DC United 1 : 2 Sounders – U.S. Open Cup Final (live blog)

6.22 Good evening from Washington DC, the nation’s capital. Just over an hour before kick off. Adrian Hanauer and Chris Henderson are out on the pitch. The stadium is empty except the stewards but the press box is beginning to fill up.

Pre-match coverage

The team news we have is that Tyson Wahl will play centre half with Pat Ianni. Still unconfirmed.

We have their side. It is:

Josh Wicks; Bryan Namoff, Dejan Jakovich, Marc Burch, Fred; Clyde Simms, Ben Olsen, Chris Pontius, Christian Gomez; Jaime Moreno, Lucanio Emilio.

6.40 We can hear the Sounders fans before we see them. There were about 100 in the RFD pub about two hours ago. In good form, and getting ‘prepared’ for tonight’s match.

Sounders have come out onto the field to warm up. Tyson Wahl among them, but the whole squad is out so no line-up clues there.

The Sounders side has been released. Here is our side:

Kasey Keller; James Riley, Tyson Wahl, Pat Ianni, Leo Gonzalez; Freddie Ljungberg, Steve Zakuani, Osvaldo Alonso, Pete Vagenas; Seb Le Toux Fredy Montero.

6.58 Stay with us here if you can’t get to a tv. We’ll bring you updates as soon as stuff happens, and if nothing is, we’ll talk to you anyway.

Right now, there are more Sounders fans than locals in the stadium. Now any of you who are twitterers, feel free to twitter this page. We HAVE ALLOWED comments for all comers tonight, so pile in, but try and keep it clean and relatively inoffensive.

7.08 There are about 700 folk in already. Evans and Jaqua are on the becnh, along with Terry Boss, Nathan Sturgis, Zach Scott, Lamar Neagle and Roger Levesque.

DC’s subs are: Milos Kocic, Avery John, Andrew Jacobson, Devon McTavish, Danny Szetela, Rodney Wallace, Santino Quaranta.

7.11 The FOX TV guy is about to do his pitchside into below us.

7.16 Both sides have just left the pitch for their final team talk. DC’s Barra Brava are beginning to gather too. The Sounders fans number about 80 at the moment. I met FSC’s Max Bretos earlier. Nice fellow he is too.

Some schoolgirls are holding the Sounders flag out in readiness for the ceremonies. Practice over, it’s been folded up. The Barra Brava are getting into full swing. A man is driving a crop duster around watering the field.

The cup has appeared – it’s big, shiny and very silver.

DC team is being announced: Josh Wicks; Bryan Namoff, Dejan Jakovich, Marc Burch, Fred; Clyde Simms, Ben Olsen, Chris Pontius, Christian Gomez; Jaime Moreno, Lucanio Emilio.

Teams are coming out. Sounders FC rave green shirts, blue shorts. DC United dark blue shirts and shorts.

National anthem over, players and officials are shaking hands.

DC United runs out on the pitch. Sounders break from hundle and will be playing right to left.

DC kicks off. Game on 4:37 Pacific time.

Minute 1: Sounders first touch, Riley clears the throw in.

Minute 4: Seattle gets free kick on the left of the penalty area after Montero is tripped. Easily caught by Wicks.

Minute 5: Pontius drills a good chance wide of Kellers’ goal after beating Gonzales in the air.

Minute 6: The press box is rocking with the noise and movement of the fans! Great atmosphere.

Minute 8: Zakuani finds Montero who fires wide for Sounders first chance. Goal kick by DC.

Minute 10: Zakuani shoots to Montero who fires shot directly to GK.

Minute 11: Montero easily beaten by Jakovic in the penalty area. In all honesty he’s had a poor start. Keller saves a long range shot.

Sounders are lined up 4:5:1 with Le Toux in a withdrawn role on right and Zakuani slightly more advanced on left.

Minute 14: Zakuani runs Namoff for his first try. Good sliding tackle give Sounders a corner, which Ljungberg takes. Easily caught by Wicks.

Minute 16: Vagenas fouls Gomez 35 yards out. Central free kick to DC.

Minute 17: Gomez over the ball and fires wide to the right.

Minute 18: Le Toux carries ball straight on and shoots left to Ljungberg who fires directly to GK. Seattle has now missed their 2 best chances in the game, although DC has had more possession.

Minute 21: Montero falls over in the penalty area (he could have waited until the defender was nearer..).

Minute 22: Zakuani crosses to no one after beating Namoff.

Minute 24: Yellow card for Ianni after fouling Emilio. Gomez wastes the free kick right over the crossbar.

Minute 26: Wahl blocks Emilio’s shot on goal. Le Toux robs Fred easily (again!).

Minute 27: Zakuani shoots from a distance, but is wide. Montero wins balls, feeds Zakuani who is tackled by Jakovic. But ref awards a goal kick. Sigi looks like you think he would look about that call.

Minute 29: Wahl is reading Gomez well and hasn’t looked like a weak link at center half position. Simms wastes ball as the half hour mark passes.

Seems to be about 200 Sounders fans making noise tonight.

Minute 32: Olson tricks Vagenas, fires on target and Keller fists the ball over crossbar. Corner caught by Keller.

Minute 33: quick throw-in by Montero, Le Toux flicks ball but Wicks catches.

Minute 34: Zakuani finds Gonzalez overlapping on the left. His pinpoint cross finds Montero’s head. He heads ball over.

Ljungberg is now playing wide left and Zakuani is center. Zakuani is finding more possession; this new role is helping the Sounders immensely.

Minute 37: Moreno shoots left on goal. His dangerous cross is met by no one.

Minute 39: Gomez allowed to run too far, Osvaldo backs off, he shoots from penalty area, too wide to the left.

On both sides, the fans are keeping the noise level up.

Minute 43: a great pass by Wahl finds Le Toux on the right, a beautiful curling right-foot cross, but is met by Wicks who pounds it over the crossbar.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Halftime starts. A good first half for the Sounders with Vagenas, Wahl, Zakuani, Le Toux and especially Gonzalez looking strong. Most of DC’s chances have come from long range and Keller has looked in command. Sounders have had the 3 best chances of the match, but Wicks as DC keeper has been more than up to the task and is probably the man of the match so far.

Stats at halftime:
Shots: Seattle 9, DC 6
Shots on goal: Seattle 4, DC 2
Fouls: Seattle 4, DC 2
Corner kicks: Seattle 2, DC 1

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SECOND HALF

Minute 46: Sounders kick off playing left to right.

Minute 46: foul on Pontius by Riley. Burch free kick from the left. Ball clears everyone. Atmosphere is as loud as the first half.

Minute 47: DC substitutes Quaranta for Fred.

Minute 48: Gonzales tugs at Quaranta and receives a yellow card. Second yellow for Seattle.

Minute 49: Gomez wastes a free kick, well above the crossbar.

No changes for the Sounders, the subs are doing warmups behind goal.

Minute 53: good pressure on left Zakuani and Gonzalez work well together. Ball is cleared from DC goal. Riley tackles Pontius and ref warns him, but no card. His next foul will give him one.

Minute 54: Burch free kick finds Emilio’s head, who sends it to Kellers’ arms.

Minute 55: Gomez blast ball high over cross bar.

Attendance tonight at RFK is 17,329.

Minute 56: Burch drives from way out on target and Keller catches ball. Le Toux shoots too wide on goal.

Minute 58: Le Toux again robs DC of possession.

An hour gone DC are just beginning to move up a gear. No sign of any imminent activity on the Seattle bench.

Minute 60: Pontius wriggles through 3 in the area and finds Emilio who shot straight at Keller. What may have been DC’s best chance. Quaranta hurts Zakuani accidentally. Vagenas is signaling to the bench that a substitution may be necessary. Levesque looks to be getting ready to replace Zakuani.

Minute 63: Surpisingly Zakuani comes back on. Le Toux heads into his path, he takes a fresh air swipe Wick collects. And Montero kicks him in the head for his trouble.

Minute 66: Goal Sounders! Zakuani heads into Ljungberg’s path. Montero is on hand to net rebound.

Minute 68: Wicks is red carded after stamping on Montero after his goal.

Minute 70: Kocic is now DC goalkeeper in for Wicks.

Minute 71: With Gomez off, it is now Burch who pointlessly wastes a shot on goal.

Minute 73: Sounders sub Levesque in for Zakuani.

MInute 74: Keller grabs Olson’s cross from corner kick.

Minute 76: Seattle sub in Evans for Montero.

Sounders have 12 minutes to hold on to lead for the title.

Minute 78: Vagenas gets yellow for tugging the arm of Olson. Moreno gets free kick which is grabbed easily by Keller.

Minute 81: Gonzalez crosses and Levesques head ball over bar.

Minute 82: DC sub in Wallace for Olson.

Fans on both sides are keeping up the noise.

Minute 85: Le Toux dispossessed Jakovich who passes to Levesques and kicks it in for a GOALLLL!!!!

Minute 88: Quaranta gets free kick and shoots through the wall. Emilio kicks loose ball straight in past Keller for a goal.

Minute 90: five minutes of stoppage time added on. Corner kick awarded to DC.

Ljungberg shoots and goes wide on goal.

Keller catches another shot on goal by DC. Less than 60 seconds to go.

SOUNDERS HAVE WON THE CUP!!!!!!!!

Ceremony is about to begin for the trophy. Read the full match report here.

Cup Final Celebration Podcast

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