The Earthquakes gear up for their first ever trip into the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday night against the Kansas City Wizards at the Blue Valley District Athletic Complex at 5:30 p.m. PT. Quakes fans can listen to all the action live via audio web cast right here on sjearthquakes.com.
Following their rousing 3-0 win over the Dallas Burn on Saturday the Quakes took an early flight Sunday morning to Kansas City to prepare for Tuesday night's match. Despite thunderstorms throughout the day on Monday, the Quakes were able to get in a good practice at the Blue Valley Athletic Complex.
"I have said this about every Open Cup game we have played," Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We are taking this competition seriously. Now that we are in the semifinals, we want to win, and we feel like if we play the way we have been, we have a good chance."
Jon Conway will be in goal for the Quakes, who face a Wizards team that sits above them in the MLS Western Conference standings, but a team that they also humbled 2-0 just 10 days before at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Wizards will be without midfielder Chris Klein, who tore his left ACL in the loss to San Jose on Aug. 14, but Kansas City will welcome back midfielder Preki, last year's MLS MVP who has missed most of the season while recovering from a broken leg.
San Jose will be without a key component to their midfield as well, as Ramiro Corrales is suspended for the semifinal after receiving a red card and being ejected during the Quakes quarterfinal penalty kick shootout win over the A-League's Minnesota Thunder on Aug. 4. The Wizards advanced to the Open Cup semis by downing the Dallas Burn 4-0. The winner of the Quakes-Wizards matchup will play the winner of the other semifinal, either the Chicago Fire or the A-League's Charleston Battery.
The championship game is scheduled for Sept. 22, and the Earthquakes are hoping that another strong performance will make sure they are playing for the title and for the $100,000 in prize money that U.S. soccer awards the winner.
