What is the U.S. Open Cup? That one is pretty easy to answer. In Europe, you have your famous national cup competitions in which clubs from the top leagues compete with clubs from lower divisions to determine a champion for all levels – FA Cup (England), Coppa Italia (Italy), Copa Del Rey (Spain), etc. Here in the United States, we have that as well. It’s not nearly as famous and not followed nearly as close, but we do have one and we have since 1914. It is – you guessed it – the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup often play teams of reserves during the competition in order to avoid injury and interference with the more important MLS season. Nevertheless, since the MLS began in 1996, only one club from outside of the MLS, the Rochester Rhinos in 1999, has managed to take the club home, though that could change this year. The U.S. Open Cup takes on a new importance this year as the winner wins a berth in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League.
What’s Going On in the U.S. Open Cup? The finals are set for tonight at 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where the MLS’s D.C. United takes on USL-1 representative Charleston Battery in the finals. In addition to trying to clinch a Champions League spot for next season, D.C. United also will be defending the honor of the MLS, which took two tough blows last night as both the New England Revolution and Chivas USA were eliminated from this year’s Champions League tournament. (This, after Toronto FC, the only Canadian club in the MLS, couldn’t win its own domestic qualifier into the tournament.) A loss by D.C. United would result in another black eye for the MLS that it can’t really afford right now.
I’ll be at the game tonight. If you can’t be, the game will be televised on FSC tonight at 7:30 p.m. Go United!!!!
2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
3 September – 7:30 p.m. – Charleston Battery at D.C. United (FSC)
MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup often play teams of reserves during the competition in order to avoid injury and interference with the more important MLS season. Nevertheless, since the MLS began in 1996, only one club from outside of the MLS, the Rochester Rhinos in 1999, has managed to take the club home, though that could change this year. The U.S. Open Cup takes on a new importance this year as the winner wins a berth in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League.
What’s Going On in the U.S. Open Cup? The finals are set for tonight at 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where the MLS’s D.C. United takes on USL-1 representative Charleston Battery in the finals. In addition to trying to clinch a Champions League spot for next season, D.C. United also will be defending the honor of the MLS, which took two tough blows last night as both the New England Revolution and Chivas USA were eliminated from this year’s Champions League tournament. (This, after Toronto FC, the only Canadian club in the MLS, couldn’t win its own domestic qualifier into the tournament.) A loss by D.C. United would result in another black eye for the MLS that it can’t really afford right now.
I’ll be at the game tonight. If you can’t be, the game will be televised on FSC tonight at 7:30 p.m. Go United!!!!
2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
3 September – 7:30 p.m. – Charleston Battery at D.C. United (FSC)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment