2008 Semifinals

The Charleston Battery earned a place in the US Open Cup Final for the first time in club history after winning a penalty kick shootout with the Seattle Sounders in the Semifinals. The Battery are the first non-MLS team to advance to the Final since the Rochester Raging Rhinos won the tournament in 1999.

The Sounders struck first with a goal in the 20th minute when a short corner ended up at the feet of Youseff Kante just outside the penalty area. He drove a shot toward goal and the ball took a deflection off of the Battery’s Osvaldo Alonso and ended up in the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

In the 32nd minute, the Battery were on the attack and sent a ball into the box from the right wing. A glancing header by Darren Spicer forced a save by Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander, but he was unable to hang onto it. Randi Patterson was on the doorstep and pounced on the loose ball and tied the game at 1-1, ending Seattle’s single-tournament record shutout streak at 453 minutes.

Both teams were unable to break the deadlock through 120 minutes, despite a few close calls, and the match had to be decided by penalty kicks. The Battery led 2-1 when Sebastien Le Toux had his attempt saved by Dusty Hudock. Mike Richardson had a chance to put the Battery up 3-1, but Chris Eylander came through for Seattle making the stop to keep it close. After both teams traded goals, Hudock saved the attempt by Kevin Forrest in the fifth round to send Charleston to the Open Cup Final.

TheCup.us Fun Fact: Dusty Hudock’s saves in the penalty kick shootout, helped eliminate the Seattle Sounders, the team that he made his Open Cup debut with in the First Round of the 1995 US Open Cup (June 14, 1995). He was given the starting job that night in Seattle’s 9-2 win over the Everett BigFoot of the USISL Pro League, as regular starter Marcus Hahnemann was given the night off.