While the Chicago Fire and new homeowners Sporting KC are working their way up the table, one thing is blatantly obvious heading into the Third Round. The eight clubs representing the league are currently the best in the league as the contingent has not lost a game versus their MLS opponents that did not qualify for the Open Cup in a remarkable run of 30 consecutive matches dating back to May.
The unbeaten streak for the eight teams dates back to a 1-0 loss by the Columbus Crew in Portland and a 2-1 Chicago Fire loss in Philadelphia on May 21.
Since then, the Open Cup field has posted a record of 14-0-16 against the teams that failed to qualify for the 2011 tournament. They have been even more dominant of late with nine wins in 14 games in the past two weeks, outscoring the opposition 26-10. Defensively, the MLS clubs have posted six shutouts and have only allowed the opponent to score more than one goal in a game on a single occasion, a 3-3 draw by the Red Bulls in Portland.
The Galaxy have played the most games within the streak with a 3-0-3 record versus the non-qualified MLS clubs while Sporting KC is second with five games played (2-0-3). FC Dallas arguably had the best results at 3-0-1 in its four games and the Fire were the lone team to not record a victory, though they only played two games against clubs not in the tournament.
Among the teams missing the Open Cup, New England contributed the most toward the streak with a 0-4-1 record. Colorado and Vancouver each had 0-2-2 marks. Philadelphia and DC were the only teams not to lose within the streak, earning two draws each.
Team Records within the Streak
New York 1-0-3
Chicago 0-0-2
Columbus 2-0-1
Kansas City 2-0-3
Real Salt Lake 1-0-2
FC Dallas 3-0-1
Seattle 2-0-1
Los Angeles 3-0-3
The Streak (Away-Home)
June 26
Colorado Rapids 1-4 Columbus Crew
New England Revolution 1-2 Seattle Sounders
June 25
Portland Timbers 0-4 FC Dallas
Vancouver Whitecaps 1-2 Sporting KC
LA Galaxy 0-0 San Jose Earthquakes
June 22
Sporting KC 0-0 Philadelphia Union
June 19
NY Red Bulls 3-3 Portland Timbers
June 18
FC Dallas 2-1 Chivas USA
DC United 1-1 Real Salt Lake
LA Galaxy 3-1 Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew 2-0 Houston Dynamo
Chicago Fire 1-1 New England Revolution
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Toronto FC
June 17
San Jose Earthquakes 0-1 Sporting KC
June 11
Vancouver Whitecaps 2-2 Seattle Sounders
Toronto FC 2-2 LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake 1-1 Philadelphia Union
June 10
New England Revolution 1-2 NY Red Bulls
June 4
Vancouver Whitecaps 0-2 Real Salt Lake
New England Revolution 0-1 FC Dallas
Sporting KC 0-0 Toronto FC
June 3
DC United 0-0 LA Galaxy
May 28
Sporting KC 1-1 Colorado Rapids
FC Dallas 2-2 Houston Dynamo
San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 Chicago Fire
LA Galaxy 1-0 New England Revolution
Chivas USA 3-3 Columbus Crew
NY Red Bulls 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
May 25
Houston Dynamo 0-1 LA Galaxy
Colorado Rapids 2-2 NY Red Bulls