One-by-one the results kept coming in Tuesday night, with each one seeming more unlikely than the last. On perhaps the wildest, most unpredictable night in U.S. Open Cup history, seven MLS teams were eliminated from the competition the third round, and the manner in which some of them were sent packing was downright shocking.
The Carolina RailHawks had yet to win a game in NASL, yet they sent they defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy home with two late goals. The New England Revolution and Harrisburg City Islanders played to a scoreless draw in regulation, but the Revs exploded for three goals in extra time only to blow that lead and have Benny Feilhaber's saved penalty kick seal the Islanders' shootout victory. Four-time champion Chicago Fire won't get close to returning to the final after falling to PDL side Michigan Bucks. Supporters' Shield front-runner Real Salt Lake fell at a packed Rio Tinto Stadium of all places to NASL champion Minnesota Stars. It was that kind of night.
The three-time defending champion Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, who both are in action Wednesday night, have been put on notice.
Here's a closer look at the results from a bloody evening for favored sides in the Open Cup:
U.S. OPEN CUP THIRD ROUND
Michigan Bucks 3, Chicago Fire 2 (AET)
Michigan is the last PDL side standing after shocking the Fire at the indoor Ultimate Soccer Arenas, with Nermin Crnkic scoring the game-winner in the first period of extra time.
San Antonio Scorpions 1, Houston Dynamo 0
Hans Denissen tallied on a second-half penalty kick to lift the Scorpions past a reserve-laden Dynamo side.
Sporting Kansas City 3, Orlando City SC 2
Soony Saad's two second-half goals helped SKC to the win over 10-man USL Pro champion Orlando City, who sliced the deficit to one on Dennis Chin's 84th-minute goal but could not complete the comeback.
D.C. United 2, Richmond Kickers 1 (AET)
Marcelo Saragosa's extra-time winner kept D.C. alive after Hamdi Salihi's opening goal was cancelled out by Sydney Nyazamba's penalty, which was drawn by Chris Agorsor.
Dayton Dutch Lions 2, Columbus Crew 1
The Crew blew a late lead to in-state rival Dayton, as Gibson Bardsley's 81st-minute winner accounted for the difference in the 81st minute after Jan Gerrit Bartels equalized three minutes earlier.
Charlotte Eagles 2, FC Dallas 0
FC Dallas' struggles continued, as Eagles goalkeeper Clint Irwin made 10 saves and the USL Pro side got goals from Darryl Roberts and Nate Thornton.
San Jose Earthquakes 2, Ft. Lauderdale Strikers 1
Rookie Sam Garza brought the Earthquakes back from a deficit and helped them avoid the upset bug with his two goals in a seven-minute span to offset Mark Anderson's chip from distance.
Philadelphia Union 3, Rochester Rhinos 0
Freddy Adu's two goals carried the Union in one of the few conventional results on the night, and Philadelphia will meet D.C. United in the next round at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
Harrisburg City Islanders 3, New England Revoution 3 (Islanders win 4-3 on PKs)
The wildest match of the night took place at the Skyline Sports Complex, as the 10-man Revolution went ahead on goals from Kelyn Rowe, Lee Nguyen and Benny Feilhaber in the first period of extra time only to concede three in the second 15-minute stanza to Brian Ombiji, Sainey Touray and JT Noone. Feilhaber's missed PK sealed the stunner.
New York Red Bulls 3, Charleston Battery 0
The Red Bulls trotted out a mostly first-team unit, and Kenny Cooper, Heath Pearce and Connor Lade scored to lift the club to the Round of 16 with relative ease.
Chivas USA 1, Ventura County Fusion 0
Cesar Romero finished off a feed from Juan Agudelo in the 13th minute to help the Goats to a road result over the PDL side.
Carolina RailHawks 2, Los Angeles Galaxy 1
The Galaxy's woes extended to USOC play, with Ty Shipalane and Brian Shriver scoring late to steal a result in front of a packed house at WakeMed Park and send the MLS Cup champs home with a brutal loss.
Colorado Rapids 3, Tampa Bay Rowdies 1
The Rapids had not won a USOC match since 2007, but that streak is over after Edu, Andre Akpan and Kamani Hill carried the club to a victory over the Rowdies, who got a consoloation goal from Matt Clare in second-half stoppage time.
Minnesota Stars 3, Real Salt Lake 1
RSL went down on a third-minute goal, and even though Luis Gil tied things up, the Stars got a penalty kick from Neil Hlvaty and an insurance tally from Simone Bracalello just moments after he came on in the second half to seal the stunner.
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What did you think of all of the USOC results? Are you loving this new tournament format even more because of all of the upsets? Think Tuesday's results will alter how some MLS teams approach the tournament going forward?
Share your thoughts below.
How does this tournament make money? I watched the Red Bull feed as they played in a tiny and half empty Charleston stadium. Are the MLS teams taking a bath on these games? With no TV coverage, and games being played in HS stadiums, how does this tournament pay for itself?
That was a great service by the MLS; however, there were multiple different streams using different types of services. Some worked a lot better than others. Some had decent audio, others didn’t.
I’m talking about taking it up a notch. Perhaps a dedicated YouTube channel, perhaps as a free preview of MLS Live. Make sure all the streams are using the same service and run them through the same page.
I’ve wathced MLS reserve league and second and third division sides over the years.
I can say that there is little doubt in my mind that a lot of the lower league players that are better than MLS reserve players that I see. Even with the MLS having expanded their roster sizes.
A lot of the second and third division guys have at least been in camp with an MLS side but they didn’t get retained because they didn’t distinguish themselves or the coach went with another guy who they thought has more upside.
And then you have guys like Nick Zimmerman in Carolina or Ryan Cochrane in San Antonio Guys who were MLS, people recognize the names, the guys are trying to get back to that level.
You make some good points.
I would still argue Bro that when the MLS Reserve League came back, many of us expected better USOC results for the MLS clubs.
The fact that the reservists have only played about 3-4 ames together when the USLPRO and NASL sides have already played a minimum of 7 matches (Charlotte already played 11 league matches)–
Your point about the chemistry is a really good one. There’s also something to be said for guys playing together and not just training together.
Bring back the Harmarville Hurricanes! US Open Cup champs in 1952 and 1954!
I gotta give the Triangle Soccer Fanatic types and Railhawks organization some love, too, Playah.
I’ve visted the Wake four times to support Puerto Rico Islanders. What a great facility. Wonderful game time experience. It is the one of the crown jewels of US soccer below MLS level and the fans down there are cool.
Why would you play starters in something so early anyway, as said above-some ex mlser takes down one of your starters, I wouldnt risk that! That being said I can’t express how lame I think RSL reserves are!!! I really believe RSL’s true concern’s are the MLS CUP, and more so getting that CONCACAF trophy!
At the same time, I hope MLS caps expansion at 20 teams for a while. Then they can:
1. Raise the salary cap to ~$4 million
2. Increase the # of roster slots
3. Increase minimum pay to $55k
4. Maintain the # of DP slots
I would only add that while the lower level players can be close to the reserves for the MLS, they also have usually been playing a lot more as MLS reserves really don’t get all that much game action.
Erik: Bro, did I miss something. I get your point about prioritizing competitions.
I got two questions for you, Playah?
1. (As I asked someplace else in the thread): Doesn’t the USOC winner still get an automatice CCL berth?
2. If you are at the helm of an MLS club that you think is a are a long shot to turn around its season around, knowing that it is now harder than ever to make the MLS playoffs (Increased number of teams) and you dream of being able to qualify for CCL (if the answer to my first question was “Yes, the USOC winner still gets an automatic CCL berth)–don’t you think that some MLS clubs would be better served by prioritizing the USOC?
You have a good point, but the value of reserves is worth debating.
If Man U fields an XI composed entirely of bench/reserve players, they are going to get smoked by one of the better Championship First XIs like Reading or West Ham.
A full reserve side doesn’t have the chemistry that the first team does, even if they individually outclass the opposition.
The Red Bulls actually seemed to care this year and won against a team they had never beaten. Go figure. Keep it up.
Solles- So well put! Could’nt agree more!
I going to have to disagree with you on that one.
Some don’t care very much and some do. Someone correct me if I’m botching this but isn’t their still an automatic CONCACAF Champions’ League berth at stage.
If you are an MLS nbench player and you get most of your minutes in the Reserve League matches, you had darn well better shine when you have the chance to start in a match takes play in a competition level higher than the reserve matches.
Seriously…A lot of MLS guys didn’t do too much with their opportunities last night. They were playing at matches with a crowd bigger than the 100 or 200 people that you might get at a well attended MLS Reserve match. A lot of guys came up short.
And a lot of the lower division guys made the most of their opportunity to shine against better financed opposition.
Nobody’s attributing this to a fluke… there are many simple reasons for such a result:
1. The lower division squads are playing the most important game of their season.
2. The MLS squads fielded rookie- and reserve-heavy lineups.
3. Many lower division players are MLS fringe players, putting them at least on par with MLS reserves.
4. Most MLS squads don’t care about the USOC, or they would have used their starters considering there are no MLS matches this weekend.
For example, the Dynamo play Valencia CF on Thursday. As a result, they only played 2 of their First XI in the USOC match, and they debuted 3 rookies. While the Valencia match may be “meaningless,” a result in that match would speak much more to the team’s quality and will be a much better test for the squad.
So true! As an RSL fan every year I get the feeling that RSL really dosent care. I agree that there’s no reason to risk your starters. I’m VERY dissappointed in RSL’s reserves, man after watching that and all of the reserve matches, I think there’s a few guys I’d be trading! RSL’s young kids are a disgrace! But, you put MLS team’s starting 11’s vs their starting 11’s, and it’s a butt whippin!
OK first the USOC only slightly reembles the FA CUP. Only in the fact any team can win it. No random draws, no replays if tied, and no real structure to it.
Don’t blame the MLS squads for throwing out reserve squads they do the same thing in England in the early rounds. Try to win with your reserves and when you get deeper the front line players will play more. This is the reason EPL teams lose in the early rounds.
Due to depth the top players from the lower levels can be close to the reserves for the MLS.
For the Sounder haters the Sounders don’t generally throw out their top line up in the early rounds. They do expect the reserves to perform and take it seriously.
“The MLS Massacre of 2012”
50% of them skinned? Yikes
Really what this shows is the lack of quality depth on MLS rosters, get past the first 10-15 players on any MLS side and you basically have sides that are no better than the minor league teams. Part of this is due to the rapid expansion of the league, for me I hope once MLS gets to 20 teams it stays there for awhile until the player pool can grow in quality.
I think the MLS teams don’t care
This is an embarrassment to the MLS organization. Horrid!
Or it means the MLS needs to do a better job of developing deeper squads. MLS struggle in the CCL for the same reason. Its hard to view losing to a weaker team as a positive
I agree with Trent, I am glad the teams that wanted it the most won.
I like how it is the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Very deserved title, I am glad the tourney is doing him justice.
Those games were VERY fun to watch, unless your MLS team lost. ( which made is more fun for the rest of us )………..Good times.
Go Se4ttle Sounders.
As someone who was at the Railhawks/Galaxy game I would like to say kudos to the Railhawks fans. The atmosphere at WakeMed was superb last night.
Please do NOT put anything positive about soccer in the US in a blog….even if it is a question. Thank you.
In all seriousness, it is obvious how much MLS is improving. We know the teams aren’t deep and they are not starting most starters, but it is encouraging the lower leagues are that close. It means soccer in the US has jumped dramatically and continues to do so.
They will once again say that they do care about the tournament and tell everyone how seriously they take it…come game time we’ll once again see reserve-heavy MLS sides. And then come the excuses: any of our players ought to be able to beat the lower-division teams; it was an opportunity for the young players to step up but they played poorly;…
Rowdies/Rapids match was highly entertaining. Though the home side lost 3-1, it was a much closer game than that. MLS side showed its class when it finished its chances. First goal for Rapid was very weak hand-ball called for a PK. Second two goals were clinically and capitalized on small mistakes and openings.
Probably the best the Rowdies have played all year. Home side had the better of possession and had two shots off the cross bar in the first five minutes. At least two very nice saves by the Rapids keeper kept Rowdies off the score sheet..until the very end.
Oh well. Entertaning evening.
The Open Cup is a historic tournament. Much respect should be given to the open cup. I’m glad that the teams who wanted to win the most, won.
C’mon CalFC
[typos; apologies]
And WHILE I don’t want…
I BET most MLS sides…
I agree with you in theory. This not “our FA Cup,” as many like to say. At least not yet. And I don’t want to see Thierry Henry have his season ended by a USL defender with a chip on his shoulder, I would be very surprised if the MLS teams in the finals don’t play their starting XI.
Before last night’s Tet Offensive, I be most MLS sides would agree with your assessment also, but now?
(And on the plus side, I bet a lot of second-division teams just got their first mention in the local papers today. Provided, uh, that there are local papers.)
Seattle were 5 points behind the Supporter’s Shield winner last season. I don’t think they were anything less than committed to league play.
Loved it!
Upsets upsets upsets!
I was riveted to the feed
Eurosnob – This is the biggest game all season for these lower division teams playing against MLS teams (even if 2/3 string). Thats the essence of sport and soccer in particular. Any team can beat another. Friendly crossbar and lucky bounce = upset.
No, teams won’t commit to it and there are very good reasons for that. If you prioritize competitions, any respectable club would place this tournament last. Why commit to it at the expense of paying the price in higher priority competitions (MLS, CCL)? This is and will continue to be a tournament largely for reserve players as it should be. Do you think it is a coincidence that Seattle wins the USOC but flames out in all other competitions?
I like the idea of grouping like the NCAA bracket, just imagine how many of these upsets you would have picked!?
I think it’s awesome and weird, and I can make two predictions:
1. No MLS side loses to a lower division team for the rest of this tournament.
2. The US Open Cup has just gained in stature and teams will commit to it next year.
Great games! The Open Cup is a hell lot better this way. Maybe im just happy cuz my Rapids moved on and many others did not but its great to see good games and wins come from the lower divisions, next year these teams will want it more and MLS side will come better Preprared.
I was at the Chicago Fire match last night in Pontiac, MI. The most embarrassing loss in club history. We started an entire bench/reserve roster, despite bringing our first team. We subbed out a defender for a defender, another defender for a defender, and our final sub was Oduro near the 80th minute.
Robayo dogged it. He was walking around the pitch, refused to make runs, and was generally just not into the game. I understand a bad game, that’s okay. But no giving a full effort and being lazy, letting your teammates down is a level of unacceptableness that in my eyes is cause for being cut.
It was an indoor arena, so the players and fans were on the same level. A lot of the Fire players came over after the game to commiserate. Robayo ignored the fans and wouldn’t even look at them. The starters who were forced to watch the devastating loss from the bench appeared to be the most upset. Cannot imagine what it’s like to watch your storied professional franchise be outplayed and definitely outcoached by a FOURTH DIVISION TEAM.
Seriously, losing to a PDL team is, in my mind, the second worst lost by any team in MLS history. Coincidentally it was the Bucks that were responsible for the worst loss when they beat the Revs almost a decade ago.
I mean seriously, this is like if the New England Patriots lost to Boston College. It’s on a level of embarrassment that I can hardly find words for. And to be there watching the sandbagged effort by 1 or 2 players makes it even worse.
DC United, Kansas City, Chivas, and San Jose all won by the skin of their teeth. We could have easily seen 11 MLS teams go down last night. This will be an interesting tournament. It would be pretty cool to see one of the lower division teams go all the way. It has only happened once since MLS has been in existence.
Firing Arena is pointless. It really doesn’t have much to do with him. They need to fire someone further up for wasting so much money on players who don’t even want to play. Arena won MLS Cup last year. What is it that he is suddenly doing wrong now? The answer is nothing. The Galaxy have too many players who are bigger than the coach. They do what they want when they want, and Arena can’t do a thing about it. Arena and the Galaxy could do much better having mere mortal players, without Beckham, Donovan, and Keane. Yes, they won last year because they hadn’t won and wanted to win. This year it has been a case of been there, done that.
If you can sign a Thierry Henry that’s great, but too many of the big names just don’t care. If I was Arena I would be looking to get away from the Galaxy.
Actually, MLS had all the scores and links to streams in one location on their site. I bounced from livestream to livestream last night (though not all were covered — would have loved to see the Revolution ET). They were a bit slow in updating the page and did some confusing things (like use AET when teams entered ET, not after), but it was in one place.
You are right about the link but wrong about San Jose losing. They won 2-1. All is well for them too.
Does the success of lower division teams in the Open Cup reflect overall quality improving in US soccer, or just that MLS teams don’t take the US Open Cup very seriously?
With SEVEN of its teams eliminated, the MLS should be emabarassed. When so many teams are knocked out, it cannot be attributed to a fluke. Why did these teams crashed and burned when facing lower division teams that operate on shoestring budgets? Shouldn’t MLS teams dominate teams from the lower divisions?
This is great for the US Open Cup and US Soccer in general. I understand several of these MLS teams were largely playing reserves, but really anyone on an MLS contract ought to be able to defeat a second division team, but less a third or a fourth. Hopefully, this will really bring some more attention to the MLS Cup.
Changes I’d like to see next year:
1) Make it a true 64 team tournament, i.e. MLS teams enter at the round of 64.
2) Divide the 64 teams into 4 regions, like the NCAA Bball tourney, then have a random draw within the region.
3) Automatically give the hosting rights to the lower division team if they’ve got a proper venue (i.e. not a high school football stadium). If they then want to sell it, that’s their business. Give MLS teams some exposure outside their markets.
4) TV is a pipedream at this stage, but could we put all the streams in one convenient place? Maybe it could be on a “free preview” of MLS Live. Maybe it could be on the Kick Channel on Youtube. Maybe it could be on US Soccer’s website. Youtube or MLS Live would be great because you could then watch it on TV with a Roku.
All in all, though, last night was a great night for the oldest surviving competition in American soccer.
yes. With becks and Keane actual superstars. Donovan looking to leave. AEG can afford to bring in a superstar coach by throwing money and hollywood at them.
He wont be unemployed for long but they can make a move.
Oh, the link for the San Jose loss sends you to the DC United story, probably to the delight of both those teams’ supporters.
Clearly MLS needs to take this more serious. You can clearly see the teams that take it seriously and those who don’t.
Somebody should. This season is unacceptable.
Should Bruce Arena start getting nervous?