The Chicago Fire downed the Miami Fusion, 2-1, to win the 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship at Soldier Field in front of a crowd of 19,146, the largest modern day crowd at a U.S. Open Cup match. The victory marks the Fire’s third championship in three years as the 1998 and 2000 U.S. Open Cup champions and 1998 MLS Cup champions. “We are obviously very happy to win this U.S. Open Cup,ö said Chicago Fire coach Bob Bradley. ôIt helps a little, but not all the way of taking some of the sting out of last week’s [MLS Cup] loss. As far as a club in its third year, to win three championships is something special,” The first goal of the game came just moments before halftime when Fire captain Peter Nowak hit a precise 20-yard through ball to Ante Razov. With one touch, Razov beat Fusion goalkeeper Nick Rimando and then played the ball across to Hristo Stoitchkov, who smacked the ball into an open Fusion goal for a 1-0 Fire lead. The Fusion and Fire exchanged shots on goal in the first half with both teams hitting the crossbar. In the 19th minute, Fire teen sensation DaMarcus Beasley hit a looping header that almost caught Rimando off his line. Back peddling, Rimando was able to get a hand on the ball and tip it off the cross bar and out of bounds for a Fire corner kick. Fusion forward Diego Serna was denied by the post in the 29th minute when he controlled a cross from the left-side and fired a shot from 10 yards out. The Fire were awarded a penalty kick in the 72nd minute when Fusion defender Tim Sahaydak brought down Peter Nowak inside the Fusion penalty box. Fusion goalkeeper Rimando dived to his left and stopped Razov’s penalty kick. The Fire secured the 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in the 88th minute when Fusion defender Tyrone Marshall scored an own goal off a cross from the Fire’s Beasley. Miami was able to get one back in stoppage time when Welton picked up a loose ball inside the box to tally his sixth goal of the tournament, but it was too little to late for the Fusion as the referee blew the final whistle moments after the restart. Game Summary 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. October 21, 2000 Attendance: 19,146 Weather: 64 degrees, cool and clear Referees: Kevin Scott. Referee Assistants: Scott Weyland, Jorge Reyes. 4th Official: Ali Saheli Chicago 2 Miami 1 Scoring: CHI — Hristo Stoitchkov (Ante Razov) 44th minute. CHI — Own goal (Tyrone Marshall) 88. Miami — Welton (Roy Lassiter) 96+. Lineups: Chicago — 18-Zach Thornton, 2-C.J. Brown, 5-Lubis Kubik, 11-Diego Gutierrez (6-Tom Soehn, 86), 3- Evan Whitfield, 14-Chris Armas, 7-DaMarcus Beasley, 21- Dema Kovalenko, 10-Peter Nowak (capt.) (15-Jesse Marsch, 84), 8-Hristo Stoitchkov, 9-Ante Razov (16-Josh Wolff, 84). Miami — 18-Nick Rimando, 4-Tim Sahaydak, 25-Pablo Mastroeni (capt.), 15-Tyrone Marshall, 7- Brian Kamler, 23-Jeff Bilyk (10-Andy Williams, 75), 6-Jay Heaps, 20-Henry Gutierrez (9-Roy Lassiter, 63), 5-Martin Machon, 16-Welton, 17-Diego Serna.