Early Exit for NY Pancyprian Freedoms US Open Cup Run
The 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup ambitions ended early for the NY Pancyprian Freedoms with a undeserved last minute loss to SC Vistula Garfield from New Jersey on Saturday, September 17th, at the Athenia Steel Recreation Complex in Clifton, New Jersey. The NYPF saw over 10 clear goal scoring chances simply not go in while the opposition got a lucky bounce off a collision in box from a last minute a corner kick to win 1-0. The NYPF were hampered with multiple players unavailable to play with illness and still were on the front foot throughout the game.
The first round loss marks the earliest exit possible for the 3-time winning NYPF that were favorites to go deep into the competition . The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a national cup competition open to all amateur and professional teams in the United States dating back to 1913,. The NYPF won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 1980, 1982 and 1983.
“There are no words to describe losing the chance to win a cup so early in the season, “said Philip Christopher, President of the Pancyprian Association of America. “We are still playing to win the league and the state cup and we intend to raise those as the victors.”
In a battle of the Greek teams, the NYPF II played against a Panatha USA who was looking to bounce back from a big loss in their opening game last weekend in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League Division 3 - East.. The game was played on Saturday, September 17th at Randalls Island. From the start of the game to the final whistle, the NYPF II were in control of the match forcing the Panatha USA keeper to keep his team in the game with seven saves in the first half. The NYPF broke through in the second half with two goals by former Eleftheria Pancyprian Soccer club youth player, Sean Arus. The game ended with a 2-0 NYPF win that easily could have been more. The NYPF sit in second place of the CSL Division 3 - East tied on points with first place but second on goals scored
On Sunday, September the 18th, the NYPF O-30 played their Long Island Soccer Football League home opener against the Integral Kings O-30 at Liberty Park Field in Queens, New York. Second half goals by EPSC Coach, Juan Dominguez, Jacob Garcia and former Eleftheria Pancyprian Soccer club youth player, George Spanos, gave the NYPF O-30 a 3-2 victory over a feisty Integral Kings.
“We only had only 11 players and we did not play our best today,” said Billy Antoniou, Head Coach of the NYPF O-30. “We were down 0-2 at the half and woke up in the second half to start putting away our chances.”
The NYPF next play Suffolk County FC in the Eastern Premier Soccer League Metropolitan Conference on Sunday, September 25 at 8pm at Belson Stadium, St. John’s University in Fresh Meadows, New York. The NYPF II will play NY Albanians FC on Saturday, September 24th at 8pm at Astoria Park in Astoria, New York . The NYPF O-30 next play the Glen Cove O-30 on Sunday, September 25th at 8pm in Astoria Park, Astoria, New York. Let’s go blue!
