DC United will be taking on Charleston Battery of the USL-1 in about six minutes in the US Open Cup Final
Since my beloved Revolution were bounced, I haven't been paying particularly close attention to this competition and I thought that I'd be seeing a CONCACAF Champions League match coming up next on FSC, but I'll be watching DC United take on Charleston Battery. Charleston are currently tied for third after 26 rounds of the USL First Division. The Battery have a few former MLS players. Nelson Akwari played 78 league matches in defense for New York, Columbus, and Salt Lake. Akwari was in the Bradenton Academy with DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, and Bobby Convey. Shea Salinas is a 22 year-old forward in on loan from San Jose. Salinas has played one time for Charleston thus far. Marco Reda played 8 times in Toronto FC's opening season and has 7 caps for Canada. Stephen Armstrong played three times for Watford before moving to MLS with DC, Kansas City, and Columbus. John Wilson was with DC United last season before moving to Charleston. To get to the final, Charleston defeated New Stars of Texas (USASA), Charlotte Eagles (USL-2), Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas, and Seattle Sounders. DC United defeated Rochester (USL-1), Chicago, and New England.
Marcello Gallardo and Fred are both on the bench for DC United. Luciano Emilio is nursing an injured groin, but is playing. Four minutes in and Santino Quaranta ran down the right, into the box, and set up Emilio for a nicely placed shot just past Dusty Huddock in the Charleston goal. Emilio appears to be asking to get subbed out as he seems to have stretched the groin a bit in scoring that goal. Quaranta also got cleared out pretty well and had to go to the sideline for treatment. In the seventh, Rod Dyachenko entered for Emilio.
On ten minutes Chris Williams set up Ian Fuller inside the 18 and Fuller rocked a shot past the DC United keeper to tie the score at 1-1. The match is at RFK, which is DC United's home stadium. It does appear that there is a pretty solid Charleston contingent coming up from South Carolina for the match. For the record, Rochester Raging Rhinos are the only USL team to win the Cup in the MLS era. They won it in 1999 over Colorado.
Santino Quaranta has been fantastic thus far. He nearly set up Ivan Guerrero, but Guerrero could not find the angle and sent the ball off the side of the net. For those who don't remember (or never knew), Quaranta has 11 caps for the US National Team, starting with the 2005 Gold Cup. Quaranta helped the US win in the penalty shoot out by hitting his chance from the spot. He was also the youngest player ever drafted to MLS at age 16 (until Freddy Adu was selected in the following draft. A period of injuries came over Santino after his time with the US Nats and he fell into addiction to pain killers, alcohol, and cocaine. As he said, "I should have been dead." Quaranta has been sober since October 2007 and finally has his career back in order.
In the 21st, Charleston nearly takes the lead with former United player Lazo Alvanja getting forward from his midfield position and putting a shot past the keeper and off the far post.
In the 33rd minute now and Kevin Nylan has picked up a yellow for a push on Quaranta. The game has calmed a bit as neither team has really had a chance, though Charleston did have the ball in the 18, but there was no support. DC needs to get Quaranta back on the ball. Haven't heard his name enough recently. 35th minute now and Carlos Martinez picks up a yellow on a poor challenge on Stephen Armstrong. Charleston has a free kick in a dangerous spot outside the 18. Osvaldo Alonso (Cuban defector from the last Gold Cup) sends the free kick just over the goal. 37th minute and Jaime Moreno makes a dangerous run, but Huddock shut down the low cross for a streaking Dyachenko.
DC United sub in the 40th. Joe Vide hobbles off. He started gimping around a while ago in the game. Fred comes in and goes out to the right side. Santino Quaranta goes from the right to a central attacking position.
Fred gets involved fast with a chance in the 45th. Jaime Moreno set him up coming in from the right. Moreno held the ball just long enough to force Huddock to come out before dumping it off to the Brazilian. Fred's chip went high and wide of goal. Charleston comes right back with another run at goal, but the shot was weak and deflected out for a goal kick. Goal kick was sent right to the DCU keeper.
Half time and the Fred substitution looks like a serious game changer. Sending Jaime Moreno, Fred, and Santino Quaranta at the goal looks like it will be good for a goal or two in the second half. Charleston's defense is big with all four over 6 feet tall, but they don't appear able to keep up or follow what DC's attacking trio are doing. A few minutes after Fred's chance, Quaranta had an open header at the top of the six, but he sent it wide of the goal. Charleston's counter attack is getting into the 18, but it is getting one or two forward with four or five DC defenders on hand.
Second half opens with Clyde Sims taking a yellow for clearing out Osvaldo Alonso on a header. Alonso is 22 and had 17 Cuban caps and was captain before defecting. Charleston is trying to build an attack and are keeping DCU on their heels a bit while passing the ball through midfield. Not much in the first five minutes from DCU.
And just as I hit the post button, Clyde Sims finds Quaranta who lays a simple touch into the path of Fred. Fred goes right in on Huddock and lifts the one over the charging keeper to make it 2-1 DC.
In the 50th, Charleston sends a strong, indirect freekick off Santino Quaranta's sensitive bits, if you know what I mean. Quaranta is back upright and involved in the attack, so he seems to have gotten better. Fred is really something. I haven't seen much of DC United, but Fred is a fantastic player. Charleston can't keep up with him coming off the right and he's had three legit chances resulting in a goal and a corner.
In the 58th, Charleston had three shots in the box all deflected off DCU defenders. The final shot was from Alavanja and went out for a corner. Alavanja volleyed the corner out for another corner. Charleston is getting a lot of corners and indirect free kick opportunities. They are a very big team and DC isn't. At some point, I can see one getting in. Alavanja with another shot on goal in the 60th. Good pace on the shot from just inside the 18, but it was almost directly at Creighton in the DC goal.
Charleston is really going for this and playing like they have nothing to lose...because they don't. They just broke into a 3-3-4 and have been sticking with it for the last few minutes.
Surprisingly, its taken DC about 10 to 15 minutes to break through on the 3-3-4. They haven't had or maintained possession and haven't had too many, if any chances until just now. I didn't see who got it, but Charleston deflected the shot out for a corner. Charleston are still pressing for the win.
Marcello Gallardo is getting up for DC and looks to be coming in. Rod Dyachenko, who entered early for Luciano Emilio, is exiting. Ian Fuller also leaves in the 80th for Charleston's second sub. Remember (because I didn't), there are four substitutions allowed in US Open Cup play.
Gallardo opens up the Charleston defense quick as Quaranta gets a shot streaking in from the left. I don't think Charleston can handle Gallardo, Moreno, Quaranta, and Fred up from for DC. I'm not sure too many MLS defenses can handle that either. Stephen Armstrong is out for Charleston now and the game looks over. The Battery tried hard and put up a serious fight, but DC is just too much for them, unless there's something unexpected in the last six minutes and stoppage time.
And just as I call it a game, Alonso and Alevanja nearly hook up for a goal. Alevanja got the ball in the middle and took a run to just outside the 18 before sending it to Alonso on his right. Alonso chipped a cross right to Alevanja's forehead, but the header went just wide.
Three minutes of stoppage time and Fred is clearly man of the match. Alonso and Alevanja were trying to hook up again and Fred read Alevanja's step over perfectly and was there in defense. DC goes with a time wasting fourth sub, Moreno out for Ryan Cordeiro. In an odd moment, the ref allowed it and while Moreno was walking off, Charleston played the ball. Free kick from the left of DC's goal gets deflected and after the ball bounced around a couple times, it appeared that Marco Reda might have been through to score for Charleston, but it was called offside. That was the last attack of the match as the ref blew the whistle and called it. DC United wins their second US Open Cup. Fred was the clear man of the match, but I think a few Charleston players will be making some appearances in the MLS next season. Alonso and Alevanja will definitely be with MLS sides next year.
