U.S. Open Cup: Your Running Commentary

Good evening folks. The pre-quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open Cup kicks off tonight with eight intriguing match-ups across the country. SBI is live at the New York Red Bulls-Crystal Palace USA match but I'm sure there are SBI readers at every match tonight.

Here is the rundown of games tonight:

• Richmond Kickers vs. New England Revolution
• Houston Dynamo at Charleston Battery
• Kansas City Wizards at Carolina Railhawks
• Rochester Rhinos at D.C. United
• Cleveland City Stars at Chicago Fire
• Miami FC Blues at FC Dallas
• Chivas USA at Seattle Sounders

You can follow the matches on USOpenCup.com, which has a live scoreboard going. Some games have audio and video available.

Also, if you're watching a match, and have access to the internet, please feel free to share some thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Comments

[Pat]

I'm loving the publicity the open cup is getting this year. much deserved, great competition.

[Tim Crawford]

If only the Revs game would begin . . .

[SCNewJersey]

I've gotten word that the Charleston v Houston match is sold out. Great to see that kind of support for a lower league team in a smaller metropolitan area.

[Seisco]

Rochester 0-0 DC United at the Half.

[Kurt]

kc gets one back, down 2-1 in the 70ish minute (no time on the usl live feed) at carolina.

[Pat]

chicago up 3-0 in the 30ish minute

[kebzach]

Goals from Banner, Carr and Barrett.

Fire lineup:

Starting Lineup
28 - Nick Noble (GK)
3 - Calen Carr
5 - Brian Plotkin
17 - Chris Rolfe
19 - Chad Barrett
20 - Mike Banner
23 - Lider Marmol
24 - Daniel Woolard
29 - Peter Lowry
33 - Stephen King
34 - Austin Washington

Substitutes
1 - Jon Busch (GK)
4 - Bakary Soumare
8 - Diego Gutierrez
9 - Tomasz Frankowski
10 - Cuauhtemoc Blanco
12 - Patrick Nyarko
21 - Justin Mapp

[Kurt]

KC ties it up 2-2 on a Lopez pk in the 81st minute.

[Kurt]

Houston ties it up in the 89th minute.

[Kurt]

Dallas ties it up on a goal by Abe Thompson.

[Casey C.]

MLS comebacks galore.

[Casey C.]

KC up 3-2.

[g-loff]

Charleston goes 2 men down in the 1st overtime. Referee had been awful for both sides, but that was a really harsh 2nd yellow.

[Kurt]

Also worth mentioning that Vancouver beat Toronto tonight in the Canadian Cup. 1-0 on a Nash pk. Toronto had a goal disallowed for offsides, questionable according to TFC fans.

[Casey C.]

3-1 CHI

[Kurt]

Final: KC 4, Carolina 2.

[g-loff]

Charleston-Houston tied 1-1 at the end of 2ot. We're going to pk's. Come on Charleston.

[Casey C.]

Talk about a tough victory if Charl win on the pks. What happens if you run out of fresh players for pks? What happen, but I'm curious.

[g-loff]

Charleston wins 4-3 on PKs!!! Well done Battery! The overtime periods were actually played fairly evenly (i.e. Houston played conservatively and Charleston counterattacked and held the ball up top to kill time well).

[g-loff]

If only I had skipped my meeting to go to the Charleston game. It is a great venue to see a game with great local support if anyone is ever down this way.

[Collin]

YES KC!!! Finally some goals!

From the U.S. Open Cup website (nothing but love for Ives):

9:16 - By the way, Ives had it right...it was Andrew Marshall who scored for Crystal Palace, Brian Harkin had the assist. (We never should have doubted him)

[Casey C.]

Abe with numero dos. FCD advances 2-1.

[Dave @ Soccer FanHouse]

I guess Curt Onalfo doesn't care about the US Open Cup until he realizes his side is losing 2-0 to a mid-table USL-1 club.

BTW, at the final whistle, one of the Kansas City players booted the ball into the stands. He looked like he was trying to peg a random fan in the head. A minute before that, they started a fight with the Railhawks and managed to get one of our guys sent off in the process.

Thanks, Wizards. I didn't have an MLS team to hate until tonight. I hope you rot in the Eastern cellar like the Royals until the day they move you to St. Louis.

[crispy]

lol, well they are just a team you kinda forget about until you play them. I'm watching the Sounders vs Chivas and the game is picking up quite a bit. Sounders just scored now, 2-0. I don't see Chivas pulling it out with their weak finishing in the final third

[lassidawg]

I hope Chivas d isn't this bad always. I rad earlier someone mentioning KC diffcult travel schedule. The only advanatage Seatle has is that the open cup games are at home. After tonight the Sounders head to Charleston for a game Thursday and a game at Carolina on Saturday and then Tuesday, so if KC loses don't use travel as an excuse. I am guessing Seattle sacrafices the games over the weekend. If you haven't seen Le Toux his work rate is spectaular, and his scoring touch isn;t too bad either.

[El Guapo]

I want to give a shout out to the Cleveland City Stars fans that made the trek to Toyota Park. For a USL 2 team they have great fan support. I tip my hat off to the Green Army. Too bad some MLS teams don't have that.

up next d.c. united.

There is a reason why we are Kings of the Cup.....

1998, 2000, 2003, 2006,and well you know.

[tyson]

SOUNDERS 2- CHIVAS 0
final

go SOUNDERS!!!!! and you are right about le toux, his work rate is better than most.

[Cameron]

GOOOO BATTERY!!! MARCO REDA!!!! hahaha last years mls champions? welcome to chucktown!

[giaco]

During the Chicago/Cleveland match, I (a Fire supporter) made my way over to the Green Army in the away supporters section during halftime to thank them for coming out, and to let them know that they have represented better than most MLS clubs in terms of away fans. I don't want to say it's due to proximity or being a 'big match' for them, but they did their boys proud.

THAT is the kind of stuff that makes the USOC such a great experience. it's a competition that everyone wants to win, but getting to meet other teams at various levels is great, seeing and meeting supporters of other teamsis refreshing, and the atmosphere is very different from regular league play.

And hey, the more people to share hatred of Cowlumbus, the better.