Feature Left - US Open Cup history

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

May 6, 2025 by Josh Hakala

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

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

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

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

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

American Soccer in 1999

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

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

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

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

United vs. Battery

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Build-Up

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

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

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

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

The Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Coffee Pot Cup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final cost: $47

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

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

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

2008 US Open Cup Final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Return of the Coffee Pot Cup

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

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

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

That caretaker, to this day, is Lonnie Hovis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chuck Nolan Jr. significantly contributed to this article

Highs and lows of Los Angeles’ 25 all-time US Open Cup Final appearances

September 24, 2024 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

San Pedro Yugoslavs battle New York Hota in the 1971 US Open Cup Final Photo: San Pedro News Pilot

As Los Angeles FC makes its first ever appearance in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, the city they represent has a rich history in the championship game. 25 times a team from L.A. has reached the grand stage. We selected some of the high, and low, moments of those 25 appearances.

1955 >> Danish American SC 0:2 Sport Club Eintracht

Super sub heroics dash Danish dreams

1955 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Los Angeles Examiner

Los Angeles made its debut in the Open Cup Final in 1955, two years after teams from the city played their first matches in the tournament. It was also the first Final to be played in Southern California drawing 6,000 fans to Rancho Cienega Stadium, the largest Final attendance since the First Leg of the 1946 Final. Representing L.A. was the Danish American SC, somewhat of a rags to riches story. The Danes had just won promotion from the Greater Los Angeles Soccer League second division in 1954, and after a shaky start in 1955 the Danes caught fire, reeling off 12 straight wins heading into the Final.

Their opponents were the powerful Sport Club Eintracht from Queens, New York. Like many of the teams from the German American Soccer league, Eintracht saw its roster strengthened by an influx of players fleeing Europe after World War II. The underdog Danes held their own, keeping Eintracht off the scoreboard for much of the game. Near the end of the game Karl Heinz Ruetzel, Eintracht’s leading goal scorer, had to leave due to an injury. Normally, losing your top goal scorer late in the game would spell disaster, but subbing for Ruetzel was John Pinezich, a product of the Eintracht youth system. Pinezich, who had primarily been a sub all season, immediately turned the game on its head. In the 84th minute, Pinezich beat a pair of Danish defenders to give Eintracht a 1-0 lead. Just a minute later Pinezich struck again, beating Danes goalkeeper Sven Engedal to put Eintracht up 2-0.

The Danish Americans would make deep run in the Open Cup in 1956 and 1957, but would never reach the Final again.

1958 >> Los Angeles Kickers 2:1 (AET) Pompei

Kickers win LA’s first Open Cup title 2,600 miles away

1958 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Baltimore Sun

Los Angeles’ first open Cup championship came three years after their debut in the Final and more than 2,600 miles from Southern California. The Los Angeles Kickers met Baltimore’s Pompei Soccer Club at Kirk Field in the first finals appearance for both clubs. Pompei had reached the National Amateur Cup semifinals in 1954, and earlier in the 1955 Open Cup defeated Sport Club Eintracht in an epic two-leg Quarterfinal. The Kickers emerged from Southern California qualifying, stopping the Danish American SC’s run of representing Southern California three years in a row. LA also had a bit of Open Cup history on their side, as legendary Fall River Marksmen owner Sam Mark lent a hand in starting the Kickers in 1951. The Marksmen were the second club to win five Open Cup championships.

Each team’s leading scorers (Al Zerhausen, Kickers, Larry Surock, Pompei) were quiet for most of the game, leaving the task of scoring to their teammates on the front line. With 4,500 fans looking on, the Kickers Willie Carson opened the scoring in the eighth minute by out maneuvering Pompei goalkeeper Cyril Hannaby to easily shoot the ball into the goal. Eight minutes later Joe DiFonso connected with a bicycle kick to level the score at 1-1. In the second half Zerhausen and Surock had opportunities to put their teams ahead, but the score remained 1-1 and extra time was needed. In the 110th minute, Carson struck again, swooping in to knock in the rebound of a shot saved by Hannaby. The Kickers saw out the final ten minutes to claim their first Open Cup title.

The Kickers would reach the Final again in 1960, losing to the Ukrainian Nationals, but won a second title in 1964 over the Uke Nats. The Kickers are still around as the Los Angeles Soccer Club.

1963 >> Armenian SC 0:1 (AET) Ukrainian Nationals

Hot tempers cost Armenians a championship

In 1963, Los Angeles’ Open Cup survivor, Armenian SC, made the cross-county trip in search of an Open Cup title, this time to Philadelphia to face the Ukrainian Nationals. The Uke Nats were making a return to the Final after winning in 1960 and 1961. Like the Danish American SC in 1955, the Armenians won promotion from the Greater Los Angeles Soccer League second division in 1962 and before 1963 they had never made it out of Southern California qualifying.

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 — 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 Armenians encountered some controversy on their way to the 1963 Open Cup Final. In the Western Final against Kutis SC. Trailing 2-1 late in the game, Kutis thought they tied the game in the 78th minute, only to have the goal disallowed for offside. At first, referee John McFarland did not notice the linesman raise his flag, only correcting himself when the Armenian manager ran onto the field in protest. Afterwards the Kutis players swarmed McFarland in protest, but his call stood.

In the Final, the Ukrainians nearly took an early lead, but Walt Czyzowoych’s penalty in the 25th minute was saved by Armenian goalkeeper Frank Martinez. The scoreless game moved on to extra time, and in the 99th minute Mike Noha put the Uke Nats ahead. With about five minutes remaining, the game took a bad turn. After an unidentified Armenian player refused to leave the field after being ejected, he struck referee Ray Kraft. Kraft halted the game an officially awarded the contest to the Ukrainian Nationals. It is the only Open Cup title officially won via forfeit.

The Armenian’s temper was partly to blame for their elimination in the opening round of qualifying for the 1964 Open Cup the following year. Tied 1-1 with league rival St. Stephens, both clubs had players sent off in the second half. Late in the game the Armenians goalkeeper, Frank Martinez, was also sent off. St. Stephens scored soon after to eliminate the Armenian SC.

1971 >> Yugoslav American SC 4:6 (AET) New York Hota

Yugoslav Americans drop a 10-goal thriller to Hota

The 1971 Open Cup Final would be contested by two teams who had never been to the Final before, and what resulted was the highest scoring Final in Open Cup history.

The Yugoslavs took a 1-0 lead after three minutes on an own goal from Hota’s Rudy Pierce. Hota’s Paul Dellano evened the score in the 18th minute, but Manuel Brigida took the lead back for YASC seven minutes later. Hota made it 2-2 just before halftime, as Horst Kneissel sent a shot over the outstretched hand of the Yugo goalkeeper. Felipe Ruvalcaba put the Yugoslavs ahead once again in the 60th minute, sending a free kick over the heads of the Hota wall and past goalkeeper Juan Morales.

Hota took control of the game but could not crack the Yugoslav defense. Finally Hota’s attack broke through, and in the 90th minute Carl Minor headed a Rudy Pierce pass into the lower left corner of the goal, sending the game to extra time. Hota wasted no time in the extra session, as Minor scored his second goal just five minutes in. In the 100th minute Radi Mitrovic headed in a corner kick to make it 5-3 Hota. Jose Bergitas pulled one back for the Yugoslavs, but it was too little too late. Near the end of extra time Hota piled on a sixth goal through Kneissel. Then, in the final minute, Manuel Bergita netted a consolation goal to make it 6-4. It remains the most goals ever scored in a single Open Cup Final game.

The Yugoslav Americans would reach the Open Cup Final in 1972, but Hota would never make it this far again.

1981 >> Maccabee AC 5:1 Brooklyn Dodgers

Mighty Maccabees claim a historic fifth title

By 1981, Maccabee AC had established themselves as a dominant force in American soccer, winning the US Open Cup in 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1978. Their bid for title number five was stopped by the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1980. Their second attempt to become just the third team to win five Open Cup titles saw them cross paths with another New York club, the Brooklyn Dodgers (now known as the Brooklyn Italians), who were returning to the Open Cup Final after losing to Chicago’s Croatian SC 2-1 in 1979.

Players from Maccabee AC and the Brooklyn Dodgers battle for the ball during the 1981 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Torrance Daily Breeze

Playing at Daniels Field in San Pedro, Calif., where Maccabee played numerous league and Open Cup games, Brooklyn got on the board first when Jorge Titolo converted a penalty kick. After that, Maccabee AC dominated the rest of the game, led by 22-year old Israeli striker Ilan Ben Dror. Five minutes after Brooklyn’s opening goal Ben Dror scored the first of his three. Just after halftime Ben Dror scored his second, tapping a loose ball past Brooklyn goalkeeper Paul Maxi. Miguel Brigida made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute, and five minutes later Ben Dror finished his hat trick. Tony Douglas tallied number five in the 84th minute, seconds after coming on as a substitute.

The win was so dominant that Brooklyn did not record a shot on goal until the 72nd minute, and Maccabee goalkeeper Eddie Chantre did not record an official save until the 75th.

1982 >> Maccabee AC 3:4 (AET) New York Pancyprian Freedoms

Maccabees’ aim for history falls short in seven goal shootout

In 1982, Maccabee AC returned to the final for a showdown with the club who denied them the title in 1980, the New York Pancyprian Freedoms. On the line for Maccabee was a chance at winning a record breaking sixth open Cup title. The Freedoms had their bid for three straight finals interrupted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1981, who beat them 3-1 in the final of the southern New York qualifying tournament. Like the game in 1980, which ended 3-2 in favor of the Freedoms, the 1982 meeting also saw plenty of goals scored.

New York opened the scoring in the 4th minute when K. Moraris tucked his shot past the right post. George Touros doubled the lead in the 24th minute, taking a pass from Moraris to beat Maccabee goalkeeper Eddie Chantre. Just before halftime, the Maccabees began their comeback when Tony Douglas drew out goalkeeper D. Myltiadous and passed to Igor Beyder who made it 2-1. Five minutes into the new half it was Douglas himself who pulled the Macs level by putting away a deflected shot from teammate Eyal Afgin. Extra time was only a minute old when Douglas struck again, heading in a cross from Afgin to make it 3-2.

Evagoras Christofi won the game for New York with a pair of goals in the span of ten minutes. The first came in the 98th minute on a cross from Paraskeva, and again ten minutes later when Christofi broke free and chipped a shot over the head of Chantre. The Freedoms would go on to win one more title in 1983, but for the Maccabees, 1982 would be their last season of competitive soccer.

2001 >> Los Angeles Galaxy 2:1 (AET) New England Revolution

Galaxy claims first Modern Era title

LA’s first Open Cup championship of the Modern Era came in 2001 when the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 in golden goal extra time. Early on, the Galaxy had established themselves as one of the top teams in MLS but had yet to bring home any domestic trophies.

Cobi Jones of the Los Angeles Galaxy battles for the ball against the New England Revolution in the 2001 US Open Cup Final. Photo: LA Times

The game opened with a pair of “accidental’ goals. In the 30th minute, New England’s Wolde Harris took a free kick that clattered off the Galaxy defensive wall and deflecting past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. With 20 minutes remaining, LA’s Ezra Hendrickson sent a ball across the goalmouth that could be argued if it were meant as a pass or shot. Either way, it found itself in the back of the net and the game was level and eventually headed to golden goal extra time, where the first goal would win the game.

Just two minutes into the extra session the Galaxy grabbed the winner, as Cobi Jones sent in a corner kick that was slammed home by Danny Califf, giving Revs goalkeeper Jose Fernandez no chance. LA would go on to reach the Open Cup Final again in 2002, 2005 and 2006, winning in 2005. Little did anyone know at the time that 2006 would be the last appearance of an L.A. club in the Open Cup Final until 2024.

Before Lionel Messi’s 2023 US Open Cup impact, Pele changed the 1975 Final in a different way

September 25, 2023 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

With the current “GOAT” of world soccer, Lionel Messi set to grace the stage of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final on Sept. 26, it’s not the first time a player of his stature crossed paths with the tournament’s championship game. The difference is instead of charting a crash course with the game itself like Messi is doing this year, in 1975 the celestial footballing comet known to the world as Pele cast his enormous shadow over that year’s title game.

Pele announced his first retirement in 1974 after 19 years with Brazil’s Santos, the only club Pele had played for at that point. In 1975 speculation began to build that Pele would break his retirement to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL), and news broke on May 25 that Pele would sign a three-year, $7 million contract (“just” $39.7 million today, but an unheard of amount for 1975) to play for the New York Cosmos. The three-time World Cup winner was reported to make his debut on June 4 against the Hartford Bicentennials. Pele and the Cosmos initially denied the report, but finally on June 3 it was officially announced the deal was done and Pele was a member of the Cosmos.

While the American soccer public eagerly awaited the arrival of Pele, the US Open Cup quietly chugged along in the background. By 1975 the NASL and the Open Cup might as well have been on different planets, with the NASL ignoring the tournament either through fear of being embarrassed by semi-pro and amateur teams or simply a “we’re too big for that” attitude.

Despite not participating in the Open Cup, the NASL had a direct effect on one of the teams playing in it. Chicago’s UASC Lions (Ukrainian American Soccer Club) were forced to forfeit their quarterfinal encounter with Kutis SC of St. Louis because a chunk of their roster had signed on to play with the NASL’s Chicago Sting and the ASL’s Chicago Cats.

Facing Kutis in the semifinals were Maccabee AC of Los Angeles, who came back from a 2-0 first leg deficit to defeat San Francisco’s Greek American SC 3-0 in the second leg of their quarterfinal affair. In the East, Inter-Guiliana of New York City’s German American Soccer League were helped with two goals from Tony Froncillo to defeat the ASL’s Boston Astros 3-1, and Cleveland’s American Croatian SC got by Philadelphia Inter on penalties after a 1-1 extra time draw.

By the time the initial news of Pele’s signing broke on May 25, the finalists for the 1975 Open Cup Final had been determined. On May 5, Maccabee AC defeated Kutis 1-0 on Benny Bienstock’s goal in the 83rd minute. A couple weeks later on the 25th, Inter-Guiliana snuck by American Croatian on penalties after 120 minutes of scoreless play. Maccabee and Inter-Guiliana were set to face off on June 15 at Murdoch Stadium in Torrance, Calif.

The only problem was, Pele was set to debut the same day at Downing Stadium at Randall’s Island, N.Y. Initially, it was reported Pele would debut on June 9 against Philadelphia, but it turned out he was making his first appearance in a Cosmos uniform but not playing.

While the games were on opposite ends of the country and the Open Cup wasn’t exactly front page news, it was no consolation to Open Cup Final promotor Tony Morejon, who had been hopeful to attract a crowd of at least 5,000 (yes, that was considered a good crowd for the Open Cup in 1975), was now faced with the prospect of SoCal fans tuning out the Final altogether to stay home and watch Pele. The Cosmos game was set to kickoff at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time, so it was decided to push the kickoff of the Open Cup Final to 3:30 p.m. local time, a half hour later than originally scheduled, with the hope that enough fans would still want to see more soccer.

About 2,800 miles to the East, Pele made his on-field debut with the Cosmos. The fact that the game with the Dallas Tornado was a friendly and not an official NASL game didn’t matter to the 21,278 fans who packed Downing Stadium, as well as those watching on CBS. One can only wonder how many in that crowd were aware, or even cared, that three hours later on the opposite coast the nation’s cup final was being played.

Pele initially insisted he would play the first half, but a 2-0 deficit at halftime apparently changed his mind. After assisting on the first Cosmos goal by Israeli international Mordecai Spiegler, those in attendance and watching on CBS got what they came to see. In the 70th minute, Spiegler lofted a corner kick in front of the goal, where in the crowd of players Pele got his head to the ball, flicking it to the top left corner to tie the score 2-2, where it stood for the remaining 20 minutes.

Over in Torrance, Calif., with no national tv coverage and far less hoopla, the US Open Cup Final attracted just 2,152 fans to El Camino College’s Murdoch Stadium. Maccabee and Inter-Guiliana played a scoreless first half. Seven minutes after the restart, Abraham Cohen scored the lone goal of the game, and 18-yard shot that skidded on the grass and past Inter-Guiliana goalkeeper Danville Clarke. It was Maccabee’s second Cup title in three years, a total that would grow to a record five-tying by 1980.

Media coverage of Pele’s debut continued for days after the game, while Maccabee’s Open Cup win was confined to a few Southern California papers, and whatever other papers across the country bothered to print the one-paragraph released by the Associated Press. The Open Cup Final would cross paths with the NASL again in 1978 when Maccabee won their fourth title over Vasco da Gama (Bridgeport, Conn.) when the Final was played before a Cosmos-Tampa Bay Rowdies NASL game at Giants Stadium. Like in 1975, coverage of the Open Cup was eclipsed by the NASL, with the New York Times printing just one paragraph for the Final compared to 18 for the NASL game.

The unfortunate reality was the Open Cup would continue to remain in the shadow of the NASL until the league’s demise in 1984. 48 years after the debut of one soccer superstar overshadowed the Open Cup Final, the arrival of another superstar hopes to lift the Final to a level of exposure it has never seen before.

A history of violence against referees in US Open Cup

November 29, 2022 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders FC is shown a red card during a 2015 US Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers.

On Nov. 19, in the Open Division Qualifying tournament for the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, an unfortunate situation brought the abrupt end to the Third Round game between D’Feeters Kicks SC and D10 Lions FC.

With D’Feeters up 2-0 in the 74th minute, the referee was forced to abandon the match after several D10 players confronted him after issuing a red card to Lions player Ran Vahnono. According to the referee report, the match was ended after Vahnono spat in the direction of the referee after getting sent off for shoving an opponent trying to set up for a free kick. After the match was abandoned, a player kicked the referee and made contact with his heel. In the end, 10 yellow cards and four red cards were officially issued to the Lions prior to the situation becoming untenable for the officials.

Unfortunately, in the long history of the US Open Cup, this was not the first time that there have been more then a few incidents where games were halted due to referee abuse.

Here are a few of the more prominent examples over the years.

1930 National Challenge Cup (Detroit, MI)

On Nov. 16, 1930 in the Second Round of Michigan qualifying at Packard Park in Detroit, Albion and Swedish American FC were replaying their 3-3 draw from the week before. Albion scored in the 60th minute to go up 2-0, and some of the crowd who felt offside should have been called spilled onto the field to go after referee H. Pithie. Pithie called the game off and fled to the dressing room with a police escort. The game was later awarded to Albion.

1948 National Challenge Cup (Rochester, NY)

The opening round of Northwest New York qualifying kicked off at a snowy Old University Field in Rochester on Jan. 4, 1948. Rochester Thistles scored in the 65th minute to go ahead of Beck’s German American SC of Buffalo, 3-2. Just after the goal, Several Beck’s players assaulted referee Ralph Griffith, kicking him in the head and back before being rescued by Thistles players and escorted to the dressing room. Beck’s were later disqualified.

1956 National Challenge Cup (Milwaukee, WI)

In the Wisconsin state final on Dec. 4, 1955 at Old Heidelberg Park in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Sport Club were leading Serbian SC 2-0 late in the game. In the 88th minute, Serbian forward George Rasic began arguing with referee Len Colbert, after which Rasic struck Colbert, causing Colbert to halt the game. Rasic was suspended for one year.

1963 National Challenge Cup (Philadelphia, PA)

Perhaps the most high-profile incident of referee abuse in an Open Cup game came in the 1963 Final between Philadelphia’s Ukrainian Nationals and Armenian SC of Los Angeles. After 90 minutes of scoreless play, Mike Noha put the Nationals ahead 1-0 in the 115th minute. Just after the goal, an unidentified Armenian player struck referee Ray Kraft, who immediately stopped the game, giving the Nationals their third Open Cup championship in four years.

1965 National Challenge Cup (Philadelphia, PA)

On April 4, 1965 the Ukrainian Nationals were involved in another match that was ended abruptly due to referee abuse. With the Ukrainians locked in a 1-1 tie in extra time with Paterson Roma (NJ) at Philly’s Cambria Stadium, the Ukrainians’ Carl Yakavino scored to put his team ahead, 2-1. An unidentified Roma player then struck referee Ray Kraft in the face, bringing an immediate end to the contest and advancing the Ukrainians to the Eastern Semifinals.

This marked the second time in three years that Kraft was attacked by a player in a tournament game. Kraft would finish his career as a very well-regarded official. He was a 1984 inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame and even managed Baltimore’s Pompei SC, a club that reached the US Open Cup Final in 1958. During that run, Pompei won the longest, and arguably the greatest tournament game in history in the Quarterfinals.

1966 National Challenge Cup (New York, NY)

One of the more unusual incidents took place on Mar. 20, 1966 in the National Quarterfinals between New York Ukrainian and New York Greek American SC. With the Ukrainians ahead 2-1 deep in extra time, the Greek Americans became enraged when referee McLean did not award them a penalty kick on when they felt was a foul inside the penalty area. Greek American players and spectators went after McLean and the game was abandoned. Instead of a forfeit or replay, it was decided the two teams would play the final five minutes on April 10. The Ukrainians held on for the win but would fall to the Ukrainian Nationals in the Semifinals.

2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (Tukwila, WA)

The only significant incident of referee abuse from the Modern Era (1995-present) came in the 2015 US Open Cup. Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders, who produced numerous memorable moments in MLS, the English Premier League and the US Men’s National Team during his career, produced a memorable moment for all the wrong reasons.

In the 114th minute of a hotly-contested Fourth Round game between the Sounders and their archrivals, the Portland Timbers, Dempsey became the third Sounders players to receive a red card in the game. Before leaving the field, Dempsey grabbed notebook of referee Daniel Radford and ripped it up.

While the game continued, Seattle would end up losing 3-1 and Dempsey would receive a ban from Open Cup play for two years or six matches, whichever was greater.

How St. Petersburg Kickers became Florida’s first US Open Cup champion

September 7, 2022 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

St. Petersburg Kickers founder Kirk Herbach with many of the trophies his club has won in an early 80s photo from the St. Petersburgh Times archive.

If Gordon Singleton had not insisted on watching the 1989 US Open Cup Final from the team bench, perhaps the fortunes of the St. Petersburg Kickers would have changed.

Singleton was recovering from knee surgery a few weeks prior, and the only way he could watch the game from the bench was as if he was in uniform. If had been content to sit in the stands behind the bench, Kickers head coach Steve Gogas wouldn’t have been able to put him in as a sub in the 116th minute with the idea he would take one of the penalty kicks in the tiebreaker shootout. Instead of an attempt in the penalty shootout, he scored the game-winning goal just before the final whistle to make history as the first Florida team to win the tournament.

But before lifting the trophy after one of the most dramatic finishes in Open Cup Finals history, Florida’s lone Open Cup champion got their start in 1957.

The St. Petersburg Kickers began as the St. Petersburg Soccer Club. The club founder was Kirk Herbach, a German immigrant who had played as a defender in various leagues in New York City. Herbach moved to Tampa to open a rattan furniture store and was also the vice president of Sunshine Bowl. Herbach put an ad in the St. Petersburg Times in 1957 to find players for a team he was starting. The club’s first game was a 6-1 loss in the spring of 1958 to a team in Gainesville, Fla. In those early years, Herbach would often arrange games with foreign sailors whose ships were docked in the Port of Tampa. In a 1982 story in the St. Petersburg Times, Herbach recalled his attempts to arrange games. “I’d go down there with a bullhorn and a soccer ball. I’d stand on the dock and call up to them. If I couldn’t speak their language, all I had to do was point at a soccer ball. That would get the message across.”

The early days of the St. Petersburg Kickers in the Tampa Bay Times - Dec. 5, 1958 — The early days of the St. Petersburg Kickers in the Tampa Bay Times – Dec. 5, 1958

By 1967 the club won its first national championship, the National Over-30 Cup. By 1989 the Kickers had won four Florida State Cups and racked up eleven Suncoast Soccer League championships.

The Kickers first taste of Open Cup success came in 1982 when it advanced to the Semifinals to face the mighty Maccabee AC of Los Angeles, where the Kickers lost 3-0. The Kickers returned to the semis in 1984 but fell short once again, losing 3-1 to eventual champions A.O. Krete of New York. The team became a fixture in the late rounds of the Open Cup, reaching the Quarterfinals in 1986 and 1987.

National success wasn’t limited to the Open Cup, in 1990 the Kickers captured the National Amateur Cup, defeating NY Hota-Bavarian 3-1 in extra time in the semifinals and besting San Francisco Glens 1-0 in the Final.

Like a lot of clubs throughout American soccer history, the Kickers took on a sponsor that became part of their team’s name. While the club was primarily known as the St. Petersburg Kickers, in the early 80s the team was sponsored by the Halkey Roberts Corporation, a maker of valves based in St. Petersburg. The team would be referred to as HRC Kickers or St. Petersburg HRC Kickers. For the 1989 season, the Kickers added Datagraphic as the main sponsor on their jersey, which let to the team being referred to as St. Petersburg Datagraphic Kickers during the broadcast of the Open Cup Final on TV. Datagraphic was most known as the main sponsor of Atlanta Datagraphic, who won the National Amateur Cup in 1979.

The Kickers’ Path to the Final

To open their 1989 US Open Cup run, the Kickers traveled to Miami to take on the Miami Kickers on Feb. 12, 1989. Garth Pollinais and Lee Woolley scored for the Kickers to lead them to a 2-1 victory, qualifying them for the Region III tournament in June.

The Kickers opened the Region III semifinals on June 2 at the George D. Baker Soccer Complex in Roswell, Georgia with a commanding 5-0 victory over Genesis from North Carolina. With Genesis out of the way, the Kickers would begin a gauntlet of fellow heavyweights on their path to the Open Cup championship

The Kickers’ opponent in the Region III Final was FC Dallas of the Lone Star Soccer Alliance (LSSA). FC Dallas was no stranger to lifting trophies in national competitions, having won the National Amateur Cup in 1984 under the name Mean Green, and again in 1988 as FC Dallas. Dallas had also won the Region III Open Cup in 1987 and 1988 and were two-time defending champions of the LSSA.

The Kickers were quite familiar with FC Dallas however, having faced them in the 1987 Region III Open Cup Final at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Dallas won the game 4-1 but fell short of reaching the Open Cup final.

With temperatures in the upper 90s, the Kickers welcomed Chicago’s AAC Eagles to Puryear Park in St. Petersburg, the lone home game in the Kickers’ Open Cup run. The Eagles were making their first Semifinals appearance since 1961 and had a roster that featured many former Polish professional players. In a move aimed to counter the age and experience of the Eagles, the Kickers set the game to start at noon in the midday Florida heat. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Kickers answered in the second half through a Jim Knowles goal. The match would go to penalty kicks where Jim Knowles was the hero, scoring the final spot kick for the Kickers. The Eagles’ final attempt sailed over the bar as St. Petersburg would emerge with a 5-4 shootout win to punch their ticket to the Final.

The Eagles would still find their way to a National Cup final in 1989, winning the National Amateur Cup in Oakford, Pa. on June 25 with a 2-1 win over Philadelphia Inter. A year later, they would return to the Open Cup and win the tournament.

The 1989 Open Cup Final

St. Petersburg traveled to the St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. for a battle of veteran semi-pro players vs. young, mostly collegiate amateurs. Adding to the challenge was 95-degree heat in the middle of the day, which led to an on-field temperature over 100.

The New York Greek American Atlas were one of the giants of American soccer, having won the Open Cup four times and were looking to add a fifth to join Bethlehem Steel and Maccabee AC as the only teams to do so. Coming out of the Hellenic American Soccer League in New York, the New York Greek American SC merged with the Atlas Soccer Club to become Greek American Atlas. NYGAA were making their first Open Cup Final appearance since 1977 and were looking to win the Open Cup for the first time since 1974.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

New York was a semi-pro club, and players usually were paid a couple hundred dollars per game. Their roster was full of experienced players, including two NASL veterans. Goalkeeper Dragan Radovich played with three NASL clubs from 1979-1983, making 48 appearances. John Lignos played from 1979-1983 with two NASL clubs, and also was selected for the 1980 Olympic soccer team that did not get to play due to the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Games.

To scout his opponents, manager Steve Gogas had to travel to New York to watch a pair of State Cup matches Greek American Atlas played. Atlas did have a major handicap in that they were able to dress only 12 players due to injuries.

“They trap well but I felt we could beat them with some good inside runs,” Gogas told Soccer America after the game.

In contrast, the Kickers were an amateur club, with nearly their entire roster having some connection to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. Some players who attended college outside the Bay area would travel to play in the Kickers’ more important games. In one example, Garth Pollonais would drive 14 hours from Erskine College in Due West, SC to play for the Kickers in their bigger games.

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The first decent opportunity to score came about 20 minutes into the game when Patrick Daxon sent a cross from near the sideline to Craig Fossett, but Fossett’s shot went directly to Atlas goalkeeper Radovic for an easy save. With about 20 minutes left in the half Joey Valenti collected a pass from Garth Pollonais and dibbled into the penalty area for a one-on-one showdown with Radovic, but Valenti sent his shot wide.

Late in the half, New York’s Al Lawrence had a couple of good chances to score in the span of 30 seconds. After being brought down in the penalty area by Jim Knowles with no call, Atlas collected the clearance and Lawrence’s shot from just outside the penalty area was headed for the top left corner of the goal, but Brett Phillips was able to handle it. Just before the halftime whistle blew, Pollonais struck a one timer shot that forced Radovic to dive to the post to save it. The first half came and went without any goals scored.

Just a minute or so into the second half, the Kickers were the first to break through. A foul on Craig Fossett about 30 yards from the goal set up a Kickers free kick. Joey Valenti ran over the ball as a decoy, and Garth Pollonais sent in a rocket shot that slightly deflected off a New York defender and beat Radovic. As a Trinidad & Tobago native, Pollonais represented T&T on the youth level as well as the national team and continued his career through the 90s with a number of indoor and outdoor teams in the United States.

With ten minutes remaining, New York found the goal that drew them level. New York’s lone substitute, Peter Karagiannis, won a fight for the ball with a Kickers defender on the right side of the penalty area then sent a high cross to the left of the goal. John Lignos jumped and headed the ball between the post and Kickers goalkeeper Brett Phillips. Even though they had just tied the game with ten minutes left, the Atlas celebration was limited to a few high fives and hugs while running back to the center circle. As Atlas’ John Shannon told NY Soccer Week “It was so hot then even when you scored you had no energy to celebrate.”

In the remaining ten minutes each team had good chances to win the game, but Radovic and Phillips could not be beaten.

As both teams slogged through extra time in the heat, the threat of a penalty shootout was becoming a reality. Kickers head coach Steve Gogas rolled the dice and sent Gordon Singleton in. As Singleton came on, he became one of many playing hurt. A pair of Greek American Atlas players were playing with casts in their left arm and opening goal scorer Garth Pollonais had his chin bandaged after catching an errant elbow in the second half.

Head Coach Steve Gogas and player/coach Jim DiNoble with the 1989 US Open Cup trophy. Photo: St. Petersburg Kickers

The Kickers captain and ex-Tampa Bay Rowdies player Gordon Singleton had injured his knee in the Kickers final Suncoast League game, just before their semifinal game against AAC Eagles. The cruel irony is, the game was essentially just a warmup for the Kickers, as they had clinched the Suncoast League championship well before that final game. After the surgery Singleton developed blood clot issues that kept him in the hospital for another week.

Singleton was looking at another 8-9 months before he could return to the field, but the day before the final Singleton borrowed a knee brace from teammate Billy Fautner and realized he could still take a penalty kick. Then on game day Singleton was told he could only be on the bench if he was in uniform, so he got dressed, with the idea of watching the game alongside his team rather than any serious thought of playing.

There were just a couple minutes left for Singleton to stay out of trouble until he was needed for the penalty shootout, but it never got that far. After a goal kick from Brett Phillips, Patrick Daxon sent a long pass from midfield and Singleton managed to break the offside trap that New York had been playing all day. Singleton dribbled into the box and beat a diving Radovic with a shot to the lower corner.

The New York players immediately protested that Singleton was offside. The broadcast of the game only had one camera which followed the ball after Daxon’s pass, so it was impossible to tell where Singleton was when Daxon sent his pass in. Perhaps due to exhaustion from the heat the Atlas players didn’t protest to the referee too long. The man who wasn’t supposed to play again for months had come on and scored the goal that won the Open Cup.

Soon after Singleton’s goal, New York nearly sent the game to penalties anyway. John Lignos sent a pass through the goalmouth, but a Kickers defender was able to intercept and clear the ball away. A few moments later the final whistle blew, and the St. Petersburg Kickers celebrated their championship win.

As US Open Cup Champions, St. Petersburg qualified to represent the United States in the 1990 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Their opening round opponents turned out to be none other than New York Greek American Atlas, The Kickers won the first leg at Tampa 2-0 on goals from RC Campanollo and Greg Bowen. The Kickers lost the second leg 1-0 in Queens, New York but advanced on 2-1 aggregate.

The Kickers then faced Mexico’s Club America in the second round in a single game in Tampa. Club America won 1-0 on a late goal in a game that saw two Club America players receive red cards for violent play. Club America would go on to win the 1990 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

A 1989 US Open Cup championship medal won by the St. Petersburg Kickers

The Kickers’ 1990 Open Cup run fell short with a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas in the Region III Final, but they went all the way in the National Amateur Cup, defeating NY Hota-Bavarian 3-1 after extra time in the semifinals in Oakford, Pa., and two days later defeated San Francisco Glens 1-0 giving them two national championships in a row.

July 8, 1989 St. Louis Soccer Park – Fenton, Missouri
St. Petersburg Kickers 2:1 (aet) New York Greek American Atlas

Kickers: Garth Pollonais 47’ (Unassisted)
NYGAA: John Lingos 80’ (Peter Karagiannis)
Kickers: Gordon Singleton 119’ (Patrick Daxon)

LINEUPS

St. Petersburg Kickers: Brett Phillips (GK), Bill Fortner, Joey Valenti, Jim Knowles, George Fotopolous, Patrick Daxon, Andrew Daxon, Lee Woolley (Gordon Singleton 116’), Craig Fossett, Siegfried Eichorst (Kevin Daxon 90’), Garth Pollonias

Manager: Steve Gogas
Yellow Cards: Andy Daxon 119’

NY Greek American Atlas: Dragan Radovic (GK), Enco Micic, Apostolidis, John Shannon, Al Lawrence, Richard Castillo, (Peter Karagiannis 2H), Dimos Roubas, John Lingos, Carl Christian, Luis Gonzalez, George Kazunas.

Manager: Peter Chrisoforides
Yellow Cards: Al Lawrence 88’

Vasco De Gama’s journey from Connecticut to 1978 US Open Cup Final as Pele’s opening act at Giants Stadium

July 30, 2022 by Owen Diana

Connecticut's Vasco da Gama: 1978 US Open Cup runner-up — Connecticut’s Vasco da Gama: 1978 US Open Cup runner-up

Before the US Men’s National Team became a regular at the FIFA World Cup, before Major League Soccer burst onto the scene, there was the North American Soccer League (NASL). Founded in December of 1967 as a fusion between the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League, the NASL helped raise the profile of soccer in the United States during its 17 years in existence. The arrival of legendary players such as Pelé, Johan Cruyff and Giorgio Chinaglia drew huge crowds to NASL games, which were broadcast on network television from 1975 to 1980.

That level of exposure was a pipe dream for a tournament like the US Open Cup, which was still called the National Challenge Cup back in those days. Despite the Cup’s status as the oldest knockout tournament in the United States, NASL teams never participated in the storied competition.

The Challenge Cup lived a separate existence from the glitz and glamour of the country’s top domestic league, but the two did briefly cross paths on July 30, 1978. The old Giants Stadium hosted an unprecedented doubleheader on that scorching summer afternoon, with the National Challenge Cup Final taking place before an NASL regular season game between Pele’s New York Cosmos and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. It was a matchup between two teams that would meet again later in the season in the 1978 Soccer Bowl. The Cosmos would win the league title that day, 3-1.

Giants Stadium: Home of the 1978 US Open Cup Final.

Although it was the undercard for one of the most eagerly-anticipated contests in American soccer, the build-up to the Challenge Cup showpiece received little media attention. That lack of interest from the press was matched by the indifference of the general public, with a reported 1,000 supporters doing their best to create a raucous atmosphere in a cavernous NFL stadium capable of accommodating more than 80 times that number of people during New York Giants and New York Jets games.

It was the 66th edition of the National Challenge Cup that year and the competition had never had a game take place in a venue as large as Giants Stadium.

The majority of those in attendance were there to cheer on debutants Vasco da Gama, who were based just over an hour away in Bridgeport, Conn. Originally a cultural and civic center for the Portuguese population in the city, Vasco formed a soccer team in the 1940s. When the Portuguese expat community grew during the 1970s, Vasco capitalized on the influx of talent to become one of the most powerful outfits on the East Coast. They had won five of the last seven state amateur cup titles, and at the time of the Final, were on their way to winning their sixth Connecticut Soccer League championship in the last seven years.

The 1978 vintage under their head coach Manuel Gaspar, just wanted to “win, win, win”, according to starting left-back Alvaro Ribeiro, and a close-knit group did plenty of that on their way to the final. They defeated Cleveland-based Inter-Italia SC 1-0 in extra time in the Round of 16. In the Quarterfinals, they had to travel into the city to take on the New York Astros at the historic Metropolitan Oval in Queens. After another narrow 1-0 win, the Connecticut Soccer League leaders got to host the Semifinals match against Ross Chain Bike out of the Philadelphia area. After neither team could find a goal, the match had to be decided by a penalty kick shootout. Joe McGuigan converted the winning kick to make Vasco the first Connecticut team to ever reach the championship game.

However, Los Angeles-based Maccabee AC, who had won three championships (1973, 1975, 1977) in the previous five years, stood between them and a chance at making Nutmeg State history. The Maccabees won that third title last year in Los Angeles, just like the previous two. So this was their first championship game outside of Southern California.

Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles was the site of Maccabee AC’s Southern California semifinal against Croatian SC on Feb. 12, which they won 2-0. A month later, in the Round of 16, they toppled Homenetmen 3-2 in front of 1,900 fans at the same stadium. The Quarterfinals (Regional Semifinal), were almost always a Northern California vs. Southern California matchup, and the Maccabees faced the San Francisco Glens home-and-away over two legs. The Maccabees won 1-0 in San Francisco on May 14, followed by a 4-0 home win the following week. In the national semifinals, they hosted Chicago’s RWB Adria where they pulled off a narrow 1-0 win to punch their ticket to the Final.

Maccabee promised to provide a stern test, but Vasco had the advantage of deciding where the decisive showdown would take place. They regularly drew crowds of 2,000 or more at Bridgeport’s Kennedy Stadium and sometimes at Hedges Stadium, so either venue would suffice.

However, the opportunity to take the field before the world-famous Cosmos proved too good to pass up.

Ex-Vasco defender Joe Queiros describes the reaction within the squad when that possibility presented itself.

“Everybody said ‘listen: playing at Giants Stadium before the Cosmos game!’ Everybody got all excited and said ‘let’s go, let’s do it!’”.

Beloved club president Don Santos was also on board, and a trip to the Meadowlands was eventually rubber-stamped.

No one can begrudge Vasco’s decision to move the most important encounter in club history to Pelé’s home stadium, but the artificial surface worked against them under the intense July sun. And during the hottest part of the day with the match kicking off at 3:30 p.m.

The Bridgeport boys had never played on turf before, and that unfamiliarity contributed to an eventual 2-0 overtime loss. After a scoreless 90 minutes, Benny Beinstock and Meir Segal each scored in the final nine minutes of extra time to give the Maccabees their fourth title in six years. It was one of the best runs in tournament history, and they would continue to be title challengers for the next four years, winning their fifth title in 1981 and reaching their last Final in 1982.

As an illustration of just how bothersome the turf was, Ribeiro recounts how instead of collapsing on the field in anguish at full-time, everybody immediately “sat down and started taking their cleats off because their feet were burning.”

“We had some good chances to score in regulation time, but we just couldn’t do it,” said Vasco da Gama president Don Santos told Larry Cole of the New York Daily News after the game. “We’re not too disappointed. It was great to play at Giants Stadium, and we’re very proud that we got as far as we did. This was the best season we ever had.”

To get a sense of the media coverage for the National Challenge Cup (US Open Cup) in 1978, this is the preview in the New York Daily News for the New York Cosmos regular season game and highlighted is the preview for the 1978 National Challenge Cup Final.

Those seared soles would have been quickly forgotten had the Vasco players met any of the Cosmos legends in the vast concrete underbelly of Giants Stadium, but a chance meeting with greatness was not in the cards for the team.

The Challenge Cup and the NASL ploughed separate furrows. The NASL would die a slow death, eventually folding in 1984. While the Challenge Cup, largely due to a lack of professional teams taking part in the tournament in the 1970s, the 1980s and into the middle part of the 1990s, would start its footing once professional soccer leagues re-joined en masse in 1995. That began what is known as the tournament’s “Modern Era” nd it has been a slow growth from there.

As for Vasco da Gama, they continued to take part in the tournament throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. They would reach the Round of 16 in 1981, 1983 and 1984, but would only make one more deep run in the competition.

In 1992, they reached Final again, and just like before, they would fall in a close game with a powerfull team from the West Coast, San Jose Oaks. They would make one more tournament appearance in 1993 and that would be the final time Vasco da Gama was seen in the US Open Cup.

Soccer in the United States has grown up, but the trailblazing work of institutions like Vasco da Gama and Maccabee AC deserve just as much praise for their role in promoting the sport on our shores as the international stars who strutted their stuff in the NASL.