Richmond, VA – (Monday, June 27, 2011) – The Richmond Kickers face the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer on Tuesday, June 28 in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Columbus Crew Stadium. The winner will advance to the Quarterfinals to face the winner of the Sporting Kansas City/Chicago Fire PDL game. Streaming audio from Tuesday’s match will be available HERE.
The Kickers advanced to the Third Round after a pair of convincing 4-1 victories at Richmond City Stadium over USL PRO rivals Dayton Dutch Lions and Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the first two rounds. Kickers midfielder David Bulow notched five of the Kickers eight goals, bringing his scoring tally in U.S. Open Cup play to 13 overall, tying him with Jaime Moreno and Johnny Menyongar for first place all-time in the scoring chart for the modern era.
The Kickers and the Crew meet for the third time in history, and for the second time in U.S. Open Cup play. The Crew opened their 2002 U.S. Open Cup Championship run with a 3-0 victory over the Kickers at Crew Stadium on July 17, 2002. Brian McBride opened scoring before Dante Washington tallied twice in the second half. The Kickers hosted Columbus in a preseason exhibition on March 15, 1997, when the underdogs handed their MLS opponents a 3-1 decision.
Four players have progressed from the Richmond Kickers to the Columbus Crew in franchise history, including Mike Clark, Todd Yeagley, David Testo and current Kickers midfielder Stanley Nyazamba, while Scott Cannon and Ben Hunter joined the Kickers following a stint with the Crew.
The 2011 season marks the 13th time the Richmond Kickers have qualified for the U.S. Open Cup over the past 19 seasons and hold an overall record of 21-11 during tournament play. The Kickers claimed the U.S. Open Cup title the first year of the “Professional Era” in 1995 and have since made it to the quarterfinal round four times (1995, 2001, 2004, 2007), ousting three Major League Soccer teams along the way including Colorado Rapids in 2000, DC United in 2004 and LA Galaxy in 2007. With 72 total goals scored during the Open Cup, the Kickers set several franchise records, as well as a Professional Era U.S. Open Cup record, for most goals (12) during the 8-4 rout over the Ocean City Barons in 2005.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned a champion for 97 consecutive years beginning in 1914. Like recent editions, the U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament, with games tied after regulation extended by two 15-minute overtime halves. If a winner is not determined in overtime, advancement will be determined by kicks from the penalty spot. The 2011 champion will earn a $100,000 cash prize, while the runner-up will collect $50,000. The top Division III and Amateur Division clubs will each receive a $10,000 prize.
