DC United

Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup

May 22, 2014 by Josh Hakala

The Michigan Bucks upset the Chicago Fire of MLS in 2012 Third Round. Photo: Kelly Haapala

MORE: Things you should know about the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

2006 – Dallas Roma FC (USASA) 0:0 Chivas USA (MLS)
(Dallas advances 4-2 in PKs)

For all of you who ever wanted the #16 seed to win in the NCAA basketball tournament, we hope you are soccer fans.

Dallas Roma FC, from the North Texas Premier Soccer Association, made history defeating Chivas USA of Major League Soccer on penalties, after playing to a 0-0 draw after extra time. Not only did they defeat their second straight professional opponent in the US Open Cup, they became the first USASA club to eliminate a team from Major League Soccer in the US Open Cup. Chivas was dealt a major blow when their leading scorer, Ante Razov, was sent off in the 57th minute for a reckless foul on Roma defender Todd Paulette. Soon after, Chivas head coach Bob Bradley sent in more of his regular starters, Jason Hernandez, Tim Regan and Juan Francisco Palencia.

The Roma defense, named TheCup.us Players of the Round for their win vs. Miami FC, held firm yet again against the Chivas attack, holding the scoreless draw through 120 minutes, at times keeping all 11 players in their own end in extra time.

Roma had a few chances in the second half as well, most notably Dominic Schell hitting the crossbar after Mark Rowland’s shot was knocked away by Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Chivas took the first spot kick in the penalty session, and Juan Francisco Palencia saw his attempt saved by Jessie Llamas. Roma’s Matt Clark and Mark Rowland converted the next kicks, as Sacha Kljestan for Chivas. Fortunes turned Roma’s way when Llamas came through again and saved Jesse Marsch’s kick, and Brad Flanagan scored for Roma to make it 3-1. After Claudio Suarez made it 3-2, Dominic Schell stepped up and put Roma in the history books. Previously, the closest a USASA side has come to defeating an MLS club was in 2000, when Florida’s Uruguay SC fell to the Tampa Bay Mutiny 1-0 in extra time.

1997 – Chicago Stingers (D3 Pro) 2:1 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
1997 – San Francisco Bay Seals (D3 Pro) 2:1 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)

The Modern Era of the Open Cup was still young, and Rochester caused a stir in ’96 with their amazing run to the final.

The San Francisco Bay Seals and Chicago Stingers were determined to top that, and top it they did.

Each team made their way to the third round, no small feat in itself. Both clubs defeated A-League sides in the second round, and now stepped up to face the daunting challenge of Major League Soccer. The Seals were first, taking on the Kansas City Wizards on July 24.

As if being the underdog wasn’t motivation enough, Seals forward Marquis White had something to prove of his own. White was dropped in 1996 by the New England Revolution, and he was eager to prove that he could play at the highest level. White didn’t waste any time, scoring in the very first minute of the game, taking a pass from Chris Davini and racing past the Wizards defenders and goalkeeper Chris Snitko for the goal. On the other end, the Seals defense kept the Kansas City forwards stifled and frustrated, but the Wizards eventually equalized in the 39th minute with a Frank Klopas goal.

Marquis White then stepped up a second time, taking another Davini pass home for the game-winning goal in the 55th minute, setting off celebrations at Negoesco Fiield once the final whistle blew. “I knew I could play, and this proves it” said an ecstatic White after the game. The Seals, as a team, also proved they could play, defeating the San Jose Clash in the quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals, eventually losing a close game to DC United 2-1.

Six days later, the Chicago Stingers took their turn at giant killing, knocking off the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in front of 4,730 fans at Chicago’s Forest View Park. Misfortune started early for Colorado, as the Rapids goalkeeper Paul Grafer was sent off after 17 minutes. The Stingers then took control, as Matt Hamnett and Chris Jahr scores goals before and after halftime to take a lead they would never surrender. Chris Henderson pulled one back for Colorado, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the upstart Stingers. Chicago were eventually overwhelmed by the Dallas Burn in the next round, 4-1, but the Seals and Stingers proved that the Open Cup would never be an easy walk for any MLS team.

2012 – Cal FC (USASA – 4th Div.) 1:0 (AET) Portland Timbers (MLS)

2012 – Michigan Bucks (PDL – 4th Div.) 3:2 (AET) Chicago Fire (MLS)

The Third Round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was one of the craziest rounds in tournament history. 16 Major League Soccer teams joined the competition and only eight of them survived to play in Round 4. The two biggest stunners came from the Michigan Bucks (PDL) and newcomers Cal FC (USASA).

14 of the 16 games were played on Tuesday, May 29 and among those were the Michigan Bucks hosting four-time champion Chicago Fire indoors at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. It was just the 4th US Open Cup game ever played indoors and the Bucks upset the Fire 3-2 in extra time.

The Bucks struck first just nine minutes into the match when Tommy Catalano received a pass from star veteran Kenny Uzoigwe to put the home team up 1-0. The Fire would equalize on a goal from Corben Bone in the 28th minute and take the lead in the 58th minute thanks to Frederico Puppo and it looked like the MLS team was going to take control, as they so often do in these underdog scenarios, but today wasn’t their day as a cross from Crnkic found the head of Nate Boyden in the box to tie the match at 2-2. The match would go into extra time and after play resumed, the Bucks wasted no time in putting the pressure on the Fire. What proved to be the eventual game-winning goal came just three minutes in when Crnkic ripped a shot toward the net. The goalkeeper got a hand on it but it wasn’t enough to keep it out as the Bucks would go on to win 3-2 to become the first amateur club in the Modern Era to defeat two MLS teams (They upset the New England Revolution back in 2000).[+]FULL MATCH RECAP

After seven MLS teams were eliminated on Tuesday, what could possibly be in store for the following day? It would turn out to be arguably the biggest upset of the Modern Era (1995-present).

Cal FC, led by their manager former US international Eric Wynalda, traveled from Southern California up to Portland, Ore. and upset the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time. After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, Artur Aghasyan streaked down the middle of the field, easily beating a lopsided offside trap, collected a well placed through ball and calmly chipped goalkeeper Troy Perkins. It was the only goal they would need to become the first USASA team to defeat a Major League Soccer team (Dallas Roma FC in 2006 eliminated Chivas USA in a penalty kick shootout). A USASA team defeating a MLS team was rare enough, but there had only been four previous USASA teams that had advanced far enough to even play against the top division. In those four games, none of the USASA teams even scored a goal. They were also just the fifth amateur team to eliminate a MLS sidse, and the 12th USASA team to eliminate a pro team of any kind. [+]FULL MATCH RECAP

2013 US Open Cup: DC United’s Dwayne De Rosario easy choice for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

November 7, 2013 by Michael Berton

Dwayne De Rosario, until recently of DC United, was named the 2013 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. He played in all but 23 minutes of the tournament for United, leading the club to their third Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title, and his first as a player.

The Player of the Tournament award is voted on by staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters. De Rosario won the vote by an overwhelming majority.

Others receiving votes were DC teammate Joe Willis, Portland Timbers forward Frederic Piquionne, who made history in the Third Round with four goals in one half and finished tied with De Rosario for leading goalscorer with five, and Javier Morales, who led Real Salt Lake to the title game.

De Rosario made his mark immediately on the tournament, playing all 120 minutes in DC’s opening game against the Richmond Kickers. After a scoreless draw, he scored in the penalty kick shootout to help United advance. In Round 4, De Rosario scored all three goals in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Union. He became the first Canadian to score a hat trick in the Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) and earned Player of the Round honors for his effort.

He followed that performance with two game-winning goals in the next two rounds. He scored the game winner in the quarterfinals against the New England Revolution in the 69th minute. DC went on to win 3-1. He also scored the deciding goal against the Chicago Fire in the Semifinals. United’s 2-0 win in Chicago marked the first time the Fire had ever lost at home in Open Cup play.

DC United won the cup against Real Salt Lake, with De Rosario playing 75 minutes in the 1-0 victory. The MLS side’s run through the US Open Cup was extraordinary considering the team’s league form. DC had more victories in the Open Cup (4) than it did in MLS play (3). United also had plenty of success winning Player of the Round, taking the award in three of the five rounds in which they played: De Rosario in the Fourth Round, Joe Willis in the Semifinals, and Bill Hamid in the Final.

De Rosario’s successful cup form was not enough to impress DC United management, however. This week, the club decided not to exercise the option in his contract, meaning De Rosario will be wearing the uniform of another team next season.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Player of the Tournament (Overall): Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Player of the Tournament (Lower Division): Ty Shipalane (Carolina RailHawks)
Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup Final: Underdog DC United upsets Real Salt Lake to win third title

October 2, 2013 by Josh Hakala

dc-united-2013-usoc-champs-1 — 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions: DC United | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

DC United did what few thought they could do: put their regular season disaster behind them, travel to Utah and upset Real Salt Lake in the 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Lewis Neal’s goal just before halftime — the team’s only shot on goal in the game — was all they needed as United won their third US Open Cup title, 1-0 over RSL. With the win, DC United completes a Cinderella story the likes of which the tournament has not seen since MLS joined the competition in 1996. DC becomes the first Open Cup champion to lift the trophy with more cup wins (4) than league wins (3). Not to mention, they become the only Modern Pro Era team to win a title with only one shot on goal.

Bill Hamid, making his first start of the competition after Joe Willis had played the previous four games, made four saves and shut out Major League Soccer’s top offense.

2013 LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP

2013 US Open Cup results
2013 US Open Cup bracket
2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
TheCup.us Player of the Round awards
The First Cup series (1913/14)
US Open Cup Final 1914-present
US Open Cup Final all-time goalscorers
Biggest Open Cup controversies: Part 1 | Part 2
Official name of the Open Cup a mystery

#USOC100

In a tournament that was modeled after England’s FA Cup 100 years ago, this year’s champion was modeled after England’s winner this year. Last spring, Wigan Athletic, sitting near the bottom of the Premier League standings, pulled off one off the biggest upsets in tournament history, defeating powerhouse Manchester City 1-0 to lift the trophy.

The difference between Wigan and DC United is that the black-and-red have hope for next season as Neal’s 45th minute goal earns the club $250,000 in prize money and a spot in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League. Wigan earned their prize money, but they were relegated at the end of their league season.

United joins the Seattle Sounders (2009-11) and the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982-83) as the only three-time champions.

The opening half was relatively uneventful as the visitors were careful not to let RSL, behind their announced crowd of 17,608, to get their offensive machine rolling. The first chance of the game came after 27 minutes when Joao Plate received a pass down the right side of the box and launched his attempt on goal several rows deep into the crowd.

About 10 minutes later, Javier Morales nearly helped create a goal himself as he fought off two defenders on the right wing, found space and sent a dangerous cross into the box where it took a deflection and was eventually cleared to safety.

dc-united-2013-usoc-gwg — DC United celebrates Lewis Neal’s goal in the 45th minute. | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

It appeared as though both teams were going to go into the locker room with a scoreless draw, but John Thorrington controlled the ball on the left wing, faked to his right and created space to his left to send in a cross. The ball was deflected off a player in front of the goal and rolled back out to the top of the box for Lewis Neal who hit a well-placed ball that beat a diving Nick Rimando to his left. It was a shot of redemption for Neal who didn’t make the cut while on trial with Real Salt Lake in 2012.

In the second half, RSL cranked up the pressure looking for an equalizer.

In the 50th minute, Morales ran on to a through ball down the heart of the box, but Dejan Jakovic was there to deliver a tough tackle to clear away the danger. A couple of minutes later, Ned Grabavoy received the ball on the left side of the box but his shot on target was smothered by Hamid.

In the 59th minute, the home team finally got one past Hamid. Sebastian Velasquez dribbled into the box on the left side and launched a left-footed blast that beat Hamid, but struck the crossbar. The pressure continued throughout the second half, but DC’s backline held on. In the 81st minute, Grabavoy sent a header into the penalty area which fell to Saborio behind the defense, but his volley attempt sailed high over the bar.

The kitchen sink was being thrown forward by RSL as stoppage time approached. In the 90th minute, Kyle Beckerman played a ball in to Devon Sandoval who delivered a one-touch to Grabavoy as he was headed toward goal, but the ball was knocked away before he could get a shot off.

bill-hamid-dc-united-save-usoc-final — Bill Hamid gathers the loose ball that deflected off the crossbar on the final play of the 2013 US Open Cup Final. | Photo: Julie Harper, Prost Amerika

Seconds later, a long ball from midfield was headed into the box where a United defender got to it first, but his attempted clearance went straight up in the air, sending Hamid into action. He leaped into the crowd of players to punch it away and did just enough to clear it from danger as RSL’s attempts to send it back into the mixer failed and DC was able to turn the near goal into a counter attack. The ball fell out of the penalty area and was launched upfield to a wide open Conor Doyle, who found himself one-on-one with Rimando positioned more than 20 yards outside his penalty area. Rimando’s take down of Doyle produced cries for a red card, but the veteran goalkeeper only received a yellow.

RSL used every bit of the announced six minutes of stoppage time, creating two heart-stopping moments for the home fans dreaming of a dramatic goal to force extra time. First, after a ball was sent into the box, it fell to Nat Borchers on the right side of the area and the defender chipped into the middle of the box where Sandoval attempted an overhead kick that went straight at Hamid positioned in the middle of the goal.

Moments later, in their final attempt to draw level, Beckerman’s corner kick found Saborio who headed the ball on goal after making a run down the middle of the box. There to save the day, whether he did it on purpose or not, was James Riley, who deflected Saborio’s header off the crossbar and Hamid came off his line to jump on the loose ball to secure the win.

For Riley, his deflection in front of goal clinched his fifth US Open Cup title, more than any individual player in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present). Riley won the tournament with New England in 2007, followed by three straight with Seattle from 2009-11. With a fifth title, Riley is more than halfway toward the all-time record of eight held by Hall of Famer Billy Gonsalves.

MORE: 2013 US Open Cup Final photo gallery (Prost Amerika)

Scoring Summary:
DC – Lewis Neal – 45’

Misconduct Summary:
DC – James Riley (Yellow, Foul) – 21’
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Yellow, Dissent) – 46’
DC – Nick DeLeon (Yellow, Dissent) – 58’
DC – Chris Korb (Yellow, Dissent) – 80’
RSL – Nick Rimando (Yellow, Foul) – 90’ + 1’

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2): Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Carlos Salcedo (Devon Sandoval, 81’), Tony Beltran, Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabavoy, Sebastian Velasquez (Khari Stephenson, 69’), Javier Morales, Joao Plata (Olmes Garcia, 57’), Alvaro Saborio

Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Chris Schuler, Yordany Alvarez, Cole Grossman

D.C. United (4-4-2): Bill Hamid, James Riley, Dejan Jakovic, Ethan White, Chris Korb, Perry Kitchen, Lewis Neal, Chris Pontius (Conor Doyle, 87’), John Thorrington, Nick DeLeon, Dwayne de Rosario (Luis Silva, 75’)

Substitutes not used: Joe WIllis, Dennis Iapichino, Kyle Porter, Daniel Woolard, Jared Jeffrey

Referee: Juan Guzman
Assistant Referees: Kermit Quisenberry, Fabio Tovar
4^th Official: Baldomero Toledo

Attendance: 17,608
Weather: Clear and 66 degrees

2013 US Open Cup Final: DC United, Real Salt Lake square off in 100th championship game

October 1, 2013 by Josh Hakala

On Tuesday night, the United States Soccer Federation will crown a national champion for the 100th time.

In a tournament that was born a century ago to emulate tournaments like England’s FA Cup, it would be fitting that this year’s final will be so similar to the FA Cup final played earlier this year. DC United are in the midst of a historically bad regular season, sharing some similarities with Wigan Athletic who became the first FA Cup champion to be relegated.

On the other side of the ball is Real Salt Lake, who are among the league’s elite, much like Manchester City in the Premier League, who suffered a 1-0 loss to Wigan in their cup final.

The game will be broadcast live on GolTV starting at 9 p.m. ET and RSL will offer English and Spanish language radio. Fans can also follow all the action on Twitter with the hashtag #USOC100.

2013 US OPEN CUP FINAL

DC UNITED (MLS)
at
REAL SALT LAKE (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium – Sandy, UT
9 p.m. ET

TV: GOLTV
ENGLISH RADIO: ESPN700
SPANISH RADIO: La Gran D 102.3,
Juan 1600 AM

#USOC100

Find those links below as well as an in-depth look at each match-up:

* 2013 US Open Cup results
* 2013 US Open Cup bracket
* 2013 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders
* TheCup.us Player of the Round awards
* The First Cup series (1913/14)
* US Open Cup Final 1914-present
* US Open Cup Final all-time goalscorers
* Biggest Open Cup controversies: Part 1 | Part 2
* Official name of the Open Cup a mystery

DC United (MLS) at Real Salt Lake (MLS)
Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, UT – 9 p.m. ET
TV broadcast: GolTV
English Radio: ESPN700 (RSL)
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 102.3 FM & Juan 1600 AM (RSL)

DC United Open Cup records
Overall: 29-10-4 (2-2 PKs) | Away: 7-6-2 (2-0 PKs) | vs. MLS: 9-7-2 (0-2 PKs)
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 2-1 AET vs. Philadelphia Union in Round 4)
Best finish: 1996, 2008 US Open Cup champions

Real Salt Lake Open Cup records
Overall: 6-4-0 | Home: 6-2-0 | vs. MLS: 1-2-0
Last entry: 2012 (Lost 3-1 vs. Minnesota Stars FC in Round 3)
Best finish: 2011 Quarterfinals (Lost 2-0 at FC Dallas)

PAST MEETINGS

Real Salt Lake and DC United have only met once this season, with United pulling out a 1-0 win on March 9 at RFK Stadium. Lionard Pajoy headed home the eventual game-winner when Nick Rimando saved a curling shot from John Thorrington. This is the first meeting between the two teams in Open Cup play. Real Salt Lake holds the advantage all-time between these two teams, 6-4-6.

DC UNITED’S US OPEN CUP HISTORY

The two-time Open Cup champions have been one of the powers in the tournament since they entered the competition for the first time in 1996. United’s 29 wins and five championship game appearances are second only to the Chicago Fire (31 wins, 6 title games) and winning a third would put them in a club with the Seattle Sounders (2009-11) and the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982-83) as the only three-time champions. United remains one of two DC-area clubs in the 100-year history of the tournament to reach the championship game (Club Espana won the 1987 US Open Cup)

DC UNITED’S LEAGUE FORM: (Previous 5 matches) LLDLL

DC United is currently experiencing one of the worst MLS seasons of all time. United has won only three regular season games this season, all inside the friendly confines of RFK. With a 15 percent win percentage this season, DC United can walk away with a trophy while also setting a maximum of eight MLS records for futility.

DC UNITED’S PATH TO THE FINAL

DC United started out their Open Cup run with a penalty kick thriller in Richmond, Virginia against the Richmond Kickers of USLPRO. In a game that saw two DC players receive a red card, United pulled out a 4-2 penalty victory. In the round of 16, DC United took on the Philadelphia Union at the Maryland Soccerplex. United cruised to a 3-1 win on the strength of a Dwayne De Rosario hat trick. Two weeks later they played the New England Revolution, again at the Soccerplex. Chris Pontius, Dwayne De Roasrio and Lionard Pajoy all tallied goals for the hosts, and United moved on, 3-1. In the semifinal of the Open Cup, United traveled to Toyota Park, where they took on the four-time champion Chicago Fire. In a tense and chippy affair, both Dwayne De Roasrio and Nick DeLeon netted goals, and DC United moved on to their fifth championship game with a 2-0 scoreline.

KEY PLAYERS: DC UNITED

Chris Pontius (#13) will be a force to reckon with in this game after having been rested in United’s 4-1 loss against Toronto FC on Sept. 28. Pontius has been a occasional feature for United this season, only scoring two goals after dealing with small hamstring and groin injuries, but looks to be ready to make his mark on this Open Cup final. Bill Hamid (#1) is the wildcard on the United side coming into this matchup. Backup keeper Joe Willis had previously started every match of their Open Cup run this season, including a Player of the Round performance in the Semifinals, but Hamid is being handed the start for the final. The DC United Academy product has been a busy in net this season, notching 68 saves. If the final proceeds to penalty kicks, it should be noted that Hamid has blocked two of five penalty attempts against him this season.

Dwayne De Rosario, making his first appearance in the Open Cup Final, is tied for the tournament lead in goals with five. He has nine career tournament goals, which ties him for third with teammate Carlos Ruiz among all MLS goalscorers in the Modern Professional Era. If he’s able to score more than one goal in the game then he would break the Modern Professional Era record for most goals in a tournament. David Bulow (Richmond Kickers, 2011), Herculez Gomez (Los Angeles Galaxy, 2005), Melvin Tarley (Minnesota Thunder, 2005), Josh Wolff (Chicago Fire, 2000), Welton (Miami Fusion, 2000), Mugurel Dimitru (San Diego Flash, 1999) and Marquis White (San Francisco Bay Seals, 1997) are the only ones to score six.

GOALSCORERS

Dwayne De Rosario – 5
Nick DeLeon – 1
Lionard Pajoy – 1
Chris Pontius – 1

KEY INJURIES

Daniel Woolard and Dennis Iapichino were both listed as questionable for the MLS regular season game against Toronto FC on Sept. 28. Both players should be available to play by kickoff.

OPEN CUP FINAL EXPERIENCE

One thing that United have going for them is that they have a lot of Open Cup Final experience to draw from. Dejan Jakovic and Chris Pontius both started for DC in their 2009 loss to the Seattle Sounders, which featured James Riley starting on the backline. Riley is attempting to add to his MLS record four Open Cup titles (New England in 2007, Seattle in 2009, 2010, 2011). He will also join Osvaldo Alonso, Andy Williams and Peter Vagenas as the only players in the Modern Professional Era (1995-present) to play in five US Open Cup Finals.

Sanna Nyassi made a splash in his only Open Cup Final appearance in 2010 with the Sounders. Not only did he become the first player in the Modern Professional Era to score multiple goals in a Final, but prior to his two-goal performance, no one had scored more than one career goal in the championship game. Carlos Ruiz has played in two finals but came up short both times, losing with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 and FC Dallas in 2007. Marcelo Saragosa has an Open Cup championship medal, winning with the Galaxy in 2005.

WHY DC UNITED WILL WIN

DC United will win this game on the backs of their rested starters. United head coach Ben Olsen rested nearly all of his regular starters in last weekend’s league match against Toronto FC. United will have a very fresh and rested lineup, which could prove vital if this game were to go to extra time or penalties. They will also win if Bill Hamid has a quality game and keeps his cool. The USMNT pool goalkeeper has proven that he can come up with amazing saves in big games, such as the 2012 playoff legs against the New York Red Bulls. If his temper gets the best of him and he pulls a Josh Wicks, then United know that Joe Willis can fill in as he has all tournament long. Finally, pure grit can push this United team to victory. The MLS season has not mattered to United for a couple weeks, and the team has been focusing on the Open Cup final for some time. Expect to see a very sharp, tactically aware United team, more than in weeks past.

WHY DC UNITED WON’T WIN

The United offense has been several steps short of anemic during the entirety of the MLS season. Currently United has scored more own goals (4) than their leading scorers, Dwayne De Rosario and Luis Silva, have (3). If they turn in another lackluster performance on the offensive front, they will have no shot of winning against a very strong, tactically disciplined Salt Lake backline. United will also lose this game if they don’t establish a rhythm early. The Black-and-Red have, as stated above, not played a meaningful game in quite a while. If they come out “rusty” and are not able to establish a rhythm early, Real Salt Lake will capitalize on that and exploit United’s lack of cohesion in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.

————————————————

REAL SALT LAKE’S OPEN CUP HISTORY

The goal of Real Salt Lake is simple; find success in the US Open Cup. This year, they have finally accomplished that. Since their inaugural season in 2005, they failed to qualify four years in a row (2007-2010), and didn’t win more than one game in a single Open Cup prior to this year. As an organization, they market their Cup games very well, and last year they set an attendance record for the Modern Pro Era for a non-doubleheader/non-final (17,212). But unfortunately for RSL, that record crowd watched the home team get upset by the NASL’s Minnesota Stars. This year, they’ve put their poor history behind them and will host the first-ever US Open Cup Final in the state of Utah.

RSL’s LEAGUE FORM (Previous 5 matches) WLLWW

Real Salt Lake rebounded from back-to-back losses to Seattle and San Jose to earn a 1-0 road win against the Vancouver Whitecaps this past weekend to put them in a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Sounders. Devon Sandoval, the team’s leading goalscorer in Open Cup play with three, scored the lone goal for RSL to keep them in the race for the Supporters’ Shield. They are currently one point behind the Red Bulls.

RSL’s PATH TO THE FINAL

Real Salt Lake may not have played a Major League Soccer team until the Semifinals, and haven’t played a game away from home in the tournament, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have a difficult road to their first championship game. They began with a 3-2 extra time win over the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks where Devon Sandoval and Khari Stephenson each scored OT goals to lift RSL. In Round 4, RSL rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to send the match into extra time where the offense exploded for three goals. Sandoval and Stephenson scored again in the extra frame, along with Javier Morales, to send RSL to the Quarterfinals. After a 3-0 shutout of the Carolina RailHawks (NASL) with goals from Tony Beltran, Chris Wingert and Alvaro Saborio, they had their biggest test with the Portland Timbers in the final four. Goals from Saborio and Plata had the home team in front 2-0, but Portland threw the kitchen sink at them in the final 12 minutes and after giving up a stoppage time goal, RSL held on for the win.

RSL is attempting to become the fourth team in the Modern Professional Era to win an Open Cup title without playing a single game away from home, and just the second team to play every game in the same stadium (Chicago Fire in 2006 at Toyota Park). The other two teams to accomplish that feat were DC United in 2008 and the Seattle Sounders in 2011.

KEY PLAYERS: REAL SALT LAKE

Much like league play, it’s been a balanced attack by Real Salt Lake in the US Open Cup. The key to success in the Open Cup is usually depth, and RSL’s has been on display with Devon Sandoval leading the team with three goals and Khari Stephenson with two. At the center of the goalscoring production all season has been Javier Morales who leads the team in assists with 10 and is second behind Alvaro Saborio with eight goals. As the league’s top offensive team, the biggest key might be the defense, led by US internationals Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

GOALSCORERS

Devon Sandoval – 3
Khari Stephenson – 2
Kyle Beckerman – 1
Tony Beltran – 1
Javier Morales – 1
Joao Plata – 1
Alvaro Saborio – 1
Chris Wingert – 1

KEY INJURIES

Defenders Rich Balchan and Kwame Watson-Siriboe are out due to injury, as well as goalkeeper Josh Saunders.

OPEN CUP FINAL EXPERIENCE

There are five players on the RSL roster who have been a part of a US Open Cup Final, but Nick Rimando is the only one who actually stepped on the field in a title game. Khari Stephenson (Kansas City Wizards, 2004), Ned Grabavoy (Los Angeles Galaxy, 2005) and Abdoulie Mansally (New England Revolution, 2007) all lifted the trophy, while Rimando and Kyle Beckerman both fell short as teammates with the Miami Fusion in 2000 in their loss to the Chicago Fire.

WHY RSL WILL WIN

The easy answer is because they are playing at home in front of an expected sold-out crowd and they are one of the best teams in MLS, playing against the worst team in the league. They also have revenge on their minds as United only has three league wins this year and one of them was against RSL early in the season. The retoric around the home team’s camp has been to make the tournament a priority and that approach may ultimately pay off as home teams are 11-3-2 (1-1 in PKs) in championship games since 1995. However, of the last six finals, the home team is 3-2-1 (1-0 in PKs).

WHY RSL WON’T WIN

RSL will be up against a well-rested underdog who has nothing to lose. For weeks, DC United has been out of the league playoff picture, so the Open Cup has become a focus for them to salvage their season. A team that has a number of players with championship game experience, who rested most of their starters this past weekend, could come in and quiet the crowd early and put the pressure on the favorites.

2013 US Open Cup Semifinals: Joe Willis’ big saves for DC United earn him Player of the Round honors

September 12, 2013 by Michael Berton

In a misery-filled season for last-place DC United featuring just three league wins out of 27, plaudits have understandably come few and far between. Goalkeeper Joe Willis earned one of those bright spots by winning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for his role in a 2-0 Semifinal victory over the Chicago Fire.

Willis becomes the second DC player to win Player of Round in this year’s tournament. Dwayne De Rosario won the award, which is voted on by staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, in the Fourth Round.

Taking home nearly two-thirds of the 1st-place votes, Willis became the first goalkeeper to win the award since Richmond Kickers net-minder Ronnie Pascale did it in the Quarterfinals of the 2011 edition of the tournament against Sporting Kansas City.

Willis made six saves against the Fire in a 2-0 victory. De Rosario and Nick DeLeon scored on either side of halftime to give DC the lead, and Willis and his backline absorbed a slew of Chicago pressure to hand the Fire its first-ever home loss in the competition.

United will attempt to salvage their season on oct. 1 in the championship game against Real Salt Lake, in the first-ever Open Cup Final held in Utah. Willis, or DC United’s other keeper Bill Hamid, will most likely have to turn in another Player of the Round-quality performance to bring DC their third Open Cup title. Along with winning a trophy, the victor will also earn a place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League and a $250,000 prize.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Final: Bill Hamid (DC United)
Semifinals: Joe Willis (DC United)
Quarterfinals: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

2013 US Open Cup Semifinals: DC United shuts out Chicago Fire 2-0 to reach Final as Wigan-like run continues (video)

August 8, 2013 by Josh Hakala

fire-dc-united-usoc-semis-2013 — DC United earned their first road win of the season, 2-0 over the Chicago Fire to punch their ticket to the 2013 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Chicago Fire

DC United, desperate to salvage what has been a nightmare regular season, traveled to Toyota Park and did something they had not done this year in any competition: Win a game on the road.

United punched their ticket to their fifth US Open Cup Final with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire, handing the four-time champions their first-ever home loss in US Open Cup play. DC return to the championship game for the first time since 2009 when they failed to repeat as champions, losing to the Seattle Sounders, 2-1.

Dwayne De Rosario took advantage of a mishandled ball by goalkeeper Sean Johnson just before halftime to score his tournament-leading fifth goal, and on the other side of the break, Nick DeLeon gave United a two-goal advantage that they would not relinquish.

Much like Wigan of the English Premier League, DC United is attempting to win the tournament despite a bottom-of-the-table performance in league play. Wigan upset the mighty Manchester City in the FA Cup Final and became the first club to win the tournament and be relegated in the same season. Fortunately for United, Major League Soccer teams do not get relegated.

DC United will need to win one more road game to lift the trophy for the third time (1996, 2008) as the championship game will be hosted by Real Salt Lake on Oct. 1 at Rio Tinto Stadium. RSL defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 in the other Semifinal. The winner will book an automatic place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League and win $250,000 in prize money.

The two teams canceled each other out for the majority of the first half, with each team taking turns controlling possession. The best chance for Chicago in the first half came from Dilly Duka in the 19th minute. He found space on the left wing and sent a cross into the box that was deflected. The ball redirected to the far post where it found Patrick Nyarko who tried to volley it in from a tight angle but was unable to put it on target. In the 27th minute, Alex headed a Nyarko cross on frame, but it went right into the arms of DC goalkeeper Joe Willis.

A few minutes later, a Chicago cross came in from the right wing and found Mike Magee on the left side of the box but his volley went wide.

The later part of the half belonged to United starting with a counter attack in the 37th minute as De Rosario received a cross in the box but hit it wide of the goal.

De Rosario would put DC on the scoreboard just before the halftime break when Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson leaped to deal with a ball that deflected up into the air in the penalty area. He was unable to hang on as the ball spilled to the ground and De Rosario was there to dribble away from Johnson and fire it into the net despite the sliding attempt of Fire defender Austin Berry. It was De Rosario’s ninth career Open Cup goal, tying him for 8th on the Modern Pro Era’s goalscoring list with Tomas Boltnar (Des Moines Menace), Matthew Delicate (Richmond Kickers/Rochester Rhinos), Randi Patterson (Charleston Battery/Carolina Dynamo) and Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas/Los Angeles Galaxy).

The fans were barely settled back into their seats after halftime when the visitors struck again. In the 48th minute, Nick DeLeon received a pass from James Riley who beat Johnson to put United up 2-0. In the 60th minute, Johnson kept his team in the game with a save off a breakaway by Conor Doyle.

After that, the Fire pushed forward to try to cut the lead in half, but the United defense held on. In the 76th minute, a ball fell out to the top of the box where Alex’s well-struck volley was headed toward the back of the net but it was deflected out of danger by the traffic in front of goal. Two minutes later, Berry moved into the box to contribute to the offense and nearly scored when he got a touch to the ball and saw it rolling slowly toward the lower left corner of the net, but Perry Kitchen cleared it off the line for United.

Duka sent a cross into the box in the 84th minute and took a deflection and nearly got behind Willis, but he was able to recover and clear the ball. The Fire retrieved the ball and sent it back into the box for Duka who received the ball with his back to goal near the 6-yard box. His attempt to juggle the ball, back in and volley it was thwarted by Willis who smothered the ball just outside of his goal.

Duka had another shot attempt from outside the box in the final minutes of regulation, but Willis was there to make one of his six saves as the DC defense held on for their second clean sheet of the tournament.

Highlights

Post-game reaction

Semifinal: DC United 2-0 Chicago Fire

August 7 | Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL | Attendance: 11,036

Scoring Summary

DC: Dwayne De Rosario (unassisted) 44th

DC: Nick DeLeon (James Riley) 48th

Lineups

Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares (Quincy Amarikwa 74’); Patrick Nyarko (Joel Lindpere 36’), Jeff Larentowicz ©, Alex, Dilly Duka; Mike Magee, Chris Rolfe (Juan Luis Anangono 57’) – Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Hunter Jumper, Logan Pause, Daniel Paladini

DC United: Joe Willis; James Riley, Dejan Jakovic, Daniel Woolard, Chris Korb; John Thorrington, Luis Silva (Conor Doyle 57’), Perry Kitchen, Nick DeLeon (Chris Pontius 74’), Kyle Porter; Dwayne De Rosario © – Substitutes not used: Bill Hamid, Taylor Kemp, Ethan White, Jared Jeffrey, Sainey Nyassi

Disciplinary Summary

None

Referees: Jair Marrufo, Eric Boria, Mike Rottersman, Jose Carlos Rivero

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Woeful DC United continues surprise run, tops New England Revolution, 3-1 (video)

June 27, 2013 by Richard Kirtland

DeRo_Celebration — Dwayne De Rosario of DC United celebrates his fourth goal of the 2013 US Open Cup against the New England Revolution. Photo: Tony Quinn | DC United

It was a complete performance for D.C. United at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Wednesday night as Ben Olsen’s side turned in a solid 3-1 win against the New England Revolution in the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. The two-time champions now head to Chicago to face the four-time tournament champion Fire August 7 in a showdown of two clubs that are currently in the bottom three of the Eastern Conference.

Thunderstorms plagued the region all throughout Wednesday, causing a slippery pitch and fast playing conditions. The conditions played into United’s game plan, however, as D.C. played a very wide-open game with many chances and one-touch passing, attempting to break down the Revolution defense.

The night started out very well for the visitors as the Revolution piled on shots early, and United was almost caught by surprise by the speed of the Revolution attack on one occasion. In the 15^th minute, United left Diego Fagundez unmarked at the left corner of the penalty area. Fagundez was left wanting, though, as his stellar curling shot clanged off of the right post and out of the goalmouth.

Second-string keeper Joe Willis proved to be vital in goal for the hosts as he saved three efforts in the first 20 minutes of the match. D.C. Started to find their own around this point, culminating with a Nick DeLeon shot that was parried by New England goalkeeper Matt Reis out for a corner. Chris Pontius had a breakaway only minutes later, and ended up scuffing the shot just wide of the open goalmouth.

In the 44^th minute, the Revolution appeared to have a breakaway chance as Chad Barrett settled a through ball from Juan Toja and managed a shot on goal. However, the play was called back due to an offside call from the referee.

Less than 30 seconds later, DeLeon was fed a ball while running down the right wing from Chris Pontius. DeLeon slotted it back to Pontius at the top of the area, and despite a Revolution defender sliding in to knock it away, it landed at the feet of Pontius. The United striker then proceeded to unleash a venomous curling ball outside the reach of Reis that found the inside of the New England side netting to put the score at 1-0 just before halftime.

After the break, the Revolution adapted a high-pressure method of defense which caught United flat-footed as New England managed several shots at the beginning of the second half. In the 53^rd minute, Juan Toja was fouled 26 yards outside of the D.C. goal. Toja took the free kick and unleashed a thrilling strike that dipped over the wall and hit the underside of the crossbar. The shot then bounced off of the back of a diving Willis and nestled itself in the net to settle the score at 1-1.

The tie would only last for 16 minutes, however, as Dwayne De Rosario headed home a corner kick from Chris Pontius in the 69^th, tallying his fourth Open Cup goal two games after being named TheCup.us Player of the Round for his hat-trick two weeks ago. De Rosario received the ball at the right corner of the six-yard box and headed it into the underside of the crossbar on the left side, where it bounced into the goal to make the score 2-1 in United’s favor.

The win was finally secured in the 87^th minute when Lionard Pajoy was dragged down in the Revolution box by Darrius Barnes. Pajoy stepped up and calmly slotted the kick to the left of a diving Reis to cement the final scoreline of 3-1.

After the game, United head coach Ben Olsen was asked what his goals were for the rest of the season. He made it clear that the league is still a priority and that all is not lost, despite only having two wins in the campaign so far.

“There’s only two more Open Cup games. We have belief. We’re going to try and move up in the league,” he said. “Crazy things happen. If you get on a little bit of a run, get a little luck your way, and you’re back in the hunt. We have belief.”

QUARTERFINAL – New England Revolution 1 :: 3 DC United

Scoring Summary:
DC – Chris Pontius (unassisted) 44
NE – Juan Toja (unassisted) 53
DC – Dwayne De Rosario (Chris Pontius) 69
DC – Lionard Pajoy (penalty kick) 87

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Darrius Barnes, Jose Goncalves, A.J. Soares, Andrew Farrell, Diego Fagundez (Juan Agudelo 76), Andy Dorman (Kelyn Rowe 61), Scott Caldwell, Juan Toja, Chad Barrett (Lee Nguyen 80), Dimitry Imbongo

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Clyde Simms, Chris Tierney, Jerry Bengtson
STATS: Shots 5, Shots on Target 2, Corner Kicks 3, Saves 5, Fouls 12, Offsides 3

D.C. United: Joe Willis, Chris Korb, Conor Shanosky, Daniel Woolard, James Riley, Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, John Thorrington, Kyle Porter (Casey Townsend 54), Dwayne De Rosario (Lionard Pajoy 83), Chris Pontius (Taylor Kemp 74)
Substitutes Not Used: Bill Hamid, Brandon McDonald, Marcelo Saragosa, Carlos Ruiz

STATS: Shots 15, Shots on Target 8, Corner Kicks 4, Saves 1, Fouls 12, Offsides 2

Misconduct Summary:
DC – Dwayne De Rosario (caution) 22
NE – Andy Dorman (caution) 48
DC – James Riley (caution) 52
NE – Matt Reis (caution) 87

Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
Assistant Referees: Matthew Kreitzer (AR1), TJ Zablocki (AR2)
Fourth Official: Mark Geiger

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario’s hat trick for DC United earns him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors

June 19, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

For leading struggling MLS side DC United to a 3-1 victory over nearby rival Philadelphia Union in the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup with a hat-trick, Dwayne De Rosario was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round.

The victory was the club’s first since their second league match of the season on March 2. The winless run was at 0-10-3 in league play with the addition of their Third Round scoreless draw against their USL Pro affiliate Richmond Kickers making the skid 14 games in total. The match was also the first in which DC scored three goals.

Though he is a former league MVP, the three-goal performance was a stunner as De Rosario came into the match with only one goal and one assist on the season through 12 appearances. The hat-trick may have marked the rekindling of the Canadian’s scoring prowess as he also netted over the weekend in a 2-1 loss in league play against Toronto.

Though De Rosario became the third DC United player to score a hat-trick in Open Cup play (Raul Diaz Arce 2000, Abdul Thompson Conteh 2001), he became the first Canadian to record three or more goals in a match during the Modern Professional Era (1995-present).

TheCup.us honors are voted on by the site’s editorial staff and select members of the North American Soccer Reporters. Other leading contenders in the voting were Ty Shipalane of the Carolina RailHawks and goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo of Orlando City.

2013 TheCup.us Player of the Round Honors

Fourth Round: Dwayne De Rosario (DC United)
Third Round: Frederic Piquionne (Portland Timbers)
Second Round: Brandon Fricke (Des Moines Menace)
First Round: David Geno (Seattle Sounders U23)
Preliminary Round: Gustavo Villalobos (FC Hasental)

#USOC100

2013 US Open Cup Fourth Round: De Rosario’s hat trick pushes DC United past Philadelphia Union

June 13, 2013 by Michael Berton

Dwayne De Rosario scored a hat trick to propel DC United past the Philadelphia Union 3-1 on Tuesday night in the U.S. Open Cup.

De Rosario became the third DC United player to score a hat trick in Open Cup play, following in the footsteps of Raul Diaz Arce (2000) and Abdul Thompson Conteh (2001).

His squad moves on to the quarterfinals where they will host the New England Revolution.

The fourth round matchup was a rematch from last year’s tournament when the sides met in the same round and location, with the Union prevailing.

Desperate for success due to its worst start in team history, DC United came out with a sense of urgency that Philadelphia could not match. The hosts won nearly every 50-50 ball and forced the Union into poor passes and decisions.

It came as no surprise then that DC had the first chance five minutes in.

Chris Pontius took advantage of lackadaisical defending to shoot in a cross from the left corner. His pass found a wide open Nick DeLeon, who missed the near post by inches.

DeLeon made up for his miss in the 24th minute by taking a shot from the top of the Philadelphia box. Amobi Okugo deflected the shot right into the path of De Rosario, who sent a left-footed curler past the out-stretched arms of Zac MacMath.

United saw out the half comfortably bar one tough injury to Chris Pontius.

After taking an elbow from Sheanon Williams, Pontius got fouled on a strong challenge from Okugo — a challenge that earned him a yellow card.

Pontius was forced out to be replaced by Sainey Nyassi.

The Union pressed forward more in the second half, but could only put together a few half-chances.

However, it would ultimately be defensive lapses that determined the outcome.

In the 75th minute, Amobi Okugo gave the ball away to Lionard Pajoy under very little pressure. Pajoy passed to De Rosario, who calmly slid it past the Union’s young keeper.

Just 40 seconds later United had a lapse of its own.

Philadelphia substitute Don Anding blazed down the left side and passed to MLS’s leading goal-scorer Jack McInerney.

DC failed to attack so McInerney curled a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner of the net to cut the lead in half.

Another careless Union mistake killed the game in the 85th minute.

Well outside his box, MacMath passed a free kick to Okugo, whose touch went straight to De Rosario.

The Canadian international took a few steps and put the ball into an empty net from about 30 yards away to make it 3-1.

DC United 3:1 Philadelphia Union
Maryland SoccerPlex – Boyds, Md.
Scoring Summary:
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (Nick DeLeon) 24
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (Lionard Pajoy) 75
PU: Jack McInerney (Don Anding) 76
DCU: Dwayne De Rosario (unassisted) 85
Line-ups:
DC United: Joe Willis; James Riley (Brandon McDonald-62), Ethan White (Lionard Pajoy-67), Daniel Woolard, Taylor Kemp; Nick DeLeon, Perry Kitchen, John Thorrington, Chris Pontius (Sainey Nyassi-46); Dwayne De Rosario, Casey Townsend
Philadelphia Union: Zac MacMath; Raymon Gaddis, Jeff Parke, Amobi Okugo, Sheanon Williams; Michael Farfan (Don Anding-72), Brian Carroll, Keon Daniel (Leo Fernandes-46), Sebastian Le Toux; Conor Casey (Antoine Hoppenot-65), Jack McInerney
Discipline:
PU: Amobi Okugo (caution – 45+)
PU: Leo Fernandes (caution – 56)

2013 US Open Cup Third Round: Struggling DC United finds hope, downs Richmond Kickers in PKs

May 30, 2013 by Gerald Barnhart

A DC United squad that has not won since their second game of the MLS season (0-8-2) was dearly hoping for a change in fortune in the US Open Cup, and barely even got that as they prevailed in Richmond via penalties 4-2 after a grueling scoreless stalemate with the Kickers, their official affiliate in USL Pro.

Back-up goalkeeper Joe Willis was the man of the match from start to finish for DC United, coming out of the goal 17 minutes into the match to prevent on onrushing Michael Seaton, on loan from DC, from having an easy one-on-one opportunity at the top of the box, and then later making two saves in the penalty kick tiebreaker to send DC onto the Fourth Round.

Eight minutes after beating Seaton to the ball Willis was called upon again to squelch another chance when Joseph Ngwenya connected with Stanley Nyazamba, who proceeded to find Nate Robinson for a low shot that the keeper stopped.

DC nearly took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Kyle Porter’s corner was headed onto the crossbar by Lionard Pajoy, and again saw the frame of the goal come into play four minutes later when former Kickers star Dwayne De Rosario sent a header off of the post, falling along the goalline where it was gathered by United loanee Andrew Dykstra.

The Kickers nearly gave the visitors the advantage right before halftime with a potential own goal when back pass was complicated by miscommunication that saw it scoot past Dykstra, who had to recover to send the ball over the endline instead of the back of the net.

The second half continued to be the Willis show with the netminder denying two quality opportunities for the Kickers and watched another from a free kick sail just over the crossbar in the 90^th minute as overtime loomed.

That is when things began to get interesting. DC saw two players sent off in extra time with Chris Korb receiving a second yellow in the 113^th minute and Carlos Ruiz getting his walking orders just four minutes later with a straight red card. But the seven minutes of having one or two extra players came too late as the two sides ultimately played things out from the spot.

The Kickers were unable to recover after seeing Sascha Gorres and Ngwenya’s attempts in the first two rounds saved by Willis despite conversions from Luke Vercollone and Nate Robinson as De Rosario, Perry Kitchen, Nick De Leon and James Riley were all perfect.

Scoring Summary

None

PK Summary

RIC – 2: Sascha Gorres (save), Joseph Ngwenya (save), Luke Vercollone (goal), Nate Robinson (goal)

DC – 4: Dwayne De Rosario (goal), Perry Kitchen (goal), Nick De Leon (goal), James Riley (goal)

Discipline

RIC: Jason Yeisley (caution) 57^th

RIC: Matthew Delicate (caution) 73^rd

DC: Chris Pontius (caution) 82^nd

DC: Chris Korb (caution) 90^th

DC: Chris Korb (caution, ejection) 113^th

DC: Carlos Ruiz (ejection) 117^th

RIC: Andrew Dykstra (caution) 120^th

Lineups

Kickers: GK Andrew Dykstra, Henry Kalungi, Shane Johnson (Matthew Delicate – 69’), William Yomby, Luke Vercollone, Michael Seaton (Juan Arbelaez – 60’), Mike Callahan, Stanley Nyazamba (Sascha Gorres – 60’), Nate Robinson, Jason Yeisley, Joseph Ngwenya

D.C. United: GK Joe Willis, Daniel Woolard, James Riley, Chris Korb, Raphael Augusto (Chris Pontius – 58’), Perry Kitchen, Conor Shanosky, Nick De Leon, Kyle Porter (Sainey Nyassi – 91’), Dwayne De Rosario, Lionard Pajoy (Carlos Ruiz – 80’)

Referee: Eric Weisbrod

Assistant Referees: James Brooks, Dean Fairweather

Fourth Official: J.T. Alukonis

Attendance: 4,752 Weather: Partly cloudy, 85º