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USL United Soccer League Championship

Open Cup's Fourth Round Set against MLS Field

June 16, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The top tier awaits for the USL in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. After a strong showing in the third round, the USL sides will square off against Major League Soccer in the tournament's fourth round.

Of the 16 fourth-round games, 12 feature USL teams. Tuesday's set includes seven games with the USL contingent, which is on the road in all seven matches.

Among the intriguing matchups are the Rochester Rhinos at the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Philadelphia was the runner-up in last year's tournament and Rochester was the top USL finisher in 2014 and is the only former champion (1999) among the lower-division sides still in the hunt.

Sacramento Republic FC's Thomas Stewart enters the fourth round as the tournament's leading goal scorer with four goals. Republic FC faces the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif.

Louisville City FC will face the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. City FC is one of four USL teams two have earned shutout victories in its previous two rounds, the others being the Austin Aztex, Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Richmond Kickers who all play on Wednesday. Five USL teams in all kick off fourth-round play against their MLS opponents on Wednesday.

Tuesday's Matchups:

Rochester Rhinos at Philadelphia Union; 7:30 p.m. ET; PPL Park; Chester, Pa.

How Rochester got here: 1-0 win against GBFC Thunder on May 20 in the second round; 3-1 win (aet) against the Harrisburg City Islanders on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorers in tournament: Kenardo Forbes and Asani Samuels (2 goals each)

Rochester Open Cup history: The Rhinos won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, defeating Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, 2-0, in the title match at Columbus Crew Stadium. Rochester became the only lower-division team to win the Open Cup since the inception of MLS. The Rhinos were the top USL team in the 2014 U.S. Open Cup and defeated the defending champion D.C. United in the fourth round.

Philadelphia Open Cup history: The Union reached the final of last year's U.S. Open Cup for the first time in the club's history. Philadelphia played Seattle Sounders FC to a 1-1 score through 90 minutes and held a first-half lead on a Maurice Edu goal, only to end up falling 3-1 in overtime as Seattle claimed its fourth tournament crown.

Other notes: Rhinos forward Steevan Dos Santos is unavailable after he was sent off during Rochester's 3-1 win against the City Islanders. Forbes scored the lone goal for the Rhinos in the second round and scored the 108th-minute equalizer against Harrisburg.

Saint Louis FC at Sporting Kansas City; 8:30 p.m. ET; Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.

How Saint Louis got here: 2-1 win (aet) against the Des Moines Menace on May 20 in the second round; 1-1 draw (aet) and 3-1 win in penalty kicks against Minnesota United FC on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Bryan Gaul (2 goals)

Saint Louis Open Cup history: This is the USL expansion team's first U.S. Open Cup.

Sporting Kansas City Open Cup history: Sporting is a two-time U.S. Open Cup champion. Kansas City won the 2004 tournament when the team was named the Kansas City Wizards, earning a 1-0 golden goal victory against the Chicago Fire on Igor Simutenkov's 95th-minute tally. Sporting defeated Seattle Sounders FC to win the 2012 U.S. Open Cup, playing to a 1-1 draw through regulation and overtime and then earning a 3-2 win on penalties. Seattle missed its final three PKs against former Kansas City goalkeeper and current OKC Energy FC head coach Jimmy Nielsen.

Other notes: Bryan Gaul's 80th-minute penalty kick helped Saint Louis reach overtime against the NASL's Minnesota United FC in the third round. In the shootout, Saint Louis goalkeeper Mark Pais saved Minnesota's first attempt and Minnesota would miss two of its next three attempts, while Brandon Barklage, Patrick Doody and Oskar Gasecki each converted their PKs for Saint Louis.

Louisville City FC at Chicago Fire; 8:30 p.m. ET; Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill.

How Louisville City got here: 1-0 win against Lansing United on May 20 in the second round; 2-0 win (aet) against Indy Eleven on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorers in tournament: Charlie Adams, Nate Polak and Sidney Rivera (1 goal each)

Louisville City Open Cup history: This is the USL expansion team's first U.S. Open Cup.

Chicago Fire Open Cup history: The Fire have won the U.S. Open Cup on four occasions and took second during the 2004 and 2011 tournaments. Chicago won the event in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In 1998, the Fire topped Columbus Crew SC, 2-1, on goals by Jerzy Podbrozny and the winner by Frank Klopas in the 99th minute. Hristo Stoitchkov scored a goal and the Fire benefited from an own goal to defeat the Miami Fusion, 2-1, in the 2000 Open Cup final. In 2003, Damni Ralph scored the lone goal as the Fire topped the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, 1-0, in the championship. In the 2006 final, Nate Jaqua, Andy Herron and Thiago each scored a goal to defeat the LA Galaxy, 3-1.

Other notes: Louisville City and Indy Eleven went scoreless until Nate Polak's 115th-minute tally. Sidney Rivera followed four minutes later to seal the victory against the NASL side. Chicago Fire forward and 2013 MLS MVP Mike Magee had a brief stint in the USL on May 30, logging 60 minutes during a rehab start for Saint Louis FC, which played Louisville City to a 1-1 draw at Slugger Field.

OKC Energy FC at FC Dallas; 9 p.m. ET; TCU Soccer Stadium; Fort Worth, Texas

How OKC Energy got here: 3-1 win against Midland/Odessa Sockers on May 20 in the first round; 1-0 victory against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Kyle Greig (2 goals)

OKC Energy Open Cup history: OKC Energy FC made its Open Cup debut in 2014, advancing to the third round but falling to Arizona United SC, 2-1 (aet). Kyle Greig scored OKC's lone goal in that match. In the second round last year, David Lechty and Pete Caringi each scored a goal for a 2-0 victory against the Tulsa Athletics.

FC Dallas Open Cup history: FC Dallas won the 1997 U.S. Open Cup when the team was known as the Dallas Burn. FC Dallas would finish runner-up in 2005 and 2007. In 1997, the Burn defeated D.C. United in the championship. After a scoreless regulation and overtime, Dallas converted all five of its penalty kick attempts for a 5-3 shootout win.

Other notes: Peter Toth scored OKC Energy FC's lone goal in the 82nd minute against Tulsa in the third round. He was subbed into the match in the 60th minute, and it marked his first tally with Energy FC.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Colorado Rapids; 9 p.m. ET; Dick's Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City Colo.

How Colorado Springs got here: 2-1 win against Harpo's FC on May 20 in the first round; 1-0 victory against Real Monarchs SLC on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Martin Maybin (2 goals)

Colorado Springs Open Cup history: This is the USL expansion team's first U.S. Open Cup.

Colorado Rapids Open Cup history: The Rapids' best finish in the U.S. Open Cup came during the 1999 tournament, when they finished runner-up to the Rochester Rhinos. Rochester won the final, 2-0. The club's second-best performance was during its inaugural 1996 MLS campaign, advancing to the Open Cup's semifinal stage. The Rhinos eliminated from the tournament then, as well, with a 3-0 semifinal victory.

Other notes: Rony Argueta will return as an available option for Colorado Springs. Argueta received two yellow cards and an ejection against Harpo's and was suspended for the next round's match against Real Monarchs SLC.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Real Salt Lake; 10 p.m. ET; Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah

How Seattle got here: 4-2 win (aet) against Kitsap Pumas on May 20 in the second round; 2-1 victory (aet) against the Portland Timbers 2 on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Pablo Rossi (3 goals)

Seattle Open Cup history: This is the USL expansion team's first U.S. Open Cup.

Real Salt Lake Open Cup history: Real Salt Lake's best finish in the Open Cup was a runner-up performance at the 2013 event, falling 1-0 to D.C. United in the final as Lewis Neal scored the lone goal of that match. That same year, Real Salt Lake also took second in MLS Cup to Sporting Kansas City.

Other notes: Pablo Rossi scored two goals against the Kitsap Pumas to open the tournament, including the winner in the 93rd minute. Rossi also scored the game-winner against T2, tallying the go-ahead score in the 104th minute. Andy Craven has two goals in this year's Open Cup, scoring once in each match.

Sacramento Republic FC at San Jose Earthquakes; 10:30 p.m. ET; Avaya Stadium; San Jose, Calif.

How Sacramento got here: 4-2 win against Sonoma County Sol on May 20 in the second round; 7-3 victory against Chula Vista FC on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Thomas Stewart (4 goals)

Sacramento Open Cup history: Republic FC made its Open Cup debut last year and advanced to the fourth round, bowing out with a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Justin Braun had Sacramento's lone goal in that game. Earlier in the tournament, Republic FC's Harrison Delbridge and Dakota Collins each scored a goal for a 2-1 victory against the Ventura County Fusion in the second round. Then Republic FC routed the Fresno Fuego 6-0 in the third round, with goals by Nemanja Vukovic, Braun, Thomas Stewart, Rodrigo Lopez, Emrah Klimenta and Steven Evans.

San Jose Open Cup history: The Earthquakes' best finish in the Open Cup was in 2004 as the club advanced to the semifinal round. San Jose was eliminated with a 1-0 loss to eventual champions the Kansas City Wizards. Earlier in that tournament, the Quakes blanked the Portland Timbers, 3-0, when they were in the A-League, followed by a 5-4 penalty kick win against the Minnesota Thunder in the quarterfinals.

Other notes: Entering the fourth round, Thomas Stewart is the tournament's leading goal scorer with four tallies. Republic FC teammate Adnan Gabeljic has three goals and is tied for second with the Charlotte Independence's Tomasz Zahorski and Seattle Sounders FC 2's Pablo Rossi.

Wednesday's Matchups:

Columbus Crew SC at Richmond Kickers; 7 p.m. ET; Richmond City Stadium; Richmond, Va.

How Richmond got here: 2-0 win against Virginia Beach City FC on May 20 in the second round; 3-0 victory against the Jacksonville Armada on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Jason Yeisley (2 goals)

Richmond Open Cup history: The Kickers' best run in the U.S. Open Cup was in 2011, when Richmond advanced to the semifinals before bowing out to the Chicago Fire. William Yomby had the lone goal for the Kickers in that semifinal match. Earlier during that run, the Kickers defeated MLS sides Columbus Crew SC and Sporting Kansas City. Matthew Delicate scored an 85th-minute, game-winning goal during Richmond's 2-1 win against Columbus.

Columbus Open Cup history: Columbus won the 2002 U.S. Open Cup, defeating the LA Galaxy, 1-0, on a Freddy Garcia tally. During that 2002 run, Columbus opened against the Richmond Kickers in the third round, earning a 3-0 victory on July 17. Brian McBride's penalty kick and Dante Washington's brace paced Columbus past Richmond. The Crew reached the tournament final two other times, falling 2-1 in overtime to the Chicago Fire in 1998 and losing 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC at the 2010 U.S. Open Cup. In 2010, Columbus' Kevin Burns scored the game's opening goal, but Sanna Nyassi responded with two of his own.

Other notes: In this year's Open Cup, Richmond's Nate Shiffman scored the game-winning goal against Virginia Beach City and Brian Ownby tallied the winner against the Jacksonville Armada. Jason Yeisley's 38th-minute goal against Jacksonville was the club's 100th tally in the U.S. Open Cup. With George Davis IV's later PK, Richmond now has 101 goals in the tournament's history entering the fourth round.

D.C. United at Pittsburgh Riverhounds; 7 p.m. ET; Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa.

How Pittsburgh got here: 3-0 win against the West Virginia Chaos on May 20 in the second round; 1-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Rob Vincent (2 goals)

Pittsburgh Open Cup history: Pittsburgh's best showing in the tournament was at the 2001 U.S. Open Cup. The Riverhounds advanced to the quarterfinal stage after defeating the Colorado Rapids, 2-0, on second-half goals from Alfredo Ulloa and Phil Karn. The Riverhounds were even with the Chicago Fire in the quarters after Paul Dougherty's 70th-minute tally tied the score at 2-2. However, Chicago's Amos Magee scored in overtime and the Fire pulled off a 3-2 win. Pittsburgh advanced to the fourth round at the 2014 U.S. Open Cup, bowing out against the Fire with a 2-1 loss.

D.C. Open Cup history: D.C. is a three-time U.S. Open Cup winner, earning the title in 1996, 2008 and 2013. Two of those came against current USL teams. The 1996 championship was against the Rochester Rhinos, with Raul Diaz Arce, Eddie Pope and Jaime Moreno each tallying a goal for a 3-0 victory. In 2008, Luciano Emilio and Fred scored for a 2-1 victory against the Charleston Battery at RFK Stadium. D.C. United's most recent crown was in 2013 as Lewis Neal scored the lone goal for a 1-0 victory against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Other notes: Rob Vincent's first goal in this year's Open Cup came against the West Virginia Chaos, which he played for from 2010-11. The Riverhounds have never lost an Open Cup game in five matches at Highmark Stadium since it opened in 2013.

Orlando City SC at Charleston Battery; 7:30 p.m. ET; Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.

How Charleston got here: 1-0 win against Miami United FC on May 20 in the second round; 3-2 victory against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorers in tournament: Heviel Cordoves, Ricky Garbanzo, Dane Kelly, Zach Prince (1 goal each)

Charleston Open Cup history: This year marks the 19th Open Cup tournament for the Battery. Charleston's best Open Cup finish was a runner-up performance in 2008. The Battery were tied 1-1 early against D.C. United after a 10th-minute goal from Ian Fuller, but D.C.'s Fred scored the go-ahead tally early in the second half for the victory. The Battery advanced to the semifinal stage on two other occasions in 1999 and 2004. The 2004 team lost 1-0 in overtime to the Chicago Fire in the semifinals, while the 1999 squad fell 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids in the semifinals.

Orlando Open Cup history: This is Orlando City's first Open Cup as a Major League Soccer franchise. During the previous four years (2011-14), Orlando City represented the USL in the tournament. Its best showing was a quarterfinal appearance in 2013 and the club earned $15,000 for being the top finisher from the USL. In the quarters, Orlando City fell 5-1 to the Chicago Fire, and the USL side was down to nine men toward the end because of a pair of ejections. Current Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer was Orlando City's top scoring threat in the 2013 Open Cup with three goals, two coming during a 3-1 victory against the Colorado Rapids.

Other notes: Dane Kelly was named U.S. Open Cup Player of the Round by TheCup.us for his one-goal, one-assist effort during the Battery's win against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Round 3. Heviel Cordoves returns as an available option. He received a late red card during the second round and was suspended for the team's third-round match against Fort Lauderdale.

Charlotte Independence at New England Revolution; 7:30 p.m. ET; Soldiers Field; Boston, Mass.

How Charlotte got here: 4-1 win against the Upward Stars on May 20 in the second round; 1-0 victory against the Carolina RailHawks on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorer in tournament: Tomasz Zahorski (3 goals)

Charlotte Open Cup history: This is the USL expansion team's first U.S. Open Cup.

New England Open Cup history: New England won the 2007 U.S. Open Cup, posting a 3-2 victory against fellow Major League Soccer side FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas. Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman and Wells Thompson each scored a goal to give the Revolution their first Open Cup title. The Revolution also advanced to the final of the 2001 U.S. Open Cup and had the upper hand against the LA Galaxy, leading 1-0 on a Wolde Harris goal. However, the Galaxy's Ezra Hendrickson scored a second-half equalizer and Danny Califf scored the winner in overtime for a 2-1 victory.

Other notes: Tomasz Zahorski capped off his hat trick against the Upward Stars with a second-half goal in stoppage time. Enzo Martinez had Charlotte's other goal in that game. Against the Carolina RailHawks, Ryan Finley provided the Independence's lone goal in the 81st minute of a 1-0 victory against the NASL side.

Austin Aztex at Houston Dynamo; 9 p.m. ET; BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas

How Austin got here: 2-0 win against the Laredo Heat on May 20 in the second round; 2-0 victory against the San Antonio Scorpions on May 27 in the third round

Leading goal scorers in tournament: Mikey Ambrose, Trevin Caesar, Andres Cuero and Brian Fekete (1 goal each)

Austin Open Cup history: This year marks the first U.S. Open Cup for the Aztex as a USL team. However, the club participated in the 2013 and 2014 tournaments as a PDL side. Austin was unable to advance past the second round on both occasions, falling 2-0 to the Wilmington Hammerheads in 2013 and then dropping a 4-2 shootout against the NTX Rayados in 2014.

Houston Open Cup history: The Dynamo advanced to the semifinals twice during the club's first four years of existence. In 2006, Houston fell 3-1 to the LA Galaxy in the semifinals. The 2009 tournament was the best chance for Houston to advance to the final, carrying a 1-0 lead on an Ade Akinbiyi first-half goal and playing up a man midway through the second half against Seattle Sounders FC. However, Seattle's Nate Jaqua tied the score in the 89th minute and Stephen King scored the 94th-minute winner in overtime.

Other notes: Aztex head coach Paul Dalglish was a member of the Houston Dynamo from 2006-07, helping the club win the 2006 MLS Cup.

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