Monday, June 11, 2007

TAMPA, FL – The 2007 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup officially begins Tuesday night when the Western Mass Pioneers play host to Danbury United, qualifier out of the USASA Region I, at 5:15 pm. Throughout the night, 24 USL First Division, USL Second Division and Premier Development League will see action in the First Round of the single-elimination tournament.

Three matches can be seen on USL’s new broadband internet broadcast channel, in partnership with Turner Broadcasting’s Play On, at www.USLlive.com. It will be the first time multiple national video broadcasts of First Round games can be seen in the history of the tournament. Fans can view the games at no charge. More >>

Five USL teams will be making their tournament debuts on Tuesday night, expansion teams accounting for four of them. The USL First Division’s Carolina RailHawks and California Victory are joined by the USL Second Division’s Cleveland City Stars and Crystal Palace Baltimore. Carolina has the unique advantage of the four in that the club is run by Chris Economides, who oversaw the Rochester Rhinos in their 1999 US Open Cup Championship run. In addition, the PDL’s and Bakersfield Brigade qualified for the first time this year.

US OPEN CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH-UPS

Michigan Bucks (PDL) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2) – 7:30 pm ET
How can you not start with this pairing in a preview. These two clubs are the current defending champions of their respective leagues, are currently unbeaten in 2007 league play and boast some of the best resumes of past tournament performances.

Richmond: The Kickers were the first team to win the US Open Cup championship in the modern era of the tournament that included professional team participation, downing the El Paso Patriots in the 1995 final in penalty kicks. The club has played 19 games (11-7-1) in their eight previous appearances, reaching the Quarterfinals in 2001 and 2004.

Michigan: The Bucks also established history as the first amateur team in the history of the tournament to defeat a Major League Soccer opponent, stunning the New England Revolution 1-0 in Foxboro in the Second Round of the 2000 tournament before falling at home in penalties 6-5 after a 3-3 draw against the former MLS side Miami Fusion in the following round. This is the Bucks’ seventh appearance in the tournament having played 15 games (9-6-0) previously. Last year Michigan went on another eye-opening run, knocking off the USL Second Division’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Cincinnati Kings before being eliminated by the MLS Columbus Crew in the Third Round.

Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) – 7:35 pm ET
A battle of New York clubs with storied pasts, the two-time USL-2 champion Long Island Rough Riders playing their first season in the PDL will meet the three-time USL-1 champion and 1999 US Open Cup champion Rhinos.

Long Island: Although the club moved to the PDL this season, the Rough Riders are no pushovers given their experienced leaders on the pitch including former Major League Soccer player Steve Jolley and former USL-2 Defender of the Year Gary Sullivan patrolling the back line. Long Island comes into the match with a record of 4-1-2 with its lone loss coming north of the border to the Ottawa Fury 3-2 two weeks ago. The defense has given up just seven goals in seven games in one of the most notoriously competitive and high scoring divisions in the league in past seasons.

Rochester: The Rhinos reached the USL-1 final for the fifth time last season and currently sit second in the league with a record of 5-3-5 although the club has played more games than anyone in the league at this point. Despite losing veteran goalkeeper Scott Vallow to injury early in the season, the Rhinos defense appears to have found its form having allowed just four goals in their current five-game unbeaten run.

Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) at Kansas City Brass (PDL) – 9:30 pm ET
This is an intriguing match-up featuring two completely different stories. The visiting Stars are an expansion side that has gotten off to a brilliant start while the 10th-year Brass are returning for the first time since their inaugural season in 1998.

Cleveland: The Stars have gotten off to an unbelievable debut campaign with a current record of 5-0-2, keeping pace with the past two champions Charlotte and Richmond as well as Harrisburg as the four begin to pull away from the rest of the league. Cleveland boasts the league’s second-best defense currently with just six goals allowed in seven games with former MLS defender Mark Schulte anchoring the back line.

Kansas City: Regularly overshadowed by the likes of Des Moines and Colorado among others, the Brass have been unable to qualify for the tournament or the league playoffs since their inaugural season. Celebrating their 10th Anniversary, the Brass remain 4-0-0 from the qualification results and have been idle since due to a weather postponement of their match at Springfield a week ago. The club gave up just three goals in their four qualifiers, which included matches against Des Moines and St Louis.

Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) at Ocean City Barons (PDL) – 7:30 pm ET
Similar to the previous match preview, this game features an expansion USL-2 side playing against a PDL club making their second appearance in the tournament. The two clubs come in with contrasting starts to their season, making the match-up arguably one of the more prime candidates for an upset.

Crystal Palace: Currently at 2-4-2 in league play, Palace is slowly moving its way up the table with its recent run of form after starting their inaugural season off with four losses. The club’s first win against Wilmington and a 1-1 draw against defending champion Richmond was just enough to qualify, but their current unbeaten streak was extended to four with a shocking 1-0 win over powerhouse Charlotte. After giving up four goals in each of their first two games, including a 4-1 loss to Charlotte, Baltimore has given up just three goals in six games.

Ocean City: The Barons also come in on a strong defensive form with a current shutout streak of 416 minutes. In fact, the club has allowed just one goal in six games in posting their record of 5-0-1. Offense has been hit or miss for the Barons, however, as they have three games with at least three goals and only two goals total in the other three.

California Victory (USL-1) at BYU Cougars (PDL) – 9:30 pm ET
Another match-up featuring an expansion professional side and a second-time tournament entrant also doubles with two very unique clubs as California is the first USL club owned and operated by a professional European side, Spain’s Alaves, and BYU is the only club representing a University.

California: The Victory needed seven games to live up to their name, but it was a stunning result as they downed the defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps to record the win. The team is currently in the midst of a three-game unbeaten run in which they have allowed just one goal, but all three results have come at home.

BYU: The Cougars have steadily improved over their four years in the league, qualifying for the tournament and reaching the league playoffs for the first time last season. BYU are currently 4-1-1 on the year, sitting second in the division with one fewer game played than Tacoma, the only team to hand them a loss on the year. The Cougars have allowed just five goals in six games, just one in their two victories at home.

Portland Timbers (USL-1) at Bakersfield Brigade (PDL) – 10:30 pm ET
In another western showdown, the revamped Portland Timbers take to the road against a Bakersfield Brigade side that is making their first appearance in the tournament.

Portland: The Timbers finished tied for last place in the league last season, but have made a stunning turnaround under former defender turned head coach and general manager Gavin Wilkinson with a current league record of 4-2-2 with just six goals allowed in eight games. The club is coming off a successful trip to the northeast where they handed the two-time defending regular season champion Montreal Impact their first loss of the season before falling 2-1 in Rochester. It is the club’s fourth appearance in the tournament.

Bakersfield: The Brigade took the tiebreaker among three teams in the Southwest Division tied with a 3-1-0 qualification record. Already at the midpoint of their season courtesy of the California weather, the Brigade sit at 5-4-0, but registered victories on the weekend over San Jose and San Francisco. Although the club has four losses, the team has allowed just eight goals in their nine matches on the year.

Miami FC (USL-1) at El Paso Patriots (PDL) – 7:30 pm ET
This game pits USL’s oldest club and a historic US Open Cup side in the Patriots against USL’s most famous club on the global scene in second-year Miami, who grabbed headlines around the world last year with the signing of former Brazilian World Cup MVP Romario.

Miami: While Romario has returned to Brazil to finally notch his controversial 1,000th goal, his 1994 World Cup teammate Zinho remains with the club as its on field general and an assistant coach. The team made the playoffs in their first campaign last season, but will be looking to put last year’s stunning upset loss to a USASA side behind them this year. At 4-7-1 in the league so far this year, the team has struggled. Zinho has played a key role in scoring of late, but the team will be without the services of defender Stephane Guillaume, who is with Haiti in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

El Paso: The Patriots are in the tournament for the seventh time, but their inaugural 1995 appearance is still the pride of the team when as a USL-2 side the club knocked off two-time USL-1 champion Colorado Foxes and eventual USL-1 champion Seattle Sounders to reach the championship before falling to the Richmond Kickers 4-2 in penalties after a 1-1 draw. After reaching the 2005 PDL final, the Patriots suffered a letdown last year as they missed the playoffs with a 7-7-2 record, but the team has again risen to the top of the of division, where they are currently second behind 2006 PDL finalist Laredo with a current record of 5-3-2. Past the midpoint of their campaign, the Patriots have allowed just 10 goals in their 10 games and posted a pair of wins over the weekend over against DFW.

Central Florida Kraze (PDL) at Charleston Battery (USL-1) – 7:30 pm ET
In the last of the all-USL match-ups a second-time entrant in the Kraze will be taking on one of the more successful lower division clubs in the modern history of the tournament when they visit Blackbaud Stadium, the first privately financed soccer stadium in the United States.

Central Florida: The Kraze return to the tournament for the first time since being ousted in the 2000 edition’s qualifying round in penalties. Since then, the club has gone on to win the 2004 league title, but failed to make the playoffs last year at 7-7-2. This season, the Kraze are trying to stake a claim to the top of the table in the incredibly competitive South Atlantic with a current record of 5-2-0. Central Florida is coming off a 3-1 loss in Bradenton that snapped a three-game win streak.

Charleston: The Battery and Rhinos are the only two lower division clubs in the history of the tournament to reach the semifinals twice with Charleston making it to the Final Four in 1999 and 2004. Their 17-game record of 10-6-1 includes a win over DC United and two over the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) as well as overtime losses to the Chicago Fire (2004 semifinals) and Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. The Battery’s current league record is perfectly even at 3-3-3, having given up just nine goals in their nine matches. The club is coming off a 2-1 loss to Seattle on Thursday.

Aegean Hawks (USASA) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) – 7:05 pm ET
The Hawks, out of Washington DC, are making their tournament debut as are the City Islanders.

Aegean Hawks: Founded with a Greek affiliation, the now non-ethnic based club is in the tournament for the first time after qualifying from Region I of the USASA.

Harrisburg: Although the City Islanders have reached the playoffs in two of their three seasons, the club has not been fortunate enough in the past to qualify for the tournament. The club is off to one of its best starts at 4-1-4 and has given up just 10 goals in those nine games.

RWB Adria (USASA) at Carolina RailHawks (USL-1) – 7:30 pm ET
The expansion USL-1 side plays host to a team making their second appearance in the tournament.

RWB Adria: Qualifiers out of USASA Region II, the amateur team based out of Chicago is a Croatian club that is returning to the tournament after making its original appearance in 1996 when they fell 3-0 to the El Paso Patriots.

Carolina: The first-year club has gotten off to a great start as far as expansion teams go with a current league record of 3-2-5 and are in the midst of a three-game unbeaten run that started with a 1-0 win over the defending champion Whitecaps in Vancouver and reached three games with a 2-2 draw against new rival and 2006 league finalist Rochester over the past weekend. The RailHawks boast one of the top defenses in the league with seven goals allowed in 10 games.

Azzurri (USASA) at Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) – 7:55 pm ET
One of the more experienced USASA entrants in the tournament, Azzurri is making its third appearance while the Silverbacks are making their sixth consecutive.

Azzurri: The Dallas-based Italian club out of USASA Region III is making its third appearance in four years in the tournament, but have been unable to post a victory in their previous two entries.

Atlanta: The Silverbacks have had similar misfortunes in the tournament despite five previous appearances. The club has just two victories in the tournament for a record of 2-5-0 with a 2-1 overtime loss to FC Dallas in 2002 as the highlight of their tournament history. The Silverbacks opened the season with a four-game unbeaten run only to see it temper off to their current record of 3-4-3. They are coming off a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders, snapping a run of five games in which they allowed two goals in each.

El Paso Indios (USASA) at Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) – 8:05 pm ET
The upstart club out of Texas makes an appearance in their first year of existence, but will go against the Thunder, who are making their eighth appearance.

El Paso: Indios qualified out of USASA Region IV and are a Mexican-affiliated club.

Minnesota: Although the Thunder remain near the bottom of the table after finishing last in 2006, the club knows all to well how the US Open Cup can be a completely different season coming off their historic run in 2005 when they reached the semifinals on a run of three victories over Major League Soccer teams, downing Real Salt Lake 6-4 in overtime, Colorado 4-1 and Kansas City 3-1 before falling in Los Angeles. Despite having a record of 1-6-4, the Thunder have given up just 14 goals in 11 games, but the offensive output of eight goals is where the club has struggled.

Banat Arsenal (USASA) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1) – 11:00 pm ET
The Banat Arsenal make their debut performance against a Sounders club that is in the tournament for the 10th time in 12 years.

Banat Arsenal: The Phoenix, Arizona-based club qualified out of USASA Region IV for the first time.

Seattle: After winning the league title in 2005, the Sounders missed the postseason last year. The club is back among the league contenders with a 4-4-4 record on the year, having allowed just 14 goals in 12 games. The team is currently in the midst of a four-game unbeaten run in which they have allowed only two goals, both on the road. The club’s tournament history includes a pair of highlight games against the former San Jose Earthquakes of MLS in which they registered a 1-0 upset and fell in overtime 4-3.

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) at Danbury United (USASA) – 5:15 pm ET
The Pioneers, making their fourth appearance, are one of two USL clubs hitting the road in a match-up against a USASA team.

Western Mass: The Pioneers come into the match with a 2-3-3 record in league play and on a four-game winless run (0-2-2). The club, however, has allowed just nine goals in their eight games. Although the club has just a 2-3-0 record in the tournament, two of the three losses were to tournament powerhouses Chicago Fire of MLS and Rochester Rhinos of USL-1.

Danbury United: The Connecticut-based team is a Portuguese club making their first appearance in the tournament out of Region I, but is one of very few USASA teams to play host to a professional team in the competition.

Cincinnati Kings (USL-2) at Milwaukee Bavarians (USASA) – 7:30 pm ET
Making their third appearance in the tournament, the Kings will be called upon to travel to take on one of the more experienced and successful USASA teams in the modern history of the US Open Cup.

Cincinnati: Semifinalists a year ago in the league, the Kings currently sit mid-table at 2-6-2 on the year. They are in the midst of a three-game losing streak that is part of a four-game winless run that has seen the team outscored 10-5.

Bavarians: The Bavarians out of Region II are about as well known as a USASA club can be in the US Open Cup. Making their fifth appearance, first since 2004, the team is one of three from the USASA to register a victory over a professional team in the tournament, reaching Round Three in 2003.

Lynch’s Irish Pub (USASA) at Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) – 7:30 pm ET
The USL Second Division powerhouse Eagles in their fifth appearance in the tournament will play host to first-timers Lynch’s Irish Pub.

Lynch’s: The Jacksonville, Florida-based qualifiers out of USASA Region III did not get any favors from the draw for their tournament debut.

Charlotte: The 2005 champion Eagles returned to the final last season and are currently leading the league with a record of 7-3-0 although they have played two more games than those immediately behind them. The team had a four-game winning streak snapped over the weekend by the expansion Crystal Palace Baltimore 1-0 in a stunner after they had scored at least two goals in each of the four wins. With 25 goals on the year, the team is averaging 2.5 per game.