听
Whether it鈥檚 a dream or nightmare match-up awaiting the Kitsap Pumas depends on your perspective.
The Pumas, who take on the Victoria Highlanders in a PDL fixture today at 2 p.m. at Centennial Stadium, are preparing for something much bigger.
The Pumas will play the Seattle Sounders of the MLS on June 15 in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It is the American soccer version of the FA Cup, in which minnows swim with the sharks.
Kitsap, which upset Sacramento Republic of the pro USL 3-1 on the road in the third round last week, will face a Sounders team that likely fields most of its best players. That鈥檚 a lesson learned from the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps鈥� shocking 2-0 first-leg loss on Wednesday to the Ottawa Fury of the lower-level NASL in the Amway Canadian championships. (The Canadian tournament, unlike the U.S. Hunt Cup, does not feature PDL clubs).
鈥淭he Sounders may throw in a few younger guys, but they will have most of their regular players against the Pumas because it鈥檚 important for them not to lose to a PDL team,鈥� Highlanders head coach Dave Dew said.
The Pumas are the lone PDL team remaining of the more than 60 basically amateur U.S.-based PDL clubs which began the Lamar Hunt Cup hunt. The only equivalent match-up in the fourth round this year is the upcoming fixture pitting the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS against amateur side La Maquina FC.
Kitsap and La Maquina are after the $15,000 awarded annually by USA Soccer to the lowest-ranked team that advances the furthest in the Lamar Hunt Cup.
鈥淭his shows the standard in the Northwest Division of the PDL,鈥� Dew said of the division, which also includes the under-23 affiliates of the MLS Sounders and Portland Timbers.
The Highlanders will certainly have their hands full today against a Pumas team that boasts the likes of former USL pro Javier Castro, who scored twice against Sacramento in the Hunt Cup upset, and 2015 Toronto FC MLS draft pick Mike Ramos, who scored once in the win over USL power Sacramento.
鈥淲e are going to have to be well organized and focused, like we were [in earning recent road draws in Oregon] against Timbers-U23 and Lane United,鈥� Dew said.
鈥淚f you let up for even a second, Kitsap will punish you.鈥�
The Highlanders learned that in the season opener when they were beaten on the pitch 3-0 at Kitsap. That result, however, was overturned by a league sanction with the victory awarded to Victoria because Kitsap used an ineligible player. The Pumas were docked six points in total as part of the punishment, so don鈥檛 let their 0-2-2 record fool you. This is a very good team for this level.
鈥淭he Pumas maintain ball possession better than any team in the division and they are very well organized,鈥� Dew said.
The Highlanders (1-1-2) welcome two additions to the roster today. Returning veteran Riley O鈥橬eill is a former NCAA Kentucky Wildcats star and sa国际传媒 U-20 FIFA World Cup player who played pro in the Finnish Premiership and German second division. Brian Taylor of Saanich Fusion is one of the best players in the VISL and had trials as a youth with Leicester City.
