US Open Cup

[Loyal1]

RSL & Chivas will enter the Open Cup one round before the rest of MLS.

I was about to say the 3rd round but now I'm not sure. Someone will look it up, I'm sure.

It will be one of the 4 extras included in season tix.

[Czar Jake]

Originally Posted by Loyal1

RSL & Chivas will enter the Open Cup one round before the rest of MLS.

I was about to say the 3rd round but now I'm not sure. Someone will look it up, I'm sure.

It will be one of the 4 extras included in season tix.

I figured that would be a game that came with season tix. I'm very excited about the Open Cup for some reason. When does it start?

[Rover]

Haven't seen an announcement from USSF yest on the 2005 schedule. Last year's looked like this:

Round 1: 2/8 June
Round 2: 15/21 June
Round 3: 30 June (first MLS team entries--Dallas and Columbus)
Round 4: 14/20/21 July (remaining MLS teams begin play)

Quarters: 4 August
Semis: 24/25 August
Final: 22 September (won by KC)

This is the one trophy competition of the domestic treble that I would say is very winnable right out of the box for RSL. It's single elimination, for one.

Cliche Alert: the team that wants it more tends to win this trophy. Why? For MLS teams, it starts in the heart of the season and crunch time (semis, finals) is right in the middle of the MLS Cup playoff race.

It's been rare that a team wins both the MLS Cup and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. DC did it in 1996 and Chicago in 1998, but nobody since. The reason--focus. Teams tend to treat the Open Cup as an afterthought, although Chicago has traditionally gone after it as a team goal. The result--they've won it three times in their seven years in the league.

[SoccerPrime]

Yeah the only way we really know anything about Dipsy Selowane is his great job during last years Open Cup run for the Fire.
Most MLS teams play their reserves in the US Open Cup (which is what they do in England too, FA Cup anyone?). Then when the lower division teams beat them, MLS fans argue that MLS teams weren't reserves.

US Open Cup has a website at http://www.usopencup.com

[SoccerPrime]

RSL plays in the US Open Cup on July 13, entering in the Third Round.
(So does, Chivas, Dallas and Chicago)

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=147601

[Rover]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

US Open Cup has a website at http://www.usopencup.com

And the website has this year's schedule posted now. Looks like we'll start in the Third Round on/about 13 July. Fourth Round is 3 August (against an MLS team), Quarterfinals are 24 August, Semis 14 September, and the Final will be played on 28 September.

Sure MLS teams use reserves, especially in the heat of the playoff race. There's still an opportunity here. An expansion team needs to establish tradition, and in soccer that's done with cup wins. No one will pretend that the Open Cup is the most important event on the calendar. But ask C-Rapids fans if they still feel the pain of that 1999 loss to Rochester. They still haven't recovered from that embarassment.

[Jim Umber]

Originally Posted by Rover

This is the one trophy competition of the domestic treble that I would say is very winnable right out of the box for RSL. It's single elimination, for one.

You say the domestic "treble". I am aware of the Open Cup, and of course the MLS Cup, but what is the third cup you alude to? I confess, I wasn't aware of a third one. Please explain.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Jim Umber

You say the domestic "treble". I am aware of the Open Cup, and of course the MLS Cup, but what is the third cup you alude to? I confess, I wasn't aware of a third one. Please explain.

OK, I'm part of the campaign for its greater recognition, but I (and many other original MLS supporters) include the Supporters' Shield as the third trophy in the "domestic treble." It rewards what would be called the league champion virtually anywhere else--the team with the highest point total at the end of the regular season. Top of the table, regardless of "division" or any other designation.

Last year, the Crew won it. It's presented to the supporters of the winning club at the Supporters' Summit held during MLS Cup Week.

The Shield was completely fan-generated, and was ignored by the league at first. They've come around since then and have acknowledged the Shield as a legitimate trophy. In reality, MLS only presents one trophy of its own (the MLS Cup), because the U.S. Open Cup is run by the USSF.

Hope that answers the question.

[Jim Umber]

Thank you. Your point that the MLS has ignored it, is perhaps understated, since I never even heard of it before.

[SoccerPrime]

Never heard of the Supports Shield? Well you will this year for sure when RSL and the Loyalists win it!