2007 US Open Cup Third Round continues - FC Dallas lucks into next round

The third round of the US Open Cup kicked off last night and there was almost a huge upset. The Atlanta Silverbacks traveled to Dallas and played the MLS team to a 1-1 tie through 120-minutes thanks in large part to the goalkeeping work of Ryan McIntosh. Making this tie even more amazing, Atlanta played the last 40-minutes a man down.

The game came down to kicks and sadly for the Silverbacks, their sixth attempt went high.

These are the types of games that make the Open Cup so much fun. Anytime a lower division side causes havoc to an upper-division club, it is exciting. Too bad this year's cup has not had many of these outcomes as higher division teams are now 19-3. It is also a shame that only 2,500 at Pizza Hut Park got to enjoy this match.

Anyway, the third round continues on tonight with four games. Thankfully we'll be able to watch one of these matches online thanks to the USL (Houston-Charleston) and listen to another thanks to the New England Revolution. Anyway, here are tonight's matches:

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2), University of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va. 7 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1), Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. 7:30 p.m. ET (live internet feed)
N.E. Revolution (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1), PAETEC Park; Rochester, N.Y. 7:35 p.m. ET (live internet feed)
California Victory (USL-1) at Colorado Rapids (MLS), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo. 7 p.m. MT

Of all these games, the one that stands out like the most likely to see a USL side beat a MLS team is the California-Colorado match. The Rapids have looked horrible for a while now, but to be honest, the Victory has not been doing much itself. However, with Colorado often failing to score, one goal might be enough to take this one.

The Rhinos are always dangerous in the Open Cup and facing them at home is not a place where you want to be, so the Revs might have a difficult night.

Houston is on a fantastic roll, but after playing three games in a week and having another game on Thursday night in Chicago, they might not field many starters. That said, we saw what the Houston B-team can do during the Gold Cup, so it will still take a great night from the Battery to advance.

Finally there is LA. With a week off before their next match, the Galaxy might use this as a chance to continue the improvement they have shown over the last few weeks. Then again, they might just use it as a second team outing since the last thing they are looking for is even more matches added to their schedule.

Here is the full third round schedule:
Game Number, Date, Teams, Venue, Time
25 July 11, D.C. United (MLS) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2),Hempfield High School Stadium; Greensburg, Pa. 7:30 p.m. ET
26 July 10, N.E. Revolution (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1), PAETEC Park; Rochester, N.Y. 7:35 p.m. ET
27 July 10, Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2), University of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va. 7 p.m. ET
28 July 15, Chicago Fire (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (USL-1), SAS Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. 5 p.m. ET
29 July 9, Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) 1-1 FC Dallas (MLS) FC Dallas wins on pks 4-3
30 July 10, Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1), Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. 7:30 p.m. ET
31 July 10, California Victory (USL-1) at Colorado Rapids (MLS), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo. 7 p.m. MT
32 July 18, Chivas USA (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1), Qwest Field; Seattle, Wash. 7 p.m. PT