Open Cup Chronicles: Hejduk and Burke

US and Columbus Crew great Frankie Hejduk announced his official retirement Thursday, returning to Columbus for a front office position after a year in Los Angeles playing for the Galaxy in 2011. Hejduk’s announcement comes just prior to another team great being honored in Richmond Saturday, Michael Burke.

In honor of both, I thought I would take a look back at their histories with the US Open Cup as most reminiscent stories about the duo will focus on their overall career achievements, which are numerous.

Frankie Hejduk

I will start with the Columbus fan favorite, whose US Open Cup history dates back to the very beginning of Major League Soccer’s participation in the tournament in 1996. Hejduk was a member of the MLS Tampa Bay Mutiny. Unfortunately the standout defender is part of an ignominious moment of MLS history in the tournament as his Mutiny side was the first MLS team to be upset by a lower division club, falling 4-3 in sudden death overtime on the road to the Rochester Rhinos in the Quarterfinals.

Crew captain Frankie Hejduk | TheCrew.com

A year later he helped the Mutiny avenge the loss with a 1-0 Third Round win in Rochester before falling 2-0 away to DC United in the Quarterfinals.

In his final Mutiny season, Hejduk was critical in avoiding another embarrassing loss, advancing past the Worcester Wildfire in penalties after a 2-2 draw in which he scored the important 77th minute equalizer that sent the Third Round match to overtime. Tampa Bay, though, would be blanked 4-0 on the road versus the MetroStars (now NY Red Bulls) in the Quarterfinals.

After spending several years abroad, Hejduk returned to the US as a member of the Crew. Unfortunately things picked up right where they left off as they suffered a 4-3 loss at home to the MetroStars in the Fourth Round in 2003. A year later he scored his second career Open Cup goal, but it was for naught as the Crew fell at home, 2-1, in sudden death overtime to the Chicago Fire. He tallied an assist in 2005, but again the end result was disappointing as the team fell, 3-1, at home against FC Dallas in overtime.

The potential Hall of Famer did not play again in the tournament until 2010, sitting out matches in 2006 and 2009 with the team also failing to qualify the two years between. After missing the first two matches of 2010, Hejduk finally found some success in the tournament, leading the Crew to the championship match. He played the full overtime contest in a 2-1 road victory over DC in the Semifinal before falling short, 2-1, in Seattle to the defending champion Sounders.

He did not play in the US Open Cup for the Galaxy in 2011, finishing his Open Cup career with 10 games played (all complete), two goals and an assist.

Michael Burke

The Richmond captain and midfielder’s history involves multiple teams like Hejduk, but has seen much greater success comparatively.

Burke’s lengthy career in the tournament begins in 1999 with the Charleston Battery. After playing in a 2-1 win versus the Wilmington Hammerheads in the Second Round, he guided the Battery to a surprising 4-3 sudden death overtime win in the Third Round, though he only played the first 65 minutes. He went on to help defeat the Staten Island Vipers, 2-1, in the Quarterfinals before falling in Virginia Beach, 3-0, to the Colorado Rapids in the Semifinals.

Kickers captain Mike Burke | Richmond Kickers.com

His brief career in MLS included a US Open Cup 2000 appearance for the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas), one of only three he made in total during a two-week stint with the club before being released. He came off the bench for 34 minutes in a 3-0 win over the Tennessee Rhythm in the Second Round.

He then began his lengthy career with the Richmond Kickers in 2001. He tallied the club’s sixth goal in a 7-2 win over the Reading Rage (now Reading United AC) in the Second Round and helped lead the team to a 2-1 win against the Connecticut Wolves. He tallied the assist in Richmond’s 2-1 road loss to DC in the Quarterfinals.

He helped top a PDL club in 2002, but did not play in the club’s exit at Columbus the Third Round.

After failing to qualify in 2003, the Kickers returned with glory in 2004, upsetting DC, 2-1, in the Fourth Round after a 1-0 overtime win against Cape Cod. Burke came off the bench for seven minutes against DC, and came on as a sub for 21 minutes in the Quarterfinal 1-0 loss to the Chicago Fire.

Burke tallied another assist in 2005, helping lead Richmond past the Ocean City Barons (now Nor’Easters) in a stunning 8-4 scoreline before suffering another exit courtesy of DC, 3-1, in the Fourth Round.

The midfielder missed the tournament in 2006 as the Kickers suffered a rare upset to a lower division club, falling 1-0 away to the Carolina Dynamo.

Glory came once again in 2007. After downing the always dangerous Michigan Bucks, 4-2, in the First Round and the Cleveland City Stars, 2-1, in the Second, the Kickers stunned the LA Galaxy, 1-0, just days before the arrival of new signing David Beckham. The excitement, and hope of reaching the semifinals, was short-lived as they fell away to the Carolina RailHawks, 1-0.

He faced another MLS club again in 2008, falling 3-0 at New England in the Third Round. Another loss to the RailHawks ended the 2009 tournament in the First Round.

In his final US Open Cup run, Burke played the full contests in a 1-0 overtime win against Crystal Palace Baltimore and a 3-1 win against the Real Maryland Monarchs in the first two rounds of 2010.

At perhaps fittingly, he started in his final Open Cup match – a Third Round 2-0 loss on the road to DC United. DC was the MLS club that initially drafted him in 2000, only to release him in early June after seven appearances.

In all, Burke played in 10 tournaments, tallying a goal and two assists. He made 24 appearances, including all but three for the Kickers during his tenure with the team.

He may not have had a lengthy career in MLS, but Burkey is just as adored in Richmond as Frankie is in Columbus. And you can’t complain about that.