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RSL GK Nick Rimando and Cup-clinching penalty maker Robbie Russell (photo credit Ray Taggart/Real Salt Lake)
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12/17/2009 11:25:09 AM
MLS Champions Real Salt Lake to play in 2010 Carolina Challenge Cup
Charleston, SC. The 2009 Major League Soccer champions, Real Salt Lake return to Charleston in March to compete in the 2010 edition of the Charleston Battery’s pre-season tournament, the Carolina Challenge Cup. RSL won the Carolina Challenge Cup in 2009 and went on to win their first MLS Cup defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in a penalty-shootout.
Major League Soccer’s DC United and Toronto FC also make return visits to the tournament. It will be DC’s fifth appearance in the Carolina Challenge Cup and Toronto’s fourth. This is the seventh consecutive year that the Charleston Battery has hosted its pre-season tournament featuring Major League Soccer.
All three MLS teams will spend the week in Charleston, SC, training between the games as they prepare for the start of the Major League Soccer season.
The competition format will remain unchanged in 2010 with three match day’s each featuring a double-header. The games will be played on Saturday (March 13), Wednesday (March 17) and Saturday (March 20), with each team playing the other in a round-robin tournament.
Tickets for the 2010 Carolina Challenge Cup are on sale now with prices frozen at 2009 levels ($15 - $25, (843) 971-GOAL (4625) / www. Charlestonbattery.com). Charleston Battery Season Ticket holders receive complimentary tickets to all three Carolina Challenge Cup doubleheaders.
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake was the last team to qualify for the MLS playoffs in 2009 and as the eighth overall seed, but the fifth place finisher in the Western Conference, the club was moved to the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. RSL defeated the defending champion Columbus Crew 4-2 on aggregate, and then won the Eastern Conference championship by beating the Chicago Fire on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw in regulation.
Real Salt Lake went on to defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup November 22nd at Qwest Field, Seattle. Real Salt Lake played the L.A. Galaxy to a 1-1 tie through overtime and won the MLS Cup (5-4 on penalties) to complete the upset. The win means that Real Salt Lake has earned qualification into the group stage of CONCACAF Champions League in 2010-2011.
Real Salt Lake are led by third year head coach Jason Kreis. Kreis led Salt Lake to its first-post season playoff appearance in 2008 and in 2009 he coached the team to its first MLS Cup championship. He is the youngest coach in MLS history to win the MLS Cup.
Real Salt Lake’s roster includes two players who have a chance to earn a spot on the US men’s national team roster for next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Midfielder Kyle Beckerman has made 10 appearances for the US and forward Robbie Findley was a part of the squad last August for the critical qualifiers against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago.
DC United
United returns to the Carolina Challenge Cup for a fifth appearance; DC participated from 2004 – 2006 and then again in 2009 but has yet to lift the trophy.
The Battery’s rivalry with DC United extends back to 1999 when Charleston ousted United from that years US Open Cup in a third round meeting. More recently the two sides met in the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 2008 with DC defeating the Charleston Battery by a score of two goals to one. United returned to the Open Cup final in 2009 but were edged by expansion MLS side the Seattle Sounders.
D.C. United is the most successful professional soccer organization in the US. United is a four-time MLS Cup Champion (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996 and 2008 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007 MLS Supporters Shield.
Toronto FC
This is the fourth consecutive year that TFC will have visited Charleston for its pre-season. After a third stellar season at the turnstiles that saw anther 15 consecutive sell-outs Toronto F.C. just missed the MLS post-season finishing in 5th position in the Eastern Standings, one point outside the playoffs.
Toronto signed its first designated player towards the end of the 2009 season signing Canadian national team midfielder Julian DeGuzman to a three-year contract. DeGuzman has played 42 times for Canada and arrived in Toronto from Spanish La Liga side, Deportivo La Coruña.
Toronto have also made a coaching change during the off-season bringing in 2007 MLS Coach of the Year, Preki. Preki spent the last three seasons as the head coach with Chivas USA. Preki was the only player to be awarded the MLS MVP Award and the MLS Scoring Champion twice, winning both in 1997 and 2003. He still holds the record for all-time league leader in points scored (270 on 79 goals and 112 assists, plus an additional 25 points on 10 goals and 5 assists in the playoffs). Preki played his last competitive game at the age of 42.
Carolina Challenge Cup and MLS success
There is a remarkable correlation between success in the Carolina Challenge Cup and success in Major League Soccer. Each year aside from 2008, the winner of the Carolina Challenge Cup has gone on to win either that season’s MLS Supporters Shield (regular season champions) or MLS Cup. This tradition continued in 2009 as Real Salt Lake won their first MLS Cup, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in a penalty-shootout.
Despite not creating an MLS champion in 2008 two of that years participants came very close to winning a major trophy as the Charleston Battery lost to DC United in the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the New York Red Bulls lost to the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final.
Carolina Challenge Cup - All-Time History
The Carolina Challenge Cup started back in 2004 as an expanded pre-season tournament following several years where the Battery would host individual Major League Soccer teams prior to the start of the season. The first year also featured the then USL2 champions the Wilmington Hammerheads with games held simultaneously in Wilmington, NC and at Blackbaud Stadium. The CCC is now regarded as the premier pre-season tournament in the United States.
All-Time Participants (Champions bolded)
2004: Charleston Battery (USL), Columbus Crew (MLS), DC United (MLS), Wilmington Hammerheads (USL)
2005: Charleston Battery (USL), Columbus Crew (MLS), DC United (MLS), San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2006: Charleston Battery (USL), New York Red Bulls (MLS), DC United (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2007: Charleston Battery (USL), New York Red Bulls (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2008: Charleston Battery (USL), New York Red Bulls (MLS), San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2009: Charleston Battery (USL), DC United (MLS), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2010: Charleston Battery (USL), DC United (MLS), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
Carolina Challenge Cup Tickets
Tickets for the 2010 Carolina Challenge Cup are on sale now with prices frozen at 2009 levels. Fans can purchase tickets for each doubleheader or for the six match series. Tickets for single doubleheaders (includes two games) are priced at $25 Club / Box & just $15 bleacher. Series Tickets (includes all three double-headers) Club / Box $50 - Bleacher $35. Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more; to purchase tickets or for more information please visit www.charlestonbattery.com.
Charleston Battery Season Ticket holders receive complimentary tickets to all three Carolina Challenge Cup doubleheaders.
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Don't let an injury hurt your game
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Official Yoga Teacher of the Battery ~
Sign up for Yoga
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Official Dentist of the Charleston Battery
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