Goal! Quintilla scores! Sporting K.C win!!!!!

Sporting win with this goal...

Miss!!! Melia saves Wenger’s shot!

Goal! Ellis with another amazing penalty! And we’re still going sudden death

Goal! Philly up...

Goal! Zusi scores and we’re into another round of sudden death....these penalties by the way. so good.

Goal! Lahoud scores for Philly!

Goal! Nagamura scores for Sporting and we’re going into sudden death...

Goal! Casey scores for Philly. They lead 4-3

Goal! Besler scores. 3-3....

Goal! Barnetta scores. 3-2 to Philadelphia.

Miss! McCarthy saves the penalty!!! Advantage taken away! It’s still 2-2!

Miss!!! Melia saves the penalty from Melia! 2-2 still...

Goal! Dwyer smashes it in. 2-2 in penalties.

Goal! Nogueira scores. Union lead 2-1 in pens

Union will go first.

Plot twist indeed. Take that Game Of Thrones...

120+1: Huge goalie substitution as McCarthy comes on for Blake! Right from the books from Louis Van Gaal.

119 min: We’re almost at that moment, now. Conor Casey on the ground.

117 min: A great chance for Union! A corner comes in and goes just wide but no need to worry as Melia had it covered.

115 min: Wenger comes on for Sapong. Surely a penalty-thinking decision for Philly.

114 min: Finally, Dwyer gets his chance inside the box, but it’s at a great reach for Blake. Keeper goes to the ground and saves it.

You get a yellow! And you get a yellow!

111 min: Myers off. He’s physically done. Peterson on.

110 min: Philly take a corner and bounces off of Myers but Melia collects.

108 min: Nemeth enters the box but falls, claiming for a penalty but it was a weak appeal. Ref doesn’t buy it. Play on.

106 min: Myers gets a yellow for a foul against Le Toux and we are officially in double figures for yellow cards, tonight.

105 min: We’re back on. And so is Edu for Philly. He will continue.

104 min: Edu is down, in serious pain.

102 min: As the first half of extra-time approaches both teams are now showing fatigue as the approach is to long ball it. Some tired legs out there.

98 min: There is no lack in effort here as both teams are still working so hard, it’s really quite outstanding. Both sides looking for the opposition to create a lapse of concentration. Still 1-1.

94 min: Barnetta takes a free kick and as it bounces right in front of Melia, he struggles to hold on to it. Luckily, it’s cleared and crisis averted.

92 min: Nemeth drops to the ground, in serious pain, holding his left foot.

90 min: And we’re back.

In case you are all wondering. It’s 30 minutes of extra time, then if it’s still square: penalties.

90 + 3 min: Both teams are still committing men forward and it is really refreshing to see. Sporting with an attack and a shot 25 yards out but goes too high.

90 + 1: The ball is played in for Sapong. Keeper collects, but gets fouled by Sapong in the process. Ref books him. Awful call.

90 min: We will have 4 minutes of stoppage time.

85 min: Both teams playing a dangerous game as another yellow card comes up. This time, for Sporting’s Besler, as he fouls Sapong knowing he can’t catch him on the break. Both sides looking tired and restless.

The waiting game...

81 min: We’re in the last stages of regular time and Casey’s introduction has shifted the momentum for Philly. A corner is cleared away, but Casey gets the ball outside the box and just goes wide for a goal kick. It’s the Conor Casey show.

78 min: Oh and what an impact that could have been for Casey, as he is faced one on one with the keeper but Melia blocks the shot. A great stop by the keeper!!!

76 min: Substitution for Union: Maidana off. Casey on.

74 min: What an opportunity for Maidana. He found himself onside, with only the goalkeeper to beat, but he just couldn’t control the ball due to the slippery surface.

71 min: Booking for Sporting K.C’s Quintilla

69 min: My, my...how the tables have turned. That goal has transformed Sporting into a much more confident side. Philadelphia, on the other hand, seem nervous and cautious.

Hold on to that feeling...it’s getting feisty.

65 min: A great finish by Nemeth who curls it round the keeper, but Zusi became the architect, finding the Hungarian from the right hand side of the field. Game on.

60 min: Sporting are desperately trying to get back into this game, but a poor corner gets cleared and once again, they can’t capitalize. A big factor right now appears to be the field, as the rain has made it harder to control the ball under pressure.

57 min: Booking: Yellow card for Barnetta.

53 min: Maidan’s free-kick goes wide and Sporting push the game up the field trying to get back into this game. Zusi gets a corner, takes it, crosses it and Myers puts it in the back of the net but fouls Blake in the process. Good call by the ref! A foul against Sporting and Blake, after getting medical attention, slowly gets up. He looks shaken up, but will continue. It really seemed like a concussion.

52 min: Fabinho gets fouled just outside the box. Ellis, already on a yellow, is the culprit and Maidana gets ready to take it.

49 min: Philadelphia offering more of the same as they keep attacking Sporting’s half. A free-kick 35 yards out is cleared by K.C and a poor counter-attacking attempt is collected by the Union. Surprisingly, K.C still looks lost.

46 min: We’re back on. No changes.

You sir....deserve a medal.

Well, to be honest, Philadelphia are not playing like underdogs, in any way shape or form. They have been strong, consistent and Maidana is playing like a Iniesta, right now. The thought is that nothing should change in the second. For Sporting K.C, it’s the complete opposite. There is no sense of urgency and Edu and Union’s midfield has completely nullified any sense of creativity by Sporting. I’ll be back in the second half for more action!

43 min: It was a great chance for Sporting as a cross comes in from a set piece, but Nemeth’s header is just not strong enough and Blake deals with it. Probably the best chance for Sporting so far in the game.

Absolutely....

37 min: Philadelphia are pouring it on right now as Maidana once again finds Nogueira in the box, but Besler comes to the rescue and clears. It’s all Union, right now.

min 34: Sporting K.C are struggling with Philly’s midfield as Edu offers a lot of protection for the the Union. Things need to change for Sporting, from an attacking perspective.

min 30: Sapong collides with Mustivar and lies on the ground, gingerly. He gets up and carries on. Maidana has been the difference here. The Argentine has been pulling all the strings so far. The score remains 1-0 to Philadelphia.

From Jacob Kountz:

“The assist for that goal was the best moment of my day so far.”

I think they’re reading your mind...

min 19: Maidana crosses the ball high in the box from the right hand side and Sapong with a fantastic overhead attempt but again, straight into the arms of the keeper.

min 15: What a chance by Sapong! The deep ball into the box not cleared by KC’s backline and all he had to do was place it in the corner, but alas, it’s a soft shot straight into the arms of Melia. Was Sapong feeling sorry for his old team?

min 10: Well, well, well. All it takes is a big of criticism and they wake up. Sporting with a legitimate opportunity as a great cross by Zuzi, and Nagamura takes a low shot inside of the post and Blake can count his lucky stars as it ends up in his hands.

A bit harsh

min 5: Sporting slowly getting back into the game but still offering very little in attack. Philadelphia look composed and calm, especially at the back.

min 2: A cagey start for both teams was disrupted by the first major attack from the Union. Maidana crosses in a corner and a low shot is saved by Melia. Good start by Philly. Sloppy by KC.

It’s a rainy day in Philadelphia....teams are on the field, and ready to go.

We are minutes away from kick-off! In the meantime check out all the history from this great tournament from MLS’s website. And remember, feel free to email me: luis.miguel.echegaray@guardian.co.uk or you can send me a tweet @lmechegaray

Taylor’s pumped.

Good point:

Hello everyone and welcome to the U.S Open Cup Final between Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City! This is a big night for both teams and for many different reasons. For Philly, this is the chance to make history as they are looking for their very first piece of silverware. It’s also - as our very own Graham Parker stated - a time for redemption. As for Sporting, the last time they won the tournament was back in 2012 in front of their home crowd against Seattle in an exciting penalty shoot-out.

Allow me to offer some obvious metaphorical significance to the evening (and make fun of me in the process) Tonight is a Rocky-esque event as the Union is clearly playing the role of the underdog. They are not a flashy team, not like their Eastern rivals in New York, flashing all that Pirlo-Lampard-Villa cash….they are the everyman, the hard-working….ok you get the point.

Sporting Kansas City is clearly Apollo Creed here. They’ve won the MLS twice (2000,2013) the Supporter’s Shield in 2000 and this very cup - as mentioned earlier - in 2004 and 2012. If they win tonight, that makes it three trophies in four seasons….only the Galaxy can beat that.

Aside from the match-up a little about the tournament:

1. This is USA’s oldest competition and it’s actually older than the World Cup by 14 years!
2. In 1914, the first USOC FINAL, Aston Villa were the most successful team in England (that’s music to my ears….yours truly is a Villa fan)
3. This is the 102nd

Union

Union

KC

Luis will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Graham Parker’s preview of tonight’s game:

The hashtag Philadelphia Union have been using to preview Wednesday night’s US Open Cup final against Sporting KC is #unfinishedbusiness – a reference not only to the Union’s loss at home in last year’s final against Seattle, but the semi-final defeat to Sporting in 2012, also at PPL Park.

Sporting went on to win the trophy that year – securing the first silverware of the Peter Vermes era – while Philadelphia have yet to win any trophy in their short history. They’re anxious to shed that record, and after a sometimes charmed run through this tournament it’s possible to believe that this just might be their year.

The Union and Sporting have prioritized this tournament in 2015, though for different reasons. For Philadelphia, a team who operate on modest spending principles compared to Eastern rivals such as New York City FC, or the Thierry Henry-era Red Bulls, the Open Cup is a realistic target each year. For Sporting, the competition represents a direct route back into the Champions League and a strong shot at silverware, in what had otherwise promised to be a difficult first season back in the Western Conference.

Click here for the full article.