| Event | 2015 U.S. Open Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Sporting Kansas City won 7–6 on penalties | |||||||
| Date | September 30, 2015 | ||||||
| Venue | PPL Park,Chester,Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Tim Melia[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Ted Unkel[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 14,463 | ||||||
| Weather | Rainy, 67 °F (19 °C)[3] | ||||||
←2014 2016 → | |||||||
The2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on September 30, 2015, at PPL Park, now known asTalen Energy Stadium, inChester, Pennsylvania. The match determined the winner of the2015 U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with theUnited States Soccer Federation. It was the 102nd edition ofthe oldest competition in United States soccer.[4] This edition of the final was contested betweenSporting Kansas City (SKC) and thePhiladelphia Union. The winning club would qualify for the2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League.
Philadelphia and Kansas City both compete in thetop tier of American soccer,Major League Soccer (MLS), and bypassed the initial stages of the tournament with entries into the fourth round of play. At the time of the final, SKC was in contention for theSupporters' Shield while the Union was in the hunt for a berth in the2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Philadelphia secured its berth in the final by defeating theRochester Rhinos,D.C. United, theNew York Red Bulls, andChicago Fire. Kansas City's road to the final involved victories overSaint Louis FC,FC Dallas,Houston Dynamo, andReal Salt Lake.
The match was broadcast in English onESPN2 and in Spanish onUnivision Deportes Network, making it the first time since 1999 the cup final was aired on one of theESPN networks. Sporting Kansas City won the game 7–6 on penalties after the game ended 1–1 in regulation and in overtime.[5]
Teams fromPhiladelphia and the surrounding region have had a successful history in the Open Cup:Bethlehem Steel F.C. won five trophies between 1915 and 1926, theUhrik Truckers won in 1936, and thePhiladelphia Ukrainians won four times during the 1960s. The Union'salternative jersey, worn throughout the competition, featured a large letter "B" in the lower left corner to honor Bethlehem.[6][7][8] Previously, the Union made a run to the final of the2014 edition of the cup, which was the club's first cup final of any competition, but lost in extra time toSeattle Sounders FC.
Sporting Kansas City have previously appeared in two US Open Cup finals, winning both the2004 and2012 editions, and to date, are the onlyKansan club to have ever won the honor. Sporting went into the Final hoping to win their third trophy in four years. To reach the final, SKC hosted all four of their cup fixtures heading to the final, which included wins overSaint Louis FC,FC Dallas,Houston Dynamo andReal Salt Lake.
| Philadelphia Union | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Sporting Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
Le Toux 23' | Report | Németh 65' |
| Penalties | ||
Le Toux Nogueira Edu  Barnetta Casey Lahoud Gaddis Wenger | 6–7 | FeilhaberDwyerNémethBeslerNagamuraZusiEllisQuintillà |
          Philadelphia Union |      Sporting Kansas City |
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Assistant referees: | Match rules
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