2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals

It’s one of the hardest accomplishments in all of team sports, winning three championships in a row. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley even trademarked the phrase “three-peat” in November 1988 for use on merchandise and apparel. Just fifteen times in the modern history of the four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) has a team managed to win three or more championships in consecutive order.

If you want an international soccer perspective on how hard it is to win three cup titles in a row, chew on this. The Spanish Copa del Rey has only seen five three-peat winners, none since Barcelona in 1953. The English FA Cup has had only two teams win three or more titles in a row, the last in 1886 by Blackburn Rovers. The German DFB Pokal (played since 1935) and the Italy’s Coppa Italia (1922) have NEVER had a three-peat champion.

In terms of soccer in the United States, only six teams have achieved a three-peat in league play, all in the ASL and none since 1964. Two teams, Clark O.N.T. and Bethlehem Steel, achieved the feat in the American Cup competition, which predated the Open Cup to 1885, but was restricted to clubs from the Northeast United States.

Only three teams have won the US Open Cup three times in a row since it began in 1914, the Fall River Marksmen, NY Greek Americans and Stix, Baer and Fuller (St. Louis). This means the Seattle Sounders are just three games away from joining one of the elite lists in American sports history. TheCup.us takes a look at what stands in the way of writing the Sounders name in the history books. (LINK: The “Three-Peat” US Open Cup winners)

OPPONENTS

This is the wild-card factor facing the Sounders three-peat. What kind of team will the Los Angeles Galaxy put on the field for their Quarterfinal match? How strong will the Sounders lineup be? The Galaxy will face the same schedule situation as the Sounders heading into the Quarterfinal, with the Open Cup being their third game in eight days. However, Los Angeles will not have another league game after that until July 20 while the Sounders jump right back into MLS play four days later on July 16. The Galaxy does have a “World Football Challenge” match against Real Madrid on the same day.

The Galaxy only used five regular starters in their 2-1 Third Round win over USL Pro’s Los Angeles Blues. Seattle used just one regular starter in its lineup versus the Kitsap Pumas of the PDL.

When the west coast league rivals met in the 2010 Open Cup Quarterfinals, the lineup Los Angeles put on the field featured just four players who would end the MLS season with 10 or more starts for the Galaxy. Among the players in the opening lineup, Omar Gonzalez was the only Galaxy player to start at least half of LA’s MLS games by the end of the season. Seattle was better at playing regulars for the match, but not by much. Three of the Sounders eleven at the opening whistle earned starts in at last half of Seattle’s MLS games: Patrick Ianni (24), Jeff Parke (20) and Nathan Sturgis (16).

In other words, don’t be surprised if both teams’ lineups for the match feature reserve or bench players, just for the sake of keeping the regular starters fresh for the upcoming schedule.

Should Seattle get by Los Angeles, they will play either Real Salt Lake or FC Dallas in the Semifinals, which is likely to mark the point of dedication from all of the Final Four clubs. Being two games away from a trophy, MLS clubs are more likely to put a stronger team on the field than in earlier rounds. For their 2010 Semifinal match against Chivas USA, Seattle’s lineup combined for 233 2010 MLS appearances, and 196 starts, a jump of 85 appearances and 115 starts over their Quarterfinal match.

SCHEDULE CONGESTION

This could be the biggest hurdle for the Sounders on the way to a three-peat. Schedule congestion has been used as the main reason why many MLS teams rest starting players in the Third and Quarterfinal rounds. As it stands now, the Sounders only have to deal with MLS matches surrounding the Quarterfinal Open Cup game, though they will play an MLS game two days prior to their Cup contest.

After that, it gets a bit tricky as a third ball enters the juggling act.

Should the Sounders get past San Francisco FC of Panama in the Preliminary Round of the CONCACAF Champions League, their schedule leading up to a possible August 30 Open Cup Semifinal will get a bit more crowded, barring any approved league or Cup schedule alterations. In addition to the four MLS league games on tap for August, they will have their second match of Champions League group play on August 23-25. With a league game on August 27, that would give Seattle three games in seven days to contend with.

If they manage to make their way to the Open Cup Final on October 4, another stretch of 3 games in 7 days potentially awaits them. By this point two important wild cards come into play: If the Sounders are fighting for an MLS playoff spot, AND still in contention to advance from their CCL group, a tough stretch of important games lie ahead of them. Will Seattle shoot for a three-peat, or will they focus on winning the Champions League or MLS Cup for the first time. Maybe the club’s depth will help them give a solid effort toward all three. The Sounders’ reserve squad has a perfect 7-0-0 record.

Schedule congestion wasn’t much of an issue years ago for teams like the Fall River Marksmen, Stix, Baer and Fuller, and the NY Greek Americans. Those teams accomplished their Open Cup three-peats back when the Cup games took precedence over everything. Since most of the players were making semi-pro money at best, a regular work schedule meant that league and cup games took place on Sundays. In some cities an entire league schedule would be put on hold to ensure the lone Open Cup game was the center of attention that day. There was no concern over resting players for a playoff push, because the Open Cup was the playoffs – it was the national championship. The tournament was the biggest prize that soccer in the United States could offer, so if there was any resting of starters it would be in preparation for the upcoming Cup game.

INJURIES / ROSTER CHANGES

Injuries are the type of obstacle you cannot prepare for in advance, because you never know when they will pop up or how severe they will be. Right now the Sounders are without their second leading goal scorer from the 2010 season, Steve Zakuani, who suffered a broken leg on April 22 against the Colorado Rapids. Also missing from the roster is Jamaican international O’Brien White, who has been out since April 28 after having a blood clot surgically removed from his left leg. There is some speculation that White may be able to return to play within a month.

During last year’s Open Cup run, a major roster shakeup seemed to energize the Sounders. In late-July Seattle traded former Swedish international Freddie Ljungberg following what turned out to be a falling out with the club. Before the trade, the Sounders were struggling in the standings, bobbing up and down past the final MLS playoff slot. After the move, Seattle surged up the standings to the point that their playoff fate was no longer in question.

The mid-season transfer window for MLS, which allows players from clubs outside the United States and Canada to join the league, opens July 15 and closes August 14. Playmakers coming into the league could directly influence the Open Cup clubs by joining their rosters or through ancillary trades to create the moves, particularly if it is for a designated player.

PLAYING ON THE ROAD

Something that definitely favors the Sounders is playing their Open Cup matches at home. Of the nine Cup matches Seattle has played since joining MLS, six have been at home, and two of the road matches were in relatively nearby Portland, Oregon. This year they began their Open Cup quest at home against the Kitsap Pumas, and they’ll host their Quarterfinal match against the Los Angeles Galaxy. If Seattle progresses into the semifinals, odds are 50-50 if they will have to travel depending on who wins the contest between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas. The Sounders will likely be rooting for the home side to take the contest in Texas Tuesday night.