The New York Red Bulls managed to navigate further through the US Open Cups esoteric and complex bracket, winning its third game against MLS opponents to qualify for the tournament proper, which will see them in the round of 16 against a lower division side.  US Soccer's domestic cup's organization may not make the most sense, but New York is winning the games it plays, often quite dominantly.  Wednesday night saw a 3-0 victory (which actually could have been higher) over the Colorado Rapids on a ridiculously hot evening.

Conor Chinn and John Wolyniec both scored (Woly had a double) leading a team of reserves against a fairly strong Colorado side.  Metro's backups continued playing better than the starters, creating numerous chances to score and dictating the pace of the game.  Central midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic had another strong game, and it is clear that when he is in form his creativity is a big asset to the team.  Rookie right mid Irving Garcia followed up his excellent game against Juventus with a second strong effort, and he looks nearly ready to supplant Dane Richards in the starting line up.

The first half started slowly for both squads (the heat was likely a factor), but it didn't take long for New York to break through.  In the 11th minute Staten Island Ronaldinho John Wolyniec lunged onto a hard pass from Garcia, putting it past Colorado keeper Ian Joyce and sending all 40 fans in the Arena into raptures.  Woly would pick up a second before the first was finished, firing home a short pass from Tony Tchani from the top of the box in the 43rd minute of the match.  Conor Chinn, who continues to show hustle and a knack for scoring, would make it 3-0 in the 56th minute.  Sinisa attempted to slot a killer ball in for Chinn wall rushing to the box, but defender Drew Moor deflected it.  Chinn showed the hustle to get to the deflected ball before a defender, and managed to put it past Joyce.

"Me and John have been making the most out of these Open Cup games, we work well in practice and combine well on the field.  I think he had a great night tonight, and I was able to get one in.  It was maybe a defensive error, but I'll take 'em." - Conor Chinn on his and Wolyniec's Open Cup success.  Wolyniec has 4 goals in the tournament, while Chinn has 3.

The rest of the game was largely one sided.  Keeper Greg Sutton only really had to make one good save, and most of the traffic was going towards Colorado's net.  Although there was some shaky play and dangerous back passes in the first 10 minutes, Metro's defense (made up of Miller, Mendes, Sassano, and Albright) looked good.  Carlos Mendes in particular looked strong in central defense, and could push for a starting spot.  It is easy to forget how excellent he played alongside Jeff Parke only a few seasons ago, before JCO's ineptitude and injuries took their toll.  Hopefully he can reach his old form.  Jeremy Hall, who again played in the midfield, looks more and more comfortable in an attacking role, although he needs to work on his killer instinct as he missed a few clear chances in front of the net.

Another game for the reserves, another dominant win.  With continued form and a bit of luck this team has a chance of making some noise in the Open Cup, but there is still a long road until the final.  More importantly, the success of Metro's backups will help push the first team, and hopefully translate into similar success in league play.

Dave Braneck is a blogger and an all around soccer fan who represents North Jersey to the fullest and contributes to DailyHarrison.com

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