2011 U.S. Open Cup qualification

The 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament proper features teams from four of the five tiers of the American Soccer Pyramid. These four levels—Major League Soccer, United Soccer League's Pro League, the USL's Premier Development League, the National Premier Soccer League, and the United States Adult Soccer Association— each have their own separate qualification process to trim their ranks down to their final club delegations in the months leading up to the start of the tournament proper.

The event will feature 40 teams. Eight clubs from Major League Soccer will participate, six that automatically qualify based on last season's league position and two that qualify through a play-in tournament. In addition, 11 USL Pro League clubs, 9 clubs from the USL Premier Development League, 4 clubs from the National Premier Soccer League,[1] and 8 USASA clubs and will also qualify.[2]

The provisional second tier of the soccer pyramid, a reincarnation of the North American Soccer League, was disallowed by the United States Soccer Federation for the American-based clubs to participate into the tournament, mainly due to scheduling conflicts it would cause.[3]

Major League Soccer

The following MLS clubs have already qualified for the 2011 US Open Cup:

The following MLS clubs are attempting to qualify for the tournament:

Bracket

The bracket is loosely based on geography, rather than seeding. This is the first time qualification is bracketed geographically. In the previous years, teams were bracketed strictly according to seeding. Seeds 7–10 play an extra round. All teams in the top bracket are the westernmost teams, except for Chicago. All teams in the bottom bracket are easternmost teams, except for Houston.

  Play-in Round Qualification Semifinals Qualification Finals Qualifiers
                                     
8 Chivas USA 0  
10 Portland Timbers 2     2 San Jose Earthquakes (aet) 1  
        10 Portland Timbers 0    
      2 San Jose Earthquakes 2 (4)  
      4 Chicago Fire (aet) (p) 2 (5)  
        1 Colorado Rapids 1    
        4 Chicago Fire 2  
    4 Chicago Fire
  3 Sporting Kansas City
    3 Sporting Kansas City (aet) 1  
    5 Houston Dynamo 0    
      3 Sporting Kansas City 5
      6 New England Revolution 0  
    6 New England Revolution 3    
  7 Philadelphia Union 2 (2)     9 D.C. United 2  
9 D.C. United (aet) (p) 2 (4)  

Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of the score boxes.

Play-in round
March 29, 2011 Chivas USA0–2Portland TimbersPortland, Oregon
19:00 PDT Mondaini  14'
Boyens  35'  43'
Braun  49'		 Report Purdy  74'
Jewsbury 84'
Brunner  86'
Hall  89'		 Stadium: Merlo Field
Attendance: 5,061 (SO)
Referee: Juan Guzman
April 6, 2011 Philadelphia Union2 – 2 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)		D.C. UnitedBoyds, Maryland
19:30 EDT Ruiz  18'
Ruiz  73'
Valdes  39'  86'
Nowak  118'
Carroll  118'		 Report Fred  25'
Wolff  45'
Jaković  70'
Woolard  111'		 Stadium: Maryland SoccerPlex
Attendance: 2,347
Referee: Andrew Chapin
Penalties
Le Toux
McInerney
Torres
Nakazawa 		Pontius
Barklage
Najar
Bošković

Qualification semifinals
March 30, 2011 Colorado Rapids1–2Chicago FirePeoria, Illinois
Akpan  46' Report  45' Puerari
 61' Anibaba		 Stadium: Shea Stadium
April 6, 2011 Sporting Kansas City1 – 0 (a.e.t.)Houston DynamoCollege Station, Texas
19:00 CDT Bravo  46+'
Sapong  92'		 Report Sarkodie  5'
Palmer  43'
Chabala  65'
Boswell  73'		 Stadium: Aggie Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 2,383
April 26, 2011 New England Revolution3–2D.C. UnitedBoyds, Maryland
19:30 EDT Dube  37', 47'
Koger  67'		 Report Bošković  73', 83' Stadium: Maryland SoccerPlex
Referee: Juan Carlos Rivero
May 3, 2011 San Jose Earthquakes1 – 0 (a.e.t.)Portland TimbersPortland, Oregon
19:30 PDT Opara  120' Report Stadium: Jeld-Wen Field
Attendance: 11,412
Referee: Alejandro Mariscal

Qualification finals
May 24, 2011 Chicago Fire2 – 2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)		San Jose EarthquakesSanta Clara, California
19:30 PDT Barouch  61'
Cuesta  76'		 Report McLoughlin  14'
Morrow  43'		 Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium
Attendance: 4,124
Referee: Daniel Radford
May 25, 2011 New England Revolution0–5Sporting Kansas CityOverland Park, Kansas
Report Myers  9', 19'
Sapong  24', 88'
Collin  81'		 Stadium: Blue Valley District Athletic Center
Attendance: 1,228
Referee: Sorin Stoica

North American Soccer League

USSF President Sunil Gulati announced that NASL teams were being denied entry due to the lateness of their provisional sanctioning.[3]

USL Professional League

All eleven U.S.-based clubs qualified for the tournament.

Premier Development League

The PDL received nine berths to the 2011 U.S. Open Cup. One entrant from each division will be determined based upon the results of four PDL divisional games also serving as U.S. Open Cup qualifiers. Canadian and Bermudan PDL sides are not eligible for U.S. Open Cup play.

As part of PDL qualification, the Northwest Division spot was completely deadlocked between Portland Timbers U23's and Kitsap Pumas. Instead of going to a lottery, the two sides mutually agreed to hold an unprecedented "fifth game" tiebreaker, using their regular season game on June 3, 2011, to determine the slot.[4]

Qualified clubs
Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic DivisionReading United
Northeast DivisionWestern Mass Pioneers
South Atlantic DivisionCarolina Dynamo
Central Conference
Great Lakes DivisionChicago Fire Premier
Heartland DivisionReal Colorado Foxes
Southern Conference
Mid South DivisionChivas El Paso Patriots
Southeast DivisionCentral Florida Kraze
Western Conference
Northwest DivisionKitsap Pumas
Southwest DivisionVentura County Fusion

For standings see 2011 PDL season.

National Premier Soccer League

In contrast to prior years, where NPSL teams had to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup through the USASA Regional tournaments, the NPSL was awarded four entries to the 2011 U.S. Open Cup. The NPSL elected to give one berth to each of its four divisions.

Northeast Division

The Northeast Division representative was determined by a three-team tournament played on May 7 and May 27, 2011.

  Semifinal     Final
                 
    Brooklyn Italians 2
  FC Buffalo 0     FC Sonic Lehigh Valley 1
  Brooklyn Italians 1  

Brooklyn Italians qualify.

Southeast Division

The Southeast Division's qualifier was determined in a six-team tournament held at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 27–29, 2011.

First round
May 27, 2011		   Semifinals
May 28, 2011		   Finals
May 29, 2011
                   
      Jacksonville United 1  
Jacksonville United 1     Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 3  
Knoxville Force 0       Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 0
    Chattanooga FC (a.e.t.) 1
      Rocket City United 0
FC Tulsa 1     Chattanooga FC 2  
Rocket City United 7  

Midwest Division

The Midwest Division slot was automatically awarded to the Madison 56ers. The 56ers earned the bid as 2010 U.S. Open Cup division qualifying champions, as well as the fact none of the other divisional rivals had expressed interest in a qualifying tournament.[5]

West Division

The West Division representative was awarded to the club with the highest point total after its first seven league matches. The berth was clinched by the Hollywood United Hitmen after the San Diego Flash had two games forfeited by the NPSL for the use of an illegal player.

Team Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
Hollywood United Hitmen* 7700343+3121
Santa Ana Winds 6510156+915
San Diego Flash* 7520149+515
Sonoma County Sol 63211610+610
San Diego Boca 73401416−29
Sacramento Gold 6222108+28
FC Hasental 72411317−47
Bay Area Ambassadors* 7151922−134
Lancaster Rattlers 413049−53
Real San Jose 7160432−283

Updated to games played May 19, 2011.
Tiebreakers: (1) Points; (2) Goal difference; (3) Goals scored
*-Includes 3–0 forfeitures imposed on San Diego Flash for using an illegal player

USASA

For qualification into the U.S. Open Cup, the United States Adult Soccer Association organizes a series of state and regional tournaments to determine its regional participants. Each individual region's National Cup doubles as the qualification process for the U.S. Open Cup.[6]

Qualified Clubs
Region I
Bracket ANY Pancyprian-Freedoms
Bracket BPhoenix SC
Region II
Bracket AIowa Menace
Bracket BA.A.C. Eagles
Region III
Bracket AASC New Stars
Bracket BRegals FC
Region IV
Bracket ADoxa Italia
Bracket BDV8 Defenders

Region I

The USASA Region I Cup determines two qualifiers for the U.S. Open Cup. The first round of qualifying begins on May 1, 2011.[6] The national finals prior to the third round proper are scheduled between July 15–17, 2011.[6]

Each of the states in Region I conduct their own state qualification propers from February to March 2011 to send representatives to the regional tournament. Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia did not enter a club into the 2011 Region I Tournament.[7]

Qualification Semifinals Qualification Finals Qualified
         
Danbury United 0
NY Pancyprian-Freedoms 4
NY Pancyprian-Freedoms 4
MPS 2
East Providence Sports 1
MPS 4
NY Pancyprian-Freedoms
Phoenix SC
Maryland Bays 2
Phoenix SC (aet) 3
Phoenix SC 3
Go Soccer FC 0
Atletico Virginia 1
Go Soccer FC 2

Region II

Each of the states in Region II conduct their own state qualification propers from to send representatives to the regional tournament. Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin did not enter a club into the 2011 Region II Tournament.[8]

  Round One Round Two Qualified
                           
  Iowa Menace 7  
  KC Athletics 1  
    Iowa Menace
  A.A.C. Eagles
  RWB Adria 6  
Detroit United 4  
  RWB Adria 1
  A.A.C. Eagles 4  
FC Indiana 2
  A.A.C. Eagles 7  

Region III

Teams that qualify in Region III were invited to play in the Region III National Cup in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Memorial Day Weekend. The draw for the tournament took place on May 26, 2011 the night before play bega. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee did not enter teams into the Region III Tournament.[9]

Group A Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
ASC New Stars 330072+59
Greenville Eagles 3210124+86
Florida Gators 312013−23
Boston Avenue ACR 3030112−110
Group B Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
Regals FC 211054+13
CASL Elite 211054+13
Royal Eagles 211024−23
  • Regals FC win tiebreaker penalty shootout with CASL Elite to advance.

Region IV
Group A Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
DV8 Defenders 3201142+127
Albuquerque Metro SC 311178−14
SF Italian AC 3030115−140
Group B Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
Doxa Italia 3201251+247
San Francisco Rosal FC 3201163+137
Tracy CV Eagles FC 3030135−340

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://thecup.us/2011-us-open-cup-team-allocations-dates-finalized-mls-qualifying-returns-npsl-gets-automatic-berths-pdl-gets-extra-team/
  3. Hakala, Josh (February 14, 2011). "USSF: NASL teams will not be eligible for 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup". TheCup.us. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  4. http://thecup.us/historic-%E2%80%9Cfifth-game%E2%80%9D-tiebreaker-to-decide-northwest-pdl-us-open-cup-berth/%5B%5D
  5. Anderson, Eric. "Madison 56ers awarded NPSL Midwest US Open Cup spot". TheCup.us.
  6. "USASA Region I: 2011 National Cup dates". USASA. November 14, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  7. Hakala, Josh (March 25, 2011). "2011 US Open Cup qualifying update: USASA Region I tournament field set". TheCup.us. Archived from the original on March 25, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  8. Barnhart, Gerald. "USASA Region II format set for 2011 US Open Cup Qualifying". TheCup.us.
  9. Barnhart, Gerald. "USASA Region III field set for 2011 US Open Cup qualifying". TheCup.us.
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