Non League Matters - The Continuation of Tonys english Football Site 


  Main Index MAIN
INDEX
Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN

Home: All Other Football Interests: Football in other countries:
2012 U.S. Open Cup

 



East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Apr 16, 2012, 8:52 AM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #1 of 17 (3903 views)
Shortcut
2012 U.S. Open Cup Can't Post or Reply Privately

The American equivalent of the FA Cup is underway with qualifying tournaments. By the end of April, the 64-team field will be set. The first round begins May 15. The second round is on May 22, and the third round (when the 16 MLS squads enter the fray) will be contested on May 29. The website to track the tournament is: www.thecup.us


cope1
Chelsea Transfer Target


Apr 16, 2012, 8:31 PM

Posts: 5434
Location:
Team(s):

Post #2 of 17 (3856 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Am I correct in saying all 16 enter at the last 32 stage and that the (in my opinion) silly intra-MLS qualifcation is no more?



If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Apr 16, 2012, 11:05 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #3 of 17 (3840 views)
Shortcut
Re: [cope1] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

That seems to be correct. MLS would like to see its teams take the competition seriously. Seattle have won it three years in a row and in doing so, have qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. The preliminary match-ups in the past never drew much attention from fans or even the clubs themselves. I don't know if having MLS squads enter at the third stage means they will or will not be drawn against each other on the May 29 match days. As advertising people say...watch this space!

This is the 99th edition of the U.S. Open Cup. The winner is guaranteed a spot in next year's CCL competition. The United States has four allocations for the CCL (US Open Cup winner, MLS Cup winner, and the Supporter's Shield winner, which is the best team in the MLS regular season). The fourth team to go would be the MLS Cup runnerup, and if necessary, the regular season's second best team. After that, I'm unsure of the line of succession--maybe it's the Open Cup's runnerup if for example, one team has won all three trophies during the 2012 campaign.


cope1
Chelsea Transfer Target


Apr 17, 2012, 7:07 PM

Posts: 5434
Location:
Team(s):

Post #4 of 17 (3792 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

That's a relief! I think it's better this way. I'm sure I saw somewhere that the extra CCL spaces go to the next best in the regular season MLS table but I may be assuming that.



If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

May 4, 2012, 12:43 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #5 of 17 (3368 views)
Shortcut
Re: [cope1] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

The 2012 bracket for the U.S. Open Cup has been posted. This weekend, eight teams from the U.S. Adult Soccer Association will vie for the remaining two slots left in this year's competition.

Cup play begins May 15 and will continue to the finals on August 7 or 8. All MLS teams enter the third round of competition on May 29, and they would not face each other until the Round of 16.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

May 23, 2012, 6:10 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #6 of 17 (2878 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Some big numbers were put up by winning sides in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night. The Carolina Railhawks slammed PSA Elite, an amateur side from Southern California, 6-0. Next up for them will be the struggling L.A. Galaxy.

Orlando City drubbed the KC Athletics, 7-0, while Fresno Fuego absorbed a 7-2 whitewashing from the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.

All MLS teams enter the third round of competition on May 29. Nine of the top-flight teams will be on the road for that round, with seven of them playing at home. The tournament continues with the Round of 16 on June 5. The quarterfinals are on June 26. Semifinals will be July 10, and the Final will be decided either on August 7th or 8th. The winning team gets a berth in the 2013 CONCACAF Champions League.

The website for the competition is thecup.us, and I must say, it's the best one I've noticed for this tourney since I started following it several years ago.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

May 31, 2012, 12:37 AM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #7 of 17 (2483 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

A less-than-stellar night for the 14 MLS teams involved in the third round Tuesday. Teams from the U.S.A.'s top-flight league went a paltry 7-7. The wildest finish occurred in Harrisburg, as the City Islanders and New England Revolution played a scoreless tie in regulation. In the first half of added time, the Revs staked themselves to a 2-0 lead. They increased the margin to 3 in the second 15-minute segment before Harrisburg stormed back with 3 goals of their own in the final 9 minutes. The game went to penalties, and the City Islanders completed their improbable comeback with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory.

Other MLS losers on the night were the sputtering Los Angeles Galaxy, who kept most of their stars at home in their 2-1 loss to the Carolina Railhawks. L.A. have gone 0-2-6 in their last 8 matches; not good for the defending MLS Cup champs. The Chicago Fire were doused by the Michigan Bucks, 3-2 after the amateur side rallied from a 2-1 deficit. Chicago, runners-up in the 2011 U.S. Open Cup, limp back to the Windy City to ponder just what in the world happened. The Dayton Dutch Lions clawed their way past the Columbus Crew 2-1.

A short trip for the Houston Dynamo to San Antonio proved fruitless, as the NASL side parlayed a 51st minute PK into a 1-0 victory for the Scorpions. Meanwhile, FC Dallas went down to bitter defeat to the Charlotte Eagles by a 2-0 count. Real Salt Lake lost at home to the upstart Minnesota Stars, 3-1.

MLS teams that restored some semblance of pride to the league were: New York Red Bulls, who hung a 3-0 defeat on the Charleston Battery. The Philadelphia Union defeated the Rochester Rhinos also by a 3-0 decision. The highlight of the match was a one hour lightning delay after the 22nd minute of play. DC United overcame a determined effort by Richmond, and knocked out the Kickers 2-1 in overtime.

According to match reports, the Colorado Rapids were statistically outplayed by the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but Colorado won the most important stat of the night, 3-1 on the scoreboard. Sporting Kansas City was tested, but survived a challenge from Orlando City, 3-2, and Chivas USA defeated the Ventura County Fusion 1-0. Also in the West, the San Jose Earthquakes held off the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, 2-1.

Wednesday night, Cal FC travel to play Portland, while defending U.S. Open Cup Champions Seattle entertain the Atlanta Silverbacks. The 4th Round (round of 16) will be held next week on June 5th.


(This post was edited by East Fork Utd on May 31, 2012, 12:41 AM)


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

May 31, 2012, 6:44 AM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #8 of 17 (2470 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

The West Coast Wednesday games have completed the 3rd round. No surprise in one, as the Seattle Sounders rocked the world of the Atlanta Silverbacks, 5-1. Down the coast in Portland though, the Timbers were reduced to sawdust by amateur side Cal FC, 1-0! So, the teams from MLS go 8-8 in this round. The 4th round is slated for June 5th. Here are the matchups:

Harrisburg City Islanders vs. New York Red Bulls
Philadelphia Union vs. DC United
Michigan Bucks vs. Dayton Dutch Lions
Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting Kansas City
San Antonio Scorpions vs. Charlotte Eagles
Minnesota Stars vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Chivas USA vs. Carolina Railhawks
Seattle Sounders vs. Cal FC

So, to re-cap; there are 8 MLS teams left (New York, Philadelphia, DC, Colorado, Kansas City, San Jose, Chivas USA, and Seattle). 6 semi-pro teams remain; 3 from NASL (Carolina, Minnesota, and San Antonio) and 3 from USL Pro (Harrisburg, Dayton, and Charlotte). The 2 remaining amateur sides are Michigan from the PDL and Cal FC from the USASA.

For more information on the 99th annual U.S. Open Cup, visit thecup.us


cope1
Chelsea Transfer Target


May 31, 2012, 8:09 PM

Posts: 5434
Location:
Team(s):

Post #9 of 17 (2419 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Great rundown East Fork! I am enjoying this year's tournament more already for reading your wonderful write-ups!



If you're looking for a new website for your club, league or any other organisation give me a shout at www.acwebcreations.net.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Jun 6, 2012, 6:46 AM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #10 of 17 (2304 views)
Shortcut
Re: [cope1] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Hand balls and extra time were the hallmarks of the 4th round of the 99th edition of the U.S. Open Cup. Half of the eight games went into overtime and three of the games saw hand balls in the penalty box lead to winning goals Shocked!

The first game to finish was in Cary, North Carolina. The Carolina Railhawks dispatched the L.A. Galaxy last week and were looking to do the double over that team's cross-town rivals, Chivas USA. Chivas scored in the first half, and the lead held up for more than 60 minutes until the Railhawks answered in the 79th minute. Just when the game looked destined for extra time, the Railhawks "de-railed" their chances with a hand ball in the 4th minute of stoppage time. Juan Pablo Angel, of Aston Villa fame, stepped up and took the penalty which enabled Chivas USA to escape with a 2-1 win.

Up the road a ways in Harrisburg, the City Islanders started off brightly as they took an early 1-0 lead over the New York Red Bulls thanks to a goal from Sainey Touray, who was on the Red Bulls' roster three years ago, but never got any playing time for the team! New York answered early in the second half, and the game went into extra time. Harrisburg scored in each half of extra time, despite seeing their goal peppered with shots from the Red Bulls. Some controversy in this one, as a no-call on a hand ball in the box by Harrisburg was not awarded in the second half, which could have given the Red Bulls a valuable lead.

An All-MLS matchup in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, saw the Philadelphia Union knock off DC United, 2-1 in extra time. A 92nd minute goal by Antoine Hoppenot proved to be the difference in that one. Both teams were involved in a bust-up in the first half of extra time, and each saw a player get ejected. The Union will next play their in-state neighbors, Harrisburg in the quarterfinals.

Another extra-time game and another hand ball figured prominently in the game between the Dayton Dutch Lions and the Michigan Bucks. Michigan took the lead only to see Dayton equalize before halftime. In the first half of extra time, Joel DeLass slotted home a PK after a Bucks hand ball in the box. Dayton wins 2-1, despite being outshot by the Bucks, 21-8.

Not much drama, but plenty of snarkiness in Kansas City, as host Sporting KC upended Colorado 2-0. After falling behind in the 27th minute, the Rapids turned on the juice and tried desperately for an equalizer over the next 50 minutes. All the while, both sides had animosity building after every foul was called. No red cards were issued, but the ref sure was kept on his toes. Sporting got the clinching goal in the 79th minute, as injury-plagued, but spirited Colorado gave up the ghost and conceded defeat.

The Charlotte Eagles won the Texas Tri-fecta as they stunned home-standing San Antonio, 2-1 in extra time. You guessed it--a hand ball from the Scorpions in the 116th minute proved to be the difference! For the third week in a row, Charlotte won U.S. Open Cup matches in the Lone Star State. They defeated El Paso in the second round and FC Dallas last week. Since there are no more Texas teams left in the field, the Eagles will have to be content with taking out some California teams (they head to Los Angeles to meet Chivas USA next).

It was fun while it lasted for Cal FC. The amateur side held their own against Seattle for 50 minutes, but following a Sounders penalty kick (yep, another hand ball), the flood gates opened, and Cal FC was awash in a 5-0 beating. The three-time defending U.S. Open Cup Champions (no one has ever won 4 straight in 98 previous years) have now won 14 consecutive cup games and 19 overall in the competition. Seattle is an impressive 11-0 in home games in the cup too.

The last game of the night went down to the wire, but the San Jose Earthquakes pulled out a hard-fought 1-0 win against the Minnesota Stars thanks to a Stephen Lenhart header in the 85th minute.

The U.S. Open Cup takes a three-week break until the quarterfinals on June 26th. Pretty exciting stuff, all in all. Philadelphia and Chivas USA are struggling in their respective MLS Divisions, but it's nice to see them going for some silverware and giving this competition the respect many here feel it needs.

Harrisburg City Islanders at Philadelphia Union
Dayton Dutch Lions at Sporting Kansas City
Charlotte Eagles at Chivas USA
Seattle Sounders at San Jose Earthquakes


Mister TwoU
First Team Regular


Jun 6, 2012, 10:13 AM

Posts: 1251
Location: Bo'ness
Team(s): Cowdenbeath

Post #11 of 17 (2292 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or

Is it SO usual for so many of the non-MLS teams to progress this far?

My knowledge of the US game has been very limited since coming to the UK from Trinidad in 1990 and truthfully was never too in-depth as a youngster before that, but my general impression has always been that the MLS was head-and-shoulders stronger than the next highest level competition.

Does that remain a truism, just this season's cup results being a sustained coincidence of 'strange' results, or has the gap really closed so very much? Or is there more to it than meets the eye? Have the MLS clubs been fielding weakened teams for instance, perhaps not taking this competition too seriously?



Ut temporibus est cum diabolus accipit renes

Still the original Paddy MacNab.


leohoenig
Administrator

Jun 6, 2012, 11:38 AM

Posts: 7668
Location: Outer Cheltenhamshire
Team(s): Cheltenham Town

Post #12 of 17 (2286 views)
Shortcut
Re: [Mister TwoU] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Two seasons ago, I saw LA Galaxy play Seattle at home in the MLS, and then the following midweek for an Open Cup match in Seatle (and not even on Seattle's normal home ground). Some players played in both games, but not many

see http://leohoenig.com/...north-west-frontier/



Fat AND Pompous.
I was going to list all my grounds for the season, but the moderator said five lines only.
Now blogging at www.leohoenig.com

(This post was edited by leohoenig on Jun 6, 2012, 11:40 AM)


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Jun 6, 2012, 6:18 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #13 of 17 (2248 views)
Shortcut
Re: [leohoenig] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Since MLS teams started entering this competition in 1996, they have won 15 of the 16 Cup Finals. The exception was in 1999 when the Rochester Rhinos shut out the Colorado Rapids, 2-0 at Columbus.

In 2010, the Quarterfinals featured 4 non-MLS sides (Seattle beat DC United in the title game). Last year, Richmond made it to the semi-finals before losing to the Chicago Fire (who lost at Seattle in the Cup Final). It was also last year in the Quarters that the New York Red Bulls came under criticism in their attitude toward the competition. As I remember, they only took 13 players off their 25-man roster to Chicago, and none of the first-team players saw any action. Chicago took a different view and fielded a fairly strong team. Not surprisingly, the Fire did a tap dance on the Red Bulls to the tune of 4-0.

This year, MLS teams, for the most part, have taken the U.S. Open Cup seriously. By that, I mean they have started the match with at least 5 or 6 players who would normally start in league matches. One other aspect of the lower-level squads is that many of the teams boast former MLS players who were ultimately released. There are also several players that were drafted this year and last year by MLS teams, but were not deemed good enough to break into those top-flight rosters (at least, not yet, anyway).

Just like any other in-season domestic cup competition, the lower level teams have plenty of incentive to knock off one of the big boys, and thus make a name for their team and perhaps players and coaches that MLS owners might want to consider for future employment.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Jun 27, 2012, 12:52 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #14 of 17 (1976 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Quarterfinal action in the U.S. Open Cup saw 4 MLS teams advance to the semi-finals. The 3 non-MLS sides gave a good account of themselves though.

In the first match of the evening, Philadelphia Union scored early and often as they built a solid 3-0 advantage in the first 30 minutes over the Harrisburg City Islanders. But, the City Islanders rallied for two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half to make things interesting. The Union re-gained control of the game with goals in the 69th and 81st minutes en-route to a 5-2 victory. Lionard Pajoy scored twice and Freddy Adu once in the Philly win.

The second game saw Sporting Kansas City eliminate the Dayton Dutch Lions 3-0. Sporting led 1-0 at halftime, despite dominating possession. Things didn't get better for Dayton in the second half as the Dutch Lions rarely made an appearance in the Kansas City half of the field. C.J. Sapong found the back of the net twice, while Graham Zusi provided the other tally for K.C.

The West Coast games did not see as many goals, but those matches had more of an edge to them. In Los Angeles, Chivas USA withstood an early onslaught by Charlotte before getting a grip on things. It took 64 minutes, but Jose Correa scored the first goal to put Chivas in front. The lead lasted 25 minutes before Mauricio Salles scored for the Eagles to tie things up. Chivas secured its spot in the Semi's on virtually the last kick of the game. In the last minute of stoppage time, Correa headed in the game-winner off a free kick to notch the 2-1 victory.

In San Francisco, San Jose hosted Seattle, the winners of the past three U.S. Open Cups. The Sounders scored what would be the only goal of the night in the 19th minute, courtesy of Cordell Cato. The Earthquakes played a strong 2nd half as they kept pummelling the Seattle goal without the desired effect. The Quakes lost a player to a red card late in the contest, and the match ended in a midfield fracas after finger-pointing and trash talking got to be too much for the San Jose bench to take!

So, the semi-finals are set. On July 10, Chivas USA play at Seattle. On July 11, Sporting Kansas City travel to Philadelphia. The final will be August 6 or 7.

--Since joining MLS in 2004, this will mark the 2nd time Chivas USA have made the U.S. Open Cup semi-final. Currently, Chivas are in 7th place in the West Division of MLS and out of playoff contention for the season-ending MLS Cup.
--Seattle beat an MLS team for the first time since early May. The Sounders, gunning for their 4th consecutive U.S. Open Cup title, lie 4th place in the West Division. They had 4 losses and 3 draws against MLS foes until last night.
--Sporting Kansas City won the U.S. Open Cup in 2004 and were coming off a 4-0 weekend beating from their semi-final opponents, Philadelphia, prior to beating Dayton. Sporting KC are currently 3rd in the MLS East Division.
--Philadelphia Union went through a coaching change in early June. They currently sit 9th in the East Division and are way off the pace for the playoffs (top 5 in each division make it through). Scoring just 7 times in their first 11 MLS matches, the Union have scored 13 goals in all competitions under John Hackworth! Maybe Sheryl Crow was right (A Change Will Do You Good).Smile


(This post was edited by East Fork Utd on Jun 27, 2012, 12:53 PM)


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Jul 12, 2012, 12:19 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #15 of 17 (1866 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

And the final is now set.

Tuesday night, the quality came through for Kansas City and Seattle. Sporting KC got a goal and an assist from Graham Zusi to help defeat the Philadelphia Union, 2-0. The Union had very few scoring opportunities on the night; Sporting held the bulk of the possession, and their play was rewarded with goals in the 65th and 90th minutes.

The Seattle Sounders saw four different players score in a 4-1 romp over Chivas USA. Eddie Johnson opened the scoring in the 31st minute, and a penalty kick from Osvaldo Alonso in the 48th minute pretty much sealed the deal. Chivas pulled back a goal in the 74th minute, but Seattle re-asserted its dominance on the night and scored twice in the late stages of the game, to win comfortably.

The final of the U.S. Open Cup will be contested at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas on Wednesday, August 8. Seattle is looking for its 4th straight U.S. Open Cup title, while Sporting will be in search of its first title. The winner of the match gets a berth in the 2013 CONCACAF Champions League.


East Fork Utd
Youth Team Star

Aug 9, 2012, 11:36 PM

Posts: 368
Location:
Team(s):

Post #16 of 17 (1605 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Fireworks early...drama late...not much happening in between! The U.S. Open Cup final got off to a late start as lightning delayed the beginning of the match between Seattle and Kansas City. The fans in KC were ready to go for the 8:00 kickoff, but had to wait till 8:45 before the festivities began in earnest.

Both teams shared possession on the night and made several forays into the other's territory, but rarely seemed to threaten the opposing goal, until the 80th minute. A handball in the box was called against the Sounders and Sporting KC stepped up and hit the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead at the 84 minute mark. Less than 2 minutes later, Seattle had equalized. After a scoreless extra time session, the teams went to penalty kicks, and the home team prevailed, 3-2.

The win guarantees Sporting Kansas City a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League for 2013-14. For Seattle, it stopped a 3-year championship skein of U.S. Open Cups for the Sounders. Three more positions remain for MLS sides in the Champions League competition. The Supporter's Shield winner (currently San Jose), plus the MLS Cup winner and runner-up, which will be determined on December 1.

MLS Cup is contested after the regular season, when the top 10 teams qualify for the playoffs (5 from the East Division and 5 from the West). The Supporter's Shield goes to the team that garners the most points after the regular season is finished (late October).


(This post was edited by East Fork Utd on Aug 9, 2012, 11:37 PM)


paulh66
Man City Transfer Target!


Aug 10, 2012, 2:17 AM

Posts: 6322
Location: Long Island City, NY
Team(s): Tranmere Rovers, South Liverpool (the South will rise again), Cammell Laird

Post #17 of 17 (1593 views)
Shortcut
Re: [East Fork Utd] 2012 U.S. Open Cup [In reply to] Can't Post or Reply Privately

Seems like the final was a game worth watching. Sadly, it seems only one minor TV channel showed it live, with the likes of ESPN deciding instead to devote their evening's airtime to the Real Madrid v AC Milan friendly at Yankee stadium.

 
 


The Soccerlinks Hit List

free hit counters

Search for (options) HOSTED BY SOCCERLINKS v.1.2.3