July 9, 2009

2009 CONCACAF GOLD CUP TOURNAMENT
CONTINUES RFK STADIUM SOCCER LEGACY

Gold Cup matches held in historic D.C. stadium for first time

Washington, D.C. – On July 8, 2009, RFK Stadium hosted two first round games for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup in front of 26,079 roaring fans. This marked the first time in the stadium’s rich history that Gold Cup matches were held at RFK. The first game pitted Haiti vs. Grenada while the second game featured the USA against Honduras. 
Both games were 2-0 shutouts but provided plenty of thrilling moments throughout the night. In the first game, Haiti’s Fabrice Noel gave the team an early lead when he scored in the 14th minute. James Marcelin scored the team’s second goal late in the second half.
The nightcap pitted the USA against Honduras. The already electric atmosphere was heightened as the U.S. men’s national team welcomed back D.C. United midfielder Santino Quaranta for the first time since 2006. Quaranta, scoring his first ever goal for Team USA, gave the home team a 1-0 lead in the 75th minute off an assist from Charlie Davis. Minutes later, Brian Ching scored a second goal (assist Steve Cherundolo) to seal the 2-0 victory for the USA.
The 2009 Gold Cup joins an illustrious roster of memorable soccer events held at RFK Stadium including:

RFK Stadium Soccer Highlights

1994 Five matches during FIFA World Cup

1996 Six days during Summer Olympic Games. Attendance of 58,012 for USA vs. Portugal             (1-1 tie) is all-time RFK soccer attendance record

1997 D.C. United defeats Colorado, 2-1, to capture the MLS title on their home field. D.C. United has won four MLS titles in franchise history

1998 D.C. United wins CONCACAF Champions’ Cup

2001 Inaugural match for Washington Freedom in the Women’s United Soccer Association

2002 MLS All-Star Game. MLS All-Stars defeat US Men’s National Team, 3-2

2003 Six matches during FIFA Women’s World Cup

2003 Washington Freedom capture WUSA title on their home field

2004 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – USA defeats Panama, 6-0

2004 Freddy Adu debuts with D.C. United in April

2004 MLS All-Star Game. MLS East All-Stars defeat MLS West All-Stars, 3-2

2007 David Beckham makes his MLS and LA Galaxy debut before 46,686 fans in August. D.C. United defeats the Galaxy, 1-0

2008 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – USA defeats Cuba, 6-1

2008 D.C. United become U.S. Open Cup Champions by defeating Charleston Battery, 2-1

2009 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – USA vs. Costa Rica (to be held October 14)

RFK Stadium has hosted the U.S. men’s national team a record 19 times and has been the site of 12 U.S. wins, more than any other stadium in the world (overall record 12-3-4).
The Gold Cup began July 3 at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles and features 12 of the best CONCACAF teams going head to head in matches that will determine who plays at Giants Stadium on July 26 for the title. 

About DC Sports and Entertainment Commission
The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government, seeks to enrich the local community by attracting and hosting sports, entertainment and special events in Washington, D.C. while promoting the Nation’s Capital as a premier event destination. In addition, the mission of the organization is to support citywide community events and programs involving youth, amateur and professional sports. The DCSEC operates the Stadium-Armory campus which includes RFK Stadium, the DC Armory and the surrounding Festival Grounds and serves as the landlord of Nationals Park. For more information, please visit www.dcsec.com.