Battery stuffs Sounders

As Charleston Battery keeper Dusty Hudock walked off the field Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium, the crowd began to chant: "Dusty, Dusty, Dusty" at the top of their lungs.

It was a fitting tribute to the veteran keeper who literally saved the Battery's chance at a national championship.

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Charleston Battery hosts Seattle Sounders

Charleston Battery hosts Seattle Sounders in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal at Blackbaud Stadium.

Randi Patterson scored for Charleston and Seattle got an own goal by the Battery in regulation as the match was forced to penalty kicks where the Charleston defeated the Sounders, 4-3, in the shootout in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night before 3,798 at Blackbaud Stadium.

Charleston will face Major League Soccer's D.C. United, a 3-1 winner over New England, in the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington.

The Battery becomes the first USL First Division team to advance to the U.S. Open Cup final since Rochester defeated Colorado, 2-0, in the tournament final in 1999.

The winner of next month's U.S. Open Cup final will get an automatic berth in the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League tournament.

Hudock, a veteran of 10 seasons with the Battery, made two crucial saves during the shootout — including one in the fifth and final round on Kevin Forrest — to help the Battery advance to the U.S. Open Cup final for the first time in club history.

"I just happened to guess right that time," said Hudock, who also made a diving save on Sebastian LeToux in the third round. "The save on LeToux was probably more difficult and

satisfying. I just guessed right on Forrest.

"This is a fantastic feeling getting to a Cup final. The club deserves it. The owner deserves it. The fans deserve it. It's a great accomplishment, now we've just got to bring home a good result in the final."

For the second time in the tournament the Battery was forced to go to a penalty kick shootout to advance. In the third round, the Battery defeated MLS' Houston Dynamo, 4-3, in a shootout.

After goals by Osvaldo Alonso, Stephen Armstrong and Tim Velten in the shootout, the winning goal came from the most unlikely sources — defender Nelson Akwari in the fifth round.

Unlike most penalty shooters, Akwari didn't take a running start at the ball. The Battery captain calmly took one step and chipped it past Seattle keeper Chris Eyelander.

"I think taking the one stepper gets the goalie guessing," Akwari said. "He doesn't have any idea where I'm going with the shot; the only problem is that you want to have enough pace on the ball so it gets past him."

The Battery used a smothering defense that held the defending USL First Division champions to just six shots on goal in 120 minutes of action.

"We kept our shape for most of the game and didn't really allow them very many scoring chances," Akwari said. "We didn't let them get behind us very often, and when we did, Dusty seemed to come up with a huge save. It was a great effort defensively from the top on down."

The Sounders grabbed a 1-0 lead on an own goal off the leg of Alonso in the 20th minute.

Seattle started the play on a short corner kick to Roger Levesque. Levesque chipped the ball back to Youseff Kante just outside the 18-yard box. Kante's shot into the box ricocheted off the leg of Alonso and past Hudock for the score.

"It was an unfortunate goal, but we didn't panic," said Charleston head coach Mike Anhaeuser. "We have a lot character on this team and it really showed after that goal. We just kept pushing forward and finally we got the equalizer."

Charleston tied the game at 1-1 on Patterson's second goal of the tournament in the 33rd minute.

After a Seattle turnover, defender Kevin Nylen got the ball about 25 yards out on the right side of the Battery formation. Nylen served the ball into the six-yard box to Darren Spicer. Spicer headed the ball on net, but Eyelander failed to control the shot. Patterson pounced on the loose ball and slammed it home for the score.

"It was a great header by Darren and their goalie just bobbled the ball," Patterson said. "You're taught never to give up on the ball, so I just stayed with the play and I was in the right place at the right time."

The Battery had a chance to take the lead in the 43rd minute when Spicer served a ball into the six-yard box to Patterson. But Eyelander read the play and saved Patterson's snap header.

The Sounders had a chance to take the lead in the 71st minute when a long ball was played to LeToux. LeToux, who leads the USL First Division with 10 goals, got behind the Battery defense and had a clear shot on net. Hudock came off his line and smothered the shot attempt from just outside the six-yard box by LeToux.

Seattle nearly scored again in the sixth minute of overtime when Ciaran O'Brien served a beautiful pass into the six-yard box to Forrest. But Forrest's header bounced off the left post. The Sounders got the rebound, but LeToux's shot was deflected out of bounds by Akwari to end the threat.

"The guys saved me a couple of times tonight," Hudock said. "I thought we deserved to win, but sometimes luck is on your side."

The Battery got a great scoring chance in the 23rd minute of overtime. After a strong build-up, midfielder Mike Richardson served a ball into the six-yard box, but Aaron King's volley sailed just wide of the net.

Headers

-- Charleston striker Lazo Alavanaja did not play after receiving a red card in the Battery's 3-1 victory over FC Dallas in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

-- Defender Kevin Nylen was forced to leave the game in the 79th minute when he collided with LeToux.

-- Charleston is 18-8 and 4-0 against USL First Division teams in the U.S. Open Cup since 1999.