But the biggest upsets of them all is the ousting of two USL 2^nd Division sides in the Cincinnati Kings & Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The US Soccer 3^rd Division has been kicked to the corner by these up & coming kids that are looking very hungry to take out the top level sides. The Cincinnati Kings who had no problems in the USL 2^nd Division qualifying table had problems with the USASA’s Reggae Boyz of Indiana. Four straight goals from the 8^th to the 25^th to 40^th & finally the 70^th minute as Moussa Zagnogo & Dave Beck registered two goals each to take down the expansion USL side. Even though the Cincy Kings are USL 2^nd Division clubs they are still an expansion club. They just got a hard lesson in US Open Cup 101. As they say in Baseball when it’s 1,2,3 strikes your out,  Good Morning, Good Afternoon & Good Night.

 

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds I thought would fair much better against the Des Moines Menace and move on to the 2^nd round and boy was I wrong. The next time I think something like this can happen, could someone just walk up to me and just slap me upside the head please. My brain needs to be working better. No goals were scored during regulation, so it was off to extra time. Since the new rules change in the thirty minutes of extra time, the golden goal rule has been taken out. You must play the entire thirty minutes of extra time regardless if a goal has been scored. Mira Mupler for Pittsburgh in the 101^st minute and Brian Biggerstaff in the 111^th minute equalized for Des Moines. Round of penalties were calling and the Menace eliminated the Riverhounds 4-2.

 

The Salinas Valley Samba are staying alive and forcing penalties once again. Sonoma County Sol had a one nil lead in the 59^th but David Frank in 2^nd half stoppage time saves the Samba. Both sides would register a goal in the extra time, but the Samba once again delivered the final blow in the round of penalties making it a tight one, 6-5 for the Samba.This is the third official match in the 2005 US Open Cup that a winner has been decided in the round of penalties and two of the three have been the US Adult Soccer Associations Salinas Valley Samba. This club is starting to make a statement early in the US Open Cup and who knows how far they could really go.

 

For the PDL & USASA clubs moving on to the 2^nd round to face off against the clubs of USL 1^st & 2^nd Divisions I wish you all good luck and happy hunting, because right now these eight new opponents have to feel very nervous when the minnows become the predators and brother it’s looking pretty darn good to watch.