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

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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

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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
2 San Jose Earthquakes (a.e.t.) 1
8 Chivas USA 0 10 Portland Timbers 0
10 Portland Timbers 2 2 San Jose Earthquakes 2 (4)
4 Chicago Fire (a.e.t.) (p) 2 (5)
1 Colorado Rapids 1
4 Chicago Fire 2
4 Chicago Fire
3 Sporting Kansas City
3 Sporting Kansas City (a.e.t.) 1
7 Philadelphia Union 2 (2) 5 Houston Dynamo 0
9 D.C. United (a.e.t.) (p) 2 (4) 3 Sporting Kansas City 5
6 New England Revolution 0
6 New England Revolution 3
9 D.C. United 2


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

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March 29, 2011 Chivas USA 0–2 Portland Timbers Portland, 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 Union 2 – 2 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)
D.C. United Boyds, 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

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March 30, 2011 Colorado Rapids 1–2 Chicago Fire Peoria, Illinois
Akpan   46' Report   45' Puerari
  61' Anibaba
Stadium: Shea Stadium
April 6, 2011 Sporting Kansas City 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) Houston Dynamo College 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 Revolution 3–2 D.C. United Boyds, 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 Earthquakes 1 – 0 (a.e.t.) Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon
19:30 PDT Opara   120' Report Stadium: Jeld-Wen Field
Attendance: 11,412
Referee: Alejandro Mariscal

Qualification finals

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May 24, 2011 Chicago Fire 2 – 2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)
San Jose Earthquakes Santa 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 Revolution 0–5 Sporting Kansas City Overland 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

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

USL Professional League

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

Premier Development League

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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

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Eastern Conference
Mid Atlantic Division Reading United
Northeast Division Western Mass Pioneers
South Atlantic Division Carolina Dynamo
Central Conference
Great Lakes Division Chicago Fire Premier
Heartland Division Real Colorado Foxes
Southern Conference
Mid South Division Chivas El Paso Patriots
Southeast Division Central Florida Kraze
Western Conference
Northwest Division Kitsap Pumas
Southwest Division Ventura County Fusion

For standings see 2011 PDL season.

National Premier Soccer League

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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

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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

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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
Knoxville Force 0 Jacksonville United 1
Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 3
Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 0
FC Tulsa 1 Chattanooga FC (a.e.t.) 1
Rocket City United 7 Rocket City United 0
Chattanooga FC 2

Midwest Division

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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

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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* 7 7 0 0 34 3 +31 21
Santa Ana Winds 6 5 1 0 15 6 +9 15
San Diego Flash* 7 5 2 0 14 9 +5 15
Sonoma County Sol 6 3 2 1 16 10 +6 10
San Diego Boca 7 3 4 0 14 16 −2 9
Sacramento Gold 6 2 2 2 10 8 +2 8
FC Hasental 7 2 4 1 13 17 −4 7
Bay Area Ambassadors* 7 1 5 1 9 22 −13 4
Lancaster Rattlers 4 1 3 0 4 9 −5 3
Real San Jose 7 1 6 0 4 32 −28 3

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

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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

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Region I
Bracket A NY Pancyprian-Freedoms
Bracket B Phoenix SC
Region II
Bracket A Iowa Menace
Bracket B A.A.C. Eagles
Region III
Bracket A ASC New Stars
Bracket B Regals FC
Region IV
Bracket A Doxa Italia
Bracket B DV8 Defenders

Region I

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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

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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]

Region III

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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 3 3 0 0 7 2 +5 9
Greenville Eagles 3 2 1 0 12 4 +8 6
Florida Gators 3 1 2 0 1 3 −2 3
Boston Avenue ACR 3 0 3 0 1 12 −11 0
Group B Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
Regals FC 2 1 1 0 5 4 +1 3
CASL Elite 2 1 1 0 5 4 +1 3
Royal Eagles 2 1 1 0 2 4 −2 3

Region IV

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Group A Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
DV8 Defenders 3 2 0 1 14 2 +12 7
Albuquerque Metro SC 3 1 1 1 7 8 −1 4
SF Italian AC 3 0 3 0 1 15 −14 0
Group B Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
Doxa Italia 3 2 0 1 25 1 +24 7
San Francisco Rosal FC 3 2 0 1 16 3 +13 7
Tracy CV Eagles FC 3 0 3 0 1 35 −34 0

References

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  1. ^ "NPSL In The US Open Cup - National Premier Soccer League". Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  2. ^ "2011 USOC team allocations, dates set".
  3. ^ a b 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/[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Anderson, Eric. "Madison 56ers awarded NPSL Midwest US Open Cup spot". TheCup.us.
  6. ^ a b c "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.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Barnhart, Gerald. "USASA Region III field set for 2011 US Open Cup qualifying". TheCup.us.
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