USL-2 Qualifying : Round Two
Charlotte close to qualification, 'Hounds dig an 0-3 hole
By USOPENCUP.COM
April 28, 2008

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Five matches were featured in the second week of USL Second Division qualifying,
and one team is already one victory away for securing their spot in the 2008
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, while another has dug itself a giant hole to climb out
of. Defense has also been tough at home in week two with four of the five
matches featuring shutouts by the home team.

The Charlotte Eagles continued their strong start to the 2008 season, blanking
the Richmond Kickers 3-0. Jonah Long started the scoring in the 11th minute
after a pass from Dustin Swinehart, setting up Long’s 30-yard shot. Charlotte
went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, despite out shooting Richmond 8-1. Charlotte
doubled their lead in the 58th minute, when former Kicker Robert Ssejjemba was
brought down in the penalty area by Adam Chavez. Dustin Swinehart converted the
spot kick, giving him five goals in the first two games. Jorge Herrera would
score the third and final goal, his second of the year, in the 75th minute to
clinch the win for the Eagles.

On the opposite side of the table, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (0-3-0) are still
looking for their first victory after dropping two games in the state of
Maryland. On Friday, Crystal Palace Baltimore jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, on
an 8th minute goal from Gary Brooks. The play started with a 50-yard cross field
pass from Abe Kante to Matthew Mbuta, who eventually found Brooks at the far
post to head the ball into the back of the net. Half an hour later, a free kick
by Crystal Palace’s Cecil Lewis created a mess in front of goal, until Alex
Ughivohe poked home the second goal.

Midway through the second half, Ughivohe received his second yellow card, giving
the visitors a man advantage. Even with 10 men, Palace would add a third in the
87th minute thanks to Pat Healey putting away a loose ball in front of the goal,
following a corner kick.

The expansion Real Maryland kept the Riverhounds winless the following day,
defeating them 2-0. William Brindley and former MLS star Ronald Cerritos
provided a goal each before the halftime break, and even when Cerritos was sent
off in the 75th minute, the Riverhounds were not able to close the gap.

Thanks to Charlotte’s promising start, they could have their place in the Open
Cup locked up by next weekend. An Eagles win combined with a Pittsburgh loss
will send Charlotte to the tournament. While sitting at 0-0-3, all hope is not
yet lost for the Riverhounds. In 2007, Crystal Palace Baltimore lost their first
four games, but earned a spot in the Cup with a win and draw in their final two
games.

The Bermuda Hogges aren’t eligible of the Open Cup, so they played the role of
spoiler in a 2-0 defeat of the Wilmington Hammerheads in their home opener on
Saturday. Kwame Steede and Stephen Astwood scored second half goals to lead the
way. The Hammerheads are trying to return to the Open Cup after failing to
qualify last season.

Finally, Harrisburg and Cleveland played to a 1-1 draw, in a match completes
Sunday after severe weather in Harrisburg halted the game on Saturday night
while scoreless in the 41st minute. Cleveland took the lead after 59 minutes on
a header by Derek Potteiger, but Harrisburg would equalize through a Nate Baker
penalty kick. Cleveland’s Ian Leibbrant, the hero in last weeks win over
Pittsburgh, was sent off in the 89th minute for a hard foul. The two clubs meet
again next weekend at Cleveland.
USL Second Division Qualifying:
 --> http://www.usopencup.com/2008qualification/USL2/index_E.html



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