MLS Columbus Crew SC

Crew Tops Galaxy to Win US Open Cup Title

Published on October 25, 2002 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Columbus Crew won its first major championship on Thursday night at Crew Stadium, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0, to claim the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title. The U.S Open Cup, a prestigious, single-elimination national tournament, is in its 89th season. It was renamed to honor Crew Investor-Operator Lamar Hunt in 1999 and is one of the two most sought after championships in American soccer (along with MLS Cup).

The victory also secures The Crew a berth in the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup -- the North and Central American and Caribbean region's club championship. It was The Crew's second championship match in the club's seven-year history, following the 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final it lost in overtime to Chicago, 2-1, at Soldier Field.

"It feels good," said Crew head coach Greg Andrulis. "Our guys fought hard, we had a lot of blocked shots, we had a lot of guys throwing their bodies in front of the ball and we had a very opportunistic goal taken by Freddy Garcia. We're awfully, awfully happy to be able to put the (U.S. Open Cup) trophy in the Columbus Crew's trophy case as the first one."

Garcia scored the entertaining game's lone goal in the 30th minute, slotting home the rebound of a dangerous Brian West cross, and goalkeeper Jon Busch made four saves and eight catch/punches to keep the Galaxy off the scoresheet.

Los Angeles, which won MLS Cup 2002 on Sunday (Oct. 20), 1-0 over New England, was the defending MLS Cup champion. The victory also moved The Crew ahead of the A-League's Rochester Rhinos for the most U.S. Open Cup wins since 1996 (MLS's inaugural season), though Columbus did not compete in a U.S. Open Cup until 1998), with 13.

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 25, 2002


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