PDL News Release
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
TAMPA, Fla. – The 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off on Wednesday night, with five PDL teams set to compete in the First Round. The Western Mass Pioneers, GPS Portland Phoenix, Vermont Voltage, Ventura County Fusion and LA Misioneros will all be in action aiming to make their way into next week’s Second Round.
Western Mass will host Mass Premier Soccer in U.S. Soccer’s ‘Game of the Round’ at Lusitano Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ussoccer.com as the Pioneers make their first Open Cup appearances since 2011. Players to watch include goalkeeper Warren Gross, who recorded one of the Top 10 goals-against averages in the PDL last season, and Brazilian forward Alencar Junior, who had nine goals for the club in 2013.
Fellow Northeast Division side GPS Portland is also set to host as it welcomes FC LVU Sonic to Deerfield High School. The Phoenix advanced to the second round of the tournament in their first appearance last season and will look to match that this time around. Vermont, meanwhile, travels to play the New York Red Bulls U-23s as the Voltage make their first appearance in the Open Cup in club history.
On the west coast, the Ventura County Fusion host CD Aguiluchos at 10 p.m. ET at Ventura College looking to recapture the magic of 2012 when the club advanced to the tournament’s third round before it fell to Chivas USA.
The LA Misioneros will make their second appearance in the tournament on the road as they visit PSA Elite at 10:30 p.m. ET. The side, which includes returning captain Angel de Alba, is hoping to claim its first victory in the tournament with its lone other appearance coming in 2008.
The remaining 14 PDL teams that earned berths in this year’s U.S. Open Cup, including defending PDL champion the Austin Aztex, will open their campaigns in the historic competition in next week’s second round.