June 30, 2010, PGE Park, Portland Oregon, 7:30 PM
It's not all that surprising that Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers are meeting again in the United States Open Cup. The Cup tends to schedule regional matches in early rounds whenever possible. Still, it does set up another juicy rivalry clash as the Timbers prepare for their entry into MLS in 2011.
Portland knocked the United Soccer Leagues Seattle Sounders out of the 2005 US Open Cup, 2:0 at PGE Park. Seattle went on to win the league championship that season. The Sounders returned the favor in 2007 with a 2:1 victory over the Timbers at Starfire. The Sounders also won the USL title that season. Last year with Seattle in MLS and the Timbers in the second division Seattle went into a crazy, jampacked PGE Park and came home with a 2:1 triumph on their way to winning the entire thing.
U.S. Open Cup Update – June 23, 2010
U.S. Soccer has now bracketed the Seattle Sounders FC and Portland Timbers with L.A. Galaxy and AC St. Louis (Division 2).
The Sounders FC-Portland winner advances to the quarterfinal round to meet the L.A. Galaxy-St. Louis winner on either July 6 (St. Louis) or July 7 (L.A. Galaxy).
Seattle would host the quarterfinal round at Starfire.
This today from the Sounders:
RENTON, WASH. - Seattle Sounders FC will begin defense of its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship by facing the Portland Timbers in a third round match on June 30 at PGE Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the match will be televised by FSN.
Tickets for the game go on sale to the public beginning on Wednesday, June 23, at 10 a.m. at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
The Sounders FC-Portland winner advances to the quarterfinal round to meet the Chivas USA-Austin Aztex winner on either July 6 or 7.
A crowd of 16,382 filled PGE Park last year, when Sounders FC defeated the Timbers, 2-1. Seattle proceeded to win the cup with victories over Kansas City, Houston and D.C. United.
Portland, a member of U.S. Soccer Division 2, advanced to the third round by beating the Kitsap Pumas of the PDL, 4-1, in Bremerton on Tuesday night. Sounders FC and the other seven MLS teams enter Open Cup play at the third round stage.
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.
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