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| (Photo: Courtesy of the Examiner) |
The Union gave their best offensive performance of the season netting three goals in a 3-0 victory over the Rochester Rhinos. Josue Martinez scored his first goal as a Union player and Freddy Adu netted his first brace for the U. The USL pro side was just outclassed against the MLS side. With the Union advancing they will take on DC United next Tuesday in DC.
With only around 4,000 in attendance and 45 minute rain delay in the first half it certainly was an odd game. For those who watched the game at home on the live stream they enjoyed radio silence as there were no announcers. A truly odd game and odd circumstances for the Union to put forth their most dominate performance.
Shoddy clearances and man marking found Jouse Martinez with an easy gift goal off an Adu corner. Martinez returned the favor by providing an elegantly placed ball that found Adu’s head and jetted into the back of the net. In the second half they extended the lead to three when Adu converted a PK.
The early gift goal helped the Union by opening the game up and allowing more time on the ball for the Union midfielders. This result was desperately needed to lift the confidence of a floundering Union team. It was not a flawless victory but ultimately they won a game against a lesser opponent in stunning fashion. With Amobi Okugo starting at center back, the U gave Rochester scoring opportunities. The Union were caught off guard a few times but were bailed out by the goalie. Amobi settled in as the game went on. Looking ahead the Union have a few minor tweaks on defense to work but if they can create chances against DC, they may able to walk away with an upset. MLS teams are notorious for benching starters for cup games. DC United is having a surprising strong season it is not out of the realm of possibilities that Ben Olsen fields a weak side.
Open Cup Rundown
The romanticism of the Cup showed itself in spectacular fashion with some shocking results and great games. Eight MLS teams were upset as teams from minor leagues cup dreams live on. The Carolina Rail Hawks upset the LA Galaxy in a 2-1 game sending the sold out crowd at WakeMed field into a frenzy. The San Antonio Scorpions edged a goal to defeat the Houston Dynamo. The Michigan Bucks outshout the Fire and won 3-2. Finally, Salt Lake was upset by 3-1 by the Minnesota Stars.
Harrisburg City Islanders (3) v (3) New England Revolution: The most exciting game of the night saw the USL pro side battle back from a three goal deficit and win on PKS. One shocking result and there was no video of the match only audio. The game was rough and competitive for 95 minutes and then the Revolution scored three goals in extra time. Harrisburg bounced back with three goals in the 111-120 minutes. A truly herculean effort as the Union affiliate club will go against NYRB in the next round.
Cal FC (1) v Portland Timbers (0): Cal FC an amateur team and the lowest ranked team in the tournament pulled a big upset by scoring a goal in extra time to eliminate the timbers. Going into a hostile JELD-WEN field makes Cal FC’s upset more impressive. Cal FC is coached by former USMNT star Eric Wynalda, who was one of the potent goal scorers in US history.
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