SEATTLE SOUNDERS (USL1) vs. KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
Tues., July 8, Qwest Field, Seattle, Wash., 7 p.m. PT
The Seattle Sounders advanced to the semifinals of the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after defeating two MLS teams along the way. With that in mind, the Kansas City Wizards head to Seattle Tuesday night to take on the USL First Division side in a 2008 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal. For the second year running, the Sounders knocked off Chivas USA in the third round; the Wizards started their Open Cup bid by surviving an extra-time match with last year's surprise semifinalists, USL1 Carolina RailHawks.
OPEN CUP HISTORY: This is the second time in Open Cup the two teams have met. In 2000, the Wizards came away with a 4-0 victory in the second round, at Overland Park, Kan. ... An own goal (20) put the Wizards on their way, then three goals in the final half-hour from Mark Santel (58), Matt McKeon (60) and Mike Burns (90) sealed the victory.
WIZARDS: Bo Oshoniyi, Nick Garcia, Peter Vermes, Michael Green (Tahj Jakins 82), Brandon Prideaux, Mark Santel, Kerry Zavagnin (Andrew Gregor 9), Matt McKeon, Francisco Gomez, Roy Lassiter (Mike Burns 52), Chris Brown
SOUNDERS: Preston Burpo (Rich Cullen 67), Kieran Barton, Scott Jenkins, Ryan Edwards, Sean Henderson (Jeremy Sweet 61), Jason Farrell, Leighton O'Brien, Viet Nguyen, Peter Hattrup (Chad Brown 32), Jason Dunn (Craig Tomlinson 59), Rees Bettinger
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
2008 OPEN CUP: For the second year in a row, the Seattle Sounders defeated Chivas USA in the third round, claiming a 2-0 win last week at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. A year ago, Chivas lost 3-1 to Seattle at the same stage. ... Taylor Graham headed home a corner kick in the 43rd minute, then Sebastian LeToux beat Brad Guzan to a long punt downfield in the 80th minute to nod the ball into an empty goal and seal the victory. ... In the second round, the Sounders destroyed the dream of this year's Cinderella, defeating star-studded USASA side Hollywood United 6-0, getting goals in the opening 15 minutes from Scott and Gardner, then seeing Sebastian LeToux score four goals (22, 28, 62, 63) to cruise to victory. ... The defending USL-1 champions and 2007 semifinalists were nearly shocked in their opener on the road at Arizona Sahauros, getting the game's only goal with just two minutes left in extra time from Kenji Treschuk.
IN THE OPEN CUP: The Sounders reached their farthest level ever in the competition a year ago, making it to the semifinals before falling 2-1 in extra time to FC Dallas. ... The run began with wins against Banat Arsenal (USASA) and Portland Timbers (USL-1), then saw stunning wins against MLS competition, defeating Chivas USA 3-1 in the third round and the Colorado Rapids 5-0 in the quarterfinals. ... The Sounders had once earlier defeated an MLS foe, a 1-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes in the fourth round in 2003. ... The last time the Sounders had reached as far as the semifinals came in 1995, when the A-League side lost to the El Paso Patriots at that stage.
FORM GUIDE: The Seattle Sounders are sitting tied for fourth place in the USL First Division, with 20 points from 15 matches, seven behind the Charleston Battery. ... The Sounders are coming off two games in three nights in an East Coast swing, tying the Carolina RailHawks 2-2 on July 3, their fifth tie in six games, then losing 1-0 to the Charleston Battery on July 5 ... Sebastian LeToux has six goals, tied for third in USL1. Leighton O'Brien is next with three
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
IN THE OPEN CUP: This is the first time the Wizards have been in the Open Cup competition proper in two seasons. On that occasion they lost to the Chicago Fire in the fourth round after defeating the PDL Des Moines Menace in the third. ... The Wizards have won the competition once, in their only appearance in the final, defeating the Chicago Fire 1-0 in 2004 at Arrowhead Stadium on a goal by Igor Simutenkov. ... The farthest the Wizards had previously advanced was the semifinals in 2002, where they lost to the Columbus Crew in extra time. ... The Wizards have been knocked out on four occasions by lower-division opposition - including three successive years, 1997-99, when they lost to the San Francisco Bay Seals (D3 Pro), Nashville Metros (A-League) and Chicago Sockers (PDL). ... The last occasion when Kansas City was eliminated at the time of first asking came in 2003, when they lost to the Colorado Rapids in the fourth round.
THIS YEAR: The Wizards escaped the USL1 Carolina RailHawks, surprise semifinalists a year, in a 4-2 win in extra time in the third round ... Santiago Fusilier (44) and Matthew Watson (58) staked the home side to a lead, but Ivan Trujillo pulled a goal back in the 68th minute, then Claudio Lopez converted a penalty eight minutes from full time. In extra time, Trujillo scored his second four minutes after the restart, then Ryan Pore sealed the match with a last-minute penalty kick. The RailHawks played the final 12 minutes a man down after Ryan Solle was sent off. ... Here's Onalfo's team: Eric Kronberg, Jonathan Leathers, Aaron Hohlbein, Tyson Wahl, Matt Marquess, Chance Myers (Michael Harrington 46), Kerry Zavagnin (Kurt Morsink 77), Ryan McMahen (Claudio Lopez 65), Roger Espinoza, Carlos Marinelli (Ivan Trujillo 46), Ryan Pore ... The Wizards advanced to the U.S. Open Cup tournament in the third MLS qualifying round, defeating the Colorado Rapids on penalties after playing to a 2-2 draw over 120 minutes. Ryan Pore gave the Wizards a 20th-minute lead before goals from Herculez Gomez (36) and Jacob Peterson (57) put the Rapids ahead. But Ivan Trujillo popped up four minutes from the end for a late equalizer. In the penalty shootout, each team hit their first three kicks. After Kansas City made a fourth, Colorado's Facundo Erpen hit the bar, and Kurt Morsink converted to seal the victory.
