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.

This Week in US Open Cup History... Apr 9-15

[April 9, 1928] The New York Nationals and Bricklayers S.C. (Chicago) played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the National Challenge Cup final at the Polo Grounds in New York. Clem Cuthbert scored early for the Bricklayers, and Siegfried Wortmann drew the Nationals level in the 30th minute.

[April 11, 1926] Bethlehem Steel claimed the club’s sixth and final National Challenge Cup, steamrolling St. Louis' Ben Millers, 7-2, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. National Soccer Hall of Fame member Archie Stark scored a hat-trick for Bethlehem. A reported 18,000 attended the match, an American record for a soccer game, although it only lasted a month.

[April 11, 1937] In the first leg of the National Challenge Cup final, Shamrocks S.C. (St. Louis) defeat the New York Americans, 1-0. Eddie Kane scored the lone goal for the Shamrocks, who were appearing in their fifth straight Challenge Cup final - though they played under three different sponsors during the run.

[April 14, 1957] St. Louis' Kutis S.C. won the National Challenge Cup, defeating New York Hakoah in the second leg of the final, 3-1, at Zerega Oval in the Bronx.  Billy Looby, Richard Meisemann and Bob Roney scored for Kutis, giving them a 6-1 aggregate victory.

[April 15, 1928] In the second leg of the National Challenge Cup final, The New York Nationals defeated Bricklayers S.C. (Chicago) 3-0, at Soldier Field in Chicago. George Henderson scored twice in the first half, and Siegfried Wortmann added the final goal in the second half. The win marked only the third time in the 15 years since the competition began that a club from New York took home the cup.

This Week in US Open Cup History... Apr 3-8

[April 3, 1955] In a Semifinal match, Danish American SC from Los Angeles defeat Simpkins Ford from St. Louis 5-2 after extra time to become the first team from Southern California to reach the US Open Cup Final. Three weeks later, they were victorious, winning the title 2-0 over New York City's SC Eintracht at Rancho La Cienega Stadium in Los Angeles in front of 6,000 fans.
 
[April 4, 1920] Robins Dry Dock (NYC) defeated Bethlehem Steel 1-0 in the quarterfinals, denying Bethlehem a shot at winning a third straight National Challenge Cup title, and a sixth straight final appearance. With the string snapped, Bethlehem Steel would not reach the championship game again until winning it all in 1926.

[April 4, 1925] In an all-Massachusetts semifinal, the Shawsheen Indians (Andover, MA) reach the National Challenge Cup Final with a 2-1 win over Abbot Worsted (Forge Village, MA). The Indians would lift the cup that year as the first Massachusetts club outside of Fall River to win the title.

[April 5, 1931] In the first leg of the National Challenge Cup final, the Fall River Marksmen defeated Chicago's Bricklayers S.C. 6-2 at the Polo Grounds in New York, with Bert Patenaude scoring five goals for the winners. The Marksmen by this time had moved to New York, competing in the ASL as the Yankees, but retained the Marksmen name for cup play, since the club was still in Fall River, Mass. when the competition began.

[April 6, 1930] The Fall River Marksmen claim their third National Challenge Cup title in seven years, defeating Bruell Insurance 2-1 in the second leg played at Luna Park in Cleveland. Alex McNab and Bob McAuley scored for Fall River to finish the aggregate score at 9-3.

[April 7, 1929] In the second leg of the National Challenge Cup , in front of 20,000 at Dexter Park in Brooklyn, New York Hakoah defeated Madison Kennels of St. Louis, 3-0, to win the cup on 5-0 aggregate. Erno Schwarz, Max Gruenwald and Moritz Haeusler scored for Hakoah. The cup was without several of the top clubs from the northeast, since the ASL barred clubs from entering the tournament. The league was at odds with the USFA, in what was known as the "Soccer War".

[April 8, 1934] In the second of three legs in the National Challenge Cup final, at Coats Field in Pawtucket, the Pawtucket Rangers defeated Stix, Bear & Fuller 3-2. Robert McIntyre scored twice for Pawtucket, and Jimmy McAuley added the other goal. The St. Louis club won the first leg over Rangers, 4-2.

This Day in US Open Cup History... April 2

[1933] The day after losing the first leg of the semifinals 4-2 to Pawtucket Rangers, the New York Americans rebound with a 4-1 win in the second leg and advance to the final for the first time in club history. They would lose to Stix, Baer & Fuller (STL) that year 3-1 on aggregate.

[1938] This year, it was the New York Americans who were on the rotten end of a second leg comeback. St. Mary's Celtic (NYC) trailed 2-1 after the first leg, but took the second leg 3-0 to advance to the final, by a 4-2 aggregate score, denying New York a chance to repeat as cup champions. St. Mary's would lose the final to Chicago's Sparta Garden City 6-2 on aggregate.

[1927] As far as we know, there is nothing significant about the Providence Clamdiggers defeating J & P Coats 3-2 in a battle of Rhode Island clubs in the opening round of the 1927 National Challenge Cup.  We just think Clamdiggers is a unique team name. The Clamdiggers only qualified for the cup three times in their history (1926, 1927, 1928).

[1932] After the first leg of the National Challenge Cup final drew 3-3, New Bedford Whalers win the title with a 5-2 second leg thumping of Stix, Baer & Fuller (8-5 aggregate). Tec White, Werner Nilsen, Billy Gonsalves, Bill McPherson, and Tom Florie all scored for the Whalers who played both legs of the final in front of Stix, Baer & Fuller's home fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. More than 7,000 fans attended both games which were played a week apart.

This Day in US Open Cup History... April 1

[1923] In the the National Challenge Cup final, Paterson F.C. and Scullin Steel of St. Louis played to a 2-2 draw. Scullin held a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but Paterson fought back. John Heninsley scored the game tying goal with just six minutes remaining. Paterson were later awarded the cup when Scullin where unable to meet for a replay of the match due to injuries and players fulfilling baseball contracts.

[1934] In the first leg of the National Challenge Cup final at St. Louis, Stix, Bear & Fuller, of St. Louis, defeated Pawtucket Rangers 4-2.  Hall of Famers Alex McNab, Billy Gonsalves and Werner Nilsen scored goals for the winners.