Soccer FanHouse http://soccer.fanhouse.com Soccer FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Soccer FanHouse http://soccer.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Seattle, Charleston Lead USL Charge Into U.S. Open Cup Semifinalshttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/seattle-charleston-lead-usl-charge-into-u-s-open-cup-semifinal/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/seattle-charleston-lead-usl-charge-into-u-s-open-cup-semifinal/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/seattle-charleston-lead-usl-charge-into-u-s-open-cup-semifinal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

It was a night of knockout soccer that saw three games go to extra time, two games go to penalty kicks, and one famous Mexican lose his temper and get sent off. By the time the smoke cleared, the glass slipper still fit for two USL First Division clubs, who had advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

Why isn't this competition on TV again?

The Charleston Battery obliterated FC Dallas, 3-1, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX, scoring before an after an hour-long lightning delay in the first half and shutting down all but one meaningless strike in the 93rd minute. Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders fought the Kansas City Wizards to a 0-0 draw and advanced 6-5 on penalties, thanks in part to a 12-save performance by Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander, who also saved two PKs to help Seattle advance.

Meanwhile, USL Second Division club Crystal Palace Baltimore pushed the defending Open Cup champion New England Revolution to penalties, but lost the shootout, 5-3. In Boyds, MD, Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Mark Burch were shown red cards in extra time, while Bryan Namoff scored the winner in the 99th minute to push D.C. United past the Chicago Fire, 2-1.

The Sounders were nearly undone by poor officiating on their home field for the second straight year in Open Cup play. Early in the first half, a Wizards defender pulled down Sebastien Le Toux in the box on a breakaway, yet the Wizards somehow weren't called for the penalty. Seattle also watched three shots hit the woodwork, which left it to Eylander to save the day.

Seattle will face Charleston in one semifinal, while the Revs will visit RFK Stadium to play D.C. United in the other, thus ensuring that a non-MLS club will reach the Open Cup final for the first time since the Rochester Raging Rhinos won it all in 1999. The Sounders have to be the Cardiff City of this competition. If they win the Open Cup, who gets the CONCACAF Champions League bid? The MLS Sounders that will replace them next season? Technically, those are two different clubs.

Seattle, Charleston Lead USL Charge Into U.S. Open Cup Semifinals originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>usopencupDavid J. WarnerWed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EST U.S. Open Cup Matches Won't Be Seen on TVhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/u-s-open-cup-matches-wont-be-seen-on-tv/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/u-s-open-cup-matches-wont-be-seen-on-tv/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/u-s-open-cup-matches-wont-be-seen-on-tv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

D.C. United and the Chicago Fire meet tonight in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, one month after their testy match in Toyota Park in which three red cards were given and Luciano Emilio got a surprise goal in stoppage time to lift 9-man D.C. to a 2-1 win.

If you want to watch this rematch, though, you'll have to go to the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds and buy a ticket. By all accounts, this match will not air on TV or online. Neither will tonight's New England Revolution v. Crystal Palace Baltimore match, providing further proof that the U.S. Open Cup -- a competition in which the winner receives a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, no less -- is truly the most disrespected competition in American soccer.

The other two quarterfinal matches at least have online video feeds. FC Dallas v. Charleston Battery will be shown on MLSLive at 8:30 PM ET, while Seattle fans log on to USLLive get a free glimpse of their future MLS club's home when the USL-1 Seattle Sounders face the Kansas City Wizards at Qwest Field at 10:00 PM ET. Let's hope the groundskeepers actually try to cover up the gridiron lines this year.

U.S. Open Cup Matches Won't Be Seen on TV originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>usopencupDavid J. WarnerTue, 08 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EST Crystal Palace Headlines Open Cup Upsetshttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/crystal-palace-headlines-open-cup-upsets/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/crystal-palace-headlines-open-cup-upsets/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/02/crystal-palace-headlines-open-cup-upsets/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crystal Palace supporters still suffering from the loss of that Premier League promotion playoff last May might be taking a little solace in their American counterparts today.

USL Second Division side Crystal Palace Baltimore upset an uninspired New York Red Bulls side, 2-0, last night in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. The win prompted many sports fans in Baltimore to say, "Wait, we have a soccer team here?"

Indeed, the club was founded in 2006, 101 years after Crystal Palace FC was founded in London, and it serves as a player development wing for the Coca-Cola Championship club. Clearly, player development is going pretty well there, though as Ives Galarcep notes, too many Red Bulls just didn't come to play last night.

Two other USL clubs pulled off upsets, as USL-1 leaders the Charleston Battery defeated MLS Cup holders the Houston Dynamo on penalty kicks, while the Seattle Sounders topped Chivas USA, 2-0. Other USL clubs didn't get away so easily. The Kansas City Wizards came back from a 2-0 deficit to topple the Carolina Railhawks, 4-2, in extra time, and FC Dallas scored a 2-1 comeback win against Miami FC. D.C. United, the Chicago Fire and the New England Revolution also cruised to victory over USL clubs.

The U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals are scheduled for next Tuesday.

Crystal Palace Headlines Open Cup Upsets originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>usopencupDavid J. WarnerWed, 02 Jul 2008 08:40:00 EST American Soccer's Lower Divisions Kick Offhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/04/18/american-soccers-lower-divisions-kick-off/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/04/18/american-soccers-lower-divisions-kick-off/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/04/18/american-soccers-lower-divisions-kick-off/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Major League Soccer might be the top soccer league in America, but it's not the only game in town. Just as every country in Europe has lower divisions, America has United Soccer Leagues, which serve as the second and third divisions of professional soccer in this country. The USL First Division season is already under way, while the Second Division kicks off this weekend.

USL may technically be a minor league, but it features clubs in several major league cities. You'll find USL clubs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Miami, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, St. Paul and, for one more season, Seattle.

You'll also find soccer that's very competitive with the top flight. Last year, USL clubs posted a 6-7 record against MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup. In particular, the Seattle Sounders beat Chivas USA, 3-1, and trounced the Colorado Rapids, 5-0, before their hard-luck loss in the semfinals to FC Dallas, 2-1, in extra time.

ESPN Soccernet's Anne Ramzy wrote this preview of the 2008 USL-1 season -- she doesn't think too highly of my Railhawks, despite their heavily upgraded forward line -- while the USL web site is rolling out its own season previews for each club. If you enjoy soccer and have a local club, I highly recommend going out and supporting it. There's far more soccer out there beyond the leagues we see on TV.

American Soccer's Lower Divisions Kick Off originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>USLDavid J. WarnerFri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST