Photo by PablolMaurerIt wasn’t pretty and it took all of 120 minutes, but D.C. United left Richmond last night with a 2-1 victory over the third division Kickers. The match, played in front of some 5,000 fans at Richmond City Stadium, was United’s first in this year’s U.S. Open Cup.
With the victory, United advances to face the Philadelphia Union on June 5 at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The Union advanced by way of a rain-soaked 3-0 victory over the Rochester Rhinos.
United’s goals came by way of a first-half strike from Hamdi Salihi and a Marcelo Saragosa goal 17 minutes into extra time, while Richmond’s came by way of penalty kick. Saragosa tripped up former Real Salt Lake and Philadelphia Union player Chris Agorsor in the box, and Richmond midfielder Stanley Nyazamba slotted home the ensuing penalty kick.
Richmond spent much of the game with 10 men behind the ball, relying on the occasional long ball or counter-attack for most of their scoring chances.
“We made a meal out of that game,” said United head coach Ben Olsen after the match. “And we made it more difficult than it needed to be. It’s never easy to break down a team that wants to defend with the entire team and then counter attack with two quick guys.”
United fared well on the evening compared to some of their MLS counterparts. Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, New England, Columbus, Salt Lake and Chicago all fell to “lesser competition,” while seven other MLS squads advanced.
Entering its 99th year, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer tournament in the United States. It’s open to all clubs affiliated with the United States Soccer Foundation, from local amateur adult teams to Premier Development League, United Soccer Leagues and MLS squads. It’s basically the American equivalent of the FA cup in England. Win it, and you book a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League.
The lower division and amateur teams in the tourney tend to place far more importance on these games, understandably. United’s own Lewis Neal has some experience with that—this is his first run in MLS and he spent last year with third-tier side Orlando City.
“Obviously for the USL teams, to them it’s like our Cup Final day, to beat an MLS team,” Neal said after the match. “I know exactly how they feel, as I was in the same boat last year.”
The cup has its share of flaws. While some MLS teams put little or no value on it, sending reserve squads for early round games and complaining about sub-par refs and playing surfaces, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: I love the U.S. Open Cup.
I love the David vs. Goliath aspect of it, I love traveling to shitty stadiums to see shitty teams try (and often succeed) to knock off MLS squads. I love shitty stadium food. Why, just last night I sat in Richmond’s lovely (OK, not so much) 80-year-old stadium (it felt a bit like a prison yard) and ate a Papa John’s personal pizza. The Kickers fans were great —they even have a 15-person or so supporters group, complete with super-homemade banners. A minor-league Barra Brava, if you will.
I love that the opposing teams mascot—I think it was a kangaroo but it looked like a mangy old dog who’d drank a bit too much creek water—feels it appropriate to approach United defender Brandon McDonald on the bench and whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
And because of all of this, DCist readers, you will suffer through these write-ups with me. Like it or not, I’m going to make you read about the Harrisburg City Islanders coming back from three goals down in extra time and beating the New England Revolution. I’m going to make you read about the Dayton Dutch Lions, and how they knocked off the Columbus Crew last night, despite being outshot 18-3.
What’s that? You don’t care. Fine, go look at your stupid cheetah cubs.
