Sounders FC vs. Philadelphia Union
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
Tuesday, September 16; 4:30 pm PT; PPL Park
TV: GolTV Audio: SoundersFC.com
Philadelphia’s Record: The Union is sixth in the Western Conference at 9-9-10 (37 points).
How they got here: Philadelphia beat the Harrisburg City Islanders (3-1), New York Cosmos (2-1) and New England Revolution (2-0) at home before going on the road to best FC Dallas in a shootout in the semifinal.
Head-To-Head: Seattle won the only prior meeting this season, 2-1, on May 3 with Chad Marshall scoring the 84th-minute winner.
All-Time Series: Seattle is 3-2-2 all-time against Philadelphia, including a 2-0 win in the Union’s inaugural match in 2010. However, Seattle is 0-1-2 at PPL Park.
Key Player: Former USL and MLS Sounder Sebastien Le Toux has 12 goals and six assists this season for Philadelphia, giving him 46 goals and 43 assists in six MLS seasons. He was the first player signed by Sounders FC in 2008 and is the Modern Era’s leading scorer in the U.S. Open Cup with 14 goals, 11 of which came in a Seattle uniform from 2007-2009. He has three goals in three Open Cup matches this year.
Notes: Sounders FC is vying for its fourth U.S. Open Cup title in its fifth final. Philadelphia is looking to win its first trophy of any kind. … Sounders FC midfielder Marco Pappa returned from the Copa Centroamericana with the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for leading the tournament in scoring with four goals and for the tournament’s outstanding player. Guatemala finished second in the tournament and qualified for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. … Seattle forward Kenny Cooper is the leading scorer in this year’s Open Cup with six goals in four matches. He has scored in every game for Seattle thus far, including two each against PSA Elite and the Chicago Fire.
