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Two MLS and two USL teams reach U.S. Open Cup semis

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                                                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. Open Cup final will feature an MLS team against a USL team. This became guaranteed after the results of last night’s quarterfinals, when two MLS and two USL teams won to set up semifinal meetings.

Two of four quarterfinals meetings were decided by penalty kicks on Tuesday, with New England edging Crystal Palace Baltimore and Seattle beating Kansas City.

The Charleston Battery scored three unanswered goals to knock out FC Dallas while D.C. United eliminated the Chicago Fire with an overtime goal from Bryan Namoff.

The results set up a dream MLS semifinal between New England and D.C. United, as well as a battle of top USL teams with Charleston and Seattle set to face off. Both semifinals are set for Aug. 12, with the U.S. Open Cup final scheduled for Aug. 26.

What did you think of last night’s results? Who do you see reaching the final? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. being at the Revs game last night, and being a Revs supporter; i was not surprised at all by baltimore.

    I was very impressed with what they showed me and what i enjoyed #8 the left middie for them, he attacked constantly, which seems to be the one thing that most revs players didnt want to do.

    Their players showed no fear, and a lot of guys around me (including myself) wouldnt have been disappointed if baltimore won. Baltimore wanted the match, and in the end were very gracious losers, especially #30 who was getting $hit all game from the crowd.

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  2. In the US Open Cup, home field advantage is bid upon by the competing teams. Whichever team offers more money to USSF, that team will get the home game. In addition to more publicity and prize money, USSF needs to change this rule and use a random method to determine the home team (or go to two-leg, away goals rule series for the semis and/or the final).

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  3. I think I’m giving up my Red Bulls fandom (and burning my Reyna shirt) and switching to the Charleston Battery. I like the name and would love to see them win the whole thing.

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  4. Brett, I think the previous comments (though a bit strong on getting Blanco out of the league) are based on FAR more than in-game conduct. Yeah, if you believe comments from Marc Burch, Blanco threw elbows at Burch and then Simms and then punched Simms in the stomach when the referee turned his back. Detestable behavior but probably not the worst stuff we’ve seen in an MLS match.

    Then after being red-carded, there are two reports I’ve read that he spit in the face of the 4th official. He then wouldn’t leave the chicago bench/sideline (ejected players are supposed to leave the field and the bench). He then head-butted a staffer and followed that up with a shove to the face. There are also allegations that several minutes later after being escorted from the sidelines by a Park Police officer he shoved the officer. In short, the worst of it seemed to come OFF the field, and AFTER his ejection.

    Now we’ll sort out how much of that is absolute truth or not. But even if half of it is true, that’s pretty detestable behavior. When you combine that with his actions prior to coming to MLS, this is not exactly a guy who’s coming here with a reputation for great behavior.

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  5. I’m betting the Revs start a “A Team” against DCU. It’s clear that they need to make a statement to DCU and take some wind out of their sails. Right now DCU has momentum. Knocking they out of the Open would spill some of their wind.

    I’m betting the Final will be at an A-League stadia.

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  6. Exactly. And I think the fact that it’s midweek/weekend every week for about 2 months may mean there won’t be a Nyassi, Castro, Parkhurst, or Heaps in this match (among others). I mean for a team that consistently fails in the final, I’m guessing we’ll do everything we can to win that, and that may mean giving the team a rest when possible. I wonder if Joe Public is going to see the backups to. I just think it’s crazy to imagine a team being in a cup semi-final and playing backups. I mean, the silverware is right there, but I can definitely see the logic for us doing so. Hopefully not though, because I think DC’s starters are better than our backups. It’s gonna be a FANTASTIC July and August . . .

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  7. To further Brett’s point, what you saw in April and May from the Revs is exactly what you describe. During that span, injuries plagued New England and many reserves, including Hilgenbrinck, Igwe, Brill and Flood saw first team minutes in MLS…and won. (at KC and Dallas)

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  8. tim- i see the Revs playing a decent number of starters…. and to add to the list you’ll probably see Tightshirt playing that game…. still coming off an injury these are the games (USOC and Superliga) where he gets to shine and regain form…. this is where the teams with the best depth will succeed….

    the revs reserves could probably compete with MLS sides…. not a full team mind you but placing them in games against a MLS starting XI wouldnt be a stretch…

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  9. I have a supsicion that Seattle would host Seattle vs the Revs . . . we’ll see . . . I also have a suspicion Stevie Nicol may not play the starters in the Semi-final. Anyone else have an opinion? Let’s pull an Arsenal and try to win it with the backups!

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  10. moreno4prez – this is the first time Blanco has had an episode…. apart from that game, he has been stellar for this league and for the fire…. i dont think you’ll find anyone defending his actions, but to say he needs to be shipped out and is no good for the league is farce…. we would then have to ship out every other player that has taken a swing, whether it was a kick to the chest or an elbow to the face… losing your temper in a game?? thats so unheard of…:-/

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  11. Blanco is terrible for this league and should shipped south! We don’t need that type of play. It doesn’t matter what he does on the field, when you have that kind of blantant disregard for the game, other players, officials, and random people, then you are about the lowest scum that exists. Get him out of here. I hope somebody does something about this.

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  12. Brant – Charleston’s team nickname comes from the city’s history of being traitors and firing on the Star of the West and Fort Sumner. You must like celebrating the killing of American troops.

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  13. First, I’d pick the Revs to win the USOC. As good as United is playing now, the Revs are playing just as well, are deeper and faster, have a far better GK and just got Twellman back. Don’t know if they’ll do okay in the playoffs but right now I’d rate them for the SS and the USOC.

    Second, as far as the Blanco “thing” goes, what I have read from a couple of witnesses is:

    –after Blanco was carded out (and you can look at the video yourself to see what you think. It looks to me like Blanco directly punched Simms in the stomach)…

    –he is supposed to have spit in the face of the 4th official

    –a United staffer than intervened to try and separate him and move him away from the sideline. Blanco then headbutted the staffer and shoved him in the face.

    –A United executive than approached a couple of police (Maryland Park Police?) who escorted Blanco away from the sideline and away from the field. There is a report that Blanco then shoved one of the officers.

    Obviously if even only half of this stuff took place it’s pretty bad. I think MLS’ attitude has always been that what happens in the USOC Cup, stays in the USOC (ie: no suspensions that creep over into MLS play) but USSF in theory can impose sanctions on Blanco in any play (including MLS) in the States.

    I think the potential implications (though highly unlikely anything other than USOC suspension) for the Red Bulls in this are immense. If JCO is hoping for the team to regroup with the new additions and make up ground, just who does anyone see that happening against? Someone in the East would have to play poorly. Chicago is slumping and without Blanco they’d be in free fall.

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  14. the revs are a very deep team…. they have quite the ability of picking up players that pan out…. i can see them starting a decent number of starters…. at least Reis and Tightshirt

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  15. I was at the United Fire game and was a first hand witness to what Blanco did. As he was arguing with the 4th official (which he may or may not have spit on. It looked like it but I am not 100% sure) a member of Uniteds team (not the actuall team just a staffer) came over to try and settle down the situation and escort Blanco off the field. Blanco headbutted him and then left. Later I saw the staffer talking to a police officer and they both headed towards the locker room.

    I have never been a fan of his and maybe I am a little bias being a United fan, but overall I just think he is a dirty player and sets a bad example. Here is a highlights reel from last night and if you look at 30 seconds you see how the whole incident began. I think it speaks for itself:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=XIE7lmgK2xw

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  16. Come on FSC . . . step up and broadcast these 2 . . . or at least Revs vs DC. Pleeeeeeeeeease. It’s going to be another classic . . . if the Revs play starters (which seems like it should be the case until you realize that they’re playing midweek and weekend every week from now until the end of August with one exception from what I can tell).

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  17. I would think the final would be at Gillette/RFK, but it’s hard to tell from the website, which seems to show the Charleston/Seattle winner as the home team in the final…it may simply come down to the highest bidder.

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  18. irishapple21 – i forget the name of the english version of this cup (i dont follow the BPL) but if i recall there were numerous upsets where lower division teams beat the BPL teams…

    what this shows is there isnt as much depth in the MLS as you’d think…. but then again, teams like Sounders and Battery have a rich history in US soccer… they are capable of putting forth a team that could compete in the MLS… its just when you get to their reserves you start seeing the same problem….

    each side is capable of producing quality starting XI’s, but their reserves on both the MLS and USL will be weak…

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  19. Nice to see the Revs show their depth … the only first teamers playing were a recovering Twellman and Mansally (who may have lost his first team place while playing for the Gambia.)

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  20. Complicating the Seattle matter is the fact that the USL Seattle organization still might exist albeit in a different location next season. So, perhaps if the USL Seattle Sounders win the OC this year, maybe the Tacoma Trainwrecks or wherever/whatever they will be will take the spot.

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  21. Clearly, these results show that the salary cap needs to be increased for MLS. If MLS can’t field sides of superior quality to second and third division clubs in our qualifying tournament, that does not reflect well on our top division in this country. There needs to be a clear difference in quality between MLS and USL.

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  22. CD- oh i would still support any US team succeeding, i just would like to see it be a MLS team…. perhaps im just bias to the league itself…

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  23. @ Ted…You have no idea….the coverage of the US/Barbados game was like the superbowl compared to the Miami FC coverage. But because I can’t be there live I watch it every game. I try not to complain. I’m lucky to see it. I guess as the “first internet sport” (as I’ve heard soccer called) that’s what we get – and it’s better than nothing. I just can’t watch a tracker. I don’t have “it” that bad – yet.

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  24. Dallas WAS particularly bad last night. It reminds me that I’m still pee-oh’d about that last minute goal given up by my Miami FC. It could have been us….It could have been us…waaaahhh (and we can take Charleston).

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  25. “We need more coverage of this tourney. Please Gol or FSC please! Maybe even what the USL does would be good. Throw a bunch hack techies and announcers at the games and charge $5 on the US Open Cup website to watch. There’s enough of us soccerheads that would pony up 5 stinkin’ dollars to watch these matches.”

    I’d watch. The quality would be worse at some of these places than it was for the away leg in Barbados, and we would complain. But we would watch.

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  26. “To take it a step further with the US Open Cup. A non-professional team could qualify via the US Open Cup for the CCL and potentially play in the Club World Championship. That to me is what makes the US Open Cup so unique.”

    That is exactly why it is a great competition. Potentially, any of us who play in adult leagues could go up against Liverpool or Real Madrid. It isn’t likely and you would be an idiot to bet your life on it, but it could theoretically happen.

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  27. Ian Fuller of the Charleston Battery unleashes a series of brilliant stepovers, splits Sergio Ramos and Pepe, and unleashes a rasping drive into the top corner past the diving Iker Casillas. And this was the final shot of the game, the Battery have beaten Real Madrid for the Club World Championship…and then I wake up.

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  28. I don’t think we need to worry about a USL team advancingto the Club World Championships.

    We need more coverage of this tourney. Please Gol or FSC please! Maybe even what the USL does would be good. Throw a bunch hack techies and announcers at the games and charge $5 on the US Open Cup website to watch. There’s enough of us soccerheads that would pony up 5 stinkin’ dollars to watch these matches.

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  29. “currently i would enjoy seeing a MLS side do well in an intl’ tourny, rivalry aside… however, later on in the MLS future, it wont be that way… once the MLS is established, i wont be so hospitable to rivalry wins but at the moment i just want the MLS to establish itself…”

    Brett something to ponder…

    What if a USL team went on to the CCL and advanced to the Club World Championship and won that, beating the European Champion in a thriller. How would that not raise the profile of all CONCACAF clubs including the MLS? We could say, “F U rest of the soccer world we got so much talent in CONCACAF our second division sides have enough talent to compete on the international level”.

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  30. I hope Charleston wins. Not for any sentimental reason, I just think it’s one of the coolest nicknames in sports, and one that could only be attached to a team from that city.

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  31. To take it a step further with the US Open Cup. A non-professional team could qualify via the US Open Cup for the CCL and potentially play in the Club World Championship. That to me is what makes the US Open Cup so unique.

    The US Open in golf is sort of like this for individuals but this is the only team sport in the US that I am aware of a competition open to all comers able to qualify and play against professionals.

    FYI on the US Open Qualifying:

    http://golf.about.com/od/majorchampionships/f/usopenqualifier.htm

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  32. I’m interested to find out that should Seattle qualify, would their qualification go to the MLS team or the runner-up of the Open Cup. My hunch would be no because the teams are technically separate, but ultimately US Soccer would decide.

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  33. i dislike DC and i hate the revs… but what i would hate to see most is a USL team represent the spot that is available for a MLS team…. personally (and i hate saying this) i hope DCU wins the USOC…

    currently i would enjoy seeing a MLS side do well in an intl’ tourny, rivalry aside… however, later on in the MLS future, it wont be that way… once the MLS is established, i wont be so hospitable to rivalry wins but at the moment i just want the MLS to establish itself…

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  34. “What happens if a USL team wins?”

    They go to the CCL next year. The Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL have already qualified this year for the CCL and Vancouver is in first place in Canadian qualifying for a CCL spot. In the future CONCACAF could be represented at the Club World Championships by a USL club.

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  35. Can you believe Palace played so well against the Revs? I saw Twellman went the full 120 which is good news for Superliga as the Revs are one of two MLS teams in my opinion (DC being the other.) that has a really good opportunity to win the Superliga. I’m going to say DC v Charleston in the final, and that’s a matchup we have seen before in the earlier rounds of the Open Cup.

    Hope you are enjoying you’re vacation Ives!

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  36. I think DC will square off with Charleston. My gut says this is DC United’s for the taking but I would rather see Charleston take it to be honest.

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  37. Ives, what happens if Seattle (since they will become MLS next year) wins the US Open Cup? do they gain entrance into the CCL next year? What happens if a USL team wins?

    Someone else asked this question and no one seems to have any answers.

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