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2009 U.S. Open Cup final

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2009 U.S. Open Cup Final
The official logo of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: a shield shaped logo. The top quarter of the shield is blue with white stars. The rest of the shield has red and white vertical stripes. In the center "Lamar Hunt" appears in cursive with "US" in large block letters and "OPEN CUP" below it in smaller block letters. "Est. 1914" appears at the bottom of the logo.
Event2009 U.S. Open Cup
DateSeptember 2, 2009
VenueRFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Man of the MatchFredy Montero
RefereeAlex Prus
Attendance17,329
WeatherCloudy, 72 degrees[1]
2008

The 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on September 2, 2009 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.. The match determined the winner of the 2009 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. This was the 96th edition of the oldest competition in United States soccer. The match was won by Seattle Sounders FC who defeated D.C. United 2–1. Clyde Simms scored D.C. United's only goal. Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque scored Seattle's two goals as the club became the second expansion team in Major League Soccer (MLS) history to win the tournament in their inaugural season.

D.C. United went into the tournament as the competition's defending champions. They had previously won the tournament in 1996 as well. Both Sounders FC and D.C. United had to play through two qualification rounds for MLS teams before entering the official tournament. Prior to the final, there was a public dispute between the owners of the two clubs regarding D.C. United's selection to host it at the club's home field, RFK Stadium.

As the tournament champions, Sounders FC earned a berth in the preliminary round of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. The club also received a $100,000 cash prize, while D.C. United received $50,000 as the runner-up.

Road to the final

The U.S. Open Cup is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. Each year, Major League Soccer (MLS), which has teams that play in both the United States and Canada, is allowed to enter eight of its U.S-based teams in the tournament. The top six MLS teams from the previous season qualify automatically, and the remaining two spots are determined by preliminary qualification matches. The eight MLS entries begin play in the third round of the tournament.[2]

In 2009, MLS expanded into the Seattle market adding a new team to the league, Seattle Sounders FC. As an expansion team, they had to play through the qualification matches before entering the tournament.[3] Likewise, D.C. United did not finish among the top six 2008 MLS teams, and therefore had to play through qualification rounds before entering the official tournament.

Sounders FC

A grass field with some overhead lighting, a soccer goal, and stadium bleachers on one side.
Sounders FC hosted U.S. Open Cup matches at Starfire Sports Complex.

Prior to their first qualification match against Real Salt Lake, Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid asserted that the U.S. Open Cup was important to the club and that they were playing to win.[4] Sounders FC played U.S. Open Cup home games at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington. The facility is older and smaller than the club's home stadium for league matches, Qwest Field, but Sounders FC representatives preferred the atmosphere at Starfire for smaller cup matches.[5]

On April 28, 2009, Sounders FC defeated Real Salt Lake 4–1 in their first qualification match. Sebastian Le Toux scored 2 goals, and Roger Levesque had three assists in front of a sellout crowd at Starfire.[6] Sounders FC hosted their second qualification match on May 26, 2009, also at Starfire, this time against the Colorado Rapids. Reserve player Kevin Forrest scored the only goal in the match as Seattle defeated the Rapids 1–0, securing their entry into the third round of the official cup competition as one of the eight teams representing MLS.[7]

On July 1, 2009, Sounders FC traveled to Portland and defeated the Timbers of the USL First Division 2–1 in front of a sold out crowd. Roger Levesque and Nate Jaqua both scored for Seattle.[8] The following week, in a quarterfinal match at Starfire, Sounders FC defeated visiting Kansas City 1–0 on a penalty kick in the 89th minute scored by Sebastien Le Toux.[9] Three weeks later, on July 21, Sounders FC won their semifinal match 2–1 over the Houston Dynamo at Starfire. Seattle took the lead for good when Stephen King scored a goal five minutes into extra time, sending Sounders FC to the cup final.[10]

D.C. United

MLS clubs were first included in the U.S. Open Cup tournament in 1996. D.C. United won the tournament that year, and repeated their success in 2008.[11] In 2009, the club began its title defense in the MLS qualification rounds.[12]

In their first qualifying match on March 28, 2009, they hosted FC Dallas at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. They defeated Dallas 2–0, with Fred and Brandon Barklage scoring in the 21st and 66th minutes, respectively.[13] D.C. United's second qualification match was also played at RFK Stadium, on May 20, 2009. In a high-scoring match against the New York Red Bulls, D.C. won 5–3. Chris Pontius scored two of United's five goals, qualifying D.C. for the third round of the official tournament.[14]

On June 30, 2009, D.C. United began official cup competition against the Ocean City Barons of the USL Premier Development League. The match, hosted by United at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, ended with D.C. on top 2–0. The match had remained scoreless for 74 minutes before they took the lead on a penalty kick by late substitution Christian Gomez.[15] One week later, on July 7, D.C. United hosted their quarterfinal match at the SoccerPlex again and defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL Second Division 2–1.[16] On July 21, 2009, D.C. United again hosted a lower tier team in their semifinal match at the SoccerPlex. This time they defeated the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division 2–1. The match was tied 1–1 until the 82nd minute when Boyzzz Khumalo's goal propelled D.C. into the cup final.[17]

Match

Venue selection

A large circular stadium with a curving overhang behind a mostly empty parking lot.
RFK Stadium was selected to host the cup final.

Both Seattle Sounders FC and D.C. United submitted bids to U.S. Soccer to host the final. D.C. United's bid included a plan to host the match at RFK Stadium, their home stadium in Washington, D.C. with a capacity of 45,596. Sounders FC's bid planned to host the match at Qwest Field, their home stadium in Seattle, with a capacity of 32,400 for soccer matches. The procedure for selecting the winning bid was kept private.[11] When D.C. United's bid was chosen,[18] Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer expressed skepticism that it had been better than the Seattle bid. He further noted that if Seattle had hosted the match, it likely would have sold out.[19] This prompted a reply from D.C. United president Kevin Payne, who argued that D.C. United had won the bidding process fairly, and said that he was offended by Hanauer's comments.[20] Following this public disagreement, D.C. United launched a marketing campaign to sell more match tickets, which included a new web site, WeWinTrophies.com, which chronicled the club's history of titles as an original MLS franchise. The campaign also included an open letter in local newspapers stating that Sounders FC and its fans did not think D.C. deserved to host the match and declared D.C. fans as "the standard" for support in the league. Videos from local celebrities were posted on the team's official blog urging fans to attend the final. Ticket discounts and special pricing on concessions for the match were also announced as part of the special marketing effort for the cup final.[21]

Match summary

The 2009 U.S. Open Cup Final was played on September 2 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C.[22] A total of 17,329 fans attended the match, 38% of the stadium's available capacity.[1] Approximately 200 Sounders FC fans sat together in the upper deck.[23] Both the travel distance and the mid-week scheduling made it difficult for Seattle fans to attend.

First half

Five minutes into the match, D.C. United first-year player Chris Pontius had the first chance of the evening as he pushed past Sounders FC defender Leonardo González to receive a diagonal pass from Clyde Simms. However, due to the difficult shooting angle, Pontius' shot was wide of the far post. In the 10th minute, Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero had a close range shot on goal, but D.C. goalkeeper Josh Wicks parried the shot away. Seven minutes later, Christian Gomez had a goal scoring opportunity with a direct free kick from 28 yards out, but his low kick curled just wide of the target. In the 18th minute, Seattle midfielder Sebastian Le Toux played a ball in to teammate Freddie Ljungberg whose shot on goal was barely kick-saved by Wicks. Just before halftime, Le Toux crossed to an unmarked Montero whose direct header on goal was just in reach of Wicks who again made the save to keep the score level, 0–0. Seattle outshot D.C. 9-6 in the first half.[22][23][24]

Second half

Several players are standing together with one lifting a large trophy upward
Sounders FC players celebrate after winning the final.

As the players took the field for the second half, D.C. coach Tom Soehn decided to replace Fred, who had been a non-factor in the first half, with Santino Quaranta. In the 60th minute, Gomez, Pontius and Luciano Emilio combined inside the Seattle box for a United opportunity, but Pontius mishit the shot, which resulted in an easy save for Seattle's goalkeeper, Kasey Keller. Seven minutes later, another failed D.C. United opportunity resulted in a Sounders FC counter attack, where Freddie Ljungberg's shot was saved by Wicks. The rebound rolled in front of Fredy Montero, who dove feet first and kicked the ball into the goal, giving Sounders FC a 1–0 lead. Following the goal, frustrated D.C. United goalkeeper Josh Wicks stomped on Montero's leg while he was still on the ground. After consulting with the fourth official, referee Alex Prus showed Wicks a red card for his behavior, dismissing him from the match. United's backup goalkeeper, Milos Kocic, was substituted for Christian Gomez after the incident, and D.C. played with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Despite being down a man, D.C. United controlled possession of the ball as the match progressed towards full time. Just 4 minutes before full time, Seattle's Sebastian Le Toux pushed D.C. defender Dejan Jakovic off the ball, dribbled in towards goal, and then provided a centering pass to teammate Roger Levesque who scored, extending the Seattle lead to 2–0. With time ticking away, United desperately threw every man forward and managed to narrow the scoring difference in the 89th minute when Simms kicked home a loose ball after a Quaranta free kick. During the five minutes of extra time, D.C. continued with repeated crosses and shots attempting to get an equalizer.[22][24][25]

In the end, Sounders FC was able to withstand D.C.'s late push for a 2–1 victory, becoming the second MLS expansion team in league history (Chicago Fire was the first) to win the U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural season.[26]

Match details

D.C. United1 – 2Seattle Sounders FC
Simms 89' Report Montero 67'
Levesque 86'
Attendance: 17,329
Referee: Alex Prus
A black shirt with white strips on the shoulder, black shorts and black socks.
D.C. United
A green shirt with blue trim, blue shorts and green socks.
Seattle Sounders FC
D.C. United: [27]
GK 31 Josh Wicks Red card 69'
DF 26 Bryan Namoff
DF 5 Dejan Jakovic
DF 4 Marc Burch
MF 10 Christian Gomez downward-facing red arrow 71'
MF 14 Ben Olsen downward-facing red arrow 82'
MF 19 Clyde Simms
MF 7 Fred downward-facing red arrow 46'
MF 13 Chris Pontius
FW 11 Luciano Emilio
FW 99 Jaime Moreno (c)
Substitutes:[1]
GK 1 Milos Kocic upward-facing green arrow 71'
DF 3 Avery John
MF 8 Andrew Jacobson
MF 12 Danny Szetela
DF 18 Devon McTavish
MF 22 Rodney Wallace upward-facing green arrow 82'
MF 25 Santino Quaranta upward-facing green arrow 46'
Manager:
Tom Soehn
A diagram of the starting lineups for both teams on a green soccer field. Green and blue jerseys are used to show Sounders FC players in a 4-4-2 formation. Black jerseys are used to show D.C. United players in a 3-4-3 formation.
Seattle Sounders FC:[27]
GK 18 Kasey Keller (c)
DF 7 James Riley
DF 4 Patrick Ianni Yellow card 25'
DF 5 Tyson Wahl
DF 19 Leonardo González Yellow card 49'
MF 10 Freddie Ljungberg
MF 6 Osvaldo Alonso
MF 8 Peter Vagenas Yellow card 79'
MF 11 Steve Zakuani downward-facing red arrow 74'
FW 9 Sebastien Le Toux
FW 17 Fredy Montero downward-facing red arrow 78'
Substitutes:[1]
GK 28 Terry Boss
MF 3 Brad Evans upward-facing green arrow 78'
DF 12 Nathan Sturgis
DF 20 Zach Scott
FW 21 Nate Jaqua
FW 24 Roger Levesque upward-facing green arrow 74'
MF 27 Lamar Neagle
Manager:
Sigi Schmid

Man of the Match:[28]
Fredy Montero

Assistant referees:[1]
Greg Barkey
Rob Fereday
Fourth official:[1]
Andrew Chapin

Statistics

Overall[22]
D.C. United Sounders FC
Goals scored 1 2
Total shots 18 15
Shots on target 7 7
Saves 5 6
Corner kicks 5 5
Fouls committed 4 13
Offsides 1 2
Yellow cards 0 3
Red cards 1 0

Reaction

Two men carry a bright silver trophy with another man walking behind holding a green and blue scarf overhead.
Members of Emerald City Supporters carry the U.S. Open Cup in the March to the Match.

In the post-game press conference, Josh Wicks discussed his ejection, saying: "It was a mistake on my part and I've got to learn my lesson. The fourth official made a call and the ref made the final decision. That was it. I've got no excuses for it. Tremendously, very, very disappointing."[29] One month after the stomping incident, U.S. Soccer announced that Wicks would be suspended from the U.S. Open Cup tournament for five matches.[30]

After the victory, many Sounders FC fans gathered at SeaTac International Airport to greet the team as they returned to Seattle.[31] The trophy was put on display at several events around Seattle in the weeks following Sounders FC's victory. On September 19, the cup was presented to Sounders FC fans to carry in the March to the Match prior to a Sounders FC league game at Qwest Field against Chivas USA.[32]

In January 2010, the club's success in the U.S. Open Cup tournament was listed among the many reasons the Washington State Senate passed a resolution honoring Sounders FC.[33]

Rewards

In winning the U.S. Open Cup tournament, Sounders FC earned a berth in the preliminary round of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League.[34] Seattle also received the winner's $100,000 cash prize, while D.C. United received $50,000 as the tournament runner-up.[35] Kevin Forrest, whose game-winning goal against Colorado allowed Sounders FC to qualify for the tournament, received a share of the prize money and a medal, despite being released by the team before the final.[36]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Match Report - U.S. Open Cup Final". Major League Soccer. September 2, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  2. ^ "Rapids to face LA Galaxy in U.S. Open Cup play-in match" (Press release). Colorado Rapids Media Relations. February 27, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  3. ^ "Sounders FC to Host Real Salt Lake in Open Cup Play-In" (Press release). Sounders FC Public Relations. March 9, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  4. ^ Romero, José Miguel (April 27, 2009). "Sigi Schmid quotes, 4-27-09". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Johns, Greg (May 7, 2009). "Colorado coach miffed at Sounders' playing facility". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Winner, Andrew (April 29, 2009). "Sounders FC defeat RSL in US Open Cup qualifier". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  7. ^ Gaschk, Matt (May 26, 2009). "US Open Cup - Colorado Rapids Match Report". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  8. ^ Romero, José Miguel (July 2, 2009). "Sounders FC cuts down Portland 2-1 in spirited battle of Northwest rivals". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  9. ^ Romero, José Miguel (July 8, 2009). "Sounders FC earns 1-0 victory over Kansas City Wizards in Open Cup". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  10. ^ Romero, José Miguel (July 21, 2009). "Sounders beat Dynamo in Open Cup semis, 2-1". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Goff, Steven (September 2, 2009). "United, Sounders Add Heat to U.S. Open Cup Final". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  12. ^ "D.C. United set to host U.S. Open Cup play-in game" (Press release). D.C. United. February 25, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  13. ^ Snear, Chris (April 22, 2009). "FC Dallas fall to United in Open Cup play-in match". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  14. ^ Boehm, Charles (May 20, 2009). "United earn 2009 US Open Cup berth". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  15. ^ Boehm, Charles (June 30, 2009). "Substitutes lead United past Barons". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  16. ^ "Official Match Information - Harrisburg City Islanders at DC United". United Soccer Leagues. July 7, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  17. ^ Boehm, Charles (July 22, 2009). "Late goal lifts United into Open Cup final". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  18. ^ Romero, José Miguel (August 31, 2009). "U.S. Open Cup has been battle, and that's just on final site". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  19. ^ Ruiz, Don (July 22, 2009). "Hanauer defends Sounders' failed Open Cup bid". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved September 11, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Steve, Goff (July 23, 2009). "Payne Responds to Sounders". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved September 11, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Romero, Jose (August 31, 2009). "U.S. Open Cup has been battle, and that's just on final site". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  22. ^ a b c d Gaschk, Matt (September 2, 2009). "U.S. Open Cup - DC United Match Report". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  23. ^ a b "Sounders top United 2-1 to win Open Cup Final". AmericanSoccerNews.net. September 3, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  24. ^ a b Boehm, Charles (September 2, 2009). "United falls to Sounders in Open Cup final". D.C. United. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  25. ^ Romero, José Miguel (2 September 2009). "Sounders FC win U.S. Open Cup". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  26. ^ "Seattle Sounders FC Become Second MLS Expansion Team to Claim U.S. Open Cup Crown". United States Soccer Federation. September 2, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  27. ^ a b Romero, José Miguel (September 2, 2009). "Tonight's lineups: Le Toux, Vagenas start". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  28. ^ Hakala, Josh (September 14, 2009). "Kasey Keller named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament, Fredy Montero MVP of Final". TheCup.us. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  29. ^ Romero, José Miguel (September 2, 2009). "Reviewing tonight's Open Cup match". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  30. ^ Goff, Steven (October 5, 2009). "Wicks Suspended 5 Games". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  31. ^ Romero, José Miguel (September 4, 2009). "Sounders FC fans welcome the team home from Open Cup". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  32. ^ Romero, José Miguel (September 16, 2009). "Sounders FC practice, 9-16-09". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  33. ^ "Senate Resolution 8667" (PDF), Washington State Government, January 2010, retrieved January 25, 2010
  34. ^ "Seattle Sounders FC Become Second MLS Expansion Team to Claim U.S. Open Cup Crown". United States Soccer Federation. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  35. ^ Bell, Jack (September 3, 2009). "Sounders Grab a Trophy". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  36. ^ Romero, José Miguel (October 9, 2009). "Kevin Forrest gets medal from Sounders FC". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 25, 2010.

External Links

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