Soccer FanHouse

Seattle, Charleston Lead USL Charge Into U.S. Open Cup Semifinals

David J. Warner — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Washington, DC, Soccer, Baltimore, Kansas City, MLS, US Soccer

It was a night of knockout soccer that saw three games go to extra time, two games go to penalty kicks, and one famous Mexican lose his temper and get sent off. By the time the smoke cleared, the glass slipper still fit for two USL First Division clubs, who had advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

Why isn't this competition on TV again?

The Charleston Battery obliterated FC Dallas, 3-1, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX, scoring before an after an hour-long lightning delay in the first half and shutting down all but one meaningless strike in the 93rd minute. Meanwhile, the Seattle Sounders fought the Kansas City Wizards to a 0-0 draw and advanced 6-5 on penalties, thanks in part to a 12-save performance by Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander, who also saved two PKs to help Seattle advance.

Meanwhile, USL Second Division club Crystal Palace Baltimore pushed the defending Open Cup champion New England Revolution to penalties, but lost the shootout, 5-3. In Boyds, MD, Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Mark Burch were shown red cards in extra time, while Bryan Namoff scored the winner in the 99th minute to push D.C. United past the Chicago Fire, 2-1.

The Sounders were nearly undone by poor officiating on their home field for the second straight year in Open Cup play. Early in the first half, a Wizards defender pulled down Sebastien Le Toux in the box on a breakaway, yet the Wizards somehow weren't called for the penalty. Seattle also watched three shots hit the woodwork, which left it to Eylander to save the day.

Seattle will face Charleston in one semifinal, while the Revs will visit RFK Stadium to play D.C. United in the other, thus ensuring that a non-MLS club will reach the Open Cup final for the first time since the Rochester Raging Rhinos won it all in 1999. The Sounders have to be the Cardiff City of this competition. If they win the Open Cup, who gets the CONCACAF Champions League bid? The MLS Sounders that will replace them next season? Technically, those are two different clubs.

Seattle, Charleston Lead USL Charge Into U.S. Open Cup Semifinals originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. Open Cup Matches Won't Be Seen on TV

David J. Warner — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Washington, DC, Soccer, Baltimore, Kansas City, MLS, US Soccer

D.C. United and the Chicago Fire meet tonight in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, one month after their testy match in Toyota Park in which three red cards were given and Luciano Emilio got a surprise goal in stoppage time to lift 9-man D.C. to a 2-1 win.

If you want to watch this rematch, though, you'll have to go to the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds and buy a ticket. By all accounts, this match will not air on TV or online. Neither will tonight's New England Revolution v. Crystal Palace Baltimore match, providing further proof that the U.S. Open Cup -- a competition in which the winner receives a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, no less -- is truly the most disrespected competition in American soccer.

The other two quarterfinal matches at least have online video feeds. FC Dallas v. Charleston Battery will be shown on MLSLive at 8:30 PM ET, while Seattle fans log on to USLLive get a free glimpse of their future MLS club's home when the USL-1 Seattle Sounders face the Kansas City Wizards at Qwest Field at 10:00 PM ET. Let's hope the groundskeepers actually try to cover up the gridiron lines this year.

U.S. Open Cup Matches Won't Be Seen on TV originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crystal Palace Headlines Open Cup Upsets

David J. Warner — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Seattle, Washington, DC, Soccer, Baltimore, Kansas City, MLS, US Soccer

Crystal Palace supporters still suffering from the loss of that Premier League promotion playoff last May might be taking a little solace in their American counterparts today.

USL Second Division side Crystal Palace Baltimore upset an uninspired New York Red Bulls side, 2-0, last night in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. The win prompted many sports fans in Baltimore to say, "Wait, we have a soccer team here?"

Indeed, the club was founded in 2006, 101 years after Crystal Palace FC was founded in London, and it serves as a player development wing for the Coca-Cola Championship club. Clearly, player development is going pretty well there, though as Ives Galarcep notes, too many Red Bulls just didn't come to play last night.

Two other USL clubs pulled off upsets, as USL-1 leaders the Charleston Battery defeated MLS Cup holders the Houston Dynamo on penalty kicks, while the Seattle Sounders topped Chivas USA, 2-0. Other USL clubs didn't get away so easily. The Kansas City Wizards came back from a 2-0 deficit to topple the Carolina Railhawks, 4-2, in extra time, and FC Dallas scored a 2-1 comeback win against Miami FC. D.C. United, the Chicago Fire and the New England Revolution also cruised to victory over USL clubs.

The U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals are scheduled for next Tuesday.

Crystal Palace Headlines Open Cup Upsets originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. Open Cup Teams Pay to Play at Home

David J. Warner — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Seattle, Washington, DC, Soccer, Kansas City, MLS, US Soccer

The 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup kicks off tomorrow, and if you're looking for the MLS clubs that are taking this tournament seriously this year, just look for which clubs are playing at home.

Unlike England's FA Cup, where the home team is determined by random draw, MLS and USL clubs place bids with the U.S. Soccer Federation to host games, and the highest bidder plays at home. If you look at the schedule for tomorrow's games, you'll notice that the New England Revolution, the Chicago Fire, D.C. United and FC Dallas are all playing at home.

By contrast, the Houston Dynamo travel to South Carolina to face USL-1 leaders the Charleston Battery, and the New York Red Bulls head to Maryland to face USL-2 side Crystal Palace Baltimore. Perhaps Houston and New York aren't quite as interested in the CONCACAF Champions League bid that comes with winning the Open Cup.

D.C. United, however, suddenly seems much more interested in the Open Cup than they were last year.

D.C. hasn't won the Open Cup since 1996 and fielded a reserve side that lost to the USL-2 Harrisburg City Islanders last year. This time around, though, D.C. opens at home against the Rochester Rhinos. In fact, if you look at the D.C. United schedule, you'll notice a two-week gap between yesterday's 4-1 win over the L.A. Galaxy and the first SuperLiga match on Saturday, July 12 -- a gap into which they could fit the 3rd-round (July 1) and 4th-round (July 8) U.S. Open Cup ties.

D.C. has always put extra emphasis on playing internationally. Perhaps the club sees winning four games in the Open Cup as an easier path to the CONCACAF Champions League than winning the MLS Supporters Shield, which they've won the last two years. They are coming into form just in time for an Open Cup run, too.

New England, meanwhile, seems intent on winning every trophy they can get their hands on. The Revs, who won the Open Cup last season, are also the points leader in the MLS standings and a favorite to win the Supporters Shield, which also comes with a Champions League bid. The Chicago Fire, Open Cup winners in 2006, also bid high to get a home match this week.

On the other hand, the Kansas City Wizards seem even less interested than Houston and New York. They face the Carolina Railhawks in Cary, NC, tomorrow night, and Wizards coach Curt Onalfo told reporters he expects to start only a few regulars for that game.

If the Railhawks win that game, they should cheer hard for Chivas USA. According to Railhawks managing partner Chris Economides, the Seattle Sounders outbid Carolina for the quarterfinal match. So if the Railhawks beat the Wizards and the Sounders beat Chivas USA, that quarterfinal would be played in Seattle. A potential Railhawks v. Chivas quarterfinal, however, would be played in North Carolina. The Railhawks and the Sounders both upset MLS clubs on their way to the semifinals last season.

Of course, this begs the question -- if the USL Sounders win the Open Cup in 2008, would the MLS Sounders take their place in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2009?

U.S. Open Cup Teams Pay to Play at Home originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American Soccer's Lower Divisions Kick Off

David J. Warner — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Miami, Minnesota, Seattle, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Soccer, Soccer Posts

Major League Soccer might be the top soccer league in America, but it's not the only game in town. Just as every country in Europe has lower divisions, America has United Soccer Leagues, which serve as the second and third divisions of professional soccer in this country. The USL First Division season is already under way, while the Second Division kicks off this weekend.

USL may technically be a minor league, but it features clubs in several major league cities. You'll find USL clubs in Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Miami, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, St. Paul and, for one more season, Seattle.

You'll also find soccer that's very competitive with the top flight. Last year, USL clubs posted a 6-7 record against MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup. In particular, the Seattle Sounders beat Chivas USA, 3-1, and trounced the Colorado Rapids, 5-0, before their hard-luck loss in the semfinals to FC Dallas, 2-1, in extra time.

ESPN Soccernet's Anne Ramzy wrote this preview of the 2008 USL-1 season -- she doesn't think too highly of my Railhawks, despite their heavily upgraded forward line -- while the USL web site is rolling out its own season previews for each club. If you enjoy soccer and have a local club, I highly recommend going out and supporting it. There's far more soccer out there beyond the leagues we see on TV.

American Soccer's Lower Divisions Kick Off originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fans Win: New MLS Franchise Will Be Called Seattle Sounders FC

David J. Warner — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS, Soccer Posts

Seattle soccer fans just became the most powerful soccer fans in America. Sorry, Philadelphia.

Major League Soccer sparked a big fat controversy when it allowed fans to choose the name of the Seattle expansion team that starts play in 2009, then let fans vote on three really, really lame team names -- none of which were "Seattle Sounders," the name of the city's old NASL club and its current USL First Division club. After pressure from fans, however, MLS allowed a write-in vote, and fans organized a huge campaign to keep the Sounders name alive.

Guess what? It worked. MLS announced today that the expansion team will be called Seattle Sounders FC.

The transfer of the name shouldn't be too big a problem, given that Adrian Hanauer, the owner of the USL-1 club, is also a member of the new club's ownership group. Given that several players currently with the USL club will join the MLS expansion team next year, this could be the closest thing to a true promotion from second division to top flight that we'll ever see in American soccer.

The Sounders' next trick? Turning those Thierry Henry rumors into reality.

(H/T: The Offside)

Fans Win: New MLS Franchise Will Be Called Seattle Sounders FC originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Seattle FC in "Advanced Negotiations" With Thierry Henry

David J. Warner — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:10:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS, Soccer Posts

In an obvious attempt to distract Seattle soccer fans from complaining about their choice of MLS franchise names, someone within MLS has leaked a rather juicy rumor -- Thierry Henry may be headed to the Emerald City.

Steven Cohen of World Soccer Daily reported today that the new Seattle MLS franchise is in "advanced negotiations" with the French striker and could lure him out of Barcelona in time for Seattle's inaugural season in 2009. Cohen did not reveal his source -- natch -- but did call it a "very good authority" on matters concerning Seattle. For all we know, though, Cohen ran into a very sloshed Drew Carey in a pub in Hollywood last night.

Either way, it's a rumor that has legs. For one, Thierry Henry has talked in the past about how much he loves America and would like to live here when his career winds down -- which appears to be happening already. Also, if anyone has enough money to bring a player like Henry to America, it's Paul Allen, one of the new Seattle franchise's principal owners. Allen could pay Henry's transfer fee with his petty cash drawer, and it would put fans in the seats instantly.

Of course, the one problem with this rumor is that Henry spent an entire press conference last week moaning about how he never sees his daughter in London anymore, and the distance between London and Seattle is far greater than the distance between London and Barcelona. On the other hand, it's possible that he's using his family problems -- which he helped create by reportedly cheating on his wife -- an excuse for his dip in form this season. Besides, angst like that would be a perfect fit for the city that gave us Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell.

Bringing Henry to America would be as big a coup for MLS as bringing David Beckham to L.A. The former Arsenal superstar would sell tickets, and his goals would get plenty of run on ESPN. The only question is whether Henry would be happy playing with a bunch of kids who spent their 2008 season playing for a USL club. Perhaps if the price is right, that won't matter. After all, look at the lack of talent surrounding Becks with the Galaxy.

Rumor: Seattle FC in "Advanced Negotiations" With Thierry Henry originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLS Hypocritical on Team Names

Irishoutsider — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, MLS, Soccer Posts

There has been a lot of controversy over the selection process for Seattle's MLS expansion team. While the public attempts to continue the Sounders history, it seems that the new club and the league are trying to head into a bold new direction, possibly alienating some longtime fans. Commissioner Don Garber, claims to respect the history of the Sounders name, but also wishes to think about what the team will be "20 years from now or 50 years from now" according to Soccer Insider, Steven Goff. In other words, thanks but no thanks Seattle, we're going to need you to get on board with whatever new, original name we come up with: Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic, or Seattle FC. Basically, two similar names that will cancel each other out, leaving Seattle FC as the victor.

While Seattle FC could reclaim the Sounders nickname and colors, it seems like an interesting gambit considering Garber's comments on keeping each team unique:

""There have been a number of teams that have been interested in using the name 'United'," Garber said. "Team trademarks are owned by the league, as they are in all professional sports, and we felt that our teams should have individual identities. It's not to say there will never be another United, but for now, we are very focused on our teams creating separate, distinct identities."

So, having three FC teams in the league is OK, as long as we only have one (DC) United. To us, this is all probably the worst line of reasoning to destroy a perfectly unique name like the Sounders, especially in a city that is fighting tooth and nail to keep their Sonics around even in name only.

MLS Hypocritical on Team Names originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seattle's Full-Scale Promotion to MLS

Irishoutsider — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:42:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS

As reported earlier, Seattle has been playing its cards right leading up to its eventual entrance to MLS in 2009. GM Adrian Hanauer was able to retain the rights to 5 to 8 players from this season's USL Sounders team, but now that number has risen to include the entire roster. The team will remain active in 2008, gaining experience and building team chemistry for the "inaugural" year officially starting next April. This places the team in a very unique position with regards to this year's MLS rosters. Seattle is in a unique position to claim the last players cut from preseason squads, and has the allure of offering starting jobs for next season, a year ahead of the competition. Furthermore, the owners have scored right of first negotiations with all college players not taken in this year's MLS SuperDraft. The future looks bright for Seattle and Hanauer, and recent activity signals that they won't be your average expansion club.

(HT: The Seattle Times)

Seattle's Full-Scale Promotion to MLS originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Seattle MLS Franchise Could Have Dumbest Team Name Ever

David J. Warner — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS

Seattle's new Major League Soccer club may be taking a very intelligent approach to building their roster, but if the rumors spreading around the web are true, this club may end up taking on one of the dumbest team names in sports history.

According to Kenn Tomasch, who is regarded as a reliable source on American soccer matters, the new Seattle club is planning to call itself ... wait for it ... the Emerald City Greens.

Yes, that's just what MLS needs -- a team whose name sounds like a golf course. Or a regional brand of spinach. Maybe Popeye will be the official team mascot. Plus, there's no way anyone would mistake Emerald City Greens for any sort of recreational substance. Of course not. Pay no attention to that innuendo behind the curtain.

Hey, maybe they can work out a Red Bull-style sponsorship deal with General Mills and call themselves the Green Giants! That couldn't be any worse than this, could it?

Let's hope this story doesn't turn out to be true. If it does, it will have soccer fans all over Seattle scratching their heads and saying, "Jeez, what was so bad about calling them the Sounders?"

(H/T: The Offside)

New Seattle MLS Franchise Could Have Dumbest Team Name Ever originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seattle Savvy With Sounders Prior to 2009 MLS Expansion

Irishoutsider — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:48:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS

The Seattle Sounders, once and future soccer teams of the Pacific Northwest, are slated to enter MLS for the 2009 season. Once they arrive, they may not be your typical MLS expansion team, traditionally a ragtag group of expansion draft castoffs and fledgling draft picks. It seems Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer has leveraged the current USL Sounders team to the benefit of their eventual replacement MLS Sounders. Threatening to fold the USL team for 2008, Hanauer has been granted the claim to protect 5 to 8 Sounders players for the MLS side. The plan will allow the Sounders to be a magnet for young talent in the 2008 season, feeding the expansion team for 2009.

Seattle is already on excellent footing two years from its first match. Possessing complete control of the gigantic Qwest Field for their home matches and the potential for a young and promising roster, the Sounders are poised to hit the ground running.

(HT: Soccer by Ives)

Seattle Savvy With Sounders Prior to 2009 MLS Expansion originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MLS Confirms Expansion Club for Seattle

David J. Warner — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS

Major League Soccer confirmed over the weekend that the league's next expansion club would be based in Seattle. An official announcement is expected tomorrow afternoon.

The city has been home to the Seattle Sounders, a USL First Division club that has won the league title two of the last three years. That club is expected to move to another city or discontinue operations, as there is a chance that the MLS expansion club will adopt the Seattle Sounders name. The new club is expected to adopt its share of crazy, pitch-invading fans, too.

The new Seattle club will begin play in 2009. This brings the total number of clubs in MLS to 15. The league is expected to announce one more expansion franchise in either Philadelphia or St. Louis, which would cap the number of clubs at 16 -- perfect for a single-table, home-and-away schedule. The losing city, however, could make a run at the Kansas City Wizards. That fledgling franchise is slated to play in a minor league baseball stadium for the next two seasons. On the bright side, that stadium is conveniently located to a shopping center, and it couldn't possibly be as empty as Arrowhead Stadium was this year.

MLS Confirms Expansion Club for Seattle originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seattle Sounders Win USL Title, MLS Looms Large in City's Future

David J. Warner — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, MLS

In a finer world, the Seattle Sounders would be promoted to MLS next season after their convincing 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks last night in the USL First Division championship match. This club certainly looked worthy of a shot at MLS after a season which saw them finish first in the league, lose only six league games out of 28, defeat two MLS clubs in U.S. Open Cup play and take a third to extra time in the semifinals of that event.

However, it's looking even more likely that Seattle will get the MLS club it seeks -- in two years. Reports began emerging late last week that Seattle was a lock for MLS expansion in 2009, and all they had to figure out was if the current Sounders club would be involved or a new club would be formed. Adrian Hanauer, the Sounders' managing partner, is involved in the expansion plan, so it could indeed mean that the Sounders are, as they said in Derby County last May, going up.

To his credit, Hanauer was quick to cast reports of MLS awarding Seattle a franchise "premature." From the looks of it, though, the only real question left here is whether the 16th team will be in St. Louis or Philadelphia. It's not as if Seattle wasn't the odds-on favorite here.

It would be fun to see the Sounders play another season in USL-1, then move up to MLS with the roster they have. They're a well-coached, well-organized team, and they have already proven they can compete at the top level in America. I know I'd like to be at Qwest Field when the L.A. Galaxy pay them a visit, just to see if that city's reaction to David Beckham was anything like New York's.

Seattle Sounders Win USL Title, MLS Looms Large in City's Future originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vegas Paper Tips Seattle, St. Louis as Favorites for MLS Expansion

David J. Warner — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Soccer, St. Louis, MLS

Say what you will about the Beckham experiment and the Designated Player Rule -- and we have -- but it's helped bring bankable talent to Major League Soccer and helped give the league more heat this season than it's gotten in its previous 11 years of existence.

Now that the league has stabilized and gotten some TV money, it's looking to expand into some new markets, starting with a return to San Jose in 2008. So naturally, the Las Vegas Sun has decided to lay odds on which cities will win the next MLS franchises. It's Vegas. They do this sort of thing there.

Not surprisingly, Seattle is the odds on favorite at 3-2 -- they have the stadium and the fan base in place already, and MLS officials think they Paul Allen will finally jump in -- but the most interesting thing here is that the Sun is tipping St. Louis (4-1) as having a better shot than Philadelphia (6-1) of getting the 16th franchise. The Sons of Ben may bring a lot of attention to the Illadelph, but the Sun suggests that St. Louis Soccer United has a better plan in place and that the city will embrace soccer more readily. (More than a city that already has a supporters group searching for a club? That St. Louis stadium plan must be pretty awesome.)

There's also the possibility of a Missouri Derby, which might even be a little more exciting than it sounds, though not much more.

Other cities on the list include New York at 8-1, Vegas at 10-1, Phoenix at 20-1, and Miami at 35-1 -- all good bets if you never want to see your money again. Miami FC is failing in USL, and summer in Phoenix will frighten players away in a hurry.

(H/T: The Offside)

Vegas Paper Tips Seattle, St. Louis as Favorites for MLS Expansion originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FC Dallas, Revolution Need Extra Time to Advance to U.S. Open Cup Final

David J. Warner — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Soccer, Carolina, MLS

Remember when Seattle sports fans complained bitterly about the officiating after the Seahawks lost Super Bowl XL? Well, the 10,385 fans who showed up at Qwest Field last night might have had a sense of deja vu as their Seattle Sounders were knocked off in extra time by FC Dallas, 2-1, in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

The center referee in this match was shocking. Fouls weren't called very often on Dallas, and yellow cards weren't given for obvious take-downs. It wasn't until late in regular time when the first yellow card was given, and the only red card given was for dissent after Noah Merl may or may not have asked the ref how much money he had on the game. That sure seemed like a valid question.

Credit the Hoops for finishing the job, though, even though their time-wasting tactics deserved the boos they got and bookings that they didn't. Seattle had countless opportunities to score in regular time and couldn't put one in for the home fans until the very last minute. At least two shot attempts that could have changed the game bounced off the woodwork. Carlos Ruiz (pictured) scored a goal in the 94th minute that gave Dallas a lead they would not relinquish.

The high quality of play in that match may have been a stark contrast to the other Open Cup semifinal, in which the New England Revolution topped the Carolina Railhawks, 2-1, also in extra time.

That game feature lots of bookings and at least one fight, for which Shalrie Joseph and Connolly Edozien were ejected in the 40th minute. David Stokes was shown a red card for a hard foul on Adam Cristman in the 80th minute, leaving the Revs with a 10-on-9 advantage. Revs announcers spent most of the evening comparing the Railhawks to a hockey team.

Pat Noonan finally broke the tie in the 4th minute of extra time to secure the win in front of 4,203 fans in New Britain, Connecticut -- a disappointing number, to be sure, compared to crowd (and the atmosphere) in Seattle.

"We felt it all week," said defender Taylor Graham. "There's been a buzz in the city. There's been a buzz in the organization. And when we got tired in the second half tonight, the fans were definitely trying to help us find some energy. The atmosphere was fantastic. It was the type of atmosphere every player wishes to play in front of."

Unfortunately for the Sounders, they won't have the opportunity to build on that atmosphere in an Open Cup final, which will be an all-MLS affair in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday, October 3. Casual fans will probably start tuning out, now that the upset-minded lower-division clubs are no longer in the picture.

Still, Seattle deserves some dap here. More than 10,000 people showed up to cheer on a second-division club in a tournament that nobody cares about. This doesn't usually happen in America, and it did nothing but help Seattle's chances of landing an MLS franchise. Soccer fans in that city need to make sure that support doesn't disappear when the USL playoffs start in a few weeks.

FC Dallas, Revolution Need Extra Time to Advance to U.S. Open Cup Final originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Revolution Will Not Be Televised for Tuesday Night's U.S. Open Cup Match

David J. Warner — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Soccer, Carolina, MLS

It is perhaps the worst kept secret in American soccer that Major League Soccer clubs want nothing to do with the U.S. Open Cup. Yes, it may be this country's only domestic cup competition, but MLS clubs view it as a meaningless affair and usually throw reserve squad players out there against lower division opponents. This is why USL Second Division clubs like the Richmond Kickers and Harrisburg City Islanders knock off the L.A. Galaxy and D.C. United. The MLS sides just didn't care enough.

However, it appears MLS is going from not caring to actively discouraging soccer fans from caring. Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup semifinal between the New England Revolution and the Carolina Railhawks will not be televised anywhere -- not on local TV, and not on the Internet. The only way to watch this game is to go to Veteran's Memorial Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut -- which holds only 8,500 people and is being used here because Gillette Stadium is not available -- and buy a ticket.

The other semifinal match between the Seattle Sounders and F.C. Dallas? The USL's online video service, USL Live, will show that game for free over the web. It appears, however, that USL will not be allowed to webcast the Revolution-Railhawks match, because it's a home game for the MLS side. Thus, it won't be webcast anywhere.

Now, it's entirely possible that I only care about this because the Railhawks are my local team. I've already seen them upset the Chicago Fire in this U.S. Open Cup and would like to see them try to pull off another upset and try to reach the Final, even though a road win against the Revs seems far more unlikely.

Still, this really is an insult to American soccer fans everywhere, and that would be true no matter what club was playing the Revs on Tuesday night. To deny the visiting side's fans an opportunity to see their boys play -- even through the Internet -- shows just how much contempt MLS has for U.S. Soccer and its efforts. This competition is supposed to be the equivalent of the FA Cup in England and the Copa Del Rey in Spain, and while it could use some better promotion, it still means something to the hardcore fans out there. As Tom Dunmore wrote at Pitch Invasion:

Ask any fan from Section 8, and they tell you last year's Open Cup final at Toyota Park was one of their favourite nights as a (Chicago) Fire fan. Yet as much as the hardcore loved it, only 8,185 were at the stadium.

Of course, as Jamie Trecker pointed out at ChicagoSports.com, the Chicago Fire are notorious for trying to market to everyone except the people who actually show up to the stadium.

Here in Chicago, I've watched with bemusement over the years as the Fire has chased after suburban whites and soccer kids while ignoring Polish and Latino community support. Ive watched security guards at Soldier Field go nuts on harmless fans because of the perception that all soccer fans are hooligans; Ive also listened to MLS higher-ups tut-tut the fan-friendly behavior of the team's old GM, Peter Wilt, who made a point of sitting with the teams most die-hard support.

Why, you ask? Apparently, all these loud, happy folks are bad for business because they might scare off the tremulous whites in the suburbs and their towheaded young.

Meanwhile, it appears that the New England Revolution want to scare off everyone, because they don't want people to see just how apathetic they really are to this tournament. Perhaps that's why they won't allow this game to be webcast, because this team cares so little that it might actually lose -- just like FC Dallas might become the third MLS side to go to Seattle and get demolished by the Sounders.

Maybe that's why MLS doesn't want you to watch the U.S. Open Cup -- because it's going to be an all-USL final in Seattle in October, and MLS wants to make sure that no sports fans discover that there's any sort of professional soccer in America beyond MLS, because if they do, the terrorists win.

I think I'll be rooting for both the Railhawks and Sounders on Tuesday night. I also hope Seattle sports fans show up at Qwest Field for the Sounders. Maybe they can get that Seahawks fan that dresses up like a giant koosh ball to be there.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised for Tuesday Night's U.S. Open Cup Match originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The U.S. Open Cup Really Needs a Sponsor

David J. Warner — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, DC, Soccer, Carolina

And then there were three.

The Seattle Sounders, a USL First Division team, knocked off Chivas USA, 3-1, last night in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In fact, five out of eight MLS clubs, all of whom entered the U.S. Open Cup in the third round, have been upset by USL clubs. The Los Angeles Galaxy was upset by the Richmond Kickers, the top USL Second Division club, earlier this week. The Chicago Fire, the defending U.S. Open Cup champs, were beaten 1-0 by the Carolina Railhawks, a USL-1 expansion team.

And nobody knows about this. U.S. Open Cup matches aren't shown anywhere on TV, they're barely covered in local press where the games are played, and attendance for most of these matches has been very small. 3,589 fans showed up at Qwest Field last night for the Seattle-Chivas match. There's a growing sentiment that some MLS clubs care so little for this tournament and that they're fielding reserve squads for these games and getting out early to focus on other things.

This is not the fault of MLS. This is the fault of the Unites States Soccer Federation, which organizes this competition.

What does it say about American soccer when you can watch the FA Cup, England's top domestic cup competition, on Fox Soccer Channel, but the U.S. Open Cup, America's domestic cup competition, is relegated to streaming video feeds on USL's web site?

Consider the prize money at stake here, too. The U.S. Open Cup champion receives $100,000 and a nice trophy. Compare that to the FA Cup winner, who receives £2 million and an automatic bid to the UEFA Cup. That doesn't include the TV money and the share of the gate receipts for each game. Gate receipts alone have been known to save lower league clubs from bankruptcy in England. The U.S. Open Cup? No TV money, and really lousy attendance.

Even Superliga, a made-for-TV competiton between MLS clubs and top Mexican clubs, awards the winner $1 million. Some pundits have suggested that clubs participating in Superliga tanked their U.S. Open Cup matches to focus on the richer tournament.

If the USSF wants to avoid this perception in the future, it needs to find a sponsor that will chip in and raise the prize pool for this tournament. A $100K first prize clearly doesn't interest MLS clubs anymore, but $500K might make it more interesting. Then it needs to get these matches on television so that people can watch them. Fox Soccer Channel could certainly use the programming right about now. They have been airing reruns of Premier League and Serie A matches in prime time this month.

The USSF should also talk to CONCACAF about getting the U.S. Open Cup winner into the CONCACAF Champions Cup. That might make MLS clubs a bit more interested. Getting the winner into Superliga might be a bit more of a longshot, since that tournament was organized in part by MLS to increase its exposure south of the border, but it wouldn't hurt to ask, either.

Until something like this happens to improve the profile of the U.S. Open Cup, though, it's will continue to toil in obscurity, and MLS clubs that may have cared about it a few years ago will simply drop out and let the USL clubs have their fun. If this many upsets happened in the FA Cup, England would be bonkers right now. Clearly, this tournament needs someone to champion it -- even if it means renaming it the "Lamar Hunt Umbro Cup" or the "Lamar Hunt Cialis Cup."

Hey, here's an idea -- "Lamar Hunt FanHouse Cup." What say ye, Mr. Mottram? Can we get AOL to hook that up?

The U.S. Open Cup Really Needs a Sponsor originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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