U.S. Open Cup

Dallas' Roma FC continues record run with upset of Chivas USA.

(Thursday, July 13, 2006) -- How far can they go? The men of Dallas' Roma FC already have advanced further in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup than any other team from the United States Adult Soccer Association since Major League Soccer teams joined the competition in 1996.

By becoming the first USASA club to ever eliminate an MLS team after prevailing 4-2 in penalty kicks Wednesday night over Chivas USA following a 0-0 draw at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif., Roma's reward was an August 1 date with the Los Angeles Galaxy at its Home Depot Center in Carson California.

That will be one of eight Round-of-16 matches set for August 1-2 when eight MLS teams join the competition. Chivas was the only one of four MLS to fall from the tournament's third round Wednesday, though Real Salt Lake needed overtime to register a 2-1 decision over the second-tier United Soccer Leagues First Division's Virginia Beach Mariners 2-1 and the Kansas City Wizards required a stoppage-time goal from forward Scott Sealy to escape the amateur Des Moines Menace of the fourth-tier Premier Devlopment League.

Roma was not the only amateur side to make it to the final 16. The PDL's Carolina Dynamo defeated the visiting Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division 3-2 in extra time after Darryl Roberts headed in a corner kick by midfielder Ryan Solle in the 111th minute.

"The mentality going into the game was that they came on our home field and we haven't lost on our home field," Roberts said of Macpherson Stadium in Browns Summit, N.C. where the Dynamo has hosted all three of its tournament wins. "The chemistry and the mentality were there. We said we weren't going to lose this game, even when we were down 1-0."

Unlike MLS, USL-1, the USL Second Division and PDL, which respectively represent the top four tiers of men's soccer in the United States, the USASA is a loose amalgam of leagues around the country, comprised of local soccer teams. While the PDL is also amateur, it has a single league structure of 59 teams broken into four conferences and 10 divisions. The USASA is broken down into state organizations in four regions.

"I've been in communication with (well-wishers) by e-mail all day," said Carlos Rodriguez, the director of the USASA Region III, which includes Texas. "Everybody is so proud of (Roma). I am certainly proud of them also."

Roma held Chivas scoreless through 120 minutes and Roma advanced in penalty kicks 4-2, the second time in three tournament matches that the Dallas club won in penalties. Roma goalkeeper Jesse Llamas saved two Chivas penalty kicks.

Llamas blocked Francisco Palencia's opening attempt and stopped Jesse Marsch on the home team's third effort. Though Sacha Kljestan and Claudio Suarez converted for Chivas, Matt Clark, Mark Rowland, Brad Flanagan and Dominic Schell all beat Chivas keeper Brad Guzan. Schell polished off the upset with his PK.

"I did my job. I did what I had to do and things came out the way they did," Llamas said. "Everyone supported each other and it was great. It was an awesome, but at the same time it was, like, we have no pressure because we're not supposed to win. If we lose, we gave a battle, OK. If we win, we make history and that's all we did."

Chivas played from the 57th minute on with 10 men after striker Ante Razov was sent off with a straight red card for a foul on Roma FC defender Todd Paulette.

Another upset came in North Carolina where the host Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) recorded a 2-1 decision over the Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) at Legion Sports Complex. MLS's New York Red Bulls visit Wilmington August 2 in the fourth round.

The Columbus Crew was the only MLS team to triumph in regulation by a 3-1 margin over the Michigan Bucks (PDL). The Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL-1) defeated the New Hampshire Phantoms (USL-2) 5-1.

Also advancing was the Charleston Battery (USL-1), which defeated the Portland Timbers (USL-1) 3-1.

The tournament started with 42 teams -- all 12 from MLS, all eight from the USL First Division, six of the nine from the USL Second Division teams and eight teams from the PDL, as well as eight USASA squads that survived regional qualifying.

At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money -- $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runnerup and $10,000 each to the teams that advance the furthest from the USL-1, USL-2 and amateur levels. The champion will have its name etched onto the historic Dewar Cup, the oldest trophy in American team sports, housed in the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.

The Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation's national championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the USSF.

The U.S. Open Cup dates back to 1914 when the Brooklyn Field Club won the first national title by defeating the Brooklyn Celtics in Pawtucket, R.I. It was first named the National Challenge Cup and run by the United States Football Association, and was on England's Football Association Cup.

In 1999, the U.S. competition was named to honor soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.

2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup complete results

at Waukee (Iowa) High School Stadium
Des Moines Menace (PDL) 4, Croatian Eagles (USASA) 1