2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final Preview: D.C. United v Seattle Sounders FC

SOUNDERS, UNITED EACH SEEK HISTORIC WIN: The Seattle Sounders head into RFK Stadium Wednesday night looking to be the second MLS expansion team to win the title, matching the Chicago Fire’s feat in 1998. D.C. United seeks its third title and second in a row. The first title came in 1996 during the team and league’s inaugural season. Kickoff in the nation’s capital is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Both teams have won three games in the tournament proper, however, each team had to also advance through MLS qualifying after not securing an automatic berth.

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL TO TELEVISE FINAL: The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final returns to Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español live at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fox Soccer Channel holds exclusive rights to broadcast the Open Cup final through 2010. Fans can also follow online via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.

QUICK HITS

• Wednesday’s match will conclude the 96th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
• This will be the second time that a team from Washington State faced off against a team from Washington,D.C., in the Cup final. In 1987, Seattle’s Mitre Eagles fell to the District’s Club España in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw.
• The home team is 9-2-0 in U.S. Open Cup finals since MLS began participating in the tournament. The 2003 Chicago Fireand 2007 New England Revolution are the only road teams to win a Final. Two finals, 1997 and 1999, were played at neutral sites.
• The U.S. Open Cup Final has gone into overtime four times since 1996.
• A total of 62 different teams have won the U.S. Open Cup, with the New England Revolution the most recent first-time winners in 2007.
• Including D.C. United in 1996, three MLS teams have won the “double” – winning the MLS and U.S. Open Cups in the same year. The Galaxy were the last team to achieve that distinction back in 2005 andthe 1998 Chicago Fire also won both.
• The home team is 24-9-5 in the 2009 competition, with the visiting teams holding a 3-2 advantage in shootout victories.
• There were 18 shutouts during 2009, including just one 0-0 tie.
• The Wilmington Hammerheads won this year’s $10,000 dollar prize as the top Division III team by advancing to thequarterfinals.
• The $10,000 amateur prize winner was the Ocean City Barons, a PDL team that reached the third round before being dispatched by D.C. United.
• The final $10,000 prize went to the Division II Rochester Rhinos, whose tournament run was ended in the semifinals by D.C. United as well.
• The overall competition winners receive $100,000 in prize money, while the runner up receives $50,000.
• Overtime: If the match is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute overtime periods will be played. If at the end of these periods the score is tied, the champion will be decided with penalty kicks.

A CLOSER LOOK: SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Head Coach: Sigi Schmid
2009 U.S. Open Cup Record: (3-0-0)
2009 Open Cup Leading Scorer: Stephen King (2 goals)
All-Time Open Cup Final Record: First Appearance
2009 MLS Record: 8-6-10, 34 points (Third place, Western Conference)
2009 League Leading Scorer: Fredy Montero (10 goals)
Last Outing: 0-0 tie against Toronto FC on Aug. 29

2009 Open Cup Game-By-Game
Date      Round   Opponent                                  Result            Location
July 1        3       Portland Timbers (USL-1)            2-1 W           PGE Park; Portland, Ore.
July 7       Q      Kansas City Wizards (MLS)        1-0 W           Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.
July 21      S      Houston Dynamo (MLS)          2-1 W (OT)        Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash.
 
QUICK HITS

• Seattle is 1-0-0 on the road in the 2009 Open Cup, a 2-1 win vs. the Portland Timbers (USL-1) in the third round.
• Seattle’s MLS road record is 2-4-5 so far this year.
• The Sounders have played D.C. United only once so far in MLS this season, drawing 3-3 at Qwest Field in Seattle on June 17.
• Seattle midfielder Sebastien Le Toux was last year’s tournament high scorer; the Frenchman had five goals for the then USL First Division Seattle Sounders, four of those goals came in one game against Hollywood United.
• The Sounders are the second Seattle club to be in the U.S. Open Cup final, but would be the first to win it. In 1987 the Mitre Eagles fell to Club España, from Washington, D.C., after a 3-2 penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw.
• Despite the fact that this will be the Sounders’ first cup final, Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid and midfielder Brad Evans won the MLS Cup last season with the Columbus Crew.
• Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller  is currently ranked third in MLS with a 0.90 GAA and eight shutouts.

A CLOSER LOOK: D.C. UNITED
 
Head Coach: Tom Soehn
2009 U.S. Open Cup Record: 3-0-0
2009 Open Cup Leading Scorers: Boyzzz Khumalo (2 goals)
All-Time Open Cup Final Record: 2-0-1 (D.C. United fell 5-4 on PKs to the Dallas Burn in 1997)
2009 MLS Record: 7-5-11, 32 points (Fourth place, Eastern Conference)
2009 League Leading Scorer: Luciano Emilio (8 goals)
Last Outing: 1-0 win at Chicago Fire on Aug. 29 (Bryan Namoff game-winning goal)