Rough Riders qualify for U.S. Open Cup

Published on May 24, 2005 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Long Island Rough Riders News Release


The Long Island Rough Riders, with a last-minute win over Cincinnati 2-1 on May 21st, have qualified for the premier American soccer competition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Cup, one of the most prestigious and well-known soccer competitions in the world, is the oldest Cup competition in the United States. Since its inception in 1914, the U.S. Open Cup has been known for featuring amateur teams and, later on in its history, matching amateur teams against professionals from the MLS.

The Rough Riders have qualified for the Cup for the third time in their ten year history. They hope to reignite the fire from their storied 4-3 defeat of the New England Revolution in the third round of the competition in 1997. Trailing 3-1 in the second half, Jim Rooney sparked a three-goal rally, and Dahir Mohammed headed in the golden goal winner off a Rooney corner kick as the Riders walked away with a 4-3 triumph and a meeting with the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in the quarterfinals. The Metrostars ultimately defeated the Rough Riders, 1-0, to end their amazing Cup run.

Rough Riders coach Ronan Wiseman is especially eager about this year's Cup qualifying. Wiseman won the U.S. Open Cup as a member of the Brooklyn Italians in 1991, defeating the Richardson Rockets 1-0. This is his first experience with the Rough Riders in Cup play, as he was not a member of the team when they qualified in 1997 and 2003.

The original Rough Riders, led by Teddy Roosevelt, were best known for winning the battle at Kettle Hill in Cuba that became the turning point of the Spanish American War. With the Spanish armed and ready for attack at the top of the hill, Roosevelt and the Rough Riders rode up and defeated a side that by all accounts should have easily defeated them.

Jim Kilmeade, General Manager of the Rough Riders, described the Rough Riders' namesake as "men who were rough around the edges...they should have died out on the battlefield but they fought hard and overcame all odds to defeat the Spanish." Kilmeade hopes these Rough Riders can have the same presence and perseverance, and be as successful climbing the treacherous hill as the original Rough Riders were.

The Rough Riders will face the Wilmington Hammerheads this Saturday, May 28 at 7:30 PM at Mitchel Field in Uniondale, NY. For more information log on to www.liroughriders.com or call (516) 622-3900. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 ages 5-18, and $6 for groups of 12 or more people.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 24, 2005


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