US Open: Coffee Pot Stays in DC

SE President Jimi Butler (dark shirt) holds up the Coffee Pot Cup after DC's win last night

It took extra time, but DC United defeated the Charleston Battery 2-0 in the US Open Cup last night (May 6) and retained the legendary Coffee Pot Cup (held up in the photo above, and shown below).

The legendary DC United/Charleston Battery Coffee Pot Cup

Briefly: Charleston upset DC in the US Open Cup in 1999, and DC players allegedly damaged the Charleston locker room, including breaking a coffee urn. When the teams played again in the 2004 preseason, supporters from both DC and Charleston decided to buy a coffee urn and make it into a cup to be held as a trophy by the team that has won the most recent game. Of course, drinking beverages from the cup also became a tradition. More information on the history of the cup can be found in articles by Ryan Altenbach and Josh Hakala.

I saw the cup myself in 2010 or 2011 (I think) when I went to Charleston for the preseason tournament. In recent years it has been kept by original SE Lonnie Hovis (shown below). A dedicated fan made the long trek to Lonnie's area near Leesburg to bring the cup to Audi Field for the game.

SE Lonnie Hovis with the Coffee Pot Cup,

Now for the game itself. DC started

Kim in goal

Rowles, Tubbs, Peltola on defense

Schnegg, Enow, Servania, Dodson in midfield

Kijima, Murrell, Hakim Karamoko at forward.

Subs: Herrera for Schnegg (halftime), Leal for Karamoko (halftime), Zouhir for Enow (64th ), Fidel Barajas for Kijima (72nd ), Stroud for Peltola (82nd ).

It was not an exciting game in regulation time to say the least. DC was slightly superior technically but their passing was not good, especially in the offensive third. The defense was solid, and Charleston did not take advantage of the few chances that they got. 0-0 after regulation.

Extra time was better. Murrell broke the deadlock in the 96th minute with a beautiful left-footed shot from outside the box into the upper left corner, making it 1-0 DC. Seven minutes later, Leal hit Stroud with a lovely throughball in the box, and Stroud lifted the shot past the keeper into the lower left corner.

Charleston had a few chances in the second extra period, hitting the post in the 113th minute, but Charleston's Juan Torres earned a red card in the 115th minute (apparently for verbal abuse to the referee) and DC saw out the result.

DC will host Charlotte FC on May 21 for the next US Open Cup game. In league action, DC plays this Saturday (May 10) at Toronto at 430pm.