After some heart pounding matches in the Third Round of the US Open Cup we have our elite eight getting ready to duke it out in the Quarterfinal Round. Once again we saw a tough favorite from the lower levels pushing their MLS Opponents into the Round of Penalties and somehow stopping all three of them to advance.

It had to take a hundred and seventeen minutes for an upset to happen and then hold on till the end to advance. Several times it would take only a goal to win, or the end of story for a troubled side to make their magical run end.

CHICAGO FIRE 0(0): 0(3) CHARLESTON BATTERY

All throughout the match whatever chances both sides had the keepers came up big or shots were missed from Regulation and into extra time. But once the round of penalties came around something strange happened for Chicago, none of them went in.

Brian McBride’s penalty sails high over the crossbar, while Lamar Neagle converted. Second attempt for the Fire was by Krzysztof Krol and he was stopped, Mike Zaher for Charleston scored. But once Wilman Conde nailed the crossbar, all Ian Fuller did calmly and coolly convert his chance and the Battery advanced.

COLUMBUS CREW 2:1 ROCHESTER RHINOS

The Rhinos would make a return to the stadium that they won their only US Open Cup title back in 1999. Andy Iro got the Crew on the board in the thirtieth minute, but Darren Spicer got his equalizer in the sixty-ninth. But for Alfonso Motagalvan a hard and reckless challenge was shown a straight red in the eighty-fifth.

With the Crew up a man and four minutes of second half stoppage time being added there were already thoughts of extra time looming, but once again Steven Lenhart comes up clutch late in matches and he scored inside the final minute of four in stoppage time and the Crew advances.

PORTLAND TIMBERS 1(3):1(4) SEATTLE SOUNDERS

The Northwest derby returns again inside the US Open Cup when these two bitter rivals meet. An early goal by Nate Jaqua in the thirteenth put the Sounders ahead, but Bright Dike (DEE-KAY) scored his fourth of the tournament to equalize the match in the thirty-eighth minute. Taylor Graham would get booked in the forty-third and when they got into extra time, the Sounders were down to ten men as Graham got a second yellow and automatic red in the one hundred minute.

No other goals going in it would be the round of penalties. First round had Portland going first and Ryan Pore was saved by Kasey Keller, while Nathan Sturgis converts. Second Round Doug Martin converts while Steve Zakuani did the same.  Third Round Mamadou Danso ties it, but Fredy Montero gave Seattle the lead again.

But in the fourth round both sides would miss as Ross Smith was stopped by Keller while Patrick Ianni hit the crossbar. Then Rodrigo Lopez converts his chance to make it level again, but the hopes for Zach Scott to miss were dashed as he got the winning penalty to help the Sounders advance.

Other Round 3 Matches
Harrisburg City Islanders 1:0 New York Red Bulls (A.E.T.)
DC United 2:0 Richmond Kickers
Los Angeles Galaxy 2:0 AC St. Louis
Houston Dynamo 1:0 Miami FC
Chivas-USA 1:0 Austin

2010 US Open Cup Quarterfinals

July 6th: Columbus Crew Vs Charleston Battery 7:30PM EDT
At Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

July 6th:  Houston Dynamo Vs CD Chivas-USA 7:30PM CDT
At Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas

July 7th: Seattle Sounders FC Vs Los Angeles Galaxy 7:30PM PDT
At Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Washington

July 21st: DC United Vs Harrisburg City Islanders 7:30PM
At Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, Maryland