The Philadelphia Union and the Houston Dynamo will face off in the 2018 U.S. Open Cup final after the two sides won out in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Cory Burke scored twice for the Union as they ran to a dominant win over the Chicago Fire in the first semifinal.
After a scoreless first half Burke slotted home the opener just before the hour mark, pulling down a clipped pass from Alejandro Bedoya and finishing well to put his side in front.
Burke's second of the night came in the 77th as he split two defenders to double the lead before C.J. Sapong padded the scoreline with his late strike.
The win puts the Union into the Open Cup final against the a Dynamo side that had to survive penalties in a semifinal win over expansion side LAFC.
Diego Rossi put the visiting side in front early on, but Houston quickly regained control of the contest, Andrew Wenger scoring six minutes later and Mauro Manotas putting the home side in front 25 minutes in.
When Memo Rodriguez netted in the 75th minute Houston looked assured of a place in the final, but Rossi had other plans.
The Uruguayan pulled his club back to within one in the 78th to set up the late drama, but it took until the fifth minute of stoppage time for the 20-year-old to find the equalizer with a superb looping header to make it 3-3.
DRAMA! DIEGO ROSSI HAT TRICK TIES IT UP IN STOPPAGE TIME! #USOC2018 #HOUvLAFC https://t.co/cKqfxgPNXN
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 9, 2018
Unfortunately for Rossi, his heroics would all prove to be for nothing, as Houston held firm in extra time and took a 7-6 win in the shootout.
The final also ensures there will be a first-time USOC champion, and neither side as ever won the cup.
In Canada, the first leg of the 2018 Canadian Championship final ended in a 2-2 draw and was once again full of late drama.
The Whitecaps had shockingly taken the lead despite playing a man down for the entire second half, Felipe having been sent off just before the break.
Erik Hurtado's 84th minute strike looked to be the winner for Vancouver, but Doneil Henry's own goal six minutes into stoppage time proved to be a heart-breaker for the home side, which now faces the task of topping TFC at BMO Field in Toronto.
