El Paso Patriots News Release

 

Monday, August 1, 2005

 

EL PASO, TX -- Nearly 10 years to the day after hosting the Richmond Kickers in the finals of the 1995 U.S. Open Cup, the El Paso Patriots once again play host to the Virginia franchise in a meaningful competition.
 

This Saturday, August 6th, the Patriots will play the Premier Development League team of the Kickers organization in the league semifinals, as the Richmond Kickers Future defeated Raleigh CASL Elite, 2-1, in the Eastern Conference championship match.
 

El Paso advanced to the semifinals last night, taking the Southern Conference crown by shutting out the Laredo Heat, 2-0, at Patriot Stadium.
 

In the other semifinal match, the Des Moines Menace, champions of the Central Conference, host Western Conference champion Orange County Blue Star.
 

On August 27th, 1995, in the first Open Cup to admit professional teams, El Paso and Richmond tied, 1-1, in the championship match on August 27th before the Kickers won the Cup on penalty kicks.
 

For the Patriots, it would be the last opportunity to win any postseason awards for a decade until Saturday's Southern Conference championship triumph.
 

Saturday's semifinal will feature three of the five most dangerous scorers in the league, as the Kickers will bring Cristian Neagu (42 points, 2nd behind Cocoa's Fred Moojen) and Dominic Oduro (40 points, 3rd) to Patriot Stadium, while El Paso counters with 2004 points champ Danny Frias (39 points, 5th).
 

Game time will be 10:00 pm ET.
 

Fans will be able to listen to live play-by-play of the event at  www.teamline.cc. Key "El Paso Patriots" into the search bar and click on the link provided.