US Open Cup: Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire Advance to Cup Final

The two semifinal matches of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup were played in Chicago and Seattle Tuesday night.  The Chicago Fire defeated the upset-minded D3 Richmond Kickers by a narrow 2-1 score before almost 9,000 partisan Chicago fans. In the latter match, the Sounders defeated FC Dallas, 1-0, earning the opportunity to host the Fire in Seattle for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title. A win for Seattle in the final match would be their third in a row.

Chicago Fire 2-1 Richmond Kickers

The Fire got the game’s first goal in the 32nd minute after a relatively uneventful first thirty minutes. They were awarded a foul as Chicago veteran Patrick Nyarko was pulled down in the box. Argentine midfielder Sebastian Hugo Grazzini stepped up to the spot and converted, giving the Fire a 1-0 lead. Despite some good work by Chicago’s Grazzini, Nyarko, Marco Pappas and Dominic Oduro,the half ended 1-1, with the Fire outshooting the Kickers 4-3.

Nyarko and Oduro worked well together for Chicago’s second goal just past the hour mark. Nyarko assisted Oduro, who curled a clinical shot from just outside the box into the net. The Ghanian seems to have found a home since joining the Fire, already notching nine goals this year in MLS play.

But Coach Leigh Cowlishaw’s Kickers aren’t quitters. William Yomby pulled a goal back for Richmond in the 68th minute, cutting Chicago’s lead to 2-1. The Kickers defeated MLS sides Sporting Kansas City and the Columbus Crew, along with USL PRO rivals the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, to get to Chicago. The Kickers finished the USL PRO 2011 regular season with a 12-5-7 mark, third best among the league’s twelve teams. They defeated the Wilmington Hammerheads on penalties in the American Division playoffs before losing to Orlando City. Cowlishaw, who has been with the Kickers since their 1993 birth, took over the coaching reins in 2001, and is well-respected for his accomplishments in Richmond.

Unfortunately for Cowlishaw and the Kickers, they couldn’t find another goal and their Cinderella story ended one game short of the finals. Still, a great deal of credit goes to them for their fine run, as the Kickers’ David Bulow has led the 2011 Cup tournament in scoring with six goals, with teammate Matthew Delicate adding three. Congratulations go to Fire interim coach Frank Klopas and his players, who are one win away from a $100,000 payday and another Open Cup trophy, which would be the fifth in the club’s existence.

Seattle Sounders 1-0 FC Dallas

Both Sigi Schmid’s Seattle side and Schellas Hyndman’s FC Dallas team are having fine seasons in MLS play as the two Western Conference rivals trail only the LA Galaxy in total points so far in 2011.  Both clubs are also off to great starts in the CONCACAF Champions League, each team winning both of its CL group stage contests so far to lead their respective groups. Both clubs also pulled off the first two victories for MLS teams in Mexico, with FC Dallas breaking through in their historic 1-0 win over Pumas UNAM while the Sounders defeated Champions League holders Monterrey in Mexico six days later. Both teams have won US Open Cup titles: FC Dallas in 1997 and Seattle the last two years.

Something had to give between these two talented teams. Seattle’s Freddy Montero was the difference maker. His 40th minute curler was the game-winner, a beautiful clutch goal by the 24-year-old Colombian. FC Dallas had a wonderful chance to tie the score and take the game into extra time, but it was not to be. Credit 41-year-old goalkeeper Kasey Keller with the clean sheet in this tough loss for FC Dallas.

Both matches were live-blogged on Josh Hakala’s live blog on his The Cup.us site. Hopefully in the very near future a decision will be made to televise these exciting knock-out rounds of our US Open Cup, a tournament which dates back to 1914. Fortunately the Cup final will be televised on October 4th as the Sounders, looking for a three-peat, and the Fire, seeking a fifth Cup title, should provide a dramatic finish before a huge crowd in the Emerald City.