CHICAGO (May 14, 2019) – The first major cupset of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s national championship, was achieved by Open Division amateurs Florida Soccer Soldiers who beat Division II (USL Championship) professionals Charlotte Independence in a penalty shootout.
Soccer Soldiers, out of Miami Beach, already took down former NASL pros Miami FC in the First Round and will face the winner of North Carolina FC (USL Championship) or Richmond Kickers (USL League One) in the Third Round.
Despite valiant efforts from a host of Open Division sides on the night, Soccer Soldiers were the only amateurs to advance on the opening night of the Second Round as USL Championship sides won the eight other matches of the evening.
In the Northeast Region, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC exploded in the second half for a 3-0 win vs. Dayton Dutch Lions, while tournament debutants, Hartford Athletic recorded their first Open Cup win as a club with a 2-1 win against New York Cosmos B.
Down the coast in the Southeast Region, Tampa Bay Rowdies dispatched amateurs The Villages 4-1, while Nashville SC scraped by USL League Two amateurs South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 by a 3-2 scoreline. And in the Central Region, Austin Bold FC and San Antonio FC grabbed 2-0 wins, while OKC Energy also won by a two-goal margin 3-1 against 2018 giant-killers NTX Rayados.
Out West in perhaps the most anticipated match of the opening night of the Second Round, Las Vegas Lights FC and manager Eric Wynalda defeated amateur side Cal FC, who he guided on an epic run in the 2012 edition of America’s longest-running soccer competition.
The magic of the U.S. Open Cup continues in the last week of May when the 22 Second Round winners face off on May 29 for the right to face Division I (Major League Soccer) clubs when they enter the tournament in the Fourth Round on June 11-12. U.S. Soccer will conduct the draw to determine the Fourth Round match-ups on Thursday, May 30. All the U.S. Open Cup Third and Fourth Round games will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
SECOND
ROUND
RECAPS
:
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL Championship) 3, Dayton Dutch Lions (USL
League Two) 0
Forward Neco Brett struck twice within a 12-minute span to power the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 3-0 victory over the Dayton Dutch Lions at
Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. Brett gave the Riverhounds all the
scoring they needed as he converted a 57th-minute penalty kick after he was
taken down in the box. In the 69th minute, Brett fired in a shot from atop
the right side of the penalty area after a brilliant run from the midfield
into the box by Anthony Velarde for a 2-0 advantage. Velarde gave
Pittsburgh some more breathing room with the final goal in second-half
stoppage time. Goalkeeper Austin Pack recorded the clean sheet. The
Riverhounds will welcome the winner of the game between Indy Eleven (USL
Championship) and Lansing Ignite FC (USL League One) in a Third Round match
at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on May 29.
Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) 2, New York Cosmos B (NPSL) 1
Hartford Athletic survived a second-half surge by New York Cosmos B (National Premier Soccer League) and eight minutes of stoppage time to register its first win of the year, a 2-1 triumph at Al-Marzook Field at the University of Hartford on Tuesday night. Hartford (0-9-1) entered the game in last place in the 18-team Eastern Conference of the USL Championship. The hosts drew first blood in the 16th minute as right back Harry Swartz tallied his first professional goal, slotting home a left-wing feed from atop the right side of the penalty area past goalkeeper Santiago Castano. After Cosmos forward Aaron Dennis was awarded a yellow card for fouling Raymond Lee, Hartford doubled its lead in the 25th minute when Mads Jorgensen sent a one-bouncer off a free kick to the near post around a two-man wall for a 2-0 margin. Cosmos B came out with much more energy in the second half. The visitors were rewarded in the 57th minute when striker Bledi Bardic, who connected for the game-winning goal in the 2-1 First Round win against Black Rock FC last week, connected on a highlight reel goal as he drilled a 35-yard shot into the upper 90 in the right corner past goalkeeper Jacob Lissek. Lissek endured a busy final half and injury time, but he and his teammates managed to stave off Cosmos B. Hartford will play its Third Round match away, against the winner of Wednesday night's Second Round encounter between Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship) and New York Red Bulls U-23s (USL League Two) on May 29.
Charlotte Independence (USL Championship) 1, Florida Soccer Soldiers
(Fla.) 1, 2-2 AET (4-5 PKs)
In a game that had just about everything, the Florida Soccer Soldiers of
the amateur United Premier Soccer League pulled off the biggest Cupset of
the 2019 U.S. Open Cup with a stunning comeback performance against
Division II pros Charlotte Independence at the Mecklenburg County
Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C. On the brink of elimination in the second
extra-time period while playing a man down, the Soccer Soldiers managed to
equalize at 2-2 on a 119th-minute goal by Valentin Sabella after a
Charlotte mistake. The visitors then prevailed in the shootout, 5-4. After
Sabella converted the go-ahead penalty kick, goalkeeper Bryan Martin, who
scored on Florida's first penalty, saved Charlotte captain Enzo Martinez's
attempt to cap the stunning result. That made two major surprises in a week
for the Soccer Soldiers, who knocked off Miami FC (National Premier Soccer
League) in the opening round.
The game was a wild and wooly affair as 12 yellow cards, eight on Florida, were handed out. The visitors were forced to play the extra-time period a man down after Antonioni Gonzalez was given his marching orders for his second yellow card of the game. Hugh Roberts gave the Independence a 31st-minute edge, but Adolfo Suazo knotted things up for Florida in the 78th minute. Two minutes into extra-time and Charlotte with a man advantage, former MLS forward Dominic Oduro gave the hosts the lead yet again but they couldn't hold it. Sabella stole a back-pass, went around goalkeeper Curtis Anderson and waited for defenders to make their move before depositing the ball into the net from close range. The Soccer Soldiers will hit the road again in the Third Round where they will meet the North Carolina FC (USL Championship)-Richmond Kickers (USL League One) winner on May 29.
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship) 4, The Villages SC (USL League
Two) 1
Zack Steinberger scored one goal and assisted on two others to lead the
Tampa Bay Rowdies to a 4-1 victory over The Village SC at Al Lang Stadium
in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tampa Bay, which set a modern era club record with
its 11th consecutive game unbeaten, struck twice within a two-minute span
just before halftime to take control of the match. Steinberger got the
hosts going in the 43rd minute as Mohamed Kone headed home his cross past
goalkeeper Jerfesson Rodrigues Santana. Barely two minutes later,
Steinberger celebrated a goal of his own off an Antoine Hoppenot feed.
Steinberger turned playmaker again in the 62nd minute as Brandon Allen
scored off his second assist for a commanding 3-0 edge. Vandyke Gyau
averted a shutout for The Villages SC by finding the net in the 89th minute
past goalkeeper Christopher Konopka. Leon Taylor restored the three-goal
lead in second-half injury time. Rowdies Academy product Robbie Soronellas
made his debut with the first team, coming on for David Najem at halftime.
The Rowdies will visit OKC Energy (USL Championship) in a Third Round
encounter at John Crain Field (Univ. of Oklahoma) in Norman, Okla. on May
29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Nashville SC 3 (USL Championship), South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 (USL
League Two) 2
It was a Winn-win situation for Nashville SC, who defeated South Georgia
Tormenta 2, 3-2, at Dean A. Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium on the campus of
Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Alan Winn scored
one goal and set up two others. Ropapa Mensah and Cameron Lancaster also
found the net for the winning side. The hosts struck first in the eighth
minute as Mensah, off a Winn feed, slid the ball past the goalkeeper. They
doubled their lead in the 32nd minute as Winn scored off a long lob pass
from Bolu Akinyode. South Georgia, however, wouldn't go gently into the
Tennessee night. Adrian Billhardt took advantage of a miscommunication and
beat goalkeeper Connor Sparrow to slice the lead in half three minutes into
the second period. Nashville restored their two-goal lead in the 52nd
minute behind Lancaster's clinical finish off Winn's cross. That goal was
needed because James Meehan scored off a header in the 68th minute to give
the pros a scare over the final 20 minutes. Nashville will play the winner
of Wednesday night’s match between Charleston Battery and Greenville
Triumph SC in the Third Round at Hayes Stadium on May 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
OKC Energy (USL Championship) 3, NTX Rayados (Texas) 1
Christian Eissele and former Jamaican international Je-Vaughn Watson
converted penalty kicks in the waning moments to snap a 1-1 deadlock as OKC
Energy registered a 3-1 win over NTX Rayados at John Craig Soccer Field on
the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Okla. Eissele drilled a
left-footed shot home from the penalty spot to lift OKC into a 2-1 lead in
the 81st minute after Amer Sasivarevic was fouled in the box. Watson then
sealed the deal with a penalty of his own after Owayne Gordon was taken
down in the area in second-half stoppage time. After a scoreless first
half, Sasivarevic headed in an Alexy Bosetti corner kick to give the hosts
a 1-0 lead. NTX, however, tied things up on a Christian Okeke goal in the
62nd minute. OKC will host the Tampa Bay Rowdies in Norman, Okla. in a
Third Round match on May 29.
Austin Bold FC (USL Championship) 2, Tulsa Roughnecks FC (USL
Championship) 0
In a confrontation of USL Championship teams, Austin Bold FC gave its
supporters plenty to cheer and celebrate as it scored goals on either side
of halftime en route to a 2-0 victory over Tulsa Roughnecks FC at Bold
Stadium in Del Valle, Texas. Sonny Guadarrama took advantage of an error by
the Tulsa defense to find the net in the 31st minute. Sean McFarlane, Jr.'s
right-wing feed set up Andre Lime's insurance tally in the 74th minute. The
celebration was just as entertaining as the goal. Lime got down on his knee
and shined McFarlane's boots with an imaginary cloth. Austin will welcome
San Antonio FC (USL Championship) in the Third Round at Bold Stadium in Del
Valle, Texas on May 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
San Antonio FC (USL Championship) 2, Laredo Heat SC (NPSL) 0
A pair of first-half goals off corner kicks carried San Antonio FC over
Laredo Heat SC (National Premier Soccer League), 2-0, at Toyota Field in
San Antonio, Texas. Pascal Eboussi buried a header off a Jack Barmby corner
to lift the hosts into the lead in the 17th minute. Ever Guzman added an
insurance tally in the 41st minute. Walter Restrepo took a short corner and
shuffled the ball to Barmby. Barmby then fed Guzman from point-blank range
and he fired a shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar before bouncing
into the goal. Goalkeeper Jonathan Viscosi recorded the clean sheet. A few
San Antonio players made their professional debuts, including 15-year-old
Leo Torres, a San Antonio Pro Academy product, coming on as a substitute
for Billy Forbes in the 76th minute. In a clash of USL Championship sides,
San Antonio will visit Austin Bold FC in the Third Round at Bold Stadium in
Del Valle, Texas on May 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Las Vegas Lights (USL Championship) 2, CAL FC (Calif.) 0
In a hotly anticipated contest, current Las Vegas Lights coach Eric Wynalda
was up against the amateur club he led on a famous giant-killing run in the
2012 Open Cup (beating Portland Timbers of MLS before going out to the
Seattle Sounders). The first half was a tense and even affair. But despite
the fact that Cal FC were the slightly better team over those 45 minutes,
the Lights got the all-important go-ahead goal. Veteran striker Sammy Ochoa
finished off a sweeping team move with a header from close range in the
13th minute to give the home side a lead at the interval. The introduction
of Pablo Cruz – a former Cal FC player – turned the second half, and the
game as a whole, more toward the Lights. He swerved around the left side in
the 50th minute and crossed low for Victor Rojas to score. With the result
pretty much sealed at 2-0, a pair of late red cards couldn’t sour what was
a gripping game of Open Cup soccer. Wynalda’s Lights now move on to play
the Orange County FC vs. Orange County SC winner on May 29.
Second Round Schedule/Results
Northeast Region
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Result/Time |
Venue |
|
May 14 |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) vs. Dayton Dutch Lions (USLL2) |
3-0 |
Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa. |
|
May 14 |
Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs. New York Cosmos B (NPSL) |
2-1 |
Al-Marzook Field (Univ. of Hartford); Hartford, Conn. |
|
May 15 |
Indy Eleven (USLC) vs. Lansing Ignite FC (USLL1) |
7 p.m. ET |
Sellick Bowl (Butler Univ.); Indianapolis, Ind. |
|
May 15 |
North Carolina FC (USLC) vs. Richmond Kickers (USLL1) |
7 p.m. ET |
Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. |
|
May 15 |
Louisville City FC (USLC) vs. Reading United AC (USLL2) |
7 p.m. ET |
Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville); Louisville, Ky. |
|
May 15 |
Memphis 901 FC (USLC) vs. New York Red Bulls U23 (USLL2) |
7 p.m. CT |
AutoZone Park; Memphis, Tenn. |
|
May 15 |
Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs. West Chester United (Pa.) |
7 p.m. CT |
BBVA Compass Field; Birmingham, Ala. |
Southeast Region
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Result/Time |
Venue |
|
May 14 |
Charlotte Independence (USLC) vs. Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) |
1-1, 2-2 AET (4-5 PKs) |
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, N.C. |
|
May 14 |
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) vs. The Villages SC (USLL2) |
4-1 |
Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla. |
|
May 14 |
Nashville SC (USLC) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 (USLL2) |
3-2 |
Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium (Middle Tennessee State Univ.); Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
|
May 15 |
Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs. Charleston Battery (USLC) |
7 p.m. ET |
Legacy Early College Field; Greenville, S.C. |
Central Region
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Result/Time |
Venue |
|
May 14 |
OKC Energy FC (USLC) vs. NTX Rayados (Texas) |
3-1 |
John Crain Field (Univ. of Oklahoma); Norman, Okla. |
|
May 14 |
Austin Bold FC (USLC) vs. Tulsa Roughnecks (USLC) |
2-0 |
Bold Stadium; Del Valle, Texas |
|
May 14 |
San Antonio FC (USLC) vs. Laredo Heat SC (NPSL) |
2-0 |
Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas |
|
May 15 |
Des Moines Menace (USLL2) vs. Saint Louis FC (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. CT |
Cownie Soccer Park; Des Moines, Iowa |
|
May 15 |
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) vs. FC Denver (Colo.) |
7 p.m. MDT |
Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo. |
|
May 15 |
El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC) vs. Forward Madison FC (USLL1) |
7 p.m. MDT |
Southwest University Ballpark; El Paso, Texas |
|
May 15 |
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. New Mexico United (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. MST |
Casino Arizona Field; Tempe, Ariz. |
West Region
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Result/Time |
Venue |
|
May 14 |
Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) vs. Cal FC (Calif.) |
2-0 |
Cashman Field; Las Vegas, Nev. |
|
May 15 |
El Farolito (NPSL) vs. Fresno FC (USLC) |
2:30 p.m. PT |
Boxer Stadium; San Francisco, Calif. |
|
May 15 |
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Reno 1868 FC (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Papa Murphy's Park; Sacramento, Calif. |
|
May 15 |
Orange County SC (USLC) vs. Orange County FC (NPSL) |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif. |
Third Round Schedule
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Time |
Venue |
|
|
May 29 |
North Carolina FC (USLC) vs. Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) |
7 p.m. ET |
Koka Booth (Field 2) at WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Richmond Kickers (USLL1) vs. Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) |
7 p.m. ET |
City Stadium; Richmond, Va. |
|
|
|
May 29 |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) vs. Indy Eleven (USLC)/Lansing Ignite FC (USLL1) winner |
7 p.m. ET |
Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa. |
|
|
May 29 |
Louisville City FC (USLC) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (USLC)/West Chester United (Pa.) winner |
7 p.m. ET |
Lynn Stadium (Univ. of Louisville); Louisville, Ky. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Reading United AC (USLL2) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (USLC)/West Chester United (Pa.) winner |
7 p.m. ET |
Gurski Stadium (Wilson H.S.); West Lawn, Pa. |
|
|
|
May 29 |
Saint Louis FC (USLC) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC)/Forward Madison FC (USLL1) winner |
7 p.m. CT |
World Wide Technology Soccer Park; Fenton, Mo. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Des Moines Menace (USLL2) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC)/Forward Madison FC (USLL1) winner |
7:30 p.m. CT |
Drake Stadium; Des Moines, Iowa |
|
|
|
May 29 |
Nashville SC (USLC) vs. Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1)/Charleston Battery (USLC) winner |
7:30 p.m. CT |
Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium (Middle Tennessee State Univ.); Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
|
|
May 29 |
OKC Energy FC (USLC) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. CT |
John Crain Field (Univ. of Oklahoma); Norman, Okla. |
|
|
May 29 |
Memphis 901 FC (USLC) vs. Hartford Athletic (USLC) |
7 p.m. CT |
Mike Rose Soccer Complex; Memphis, Tenn. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
New York Red Bulls U23 (USLL2) vs. Hartford Athletic (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Montclair State University; Montclair, N.J. |
|
|
|
May 29 |
Austin Bold FC (USLC) vs. San Antonio FC (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. CT |
Bold Stadium; Del Valle, Texas |
|
|
May 29 |
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC)/FC Denver (Colo.) winner |
7:30 p.m. MST |
Casino Arizona Field; Tempe, Ariz. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) vs. New Mexico United (USLC) |
7 p.m. MDT |
Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo. |
|
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
FC Denver (Colo.) vs. New Mexico United (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. MDT |
North Stadium; Westminster, Colo. |
|
|
|
May 29 |
El Farolito (NPSL) vs. Sacramento Republic FC (USLC)/Reno 1868 FC (USLC) winner |
3 p.m. PT |
Boxer Stadium; San Francisco, Calif. |
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Fresno FC (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Papa Murphy's Park; Sacramento, Calif. |
|
|
|
-or- |
|
|||
|
Reno 1868 FC (USLC) vs. Fresno FC (USLC) |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Greater Nevada Field; Reno, Nev. |
|
|
|
May 29 |
Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) vs. Orange County SC (USLC)/Orange County FC (NPSL) winner |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Cashman Field; Las Vegas, Nev. |
|