USL News Release

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

TAMPA, FL – The 2009 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup continues Tuesday evening with eight Second Round matches. Three Premier Development League sides remain in the hunt to be among the eight sides who advance to face Major League Soccer opposition in the Third Round in two weeks. Two games are also available free on USLlive.com.

The El Paso Patriots and Chicago Fire knocked off fellow amateur sides last week out of the US Adult Soccer Association to move onto their Second Round contests on the road versus the USL First Division’s Austin Aztex and Minnesota Thunder, respectively. The Ocean City Barons, however, upset the USL Second Division’s Crystal Palace Baltimore and now play host to the other Maryland-based USL-2 side in the Real Maryland Monarchs.

Second Round action free on USL Live

Two Second Round contests will be available on USLlive.com Tuesday, June 16. The Carolina RailHawks (vs Wilmington Hammerheads – 7:00 pm ET) and Rochester Rhinos (vs Cleveland City Stars – 7:00 pm ET) of the USL First Division will be broadcasting their respective games free online via USL’s official broadband internet channel. It marks the third consecutive year that early round matches will be carried on USL Live. Watch USL games free any time live and on demand at USLlive.com. The broadcasts of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup are made available by US Soccer. Log on to ussoccer.com for more information about the US Open Cup and to find out how you can join US Soccer SC, the Official Supporters Club of US Soccer.

Match Capsule Previews

Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) at Ocean City Barons (PDL)
After finishing last in the league in their debut season, the Monarchs are currently tied for third in the USL-2 table with their state rival Crystal Palace Baltimore, whom their US Open Cup opponent Ocean City dismissed last week. Real Maryland is coming off a 1-0 victory over the weekend against the visiting Richmond Kickers after having knocked out the USASA’s Aegean Hawks last week in the First Round of the tournament, 1-0. The Barons are sitting in a tie for second in the Northeast Division of the PDL with a record of 5-1-1 with the Ottawa Fury, trailing 9-1-0 Long Island. After surprising Palace in stunning 3-0 fashion last week in the First Round, Ocean City went on to win 1-0 at Westchester in league play.
Round 3: DC United hosts winner of Ocean City v Real Maryland
June 30 Maryland Soccerplex; Boyds, Md.; 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland City Stars (USL-1) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
It looked like a great potential match-up for the Rhinos two weeks ago when it was announced, but a tough penalty kick contest against then last-place USL-2 side Pittsburgh in the First Round put some concerns in the back of their minds. Then in league play, the Rhinos traveled to Cleveland, where they were 3-0 winners earlier in the season, and were stunned to the tune of a complete 3-0 reversal of their first meeting. The two now meet again three days later at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester for the first time.
Round 3:
June 30 Columbus Crew at Rochester Rhinos; Marina Auto Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.; 7 p.m.
June 30 Cleveland at Columbus; Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio; 7:30 p.m.

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) at Carolina RailHawks (USL-1)
Both clubs are enjoying better campaigns than a year ago. The Hammerheads are currently fifth with a record of 4-3-2, but are coming off a 2-1 road loss to Baltimore in league play after knocking out league and state rival Charlotte 2-0 in the First Round last week. Carolina, has been in the league lead or one point back in the USL-1 table virtually the entire campaign and come into the contest with a 7-3-2 record. The RailHawks eliminated the USL-2 Richmond Kickers 2-1 in the First Round, but came up winless in league contest since, playing to a scoreless draw at home against Portland Thursday and falling 2-0 in Minnesota Sunday. Although the two North Carolina clubs have not met in official competition, the RailHawks won a 2-0 match in Wilmington during the preseason.
Round 3: Chicago Fire visits winner of Carolina v Wilmington
June 30 Chicago at Carolina; WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.; 7 p.m.
June 30 Chicago at Wilmington; Legion Stadium; Wilmington, N.C.; 7 p.m.

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
The two league rivals meet for the first time since Harrisburg posted a 3-1 victory at home early in the season. Since then, the City Islanders have climbed to the top of the table at 6-2-1 while Western Mass has undergone a two-part campaign. The Pioneers continued to struggle after the defeat, but have rebounded of late and have been one of the hotter teams in the league, winning their last three. They have been 4-1-1 over the last six, not including last week’s 3-2 overtime victory over Emigrantes Das Ilhas of the USASA. Harrisburg cruised to a 4-1 First Round win over fellow Pennsylvania side Reading of the PDL.
Round 3: New England Revolution hosts winner of Harrisburg v Western Mass
June 30 Willowbrook Park; New Britain, Conn.; 7 p.m.

Charleston Battery (USL-1) at Miami FC Blues (USL-1)
After a pair of 1-0 defeats home and away in league play to the Battery last month, the Blues get a chance in a different competition to play a little revenge. Charleston brings a big bulls-eye into the contest having reach the Final of last year’s tournament and still holding an unbeaten record of 6-0-6 in league play this year. Last week, Charleston made easy work of the USASA’s Atlanta FC, 2-0, in the First Round while Miami needed to rally to defeat Lynch’s FC of the USASA 2-1. Since then, the Battery played to a 1-1 draw against a Portland side that stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games while Miami traveled cross-continent to suffer a 3-2 loss in Vancouver Friday before returning home and posting a 2-0 win over Austin Sunday to avoid being in a last-place tie with Minnesota.
Round 3: Chivas USA visits winner of Charleston v Miami
June 30 Chivas USA at Charleston; Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.; 7:30 p.m.
June 30 Chivas USA at Miami; Lockhart Stadium; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; 8 p.m.

Chicago Fire (PDL) at Minnesota Thunder (USL-1)
The Fire downed veteran USASA participant in the US Open Cup Milwaukee Bavarians 3-1 in the First Round last week while Minnesota found themselves in a tough battle with Nebraska’s 402 of the USASA that finished in a 3-2 decision. Since then, the Fire went north of the border and played to a 1-1 draw at London before posting a 2-0 win at Toronto to remain second in the division at 5-1-3. Minnesota finally registered their first league victory, downing Miami 2-0 Sunday.
Round 3:
June 30 Kansas City Wizards at Minnesota; National Sports Center; Blaine, Minn.; 7:05 p.m.
June 30 Chicago PDL at Kansas City; Shawnee Mission North H.S.; Overland Park, Kan.; 7:30 p.m.

El Paso Patriots (PDL) at Austin Aztex (USL-1)
El Paso advanced from the First Round with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Sahuaros of the USASA while Austin blanked the PDL’s Mississippi Brilla 2-0. This week, the Aztex host a club they are a little more familiar with as they have faced the Patriots the past two seasons in the PDL with their U-23 squad. The Patriots (5-4-0) currently trail the U-23 Aztex (5-1-3) in the Mid South Division and have not had any luck in a pair of shutout losses to Austin thus far, but could make a much bigger splash with the tournament upset. El Paso were blanked 4-0 in Austin last month in league play and were downed 2-0 at home this past Saturday in their lone match since the First Round victory.
Round 3: Houston Dynamo visits winner of Austin v El Paso
June 30 Houston at Austin; Nelson Field; Austin, Texas; 7:30 p.m.
June 30 Houston at El Paso; Patriot Stadium; El Paso, Texas; 8 p.m.

Portland Timbers (USL-1) at Sonoma County Sol (USASA)
Courtesy of a 10-game unbeaten run in league play, the Timbers currently sit third in the table behind Charleston and Carolina. After eliminating Kitsap of the PDL 3-0 on the road last week in the First Round, Portland extended that streak from to its current status with a 0-0 draw at Carolina Thursday and a 1-1 draw at Charleston Saturday to move to 5-1-5 on the year. Sonoma County was the lone side from the USASA to advance from the opening round, knocking out the PDL’s Orange County Blue Star, who have not registered a point in league play since qualifying for the tournament.
Round 3:
June 30 Sonoma County Sol at Seattle; Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.; 7 p.m.
June 30 Seattle at Portland; PGE Park; Portland, Ore.; 7 p.m. 
 

Related: Club match previews [+]     Full Schedule [+]    First Round Recap [+]