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U.S. Open Cup first round draw released

SportingKansasCityUSOpenCupFinal (SportingKC)

By DAN KARELL

On Wednesday, the United States Soccer Federation released the draw for the 2013 U.S. Open Cup first round, which will begin on May 14 after a play-in round on May 7.

Teams from USL-Pro, PDL, NPSL, the U.S. Adult Soccer Association, U.S. Club Soccer, and the U.S. Specialty Sports Association will all be taking part in matches in the play-in and first rounds.

Three Major League Soccer U-23 teams have been drawn to play in the opening round, with the New York Red Bulls visiting the Ocean City Nor’easters of PDL, and the Sounders and Timbers facing Doxa Italia of USASA and the Sacramento Gold of NPSL, respectively.

The winners of the first round matches will move onto the second round of the U.S. Open Cup on May 21, where they will face the eight remaining USL-Pro teams and six NASL teams based in America.

Have a look at the entire draw and schedule after the jump:

2013 US Open Cup Play-In Round (May 7)
All Times Eastern

Georgia Revolution (NPSL) at Colorado Rovers (USSSA)
Shea Stadium – Highlands Ranch, CO – 10 p.m.

FC Hasental (NPSL) at Fresno Fuego Future (US Club Soccer)
Chukchansi Park – Fresno, CA – 10 p.m.

2013 US Open Cup First Round (May 14)
All Times Eastern

Mass Premier Soccer (USASA) at GPS Portland Phoenix (PDL)
Memorial Field, Deering High School – Portland, ME – 8 p.m.

Icon FC (USASA) at Brooklyn Italians (NPSL)
Aviator Sports Complex – Brooklyn, NY – 8 p.m.

New York Red Bulls U23’s (NPSL) at Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)
Carey Stadium – Ocean City, NJ – 7:30 p.m.

FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic (NPSL) at Reading United AC (PDL)
Don Thomas Stadium – Reading, PA – 7 p.m.

Ocala Stampede (PDL) at Red Force (USASA)
Florida International Soccer Stadium – Miami, FL – 7:30 p.m.

VSI Tampa Bay FC (USL PRO) at Orlando City U-23s (PDL)
Seminole Soccer Complex; Sanford, FL – 7 p.m.

Chattanooga FC (NPSL) at Carolina Dynamo (PDL)
Macpherson Stadium – Greensboro, NC – 7 p.m.

Dearborn Stars (USASA) at Michigan Bucks (PDL)
Ultimate Soccer Arenas – Pontiac, MI – 7:30 p.m.

RWB Adria (USASA) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO)
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA – 7 p.m.

River City Rovers (PDL) at Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO)
Beavercreek High School – Beavercreek, OH – 7 p.m.

Madison 56ers (NPSL) at Des Moines Menace (PDL)
Valley Stadium – West Des Moines, IA – 8:30 p.m.

NTX Rayados (USASA) at Austin Aztex (PDL)
House Park – Austin, TX – 8:30 p.m.

Phoenix FC (USL Pro) at FC Tucson (PDL)
Kino Sports Complex Grandstand, Field 5 – Tucson, AZ – 10:30 p.m.

Sacramento Gold (NPSL) vs. Portland Timbers U23’s (PDL)
JELD-WEN Field – Portland, OR – 10:30 p.m.

Doxa Italia (USASA) at Sounders FC U23s (PDL)
Sunset Chevrolet Stadium – Sumner, WA – 10 p.m.

PSA Elite (USASA) at Laredo Heat SC (PDL)
Texas A&M International Soccer Complex – Laredo, TX – 9:15 p.m.

Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) at Colorado Rovers (USSSA)
Shea Stadium – Highlands Ranch, CO – 10 p.m.
OR
Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) at Georgia Revolution (NPSL)

RYSA Soccerplex – Conyers, GA – 7 p.m.

Fresno Fuego Future/FC Hasental at Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
Ventura College; Ventura, Calif. – 10 p.m .

Comments

  1. First, the USSF has done a much, much better job the last few years at making the Open Cup a legitimate tournament that is fun to follow. But two things…

    1) Please get at least the semis and the final on something other than GolTV. I hope the contract the USSF signed with Gol runs out pretty quickly because US Soccer would be better off with the event as a free stream on MLS Live than on GolTV. I cannot imagine Gol offered more than a couple hundred thousand for the rights. I realize that’s decent coin in an organization where the margins are small but the lack of awareness when it’s on a channel no one has might be costing a whole lot more in the long run.

    2) We’ve got 68 teams. How hard would it be to organize the event into a single bracket like the NCAA tourney? With 8 sub-regions so that games are played with a minimum of travel? MLS teams ought to enter at the Round of 64. We could have US Open Cup Madness just like March Madness (probably need a different name for copyright reasons, but same principle). Instead of random draws each round, have a preordained bracket set up so if X and Y win round #1, you know who plays in round #2 and so on. American exceptionalists are always going on about how we should not copy Europe for its own sake. Well, here’s a situation where the American way of doing things is much superior to the Euro way. I think these two changes could be implemented with a minimum of effort for next year.

    Reply
    • I want to second encouragement on taking the time to read over this story. The KC Athletics won the game, and thanks to some ridiculous measures by the powers that be, will not get to advance in the tourney. Piss poor move to harm the winner

      Reply
    • Thankfully I’ll be out of school and be able to make the 5 minute drive to house park. Last game I saw there was for the Austin Posse. Maybe I’ll make the drive to San Antonio for round 2 and see the Scorpions play too.

      Reply
  2. I love the simple pleasures in life like seeing “Real” in front of an American soccer team’s name. It literally makes me chuckle every single time.

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    • And what makes you so sure that the “Real” Colorado Foxes aren’t playing for the King of Colorado?

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    • Why do people still get so upset about this or find this humorous? There is a long history of American soccer teams either directly referencing names from clubs around the world or using similar nomenclature…
      New York Hakoah
      Kearny Celtic
      Brooklyn Celtic
      Philadelphia Celtic
      Roma S.C.
      Brooklyn Wanderers
      Paterson Rangers
      Fall River F.C.
      Fall River Rovers
      F.C. Portland
      Real Santa Barbara

      I don’t know. I guess I’d much rather see “Real” in a team name than something silly like “Menace” or “Riverhounds”…

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      • I agree re: names like Menace and Riverhounds. I think Trent’s bemusement may have to do with the use of a Spanish word in front of decidedly non-Spanish place names. That seems different from using terms like S.C. and F.C. or nicknames like Rovers.

  3. Dont totally understand why U23 teams are allowed in? Wierd that VSI Tampa is playing Orlando City U23’s and not Orlando City, a club in the same league as them

    Reply
    • They’re allowed in because they’re affiliated with a state association and have filled out all the required paperwork. It’s not that hard to gain entry, if you can stomach some bureaucratic challenges:

      http://thecup.us/how-to-enter-the-us-open-cup/

      It’s possible that the other teams in the region didn’t enter, or didn’t win in the previous rounds. They may also be ineligible because of player registration or other issues.

      Reply

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