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2008 U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals Recap
Three of the four games had to be settled in extra time
The quarterfinal round of the 2008 U.S. Open Cup seemed like it was never going to end...but in a good way.
Three of the four matches went into extra time, with two of them finishing with penalty kicks, and the lone game to finish in regulation was hit by an hour and ten minute lightning delay.
The biggest story to emerge from the quaterfinals is that for the first time since 1999 (Rochester Raging Rhinos), there will be a team from the United Soccer Leagues in the U.S. Open Cup final.
That was made possible by the Charleston Battery’s 3-1 win over FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders’ penalty kick victory (0:0 in regulation, 6:5 in PKs) over the Kansas City Wizards. The two teams will meet at Blackbaud Stadium on August 12 to decide which team will play for the Open Cup title, and a place in the 2008/09 CONCACAF Champions League.
For the first time in franchise history, DC United eliminated the Chicago Fire from a tournament. It took extra time to do it, and thanks to a pair of assists from Jaime Moreno, the second coming off a corner kick that found the head of Bryan Namoff in 99th minute, United will make their sixth semifinal appearance. Joining them will be the defending champion New England Revolution, who were taken to penalty kicks by the USL Second Division’s Crystal Palace Baltimore. Palace were attempting to become the first "third division" club to advance to the semis since the San Francisco Bay Seals did it in 1997, but Doug Warren made a big save in the fourth round of the penalty kick shootout to send the Revs to the semifinals for the third time in club history.
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