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Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) at Ocean City Barons (PDL)
7 p.m.| Carey Stadium - Ocean City, N.J.
Broadcast: None | Winner plays: D.C. United

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Real Maryland: 1-0 win vs. Dulles Sportsplex Aegean Hawks (USASA), First Round (match stopped at 74th minute due to lightning)
Ocean City: 3-0 home win vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) in the First Round (HIGHLIGHTS w/ Internet Explorer)

DID YOU KNOW ...

In their last five U.S. Open Cup matches, the Ocean City Barons have faced a USL Second Division team four times. They are 3-1 in those matches. Real Maryland is only in their second year and this is the first time they have faced a PDL team in this competition.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
None

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ocean City
Tunde Oginbiyi (GK) – The goalkeeper will be a junior this Fall at Boston College (after transferring from the University of New Hampshire) and has yet to play an NCAA game, but in the meantime was called into the Nigerian Olympic Team camp last year and has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the PDL. He earned a clean sheet in his Open Cup debut by shutting out Crystal Palace Baltimore.
JT Noone (M/F) – Last year, Noone became the first All-American at TempleUniversity in 22 years and in 2009, he is the first Division I All-American to suit up for the Barons. In his first season in the PDL, he leads the team in scoring with two goals and two assists in six games, including a goal against Crystal Palace Baltimore in the First Round of the Open Cup.
Joe Banks (D) – In 1999, Banks began in the Barons youth academy and 10 years later, he finished a successful career at DrexelUniversity and has returned to the club for his sixth PDL season. He now coaches in the very youth academy he started with and the Barons captain helps lead a young defensive unit.

Real Maryland
Gary Brooks (F) – The Jamaican international leads the team in goals (4) and assists (3) and is playing with this fifth USL team. He has played for the Virginia Beach Mariners, Atlanta Silverbacks, Vancouver Whitecaps and suited up for Crystal Palace Baltimore in 2007, the year that they were upset by Ocean City in the Open Cup.
Ryan Cordeiro (M) - The former D.C. United prospect could help his club earn a date with the MLS club if they win on Tuesday. Cordeiro has a pair of assists in six league matches this year and scored the game-winning goal against the Aegean Hawks in the First Round.
Pat Carroll (D) - The brother of MLS player Brian Carroll, Pat also spent time with D.C. United last year, playing in two matches and making his pro debut in the club’s Third Round Open Cup game against the Rochester Rhinos. His other brother Jeff, who also was with D.C., also plays for the Monarchs.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

Real Maryland earned an Open Cup bid in their debut season in 2008, reaching the second after a 3-2 extra time win over the New York Pancyprian Freedoms from USASA’s Region I. They would fall in the Second Round 1-0 to the Carolina RailHawks who would eventually make a run to the Semifinals.

The Barons made their first Cup appearance as a member of the D3 Pro League in 2002, where they lost to the Virginia Beach Mariners 1-0 in the Second Round. 2009 marks the fourth time in the last six years that the Barons have qualified for the Open Cup. OceanCity is the only PDL team to qualify that many times out of the 68 teams in the league during that span. Overall, this is the fifth tournament appearance in franchise history. They are also one of four PDL teams to earn three or more wins against professional teams in the Open Cup (Michigan Bucks - 7, Des Moines Menace - 5, Carolina Dynamo and the Ocean City Barons have 3 each.) They defeated the Long Island Rough Riders of the USL Second Division 4-0 in the 2005 Second Round, which remains the most lopsided shutout for an amateur team over a professional team in the history of the tournament. It also stands as the biggest win over a USL-2 team by an amateur team in history. The following round they made history again, but not the kind one would like when they lost an exciting game at the USL First Division’s Richmond Kickers 8-4, the highest scoring game in the Professional Era. Their 3-0 win over CrystalPalace in the last round was the second upset of the Baltimore-based club after they knocked them out in 2007 by a score of 1-0.

Portland Timbers (USL-1) at Sonoma County Sol (USASA - NPSL)
10 p.m.|Santa Rosa High School; Santa Rosa, Calif.
Broadcast: None | Winner plays: Seattle Sounders F.C.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Portland: 3-0 win vs. Kitsap Pumas (PDL). First Round
Sonoma County: 5-2 win at Orange County Blue Star (PDL), First Round

DID YOU KNOW ...

In Portland’s five previous Open Cup appearances, they have faced a team from California four times, and have only won once, a 2-0 win over the PDL’s Bakersfield Brigade in 2007.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sonoma County
Shawn Percell (F) – Percell is the player on the Sol roster with the most professional experience, playing three seasons with the Seattle Sounders, as well as a season in Belize with Belmopan Bandits. Percell is also an assistant coach at Sonoma State, alongside Sol head coach Benjamin Ziemer and his brother, head coach Marcus Ziemer.
Eric Lafon (M) – The first year Sol midfielder leads the team in goals scored (7) and assists (9) in all of their NPSL and Open Cup related matches. He is also the all-time assist leader at Sonoma State with 33.
Trevor Hurst (M) – Hurst is second in points on the Sol roster, with five goals and six assists.

Portland
Brian Farber (M) – After spending time with in the MLS reserve league with Houston and San Jose, Farber played with the Minnesota Thunder in 2007, appearing in all 28 games with 7 goals and 3 assists. He spent 2008 with the Stockton Cougars of the Professional Arena Soccer League.
Cameron Knowles (D) – Knowles has spent the last three seasons with Portland, after spending 2005 & 2006 with Real Salt Lake. In his debut season with Portland, he was named one of the three finalists for the USl-1 Defender of the Year award (won by David Hayes of Atlanta).
Keita Mandjou (F) – The native of Guinea began his career in 2004 with Perak FA of the Malaysian league, and won the league scoring title in 2006. In 2008 he moved to Brunei DPMM F.C. of Singapore’s S-League, and was also the captain of the Guinea Under-23 squad.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

The Sol has made two Open Cup appearances, in 2005 & 2006. In ’05 they were eliminated in the first round by NPSL rivals Salinas Valley Samba on penalty kicks. In 2006 they advanced to the second round, where they fell to the Charleston Battery 1-0.

Portland has struggled in Open Cup play, winning only three times in eight Open Cup matches prior to 2009, as well as becoming the second USL-1 side to lose to a USASA club (Hollywood United in 2008).

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) at Carolina RailHawks (USL-1)
7 p.m.| WakeMed; Cary, N.C.
Broadcast: USLLive.com | Winner plays: Chicago Fire

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Wilmington: 2-0 win vs. Charlotte Eagles (USL-2), First Round
Carolina: 2-1 win vs. Richmond (USL-2), First Round

DID YOU KNOW ...

In Carolina’s short Open cup life, they are 2-0 against USL-2 teams, both 1-0 wins over Richmond (2007 QF) and Real Maryland (2008 2nd Rd.). Wilmington has played USL-1 teams three times, and holds a 2-2 record against them. The two wins were over the Atlanta Silverbacks in 2003 & 2006, while the two losses were to the Charleston Battery in 1999 and 2004.

This is the sixth time that a pair of teams from the state of North Carolina have met in the U.S. Open Cup in the Professional Era (1995 - present). First Round opponents Wilmington and Charlotte have made up two of the six matchups. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Carolina
Daniel Paladini (M) – Paladini got his start in the pro ranks as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy’s reserve team in 2006. After helping the PDL’s San Fernando Valley Quakes reach the PDL playoffs in 2007, Paladini was picked up by Chivas USA in March 2008, where he scored one goal in eight appearances. He has become a formidable striker for Carolina, and has been involved in five of the teams’ 12 goals scores in USL-1 play this year.
Mark Schulte (D) – The former Columbus Crew defender became the first player to ever be named USL Second Division Defender of the Year in consecutive seasons (2007 & 2008) with the Cleveland City Stars. Schulte has anchored a vastly improved RailHawks defense, allowing only seven goals in 12 league games. In comparison, the team allowed 17 goals in the same amount of time in 2008.
Gavin Glinton (F) – The Turks and Caicos native has returned to the USL-1 after three seasons in MLS with Los Angeles and San Jose. His most successful sting as a professional came with the Charleston Battery, where he scored 13 goals over 26 games. Glinton has also made six appearances for the Turks and Caicos national team.

Wilmington
Kenny Bundy (M) – Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that success has returned to the Hammerheads along with Bundy, but the last time the team was in the Open Cup (2006), was also the last season Bundy was with the team. Bundy has 11 goals and 10 assists in his 57 games as a Hammerhead from 2004-2006, before he left to concentrate on coaching youth teams in the Wilmington area.
Jyler Noviello (F) – While Noviello’s nine appearances in 2009 have come off the bench, he has scored four times in those games, including this incredible goal against Pittsburgh on June 7.
Jamie Watson (F) – After making his debut with the PDL’s DWF Tornados at age 18, Watson spent three years with Real Salt Lake, where he made 38 appearances from 2005-2007. After spending most of 2008 with the Austin Aztex U23 PDL team, Watson came to where he has become the focal point of the Hammerheads offense.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

Carolina has done well in their two Open Cup tournaments. In 2007 they reached the semifinals were they lost to the New England Revolution 2-1 in extra time. Their 2008 run also ended in extra time, in a 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Wizards in the third round.

Wilmington has one of the more dramatic Open Cup histories of the USL-2 clubs. They have been in seven tournaments, and have advanced to play MLS clubs four times. The most famous of these was their 4-1 drubbing of the Dallas Burn in 2003.

Cleveland City Stars (USL-1) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
7 p.m.| Marina Auto Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
Broadcast: USLLive.com | Winner plays: Columbus Crew

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Cleveland: 3-0 win vs. St. Louis Lions (PDL), First Round

Rochester: 1-1 draw vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2), First Round (Advanced on penalty kicks, 4-2)

DID YOU KNOW ...

There has been some forgotten Open Cup controversy between Cleveland and Rochester. On March 27, 1974, Cleveland’s Inter-Italian S.C. faced CelanoS.C. of Rochester, in the Eastern Quarterfinals (Round of 16). With the match tied at 1-1 and in extra time. Jim McMillan scored in the 103rd minute to give Inter a 2-1 lead The Celano players protested that Inter’s Frank Cariccho, who had went to the sideline with an injury, was allowed back on the field without stopping play. The Celano players put up such a fuss, that the referee stopped the match and awarded the game to Inter.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The two clubs have met twice in the 2009 USL First Division season. The first time was on May 1 at Cleveland, and Rochester came away 3-0 victors behind goals from Tai Atieno, Johnny Menyongar and Mike Ambersley

The second game was this past Saturday, and the City Stars were surprising 3-0 winners, although Rochester rested four of their starters, apparently to keep them fresh for Tuesday’s rematch.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cleveland
Roland Aguilera (M) – The veteran has played in the USL First division since 2003, save for one season in his home county of Bolivia. It is clear that Cleveland’s offence goes through him, as evidenced by the fact that has been involved with 6 of the 8 league goals (1 goal, 5 assists) scored by Cleveland, and also recorded an assist in Cleveland’s 3-0 win over St. Louis in the first round.

Ricardo Pierre-Louis (F) – The veteran of Haiti’s national team program came to Cleveland after seeing only three games with the Columbus Crew reserve squad in 2008. Pierre-Louis has played a total of 104 games and scored 46 goals in Haiti’s National Team program, beginning at the U-17 team and working his way up to the senior team.

Godfrey Tenoff (F) – Tenoff is one of the few players on the roster who enjoyed the USL Second Division title on by the City Stars last season. The South African veteran spent three seasons with the Minnesota Thunder before coming to Cleveland in 2008.

Rochester

Johnny Menyongar (F) – If there is a Mr. Open Cup, it’s Menyongar. The Liberian native leads all players with 13 Open Cup goals in the Professional Era. While all but one of those goals have come as a member of the Minnesota Thunder, he will surely look to add to his total this year.

Brent Sancho (D) – The Trinidad & Tobago native has made 43 appearances for his national team, including T & T’s lone World Cup appearance in 2006. Sancho played for the Portland Timbers in 2001 & 2002, before spending time over the next five years with clubs in Trinidad & Tobago and

England. He returned to the USL-1 with Atlanta in 2008.

Taivo Atieno (F) – Sure, he missed two penalty kicks in Rochester’s first round game versus Pittsburgh, but the English born Kenyan has been valuable to the Rhinos this year. After spending four seasons with various English teams, Atieno signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders, where he scored 12 goals in 39 games, including the goal that defeated Costa Rican powerhouse Alajuelense to send the Islanders to the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

The City Stars have reached the Cup in both of their previous seasons as a USL-2 club, and have made it past their first match each time.  The last time a club from Cleveland made a significant run in the Open Cup was in 1994, when the Cleveland Kickers reached the round of 16 before losing to the AAC Eagles 8-2. The last time a Cleveland team reached the Final was in 1973, when Inter Italian S.C. fell to Maccabee A.C. of Los Angeles 5-3.

Rochester’s Open Cup pedigree is well known. In their thirteen appearances, they have failed to advance beyond their first match only once (a 1-0 loss to the Hershey Wildcats in 2001). Of course there is the Cup they won in 1999.

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)

7:05 p.m.| Skyline Sports Complex; Harrisburg, Pa
Broadcast: None | Winner plays: New England Revolution

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Western Mass: 3-2 (aet) win vs. Emigrantes Das Ilhas (USASA), First Round

Harrisburg: 4-1 win vs. Reading Rage (PDL), First Round

DID YOU KNOW ...

Including 2009, the Pioneers have a 5-5 record in Open Cup games, but all five wins have come against USASA opponents. They are 0-4 versus professional teams in Cup play.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The two clubs have met once in the 2009 USL Second Division season. On April 25 at Harrisburg, the City Islanders prevailed 3-1, behind two goals from Chad Severs, and a third from Brandon Swartzendruber. Ty Shipalane has two assists for Harrisburg and Neil Krause scored the lone goal for the Pioneers. Harrisburg out-shot Western Mass 14-5 in that match.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Western Mass

Federico Molinari (D) – The five year veteran of the Pioneers defense began his professional career with Gimnasia La Plata in this home country of Argentina. He came to Western Mass in 2003, and returned in 2006 after stint with the Cincinnati Kings and Italy’s A.S. Deliese. Molinari was named to the 2008 USL Second Division All-League second team.

James Thorpe (GK) – The Pioneers defense seems to switch from night to day when Thorpe is between the posts. With the goalkeeping duties split between Thorpe and Matthew Jones, Thorpe has allowed only four of the Pioneers 13 goals scored against them, despite only playing two more games than Jones. Thorpe spent 2008 with the D.C. United reserve squad, and his only appearance with the first team was in United’s 2-0 loss to Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League, in which Thorpe was sent off for his second yellow card in the 32nd minute.

Yan Klukowski (M) – The former captain of England’s U-18 team plays a huge part in the Pioneers offence, as he is responsible for four of the nine assists among Pioneers players.

Harrisburg

Ty Shipalane (M) – Shipalane arrived at Harrisburg after three seasons with the Michigan Bucks of the PDL, where he had 11 goals and 9 assists over 49 games, as well as two goals in Open Cup play. He also scored the game winning goal in the 2006 PDL Championship game.

Chad Severs (F) – Severs returned to Harrisburg on a full time basis in 2009. His first, and only full, season with the City Islanders was in 2005, when he scored 14 goals in 20 games. In 2006 & 2007 he played with the Rochester Rhinos, but also made appearances for Harrisburg while on loan, as well as Otago United in New Zealand. Severs seems to have returned to his 2005 form, scoring six goals in nine matches this year.

Stephen Fisher (F) – Fisher has spent his entire professional career with Harrisburg, beginning with the clubs debut season in 2004. He began 2009 as the club’s all-time leader in games played with 83 and ranks among the leaders in minutes played (4,202, 5th), goals (13, tied for 4th), assists (12, tied for 2nd), and points (38, 3rd). Fisher has also scored three of the most famous goal in team’s history: The clubs first-ever goal on May 8, 2004, the extra time goal to beat Cleveland in the USL-2 playoffs the year they won the title, as well as the lone goal in Harrisburg’s 1-0 upset of D.C. United in the 2007 Open Cup.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

Western Mass has appeared in five other tournaments, and has won at least one game in all but one (2004).  This is also only the second time the Pioneers have played a league opponent in the Open Cup, the first coming last year (2-1 loss to Richmond).

Harrisburg reached the quarterfinals in their Open Cup debut in 2007, defeating D.C. United in the third round. This was also the year they won the USL Second Division Championship.

Charleston Battery (USL-1) at Miami F.C. Blues (USL-1)

8 p.m.| TropicalPark; Miami, Fla.
Broadcast: None | Winner plays: Chivas USA

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Charleston: 2-0 win vs. Atlanta F.C. (USASA), First Round
Miami F.C.: 2-1 win vs. Lynch’s F.C. (USASA), First Round

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Charleston and Miami have met twice in 2009. The first match was on May 2 at Lockhart Stadium, and Charleston prevailed 1-0 on Ian Fuller’s goal in the 73rd minute. The match featured five yellow cards (3 for Charleston, 2 for Miami) as well as one player sent off, Miami’s Walter Ramirez in the 18th minute.

In the second match on May 20 at Blackbaud, Charleston again won 1-0 on a 77th minute goal from Darren Spicer.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charleston

Darren Spicer (F) – Spicer was chosen 13th overall by Chivas USA in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, but only saw action with the reserve squad. After a brief stint in Germany, Spicer joined the Minnesota Thunder for the 2007 season. He then moved to Charleston in 2008, and notched a hat trick in Charleston’s opening round 3-0 win over ASC New Stars last year.

Tyler Hemming (M) – The 23 year old Canadian began his pro career with Toronto F.C. in 2007, but only appeared in seven matches over two seasons. After a stint in Finland ended early due to injury in 2008, Hemming found his way to Charleston, and leads the team in assists with 3.

Defensive Back Line (John Wilson, Nelson Akwari, Frankie Sanfilippo, Matt Bobo, Dusty Hudock) – The main reason Charleston is undefeated in the USL First Division may lie with these players. Charleston has allowed only four goals in twelve games, six fewer that in the same period last season. Bobo and Sanfillippo have been named to the USl-1 Team of the Week twice, and Akwari has been honored once. Veteran goalkeeper Dusty Hudock holds a microscopic 0.18 goals against average.

Miami
Diego Serna (F) – Serna is the connection to the last soccer team to call Miami home, the Miami Fusion. Serna appeared in 100 games for the MLS club between 1998 and 2001. He left MLS in 2004 to play in his native land of Colombia, and returned briefly with Colorado before heading off to play in Ecuador and Brazil. Returning to Miami in 2009, his has become a vital part of the Blues offense, becoming involved in half of the teams 10 goals in league play (3 goals, 2 assists).
Pat Hannigan (GK) - After taking a year off, Hannigan is back as the starting goalkeeper for Miami F.C. and is fifth in the league with a 1.00 GAA. He has also spent time playing indoor soccer and while playing at Temple University, he played for the Ocean City Barons (then called the South Jersey Barons) in the PDL, helping them complete a rare undefeated season (14-0-4).
Connally Edozien (F) - With time spent with the New England Revolution, Rochester Rhinos and the Carolina RailHawks, the Nigerian looks to be a compliment to Diego Serna in the Blues’ offense. He knows how to score in the Open Cup. In 2006, he finished tied for second in the tournament with four goals for Carolina, helping them make a run to the Semifinals (losing in extra time to his old club, New England).

OPEN CUP HISTORY

Charleston may be the second most famous USL club in Open Cup play, next to Rochester. The Battery has been to nine Open Cups, and has had one Quarterfinal appearance (2007), two semifinal appearances (1999 & 2004) and reached the Final in 2008.

In Miami’s first two Open Cup tries (2006 & 2007), they lasted only one match each, one of those being a 2006 loss to tournament Cinderella Dallas Roma F.C.. Last year the Blues finally broke through, reaching the third round, dropping a 2-1 match to F.C. Dallas.

Chicago Fire (PDL) at Minnesota Thunder (USL-1)

8:05 p.m.|NationalSportsCenter; Blaine, Minn.
Broadcast: Teamline (Audio) | Winner plays: Kansas City Wizards

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Chicago: 3-1 win vs. Bavarian S.C. (USASA), First Round
Minnesota: 3-2 win vs. 402 (USASA), First Round

DID YOU KNOW ...

While the Thunder is 4-2-1 against MLS clubs in Open Cup play, they have just a 3-2 record versus PDL teams. Only one of those three wins was by a margin greater than a single goal (4-1 vs. St. Louis Lions sin 2008).

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The two teams have faced once before in Open Cup play, in the 2005 second round. The Thunder prevailed 2-1, with goals from Johnny Menyongar and an own goal from Chicago in the 89th minute.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chicago
Andre Akpan (F): This dangerous forward is a star player with the U.S. Under-20 National Team. Participated in the Under-20 World Cup in 2007. Will be a senior at Harvard this Fall.
Fred Braun (M): The University of Louisville senior is a workhorse, interior midfield who is the motor that runs the Chicago midfield.
Robert Younger (D): The second year captain was named to the PDL All-Conference Team last year and also captained the club’s USL Super-20 North American championship team last season. Was also named Co-MVP of the Super-20 League. He will be a junior at Illinois-Chicago in the Fall.

Minnesota
Ricardo Sanchez (M) – Sanchez began his career in 2004, and played with various reserve teams in Mexico before signing with USL First Division expansion club California Victory in 2007. Once the Victory foleded at the end of the 2007 season, he signed with Minnesota. Sanchez was also a captain of the Mexican U-17 team that played in the 1999 U17 World Cup.

Leonel Saint-Preux (F) – The native of Haiti came to the Thunder this year after three seasons with Zenith of the Haitian league. He has made appearances for Haiti at various levels, including the Olympic and Senior teams, and participated in Haiti’s 2010 World Cup qualifying matches last fall.

Melvin Tarley (M) – Tarley is on his third stint with the Thunder for the 26 year old Liberian. His first run with Minnesota was from 2003-2005, and his second stop was for the 2006 & 2007 seasons. In between, he has played for MLS clubs Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids, as well as the Puerto Rico Islanders and Miami F.C. in 2007. He has scored eight Open Cup goals for Minnesota in his career, ranking only behind fellow Liberian Johnny Menyongar, who has 12 for the Thunder.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

The Fire PDL club has qualified for the Open Cup twice, in 2004 & 2005, both ending in losses to USL-1 clubs. In ’05, they advanced to the third round before falling 1-0 to the Rochester Rhinos. In 2006 they reached the second round before falling 2-1 to the Minnesota Thunder.

The Thunder have made nine Open Cup appearances, and have had mixed results. Three times (1999, 2003 & 2006) they were out after one match. In 2004 they reached the Quarterfinals (PK loss to the San Jose Earthquakes), and made the semifinals in 2005 (5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy).

El Paso Patriots (PDL) at Austin Aztex (USL-1)
8:30 p.m.| Nelson Field; Austin, Texas

HOW THEY GOT HERE
El Paso: 2-1 win vs. Arizona Sahuaros (USASA), first round
Austin: 2-0 win vs. Mississippi Brilla (PDL), first round

DID YOU KNOW ...

In 16 Open Cup matches, spanning 8 tournaments (including 2009), El Paso has never faced another team from Texas.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

While the Patriots have never faced Austin’s USL-1 club, they will hope a repeat of their encounter with the Aztex’s U23 PDL team does not occur. On May 22, El Paso lost 4-0 to the junior Aztex, with Juan Cruz scoring twice.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

El Paso
Michael Griego: The team’s leading scorer (3 goals, 2 assists in 7 games)

Edgar Mendoza:  He went to a small school at St. Joseph’s College, but has played big for the Patriots, scoring a pair of goals and adding two assists in the 2009 season.
Jorge Muniz: The former Laredo Heat player is the club’s #1 goalkeeper has a 1.14 GAA and three shutouts.

Austin
Yordany Alvarez (MF) – Alvarez came to the U.S. as part of the Cuban U-23 team, which came to Tampa in March 2008 for the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. Alvarez and six other players defected. After a failed trail with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Alvarez signed with Austin, and leads the team in points with 8 (3 goals, 2 assists).

Lyle Adams (D) – The native of Kingston, Jamaica spent 2006 & 2007 in the PDL, then was drafted by D.C. United in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Adams decided to try to catch on in Europe, but after failed trials with teams in Austria and Switzerland, he signed with Austin. He has been named to the USL First Division Team of the Week twice.

Eddie Johnson – No, not THAT Eddie Johnson, this one is from England. He began his career with Manchester United, but made only one appearance as a sup in a League Cup game in 2003. For the next three seasons he was loaned out to three different clubs before catching on with Bradford City. He finished his time in England with Chester City, and was allowed out of his contract in January 2009 as the club was facing financial hardships. He also appeared with England at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

OPEN CUP HISTORY

While the Aztex are making their cup debut as a professional club, their PDL team qualified in 2008, losing to the Atlanta Silverbacks on penalty kicks in the first round. The Austin Lone Stars of the D3 Pro League made three straight Open Cup appearances (1997-1999).

El Paso has made seven previous appearances, two with the USISL Select League, three as a member of the A-League, and two with the PDL. Of Course, their standout performance was finishing as runners-up to the Richmond Kickers in the 1995 Open Cup Final.