The latest battle for the Coffee Pot Cup was settled late into the night on Tuesday in the nation’s capital when DC United outlasted the Charleston Battery in extra time by a score of 2-0.
The match, which proved to be an even contest between USL Championship club Charleston Battery and three-time U.S. Open Cup champions DC United, really started to open up as the clock ticked toward 90 minutes. In the closing minutes of the second half, with the score level at 0-0, both teams had opportunities to get a winner, but neither could convert their chances, which meant the tie would have to be settled through an additional 30 minutes of play.
In extra time, the deciding moment came in front of the home supporters when Randall Leal played a ball into DC United youngster, Jacob Murrell.
Murrell, the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, took the ball down 35 yards from goal and instead of waiting for his teammates to join in the attack, he cut the ball onto his left foot to open up a window of space between himself and the nearest defender. The rest, as they say, is history. Murrell curled a shot that sailed just inches from the outstretched goalkeeper’s hands before it rippled into the upper corner of the goal.
“The ball opened up and instinct just said, hit it and it flew in the top corner,” said Murrell. “I was happy to find the breakthrough.”
Seven minutes later, with Charleston playing higher up the field to find an equalizer, DC United scored its second goal through Jared Stroud and held on for the remainder of extra time to seal the victory.
With the win on Tuesday, DC United notched its thirty-sixth victory in the history of the U.S. Open Cup and is now tied for seventh in total wins among all teams in the modern era.
DC United will face Charlotte FC in the Round of 16 after Charlotte defeated North Carolina FC 4-1.
Shared DC United Head Coach Troy Lesesne after the win, “We knew it was going to be a tough match. We talked about coming into the match how we wanted to have the mentality of not taking any shortcuts. (Charleston) made it difficult on us and we had to dig in and be really disciplined.”
The first half was mostly a war of attrition, with both teams sticking to their strategies and finding tiny windows of opportunity. Charleston looked to build out from defense through its fullbacks, while DC United was content to let Charleston maintain possession and countered quickly through the middle. Each team showed flashes of promise but both defenses were well organized and neither side was able to pose a serious threat goal. The game remained 0-0 going into halftime.
Once the second half started, Charleston started to find pockets of space with long, cross-field balls sent in behind the DC United defense. The USL Championship club was gaining more confidence and appeared to go ahead 1-0 in the 57th minute when a shot from Nanan Houssou, which appeared to be on target, was deflected into the net by a teammate standing in an offside position.
From that moment, the game began to open up for both teams. DC United tested Charleston goalkeeper Luis Zamudio a couple times midway through the second half, only for the former United goalkeeper to come up with a couple clutch saves.
The remainder of the second half was a nervy affair. Both teams had their chances as the game began to open up. As the clock ticked closer to 90 minutes, it became clear that it was going to take a special moment to break the 0-0 deadlock. Ultimately the game remained scoreless after two halves and the referee signaled for extra time.
That’s when Jacob Murrell scored a goal that the 6,781 fans in attendance will remember for a long time.
DC United’s Leal played a long pass into Murrell, who was occupying a hole in the Charleston defense about 35 yards out from goal. After receiving the pass, Murrell quickly pivoted and took three touches toward goal as defenders raced to get into position to prevent Murrell from advancing any farther. Instead of waiting for overlapping runs from his teammates, Murrell cut the ball back and fired a shot from outside the box that sailed past the two defenders in front of him and past the outstretched arms of Charleston’s goalkeeper. It was a perfectly placed shot from an improbable location on the field.
Now up 1-0, DC United could dictate play while Charleston was forced to take extra risks for the equalizer. Seven minutes after DC United broke the deadlock, Jared Stroud scored the second goal of the night to make it 2-0, which is how the game finished.
The victory means that DC United not only advances to the Fifth Round of the U.S. Open Cup, but the club retains the Coffee Pot Cup, one of the most unique trophies in all of U.S. soccer history.