 104th.
Both teams made four of their first five penalty kicks, and neither team converted in the sixth round. Kyle Lance then scored to put defending state champion Bavarian SC on the brink of victory, and Schmidt sealed it with his save.
Bavarian SC, which advanced to the second round of last year’s U.S. Open Cup, moves on to play the Milwaukee Kickers in the state final at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Valley Fields. The winner qualifies for next spring’s U.S. Adult Soccer Association Region II tournament, where two U.S. Open Cup berths will be up for grabs.
'08 qualifying ready to begin
MDCVA and Wisconsin get underway this weekend
Less than a month after the New England Revolution were crowned champions of the U.S. Open Cup, qualification for the 2008 tournament is set to kick off.
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MDCVSA Qualifying
Aegean Hawks vs. Real International
***POSTPONED***
World Bank vs. Reds United
Sun. October 28 - 8 p.m.
Old Redskin Park - Herndon, VA
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Wisconsin Qualifying
Bavarian SC vs. Croatian Eagles
Sat. October 27 - 3 p.m. (Eastern)
Marquette University’s Valley Fields
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Two teams with U.S. Open Cup experience open play in the Wisconsin State Cup this weekend. Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, which lost to the Carolina RailHawks in the second round of this year’s tournament, faces 2006 qualifier Croatian Eagles at 2 p.m. Saturday at Marquette University’s Valley Fields.
The winner will face the Milwaukee Kickers in the state final; the date and time is to be determined. The Wisconsin champion will advance to next spring’s U.S. Adult Soccer Association Region II qualifying tournament, where two U.S. Open Cup berths will be up for grabs.
The Metropolitan DC-Virginia Soccer Association (MDCVSA) also announced their draw for 2008 Open Cup qualifying. The winner will advance to the USASA Region I finals some time next year.
Three of the four teams involved in the MDCVSA tournament (Aegean Hawks, World Bank and Reds United) come from the Washington Premier League, while Real International is the lone representative from the Commonwealth Soccer League.
The Aegean Hawks were one of the two Region I representatives in the 2007 Open Cup. However, their cup run didn’t last long as they lost 4-0 to the USL Second Division champion Harrisburg City Islanders, a team that advanced all the way to the quarterfinals.
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The New England Revolution captured the club’s first-ever U.S. Open Cup championship (and the first championship of any kind) with a 3-2 win over FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park, a stadium where they had lost the last two MLS Cup championship games.
Photo by Rick Yeatts. |
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