Charleston Battery News Release -- www.charlestonbattery.com
Monday, June 20, 2011
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Charleston Battery takes on Orlando City on Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; gates open at 6 p.m. with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. The winner will advance to face Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas next Tuesday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
Tickets for Tuesday’s match against Orlando are on sale now starting at just $10 with discounts available for 2011 Season Ticket holders and groups of 10 or more; Three Lions Club members receive complimentary tickets to all USOC matches. To purchase tickets or for more information please call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.
The Battery advanced to the second round with a 2-0 victory against Regals FC behind goals from Nicki Paterson and Dane Kelly. Orlando topped ASC New Stars 4-0 in its first round match.
Tuesday’s game will be the Battery’s 40th in the U.S Open Cup; Charleston has a 28-11 record with one final appearance (2008) and three semifinal appearances (1999, 2004, and 2008).
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The tournament has crowned a champion for 97 consecutive years beginning in 1914. Every winning team’s name is engraved on the base of the Dewar Challenge Trophy which dates to the first year of the tournament and currently resides at U.S. Soccer House in Chicago. This year’s final will take place on Oct. 4.
At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team that advances deepest into the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The winner of the U.S. Open Cup also receives an automatic berth into the CONCACAF Champions League.