WASHINGTON – D.C. United will face the Philadelphia Union on June 30 at 7:00 p.m. at PPL Park in Chester, Pa., in the Round of 16 of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The pairing was drawn during a live stream from Soccer House in Chicago, Ill.
United advanced to the Round of 16 by scoring twice in overtime to defeat the USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 3-1, at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on June 17. Facundo Coria, Kofi Opare and Nick DeLeon scored for the Black-and-Red. It was the team’s second meeting with Pittsburgh, the first since the lone previous encounter in the 2003 U.S. Open Cup. The Union advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-1 win in penalty kicks following a scoreless draw with the USL Rochester Rhinos on June 16.
As part of the live draw, D.C. United, Philadelphia, the New York Red Bulls and the New York Cosmos (NASL) were placed into the East Region of the tournament. The winner of the contest between D.C. United and the Union will go on the road to meet the winner between the New York Red Bulls and the NASL New York Cosmos in the Quarterfinals on July 21 or 22. The location of the Semifinals was also determined; the winner of the East Region will host the winner of the South Region (Columbus Crew SC, Orlando City, Charlotte Independence (USL), Chicago Fire).
D.C. United has won the U.S. Open Cup three times in its 19-year history. In 1996, D.C. United pulled off the first ‘double’ in league history, winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. The Black-and-Red beat the second division Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-0 in the 1996 final, with goals from Eddie Pope, Jaime Moreno and Raul Diaz Arce. In 2008, United captured its second Open Cup title when it beat the second division Charleston Battery 2-1, with goals from Fred and Luciano Emilio. In 2013, United grabbed a third title as Lewis Neal scored the only goal in a 1-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
D.C. United is 2-1 all-time against the Union in U.S. Open Cup play, with all three previous games taking place at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The Black-and-Red defeated the Union in 2011 (4-2 in penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw) and 2013 (3-1, with a hat trick from Dwayne De Rosario) and lost in overtime, 2-1, in 2012.
