LD Update: Honors; Open Cup resumes tonight

US Open Cup: The three teams remaining from the lower divisions, all from third-tier USL Pro, will face three MLS opponents tonight in the tournament quarterfinals. Harrisburg City Islanders face affiliate Philadelphia Union at 7:30 ET, Dayton Dutch Lions take on Sporting Kansas City at 8:30 ET and the Charlotte Eagles kick things off at 10:30 ET in their fourth game outside of the Eastern Time Zone. All three games, as well as the 10:30 ET all-MLS match between Seattle and San Jose, will be streamed live online. For a LIVE BLOG and complete coverage, visit TheCup.us.

LD Update: Islanders advance to fifth CCL; Open Cup Semifinal hosts set

CFU Championship: The Puerto Rico Islanders advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League for a fifth consecutive tournament, finishing third in the Caribbean Football Union with a 2-0 victory against USL Pro side Antigua Barracuda in Trinidad Thursday evening. 

USL Pro News: The three remaining clubs in the US Open Cup - Charlotte, Dayton & Harrisburg - learned where and who they may be facing in the Semifinals (July 10-11) should they advance past their Major League Soccer opponents next Tuesday. Harrisburg is the lone team that could potentially host a semifinal match, but would also need their league compatriots Dayton to win... Defending champion and league-leader Orlando City announced the signing of Senegalese midfielder Adama Mbengue, a star for the club's U23 side, to the squad.

PDL News: The league unveiled the Team of the Week, honoring midfielder Matt Friesen of the Kitsap Pumas as the Player of the Week.
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Lower Division Five Stars - Round 9... plus US Open Cup Rd 4

A little late, but here is the Five Stars for the lower division campaign through games of June 3 along with the fourth installment of the US Open Cup rankings. in the Lower Division rankings, it started out as a strikers' league, but has definitely transitioned into being all about the goalkeepers. In the Open Cup, the all-tournament list saw little change as the MLS teams are yet to have any consistent goal scorers to move up a list featuring a lot of great early round performances. 

Five Stars of the Week – Round 9

1 – Corey Hertzog – F – Wilmington Hammerheads: A fantastic performance with two goals and an assist gave the Hammers a 3-1 win over the previously unbeaten league leader Orlando City.  

2 – Ronnie Pascale – G – Richmond Kickers: One goal allowed and 19 saves in a pair of positive road results, a 1-1 draw in Harrisburg and a 1-0 win at Rochester.

3 – Ciaran O’Brien – M – Atlanta Silverbacks: A goal and an assist helped the club get its first win of the season, downing FC Edmonton 2-1.

Lower Division Five Stars - Round 8... plus US Open Cup Rd 3

Five Stars of the Week - Round 8 (ending May 27)

1 – Shaun Saiko – F – FC Edmonton: Gave the club a two goal lead against one of the hottest sides in the league with a goal and an assist against starting keeper Daryl Sattler, who had allowed only one goal in previous five appearances, for a 2-2 draw against the San Antonio Scorpions. 

2 – Chris Agorsor – F – Richmond Kickers: Struck for a pair of goals late against Wilmington Hammerheads in a 3-1 victory.

3 – Mitch Hildebrandt – G – Minnesota Stars: Made four saves in his rookie debut, posting a shutout on the road as the team rested starters in advance of its US Open Cup contest.

4 – Frankie Sanfilippo – D – Tampa Bay Rowdies: He was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week for leading the Rowdies to a scoreless draw against the unbeaten defending champion Minnesota Stars, who had scored at least two goals in each of their last five games and had not been shutout since their opening two matches.

LD Update: USL Pro Game Night; PDL US U20 call-up

Charleston Battery 3:1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds - Two nights after being eliminated from the US Open Cup, 3-0, by the Red Bulls, the Battery rebounded nicely with an emphatic road win. It took 45 minutes, though, for Nicki Paterson to break through, scoring twice in less than a minute. He buried a corner kick in the 45th and on a free kick shortly after the restart, he bent the ball over the wall and into the upper corner. At the hour mark Mike Seth was taken down for a penalty and Rich Costanzo converted. A counter nine minutes later finished by Dane Kelly wrapped the night up. - MORE

US Open Cup: The second night of the Third Round wrapped up with the Atlanta Silverbacks falling 5-1 in Seattle and Cal FC of the USASA registering a stunning 1-0 overtime victory on the road versus the Portland Timbers. The results of the two nights advanced half of the field of lower division clubs onto the Fourth Round. Two non-MLS showdowns in round four guarantees that at least two lower division sides will also move onto the Quarterfinals June 26. The PDL's Michigan Bucks are playing host to the Dayton Dutch Lions, who are winless in USL Pro. The other match sends the USL Pro Charlotte Eagles back to Texas for a third occasion, this time to face the expansion NASL side San Antonio Scorpions. US Open Cup Coverage.

PDL News: Eric Miller of the Portland Timbers U-23s was invited to the US U-20 National Team camp in Houston in anticipation of a set of exhibitions versus Uruguay and Chile... Austin Aztex striker Kekuta Manneh highlighted the Team of the Week, earning the Player of the Week honor.

Lower Division Five Stars - Round 7... plus US Open Cup Rd 2

Five Stars of the Week - Round 7

1 – Jonathan Greenfield – D – San Antonio Scorpions: The expansion side continues to impress with its current run. On Saturday they blanked another club that has been hot of late, FC Edmonton, with Greenfield also picking up for an unusually silent offense by providing a goal and assist. 

2 – Yann Ekra – F – Harrisburg City Islanders: Tallied a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over the visiting Dayton Dutch Lions. Normally, this would be a number one performance, but Dayton had played a valiant 1-1 draw in Rochester the night before.

3 – Nick Noble – G – Harrisburg City Islanders: With the Open Cup looming Tuesday, he played the entirety of both games at home, getting a pair of shutouts against Pittsburgh, 0-0, and Dayton, 4-0, with eight saves.

Lower Division Five Stars - Round 6

Five Stars of the Week*

1 – Kristian Nicht– G – Rochester Rhinos: Two shutouts on the road in 1-0 wins at both Charlotte and Charleston, posting 10 saves in the victory against the Battery.

2 – Pablo Campos – F – San Antonio Scorpions: The striker scored twice on the road for a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. 

3 – Ilja vanLeerdam – M – FC Edmonton: A goal and assist for a 2-0 win in Atlanta gave the Canadians their second victory, the first on the road.

4 – Bright Dike – F – LA Blues: On loan from the MLS Portland Timbers, the striker was dangerous in his debut Friday, a 1-0 win in Dayton, and then tallied a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win at Pittsburgh.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro Game Night; MLS friendly

Puerto Rico Islanders 3:0 Atlanta Silverbacks - The league leaders were locked in a stalemate with the Silverbacks until Martyn Lancaster was sent off five minutes into the second half for taking down Jonathan Fana in the box. Joe Nasco stopped the ensuing David Foley penalty, but the midfielder followed up the attempt and headed the ball far enough over the line for the opening tally. Hector Ramos would double the lead in the 77th and Tyler Wilson left no doubt with the third in the 84th. - MORE

Harrisburg City Islanders 0:0 Pittsburgh Riverhounds - The first segment of the Pennsylvania derby finished in a scoreless deadlock. - MORE

US Open Cup: The fourth tier of American soccer squared off in the First Round of the US Open Cup Tuesday evening, leaving 16 amateur sides to face the professional clubs from the second division NASL and third division USL Pro. The pairings were announced Wednesday afternoon for the Third Round. All the details here at TheCup.us. 

USL Pro News: The Harrisburg City Islanders announced that their exhibition against MLS affiliate Philadelphia Union will be held at Hersheypark on June 12.

W-League News: Victoria Highlanders striker Lindsay Hoetzel was unveiled as the Player of the Week, highlighting the league's Team of the Week.

Look for the Soccer Barn Five Stars tomorrow.

LD Update: NASL & USL Pro previews; Brooklyn documentary

NASL Previews: The sixth week of the season is starting to produce in-season rematches as all four games fall on Saturday night. The Puerto Rico Islanders host the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, looking to avenge their only loss, a 3-2 defeat in Florida. Last year they finished even at 1-1-2... The expansion San Antonio Scorpions visit the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the first time. The two played to a scoreless draw last week in Texas...

The Carolina RailHawks are still looking for revenge when they visit Minnesota. The Stars swept the season series last year 2-0-2 - with every game decided by one goal - and then knocked the regular season champion RailHawks out in the semifinals with a 1-0 home win and advanced via the away goal tiebreaker following a 4-3 second leg defeat in Carolina. The season-opening meeting in Minnesota finished in a scoreless deadlock... FC Edmonton visits the Atlanta Silverbacks in their first meeting of the year. The hosts are looking for their result of against the Canadians having been swept last year in four games by an aggregate score of 8-1.

USL Pro Previews: The weekend slate kicks off and concludes in the Caribbean with Orlando City visiting Antigua Barracuda Friday and Sunday. After winning their initial meeting in Orlando last year, Barracuda dropped the next two at home as Orlando went on to win the league and playoff championships.

LD Update: Previews, honors, signings & Cups

NASL Preview: The Carolina RailHawks play host to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers Wednesday. The contest is the first meeting this season after the two split the season series a year ago with two victories each. Carolina won both matches at home by a two-goal margin while falling on the road by one goal in both.

USL Pro Preview: Antigua Barracuda visit the Wilmington Hammerheads Wednesday in the first of two games in the Carolinas. It is the first trip to the States this season. Last season Antigua played host to the Hammerheads, dropping both games in one-goal decisions, 1-0 and 3-2 in early July.

USL Pro Honors: The league announced Charlotte Eagles defender Luke Williams as the Player of the Week as well as the accompanying Team of the Week.