The basics
Charleston Battery (7-3-3, first in USL-2) at Columbus Crew (8-2-3, first MLS East), 7:30 p.m. ET
Last Open Cup game: Charleston went on the road on June 29 and beat the Chicago Fire, winning 3-0 on penalty kicks after a scoreless 120 minutes. At the same time the Crew were beating visiting Rochester (USSF D-2), 2-1, on a Steven Lenhart goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
What's at stake?
A berth in the semifinals against the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)/D.C. United winner of July 21 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.
If the Crew win, they will host Harrisburg on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. or play at D.C. United at the SoccerPlex on Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
If the Battery win, they will host Harrisburg on Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m. or play at D.C. United at the SoccerPlex on Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Remember when?
Although the Crew and Battery have never met in the U.S. Open Cup, they did play in the preseason Carolina Cup Challenge at the Battery’s Blackbaud Stadium on March 24, 2004.
The Crew won 3-1 on goals by Ross Paule (from Stephen Herdsman), Frankie Hejduk (Kyle Martino assist) and rookie Chad Marshall’s header off a Simon Elliott corner kick. Jon Busch allowed a Paul Conway goal in the 12th minute for the early Battery lead but had to make only two saves the rest of the way.
Besides Hejduk and Marshall, the only current Crew to play in the match was Duncan Oughton. Battery midfielder Kevin Jackson also played.
Stat that makes you go “Hmm …"
The Crew is trying to reach the semifinals for the fourth time.
In their first venture in the tournament, they beat New York 1-0 in the 1998 semifinals in Metairie, La., then lost in the final at Chicago, 2-1, in overtime. The following season they were upset, 3-2, by Rochester (A-League) in the semifinals in Virginia Beach, Va. In 2002, the host Crew beat Kansas City 3-2 in added time to advance to the final where they beat visiting Los Angeles, 1-0.
He said it
“They are going to do what they did in Chicago – bunker in and try to slow down the game, try to go zero-zero and maybe look for a goal from a counterattack. It is not going to be an easy game.” — Crew coach Robert Warzycha.
