Crystal Palace forward Gary Brooks heard the claims last week his team wasn?t good enough to beat Major League Soccer?s New York Red Bulls in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
But Palace wasn?t just good against New York, it was great ? dominating the match and cruising to a 2-0 victory and spot in the quarterfinals against defending cup champion New England Revolution tonight at 7 in New Britain, Conn.
“Everybody doubted us and said the Red Bulls were going to beat us,” he said. “We can compete with anybody and hope we can move on farther and farther and farther.”
The U.S. Open Cup, started in 1914, is the largest soccer tournament in the United States that includes amateur and professional teams. Palace, which plays in the United Soccer League?s Second Division ? the equivalent to baseball?s Double-A ? defeated teams from Los Angeles and Harrisburg, Pa., before stunning the Red Bulls.
New England plays in the MLS, which is the country?s highest level of professional soccer. The Revolution is one of eight MLS teams to qualify for the tournament, with each receiving a bye through the first two rounds. New England defeated the Richmond Kickers from the USL Second Division, 3-0, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Palace, which beat the Red Bulls in front of 1,654 fans at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, played nearly an hour of the match a man down due to a red card to defender and captain Ibrahim Kante. The ejection means Kante will be unavailable against the Revolution.
Palace dominated much of the match without Kante, but it did it against a New York lineup devoid of many starters, including Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna. MLS teams often use the cup games as a chance to rest starters or give younger players a chance to get on the field.
That won?t be the case against New England.
The Revolution, which has won two U.S. Open Cups since 2001 and played for the past three MLS titles, will field a lineup with most of its regulars., including midfielder Pat Phelan and forward Taylor Twellman, a former Maryland standout.
“You see [their players] on TV time and time again so it?s exciting just to be on the field,” Palace midfielder Pat Healey said. “But you have to go in and play with confidence, knowing that you can be on the field with them.”
