Cup Matchday: Rochester

The Rochester Rhinos will try and continue their hot streak in the USOC tonight, as they take on MLS’s New England Revolution in Providence, Rhode Island tonight.

We’ve covered both teams before so I’ll keep this brief, but the Rhinos are currently riding high.  They’ve taken four points form two matches since the DC United victory, with their players looking in good form.  JC Banks continues to score, and rookie keeper John McCarthy, aka the USL Petr Cech, continued to look solid.  The Rhinos have played the Revs five times previous, however they have only advanced once, in 2004.

The Revolution are still on MLS’s World Cup break, so their form is only based from their other USOC appearance, where they barely beat Richmond, down in RVA.  Steve Neumann and Patrick Mullins scored in that match, but the Revs will need to bring something a little stronger to break Rochester’s stringent defense.  They will also be without Shalrie Joseph because of an injury, and Jerry Bengtson because he is still in Brazil with the Honduran national team.

The match begins at 7:35 EST, and will be held on the Brown University campus — similar to last year, when the two teams played each other on the Harvard facilities. The match can be streamed on revolutionsoccer.net

Our Hopes Lie in Rochester

via USL PRO

So everyone lost last night, leaving the Rochester Rhinos as the only remaining USL PRO team in the USOC.  Here’s a quick recap.

New England Revolution at Richmond Kickers (3-2)

New England hit quick, with defender Stephen McCarthy scoring in the 9th minute, but Richmond had an answer in the 24th by way of a George Davis IV goal.  From there, a bit of a spark was lit, but McCarthy had other ideas, scoring again in the 35th and 39th minute.  Richmond veteran Matthew Delicâte would add a second for the Kickers in the 74th, but it wasn’t to be, and Richmond fell.  Of note, the Delicâte goal was his 10th in USOC play, and his 100th professionally.  The Revolution will travel to the somewhat neutral site of Brown University to play Rochester.  That match will be held on June 25.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Chicago Fire (1-2)

This was a weird one.  After a nearly two-hour weather delay, the match began with a trumpeted National Anthem.  The Hounds looked good for the first 10-15 minutes, controlling the ball and making crisp passes.  Then the match turned, and Chicago was able to capitalize with a Grant Ward goal in the 22nd minute.  It was all Fire from then, including a second goal, this time from Mike Magee in the 40th.  Seemingly out of nowhere though, Pittsburgh fired back with a 42nd-minute strike from Andrew Marshall, making the score 2-1 going into half.  Then, sometime during halftime, the power/internet went down at Toyota Park, and we lost the YouTube feed. There was another hour-long weather delay, during which this writer went to bed. There were three more minutes played after the second delay, until the match was officially called in the 49th.  Then, as per US Open Cup regulations, the Fire were declared victorious, having held a halftime lead.  They will host Columbus in the next round.

Los Angeles Galaxy at Arizona United SC (2-1)

Arizona looked solid, they really did.  And for a while it seemed like they may have a shot.  Team captain Matt Kassel put through a shot in the 36th minute, putting AZ up 1-0.  That score would stand through the half, but things were tied up in the 51st minute by way of a Gyasi Zardes goal, a goal set up by a Robbie Rogers assist.  The score wasn’t tied for long, either, as Stefan Ishizaki would set up Zardes again in the 53rd.  Zardes’ brace was enough, and Arizona’s USOC run ended in the fourth round.  The Galaxy will next travel to North Carolina to play the Railhawks in Cary on June 24.

 

Cup Matchday: Pittsburgh

via chicago-fire.com

The Riverhounds visit the Chicago Fire tonight at 7:30EST, playing a match in Chicago’s Toyota Park.

The Hounds… well, they haven’t been good.  They currently sit in last place in USL PRO with a 1-7-5 record, although they have won two matches in the USOC, with a +3 goal differential.  The team sacked Justin Evans earlier in the season, and are now managed by player/coach (and former Chicago Fire PDL player) Nikola Katic.  Speaking of Fire connections, Riverhounds’ captain Collins John returns to Chicago tonight, a team he played for in 17 matches in 2010.  It’s actually a big enough deal that the Fire did a whole piece on him, which you can read here.  John currently leads the Hounds with five goals in all competitions (four league, one Cup), while 2013 USL PRO MVP Jose Angulo is close behind with four (three league, one Cup).

And while the Fire aren’t exactly tearing up MLS right now by sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-4-8 record, their Cup credentials are impressive.  Chicago has won the Cup four times, in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006, and lost in the finals twice, in 2004, and 2011.  According to their website the Fire are 33-11-4 all-time in the USOC, and 21-1-1 in matches played in the state of Illinois.  The squad is also fairly healthy, and should only be missing Patrick Nyarko and Gonzalo Segares to injury this evening.  Harry Shipp and Quincy Amarikwa share the team lead with five goals each, and both could appear tonight after manager Frank Yallop claimed he won’t play “a weakened side” in the match.

These teams have played each other only one other time, in 2001, when the Fire beat the Hounds 3-2 at Wheaton College’s McCully Field.  Neither team is doing great in league play, so the Fire could use this as a way to win some hardware this year.  For Pittsburgh, a win here could continue a slight improvement in play. If there was ever a way of turning around a season, this would be it.  Watch the match here.

Cup Matchday: Richmond

via richmondkickers.com

Richmond KIckers will host the New England Revolution in RVA at City Stadium tonight at 7pm EST.

The Kickers are doing well this season, riding an 11-match unbeaten streak, while Matthew Delicate being his dominant self, nailing down 18 points, good for second in the league.  The Kickers last beat NY Greek American Atlas SC to advance to the fourth round, and have a strong history in the USOC, including a title in 1995, and subsequent quarterfinal appearances in 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2011.  Richmond is a strong side, with in-form players, who can make this an interesting match.

The Revs come into tonight’s match in second place in MLS’s Eastern Conference, and most likely eager to build on last year’s Cup run, where they were beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual champion DC United.  Like the Kickers, the Revs also have a USOC Trophy in their hands, in their case, from a title in 2007.  While they have slid a bit in MLS play, the Revs are not a team to be taken lightly, even though their manager Jay Heaps says he will employ a “blended” lineup this evening.  Definitely not in the lineup will be Kevin Alston and Shalrie Joseph, out with injuries, and forward Jerry Bengtson, who is in Brazil with the Honduran national team.

The only other time these two teams met was in 2008, where the Revolution won 3-0.  The Kickers hope this match is a little closer.

Cup Matchday: Arizona United

screengrab via arizonaunited.com

AZ United hosts MLS’s LA Galaxy tonight in Peoria.  This could be the hardest matchup for a USL PRO side yet.

Arizona, a team that didn’t have a full roster a few weeks before the season began, currently sit in 10th place in the USL PRO standings, but have made some progress through the USOC tournament.  They have already defeated the Portland Timbers U-23s, and Oklahoma City in Cup play, now may be the time to make a statement over one of MLS’s premier clubs.  AZ is healthy, and if they want it badly enough, this could be a great chance.

The Galaxy enter the tournament searching for their redemption from the past two tournaments, where they have fallen to the Carolina Railhawks both seasons.  History is on their side though, as LA owns a 24-13-1 all-time USOC record, including Cup victories in 2001 and 2005.  They currently sit in 7th place in MLS’s Western Conference, and will be without the availability of  defender Omar Gonzalez, who is, you know, in Brazil with the US National team.  Of course, the rest of their roster is nothing to scoff at, with all-time leading US National Team and MLS goal-scorer Landon Donovan being available, if not likely, to play.  Their team could also see Robbie Keane, Juninho, and Stefan Ishizaki.

The match is at 7:30PST, 10:30EST, and can be streamed here.

Rochester Advances over DCU

via rhinossoccer.com

The improbable happened, and Rochester was able to outlast the reigning US Open Cup champion DC United on a miserable Tuesday night in upstate New York.

The damage was done my Colin Rolfe, who scored from the six-yard box on the back end up a nice set-up from Michael Garzi.  The shot went past the reach of 2013 USL PRO Goalkeeper of the Year, Andrew Dykstra, who now plays in Washington.

There weren’t a whole lot of chances from United early on, and Rhinos goalkeeper John McCarthy (looking very Petr Cech-like) was only tested a few times.  The score remained tied at half, and little excitement came between then and the 60th minute (save for a Jonny Mendoza to Garzi chance in the 52nd), when  Steve Birnbaum received his second caution of the match and was sent off.  Play was then suspended in the 61st, around 8:24pm, after thunderstorms cleared the field.

Play resumed at 9:02, and with the start-up, so came on DC United captain Bobby Boswell.  Play was short, however, as a second stoppage was called at 9:11pm, this time lasting 91 minutes.  The teams began play again, around 10:42 to an admittedly dry looking pitch — kudos to the Rochester grounds crew.  From there, DC materialized a few chances, especially in the final minutes, but it was to no avail.  This was the first time that the Rhinos have defeated DC in USOC play.

Rolfe looked good with his goal, but Mendoza was simply everywhere on the field all night, and was arguably the man of the match.  Alex Dixon was looking especially speedy, in defiance of his reported injury, and McCarthy was on point all evening.  The Rhinos will now play the winner of Richmond/New England.

Tuesday Cup Losses

Garrett Ellwood/Colorado Rapids

Orlando City SC at Colorado Rapids (2-5)

The Lions just seemed to be simply overmatched, getting thrashed 5-2 in their visit to the Rapids.  Adama Mbengue, and Luke Boden scored for the USL PRO points leaders, but even though they scored first, Colorado was not metered.  Deshorn Brown tallied a hat trick for the home side, add in goals from Nick LaBrocca and Dillon Powers, and the Rapids easily cruised to victory in the second half.  Read a full report here.

Harrisburg City Islanders at Philadelphia Union (1-3)

Harrisburg made a solid run at their MLS affiliates, but for the second year in a row, they fell short, eventually losing 3-1.  Jason Pelletier scored in the 38th minute for Harrisburg, a lead that would hold for the majority of the evening.  That is, until the 89th minute when Maurice Edu evened the match with a shot from the top of the box.  Tied at one a piece, the game went to extra time, and that’s where Philadelphia’s Andrew Wenger stepped up, scoring a brace in the 110th and 117th minute.  That was all she wrote for Harrisburg, as their USOC dreams ended when the whistle blew.  Full report here.

Mohammad Mohammadi to Retire

via ocbluesfc

OC Blues goalkeeper Mohammad Mohammadi is set to play his final professional match this Saturday, June 21 against the Chivas USA Reserves, the team announced Tuesday.

Mohammadi has played in 12 matches for the Blues over parts of two seasons.  He also played for multiple teams, including Persepolis FC and Paykan FC, over a 17-year career in Iran.

According to the team’s press release, “Mohammadi met Ali Mansouri, owner of the Los Angeles Blues in 2011 at a Blues – LA Galaxy game. Mansouri knew of his abilities and instantly wanted him on his team in Los Angeles.”

Blues captain Allan Russell added that, “Mohammad Mohammadi. A true gentleman of the game. A quiet leader and truly admirable family man. His ability and talent as a goalkeeper is second to none and it has been an honor to be his teammate for the last 2 seasons.”

Congratulation are due to Mohammadi on the conclusion of a successful career.

 

Cup Matchday: Orlando City

via orlandocitysc.com

At 9pm EST, Orlando City will visit MLS side Colorado Rapids at beautiful Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.  The game will be a rematch of last year’s third-round matchup that saw the Lions take down Colorado 3-1 at the Orange Bowl.

Orlando City is, of course, dominating USL PRO this season, currently going undefeated (11-0-3), all the while Kevin Molino is destroying basically everyone on the pitch.  Dennis Chin isn’t having too bad of a season either, he sits with nine points currently.  Orlando made a solid run in last year’s Cup, advancing to the fifth round, and dispatching Colorado and Sporting KC along the way.  They fell to the Chicago Fire in the quarterfinals, but even without Dom Dwyer, Orlando looks to be a better squad this season.

The Rapids are having a pretty solid season themselves, sitting in third place in the Western Conference.  Deshorn Brown and Vicente Sanchez lead Coloroado with five goals each, and Edson Buddle can always show up out of nowhere to make a difference in a match. This is the first time since 2007 that the Rapids have hosted a US Open Cup match; they beat the California Victory, a team that folded that same year, 3-1 in the third round.

Of the three USL PRO sides playing in the Cup today, the Lions seem to have the best chances to pull the upset.  The game can be streamed here.

Cup Matchday: Rochester

via rhinossoccer.com

The fourth-place Rhinos certainly have their hands full tonight, facing MLS-leading, and defending US Open Cup Champion, DC United.  The match does, however, take place in Rochester at Sahlen’s Stadium.

Rochester has been playing solid football lately, keeping strong defensive play as the key to their success.  On the offensive side, top scorer JC Banks is doubtful with an injury, plus Alex Dixon and Pat McMahon are questionable as well. Alec Sundly is also unable to suit up, as he is cup-tied to the New England Revs, and their match against Richmond tomorrow.  Rochester has a proud history in the Open Cup, including winning the competition in 1999.  However, in their last four matches against MLS opponents, they are 0-4.

Again, DC United is flying high right now.  They lead MLS’s Eastern Conference, are in the midst of a three week break, and this is their first Open Cup match since winning last season.  They are led by captain Bobby Boswell and former USMNT forward Eddie Johnson.  They will, however, be without the talent of leading scorer Fabián Espíndola, who is currently out with an MCL injury.  Although DC usually starts Bill Hamid at goalkeeper, if he is to be rested, we could see an appearance from last year’s USL PRO Goalkeeper of the Year Andrew Dykstra, who now backs up Hamid.

Rochester has beaten many MLS sides in the past, and they will be looking for an upset at home tonight.  The game can be streamed here.