2009 US Open Cup Final
September 2, 2009
7:30 PM EST
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
 DC UNITED
The red and black clad DC United soccer team return to the US Open Cup final for the second year in a row and fourth time overall in their 14 year history. They'll be looking to retain the title they won last season, also at RFK, 2-1 over the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division. Charleston were just the third team from outside MLS to make the final since the launch of Major League Soccer and it's an ex-outsider (well, sort of) who they'll be taking on this time around.
United have been through something of a slump over the month of August but may have awoken just in time, getting just their second road win of the season this past Saturday in Chicago, 1-0. While coach Tom Soehn has had to do some serious lineup juggling with the club battling on three fronts (CONCACAF Champions League being the third) we can expect the importance of a cup final to bring out a first choice lineup.
Road to the 2009 Final:
4th Round: DC United 2-0 Ocean City Barons
Quarterfinal: DC United 2-1 Harrisburg City Islanders
Semifinal: DC United 2-1 Rochester Rhinos
US Open Cup History:
- Winners: 2 (1996, 2008)
- Finalists: 1 (1997)
- Semifinals: 3 (2001, 03, 06)
- Quarterfinals: 2 (2000, 05)
- Fourth Round: 2 (2004, 07)
- Third Round: 1 (1999)
- Did not enter: 2 (1998, 2002)
 SEATTLE SOUNDERS
The Seattle Sounders mark their maiden voyage in Major League Soccer with their first-ever appearance in the US Open Cup final. While this is technically a different entity than the entity that has done battle in the lower-division ranks since 1994, the similarities in name, colors, fan base, staff and fan base makes them (on some level) a continuation of the same thread. The Sounders reached the semifinals each of the last two years and knocked out their once and future Pacific Northwest derby rivals the Portland Timbers in the first round.
Making the Cup final is just one of a number of highlights for the Sounders this season, the most impressive being their tremendous success at the gate. While certainly not filling cavernous Qwest Field, at over 30,000 per game they are bringing in huge numbers by MLS standards - roughly double the league average. And the Sounders have been quite competitive on the field as well, currently locked in a tight playoff race.
Road to the 2009 Final:
4th Round: Portland Timbers 1-2 Seattle Sounders
Quarterfinal: Seattle Sounders 1-0 Kansas City Wizards
Semifinal: Seattle Sounders 2-1 Houston Dynamo
US Open Cup History:
- Semifinal: 3 (1995, 2007, 08)
- Quarterfinal: 2 (1996, 2003)
- Third Round: 4 (1999, 2002, 05, 06)
- Second Round: 2 (2000, 01)
- Did not qualify: 3 (1997, 98, 2004)
Most US Open Cup Titles
5 Bethlehem (PA) Steel
5 Los Angeles Maccabee
4 Chicago Fire
4 Fall River (MA) Marksmen
4 New York Greek-Americans
4 Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals
3 New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
13 teams have won the US Open Cup twice, 41 teams have won the US Open Cup once.
Recent US Open Cup Finals
1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos 2-0 Colorado Rapids
2000 Chicago Fire 2-1 Miami Fusion
2001 Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 New England Revolution
2002 Columbus Crew 1-0 Los Angeles Galaxy
2003 Chicago Fire 1-0 MetroStars
2004 Kansas City Wizards 1-0 Chicago Fire
2005 Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 FC Dallas
2006 Chicago Fire 3-1 Los Angeles Galaxy
2007 New England Revolution 3-2 FC Dallas
2008 DC United 2-1 Charleston Battery
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