Several success stories emerged from the A-League season, from the re-launch of A-League soccer in Atlanta with an opening-day crowd of 8,613 to the expansion Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who earned a playoff spot on the field while off the field finishing third in the league in attendance. The ending, however, was familiar as the Minnesota Thunder and Rochester Rhinos met for a second straight season in the final.

But, easily the biggest story to come out of the league in 1999 was the might Rochester Raging Rhinos winning the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Rhinos knocked off four MLS opponents on the way to the title, the first for a second division team since MLS began participating in the cup in 1996.

Rochester began its run innocently enough, needing overtime to knock off the Premier Development League’s New York Freedoms 2-1 in the Second Round. The Rhinos then ousted defending Open Cup champion Chicago, Dallas and Columbus in succession to reach the final.

With the stage set for a major upset, and a national television audience watching, the Rhinos’ Doug Miller scored first, tucking in a six-yard left-footer in the 65th minute moments after stepping on the field. Yari Allnutt’s 90th minute strike clinched the 2-0 victory.

The Rhinos continued their quest toward building a soccer-specific stadium by unveiling a plan to build PAETEC Park, a 20,000-seat facility projected at $44 million.

Meanwhile, the Charleston Battery beat both Rochester and even MLS’ Columbus to the punch, becoming the country’s first team to open a privately-financed soccer stadium. Playing before a sell-out crowd of 5,186, the Battery opened Blackbaud Stadium with a 3-0 victory over Atlanta on April 27.

USL President Francisco Marcos called the opening of Charleston’s stadium and Columbus Crew Stadium, the host venue for the historic Open Cup Final, two of the most significant events of the season.

Following their Open Cup victory, the Rhinos were able to return their focus to the A-League season and their quest of repeating as league champions, giving them a double on the year.

However, Rochester met a determined Minnesota Thunder team in the final, a rematch of Rochester’s 3-1 victory of the year before. The Thunder, appearing in their fourth USL championship game in six years, had just completed a 22-6 season in which they were beaten only twice in regulation or overtime. Minnesota rolled through the playoffs, winning five straight games and outscoring opponents 13-2 in the process.

Playing before a home crowd of 9,987, the Thunder sandwiched a pair of goals around the halftime intermission and held on for a 2-1 victory.