The Ventura County Fusion set a modern-era U.S. Open Cup record by scoring four goals in overtime to take a 6-2 victory against the Fullerton Rangers in the first round of the 2012 Lama Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Santa Ana Stadium in Fullerton. The Fusion had taken an early 2-0 lead, Michael Roman and Frankie Lopez each scoring by the midway point of the first half, and they would carry that lead to halftime.

The dark rain clouds that circled Fleetwood’s Ray Buss Stadium on Tuesday night were generally associated with the dark and ominous, something the United had gotten used to in their previous U.S. Open Cup experiences. Losing a lead late against Harrisburg last year, losing in double overtime to Real Maryland FC, such has been the recent track record of the United in the Cup. Five years, five losses. But Ryan Finley’s goal and assist kept history from repeating itself in Reading’s 2-1 victory against the New York Greek American Atlas on Tuesday night.

Neither gloomy weather nor a change in venue could keep the visiting Long Island Rough Riders from earning a comfortable 2-0 victory against FC Sonic Lehigh Valley in the opening round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The match started off cautiously as both teams were feeling out the skills of one another. The score line changed in the 19th minute when Ben Arikian curled a wonderful free kick in front of goal from just outside the 18-yard box on the right wing where it met the head of Tom Wharf, giving the Rough Riders a 1-0 lead.

Naoyas Aizawa sandwiched an assist between two goals, and while it wasn't quite a feast for the El Paso Patriots, a 3-1 win against the North Texas Rayados was satisfying enough to whet their appetite for more in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They'll get all they can handle next Tuesday, May 22nd, when the Charlotte Eagles of USL PRO come calling. Until then, Patriots' fans can feel satisfied after watching Aizawa and fellow forwards David Salas and Michael Griego take bite after bite of the North Texas defense.

The Des Moines Menace’s long-awaited return to the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup came at the end of a delay-filled Tuesday night that concluded with a 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Bavarians. For the first time since 2006, the Menace advances past the national tournament’s opening round. Des Moines hosts the Minnesota Stars FC next Tuesday, May 22 at Valley Stadium – the site of back-to-back 1-0 losses in the first round of the 2010 and 2011 Open Cup.

A brace by forward Davis Paul guided the PSA Elite to a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers U-23s in a first-round match of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night, before 1,524 fans at JELD-WEN Field. PSA Elite, from the U.S. Adult Soccer Association, took a 2-0 lead into halftime on the opening goal by Paul and a strike by forward Christian Ramirez. The Timbers U-23s pulled one back in the early stages of the second half on a goal by midfielder Eric Miller in his team debut to cut the deficit 2-1.

GPS Portland Phoenix will take the first step toward earning a chance to play a Major League Soccer team later this spring as they face the Brooklyn Italians in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup at Memorial Field on Tuesday night at 8 pm. As 2011 PDL Northeast Division Champions, the Phoenix will enter the first round proper of the 64-team U.S. Open Cup tournament. The Phoenix are among 32 amateur teams from leagues throughout the United States entered in the knockout tournament.

The Fresno Fuego will play a busy schedule this week as they take on the Turlock Express on Tuesday night to start their bid to win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and then square off against the O.C. Blue Star on Friday at Chukchansi Park for a 7 p.m. PT match. The Fuego will play in the 99th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 2012. This year’s appearance will be the Fuego’s first since 2003 when Fresno lost to the L.A. Galaxy in the Round of 16 at the Home Depot Center.

The Portland Timbers U-23s will make their first appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday when they play host to PSA Elite of the U.S Adult Soccer Association (USASA) in a first-round matchup at JELD-WEN Field; kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT. Tickets are $7 and are available for purchase through the JELD-WEN Field box office or online through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com. Prior to Tuesday’s match, the Major League Soccer match between the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo at 5:30 p.m. PT will be shown live on the video wall at JELD-WEN Field; gates open at 5:15 p.m.

The Michigan Bucks open their 17th Premier Development League (PDL) season with a twist. For the first time in team history, the Bucks will open with a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game, which will be played on Tuesday night at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac (7:30 p.m. kickoff). In the first round of the nation's oldest sporting tournament, the Bucks will take on the New Jersey Boca (USUSA) with the winner heading to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, May 22 to play the USL PRO Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the second round.

The Orlando City U23s face the defending National Premier Soccer League Champions Jacksonville United this Tuesday night at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Sanford, Fla. Tuesday’s match marks the start of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m.

The 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup first- and second-round pairings have been announced, with first-round matches kicking off Tuesday, May 15, and second-round games on Tuesday, May 22. The 99th edition of the U.S. Open Cup includes a 64-team field, which represents the largest in the modern era (1995 to present), eclipsing the previous record of 42 teams set in 2005 and 2006. All Division I, II and III professional clubs are participating in the tournament proper for the first time ever.

With four U.S. Open Cup titles to their name, the most in the modern era of the tournament, the Chicago Fire have a well-earned nickname that precedes them whenever they play in the oldest ongoing soccer tournament in the United States.  The Kings of the Cup.

The Wilmington Hammerheads rallied from a two-goal second half deficit to advance to the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and a trip to face Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake on Tuesday with a 3-2 victory against the Charlotte Eagles on a thrilling night of action that saw five other USL PRO teams and one USL Premier Development League team, the Kitsap Pumas, join the Eagles in the third round of the tournament. 

The Chicago Fire defeated the Rochester Rhinos 1-0 in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup of Tuesday June 28, 2011 at Sahlen’s Stadium. Diego Chavez scored the only goal of the game in the 37th minute. A professional performance by the Fire in the second half ensured their passage into the Open Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday July 12 where they will face the New York Red Bulls. 

The Richmond Kickers upset Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew 2-1 on Tuesday night as they advanced into the quarterfinals of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Columbus Crew Stadium. Midfielder Nozomi Hiroyama gave the visitors an early lead when he connected on a Stanley Nyazamba pass in the 20th minute. Crew midfielder Cole Grossman brought the score level in the 37th minute before the Kickers prolific goal scorer Matthew Delicâte nodded home the game-winning goal five minutes from full time. 

Orlando City looked to have forced overtime, but Milton Rodriguez’s late goal in the game’s closing seconds gave Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas a 3-2 win over the Lions and passage into the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Pizza Hut Park. Rodriguez’s goal came less than 90 seconds after Yordany Alvarez tied the game up for Orlando with his own late-game heroics. 

Sporting Kansas City defeated the Chicago Fire PDL by a score of 3-0 in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Teal Bunbury, Milos Stojcev and Kei Kamara provided the goals and Eric Kronberg made one save for a Sporting Kansas City side that now advances to the quarterfinal round of the tournament for the first time since 2009. Sporting Kansas City will host the Richmond Kickers on July 12th at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. 

For 39 minute, the Kitsap Pumas had all the belief in the world that they could play with the Sounders FC. The USL Premier Development League side had kept the game scoreless for that long and looked equal to the task. In the 39th minute, though, Mike Fucito changed the tide when he volleyed in a thundering left-footed shot to put the Sounders up 1-0. In the 62nd minute he added another goal. And while the Pumas found the net in the 71st minute, they couldn’t find an equalizer as Seattle advanced to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 win at Starfire.

The Los Angeles Blues put in a an impressive effort over ninety minutes Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Galaxy but found themselves unable to hold on to the lead following Cesar Rivera’s go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute. Omar Gonzalez equalized for the MLS side in the 75th minute before setting up Mike Magee’s winning tally six minutes later as the Galaxy advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with a hard-fought, yet well-deserved 2-1 win. 

Corey Hertzog and John Rooney scored their first goals for the Red Bulls in the second half, propelling the MLS side to a 2-1 win over F.C. New York in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup at Red Bull Arena on Tuesday night. Using mostly reserve players, the Red Bulls turned overwhelming possession and chances into a hard-fought win against the determined and upset-minded USL side. The Red Bulls advance to the quarterfinals of the Open Cup where they'll play the Chicago Fire, who beat Rochester 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Sporting Kansas City were eliminated from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday after dropping a 2-0 decision to the Richmond Kickers of USL PRO in the tournament’s quarterfinal round at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Shaka Bangura scored the winner in the 66th minute and second-half substitute David Bulow converted a penalty kick to put the Kickers into the semifinal round of the tournament in a match that saw an 81-minute weather delay in the second half.

U.S. Soccer has announced the possible venues for the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, which will take place Tuesday, Oct. 4, between the two semifinal winners. CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash., Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., and Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, are all potential hosts for the Final. The 2011 Open Cup finalists will be determined Tuesday, Aug. 30, beginning when the Chicago Fire (MLS) hosts the Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) at 7:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Park.

The Richmond Kickers’ remarkable run to the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals is making history, with the biggest game in the club’s 20-year history taking place on Tuesday night. The momentous match-up pits the Kickers against Major League Soccer side the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Chicago. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT at Toyota Park. The winner will advance to the U.S. Open Cup Finals to take on the winner of the F.C. Dallas/Seattle Sounders match-up on Tuesday, October 4.

Real Salt Lake beat the Wilmington Hammerheads 2-0 in U.S. Open Cup action on Tuesday night with goals from Jean Alexandre and Tony Beltran to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the tournament. Both Beltran and Alexandre scored their goals late in the first half to lead a dominant RSL to victory. The Claret-and-Cobalt will now face FC Dallas, which pulled off a nail-biting 3-2 win over Orlando City.

The Harrisburg City Islanders were defeated by the Rochester Rhinos on Tuesday night in a 1-0 loss in the second round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. A 90th-minute penalty kick by midfielder Tony Donatelli advanced the Rhinos to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup against Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. Both teams had opportunities to score before Donatelli's penalty kick, with Rochester goalkeeper Neal Kitson making a number of good saves to keep his side in the contest.

The Wilmington Hammerheads fought a fierce battle back from a two-goal deficit to triumph, 3-2, against the Charlotte Eagles in a second round match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Legion Stadium. The Hammerheads will take on Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in the third round next Tuesday, June 28, at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah for a 7 p.m. MDT kick-off. Chris Banks and Andryi Budnyy had rallied the Hammerheads back after Charlotte took a 2-0 lead in the second half through Cheyne Roberts and Darren Toby.

The Charleston Battery lost 1-0 to Orlando City in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium. Defender Rob Valentino scored the crucial goal in the 39th minute heading past Battery goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra to send Orlando into the third round. Orlando City will head to Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas for the third round fixture next Tuesday night in Frisco, Texas. “You don’t ever want to lose; especially with a chance to go to Texas and play MLS’s FC Dallas,” said Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser.

David Bulow provided the heroics again as he scored two vital goals for the Richmond Kickers in their 4-1 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Tuesday night. The striker’s first came in the 17th minute when Luke Vercollone freed Edson Elcock with a through-ball down the right flank. Elcock sprinted to the byline and sent a low ball across the face of goal and beyond Pittsburgh goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap. Bulow was on hand inside the six-yard box to drive the ball into the roof of the net.

Orlando City takes on fellow USL PRO side Charleston Battery on Tuesday night in the second round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The match, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, will be played at Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium. The winner will move on to the final 16 of one of the world’s oldest soccer competitions and a trip to face FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. Both teams come into the match having shut out their opponents in the previous Open Cup match.

U.S. Soccer has announced the possible home teams for the third round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Results from the second round of play on June 21 will determine the match-ups for the third round to take place one week later on Tuesday, June 28, with one game to possibly be played on Wednesday, June 29. The first round concluded on Tuesday with 16 lower division teams advancing to the second round. The winners of the second round will advance to the third round to face one of the eight qualified Major League Soccer teams.

The Carolina Dynamo were eliminated from the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last night by a score of 3-1 at the hand of the Charlotte Eagles of the USL PRO League. The match started off seeing the Dynamo with a few solid scoring opportunities, including a header that bounced off the cross bar by Sebastien Ilbeagha (Duke).

The lighting held off, but the Iowa Menace was unable to get past the Chicago Fire’s Premier Development League team in tonight’s Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup first-round match. Chris Estridge scored in the 87th minute, helping Chicago march on to the next round with a 1-0 win tonight at Valley Stadium. The Fire meets the Madison 56ers (National Premier Soccer League) on June 21, competing for the chance to face a Major League Soccer team in the tournament’s third round. Madison advances with a 4-0 home victory over the AAC Eagles tonight.

A hat trick by David Bulow propelled the Richmond Kickers to a 4-1 victory over the Dayton Dutch Lions in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday evening. Richmond Coach Leigh Cowlishaw opted to rest strikers Matthew Delicâte and Edson Elcock for the match, but his starting strike force of David Bulow and Shaka Bangura were effective early on. Bulow notched his first goal of the evening in the seventh minute when he raced past the Dayton defense and placed his shot low into the corner beyond Lions goalkeeper Brian Visser. 

A dream 2011 soccer season almost turned nightmarish for the Kitsap Pumas on Tuesday evening. But despite failing to capitalize on several key scoring opportunities early and finding themselves down two shootout goals after a scoreless regulation and overtime session - 120 minutes of continuous play - the Pumas chose not to go gently into that good night. By the decisive fifth shooter, the final tiebreaking segment was knotted at 3-3, signaling sudden death. 

Late goals from J.T. Noone and Sainey Touray lifted the Harrisburg City Islanders to a 2-1 win against Reading United AC in a first round U.S. Open Cup match on Tuesday night at the Skyline Sports Complex. Harrisburg’s Chase Harrison made five saves in goal for the win. The City Islanders will host USL PRO rival the Rochester Rhinos in a second round Open Cup match next Tuesday, June 21, at Skyline. Kickoff will be 7 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, June 15.

The Charleston Battery earned a 2-0 win over Regals FC in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium in front of 1,761. Nicki Paterson scored the first from the penalty spot and Dane Kelly smashed home the second to lift the Battery to victory. With the win the Battery advances to the second round of the competition and will host either Orlando City or ASC New Stars next Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium. 

Wilmington Hammerheads forward Andryi Budnny scored two goals in the second half to lead Wilmington to a solid 4-0 victory over the Central Florida Kraze in a first round game of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Legion Stadium. The Hammerheads will take on the Charlotte Eagles in the second round on Tuesday, June 21, at Legion Stadium in a 7:30 p.m. match. 

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds needed overtime to defeat Chattanooga FC in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup. Jason Yeisley and Stefan Lundberg scored second-half goals for the Riverhounds, who had trailed 2-0 midway through the second half, to force an additional 30 minutes of play, and then second-year Riverhound Jeremy Deighton delivered the game-winner, pictured, off a rebound in the 99th minute to provide the home side with a 3-2 advantage.

Orlando City kicked off their first match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against the ASC New Stars. Weather was a challenge for this game but it did not stop the 1,139 enthusiastic fans from packing the UCF Soccer Stadium. The Lions outlasted the weather and the New Stars for a dominating 4-0 victory. Dennis Chin had a goal and two assists for the Lions, who will face the Charleston Battery in the Open Cup’s second round next Tuesday. 

The opening round of the 2011 U.S. Open Cup sees a number of USL PRO teams facing off against USL Premier Development League sides, but only one sees the PDL side getting home field advantage. That will be the case for the Carolina Dynamo, who welcome USL PRO’s Charlotte Eagles to Macpherson Stadium on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Dynamo have had a rich tradition of future professionals passing through their doors in previous seasons, and also have a rich history in the Open Cup, most recently advancing to the fourth round of the tournament in 2006.

The Rochester Rhinos will take a break from league play on Tuesday night when they host Phoenix SC in the first round of U.S. Open Cup play. The match kicks off at 7:35 p.m. and season ticket holders should use their ticket marked Wild Card A. The Rhinos return to Open Cup play for the 16th time in their history. Twice they have advanced to the final of the tournament, losing to D.C. United (3-0) in 1996 and defeating the Colorado Rapids (2-0) in 1999. They still remain the only team from outside Major League Soccer to capture the title since the inception of MLS in 1996. 

The Richmond Kickers open the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night, hosting the Dayton Dutch Lions at Richmond City Stadium at 7 p.m. Should the Kickers advance past their USL PRO opponents, they will host the winner of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds against Chattanooga FC (NPSL) game in the Second round on Tuesday, June 21. Wear red and purchase tickets for just $5 at the gate. Richmond Kickers Season Passes, Coach Passes and Youth Pro Passes will be accepted for this match. 

The Central Florida Kraze will travel to North Carolina as they put aside the USL Premier Development League regular season for a few days in preparation for the challenge of professional opposition in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night in Wilmington, N.C. The Kraze, who are playing in the tournament for the second consecutive season, will face the Wilmington Hammerheads of USL PRO in the opening round in a game being played at Legion Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

The Charleston Battery (USL PRO) kick off their 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign on Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium with a first round match against Regals FC (USASA-Texas); gates open at 6 p.m. with kick off set for 7:30 p.m. The Battery enjoyed a strong Open Cup run in 2010 that included an away victory against Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire; the Battery eventually lost to MLS’s Columbus Crew in a quarterfinal match played in Columbus, Ohio. 

Orlando City Soccer Club announced today that the first and second round matches of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will now be played at the University of Central Florida’s Soccer and Track and Field Complex. The matches were originally scheduled for play at Rollins College. “The change in venue was necessitated by the tremendous demand for tickets for the match,” said Orlando City CEO Steve Donner. “Rollins College has wonderful facilities, but the seating capacity is outmatched by the vast number of fans wanting to purchase tickets for the match.”

U.S. Soccer has announced the groupings for the first round and second round possibilities for the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which kicks off on June 14 with 16 first round matches. The first and second rounds will be made up exclusively of lower division and amateur teams and will be played on June 14 and June 21, respectively, with eight teams advancing to play eight MLS teams on June 28 in the third round.

The U.S. Open Cup qualifying spot for the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League’s Northwest Division will be decided on the field this Friday, June 3 when the Kitsap Pumas travel to face the Portland Timbers U23s in a regularly scheduled PDL game at JELD-WEN Field. The winner-take-all match is set to kick off at 11 a.m. PT, with the outcome determining who advances to the first round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The United States Soccer Federation announced the structure and schedule for the 98th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup today, with United Soccer League clubs receiving 20 of the 40 participation berths in the U.S. Soccer national club championship. Each of the 11 U.S.-based USL PRO teams will receive a spot in the storied tournament, as will nine qualifiers from the Premier Development League. The remainder of the field will be filled by eight teams from MLS and 12 additional amateur qualifiers.

United Soccer Leagues announced tonight that a lottery to determine the U.S. Open Cup participant from the USL Premier Development League’s Northwest Division will take place on Tuesday morning at the USL Offices in Tampa, Fla. The lottery became necessary when the Kitsap Pumas and Portland Timbers U-23s finished tied at the top of the Northwest Division qualifying standings with identical 3-0-1 records, including a 0-0 draw between the two teams on May 21, identical goal differentials and identical goals scored.

The Central Florida Kraze needed a big win on Saturday in order to put pressure on the Mississippi Brilla to win on Monday for the lone U.S. Open Cup berth from the PDL Southeastern Division. They achieved just that with a 3-0 victory against the IMG Bradenton Academics on Saturday evening at Showalter Field. The Kraze will now wait on Monday’s game between the Brilla and Nashville Metros. A victory by Mississippi against Nashville would put both teams at 4-0-0, but the Kraze would be the odd team out due to goal differential if the Brilla win by a two-goal margin.

A brace from forward Miles Byass and another shutout performance by goalkeeper Jason Dodson helped the Portland Timbers U-23s extend their unbeaten streak to four matches with a 2-0 win over the Tacoma Tide at Clackamas High School on Sunday. Byass opened the scoring in the 31st minute on a penalty kick and then capped the night with a strike in the opening minute of the second half. Dodson logged two saves as the Timbers U-23s (3-1-1, 10pts) extended their shutout streak to four straight games; the team has not conceded a goal in 395 consecutive minutes.

Reading United AC and the Chivas El Paso Patriots became the first two USL Premier Development League teams to book their places in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, signaling a return to the tournament for both teams. Reading completed a perfect 4-0 run through its qualifying matches, concluding with a 4-1 win against the Westchester Flames on Thursday night. The side’s place in the draw for the first round was assured when the Jersey Express, the only side that could catch United in the Mid Atlantic Division, was defeated 2-1 by the Long Island Rough Riders on Saturday night.