Cal FC upsets Timbers in US Open Cup match

By ANNE M. PETERSON

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 2:31 a.m. ET May 31, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Artur Aghasyan scored in the first overtime and Cal FC, an amateur team coached by former U.S. national team standout Eric Wynalda, upset the Portland Timbers 1-0 in a third-round match of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night.

Aghasyan, who played for a time last season with Real Salt Lake, charged Portland goalkeeper Troy Perkins in the 95th minute and rifled the ball into the goal as Perkins slid on the turf.

Cal FC, based in Thousand Oaks, Calif., is part of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association and features several former pro players on its roster. The team beat the Kitsap Pumas of the USL Premier Development League and the USL Pro's Wilmington Hammerheads to advance to Wednesday night's match.

"I don't know what to tell you guys," Wynalda said after the match. "I'm a little taken aback by all of this."

Cal FC advances to a fourth-round match against the Seattle Sounders, who have won the last three U.S. Open Cup titles.

Cal FC celebrated on the field long after the victory, pausing to get their pictures taken and applauding the Timbers Army supporters' group, which chanted "Beat Seattle!"

"This team trained once this week," Wynalda said. "All credit to them to figure out how to come out of here victorious. It's pretty amazing."

Seven MLS teams were eliminated on Tuesday from the 99-year-old tournament. The Timbers did not take the match lightly, using many of their regular starters, including Scottish striker Kris Boyd.

Portland was clearly the stronger team but couldn't finish numerous chances, while Cal FC showed tenacity throughout the match.

"There's no excuses for tonight. No excuses whatsoever," Portland coach John Spencer said. "We should come here, we should win the game. I don't think we should win the game easy, but I don't think we should lose the game. Not at all. Totally unacceptable. And there's no excuses."

At one point the fans chanted "care like we do" to the home team.

Portland's Darlington Nagbe fired the ball from atop the box in the 23rd minute, but it was scooped up by goalkeeper Derby Carillo. Eric Alexander also had a chance in the 42nd minute, but his shot just skimmed over the crossbar.

Portland kept most of its starters in for the second, but still had no luck finding the goal. Sub Brent Richards and forward Jorge Perlazza got off three threatening shots, but all went over the bar.

But the crowd was most stunned when Boyd's penalty kick in the 80th minute also sailed over the top.

"Disappointed in myself," a somber Boyd said afterward. "It was a good chance to win the game. I'm disappointed."

The Timbers got stung at the end of regulation when Boyd appeared to twist his left ankle just outside of Carillo's goal. Boyd walked gingerly to Portland's bench. He said afterward that it was not serious.

Carillo finished with 15 saves. Perkins made two.

Cal FC will face the Sounders on June 5 in Tukwila, Wash. Seattle defeated the NASL's Atlanta Silverbacks 5-1 Wednesday night to advance.

The U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament open to all U.S. Soccer affiliated teams, from the amateur to the professional level. In 2006, Roma FC, a Dallas-based amateur team, made it to the fourth round before losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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