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Chicago, Columbus Playing for a U.S. Open Cup Rematch in Peoria
PEORIA, Ill. -- The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew and the four-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion Chicago Fire are gunning for a return trip to Shea Stadium for a quarterfinal game in the nation??™s oldest cup championship. The United States Soccer Federation today announced that if both the Fire and Crew win their third-round games June 30, they will meet in a quarterfinal game July 7 (7 p.m.) at Bradley University??™s home field.
Joining six other MLS teams in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup main draw June 30, both the Fire and Crew will visit USL clubs: Chicago at the Second Division Wilmington Hammerheads and Columbus at the First Division Rochester Rhinos. In order for a quarterfinal game to be played at Shea Stadium, both MLS teams must win.
???Playing at Bradley University last year was a great experience for the team, and a successful one,??? said Chicago Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas. ???Should we advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals we plan to hold on to our winning record at Shea Stadium and provide fans with a fun and exciting game experience.???
Last summer Bradley University served as the host to a 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying game between the Fire and Columbus. Playing in front of a sold-out, Shea Stadium record crowd of 3,829 fans, Chicago pulled out a 3-2 win in double overtime on a 116th-minute goal by Andy Herron to qualify for the main draw. Chicago went on to reach the quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion D.C. United (2-1), while Columbus gained its revenge by knocking off the Fire in the Eastern Conference finals en route to the 2008 MLS Cup championship.
Owning a 5-3-6 league record, Chicago is currently second in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 21 points, two points ahead of Columbus (4-2-7), which is tied for third.
Wilmington competes in the USL Second Division and pulled off a second-round upset of the First Division Carolina RailHawks Tuesday night in stunning fashion. Former Bradley All-American Gavin Glinton scored a go-ahead goal for Carolina in the 118th minute, only to see Wilmington score in extra time to force a 3-3 tie. Glinton also converted his penalty kick attempt during the deciding shootout, but Hammerheads keeper Darryl Sattler stopped Carolina??™s first and fifth attempts, allowing Wilmington to advance with a 4-3 decision in the shootout. Rochester is a perennial power in the USL First Division, but currently is tied for fifth in the league standings with a 14 points based on its 4-5-2 record.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup dates back to 1914 and is the oldest cup competition in United States soccer. Open to all affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States, the 2009 tournament is the 96th in the history of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The 2009 champion will receive a $100,000 payday and earn a spot in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, a 24-team club championship for teams in the North and Central American region that will reward the winner with a $1 million prize.
For more information on the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, visit www.usopencup.com. The release announcing the potential quarterfinal pairings is viewable at http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/vie..._14909442.html.
Shea Stadium is located at 1523 W. Nebraska Avenue in Peoria and has served as the home facility for Bradley Soccer since 2003. Tickets for the potential Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal game involving the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew will be $25 for reserved bleacher seating and $15 for general admission lawn seating and will go on sale July 1 at the Shea Stadium Box Office, any TicketMaster location or online at www.BradleyBraves.com.
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