The US Open Cup third round, kicked off Tuesday night with NASL side San Antonio Scorpions FC taking on the Houston Dynamo in a first ever meeting between the two clubs. While the Scorpions are fighting for respect in second division soccer, the Dynamo sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings for the MLS.
With Houston set to take on La Liga side Valencia on Thursday, Mac Kandji and Cam Weaver got the nod up front and Adam Moffat in midfield with Bobby Boswell in defense.
The Scorpions started their most offensive attacking line-up with Bayona, Campos and Denissen all playing advanced roles with Harmse and Pitchkolan providing cover for the back four which included former Houston Dynamo Ryan Cochrane.
Houston came out looking confident with the ball and had an early chance when Colin Clarke missed a fairly open shot at the six yard line in the second minute of play. After that a couple of early opportunities for the Scorpions ensued but they largely squandered what possession they earned in the beginning phases of the match.
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Really cool highlights of the MNT’s trouncing of Scotland this Saturday. Makes you want to lace up your boots and join the action.
Interesting that without Clint Dempsey in the line up, Donovan goes on a scoring binge. I wonder if those two can coexist on the same field playing in similar positions. It’s not hard to see Donovan and Dempsey playing in advanced positions on the pitch, the question is, who do you play on the left flank.
Klinsmann went with Torres, on the left this time Are we really getting the most out of him on the left flank? He began drifting centrally as the match progressed because that’s his natural position on the pitch.
The line-up could look similar to Donovan out wide right, Dempsey up front (centrally) and some other player on the left flank, take your pick. While Torres assumes his central position just behind Dempsey and Jermaine Jones and the coach’s son playing just in front of the back four.
Maurice Edu had a tremendous match against an opponent he knows very well. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain that form or if he slips back into his normal inconsistent self when faced with different opponents.
The back four is half solidified, it may just be a question of who is in the best health or the best form.
It will be extremely interesting who he matches up with Brazil. It might even be an indication, barring injury to certain players, of what Klinsmann sees as his most competitive starting eleven.
On the verge of the Scorpions epic contest against two time MLS Champions Houston Dynamo, IMS takes a comprehensive look at US Open Cup match-ups across the soccer landscape in the US.
Matt Gold enjoying life as a professional player in the town he grew up in.
After a strong second half and playing a man down for most of the match, the SA Scorpions FC earned their way into the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-0 win over the Laredo Heat. The club secured passage to advance in the historic tournament and also retained the right to host MLS side the Houston Dynamo.
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Many players on the Scorpions roster have US Open Cup and Major League Soccer experience, but for Matt Gold, who spent time living in San Antonio as a youth player, it won’t be his first experience with either a cup environment or against MLS quality talent.
“Last year with TFC (Toronto Football Club) I participated in the Canadian Cup and was also involved with the CONCACAF tournament but this was my first experience with the NASL and US Open Cup.”
Gold, a 43rd pick in the MLS SuperDraft, was involved during the second leg of the semi-final and the first leg of the final for Toronto. He was inserted into the lineup by TFC manager Aron Winter during the latter stages of each match.
He also made his debut in MLS against the Seattle Sounders making two more appearances in league competition and one more appearance during the CONCACAF Champions League. His collegiate career was spent at Ohio State and he also played with the old Austin Aztex U23 PDL side.
Still in his early 20s, Gold believes his ambition relies on his ability to play numerous roles for his team.
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The Cascadia Cup, an old school rivalry between to old school clubs. You can almost feel the buzz from JELD-WEN Field through your computer screen.
POR – Kris Boyd (67′)
VAN – Darren Mattocks (84′)
Real Salt Lake 3 – 2 FC Dallas
Great matchup between two quality organizations. RSL started the match without two important players, Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando, who are both with USMNT. Dallas also were without Brek Shea, who is not available due to suspension until June 16th.
The match started with a slow first half but ended up as a race to the finish line. Both squads stocked with talent made for one of the more entertaining matches this week. The last goal came in stoppage time, and it appeared that Zach Loyd virtually gifted the goal to Borchers, tough play, tough way to leave points on the table for Dallas.
RSL – Alvaro Saborio (59′)
DAL – Matt Hedges (75′)
RSL – Alvaro Saborio (76′)
DAL – Blas Perez (85′)
RSL – Nat Borchers (93′)
DC United 3 – 2 New England Revolution
A great rivalry whenever the situation. This match was no different, in fact it resembled a really good heavyweight fight. Both teams played well and the Revs put in a valiant effort in comparison to how they’ve been playing for the past two seasons.
A second half goal from Miacon Santos snuffed out the Revs hard fought comeback after a two goal deficit. DC United look set to challenge the top clubs in the league and their performances continue to be quality. The win was ugly, but great to watch.
The Scorpions traveled to Canada Saturday to take on FC Edmonton ahead of their US Open Cup match against the Houston Dynamo Tuesday night.
Head coach, Tim Hankinson gave the nod to a few bench players reserving his regular starters for the US Open Cup match. Matt gold and Josue Soto started in midfield and Esteban Bayona up front. Euan Purcell received the start on the left flank but was almost immediately subbed most likely due to injury. Jonathan Greenfield slotted into left back with Craig Janicki inserted into the center defense.
Early on the match was back and forth with the Eddies sharing more of the chances in front of goal. The midfield became very congested with five across and one striker left forward. The play began to resemble a very defensive strategy from San Antonio who were sagging back with five in the defense at times and rarely moving past the center circle.
As the Scorps sat back, Edmonton were obliged to go forward and eventually scored a goal in the 37th minute when Shaun Saiko collected the ball in a deep position on the left flank and sent the ball into the box to an oncoming Yashir Pinto who glanced the ball into the right corner.
At halftime some changes were made by Hankinson, Greenfield was drafted into the midfield and Matt Gold was dropped to right back. The Scorpions began to press but Edmonton wasn’t going to let their home field advantage go to waste as Shaun Saiko scored a goal in the 54th minute.
Eventually, Denissen was brought in to replace Nunes up front and Pablo Campos was brought in as the game began to slip away from the Scorpions. The Scorpions have proven to be most dangerous with Campos, Denissen and Bayona all on the field at the same time.
As the run of play shifted, San Antonio pulled one back when Ramirez broke free on the left flank and centered to Josue Soto, who collected the ball right above the eighteen yard box and expertly finished with a left footed shot through oncoming pressure.
More pressure from the Scorpions lead to a free kick on the right flank and Denissen sent the ball in and Aaron Pitchkolan finished on a clinical header equalizing for the bexar county club in the 83rd minute.
The run of play was in favor of the Scorpions during the last ten minutes and Edmonton looked very much the way San Antonio looked to begin the game. But in the end, Edmonton couldn’t do enough to prevent San Antonio from coming away with a point with the match ending 2-2.
“We played more aggressively and played with a greater determination we forced the game on the opponent and I thought we did a better job in the second half. Our possession picked up and we had to take some risks when the second goal went in against us and we switched our system to more of a 4-3-3,” said Tim Hankinson.
The US Men’s National Team beat Scotland 5-1 Saturday night in Jacksonville, FL in preparation for the upcoming US qualifiers.
As the US dawned their new sailor outfits, Landon Donovan must have eaten his spinach before the match because he ended up scoring three quality goals. Michael Bradley scored a beautiful half-volley and Jermaine Jones finished the Scots off in the dying minutes of the game.
The US was so hot, they even scored for the Scots, with an own goal from Geoff Cameron early in the game.
It took about 15 minutes for Scotland to come close to the US goal, and in that time two goals were conceded until the Cameron own goal.
In the early parts, Torres looked plucky in his semi-wide role in the 4-3-3 set up for Klinsmann and constantly pestered the Scottish players. As the game progressed, Torres began moving centrally trying to initiate more offense and do what he’s good at doing.
Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley and Maurice Edu deputized the midfield for the yanks as they are all, essentially, the same player. That is to say, they each bring similar qualities and have a similar style of play. Of the three, however, I feel more comfortable with Jermaine Jones going forward if Torres isn’t going to feature for them as the offensive engine in the middle.
Edu was in particularly good form, defensively, as he absolutely demolished everything that came near him.
Terrance Boyd was an interesting choice up front and he continues to make a case for his inclusion to the starting eleven. He continually worked well with the midfield, finding open spaces to provide an outlet and he was constantly busy.
The rest of the squad had a solid performance but there were no real stand-out players. It seemed that the team really worked as a unit and the only real setback was the own goal.
Scotland stayed back for the most part, letting the US play and let in three goals before gathering momentum enough to go forward. The yanks constantly pinned them back with some of the best transition play I have seen this country play. It is increasingly apparent, that this squad has the ability to move forward as a unit with quick passes making it difficult for defenses to track their movement.
This could prove critical when facing CONCACAF opponents during qualifying.
Clearly, they were rested and well prepared for Scotland. Next, is Brazil.
The SA Scorpions FC advanced to the third round of US Open Cup after defeating USL-PDL side, the Laredo Heat 2-0 at Blossom Athletic Center Tuesday night.
The line up for the Scorpions had starters Denissen and Greenfield back in their traditional roles respectively. San Antonio native, Matt Gold earned a start and played the entire 90 minutes at left back.
The match began with a dull run of play and the Scorpions looked a bit underwhelming to start things off. After a short series of disorganized possession some lazy defensive play for the Scorpions led to a shot on goal in the 5th minute from Laredo Heat forward Greg Mulamba.
Gaining momentum and playing with confidence, the Heat pestered San Antonio into turning the ball over a few times, but even when the PDL side found themselves in possession, they quickly surrendered what little they gained.
The play was slow until the 21st minute when Walter Ramirez broke free on the left flank and fired a shot high and wide. A few minutes later, Ramirez earned a straight red card and was sent off for a clumsy challenge.
The SA Scorpions FC continue their consistent run of form this season with a 2-0 win over FC Edmonton Saturday night. The win sees the Scorpions extend their winning streak to four games and the club rise to third in the league behind Minnesota and Puerto Rico.
The match started with some changes in the lineup for the Scorpions to compensate for injuries to starters Hans Denissen and Blake Wagner.
Jonathan Greenfield slotted into right back for Wagner and Javier Saavedra was inserted into the offense for Denissen.
The contest started with some early possession from the Scorpions but the Eddies were always looking to counterattack and in the 13th minute Shaun Saiko broke free on the left flank and sent a hard shot into the side net just avoiding a save from Scorpions keeper Daryl Sattler.
The two teams traded blows for most of the first half with some spirited play from Edmonton and stretches of possession from the Scorpions.
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The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup has undergone some significant changes to the structure of the tournament this year. One major change is the equal selection process that allows teams to host games through the quarterfinals.
Before the tournament began, the potential for a lower-division team to host an MLS team greatly increased thanks to this random selection.
That possibility for the SA Scorpions FC is drawing ever closer as the first ever US Open Cup match for the club is set to kick off next week.
US Soccer announced third round match-ups earlier this week and the Houston Dynamo (MLS) are paired with the winner of the upcoming match against the Scorpions and the Laredo Heat.
“The chance to host an MLS team at Heroes Stadium is great for the team and this city,” said Scorpions team president Michael Hitchcock.
The potential for lower-division teams to host MLS clubs raises the profile of the tournament and allows fans to be exposed to a team from the top league in the country. From a club perspective, players have a chance to test themselves in a familiar setting and opportunities for revenue greatly increase when featuring some of the top players and clubs in the country.
The Houston Dynamo already have a familiar relationship with the Bexar Co. club and should make for an interesting contest.
Speaking of familiarity, the Scorpions take on the Heat for the third time this year with the two prior matches ending in wins (3-0; 3-1) for San Antonio during the preseason, respectively.
The second round match between the SA Scorpions FC (NASL) and the Laredo Heat (USL-PDL) will take place at Blossom Athletic Center on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m.
