Charleston Battery News Release - www.charlestonbattery.com
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery heads to Washington, DC Wednesday for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final versus Major League Soccer's DC United (RFK Stadium, 7:30 PM, FOX Soccer Channel). This is the Battery’s first appearance in the National Championship game and the first by a USL side since the Rochester Raging Rhinos lifted the trophy in 1999.
Charleston enters the match on the back of a hard-fought 0-0 tie with the USL-leading Puerto Rico Islanders in a game played last Friday night at Blackbaud Stadium.
DC United also tied 0-0 in its last outing, a Saturday night game at RFK Stadium versus the New York Red Bulls.
The Battery (10-9-7, 37 points) is currently in third position in the USL First Division; DC United (10-10-2, 32 points) is in fourth position in MLS’s Eastern Conference.
The Battery advanced to the Final with wins over the ASC New Stars (Round 1), the Charlotte Eagles (Round 2), the Houston Dynamo (Round 3), FC Dallas (Quarterfinal) and the Seattle Sounders (Semifinal). Charleston was twice forced to a penalty kick shootout en route to the final (versus Houston and Seattle).
Charleston has played DC United in the U.S. Open Cup on two previous occasions. In 1999 the Battery defeated DC by a score of 4-3 in a third round fixture, a year later United bounced back with a 4-0 win; both games were played at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, SC.
DC United has won the U.S. Open Cup on one previous occasion defeating the Rochester Raging Rhinos in 1996. United returned to the final in 1997 but lost in a penalty kick shootout to the Dallas Burn.
The Battery roster features three ex-DC United players; Stephen Armstrong, Lazo Alavanja and John Wilson. Charleston assistant-coach Mark Watson also played for DC.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team that advances deepest into the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The winner of the U.S. Open Cup also receives an automatic berth into the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League.
Tickets - Fans who wish to travel to Washington, DC for the Cup Final can purchase discounted tickets within the designated Charleston Battery supporters section for $17 each. To purchase tickets please contact DC United / Zack Walker (202) 587-5469 or email zwalker@dcunited.com.
