Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Underway! First Round Results

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup got underway with the first round being played all on May 13th with the final two spots going to the winners of the preliminary rounds which were: Cal FC and Harpo’s FC. With that said there were 21 games played so I’m only going to do a quick score recap and who the winning team is going to play in the second round of the USOC.

Also included will be where the team is from whether they are from: the American Fifth Divisions United States Adult Soccer Association and United States Specialty Sports Association (USASA and USSSA) or the American Fourth Divisions which are the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and the Premier Development League (PDL).

All winning teams will now move on to face teams from the American Third Division, the United Soccer League (USL), and the games will take place on May 20th unless otherwise noted. Winners will be displayed in bold and the first team listed was the home team.

West Virginia Chaos – 1 (PDL) vs. Fort Pitt Regiment – 0 (NPSL)

West Virgina Chaos will play the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Pittsburgh, PA

Western Mass Pioneers (PDL) – 1 vs. Greater Binghamton FC (NPSL) – 1 (3-4 p)

GBFC will play the Rochester Rhinos in Rochester, NY

Lansing United – 0 (NPSL) vs. Red White and Blue Adria (USASA) – 0 (4-2 p)

Lansing United will play Louisville City FC in Lansing, MI

Miami United FC – 2 (NPSL) vs. SW Florida Adrenaline (PDL) – 1

Miami United will play the Charleston Battery in Charleston, SC

Upward Stars – 2 (NPSL) vs. Triangle Brigade (USASA) – 2 (3-1 p)

Upward Stars will play the Charlotte Independence in Rock Hill, SC

AC Connecticut – 2 (PDL) vs. Virginia Beach City FC (NPSL) – 3

Virginia Beach City will play the Richmond Kickers in Richmond, VA

Reading United AC (PDL) – 1 vs. Maryland Bays (USASA) – 0

Reading United will play the Harrisburg City Islanders in Reading, PA

Michigan Bucks – 3 (PDL) vs. Detroit City FC (NPSL) – 0

Michigan Bucks will play the Portland Timbers 2 in Pontiac, MI (Note: this is the only game that will not be held on May 20, it will be contested on May 19)

Chattanooga FC – 1 (NPSL) vs. Ocala Stampede (PDL) – 1 (4-2 p)

Chattanooga FC will play the Wilmington Hammerheads in Wilmington, NC

Long Island Rough Riders – 3 (PDL) vs. Brooklyn Americans (NPSL) – 1

Long Island will play Real Monarchs SLC in South Huntington, NY

Jersey Express SC – 3 (PDL) vs. Greek American AA (USASA) – 0

Jersey Express will play the New York Red Bulls II in Newark, NJ

Mass Premier Soccer (USASA) – 1 vs. Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL) – 2

Seacoast United will play the Tulsa Roughnecks in Tulsa, OK

Des Moines Menace (PDL) – 2 vs. Madison Fire (USASA) – 1

Des Moines will play Saint Louis FC in Fenton, MO

Midland/Odessa Sockers (PDL) – 3 vs. Tulsa Athletics (NPSL) – 1

Midland/Odessa will play the Oklahoma City Energy in Midland, TX

Laredo Heat (PDL) – 0 vs. NTX Rayados (USASA) – 0 (4-2 p)

Laredo will play the Austin Aztex in Austin, TX

BYU Cougars – 0 (PDL) vs. Harpo’s FC (USSSA) – 0 (2-4 p)

Harpo’s FC will play the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in Colorado Springs, CO

FC Tucson (PDL) – 1 vs. Chula Vista FC (USASA) – 2 (aet)

Chula Vista will play Arizona United SC in Scottsdale, AZ

FC Tacoma 253 (NPSL) – 2 vs. Kitsap Pumas (PDL) – 5

Kitsap will play Seattle Sounders FC 2 in Tukwila, WA

Sonoma County Sol (NPSL) – 2 vs. Burlingame Dragons FC (PDL) – 1 (aet)

Sonoma County will play Sacramento Republic FC in Sacramento, CA

Ventura County Fusion – 3 (PDL) vs. Cal FC (USASA) – 3 (6-5 p)

Ventura County will play the LA Galaxy II in Carson, CA

PSA Elite – 7 (USASA) vs. Golden State Misioneros (PDL) – 1

PSA Elite will play the Orange Country Blues in Los Angeles, CA

2015 NWSL Season: Week 5 Recap

This week of NWSL action saw the USWNT ladies that are headed to Canada for the Women’s World Cup playing a warm up game before the start of the World Cup against the Irish Ladies National Team. It wasn’t just the USWNT that were out playing friendlies as many women’s national teams were out in full force during the weekend as well.  So the club teams were without their USWNT (and other international) stars, but there was plenty of activity nonetheless in the league.

Western New York Flash – 0 vs. FC Kansas City – 1

The defending champions FCKC made their way to Rochester on Friday to play the Western New York Flash in what would be a low scoring affair, but that doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any action between both teams. Early on, WNYF got off to a quick start and would gain most of the opportunities against KC and would get close to scoring on many occasions. However, WNY’s inability to find the back of the net on great chances would be their downfall. In the second half, the visiting side took control of the possession and created the most chances on the opposing net. Their hard work paid off as a nifty through ball by Mandy Laddish found Liz Bogus who ran it into the box and roofed it, catching WNYF’s keeper Sabrina D’Angelo off guard. That would be the only goal of the game and KC would win by that one goal advantage.

Highlights

Chicago Red Stars – 3 vs. Boston Breakers – 0

The Breakers would go into Chicago hoping to get out of the basement of the NWSL with a result against the Chicago Red Stars. The Red Stars would not back down against the Breakers, and they ended up hanging up three on the visiting team. The first half was dominated by the Red Stars, but somehow they couldn’t get the ball past Boston keeper Jami-Ann Kranich. The second half was a different story as the Red Stars unleashed their offensive fury on the Breakers, starting with Vanessa DiBernardo’s through pass to Sofia Huerta that Huerta slotted past Kranich for the 1-0 Chicago lead. In the 70th minute, a defensive folly led to Cara Walls scoring the Red Stars’ second goal of the game, with Huerta getting the assist on the goal. 12 minutes later Sofia Huerta would net her brace when she received a killer cross from Arin Gilliland and the score would end 3-0 in favor of the Red Stars. Sofia Huerta was truly the player of the match as she contributed to all three Chicago goals and was the catalyst for their victory.

Highlights

Sky Blue FC – 1 vs. Seattle Reign – 1

This game featured Seattle making the long trip to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue FC. The game was fast paced and it went back and forth between both teams as they both had chances that could have ended in goals. One almost did for SBFC but, unfortunately for them, the goal was nullified by an offside call. Plenty of excitement in the first half for both teams, however, there were no goals to show for it in the first half. The game’s first goal didn’t occur until the 76th minute when Lauren Barnes put the Reign on the board first. From a corner kick, the Reign played the ball short and eventually Barnes found the ball on the top of the half moon and let loose a shot that zipped by everybody and found the back of the net. Near the end of the match, some confusion in the box led to a red card for Seattle’s Jessica Fishlock and a penalty kick for SBFC. Nadia Nadim ended up scoring from the spot, leveling the game at one, and the game would end in a tie 1-1.

Highlights

Portland Thorns – 2 vs. Washington Spirit – 2

The Spirit were another team that had to make a long travel, as they traveled the the Pacific Northwest to take on the league leading Portland Thorns. The game got off to a quick start as a bad giveaway by the Thorns gave Washington’s Crystal Dunn the ball and she managed to score with three minutes on the clock to give the Spirit the 1-0 lead. Then, 10 minutes later another defensive blunder by Portland gave the ball to the Spirit’s Francisca Ordega who went one-on-one with the keeper and beat her to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage. Washington dominated the first half chances up until the 28th minute when a shot by Thorns forward Sarah Jackson was blocked by Washington keeper Kelsey Wys, but Meleana Shim was there to pick up the rebound to score the home side’s first goal. Right after the break, Portland got their equalizer as Meleana Shim fed a through ball to Allie Long who beat out a Spirit defender and goalie to even up the game 2-2. There were more chances to be had by both teams for the next 30 minutes, but the game would hold its 2-2 scoreline.

Highlights

Houston Dash – Idle 

After Week 5 of play the NWSL table looks like this: P/ GP/ W/ L/ D/ GF/ GA/ GD

1.	Chicago Red Stars	10	4	3	0	1	9	4	5
2.	FC Kansas City	9	5	3	2	0	5	4	1
3.	Portland Thorns FC	8	4	2	0	2	9	5	4
4.	Seattle Reign FC	7	5	2	2	1	11	7	4
5.	Washington Spirit	7	5	2	2	1	9	9	0
6.	Sky Blue FC	5	5	1	2	2	4	6	-2
7.	Houston Dash	4	4	1	2	1	5	6	-1
8.	Western New York Flash	3	4	1	3	0	4	8	-4
9.	Boston Breakers	3	4	1	3	0	5	12	-7

Tardy To The Party: NASL Week 6 Power Rankings

I know it’s redundant to post a power rankings article after the week has mostly been played, but I’ve been busy and I had written it before but I didn’t get it posted in time so I’m going to post it now because why not yeah? Also, I’m going to do a bi-weekly power rankings post from now on because ranking the teams week by week is really exhausting. This way there can be less movement and a more balanced reason way to rank them instead of having teams go from 11 to 6 in just one week.

So here it goes:

1. New York Cosmos – (3-2-0) – Prev. Games: 0-0 D vs. ATL, 1-0 W vs. OTT – Movement: No Change – The Cosmos continued to show why they are the class of the league as they went into Atlanta and managed a draw away from home and won a game in their home away from home (as they played in Brooklyn) against Ottawa. The Cosmos’ defense is solid, their attack is always a threat every game, and they just dominate every aspect of the game and they deserve to be in the top spot. Their next game is against Edmonton and the way Edmonton is playing I wouldn’t be surprised if they managed a draw against the New York squad, but I’d still wouldn’t bet against the Cosmos.

2. Tampa Bay Rowdies – (2-2-1) – Prev. Games: 3-2 W vs. JAX, 1-1 D vs. CAR – Movement: No Change – Right behind the Cosmos are the Rowdies, who are having quite the season themselves. Having beaten their new in-state rivals and going to WakeMed Park having rescued a point, the team’s on the rise and they can be serious contenders for the Spring title, or at least they are in prime position to be one of the four teams in the Championship playoffs. The Rowdies have a tough game as they travel to the Great White Northern Capital and face a Ottawa squad that has been struggling of late. Could be a trap game however as Ottawa is a real good team at home and could prove a worthy adversary against the Rowdies.

3. Ft. Lauderdale Strikers – (2-1-2) – Prev. Games: 3-1 W vs. OTT, 0-0 D vs. ATL – Movement: Up Six Spots – Ft. Lauderdale has had an up and down season, and right now they are on the up as they have snatched four points out of the last six. That’s why I have them up so high, that and also because they have an off week this week so they have no way of losing ground in the standings. They also have a chance to rest up and work on their game plan for the upcoming weeks, especially against their long time rivals the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a game that will decide the upper spots in the table.

4. Carolina RailHawks – (1-3-1) – Prev. Games: 1-1 D vs. IND, 1-1 D vs. TB – Movement: Up One Spot – The RailHawks have been on a trying streak ever since they won their first game of the season. Their last two games have been draws and although they are still near the top or middle of the table. They play well and they have a good defense and offense but for some reason they cannot find the same magic they did against Ottawa. Maybe they can find a chance to win against a weak San Antonio side that has been struggling as of late.

5. Minnesota United – (0-3-1) – Prev. Games: 2-2 D vs. SA, 2-2 D vs. EDM – Movement: Down Two Spots – If you would have told me that the Loons would be without a win this far in the season I wouldn’t have believed you. But, here they are incapable of winning so far and drawing against a weak Scorpions squad and struggled mightily to draw against the Eddies up in Edmonton. So the drop in ranking is justified, but maybe they can reverse their fortunes against an undefeated Atlanta.

6. Atlanta Silverbacks – (1-4-0) – Prev. Games: 0-0 D vs. NYC, 0-0 D vs. FTL – Movement: Up One Spot – Speaking of an undefeated Silverbacks, if you would have told me that Atlanta would be undefeated so far I would have laughed in your face. But, here they are undefeated. However, they have not been able to score much as their last two games have ended in scoreless draws. While that might be good, they are gaining points, they still haven’t been able to solidify themselves as a good squad because they haven’t been winning much. A win against Minnesota could be a season changing game for them, either in a good or bad way.

7. Indy Eleven – (1-3-0) – Prev. Games: 1-1 D vs. CAR, Idle Week 5  – Movement: Down One Spot – Indy is another team that has promise of a great squad, but they don’t play like a great squad. Their draw against Carolina was impressive, but much like other teams in the NASL they don’t win and without wins they cannot advance higher in the standings to compete for the Spring Championship. Not to mention, they lost their goaltender Kristian Nicht to the MLS side Montreal Impact who used him to play the CONCACAF Champions League final against Club América so they lose a spot in my ranking. Next game is against the Jacksonville Armada and this game is a toss-up, either club could win this game.

8. Jacksonville Armada – (2-0-2) – Prev. Games: 3-2 L vs. TB, 2-1 W vs. SA – Movement: Up Two Spots – Jacksonville is one of the most impressive expansion squads I have seen in a long time. There is no shame in losing to the Rowdies, especially the way both squads played to put on one heck of a game. Also, beating the defending champs is a great accomplishment, even though they are not doing so great, as the Armada chugs along in search of the top of the table. Their next game against Indy, as said above, could be won by either squad; we will have to wait and see the result of that game.

9. FC Edmonton – (1-2-1) – Prev. Games: Week 4 Idle, 2-2 D vs. MIN – Movement: Down One Spot – On the other side of the spectrum is FC Edmonton, a team people believed would do so well, but they have not. Yes, tying Minnesota is no small feat but if you consider that they could have beaten Minnesota, yet they squandered the lead late, the Eddies could be higher up in the standings than in 9th. Also, they face the cream of the crop in the NY Cosmos so it’s not looking good for the Eddies.

10. Ottawa Fury – (1-1-3) – Prev. Games: 1-3 L vs. FTL, 1-0 L vs. NYC – Movement: Down Six Spots – Oh, Ottawa. You were supposed to be my dark horse of this competition, I honestly did believe in you. But, now with two consecutive losses to the Strikers and the Cosmos the chances of you being a contender for the top spots of the league are slowly slipping away. Not to mention a tough game against the Rowdies doesn’t bode well for the Fury. 

11. San Antonio Scorpions – (1-1-3) Prev. Games: 2-2 D vs. MIN, 2-1 L vs, JAX – Movement: No Change – The Scorpions continue their futility as they nabbed an impressive draw against the Loons, and next week they dropped a game to the expansion Armada. The Scorpions are winless and they have no way of stopping the losses from coming. They play well, but in the stretches of the game when the going gets tough, the Scorpions crumble under the pressure and let in goals during crucial parts of the game. Can they finally figure it out against the RailHawks? Or will they suffer yet another loss?

Friday Night MLS – Week 10 – Orlando City SC vs. New England Revolution

This Friday, two games were played and the game of note took place in Orlando, FL as The Lions took on the Revs in the Citrus Bowl. The Revolution came into the game as the heavy favorite, being the first place team in the Eastern Conference and Orlando sits in 7th place just outside of a playoff position.

Orlando gets lucky at the end and scores an equalizer to get a point and deny the Revs three. (photo courtesy of Alex Melendez Getty Images)

After a slow start to the season, the Revolution has been on a tear as they have managed to secure results in seven consecutive games, winning five out of those seven. Meanwhile, Orlando hoped to reverse their fortunes as they had lost two straight and three out of their last four games. So the game got underway and it didn’t take long for Charlie Davies to find the net, his fourth in as many games, to put the Revs up 1-0. A bad giveaway by Orlando midfielder Amobi Okugo in his own half led to Davies controlling the ball, running up to the box, and taking a shot on net that beat Orlando goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The Revs controlled possession and achieved to get most of the chances to score in the first half, Orlando had no answer for them as they failed to contain the New England attack. In the 40th minute, a crazy sequence saw New England scramble to score but saw their efforts find the left post and the crossbar, literally in back to back plays. The first half ended on that note with the Revs up by one and Orlando really needed to turn this game around.

In the second half, the Lions came out playing better but again a bad defensive giveaway led to another Revolution goal. The Revs were making their way up the field and a long cross was intercepted by Orlando defender Rafael Ramos, who tried to chest it towards his goalie to regroup. However, Ramos failed to see that Kelyn Rowe was right behind him so as he chested the ball weakly towards Ricketts, Rowe swooped in and stole the ball away and danced past defenders to slot the ball away for the 2-0 lead.

Things looked bleak for the home side as they had 20 minutes to erase a two-goal deficit against the conference leaders. But lo and behold, they did exactly that starting in the 75th minute when Ramos, making up for his earlier mistake, fed a slick cross to Cyle Larin who powerfully headed the ball in for the Orlando goal. Then, in the dying minutes of the game another cross by Orlando, this time by Luke Boden, found Frenchman Aurélien Collin who rose above all others and headed a ball that rang off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the equalizer.

With that the game would end with Orlando managing to rescue a point from a New England side who should have walked out of the Citrus Bowl with three points. You have to give the Orlando squad credit as they could’ve given up, but they pulled through, gave it their all, and they were rewarded with two goals. Truly riveting soccer.

Highlights

Lineups

Orlando City SC – Donovan Ricketts, Rafael Ramos, Aurélien Collin, Seb Hines, Luke Boden, Darwin Ceren, Amobi Okugo (Cristian Higuita 46′), Eric Avila (Carlos Rivas 72′), Kaká, Cyle Larin (Bryan Rochez 81′), Brek Shea

New England Revolution – Bobby Shuttleworth, London Woodberry, Jermaine Jones, Andrew Farrell, Chris Tierney, Andy Dorman, Scott Caldwell, Teal Bunbury, Lee Nguyen (Diego Fagundez 86′), Juan Agudelo (Kevin Alston 72′), Charlie Davies (Kelyn Rowe 61′)

Goals

Orlando City SC – Cyle Larin 75′, Aurélien Collin 90′

New England Revolution – Charlie Davies 19′, Kelyn Rowe 71′

Disciplinary 

Orlando City SC – Brek Shea (Yellow 31′), Rafael Ramos (Yellow 45+1′), Kaká (Yellow 65′) Carlos Rivas (Yellow 76′)

New England Revolution – London Woodberry (Yellow 38′), Jermaine Jones (Yellow 53′), Scott Caldwell (Yellow 84′)

NWSL 2015 Season: Week 4 Recap

This week of NWSL action had all four games slated on Saturday and it was an exciting week of women’s soccer. Here’s the recap of the games:

Chicago Red Stars – 1 vs Sky Blue FC – 0

Highlights

Leading scorer Christen Press and the Chicago Red Stars welcomed Sky Blue FC as they battled it out at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex. The first half came and went without any scoring, but Chicago definitely held control of possession and the chances of the first period. That momentum the Red Stars carried into the second half paid off as 10 minutes after the break, Danielle Colaprico found the ball in the box, after some confusion by the Sky Blue defense, and took a shot that found the left corner of the net for the 1-0 Chicago lead. That is all the Red Stars would need as their defense and goaltender, Karina LeBlanc, would deny the Sky Blue at every chance they had and the game would end with only the one goal scored.

Western New York Flash – 3 vs Boston Breakers – 1

Highlights

The Boston Breakers came into Rochester to face the Western New York Flash, who had a week of rest to sort things out. At first it seemed as they had not done so, however, as it took 15 minutes for them to go down 1-0 to Boston. A pass from the outside of the box by Stephanie McCaffrey whizzed by two WNYF defense and it found Morgan Marlborough who slotted the ball past the keeper for the one goal lead. But the Flash answered right away; seven minutes later from a set piece Becky Edwards crossed a ball into the box that Samantha Mewis headed and it left the keeper frozen in her place as the ball went in for the equalizer. In the second half the Flash came out playing much better, passing better and technically better and it paid off in the 62nd minute when Becky Edwards received a smart pass in the box from teammate Lynn Williams and took a shot to beat the Breakers keeper for the 2-1 advantage. The Flash put the dagger in the coffin late in the game when USWNT member Sydney Leroux scored her first of the season as she was the recipient of a pass from a turnover from Abby Dahlkemper and she made a run on net, faked out the defender, and her shot found the back of the net for the Flash’s third goal.

Houston Dash – 0 vs FC Kansas City – 2

Highlights

With both teams not having the benefit of having their USWNT players on their squads, not to mention they also had to enlist the help of amateur call-ups, this was an interesting matchup in Houston. The visiting FCKC team got off to a fast start almost scoring in the 12th minute and they did not take their foot off the gas pedal from that moment on. Near the end of the first half FCKC finally broke through when Liz Bogus controlled a would-be clearance from Houston and her strike from the top of the box rocketed past everyone for the 1-0 KC lead. After the break, Houston seemed to gain a second wind of sorts as they came out with their best chances at net they had all game. However, it didn’t take long after the Houston barrage for FCKC to add to their lead as five minutes after the whistle for the second half blew Shea Groom scored for Kansas City. Sarah Hagen made a mad dash down the line and crossed into the box finding Shea Groom who powerfully headed the ball past a motionless Bianca Henninger. Nicole Barnhart earned the clean sheet as nothing the Dash challenged her with could beat her and the game would end with her team on top, 2-0.

Seattle Reign – 3 vs Washington Spirit – 1

Highlights

The Reign were on a two-game losing streak and they tried to reverse their bad fortune at home against the visiting Washington Spirit. Seattle came out strong and after a few chances on net they finally got one by Spirit goalkeeper Kelsey Wys courtesy of Beverly Yanez who delivered a precise shot that bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and in for the 1-0 Reign lead. Merritt Mathias made it 2-0 two minutes into the second half when she headed in a cross from Kim Little and the ball bounced off Wys and into the net, but the goal was credited to Mathias. The Spirit appeared to gain a bit of momentum in the 63rd minute when Joanna Lohman reduced the deficit by one as some smart passing led to her getting past the Seattle backline and allowed her to beat Reign goalie Haley Kopmeyer. However, the Reign took the wind out of the sails of Washington when in the 75th minute Jessica Fishlock collected a through pass from Kim Little, beat the defense to the ball, and toe poked the ball past Wys for the final score: Seattle-3 Washington-1.

Portland Thorns FC – Idle

After Week 4 of play the NWSL table looks like this: P/ GP/ W/ L/ D/ GF/ GA/ GD

1.	Portland Thorns FC	7	3	2	0	1	7	3	4
2.	Chicago Red Stars	7	3	2	0	1	6	4	2
3.	Seattle Reign FC	6	4	2	2	0	10	6	4
4.	Washington Spirit	6	4	2	2	0	7	7	0
5.	FC Kansas City	6	4	2	2	0	4	4	0
6.	Houston Dash	4	4	1	2	1	5	6	-1
7.	Sky Blue FC	4	4	1	2	1	3	5	-2
8.	Western New York Flash	3	3	1	2	0	4	7	-3
9.	Boston Breakers	3	3	1	2	0	5	9	-4

Friday Night MLS – Week 9 – Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas

Yee-haw. Friday night’s game featured the first game of the Texas Derby between the home side Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas battled for El Capitán, a replica 18th century cannon that both teams use as a trophy. The game promised to be a good one and it was, at least for one team it was.

The battle for El Capitán is on and right now it looks like it’s going to stay in Frisco, unless Houston comes up with some serious scoring power soon.

FC Dallas came into the game the favored team, and they displayed why they were the favorite early on. In the 9th minute, Ryan Hollingshead came down the middle of the box unopposed and slipped one past Houston keeper Tyler Deric for the 1-0 Dallas lead. The first half possession was dominated by Houston, but Dallas’ counter attack game was in top form and they managed to go two ahead in the 21st minute. Fabian Castillo made a run down the touchline and made a cheeky pass to David Texeira, who split the defense and got the ball at the top of the six-yard box and slipped it past Deric.

Houston showed some signs of life before the half as Giles Barnes scored a beauty from a free-kick that Dallas keeper Dan Kennedy got a hand on, put the shot proved too powerful for him and it slipped past him and into the net. At the half, Dallas led by one although Houston dominated the possession but the porous Houston defense was the cause for the deficit at the break. But, one would think that Houston had a glimmer of hope as they managed to get one back before the half.

However, in the second half Dallas came out roaring as they accomplished to double their tally ten minutes into the second period. In the 52nd minute, Mauro Díaz scored an outrageous goal as he took three Houston defenders with him and rocketed a shot that found the top shelf of the netting for the 3-1 Dallas lead. Three minutes later, Díaz brought down a ball, calmly passed to Fabian Castillo on the left, and Castillo ran up unopposed and slotted another goal past Deric for the 4-1 lead.

Houston could not find an answer for these goals as they held on to the ball and were the better passing team, but their offense could not find the target as most of their attempts went well wide of Kennedy’s net. Whatever chances the Dynamo had, were quickly dealt with by the stingy Dallas defense. The rest of the game rolled along without further action and the game ended 4-1, and it gives FC Dallas a great chance of retaining El Capitán (the trophy is given to the team that has the best aggregate score in their head-to-head matches).

Highlights

Lineups

Houston Dynamo – Tyler Deric, Kofi Sarkodie, Raúl Rodriguez, Jermaine Taylor, DaMarcus Beasley, Alexander López (Óscar Boniek García 56′), Ricardo Clark, Nathan Sturgis (Luis Garrido 61′), Brad Davis, Giles Barnes, Will Bruin (Rob Lovejoy 67′)

FC Dallas – Dan Kennedy, Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd (Walker Zimmerman 32′), Matt Hedges, Moises Hernandez, Kellyn Acosta, Victor Ulloa, Ryan Hollingshead, Mauro Díaz (Tesho Akindele 74′), Fabian Castillo (Alejandro Zendejas 86′), David Texeira

Goals

Houston Dynamo – Giles Barnes 32′

FC Dallas – Ryan Hollingshead 9′, David Texeira 21′, Mauro Díaz 52′, Fabian Castillo 55′

Disciplinary 

Houston Dynamo – NONE

FC Dallas – Moises Hernandez (Yellow 39′)

NWSL 2015 Season: Recap of Week 3

It was a weekend full of NWSL action as this week’s four games were spread out with one game on Thursday, no game on Friday, one on Saturday, and two on Sunday.

FC Kansas City – 1 vs Seattle Reign – 0

Thursday’s game featured the Seattle Reign traveling to Kansas City to visit FCKC in what was a rematch of last year’s championship match. Much like in last year’s match, FCKC proved to be the better squad as Kansas City came out victorious in this match. The first half was pretty even as both squads had great opportunities at net, the game seemed to go back and forth between the chances, although Seattle seemed to have a better control of the game. But when the whistle for the half blew, it was still a scoreless game. FCKC must have gotten quite the pep talk at half because it took them three minutes to score the game’s only goal and it was a beauty. Sarah Hagen split the Reign’s defense with a feeder pass that found Amy Rodriguez, who turned on the jets to reach the ball and shake the defense, and chipped a sliding Hope Solo for the 1-0 FCKC lead. This game was exciting still after the goal as both teams had great opportunities at net. Seattle had many chances to tie the game and FCKC had an equal amount of looks to go ahead two maybe three goals, but the game nonetheless ended in a one goal victory for Kansas City.

Chicago Red Stars – 2 vs. Portland Thorns – 2

Saturday’s game took place in Lisle, IL as Portland came to the Windy City to visit the Chicago Red Stars. This game got a quick jump out of the gate as after four minutes the Red Stars were up 1-0. The goal came from USWNT star Christen Press who received a deep cross from Lori Chalupny, and Press took a shot from 21 yards out to score a screamer that went by the outstretched hands of Thorns keeper Nadine Angerer. Not the start the Thorns wanted, it soon got worse as Christen Press found her second goal just four minutes after scoring her first one. Press took the ball from the left side, ran it towards the Thorns net, and scored a goal that Angerer would like to have back as it sneaked right under her for the 2-0 Red Stars lead. However, the Thorns were able to get one back in the 28th minute courtesy of some nifty passing that led to a Christine Sinclair goal that found the bottom left corner of the goal to reduce the Red Stars lead by one. As the second half started the Red Stars looked to protect their lead, but unfortunately their lead was gone as quickly as they had gotten it. Meleana Shim scored one from right outside the box to level the game at two. The game would end on that scoreline and the Red Stars must have been disappointed to drop points at home, especially after holding a two-goal lead at one point.

Boston Breakers – 3 vs Houston Dash – 2

The first of Sunday’s games got underway in Boston as the Breakers played host to the visiting Houston Dash. The game got off to a quick start as Boston had a shot that was destined for goal parried away by Houston keeper Bianca Henninger, but on the ensuing corner the Breakers broke through (no pun intended) as Julie King found the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. In the 31st minute the Breakers padded their lead further as Stephanie McCaffrey made a fantastic run from midfield to the box then assisted Nkem Ezurike who tapped it in to beat Henninger for the goal and 2-0 Boston lead. The Dash would get one back before the half as Jessica McDonald headed a cross from Kealia Ohai that beat the Boston keeper to decrease the lead by one. The Dash would get more opportunities after the half and finally converted in the 67th minute as Jessica McDonald scored her second of the game as she caught Alyssa Naeher off her line and chipped one over her for the equalizer. The Dash’s joy would not last long as the game winning goal was scored by one of their own team on their own net. Off a set piece, the Breakers crossed a long ball into a sea of humanity in the box and in the ensuing chaos the ball bounced off Carli Lloyd and into her own net. Unfortunately for the Dash, that goal proved to be their demise as the score would hold and the Breakers won 3-2.

Sky Blue FC – 1 vs Washington Spirit – 3

Sunday’s latter game saw the Washington Spirit make the ride up to New Jersey to take on Sky Blue FC. The game was controlled by Washington from beginning to end as they drubbed Sky Blue FC by scoring three straight before SBFC scored a consolation goal in the 64th minute. The first Spirit goal was a result of a defensive error by the SBFC backline that gave the ball right to the feet of Crystal Dunn who rounded the defense and delivered a shot that beat the goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead. In the 40th minute, Dunn scored her second of the game as she streaked down the touch and, once in the box, shot but was denied by SBFC’s goalie Brittany Cameron; but she couldn’t hang on to the ball as it slipped out and found Dunn once again who scored with ease. The Spirit were a force to be dealt with as it took them two minutes into the second half to score their third by the way of Christine Nairn. SBFC managed their only goal of the game when a slick cross found Katy Freels in the box and she headed Sky Blue’s consolation goal. The game ended 3-1 as the Spirit secured their second win of the season to go up to second in the table.

Western New York Flash – Idle

After Week 3 of play the NWSL table looks something like this: P/ GP/ W/ L/ D/ GF/ GA/ GD

1.	Portland Thorns FC	7	3	2	0	1	7	3	4
2.	Washington Spirit	6	3	2	1	0	6	4	2
3.	Chicago Red Stars	4	2	1	0	1	5	4	1
4.	Houston Dash	4	3	1	1	1	5	4	1
5.	Sky Blue FC	4	3	1	1	1	3	4	-1
6.	Seattle Reign FC	3	3	1	2	0	7	5	2
7.	Boston Breakers	3	2	1	1	0	4	6	-2
8.	FC Kansas City	3	3	1	2	0	2	4	-2
9.	Western New York Flash	0	2	0	2	0	1	6	-5

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Preliminary Round

The 2015 installment of the Lamar Hunt United States Open Cup got underway and there were two games that got the tournament started. In case you don’t know, the U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the United States as teams have been competing in this tournament since 1914. Long before the times of organized soccer leagues in the US, this trophy has taken teams from all over the US and made them champions.

The 2015 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is officially underway!

As stated above the 2015 edition commenced today and the two games that were played today were between San Francisco City FC vs. Cal FC and the other game was between Harpo’s FC and KC Athletics. If these four teams seem unfamiliar, it’s because they are as they belong to the fourth and fifth divisions of the American Soccer Pyramid. But just because these weren’t MLS or NASL quality teams, doesn’t mean they didn’t put on one heck of a matchup.

The game between SFCFC and Cal FC took place in Kesar Stadium in San Francisco, CA in front of a sizable crowd of 1,400 plus and it was the notable game of the day. The first half started off slow as both teams couldn’t find the back of the net, but they were very close to. The opening period also saw a chippy game as you could see the intensity of both teams boil over a bit and things got a bit testy, but nothing out of the ordinary. The game’s first goal came in the second half as Cal FC earned a penalty kick and Chris Cummings converted from the spot for the 1-0 lead. SFCFC then equalized in the 76th minute from a beautiful cross by Randy Mendoza found George Plakorus who netted the tying goal. The game looked like it was headed to overtime when in the 87th minute, another penalty was called in Cal FC’s favor and Johnny Bravo (no not the cartoon character) put Cal FC ahead and sealed their win. After the game SFCFC’s manager, Andrew Gardner, was visibly upset with the officials as after the final whistle blew, he made a beeline towards the referees and voiced his displeasure with them. But to no avail, his team was knocked out of the tournament and Cal FC moves on to face the Ventura County Fusion of the Premier Development League.

The second game featured two teams from the fifth division in Harpo’s FC, from Commerce City, Colorado, and KC Athletics, from Kansas City, Missouri. This game was played in front of a sparse crowd in Dick’s Sporting Good Park, Field #20 in Colorado and it ended up in a victory for the home side. Much like the first game, things really didn’t get started until the second half, when in the 60th minute Dan Campbell scored the game’s first goal for Harpo’s. Both teams had good chances as they went back and forth, but Harpo’s controlled most of the game’s possession. Ten minutes later, Harpo’s scored their second goal as Shane Wheeler received a long pass from midfield, controlled it, rounded the keeper, and had an easy shot at goal to seal the deal for Harpo’s 2-0. Harpo’s will now travel to Provo, Utah to face the BYU Cougars soccer team in the first round of the US Open Cup.

The first round of the US Open Cup will feature fourth division teams from the PDL and the National Premier Soccer League and will play on May 13.

Topsy Turvy! NASL Rankings: Week 4

What a week it was in the North American Soccer League as there were many surprises, upsets, and a winning goal from a distance. Teams that I thought had no chance to win ended up with wins and teams I thought were on the rebound severely disappointed so let’s get down to it and start ranking these teams.

Week 3 was crazy. Will Week 4 push us to the edge of our seats again?

1. New York Cosmos – (2-0-1) Prev. Game: 2-0 W vs. TB – Movement: Up Two Spots – New York had one heck of a week as they got a win against a tough Tampa team, they had an attendance that was off the charts (12,000+), and they now sit on top of the NASL Spring Championship table. They could not have asked for a better week if Pelé himself showed up, oh wait… Yeah that happened. New York played a fantastic game and everything seemed to click for them as they made Tampa seem like they didn’t belong on the same field as the Cosmos. Now the Cosmos have to head to the Dirty South to take on a surprising Atlanta team, but I predict another Cosmos victory on the horizon.

2. Tampa Bay Rowdies – (1-1-1) Prev. Game: 2-0 L vs. NYC – Movement: Down One Spot – The Rowdies went into New York the team to beat, in my opinion, but came out licking their wounds as now they must prep for a game against the well-rested Jacksonville Armada. They played a decent game against the Cosmos, but they were severely manhandled by the strong New York midfield and outplayed by the NY forwards. But, I predicted that this game was the one that was going to decide the fate of the Spring Championship and it surely has set the table for what should be a nice battle between the Rowdies and the Cosmos for the race for the championship.

3. Minnesota United – (0-1-1) Prev. Game: 1-0 L vs. OTT – Movement: Down Two Spots – United really disappointed this week as everyone expected that this was going to be their game where they found their momentum and would make it a three-team race for the Spring title. However, with an injury to Ibson early in the game and a 63rd minute goal by Ottawa’s Tom Heinemann Minnesota looked deflated and played listlessly as they ended up losing. What little chances they had were all parried away by the Fury keeper, Romuald Peiser, and they were left frustrated as they still have not scored a goal this season. Hopefully, they can break their streaking against the bottom of the table San Antonio Scorpions as United desperately needs results, and fast, if they want to be in the talk for the Spring title.

4. Ottawa Fury – (1-1-1) Prev. Game: 1-0 W vs. MIN – Movement: Up Two Spots – The Ottawa Fury really surprised everyone, myself included, that had them predicted to lose against one of the stronger sides in the NASL. The team, however, went out with a purpose to make their home opener a good one and to shut critics up. They did just that as they squeaked by with a one-goal win, but they played excellent as they pressed Minnesota to the point of shutting them down. Romuald Peiser was a man on a mission to keep whatever the Loons threw at him out of his net. I have them up so high because, I believe, that with a fit and complete squad they can be a dark horse to finish in the top spots of the table. They can continue their good form as they welcome Fort Lauderdale to the TD Place, in what is another long road trip for the Strikers as they make their second visit north of the border in as many weeks.

5. Carolina RailHawks – (1-1-1) Prev. Game: 1-2 L vs. ATL – Movement: Down One Spot – The dominance the Railhawks had at WakeMed Soccer Park is now in jeopardy as the Atlanta Silverbacks went to Cary and surprised many when they walked away with three points. Carolina played well but two defensive breakdowns led to the Atlanta goals which saw them lose their first game at WakeMed in six matches, that stretch back to last season. Now the Railhawks look to this week to try and get back on track, but they must travel to Indianapolis to face a strong Indy Eleven side that will have the house rocking (as they usually do) and will be looking to continue their unbeaten streak in the season.

6. Indy Eleven – (1-2-0) Prev. Game: 1-2 W vs. SA – Movement: Up Three Spots – That goal. Wowzers what a goal by Sergio Peña to win the game and give Indy a much needed boost in the season. The Eleven now sit in second place in the standings thanks to that magical, midfield strike by Peña but the question on people’s minds is: Can the Eleven stay up there? Last season didn’t prove to be fruitful for them, but this is a new squad and they can come up and surprise a few people as they are still unbeaten in the season and managed to draw against one of the tougher squads, New York. We will have to see as now they take on the RailHawks at home and will venture to show people that they belong in that second spot in the table.

7. Atlanta Silverbacks – (1-2-0) Prev. Game: 1-2 W vs. CAR – Movement: Up One Spot – The Silverbacks. The team that no one wanted, the team owned by the league, (insert derogatory observation here). You would expect the team would be winless at this point of the season, but it’s quite the opposite as they are undefeated so far. Scoring a quality win in Carolina helped catapult the Silverbacks to third place in the standings, but much like Indy, many are asking if this form is temporary. With the ATL team yet to face a quality team, they will have their work cut out for them as they welcome the cream of the crop, the New York Cosmos, to Atlanta Silverbacks Park where they can really show what they are capable of.

8. FC Edmonton – (1-1-1) Prev. Game: 3-2 W vs. FTL – Movement: Down One Spot – How can you knock a team down a spot that just won a difficult battle, you may ask me. I thought about this long and hard, I honestly did. I had to re-rank teams about five times before I decided to drop the Eddies down a spot. Part of this being, although they did win a good game against the Strikers at home, I still haven’t seen any consistency from this squad. Their play has been up and down changing constantly and honestly, they were really lucky to win that game at all. The Eddies get this week off, and will have a chance to change my opinion of them in Week 5. Until then, sorry Eddies but you are not impressing me so far.

9. Fort Lauderdale Strikers – (1-0-2) Prev. Game: 3-2 L vs. EDM – Movement: Down Four Spots – Speaking of not impressing, how does a team go from winning a game 2-1 to losing the game 3-2 in 15 minutes? Answer: you completely get complacent and let the other team (aka FC Edmonton) just beat you on every single possible ball in front of your net and win aerial opportunities that will doom you to your second loss à la Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. Blame it on the jet lag or that chilly Canadian wind or whatever, but losing like they did is inexcusable in my book and they will have an equally rigorous test when they have to make their way back to Canada to face the Fury in the capitol.

10. Jacksonville Armada – (1-0-1) Prev. Game: Bye Week – Movement: Down One Spot – Unfortunately for the Armada, they dropped yet another spot without even playing this week thanks to the results of this week’s action. An upside is that they can move back on up in the standings as they have a game this week. The downside is that it’s against in-state rival Tampa Bay, in Al Lang Stadium where the fans are expected to be in full force again and the Rowdies will be wanting to avenge their loss against the Cosmos.

11. San Antonio Scorpions – (0-0-2) Prev. Game: 1-2 L vs. IND – Movement: No Change – THAT GOAL THOUGH! No, but seriously San Antonio had some rotten luck to lose a game like that. That doesn’t change the fact that the team is still winless in the season and now they have the tough task of going to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face the Loons in their home opener. With both teams struggling, it will be a toss-up between these two clubs but I don’t think that it bodes well for San Antonio. But, hey almost every game I predicted ended up wrong last week so who know what will happen this week?