Open Cup: Amateur powers kick off new season with wins

by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Sep 24, 2017

Just three days after the 2017 champion was crowned, play began in 2018 U.S. Open Cup qualifying.

Christos FC, which reached the fourth round of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, and GPS Omens and L.A. Wolves FC, which advanced to the third round, all won in the first round of 2018 Open Division qualifying, which involves amateur teams from around the country.

Christos FC, which fell to D.C. United in the 2017 Open Cup, opened with a 3-0 win over tough Maryland foe Aegean Hawks FC on goals by Pete Caringi III, Tyler Rudy and Elton Joe.

GPS Omens began local qualifying with an 8-3 win over Massachusetts rival Lynn United. The Wolves, the 2017 UPSL spring champions, disposed of Real Sociedad Royals, 6-1. Former Cal South youth star Dmitry Zhuravlev scored twice, and Cesar Rivera had two assists for the rebuilt Wolves.

Freedoms march. The three-time Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms set up a second-round date with the Cosmopolitan League rival Lansdowne Bhoys thanks to a 2-1 win over Newtown Pride FC on a stoppage-time goal by former Columbus Crew and MetroStar midfielder Jeff Matteo.

Greek-American Andreas Chronis scored the Pancyprian Freedoms' first goal and assisted on Matteo's winner after Colombian Mauricio Turizo had equalized for Newtown.

The Pancyprian Freedoms feature James Riley, who won five Open Cups with the Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution and D.C. United and won an MLS Cup title with the LA Galaxy.

Second Round, Schedule:
OCTOBER 21-22
Cal Victory FC vs. Davis Legacy SC
El Farolito vs. Academica SC
L.A. Wolves FC vs. Vanquish FC
Santa Ana Winds FC vs. Newcastle United FC
San Pedro Monsters FC vs. SFV Scorpions
Buena Park FC vs. Santa Clarita Storm
Valley United SC vs. Chula Vista FC
La Maquina vs. Las Vegas Mobsters FC
Ojuelos Jalisco vs. Galati FC
Sporting AZ FC vs. Inter EmpireWorks FC
Indios Denver FC vs. IPS/Marathon Taverna
Colorado Springs FC vs. Harpos FC
FC Denver vs. Fort Collins United
Azteca FC vs. Colorado Rush
Celtic Cowboys Premier vs. NTX Rayados
Cajun SC vs. Motagua New Orleans
Nashville United vs. Majestic SC
Miami Nacional SC vs. Red Force FC
Orlando Storm vs. FC Kendall
South Florida FC vs. Boca Raton FC
Rochester River Dogz vs. Ann Arbor FC
Aurora Borealis SC vs. Stegman's SC
Christos FC vs. Izee Auto FC
West Chester United vs. Phoenix SC
United German Hungarians vs. Junior Lone Star U23s
NY Pancyprian Freedoms vs. Lansdowne Bhoys FC
Mass United FC vs. Safira FC
GPS Omens vs. Kendall Wanderers

First Round, Results:
SEPTEMBER 23
Unations FC (Mass.) 1 Safira FC (Mass.) 5
Kendall Wanderers (Mass.) 5 Boston Siege FC (Mass.) 2
Southie FC (Mass.) 3 Mass United FC (Mass.) 3
(Mass. United wins 4-3 on penalties.)
Salone FC (Pa.) 1 Junior Lone Star U23s (Pa.) 3
Lynn United (Mass.) 3 GPS Omens (Mass.) 8

Goals galore - Omens with an unconventional 8-3 win over @LynnUnitedFC On to the next round in @usopencup @NonLeagueUSA pic.twitter.com/MD0EehaOuC
— GPS Omens (@GPS_Omens) September 23, 2017

Ann Arbor FC (Mich.) b. Carpathia FC (Mich.) (forfeit)
Junior Lone Star FC (Pa.) 1 West Chester United (Pa.) 4
Hurricane FC (Fla.) 3 Boca Raton FC (Fla.) 4
Aurora Borealis SC (Ill.) b. United Serbian SC (Wis.) (forfeit)
Austin Real Cuauhtemoc (Texas) 2 Celtic Cowboys Premier (Texas) 3
Central Texas Lobos (Texas) 0 NTX Rayados (Texas) 2
Gam United FC (Colo.) 0 FC Denver (Colo.) 3
Azteca FC (Colo.) 2 Denver Metro FC (Colo.) 0
Chiapas FC (Ariz.) 0 Inter EmpireWorks FC (Ariz.) 9
Ojuelos Jalisco (Ariz.) 4 AllStars SC (Ariz.) 0
Davis Legacy SC (Calif.) 2 Western Nevada FC (Nev.) 0
Valley United SC (Calif.) b. Los Angeles SC (Calif.) (forfeit)
Academica SC (Calif.) 1 Oakland Pamperos (Calif.) 0
Dynamos FC (Calif.) 0 El Farolito (Calif.) 3
Las Vegas Mobsters FC (Nev.) 3 Pacific Side FC (Calif.) 2
Santa Ana Winds FC (Calif.) 5 Outbreak FC (Calif.) 2
IPS/Marathon Taverna (Ore.) 3 Boise FC Cutthroats (Idaho) 2
Bell Gardens FC (Calif.) 0 La Maquina FC (Calif.) 5
Real San Jose (Calif.) 2 Cal Victory FC (Calif.) 3
Vanquish FC (Calif.) 3 CF Cachorros USA (Calif.) 2

SEPTEMBER 24
New York Pancyprian Freedoms (N.Y.) 2 Newtown Pride FC (Conn.) 1
Christos FC (Md.) 3 Aegean Hawks FC (Md.) 0
Izee Auto (Md.) 3 NLS Graduates (Md.) 1
Vereinigung Erzgebirge (Pa.) 1 United German Hungarians (Pa.) 2
Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (Pa.) 1 Rochester River Dogz (N.Y.) 2
Upper Darby FC (Pa.) 0 Phoenix SC (Pa.) 3
Jackson Lions FC (N.J.) 1 Lansdowne Bhoys FC (N.Y.) 2
Stegman's SC (Minn.) b. Santa Fe Wanderers KC (Kan.) (forfeit)
FC Ginga (Fla.) 1 Red Force FC (Fla.) 8
Majestic SC (Ga.) 2 Lowcountry United (S.C.) 0
South Florida FC (Fla.) 3 Miami United FC U23 (Fla.) 1
Orlando Storm (Fla.) 0 InterUnited AC (Fla.) 0
(Orlando Storm wins 4-2 on penalties.)
Gaffa FC (Miss.) 1 Motagua New Orleans (La.) 4
Miami Nacional SC (Fla.) b. Miami Wolves FC (Fla.) (forfeit)
Leu Blacks FC (Fla.) 0 FC Kendall (Fla.) 11
FC Boulder (Colo.) 2 Harpo's FC (Colo.) 2
(Harpo's FC wins 6-5 on penalties.)
Indios Denver FC (Colo.) 6 FC Union Jerez (Colo.) 2
Colorado Rush (Colo.) 1 Club El Azul (Colo.) 0
Fort Collins United (Colo.) 5 FC Greeley (Colo.) 1
Colorado Springs FC (Colo.) 2 Colorado Rovers (Colo.) 0
SFV Scorpions (Calif.) 3 AC Brea Steaua United (Calif.) 1
UFA Hawks L.A. (Calif.) 0 Santa Clarita Storm (Calif.) 5
Buena Park FC (Calif.) 3 Newport FC (Calif.) 0
Newcastle United FC (Calif.) 13 Del Rey City SC (Calif.) 0
San Pedro Monsters FC (Calif.) 4 Fontana International SC (Calif.) 0
Strikers FC South Coast (Calif.) 1 Chula Vista FC (Calif.) 5
L.A. Wolves FC (Calif.) 6 Real Sociedad Royals (Calif.) 1