Excitement Builds As Eagles Host Fire in Open Cup Action
May 28, 2013 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charlotte Eagles News Release
Charlotte, NC - The excitement continues to build for the US Open Cup match between the Charlotte Eagles and the Chicago Fire of MLS, as over 500 tickets, including all reserved midfield seats, have been sold so far. There are still plenty of tickets available for Wednesday's match at Winthrop University.
One thing you won't want to miss is the Barefoot Futsal Academy, as they will be running a futsal challenge in the track stadium, located behind the soccer field. The challenge will run from 6-6:45 pm. The Academy will also be performing a demonstration at halftime of the match.
The Eagles advanced to the third round of the Open Cup with a 3-0 win against the Sounders FC U-23's last Tuesday. Drew Yates opened the scoring for the Eagles in the second half and Eagles veteran Jorge Herrera added two goals, which brought his career US Open Cup goal total to four. Goalkeeper and captain Eric Reed recorded his fifth shutout of the season in the victory, stopping all five U-23 shots he faced.
Chicago enters this years tournament in search of it's fifth title in club history. Since 1998 the Fire have compiled an impressive 29-11-4 record in Open Cup play, reaching the semifinal round eight out of 15 times and the final six times. The Fire have previously hoisted the coveted Dewar Trophy four times, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. The 2006 title marked the ninth time a team from Chicago won the Open Cup and made the Fire one of six teams to capture the crown at least four times in the tournament's 99-year-long history.
The Fire have added two-time MLS Cup Champion Mike Magee to their roster and he may make his Fire debut against the Eagles on Wednesday. Magee, 28, is a Chicago native who was traded by the LA Galaxy to the Fire in exchange for Robbie Rogers. So far on the season Magee has six goals in MLS competition which has him in a three-way tie for third in the league. Malian defender Bakary Soumare was also recently acquired from the Philadelphia Union and should add some quality to the Fire backline once he gets settled in with his new teammates.
The champion of the US Open Cup earns the right to play in the CONCACAF Champions League which is a competition between the top teams in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League moves on to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, whose current format involves seven different regional winners from around the world.
Tickets are still available for the Open Cup match. While the reserved seating in the midfield has sold out, plenty of tickets in the general admission sections are still available. If you do purchase a general admission (standing) ticket you are allowed to bring in chairs, blankets, etc. to make yourself comfortable in the grass areas around the field.
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- Excitement Builds As Eagles Host Fire in Open Cup Action - Charlotte Eagles
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