Richmond Kickers (USL-2) 2:1 Cleveland City Stars (USL-2)
In a game that could be a preview of the USL Second Division Championship, the undefeated Richmond Kickers held off the Cleveland City Stars 2-1 at University of Richmond Stadium.
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| Cleveland’s Nigel Codrington attempts move past two Richmond players during the City Stars 2-1 loss to the Kickers (Photo:Cleveland City Stars) |
After almost 30 minutes of back and forth action, Richmond struck first. After Cleveland failed to clear a corner kick, Matt Watson sent a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and down into the net for the 1-0 lead. The Kickers stiff defense, best in the USL-2, stifled Cleveland’s attack throughout the first half. With just second remaining in the half, home side doubled their lead through Robert Ssejjemba. Ssejjamba took a pass from Watson and put the ball past City goalkeeper Caleb Patterson and into the side of the net.
Cleveland pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, as Nigel Codrington put in a header from Mark Schulte off of a corner kick. Richmond hunkered down and held Cleveland at bay for the final minutes of the game, earning a trip from the Los Angeles Galaxy, and a possible appearance by David Beckham
Scoring
(RIC) Matt Watson 28’
(RIC) Robert Ssejjemba (Matt Watson ) 45’+
(CLE) Nigel Codrington (Mark Schulte) 64’
Richmond Match report
Carolina, Charleston move past amateurs to the third round
Charleston Battery (USL-1) 1:0 El Paso Patriots
It took 74 minutes, but the Charleston Battery finally found the goal that would deny the El Paso Patriots another USL-1 scalp, beating the PDL side 1-0.
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| Anthony Catalano and Ian Bennett celebrate Catalano’s goal in Charleston’s 1-0 victory over El Paso (Photo: Charleston Battery). |
The Battery pressured El Paso all night, but the Patriots managed to survive most of the match with a clean sheet. In the first half, a header from Tim Karalexis found the post instead of the net. Mike Richardson also also found the woodwork with a shot from a Stephen Armstrong cross.
El Paso goalkeeper Jorge Muniz made several great saves in the second half to keep his team in the game, as well as several near missed from the Battery.
Charleston finally broke through with roughly fifteen minutes remaining. Lazo Alavanja swung a free kick that found Anthony Catalano, whose volley from inside the six-yard box beat a frozen Muniz.
El Paso very nearly sent the match to extra time in the dying seconds, however. After defender Brandon Curran slipped and fell, Omar Mora found himself one on one with Charleston GK Dusty Hudock. With Hudock closing in, Mora’s shot rolled just shy of the goalpost.
Scoring
(CHR) Anthony Catalano 75’
Charleston Match report
Second-half goal lifts Battery over upstart Patriots - Charleston Post & Courier
Carolina RailHawks (USL-1) 4:0 Bavarian SC (USASA)
Connally Edozien celebrated his 29th birthday with a goal, then turned provider as the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division ousted the final USASA team in the competition, Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC.
The RailHawks dominated play throughout, limiting Bavarian to just a few scoring opportunities in a match delayed nearly an hour at the start because of lightning in the area. The amateur team stood strong until the final 8 minutes of the first half, when the duo of Edozien and Anthony Maher put Carolina in charge.
Edozien raced past three Bavarian defenders and onto a through ball from Maher on the right side in the 37th minute, got Bavarian goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum to commit and slotted a shot home to the far post for his third goal of the competition.
Eight minutes later, Edozien chested down a long ball into Maher’s path on the right doorstep. Fernstrum got both hands on Maher’s shot, but couldn’t stop it from rolling into the goal on the near post, making it 2-0 just before halftime.
The two hooked up for another goal in the 56th minute. RailHawks defender Chad Dombrowski, a Milwaukee-area native whose older brother Scott played all 90 minutes on the back line for Bavarian, found Edozien on the right side. His blast was turned away by Fernstrum, but the keeper couldn’t hold on to the rebound and Maher headed it in for a 3-0 lead.
Both teams substituted liberally from that point, and Carolina midfielder Marcio Leite finished off the scoring in fashion in the 79th minute. The Brazilian, who along with Maher plays indoors with the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL, ripped an impressive 20-yard strike that got over Fernstrum and under the crossbar to seal the RailHawks’ third-round matchup with the Chicago Fire.
Bavarian’s best chance was an 18-yard shot by Dale Weiler in the first half that Carolina keeper Chris McClellan had to tip wide.
Scoring
(CAR) Connally Edozien 37’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 45’
(CAR) Anthony Maher 56’
(CAR) Marcio Leite 79’
Carolina Match report
Rhinos, Silverbacks escape an upsetting night
Saved penalties and late goals see the USL-1 sides through
Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL-1) 2:1 (aet) Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2)
Despite out shooting the Pioneers 40-3, the Rochester Raging Rhinos needed a late goal and extra time to defeat the Western Mass Pioneers, 2-1 at PAETEC Park in Rochester.
The Rhinos came out firing in the first half, taking 13 shots, only to come away with nothing. Their best shot at the lead was in the 16th minute, when Chris Aloisi made a run down the right side and crossed to Hamed Diallo, who was stopped by Pioneers ’keeper Kevin Trapp. The ball rebounded to the feet of Matthew Delicate, who was also stopped despite being inside the six-yard box. Despite all of the shots Rochester took, It was Western Mass who snatched the lead just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, Jeff Deren managed to sneak behind two Rhino defenders and a charging GK Chase Harrison, and managed to get a touch on the ball and send it trickling into the net.
In the second half, the Pioneers were all defense, intent on holding onto the 1-0 lead for the win. Rochester added another 18 shots, and finally broke through in the 83rd minute on a Matthew Delicate goal. Delicate received a pass from Aaran Lines, and promptly put the ball away to tie the game. Western Mass resorted to even more physical play in the final minutes of regular time, and could be considered lucky to finish with 11 men on the field.
The Rhinos got the game-winning goal at the end of the first period of extra time. This time is was Lines himself providing the tally, and Rey Angel Martinez nearly put the USL-1 side up 3-1 when his chip shot over GK Trapp struck the crossbar. the teams finished the physical affair with 52 fouls and nine yellow cards between them.
Scoring
(WMP) Jeff Deren 43’
(ROC) Matthew Delicate (Aaran Lines) 83’
(ROC) Aaran Lines 105’
Rochester Match report
Pioneers suffer loss in overtime - MassLive.com
Frantic Rhinos get OT victory - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) 1:0 Charlotte Eagles (USL-2)
The Atlanta Silverbacks, 10-0 winners in their opening round match two weeks ago, needed only one goal and a saved penalty kick to overcome the USL-2 leading Charlotte Eagles 1-0.
Charlotte came out hot, and tested Atlanta GK Ryan McIntosh right away. USL-2 leading goalscorers Jacob Coggins fired a point-blank shot that McIntosh was equal to, making a great save and keeping the game scoreless. Just after halftime, Atlanta struck for the lone goal of the match. In the 47th minute, Rodrigo Rios sent a corner kick in the penalty area that Warren Ukah headed home.
Ten minutes later, Charlotte looked sure to draw level from the penalty spot. Omar Jarun was called for a foul in the penalty area, and Coggins again stepped up to face McIntosh from point-blank range. McIntosh again denied Coggins a goal. The Silverbacks defense held firm as Charlotte pressured for the tying goal in the final minutes of the game.
Scoring
(ATL) Warren Ukah (Rodrigo Rios) 48’
Charlotte Match report
Atlanta Match report
Silverbacks move on with 1-0 win - Gwinett Daily Post
A wild night on the shore!
Ocean City Barons (PDL) 1:2 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
Ocean City Barons Communications
When the final whistle blew, nearly all of the 1,019 fans in attendance were on their feet, paying tribute to one of the most entertaining games in club history. In the end, the Ocean City Barons fell short, 2-1 to the USL Second Division’s Harrisburg City Islanders in an exciting U.S. Open Cup match featuring end-to-end play and exceptional goalkeeping. David Schofield scored the game-winning goal just after halftime and the City Islander defense survived a frantic second half to secure a home game against DC United of Major League Soccer in the third round.
Both goalkeepers came up big for their respective teams. Former Baron Matt Nelson made seven saves for Harrisburg, including a jaw-dropping diving save in the 64th minute to secure the win. Adam Edwards made 15 stops for the home side in the losing effort.
Both teams created several near chances in the first half, but it would be the Barons to strike first. The Barons were on the move up the left wing, and the ball found it’s way toward the middle of the field. The pass was played across to a streaking Leon Brown, who fired a shot on goal which was saved by Nelson. However, the goalkeeper batted the ball into the air, deflecting it off the under side of the cross bar and down into the goal.
The fans were still celebrating when Harrisburg raced back into Baron territory to earn a corner kick. After the ball was cleared by the back line, Brian Ombiji sent the ball back into the fray and Chad Severs received the pass in the box, then turned and slipped it past Edwards to pull the game level at 1-1.
Harrisburg nearly added a second goal before the break when Anthony Calvano sent in a cross from the left wing which found Ombiji at the far post. Ombiji connected, but Edwards was quick to cover, making a kick save to keep the game level.
After the halftime break, Harrisburg carried on the momentum, moving the play up the left wing. Ombijii and Severs showed some nice combination play in the left corner, but it was Severs who dribbled toward the middle and played a ball across to Schofield who buried it to put the City Islanders up 2-1.
The Barons saw their best chance of the game pass them by in the 64th minute. One minute earlier, Lee Catchpole entered the game, replacing Kyle Evans on the left wing. Rob Youhill, who made his first start of the season, created space along the touch line, broke into the box and found Catchpole all by himself at the far post, six yards from goal. The pass came across the mouth of the goal, and Nelson sprinted from one post to the other and dove down to the ground and got just enough of a hand on the ball to push it past the post for a corner kick.
On the ensuing corner kick, Sean Boyle delivered a ball into the center of the box which was cleared out to the top of the 18. It was there when Adam Sternberger blasted a volley, much like Benny Feilhaber’s goal for the United States against Mexico in the Gold Cup final, except he pushed the shot inches over the crossbar.
A few minutes later, the Barons threatened again with a corner kick from Boyle, delivering it to the far post where the ball was brought down and shot from close range, only to be saved off the line by Schofield. In the 70th minute, another Barons free kick was delivered into the penalty area and the ball found its way to Catchpole in nearly the same position, but he was denied again, this time by a defender in front who cleared it off the line.
Two minutes later, Brown nearly equalized. Sternberger fed the ball to Byron Carmichael in the middle of the field who hit a one-time pass to the right wing where Brown was streaking in just like he did for the opening goal, but this time Nelson came off his line to cut off the angle and made the save.
The Barons saved a ball of their own off the line when Harrisburg earned a corner kick in the 81st minute. Sternberger was positioned at the far post, when the ball was sent into the center of the penalty area and headed toward goal. The Rutgers player stood his ground and kept it off the line, giving Edwards a chance to secure it.
The Barons would continue to threaten to the very end, but the City Islanders’ defense would hold strong and punch their ticket to the third round.
Scoring
(OCB) Leon Brown 42’
(HCI) Chad Severs 44’
(HCI) David Schofield 48’
Severs returns to Ocean City, ousts Barons from tournament - Press of Atlantic City
City Islanders stay in running for Cup - PennLive.com
Let’s get ready to rumble!
Seattle, California move on in card-filled matches
Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) 0:1 California Victory (USL-1)
In a match that sometimes resembled a wrestling battle royal, the California Victory defeated the Minnesota Thunder 1-0, just two days after Minnesota prevailed over the Victory by the same score in a USL-1 league match.
The Thunder wasted no time jumping on attack, forcing Victory goalkeeper Eric Reed to thwart two breakaway attempts in the first twenty minutes. The Thunder also struck the crossbar during this time, off a shot from Brian Farber.
The first half wasn’t all Thunder, however. California’s Jose Retiz forces GK Nic Platter to make a flying save to knock the ball over the crossbar.
The first of four red cards were issued just after the restart, when California’s Cameron Dunn was sent off for his second caution of the match. Minnesota would only keep the man advantage for twenty minutes, as Jeremiah Bass was sent off in the 79th minute for his second yellow card. The teams finished scoreless after 90 minutes, and moved onto extra time.
Just five minutes into the extra session, California got the eventual game-winning goal. Ricardo Sanchez put away a free kick to give the Victory a 1-0 lead, as was also ejected from the match for his goal celebration, in which he mimicked
urinating towards some of the Thunder fans. Just after the start of the second extra time period, the sides were once again level, as Ansu Toure was shown a straight red card for a tussle with Cal’s Jose Retiz. All told, the two teams combined for 45 fouls, 12 cautions, and 4 red cards.
Scoring
(CAL) Ricardo Sanchez 105’
Minnesota Thunder Match report
California Match Report
Seattle Sounders (USL-1) 2:1 Portland Timbers (USL-1)
The rivalry between the two clubs from the Northwest has always been an intense one, and Tuesday’s second round U.S. Open Cup match just added another chapter to the book. A total of seven yellow cards and one ejection marked the Sounders 2-1 victory over Portland.
Portland started off red hot, taking two shots on goal in the opening minute of play. In the 19th minute, Portland grabbed the lead free kick goal from defender Justin Thompson. the turning point of the match came just before halftime, when Portland’s Cameron Knowles was sent off for elbowing the Sounders Roger Levesque in the penalty area. Former Timbers standout Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar stepped up and converted the kick to tie the game.
Things were a bit testy in the remaining minutes of the half, as Portland’s Scot Thompson and Seattle’s Josh Gardine were cautioned after a confrontation just minutes before the penalty kick.
As Portland switched tactics to a more defensive stand, Seattle grabbed the go ahead goal in the 70th minute. Jake Besagno put away a Gregory Howes cross to make the game 2-1 Sounders.
Portland pushed for the equalizer, and nearly got it in the 80th minute, when Brian Jordan combined with a teammate for a one-two combo, but Chris Eylander saves the low shot from Jordan.
Scoring
(POR) Justin Thompson (Andrew Gregor) 19’
(SEA) Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (PK) 41’
(SEA) Jake Besagno (Gregory Howes) 70’
Seattle Match report
Seattle Pitch Match Report
Seattle 2, Portland 1 Red card puts Timbersdown, out to Sounders - The Oregonian
Sounders rally past Portland in U.S. Open Cup - Seattle Times
