www.atlantasilverbacks.com
Founded - 1999
Location - Atlanta, Georgia
Home Stadium - RE/Max Greater Atlanta Stadium (Atlanta, GA)
Head Coach - Jason Smith
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC – 2007, Third Round
Best Open Cup finish - 2004, Fourth Round
Notable Players – Jason McLaughlin (F/M), David Hayes (D/M),
Mac Kandji (F/M), Rodrigo Rios (M/F), Ryan McIntosh (GK)
Shining Moment: In their sixth Open Cup appearance, they defeated their first professional club (1-0 over Charlotte Eagles, USL-2 in the second round) and took FC Dallas to the brink in their third round match before losing in a dramatic penalty kick shootout.
Location - Cary, North Carolina
Home Stadium - WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, NC)
Head Coach - Scott Schweitzer
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, Semifinals
Best Open Cup finish - 2007, Semifinals
Notable Players - Connally Endozian (F/M), Kupono Low (M),
David Stokes (D), Chris McClellan (GK), Daniel Antoniuk (F)
Shining Moment: Reaching the Semifinals in their first Open Cup
appearance in 2007, defeating the Chicago Fire along the way.
Location - Charleston, South Carolina
Home Stadium - Blackbaud Stadium (Charleston, SC)
Head Coach - Mike Anhaeuser
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, Quarterfinals
Best Open Cup finish - 1999, 2004, Semifinals
Notable Players - Lazo Alavanja (M/F), Dusty Hudock (GK), Randi Patterson (F), Nelson Akwari (D), Aaron King (F)
Shining Moment: The Battery have made two trips to the Open Cup
Semifinals (1999, 2004), but the 2004 cup run was the most impressive.
They spent the entire season toward the bottom of the league table,
but they were able to put their league form aside and win three games
to advance to the final four, where they lost 1-0 to the Chicago Fire.
The highlight of the tournament was their 1-0 fourth round victory over
the Metrostars of MLS.
www.miamifc.com
Founded - 2006
Location - Miami, Florida
Home Stadium - Tropical Park Stadium (Glenvar Heights, FL)
Head Coach - Zinho
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, First Round
Best Open Cup finish - 2006, Second Round
Notable Players – Alex Afonso (F), Eric Vasquez (M),
Sean Fraser (M/F), Sean Cameron (M), Avery John (D)
Not-So-Shining Moment: Miami FC were upset in their Open Cup debut in 2006 when they lost 1-0 to Dallas Roma FC of the USASA. It was the first time that a USASA club had defeated a USL-1 team.
Location - St. Paul, Minnesota
Home Stadium - National Sports Center (Blaine, MN)
Head Coach - Amos Magee
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, Second Round
Best Open Cup finish - 2005, Semifinals
Notable Players - Melvin Tarley (F), Ricardo Sanchez (M), Nicolas Platter (GK), Stephen deRoux (M), Freddy Moojen (F)
Shining Moment - Hard to pick one moment during the 2005 U.S. Open Cup,
but if one had to pick one, it would have to be the upset that started it all,
Minnesota’s extra time win over Real Salt Lake of MLS. One of the most exciting
Open Cup games of all time. After both teams traded goals back and forth,
Aaron Paye finally equalized in the 88th minute to make the game 4-4. Thunder
then scored two goals in extra time to win it 6-4.
Home Stadium - PGE Park (Portland, OR)
Head Coach - Gavin Wilkinson
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, Second Round
Best Open Cup finish - 2005, Fourth Round
Notable Players – Chris Brown (F), Andrew Gregor (M),
Cameron Knowles (D), Scot Thompson (D), Raymond Burse (GK)
Shining Moment - Portland has only won two games in their three appearances
in the Open Cup, but nothing beats eliminating your biggest rival. In 2005, the
Timbers knocked off the Seattle Sounders in the third round 2-0.
www.rhinossoccer.com
Founded - 1996
Location - Rochester, New York
Home Stadium - PAETEC Park (Rochester, NY)
Head Coach - Darren Tilley
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC - 2007, Third Round
Best Open Cup finish - Open Cup Champions: 1999
Notable Players - John Ball (M), Matthew Delicate (F), Johnny Menyonger (F),
Scott Vallow (GK), Luke Kreamalmeyer (M)
Shining Moment - Not much debate, the Rhinos 2-0 win over the Colorado
Rapids in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup final at Columbus Crew Stadium
www.seattlesounders.net
Founded - 1994
Location - Seattle, Washington
Home Stadium - Qwest Field (Seattle, WA)
Head Coach - Brian Schmetzer
League - USL First Division
How they qualified - Automatic Bid
Last entry into USOC – 2007, Semifinals
Best Open Cup finish – 1995 & 2007, Semifinals
Notable Players - Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (M), Josh Gardner,
Leighton O’Brien (M), Roger Levesque (F/M), Sebastien Le Toux (F)
Shining Moment – A 5-0 thrashing of the Colorado Rapids to reach
the Semifinals in 2007
