Qualifying for the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, which begins in June, is nearly complete. 29 of the 32 teams in the field are set. The format will be similar to last year, with eight D3 Pro League teams
squaring off against four PDL and four USASA teams in the first round, which is set for June 9-13. The eight winners will face eight A-League teams in the second round, to be played June 23-27.
Eight MLS clubs will enter in the third round, meeting the eight second-round winners over the weekend of July 12-14. Quarterfinals are set for Aug. 11-12, with the semifinals to follow on Sept. 1 and
the championship to be held Sept. 14 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Here's a look at how qualifying is going in each division of play:
MLS All of the eight MLS entrants
have been determined. Chicago (1998 champion), Columbus (1998 finalist), Dallas (1997 champion) and D.C. United (1996 champion) received automatic berths. Colorado, Tampa Bay and the MetroStars won
play-in games to qualify for the Open Cup. The final berth goes to the Los Angeles Galaxy, which will have the most MLS points among the play-in match losers as of June 1. The Galaxy has nine
points, and cannot be caught by Miami or Kansas City by June 1. San Jose and New England will not compete in the 1999 Open Cup.
A-LEAGUE The eight A-League entrants -- four from each
conference -- will be determined by total regular-season points through the teams' first six games. Charleston, Jacksonville, Rochester and Staten Island have clinched the four available berths in
the Eastern Conference, and Minnesota and San Diego have booked their places from the Western Conference. Orange County, Milwaukee and Seattle are vying for the final two spots, and wins by the
Rampage and Sounders this weekend would clinch places for them. 4 points are awarded for a regulation or overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win, 1 point for a shootout loss and a bonus point is
awarded if a team scores three or more goals. Canadian teams Vancouver and Toronto are not eligible to play in the U.S. Open Cup, nor is U.S. Pro-40.
Western Conference Standings: *San
Diego 21 points; *Minnesota 18; Orange County 16; Milwaukee 14; Seattle 13; Indiana 12; El Paso 9, San Francisco Bay, Cincinnati 9; New Orleans 8; Tennessee 5; Sacramento 0.
Eastern Conference
Standings: *Charleston 23 points; *Jacksonville, *Rochester, *Staten Island 18; Long Island 17; Boston 15; Richmond 12; Pittsburgh, Raleigh 11; Atlanta 10; Hampton Roads 9; Hershey 7; Lehigh
Valley 6; Connecticut 5; Maryland 1. *-qualified for U.S. Open Cup.
D3 PRO LEAGUE D3 qualifying has been completed. Each of the six regional group winners, as well as the two best
runners-up, will play in the first round of the Open Cup. D3 teams receive 4 points for a regulation win, 3 points for an overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win and one point for a shootout
loss, with a bonus point awarded if a team scores three or more goals.
Final Atlantic Standings: *Wilmington, **Carolina, Charlotte 13 points; Myrtle Beach 5; South Carolina 0.
Final
Mid-Atlantic Standings: *No. Virginia 13 points; Roanoke 9; Delaware 7; Eastern Shore 3.
Final New England Standings: *Cape Cod 11 points; Western Mass. 9 points; Rhode Island 7; New
Hampshire 5.
Final Northeast Standings: *New Jersey 18 points; South Jersey 5; Reading, North Jersey 4.
Final Pacific West Standings: *Chico 17 points; **Arizona 13; California 10;
Stanislaus County 5; Los Angeles 0.
Final South Central Standings: *Austin 13 points; Texas 11; Houston 8; Tulsa 0. *-advances to Open Cup as group winner. **-advances to Open Cup as
one of two best runners-up.
PDL PDL qualifying has been completed. The three group winners and the best runner-up advance to the Open Cup. As in the D3 Pro League, PDL teams get 4
points for a regulation win, 3 points for an overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win and 1 point for a shootout loss, with teams receiving a bonus point for scoring three or more goals in a game.
Final Eastern Conference Standings: *Cocoa 19 points; **New York 18; Central Florida, Jackson 14; Clarksville 11; Westchester 10; Brooklyn, Vermont 9; Central Jersey 6; Bradenton 5; Miami B. 3;
Miami T., NY Capital District 2; Lexington 1.
Final Central Conference Standings: *Mid Michigan 19 points; Colorado 15; Sioux City 14; Chicago, Colorado Springs 11; Des Moines, Wisconsin,
Rockford 10; Kalamazoo 8; Twin Cities 5; Kansas City, West Michigan, Indiana 0.
Final Western Conference Standings: *Spokane, Silicon Valley 14 points; Tucson 13; Seattle, San Fernando
Valley, Nevada 9; Yakima, Cascade, Willamette Valley 7; Central Coast 5; San Gabriel Valley 1. *-advances to Open Cup as group winner. *-advances to Open Cup as best runner-up.
USASA
The U.S. Amateur Soccer Association divides the country into four regions, loosely categorized as Eastern (Region I), Midwest (Region II), South (Region III), and West (Region IV). Each state holds a
Men's Open Cup and declares a winner. The winners from each state meet in a regional tournament, and these four regional champions go on to play in Round One of the U.S. Open Cup, pitted against
four D3 professional teams. Three of the four regional winners are set, with the Region III championship set for this weekend in Montgomery, Ala.
Region I
QUARTERFINALS May
2 -- United German-Hungarians (Pa.) 4 Vistula SC (N.J.) 2, Jerry D's (Md.) 5 Zorba FC (Va.) 4.
SEMIFINALS May 16 -- United German-Hungarians (Pa.) 5 Jerry D's (Md.) 3, WNY
United (N.Y.) 0 Olympia Stamford (Conn.) 5.
FINAL May 23 -- Olympia Stamford (Conn.) 0 United German-Hungarians (Pa.) 6. (United German-Hungarians advances to U.S. Open Cup.)
Region II
SEMIFINALS May 16 -- Bavarian Leinenkugel (Wisc.) 2 Chicago Schwaben (Ill.) 1, PNA (Mo.) def. Cleveland Kickers (Ohio) by forfeit.
May 23 -- Bavarian
Leinenkugel (Wisc.) 2 PNA (Mo.) 1. (Bavarian Leinenkugel advances to U.S. Open Cup.)
Region III
SEMIFINALS May 29 -- Guadalajara (Tenn.) vs. Uruguay FC (Fla.), Los
Lobos (Okla.) vs. McAllen Sun Devils (Texas), at Montgomery, Ala.
FINAL May 30 -- Semifinal winners, at Montgomery, Ala.
Region IV
SEMIFINALS May 22 in
Pomona, Calif. Atotonilco (Calif.-S) 2 Seleccion Phoenix (Ariz.) 1 Colorado Springs Brewmen (Colo.) 1 Fresno Mexico SC (Calif.-N) 1 (Fresno Mexico SC wins on penalties.)
FINAL
May 23 in Pomona, Calif. Fresno Mexico SC (Calif.-N) 5 Atotonilco (Calif.-S) 0 (Fresno Mexico SC advances to U.S. Open Cup.)
