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Four local lower-league teams involved in first round of 2017 US Open Cup on May 10

USOC 2017 kicks off its first round proper this week and four teams from the local soccer scene are in the draw.

By Austin Fido
Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

The first round proper of the 2017 US Open Cup gets underway on May 9, with a match between two Florida teams: Red Force FC and South Florida Surf.

The rest of the games will be played on May 10, including matches for four clubs local (ish) to the New York Red Bulls. Those clubs are:

  • Clarkstown SC Eagles
  • FC Motown
  • NJ Copa FC
  • Ocean City Nor'Easters
They are all New Jersey teams - don't be fooled by Clarkstown's name, the club plays most of its home games in Mahwah at Ramapo College and is perhaps more accurately thought of as the Cedar Stars Academy's NPSL team.
Clarkstown Eagles won NPSL's Keystone Conference in 2016, winning 10 of 12 regular-season game and losing just one. In the playoffs, the team made it to the national semi-finals, where it lost 3-2 to AFC Cleveland. Clarkstown was in the 2016 USOC, losing to Jersey Express in the first round.

NJ Copa FC was second to Clarkstown in the 2016 NPSL Keystone Conference, also losing only once in the regular season, but tying five of its 12 games. The team was ousted by Clarkstown in the playoffs, losing in the regional finals, 2-0.
FC Motown has emerged as a local lower-league force in recent seasons, dominating the Garden State Soccer League in which it is currently based.
The ambitious club is coached by former New York Red Bulls Homegrown player and USA Men's U-20 National Teamer, Sacir Hot. The team won through to the opening round of the Cup via the qualifying rounds, including a last-gasp win over Lansdowne Bhoys - another of the more successful teams on the NY/NJ amateur soccer circuit and a club that made a memorable run to the third round of last year's USOC.

Ocean City Nor'Easters were second in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the 2016 PDL, but won through to the national semifinals of the playoffs before falling to Calgary Foothills FC.
The Nor'Easters are among the more successful amateur teams in USOC history, having upset professional opposition in the tournament on five occasions. And New York Red Bulls fans might recall the Nor'Easters beat RBNY's U-23 team in the first round of the 2013 edition of USOC.

This year's draw guarantees at least one of these teams will be in the second round, since NJ Copa and FC Motown must play each other in the first round. But that also means there can be no more than three of the local first-round entrants in next week's second round.
Date Kick-off Home Team Away Team Venue Tix
May 10 7:00 pm, Eastern NJ Copa FC FC Motown Saint John Vianney High School, Holmdel, NJ Free
May 10 7:30 pm, Eastern Ocean City Nor'Easters Junior Lone Star FC Carey Stadium, Ocean City, NJ Free
May 10 7:30 pm, Eastern Reading United AC Clarkstown SC Eagles Exeter Township Senior High School, Reading, PA Check with readingunitedac.com

Follow @NJCopaFC, @fc_motown, Cedar Stars Eagles, @OCNoreasters, and @usopencup on Twitter for updates. Or go watch 'em live.

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