As part of the 1995 US Open Cup Rewind Series, TheCup.us staff went back in our time machine and voted on a Player of the Round. Each round we honored the best individual performances of each round of the tournament.
Goalkeeper Jake Arrambide was just a couple short years removed from being a local high school soccer standout. The El Paso native found himself putting the gloves on for the El Paso Patriots of the USISL Pro League in the Semifinals of the 1995 US Open Cup.
It was at least 100 degrees at Dudley Field in his hometown in front of a couple thousand fans on July 30, 1995. With just his high school soccer career on his resume, his task was to help the underdog Patriots keep the Seattle Sounders, considered by many to be the best professional team and the best offense in the country, from scoring.
With the help of a tenacious defense, and a sweltering heat that the A-League front runners from the Pacific Northwest were not used to, Arrambide accomplished his goal. The El Paso native made six saves and earned the clean sheet to help the Patriots pull off a 1-0 upset as they became just the second Texas-based club to reach the US Open Cup Final
1995 US Open Cup Preview: The state of American soccer in 1995
1995 USOC Round 1 POTR: Carlos Llamosa
1995 USOC Q-Finals POTR: Ben Crawley
1995 USOC Semis POTR: Jake Arrambide
1995 USOC Final POTR: Jeff Causey
1995 USOC Player of Tourney: Rob Ukrop
1995 US Open Cup Results (click on the score of the game for a match report)
“Jake was excellent. We got a little tired. We had two or three opportunities to score and didn’t. Then they got the opportunities and Jake was our savior,” said Patriots head coach Oscar Lira.
It was the second straight shutout of an A-League team for Arrambide. First, a 2-0 win over the defending A-League champion Colorado Foxes in the Quarterfinals, followed by the current front-runners of the league in the Semifinals.
“I was really focused when we beat Seattle,” Arrambide told TheCup.us. “But, for me, beating Colorado was the highlight of my time with the El Paso Patriots. They were a team that I followed closely through the publication Soccer America. And then, of course, (US National Team player) Mark Dodd was their goalkeeper and I shut them out. They were professionals and grown men and I was a kid . That sticks out the most in my mind.”
Arrambide wasn’t sure if professional soccer was in the cards for him after high school. The financial compensation for players in Major League Soccer, the A-League and the USISL was not life-changing money. In addition, MLS was set to be launched in 1995, but was later pushed back to 1996. Lifelong friend Paul Gonzalez convinced Arrambide to try out for his hometown team, the El Paso Patriots. Once he signed, he signed an amateur contract with the Patriots that way he could keep the door open for any potential college soccer opportunity that may open up down the road.
His decision to attend that tryout and sign with the Patriots appears to be a good one for both parties so far as Arrambide has carried El Paso to the 83rd US Open Cup Final.
“This was a huge game for all of us. I’m just going to take the next couple of days to enjoy it.”