USASA’s Roma FC Defeats MLS Team Chivas USA;
Carolina Dynamo and Wilmington Hammerheads Also Provide Upsets;
Quarterfinal Pairings Announced For Aug. 23

CHICAGO (July 13, 2006) – U.S. Soccer announced the quarterfinal pairings for the 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup today. The third round of the tournament kicked off July 11, as Real Salt Lake defeated the Virginia Beach Mariners, 2-1, in overtime. Action continued on July 12 as the rest of the third round provided some quality upsets by USASA, PDL and USL Second Division teams, including Roma FC’s (USASA) win against Major League Soccer club Chivas USA. The fourth round will take place on August 2, with eight new teams—all from Major League Soccer—entering the tournament.

Roma FC held Chivas USA scoreless in regulation and two overtime periods to head into their second penalty kick shootout of the tournament. Chivas played with 10 men for most of the second half as well as overtime when forward Ante Razov was sent off in the 57th minute. Roma goalkeeper Jesse Llamas saved two Chivas penalty kicks as Roma advanced, 4-2, to the fourth round.

"I did my job. I did what I had to do and things came out the way they did," said Llamas. "Everyone supported each other and it was great. It was an awesome but at the same time it was, like, we have no pressure because we’re not supposed to win. If we lose, we gave a battle, okay. If we win, we make history and that’s all we did."

Roma FC will head back to Los Angeles for the fourth round on Aug. 1, in which they will face the defending U.S. Open Cup and MLS champions Los Angeles Galaxy.

A similar upset occurred in North Carolina, where the Carolina Dynamo (PDL) defeated the visiting Seattle Sounders (USL-1), 3-2, in overtime on a goal from Darryl Roberts. Roberts headed in the game-winner off of a corner kick by midfielder Ryan Solle in the 111th minute.

"The mentality going into the game was that they came on our home field and we haven’t lost on our home field," Roberts said. "The chemistry and the mentality were there. We said we weren't going to lose this game, even when we were down, 1-0."

Rounding out the upsets was the Wilmington Hammerheads’ (USL-2) 2-1 win against the Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) in Wilmington, N.C. The Hammerheads will host the New York Red Bulls (MLS) on Aug. 2 in the fourth round.

Also advancing to the fourth round was the Charleston Battery (USL-1), who defeated the Portland Timbers (USL-1), by a 3-1 margin. Kansas City Wizards (MLS) won, 2-1, against the Des Moines Menace (PDL), while the Columbus Crew (MLS) posted a 4-1 win against the Michigan Bucks (PDL) and the Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) defeated the New Hampshire Phantoms (USL-2), 5-1.

The original 42-team field is now down to 16 clubs. All 12 MLS teams, all eight of the U.S.-based USL First Division teams, six of the nine USL Second Division teams and eight teams from the PDL had places in the 2006 tournament. Additionally, regional qualifying narrowed down the field of USASA teams to eight.

Geographical pairings and host proposals received from each club determined match-ups, as they will through the quarterfinals of the tournament. Possible pairings for the semifinal round will be announced after the completion of the quarterfinals.

At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team which advances deepest in the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.

2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule/Results
Third Round Matches