2009 Final

Josh Wicks of DC United receives five game US Open Cup ban

October 6, 2009 by

Josh Wicks played well before being sent off in the 69th minute of the U.S. Open Cup Final. Photo: DCUnited.com

A little over a month after he stomped on Fredy Montero of the Seattle Sounders in the US Open Cup Final, D.C. United goalkeeper Josh Wicks has received a five-match tournament suspension. Wicks was shown a red card for the attack on Montero which took place shortly after the Colombian scored the opening goal of the game in the 67th minute. Wicks will serve an automatic one-game suspension for the red card, and will be banned an additional four games.

This was reported by Steve Goff of the Washington Post:

Wicks exchanged words with referee Alex Prus and berated fourth official Andrew Chapin, who apparently witnessed the incident and reported it to Prus.

The six-member USSF panel ruled that Wicks “intentionally stomped on a player in the field of play, refused to leave the field of play in a timely fashion and used highly inflammatory language to insult the fourth official.”

Wicks has until the end of business Tuesday to appeal.

This is the second year in a row that a player has received a multiple game Open Cup ban. In 2008, Quauhtemoc Blanco received a two-year ban for a throwing a punch during a Quarterfinal match against DC United. The suspension was increased to two years because the Mexican International attempted to head butt a team official as he was escorted off the field. Wicks’ additional suspension was also due to actions that took place after he received the red card. The goalkeeper’s suspension only applies to the Open Cup proper and does not include any qualifying games, which are not part of the actual tournament.

Does the punishment fit the crime? Too harsh? Too light? Re-live the moment below and let us know what you think.

Seattle Sounders: 2009 Open Cup Champions video bonanza

September 14, 2009 by

seattle-sounders-2009-open-cup-champs — Photo: Seattle Sounders F.C.

With the Seattle Sounders winning the 2009 US Open Cup, there is a wealth of online video coverage being put out by the Sounders’ official website, SoundersFC.com. Below you can find video highlights of the Open Cup Final, a compilation of highlights of the club’s entire run through the tournament, and some looks behind the scenes as the team celebrates their first championship.

The road to the 2009 US Open Cup Final

2009 U.S. Open Cup Final Highlights – Seattle Sounders 2 DC United 1

Behind the scenes at the 2009 US Open Cup Final (pre and post-game)

Open Cup Champions: The day after

Seattle Sounders honored at Seattle Seahawks game

Seattle fans get to meet defender James Riley and see the Open Cup trophy
(not the Dewar Cup, obviously) up close

Kasey Keller named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament &
Fredy Montero was the MVP of the Final

Sounders headed to the CONCACAF Champions League as Open Cup champs

September 4, 2009 by

The Seattle Sounders captured the 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title, earning themselves $100,000 in prize money and a place in the 2010/2011 CONCACAF Champions League. This was officially announced by CONCACAF after rumors had spread that the number of club teams that would compete in the 2010/11 competition from the United States could be reduced from four to three, potentially leaving the Open Cup champion on the outside looking in. Those rumors appeared to be unfounded as the Sounders, who defeated DC United 2-1 in the Open Cup Final on September 2, are the first team to qualify for the 2010/11 tournament and unless they win MLS Cup or the Supporters’ Shield (which earn a spot in the group stage), they will begin in the qualifying phase in 2010.

For the full press release, visit the CONCACAF Champions League website.

“With their average attendance this year, the Sounders will be a great addition to the Champions League,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “We can’t wait to have them.”

Seattle, competing in its first season in Major League Soccer, has led MLS with an average crowd of 30,587 playing at Qwest Field, more than 10,000 better than the next best team: Toronto FC (20,308).

The United States submits four teams into the CONCACAF Champions League. The MLS Cup champion and the Supporters’ Shield winner both automatically qualify for the group stage, while the US Open Cup champion and the MLS Cup runner-up begin in the Preliminary Round. This is third year in a row that CONCACAF has accepted the US Open Cup champion into the competition.

2009 US Open Cup Final: Seattle Sounders become 2nd MLS expansion team to win title

September 2, 2009 by Aaron Stollar

The Sounders won their first US Open Cup title in their inaugural season in 2009. Photo: Seattle Sounders

The 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final can be regarded as one of the best in recent memory as 17,329 fans at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. witnessed the Seattle Sounders defeat DC United by a score of 2-1. End-to-end action was rampant throughout the game, with both goalkeepers earning their money, plenty of controversies developing, and unlikely heroes emerging late in the match.

sounders-celebrate — Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

The turning point in the match came when DC United goalkeeper Josh Wicks was sent off for stomping on Seattle’s Fredy Montero moments after the Colombian scored the opening goal in the 67th minute. Two members of last year’s USL-1 Sounders that reached the Open Cup Semifinals scored a second when Sebastien Le Toux set up Roger Levesque to put the visitors up 2-0. Clyde Simms pulled one back for United late, but the defense, led by goalkeeper Kasey Keller, held on, making Seattle only the third road team to win an Open Cup title since 1996.

The first half featured many chances from both sides. Sounder Freddie Ljungberg took a free kick just outside the box in the 4th minute, but the ball landed in the arms of United keeper Josh Wicks. In the 12th, Ben Olsen shot from distance, but Seattle keeper Kasey Keller dove to his right to make the save. Ljungberg earned another shot on a pass from Sebastien Le Toux in the 19th minute, but Wicks was on top of it, making a great save. DC tested Keller again in the 33rd as Ben Olsen ripped a long drive from 30 yards out, but the Sounders captain parried it away for an eventually unsuccessful corner kick.

To finish off the first half, Fredy Montero headed the ball on a service from Le Toux, only to watch as Wicks made another outstanding save to keep the game scoreless at the break.

The second half started strong as well. DC United earned a free kick after Leo Gonzalez took down Santino Quaranta from about 25 yards out, earning a yellow card. However, Gomez couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, sending the shot well over the goal. In the 59th minute, James Riley had appeared to commit a handball foul in the box on a Ben Olsen cross from the left side. However, nothing was called by referee Alex Prus.

2009 US Open Cup Final

TheCup.us coverage
Sounders headed to the CONCACAF Champions League
Seattle Sounders: 2009 Open Cup video bonanza
Keller named Player of Tournament, Montero MVP of Final

US Open Cup Final All-Time Goalscorers
US Open Cup Finals: 1914-2009

The Sounders finally broke through in the 67th minute as Steve Zakuani sent a header over to Ljungberg inside the box. He took a shot from outside the six only to see Wicks make another save. However, a streaking Fredy Montero buried home the rebound to give Seattle the first goal of the match. Montero was stomped on while lying on the ground by Wicks in disgust, and after some discussion by the officials, Wicks was given a straight red card in the 69th minute, ending what was an outstanding game for him. It was the first straight red card in an Open Cup Final since New England’s Jay Heaps was tossed for elbowing in the 2001 title game against Los Angeles.

Photo: Seattle Sounders F.C. — Photo: Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle got another opportunity in the 82nd minute on a corner as a ball was set up inside the box, only for United backup keeper Milos Kocic to punch it away. Roger Levesque would try a follow-up, only to send it over the net. With DC getting more desperate, Quaranta launched a shot a couple minutes later from just outside the box, but Keller was there to handle it. On the ensuing counter, the ball found its way into the corner, where Sebastien Le Toux took it from DC defender Dejan Jakovic and made the “French Connection,” crossing to fellow longtime Sounder Roger Levesque, who touched it home to give the Sounders the 2-0 lead in the 86th minute.

Just three minutes later, a free kick by DC United ricocheted off Rodney Wallace inside the box and landed at the feet of Clyde Simms, who gave his team life by scoring the goal to cut the deficit in half. United would continue to press the rest of the match, culminating with a shot from Jaime Moreno off a Wallace corner, only to be punched away by Keller in the 95th minute.

The final whistle blew on the ensuing goal kick, giving the Sounders their first piece of silverware in their first MLS season. With the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup win, the Sounders become the first MLS expansion team to win the Open Cup since the Chicago Fire accomplished the feat as part of a double in 1998 (they also won MLS Cup that year). Seattle also becomes the first Washington-based club to win the tournament. The only other team to reach the championship game was the Mitre Eagles in 1987 but they lost in penalty kicks to the first Washington D.C. club to ever lift the trophy, Club Espana.

As added bonuses, Seattle not only gained $100,000 in prize money, but also earned a place in the 2010-2011 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, where they will enter in the preliminary round.

2009 US OPEN CUP FINAL: HIGHLIGHTS

JOSH WICKS SENT OFF FOR STOMPING FREDY MONTERO