DC United seek change of Open Cup fortune vs. Harrisburg City Islanders tonight

July 7, 12:26 PMWashington Soccer ExaminerEd Morgans

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DC United continues its US Open Cup run tonight with a match at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD, against the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-2. 

United will be wise not to underestimate its opponent tonight. Harrisburg are the last team to beat United in Open Cup play, upsetting DC on July 11, 2007, by a 1-0 score, in Landisville, Pa. Steve Fisher scored the lone goal just before halftime and United could never get on the board, ending its Open Cup run in its first match of the tournament.

United had a much better showing last year, winning the tournament with a victory of the USL's Charleston Battery in the final. United were the home team for all its matches in that event, and have yet to play a road game in either qualification or the tournament proper this season (three games). United defeated FC Dallas and the New York Red Bulls to qualify for this year's tournament, then defeated the PDL's Ocean City Barons last week, 2-0, to advance to tonight's quarterfinals.

Two other quarterfinal matches also feature non-MLS clubs, as Charleston hosts the Houston Dynamo; and an all-USL battle showcases the Wilmington Hammerheads (Division 2) against the Rochester Rhinos (Division 1). The fourth quarterfinal is an all-Major League Soccer affair, as Kansas City takes on Seattle. 

Harrisburg got to this point with a 4-1 win over the Reading Rage in the first round, then beat the Western Mass Pioneers on penalty kicks in the second round to earn a game against MLS competition. The Islanders didn't misfire on the opportunity, beating the New England Revolution, 2-1, in a match that required extra time. 

In their league season, Harrisburg is 8-3-2 in USL-2, good for 26 points. They have faced local competition three times already this season - beating Real Maryland FC twice in league play, and Crystal Palace-Baltimore once. The team also features some regional talent. Goalkeeper Jay Herford hails from Crofton, Md.; defender/midfielder Nate Baker is from Bowie, Md.; defender Anthony Calvano is from Manassas, VA. 

But Harrisburg has found players from far and wide. Seven players hail from six different foreign countries - including England, Scotland, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Israel. South African midfielder Tiyiselani Shipalane is second in USL-2 with 17 points, while teammate and forward Chad Severs is third with 15. Severs is tied for second in the division with seven goals. Scottish midfielder Nicki Patterson leads USL-2 by a wide margin in fouls committed with 28. 

United will have to fashion a lineup tonight that can compete, but that won't unnecessarily tax players who were on the field for Saturday's 1-1 draw at Columbus. Forwards Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno have been hurt and aren't likely to play tonight, and midfielder/forward Santino Quaranta (USA) and defender Dejan Jakovic (Canada) are away with their National Teams for the Gold Cup. Goalkeeper Josh Wicks played that game, so it's likely Milos Kocic will get the call tonight. Bryan Namoff, Greg Janicki, Marc Burch, Rodney Wallace, Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez, Clyde Simms, and Chris Pontius all went the full 90 on Saturday. The roster is also two short of being full, with the release of Louis Crayton and Anthony Peters in recent days. 

Whoever starts, United don't want to be the team that lost to Harrisburg twice in three years to crash out of the Open Cup. United would be home yet again (at the SoccerPlex on July 21) for the semifinals against either Wilmington or Rochester, meaning a path to the final and the ability to retain the Cup has been clearly marked.

We'll have to wait and see if United are smart and skillful enough to take it.

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