Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Seattle Sounders MLS

Notable Semifinal matches in US Open Cup history

by

4/18/14  Pawtucket, Rhode Island
New Bedford FC 1-2 Brooklyn Field Club

New Bedford – Beckton 24’
Brooklyn – Robert Millar (2)
Sent Off – Clark (Brooklyn) 34’, Chadwick (New Bedford) 34’

4/26/14  Olympic Park – Paterson, New Jersey
Brooklyn Celtic 6-2  Niagara Falls Rangers (3-0 HT)

Celtic – O’Hallaran (3), King (Campion), Campion, Lonie
Rangers – Kemp, Wallace

The very first Semifinal round of the US Open Cup (then called the National Challenge Cup) saw a pair of Brooklyn teams reach the Final. On April 18, the Brooklyn Field Club, which finished first in the National Association Football League, defeated New Bedford FC 2-1, on two goals by Hall of Famer Robert Millar, after Beckton had given the New Englanders a 1-0 lead. Both teams played much of the game with ten men each, after Clark of Brooklyn and Chadwick of New Bedford were sent off in the 35th minute for fighting.

In the other Semifinal on April 26 Brooklyn Celtic, eventual winners of the New York State Amateur Foot Ball League, easily defeated the Niagara Falls Rangers 6-2. O’Hallaran lead the way for Celtic with a hat trick.

3/17/29  Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
Madison Kennels 7-4 Sparta A & BA

Madison – Bud Grennon (3), Dinty Moore, Worden, Oster, Eddie Flavin
Sparta – Barger (2), Kratochvil, Oster (og)

St. Louis’s Madison Kennels and Chicago’s Sparta A & BA combine for 11 goals, setting a new Semifinal mark that would later be equaled in 1962. Madison’s Bud Grennon led all scorers with three goals, while Barger led Sparta with two.

3/16/30  Polo Grounds – New York, New York
Bethlehem Steel 1-1 Fall River Marksmen (Match Report)

Bethlehem – Sandy Dick
Fall River – Alex McNab 82’

Bethlehem – Fraser, Finlayson, McGregor, Reid, Carnihan, Pitt, Gillespie, Jaap, Stark, Massie, Dick

Marksmen – Reder, McGill, R. McAuley, McPherson, Priestley, Ballantyne, McNab, Gonsalves (Nilsen), Patenaude, J. McAuley, White

Att – 17,000   Referee – C. E. Creighton. Linesmen – F. DeGroof and M. Hutchinson

3/23/30  Battery Park – New Bedford, Massachusetts
(replay) Fall River Marksmen 3-2 Bethlehem Steel

Fall River – Billy Gonsalves 50’, Dave Priestley 67’, Bobby Ballantyne 71’
Bethlehem – Archie Stark 64’ 70’

Bethlehem Steel makes their final appearance in the National Challenge Cup, losing to the Fall River Marksmen 3-2 and ending the first great dynasty of the Cup. After a 1-1 draw at the Polo Grounds in New York, Fall River took the replay at New Bedford. Billy Gonsalves gave the Marksmen a 1-0 lead after 50 minutes, but Archie Stak put Bethlehem ahead with two goals in the middle of the half. Fall River snatched the lead for good on scored from Dave Priestly and Bobby Ballantine. Effects of the Great Depression forced Bethlehem Steel to stop fielding a team after 1930.

Bethlehem made the Semifinals a total of nine times from 1915-1930, including five in a row from 1915-1919, in which they reached the Final each time.

3/6/32  St. Louis, Missouri
(first leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 3-2 Bricklayers FC

Stix – McCarthy (2), Willie McLean
Bricklayers – Lillie, Coutis

3/14/32  Sparta Field – Chicago, Illinois
(second leg) Bricklayers FC 2-0 Stix, Baer & Fuller

Bricklayers – Munro, Lillie

3/19/32  Sportsman’s Park – St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Stix, Baer & Fuller 1-0 Bricklayers FC

Stix – Jack O’Reilly 1’

Stix, Baer & Fuller, featuring Hall of Famers Billy Gonsalves, William Lehman, Alex McNab, Willie McLean, began their run of six straight appearances in the Open Cup Final by defeating Chicago’s Bricklayers SC over three legs in the 1932 Western Final. The team reached the 1932, 1933 & 1934 Finals under the sponsorship of Stix. Baer and Fuller, a St. Louis department store. The team switched sponsorship for the 1935 season, playing as Central Breweries. Sponsorship changed again, and the team reached the 1936 & 1937 finals under the name Shamrocks. The team finally folded after many of its players left to play for another St. Louis club, St. Patricks.

3/24/35  St. Louis, Missouri
(First leg) Central Brewery 2-1 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

4/1/35  De Paul Field – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 1-1 (aet) Central Brewery

Weibolt – Littie 28’
Central – McNab 30’

4/6/34  St. Louis, Missouri
(Second leg replay) Central Brewery 3-3 (aet) Weiboldt Wodnerbolts

4/14/35  Sparta Stadium – Chicago, Illinois
(Second leg – second replay) Weiboldt Wonderbolts 3-2(aet) Central Brewery (0-2 HT, 2-2 FT)

Weibolt – Monroe (2 PK), Hill
Central – Billy Gonsalves, Bert Patenaude

4/21/35  St. Louis, Missouri
(third leg) Central Brewery 1-0 Weiboldt Wonderbolts

Central – Bert Patenaude 68′

The longest Semifinal matchup was between Chicago’s Weiboldt Wonderbolts and Central Brewery of St. Louis. The three-leg Western Final actually lasted five games. Central won the first game 2-1 in St. Louis. The second leg in Chicago finished 1-1 after extra time. A week later in St. Louis, the second leg replay finished 3-3, meaning a second replay of the second leg would take place a week later in Chicago. That game also went to extra time, but the Wonderbolts managed to come out on top 3-2. Nearly a month after it started, the series finally ended when Central won the decisive leg 1-0.

4/23/44  Winnemac Park – Chicago, Illinois
(first leg) Viking AA 0-2 Morgan Strasser

Morgan – Elgie Grant 21′ 80′

5/7/44  Bridgeville Park – Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
(second leg) Morgan Strasser 9-0 Viking AA (Chi.) (4-0 HT)

Morgan – Aldo Donelli 15′ (Hart) n/a’ , Felix Mitchell (2), Pucker (2), Urbanic, Grant, Pietersek

The most lopsided Semifinal pairing was in 1944, when Pittsburgh’s Morgan Strasser demolished Chicago’s Viking AA 11-0 over two legs. Morgan won the first leg in Chicago 2-0, but the return leg in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania turned into a rout. Aldo Donelli, Felix Mitchell and Pucker each scored twice as Morgan ran away with a 9-0 win, a mark that still stands as the highest score by a single team in a single Semifinal game.

3/28/54  Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
Scots SC 0-1 Kutis SC
Att-4,000

The Scots SC of Los Angeles became the first team West of St. Louis to appear in a US Open Cup Semifinal, losing to Kutis SC 1-0. 1954 was also the first year teams from California participated in the US Open Cup, and the winner between Los Angeles and San Francisco went on to face the survivor between St. Louis and Chicago in the Semifinals.

6/10/62  St. Louis, Missouri
Kutis SC 5-6 (aet) San Francisco Scots 6-5

Scots – Tom Dawkins n/a’ 118′

The Scots and Kutis combine for 11 goals in the 1962 Western Final, equaling a mark set by Madison Kennels and Sparta A & BA in 1929 for the most combined goals in a single Semifinal game. Tom Dawkins scored twice for the Scots, including the winning goal with a minute left in extra time. The game was tied 3-3 after ninety minutes, and also marked the first time a club from San Francisco would reach the Open Cup Final.

3/6/71  Seattle, Washington
(1st Leg) Heidelberg Brewers (Sea.) 1-0 Yugoslav SC

3/14/71  Rancho la Cienega Stadium – Los Angeles, California
(2nd Leg) Yugoslav SC 2-0 Heidelberg Brewers

Yugoslav – Karlo Mertisek, Rade Savic

In the last two-leg Semifinal in Open Cup play, San Pedro, California’s Yugoslav SC edged out Seattle’s Heidelberg Brewers on a 2-1 aggregate.

5/27/73  Metropolitan Oval – Queens, New York
New York Greek Americans 1-3 Inter-Italia SC

NYGA – Joe Ognajac 31’
Inter – Valentino Stavole 3’, Vito Colonna 40’, Gianpietro Gasparin 41’)

Cleveland’s Inter-Italia SC halted a six-year streak of New York/New Jersey clubs appearing in the US Open Cup Final, thanks to a 3-1 victory over New York Greek Americans. Inter dominated play for the most part, and were lead by Gianpietro Gasparini, a priest by trade, who played a part in all three of Inter’s goals.

Cleveland started off right away, as Gasparini fed a pass to Valentino Stavole, who beat G-A goalkeeper Joe Canal from 15 yards out after just two minutes of play. The Greeks managed to draw the match level after 31 minutes however, as Joe Ognajac put in a header from close range.  Cleveland took the lead for good just before halftime, as Vito Colonna scored in the 40th minute, and Gasparini scored just a minute later. Cleveland kept up the pressure, but missed several chances to further grow the scoreline.

6/3/79  Norton Park – St. Petersburg, Florida
H. Brooks Dodge Chargers 0-3 Brooklyn Dodgers

The St. Petersburg, Florida-based Chargers are the first team from the Southern US to make an appearance in the Semifinals of the US Open Cup. By this time the tournament was split into four regions, and only three teams entered from the southern region.

6/20/87  St. Louis Soccer Park – Fenton, Missouri
Mitre Eagles 5-4(aet) Busch SC  (2-2 FT)

Eagles – John Klein 119’ (2), Eddie Kruger, Peter Klein, Andy Churlin
Busch- Steve Trittschuh 85’

St. Louis’s Busch SC tried the game at 2-2 in the 85th minute on a goal from Steve Tritschuh. The teams traded goals in extra time to make it 4-4, and John Klein sent the Eagles to the final with a 25-yard shot in the 119th minute.

6/25/94
Bavarian Leinekugel w/o McCormick Kickers

The Kickers are forced to forfeit since most of the team held tickets to a World Cup game in Orlando that fell on the same day. The team had purchased the tickets well in advance, and were assured the dates for the Open Cup would not conflict.

9/2/97  Stagg Memorial Stadium – Stockton, California
San Francisco Bay Seals 1-2 DC United

The Cinderella run of the San Francisco Bay Seals comes to an end with their Semifinal loss to DC United. The D3 Pro League Seals had upset two MLS teams (Kansas City and San Jose) on their way to becoming the only team from the third tier of US soccer to reach the Semifinals in the Professional Era (1995-present).

9/1/99  Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-2 Columbus Crew

Rochester – Darren Tilley 68’, Scott Schweitzer 86’, Tom Hardy 90’
Columbus – Robert Warzycha 56’, Brian West 77’

9/1/99  Virginia Beach Sportsplex – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Colorado Rapids 3-0 Charleston Battery

Colorado – Jorge Daly Valdes 55’ 87’, Paul Bravo 82’

For the first time in Pro Era history, two non-MLS teams reach the Semifinals. Rochester’s 3-2 triumph over Columbus paved the way for the only time a lower league club would win the Open Cup title in the Pro Era. While Charleston fell 3-0 to Colorado, their run was catapulted by their famous 4-3 sudden death extra time win over DC United in the Fourth Round. Both games were played in Virginia Beach, Virginia due to the fact that they were scheduled to host the 1998 Open Cup Final, but a hurricane forced a venue change.

8/12/08  Blackbaud Stadium – Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Battery 1-1 (aet) Seattle Sounders
Charleston advance on penalty kicks, 4-3

Charleston – Randi Patterson 32’
Seattle – Osvaldo Alonso 20’ (og)

For the only time in the Pro Era, a Semifinal match is contested between two lower league teams, ensuring the Final would feature at least one non-MLS team.

7/21/09 Starfire Sports Complex – Tukwila, Washington
Seattle Sounders FC 2:1 (aet) Houston Dynamo

The Seattle Sounders, in their inaugural season in Major League Soccer, advanced to the Final in dramatic fashion. Houston’s Ade Akinbiyi put the Dynamo up in the 32nd minute, but the home team wasn’t able to equalize until the 89th minute when Nate Jaqua sent the game into extra time. With all the momentum and the home crowd behind them at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash., Stephen King scored what would prove to be the game-winner in the 95th minute on an assist from Sebastien Le Toux and the club would hold on to the 2-1 lead throughout extra time, despite defender Jhon Hurtado being sent off in the 110th minute. The Sounders become the first Seattle-based team to reach the Open Cup Final since the Mitre Eagles did it in 1987.

Hosting scenarios for 2011 US Open Cup Final announced

by

The United States Soccer Federation has unveiled the hosting possibilities for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The match will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 4, regardless of the location. The combination of winners of the Semifinal match-ups, which will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 30, will determine where the championship will be decided.

The defending two-time champion Seattle Sounders are in the driver’s seat as potential hosts. The club was selected to host the tournament final against the other semifinal winner should they defeat 2010 MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas, a fellow participant in the ongoing CONCACAF Champions League. Should Seattle falter, the location will be determined by the result of the semifinal featuring the Chicago Fire and Richmond Kickers, members of the third-division USL Pro.

Championship Host Scenarios

Chicago Fire / Richmond Kickers at Seattle Sounders
CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Wash. – Time TBA
OR
FC Dallas at Chicago Fire
Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill. – Time TBA
OR
Richmond Kickers at FC Dallas
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, Texas – Time TBA

The tournament resumes Tuesday evening after a month break in play with semifinal contests hosted by Chicago and Seattle.

In the first game, the four-time tournament champion Chicago Fire welcomes this year’s lower division surprise, the Richmond Kickers of USL Pro (3rd Division) into Toyota Park at 8:30 p.m. EST. The second game will feature the defending Open Cup champion Seattle Sounders as they host FC Dallas at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash starting at 10:00 pm EST.

The Sounders, who are looking to become the fourth club in US Open Cup history to three-peat, will host the final for the second year in a row if they are victorious. Seattle has yet to lose a championship game in their brief MLS history (2-0-0).

The Chicago Fire are attempting to make history with their record-tying fifth Open Cup title this year. If they win their final four match against Richmond, they need FC Dallas to beat Seattle in order for the Fire to host. Historically, this would be a boost to the Fire because they have never lost a championship game on their home field, winning the 1998, 2000 and 2006 titles. They won the 2003 tournament at Giants Stadium against the Metrostars, but they suffered their only championship game loss at Kansas City in 2004. They have not reached a final since beating the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 at Toyota Park in 2006.

The only time FC Dallas has ever hosted an Open Cup Final was when they lost to the New England Revolution in 2007, but this year they will be attempting to lift their second Dewar Cup. Their only title came in the 1997 tournament when they beat DC United in penalty kicks after a scoreless draw at Carroll Track and Field Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis).

The Richmond Kickers, who have made history by becoming the first lower division club to upset back-to-back MLS teams on the road, will have to win a third (at Chicago) and then a fourth (at either FC Dallas or Seattle) in order to win their second Open Cup championship. The Kickers won the 1995 Open Cup as a member of the USISL Premier League (now USL Premier Development League). They defeated two professional teams before upsetting a third pro team, the El Paso Patriots, in penalty kicks 4-2 to claim the championship after a 1-1 draw.

The home team is 10-3-1 (0-1 in PKs) in Open Cup Finals in the Professional Era (1995-present) with two games (1997, 1999) being played at neutral venues.

Hosts are determined via a blind bid process by the USSF that takes into account numerous factors such as facilities, potential or guaranteed revenue, fans and media.

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Recap: Historic pair of nights as Richmond, Seattle post wins

by

The first of two nights in the 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals was a night in which we saw three different kinds of coach reactions of note. The final match Wednesday evening was yet another Sounders-fest as the two-time defending champions cruised to another win.

Photo: FC Dallas

First there was the complete disregard for the event with the Red Bulls sending one first team player, 13 reserves and second-level assistant coach to Chicago. Not surprisingly, it was an easy victory for the Fire, who took the match seriously.

Then there were a pair of coaches who were vocal in the lead up that they wanted to win and perhaps even more vocal in defeat. Reports indicate both Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City coaches reprimanded their star-laden squads after lackluster performances in losses. RSL fell yet again in Dallas after winning at home against the same team over the weekend. Kansas City suffered its first-ever loss in the new stadium, which ended a 12-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.

And finally, there was the genius of Richmond Kickers manager Leigh Cowlishaw. A stunning starting lineup for the last remaining lower division side saw the two stars David Bulow and Matthew Delicate start on the bench. The surprising tactic, though mostly out of need to rest the pair, proved brilliant for a club that saw a stormy night of action for the second time in five nights.

Perhaps prepared by the lengthy two-hour lightning delay the Kickers waited out Friday evening in league play, the side made a couple switches when play resumed after a similar break of approximately 80 minutes Tuesday at the 65th minute mark and caught the hosts asleep. Two second half goals led to a historic result that included a laundry list of achievements at the team and individual player levels.

In the Semifinals, set for August 30, the Richmond Kickers will be traveling to face the Chicago Fire while the Seattle Sounders play host to FC Dallas.

Richmond Kickers 2:0 Sporting Kansas City

The Kickers became the first lower division club to record back-to-back road wins against MLS clubs in the tournament and David Bulow’s penalty made him the all-time leading scorer in the Professional Era, passing Jaime Moreno and Johnny Menyongar. TheCup.us Match MVP: Ronnie Pascale

New York Red Bulls 0:4 Chicago Fire 

Dominic Oduro wasted no time with the opening goal after seven minutes. The Fire ran away with it early in the second half as well with Orr Barouch scoring twice. TheCup.us Match MVP: Orr Barouch

Real Salt Lake 0:2 FC Dallas 

Trends won out as first-time Quarterfinalists RSL remained winless at Pizza Hut Park, falling to all-time leading Quarterfinalist (12 appearances) FC Dallas. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

Los Angeles Galaxy 1:3 Seattle Sounders

A year later it was Nate Jaqua again in the spotlight as Seattle downed the visiting Galaxy in the Quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Jaqua notched a goal and an assist in the first 25 minutes as Seattle advanced to a Professional Era record fifth consecutive Semifinal appearance via the USL and MLS clubs.  TheCup.us Match MVP: Nate Jaqua

2011 Quarterfinal Scoreboard [+]
2011 Quarterfinal Lineups [+]
2011 US Open Cup Bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup Participant Map [+]
2011 US Open Cup Goalscoring Leaders [+]

2010 Open Cup Champion Sounders Set for CONCACAF Champions League starting Tuesday

by

The 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champion Seattle Sounders will kick off their second consecutive campaign in the CONCACAF Champions League Tuesday evening with a first leg match against San Francisco at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama. The match is the opening contest of the 2011-12 edition of the CCL event, now in its fourth year as the new version of the confederation’s club championship. Current semifinalist FC Dallas is slated for its CCL debut.

Seattle Sounders in second CCL event as Open Cup champions

Currently in the midst of an 11-game unbeaten streak in league and Open Cup play, the Sounders have already booked a trip to the Open Cup semifinals in a bid to win a third consecutive tournament and are only third overall in the league table, four points back of first. With the postseason seemingly firmly in sight, the club may have an opportunity to seek redemption for its unfortunate results from a year ago.

In Seattle’s first CCL appearance last year, the Sounders advanced from the Preliminary Round 2-1 on aggregate against Isidro Metapan (EL Salvador) with a 1-0 win at home on a Fredy Montero strike and a 1-1 draw on the road with an Alvaro Fernandez equalizer. It then all went downhill in group play as they lost their first four games. Roger Levesque scored in a 2-1 loss at Marathon (Honduras) in the opener before they suffered a pair of 2-0 losses versus Monterrey (Mexico) and at Saprissa (Costa Rica) before falling 3-2 in Mexico in which Michael Fucito added to an own goal on the Sounders’ ledger. Fucito, who was recently honored as TheCup.us Player of the Round for his two goals in the Third Round 2-1 win against the Kitsap Pumas, continued to play a star role with two goals at home against Marathon for the club’s first group win, 2-0. Nate Jaqua tallied the final goal in their 2-1 loss to Saprissa.

San Francisco, meanwhile, is only two matches into its league campaign. Like Seattle, the club advanced to group play in its CCL debut in 2008-09 with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Jalapa (Guatemala), but came up winless in group play with only a pair of draws in six outings. Among the group matches San Francisco were a pair of games against the Houston Dynamo of MLS, playing to a scoreless draw at home and falling 2-1 in Texas.

Since then, however, San Francisco has failed to advance to the group stage. In their second appearance they were edged 3-2 on aggregate by San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad). A year ago, they received the unfortunate draw of facing two-time CCL Finalist Cruz Azul, who dominated 9-2 over the course of the two games.

Panama’s outing from San Francisco, Arabe Unido and Tauro last year was the league’s worst in three years as the trio went 2-8-0 for a point-percentage of .200, ranking only better than Trinidad, which was .167. MLS, meanwhile had its best combined CCL campaign a year ago with a 14-12-4 record and .511 point-percentage, which trailed Mexico (.722) and Costa Rica (.556) of the nine leagues represented.

Head-to-head MLS has had the better of the match-up versus clubs from Panama with a record of 5-2-3, going unbeaten at home (4-0-1). Last year MLS was 3-1-0 versus Panamanian opposition, winning both home contests.

Three other MLS clubs prior to the Sounders represented the US Open Cup in CONCACAF’s championship tournament. In 2009-10 DC United advanced from the Preliminary Round versus Luis Angel Firpo (El Salvador) via penalties after a pair of 1-1 draws. They would find themselves too far behind after losing the first two groupd games versus Marathon and Toluca (Mexico) to advance despite winning the next three (two against Jabloteh plus Marathon) before wrapping up with a 1-1 draw in Mexico.

The year prior, the New England Revolution were embarrassed in the inaugural edition of the CCL, falling 6-1 on aggregate to Joe Public of Trinidad after a 4-0 loss in the second leg. In the previous Cup-version of the tournament, the Columbus Crew (2002 US Open Cup champions) won their First Round series versus Arabe Unido of Panama 4-2 on aggregate before bowing out in the Quarterfinals, 6-2 on aggregate, against Monarcas Morelia (Mexico) as the two split the series with a pair of shutout wins.

Seattle also has a little more history in CONCACAF. The lower division edition of the Sounders were entrants in the 1996 Champions Cup as the 1995 winners of the A-League (second division). The club dominated in a playoff between US and Caribbean entrants, downing SV Transvaal (Suriname), 10-0, before losing all three matches in the Championship Group phase, falling 2-0 to Comunicaciones (Guatemala), 4-1 to Necaxa (Mexico) and 11-0 to Cruz Azul.

Current Open Cup semifinalist FC Dallas makes CCL debut after MLS Cup runners-up finish

Seattle’s Semifinal US Open Cup opposition, FC Dallas, is the other MLS club set to begin play in the Champions League. The club will make its tournament debut with a Preliminary Round series against Alianza of El Salvador on the road Thursday at Estadio Cuscatlan.

It is also the first appearance in the CCL for Alianza, who will kick off their current league campaign Sunday against fellow CCL-qualifier Isidro Metapan, who host the Puerto Rico Islanders (NASL) Wednesday evening in the first leg of their Preliminary Round series.

The other US-based league side in the Champions League is Toronto FC. They will be the lone club of the four to play at home in the first leg of the Preliminary Round, playing host to Real Esteli of Nicaragua. It marks the Central American nation’s return to the tournament for the first time since the same club fell 1-0 on aggregate to the Montreal Impact (then USL First Division) in the 2008-09 Preliminary Round.

Although it may be a debut night for both FC Dallas and Alianza Thursday evening, teams from the two leagues have met previously with MLS hold the 3-1-4 edge in the all-time record of the current CCL format, including an unbeaten 3-0-1 record at home versus Salvadoran clubs. Last year’s only meeting was the Preliminary Round in which Seattle defeated Metapan.

Overall, El Salvador has not seen much success with only four match wins in 26 games over three years (4-13-9). Salvadoran clubs have been eliminated in three of their four Preliminary Round series. Firpo was a direct Group Stage entrant in 2008-09 with Metapan getting a group seed in 2009-10. Last year FAS became the first to advance from the Preliminary Round, posting a 3-1 aggregate victory over Xelaju (Guatemala) courtesy of a 2-0 road win that was the nation’s only victory in 10 total games as they went 1-5-4 combined.

Visit TheCup.us blog Extra Time for a preview of all the Preliminary Round CONCACAF Champions League matches [+]

–

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sounders soar by Galaxy 3-1 at Starfire (Video)

by

A fast start by the two-time defending champion Seattle Sounders FC Wednesday night in the final US Open Cup Quarterfinal literally left the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy defense out of sync early on, as the host jumped to a two-goal lead and flew to a 3-1 victory at Starfire Soccer Complex. The win marked a second historic night in the tournament, as the Sounders MLS-USL combo became the first ‘team’ to reach five consecutive Open Cup Semifinals in the Professional Era.

Nate Jaqua celebrates with teammates Photo: Corky Trewin | Seattle Sounders FC

A year ago in the Quarterfinals, it was Nate Jaqua scoring twice to lead Seattle to a 2-0 win over the Galaxy. He would again star in the rematch with a goal and an assist in the first 25 minutes, along with a number of other close calls. The Galaxy would narrow the gap before halftime, but Lamar Neagle secured the victory with a strike late in the second half.

Jaqua sent the message he was going to be a handful three minutes in, when he hit the far post with a header. Less than a minute later, Pat Noonan delivered a through ball that found the striker in the fourth minute for his eighth career Open Cup goal. He ranks third among 2011 Open Cup participants in the all-time Professional Era scoring leaders, trailing the Richmond duo of David Bulow (14) and Matthew Delicate (9).

LA goalkeeper Josh Saunders made a brilliant save in the 23rd minute on a scramble in the box, at the start of a series of chances that finally resulted in the second goal. Less than a minute later Noonan found Jaqua alone at the corner of the six, but his shot rolled inches wide of the far post.

In the 25th minute, a limp pass attempt by AJ DeLaGarza out of the back led to the second tally. Jaqua jumped on the loose ball on the unforced turnover and slipped it to the left to Fredy Montero, who fired it in from the edge of the area in open position.

On the half-hour mark, a quickly-paced pass out from Saunders rolled past the defender and into Seattle’s possession, leading to another Sounder scare that flew over the bar

Fredy Montero's good form continued Photo: Corky Trewin | Seattle Sounders FC

Another brilliant play in the 36th left the Galaxy defense retreating. Montero made a great spin in the middle, playing the ball out to left flank to Lamar Neagle, who sent a low cross into box for a pair of Sounders crashing on goal only to see it cleared as the crowd gasped.

Landon Donovan, who exited a minute after the Sounders restored their two-goal lead in the 74th, had the first good chance for the Galaxy in the 40th when he was able to flick a header at goal, but Terry Boss made a nice last second stop for Seattle.

Less than a minute later, however, a cross from Chris Birchall on the right flank made it through a sea of defenders in the box to the far side where Adam Cristman slotted it inside the post from about nine yards out, giving the Galaxy hope of a comeback.

The rally was nearly complete two minutes into first half stoppage time when roles were reversed. Cristman got the ball at the top of the box and dished it off to his right to a wide open Birchall, who wound up and blasted a shot at Boss that was stopped.

The second half was a more settled affair that was more balanced. Neagle fired a shot from the left corner that was stopped by Saunders in the 58th, with Birchall launching a cross a minute later that floated off the face of the crossbar. In the 62nd minute, Donovan created another chance when he drove into the box before dishing it off to Paolo Cardozo, who sprinted diagonally across his path into the left corner. Cardozo gathered the ball and sent a cross flashing into the box that Cristman nearly got to for an equalizer.

A minute later, the Sounder faithful gave a round of applause to Pat Noonan upon his exit, as he saw the end of his first game back on the pitch since July of 2010. The switch marked a series of changes for both sides over the next 10 minutes.

In the 68th the Sounders nearly struck for their third, when Alvaro Fernandez sent a ball from right corner of area into the box to a diagonally dashing Montero, whose header was caught by Saunders at near post.

A free kick in the 73rd created some danger from the Galaxy, but in the end Boss would gather the ball. The match would prove to be wrapped up shortly thereafter.

Neagle restored the two goal advantage on another unforced turnover by the Galaxy. Birchall turned it over in the midfield directly to Fernandez, who carried it down the right side to penalty area before slotting it diagonally to a charging Neagle for a close-range finish.

The Sounders had one last flash with Third Round star Mike Fucito, who entered in the 79th, forcing a diving save out of Saunders two minutes into stoppage time.

The Sounders’ campaign to become only the fourth club ever to three-peat continues in the Semifinals when they play host to FC Dallas August 30 at Starfire. The fifth consecutive appearance in the final four (USL and MLS) by Seattle eclipses the four-year runs previously accomplished by the Galaxy (2000-03) and fellow 2011 semifinalist Chicago Fire (2003-06).

TheCup.us Match MVP: Nate Jaqua

Video highlights (SoundersFC.com)

Scoring Summary:
SEA — Nate Jaqua (Pat Noonan) 4
SEA — Fredy Montero (Nate Jaqua) 25
LA — Adam Cristman (Chris Birchall) 40
SEA — Lamar Neagle (Alvaro Fernandez) 74

Lineups:

LA Galaxy — Josh Saunders, Bryan Jordan, A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant, Chris Birchall, Michael Stephens, Juninho (Jovan Kirovski 78), Landon Donovan (Hector Jimenez 75), Paolo Cardozo (Miguel Lopez 64), Adam Cristman.
Substitutes Not Used: Juan Pablo Angel, Kyle Davies, Brian Perk.

Seattle Sounders — Terry Boss, Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Patrick Ianni, Leo Gonzalez, Pat Noonan (Erik Friberg 64), Osvaldo Alonso, Alvaro Fernandez, Lamar Neagle, Nate Jaqua (Roger Levesque 71), Fredy Montero (Mike Fucito 79).
Substitutes Not Used: Servando Carrasco, James Riley, Mauro Rosales, Kasey Keller.

Misconduct Summary:
SEA — Osvaldo Alonso (caution; Tactical Foul) 22
SEA — Fredy Montero (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 54
SEA — Jeff Parke (caution; Tactical Foul) 55
LA — Paolo Cardozo (caution; Reckless Tackle) 59
SEA — Mike Fucito (caution; Delaying a Restart) 90

Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee’s Assistants: -Corey Rockwell; Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Levi Rippy
Attendance: 4,322
Weather: Partly Cloudy-and-71-degrees

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: LA Galaxy at Seattle Sounders Preview

by

QUARTERFINAL ROUND

Los Angeles Galaxy at Seattle Sounders
Starfire Sports Stadium – Tukwila, Wash.
July 13 – 10:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: SoundersFC.com (Video)

Seattle Sounders

Third Round: Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 1:2 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Mike Fucito put the Sounders up two goals, but the finish was not easy as the PDL side fought back with a goal from former number one MLS draft pick Nik Besagno. Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: There were no fireworks on the Fourth of July as the Sounders played to a scoreless draw in Los Angeles against the Galaxy. In the local derby match Sunday in Portland, the Sounders rallied twice from own goals thanks to Fredy Montero, before Osvaldo Alonso netted the winner from the penalty spot for a 3-2 victory.
Last Five: W-D-W-W-W | Season Record: 9-4-8 (5-2-3 Home), Second in Western Conference, Second Overall.

Open Cup History: Sounders FC set out to become a force in the Open Cup during their 2009 inaugural year, and did just that. They became the first expansion team since Chicago Fire in 1998 to take the Cup, winning 2-1 against DC United. They then turned around and made more history in 2010, as they became the first team since the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1982 and 1983 to win back-to-back Open Cups. Their victims this time were the Columbus Crew, the final score 2-1 in front of the largest Final crowd ever. Used to going against MLS teams, this will be the second consecutive year Seattle and Los Angeles have played in the Open Cup, with Seattle notching a 2-0 win last year at Starfire.
PRO ERA RECORDS: 8-0-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 6-0-0 vs. MLS Teams | 1-0-0 vs. LA (2010 Q-Finals – SEA won 2-0)

Los Angeles Galaxy

Third Round: Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) 1:2 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
 Minus its star players, the Galaxy found themselves trailing to the lower division side just after the hour mark before Omar Gonzalez made his mark with a goal in the 75th minute to level the match. He then set up Mike Magee for the game-winner six minutes later. Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

This Month in MLS: There were no fireworks on the Fourth of July as the Galaxy returned to league, finishing in a scoreless draw at home against the Sounders. They rebounded Saturday at the Home Depot Center with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire. David Beckham found Landon Donovan for the opener in the 58th. And then after Chicago had leveled he tallied on his own in the 65th for the win.
Last Five: W-D-D-W-D | Season Record: 10-2-9 (5-2-4 Away), first in Western Conference, first Overall.

Open Cup History: The Galaxy have had a considerable amount of success in the Open Cup, winning two championships in 2001 and 2005, as well as finishing as runners-up in 2002 and 2006. Since falling short to the Chicago Fire in the 2006 Final, the Galaxy were upset by the Richmond Kickers (3rd Division) and then failed to qualify the next two years. In 2010, they returned to the tournament where they beat AC St. Louis of the NASL (2nd Division) before losing to eventual champion Seattle Sounders FC in the Quarterfinals.
PRO ERA RECORD: 22-8-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 10-6-1 (1-0 in PKs) vs. MLS teams | 0-1-0 vs. Seattle (2010 Quarterfinals, 2-0)

Head to Head 2011
Los Angeles and Seattle opened their seasons on March 15 at Qwest (now CenturyLink) Field, with the Galaxy earning a 1-0 win. The return trip was played to a scoreless draw on Independence Day.

2011 US Open Cup Semifinal Scenarios

FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders
10:00 pm – Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
OR
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas
9:00 pm – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas

2011 US Open Cup: Semifinal host scenarios unveiled

by

The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairing and hosting scenarios for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinals Thursday, unveiling that Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City would host the winners from the opposite side of their bracket with victories in the Quarterfinals.

The USSF also officially revealed a schedule change for the Quarterfinals. The contest between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy was moved back one day to July 13 with the three other matches remaining on July 12.

The lone remaining lower division club Richmond Kickers learned that it will face another contest on the road should they register a second consecutive upset over an MLS team. The Kickers, currently coming off a road victory against the Columbus Crew, will travel to play either the Chicago Fire or New York Red Bulls if they defeat Kansas City.

The Kickers and the Galaxy are the only two clubs that are guaranteed to play away from home. The Galaxy will travel to play the winner of the quarterfinal between RSL and FC Dallas.

Of the six potential 2011 semifinal hosts, the Sounders will be the only club slated to utilize an alternate venue from league play. Seattle also played both semifinals in 2009 and 2010 at the Starfire Sports Complex en route to winning the championship.

Should the Red Bulls and Kickers fall Tuesday, it would mark only the third time in the Professional Era in which no club from the Eastern Time Zone advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Dallas and the Galaxy were both members of the final four the previous two times in 2002 and 2005.

2011 Semifinal Host Scenarios – August 30

Chicago Fire / NY Red Bulls at Sporting Kansas City
8:30 pm – LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.
OR
Richmond Kickers at Chicago Fire
8:30 pm – Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill.
OR
Richmond Kickers at New York Red Bulls
8:00 pm – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.
———————————————————————
Seattle Sounders / LA Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
9:00 pm – Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
OR
FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders
10:00 pm – Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
OR
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas
9:00 pm – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas

^All times ET. Schedule subject to change

2011 US Open Cup Third Round: Michael Fucito finds spotlight for Sounders, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round honor

by

For three years Michael Fucito has been buried deep in the Seattle Sounders depth charts behind numerous star strikers, seeing very limited time on the field. In the Third Round Tuesday night he made his US Open Cup debut and scored both Sounders goals in a 2-1 victory, feeling the limelight many of his teammates have experienced the past two years.

Fucito earned the honor in a two-person race with Matthew Delicate, who led the Richmond Kickers to the lone upset in the Third Round. The Player of the Round award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week.

Photo: Seattle Sounders

The Harvard graduate has had to show an enormous amount of patience in his young career, waiting for rare opportunities to step into the lineup. Those chances have typically come in situations with the club looking to rest its starters. His first year in 2009 was wiped out by the conclusion of his academic collegiate responsibilities along with injury, resulting in no appearances. In 2010, he made only four appearances during the season and tallied just one goal.

His first big break, though, came under unfortunate circumstances as the club enlisted its reserves for the CONCACAF Champions League last fall after losing its first two group contests. Fucito came off the bench in the third match, a 2-0 loss in Costa Rica, and went on to start the next three with positive results. He forced an own goal and tallied one of his own in his first pro start as they lost 3-2 in Mexico to eventual CCL champion Monterrey and went on to tally two in a 2-0 victory at home against Marathon, the club’s lone win in the group.

His success led to a postseason appearance, though under trying circumstances again coming off the bench in the second leg as the team trailed by three goals versus the LA Galaxy.

After only playing 483 minutes in nine appearances (six starts) so far this season, Fucito finally may be ahead of the curve, starting in the club’s first game of a quest to three-peat.

Facing the local Kitsap Pumas who ventured across the Puget Sound via ferry, the Sounders found a new Open Cup hero courtesy of its previous one. Continual pressure from the top flight club finally found a result in the 39th minute when Nate Jaqua, who scored five goals in the three previous Open Cup games at Starfire Sports Stadium the past two years, knocked the ball down for Fucito.

Rushing into the box, Fucito left his feet to send the volley from the left corner of the area inside the right post for the opening marker.

Fucito would double the advantage in the 62nd minute by dancing through the Kitsap defense and around the goalkeeper, 2011 Sounders draft pick Bryan Meredith, before finding the back of the net. He started the play with the ball in the upper left corner of the box again, beating a defender and then Meredith, who had come well out on the play, in the center of the 18 before letting loose what proved to be the game-winner. The player of the game would leave the contest six minutes later in favor of defender Jeff Parke.

Fucito’s honor marks the sixth time in the past three tournaments in which a Sounder has been recognized as TheCup.us Player of the Round. Only three other players have managed to knock Seattle from the spotlight in their nine rounds of play thus far. Jaqua was honored in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals with two-goal performances with Sanna Nyassi taking the honor with two strikes in the Final. In 2009 it was Sebastien Le Toux in the Semifinals and Fredy Montero in the Championship.

2011 US Open Cup Third Round Recap: Richmond Kickers post lone upset on night of close contests

by

Photo: Columbus Crew

With what is arguably a contingent of the hottest teams currently in Major League Soccer taking the pitch Tuesday night for the Third Round of the US Open Cup, the top flight saw seven of the eight clubs advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time under the current format since it was introduced initially in 2002 before returning permanently in 2007.

On a night in which it was the first time no game in the Round of 16 went to overtime, the tally of seven also marked a high for the league since it comprised the full field in the 2006 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. The league had six teams among the final eight a year ago.

It is only the fifth time in 15 years of the tournament MLS has had at least seven remaining at the quarterfinal stage, hitting the mark in 2002 and 1998 and also previously sweeping the field in 2000 as well as 2006. There are two clubs that have been a part of all five of these high-percentage MLS fields: New York and Dallas. While both have changed names since their early years, they were among the field of at least seven on each of the previous four occasions. The Red Bulls earned a narrow 2-1 victory against their local lower division rivals and FC Dallas nabbed a last-second 3-2 win in a thrilling finish.

The lone exception on a night filled with close contests and dramatic finishes was the defeat suffered by the Columbus Crew at the hands of the Richmond Kickers, who registered their 4th upset over an MLS team in the tournament since winning it in 1995, the beginning of the Professional Era of the tournament.

Overall, despite the losses it was a respectable evening for USL as only two of the seven defeats were by more than one goal and they led in three. One of those two multi-goal losses was the amateur Chicago Fire PDL side and the other the Wilmington Hammerheads, who had a vast trip crossing three-quarters of the country and experiencing a significant elevation change in playing at Real Salt Lake.

FC New York 1:2 New York Red Bulls – Recap [+]

One of four MLS clubs to fall behind on the night, the Red Bulls rallied with two unanswered as US international Gold Cup returnees Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream played key roles as Corey Hertzog equalized and John Rooney hit the winner. TheCup.us Match MVP: John Rooney

Chicago Fire 1:0 Rochester Rhinos – Recap [+]

The Rhinos’ nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2, PK 2-0) at home came to an end with the 37th minute strike from Diego Chaves, also giving the Fire their first regulation win in three tries in Rochester. TheCup.us Match MVP: Diego Chaves

Richmond Kickers 2:1 Columbus Crew– Recap [+]

A Matthew Delicate diving header five minutes from time proved the difference as the Kickers finished the night as the only remaining lower division club. TheCup.us Match MVP: Matthew Delicate

Chicago Fire PDL 0:3 Sporting Kansas City – Recap [+]

Three different scorers gave Sporting KC its first-ever Open Cup win at its new home, two coming a minute apart in the second half. TheCup.us Match MVP: Milos Stojcev

Wilmington Hammerheads 0:2 Real Salt Lake – Recap [+]

The Hammerheads traveled a long way to see a four-minute span end the club’s run in the tournament as Jean Alexandre set up a goal and connected for one of his own in the final five minutes of the first half for the 2011 CONCACAF Champions League finalists. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jean Alexandre

Orlando City SC 2:3 FC Dallas – Recap [+]

Trailing, the lower division Orlando City thought they extended the game to overtime with a stoppage time equalizer from Yordany Alvarez only to have their hopes dashed less than a minute later with a Milton Rodriguez winner for Dallas at the other end. TheCup.us Match MVP: Jackson

Kitsap Pumas 1:2 Seattle Sounders – Recap [+]

Mike Fucito scored twice for the two-time defending champions, but it nearly proved to not be enough for Kitsap as the Pumas rallied in the Puget Sound Showdown. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mike Fucito

LA Blues 1:2 LA Galaxy – Recap [+]

The current MLS Player of the Week for his role in goal for the Galaxy for more than a half in a scoreless draw three days prior in San Jose, midfielder Mike Magee was the hero yet again with the game-winner nine minutes from time to conclude the Galaxy’s rally for the win. TheCup.us Match MVP: Mike Magee

2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinal Schedule

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill. – 8:30 pm ET

Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
LiveStrong Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kan. – 8:30 pm ET

Real Salt Lake (MLS) at FC Dallas (MLS)
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX – 9:00 pm ET

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Starfire Sports Stadium – Tukwila, Wash. – 10:00 pm ET

LINKS

2011 US Open Cup goalscoring leaders [+]
2011 US Open Cup bracket [+]
2011 US Open Cup participant map [+]
Meet the USASA: Class of 2011 [+]

Home Away From Home: Tuesday’s Alternate Venues Have Quite the History for Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy

by

Numerous Major League Soccer teams have resorted to using alternate venues for US Open Cup matches for different reasons over the years, but when the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy take the field at Starfire and Titan Stadium Tuesday night, they will be hoping history repeats.

Top: Seattle's two Open Cup title campaigns went through Starfire Bottom: The Galaxy won the 2001 Open Cup at Titan Stadium

It has been quite a long time since the Galaxy last stepped on the pitch at Titan Stadium for a US Open Cup match. They have not played a competitive match at their former alternate home since the debut of the Home Depot Center in 2003, a span of nine years since they defeated the then Dallas Burn 4-1 in the semifinals of a runners-up campaign in the 2002 US Open Cup. It was the final of nine Open Cup matches played at the venue over the course of four years.

And it was a successful four years in Fullerton. The club lost at Titan Stadium only twice in the nine matches, falling 3-1 to the Columbus Crew in the 1999 Quarterfinals, the first-ever match there, and 2-1 to the eventual 2000 champion Chicago Fire in the Semifinals.

After that defeat, the Galaxy won five consecutive at their second home to the Rose Bowl, including four the very next year as they won the first of two US Open Cup championships. It started with a 5-0 thumping of then A-League (pro second division) Nashville Metros, followed by a Third Round 3-1 win against the Seattle Sounders Select, who had nabbed a shocking 3-2 overtime road upset against the Dallas Burn the round before. They avenged the previous year’s loss with a 1-0 Semifinal win against the Fire.

They concluded the 2001 championship run with a 2-1 victory against the New England Revolution at Titan Stadium. It still stands as the only Final in the US Open Cup Professional Era (since 1995) in which a club’s alternate venue has been the host location.

Starfire’s history as an alternate MLS venue is much briefer, but has played a key role in back-to-back tournament championships for the Seattle Sounders, who have played the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches there the past two years.

In 2009, the Sounders edged Kansas City 1-0 on a Sebastien Le Toux strike in the Quarterfinals. Since then, it has been Nate Jaqua’s playground. He scored in the 2-1 Semifinal win against Houston en route to their first title. Then last year he struck for two goals in each game as they blanked the Galaxy 2-0 in the Quarterfinals and downed the other Los Angeles side Chivas USA 3-1 in the Semifinals.

And Starfire has trophy-lifting championship history too.

The USL Seattle Sounders began using the Tukwila venue as an alternate to then named Qwest Field in 2005, winning a regular season contest and playing to a win and draw in the playoffs in addition to a Second Round 3-1 victory over the Salinas Valley Samba. Although they used it for several league contests the following year, they would not play another Open Cup match at Starfire until 2007 when they defeated Banat Arsenal 4-1 in the First Round and rival Portland 2-1 in the Second Round.

But it was later in the 2007 campaign that Starfire became the center of attention. Returning to the venue for postseason action for a second time the team suffered its first-ever loss at the alternate home in a 2-1 playoff defeat to the Puerto Rico Islanders in which they would advance via penalties at the conclusion. That penalty kick decision proved critical as the team won the 2007 USL First Division title with a dominant 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks at Starfire.

In 2008 the Sounders USL side registered their first win against an MLS club at the venue, downing Chivas USA 3-1 in the Third Round after blasting Hollywood United 6-0 in the previous round.

More importantly, 2008 was the club’s final campaign in the USL First Division, and was played entirely at Starfire where they had suffered only one loss in all competitions in nine previous matches.

The Sounders would drop four more matches during the 2008 regular season, giving the Sounders a final record of 15-5-7 overall record at the venue during the USL era. The home fans have seen only five losses, none in the US Open Cup, in 31 total games since 2005.

One common link between the two venues is current Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, who led the Galaxy to the 2001 Open Cup title at Fullerton during his 1999-04 tenure with LA.

LA Galaxy Open Cup Matches at Titan Stadium

1999: 1-3 L – QF – Columbus Crew (MLS)
2000: 2-1 W – R2 – Seattle Sounders (USL)
2000: 2-0 W – QF – San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2000: 1-2 L – SF – Chicago Fire (MLS)
2001: 5-0 W – R2 – Nashville Metros (A-League)
2001: 3-1 W – R3 – Sounders Select (PDL)
2001: 1-0 W – SF – Chicago Fire (MLS)
2001: 2-1 W – F – New England Revolution (MLS)
2002: 4-1 W – SF – Dallas Burn (MLS)

Seattle Sounders (MLS) Open Cup Matches at Starfire

2009: 1-0 W – QF – Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
2009: 2-1 W – SF – Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2010: 2-0 W – QF – LA Galaxy (MLS)
2010: 3-1 W – SF – Chivas USA (MLS)

Seattle Sounders (USL) Open Cup Matches at Starfire

2005: 3-1 W – R2 – Salinas Valley Samba (USASA)
2007: 4-1 W – R1 – Banat Arsenal (USASA)
2007: 2-1 W – R2 – Portland Timbers (USL-1)
2008: 6-0 W – R2 – Hollywood United (USASA)
2008: 2-0 W – R3 – Chivas USA (MLS)

Copyright © 2026 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development