Washington, D.C. (July 7, 2009) - Following tonight’s 2-1 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2), D.C. United is set to host the Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) in the semifinal round of the U.S. Open Cup. The game will be held at the Maryland SoccerPlex July 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Rochester advanced to this year’s semifinal round courtesy of a 2-1 win over the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2).
Tickets to the match will go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. via www.dcunited.com and all TicketMaster outlets. All tickets for the match will be available for $25 (including parking), while groups of 10 or more can purchase at the $22 price level. Season ticket holders will receive a special ticket discount and should contact D.C. United at 202-587-5000 for additional information.
D.C. United and Rochester have faced each other three times in Open Cup play, with the Black-and-Red advancing on each occasion. United earned 3-0 wins Oct. 30, 1996 and July 26, 2000. United defeated the Rhinos 2-0 July 1, 2008 in the third round of last year’s title run. D.C. United won the U.S. Open Cup for the second time in club history by defeating the Charleston Battery (USL-1), 2-1, in front of the home fans at RFK Stadium on Sept. 3.
United began their title defense this year with play-in victories against MLS rivals FC Dallas and the New York Red Bulls. United recorded a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas on April 22, before defeating New York 5-3 on May 20 at RFK to earn a spot in the Open Cup field. The Black-and-Red also dispatched PDL side Ocean City Barons, 2-0, in the competition’s third round.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an annual national competition that is open to all amateur and professional soccer teams that are affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest tournament in the U.S., beginning in 1914 when Brooklyn Field Club took home the very first title. MLS teams were first included in the tournament in the inaugural 1996 season, with D.C. United taking home the title.
The tournament bracket is formed by teams from the USL First Division, USL Second Division, USL Premier Development League, and United States Adult Soccer Association. Teams compete in single elimination play, adding MLS teams to the mix in the third round, and continue on towards the championship game.
Broadcasting and P.A. Request: When speaking of the organization, please refer to the team as either “D.C. United” or “United,” but not “the D.C. United” or “the United.” We appreciate your cooperation.
Doug Hicks,
dhicks@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5448,
Boris Flores,
bflores@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5452,
Kyle Sheldon,
ksheldon@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5450 or
Cristina Cruz,
ccruz@dcunited.com
, (202) 587-5440
