Richmond Kickers

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: Hugo Picard brace gives Columbus Crew win in USOC return

April 16, 2026 by Tyler Fisher

Columbus Crew players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Richmond Kickers in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew SC

The 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 32 kicked off for the Columbus Crew Wednesday night as the Black & Gold traveled to take on USL League One side Richmond Kickers.

In their first US Open Cup game since 2023, Columbus handled business midweek, defeating the Kickers by a 3-0 scoreline to advance to the next round of the tournament. Behind a brace from Hugo Picard and a lone goal from Jamal Thiare, the Crew’s quality ultimately overwhelmed the home side in a match that evolved from early uncertainty into controlled dominance.

“I’ve been involved in these kind of games a lot of times. We talked about it in the coaching staff. (Assistant Coach) Josh (Williams), (Goalkeeper Coach) Phil (Boerger), they have been playing these kind of games and been having so much more trouble,” said Crew head coach Henrik Rydstrom. “I’m quite happy with the performance overall. Maybe not the first 10-15 minutes of the game where we actually could have conceded.”

The opening minutes suggested a potential cupset, with Richmond attacking the heavily rotated Columbus side. The Kickers nearly stunned the Crew with an early chance in the seventh minute, but the opportunity was cleared off the line by defender Yevhen Cheberko. It was the lone moment in the first half where the Kickers looked capable of seizing momentum .

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From there, however, the match tilted heavily in Columbus’ favor.

After a shaky start, the Crew settled into possession, circulating the ball with increasing sharpness through the midfield and to the wingbacks. The tempo quickened, the spacing improved, and Richmond began to chase shadows.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP - Columbus Crew — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The breakthrough arrived in the last minutes of the first half, when Andres Herrera played a low-driven pass across the face of the goal to the opposite post, to find Picard waiting for the easy tap-in, giving the visitors a 0-1 lead heading into the half.

In the second half, the flow followed a similar script.

Columbus remained disciplined defensively while continuing to probe for more goals. Richmond struggled to generate meaningful counterattacks, with the Crew’s backline stepping into passing lanes and quickly recycling possession.

Picard would secure his second in a Crew uniform in the 63rd minute, when he found himself alone one on one against Yann Fillion, the Kickers’ onrushing goalkeeper, and chipped the ball high and over into the net to double the Crew’s lead, thanks to the assist from Amar Sejdic.

Thiaré provided the finishing touch.

“In the second half, (Picard) could take advantage of his skills,” said Rydstrom. “The first goal is something we have worked on and talked about that we break through one side and then opposite winger is attacking and score the easy goal. He did that so that was good. He was not so involved in the first half, but I think he grew into the game … For Hugo is to keep on being cynical, to be pragmatic and to score the third goal, the fourth goal. He could have done that today, but maybe I should just be happy that he scored two.”

In the latter stages, Thiaré capitalized on a well-placed through ball from Cesar Ruvalcaba, dribbling around Fillion and slamming the door shut with his shot to extend the lead to 3-0. The goal rewarded Columbus’ sustained pressure and underscored the depth available within the squad.

With the win, Columbus advances to the Round of 16 and will face USL League One side One Knoxville. For the Crew, the performance served its purpose: navigate the early scare, assert superiority, and progress without drama.

“I’m proud of the guys,” said head coach Darren Sawatzky.

“I’ll tell you what, first 25 minutes if we score the goal, we’re pounding the goal, if it goes in, I think the game changes.”

Cup competitions often present unpredictable challenges, but after finding their footing, Columbus ensured this one followed a far more predictable path.

2026 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers’ stoppage time winner earns first cupset in 11 years

April 2, 2026 by Henry Colonna

Players from the Richmond Kickers (red) and Loudoun United square off in a Second Round match in the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Richmond Kickers

While the Richmond Kickers regular season is off to an inconsistent start — showing promising play but lacking solid results so far — the USL League One side grew into its Round 2 match against Loudoun United on Wednesday night.

The Kickers’ Lucca Dourado, a late addition to the Richmond roster, has been promising on the attack and scoring goals. He did not disappoint in this Cup match, scoring deep into stoppage time in the second half to secure a 1-0 ‘Cupset’ win for the Kickers.

In a scoreless match after a full 90 minutes, the referee had called for eight minutes of stoppage time, but the game continued to the 101^st minute. When the ball rolled to Dourado for what would prove to be the game winning goal, Loudoun did bring their goalkeeper, Ethan Bandre, up into the box, but Loudoun remained unable to score until the end.

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Richmond will host the Columbus Crew on April 14 or 15. City Stadium has not seen an MLS team since 2013. This Round 2 victory is Richmond’s first win over a higher division team since 2015 when they beat the Jacksonville Armada of the NASL (Div. 2).

Richmond defender Hayden Anderson’s perspective on the win was that “we’re out here playing against a team a league higher there’s no reason not to fight for it every time … to keep fighting for each other.”

Hayden points to two clean sheets already this year for the team. Goalkeeper Yann Fillion contributed his thoughts by highlighting defense as well “we have great leadership on the backline. Guys are really growing into their roles.”

Richmond Kickers shirt We Want The Cup — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

In the very first minute of the match, a long, hard strike from distance from Loudoun caused Richmond to concede a corner kick. This set the tone for the first 15 minutes until Josh Kirkland streaked down the left side with a shot on goal in front of the home supporters group, the Red Army, that many thought went in but that actually went into the far side netting.

That attack and best chance on goal so far allowed the Kickers to grow into the game, but Loudoun still had promising attacks generated by accurate medium and long balls. The Kickers countered with their own medium and long range balls but not quite as accurate, direct, or fast as Loudoun’s were overall.

Sam Layton, a new centerback for the Kickers, was the best defender of the night, stopping a promising attack in the 21^st minute by Loudoun with a sliding perfectly timed tackle in the Kicker’s final third. Fillion put his body – particularly his head – at risk sliding across the penalty box to snatch the ball from a Loudoun attacking player’s feet. Indeed, the defense for the Richmond Kickers is vastly improved from last year’s team. Loudoun’s Arquímides Ordóñez made several promising runs into the Kickers’ box but could not score or assist a goal.

By the second half, both teams were making back and forth attacks deep into each team’s defensive third. When Darwin Espinal — one of the Kickers fan favorites attackers — went down for injury in the 68^th minute, it seemed that this back and forth flow might suffer. Espinal is speedy and can round defenders and score from close range or distance and had just returned from injury. Dourado replaced Espinal, and the danger of the Kickers’ attack did not diminish.

1995 US Open Cup Preview: The state of American soccer in 1995

1995 USOC Round 1 POTR: Carlos Llamosa
1995 USOC Q-Finals POTR: Ben Crawley
1995 USOC Semis POTR: Jake Arrambide
1995 USOC Final POTR: Jeff Causey
1995 USOC Player of Tourney: Rob Ukrop

1995 US Open Cup Results (click on the score of the game for a match report)

Anderson had several long throws into Loudoun’s box in the 75-80th minutes (except for one attempted long throw that embarrassingly slipped and rolled about ten feet in front of Anderson). By this time, the referee was issuing final warnings to players on both sides. The referee was calling fouls equally but not issuing yellows until the 84th minute. As each team ratcheted up intensity, the game ended with four yellows issued, all after the 84^th minute.

Richmond conceded a dangerous foul just outside their box in the 90^th minute. The foul spot and subsequent free kick was a little close to the goal and would require special skill to get up and over the Kickers wall. Indeed, the shot hit the wall but Pedro Santos collected the rebound and fired a dangerous low direct hard shot through the wall – directly at Fillion’s feet. That should have been Loudoun’s moment – a little further to either side and the pace of that should’ve wound up in the net. Even a slight deflection would’ve resulted in a Loudoun goal, but it was not meant to be.

Starting the match for Loudoun and lasting the entire match was 37-year-old MLS veteran and former DC United player Pedro Santos. Santos was a Designated Player for Columbus Crew in 2020 when Columbus won the MLS Cup. He proved through this game that he still has fight, spirit, and loves the game.

2026 US Open Cup Round 1: Late Goal, tensions lift Richmond Kickers past NoVa FC

March 18, 2026 by Allan Myers

The Richmond Kickers celebrate after scoring a goal against Northern Virginia FC in the First Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Richmond Kickers

The battle for Virginia soccer supremacy kicked off in style on Tuesday night as Northern Virginia Football Club took on the Richmond Kickers in Round 1 of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Kickers showed home field advantage in full force as a 2-0 win cemented their place in Round 2 of the Cup, and prevented a repeat of their previous years “cupset” by the Virginia Dream. The fireworks didn’t just stop at the goals, as an almost full on brawl erupted just before the final whistle, following a steady increase of dangerous tackles by Northern Virginia.

“The first round of the cup is always a battle,” said Richmond coach Darren Sawatzky. “When amateur teams feel they’re gonna lose, things get crazy in the end. I’m just glad our guys kept their composure.”

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Northern Virginia came into this game colder than the weather. The club’s season isn’t set to start until May, and their last competitive match came just shy of nine months prior. The Kickers, by contrast, had just started their USL League One campaign on March 7 to the tune of a 1-1 draw to AV Alta.

While that may have drawn obvious conclusions to the sharpness of the respective teams, their 2025 seasons told a much different story. Northern Virginia came through 2025 almost unbeaten, losing and drawing only once a piece the entire season, before losing to their Chesapeake rivals Lionsbridge in the divisional playoffs 2-1.

Richmond on the other hand came through 2025 with a very different record. The club narrowly avoided a last place finish, beating out Westchester SC by only five points and finishing 13th in League One. That record appeared a distant memory on Tuesday, as the club surged ahead early and often, looking like a much more complete and dominant side than its previous year.

What made the forward attack so efficient for Richmond in the win over Northern Virginia was transition moments, said Josh Kirkland, one of Richmond’s shining offensive lights last season.

“I thrive in transition moments, when one pass breaks the line, I’m in,” said Kirkland, who bagged a goal in the first half, and took part in several huge attacking opportunities throughout the match. “I think our core is keeping clean sheets and just being a gritty bunch, and then just transitioning and catching teams when they’re slow. Tonight was a perfect example.”

The Kickers began the game slightly uneasy, a few loose passes giving NoVa the chance to strike on counters early on.

“We spent preseason indoors because it snowed here,” Swatzky said. “We’re still getting to the end, guys aren’t even fully 90 minutes fit so there was a progression.”

Progress they did, and by the 10th minute Richmond’s passes were finally making their mark, and the Kickers midfield settled into NoVa final third, where they stayed for the majority of the half.

Kirkland looked primed early, almost four shots on goal by the 15th minute from the eager forward, just not finding the final bit of quality to get over the line.

“We created a lot of chances, but the next piece is just executing,” Kirkland said, lamenting on the missed shots across the first half.

NoVa didn’t back down from the challenge set early by Richmond, and countered successfully in the same 15th and forced a save from the Kicker’s new signing between the sticks, Yann Fillion.

The 1995 US Open Cup champions continued their barrage down NoVa’s half, fighting for every loose ball and pressing their players into several giveaways. A stark contrast to last year’s Kickers team which seemed to stay behind much more than advance forward. The Kickers almost made a goal in a chaotic run of play that only blocked them out by committing a quarter of NOVA’s squad to body blocking in the box in the 19th minute.

After a calmer set of play, a key giveaway in the 26th minute from the Kickers set NoVa’s Joao Da Silva on an almost breakaway, completely against the run of play. But, another key save by Fillion ended the attempt and Richmond kicked back into gear. Captain Dakota Barnathan sent a magnificent through ball to Kirkland in the 30th, and sent the forward on a one-on-one with NoVa keeper, William Bush who failed to save a brilliantly cool finish into the left corner, as Richmond went up 1-0.

The play continued at a much more subdued pace for the next 10 minutes, followed by a free kick at the top of the box by Richmond’s Austin Amer in the 41st minute, which sent the ball careening into the opposing wall. NoVa then proceeded to get a bit choppy with their play, and Chirs Niblock and Noah Gold received yellows in the final embers of the half, the players took a small pause to break fast for Ramadan before the match concluded the first half.

Richmond were by far and away the more dominant team in the first, and while NoVa still had a few chances here and there, but they were few and far between. The sun set fully in the sky and the temperature dropped low, but the passion only grew in intensity in the second half.

1995 US Open Cup Preview: The state of American soccer in 1995

1995 USOC Round 1 POTR: Carlos Llamosa
1995 USOC Q-Finals POTR: Ben Crawley
1995 USOC Semis POTR: Jake Arrambide
1995 USOC Final POTR: Jeff Causey

1995 US Open Cup Results (click on the score of the game for a match report)

The Kickers made the first moves, strong chances from Tyler Freeman in the 48th minute set the tone, and forced NoVa into a defensive posture. The Northern Virginians didn’t rest for long, and forced another key save by Fillion in the 49th, playing end-to-end football.

The two teams made heavy reinforcement changes, as NoVa sent in Matthew Dean, Henok Tilahun and Bernardo Majano in the 54th minute, and the Kickers sent in newly acquired forward Lucca Dourado and returning winger Landon Johnson to keep the pressure going.

Unfortunately the next action would signal a downturn for Richmond as Barnathan went down with a bad injury following a tackle and had to be subbed out in the 62nd. The next runs of play were all NoVa, as Gage Lyons made darting runs through the center and barreled down the wings to create several chances in the following minutes, culminating in a strike outside the box in the 76th that nearly found the equalizer.

After a few more changes to NoVa’s line and a yellow card for dissenting to the NoVa head coach AJ Sheta, Dourado suddenly became a one-man battle plan for the Kickers as he made his own surging runs and close shots, all running just off target. For the next 10 minutes Richmond started knocking harder on NOVA’s doorstep and in the 89th. Dourado made a buccaneering run on the right side, evaded his defender and took the shot from an awkward angle. But the ball ricocheted through the keeper and grazed the woodwork on its way in the net as the Kickers increased their lead 2-0 with only minutes left to play.

In the 90+3 minute things started to get a little chippy, as two yellow cards in quick succession to NoVa for an aggressive tackle by Matthew Dean and a dissent to an unknown, undressed player on the bench, threw the match into a fever pitch. Two players came together after another tackle and soon the entire benches came out in short order to shield teammates and incite more action. The referees soon parted with the two teams and issued a yellow to Richmond’s Ali Sasankhah and two reds to NoVa’s Huber Letona and Sheta, respectively.

The match ended soon after with a much calmer run of play, and the Kickers took the win to send them into the second round.

“We’re here to try to do some damage and make a run,” Swatzky said. “I’m just really proud of the guys, their effort, and it’s a starting point for us.”

The Kickers last cup run may have ended prematurely, but they’re looking ahead to brighter days. After a great win and solid performances from a new team, they’re hopeful to keep going for as long as they can in the cup.

1995 US Open Cup: Rob Ukrop of Richmond Kickers voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

December 29, 2025 by Josh Hakala

Awarding the TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors to the top goalscorer on the team that wins the US Open Cup would seem cliche. However, Rob Ukrop of the 1995 US Open Cup champion Richmond Kickers did more than just score goals for the amateur side from the USISL Premier League.

The former national player of the year at Davidson College also drew a foul that led to game-winning penalty kick in the Semifinals. He also drew a foul that led to a crucial red card in the Final; scored his penalty kick in the championship game’s shootout; and put his health — and potentially his career — at risk in a way that few players would. Some would call it reckless, but the risk paid off with a US Open Cup title, and a USISL Premier League championship the week after that.

Ukrop’s team-leading three goals (one in each game he started), and his consistent presence as an offensive threat throughout the tournament, led him to being voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament for the 1995 US Open Cup.

The award is voted on by a select panel among the staff from TheCup.us.

Other finalists for the award included Ukrop’s teammate Ben Crawley and El Paso Patriots captain Gabino Amparan.

Crawley assisted on both goals in the Kickers’ 2-1 upset of the Atlanta Ruckus in the Quarterfinals, scored the game-winning PK in the 89th minute against the Chicago Stingers in the Semifinals and played all 120 minutes and converted his PK in the championship game shootout that helped Richmond lift the trophy.

Amparan, a defender, led the Patriots defense to a road shutout of the defending A-League champion Colorado Foxes, then scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 shutout of the high-powered Seattle Sounders and scored a late equalizer in the Final and a PK in the shootout before El Paso ultimately fell short.

Ukrop and the Kickers’ journey began in the First Round by hosting fellow amateur side, Spartans SC.

Ukrop scored a second-half goal in a one-sided 5-2 home win over the Spartans. However, that result was wiped away when a replay was ordered after the US Soccer Federation ruled that the Kickers did not give the visitors enough notice for a kickoff time change.

When they played again about three weeks later, the game was even more lopsided and Ukrop was also involved. He scored a first-half equalizer and had a shot that produced a rebound goal by Richie Williams in a 6-1 win over Spartans SC, who played the game without any substitutes.

In the Quarterfinals, the Kickers faced a significant challenge when they hosted the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus.

After Crawley assisted on Ukrop’s opening goal in the 13th minute, Ukrop exited the game just after halftime.

With just three minutes elapsed in the second half, Ukrop collided with Atlanta’s John Doyle while going after the ball, and Doyle’s elbow struck Ukrop in the face.

While some of the media reports described the elbow as an accident, the man who absorbed the elbow into his face had a slightly different view.

“I mean, I’m sure he wasn’t trying to break my cheekbone,” Ukrop said. “But I think he was trying to knock me down.”

Ukrop, who always chewed gum during games, spit the bloody piece of gum out into his hand and threw it in frustration.

“Two years later, some kid comes up to me and says ‘I still have the gum from when you got your cheekbone broken,” Ukrop recalled, who said the popular opinion of those who witnessed the foul was that the object that went flying was a tooth.

“I don’t think it’s worth losing Robby Ukrop. I’m not a doctor but you could see his cheekbone was totally depressed. It’s a tragedy. He’s really been playing great, better than ever the past few games,” Kickers head coach Dennis Viollet told the Richmond Times-Dispatch after the game.

It was the second facial injury Ukrop had suffered in his career. In 1992, he suffered a broken jaw while playing indoor soccer for the Baltimore Blast after being struck in the face.

When Ukrop went to the hospital, the doctor estimated that he was going to be sidelined anywhere between two to three months.

Ukrop returned to St. Mary’s Hospital the next day hoping to get a different opinion and, if he was lucky, to possibly get surgery. So he asked the doctor what his options were.

“So I told (the doctor), ‘We’ve got a game in two weeks that I would like to play in. This is a great team and I want to be a part of this.”

The doctor replied: “I can do the surgery this afternoon.”

Ukrop had planned ahead. He hadn’t eaten anything that morning on the off chance that they could do the surgery the same day.

The doctor explained that he would be out a minimum of 10 days, which would mean he could potentially play in the Kickers’ Semifinal match against the Chicago Stingers on Aug. 4. But made it very clear to Ukrop and his family that he was taking a risk.

“(After 10 days), if you get elbowed or hit there again, there’s a chance you could do some serious damage,’ Ukrop recalled the doctor telling him. “‘You could push in (your cheekbone) and you could lose your eyesight.’”

Ukrop’s mother, who was with him at the consultation with the doctor, was “freaking out,” as he described it. But in the end, Ukrop’s response to the doctor’s warnings was: “That’s cool, just whatever we can do so I can play.”

Spoken like an invincible 25-year-old who was just two wins away from an improbable US Open Cup championship and also two more wins away from winning the USISL Premier League title. He couldn’t resist the opportunity to win two trophies.

Rob Ukrop Richmond Kickers vs Atlanta Ruckus defender Greg Sheen 1995 US Open Cup Quarterfinals — Richmond Times-Dispatch

The injury was no small inconvenience off the field. Ukrop had to sleep with a piece of metal over the top of his face to avoid his cheekbone from getting pushed back in.

Twenty-three days after breaking his cheekbone, and after being as careful as possible, Ukrop was on the bench for the Kickers’ US Open Cup Semifinal against the USISL Pro League’s Chicago Stingers at University of Richmond Stadium.

Richmond head coach and former Manchester United star Dennis Viollet was extremely reluctant to put his injured star player on the field. In the first half, the Kickers had taken the lead twice only to see the Stingers equalize both times. With the score tied at 2-2, Scott Snyder gave the Kickers the lead for the third time in the 69th minute. That was the moment that Viollet decided he was going to call on Ukrop to help close out the game.

No mask. No protective equipment of any kind. Just strict instructions to protect himself at all times. The prevailing thought was if Ukrop wore a mask and got hit in the face, the mask would do little to prevent damage to a cheekbone that had not fully healed.

In the 88th minute, Chicago’s Don D’Ambra tied the game for the third time and it seemed like the game was heading to extra time.

Less than a minute later, Ukrop received a pass deep in the Stingers’ end of the field, and was brought down in the penalty area by Stingers netminder John Howard. Surprisingly, Ukrop, the team’s top scorer and a player who had scored in each of the last two Open Cup games, did not take the penalty kick. Crawley stepped forward and scored the penalty kick in the 89th minute to send the amateur Kickers to the Final by the score of 4-3.

1995 US Open Cup champions: Richmond Kickers

1995 US Open Cup Goalscoring Leaders

1. Shawn Medved (Seattle Sounders) – 4

2. Jeff Hooker (Colorado Foxes) – 3
2. Erik Storkson (Seattle Sounders) – 3
2. Rob Ukrop (Richmond Kickers) – 3

13 players tied with 2 goals

Twenty-three days later, the Kickers traveled to El Paso where they took on another USISL Pro League side in the 83rd US Open Cup Final. The El Paso Patriots hosted the game with temperatures in the 90s at kickoff. Ukrop’s cheekbone still wasn’t fully healed, but with a little more than three weeks of healing under his belt, he was in much better shape than the Semifinal win over the Chicago Stingers.

Ukrop returned to the starting lineup and made his presence felt 20 minutes into the game. He connected on a free kick but headed it just wide of the target. After picking up a yellow card in the first half, he scored the game’s first goal early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Leigh Cowlishaw took the ball to the touch line and played the ball back to the middle of the box. There he found a wide open Ukrop who put the ball into the empty net before the defense could converge on him.

Just a couple minutes later, Richmond’s Kevin Scott was shown a red card to put the underdogs down to 10 men with most of the second half left to play.

“Right after I scored (in the 49th minute), Kevin got the red card and the momentum went their way,” Ukrop said. “They were more aggressive and had us down a man. But then things evened up when their guy fouled me.”

The foul Ukrop referenced was a big one. The Patriots tied the game with a goal by Gabino Amparan in the 81st minute, but, just like the Kickers, they were handed a serious blow. Ukrop found himself on a breakaway but before he could get a chance to beat the goalkeeper to give his team the lead, El Paso’s Hector Cervantes fouled him. Referee Arturo Angeles showed Cervantes a straight red card to put the game back level at 10 players a piece.

After a scoreless extra time, the tournament was decided by a penalty kick shootout. Ukrop started the shootout for Richmond and blasted his attempt into the upper right corner. El Paso goalkeeper Jake Arrambide guessed correctly but the ball was out of reach.

The Kickers won the shootout 4-2 to become the first Virginia-based club to lift the trophy in the tournament’s 83-year history.

Ukrop loved the way that his teammates picked him up during a difficult time.

The Richmond Kickers' championship medals for the 1995 US Open Cup Final and the 1995 USISL Premier League — The Richmond Kickers’ championship medals for the 1995 US Open Cup Final and the 1995 USISL Premier League

“That’s the kind of team that it was,” Ukrop said. “I was hurt but the guys supported me. I fought my way to get back in because you never want to miss playing with your guys. There was just a willingness from the guys. They just wanted to be together and play together. It was such a great group of fellas and we had good leadership and some crazy stuff happened throughout the season.”

For many of the amateurs on the Richmond Kickers’ roster that season, it was the launching pad to playing at the professional level. In fact, the entire starting lineup for the Kickers in the 1995 US Open Cup Final all moved on to play at the pro level.

“It was a really terrific team,” Ukrop recalled. “A lot of guys had that war mentality. It was fun to play with all those guys and I felt like my game improved, and I hope all their games improved as they launched their pro careers. It was fun.”

1995 US Open Cup Final: Jeff Causey of Richmond Kickers voted TheCup.us Player of Round

December 14, 2025 by Josh Hakala

The Richmond Kickers braved the Texas heat and defeated the El Paso Patriots in a penalty kick shootout to win the 1995 US Open Cup. After finishing tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes of the championship game, Kickers goalkeeper Jeff Causey made two crucial saves to give Richmond a 4-2 win in the shootout. With the win, the Kickers became the first Virginia-based club to win the tournament.

Causey, playing for a USISL Premier League amateur team, made nine saves in regulation and extra time. For about 33 minutes of the second half, Richmond played with a man down.

For his performance, Causey has been voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 1995 US Open Cup. The award is voted on by a select panel of TheCup.us staff and contributors.

The other finalist for the award, Rob Ukrop, was a consistent offensive threat for the Kickers. Ukrop also scored the game’s opening goal in the 49th minute, converted the first penalty kick in the game’s tiebreaking shootout, and drew the foul that led to the Patriots’ Hector Cervantes getting a red card in the 83rd minute.

As the more than 7,000 mostly disappointed fans were making their way out of the SISD Student Activities Center in El Paso, the tournament organizers announced that Ukrop was the MVP of the game. When the staff of TheCup.us voted on this award in 2025, they backed up Ukrop’s post-game comments 30 years later.

“Jeff played great.” Ukrop told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “He made two excellent saves in the shootout. He should have been the MVP. There’s no doubt.”

The lone goal Causey allowed in the game came in the 81st minute when El Paso’s Sal Mercado laid a ball off to defender Gabino Amparan who fired a right footed shot from about 30 yards out. The ball took a deflection off a defender in front of the goal and found its way into the back of the net.

“It was so frustrating because I had a couple of good saves before that, and then you know, it’s getting late (in the game), and it’s hot, and guys are starting to cramp up and physically slow down and then all of a sudden there’s a deflection and we’re tied,” said Causey. “The deflection was crushing, but then it was like, ‘ok, now we gotta go into overtime and even more people are starting to cramp up … it was definitely a gut check.”

After 30 minutes of extra time played without a goal, the champion would be decided by a penalty kick shootout. Ukrop and Brian Bates converted Richmond’s first two spot kicks, while Mercado scored for El Paso. The Patriots’ second kick taker, Raul Gomez, saw his attempt stopped by Causey as it went towards the middle of the goal.

Ben Crawley (Kickers) and Gabino Amparan (Patriots) each converted to make it 3-2 Richmond, but in the fourth round Arrambide dove to his left to stop John Hall’s kick. Causey responded by doing the same for Cesar Sosa’s attempt that followed, opening the door for the Kickers.

This left El Paso in do-or-die territory, needing to stop Michael Brady’s shot to stay alive. Unfortunately for the Patriots and their fans, Arrambide guessed wrong, diving to his right while Brady’s kick went to the left.

Brady’s winning goal won the tournament by the score of 4-2. As soon as the ball nestled into the back of the net, Brady ran behind the goal where Causey and the rest of his teammates mobbed him in the Texas heat in front of a disappointed crowd in El Paso.

With very few games broadcast on television, and no scouting video, the goalkeepers in the PK shootout had nothing to work with. There were no cheat sheets.

“It was just reading cues and body language and run-up position,” said Causey about his approach to the shootout. “I had a couple of ideas, and had a little bit of luck on the guesses, getting a good push (off the line) and I was able to make a couple of good saves.”

Causey spent each of Richmond’s PK attempts crouched at the left corner of the penalty area with his back to the goal, focusing on the Patriots kicks he would be facing.

“It takes a lot of nerve, but after I made those saves, I was happy to help the team.” Causey said. “I thrive on that.”

By lifting the US Open Cup trophy with the Richmond Kickers, it added to Causey’s trophy case. The former NCAA All-American won three national championships (1991-93) at the University of Virginia under head coach Bruce Arena and just a few weeks before winning the 1995 US Open Cup, he led the Kickers to the USISL Premier League title.

1995 US Open Cup Final: Richmond Kickers survive heat, beat El Paso Patriots in PKs to win title

November 8, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

In front of a crowd of 7,378 in El Paso, Texas, the Richmond Kickers claimed the “double”, winning the 1995 US Open cup on penalties after a 1-1 extra time draw, just a few weeks after claiming the USISL Premier League crown. The win by the amateur side also marked the first time a team from Virginia and the USISL (United States Interregional Soccer League) won the US Open Cup.

The game was played at the SISD Student Activities Complex because it had a higher capacity than the Patriots home at Dudley Field, which seats about 7,000. The Patriots front office were hoping to draw more than 10,000 for the game.

The championship atmosphere began in the airport when the Kickers arrived for the Final with temperatures in the 90s.

“We got off the airplane and there was a band playing the Macarena, which was really popular at the time,” recalled Richmond goalkeeper Jeff Causey. “So there was a group singing and dancing in the airport to kind of welcome us there as part of the (US Open Cup) Final.”

The forecast for the 1995 US Open Cup Final

While the Kickers were an amateur club for the purpose of maintaining their players NCAA eligibility, the roster was filled with talented and experienced players, countering the Patriots roster with Mexican League experience. Several of the Kickers players were part of Bruce Arena’s newly-established dynasty at the University of Virginia.

“Our team had a lot of really strong college players that had already been in big game situations or played with youth national teams,” said Causey, who won three national titles at UVA from 1991-1993. “We had been in big games, so I guess the stress of being in a cup final … we weren’t as awe struck as some teams might have been.”

It was easy to be awe struck by the moment. This championship game was broadcast live on the Prime Network, a regional sports network collective that reached homes across the country. For many of the players on the field, this was the first time they would be playing in front of a television audience.

It was a relatively even first half. The first scoring chance came in the 5th minute when Richmond’s Richie Williams delivered a cross to the far post from the left wing. There Brian Kamler skied for the header and managed to put it on target, but El Paso goalkeeper Jake Arrambide was in position to make the save.

Around the 20th minute, Richmond’s Rob Ukrop had his header off a free kick miss wide of the target. This was followed up a few minutes later with El Paso’s best chance of the game.

A long ball was sent over the top to the Patriots’ David Stewart. It appeared as though Stewart was going to have a clear scoring chance, but Kickers defender Mike Clark tracked back and slide tackled the ball away to safety.

A few minutes after that, the home team had another chance when defender Gabino Amparan received a cross from a corner kick and headed it toward the upper corner of the near post. Richmond goalkeeper Jeff Causey moved well across the goal and made the save.

In the 32nd minute, Rob Ukrop tripped up Sal Mercado who was attempting to make a break through the middle of the field in the offensive third. Ukrop was shown a yellow card, but the free kick that followed was blasted high over the bar.

The last chance for the Patriots in the first half came a few minutes before the halftime whistle when the ball was headed from the left wing to the top of the box. There Rito Delgado launched a shot off a volley that went just over the bar.

A minute from halftime, the Kickers earned a free kick from about 45 yards out and Jon Hall fired a low-driving missle that missed the target by just a few inches.

The 1995 US Open Cup Final was scoreless at the half. As the second half began, fitness would come into play as the temperatures in El Paso hovered around the mid-90s.

After the halftime break, the Patriots David Stewart broke away from a pair of Kickers defenders in the 49th minute, but Richmond goalkeeper Jeff Causey charged from his goalmouth to force Stewart’s shot wide.

Just a minute later, Richmond would finally break the scoreless deadlock. Leigh Cowlishaw received a pass and took it to the touchline, where he passed back to a wide-open Rob Ukrop in front of goal. Ukrop, who was still healing from a broken cheekbone that he suffered in the Quarterfinal win over the Atlanta Ruckus, was able to get a shot off before a pair of Patriots defenders converged on him, beating goalkeeper Jake Arrambide. It was the third goal of the competition for the former national player of the year from Davidson College.

After back-to-back shutouts of A-League teams (Colorado Foxes & Seattle Sounders), it was the first goal Arrambide had allowed since the first half of the Patriots’ opening round win over the McCormick Kickers.

The 1995 US Open Cup Final was broadcast on the Prime Network.

“We fell asleep.” Patriots head coach Oscar Lira said of the opening goal. “We couldn’t clear the ball, they stole it and put it in. That is the only reason they scored, we fell asleep for a moment.”

Richmond’s joy would be short lived. In the 51st minute, defender Kevin Scott was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on the Patriots’ Rafael Nunez, forcing the Kickers to play with 10 men the rest of the way.

El Paso Times - Aug. 28, 1995 — El Paso Times – Aug. 28, 1995

With nine minutes remaining, El Paso found the equalizer. After passing the ball around the outside of the penalty area, Sal Mercado delivered it to Gabino Amparan, who blasted a shot from 30-yards out. The shot deflected off the foot of Richmond’s Mike Clark and got past a helpless Jeff Causey in goal.

“We thought, even down 1-0, that we could tie and possibly get the win,” said Mercado, who had flown in from Mexico City the morning of the game after playing with Atlético Celaya. “We gained our confidence back and pressured Richmond but the ball just wouldn’t go in.”

El Paso Herald Post - Aug. 28, 1995 — El Paso Herald Post – Aug. 28, 1995

“Right after I scored (in the 49th minute), Kevin got the red card and the momentum went their way.” said Ukrop. “They were more aggressive and had us down a man. But then things evened up when their guy fouled me.”

The foul that Ukrop referenced came two minutes after the tying goal. Just as bad news followed Richmond’s goal, El Paso would suffer the same fate. Hector Cervantes fouled Ukrop on a breakaway, leaving referee Arturo Angeles little choice but to send Cervantes off, leaving the two sides even on the scoreboard and even with 10 players each on the field heading into extra time.

During extra time, El Paso outshot the Kickers 5-0, and nearly won the title in the 120th minute when second-half substitute Cesar Sosa connected on a header off a corner kick. However, Causey was in position to make the save and keep the game tied at 1-1 heading into penalty kicks.

The 83rd US Open Cup Final would be decided from the penalty spot. It was just the second time in tournament history that the champion would be decided this way. The first time came in 1987 when Washington D.C.’s Club Espana defeated the Mitre Eagles (Seattle, Wash.) to lift the trophy.

Heading into penalty kicks Richmond certainly held the advantage. The Kickers were 3-0 on the year in penalty shootouts during the USISL Premier League season, while the USISL Pro League, where El Paso played, used the NASL-style shootouts to break ties.

“I could tell they wanted to go to the shootout with penalty kicks,” El Paso coach Oscar Lira said. “That’s what we didn’t want. We’ve had trouble with penalty kicks all year. We didn’t want it to come to that.”

Ukrop and Brian Bates converted Richmond’s first two spot kicks, while Mercado scored for El Paso. The Patriots’ second kick taker, Raul Gomez, saw his attempt stopped by Causey as it went towards the middle of the goal.

Ben Crawley (Kickers) and Gabino Amparan (Patriots) each converted to make it 3-2 Richmond, but in the fourth round Arrambide dove to his left to stop John Hall’s kick. Causey responded by doing the same for Cesar Sosa’s attempt that followed, opening the door for the Kickers.

This left El Paso in do-or-die territory, needing to stop Michael Brady’s shot to stay alive. Unfortunately for the Patriots and their fans, Arrambide guessed wrong, diving to his right while Brady’s kick went to the left. Brady led his Kickers teammates in celebration behind the goal while the El Paso crowd fell into a disappointed silence.

With a goal in regulation and another in the PK shootout, Rob Ukrop was named the game’s MVP at the stadium. After the game, he did not hesitate to aim the spotlight on teammate Jeff Causey.

“Jeff played great.” Ukrop said. “He made two excellent saves in the shootout. He should have been the MVP. There’s no doubt.”

Causey made nine saves over 120 minutes in addition to those two saves in the PK shootout and the only goal that got past him in regulation or extra time was deflected. Causey spent each of Richmond’s PK attempts crouched at the left corner of the penalty area with his back to the goal, focusing on the Patriots kicks he would be facing.

“It takes a lot of nerve, but after I made those saves, I was happy to help the team.” Causey said. “I thrive on that.”

Kickers head coach Dennis Voillet felt the game should have never made it to penalty kicks.

“The way we played and the way they played, I thought we should have won the thing in the first hour,” said Viollet, a former Manchester United star in his playing days. “We should have been up 2-0 after the first half.”

In addition to winning the 83rd edition of the US Open Cup, the Kickers earned $25,000 in prize money, as well as a spot in the 1996 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup against Necaxa of Mexico. (Note: the tournament would be abandoned before Richmond had a chance to play.)

Despite the loss, the Patriots did leave the game with a small consolation prize. USISL commissioner Francisco Marcos was in attendance and stated that there was a good chance El Paso would host the 1996 USISL Pro League “Sizzling Nine” post-season championship tournament.

1995 US Open Cup Final Preview: El Paso Patriots hosting amateur Richmond Kickers in “El Sauna”

September 11, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

1995 US Open Cup Final
Richmond Kickers (USISL Premier League) at El Paso Patriots (USISL Pro League)
SISD Student Activities Complex – El Paso, Texas
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET
TV: Prime Sports Network / ESPN International

At the beginning of the 1995 US Open Cup, many in the American soccer community figured the Final would be a showcase for the A-League, the top professional league in the United States. But instead, the country’s national championship will feature a showdown between the two leagues of the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL).

The El Paso Patriots of the USISL Pro League (Div. 3) will host the Richmond Kickers, the tournament’s lone entry from the USISL Premier League (amateur) at the SISD Student Activities Complex in El Paso.

The winner is set to represent the United States in the 1996 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup tournament where they were scheduled to play Mexican champion Necaxa (the competition ultimately was abandoned before the U.S. representee could participate).

The makeup of the rosters for the Kickers and Patriots are vastly different. The Patriots squad is full of players with experience playing in Mexico, including six Mexican nationals.

The Kickers roster is made up mostly of current and former college players. Ten of those players were college All-Americans, including five from the University of Virginia, the four-time defending NCAA Champions under head coach Bruce Arena.

The fact that the Kickers are an amateur team is mostly to allow any college players to maintain their NCAA eligibility, although a handful of players do receive a salary. Richmond’s annual operating budget is roughly $300,000, not too far below the estimated $350,000 budget for the Patriots.

Going into the game some of the Kickers have a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

“We’re going into this with something to prove,” Rob Ukrop, Richmond’s leading scorer said about the Final. “Some guys from other teams have told me how we were supposed to win the Premier League title because we have a pretty experienced team and we were facing amateur competition. A win today will give us legitimacy.”

HOSTING DRAMA

There was frustration from the Richmond Kickers side as they had to travel to Texas for the championship game. Both teams were lobbying to host the game, but ultimately, the Patriots won over the tournament’s Open Cup committee by moving the game from Dudley Field (site of the team’s First Round and Semifinal matches), a converted baseball stadium, to the Socorro Independent School District (SISD) Student Activities Center. Dudley Field’s capacity was around 4,500, while the SISD Center was more than double the size, with a seating capacity of about 11,000 fans.

According to the El Paso Times, the Patriots submitted a 30-page proposal that included moving the game to the SISD Center and the Open Cup committee awarded the game to El Paso.

“We want to make this thing as big as possible,” Patriots GM Mitch Doblado told the Times.

As of the day before the game, there were about 3,000 tickets sold for the game.

The Kickers were disappointed not to host. They thought the quality of the field at the University of Richmond Stadium and their ability to draw crowds would give them an edge. Richmond’s home stadium also seats twice as many fans as the SISD Center, with a capacity of 22,000.

“We had more than 5,000 show up for our (USISL Premier League) playoff final in the pouring rain,” Richmond’s Rob Ukrop told the El Paso Times.

ROAD TO THE 1995 US OPEN CUP FINAL

The Richmond Kickers had to work extra hard to get to the Quarterfinals. The USISL Premier League side had to beat the same opponent twice in the First Round. After knocking off USASA club Spartans SC 5-2 on June 11, the Spartans protested the result and it was upheld, forcing a replay on July 2. Then, Richmond would win the replay against a shorthanded Spartans team by the score of 6-1.

In the Quarterfinals, the Kickers defeated the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus 2-1. Rob Ukrop and Scott Snyder provided the scoring for Richmond, although Ukrop was forced to miss several games due to a broken cheekbone after a collision with Atlanta’s John Doyle. Ben Crawley, another one of the stars from the University of Virginia dynasty, assisted on both goals and was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Rito Delgado of the El Paso Patriots (right) dribbles the ball against Wade Webber of the Seattle Sounders in the 1995 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo courtesy of Guillermo McFarlane

In the Semifinals, Richmond faced the Chicago Stingers of the USUSL Pro League and came out on top after a back-and-forth game. The Kickers took the lead three times only to see Chicago equalize each time. The last time, Chicago’s Don D’Ambra tied the game in the 88th minute, but then Ukrop, who came off the bench still recovering from a broken cheekbone, drew a penalty a minute later. Ben Crawley stepped up and converted the PK in the 89th minute to give the Kickers a 4-3 win in what many believe to be the game of the tournament.

The El Paso Patriots kicked off their 1995 US Open Cup with a 5-2 comeback win over 1989 Open Cup champs McCormick Kickers (Fla.). The Patriots scored five unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0 in the opening ten minutes. David Stewart led El Paso with a brace and Raul Gomez had a goal and an assist.

The Quarterfinals saw the Patriots travel North to Colorado Springs, Co. to upset the Colorado Foxes, the defending A-League champions. The Patriots won 2-0 on a pair of goals from Sal Mercado.

The Richmond Kickers pose for a team photo in 1995.

In the Semifinals the Patriots hosted the A-League’s Seattle Sounders in the mid-day El Paso heat that reached into the triple digits. Gabino Amparan’s 36th minute goal held up for a 1-0 shocker over a team that many consider the best outdoor soccer team in the country. El Paso goalkeeper Jake Arrambide, who prior to making the team through an open tryout, had only played high school soccer. He made six saves and earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

LEAGUE FORM

While both the Patriots and Kickers advanced to the USISL postseason, the teams saw their seasons end very differently.

On Aug. 11, the Kickers won the USISL Premier League championship with a 3-1 win over the Cocoa Expos, a team they trailed in the Eastern Division for much of the year. Brian Kamler scored twice in a five-minute span early in the opening half, and Rob Ukrop countered the Expos’ lone goal in the second half. Ukrop finished ninth in USISL Premier League scoring race with 10 goals and four assists. Brian Kamler was named the “Sizzlin Four” (Semifinals) MVP.

The 1995 El Paso Patriots of the USISL Pro League

After finishing the regular season 15-5 the Patriots fell short of the USISL Pro League title, stumbling in the South Central Division Final, losing 3-0 and 2-1 to the New Mexico Chilies on Aug. 17 and 20. Forward Rito Delgado finished the season as one of the top goalscorers in the USISL Pro League, racking up 25 goals.

INJURY REPORT

As far as injuries, Richmond was pretty much 100% healthy. Their top scorer Rob Ukrop was still ignoring his doctor’s recommendations to not play soccer while he heals from a broken cheekbone. He suffered that injury six weeks ago (July 12) in the Kickers’ Quarterfinal win over the Atlanta Ruckus (A-League). Ukrop had come off the bench in the Semifinal win over the Chicago Stingers (drawing the foul that led to the game-winning penalty kick) and all three games of the USISL Premier League Semifinals and Final)

On the flip side, El Paso came into the game slightly banged up coming off their USISL playoff games against New Mexico. David Stewart (knee, foot, thigh), midfielders Neri Baustista (knee) and Raul Gomez (knee) and defender Guillermo McFarlane (groin) were all listed as questionable for the game.

HEAD COACH MISSING

Richmond head coach, and former Manchester United star Dennis Voillet has more than the Open Cup Final to deal with. Viollet traveled down to Jacksonville University on Aug. 13 to begin preparations for the upcoming NCAA season. Violett plans to rejoin the team in El Paso the day before the game, and Kickers general manager Bobby Lennon has looked after the team in his absence. Voillet has been the head coach for Jacksonville since 1990.

WEATHER FORECAST

Viollet and Lennon knew their team was used to the hot summers of Richmond, but as the Seattle Sounders learned in the Semifinals, the heat in El Paso is different. The Richmond Times-Dispatch described the desert heat in El Paso as “El Sauna”. The Semifinal match saw temperatures reach the triple digits. The forecast was calling for temperatures in the mid-90s on gameday.

With that in mind, Lennon made sure his team acclimated to the local climate by practicing in the middle of the afternoon – the hottest part of the day – in the two days leading up to the Final.

“It’s going to be hot, that’s for sure,” Richmond’s Brian Kamler told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “It’s different than we’re used to because it’s a dry heat, but we’ll adjust.”

COLA WARS

In an interesting side issue, Pepsi-Cola of El Paso, a sponsor of the Patriots since 1992, made a possible $50,000 commitment to underwrite the Final, meaning they would make up any lack of ticket sales short of $50,000. The catch is that the venue for the game, the Socorro Student Activities Complex, has a deal in place with Coca-Cola, meaning Pepsi cannot place any signage at the stadium.

TELEVISION

The game was set to be broadcast on the Prime Network, while also receiving a larger global audience when the Final was picked up by ESPN International. It was the first game of the 1995 tournament to be broadcast on television and according to TheCup.us records, this marked the first time that two different networks were going to air the US Open Cup Final.

1995 US Open Cup Semifinals: Ben Crawley’s late PK sends Richmond Kickers past Chicago Stingers, into Final

August 28, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Richmond Kickers, an amateur team from the USISL Premier League, found themselves one win away from reaching the 1995 US Open Cup Final. While hosting the Chicago Stingers of the USISL Pro League at University of Richmond Stadium, the Kickers let an early lead get away only to battle back and re-take the lead in the second half. But when Don D’Ambra scored an 88th minute equalizer for the Stingers, it seemed like the magic had run out on the Kickers.

A minute later, with extra time looming, Richmond was awarded a penalty kick. Ben Crawley, the Player of the Round winner from the Kickers’ Quarterfinal upset of the Atlanta Ruckus, played hero again by converting the PK to send his team to the Final.

With the win, Richmond became the first Virginia-based club in the history of the US Open Cup to reach the championship game.

The play that led to the winning penalty began with Rob Ukrop.

Ukrop came on as a sub in the 70th minute, his first appearance since breaking his cheekbone against the Atlanta Ruckus in the Quarterfinals on July 12. After receiving a pass deep in the Stingers end of the field, Ukrop was brought down in the penalty area by Stingers goalkeeper John Howard. Surprisingly, Ukrop, the team’s top scorer and a player who scored in each of the last two Open Cup games, did not take the penalty kick.

That role was left to Ben Crawley, who had been struggling from the spot in practice. “We’ve been practicing penalty kicks all week, and I was the worst one,” Crawley said. “I wanted to take it. I didn’t see anybody else rushing to it, so I just took it.”

The Kickers got off to a very quick start, scoring just 34 seconds into the game. The Kickers Scott Snyder, with his back turned to goal, found Brian Kamler with a back heel pass. Kamler then beat Howard with a shot and before the 4,667 fans could get settled in their seats, Richmond had a 1-0 lead.

“Usually 15 seconds in, you don’t expect to score,” Kamler told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Somehow, the ball got played across to Snyder, and I was just fortunate that he had a good back heel.”

The lead only lasted eleven more minutes. Kickers defender Mike Clark misplayed a high ball and Chicago’s Don D’Ambra took control of it and fired a shot from the left side past Kickers goalkeeper Jeff Causey to tie the game. D’Ambra, a standout indoor player with the Milwaukee Wave was a big reason for the Stingers run to the Semifinals. The Philadelphia native assisted on David Linn’s game-winning goal in the 89th minute against the New York Centaurs in the Quarterfinals.

Howard made two big saves in the middle of the half to keep the game tied. In the 25th minute, Richie Williams beat an offside trap, but Howard came off his line and forced Williams’ shot to settle into the side netting of the goal. Five minutes later, Howard stopped a breakaway attempt from Ben Crawley.

In the 38th minute, Richmond did get their second goal when John Hall blasted a shot from 35 yards out.

Just before halftime, Chicago tied the game back up when Richmond’s Kevin Scott pushed David Richardson in the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot and Steve Morris stepped up and scored the PK. It was Morris’ second goal of the tournament. The Milwaukee Wave indoor standout scored the competition’s lone golden goal when his 99th minute tally eliminated the AAC Eagles in the First Round.

About 15 minutes into the second half a scuffle broke out that involved nearly every player on the field, holding up play for almost five minutes. Matt Knowles, signed by Chicago days before the game, found himself sent off after throwing a punch at Crawley. Chicago’s Art Wywrot and Richmond’s Mike Clark received yellow cards for their part in the fracas.

“One of their players took down one of our players,” Crawley said. “I got in there to try to break it up, and (Knowles) got me in the nose.”

Richmond, playing with a man advantage, once again took the lead in the 69th minute when Scott Snyder headed home a free kick from John Hall.

With two minutes remaining, it looked like the Kickers were on their way to a second straight pro team upset, but the Stingers would tie the game for a third time. Dom D’Ambra scored his second goal of the game after taking a pass from Steve Morris and the game appeared to be headed to extra time.

Just a minute later, Crawley would convert the second penalty kick of the game to put the Kickers into the US Open Cup Final against the El Paso Patriots who had upset the A-League’s Seattle Sounders 1-0 last weekend.

Crawley, who had experience taking penalty kicks when he played for the University of Virginia, wasn’t fazed about the moment.

Crawley told the Richmond Times-Dispatch: “It’s just a matter of confidence.”

1995 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview: Four teams take different paths to final four

August 27, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Semifinals of the 1995 US Open Cup came down to four very different teams. The Seattle Sounders, the best team from the A-League (Div. 2) had to travel south to take on the injury-riddled El Paso Patriots from the USISL Pro League (Div. 3). Meanwhile, the Cinderella story of the competition, the Richmond Kickers, an amateur side from the USISL Premier League, hosted the second place team in the USISL Pro League, the Chicago Stingers.

The winner of each game will advance to the Final with $25,000 in prize money and the title as the United States’ national champion on the line.

July 30, 1995
Seattle Sounders (A-League) at El Paso Patriots (USISL Pro)
Dudley Field – El Paso, TX
Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET

Controversy has surrounded what day and time this game was to be played. Originally a window of Aug. 2 – 4 was set, and the USISL had agreed to cancel the Patriots’ game that weekend against the Los Angeles Salsa since it would not impact either team’s playoff positioning. However, news came on July 26 that the game was being moved up to July 30. The Patriots accused the Open Cup committee of playing political games since Seattle is the lone A-League team remaining. A-League commissioner Richard Groff, along with USISL commissioner Francisco Marcos, are members on the committee.

In retaliation, the Patriots have set the kickoff time to 2 p.m. local time when temperatures will be close to 100 degrees, much hotter than the Sounders players are used to in the relatively mild weather of the Pacific Northwest. In comparison, the Seattle area is looking at highs in the upper 70s.

The Patriots are on top of the USISL Pro South Central division with a 15-3 record, and forward Rito Delgado is second in the league in scoring with 25 goals and 10 assists. The Patriots will be without Sal Mercado for the game, as he returns to Mexico. Mercado was the hero in their Quarterfinal upset of the A-League Colorado Foxes, scoring both goals in the 2-0 win.

In addition to the loss of Mercado, many Patriots starters are dealing with injuries. Starters Neri Bautista (ankle), Rito Delgado (leg), Guillermo McFarlane (thigh) and Erique Cervantes (ribs) are all hobbled. Since El Paso has clinched their division, the Patriots rested some of their regular starters in their final USISL regular season game against the Texas Lightning on July 28.

“It’s sort of unbelievable,” McFarlane told the El Paso Times. “We started off great and had no worries. Now we have the injuries and it makes you wonder.”

Players from the Seattle Sounders and Everett BigFoot battle for the ball in a First Round game in the 1995 US Open Cup.

Seattle is red hot in the A-League, riding a six-game winning streak and sitting atop the league at 13-3. Peter Hattrup remains the best offensive player in the league, registering 8 goals and 5 assists. Chance Fry is also among the league leaders with 7 goals and 2 assists.

Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann is second in the league with a 1.00 goals against average and has been selected by Steve Sampson for the Parmalat Cup roster, a tournament involving the U.S. Men’s National Team along with club teams Parma, Benfica and Boca Juniors.

The Sounders have reached the Semifinals by steamrolling both USISL Pro clubs they have faced. Seattle opened the tournament with a 9-2 thrashing of the Everett BigFoot, a win so thorough that Sounders head coach Alan Hinton took two players off the field in the final ten minutes to avoid running up the score.

Their victim in the Quarterfinals was the Chico Rooks, by a score of 5-0. During that game Sounders forward Jason Dunn (twin brother of teammate James Dunn) suffered a broken nose when he was reportedly punched by the Rooks’ Eric Descombes. It was the seventh time Dunn has broken his nose in his career, and it will keep him out of the game vs. El Paso.

August 4, 1995
Chicago Stingers (USISL Pro) at Richmond Kickers (USISL Premier)
University of Richmond Stadium – Richmond, VA
Kickoff: 7:35 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: 1340 WHAP (Richmond)

While the Richmond Kickers and Chicago Stingers are both in second place in their respective divisions, the teams have had vastly different seasons. Chicago finished the USISL Pro League regular season with an 11-9 record, well behind the first place Minnesota Thunder (19-1). Despite finishing just two games over .500, the Stingers managed to qualify for the playoffs. They are scheduled to begin their playoff run on the road against the St. Louis Knights on Aug. 8.

The Kickers finished with the third-most points in the USISL Premier League with a 15-3 record, but were unable to overtake the 16-2 Cocoa Expos for first place. Richmond has the advantage of skipping the USISL Premier League playoffs, since they are hosting the “Sizzling Four” Finals on Aug. 9-11 they get an automatic spot among the four teams. The Kickers began the season with a 14-game winning streak across all competitions but recently have lost three of their last four USISL contests.

“I don’t think any team has beaten us; we’ve beaten ourselves,” Kickers head coach and former Manchester United star Dennis Violett said of the recent losses.

Stingers defender Greg Muhr and Kickers midfielder Ben Crawley have been selected for a USISL All-Star Game that will face Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, Ohio on Aug. 5.

Richmond may be without their best player, as forward Rob Ukrop suffered a broken cheekbone in the Quarterfinal game against the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus when he was accidentally struck by an elbow while challenging US international and Atlanta Ruckus defender John Doyle for the ball. Ukrop will dress for the game, but Violett has said he only wants to use him as a sub “if it was an absolute emergency only”, considering the Kickers have the USISL Premier League Finals next weekend.

Chicago signed defender Matt Knowles on July 26. Knowles has played with the indoor Milwaukee Wave for the past three seasons. He was the team’s second leading scorer for the Wave in the 1994-95 season with 33 goals and 21 assists. His last stint on an outdoor pitch was in 1993 with the Tampa Rowdies of the APSL.

Richmond and Chicago reached the Semifinals by upsetting a pair of A-League clubs in the Quarterfinals on July 12.

In the opening match of the day. Richmond got by the Atlanta Ruckus 2-1 on goals from Rob Ukrop (13th minute) and Scott Snyder (62nd minute), both assisted by Ben Crawley. Crawley was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance.

To cap off the night, the Stingers needed just one goal to knock out the New York Centaurs. David Linn’s 89th minute winner made it 3-0 for the USISL teams on the night, as the El Paso Patriots went on the road and defeated the defending A-League champion Colorado Foxes in the other game.

1995 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Ben Crawley of Richmond Kickers voted TheCup.us Player of Round

August 24, 2025 by Josh Hakala

As part of the 1995 US Open Cup Rewind Series, TheCup.us staff went back in our time machine and voted on a Player of the Round. Each round we honored the best individual performances of each round of the tournament.

With the amount of talent the Richmond Kickers have, if they are an amateur team, it won’t be for much longer. The Kickers, a powerhouse in the USISL Premier League, pulled off a 2-1 upset of the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus in the Quarterfinals of the 1995 US Open Cup. Atlanta, who had a roster that featured multiple United States national team players, were knocked out of the tournament by the amateurs from Virginia at the University of Richmond Stadium.

Richmond’s goals were scored by Rob Ukrop and Scott Snyder and both of them were assisted by former University of Virginia star and US youth international Ben Crawley.

Crawley’s performance that helped send the Kickers into the Semifinals earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors. The award is voted on by a select panel of TheCup.us staff and contributors. Crawley narrowly edged out Sal Mercado of the El Paso Patriots (2 goals in a 2-0 upset of the A-League’s Colorado Foxes) and David Linn of the Chicago Stingers (Game-winning goal in the 89th minute in a win over the A-League’s New York Centaurs)

The underdog Kickers got off to a positive start with a goal in the 13th minute. Crawley found the Kickers’ leading scorer Rob Ukrop with a deep pass. Ukrop, a former national player of the year at Davidson College, took the ball into the box and calmly beat Ruckus goalkeeper Mun Yung-Yi with a shot to the far post.

Describing the play, Crawley told the Richmond Times-Dispatch “We made eye contact, and he just peeled away from his defender (US National Team defender John Doyle). I laid the ball in there, and he made a great run.”

After Doyle equalized for Atlanta in the 52nd minute, Crawley once again made the crucial pass ten minutes later. Brian Kamler found Crawley streaking down the left side, who in turn passed to Scott Snyder for the go-ahead goal.

Crawley’s soccer skills were first noticed as a teenager when he was a Parade Magazine High School All-American at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. He played for the United States Under-17 and Under-20 national teams and took part in multiple world championship tournaments alongside future pros like Kasey Keller, Chris Henderson, Mike Burns and others. Crawley claims he was the youngest member of the Under-20 national team during his time there.

Crawley was recruited by Bruce Arena as he continued to build a dynasty at the University of Virginia. Crawley was a major part of the school winning its first three national championships (1989, 1991, 1992). He was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer in three of his four years (1990-92).

“Bruce was a coach that gave every player what they needed to be their best,” said Crawley. “Sometimes it was kind but a lot of times it was tough. Every one of my teammates had a different experience with him. Personally, he gave me the freedom to create and I think he allowed me to be the best version of myself”

After graduating from UVA as a three-time national champion, there were not many professional options for him at the next level. Crawley turned to his high school coach, Wolfgang Sühnholz, who played for Bayern Munich and for multiple teams in the North American Soccer League in the 1970s. Suhnholz helped him find a home at TuS Celle FC, a German third division club.

After two seasons in Germany, Crawley returned stateside in hopes of signing with a Major League Soccer club when the league was scheduled to launch in 1995. Since the launch was pushed to 1996, players like Crawley had to find somewhere to play. As a result, Crawley ended up signing with the newly-created Richmond Kickers in the USISL Premier League.

“The (Kickers) team was thrown together kind of late, and (the USISL Premier League) was the highest league they would put us in,” said Crawley. “I think there’s a lot of organization (standards) that went into the A-League. So when we got it all together, it was March or April of 1995.”

While Crawley was disappointed that the Kickers weren’t added to the USISL Pro League (Div. 3) or the A-League (Div. 2), the Kickers saw the US Open Cup as an opportunity to prove themselves.

“The only time we got to step up and and show that we were quality was when we gotta play the US Open Cup,” said Crawley. “That way we got to play against teams that were supposed to beat us, but obviously we showed well.”