LYNN — The Lynn United semipro soccer team was up against a tough challenge Saturday afternoon at Manning Field and fell to GPS Omens, 6-3, in the first round of the Lamar US Open Cup.
The loss eliminates United, but the team has one more shot in a different tournament next month when the USASA National Cup will come through Manning Field. Last year, Lynn was a game shy of making it to the Mass. state final in that tournament.
“This was a learning experience for us,” said coach Eric Moreno. “There’s a lot to this, and we were short some players.”
The problem, Moreno said, is that four of his players who weren’t born in the U.S. needed clearance from their native countries in order to participate, and didn’t get it in time.
“Had we won, and gone onto the next round,” Moreno said. “We’d have had those players ready.”
The Lamar tournament combines all levels of professional soccer, even the lower divisions such as Lynn’s.
“The team that beat us was one game shy of playing the New England Revolution last year, so we drew the toughest team in the state,” Moreno said. “It was our first time competing in this tournament.”
Jorge Timeo scored two goals for the Lynners and assisted on the other, which was scored by Ilya Hasnaoui.
