DC United

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: One Knoxville eliminates D.C. United to earn first MLS upset

April 16, 2026 by Sam Brummitt

Babacar Diene of One Knoxville SC celebrates after scoring a goal against D.C. United in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: One Knoxville SC

One Knoxville SC continued its magical run in the 2026 US Open Cup after defeating DC United in penalties on a Wednesday night at Audi Field. After needing 120 minutes and a penalty shootout to advance to the Round of 32 over Asheville City, One Knoxville again had to go another 120 minutes with DC United, inclluding a second goal from One Knoxville’s Denis Krioutchnekov in the 113th minute to even the game at 3-3 and force another penalty shootout for the visitors.

By advancing to the Round of 16, One Knoxville is the last Division 3 club remaining in the tournament. Therefore, the defending USL League One champions will be awarded a $50,000 in prize money.

DC United played with a heavily rotated squad by giving a first start this year for five players, including the club’s new Designated Player, Louis Munteanu, along with Gavin Turner, Alex Bono, Connor Antley and Nikola Marković. The last time DC scored a goal in any competition was against the Chicago Fire in an MLS match on March 14, 2026 when they scored two goals to win on the road. The question for DC was if they could restart their offense against a USL side at home after a three-game goal drought and an international break. Meanwhile, it was unclear if One Knoxville had the confidence to go toe-to-toe with an MLS side as well as the energy to play its fourth straight road game over a 15-day span.

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After a quiet first half that ended 0-0, the answer to questions was becoming clear – DC United was still struggling with connecting passes in the final third and finding the net, while One Knoxville was unfazed and able to hold their own against the three-time Open Cup winners.

While DC United came out aggressive in the first half and found room to move the ball up the wings and into the final third, the team’s crosses too often did not find a teammate. One Knoxville had two good chances in the first half. In the 14th minute, the visitors caught DC United exposed on a counter attack and forced Bono to stretch and make a stop and then trap the ball. In minute 45+2, an outswinging corner by One Knoxville’s Real Gill found Finn McRobb a few yards directly in front of the goal, but McRobb’s header went into the cross bar and then bounced straight down onto the goal line.

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After a quiet first half in which both sides took time to settle in, the game tempo picked up significantly in the second half. At the break, DC United made three substitutions to bring on winger Jared Stroud and two regular starters, midfielder Brandon Servania and forward Gabriel Pirani. In the 61st minute, DC United’s Matti Peltola hit a long strike to put the home side ahead, 1-0.

In the 75th minute, One Knoxville’s Braudilio Rodrigues regained possession at the top of DC United’s box and attempted a long shot on goal of his own. Rodrigues’ attempt was blocked by Bono, only for Babacar Diene to knock in the rebound to level the game at 1-1. One Knoxville added another to make it 2-1 three minutes later when Jaheim Brown crossed the ball into the DC United area and Denis Krioutchenkov slotted it in with one touch.

DC United did not wait long to put pressure back on their opponent and find an equalizer. In the 83rd minute, Swiss international Silvan Hefti got off an acrobatic pass from the goal line before stumbling out of bounds. Hefti’s cross got to Marković, who used his 6-4 frame to box out a defender in front of One Knoxville’s goal. Marković got a high foot on the ball and put it in for an equalizer, 2-2.

In the 97th minute, Bono received a backpass when he was well outside of his box. He chose not to play a conservative pass but instead kicked a long ball forward to a sprinting João Peglow, who watched the ball bounce once in front of One Knoxville’s goalkeeper Jonathan Burke and then over his head, and Peglow found the ball on its second bounce to gently head it into goal to make it 3-2. Bono was credited with a rarely-seen assist for a goalkeeper.

The visiting USL-1 side would not go away easily, however, and in the 113th minute Krioutchenkov scored his second goal on a long pass over the top from Will Perkins to knot it at 3-3.

After a frenetic pace in the second half and six goals scored in 45 minutes of play late in the game, both sides slowed down in the last 15 minutes of extra time. The unusually warm weather, with temperatures hovering above 80 degrees late in the game, began to take its toll on players. And the players on both sides seemed to accept that the game would be decided by penalties.

The first five penalty kicks from both sides went in to set up one of the most stressful situations in competitive soccer – the one-and-done penalties. DC United’s sixth penalty kick by Gabriel Pirani was saved. One Knoxville’s Kyle Linhares stepped up to the penalty spot and placed the ball down. He calmly put his team’s sixth penalty attempt into the net before collapsing to his knees as his teammates swallowed him up in celebration.

The DC United players will take little consolidation in ending their multi-game scoring drought. The result this evening was DC’s first loss at home to an opposition at least two divisions below them. DC United’s coach Rene Weiler noted that “we want to play better than we played today (and) we have to change the mentality.”

One Knoxville SC players and coaches celebrate after beating D.C. United 6-5 in penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: One Knoxville SC

With this win, One Knoxville are 1-0 against MLS teams and have advanced to the Round of 16 for the club’s first time. They will face another MLS team, the Columbus Crew, in the Round of 16 in late April.

“It’s amazing,” said One Knoxville midfielder Mikel Gøling. “You come here to a big stadium, playing against a good opponent. To be able to pull (off a) win after 120 minutes and six goals is amazing. I am so proud of the team.”

After several substitutions in the second half, One Knoxville played with a higher tempo and found the net three times after the 75th minute of play.

Gøling did not doubt that his team had the stamina to play 120 minutes and then convert six straight penalty kicks to win.

“Our squad is very deep so it quite frankly doesn’t matter who is playing,” he said. “It showed today that we can dig deep and still deliver quality.”

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Jordan Farr of D.C. United voted TheCup.us Player of Round

June 10, 2025 by Justin Nunez

Graphic: Phil Naegely | Photo: D.C. United

When Jordan Farr stepped in goal for his first cap as a Major League Soccer player, little did he know it would go on to become one of the most memorable moments in D.C. United’s rich history.

As extra time neared its final minutes in D.C. United’s Fifth Round US Open Cup match against Charlotte FC, Farr entered the game as a last-minute sub and went on to save four out of five penalties to send DC United into the quarterfinals and earning him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the Round of 16.

Farr became the first player in the US Open Cup’s Modern Era to make four saves in a PK shootout to send United into the Quarterfinals with a 2-1 win after a 3-3 draw.

TheCup.us Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

Farr earned more than half of the first place votes to distance himself from Anthony Markanich of Minnesota United FC (MLS) who scored two late goals to help his club complete a comeback win over St. Louis CITY SC. San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. finished third for his 120-minute shutout win over the Portland Timbers FC.

Record-Breaking Ending

Normally, as the backup goalkeeper, Farr would only be making an appearance in the event of injury. But in this moment, it was part of the plan all along.

Shared D.C. United head coach Troy Lesesne, “We knew going into this that if we went to penalties and we had a substitution left, we wanted him to be in that situation so he could do what he did tonight.”

Since signing his first professional contract in 2018, Farr’s profile had grown to legendary status in the second division of US Soccer thanks in large part to clutch saves in moments just like this one.

Growing up in Salem, Oregon, Farr first made a name for himself playing college soccer locally at Corban University, a school whose teams compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which caters to smaller colleges across the U.S. It was there that he earned a host of conference and league awards, while also reaching number two on the NAIA All-Time Career Shutouts List.

Upon graduation, he signed with USL Championship’s Indy Eleven and took hold of the starting goalkeeper spot by his third year, which is when his professional highlight reel started to grow. Thanks to his success at Indy Eleven, Farr was acquired by San Antonio FC through an emergency loan deal in anticipation of the 2021 USL Championship playoffs. The next year, Farr joined San Antonio on a permanent deal and became the USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year while helping the team secure its first title in the club’s history. Following a second successful season with San Antonio, Farr signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies where he became known for his many game-saving moments, none greater than when he saved two penalties in a shootout to help his side beat Detroit City FC and advance to the playoff quarterfinals.

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Still though, Farr had yet to be tested at the Major League Soccer level.

So when the first Charlotte FC player stepped up to the penalty spot, few knew what to expect. But it soon became apparent that Farr was the calmest person inside Audi Field. As the first kick was struck, Farr dove to his right with outstretched arms and parried the shot away before it had the chance to hit the side netting of the goal.

Then came the second shot. Another save. And another. And another.

For the fans in attendance, it was a moment they’ll never forget. But for Farr, it was business as usual.

“As a keeper, you have to love moments like this,” Farr said. “I said to myself, you’ve done this before and you just have to trust your gut. I’m blessed I was able to be in this position for my team.”

His heroic shootout performance was the first time in the US Open Cup’s Modern Era that a goalkeeper saved four out of five penalties. And to do so after spending the majority of the game on the bench is another feat all unto itself.

The practice of subbing in a goalkeeper just for the penalty kick shootout is pretty rare in the US Open Cup as well. It has only happened five times.

The first two times that it happened both involved D.C. United in 1997. In both instances, head coach Bruce Arena replaced Scott Garlick with Tom Presthus. In the Third Round, Presthus made three saves to deny the A-League’s (Div. 2 pro) Hershey Wildcats a shot at an upset. However, in the 1997 Final, Presthus and United fell short, with a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas) after a scoreless draw.

The Philadelphia Union also subbed in a goalkeeper in a championship game when they sent in John McCarthy to replace Andre Blake in the 2025 US Open Cup Final. They would lose to Sporting Kansas City 7-6 after a 1-1 draw.

Two years later, the gamble paid off for amateur side Anahuac FC edged Sonoma County Sol (NPSL) 5-4 after trading a goal each in regulation. Christopher Valentin would replace Angel Octavio Alvarez.

The last time it happened was in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup when the now defunct Rochester New York FC (MLS NEXT Pro) took six rounds to prevail against FC Motown (NPSL) 4-3 following a 2-2 draw.

Jordan Farr of D.C. United celebrates with his teammates after defeating Charlotte FC 2-1 in a penalty kick shootout in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

Outside of the US Open Cup, only a select-few goalkeepers around the world have come off the bench to help their teams in penalties in a high-profile situation. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul was subbed on in the 120^th minute and saved two out of five penalties to help the Netherlands beat Costa Rica in the Quarterfinals. Similarly, during the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Final, Chelsea FC brought on backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 119^th minute for penalties against Spanish side Villareal, and the club won the shootout 6-5 thanks to two saves from Arrizabalaga.

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Jordan Farr makes PK shootout history as D.C. United survives Charlotte FC

May 22, 2025 by Justin Nunez

Jordan Farr of D.C. United makes a save in the PK shootout against Charlotte FC in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

On a cold, rainy night in the nation’s capital, DC United outdueled Charlotte FC in a game that will go down as one of the most memorable in DC United’s long US Open Cup history.

The home team secured a penalty shootout win thanks to a heroic performance from goalkeeper Jordan Farr, who was subbed on in the final minutes with the score tied at 3-3 to serve as a penalty specialist. Farr saved four of Charlotte’s penalties and DC United converted on two of its own to win the shootout 2-1. With the result, DC United advances to the Cup Quarterfinals and Farr becomes the first goalkeeper in tournament history to make four saves in a penalty shootout.

Farr, who joined DC United earlier in the year and had yet to make an appearance for the club before this match, has a long history of penalty saves during his time as goalkeeper in the USL Championship. In fact, it is these moments that he seems to thrive on.

“We knew that if we got into this type of situation, has an excellent track record,” DC United head coach Troy Lesesne said.

Despite not warming up properly, Farr started off the shootout just as his team and he expected. After Aaron Herrera put DC United up 1-0, Farr saved the first shot he faced. He followed that up with a save on the second shot and before the home fans knew it, DC United was up 2-0 and appeared to be sailing into the quarterfinals.

The shootout turned tense though when Charlotte goalkeeper David Bingham matched Farr’s performance by saving three consecutive shots in a row. Going into the fifth and final shot, both goalkeepers had saved three shots each but DC United was up 2-1. All Farr had to do was save the final kick for DC United to secure the victory.

“He’s one of the most humble people that you will ever meet, but before he went in, Jordan said to me, ‘meet me at the corner flag’” Lesesne said. “That was his way of saying we’re going to win it. He’s just that confident in that situation.”

When the fifth shot for Charlotte left the foot of Liel Abada, Farr was already outstretched in the perfect position to make the save. After parrying the ball to safety, Farr turned to the DC United supporters then jumped into the arms of his teammates racing over to congratulate him.

With the win, DC United returns to the US Open Cup Quarterfinals for the first time since 2013. The team awaits the official draw later this week to find out who it will play when the next round takes place July 8-9.

For the 5,179 fans that braved the weather to watch the Round of 16 match, the game had everything – highlight-reel goals, late equalizers, and a goalkeeper performance for the ages.

Jordan Farr of D.C. United celebrates with his teammates after beating Charlotte FC in a PK shootout in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

With the rain pouring down from the start, both teams spent the early minutes adjusting to the slippery conditions. Each team was able to find opportunities by pressing hard on the opposing defenses and forcing one another into mistakes.

The first moment of magic struck in the 17th minute when DC United was attacking through the right flank. Herrera received a pass along the touchline and drove forward before serving in a low cross into the box. It skipped along the wet grass and dropped perfectly between the Charlotte defense where DC United leftback David Schnegg was waiting. Without hesitation, the Austrian struck the oncoming ball off the volley and sent a rocket of a shot into the roof of the goal, giving DC United the early 1-0 lead.

Still down 1-0 at the half, Charlotte came out for the second 45 minutes on its front foot. The aggressive play paid off with two goals in the span of four minutes. First, in the 58^th, Patrick Agyemang received the ball 40 yards from goal and dribbled through the DC United defense before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal to make it 1-1. Then, less than four minutes later, Bill Tuiloma headed home an inswinging corner kick that was sent in from Eryk Williamson.

Charlotte FC appeared on their way to victory until DC United did what DC United usually does in Open Cup matches. With the match in the dying minutes of regular time, DC United continued to put the pressure on in search for the equalizer. In the 86^th minute, they were rewarded with a goal from Garrison Tubbs to tie it at 2-2.

In extra time, the away side got on top early through a goal by Charlotte’s Tyger Smalls just five minutes into the start of play. However, that lead was short lived as DC United rallied back yet again to tie things up at 3-3 thanks to an opportunistic goal by youngster Jackson Hopkins. Charlotte’s Tim Ream struggled to clear a deflected cross in the 104^th minute and the ball fell to Hopkins who confidently slotted it home from a difficult angle.

With the game all but certain to go to a penalty shootout, there was still one more twist to come. Just minutes before the final whistle, DC United made its final sub of the night – bringing in Farr at goalkeeper. “This was an unbelievable performance,” Lesesne said.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: D.C. United needs OT to beat Charleston Battery in Coffee Pot Cup battle

May 7, 2025 by Justin Nunez

Jared Stroud of D.C. United avoids a tackle against the Charleston Battery in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

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 Coffee Pot Cup is displayed at the 2025 US Open Cup match at Audi Field between D.C. United and the Charleston Battery. Photo: Jason Anderson

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 57^th 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.

How a US Open Cup classic, locker room vandalism inspired fans to create Coffee Pot Cup

May 6, 2025 by Josh Hakala

Jim Gregory, president of Charleston Battery supporters group The Regiment (right), presents the Coffee Pot Cup to Sachin Shah after D.C. United's 2-0 win in the 2004 Carolina Challenge Cup. Photo: Mike Buytas — Jim Gregory, president of Charleston Battery supporters group The Regiment (right), presents the Coffee Pot Cup to Sachin Shah after D.C. United’s 2-0 win in the 2004 Carolina Challenge Cup. Photo: Mike Buytas

UPDATE (5/6/25 – 7:55pm ET) – The Coffee Pot Cup made its way to Audi Field for the Fourth Round match of the 2025 US Open Cup.

How do you like your Open Cup upsets? Lots of cream and sugar, or just plain black? On Aug. 4, 1999, D.C. United didn’t like the taste of the Charleston Battery’s upset brew and the events that followed gave birth to one of the oddest rivalries in American soccer: The Coffee Pot Cup.

It remains one of the greatest games of the US Open Cup’s Modern Era (1995-present), but what happened after the game gets more attention than the instant classic that took place on the field. The post-game chaos in the visitor’s locker room following the Battery’s dramatic 4-3 extra time win, led to American soccer’s first modern rivalry trophy.

When D.C. United hosts the Charleston Battery in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup on Tuesday, the winner will not only advance to the Round of 16 but the fans in attendance could lift, and drink from, the Coffee Pot Cup. (If the Cup arrives at the stadium … more on that in a bit)

American Soccer in 1999

In 1999, the American soccer landscape looked much different than it does today. Major League Soccer was in its fourth season and was still on shaky ground financially. The league added the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion in 1998 to increase to 12 teams, most of whom still played in tarped-off (American) football stadiums. Columbus would introduce the very first soccer specific stadium in MLS in 1999, now known as Historic Crew Stadium.

After limping through most of the 1990s with a roster of teams ranging from 5-8, the A-League, (formerly known as the American Professional Soccer League) merged with the USISL’s Select League in 1997 to expand to 24 teams. While the league tripled in size, many clubs still struggled financially.

The Open Cup was very different in 1999 as well. The three professional leagues, MLS, A-League and D3 Pro League only sent eight teams each into the tournament. The eight spots allotted to amateur clubs were split between the USASA and Premier Development League (now USL League Two) bringing the total tournament field to 32 teams.

The early years of the Open Cup with MLS involved created a rivalry between MLS and the A-League, spearheaded by the Rochester Raging Rhinos. Teams looking to prove their worth and players seeking attention for future MLS roster spots meant every MLS team had extra large targets on their backs. The Rhinos were one A-League club in particular who were constantly looking to prove they should be the next team to join MLS. The Rhinos regularly drew 10,000 plus for big home games, an exclamation mark in a league in which average attendance figures around 2-3,000 were considered great. Rochester staked their claim in the 1996 US Open Cup by knocking off the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Colorado Rapids to reach the Open Cup Final, where they lost to D.C. United 3-0.

United vs. Battery

D.C. United were already two-time league champions and had reached the MLS Cup Final each of the league’s first three years (1996-1998). In addition, D.C. won the U.S. Open Cup in 1996 and reached the Final in 1997 (losing in PKs to the Dallas Burn). In 1998, United won the CONCACAF Champions Cup as well as the Copa Interamericana over Brazil’s Vasco da Gama. D.C. United truly were the giants in the early days of MLS.

The Charleston Battery were a few years older than D.C., getting their start in 1993 with the USISL (USL today), before joining the A-League after the merger.

Coming into the game, D.C. United were in a familiar position, first place in MLS Eastern Conference at 13-7, with last year’s trade acquisition Roy Lassiter leading the league in goal scoring with 15.

Charleston started the 1999 campaign by opening the new 5,000 seat Blackbaud Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium built for a non-MLS club.

“We always knew Charleston wasn’t going to be an MLS market, but that never stopped us from aiming high,” said Battery president Nigel Cooper. “We just wanted to be the best we could be. Building the first privately-funded, soccer-specific facility in the U.S. was a huge point of pride. The Three Lions Club, packed with memorabilia and passion, was unique.”

The Battery were looking to rebound from a 11-15 finish in the 1998 season. It was just barely good enough to make the playoffs, but they suffered a 3-0 road loss to Rochester in the opening round. The Battery entered their matchup with D.C. with an 11-10 record in league play.

The Build-Up

While D.C. entered the ’99 Open Cup in the Third Round, Charleston started their inaugural entry in the tournament in the Second Round by hosting the D3 Pro League’s Wilmington Hammerheads. The Hammerheads, one of the strongest teams in their league, entered the game red hot. The Hammerheads were riding a 10-game winning streak on the strength of Ryan Walker, one of the league’s top goalscorers with 16.

While the Battery came away 2-1 winners, the going wasn’t easy. While the Battery were in control most of the way with a 2-0 lead through first half goals from Todd Miller (3rd minute) and Paul Conway (16th minute) they couldn’t seem to shake their D3 opponents. Wilmington stayed competitive throughout the second half, but their goal by Charles Panos in the 90th minute proved too little too late however, and Charleston began to prepare for the giants.

The next day’s sports section in the Charleston Post and Courier proclaimed, “Bring on the MLS”. It was called the biggest game in club history.

“We always felt we had a chance against MLS teams, much in the same way that lower level teams in the English Football League think they have a chance against Premier League teams in the cup competitions,” said Cooper. “There could always be an upset. The pressure was really on the MLS teams. They had to prove their superiority which wasn’t always the case. Many of our players felt they could go head-to-head with MLS.”

The Game

D.C. were playing the game shorthanded. United were missing four players (Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa, Ritchie Williams and Ben Olsen) due to US National Team duty in the Confederations Cup. In addition, reigning MLS MVP Marco Etcheverry was ruled out due to a heel injury. Despite that, DCU still had a strong lineup full of stars with players like last year’s MLS MVP runner-up Jaime Moreno, and US internationals Roy Lassiter and Eddie Pope. Also, highly-touted 20-year-old prospect Chris Albright was coming off the bench.

Ivaylo Ilarionov of the Charleston Battery celebrates after scoring a goal against D.C. United in the Third Round of the 1999 US Open Cup. Photo: Charleston Battery

After falling short of winning a third straight MLS Cup title the year before, United were on a mission to regain the league title in 1999.

“I think we blamed some of the extra competitions that we were in for 1998 for the loss in the (MLS Cup) final,” said Eddie Pope, who battled injuries throughout the 1999 season. “I don’t think we saw the Open Cup as a priority but more so as a burden or a distraction. Sad but true at the time. The Open Cup just didn’t have the importance that it does now. Therefore, I think we were always looking past our opponents with our minds on MLS Cup. That ended up being a mistake.”

An announced crowd of 5,456 – which remains a Battery home US Open Cup attendance record to this day – packed Blackbaud Stadium on a humid Wednesday evening. That sold out stadium would witness one of the more memorable nights in the club’s history.

“(The game was) a rollercoaster of emotions,” said Cooper. “It was a total mix of nerves and excitement before the game. New stadium, record crowd, playing one of the top teams in MLS. Everyone felt the pressure.”

No one on the field that night was feeling more emotions than the Battery’s new Bulgarian midfielder Ivaylo Ilarionov. The Open Cup game was just a culmination of what was an emotional ride for him personally. In the last few weeks, he learned that his green card had been approved. Then, just two days before the game, his wife gave birth to their second child, a son named Martin.

“Sometimes before big games you have a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, but myself, personally, I had so much excitement in my head that I just wanted to go out and play,” said Ilarionov. “Players often overthink the game, but I was just focused on proving to myself and to everyone else that I belonged on that field (against the best team in MLS).”

Mike Burke of the Charleston Battery celebrates after scoring a goal against D.C. United in the Third Round of the 1999 US Open Cup. Photo: Charleston Battery

The Battery got off to a dream start. With just 12 minutes elapsed, Ilarionov delivered a cross from the left side, finding A-League All-Star Mike Burke in front of the goal, beating D.C. goalkeeper Tom Presthus to put the Battery up 1-0.

Just 12 minutes later, the Battery went up 2-0 on a solo effort from Dean Sewell, dribbling into the penalty area and beating Presthus with a shot that struck the underside of the crossbar and settled into the side netting.

Four minutes after Sewell’s goal, the Battery were awakened from their dream, as Jaime Moreno took a pass with his back towards the goal, swung around and floated a shot into the far post netting that was impossible for Battery goalkeeper Dusty Hudock to stop.

Charleston took a 2-1 lead into halftime, but United came out for the second half ready to put an end to the Battery’s “cupset” dreams.

“In the locker room (at halftime), there wasn’t a lot of talking. We were calm because we had nothing to lose against the MLS champions,” said Ilarionov. “We knew (D.C.) had the big stars, but we just went out in the second half and enjoyed it.”

“I remember the crowd because it was a packed house and it was loud,” said Hudock, who was selected for the A-League All-Star Game later that week. “I also remember the strikers we played against and how lethal they were.”

Roy Lassiter didn’t get his first shot of the game for United until the 56th minute when he headed a cross from A.J. Wood that was easily handled by Hudock.

Three minutes later, United would pull level on Chris Albright’s first professional goal, heading home a Jaime Moreno corner kick. Albright had come on as a sub for Diego Sonora eight minutes earlier.

“It was incredible,” said Albright. “At the time I was supposed to be something that I didn’t quite turn out to be. And so there was a lot of pressure on my signing and so there was certainly a microscope on me, like, is this kid any good? And to get that monkey off my back early on was fun.”

In the 84th minute the moment the Battery fans dreaded became reality, D.C. United took the lead for the first time. Jaime Moreno, who was involved in all three United goals, slipped a pass to A.J. Wood, who beat Hudock with a low shot at the post.

“Going up 2-0 early had us dreaming,” said Cooper, who took over as Charleston’s team president ahead of the 1999 season. “But then suddenly we’re down 3-2 and it felt like we’d lost a golden opportunity.”

For a moment it seemed like the MLS giants would survive the upset bid, but along came Ilarionov.

With just three minutes remaining, Ilarionov, who had been putting pressure on the United backline, took a pass from Rashad Miller, fought off a D.C. defender in the penalty area, and fired a shot past a charging Presthus to tie the game. Ilarionov celebrated by running to the sideline performing the “rocking the baby” in honor of the new addition to his family.

Golden goal extra time now awaited the teams. Instead of a full 30-minute extra time session, the match would end on the first goal scored by either team. On this night, it only took ten minutes to accomplish.

Ilarionov nearly ended the game minutes before that, as his 12-yard shot from a Derick Brownell pass went wide to the right of goal in the 97th minute.

Three minutes later, the dream became reality, as Dean Sewell found Ilarionov in the top corner of the penalty area. Virtually one-on-one with Presthus, Ilarionov beat the United ‘keeper with a well-placed left footed shot to send the Battery fans into a frenzy, and almost the entire Battery squad dog-piled Ilarionov in celebration. Once on his feet, Hudock picked Ilarionov up on his shoulders paraded around with Charleston’s new hero.

“I just couldn’t believe it was me that did it,” said Ilarionov. “But luckily for me, I was the one who got this golden opportunity, but it was a great team effort. Afterwards, I just had so many exciting things in my brain, with the goals, the win, my family, my new baby, it was overwhelming.”

For the fans in attendance, getting to witness a dramatic upset of that magnitude in their team’s new soccer-specific stadium, was special.

“I just remember the energy of the game was off the charts,” recalled TheCup.us contributor Forrest Wimberly who was in the stands at Blackbaud that night. “I’ve only been at a few matches in my life that matched that energy level. The fans were exhausted when it was all said and done. You just didn’t know what was gonna happen next and the way the Battery just hung around and then really put their stamp on the match really late to force extra time and then to get into the extra time and win it, it was just one of those magic cup moments.

“I probably would still rank this as the number one game I’ve attended all time,” added Wimberly.

For Ilarionov, as someone who was part of a CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) team that beat Juventus 3-2 in the 1994-95 UEFA Cup, he says his heroics against D.C. United was the “top story” of his career.

After the win, Charleston was joined in the Quarterfinals by a pair of fellow A-League clubs: the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the Staten Island Vipers. (The Vipers beat the Metrostars – now New York Red Bulls – 3-2 in extra time.)

Charleston would advance to the Semifinals with a 2-1 win over the Vipers with a pair of early goals from Paul Conway (4’, 12’).

The Battery’s run would end in the Semifinals which was hosted in Virginia Beach, Va. as part of a doubleheader with the threat of Hurricane Dennis nearby. Charleston lost 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids in the first game, then the Rochester Rhinos would beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 on a 90th minute goal by Tim Hardy in the nightcap. The Rhinos would famously advance to the Final where they would become the only non-MLS team to lift the trophy in the Modern Era.

The Coffee Pot Cup

What happened in the D.C. United dressing room after the game would ensure the contest would be cemented in US soccer lore. Frustrated by the shock loss, some of the D.C. United players ripped shower heads out of the showers and smashed a pair of coffee pots. It was a moment that no doubt would have set today’s social media ablaze, but in 1999 “social media” was limited to chat rooms and message boards.

Attempts to confirm the players who committed the vandalism were fruitless. When asked about it, Eddie Pope and Chris Albright both said they didn’t remember the incident that happened 26 years ago.

The Battery sent United a bill for the damages and according to Cooper, the bill was paid.

Freddy Adu of D.C. United dribbles against Charleston Battery in the 2004 Carolina Challenge Cup at Blackbaud Stadium. Photo: Mike Buytas

The two teams would meet again the following year in the Second Round of the US Open Cup with D.C. getting revenge, 4-0. It was scoreless at the half, but United exploded with four second half goals, three of them scored by Raul Diaz Arce in a span of 17 minutes. Jaime Moreno also chipped in a goal and two assists.

In 2004, five years after the original “Coffee Pot” game, D.C. and Charleston were set to meet in the Battery’s inaugural Carolina Challenge Cup. Prior to the kickoff of the preseason tournament at Blackbaud Stadium, the supporters’ groups from both teams decided to have some fun with United’s destructive post-game behavior from that 1999 Open Cup classic.

On the BigSoccer.com message board, one of American soccer’s most popular online meeting places in the late 90s and into the 2000s, a thread was started called DC to play in the 1st Carolina Challenge Cup. The post announced the upcoming event and fans began talking trash and making travel plans.

The second response to that post was by a D.C. United fan with the user name “Sachin” who said “I’ll bring the coffeepots!”. That joke by Sachin Shah and the conversation that followed, led to the creation of the Coffee Pot Cup.

Shah, a Virginia native, had followed D.C. United since their inaugural season in 1996. He was an active member of the now-defunct La Norte supporters group and was even more active in Big Soccer’s online community.

He posted on Feb. 6, 2004: “Maybe the supporters of the DC-Charleston match should get a coffee urn as a ‘trophy’ for winning the match”

Shah took matters into his own hands. He looked at some traditional big box stores, like Walmart, but couldn’t find the right one. Finally, he decided to look on Ebay and his search came to an end.

He found a stainless steel coffee urn with a removable lid and a spigot to pour out whatever liquid is inside. It was estimated to hold about 13 pints of whatever beverage one can fill it with.

Final cost: $47

In the end, the name “Coffee Pot Cup” stuck and the rules were established by the members of both teams’ supporters groups. The losers would provide the drink of the winning team’s choice and fill up the urn. The winners would get first drinks.

When the two teams met on March 20, 2004 in the opening game of the Carolina Challenge Cup, D.C. came away with a 2-1 win. Teenage phenom Freddy Adu scored the opening goal in the 56th minute only to see Charleston’s Paul Conway equalize in the 75th. Another of United’s young up-and-coming players, Bobby Convey, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute.

After the game, both fan groups gathered at the Three Lions Club, the pub located inside Blackbaud Stadium for the inaugural awarding of the Coffee Pot Cup. As the rules dictated, the Battery fans had to fill the cup with the beverage of the winning team’s choosing. In an act of sportsmanship, Battery president Nigel Cooper covered half of the cost of the Guinness that filled the urn. The United supporters got first drinks but by the end of the night, both supporters groups would refill and share the contents of the Cup.

2008 US Open Cup Final

DC United celebrates their 2008 US Open Cup title. Photo: BehindTheBadge.com

By far, the biggest game of the friendly rivalry came in 2008 when the Battery became just the second non-MLS club to make a run all the way to the Final. There they would face D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

The Battery made one of the most impressive Cup runs in recent history. The 2008 remains the only Modern Era team to reach the Final after starting the competition in the First Round. They advanced through five opponents, including eliminating two MLS teams (Houston Dynamo via PKs at home, 3-1 at FC Dallas), to reach the championship game.

Charleston Battery vs. D.C. United
(All games at Blackbaud Stadium unless noted)

1999 US Open Cup – Round 3 (8/4/99)
Charleston Battery 4:3 (AET) D.C. United

2000 US Open Cup – Round 2 (6/14/00)
Charleston Battery 0:4 D.C. United

2003 Friendly (3/23/03)
Charleston Battery 0:1 D.C. United

2004 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/20/04)
Charleston Battery 1:2 D.C. United

2005 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/23/05)
Charleston Battery 2:2 D.C. United

2006 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/25/06)
Charleston Battery 1:1 D.C. United

2008 US Open Cup Final (9/3/08)
D.C. United 2:1 Charleston Battery
Site: RFK Stadium (Washington D.C.)

2009 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/14/09)
Charleston Battery 0:2 D.C. United

2010 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/20/10)
Charleston Battery 0:2 D.C. United

2011 Carolina Challenge Cup (3/5/11)
Charleston Battery 1:2 D.C. United

2012 Carolina Challenge Cup (2/29/12)
Charleston Battery 1:3 D.C. United

2014 Carolina Challenge Cup (2/26/14)
Charleston Battery 1:1 D.C. United

United had three straight home games before hosting the Final with wins over the Rochester Rhinos (USL) and the Chicago Fire at the Maryland Soccerplex (Germantown, Md.) and a 3-1 win over the New England Revolution at RFK.

The Final started fast and furious with D.C.’s Luciano Emilio opening the scoring in the 4th minute, only to see Charleston’s Ian Fuller equalize in the 10th minute. The game-winning goal would happen in the 50th minute when Brazilian midfielder Fred scoring on a Clyde Simms pass. Charleston’s Dusty Hudock and D.C.’s Jaime Moreno were the only players who played in the Final and also played in that original Coffee Pot Game back in 1999.

The Return of the Coffee Pot Cup

D.C. United and the Charleston Battery have met eight times since that preseason game in 2004. United have had the best of the series, winning eight times and drawing three since the 1999 Open Cup game. Most of those games have been in the Battery’s Carolina Challenge Cup tournament. After the 2008 US Open Cup Final, the two met five of the next six years in the Carolina Challenge Cup (2009-12, 2014).

The last time they played for the Coffee Pot Cup was in 2014 when they finished in a 1-1 draw. Davy Arnaud opened the scoring for United in the 71st minute only to see Drew Ruggles equalize in the 90th minute.

Over time, since it was a fan-created trophy, it needed to live somewhere. So what better person for it to live with than a long time D.C. United fan who grew up near Charleston, S.C.

That caretaker, to this day, is Lonnie Hovis.

“It needed someone to keep and babysit it,” said Hovis, who was one of the few D.C. fans who attended the 1999 US Open Cup match at Blackbaud. “I was one of the first to hold it and I was also responsible for the plates showing the scores being updated later on. I may have been the first person to receive it, or it may just have been my willingness to be responsible for it after it almost got lost one time on a road trip.”

The plates Hovis refers to were added to the coffee urn that reflect the score of each game of the friendly rivalry.

“I didn’t put the first few on and they started to peel off because they were very rigid,” said Hovis. “I got new ones and had a local company replace the old plates with newer ones that were more flexible,” added Hovis.

Jim Gregory (right), president of The Regiment, the Charleston Battery supporters group, poses with the Coffee Pot Cup. Photo: Kim Gregory

On Tuesday, the Charleston Battery and D.C. United will meet for the 13th time in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup and there’s a chance that the Coffee Pot Cup will not be in attendance.

At the time of this article being published the morning before the game, there was no plan in place.

“So far, no one has volunteered to meet me anywhere to pass off the (Coffee Pot) Cup so it can attend,” said Hovis, who lives near Winchester, Va., which is about a 90 minute drive away from the game. “Audi Field is too hard to get to and parking is too hard to find, and the Coffee Pot Cup is not easy to be carried on the Metro.”

At the time this article was originally published on Tuesday morning, Hovis was hoping that someone would come through to transport the Cup to the game so that the tradition could continue. Luckily, Stevan Fisher, a D.C. fan since the inaugural season and a Screaming Eagles member since 1998, answered the call. Fisher met Hovis halfway, received the Cup and delivered it to Screaming Eagles president Jimi Butler at the group’s pregame tailgate gathering.

“It’s pretty neat that the trophy still exists,” said Hovis. “ It seems to have fallen out of favor with the newer fans, since the teams haven’t played each other in quite a while and both teams have a newer crop of fans. Fewer of us older original fans, especially in D.C. So I am happy that it’s getting some attention this year.”

In the end, it’s a trophy created by the fans in an era when American soccer was seeking to establish traditions.

“The Coffee Pot Cup is awesome,” said Sachin Shah, reflecting on his Ebay purchase that is still in use more than two decades later. “It’s like the college football rivalry trophies. It’s an authentic, organic part of US Soccer. I’m thrilled to see it continuing on. Soccer has given me so much, so I’m happy to contribute a little bit back.”

Chuck Nolan Jr. significantly contributed to this article

2023 US Open Cup Round 4: New York Red Bulls beat rival DC United again as new coach calls for “reset”

May 10, 2023 by Michael Battista

New York Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesnesne greets fans after his club's 1-0 win over DC United in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: New York Red Bulls — New York Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesnesne greets fans after his club’s 1-0 win over DC United in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls overcame a lot in its 1-0 win over D.C. United. Playing on short rest, without a plethora of players, and with a new head coach, the win over their Atlantic Cup rival is something the team hopes changes the trajectory of its season.

Head coach Troy Lesesne, who was only appointed to the job on Monday following the departure of Gerhard Struber, said his team needed to use the Open Cup. The Red Bulls had only won a single game all year and currently sit at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. They now have a heated derby match against New York City FC this coming weekend in league.

“The message to the team was really clear,” he said. “Going into the match, we needed to have action. We needed to use this as a reset and start to move forward in our season and this was a great chance for us to be able to move in that direction tonight, a game so quickly after so much is going on in the last 24 or 48 hours.”

This is the second straight year that D.C. has fallen in Round 4 (Round of 32) to the Red Bulls. While the scoreline was not as severe as 2022’s 3-0 loss at Audi Field, Saturday’s game felt just as one sided. United, coached by legendary English national team player Wayne Rooney, only registered five shots all game with none being on target.

Despite this, New York failed to convert multiple chances to extend its early lead. Meaning its I-95 rival was never truly out of the game.

On the field at Montclair State University (MSU) Soccer Park, New York was without eight players. Six due to injury, including proficient scorers Lewis Morgan and Luquinhas, and one due yellow card accumulation from last year (captain Sean Nealis). The eighth player was new striker Dante Vanzeir, who is currently serving a suspension from both league and team for a racial incident last month.

Due to this, Tom Barlow started the game up top while Dru Yearwood backed him up as an attacking midfielder in a rare start for the Englishman this season. Other non-normal starters included MLS Superdraft pick Peter Stroud (who had played at Montclair with FC Motown-STA in USL League Two) and Hassam Ndam (a regular on the second team).

We kept knocking on the door and Omir Fernandez found the breakthrough!@Audi I #RBNY pic.twitter.com/uPQkdfRGWT
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 10, 2023

“We have this phrase; ‘all in’ is a mantra for us,” Lesesne said. “And I think you saw that today and players were playing in different positions. It wasn’t always perfect in the game and I think again, you got to see the resolve. And that’s where I have big respect as we fought through the adversity of the last 24 to 48 hours and the adversity of where our roster is.”

United came into the game with a short bench of only five players, including backup keeper Luis Zamudio.

From the opening whistle, New York seemed to control the game. Despite players like USYNT regular John Tolkin playing fully back on defense, instead of his usual full field threat style, the offense played around the midfield. Barlow started the chances in the 4th minute, running into the United box on the right side and attempting to pass inward before it was blocked. Omir Fernandez followed-up in the 10th minute with a shot from the nearside of the penalty area. His shot to the top right corner forced a diving save from DC’s Alex Bono.

Another chance to take an early lead came in the 21st minute. Midfielder Daniel Edelman, playing on a field he knows very well from his team with the reserve team, muffed a chance from inside the box allowing it to be covered by Bono. Two minutes later, Cristian Cásseres Jr. received a ball at the top of the box but held it too long, allowing D.C. defenders to swarm him. His eventual shot went wide right.

The breakthrough came in the 28th minute. A failed United clearance allowed Andres Reyes to jump on the ball near midfield. His pass to a teammate was quickly tapped off to a charging Tom Barlow on the right side. The forward immediately crossed the ball high into the box, finding Omir Fernadez who one-touched the ball into the net with his right foot.

Game ball for W No. 1 ⚽️???? pic.twitter.com/hxiy7RiJw4
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2023

It was Barlow’s first assist for New York in 109 matches (all competitions). In the team’s last two USOC matches at MSU the forward had scored goals in each.

On defense, New York center back Reyes helped fill the void left by the absence of Nealis. He and Tolkin, playing back and allowing Cameron Harper to work as full-field threat, stifled almost every United attack that came into the end. A 34th minute shot by Jackson Hopkins was blocked out by Reyes while Cásseres and Ndam closed out the half by clearing a chance just before the whistle.

The second half saw both teams begin to make substitutions. Lesesne, looking to increase the lead, replaced two defenders with midfielder Wiki Carmona and forward Cory Burke. The latter had two great chances at scoring, both of which he missed due to error. The first in the 50th minute came as a cross into the box, which the Jamaican international failed to fully connect on. Seven minutes later, a one on one from the penalty area resulted in no shot as the ball got away from him.

Burke’s night came to an end not long after in the 70th minute. The forward went down holding his ankle and was soon replaced by Dylan Nealis. His status wasn’t clear following the match.

That signaled the start of United trying to be more aggressive in its play. Hard challenges became more common with a yellow card on Hayden Sargis in the 66th minute was inches away from being a send-off for being studs up on a tackle at midfield. However it wasn’t enough to swing the game.

Despite not being challenged at all, officially, keeper Ryan Meara did his part to lead and organize the backline. As New York looked to extend its lead and took out Reyes, the veteran could be heard barking marching orders to Tolkin and company. The Yonkers, New York native is the MetroStars/Red Bulls all-time leader in Open Cup clean sheets with seven.

Despite wishing he had more MLS clean sheets, Meara, 32 years old, enjoys his chance to contribute to the team he’s played for since 2012.

“I just try to prepare myself to just be ready for whatever opportunities come my way. Through the course of my career it’s been a lot of Open Cup. So I show up, and try to do my best to help the team. It’s a chance to win a cup (and) we came close a couple years ago.”

Meara smiled for a moment before continuing.

“I think I’m the only guy that was here for that.”

Meara was referencing New York’s run to the 2017 US Open Cup Final. The team lost that game to Sporting KC, the organization’s second-ever runner-up performance (2003).

The rest of the game saw New York continue to control pace. Sub Carmona had a great run in the 77th minute, playing the ball around two D.C. defenders and breaking an opposing ankle (figuratively). His pass up to Barlow saw the forward scuff the chance on net. Elias Manoel, Barlow’s replacement, kept the trend going. His chance in the 88th minute had the forward only needing to beat Bono on the right side of the box. With the keeper prone, his shot was low enough for the United player to make the save.

It was still enough for New York to advance. Lesesne earned his first win as a Major League Soccer coach in a competition he knows very well. The self described “second division guy” is well known for leading USL Championship side New Mexico United to the 2019 Quarterfinals in its debut season. After joining the Red Bulls as an assistant coach for 2022, he thinks his first start as gaffer went pretty well.

“I would rate it as highly as I could possibly rate it,” Lesesne said. “I thought it was a great experience to be here at Montclair State too. This is a place that I played at many times in USL matches, so I know it well. So it’s kind of ironic that my first match as head coach for Red Bull is at a place that I’ve been to many times to get a result.”

Scoring Summary

28’ – New York Red Bulls – Omir Fernandez (Tom Barlow)

Lineups

New York Red Bulls: Ryan Meara (GK), Hassan Ndam, John Tolkin, Andrés Reyes (Cory Burke 45′, Dylan Nealis 70’), Cristian Cásseres Jr., Daniel Edelman, Omir Fernandez, Peter Stroud, Cameron Harper (Wikelman Carmona 45’), Dru Yearwood (Amos Shapiro-Thompson 79’), Tom Barlow (Elias Manoel 82′)

Manager: Troy Lesesne

D.C. United: Alex Bono (GK), Brendan Hines-Ike (Donovan Pines 65’), Matai Akinmboni, Hayden Sargis, Jackson Hopkins, Christopher Durkin, Yamil Asad, Jacob Greene, Cristián Dájome (Lewis O’Brien 84’), Kristian Fletcher, Erik Hurtado (Ruan 65’)

Manager: Wayne Rooney

Yellow Cards

Erik Hurtado, DC 36’

Hayden Sargis, DC 66’

Matai Akinmboni, DC 77’

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: With PK goal, PK save DC United edges Richmond Kickers as rivalry renewed

April 29, 2023 by Sam Luebke

Alex Bono of D.C. United celebrates after saving a penalty kick against the Richmond Kickers in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: D.C. United

On a perfect spring evening for soccer at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., D.C. United manager Wayne Rooney gambled he could get by the Richmond Kickers in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a squad composed primarily of the very young (five starters couldn’t legally buy a beer) and those playing themselves back into shape after layoffs. Their opponent was was the Richmond Kickers, a highly-motivated USL League One side led by their Argentine goal scoring talisman Emiliano Terzaghi, who has delighted Kickers fans with 48 goals over 82 appearances. Rooney’s gamble paid off as D.C. was able to sneak by their frequent US Open Cup rivals to the south 1-0 on a second half penalty kick.

It was the seventh all-time meeting in US Open Cup play, the second most common matchup in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present). It was their first meeting since 2013.

The first half was slow to take shape. United struggled to make meaningful progress going forward and had some dicey moments trying to play out of the back. The Kickers had the better chances most of the half with Matthew Bentley on the right flank combining with Terzaghi. Terzaghi had a clear chance midway through the half unmarked about twelve yards from the goal but D.C. keeper Alex Bono, in his first start of the season, anticipated the shot and saved the attempt.

In the later stages of the first half United made some credible efforts at opening the scoring. Recently-reacquired midfielder Emil Asad almost pulled off an “Olimpico” in the 34th minute, grazing the crossbar directly off a corner kick. Running up top for D.C., Kristian Fletcher and Ted Ku-DiPietro worked hard but had no good looks at goal.

Alex Bono is HIM. pic.twitter.com/wAHIxAUpVI
— D.C. United (@dcunited) April 27, 2023

Andy Najar was a consistent bright spot for D.C. throughout the evening. Najar steadied an inexperienced, and sometimes nervous, United back line, was the most consistent and effective player moving the ball out of D.C.’s defensive third and was dangerous going forward. United assistant coach Pete Shuttleworth praised Najar performance, his first game back after injury.

“It was good to get Andy back in. I think he tired a bit at the end, which was natural,” said Shuttleworth. “You saw his ability when he got on the ball. He’s a phenomenal talent.”

United’s Lewis O’Brien, recently acquired from Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, replaced Ruan at halftime and lifted the largely inexperienced D.C. squad. O’Brien supplied much needed vision and direction. O’Brien’s entry really changed the tenor of the game.

Najar’s creativity and energy were rewarded in the 51st minute when a darting run into the box resulted in his being fouled and referee JC Griggs pointing to the penalty spot. Asad stepped up and converted the spot kick, slotting the ball to Kickers’ keeper Akira Fitzgerald’s right.

Richmond coach Darren Sawatzky tried to inject energy into his squad, making four substitutions by the 70th minute. Richmond had sustained periods of pressure and were rewarded with a penalty because of a clumsy challenge by D.C. centerback Hayden Sargis on Kharlton Belmar. Terzaghi’s attempt was only slightly off-center and at a good height for Bono. To the the dismay of the roughly 150 Kickers fans who made the trip north, and were noisy and boisterous throughout the match, Bono made a relatively easy stop diving to his left.

Cool as you like ???? pic.twitter.com/mIdL1zuUCL
— D.C. United (@dcunited) April 27, 2023

There were a couple nervy moments left in the match, but Bono was not called on for any more heroics. Rooney’s gamble paid off. He rested his starters. and the three-time Open Cup champions survive the opening round of the competition for the fourth year in a row. The Kickers have a lot of positives to take away from the match. They played evenly with a club two divisions above them and were unlucky not to get to extra time.

“At the end of the day I felt we did enough to win the game tonight,” said Sawatzky. “I feel for the guys because it was a great performance, but it’s an MLS club – they took the three points.”

2022 US Open Cup Round 4: New York Red Bulls dominate young, rotated D.C. United

May 11, 2022 by Daniel Rebain

John Tolkin of the New York Red Bulls celebrates after scoring a goal againsts D.C. United in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: New York Red Bulls — John Tolkin of the New York Red Bulls celebrates after scoring a goal against D.C. United in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: New York Red Bulls

In a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 32 matchup between two original MLS rivals, the New York Red Bulls came out on top, 3-0, against their hated foe D.C. United at Audi Field on Tuesday night.

Luquinhas, John Tolkin, and Zach Ryan bagged goals against the three-time US Open Cup champions. Ryan Meara was rarely tested in goal, making one save to earn the clean sheet. Despite their close proximity, this was just the third all-time meeting between the two rivals, and the first since 2006.

Red Bull, after some nerves early in the game, settled into the game around the 15th minute and would go on to dominate United’s young and heavily-rotated lineup.

To start the game, things turned on its head for Red Bull and their manager Gerhard Struber, as their club captain & USMNT CB Aaron Long needed to be subbed off after 10 minutes due to “stiffness” in his calf. Uruguayan youth national Lucas Monzon would be first off the bench and even with his lack of minutes with the first team, looked the part for Red Bull in their excellent backline.

Other then the Long injury, the first half was a real snoozer. That would be until the third minute of first half stoppage time where Red Bull would find the breakthrough just before the half time whistle.

A little over the top ball from Sean Nealis to Frankie Amaya would be the moment to free up space for players making secondary runs towards the box. As Amaya turned back, he found Dru Yearwood in acres of space as the Englishmen rumbled forward.

With the focus on him, Yearwood toe poked the ball into the path of Luquinhas, who got inside his defender and then ripped one far post on DC keeper Rafael Romo to give Red Bull a 1-0 lead and all the momentum going into the locker room.

The goal that made the admins trash our original halftime score tweet ????????#DCvRBNY I #USOC2022 I #RBNY pic.twitter.com/ALiQRAxdVS
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2022

Even though they were down 1-0 going into the break, D.C. deserves some credit. D.C. heading into the game against Red Bull heavily rotated their team. With a young & hungry team, who were looking to impress manager Chad Ashton, D.C. were running with Red Bull stride for stride in the first half. Unfortunately for them, their quality would be their downfall against an almost full XI from Red Bull.

In the second half, things would turn for the worse if you are a fan of D.C., and pretty quickly. Just three minutes into the second half, left back John Tolkin doubled Red Bulls lead as the team from New York would not look back any time soon.

THE BOBBLEHEAD GUY DID IT!!!!!!

pic.twitter.com/2u156XiGai
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2022

Luquinhas escaped a doubled team on the RW, and once he got to the end line cut it back to the penalty area where Tolkin was making his run. In an awkward shot while falling, the Chatham, NJ native scored his first goal of 2022.

Red Bull were on their way to a victory at D.C. for the first time since 2020 after going 0-2 last season, but they were not done at Audi Field.

In the 67th minute, Dylan Nealis caught the D.C. sleeping on a FK as he threaded a through ball to a sprinting Cameron Harper down the RW, who would find Zach Ryan at the near post for a tap in and it was 3-0 just like that.

So @ztryan_14 wasted NO TIME ????

pic.twitter.com/u7pHQiHUcO
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) May 11, 2022

No more goals were scored by either team, but the game started to get physical down the stretch with both teams picking up multiple yellow cards in typical D.C.-Red Bull fashion.

After three minutes of stoppage time, official Matthew Franz blew his whistle one last time and it is Red Bull moving on to the US Open Cup Round of 16 slated for later this month. New York will learn their opponent on Thursday when the USSF conducts the Fifth Round draw.

Post-game

Red Bull’s manager Gerhard Struber in his opening statement postgame said, “We are right now very happy we are in the next round. I expected today from my boys that we go with all our power in this game. We were good in some transition moments, we were sharp when we have the one-on-one chance and we can see how important Luquinhas is for us to create overload moments, to create the right passes, and then we can see how easy it is to score.”

On new young players like Daniel Edelman & Cameron Harper contributing and having very solid individual performances, Struber could not be happier for those two specifically. “Especially some new faces coming in the game, Daniel Edelman today a starting player, the first time for him in the Open Cup and he created and also had a good game. With Cameron Harper in the second half, he has a long-term injury behind him, right now we can see his dribbling ability, also he was clean in the box, and I think in the end, we deserved to win and with this result and this high.

Scorer of the second goal, John Tolkin, said winning at Audi Field was the first thing the boys talked about in the dressing room. “It’s always a tough place to come here and win. Obviously last year, we didn’t get a win here, so we’re really happy with this. It helps us with our momentum, and we carry it on to this weekend with a big game against Philly.”

Talking to the media for the first time this season, USYNT U20 midfielder Daniel Edelman could not hide his excitement to one, get his first career start for the first team and two get the win.

“I’m super happy and stoked I was able to start today and get the victory”, said Edelman. “I’ve been ready for this moment and I’m always preparing for whenever my chance comes. Today, I got the opportunity, and we got the three points. My teammates and everyone were helping me get through the game and we got the three points.”

Wrap Up

Red Bull have been on fire when it comes to playing on the road this season. With the win, Red Bull improves to 7-0-0 on the road this season in all competitions, outscoring their opponents 18-4 with three clean sheets. They will look to continue that trend at Philadelphia as they look to become the first team in MLS history to start a season 6-0 on the road.

For DC United, that is a wrap on their hopes of capturing their 10^th major trophy in franchise history. They now look to improve their form in MLS, which currently has them in 10^th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 4-0-5 (12 PTS) as they look for some redemption on the road against Inter Miami.

2019 US Open Cup Round of 16: NYCFC overcomes early Wayne Rooney goal, beats DC United to reach Quarterfinals

June 19, 2019 by Sean Maslin

Players from NYCFC celebrate a goal against D.C. United in the Round of 16 of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: NYCFC

Prior to this year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, New York City FC hadn’t really made much of an impact in the tournament. They had been one-and-done in their first four tournament appearances since joining MLS in 2015. Oh, how times have changed. Thanks to a pair of late first half goals, New York has won back-to-back games after a 2-1 defeat of D.C. United at Audi Field on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Pigeons in blue become the first New York City-based club to reach the Quarterfinals since the 1999 Staten Island Vipers (A-League, Div. 2 pro).

As opposed to United’s last Open Cup game at Audi Field last round against the Philadelphia Union which featured only a handful of shot attempts through 90 minutes, tonight’s Atlantic Cup encounter had a bit more of an attacking flair. With an extra week of training to remove the rust, D.C. came out of the gates swinging with Acosta hitting a clever backheel to a waiting Wayne Rooney in the first minute. Rooney pounced on the chance, smashing a shot on target that just hit the post.

Sensing that D.C. were going to be a bit more aggressive in the attacking end, NYCFC used their speed on the counter-attack to startle the D.C. defense. Alexandru Mitria blew past the D.C. defense in the 6th minute and hit low effort which forced United goalkeeper Chris Seitz to make a bit of an emergency stop but he was successful in ending the attacking chance.

As seems to happen with many D.C.-NYC matches, there was a bit of controversy to rile up both sets of supporters. On a corner kick in the 9th minute, Heber of NYCFC hit a header that went into the back of the net. However, the goal was waved off due to a handball.

?️ | Comeback City in The District ? #NYCFC

? HIGHLIGHTS ? #USOC2019 pic.twitter.com/1NR5PUOIh1

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) June 20, 2019

NYCFC continued to press the United backline but were dealt a blow in the 33rd minute when Ulises Segura burst past New York’s defense and made a darting run down the right flank. He found a surging Wayne Rooney just inside of the eighteen on the left side and hit a low curling effort that easily connected with the Englishman. Rooney’s went for the far corner and found it, beating Brad Stuver for the 1-0 advantage.

Despite going down a goal, NYCFC stuck to their guns, using their speed on the outside to force D.C.’s backs to collapse inward. In the 38th minute, Keaton Parks, who scored a pair of goals in New York’s Round 4 win over North Carolina FC, found Mitria with ample space on the inside. The Romanian talisman, who has come alive as of late for The Pigeons, continued his scoring streak by hitting a blistering shot past Seitz to level the score.

Before United could catch their breath they found themselves once again on their backheels and digging the ball out of the back of the net. Ismael Tajouri Shradi forced the D.C. defense into panic mode with a pacey run down the right side. Before the United back four could organize, he hit a dart of a shot toward the far right post to make it 2-1 just before the half.

After a frenetic first half, the pace slowed down in the second 45 with NYCFC containing the high-powered D.C. attack. New York’s Parks retained possession for large portions of the half, making smart, efficient passes to his defenders and outside midfielders. That forced United to chase the Pigeons, killing valuable clock time.

United’s best chance came in the 71st minute when Lucas Rodriguez hit a shot from the right side. Although his effort got the United supporters to their feet they were unable to celebrate as Stuver punched the chance away.

D.C.’s final attacking chance came in the 90th minute when Rooney laced a low curling cross into the box that found Segura. Although he would eventually be called offside, Segura’s header rattled the NYCFC faithful who made the trek down to the Nation’s Capital. Stuver allayed any sort of fears that they might have, making the save to finish the match.

GAME SUMMARY

D.C. United – Chris Seitz, Steve Birnbaum, Frederic Brilliant, Joseph Mora, Leonardo Jara (Jalen Robinson 45’), Antonio Bustamante (Russell Canouse 70’), Chris Durkin, Lucas Rodriguez (Griffin Yow 88’), Wayne Rooney, Ulises Segura, and Luciano Acosta

Goals-Rooney (33’)

Yellow Cards-Robinson (55’), Acosta (69’), and Rodriguez (76’)

New York City FC- Brad Stuver, Sebastien Ibeagha, Anton Tinnherholm, Maxime Chanot, Keaton Parks, Alexander Ring, Alexandru Mitru (Juan Torres 90’), Heber (Valentin Castellanos 49’), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, and Maxi Moralez,

Goals- Mitria (38’) and Tajouri Shradi (40’)

Yellow Cards- N/A

ATTENDANCE: N/A

2018 US Open Cup Round 5: After lightning delay, Orlando City wins PK shootout with D.C. United

June 21, 2018 by Sean Maslin

Earl Edwards Jr. of Orlando City SC makes a save during the club's 2018 US Open Cup match against DC United. Photo: USA Today Sports Images — Earl Edwards Jr. of Orlando City SC makes a save during the club’s 2018 US Open Cup match against DC United. Photo: USA Today Sports Images

It has been a tough week for Orlando City SC. Losing their manager last week and facing a fresh stream of rumors and theories about their future the Purple Lions supporters were looking for something, anything to feel positive about. On Wednesday night at a rain-soaked Maryland SoccerPlex they seemed to have found it. Thanks to some goalkeeping wizardry by Earl Edwards Jr., and some luck in penalties, Orlando defeated D.C. United to move on to the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

For Orlando, it will be the club’s third trip to the Quarterfinals and the first since 2015.

“Cup games are always hard because it’s like a mini final and you have to play to a winner,” Lions interim head coach Bobby Murphy said. “With our guys, the change of the shape, the weather delay – there was just a lot thrown at us tonight. I thought the guys coped with it really well, even the patches in the game where we were up against it and they were on top of us. We didn’t capitulate. We dug in and held firm. They stuck together and they fought. Penalties are always a toss up so you don’t feel great about winning in penalties but you’re sure happy to move on.”

Initially it did not appear as if it would be their night in Boyds, Md. After just five minutes of play the match was delayed due to lightning. Despite a 7 p.m. kickoff time, play did not resume until around 8:30 pm forcing the teams to play deep into the night in the Maryland suburbs.

When play did resume, things started in a very grim fashion for Orlando. From the restart, D.C. United used a high press in the midfield, led by Luciano Acosta, to disorient the Orlando defense. Off of a nifty 1-2 passing combination with forward Darren Mattocks, Acosta broke free of the Orlando defense and hit his shot past Edwards to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.

United very nearly made it 2-0 when Acosta once again got past the Orlando defense. This time Edwards was up to the challenge, making the kick save to keep his side within one.

It took 120 minutes and penalties but we’re moving on to the Quarterfinals of the @opencup! #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/QxtRI6Jqzd

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) June 21, 2018

That save would come in handy as it emboldened the Orlando attack into motion. Using their advantage in size Orlando pushed their line up with midfielder Justin Meram serving as the focal point of the attack. The Iraqi international took a pass from Sacha Kljestan in the 17th minute and made a quick move towards the corner of the D.C. eighteen yard box. From there he hit a low driving effort far post that United goalkeeper Steve Clark got a handle on but was unable to keep from going into the back of the net.

In the second half, the two sides failed to capitalize on their attacking chances with both Clark and Edwards making several difficult stops to preserve the scoreline. Of the two Edwards faced the stiffest competition, making five saves to Clark’s two.

The match took a dark turn in extra-time with tempers flaring for both sides. In the 99th minute, United midfielder Chris Durkin was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, putting D.C. down to ten men. Twenty minutes later, Orlando defender Mohamed El-Munir earned the ire of the 3,358 in attendance after a challenge on Acosta and proceeding to kick the ball back at him, walking away with just a yellow card. There were several instances of players tussling and some harsh words between each other during extra time but tempers did seem to cool down towards the end of extra time.

In the penalty shootout, Orlando grabbed the lead early with goals from Will Johnson and Sacha Kljestan. A diving effort from Edwards and a failed flick from Acosta gave Orlando the 2-0 advantage. Despite D.C. pulling to within one after Jose Villarreal’s shot was saved by Clark, United were unable to close the gap.

With the shootout win, Edwards joins some select company. The former UCLA Bruin joins Tim Melia as the only goalkeepers with three or more PK shootout wins (one with PSA Elite in 2014, two with Orlando City in 2015, and Wednesday night).

With the win, Orlando gave their interim manager Bobby Murphy his first achievement since taking over for Jason Kreis last Friday. Orlando will advance to face the Philadelphia Union on the road in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup on July 18.