Seattle Open a frosty can of whoop ass

The Seattle Sounders of USL-1 humiliated the Colorado Rapids, 5-0, while FC Dallas managed to retain some top-flight dignity with an OT win over the Charleston Battery (USL-1). Meanwhile, Carolina (USL-1) managed to hold onto a 1-0 win over USL-2 club Richmond.

Seattle 5, Colorado 0
The US Open Cup typically features upsets due in part to the relative lack of importance most MLS clubs appear to place in America’s oldest soccer pro soccer tournament combined with lower divisions clubs frothing at the collective mouth for a chance to show their quality versus an MLS club.

But Colorado’s absolute hammering at the hands of MLS hopefuls was the worst defeat suffered by an MLS team in Open Cup history. Goals from four different Sounders players (Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Josh Gardner, and Sebastien Le Toux) along with a Facundo Erpen own goal gave Seattle back-to-back wins over MLS franchises, a stat that gives their bid for an expansion team some real ammunition. Keep an eye out for a post on Seattle’s MLS chances later in the day.

http://seattlesounders.net/

FC Dallas, 2, Charleston 1 (OT)
FC Dallas needed extra time to fight off experienced MLS-killers Charleston, as Arturo Alvarez’s 95th minute goal delivered Dallas to the semi-finals.

Stephen Armstrong’s 17th-minute goal put the Battery on top for just five minutes, as Clarence Goodsen equalized in the 22nd. Dallas will face another apparent MLS-killer, Seattle.

http://fc.dallas.mlsnet.com/t104/

Carolina 1, Richmond 0
A Connally Edozien goal helped the home-side Railhawks advance to the semi-finals, as Carolina topped Richmond. Former MLS striker Chris Carrieri featured for the Railhawks, and nearly scored in the 50th minute with a rocket just past the right post.

Although Richmond, the USL-2 defending champs, gave the Railhawks all they could handle, they managed to hold on to the 1-0 win. The winner of Wednesday’s final quarterfinal between the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) and the New England Revolution will face Carolina in the other semi-final.

http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/