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Seattle Sounders’ Fredy Montero named 2011 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

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When it comes to Seattle Sounders striker Fredy Montero, Player of the Tournament may be an understatement. The 24-year-old Colombian received the honor from TheCup.us following his performance in the 2011 US Open Cup tournament in which he helped lead Seattle to a third consecutive championship, scoring game-winners in the last three games.

Three for Fredy: Montero poses with the 3 cups after scoring 3 winners in 3 games played (Photo: Gerald Barnhart)

Teammate Osvaldo Alonso and the Richmond Kickers duo of David Bulow and Ronnie Pascale were finalists for the 2011 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament with Montero.

The award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. The panel previously honored Alonso, Pascale, and Bulow as TheCup.us Players of the Round, along with Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire), Mike Fucito (Seattle) and Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas).

After an opening half of a season in which Montero struggled to find the back of the net, Fredy seemed to awaken around the US Open Cup. He has scored the game-winning goal in all three tournament games he has played in, and has found more success across all competitions in the past month, starting with the lone goal in the 1-0 Semifinal win against FC Dallas.

After watching a largely reserve squad advance past a feisty Kitsap Pumas side in the Third Round, Montero became a pivotal part of the Sounders’ Open Cup attack. In the Quarterfinal contest against fellow CONCACAF Champions League side and league-leading Los Angeles Galaxy, he tallied what proved to be the winner in the 25th minute to give the club a two-goal advantage at the time, as the Sounders prevailed 3-1.

The Quarterfinal contest was the first spark for Montero as he caught fire in the second half of the campaign. He scored in both regular season contests on either side of the match.

Unfortunately, he hit another drought that he put well behind him, starting with the Semifinal match against FC Dallas. Scoreless since July 16, he notched the lone tally in an August 30 victory, 1-0, over another Champions League side five minutes before halftime.

While awaiting the Open Cup Final, Montero went on to score in the next two matches, tallying the lone goal in a regular season loss to Real Salt Lake, and netting both strikes in a 2-1 road victory in Costa Rica against Herediano. He added four more goals in league play, scoring twice in Vancouver in a 3-1 win, and twice more at New England in a 2-1 victory. He provided the winner in both contests.

Three days after the victory over the Revolution in which Montero led the rally, he tallied his fifth game-winning goal in just over a month, breaking the deadlocked championship match against the Fire. His 77th minute winner proved enough as Seattle went on to win their MLS-record third consecutive Open Cup title, with Alonso scoring in the final seconds of stoppage time.

While Montero’s 2011 US Open Cup performance may go down as one of his best of his career, his Open Cup success certainly did not start July 13 versus the Galaxy. Montero played in all four 2009 Open Cup contests for Seattle. He scored the opening goal in the 2-1 road victory against DC United in the team’s first championship as an MLS club, earning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

Last year, Montero helped the club escape an early round exit in Portland, converting from the spot during the penalty kick tiebreaker as the team advanced 4-3 after a 1-1 draw. He missed the Quarterfinal versus LA, but tallied the game-winner against Chivas USA in the 3-1 Semifinal decision. He went on to start in Seattle’s second championship win, downing Columbus Crew for the 2010 repeat.

With four game-winning goals in his last five US Open Cup matches played, Montero has vaulted into a rarified statistical group in the modern professional era (1995-present) of the tournament, joining five others for second on the career game-winning Open Cup goal list. He and Tomas Boltnar, David Bulow, Paul Conway, Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson all trail Matthew Delicate, who leads with five. Gomez is the only other player among the seven with a game-winner in a Final. Only 20 other players have a tally of three Open Cup game-winners for their career.

Not surprisingly, Montero is the third consecutive Sounder to be selected as TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. Nate Jaqua earned the honor a year ago after being named Player of the Round twice. Kasey Keller, who is retiring after the season, was the recipient in 2009. Chris Eylander earned the honor in 2008 as a member of the Sounders’ final USL side. Current Sounder Pat Noonan was honored in 2007 as a member of the champion New England Revolution, and Chicago’s Andy Herron was the first honoree in 2006.

2011 US Open Cup: Finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament unveiled

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The top four finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament (from top left, clockwise): Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders), Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders), Ronnie Pascale (Richmond Kickers) and David Bulow (Richmond Kickers)

The 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament will undoubtedly go down in history with the Seattle Sounders and Richmond Kickers as the leading stories. Both clubs made history, resulting in two players from each club as the four finalists for TheCup.us Player of the Tournament honors. The duo of Osvaldo Alonso and Fredy Montero are up for the award from the champion Sounders and David Bulow and Ronnie Pascale are in the running from Richmond.

The award, to be announced Thursday, October 13, is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. The panel previously honored Alonso, Pascale, Bulow as TheCup.us Players of the Round along with Dominic Oduro (Chicago Fire), Mike Fucito (Seattle) and Zach Lubin (Kitsap Pumas).

Also receiving votes for the honor were Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson and Pumas netminder Bryan Meredith.

Alonso, Player of the Round for the Final, started in all four matches of Seattle’s historic run to the championship, leading the team defensively along the way and capping it off with a goal in stoppage time of the 2-0 championship against Chicago. Leo Gonzalez was the only other Sounder to start all four contests while Jeff Parke and Mike Fucito were the only two others to see action in all four games.

Montero scored the game-winning goal in each of the last three contests in guiding the Sounders to the historic championship, also topping in addition to the Fire, fellow league Champions League sides Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas in the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds.

Bulow finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals, becoming the career leading in US Open Cup goals in the modern professional era (1995-present) with 14. With a hat-trick in the First Round, two goals in the Second he tied Johnny Menyongar and MLS great Jaime Moreno at 13. He notched the table-leading goal in a 2-0 Quarterfinal win against Sporting Kansas City.

The venerable Pascale added yet another accolade to his fantastic lower division career, earning Player of the Round honors in leading Richmond to the shutout win in Kansas City. The victory made the Kickers the first lower division club to win back-to-back road games versus MLS opposition in the history of the tournament.

Osvaldo Alonso leads Seattle Sounders to 2011 US Open Cup title, earns TheCup.us Player of the Round honor

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Osvaldo Alonso (center) celebrates his third straight US Open Cup trophy with Seattle Sounders teammates Lamar Neagle (left) and Fredy Montero (right). Photo: Gerald Barnhart | TheCup.us

The American Dream. That is something that most Americans whose families have been in the United States for generations take for granted. In 2007, Osvaldo Alonso defected while playing for the Cuban National Team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup. On Tuesday, he helped lead the Seattle Sounders to a historic third consecutive US Open Cup trophy, setting an American soccer record as an individual player and earning TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The award is voted on by the staff of the definitive US Open Cup site TheCup.us and a selected panel of members of the North American Soccer Reporters, which also selects the MLS Player of the Week. Alonso was challenged for the award by teammates Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

With the Sounders leading and running out the clock in stoppage time, Alonso put the cap on the match with a fantastic goal six minutes into the additional play, driving through the Fire defense at the edge of the box and creating an open goal for a euphoric conclusion for a record crowd of 35,615 at CenturyLink Field.

It was a perfect finish for a record-setting night for Alonso, who became the first player in the modern professional era of the tournament (1995-present) to play in four consecutive US Open Cup championship games. He has yet to miss the tournament final since his career in US soccer began with the Charleston Battery in 2008.

In fact, in order to get to his first US Open Cup Final, Alonso helped lead the Battery past the USL-1 Sounders in the 2008 Semifinals. It was a quixotic start to the historic run as Seattle’s goal in the 1-1 draw came courtesy of an Alonso own goal in the 20th minute with Charleston’s Randi Patterson equalizing in the 32nd. Alonso would redeem himself by converting his penalty kick in the tiebreaker as the Battery advanced 4-3 to the Final, where they fell in a close contest to DC United, 2-1.

Alonso is one of a dozen players that have played in four US Open Cup championships, a list led by Andy Williams, Tyrone Marshall and Peter Vagenas with five appearances. He tops the list though in consecutive finals played, a ledger where behind him are six players that have played in three straight championships. With their third appearances, his Seattle teammates Kasey Keller, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero and James Riley joined former Richmond Kickers 1995 champions Brian Kamler and Richie Williams, who both went on to play in the next two finals with DC United.

As a defensive midfielder Alonso often goes unheralded. When his American career began in 2008 his compatriot Maykel Galindo, who defected during the 2005 Gold Cup, was the more talked about Cuban in MLS courtesy of his goal scoring exploits.

The path of the two players, not surprising due to their backgrounds, intertwines and has coincidences. Both were forced to begin their careers in the USL First Division. Despite a trial and developmental contract offer with Galindo’s Chivas USA, Alonso opted for the potential for more playing time with the Battery. The move proved wise as he was named the team MVP as well as the league’s Rookie of the Year. Even better, his performance was seen up close in the Open Cup Semifinal meeting and league campaign by the then USL-1 Seattle Sounders, the club that gave Galindo his professional start for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. That led to a transfer that sent Alonso to the northwest in January of 2009.

At the time, Battery coach Mike Anhseuser wished his player well in the future, perhaps underestimating exactly how well he would do. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Osvaldo to expand his career at the next level. We would have loved to keep him but understand the economics for both parties. We wish him all the best and are hopeful that he will bring success to Seattle Sounders F.C.”

That hope was not only realized, but one could argue that the Cuban international and American soccer record holder Osvaldo Alonso has achieved the American Dream.

2011 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

Round 1: Zach Lubin – Kitsap Pumas
Round 2: David Bulow – Richmond Kickers
Round 3: Michael Fucito – Seattle Sounders
Quarterfinals: Ronnie Pascale – Richmond Kickers
Semifinals: Dominic Oduro – Chicago Fire
Final: Osvaldo Alonso – Seattle Sounders

Player of the Tournament: TBA

2011 US Open Cup Final: Seattle Sounders smother Fire, earn historic three-peat in front of record crowd

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Three-peat. That special status is something new in Major League Soccer circles. The Seattle Sounders Tuesday night at CenturyLink Field defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 on a pair of late goals from Fredy Montero and Osvaldo Alonso to become the first team since 1969 to conclude a third straight US Open Cup championship. They also became the first team in MLS history to win three consecutive titles in any event, including MLS Cup.

A year ago Seattle became the first MLS club to defend a championship in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, an event named after one of the league’s founders, downing the Columbus Crew, 2-1, in front of a then record crowd of 31,311 fans. They topped themselves for a new record attendance by opening more of the stadium, reaching 35,615 – a total that also surpasses eight of the 15 MLS Cup Finals.

In MLS play there has been two Supporters’ Shield repeats and only two teams have won back-to-back MLS Cups. Like MLS newcomers Seattle, DC United famously won the first two MLS Cup trophies in league history in 1996 and 1997 before falling to the Chicago Fire in the third consecutive championship appearance in 1998. DC is also one of the two clubs to win two Shields in a row, claiming the league’s regular season title in 2006 and 2007. Columbus followed them with the next two. The Houston Dynamo won two MLS Cups in a row in 2005-06.

“We always wanted to be the first. Sigi talked about it a lot,” said General Manager Adrian Hanauer after the match before a jubilant crowd about becoming the first MLS side to win three straight Open Cup titles.

“Three in a row is a tremendous accomplishment, and to have two of them here at home – unbelievable. Another record crowd here at CenturyLink Field, which we are kind of getting used to that,” said Kasey Keller, who is retiring after the season with a historic finish to his career.

But after the game tonight, history did not seem to be enough for a Sounders squad that still has three regular season games, the MLS Cup playoffs and CONCACAF Champions League, which resumes with Quarterfinals next spring after one more group contest, remaining.

“We still got more to come. You know, we got one more cup to win this year,” added Keller, who has missed out on winning the league championship since returning to the United States to play.

Defender Jeff Parke picked up on that sentiment. “We’re here and we are ready to go,” he said in reference to other MLS playoff teams looking their way. We still have some things to work on. Tonight is just a great night,” he said, adding that after a day off Wednesday the team will be right back at preparing for the postseason.

“This is my second year here. The team now has been knocked out in the first round the past two years and we want to do something special here. We want to win the cup and make it past the first round obviously. These guys are finding it inside them and they are willing to do whatever it takes and it’s starting to show on the field. We are gearing up for the MLS Cup hopefully.”

An MLS Cup title would further the team’s history-making campaign as only three other clubs have captured the double in the MLS era. DC accomplished the feat in the inaugural MLS season, Chicago won both in its expansion 1998 outing and the Galaxy were the last to do so in 2005.

History took quite some time to make though. Despite a frenzied start, both teams had good free kick chances in the first two minutes, starting a back-and-forth affair with many eye-opening moments. There was certainly no typical feeling out period that often comes in the sport, especially in momentous occasions.

After a frenetic first 10 minutes, the match began to turn physical, resulting in a Patrick Nyarko yellow card for a tough tackle along the touchline on Alonso. After the first half-hour though, the balance of play swayed in favor of the home club, as the Sounders began to take control of possession and slow the match down slightly.

The first moment that those in attendance will remember on the historic night came just as the first half was coming to a close. Montero, who scored the lone g

Fredy Montero raises the Open Cup trophy amidst the post-game celebrations

oal in the Semifinal win versus FC Dallas, acquired the ball and beat Parvel Pardo while driving in toward the penalty arc. He would let loose a 20-yard effort that whispered past the fingertips of a diving Sean Johnson, only to smack squarely into the left post. The immense crowd was still in disbelief moments later when the whistle sounded for the break.

Eight minutes into the second half it looked again as though history was about to happen when Erik Friberg, on the left side, headed the ball in to Mike Fucito, who flicked the ball over Johnson on an acute angle. The ball bounced several times along the goalline with defenders chasing, bouncing off the inside of the far post and out.

The on-field silence – since there was still plenty of noise from a stadium filled with a raucous crowd – was broken in the 78th minute. Friberg delivered a corner into the box that found the head of Parke, who nodded it straight down and forced Johnson to drop to the ground to make the save. The instant play prevented the keeper from holding the ball, allowing it to rebound out directly to an awaiting Montero, who buried it for his fifth game-winning goal in all competitions dating back to the Semifinal victory. It was his second tally in Open Cup Final, history having scored the opening goal in the 2009 championship as well, a 2-1 victory over DC United.

The strike was the latest opening goal in the modern professional era for a game decided in regulation. Two contests went to overtime scoreless, with the 1997 Final finishing in a scoreless stalemate taken in penalties by DC, and the 2004 Final finishing with a dramatic golden goal from Kansas City against the Fire (the last FIFA championship decided in that fashion).

The match came to a fitting finish, as Alonso dribbled through the Fire defense at the edge of the box, creating an open goal for a euphoric conclusion. Alonso, a refugee from the Cuban national team in June of 2007, was playing in his fourth consecutive Open Cup Final, having played for the Charleston Battery in the 2008 championship against DC United. He has yet to miss the tournament’s championship contest in his professional career in the United States.

 

2011 – Chicago Fire (MLS) 0:2 Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
10/4/11 | CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Washington

Scoring Summary
Seattle: Fredy Montero (Jeff Parke) – 77th min.
Seattle: Osvaldo Alonso (Unassisted) – 90th+ min.

Seattle Sounders: GK Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Alvaro Fernandez (Erik Freiberg 46th), Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Lamar Neagle, Michael Fucito (Roger Levesque 90th+1), Fredy Montero

Cautions – Alonso 90th, Montero 90th

Chicago Fire: GK Sean Johnson; Gonzalo Segares, Cory Gibbs, Josip Mikulic (Jalil Anibaba 61st), Dan Gargan (Sebastien Grazzini 84th); Marco Pappa, Pavel Pardo, Logan Pause, Daniel Paladini (Diego Chaves 80th); Dominic Oduro, Patrick Nyarko

Cautions – Nyarko 27th, Paladini 39th, Anibaba 90th

Match Stats
Shots – Seattle 27:8 Chicago
On Goal – Seattle 7:4 Chicago
Saves – Seattle 4:5 Chicago
Fouls – Seattle 12:17 Chicago
Corners – Seattle 10:6 Chicago
Offsides – Seattle 0:3 Chicago

Attendance: 35,615 | Referee – Alex Prus | Linesmen – Steven Taylor; Eric Boria  | 4th Official – Josh Wilkens
Weather: Rain, 58 degrees

The “High-Five” US Open Cup winners

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UPDATE: Since this article was published, further historical research by TheCup.us has revealed that there is a third club that has won five US Open Cup titles. The Fall River Marksmen won four titles under that name (1924, 1927, 1930, 1931), but then won a fifth under the name New Bedford Whalers in 1932. Read the full explanation here.

Nearly 100 years into the history of the tournament, there have been a number of clubs that have been dominant forces in the United States Open Cup, but two stand as the Kings of the Cup with a record five championships. On Tuesday, the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer hope to join that elite list with the Bethlehem Steel and Maccabi Los Angeles.

While attempting to make history, the Fire will be looking to stave off a league rival aiming to push Chicago off the stage as the tournament’s greatest MLS club. Relative newcomer Seattle is on the verge of becoming the fourth team ever to three-peat.

The Fire’s connection with the Open Cup began right from the start, as the team captured the tournament title in their expansion season in 1998. They went on to win it three more times (2000, 2003 and 2006).

Similarly, Bethlehem Steel were the dominant club in the early years of the US Open Cup, previously known as National Challenge Cup. A Third Round 1-0 exit to eventual inaugural NCC champion Brooklyn FC in 1914 was quickly forgotten a year later as the club, founded in 1911, returned to capture the championship in its second running. Bethlehem Steel dominated the tournament on defense from the Third Round on, never allowing more than one goal against. They knocked off fellow Pennsylvania side Victor FC in the Third Round, 1-0, the closest contest of the campaign. They downed New Jersey’s Scottish Americans, 3-1 in the Quarterfinals, and dropped another state rival, Homestead FC, 4-1 in the semifinals. They met up with another Brooklyn side in the Final, winning their first championship 3-1, against Brooklyn Celtic.

The second title a year later was a little harder. Another Pennsylvania rival gave them a tough test early on again, as Disston A.A. forced a replay in the second round with a 1-1 draw. Bethlehem Steel would advance with a 3-0 win in the second leg. Philadelphia Hibernian were no match in the Third Round though, falling 6-0. Bethlehem Steel then began to face out of state competition, blanking New Jersey’s West Hudson A.A. 1-0 in the Quarterfinals. Pullman FC of Illinois forced another replay with a scoreless draw in the Semifinals, but Bethlehem Steel kept the run alive with a 2-1 victory. They moved on to win their second consecutive title, 1-0 against Fall River Rovers of Massachusetts in 1916. For the second year in a row they did not allow more than a goal in any game.

The 1916 Final marked the first of three consecutive championship meetings between the two clubs. For the third straight year, Bethlehem Steel went through the tournament without allowing more than a goal in a game, downing familiar faces in Brooklyn Celtic (Second Round, 3-1), West Hudson A.A. (Third Round, 3-0) and Homestead FC (Quarterfinals, 2-1) to reach the Semifinals. They then topped Joliet Steel Works of Illinois 6-0. Fall River, however, copied that playbook in their run and bested Bethlehem Steel, 1-0 in the 1917 championship, spoiling the three-peat bid.

1921 Bethlehem Steel team photo. Photo: BethlehemSteelSoccer.org

Though the tournament shrank with the military enlistment of players in the First World War, things remained the same on the pitch for Bethlehem Steel, as they swept through the tournament with an aggregate tally of 11-1 against their three opponents heading into the championship game against those Fall River Rovers. For the first time in four tournaments though, the club allowed two goals as the pair played to a 2-2 draw. Bethlehem Steel would claim their third title with a 3-0 victory in the replay two weeks later.

Bethlehem Steel made it four championships in five years with another dominant run a year later. Again, an early round contest proved the most difficult, as state foe Merchant Ship “A” battled the three-time champs in high scoring Second Round affair, becoming the first to score three goals against Bethlehem Steel in six editions of the tournament. It was not enough, as the favorites won out 4-3 and proceeded to not allow another goal in the tournament, topping New Jersey’s Paterson FC, 2-0, in the 1919 Final.

The run of consecutive championship appearances would come to an end in 1920 for Bethlehem Steel, exiting in the Quarterfinals at the hands of Robins Dry Dock 1-0, after 1-0 and 10-0 wins in the previous two rounds. Robins Dry Dock would go on to win the tournament a year later.

Bethlehem Steel began to make noise again in 1924, with a trip to the Semifinals before being knocked out by Fall River Marksmen, who went on to win the first of their four championships between 1924 and 1931. After taking the 1925 tournament off, Bethlehem came back in familiar form to capture their fifth championship in 1926. They dominated the Eastern Division portion of the bracket with a 12-4 aggregate over four games, again not allowing more than a goal in any game. This set up a meeting with Missouri’s Ben Millers in the Final. Archie Stark scored three goals to help lead the club to a 7-2 victory before a reported crowd of 18,000 at Ebbets Field, home of baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers.

1918 Bethlehem Steel team photo. Photo: BethlehemSteelSoccer.org

The club would go on to reach the final four again the following year, the quarterfinals in 1929 and the semifinals in 1930 before folding due to the Great Depression.

While Fall River Marksmen came close to equaling their mark after the team dissolved, it would take nearly 50 years for another club to begin its run for five, despite other challenges from Philadelphia Ukrainians (4 titles in 1960, 61, 63, 66) and New York’s Greek American AA (4 titles in  1967, 68, 69, 74) as well.

A group formed by a group of Israeli expatriates for a simple Sunday recreation team turned competitive in the seventies, when a number of former Israeli national team players immigrated to the area and joined Maccabee AC (Los Angeles).

Much like Bethlehem Steel, defense was key in the Maccabee’s first title run as they swept through the Western Bracket of the tournament without allowing a goal in four rounds. They would defeat Cleveland’s Inter Italian 5-3 in the 1973 Championship.

The club returned to the Final two years later, downing New York City’s Inter-Giuliana, 1-0, for their second title. Maccabee AC would win its third two years later again, with a lopsided 5-1 victory against United German Hungarians of Philadelphia in the 1977 Championship.

The elusive repeat would finally come in 1978, with a 2-0 overtime victory against Connecticut’s Bridgeport Vasco de Gama for the Maccabees’ fourth championship. The club nearly won number five in 1980, falling 3-2 to New York Pancyprian Freedoms in New York, but would break through a year later against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with another 5-1 victory in the 1981 Final. A shot at holding the record alone at six was again spoiled by the Freedoms in 1982, as Maccabee AC were edged out in a 4-3 overtime affair in Chicago.

Bethlehem Steel’s status as the only five-time champion, however, could have easily been untouched until today. All five titles won by Maccabee AC from 1973-81 came during the era of the North American Soccer League, which existed from 1968-84. Perhaps the most famous and arguably most-talented professional league prior to Major League Soccer’s 1996 launch, the NASL did not compete in the US Open Cup, opening the door for the history-making run of the Israeli club.

Though overshadowed by the NASL at the time, one of highlight moments for the tournament and Maccabee AC during the era came in the 1978 Final. The match was held at Giants Stadium (The Meadowlands) in front of a crowd of over 30,000, as part of a doubleheader with the NASL’s New York Cosmos and Tampa Bay Rowdies – a game with a reported crowd of around 70,000.

On Tuesday, over 30,000 fans are expected to come out for a second consecutive year to see who will come out on top in the Battle for Open Cup History.

The Other US Opens and marketing the ‘US Soccer Majors’

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Every year when the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament rolls into the lights shining down onto the stadium pitch, the inevitable comparisons to the FA Cup in England come into play as part of the explanation to what the tournament is for journalists. And often times it’s followed by the unfortunate analogizing of the event to minor and major league baseball teams playing one another in a single-elimination tournament.

But perhaps the better comparisons we should all be making is to the other Opens in which the American media already treat as serious events. These events also pit amateurs versus professionals on an open entry basis, and are also among numerous events within the specific sport. These events, of course, are the US Open tennis tournaments held annually in New York and the US Open golf championship held in a different location each year around the United States.

Each fall, the world’s best tennis players convene on the hard courts of the USTA’s Billy Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY for the tour’s fourth and final major of what the sport considers the Grand Slam. Those top-flight professionals are joined by winners of an open playoff system that is comprised 16 sectionals and a national playoff event in which only USTA members may participate. In the end, 128 participants each take part in the men’s and women’s brackets (64 for doubles).

Last year, over 1,200 players took part in the USTA’s National Playoffs for a chance to compete in the singles events at the US Open. Unlike US Soccer’s Open Cup, only one male and one female earned qualification spots to compete against the world’s best in the tournament.

The Chicago Fire have won six majors, including four US Open Cup championships | Photo by Brian Kersey/Wireimage.com

The US Open golf tournament, held in June, is comparatively more open with approximately half the participants advancing from qualification play to join the world’s top players who are automatically in the field through 17 exemptions categories via such things as being tournament winners or holding a certain world ranking.

At the 2010 tournament, 75 of the 156 participants were non-exempted players who qualified through the two-stage process to reach the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links for the championship. The process begins with Local Qualifying, a series of over 100 18-hole tournaments held around the country. Many top players not already qualified through full exemption are, however, exempt from local qualifying and join the process at the Sectional Qualifying stage where they participate in one of several one-day, 36-hole tournaments in the United States. There is also a Sectional tournament in both Europe and Japan where 11 and 4 individuals qualified, respectively, in 2010.

The major difference between the US Open Cup and the US Open tennis and golf duo is that the US Soccer Federation event is the only one that is a championship tournament for Americans while the other two are open to foreign participants. The only clubs eligible for the US Open Cup are American-based teams that are affiliated through the USSF; however, for argument’s sake it does still feature a foreign component as teams are comprised, in part, of players that are not American.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have won eight majors, and are one of only two MLS clubs to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup (DC United). They won the Champions Cup in 2000 | Photo: Los Angeles Galaxy

Continuing on the golf tangent, another significant open tournament American media and sports fans are very familiar with and follow every July is the British Open (officially known as The Open Championship), which is the oldest of the four golf majors and is the only one held outside of the United States. Similar to the US Open, the majority of the 156 participants are automatic entrants through exemption with the remaining players advancing from a two-stage qualification process.

Through 2004, players from around the world were only able to qualify through 18-hole Local Qualifying events held around Britain and Ireland within two weeks of The British Open followed by 36-hole Local Final Qualifying tournaments a few days later. International Qualifying events, 36-hole tournaments, were added in 2004 to assist foreign professionals wishing to participate, holding qualifiers in Africa, Australia, Asia, America and Europe with more stringent entrance standards than Local Qualifying.

Packaging & Marketing US Soccer Majors

The golf and tennis tours are lengthy seasons that run from January to the fall with tournament events nearly every week, but it is the majors where media coverage amps up and fan viewership heightens. With the similarities of the American Open majors to the US Open Cup, perhaps there are other lessons to be learned from the golf and tennis tours, such as the incorporation US Soccer Majors as a marketing tool for the sports’ leading championship events for American clubs.

A matching structure of four championships already exists with the US Open Cup joined by the MLS Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield (regular season championship) and the CONCACAF Champions League.  Currently, the MLS Cup is the leading championship, but by creating a platform that raises the perception of the other three events to a comparable level to the league’s championship playoff, it will increase awareness among the media and fans while also, hopefully, creating a greater sense of seriousness and urgency to win the other events among the clubs and coaches.

Bringing these four championships together into one packaged series allows for a greater ability to compare the success of clubs beyond just winning MLS Cup as though this was the NFL and the Super Bowl while clubs around the rest of the world are evaluated on all the various events in which they participate. It would be similar to how tennis players and golfers are measured by majors won.

DC United lead all MLS clubs with 11 majors, including the 1996 US Open Cup championship | Photo: DC United

For instance, the Los Angeles Galaxy and DC United are the only two clubs that have won all four majors (dating back to the CCL precursor CONCACAF Champions Cup). In fact, the two also hold the most total majors with DC boasting 11 (4 MLS Cups, 4 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and a CCC) and the Galaxy having eight (2 MLS Cups, 3 Supporters’ Shields, 2 Open Cups and the CCC).

Only five clubs have won all three of the domestic majors with the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City having won everything but a CONCACAF championship at least once. The Fire are third in total majors (6) and the Crew are fourth (5).

Only three American MLS clubs are without a major championship, excluding expansion Portland. The New York Red Bulls, Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union have yet to claim one of the big prizes.

In the last five years, the most successful clubs in the United States have been Columbus and DC, each having won three majors. The Crew have won the Supporters’ Shield twice and the MLS Cup once. DC also has two Supporters’ Shields, but has a US Open Cup championship to round things out. Houston and Seattle each have two titles with the Dynamo winning MLS Cup twice in a row and the Sounders taking the Open Cup title back-to-back. Five other teams each have one major as nine clubs have won the 15 possible domestic majors while coming up empty in the Champions League, which is completing its third run with Real Salt Lake still in the hunt for a second major in the same cycle in which it won the MLS Cup title and qualified for the event.

All-Time ‘US Soccer Majors’ Winners List

11 – DC United (4 MC, 4 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
8 – Los Angeles Galaxy (2 MC, 3 SS, 2 OC, 1 CCC)
6 – Chicago Fire (1 MC, 1 SS, 4 OC)
5 – Columbus Crew (1 MC, 3 SS, 1 OC)
3 – San Jose Earthquakes (2 MC, 1 SS)
3 – Sporting Kansas City (1 MC, 1 SS, 1 OC)
2 – Houston Dynamo (2 MC)
2 – Seattle Sounders (2 OC)
1 – Colorado Rapids (MC), FC Dallas (OC), Real Salt Lake (MC), New England Revolution (OC), Rochester Rhinos (OC), Tampa Bay Mutiny (SS), Miami Fusion (SS)

(MC – MLS Cup, SS – Supporters’ Shield, OC – US Open Cup, CCC/CCL – CONCACAF Champions Cup/League)

2011 US Open Cup Semifinals: Sounders continue path to three-peat, down FC Dallas 1-0

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Fredy Montero (center) mobbed after scoring winner

Surrounded by green, the visiting FC Dallas side was unable to find its way out of the forest and into the US Open Cup Championship October 4, falling 1-0 to the host Seattle Sounders at the Starfire Soccer Complex Tuesday night in the Open Cup Semifinal, before a packed house of 4,593. Fredy Montero provided the winner on the 40-minute mark.

Three proved to be the appropriate theme of the night. The third-year MLS Sounders advanced to the final for a chance to make history with a three-peat. It was the third meeting of the year between the two clubs tonight, and for the third time the match ended 1-0.

Dallas won the first league meeting in Seattle earlier in the year, courtesy of Brek Shea. Mauro Rosales provided the winner in Frisco 10 days ago. Tonight, it was Fredy Montero that made a nice cut at the edge of the box, creating a little space before ripping a low shot inside the far post past Kevin Hartman.

Rosales, though, was at the heart of the Sounders offensive flow in the first half, as they attempted to take the attack to an FC Dallas defense that has posted four shutouts of late in the CONCACAF Champions League. Dallas, however, withheld returning player George John from the starting lineup following his return from England Sunday evening, after his transfer to Blackburn fell through.

Montero beats Ugo Ihemelu just before hitting winner

In the 26th minute, Jeff Parke and Montero worked the remnants of a corner kick around to Rosales, who fired just wide of the post.

It was one of few quality chances either side had on the night, despite the Sounders holding the majority of play in the offensive end, particularly in the first half. Opportunities for the home club seemed to be hanging in the atmosphere of the intimate venue, as the mob of fans surrounded the red and white of the visitors, smothering everything in sight with a relentless wave of noise and enthusiasm.

An Alvaro Fernandez chance in the 35th also went for naught, with Kevin Hartman punching the attempt from the baseline away.

But Montero’s one little move, on a night when space seemed to be at a premium, made the difference five minutes before the break. He sent Ugo Ihemelu, who also made a defensive error that led to the winning Sounders goal in Frisco 10 days ago, the wrong way before letting loose the curling left-footer.

Daniel Cruz at the receiving end in a physical match, finding himself sent into the boards

Spending the majority of their time defending their own end, the visitors saw even fewer chances at beating Kasey Keller, relying primarily on counter opportunities that never seemed to find a good connection.

Four minutes into the second half, however, Marvin Chavez made a move that nearly mirrored that of Montero’s. He collected the ball on the left side of the box, made a quick juke to create a little space from a Seattle defender, then blasting a shot that made a loud thud as it smacked off the left post, piercing the air of the momentarily silent audience.

Another half hour of soccer was nearly added onto what was at times a physical contest in the tight confines of the play. Midway into three minutes of stoppage time, Chavez again had a chance to be the hero for Dallas when the ball came to him.

Kasey Keller was largely untested on the night

Keller uncharacteristically had missed greatly in a scramble to clear the ball, which would find its way out to the top of the box to Chavez, who skied his attempt harmlessly well over the goal as Keller, and his defenders scurried to protect what was an open net.

Match Report

Scoring Summary:
SEA — Fredy Montero (Alvaro Fernandez) 40

Misconduct Summary:
DAL — Daniel Cruz (caution; Reckless Foul) 12
DAL — Daniel Hernandez (caution; Dissent) 22
SEA — Leo Gonzalez (caution; Tactical Foul) 35
SEA — Brad Evans (caution; Reckless Tackle) 58
DAL — Ricardo Villar (caution; Reckless Tackle) 63
DAL — Maicon Santos (caution; Dissent) 63
DAL — Daniel Hernandez (ejection; Violent Conduct) 94+

Lineups:

FC Dallas — Kevin Hartman, Jair Benitez (Jack Stewart 89), Jeremy Hall, Ugo Ihemelu, Andrew Jacobson, Daniel Hernandez, Daniel Cruz (George John 46), Marvin Chavez, Brek Shea, Ricardo Villar (Jackson 64), Maicon Santos.
Substitutes Not Used: Victor Ulloa, Bobby Warshaw, Andrew Wiedeman, Chris Seitz.

Seattle Sounders — Kasey Keller, Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Mauro Rosales, Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Alvaro Fernandez (Lamar Neagle 84), Fredy Montero (James Riley 89), Pat Noonan (Mike Fucito 66).
Substitutes Not Used: Erik Friberg, Nate Jaqua, Tyson Wahl, Josh Ford.

Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Referee’s Assistants: Mike Rottersman; Paul Scott
4th Official: Jeff Hosking
Attendance: 4,593
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 68 degrees

Above videos and all photos by Gerald Barnhart / TheCup.us

Above video courtesy of SoundersFC.com

FC Dallas: Road Warriors at the end of a long path in Seattle

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When FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said today after the club’s training session at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA in advance of Tuesday night’s US Open Cup Semifinal that the team has been on the road for two months, he was not kidding. Since the team’s 2-0 Open Cup quarterfinal victory over Real Salt Lake in Frisco July 12, the team has played a busy marathon schedule that has seen them in action on the road for eight of the dozen matches, including five of the last six.

“It’s definitely a challenge with all the games, all the stress and all the pressure and all the travel,” says coach Schellas Hyndman. “At the same time, we wouldn’t want it any other way."

Tuesday’s match will mark the end of the stretch on the road, though still quite busy, as five of the next six will come at home. It will undoubtedly be a relief.

The physical and mental approach heading into the Open Cup contest is huge according to Hyndman, saying “With all of the traveling – being away from your family and loved ones – and playing the games, I continually compliment our players on their commitment to this team and their ability to bounce back. It’s really been truly surprising, but it shouldn’t surprise me. After the game against Kansas City with the Toronto events it just shows wonderful qualities.

“You know, we’ve been on the road almost two months traveling. We were one of the teams that had to do a play-in so we went down to El Salvador to play and came up to play us; and then of course US Open Cup games and a bunch of games here in the season. In many ways it’s been a great team bonding.”

That bonding has gone well. After advancing to the tournament semifinals Dallas played host to DC in a scoreless draw before hitting the road, playing three consecutively in Toronto (July 20, 1-0 win), New York (July 23, 2-2 draw) and El Salvador (July 28, 1-0 win) for three different competitions. Although they were able to spend the next week at home, it was certainly no vacation with a pair of 1-0 victories against Chivas USA (July 31) and Alianza (August 3).

The recent run has sent Dallas throughout North America with a game in Los Angeles against the league leading Galaxy (August 6, 3-1 loss), one in Philadelphia (August 13, 2-2 draw), and a Champions League fixture in Mexico against Pumas, where they registered a historic 1-0 victory to give MLS it’s first-ever win in Mexico (August 17).

They were home three days later to host the Sounders in a preview of Tuesday night’s affair, but saw just one small mistake prove the difference in a 1-0 loss.

“Seattle has been on a great run. They are a well-coached team and an extremely talented group of players,” said Hyndman. “We thought that game could have gone either way. We were down a man and we threw everything we had at them and they were resilient. Mauro Rosales scored a great goal 15 minutes into the game and we were trying to play catch up. Last time we were here (May 25) we were very fortunate Brek Shea got a goal and then we were resilient. So I think its two very good teams trying to make a statement in the league.”

“We would like to be considered one of the more elite teams within Major League Soccer. We would like to establish ourselves internationally and develop a presence where teams within the region kind of respect us and what we have been able to accomplish," says goalkeeper Kevin Hartman

One of the key resilient players Hyndman has relied on this season has been goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who has led a defensive unit that has found great success of late with four shutouts in Champions League play. Hartman is one player on the team that knows full well the trials of tackling all three competitions head on. He has played every minute of the campaign thus far in 2011.

“It’s a struggle,” Hartman said with a slight chuckle in response to the challenge of keeping mentally and physically focused for the marathon. “I think you try to balance what becomes the most important on a week to week basis. Certainly, we’d like to continue to put some points up on the board in group play in Champions League so maybe in some of the latter parts of group play we are able to kinda give some guys a break.

“This game tomorrow is obviously critical because it’s a win or go home situation. It’s the third game – or fourth game actually because we had to replay the Champions League game on Thursday – so we’ve been playing a ton of matches in the past week and it’s really difficult to make sure that you continue to be up, but you realize it’s what you’ve spent all this other time dedicated to. If you don’t take it in the right frame of mind, then unfortunately it will be a wasted effort.”

The Dallas defense must certainly be dialed in then. The club made history as the second non-Mexican club to post two shutouts in any two-leg CCL series (Preliminary or knockout stages), blanking Alianza (El Salvador) in a pair of one-goal decisions. The Texan side then became the first club in MLS history to record a victory, 1-0, in Mexico, defeating a Pumas side that entered the match with its only loss at home in 11 previous CCL contests coming at the hands of a league rival.

Dallas’ shutout streak was extended last week with a 1-0 victory at Toronto in a match replayed Thursday morning after a lightning postponement the night before wiped out a 1-0 halftime lead. They joined the Montreal Impact (4) and Pachuca (5) as the only clubs to run off a series of four shutouts. No current MLS club has registered more than two consecutive shutouts in the tournament. The fourth shutout also lifted Dallas into a new level for shutouts in a single tournament, becoming only the third non-Mexican club and 10th overall to reach four (3 shutouts have been posted an additional 11 times).

“I think the guys really work hard on both sides of the ball,” said Hyndman about their performances. “It’s not just the goalkeeper that’s getting the shutouts, it’s the back four as well as the team.

Defender George John (L) has been a key figure in defense; Brek Shea (R) scored the 1-0 winner in the previous MLS match in Seattle

“One of the ways you stop teams from scoring is putting pressure on the ball. And when you put pressure on the ball you need people to support the ball. And I think this group of players seems to have been in a pretty good organizational mode. They seem to be coming up with the right spacing and saves from our goalkeeper. But we also know we had lost George John there for a few games, and we got him back. We are really excited to have him back to be part of that defensive team.”

The news breaking over the weekend that the defender’s move to Blackburn of the English Premier League fell apart created an additional buzz surrounding Tuesday night’s affair. Having missed the Philadelphia match earlier this month and the past two games last week in anticipation of the move to the UK, John returned to the country Sunday evening from Heathrow. But will he play?

“I am sure he will,” said Hyndman.

The transfer situation surrounding John was just another item mixed in with the numerous obstacles in the path of the club that is in contention for four different championships.

“It’s definitely a challenge with all the games, all the stress and all the pressure and all the travel,” said Hyndman. “At the same time, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I keep telling people that when I walk by the mirror and I look into the mirror I say ‘God, who is that stressed out aging man, and say is this really the life I want? And I reply , what better life could it be?’ So, I am sure our players all understand that this is a good moment for our club and we try do the best that we possibly can.”

In his 15th season in the league, Hartman certainly understands that feeling.

“It is something that we are very proud of,” the all-time MLS leader in wins, shutouts, saves and games played said about being in the running for four titles. “We would like to be considered one of the more elite teams within Major League Soccer. We would like to establish ourselves internationally and develop a presence where teams within the region kind of respect us and what we have been able to accomplish. And the only way we are gonna be able do that is to win championships.

“We made it into the final last year in Toronto and unfortunately we weren’t able to win it; and we realize how fickle a championship is. So it’s something you have to make sure to give yourself as many opportunities as possible so that you are playing the percentages and you are going to get something. I think we are a dedicated group. We are a group that really believes in one another. I think the fact that we have been able to overcome adversity and find success is something that continues to build that.”

Part of that equation is the Open Cup for Hartman, who sees the tournament as a serious event as opposed to the distraction some teams treat it as.

“It probably varies from person to person, but I would say from my perspective it’s an opportunity to win a very, very historic championship within the United States. It’s something that really; it’s all levels, so it’s something that guys I used to play with in college are competing in. I think as MLS has really taken shape it’s become something where it also varies from team to team exactly how seriously they take it.

“From our perspective, it’s something we really look at as an opportunity to try to continue to create a winning mentality and winning attitude. It’s certainly something that we take seriously.”

The Sounders, winners of the tournament the past two years, unquestionably also handle the event with the same approach.

“Certainly we have a ton of respect for what Seattle does here and what they have been able to accomplish,” said Hartman. “They are probably very excited about having the game here at Starfire again.”

Although Dallas has not experienced any of that kind of championship success since winning the tournament in 1997, Hartman personally knows the feeling having played for the Galaxy from 1997 to 2005, helping the club win two Supporters’ Shields (1998, 2002), two MLS Cups (2002, 2005), a CONCACAF title (2000) and a pair of Open Cup championships in 2001 and 2005.

He looks back on his experiences fondly and with excitement in his voice recalling moments from his Open Cup past.

“I think seeing Alexi Lalas run up into the ivy at Cal State Fullerton when I was playing with the Los Angeles Galaxy was a pretty funny thing,” said Hartman immediately upon reminiscing, recalling the post-game reaction by his teammate after the 2-1 overtime victory against the New England Revolution at Titan Stadium in the 2001 Final.

“Some of the venues that I have played in, obviously it makes you kind of remember how passionate the fans are within US soccer and from city to city. It has been a great thing to experience. I remember playing up in Minnesota where the fans are three feet behind you and they really came out and supported – I imagine it was the USA Cup where they were probably have tournaments at the same time.

“I think the biggest thing for me is how crazy the games can get. It’s not necessarily how teams are ranked or what league that they are in. There is a ton of passion and I think the passion overspills the stands and comes out there on the field and you’ll see some wacky and wild games; and I certainly have been a part of a bunch of those. I think that a tournament type atmosphere really caters towards that.”

All photos by Gerald Barnhart, for more visit TheCup.us Facebook page


2011 US Open Cup Semifinal Preview: Champions League sides Seattle Sounders & FC Dallas square off in ‘Super Semifinal’

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Historically, Major League Soccer teams are not supposed to win in Mexico. In the past few weeks, however, both FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders have etched their names in history with victories south of the border in the CONCACAF Champions League. On Tuesday, the two clubs, both also in contention for the regular season and MLS Cup titles, look to book a spot in US Open Cup Final.

The game will be held at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. and will kickoff at 10 p.m. EST.

A power couple, Seattle and Dallas were both in Finals a year ago. The Sounders captured a second consecutive Open Cup title while Dallas came up short in the MLS Cup Final against Colorado. As if that were not enough, both are in contention for 2011-12 to vie for four championships – the United States Soccer Majors. Both are within five points of current league-leader Los Angeles in the chase for the Supporters’ Shield and are therefore firmly in position to reach the playoffs for the MLS Cup. In addition, an unprecedented start for MLS in the CCL has seen both sides take control of their fate two games into the group phase.

And not much separates the two clubs either as witnessed by a 1-0 decision in favor of Seattle just over a week ago in Texas. A rare mistake from defender Ugo Ihemelu, who scored a CCL game-winner earlier this month, allowed Lamar Neagle to take possession and set up the winning score. He found Fredy Montero, who led a flying Mauro Rosales down the right side where he fired a low 18-yard shot past Kevin Hartman, who has been perfect in the CCL with four shutouts in as many games. The win was Seattle’s first at Pizza Hut Park and gave the club sole possession of second place.

FINAL SCENARIOS

If the Seattle Sounders defeat FC Dallas on Tuesday, they will host the 2011 US Open Cup Final. If FC Dallas win, the only way they can host the championship game is if they are victorious against Seattle and the Richmond Kickers upset the Chicago Fire.

BROADCASTING

The game will have an online video broadcast through SoundersFC.com with Arlo White providing the commentary.  TheCup.us, as always, will have a live blog during both Semifinal matches beginning at 8 p.m. EST.

FC Dallas

Since the Quarterfinals: Dallas has been by far the busiest of the four semifinal sides since the quarterfinals, playing a dozen games in MLS and Champions League play. The club has kept its form with only two losses, the recent loss to Seattle and a 3-1 defeat in LA to the Galaxy, with a record of 7-2-3 overall (3-2-3 in MLS, 4-0-0 in CCL). Seattle has played the second most with 10 games, Richmond nine and Chicago seven. The Dallas defense has been impressive over the past 12 games, allowing only 10 goals with four consecutive shutouts in Champions League play among them. Including the 2-0 quarterfinal win, Dallas has posted seven shutouts in all competitions over the last 13 games and have yet to allow a goal in the Champions League where they are making history defensively. The biggest victory came August 17 when they edged Pumas in Mexico on a strike from Marvin Chavez in the 66th minute, making Dallas the first MLS club to win in Mexico. On Saturday, the club found themselves down two goals in Kansas City, but rebounded with three unanswered strikes, including two in the final five minutes, to win 3-2. Two minutes after Omar Bravo made it 2-0, Daniel Hernandez scored in the 70th to keep Dallas in the contest. Maicon Santos then leveled the score in the 89th minute on an assist from Brek Shea, who also found Bobby Warshaw in the second minute of stoppage time for the winner.

Quarterfinal: Real Salt Lake (MLS) 0:2 FC Dallas (MLS)
Trends won out as first-time Quarterfinalists RSL remained winless at Pizza Hut Park, falling to all-time leading Quarterfinalist (12 appearances) FC Dallas. Jair Benitez gave the home side the lead 18 minutes in and Jackson provided some insurance in the 54th. Recap [+]

Third Round: Orlando City (USL Pro) 2:3 FC Dallas (MLS)
The hosts had to work for the victory against the lower division visitors as Orlando City got the surprising lead 24 minutes in. Jackson, on an assist from Ricardo Villar, would score in the 39th minute to make it 1-1 at the break. Villar would tally himself five minutes into the second half for what looked increasingly like the winner until Orlando found an equalizer in stoppage time. But less than a minute later the stunned home crowd were sent into a frenzy when Jackson found Milton Rodriguez for the winner.  Full Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

The Dallas Burn defeated DC United in penalty kicks to win the 1997 US Open Cup title. Photo courtesy of FC Dallas.

Open Cup History: Up to 2009, FC Dallas could claim the distinction of being the only MLS team to participate in every Pro Era Open Cup tournament since the league began in 1996. Dallas found success early in their Open Cup history, reaching the Semifinals in 1996 and winning the title on penalties over DC United in 1997. This is Dallas’ 12th Quarterfinals appearance, which is more than any MLS team in the Pro Era (1995-present). After last round’s victory, they improved their all-time quarterfinal record to 5-5-1 (1-0 in PKs). They are 3-3-0 all-time in semifinal matches, including a 2-1 extra time win over the Sounders in 2007 when they were a USL First Division side. In fact, the last time Dallas played a road game in the Open Cup was in that 2007 game at Qwest Field (now called CenturyLink Field).

While this is the first time the two have met as MLS franchises in Open Cup play, this will mark the third time Dallas has played the Sounders in the tournament. Before their 2007 encounter, Dallas’ first Open Cup game in franchise history was a quarterfinal meeting in 1996 against the Sounders of the A-League. The Burn (as they were known then) won the game 3-2 at the Cotton Bowl. (More details below)

As a side note, Dallas’ worst loss in the tournament came in 2001 at the hands of a PDL side by the name of the Seattle Sounders Select. In the Second Round that year, the young Sounders saw a one-goal lead disappear twice, with the last equalizer coming from Ariel Gaziani in the 78th minute for the Burn. In extra time, Kurt Ness would score the golden goal in the 97th minute to complete one of the biggest upsets of the Professional Era.

PRO ERA RECORDS: 21-12-4 (4-0 in PKs) | 6-8-2 vs. MLS teams

MORE: FC Dallas: Road warriors at the end of a long path in Seattle

Seattle Sounders

Since the Quarterfinals: The Sounders hit a mini rough patch after advancing from the quarterfinals. A wild 4-3 victory over reigning MLS champion Colorado was followed by a pair of losses as they dropped a 1-0 decision in Panama against San Francisco in their Champions League Preliminary Round opener and then fell 3-1 in Houston. The Sounders rebounded to advance via series overtime at home against San Francisco in the next match, sparking a seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions heading into Tuesday. The current run of 6-0-1 includes the victories in Monterrey and Dallas as well as an impressive 4-1 Champions League win against Guatemalan power Comunicaciones. The Sounders were the second MLS club to win in Mexico, avenging a pair of defeats to the same Monterrey side they also played in the group phase a year ago. Alvaro Fernandez provided the 1-0 winner in the 38th minute avenge a heartbreaking road loss from the year before in which they saw a two-goal lead not hold up en route to a 3-2 loss to Monterrey. Seattle comes into the semifinal contest off an impressive 6-2 victory against the Columbus Crew Saturday in which they led 4-0 before the break. Lamar Neagle had a hat-trick on the day and Mike Fucito, TheCup.us Player of the Third Round, had a goal and an assist.

Quarterfinal: Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) 1:3 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
A year later it was Nate Jaqua again in the spotlight as Seattle downed the visiting Galaxy in the Quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Jaqua notched a goal and an assist in the first 25 minutes as Seattle advanced to the Semifinals. If you include the Sounders’ USL history, it marked the fifth time in a row the club has reached the final four. No Professional Era team has accomplished that feat. Recap [+]

Third Round: Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 1:2 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Mike Fucito put the Sounders up two goals, but the finish was not easy as the PDL side fought back with a goal from former number one MLS draft pick Nik Besagno. Recap [+]

How They Qualified: Automatic entrant from top six MLS finish in 2010.

The Seattle Sounders won their second straight US Open Cup title last year. Photo: Seattle Sounders

Open Cup History: Sounders FC set out to become a force in the Open Cup during their 2009 inaugural year, and did just that. They became the first expansion team since Chicago Fire in 1998 to take the Cup, winning 2-1 against DC United at RFK Stadium. They then turned around and made more history in 2010, as they became the first team since the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1982 and 1983 to win back-to-back Open Cup titles. Their victims this time were the Columbus Crew, by the score of 2-1 in front of the largest Final crowd ever (31,311). Used to going against MLS teams, this will be the second consecutive year Seattle and Los Angeles have played in the Open Cup, with Seattle notching a 2-0 win last year at Starfire.

Officially, the Sounders MLS franchise does not recognize the club’s USL history, but if they did … the Seattle Sounders have been competing in the Open Cup since 1995 and have reached the Semifinals three times (1995, 2007, 2008). The USL club’s all-time Open Cup record was 15-11-2 (1-1 in PKs) with an impressive 11-2-1 (1-0 in PKs) record at home and they eliminated five MLS teams (2003 – San Jose; 2007 – Chivas USA & Colorado Rapids; 2008 – Chivas USA & Kansas City Wizards).

PRO ERA RECORDS: 9-0-1 (1-0 in PKs) overall | 7-0-0 vs. MLS Teams

HEAD-TO-HEAD (Including Seattle’s USL history)

1996 US Open Cup Quarterfinals
Dallas Burn (MLS) 3:2 Seattle Sounders (A-League)
Cotton Bowl – Dallas, TX

The Sounders reached the Semifinals the year before, but with MLS entering the competition, the defending A-League champions had a much tougher road. They traveled to the Cotton Bowl to take on the Dallas Burn and three minutes into the game they had the lead when Joey Leonetti five-holed Mark Dodd to put the visitors up 1-0. The Sounders would take that lead into halftime, but the Burn came out firing in second half. Lawrence Lozzano tied the game in the 58th minute on an assist by Gerell Elliott. 12 minutes later, Mark Santel sent a through ball to Elliott in behind the Seattle defense and he tucked away the Burn’s second goal of the night. In the 79th minute, Dallas added an insurance goal as Elliott assisted on Ted Eck’s goal, beating Seattle’s promising young goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. Seattle’s David Hoggan would convert a penalty kick in second half stoppage time, but the Burn would emerge victorious 3-2. (Fun fact: Jeff Cassar and Tom Soehn entered the game in the second half for Dallas, with both players making their respective MLS debuts)

2007 US Open Cup Semifinals
FC Dallas (MLS) 2:1 Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Qwest Field – Seattle, WA

Dallas returned to the Semifinals for the second time in three years with a 2-1 extra time win over the Seattle Sounders. All the scoring came in extra time when Carlos Ruiz put the visitors up 1-0 in the 91st minute. In the final minutes of extra time, Abe Thompson was brought down in the penalty area by Zach Scott and was awarded a penalty kick. After Noah Merl was sent off for something that occurred away from the play, the Sounders would have to play with 10 men in the final minutes. Leighton O’Brien did manage to cut the lead in half at the end, but it was too little, too late.

A Seattle Sounders three-peat could put them among American sports elite

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Photo: Jane Gershovich | Prost Amerika Soccer

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.

Three-peat winners in other
professional team competitions
NFL
Green Bay Packers (1929-1931)
NBA
Minneapolis Lakers (1952-1954)
Boston Celtics (1959-1966)
Chicago Bulls (1991-1993)
Chicago Bulls (1996-1998)
Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002)
MLB
New York Yankees (1936-1939)
New York Yankees (1949-1953)
Oakland Athletics (1972-1974)
New York Yankees (1998-2000)
NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs (1947-1949)
Montreal Canadians (1956-1960)
Toronto Maple Leafs (1962-1964)
Montreal Canadians (1977-1979)
New York Islanders (1980-1983)

SOCCER
American Cup (1885-1924)
Clark O.N.T. (1885-1887)
Bethlehem Steel (1916-1919)

American Soccer League
Fall River Marksmen (1924-1926)
Fall River Marksmen (1929-1930)*
Kearny Scots (1937-1941)
Philadelphia Nationals (1949-1951)
New York Hakoah (1957-1959)
Ukrainian Nationals (1961-1964)|
*1929 and 1930 seasons split into separate Spring/Fall seasons

Copa Del Rey (Spain)
Real Madrid (1905-1907)
Athletic Bilbao (1914-1916)
Athletic Bilbao (1930-1933)
Athletic Bilbao (1943-1945)
Barcelona (1951-1953)

FA Cup (England)
Wanderers (1876-1878)
Blackburn Rovers (1884-1886)

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.

The Sounders won their first US Open Cup title in their inaugural season in 2009. Photo: Seattle Sounders

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.

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