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Down in Manhattan Beach, California a little club called Doxa Italia wins a lot of amateur titles. In their second time qualifying for the US Open Cup they will travel to Sumner, Washington to take on the Sounders U23s in their first ever Open Cup match. The match is May 14th at 7 PM.
The PDL side will be without some of its talent as several players will still be away at college. Most of Doxa's players have PDL experience, but a few have played at higher levels. Bryan Byrne was with New England. Craig Reynolds played for Port Vale. Forty year old Derk Droze was taken in the first ever MLS draft.
Sounders U23 season ticket holders will gain entry to the match at Sumner's Sunset Chevrolet Stadium for free. Those interested in only this match can get in for 10$. This win or go home match is their first competitive game of their 2013 season.
Darren Sawatzky, GM and Coach of the U23s, said via press release, " The beauty of the open cup tournaments in all countries is the ability for teams of all levels to advance and compete with the top teams." The winner of this first round match is likely to face a pro team as the remaining eight USL Pro teams and six NASL sides enter the tournament. Potential Second Round (May 21) matchups are not yet announced, but will structured on a regional basis. MLS sides enter in the Third Round (May 28). The "bracket" will be structured so the Sounders U23s and Sounders are unlikely to meet until late in the tournament. Both Portland and the Red Bulls have U23 teams in the tournament as well.
The full First Round can be found at USSoccer.com