us open cup

In this episode of Over the Ball, Kevin Flynn and Dave Gallego discuss weekend matches and the changes to the US Open Cup. Kevin shares his experience playing in the US Open Cup and the tournament's importance. Dave's dog joins Kevin and Dave to welcome this week's special guest, the head coach from this year's NCAA Champions Florida State Women's Soccer, Brian Pensky to discuss his experience winning a national championship, the team's performance, the myth that defense wins championships, and the impact the victory has had on Coach Pensky's already successful coaching career.

Join Tom Ackerman for a swift sports roundup covering St. Louis' recent wins by the Billikens and the Blues. From Terrence Hargrove's sensational buzzer-beater for the Billikens to Colton Parayko's game-deciding goal for the Blues, get the inside scoop on these thrilling victories.

Get insights into the Cardinals' pursuit of pitching talent like Yamamoto and potential deals in the Asian market, alongside the Dodgers' aggressive moves in Major League Baseball.

Welcome to Episode 252 of Defenders of the Banc! Normally, this space is reserved for some witty commentary and a recap of the episode. But today, in its place, we choose to use this as an appreciation post to the young kids who put forth such a valiant effort against Carson in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. Yes, they fell, 2-0. But there would be nothing to hang their heads about! So, instead of a write-up, here are the names and ages of many of the players who took the pitch for LAFC tonight: 

Javen Romero and Diego Rosales, 17. Erik Duenas and Matheus Maia, 18. Nathan Ordaz, Christian Torres, Armando Avila, Christopher Jaime, and Yekeson Subah, all 19. Stipe Biuk and Julian Gaines, 20. Mahala and Mati Bogusz, 21.

The future is almost here, and it's looking very, very bright indeed! 

Our next episode will certainly be a treat! We are helping to gather the heads of the LAFC #PodFam Families for a CCL Final Superpod, to be recorded Sunday, May 28. No decision on whether it will be LIVE or not, but it will most certainly be fun! Enjoy 252!

Ball Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, recap St. Louis CITY SC's loss against Chicago Fire. We talk initial reactions, highlights, low lights, player ratings, where we go from here, and much much more!

Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)!

Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!

Hoffmann Brothers is the 2024 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!

Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you...

Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!

Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

Ball Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, provide a recap St. Louis CITY SC's US Open Cup exit against Chicago Fire in Chicago, and move into a  full preview of the upcoming MLS meeting between these two same teams! In the preview, we discusses:  

• Thoughts on the loss versus Chicago Fire in US Open Cup 
• Team previews for CITY and Chicago Fire (MLS)
• Trends and storylines for both teams heading into the game
• Projected CITY starting 11
• Predictions for the matchup 
• Our best bets for the game (Grahammer)

Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)!

Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!

Hoffmann Brothers is the 2024 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!

Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you...

Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!

Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

It's Episode 246, and this is a special one. This episode kicks off our "Getting to Know" series, where you can learn all about the history, roster, stadium, and more of the opponents we play that are outside the usual 28 other MLS squads. 

For our maiden "Getting to Know" voyage, take a listen and learn all about Monterey Bay FC, the USL Championship club that is LAFC's 2023 US Open Cup Round of 32 opponent!

On this episode, you'll learn everything about the thrilling 2-year (sort of) life of Monterey Bay FC and their home grounds of Cardinale Stadium, including the historical military ties to the area. We take a look at their Owner and Chairman, Ray Beshoff, and a rather decorated coaching staff of Frank Yallop, Ramiro Corrales, and Joe Cannon. And of course, we cover all the players to watch on the pitch, as we get set to face the likes of keeper Antony Siaha, centerback Hugh Roberts II, midfielder Sam Gleadle, and forwards Christian Volesky and Alex Dixon. 

Which 2018 LAFC inaugural team member is now playing for Monterey Bay FC? What do the now-defunct Fresno Foxes (Somos Zorros!) have to do with this USL Championship club? Which Los-Angeles based club has won the US Open Cup a record 5 times? And what the heck did Filly call the USOC? 

We hope you enjoy this very special episode and the first in what we hope is a long "Getting to Know" series! May the Fourth be with you all, especially the Black and Gold faithful!

EPISODE 101  (CFFC) (4/27/23)

Intro (00:00, Announcements! (1:30), Atlanta United preview (5:45), Fire’s best XI (13:30), U.S. Open Cup recap (16:50) Other U.S. Open Cup results (23:00), Premier League latest (25:00), 

Follow Tyler!

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TNTerens

📷 Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/tnterens/?hl=en

Get all of your Chicago Fire news & tickets here:  https://www.chicagofirefc.com/

Executive Producer Emmett McConnell

Ball Watching host, Justin Graham, provides a recap St. Louis CITY SC's win against Union Omaha in the US Open Cup, and moves into a  full preview of the upcoming match against Portland Timbers! In the preview, he discusses:  

• Thoughts on the win versus Union Omaha in US Open Cup 
• Team previews for CITY and Portland Timbers
• Trends and storylines for both teams heading into the game
• Projected CITY starting 11
• Predictions for the matchup 
• Our best bets for the game (Grahammer)

Follow the show on X and/or Instagram (@BallWatchingSTL)!

Find our guest interviews and all episodes in video form on YouTube by searching https://www.youtube.com/@ballwatchingSTL. Be sure to hit subscribe and turn notifications on!

Hoffmann Brothers is the 2024 presenting sponsor of Ball Watching! Headquartered right here in St. Louis for over 40 years, Hoffmann Brothers is a full-service residential & commercial provider, providing Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Drains, Sewer, Water Heaters, Duct Cleaning, Electrical and Appliance Repair services. Visit them online at hoffmannbros.com!

Make The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (thepitch-stl.com) your St. Louis CITY SC pregame and postgame destination for all your food and drink needs! Tell them your friends at Ball Watching sent you...

Seoul Juice is the official drink of Ball Watching and made with three clean simple ingredients: water, organic lemon juice, and Korean pear juice. Get yours at Dierbergs, Sams Club, or online at seouljuice.com. Use code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout for 20% off all online orders!

Shop in-store or online at Series Six (seriessixcompany.com) and receive a 15% discount on all orders storewide using code "BALLWATCHING" at checkout!

The Clasico Angelino, Round 18, and for the first time, LAFC defeats Carson at the DIGS. It may have taken too long, but finally, LAFC gets the monkey off their backs and takes three points from Carson, needing a brace and an assist from Carlos Vela to do it!

Despite the lack of home support from Carson, LAFC took the Galaxy's best shot. Going into the half level, 1-1, the Black and Gold responded well with two goals in 4 minutes. A Vela PK, earned by Cifu, and then a birthday goal for Ryan Hollingshead put LAFC in the catbird seat, 3-1. A late rally by Carson made it 3-2, but after thwarting several corners and enduring almost 9 minutes of stoppage, the whistle finally blew, both on the match and on the Galaxy's stranglehold of Carson. For the first time, LAFC Annexes Carson!

Also on the episode, we take a moment to remember Tommy Mark, to highlight a solid comeback from ACFC, and to check on our boys in LAFC2. Enjoy Episode 242, and enjoy these three points from Carson!

The night started with such promise. So many possibilities danced in the air: The ability to move to the final 8 of the U.S. Open Cup. The potential of playing a USL team in that round. The chance to dispatch our rival in another elimination match. And, most importantly, a second chance, a second bite at the cherry, as Max Bretos would say, to shake King Kong off our backs and finally, finally beat Carson in Carson. 

Nope. Nope to all of it. 

From the first whistle, LAFC played second fiddle to the Galaxy. They were more physical. They were more clinical. They were more desperate to earn a result. And they were just better, up and down the pitch, than the Black and Gold were for all 100 minutes of this Open Cup tilt. 

LAFC would go down 3-0, all scored in the second half, before we would muster a response with 5 minutes to play. A Ryan Hollingshead header would be a small band-aid on a gaping wound, and LAFC was bounced from the Open Cup, 3-1. What's worse is that Carlos Vela came off with a quad injury and Chiqui Palacios, our most impactful player in 2022, had to be helped straight to the locker room after a scary foul by Chicharito saw him land on his head and neck during an aerial challenge. We hope Diego is OK.

Also on this episode, Scarf makes an obscure WWF reference, Filly breaks out his thesaurus, and the boys discuss the potential of life without Carlos. This is a tough one, Defenders, but, as always, we are here to go through it with you!

The gauntlet continues for LAFC, as match number 5 in May is a midweek affair against another solid Western Conference foe, Austin FC.  What we hoped would be home-cooking turned out to be nothing more than a plate of stale broccoli, as LAFC falls to Austin, 2-1. 

The start of the match was more of what we have come to expect this season, as LAFC fell behind early. In the 13th minute, after a bad pass by wing back, that's right, wing back Kellyn Acosta led to a corner, Chiqui was unable to clear the ball and gave it right back to Austin. Jhojan Valencia found a wide open Ruben Gabrielsen for the opening salvo. 

It would remain 1-0 until a spot of brilliance from Diego Fagundez and a spot of bother from Mamadou Fall combined to allow Austin to double their lead. Just 5 minutes later, however, Carlos Vela would strike from the spot, notching his 100th point in MLS play. Unfortunately, it would turn out to be too little, too late for LAFC, and the clock struck midnight on the comeback. LAFC falls 2-1, and falls from 1 to 2 in the standings. 

Also on this episode, Vegas travels to lovely Birmingham, Carlos has richer friends, and Latif earns a boot none of us want. We will be right back to do this in just a few days, as the boys head to Columbus and look to reclaim their spot at the top of the table. Until then, enjoy 194!

For the fourth time in 14 days, LAFC is set to play. (Don't worry, we will do this all over again in the next 14 days) Tired, injured, and traveling a mile high to Commerce City, LAFC looked the part in their 2-0 loss to the Rapids, and you'll hear all about it here on Episode 193 of Defenders of the Banc.

It all fell apart in the first half-hour for LAFC, as Sebastian Ibeagha and Pancho Ginella were both whistled for fouls in the box. Colorado buried both the penalties, though not without a solid effort on both by John McCarthy, the backup-turned-starter for the Black and Gold. 

Truth be told, McCarthy was pretty much the only bright spot for LAFC on the day. His four saves and several other great plays kept LAFC in the match. There simply weren't many opportunities for an obviously-tired club. LAFC forced just two saves by Yarbrough, both of the garden variety, and LAFC head home for their second 2-week-4-match set. 

Also on this episode, find out which dwarf Filly would be from Snow White, how many different words Scarf makes up, and what the heck the Defenders were doing during the match. We'll be back very soon for 194!

Tyler has had a bad week! The guys dissect the good, the bad, and the ugly from the loss in Atlanta (6:42). What Chris Mueller brings to this team (8:14). Preview of Chicago vs. FC Cincinnati (20:48). What it means for the Seattle Sounders to win CCL (22:58). Erling Haaland is not joining CFFC this summer (27:01)  Premier League whip-around (37:12).  

Follow Arlo & Tyler!

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/arlowhite 

https://twitter.com/TNTerens

📷 Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/tnterens/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/arlow/?hl=en

Get all of your Chicago Fire news & tickets here:  https://www.chicagofirefc.com/

Executive Producer Andrew Williams:

 https://twitter.com/AMW_FC

The 2022 US Open Cup roars on at Band of California Stadium, and for the third time, we take on the Portland Timbers. We beat them in 2018. They returned the favor in 2019. In 2022, it's the rubber match, and LAFC brought their axes to the Banc!

On a beautiful Tuesday night, Steve Cherundolo rolled out a lineup worthy of most MLS contests. Gone were the ideas of going conservative, with 7 matches in May and three more in just 11 days. It was clear from the outset that LAFC was going for it tonight, and go for it they did!

The Black and Gold would FINALLY get off to the strong start they needed, with Chicho Arango scoring off a beautiful backheel after a fantastic one-two from Mamadou and Mahala. After heading into the half up 1-0, LAFC added to it just 9 minutes later off a beautiful one-timer at the top of the box by the 19-year-old wunderkind, Fall. 

Down 2-0, Portland attempted to push all their chips in the middle, bringing stars Yimmi, Niezgoda, and Blanco off the bench to make one more run. LAFC would counter with Pancho Ginella and Franco Escobar, and after a few more great saves from Maxime Crepeau, LAFC booked their ticket to the Round of 16 with a convincing 2-goal win.

Also on this episode, the boys get back to their singing ways, the Field Club gets a Lexus, and the "Wait, What?" moment makes its triumphant return! We'll be back in just a few short days to bring you all the fun from Colorado, but, until then, enjoy Episode 192 of "The Most LAFC Podcast on Earth!"

Tyler was on the CFFC game call for ESPN. Where the game went wrong for Chicago (3:41). Time to bolster squad depth for the future (6:45). The guys discuss the primary transfer window coming to an end (11:58). Reflection on the return of Shaqiri“...and his first pitch at the Cubs game.(16:54). The first 5,000 fans at the RBNY match will receive an exclusive Shaqiri-themed Chicago fire basketball jersey. A preview of the RBNY match (23:10).

Follow Arlo & Tyler!

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/arlowhite 

https://twitter.com/TNTerens

📷 Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/tnterens/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/arlow/?hl=en

Get all of your Chicago Fire news & tickets here:  https://www.chicagofirefc.com/

Executive Producer Andrew Williams:

 https://twitter.com/AMW_FC

For the first time since 2019, the U.S. Open Cup is Back at the Banc! LAFC hosts their former USL affiliate, Orange County Soccer Club, in a 3rd Round Open Cup clash, and your boys Filly and Scarf are here to break down all the fun of the 5-1 win.

Open Cup matches at the Banc are always a fun time. You can hang out in Figueroa Club, get to know USL clubs, and these matches are another great excuse to just be at the Banc. You also get to know your roster a little more deeply, as players who are a little further down the depth chart get a little more burn than usual. While we aren't sure our neighbors from behind the Orange Curtain will feel that way after this match, we sure did enjoy the start of the 2022 Open Cup. 

John McCarthy, Danny Musovski, Sebastian Ibeagha, and Cal Jennings would all play vital roles in this match, and with Pancho Ginella, Doneil Henry, and Franco Escobar all getting starting nods, it's safe to say everyone in attendance got a good look at the depth of MLS's most talented roster. Chicho Arango continued his hot streak, netting a brace before halftime, and the Moose ran wild at the Banc with a brace of his own. Jennings, last year's leading scorer for the Las Vegas Lights, capped the scoring for the Black and Gold, but the biggest story of the match seemed to be a new role for Carlos Vela, albeit a temporary one: Vela at the 6. With Vela playing the Ilie Sanchez role, the ball moved around the pitch with accuracy and speed, and, in combination with Kellyn Acosta, LAFC's passing was crisp and clean. 

Also, you may have noticed 188 was released before 187... we talk about that on the pod, too! We really appreciate all the love and support, especially in the bit of a rough spot the Defenders is in with the loss of our beloved mascot, family member, and best-dressed cat on the planet. We feel you, Defenders Nation! Enjoy 188!

 Tyler salutes the 30k + fans who showed out in the Fire’s draw at Soldier Field. Gastón Giménez continues to silence the haters (7:34). Ezra Hendrickson’s mentality has given this team an unbreakable mindset (9:07). The need to put more goals in the back of the next (12:44). Should Gaga Slonina be considered for the USMNT (16:05)? U.S. Open Cup preview (23:00). Minnesota United preview (30:45).

Follow Arlo & Tyler!

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/arlowhite 

https://twitter.com/TNTerens

📷 Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/tnterens/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/arlow/?hl=en

Get all of your Chicago Fire news & tickets here:  https://www.chicagofirefc.com/

Executive Producer Andrew Williams:

 https://twitter.com/AMW_FC