2008 U.S. Open Cup final
Event | 2008 U.S. Open Cup | ||||||
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| |||||||
Date | September 3, 2008 | ||||||
Venue | 2009 → |
The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on September 3, 2008, at
Charleston Battery entered the tournament as only the second club in the
D.C. United entered the tournament as the competition's defending champions. They had previously won the tournament in 1996 as well. Both Sounders FC and D.C. United had to play through two qualification rounds for MLS teams before entering the official tournament. Prior to the final, there was a public dispute between the owners of the two clubs regarding the selection of D.C. United to host it at their home field, RFK Stadium.
D.C. United qualified automatically for the third round proper of the U.S. Open Cup tournament by finishing amongst the top six in the 2009 Major League Soccer season standings. While United entered in the third round, Charleston Battery, as a USL First Division club, had to start their U.S. Open Cup campaign in the first round proper. To reach the final, United had to win three games, while the Battery had to win five games. D.C. United won the bidding process to host the final.
As the tournament champions, United earned a berth in the preliminary round of the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League, as well as a $100,000 cash prize. The Battery received $50,000 as the runner-up.
Route to the final
The U.S. Open Cup is an annual American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League Soccer (MLS). The 2008 tournament was the 95th edition of the oldest ongoing soccer tournament in the United States.
Each year, MLS, which has teams that play in both the United States and Canada, is allowed to enter eight of its U.S.-based teams in the tournament. The top six MLS teams from the previous season's league table qualify automatically for the tournament, while the remaining two spots are determined by preliminary qualification matches. D.C. United, who finished first in the regular season, earned a direct bye into the third round proper.
For the then-
Charleston Battery
Until Charleston Battery's run to the 2008 final, the closest the Battery ever came to reaching the final was in 1999. There, the Battery reached the Open Cup semifinals. During their 1999 run, their string of victories included a 4–3 extra time victory over D.C. United, in which was cited as one of the largest upsets in American soccer history, and as well as the starting of a rivalry later regarded as the Coffee Pot Cup.[1]
The Battery entered the competition in the first round proper, playing USASA-side, ASC New Stars of Houston, Texas on June 10. A hat trick from Darren Spicer gave the Battery a 3–0 victory over the New Stars, earning them a berth into the second round of the tournament proper.[2]
D.C. United
Before 2008, D.C. United had reached the U.S. Open Cup final on two occasions, in 1996 and again in 1997, winning the cup in the former appearance. On July 1, 2010, United began their cup campaign, by hosting the
On July 8, United hosted
For the semifinal match, United took on the defending
The 3–1 victory against New England sealed United a spot in their first Open Cup final since 1997.
Match details
Charleston Battery (USL-1) | 1–2 | D.C. United (MLS) |
---|---|---|
Fuller 10' Nylen 33' Alonso 62' |
Report 1 Report 2 |
Fred 50' |
Washington, D.C.
Charleston Battery
|
D.C. United
|
Notes
- ^ "2008 U.S. Open (and Coffee Pot) Cup Final Preview". The Offside. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ^ "Battery blank ASC New Stars 3–0". Charleston Battery. USLSoccer.com. June 10, 2008. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ^ Goff, Steven (July 2, 2008). "Burch's 2 Goals Bail Out United". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ "2008 Third round: Marc Burch's left foot gives DC United another win over Rochester". TheCup.us. July 1, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ "Two year Open Cup ban for Cuauhtemoc Blanco". TheCup.us. July 8, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ "Seattle, Charleston, D.C. and New England Advance to Semifinals of Open Cup". U.S. Soccer. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "2008 Semifinals: DC United knock off defending champs to reach Open Cup Final". TheCup.us. August 12, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "DC United Books Spot in US Open Cup Final". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 4, 2011.