2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final Wednesday, September 3 - 7:30 p.m. RFK Stadium - Washington D.C. TV: Fox Soccer Channel (Live)
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USISL Pro League Champions: 1996 USL A-League Champions: 2003		MLS Cup Champions: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 MLS Supporters Shield: 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007 U.S. Open Cup Champions: 1996 CONCACAF Champions Cup: 1998 InterAmerican Cup: 1998

MATCH INFO

The only other time RFK Stadium has hosted the U.S. Open Cup final was in 1996, when D.C. United stopped the upset-minded Rochester Raging Rhinos of the A-League 3-0 behind goals from Raul Diaz Arce, Eddie Pope and Jamie Moreno.

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Charleston Battery 
1st Round - June 10, 3-0 vs. ASC New Stars (USASA)
2nd Round - June 24, 2-1 vs. Charlotte Eagles (USL-2)
3rd Round - July 1, 1-1 (aet) vs. Houston Dynamo (MLS) (Charleston advanced on PKs, 4-3)
Quarterfinal - July 8, 3-1 at F.C. Dallas (MLS) 
Semifinal - August 12, 1-1 (aet) vs. Seattle Sounders (USL-1) (Charleston advanced on PKs, 4-3)

The brand-new Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy awaits Wednesday night’s winner  Photo: BehindTheBadge.com

Charleston’s run to their first championship game appearance began June 10 when they hosted their first round match against the ASC New Stars, a USASA club from Houston. The Battery rolled to an easy 3-0 victory behind a hat trick from Darren Spicer. From then on the road became a bit tougher, as they would find out on June 24 at Blackbaud Stadium against the USL Second Division Charlotte Eagles. Charleston opened the scoring after 12 minutes through Spicer’s fourth goal of the tournament. The Battery held the lead through halftime, but Charlotte equalized in the 66th minute on Jorge Herrera’s headed goal. Extra time loomed when Randi Patterson was brought down in the penalty area, and Osvaldo Alonso converted the spot kick to send Charleston through to play the Houston Dynamo of MLS.

Once again at Blackbaud, the Battery hosted the Dynamo for a rematch of their 2007 third-round encounter, which Charleston won 1-0. Marco Reda gave the hosts the lead in the 31st minute. The 70th minute saw Charleston’s Chris Corcoran sent off for a hard foul on Houston’s Chris Wondolowski. Down to 10 men, the Battery still seemed able to hold off Houston despite their disadvantage. In the 89th minute, Wondolowski’s pass was headed to his brother Stephen by Franco Caraccio, and Stephen Wondolowski headed in the equalizer. Both teams played cautiously in extra time, but Charleston were reduced to nine men when Reda was dismissed in the 102nd minute. After 120 minutes, the game went to penalty kicks, and in the third round Houston’s Geoff Cameron sent his attempt high of the goal. After Charleston made their fourth attempt, Dusty Hudock clinched advancement for the Battery by saving the final Dynamo shot, taken by Caraccio.

The Battery played their first road game of the tournament in the quarterfinals, traveling to Pizza Hut Park, the home of their Open cup nemesis. F.C. Dallas eliminated Charleston from the Cup in 2006 and ’07, but the Battery didn’t let it happen again. Eleven minutes after Charleston took a 1-0 lead through Lazo Alavanja in the 28th minute, the game was halted for 1 hour, 10 minutes as thunderstorms rolled through the area. Four minutes after play resumed, the Battery wasted no time in doubling their lead, as Ian Fuller put the ball in the back of the net. Patterson and Dallas’ Kenny Cooper traded goals in second-half stoppage time, and the Battery finally exorcised their Open Cup demons with a 3-1 win.

For the third time in club history, Charleston moved on to the semifinals where they hosted the fellow USL-1 side Seattle Sounders - the matchup ensuring that one of the clubs would make their debut in the Open Cup final.

The teams traded goals in the first half, with Seattle going ahead on an own goal when Youseff Kante’s shot deflected off Osvaldo Alonso and into the net. Patterson equalized in the 33rd minute with his second goal of the tournament, ending Seattle’s single-tournament shutout streak record at 453 minutes.

The score remained 1-1 through regulation and extra time, leading to penalty kicks. It was the second penalty kick tiebreaker for each team in the 2008 tournament, Seattle’s first coming against the Kansas City Wizards in the quarterfinals. After Hudock saved the Sounders’ second attempt by standout Sebastien Le Toux, Chris Eylander returned the favor by stopping Mike Richardson on the very next kick. Hudock turned aside Seattle’s final attempt by Kevin Forrest to give the Battery a 4-3 penalty kick win, and their first finals appearance in club history.

Charleston has played the most matches in a single tournament (five) of any team in the Professional Era to reach the U.S. Open Cup Final.

D.C. United
3rd Round - July 1, 2-0 vs. Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
Quarterfinal - July 8, 2-1 (aet) vs. Chicago Fire (MLS)
Semifinal - August 12, 3-1 vs. New England Revolution (MLS) (Video Highlights)

D.C. United’s path to the final was a bit shorter, as they entered the tournament in the third round. They started off at the Maryland SoccerPlex against the only other USL-1 team to make it to an Open Cup final, the Rochester Rhinos. After a scoreless first half, United’s Marc Burch connected on a pair of free kicks in the final 15 minutes to give D.C. a 2-0 win.

Next to visit the SoccerPlex were the the four-time Open Cup winners, Chicago Fire, a team D.C. had never eliminated from any knockout competition.

United trailed 1-0 at halftime after Daniel Woolard struck for the Fire in the 36th minute. But in the 77th minute, Jamie Moreno hooked up with second-half sub Francis Doe to level the score and send the match to extra time. Moreno once again helped on United’s extra-time winner, delivering a corner kick that Bryan Namoff headed in for the lead. Late in the first half of extra time, a scuffle erupted that ended with Burch and Chicago’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco being sent off. Burch was given a traditional one-match suspension, but Blanco’s actions, combined with an encounter with a D.C. team official off the field, led to a minimum two-year Open Cup ban for the legendary Mexican international.

To reach the final, D.C. had to knock off the defending U.S. Open Cup champions, the New England Revolution (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS - BehindTheBadge.com). Playing at their regular home pitch at RFK Stadium, D.C. wasted no time jumping in front as Luciano Emilio knocked home a cross from Namoff in the fourth minute. A little more than 10 minutes from halftime, the Revs answered with a goal from Joe Germanese, who helped the Des Moines Menace of PDL make a run to the U.S. Open Cup third round back in 2006. With the second half only 3 minutes old, Moreno assisted on his third goal of the tournament, this time helping Santino Quaranta give United a 2-1 lead. Once New England’s Wells Thompson was sent off in the 71st minute for his second caution, D.C. seemed to have the match in hand. Then with just 9 minutes remaining, Emilio sealed United’s spot in the final by scoring off a cross from new acquisition Ivan Guererro.

OPEN CUP HISTORY (ALL-TIME)

Charleston Battery
Overall Record: 16-7-3, 45 GF 30 GA
Home Record: 13-3-3
Away Record: 3-3-0
Neutral Site: 0-1-0 
Matches decided by penalty kicks: 2-1
Matches decided by extra time: 2-3
Record vs. MLS clubs: 5-6-2, 19 GF 22 GA
Final appearances: 2008
Semifinal appearances: 1999, 2004, 2008

Charleston entered the Cup for the first time in 1999, and made an immediate impact with their 4-3 extra-time upset of D.C. United in the third round. After defeating fellow A-League side Staten Island, the Battery fell to the Colorado Rapids 3-0 in the semifinal. D.C. would get its revenge with a 4-0 win in the second round in 2000. Third-round exits to MLS clubs marked their 2001 and 2002 appearances, but one notable result was a 4-1 thrashing of the MetroStars in the 2001 second round. The Battery missed the Cup in 2003, when they were eliminated in A-League qualifying on a last-minute goal by the Virginia Beach Mariners.

The Battery returned in 2004, and made a run to the semifinals, despite finishing near the bottom of the A-League standings that year. A pair of 1-0 wins over the MetroStars and Rochester Raging Rhinos put the Battery one match away from the final, but were stopped short by the Chicago Fire with a 1-0 extra-time loss. In 2005, the Battery suffered the lone upset of their Open Cup history, a 3-2 loss to the Des Moines Menace in the third round.

As noted earlier, Charleston lost to F.C. Dallas in 2006 and 2007, first by penalties, then in extra time.

HOME COOKING: Charleston’s Open Cup success has been helped by the fact that many of their games have been played at Blackbaud Stadium. The Battery have hosted 11 of their last 12 Open Cup games, including their semifinal win over the Seattle Sounders. Their road game at F.C. Dallas in the quarterfinals snapped a string of 10 consecutive home games. 

D.C. United
Record: 19-7-3, 59 GF 27 GA
Home Record:  15-1-1 (6-1-0 at RFK Stadium)
Away Record: 4-6-1
Neutral Site: 0-0-1
Matches decided by penalty kicks: 1-2
Matches decided by extra time: 3-2
Record vs. USL-1 clubs: 9-2-1, 26 GF 9 GA
Championships: 1996
Final appearances: 1996, 1997, 2008
Semifinal appearances: 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008

D.C. United won the first Open Cup to involve MLS clubs in 1996, with a 3-0 win over the A-League’s Rochester Raging Rhinos. They nearly retained their title in 1997, falling to the Dallas Burn on penalties after a scoreless draw in the final. (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: MLSnet.com) On their way to the 1997 final, D.C. knocked off the upstart San Francisco Bay Seals in the semifinals - the USISL D3 Pro League club had upset MLS sides San Jose and Kansas City in the previous rounds before losing to D.C. 2-1.

In 1996, D.C. United became the first MLS team to win the U.S. Open Cup, defeating the A-League’s Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-0 at RFK Stadium. Photo courtesy of D.C. United

D.C. didn’t enter the 1998 Open Cup because of their involvement in the Copa Merconorte, a tournament they were eventually removed from in the aftermath of a dispute between the Mexican federation and tournament organizers. A year later, they were upset by Charleston, though D.C. got their revenge with a 4-0 win in 2000. United’s run that year ended with a 3-2 extra-time loss to the Miami Fusion in the quarterfinals. They didn’t enter the 2002 tournament due to schedule congestion.

D.C. was back in 2003, with another run to the semifinals that fell short with a 3-2 loss to the MetroStars when John Wolyniec scored in the 88th minute for their New Jersey-based rivals. The 2004 tournament saw United exit the Cup after one game for only the second time in their history, when they fell 2-1 to the A-League’s Richmond Kickers.

After a quarterfinal penalty-kick loss to F.C. Dallas in 2005, D.C. rebounded to reach the semifinals in 2006, dropping a 3-0 decision to eventual champions Chicago Fire. That year provided another milestone for D.C., as their quarterfinal win over the New York Red Bulls marked the first time since 1997 that the club defeated a fellow MLS team in the tournament. The next year was arguably the low point of United’s Open Cup history, losing to the USL Second Division’s Harrisburg City Islanders 1-0 after fielding a lineup full of reserves. It was only the third time D.C. was eliminated from the Cup after one match.

HOME COOKING: United has hosted seven of their past nine Open Cup games, with the only road games during that stretch being losses to the Chicago Fire and the Harrisburg City Islanders. D.C. is 6-1-0 all-time in Open Cup games played at RFK Stadium and 15-1-1 all-time in home games.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The most famous meeting between Charleston and D.C. United was on Aug. 4, 1999, a match that has become known as the "Coffee Pot Game."

D.C. United was a juggernaut at that point, having appeared in the first three MLS Cup finals (winning the first two), and reaching the finals of the U.S. Open Cup in 1996 (win) and 1997 (runner-up). Charleston on the other hand, was a middle-of-the-table A-League side, fighting just to make the playoffs.

The Battery had the honor of hosting the third-round U.S. Open Cup match at their new soccer-specific Blackbaud Stadium, and with a packed house of 5,456 watching, the Battery jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 24 minutes on goals from Mike Burke and Dean Sewell.

D.C. quickly replied with a goal from Moreno, leveled the score on Chris Albright’s goal off a corner kick in the 59th minute and then took the lead with 6 minutes remaining on a goal by A.J. Wood.

With just 3 minutes left, it was Bulgarian Ivailo Ilarianov to the rescue, beating United goalkeeper Tom Presthus off his line to send the game to extra time. Ilarianov did it again 10 minutes into extra time, this time scoring the golden goal. Ilarianov and Sewell broke in on a 2-on-1 against Clint Peay, and Sewell fed Ilarianov, who had plenty of time to send his shot past the outstretched right hand of Presthus for the dramatic upset.

After the match, it was reported that some of United’s players were so upset, they smashed two coffee pots and ripped out shower heads in the locker room. Since 2004, the supporters groups of both clubs present the winners of the teams’ meetings with a coffee pot full of beer - the Coffee Pot Cup.

D.C. and Charleston have only met in friendly matches since 2000, most of the time in the Carolina Challenge Cup, the Battery’s annual preseason tournament.

1999 - U.S. Open Cup: Charleston Battery 4, D.C. United 3 (after sudden death extra time)
2000 - U.S. Open Cup: D.C. United 4, Charleston Battery 0
2004 - Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 2, Charleston Battery 1
2005 - Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 2, Charleston Battery 2
2006 - Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 1, Charleston Battery 1
2006 - Friendly: D.C. United 2, Charleston Battery 0 (at Cary, N.C.)

OPEN CUP CONNECTIONS

While there are no players on D.C. United’s current roster with connections with their opponents, Charleston features a trio of players who have spent time in a D.C. United shirt.

Forward Lazo Alavanja appeared in 17 games for D.C. in 2002, after three years with the Dallas Burn and Miami Fusion. After playing indoors for two years, Alavanja signed with Charleston in 2005, and has nine goals in his 78 appearances for the Battery.

Midfielder Stephen Armstrong played for D.C. United in 2001, appearing in 15 games and scoring three goals. After four more seasons in MLS with Kansas City and Columbus, Armstrong signed with Charleston in 2006 and has recorded 16 goals in 60 appearances.

Finally, defender John Wilson has the unique distinction of having played for Charleston before and after his D.C. United stop. Wilson played for Charleston from 1999-2003, appearing in 95 games with one goal. After a stint with Rochester in 2004, Wilson spent three seasons with D.C. United, making 28 appearances. After D.C. released Wilson, he returned to Charleston and has played 21 games this season.

Both teams also have one rather unique connection: they each feature players that appeared in their famous 1999 Open Cup clash. Moreno started and scored D.C.’s first goal and assisted on another. Charleston features goalkeeper Hudock, who started between the posts for the Battery in their historic upset, as well as Wilson, who also started and played the whole game.

LEAGUE FORM

Charleston Battery
USL First Division record: 10-9-7, 30 GF 26 GA
3rd in USL First Division
Home record: 9-2-3, 22 GF 10 GA
Away record: 1-7-4, 8 GF 16 GA
April: 0-1-2, 3 GF 4 GA
May: 5-1-0, 9 GF 3 GA
June: 2-1-1, 7 GF 4 GA
July: 2-2-1, 5 GF 5 GA
August: 1-4-3, 6 GF 10 GA
(Records reflect league matches only)

From April through July, Charleston never went more then one match without earning a point in league play, going 9-5-2 in that stretch.

August has taken a different turn for Charleston, as the Battery have compiled a 1-4-3 record, including a six-game winless streak (0-3-3). Charleston has gained only 13 points out of a possible 39 since July. In their defense, eight of their last 10 league matches have been on the road.

D.C. United
Major League Soccer record: 10-10-2, 36 GF 34 GA
4th in MLS Eastern Conference
Home record: 8-3-1, 28 GF 13 GA
Away record: 2-7-1, 8 GF 21 GA
March/April: 2-3-0, 9 GF 8 GA
May: 1-4-1, 6 GF 12 GA
June: 4-0-0, 13 GF 4 GA
July/August: 3-3-1, 8 GF 9 GA
(Records reflect league matches only)

D.C. United has seemed to go through every up, down and in between period a team can have this season. After starting 2-7-0, D.C. seemed to suddenly wake up, stringing together a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) in which they outscored opponents 18-8.

Then came the SuperLiga, where they lost all three group matches. Since then, D.C. has been 3-3-1 in league play.

Interesting stat: D.C. is 11-4-0 in all competitions (CONCACAF Champions Cup, SuperLiga, MLS and U.S. Open Cup) when Luciano Emilio is involved in a goal.

If D.C. has one advantage, it is that the match is being played on their home pitch. Both clubs are a combined 17-5-4 in league matches at home, but a dismal 3-14-5 on the road.

OPEN CUP LEADERS

Charleston Battery

Goals
Darren Spicer - 4
Randi Patterson - 2
Osvaldo Alonso - 1
Marco Reda - 1
Ian Fuller - 1
Lazo Alavanja - 1

Assists
Ian Fuller - 1
David Kenga - 1
Stephen Armstrong - 1
Aaron King - 1

Goalkeeper Stats (Min./Goals Allowed)
Dusty Hudock - 330/3
Keith Wiggins - 180/2

D.C. United

Goals
Marc Burch - 2
Luciano Emilio - 2
Francis Doe - 1
Bryan Namoff - 1
Santino Quaranta - 1

Assists
Jamie Moreno - 3
Bryan Namoff - 1
Ivan Guererro - 1

Goalkeeper Stats (Min./Goals Allowed)
Zach Wells - 300/2

TALE OF THE TAPE