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SANDY — Emery Welshman received his first taste of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2012 when he played with the Portland Timbers’ U-23 side in the Premier Development League.
Welshman’s Timbers lost in the first round to PSA Elite, 3-1, that year, but the native of Mississauga, Ontario, didn’t understand the magnitude of his club’s early exit from the oldest tournament in U.S. Soccer.
He won’t make that mistake again.
“Now I have a better appreciation,” Welshman said. “I want to go as far as I can, play MLS teams and beat MLS teams. To get there, we’ve got to win tomorrow.”
Welshman and Real Monarchs SLC advanced to the third round of the Open Cup with a 1-0 win over the amateur club Long Island Rough Riders last week, earning a third-round match-up with fellow USL side Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.
The winner of Wednesday’s match will travel to Dick Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, to face the Colorado Rapids.
But Welshman insists the Monarchs are entirely focused on the Switchbacks and not a shot at potentially upsetting a group of MLS players in the upcoming round.
“A lot of teams have a chance to play competition they aren’t used to, so everyone is looking forward to it,” Welshman said. “We know if we get by this game, we’ll have a chance to play an MLS team. That’s a goal for us, for the coaches and for the organization. We want to see how ready we are for the next step.”
Monarchs midfielder Ricardo Velazco, who scored the only goal of the match at Long Island, also knows about the magic of the Open Cup. The Louisville product played in the 2013 cup against second-division club San Antonio with the PDL’s FC Tucson.
He’s eager to repeat a little Open Cup magic on Wednesday, his birthday, after the 1-6-3 start to the Monarchs’ inaugural USL campaign.
“It’s like a new opportunity we get,” Velazco said. “We know in the league we are struggling at getting results. But the U.S. Open Cup is a whole new tournament; there’s no top of the league or bottom. If you just win a game, you advance.
“That’s what we look forward to: just keep winning and going as far as we can.”
Real Salt Lake’s assortment of loan assignments are unlikely to play for the Monarchs in the Open Cup; participating in any portion of a match will permanently Cup-tie a player to that club, such as RSL midfielder Fito Ovalle’s play last week against the Rough Riders. But the Monarchs’ coaching staff is aware of the rule, even resting Welshman, Velazco and leading scorer Max Rauhofer during last week’s road trip to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2.
More important, morale has been high leading up to Wednesday night, Monarchs coach Freddy Juarez said.
“This is a good group, always great in the locker room,” Juarez said. “They don’t dip too low or too high — they stay even. But the Open Cup adds a little bit. When you get a win, it adds a little belief. It’s amazing what that adds to people’s mentalities.”
The extra tournament is also proving more playing time for the Monarchs and other USL players. Several lower-division products have been snatched up by MLS teams after standout Open Cup performances, and Wednesday night is another chance for players to make an impression in Sandy and across the nation via an online stream.
In other words, Juarez doesn’t need to explain how important the game is.
“I think they are up for it,” Juarez said. “It’s an extra bonus and drive to be competitive leading up to it. They should be competitive, but I hope that adds a little extra.”
