Brotherly Game Archive
Union to host second straight Open Cup Final at PPL Park
Sporting Kansas City upheld their end of the bargain with a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. That win coupled with the Union's means the Union will host the Open Cup Final for a 2nd straight year.
The third position in the semifinal home field lottery was good enough. Both the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City won their semifinal matches on Wednesday night, and by virtue of the Union ranking one spot ahead of Sporting Kansas City in the lottery, they will host the final at PPL Park. The U.S. Open Cup Final is scheduled to take place in exactly seven weeks, on September 30th, a Wednesday night.
Those who attended last year’s Open Cup Final against the Seattle Sounders witnessed one of the most electric atmospheres in PPL Park history. The Union were literally inches from victory but had to settle for second place. Getting back to the final has been a stated goal of the team’s all season and their performance in this year’s Open Cup has been nothing short of thrilling. It took penalty kicks to send home USL’s Rochester Rhinos in the Round of 32. The Union then came from behind and down a man to put away D.C. United. In the quarterfinals they outlasted the New York Red Bulls and won an epic game on penalties, and they sent home Chicago Fire in the semifinals with a convincing 1-0 victory.
If the final is any bit as good as the last six Union Open Cup performances, fans should be ready for a classic.
