2024 Season Recap

2024 Cup Registration Now Open New Event to Celebrate MSSA Centennial (20 October) We are now accepting applications for the 2024 Cup Season, one that will celebrate 100 years of the Maryland State Soccer Association. Along with our usual menu of contests that include the Rowland, Stewart, Morton, Maryland Over-30, Over-40 & Over-50 Cups, next year we will also add the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup as part of our centennial milestone. Registration will be open until 1 December. Play will start in January and we look to complete by March. Several of our winners will advance to the qualifiers for USASA Region I. The Morton and M-D-V Cups are state only competitions. Review the eligibility requirements below as some of our contests are restricted. A draw will be held for all of our cups. Teams must enter online through the links below. The deadline to enter the cups is 1 December 2023. Referee fees for the cups are $240 ($120 per team) and paid at the field by each team. Matches will be played primarily on Sundays.
Registration Closed for 2024 Cups Teams Vying for Seven Titles (4 December) There was a great deal of interest among our several cups with a total of 60 participants playing in our seven competitions. Along with our traditional contests in the Rowland, Stewart and Morton Cups, we inaugurate the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup as part of our centennial celebration of the Maryland State Soccer Association. It will have 18 teams from across the region competing for best in the MDV area. Draws will take place for each competition. We start in January, rotating the various cups and looking to complete by March. Several of our winners will advance to the qualifiers for USASA Region I. Once the draws are complete, the schedules will be posted on this site.
Draws Set We Kick Off 7 January (8 December) We have a full schedule as we play seven competitions involving 60 participants. Several teams will seek multiple titles. It starts on 7 January with group play of the Morton Cup. On the following Sunday, we kick off the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup with 18 teams vying for bragging rights as the best in the area. If all goes to plan, we will complete our competitions by the end of March. Several of our winners will advance to the qualifiers for USASA Region I, which include the Amateur, Werner Fricker, Gerhard Mengel, the Over-40 & Giacamo Testani Cups.
Match Day 1 Morton Cup Season Off to a Good Start (7 January) Week one went off with a bang, even the weather cooperated. A total of four fixtures were played on Match Day 1 of the Morton Cup. Holder Das Bierhalled United had a slow start after a narrow shutout by ACFC 1:0. The other Group B match was a goal fest with Ittihad FC outpacing Jessup FC 4:3. FC 4188 took a solid jump in Group A defeating Frederick Spartans 4:0 while street footie FC kept pace with a 2:0 win over JA Raiders FC. Next Sunday Columbia FC II and Banfield join the frill in Match Day 2 that will be played at Blandair Park in Columbia.
We inaugurate the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup featuring 18 sides across the region vying for bragging rights as the top team. It includes clubs from the Super Soccer League, Maryland Major Soccer League, Washington Premier League, Maryland Premier League, DC Premier League, Eastern Premier Soccer League and American Premier League. Among the former national, regional champions and finalist includes Christos FC, Aegean Hawks, and Nova FC. Group play is divided on the two sides of the Potomac River with the knockout stages set to be cross divisional. The first Match Day is this Sunday followed by Day 2 on 28 January and the final group games on 11 February.
MDV Cup Kicked Off Morton with Second Match Day (15 January) The Maryland-District-Virginia Cup with some of the best teams from across the area had its first match day with the six group games between the Patapsco and Potomac Divisions. Christos FC, Steel Pulse FC and Ristozi FC are the early leaders in their respective Patapsco Groups. Christos shuout Columbia FC 7:0, Steel Pulse defeated the Baltimore Kickers 4:1 with goals from Zoumana Diarra, Malik Thom, Youssef Naciri, and Pierre. Ristozi edged A3 Highlanders 2:1 as Dylan Portillo and BJ Balogun knocked in goals in their victory. Jay Pierce had the lone goal for A3. In the Potomac Division, Danish Nelson's brace plus a goal from Michael Manco gave Alexandria FC a 3:3 draw with Yinz United. Mike Kozlo, Fares Tello and Chris Moehler tallied for Yinz. The other two group matches saw Los Toros putting away VA Marauders FC 5:1 while the Aegean Hawks blanked PW Nova 6:0. In all, we have 18 sides fighting for bragging rights as the region's top team with Match Day 2 set for 28 January and the final group games on 11 February. We are two match days in with the Morton Cup. Group A has FC 4188 with a commanding lead after their 6:1 rout of Columbia FC II. The Frederick Spratans picked up their first 3 points with a 3:0 shutout of JA Raiders FC. In Ittihad FC and ACFC are joint leaders with obliterating Banfield 9:0 while ACFC held it close against Jessup FC 2:1. We will be back to Blandair Park in Columbia for Match Day 3 next Sunday. The granddaddy of our competitions, the 110 year-old Rowland Cup, features the first round this weekend. The single elimination contest will have 4 matches at Troy Park between A3 Highlanders & Florence FC; a Baltimore derby between the Kickers and Baltimore CIty FC; Das Bierhalle FC against Columbia FC and Ristozi FC versus Cap City FC / DCXI. The final first round match will be at Cedar Lane Park involving Glenmont FC and Moco1776 FC. The quarterfinals will be played on 4 February.
Snow No Go Weekend Matches Postponed (19 January) The weather got the better of us this week, meaning Match Day 3 of the Morton Cup and the 1st round of the Rowland Cup are postponed. Match Day 4 of the Morton Cup will stay as scheduled for 28 January with the third group date moved to later February. The Rowland Cup will move forward one week and played on the 28th. That means the Patapsco groups of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup will be rescheduled later. The Potomac Division will play as scheduled for that weekend. Once the fields and times are sorted out, the schedules will be updated accordingly.
Back on Track Matches Rescheduled, We Resume this Weekend (22 January) After a snow-capped weekend, we return to the cups after reshuffling the schedules. The Rowland Cup first round will be played this Sunday allowing us to stay on course with the quarterfinals the following week. We stick to Match Day 4 of the Morton Cup, moving Match Day 3 to 11 February. The semifinals and final are pushed forward a week. The Maryland-District-Virginia Cup will be played as scheduled for the Potomac Division with the Patapsco series rescheduled for 7 February. A few fields and times still need to be determined in some competitions but once confirmed, we will update accordingly.
Rowland Quarters Set Morton Groups at Half Point (29 January) Five sides have advanced in the Rowland Cup with two needing penalty rounds to make it through. After a scoreless draw, A3 Highlanders put aside Florence FC 5:3 in penalties to set up a date against cup holder Christos FC in the quarterfinal. In the Baltimore Derby, the Kickers and City played to 1:1 in regulation with City getting the edge 5:4 in PK's. A Maryland Major tie will have them pitted against Columbia FC. The Montgomery County Derby saw MoCo1776 FC easily handle Glenmont FC 9:1. MoCo faces Steel Pulse FC in the final eight. Das Bierhalls FC defeated Colombia FC 6:2 and will meet Ristozi FC, 2:0 winners against Cap City/DC XI. The quarterfinals take place Sunday at Cedar Lane Park in Columbia. Two match days left in the Morton Cup with FC 4188 securing a semifinal slot after their 2:1 victory over street footie FC. The other Group A match saw Columbia FC II and Frederick Spartans go nil-nil. In Group B, ACFC advance to the semifinals after a 7:4 goalfest against Ittihad FC. Das Bierhalle United earned thier first win defeating Banfield 4:1. Match Day 5 will be at Blandair Park in Columbia. Three games were played in the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup. Nova FC assured making it out of Potomac A after their 3:2 close encounter against Yinz United. Their next match against Alexandria United FC will determine the second side to advance from the group. Potomac B saw the Aegean Hawks win their group after manhandling Arlington FC 5:1. The latter meets PW Nova to see who makes it to the elimination round. Potomac C is up for grabs as VA Marauders FC bounced back from their loss against Los Toros with a 3:1 win over Estudiantes. Los Toros needs only a draw to make it through. The Patapsco Division will play their group matches on 7 February.
Morton Group Winners Declared Rowland Down to Final Four (5 February) We are down to our last four in the Rowland Cup. Defending champion Christos FC after a 4:0 shutout of A3 Highlanders will meet up against Columbia FC who put away Baltimore City FC 2:0. The other semifinal will feature Steel Pulse FC, 2:0 winners over MoCo1776 FC, against Das Bierhalls FC, who defeated Ristozi FC 4:0. The semifinals are set of 18 February at Cedar Lane Park in Columbia. Morton Cup has one match day remaining with the group winners set but the runner-ups still to be determined. ACFC clinched Group B after their 5:2 victory over Banfield. Das Bierhalle United edged Jessup FC 3:2 meaning their match against Ittihad FC will determined who takes second. With the goal differential in their favor, Ittihad only needs a draw to advance. FC 4188 locked first in Group A as Frederick Spartans finished their points tally at 7 after a 3:2 win over street footie FC. Columbia FC II did one better against JA Raiders FC in their 2:1 victory and have a chance to equal the Spartans in points. The two played each other in a scoreless draw, so goal differential will determine who makes it through if Columbia can defeat street footie. The last round of group games will be at Blandair Park in Columbia. The Patapsco Division of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup play their snowed out date of few weeks ago this Wednesday at Troy Park. MoCo1776 hosts Christos, Cap City FC/ DCXI faces Steel Pulse and A3 Highlanders take on World Class Premier. The final group stage for both divisions will be played on Sunday. We have two Stewart Cup matches kicking off our amateur competition on Sunday. Steel Pulse will see the Highlanders while Christos and Das Bierhalle fill the other end of the schedule. The winners go through to the semifinals to face Cap City and Moco1776. Both matches will take part at Cedar Lane Park.
Group Stages Complete for Morton & MDV Stewart Reaches Semifinals (12 February) We are getting closer in declaring our various cup champions. After more than a month of competition, the Rowland, Stewart & Morton are at the final four. Weather permitting, we should have these championships wrapped by 10 March. Christos FC & Steel Pulse FC remain semifinalists of the Rowland & Stewart Cups. Christos faces Columbia FC for the open and afterwards Cap City FC / DC XI for the amateur. Christos shutout Das Bierhalle FC 5:0 Sunday in their Stewart encounter. Steel Pulse defeated A3 Highlanders 5:1 to set up their semi against MoCo1776 FC. Prior to that, it will be Das Bierhalle for the Rowland. The semifinal date for the Rowland is 18 February, for the Stewart it is 25 February. The group winners of the Morton Cup had already been determined, FC 4188 taking Group A while ACFC won Group B. Joining them in the semifinals will be Columbia FC II whose 5-goal effort over street footie FC gave them the goal advantage over Frederick Spartans. Ittihad FC edged Das Bierhalle United to earn sole place in second. The semifinals are on Sunday at Blandair Park in Columbia. Twelve sides advanced the knockout stage of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup. Christos, Steel Pulse and World Class Premier won their respective groups in the Patapsco Division. On the Potomac side, Aegean Hawks, Los Toros and Nova FC finished as top seeds. The first round is scheduled for 25 February with the quarterfinals taking place on 3 or 10 March.
Christos & Steel Pulse in Rowland Final Columbia & FC 4188 Play for Morton Title (19 February) Two finals are set among our state competitions: the Rowland and Morton Cups. The first one will be next weekend as FC 4188 will take on Columbia FC II for the Morton championship. The Rowland final is scheduled for 3 March.t Two familiar foes will vie for the Rowland Cup, Maryland's oldest compeition established in 1914. Christos FC made it a stroll in their 9:0 drubbing of Columbia FC. Steel Pulse FC had their walk in the park with a 6:0 shutout of Das Bierhalle FC. Both sides have qualified for the USASA Region I Werner Fricker Cup. We will have our 12th edition of the Morton Cup with the final set for 11:00 this Sunday at Blandair Park. Columbia FC is seeking the club's second Morton title, previously winning it in 2019, after edging ACFC in penalty rounds after a 1:1 draw. They will face FC 4188, 3:2 winners over Ittihad FC. The Stewart Cup semifinals are scheduled at Cedar Lane Park with Christos hosting Cap City FC/ DCXI and Steel Pulse playing MoCo1776 FC. The winners advance to the Region I Amateur Cup. We are still juggling the schedule for the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup as several teams are involved in various cup competitions. World Class Premier and Yinz United are to play at Langley High School while Nova FC versus Ristozi FC is set for Ken Lawrence Park. Check this site for any schedule changes.
4188 Lift Morton Cup Christos & Steel Pulse in Cup Double Derby (26 February) We reached our first title of the cup season with the conclusion of the Morton Cup, the 12th in its history. A memorable match between FC 4188 and Columbia FC II that ended in a 1:1 draw. Josh Griffin gave 4188 the early lead with his goal in the 15th minute. The half ended with that 1:0 scoreline. Columbia fought back as Pelu Ogunyemi's header tied it up in the 65th for Columbia. Both sides looked to score and defended well with the match heading in the final minutes. An unfortunate incident occured prior to the final whistle when Columbia defender Farid Defrawy landed awkardly, breaking his right forearm. After Howard County EMT were able to transport Defrawy, the match resumed for its final two minutes to be determined by penalties. The goalkeeper for 4188, Nathan Lynch, took over the show. The Shenandoah University keeper blocked the first two shots, first diving to his right to block the first Columbia shot. The second shot was saved with his left leg. Columbia made good on their third shot but were unable to overcome the perfect placement of the four 4188 attempts. FC 4188 became the tenth holder of the Morton Cup final! It will be a back-to-back title series for the Rowland and Stewart Cups, featuring Christos FC and Steel Pulse FC. Unfortunately, Cap City FC/ DCXI had to withdraw due to injuries from their Stewart Cup semifinal against Christos, thus sending the Super League side to the final. Steel Pulse fought off a stubborn MoCo1776 FC by a 6:2 margin to reach their second final. The first final is this Wednesday evening at Troy Park for the Rowland title, the state’s oldest competition. The Stewart final will be played Sunday at Cedar Lane Park. Both clubs will represent Maryland in Region I qualifiers for the Amateur and Werner Fricker Cups. NOTE: The Rowland final has been moved to 6 March in anticipation of expected inclement weather conditions. Two first round matches in the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup were played with Ristozi FC crossing the Potomac River to edge Nova FC 2:1. World Class Premier and Yinz United finished at 1:1 with Yinz advancing through on penalties, 4:1. Two more first round games are to be played including next Sunday between MoCo1776 and Arlington FC at Quantum Field in Vienna. The Maryland Over-30 Cup gets off the ground with three quarterfinal matches this Sunday. At Cedar Lane Park, Das Bierhalle FC hosts Washed Up FC. Yinz Bods will play Colombia FC followed by Baltimore Kickers against DC Flames at Martin Luther Park in Silver Spring.
Christos Stewart Champ Aim for Cup Double (4 March) After a one year hiatus, Christos FC is once again the amateur champion of the state after its 5:1 defeat of Steel Pulse FC in the Stewart Cup. It is their 11th title in Maryland's second oldest competition with their first win coming in 2001. Anthony Dragisics led Christos with a brace along with goals from Brian Graham, Dominique Colon and Jaime Merriam. Stephen Jude drove in the lone goal for Steel Pulse, the first to get by Christos goalkeeper Dan McCleary in this competition. The two sides meet again this Wednesday for the state's grandaddy tournament, the Rowland Cup. It will be at 8:00 at Long Reach High School. Both have advanced to Region I qualifiers in the Amateur and Werner Fricker Cups. We are three-fourths into the quarterfinals of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup as MoCo1776 FC edged Arlington FC 1:0. The last remaining first round match features Virginia Marauders FC against the Baltimore Kickers at MLK Park in Silver Spring this Sunday with the winner meeting Christos next. The three quarterfinal games sees Metro-DC Amateur Champion Los Toros take on APL rival Yinz United at Langley High School, the Aegean Hawks going against MoCo1776 at Quantum Field and a Super League clash between Steel Pulse and Ristozi FC at Milford Mills Academy. The Maryland Over-30 Cup saw Washed Up FC, Yinz Bods and the Baltimore Kickers advance to the semifinals. Washed Up and the Kickers are the first semifinal with Yinz getting Christos in the other.
Steel Pulse Lift Rowland Cup Over-30 Final Set (11 March) Three days after meeting each other in the Stewart Cup final, Steel Pulse FC reversed their fortunes in the Rowland title match to defeat their Super League rivals Christos FC 2:1 last Wednesday. Johny Ramos led his side with a brace on a chilly, rainy evening. It is the first MSSA silverware for Steel Pulse and both sides will represent Maryland in the Region I qualifiers of the Amateur and Werner Fricker Cups. The Maryland Over-30 Cup is at the final stage. Washed Up FC made it look easy with their 4:1 victory over the Baltimore Kickers. Christos look to retain the title after edging Yinz Bods 2:1 from a brace from Jamie Meriman. The championship match is set for Sunday at Laytonia Park in Gaithersburg at 11:00. The Virginia Marauders FC blew by the Baltimore Kickers 5:1 to set up the final quarterfinal match of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup against Christos. In the semifinals are MoCo1776 FC, 2:1 winners over the Aegean Hawks; Los Toros who advanced over Yinz United 2:1 and Ristozi FC after defeating Steel Pulse in a 6:3 goal fest. Christos and the Marauders meet Sunday at Laytonia Park while Moco1776 and Ristozi see their semifinal clash at MLK Park. Our final two competitions set off Sunday at MLK Park with Colombia FC and the Kickers facing each other in the Over-40 Cup followed by the Over-50 match between the Kickers and OG Soccer FC. The winners will meet the two respective Christos sides on 24 March for the championships.
(15 March) All three cup matches on Sunday will be played at Martin Luther King Park in Silver Spring starting with the Maryland O-30 final between Washed Up FC and Christos FC. It will be followed by the O-50 semifinal featuring Baltimore Kickers against OG Soccer FC and conclusing with the MDV Cup between Moco1776 FC and Ristozi FC.
Christos Win 11th O-30 Title Ristozi Reach MDV Final (18 March) Another piece of silverware to add onto the trophy shelf of Christos FC, their second of the season, after their 4:1 victory over Washed Up FC in the Maryland Over-30 Cup final. Jamie Meriman continued his scoring streak adding a hat trick while Sadak Abukar tallied the other goal. They will head up to Rochester next month to take on Spencerport Storm of Western New York in the Region I Gerhard Mengel Cup. We have one finalist for the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup as Ristozi FC defeated MoCo1776 FC 5:3 in their semifinal round. Bamidele Balogun led his side with a hat trick along with goals from Lloyd Marcus and Futaro Hosol. On the other side of the bracket will still need to complete the quarterfinal match between Virginia Marauders FC and Christos. Los Toros awaits the winner for the semifinal. The Maryland Over-50 final is set as OG Soccer FC advanced with a 4:2 win over the Baltimore Kickers from a brace by Ron Chesney and a goal apiece from Sergio Azucena and Orlando Villordo. Danny Smith and Ricky Escalante scored for the Kickers. OG will face Christos for the championship. Christos will also have its O-40 side play in the final against the Kickers. Both title matches will take place at MLK Park in Silver Spring on Sunday.
Christos Makes it a Double Sunday Repeat O-40 & O-50 Titles (26 March) Last week it was the Over-30 Cup. Sunday, Christos FC added both the Maryland Over-40 & Over-50 Cups repeating on last season's success. With the completion of these two finals, we pretty much have wrapped up the cup season with only a few matches left the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup. The first final of the day was the Maryland Over-50 final with Christos edging out OG Soccer FC 1:0. Henry Jones put it away in the 42nd for the lone goal of the match. It was the same feat from a year prior when Jones had the only tally in the title match between these two. Both sides advance to Region I play as OG Soccer travels to Philadelphia to take on Region cup holder Philly Bucks while Christos awaits the entry from Metro DC/Virginia. The second of the doubleheader saw Christos defeat the Baltimore Kickers 4:1 for their sixth Over-40 title. Goals were scored by Matthew Haberti, Jesse Kellner (assist from Mike Brown), Vincent Piscopo (assist from Ken Suter) and Val Teixeira (penalty). Arnaud Donfack scored late in the game for the Kickers. Christos will host the Renegades on 28 April in the Region qualifier. We will try to get caught up in the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup on Saturday with the quarterfinal match between Virginia Marauders FC and Christos. Los Toros awaits the winner for the semifinal. It will take place at Cedar Lane Park at noon.
MDV Cup Final Two Maryland Sides Vie for First Title (17 April) The 2024 Cup Season concludes with the final of the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup. It started with 18 teams placed in 9 groups with the top two in each group advancing to the knockout stages. The competition was formed to commemorate the centennial of the Maryland State Soccer Association and to bring the best among the area. The northern tier had the Maryland sides under the Patapsco Division. The southern bracket were the teams from the District and Virginia in the Potomac Division. The cross section of clubs included the Super Soccer League, Maryland Major Soccer League, Washington Premier League, Maryland Premier League, Eastern Premier Soccer League and American Premier League. The final will feature two Maryland sides, Christos FC and Ristozi FC, who were featured in the Patapsco Division. Ristozi fought its way edging Nova FC in the first round, soundly defeating Super Soccer League rival Steel Pulse FC in the quarterfinal and then doing away MoCo1776 FC in the semifinal. Christos earned a bye into the quarterfinal as group winner and easily handled the Virginia Marauders. The semifinal saw them defeat Los Toros to reach the final. The final is tonight, 8:00, at Marriots Ridge High School in Marriottsville. At stake is bragging rights as the best in the MDV area. While the cup run in Maryland comes to an end, our teams have been active in Region I play. Both Christos and Steel Pulse have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Amateur Cup. Christos defeated Alexandria Reds of the National Premier Soccer League in penalties after a 1:1 draw while Steel Pulse shutout Eastern Penn powerhouse West Chester United 1:0. In the rubber match between the two in the Werner Fricker Cup, United avenged their loss with a 5:2 victory over Steel Pulse. Both will host their Amateur ties on 28 April, Christos against Los Toros (MDCVA) and Steel Pulse with Vereinigung Erzgebirge (EPA). In the Gerhard Mengel Cup, the Over-30 Championship, Christos travels to Rochester to take on Spencerport Storm of Western New York. The Over-40 team will be visited by the Renegades (MDCVA) on 28 April at Rockburn Branch Park in Elkridge.
2024 Cup Season Recap Seven Champions Across the State (1 October) It was another successful cup season for 2024 with seven champions declared among our various competitions. Teams took the field in January and most of the contests were completed by March. In celebration of the centennial of the Maryland State Soccer Association a new event was introduced that invited USASA teams from across the area to compete for the Maryland-District-Virginia Cup. There were 18 teams that played on both sides of the Potomac. Our clubs brought to Maryland two Region I championships and one national title. The granddaddy of our championships, the Rowland Cup, saw Steel Pulse FC win their first state title defeating long-time foe Christos FC in the final. In the Stewart Cup, Maryland’s Amateur championship, the two sides faced each other again with Christos winning it for the 11th time. The Morton Cup had ten teams participate with FC 4188 on top. In the state Over-30, Over-40 and Over-50 races, the respective Christos sides made the run winning all three titles. In the last final, Christos was defeated by Ristozi FC in the inaugural MDV Cup. The Christos teams did well at the USASA Region I qualifiers, reaching three finals. In the Amateur final, Christos lost a close knit match against eventual national champion NY Pancyprian Freedoms of Eastern New York. The Over-30 and Over-50 sides won their Region titles to advance to the national finals. The Over-30 made the finals while the Over-50 won the first ever championship in that category. Among our seven cups, we had 60 teams vying for titles.
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