Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal
Wednesday, 7:30 pm PT; Starfire Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
Webstream: SoundersFC.com
Record: Chicago is eighth in the East at 4-5-13 (25 points).
Head-to-head: Seattle won the only regular season matchup between the two sides, posting a 3-2 win at Toyota Park on June 7.
All-time Series: Sounders FC is 7-0-3 all-time against Chicago, including a win in the 2011 Open Cup final.
How they got there: Chicago earned wins over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-1), Columbus Crew (4-2, AET) and Atlanta Silverbacks (3-1) to reach the semifinal. Quincy Amarikwa and Juan Luis Anangono both scored two goals to lead the Fire in scoring, but Anangono is away on loan to LDU Quito in Ecuador.
Player to watch: Rookie Harry Shipp scored two goals for the Fire in Seattle’s win at Toyota Park in June and has been a leader in the race for Rookie of the Year all season. He has six goals and five assists in 21 matches and has proven to be a strong offensive weapon in his first professional season.
Notes: Sounders FC is 14-0-1 at Starfire in the U.S. Open Cup, including two qualifying matches in 2009 and three matches this year. … 2013 MLS MVP Mike Magee will not be available for the Fire, serving a suspension after a red card in the semifinal match. … Former Sounder Sanna Nyassi came to the Fire via trade on July 29, joining former teammates in Seattle Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Patrick Ianni. Nyassi scored both goals in Seattle’s 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew in the 2010 Open Cup final. Sounders FC’s roster features three former Fire players as well – Chad Barrett, Marco Pappa and Jalil Anibaba. … The winner will advance to the Open Cup final against the Philadelphia Union, who topped FC Dallas in a shootout 4-3 after drawing 1-1 through 120 minutes. The match will be at PPL Park in Chester, Penn.
