The kickoff for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final between the Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at Qwest Field in Seattle has been moved to 10 p.m. ET. The match, originally scheduled for 11 p.m. ET, will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel.
With more than 19,000 tickets already sold, a record crowd for an Open Cup final is anticipated at Qwest Field. The record attendance for an Open Cup final is 21,583 in 1929 between New York Hakoah and Madison Kennel Club of St. Louis. The record in the tournament’s modern era, which began in 1996 when Major League Soccer teams joined, is 19,164 for the 2000 final between the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion.
The Sounders earned the opportunity to defend its Open Cup title at home after defeating Chivas USA 3-1 last week at Starfire Sports Stadium. With their second straight appearance in the Open Cup final, Seattle could become the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms accomplished the feat in 1983.
The Columbus Crew posted a dramatic come-from-behind overtime win at D.C. United in their semifinal campaign to return to the Open Cup title game for the first time since they won the competition in 2002.
