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Eight League Clubs Begin Their Quest for #NASLTheCup Tonight

May 28, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL) News Release


NEW YORK, NY (May 28, 2014) - Eight U.S. based North American Soccer League (NASL) clubs will begin their quest for the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (#NASLTheCup) this evening, Wednesday, May 28, when they enter the Third Round of the oldest cup competition in the country. The winner of the annual single-elimination tournament will also qualify as one of the four U.S. representatives to the CONCACAF Champions League.

"All of our U.S.-based clubs look forward to this competition," said NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson. "The opportunity to play new clubs and the prestige of winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup creates an exciting format for NASL players and fans across the country. I know our teams will give it their all this year."

The 101st edition of the competition will commence for the newest NASL side, Indy Eleven, hosting the visiting Dayton Dutch Lions of USL PRO in U.S. Soccer's Game of the Round at IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium which will be shown live on ussoccer.com at 7:30 pm ET.

Michael A. Carroll Stadium, which has sold out all of Indy's NASL home games this season (10,508 average), is no stranger to staging U.S. Open Cup matches as it hosted the 1997 final which drew a crowd of 9,766.

"Although we are a new club, the entire Indy Eleven organization has a tremendous amount of respect for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the history it entails and the opportunities it provides to get our name out there even more in the American soccer community," said Indy Eleven coach Juergen Sommer. "Thinking about the CONCACAF Champions League is a great incentive, but the only way we can get there is to first beat Dayton Dutch Lions on May 28."

The six-time winners of the NASL Soccer Bowl, New York Cosmos will also play their first-ever Open Cup match on Wednesday when they greet a two-time Open Cup winner, Brooklyn Italians SC of NPSL at St. John's University's Belson Stadium at 7:30 pm ET

Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese commented on the importance of competing at the Open Cup: "Like in every country, the Cup is very important and we're taking it very seriously. The U.S. Open Cup is a very prestigious competition and we have to make sure that we respect every team that we play against. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. I think the Brooklyn Italians game is going to be the most difficult game we're going to be playing in the U.S. Open Cup."

After becoming the first NASL team to reach the quarterfinals last year, Carolina RailHawks take their 5-0-2 Open Cup record into 2014 tournament when they host intrastate rival Charlotte Eagles of USL PRO at WakeMed Soccer Park at 7:30 pm ET

RailHawks will also be putting its 19-game home unbeaten streak on the line against the Eagles, whom they are facing for the first time at The Cup.

"Our club has always put a great deal of importance on the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup," said RailHawks coach Colin Clarke, whose club lost in 2013 Open Cup Quarterfinals to finalists Real Salt Lake of MLS. "Myself and our Team President both worked for Lamar Hunt and it means a little more that his name is on the Cup. It's one of the best competitions in the U.S. For the teams and most importantly the fans."

Another NASLvNPSL match-up on Wednesday, has Atlanta Silverbacks traveling to take on Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium at 7:30 pm ET. This game will be streamed by Chattanooga at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v1029VvVBUSA.

"This is a very big week for us," said Silverbacks Technical Director, Eric Wynalda, whose team is coming off a 2-1 road victory at FC Edmonton in league play over the weekend. "We play all the way out in Edmonton and then come back to prepare for Chattanooga FC mid-week. I'm going to have my guys' focused and hungry going into this stretch of games."

A rematch from last year's Second Round has Fort Lauderdale Strikers once again hosting the PDL's Laredo Heat at Lockhart Stadium on Wednesday evening at 7:45 pm ET. This match will also be streamed live by Laredo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v5kojK2ojeFg .

In their last meeting on May 21, 2013, Strikers prevailed on penalty kicks, 7-6, over the visiting Heat after a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation and two overtime periods.

"For a team like us and for all the teams in this league, to have the chance to get into the (CONCACAF) Champion's League is an unbelievable opportunity," said Strikers coach, G-nter Kronsteiner. "It's a once in a lifetime chance for some of the players, so we will do everything we can do to make it."

The I-4 Derby comes to the Open Cup on Wednesday, when Tampa Bay Rowdies visit Orlando City SC of USL PRO at Seminole Soccer Complex at 8 pm ET.

Rowdies, who were one of NASL sides to reach the 'Round-of-16' last at The Cup, is searching for their first-ever victory against Orlando City Lions. The last time the Rowdies-Lions faced off was in the first-leg of this year's I-4 Derby with Orlando City winning 3-0 earlier this month.

"We want to win the Open Cup, first and foremost," said Rowdies coach, Ricky Hill. "I treat it with the utmost respect because it's a cup competition. I've always believed that any team can beat any other team over the course of a 90-minute game. I don't think we've beaten Orlando in the last two seasons of friendlies, but now it's for real. All the previous games have been dress rehearsals for next Wednesday night."

Rounding out Wednesday's NASL action will be two 7:30 pm CT (8:30 pm ET) encounters with San Antonio Scorpions hosting USASA's North Texas Rayados, while current league-leader Minnesota United FC travels to face Des Moines Menace of USASA at Valley Stadium.

San Antonio, who has played all its matches at home in the Open Cup, is facing the NTX Rayados for the first time at Toyota Field. Meanwhile, Minnesota and Des Moines are also meeting for the third consecutive year at The Cup with each squad winning once previously. The last time both squads faced-off, the Menace earned a 1-0 win at St. Paul, Minn. during the tournament's Second Round on May 21, 2013.

The Third Round winners will progress to the Fourth Round of the U.S. Open Cup, which run from June 10-18 and feature the entrance of MLS teams to the tournament.

In only two years of participation, the NASL teams have outscored their opposition 51 to 38 in 28 total games and hold a 14-2-12 overall record along with seven shutouts

Fourth and Fifth Round games will be played in June during the NASL break for the FIFA World Cup and the final is scheduled for September 30-October 1.

NASL @ 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - Third Round

Indy Eleven vs. Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO)

IUPUI's Michael A. Carroll Stadium; Indianapolis, Ind. 7:30 pm ET

New York Cosmos vs. Brooklyn Italians SC (NPSL)

St. John's University's Belson Stadium; Queens, N.Y. 7:30 pm ET

Carolina RailHawks vs. Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO)

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. 7:30 pm ET

Chattanooga FC (NPSL) vs. Atlanta Silverbacks

Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn. 7:30 pm ET

Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Laredo Heat (PDL)

Lockhart Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 7:45 pm ET

Orlando City (USL PRO) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Seminole Soccer Complex; Sanford, Fla. 8 pm ET

San Antonio Scorpions vs. NTX Rayados (USASA)

Toyota Field; San Antonio, Tex. 7:30 pm CT/8:30 pm ET

Des Moines Menace (USASA) vs. Minnesota United FC

Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa 7:30 pm CT/8:30 pm ET

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North American Soccer League Stories from May 28, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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