Fire bounces Orlando City to set up all-MLS final four

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jun 26, 2013

[U.S. OPEN CUP] The Chicago Fire ended Orlando City's Cinderella season in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 5-1 win over the USL PRO leader in Wednesday's quarterfinals. The match featured a goal from Mike Magee -- his seventh game in a row with a goal since coming over from the LA Galaxy. Also advancing to the semifinals were D.C. United, Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers.

Chris Rolfe put Chicago ahead in the first half, though a goal by former MLS player Rob Valentino early in the second half gave Orlando hope.

But goals from Patrick Nyarko and Rolfe, his second of the game, gave Chicago a 3-1 lead.

And Magee, with his third goal in three Open Cup matches, scored after the ejection of Orlando defender Yann Songo'o to give the Fire a 4-1 lead and Joel Lindpere made it 5-1 after Adama Mbengue was sent off in the 87th minute.

The win was the third in eight days for the Fire, which will host D.C. United, a 3-1 winner over the New England Revolution, in the Open Cup semifinals on Aug. 7.

Chris Pontius scored the first goal and set up Dwayne De Rosario for the go-ahead goal as D.C. cruised past the Revs at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

The Fire and D.C. United have won six Open Cup titles between them, while RSL and the Timbers have never even reached the final.

The other semifinal will pit the current Western Conference leaders against each other.

The Timbers held off FC Dallas, 3-2, winning thanks a three-goal blitz midway through the second half. The victory increased Portland's unbeaten streak in all competitions to 18 games and kept it unbeaten on the road this season.

Real Salt Lake ended the run of the other remaining lower-division club, the NASL's Carolina RailHawks, with a 3-0 victory.

The Aug. 7 meeting between Portland and RSL at Rio Tinto Stadium will be the first of three between the teams in August. Portland will host in MLS action on Aug. 21 and RSL will be at home nine days later. The Timbers will host RSL in their third league meeting on Oct. 19.

2013 U.S. Open Cup:
Quarterfinals:
June 26 in Boyds, Md.
D.C. United (MLS) 3 New England Revolution (MLS) 1.
DC: Chris Pontius 45
NE: Juan Carlos Toja 52
DC: Dwayne De Rosario 69
DC: Lionard Pajoy 87

June 26 in Bridgeview, Ill.
Chicago Fire (MLS) 5 Orlando City (USL PRO) 1.
CHI: Chris Rolfe  6 
ORL: Rob Valentino 51 
CHI: Patrick Nyarko 59  
CHI: Chris Rolfe  63
CHI: Mike Magee 83
CHI: Joel Lindpere  90 
Red Card: Orlando City -- Yann Songo'o 71, Adama Mbengue 87.

June 26 in Frisco, Texas
FC Dallas (MLS) 2 Portland Timbers (MLS) 3
DAL:  Je-Vaughn Watson 15   
PIT: Darlington Nagbe 61
PIT: Diego Valeri 63
PIT: Frederic Piquionne 72
DAL: Blas Perez 86

June 26 in Sandy, Utah
Real Salt Lake (MLS) 3 Carolina Railhawks (NASL) 0
RSL: Tony Beltran 35
RSL: Chris Wingert 50
RSL Alvaro Saborio 86

Semifinals:
Aug. 7 in Bridgeview, Ill.
Chicago Fire (MLS) vs. D.C. United (MLS)
Aug. 7 in Sandy, Utah
Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs. Portland Timbers (MLS)

First Round: Results
Second Round: Results
Third Round: Results
Fourth Round: Results