US Open Cup News5d ago
The final entry in our 1995 #USOpenCup Rewind Series sees the amateur underdog @richmondkickers.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy traveling to #Texas to take on the USISL Pro's El Paso Patriots in the 83rd edition of the USOC Final. It was the 1st Final of the Modern Era. Hop in our time machine & follow the game thread
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The game was broadcast live on the Prime Network (later became the #FoxSports regional networks). The game was also picked up by #ESPN international. For many of these players, this was their first time playing in front of a TV audience. 1995 #USOpenCup Final preview >> thecup.us/2025/09/11/1...
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1995 #USOpenCup (Final) Rewind >> You didn't need to be a meterologist to know that weather was going to be a factor with a game hosted in #ElPaso in August. The forecast was calling for sunshine and high temperatures in the mid 90s
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The championship atmosphere began in the airport: “We got off the airplane and there was a band playing the Macarena, which was really popular at the time,” recalled Richmond GK Jeff Causey. “So there was a group singing and dancing in the airport to kind of welcome us there..."
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#USOC1995 Final lineups >> Richmond's head coach (and former #ManUtd star) Dennis Voillet arrived the night before the Final after preseason preparations with his college team (Jacksonville Univ.). El Paso star Sal Mercado got back the day of the Final after playing for Mexican side #AtleticoCelaya
Dec 5 at 4:18pmWeb
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#USOC1995 Final Rewind >> Richmond would open the scoring in the 49th min. Leigh Cowlishaw found a wide open Rob Ukrop in front of goal. Ukrop, who was still healing from a broken cheekbone suffered in Q-Finals, beat the GK. It was the 3rd goal for the former national POY from Davidson College.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> After back-to-back shutouts of A-League teams (Colorado Foxes & Seattle #Sounders), it was the 1st goal El Paso GK Jake Arrambide had allowed since the 1st half of the Patriots’ opening round win over the McCormick Kickers. It was a shutout streak of roughly 309 mins.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> Richmond’s joy would be short lived. In the 51st minute, defender Kevin Scott was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on the Patriots’ Rafael Nunez, forcing the Kickers to play with 10 men the rest of the way.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> With 9 minutes left, El Paso found the equalizer. Sal Mercado delivered a pass to Gabino Amparan, who blasted a shot from 30-yards out. The shot deflected off the foot of Richmond’s Mike Clark and got past a helpless Jeff Causey in goal.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> 2 mins. after the equalizer, El Paso's Hector Cervantes fouled Rob Ukrop on a breakaway, leading to Cervantes getting sent off. The two sides were even on the scoreboard and even with 10 players each on the field heading into extra time.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> The 83rd US Open Cup Final would be decided in a PK shootout. It was just the 2nd time in tournament history that the champion would be decided this way. The 1st time came in 1987 when Club Espana (Washington D.C.) beat the Mitre Eagles (#Seattle) to lift the trophy.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> In the PK shootout, Richmond's Jeff Causey made 2 saves and Michael Brady scored the winning goal. After Brady scored his goal that gave them a 4-2 win, he joined his teammates in celebration behind the goal while the El Paso crowd fell into a disappointed silence.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> With the win, the @richmondkickers.bsky.social became the 1st team from #Virginia to lift the trophy in the tournament's 83-year history. To this day, the farthest a VA team has advanced was the Kickers when they (as a Div. 3 pro team) made it to the Semis in 2011.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> The win also gave the @richmondkickers.bsky.social the "double", having won the USISL Premier League title (now USL League Two) and #USOC1995.
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1995 #USOpenCup Final Rewind >> Watch the highlights from the 83rd edition of the US Open Cup Final as the @richmondkickers.bsky.social survived the heat and beat the El Paso Patriots in PKs. WATCH: youtu.be/F3rRfpJFhko

1995 US Open Cup Final Highlig...
1995 US Open Cup Final Highlights: Richmond Kickers vs. El Paso Patriots

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Show threadUS Open Cup News5d ago
Read @chucknolanjr.bsky.social's recap of the 1995 #USOpenCup Final as the @richmondkickers.bsky.social beat 3 pro teams to make history and win the first tournament of what would later be known as the "Modern Era" of the US Open Cup. FULL RECAP with video highlights >> thecup.us/2025/11/08/1...