MLS Major League Soccer

US Open Cup Final Preview and Broadcast Info

Published on September 26, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Wednesday, September 27, 2006

2006 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL

CHICAGO FIRE vs. LOS ANGELES GALAXY - Fox Soccer Channel

Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill. - 8:00 p.m.

Complete game preview: http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20060926&content_id=73861&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

The two most successful clubs in Major League Soccer history in the U.S. Open Cup meet for the first time with the Dewar Trophy on the line, when the holders in the Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Chicago Fire on their home ground. Between them, the clubs have won five U.S. Open Cup titles, and have by far the best records in U.S. Open Cup play among the 11 years MLS teams have been involved. While they've never before met in an Open Cup Final, they have met on three previous occasions in the competition, each time in the semifinals. Each time the winning team has gone on to lift the Dewar Trophy - which of course will again be the case at Toyota Park.

CHICAGO FIRE

2006 OPEN CUP RUN:

On Sept. 6, the Chicago Fire advanced to a record fifth U.S. Open Cup Final, once again defeating D.C. United, this time 3-0 at Toyota Park. The Fire have never lost to United in a knockout competition, now with five victories and a draw in six matches in the MLS Cup Playoffs and U.S. Open Cup.

After a tame first half, Justin Mapp put the Fire into the lead in the 58th minute, chipping United 'keeper Troy Perkins on the run after latching onto a long pass from Chris Armas.

The game then exploded into life. The Fire first doubled their lead in the 76th minute. A long ball was headed on by Nate Jaqua, and rookie Calen Carr reached around United defender Facundo Erpen and surprised Perkins with a looping shot inside the far post.

Not a minute later, Erpen brought down Thiago with a hard tackle, which earned him an immediate red card from Richard Heron. In a fracas that ensued, Armas shoved Erpen, which saw him receive his marching orders, putting him out of the Open Cup Final.

But the Fire had the last laugh. Carr took a pass from Ivan Guerrero and cut inside the penalty area before slotting home his third goal of the tournament to send the Fire into the final.

Here's Sarachan's team: Matt Pickens, C.J. Brown, Jim Curtin, Gonzalo Segares, Justin Mapp (Logan Pause 73), Chris Armas, Thiago, Diego Gutierrez, Ivan Guerrero, Calen Carr, Nate Jaqua. [Substitutes Not Used: Leonard Griffin, David Mahoney, Brian Plotkin, Chris Rolfe, Tony Sanneh, John Thorrington]

The Chicago Fire claimed a 2-1 quarterfinal victory Aug. 23 at Toyota Park against the New England Revolution. Andy Herron scored twice, once in each half, to give the Fire the victory.

The Fire won their weather-delayed fourth-round tie with the Kansas City Wizards, a 2-0 victory at Toyota Park on Aug. 14. It was the first of two wins in three days against the Wizards, triumphing 3-0 on Aug. 16, also in Bridgeview. Calen Carr gave the Fire the lead after 18 minutes when he banged in a Chad Barrett cross, then Andy Herron's glancing header from a Brian Plotkin in the 65th minute sealed the win for the Fire.

OPEN CUP HISTORY:

The most successful MLS team in the history of the USA's oldest competition, they've won the title three times in the eight years of their existence, have been losing finalist one other time, and have lost in the semifinals on two other occasions, including last year.

They won in their inaugural year when they did the domestic double, defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1 in extra time (Podbrozny 45 pen; Klopas 99 - John 53). In 2000, they defeated Miami Fusion 2-1 (Stoitchkov 44, og 88 - Welton 90), and in 2003 they defeated the MetroStars 1-0 (Ralph 68). In 2004, they lost for the first time in the Open Cup Final, falling to a golden goal from the Kansas City Wizards (Simutenkov 95).

A year ago, the Fire played four matches but went out at the semifinal stage. They defeated the USL Second Division (third tier) Western Mass Pioneers 3-1 in the third round, then after knocking off the Revolution, escaped the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the quarterfinals on penalties after a 1-1 draw. They were then eliminated in the semifinals by FC Dallas, in a 1-0 loss.

The Fire have lost just five times in 30 U.S. Open Cup matches, the best record among MLS clubs in the nation's oldest competition.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

2006 OPEN CUP RUN:

On Sept. 6, the Galaxy advanced to the U.S. Open Cup Final for the fourth time in club history and second year running, defeating Houston Dynamo 3-1 at The Home Depot Center. The win came days before Dynamo won 2-1 in league play in Carson.

Alan Gordon continued his rich vein of form with a goal in the sixth minute, heading home a Landon Donovan corner kick. But Dynamo leveled the match just five minutes later as Dwayne De Rosario tracked down a loose ball that caromed off the corner flag before eventually beating Kevin Hartman inside his near post from a tight angle.

The game changed in the last minutes just before the break. Donovan put the Galaxy ahead in the 44th minute when he bent home a freekick from the edge of the Houston penalty area. Then seconds later L.A. defender Ugo Ihemelu clattered into De Rosario from behind in the Galaxy box, but Hartman dove to his right to push aside the resulting penalty from the Canadian international and keep the lead.

Santino Quaranta scored an insurance goal in second-half stoppage time, finishing off a counter with a neat chip to put the Galaxy in position to win a third successive domestic honor.

Here's Yallop's team: Kevin Hartman, Chris Albright, Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall, Ante Jazic (Kyle Veris 69), Cobi Jones (Quavas Kirk 66), Paulo Nagamura, Peter Vagenas, Santino Quaranta, Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon. [Substitutes Not Used: Steve Cronin, Michael Enfield, Josh Gardner, Herculez Gomez, Josh Hansen]

It took 120 minutes to do it, but the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Colorado Rapids 3-1 win on Aug. 23 in Carson in the quarterfinals. Goals by Clint Mathis for Colorado and Quavas Kirk for the Galaxy, both in the opening 45 minutes, forced extra time to decide the match. Landon Donovan scored just minutes into the first extra period, then added an insurance goal in the second to give the Galaxy a hard-fought victory.

The Galaxy put an end to the Cinderella run of amateur side Roma FC of Dallas with a 2-0 fourth-round victory on Aug. 1 at The Home Depot Center's Track & Field Stadium. Quavas Kirk scored his first professional goal in the first half, then Alan Gordon finished off the game with an opportunistic goal in the second half.

OPEN CUP HISTORY:

The Galaxy have reached the U.S. Open Cup Final three times in the last five years, winning in 2001 but losing the following year, before winning the Dewar Trophy for the second time last year in a 1-0 victory against FC Dallas.

The Galaxy began their run by dumping out stadium-mates Chivas USA in a 5-2 triumph, then bounced the San Jose Earthquakes out for the fourth time ever, surviving going a man down midway through the second half to hold on for a 2-1 victory. The Galaxy put an end to the run of last year's Cinderella, the USL First Division Minnesota Thunder, with a 5-2 semifinal victory, then in the final, Herculez Gomez scored the game's only goal in the 25th minute - his sixth in four Open Cup matches - to give the Galaxy their second Open Cup championship.

In 2001, a Danny Califf golden goal gave them the victory against the New England Revolution at Titan Stadium, after New England was reduced to 10 men just before the end of regulation time (Hendrickson 70, Califf 92 - Harris 30).

Just once have the Galaxy been dumped out of the Open Cup in their opening match - in 2005, when they 1-0 to the Minnesota Thunder (A-League) in the fourth round. It snapped a run of five consecutive appearances where they reached at least the semifinals.

The Galaxy have lost just five times in 26 Open Cup matches - two of those coming against Columbus Crew, once in the quarterfinals in 1999, and once in the 2002 final. The other two losses both came to the Chicago Fire, in the semifinals in both 2000 and 2003.

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 26, 2006


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