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US Open Cup resumes Tuesday

June 30, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL - The 2009 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup continues Tuesday evening with the first six of the eight matches set for the Third Round of the tournament. Round three, which concludes with two matches Wednesday, features the introduction of the eight qualified Major League Soccer clubs facing five remaining USL-1 teams, two from USL-2 and Ocean City of the PDL.

USL clubs have advanced eight times in the 16 Third Round games over the past two years with the USL Second Division's Crystal Palace Baltimore surprisingly joining the Seattle Sounders and Charleston Battery of the USL First Division in the Quarterfinal stage last year. In 2007, the Sounders and Battery also advanced to the Quarters, where they were accompanied by fellow USL-1 side the Carolina RailHawks and two USL-2 clubs, the Richmond Kickers and Harrisburg City Islanders.

After downing a pair of USL-2 clubs, the Ocean City Barons will be looking to become the first Premier Development League team to advance to the tournament Quarterfinals since MLS began participating in 1996.

After posting three of their four US Open Cup victories over MLS teams all-time in the past two tournaments, the Sounders will now take to the field in the opposite role, squaring off against northwest USL-1 rival Portland on the road Wednesday. In the lone USL-2 contest, Harrisburg travels to Connecticut to face the New England Revolution.

Third Round action free on USL Live

Five Third Round contests will be available on USLlive.com. On Tuesday, June 30, the Charleston Battery (vs Chivas USA - 7:30 pm ET), Minnesota Thunder (vs Kansas City Wizards - 8:30 pm ET) and Ocean City Barons (vs DC United - 7:30 pm ET) will be broadcasting their respective games free online via USL's official broadband internet channel. The Austin Aztex (vs Houston Dynamo - 8:30 pm ET) and Portland Timbers (vs Seattle Sounders - 10:00 pm ET) will both be available as the action rounds up on Wednesday, July 1. It marks the third consecutive year that early round matches will be carried on USL Live. Watch USL games free any time live and on demand at USLlive.com. The broadcasts of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup are made available by US Soccer. Log on to ussoccer.com for more information about the US Open Cup and to find out how you can join US Soccer SC, the Official Supporters Club of US Soccer.

Match Capsule Previews

Chicago Fire at Wilmington Hammerheads (Tuesday)

After spending three games on the road, the Hammerheads returned home this weekend and posted a 3-2 victory over the league-leading Harrisburg City Islanders to make them unbeaten in the last three. Chicago comes into the contest mid-table in the Eastern Conference on a three-game losing skid in league play. Their last MLS match was June 13, however, with three SuperLiga contests since with a pair of wins over San Luis (Mexico) and Chivas USA and a loss Saturday 2-1 to Tigres. The Fire have won the tournament five times (1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006) while Wilmington has one win in five contests versus MLS opposition in the tournament, a 4-1 victory over Dallas in the Fourth Round of 2003. Chicago has suffered only three upsets (1-0 at Carolina RailHawks Third Round 2007; 1-0 at Milwaukee Rampage Third Round 2002; 1-0 at Rochester Third Round 1999).

Columbus Crew at Rochester Rhinos (Tuesday)

The Rochester Rhinos posted their third straight victory in league play with a 2-1 win in Minnesota Saturday while the defending MLS Cup champion Crew were celebrating the receipt of their championship rings with a 1-0 win over New York in a rematch of the final. Columbus suffered their only loss in the last 11 contests the previous Saturday at Dallas, 2-1. Champions of the tournament in 2002, the Crew 's lone upset in tournament history was at the hands of the Rhinos during their infamous championship run of 1999, falling 3-2 in Virginia Beach in the Semifinals. Since that title in 1999, however, Rochester has had limited success, posting just one victory (3-1 vs MetroStars Fourth Round 2005) and one penalty kick win (1-1 (3-1 pk win) at New England Fourth Round 2004) in games versus MLS teams for a current record of 7-8-2.

Harrisburg City Islanders at New England Revolution (Tuesday)

The league-leading City Islanders are coming into the match off their first defeat after a five-game unbeaten run (3-0-2), having fallen to fellow tournament Third Rounder Wilmington 3-2 on the road. New England dropped their last league contest June 13 in Kansas City 3-1, giving them a mark of 2-4-3 over their last nine. Since then, they have found success in SuperLiga with wins over Santos Laguna and Atlas of Mexico and a draw against the Wizards. Harrisburg's lone previous foray into the tournament in 2007 proved to be a success as they stunned DC United 1-0 in the Third Round before being eliminated by New England 2-1 in the Quarters. The Revolution, who won the tournament that same year, have suffered three upsets in the event previously (1-1 (3-1 pks) vs Rochester Fourth Round 2004; 1-0 vs Michigan Second Round 2000; 4-3 OT vs Long Island Third Round 1997).

Chivas USA at Charleston Battery (Tuesday)

After opening the season with a 12-game unbeaten run, the Battery suffered their first losses of the season two weeks ago with a pair of 1-0 defeats in Puerto Rico, but have since avenged the loss with a 1-0 win over the Islanders last Thursday in Charleston. The Battery have reached the tournament semifinals a USL-high three times, knocking out MLS clubs six times over the years, including last year's run to the championship game that included a 4-3 penalty kick decision (1-1 draw) over the Houston Dynamo in the Third Round and a shocking 3-1 victory at Dallas before falling narrowly 2-1 in the final at DC United. The win over Houston was the second consecutive year in which they had eliminated the defending MLS Cup champions, having posted a 1-0 Third Round win the year before. Other wins include two over the New York Red Bulls (formerly MetroStars) and DC United. Chivas USA comes into the match having just one win in their last six league games, dropping their last game 2-1 at Columbus June 14. Since then they have gone winless (0-2-1) in SuperLiga play with a 1-1 draw against Mexico's San Luis Saturday. Chivas USA, similar, to Houston has had its troubles the past two years with the same opposition, falling twice in Seattle to the then USL-1 Sounders. In 2006, they were eliminated by amateur USASA side Roma in penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Ocean City Barons at DC United (Tuesday)

In the thick of the race for a postseason berth in the PDL, the Barons ended a two-game skid with a 2-1 victory at Rhode Island Saturday. Ocean City is the lone remaining amateur side in the competition after posting victories over the USL Second Division's Crystal Palace Baltimore and Real Maryland Monarchs, and will be facing an MLS club for the first time. DC United, on the other hand, is the defending champion of the tournament, capturing the title last year for the first time since their inaugural season in 1996. DC comes into the match having lost 3-0 at Colorado June 20 after going unbeaten in their previous three (2-0-1). Prior to last year's tournament, United was knocked out by the USL Second Division's Harrisburg City Islanders 1-0 in the Third Round of 2007, marking the third time they were upset in the event (2-1 at Richmond Fourth Round 2007; 4-3 OT at Charleston Third Round 1999).

Kansas City Wizards at Minnesota Thunder (Tuesday)

The Minnesota Thunder come into the contest in last place in USL-1, but the Thunder have proven in the past league form does not dictate their performance in the tournament, reaching the Semifinals in 2005 despite a 7-11-10 season in league play. They downed Real Salt Lake 6-4 in overtime and Colorado Rapids 4-1 in stunning fashion before knocking out the Wizards in the Quarterfinals on the road 3-1. In 2004, they posted their first upset over an MLS club with a 1-0 win over Los Angeles in the Fourth Round. Kansas City, on the other hand, has notoriously struggled against lower opposition, having been eliminated by USL opposition five times (0-0 (6-5 pks) at Seattle Quarterfinals 2008; 3-1 vs Minnesota Quarterfinals 2005; 0-0 (7-6 pks) Chicago Sockers Round Two 2000; 3-1 at Nashville Third Round 1998; 2-1 at San Francisco Third Round. They did, however win the tournament in 2004. The Wizards ended a three-game winless run (0-1-2) with a 3-1 victory over New England two weeks ago. Since then they have gone winless in SuperLiga play (0-1-2) with a 3-1 defeat to Mexico's Santos Laguna Sunday.

Houston Dynamo at Austin Aztex (Wednesday)

The expansion Aztex come into the match with only one defeat in their last four league contests (1-1-2). The 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup champions are looking to end a two-year losing skid in the tournament after suffering elimination the last two years at the hands of the Charleston Battery in the Third Round. The Dynamo enter the contest having suffered their first loss in league play since April 4, an 11-game unbeaten streak (8-0-3), falling 1-0 at Los Angeles Sunday.

Seattle Sounders at Portland Timbers (Wednesday)

After years of facing one another as league rivals, the Sounders and Timbers begin a new chapter with Seattle coming to Portland as members of MLS. The Sounders will be in the reverse role in the tournament after playing spoiler as the underdog the past few years with three of their four Open Cup wins over MLS all-time coming in the last two years. Portland, on the other hand, has struggled in the tournament with losses in their two previous MLS encounters. The Timbers enter the match on a 12-game unbeaten run in league play since suffering a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in their season opener. They have dominated in their past two league matches, drubbing Minnesota 5-1 two weeks ago and Montreal 4-0 Sunday. The Sounders come into the match on a four-game unbeaten run in league play (2-0-2), winning 3-0 at home Sunday versus Colorado. In their final year in USL-1 together last year, the two sides split the season series 1-1-1 with Portland winning the first 2-0 at home, drawing the second in Seattle 0-0 and falling 1-0 at home in the final meeting.



USL First Division Stories from June 30, 2009


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