Talking U.S. Open Cup, D.C. United and fairness
by Steve Davis on May 4, 2010 6:51 PM EDT
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I’m going to chew up some ground that I’ve already ground up pretty good here – but this one deserves to be revisited.
As we examine the vexing question, “What in Sam Hill happened to D.C. United!?” one possible answer is the false hope provided by consecutive deep runs into the U.S. Open Cup. United won in 2008 and finished as runner-up in 2009. So, perhaps that success in the scrappy little ragamuffin of a tournament led United officials to mistakenly believe the problems were short-term, easy fixers. Now we know better. This thing is a short-term fix like the
But let’s look a little closer at those deep runs. (Alert: here’s the ground that’s about to be re-covered.)
Consider that every contest during United’s two good Open Cup campaigns has been a home match. Nine in a row.
This isn’t United's fault of course. If U.S. Soccer is going to allow it, you can’t begrudge United for exploiting the opportunity. So, here’s a word to U.S. Soccer:
Come on fellows. It’s time to tweak the Open Cup structure and your process of awarding sites. Any competition where a club gets nine consecutive home matches (including one already this year) is not a fair tournament. The charm of the tournament is that the little guys have a chance to be giant killers. But if the wealthy clubs get to buy their way into advantageous positions … well, what are you really creating there?
United just announced its next Open Cup match. It will be June 2 against
Yep. Right there in the friendly confines of rickety RFK. That will make 10 in a row.
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Well we need every advantage we can get this season! And its not like RFK has been much of a safe haven for United in 2010.
I think it’s more a matter of DC United taking the Open Cup more seriously than most other MLS teams. Ever since their embarassing loss in 2007 at Hempfield High School (no I couldn’t make that up if I tried) the team has done everything they can to try to go far in the USOC. That includes bidding higher for Open Cup games, and generally starting more regulars than their opponents. You’re right that its the system that should be blamed, not the team.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think too many DC fans have been given false hope by our Open Cup runs. Most people that follow the team see that we have a) been at home over and over again, b) have run into fewer MLS teams than most thanks to a variety of upsets and quirks in the bracket, and c) the MLS teams we do face often field their reserves. There’s also the fact that our cup runs have been mostly uncomfortable, bumpy rides. Off the top of my head, the only USOC games that we’ve had that have been relatively straightforward in the past 3 years have been the 2008 4th round game against Rochester, and the 2 qualifying round games against Dallas. Even against the PDL Ocean City Barons, we struggled.
It’s also important to note that we’ve had freakish luck whenever a coin toss has come up. In both last year and this year’s qualifying round, we’ve won 4 tosses to get home games. That 10 in a row figure looks less like a big deal when you factor in what is admittedly bizarre luck in the coin toss department (if only we could just offer our MLS opponents heads or tails instead of actually having to play them).
For what it’s worth, I kind of miss our Open Cup road games. I was at the aforementioned Harrisburg debacle, and have made several trips to Richmond for USOC games. You usually get a small but boisterous and good-humored group of United fans at those games. You also get puzzled looks from people who aren’t sure why you’re singing and standing. There’s something very enjoyable about it.
Finally, the games still need to be won. If some USL team, playing in the biggest game of their season outside of the playoffs, can’t knock off the bottom 11 players from DC’s roster, then I don’t feel a bit of sorrow for them. Come on, we started Dyachenko like every time! We were practically begging to be beaten!
If Home dates were slotted to the "lower" seeds
That would help force MLS sides to go on the road, likely needing to field slightly better sides than they currently do.
That or have to explain why they lost to Charlotte or Kitsap.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Well...
…strictly speaking, you’re talking about two sets of “fellows” who have to tweak “their” process of awarding sites.
The games currently going on involving MLS teams aren’t actual Open Cup games. Too many stories are using that as shorthand, and it’s only really misleading if you go from there to proposing “fixes” that involve the Cup proper. MLS oversees its teams’ qualification for the tournament. USSF oversees the tournament proper.
And MLS’ “process” of awarding sites for these play-in games involves….a coin flip. Don’t know how you can really tweak that.
As for USSF’s part in keeping DCU at home during the tournament proper, absolutely that needs to be addressed.
