RSL Tops Timbers, Punches Open Cup Final Ticket

RSL held off the Portland Timbers in US Open Cup Play (USA Today Sports)

It's happening folks, we're getting another Cup final at Rio Tinto Stadium!  Last night Real Salt Lake outlasted the Portland Timbers to take a 2-1 win in the US Open Cup semifinals.  By virtue of the coin flip held a few days ago, the Claret and Cobalt will host US Open Cup Final on October 1st.  Their opponent will be DC United, who advanced by beating the Chicago Fire in their semifinal.

It wasn't easy for RSL, and it never was going to be against the Portland Timbers, who have made huge strides forward since Caleb Porter took over at the beginning of this season.  However, what we saw last night was largely an experienced Claret and Cobalt side going up against a younger Timbers side that was lacking experience in big time contests, especially on the road.  A draw wasn't going to be enough for the men from Portland this time.

RSL got a much needed game changer in the 7th minute, and it was the returning Gold Cup players to the rescue.  Kyle Beckerman found Alvaro Saborio in the box and Sabo expertly headed the ball inside the back pot to make it 1-0.  It was a huge break for the Claret and Cobalt, but afterward things got a little rocky.

Portland took to their possession game to see what they could do about their new disadvantage.  To some it seemed like RSL was just content to let the Timbers possess in their own half and midfield, but I think there was an element of nervousness to it, and I guess given recent results, you couldn't blame them.  Still, the defense was pretty solid and limited the Timbers to very few clear cut chances.

The best of those in the first half came from former RSL favorite turned Timbers Captain Will Johnson, who unleashed a hellish strike on goal in the 40th minute.  Thankfully for RSL, they had Gold Cup winning 'keeper Nick Rimando in net, who stoned his old teammate to preserve the lead going into the halftime.

The second half proceeded along similar lines, with RSL doing a bit better at keeping some of the possession for themselves.  However the game changed for good when Joao Plata checked in during the 62nd minute.  Our little bundle of speed, touch, and energy helped put Portland on their heels a bit more, and in the 78th minute he slashed a great goal into the back of the net to make it 2-0 off of a great setup from Saborio.

As it turned out, the Claret and Cobalt would need that goal.  In the first minute of stoppage time, Rimando managed a huge reaction save on Portland's Diego Valeri.  Unfortunately the rebound went right back to the Portland playmaker who headed it in with Nick still on the ground to make it 2-1.  Thankfully the defense held and there would be no stoppage time glory for the visitors to Rio Tinto that night.

I really urge everyone to come out on October 1st to support the club in the Open Cup Final.  It's roughly six weeks away, plenty of time to try to get off work, which I am definitely going to try to do.

Now here are the Puddle's Three Stars:

Third Star: Diego Valeri, MF, Portland Timbers--Valeri was the biggest danger man for Portland last night, and scored their lone goal in stoppage time.  However, he also missed the target on a clear header earlier in the half that probably should have been a goal.

Second Star: Alvaro Saborio, F, Real Salt Lake--I'm still amazed that we have folks who don't like Sabo.  What did he do last night?  Oh, he just scored the first goal and set up the winner.  No biggie.

First Star--Nick Rimando, GK, Real Salt Lake--Nick has been on fire this year, and came up with some huge stops again last night.  I'm really hoping he gets the recognition due to him at the end of the year, because no 'keeper in MLS is having as good a season as he is.

Takin Care of Business: RSL Blasts Carolina to Reach Semis.

Alvaro Saborio played 90 minutes and scored for RSL (Deseret News)

The last two US Open Cup outings, though wins, have been a bit of an adventure for Real Salt Lake.  This was nowhere near the case last night as the Claret and Cobalt put the hurt on the NASL leading Carolina RailHawks to advance to the semifinals.  The full time result was 3-0, but in reality it wasn't that close, as RSL pretty much dominated a very lackluster Carolina side.

Speaking of lackluster, that's exactly the word that Jason Kreis used to describe the effort in the first thirty minutes from RSL.  Bunker?  Yeah the RailHawks did that.  They sat behind the ball and unlike the Charleston Battery, never really tried to press.  As for RSL's part, they worked the ball around quite a bit, patiently probing for an opening.  It was all a bit too patient though, as it lulled pretty much everyone watching to sleep.  However, given what had happened defensively in the last Open Cup match, I guess as a fan you can't really blame them for the conservative start.

So, who you gonna call when you need a bunker buster?  Your fullbacks of course.  In the 35th minute Tony Beltran drove a gorgeous shot on goal that slipped by the 'keeper and in to make it 1-0 for RSL.. Shortly before the end of the half Beltran launched another gorgeous strike that was destined for the top corner, but the 'keeper made a fantastic save to keep the scoreline at 1-0 going into the half.

Carolina didn't open up all that much to start the second half either, but again an RSL fullback made them pay.  In the 50th minute Chris Wingert hit a shot to the near post.  The Railhawk 'keeper got a hand to it, but couldn't keep it out and it was 2-0 to RSL.  Late on in the match the Claret and Cobalt switched formations into a rather interesting 4-5-1 look, with Olmes Garcia and Joao Plata on the wings and Sabo up top by himself.  This looked pretty good as Garcia found Sabo with a cross in the 86th minute that the Costa Rican promptly back headed into the net to make the final tally 3-0.

There was some hay made after the match about Carolina and the way they approached the game.  On Tuesday a RailHawks player commented that their league match on Saturday was more important than this match.  If you watch Kreis's postgame presser, you'll see that he bristles at this suggestion.  Now, this might very well be true, but in a quarterfinal match against one of the best clubs in the country, it reeks of excuse making, both before and after.  Play to win, or go home.  Put whatever eleven out on the pitch that you want, but show up.  The RailHawks didn't, and in my mind embarrassed the NASL with their poor showing.  I gained a lot of respect for the Charleston Battery when they came here to play, but the Railhawks were disappointing.  Oh well, that's on their manager.  We're moving on to host the Portland Timbers on August 7th, just two wins away from a trophy and CCL.

So here are the Puddle's Three Stars for the match:

THIRD STAR--Alvaro Saborio, F, RSL.
Sabo is back and he is fit.  Now, hopefully he doesn't get injured playing in the Gold Cup for Costa Rica.  He played 90 minutes for the second time in a week, and while he didn't have his best night, still scored a goal and provided that critical holdup play that let RSL have possession in the Railhawk's half.

SECOND STAR--Chris Wingert, FB, RSL.
The thing about Wingert is that the dude always shows up and gives 100% every match even when he's not playing particularly well.  He's part of the bedrock for this club.  Last night he scored a goal and provided better service than he has been to really contribute to the win.

FIRST STAR--Tony Beltran, FB, RSL.
It was honestly the best match I've seen from Tony in a long time, on both ends of the pitch.  Yeah the goal was good, but his service was also improved and he really helped quash any lame attempt by the Railhawks to get forward.  Now I just hope he can stay consistent and put up these performances in MLS.

RSL vs Carolina RailHawks: What I'll Be Watching

Real Salt Lake continues it's journey in the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup when they host NASL side Carolina RailHawks at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday night.  The Claret and Cobalt will have their international players available for the match, but this will NOT be a walk in the park.  Carolina currently lead the NASL and have only lost once in league play.  RailHawks forward Brian Shriver has recently been named player of the week for the NASL and he leads the league in scoring with eight goals.

So with most of the players back in the fold, and with opposition stepped up a bit from the last Open Cup match, here are a few questions and issues that I'll be watching for at the RioT tomorrow night.

1. Rimando or Saunders?
Josh Saunders has been the man in net for RSL so far in the Open Cup run.  Will that continue, or will we see Nick Rimando in goal tomorrow with a place in the Open Cup semis on the line?  I personally think Josh has played rather well.  Certainly neither of the goals scored by the Battery were on him in the last match.  However, with injury issues on the back line, will Rimando get the call to help marshal the defense?

2. Will Aaron Maund get another run out at center back?
Jason Kreis did not argue with the assertion that Maund had a rough night against the Charleston Battery.  However, with Kwame Watson-Siriboe out for the season and Chris Schuler still out, will RSL give Maund another shot in this one?  After all, we have another league match at Toronto on Saturday and then a midweek clash with the surging Union a few days after.  We could see Maund start next to Borchers, resting Salcedo for Saturday.  It's not out of the realm that we could see Wingert at CB with Abdoulie Mansally or Lovell Palmer at FB.  If Maund does get the start, would it be better to have Rimando in goal to help provide the youngster with more confidence?

3. Who will Kreis field up top?
I doubt we'll see Sabo since he played 90 minutes on Saturday vs Seattle.  Ditto Robbie Findley, who played most of that match.  Olmes Garcia came on in the second half, but my money is on Joao Plata and Devon Sandoval, neither of whom played this weekend.  Devon has been a beast in Open Cup and truly deserves the start, in my opinion.  Plata always deserves the chance as well, he is a great catalyst.  It could be mighty interesting to see Garcia come on in the second half after the RailHawks have chased speedy little Plata around all match long.  I do think we'll see Sabo in the 18 though, at least as a security blanket if things don't go well.

4. Can RSL come out with MLS energy and put the RailHawks away?
To me, this question could be crucial to our success over the next week or so.  With a road trip to Canada ahead, the Claret and Cobalt do NOT want to be playing 120 minutes tomorrow night.  If the team starts with the right mentality, coming out as they would against LA Galaxy or the Sounders, RSL should be able to put Carolina away.  If they don't. the RailHawks are more than good enough to cause major problems and pull an upset.

So these are four questions that I think will greatly effect our chances of winning and advancing tomorrow night.  RSL really could not have hoped for a kinder draw so far, getting all lower league opposition and getting them all at home.  If the Claret and Cobalt win tomorrow night, they'll host the winner of Portland and Dallas in early August for the semi-finals.

A Bridge Too Far: Battery Push RSL to the Brink

RSL's Joao Plata equalized with this PK in the second half.

The last time RSL took the pitch in the US Open Cup, it rained buckets as they defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks in extra time.  It rained goals last night at the RioT, though the downpour started considerably later than most of the home fans would have liked.  In the end the Claret and Cobalt came back and defeated a well organized Charleston Battery side 5-2, again in extra time, to survive and advance to the quarter finals of the Open Cup.

A lot of folks will complain about the "bunkering" strategy employed by the Battery through most of the match.  Indeed, they had 9-10 men sitting in and just outside the penalty area almost from the first minute of the match.  It was a classic defend and counter strategy.  I won't blame them.  The manager's job is to install the lineup and tactics that give his team the best chance to win.  The plain fact of the matter is that for 45 minutes, those tactics worked just fine for the Battery.

The Battery struck first in the 16th minute.  Defender John Wilson caught the RSL defense asleep at the switch and put a beautiful through ball into RSL's right flank on a counter attack.  Dane Kelly took the pass, and Josh Saunders played it well, keeping his angle and forcing Kelly to go to the far post.  Saunders' defensive help was nowhere to be found though as Kelly slapped the ball inside the far post to make it 0-1 to the visitors.  Jason Kries's head nearly exploded just two minutes later when the Battery again caught RSL's defense napping.  Quinton Griffith ripped a shot that bounced off the post, but the rebound easily fell to the Battery's Nicki Paterson, who tapped home with his right foot to make it 0-2.

After that RSL started to play a little bit better, but still had issues on the defensive side, especially against the counter attack.  The Battery nearly iced the match in first half stoppage time.  Somehow they ended up with a 2-1 break, the 1 RSL man being young Aaron Maund, who had been suffering through a rough night.  Maund acquitted himself well here though, doing his best to challenge both Battery players where he could.  In the end, he held it up long enough for Chris Wingert to catch up from behind and take the ball off of the Battery player, ending the the threat without a shot.  To me, that was the most important moment of the night.  If the Battery score there, they're up 0-3 going into the half and any momentum that RSL might have salvaged would have been totally shattered.

Coach Kreis started the second half with the same XI, which puzzled me somewhat.  I thought for sure we'd see Chris Wingert slide into the middle for Maund and Lovell Palmer pop in at fullback.  Instead Kreis showed some confidence in the youngster, which in the end wasn't a bad thing.  I don't know whether the players got the blowdryer treatment or the silent treatment in the locker room, but things were immediately better in the second half.  However the Claret and Cobalt still looked as though they were at a loss as to how to unlock the Battery bunker.

That changed in the 63rd minute when Joao Plata and Khari Stephenson checked into the match.  Plata checked in for Maund, and RSL went to three at the back with the extra forward.  Plata's speed quickly started to pull apart the Battery defense.  Three minutes later, the home crowd was feeling it as the "Believe" anthem made itself spontaneously heard throughout Rio Tinto Stadium.  RSL responded to it's fans' call as Tony Beltran served a ball into Devon Sandoval, who promptly slotted the ball into the net to make it 1-2 and totally bring the crowd to life.  This was the point when I really started to think to myself, "yeah, we can do this."

RSL applied nearly continuous pressure to the Battery goal and it all came good in the 79th minute when Joao Plata was taken down in the area to earn a PK.  He stood up to take the spot kick himself, drilling it into the top corner to equalize at 2-2 and grow his flourishing legend in the mind of RSL fans.  However, despite the pressure, RSL was not able to net a winner in regulation and the match headed into extra time.

RSL's advantage was obvious going into the extra session.  The Battery had a smaller roster, and they were playing their 3rd game in 7 days.  The altitude had also been sapping them throughout the latter stages of the second half, they looked gassed while the RSL boys looked relatively fresh.  In the 7th minute Plata crossed to Sandoval who easily rose over the Battery defense and headed in his second of the night to give RSL the lead for good.

Unfortunately for the Battery, wave after wave of Claret and Cobalt pressure proved too much as RSL decided to end any hopes they had of coming back and forcing PKs.   A few minutes later Khari blasted an absolute golazo from 35 yards to make it 4-2, and Javier Morales added yet another PK right at the end of the first 15 to make it 5-2.  The final 15 passed in an exhausted jumble and RSL easily cruised to the win from there.

The first half was absolute junk, and brought back nasty memories of last year's Open Cup defeat to the Minnesota Stars.  I'm not going to say that I was sure that RSL was going to come back, that would be a lie.  However, the team showed a ton of character in the second half, chipping away bit by bit and finally putting the match out of reach in extra time.  Still, one thinks that if that match would have been played in Charleston, well things might have been very different.

So here are the three stars from last night's match:

THIRD STAR--Odisnel Cooper, GK/Charleston Battery--
Don't let the fact that the Battery gave up five goals fool you.  One must remember that two of those were PKs against guys that Cooper had never seen before.  One of them, Morales, a master of putting the ball right where he wants to every time.  Cooper faced a ton of pressure with the Battery's bunker defense, and he made several key saves in both halves to keep the Battery in it and force extra time.

SECOND STAR--Joao Plata, F/RSL--
Plata's speed really changed the game in RSL's favor.  The already weary Battery defense had no answer for him.  Plata earned, then made the PK that equalized the match.  He followed that up with the assist on the game winner.  Both he and Khari Stephenson are really endearing themselves to the RSL faithful.

FIRST STAR--DEVON SANDOVAL, F/RSL--
Speaking of newcomers endearing themselves to the fans, how about this young man?  Just a few months into his pro career he has tied Jason Kries as RSL's all time leading scorer in the US Open Cup.  He is really taking advantage of the opportunities he's getting.  Garth Lagerway has said that the only thing consistent about young players is their inconsistency, yet Sandoval has been remarkably consistent throughout the early season.  He's humble, and he's HUNGRY.  Last night he scored the first of match for RSL and the eventual game winner to send the Claret and Cobalt to the next round.

The Charleston Battery deserve a lot of respect for playing hard and staying classy.  They did the best they could, but they were never going to be able to outlast RSL in that extra time.  It really was a bridge too far.  RSL will host the Carolina Railhawks, who beat Chivas USA last night, in the quarter final round of the US Open Cup.

MLS Clubs Learn US Open Cup Fate

The second round of the 2013 US Open Cup was played at sites around the country Tuesday night, which means that with those results in tow, the US based Major League Soccer clubs know who their third round opponents will be and where they will play.  It's a little different this year, as clubs won't be allowed to purchase the home game from their opponents.  That didn't work too well for RSL last year, as NASL side Minnesota sold their home game to the Claret and Cobalt, then proceed to stomp them at Rio Tinto stadium.  Here's a look at the MLS sides and their opponents with games to be played May 28 and May 29.  Home team listed first.

May 28, 2013:

• May 28: Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) vs. D.C. United (MLS), 7 pm ET
• May 28: Philadelphia Union (MLS) vs. Ocean City Nor'easters (PDL), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Orlando City SC (USL PRO) vs. Colorado Rapids (MLS), 7: 30 pm ET
• May 28: Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) vs. FC Dallas (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Charleston Battery (USL PRO) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 28: Rochester Rhinos (USL PRO) vs. New England Revolution (MLS), 7:35 pm ET
• May 28: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) vs. Des Moines Menace (PDL), 8:30 pm ET
• May 28: Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL), 9:30 pm ET
• May 28: LA Blues (USL PRO) vs. Chivas USA (MLS), 10:30 pm ET

May 29, 2013:

• May 29: Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) vs. Chicago Fire (MLS), 7 pm ET
• May 29: Carolina RailHawks (NASL) vs. LA Galaxy (MLS), 7:15 pm ET
• May 29: Columbus Crew (MLS) vs. Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: New York Red Bulls (MLS) vs. Reading United AC (PDL), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) vs. Seattle Sounders (MLS), 7:30 pm ET
• May 29: Houston Dynamo (MLS) vs. FC Tucson (PDL), 8:30 pm ET
• May 29: Portland Timbers (MLS) vs. Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO), 10:30 pm ET

 Anybody spot any trendy upset picks?  It can be hard to come by good coverage of lower division soccer in the US, but don't count NASL sides out especially.  USL PRO sides and PDL sides have been known to pull an upset or two as well.  RSL vs the Atlanta Silverbacks will be a trendy pick I think, given RSL's stumbles in the tourney and Eric Wynalda's involvement with the Silverbacks.  I also suspect the Chicago Fire might have a tough time with the Charlotte Eagles, being at Charlotte.  The Richmond Kickers host DC United, and they usually do well in this tournament.  Pair that with DC's recent struggles and there is a recipe for a giant killing.

Check out the matches next week at your home stadium.  Most MLS sides try to make a streaming option available, but please go out and support your club in this historic tournament.  After all, a CCL place is on the line for the winner.

Congratualtions to Sporting Kansas City, 2012 US Open Cup Champions

Sporting Kansas City lift the US Open Cup (Getty Images)

Congratulations are in order for Sporting Kansas City, who last night captured the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a victory over the Seattle Sounders at Livestrong Sporting Park.  It took extra time and penalty kicks to settle the issue, with Sporting winning the shootout 3-2 to claim the trophy.

The result was not without some controversy though.  Late in the shootout, Seattle 'keeper Michael Gspurning saved Paulo Nagamura's PK, but was judged to have been off his line.  Nagamura retook the kick and buried it.  Seattle's Eddie Johnson then missed his final attempt as Livestrong park exploded into joy.

The win gives the Kansas City franchise their first trophy since 2004, and their second US Open Cup overall.  It's the first trophy since they rebranded themselves as Sporting Kansas City.  They will also represent MLS and the USA in next year's CONCACAF Champions League.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Osvaldo Alonso vs. Cal FC

I'm not sure a better goal will be scored in the US Open Cup this year. Check out Ossie Alonso's strike vs. Cal FC. It's the obvious goal of the tournament so far.

US Open Cup 4th Round Review

Last night wasn't quite as bad for MLS teams in the US Open Cup.  After all, DC and Colorado lost to other MLS sides.  However, there was at least one major disappointment for the MLS faithful to swallow as well.

That disappointment was the New York Red Bulls.  They lost 3-1 to the Harrisburg City Islanders in extra time.  The Islanders are known for giant killing in this tourney, but that's not likely to console the Red Bulls.  With the match knotted at 1-1 in the 4th minute of extra time, former Red Bull Sainey Touray lobbed a shot in over Ryan Meara to make it 2-1.  After the Red Bulls were incorrectly denied a PK for a handball, Lucky Mkosana fired home the final nail in the coffin in the 112th minute to make the final 3-1.

Handball in the box also played a significant roll in Chivas USA's 1-2 at the Carolina Railhawks.  Carolina had just taken down the Galaxy in the last round, but couldn't pull off the double over the LA teams.  Juan Pablo Angel hit a penalty kick in second half stoppage time after a Railhawk's defender handled in the box to give the Goats the win.

As mentioned earlier, there were two matches that took place between MLS sides.  Philadelphia needed extra time to overcome DC United 1-2 at DC.  At Livestrong Sporting Park, Sporting Kansas City shut down the Colorado Rapids en route to a 2-0 win.

The most interesting match of the night was supposed to be Seattle Sounders vs Cal FC at Seattle's Starfire Sports complex.  Amateur side Cal FC, coached by former US Soccer great Eric Wynalda, pulled off the upset in round 3 against Portland, but Seattle was just too big of an ask.  Despite being held scoreless in the first half, the Sounders poured on five in the second, two by Fredy Montero, to make it 5-0 at full time.

The evening's slate was rounded out in San Jose where the Earthquakes were pitted against Minnesota Stars FC, who took down Real Salt Lake last week at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Minnesota couldn't pull off the upset for the second straight week, as a goal from Steven Lenhart propelled San Jose to the 1-0 win.

Two other matches were held without MLS sides.  The Dayton Dutch Lions beat the Michigan Bucks 2-1 and the Charlotte Eagles took down NASL's San Antonio Scorpions 2-1 in extra time.

Real Salt Lake Lays Massive Egg in US Open Cup Play

Well what to say about that stinker of a match last night?  If you follow my Twitter stream (@BrandonLBC) you've already seen most of what I have to say.  Some of it was useful, factual criticism and some of it was just the ramblings of a stark, raving mad supporter.

Call me a nay-sayer, but I tweeted after RSL bought this match that it would sure be embarrassing if they lost.  Not only did they lose, but they got outplayed by a lower division side that was every bit the better club last night.  In the end, it was rather like paying somebody to come to your house and beat the crap out of you.

Minnesota Stars FC took the lead in the 4th minute after an impressive set piece goal.  Kyle Reynish did a decent job of punching the ball away, but the defense engaged in a fair bit of ball watching instead of clearing.  Luis Gil managed to equalize in the 29th minute after a quickly taken RSL set piece, but Minnestoa took the lead again right before halftime, scoring a PK after a Jamison Olave handball in the box.  Stars FC iced the match in the 58th minute to make full time score 3-1.

Now for some thoughts.  I don't believe this match was Kyle Reynish's fault. He was really shaky in places to be sure, but the first two Minnesota goals happened right in front of me, and neither were his fault.  He punched away the free kick that lead to the first goal, and it's incumbent upon his defense to clear the lines.  I don't think he could have caught the ball the cleanly.  The penalty kick was obviously on Olave, not Reynish.  The third goal happened at the other end of the ground, so I'm not sure, but at that point RSL was already in the tank as far as I was concerned.

I would argue that most of the RSL players took the night off, and I'm talking about the guys on the pitch, not the ones on the bench or away with national team duty.  I'd say that Luis Gil, Ned Grabavoy, and Kyle Reynish put forth the required effort, though Reynish was obviously low on confidence.  I'd venture a guess that most of the rest of the guys either horribly underestimated Minnesota (the reigning NASL champs) or just totally mailed it in.  Both Borchers and Olave had multiple headed chances on goal in the second half, none of them near the target.  Paulo Jr had a couple really good looks, again not on frame.  Meanwhile Minnesota was allowed to easily take advantage of almost every opportunity they had.

Here's my thing: I can handle it when my club loses.  What makes me very angry as a supporter is when they don't bother to show up and turn in an ugly performance like that.   The RSL front office put out money for this and issued a call for the fans to show up.  17,000 plus fans did exactly that on a Tuesday night, on only six days notice.  It was a record for the tournament at this stage.  My guess is a lot of those folks won't be coming back.  They may have been casual fans, but their dollars are worth the same to the club as the supporters money, especially when they're out trying to buy matches.

Let me say this in closing though, I still believe in my team and in Jason Kreis.  Kreis was quoted after the match last night as saying that it wasn't going to be a good time to be a player under him, and I'm sure he is not understating that.  My guess is that practice and training over the next couple of weeks is going to be pretty miserable for those guys that played last night.    I have every confidence that he's already addressing the myriad of issues that RSL were faced with last night and moving to fix them.

In the end, props to Minnesota Stars FC, who were the better team last night.  They turned in a class performance and I'll be pulling for them to win the Cup!

Opinion: The US Open Cup is Still Broken

Earlier in the year, US Soccer introduced some very nice changes to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.  Among those changes was the addition of a regular draw procedure in some rounds instead of the past format where teams basically submitted bids to US Soccer for the rights to host these matches.  This seemed like a positive change, and the people rejoiced!

Then last week after the second round results were complete, some things got stirred up again.  Three time defending Champions Seattle Sounders announced that instead of playing the Atlanta Silverbacks in Atlanta as the draw had specified, they had purchased the rights to host the match in Washington, though not at Century Link.  Many of us, including myself, took some not so polite jabs at our Sounders friends on twitter as it appeared they were once again trying to buy the US Open Cup and the accompanying birth in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Then some other information emerged.  Turns out Portland Timbers had made an effort to buy their 3rd round game as well, however after Eric Wynalda's Cal FC emerged victorious, the match ended up being scheduled in Portland anyway.  Ah, the shenanigans of those Cascadia teams!

Then something very interesting crossed the Real Salt Lake official Twitter feed.  RSL was scheduled to play Minnesota Stars FC in Minnesota in the 3rd round.  However, they also announced that they had purchased the rights to hold the match, and it is now scheduled to go down tonight at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Turns out I had to eat my words to my Sounders friends.

It also turns out to be totally within the rules of the new format.  Teams don't pay US Soccer for these matches anymore, but they can basically make an offer to the team drawn to host, and if the team accepts the offer, they can sell that right to the other team.

I call BS on that.

First off, let me say that I do understand why Seattle and RSL went this route.  They want to win, and they want to do everything possible within the rules to make it happen.  Both of these sides take the CONCACAF Champions League seriously and want to punch their tickets to next years tournament early.  Plus, hey, it's hardware, and the awesome thing about soccer is that there is this chance to win multiple trophies.  So, I've toned down my stance against the teams actually buying these matches.  Suffice it to say, I'm still a bit cynical though.

You see, I'm a Eurosnob when it comes to footy.  I admit that in the interest of full disclosure.  I love the FA Cup, next to the UEFA Champions League, it's my favorite sporting event of the year.  Part of the wonder of the FA Cup is the fact that later in the tournament, when the Championship and Premiership sides enter the fray, they may end up playing at some non-league ground somewhere.  Some of the greatest upsets in the tournament's long and storied history have happened in these settings.

It's a treat to see these non league or lower league stadiums packed to the gills with their own fans, but also the traveling fans from the big clubs, who come into town spending money on food and perhaps lodging.  I would love to see the US Open Cup go this direction: A total blind draw complete with the ping bong balls and the whole set up.  Since we don't have a national stadium, I would advocate a 2-legged final much like they do with the Canadian Championship.

Let's be honest though. If RSL had played in Minnesota tonight, it's highly doubtful that RSL supporters would pack the Stars' ground like Manchester United supporters might pack a League 2 ground in England.  It wouldn't be quite the same feel.  However I believe that it would definitely be within the spirit of tournaments like this and promoting the lower leagues in the US Soccer Pyramid to have a draw and require the sides to stick to it.  If a big MLS side has a problem with that, feel free not to enter.

I don't think that this will happen anytime soon.  I really hope it does, because it's my personal opinion that allowing teams to buy matches cheapens a tournament of any kind.  Sides like Real Salt Lake and Seattle usually hold a pretty tough home field advantage.  I realize that in this case it was Atlanta and Minnesota's choice to go to these places and play, but again, I think it would be in the competitive interests of all the leagues to stick with the draw.  It would also give the fans in other cities a chance to see MLS clubs play live which for the most part, can only be good for the sport.

Alas, soccer in the US doesn't appear to be at that point yet, though I hope it gets there someday soon.  For tonight, I'll be at the RioT supporting my Real Salt Lake, even though I said I wouldn't in last week's twitter tantrum.  I'm not happy with the rules, but I will still show up to support my team and hope that it changes in the future.

2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Opening Round Set.

Today the USSF announced the opening round fixtures and second round pairings for the 2012 edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.  As mentioned on their website, the first round action will feature squads from 19 different states.  There will be 32 clubs competing in the first round.  A major difference this year is that all Major League Soccer Clubs will move right to the 3rd round, putting the tournament more in line with it's overseas brethren like the FA Cup in England, where Premier League and Championship sides don't come in until the later rounds.  USL Pro teams (3rd Division) as well as NASL squads (Second Division) will make their entries into the tournament mostly in the second round.

Some highlights of the first round:

Brooklyn Italians at GPS Portland Phoenix--The Phoenix are thought to be the first ever representatives from the state of Maine to play in the Open Cup.  The Brooklyn Italians have won the Cup twice, in 1979 and 1991.

Long Island Rough Riders at FC Sonic--The Rough Riders have a nice history in the tourney, and the City of Bethlehem, PA, will host an Open Cup game for the first time in the modern pro era.  They're the home of 5 time Open Cup Champions Bethlehem Steel.  Perhaps some of you have purchased that particular retro shirt over at Bumpy Pitch.

Des Moines Menace at Milwaukee Bavarians--Last year the Bavarians could have been in the Cup, but the association lost their paperwork.  I kid you not, it says right on the Open Cup site.  This year they'll host the Des Moines Menace, one of the top teams in the PDL and perhaps a noise maker in the tourney.

The entire first round slate of fixtures as well as the second round pairings featuring USL Pro and NASL sides can be found here at the US Open Cup website.

US Open Cup: Real Salt Lake vs. Wilmington Hammerheads

So earlier in the week, some doofus on the Wilmington squad said the pressure was all on Real Salt Lake for this one. Really? If that's true, why did RSL play great and did Wilmington play like crap?

It's hard to be too tough on the USL side though. It was clear from the opening kick that they weren't going to be able to keep up with RSL. The heat and altitude surely had a impact as well. It was a little bit nervy for awhile, but Beltran got a goal and Jean Alexandre added one toward the end of the first half. It was 2-0 at the break.

RSL did nothing but attack in the second half. Unfortunately they didn't score again though. They did hit the woodwork in every way imaginable. In the end, the Hammerheads never really threatened, and RSL won 2-0. It was a really fun game to attend. Good times.