Where is WSW to reverse field and tell us how the Open Cup doesn't mean anything now that the NASL is going down to MLS clubs and USL Pro has two upsets so far.
Like to thank Carolina for beating LA since they weren't interesting at all in this tourney. Also like to thank Tampa for not allowing Seattle to make the final for the 5th straight year.
Two of the NASL's best clubs go through to the Fourth Round to carry the NASL banner. I like Carolina's chances at home to Chivas, but the Rowdies are going to need another amazing effort to get past the Timbers.
June 12 Chivas USA (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (NASL) WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. – 7:15 p.m. ET Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) at Portland Timbers (MLS) JELD-WEN Field; Portland, Ore. – 7:30 p.m. PT http://thecup.us/pairings-for-2013-us-open-cup-fourth-round-set-for-june-12/
Tampa will have to win 2 games on the road if they want to make the semifinals. Portland Timbers (MLS)/Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) winner at FC Dallas (MLS)FC Dallas Stadium; Frisco, Texas Wednesday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m. CT OR Portland Timbers (MLS)/Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) winner at Houston Dynamo (MLS) BBVA Compass Stadium; Houston, Texas Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. CT Carolina RailHawks (NASL)/Chivas USA (MLS) winner at Real Salt Lake (MLS)Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. MT OR Carolina RailHawks (NASL)/Chivas USA (MLS) winner at Charleston Battery (USL PRO) Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET http://www.ussoccer.com/news/lamar-...-the-2013-lamar-hunt-open-cup-determined.aspx
As an NASL fan, and a Minnesota fan in particular, I'd love to see both the Rowdies and Railhawks make deep runs. It'll help bring some recognition to the league and possibly soften up both teams for the remainder of the league season.
So Carolina marches on past Chivas, and TB is down 2-0 in Portland. Looks like we get 25k, which will help on our trip to Salt Lake.
Last night's crowd figures: Kansas City - 15,981 Salt Lake - 13,763 Portland - 5,931 Carolina - 5,066 Dallas - 4,006 New England (Harvard) - 2,500 DC United (MD SoccerPlex) - 2,325 7,082 average (which I would imagine will come down a bit with Chicago's matinee crowd). Highest fourth-round average on record (there was no fourth round from 1996-2002 and 2007-2001, so we're only talking about six years here).
Chicago will surely be tickets distributed so it shouldn't be too much smaller although they might have lost some walk-up crowd last night.
Chicago's last several USOC home matches: 2006 final: 8,815 2008 3rd round: 6,678 2010 3rd round: 2,526 2011 quarterfinal: 1,500 (time moved at last minute b/c of power outage) 2011 semifinal: 8,909 2012 1st: (no report) 2012 2nd (no report) So it might not be above 7,082 but we'll see.
2.006 announced. So, yeah. 6,447 average for the fourth round, still a record. Tournament average (for the 58% of this year's games that I have) is 4,027.
Well bad news for the Canadian NASL teams wanting to compete in the 2015-2016 CCL. http://www.nasl.com/article/uuid/1n...dian-championships-to-summer-starting-in-2015 To be fair, it is the most logical thing to do and it is only for one year. But Now the Canadian Cup Champion will go from being the last qualifier to the CCL, to be the first, a full 11 months ahead of of the start of the CCL.
See, now even Soccer Canada is in on the conspiracy to keep MLS' evil monopoly/stranglehold on competition alive!
I hear people say this all the time but it just isn't accurate. The Open Cup is not the shortest route to the CCL. First, "only have to win four or five games in a row"! How many MLS teams won four or five games in a row last year? The word "only" should not be in that sentence. The MLS team that won the Open Cup certainly never did it in the league. The New York Red Bulls won 4 in a row a couple of times. And that helped them to the CCL by winning the Supporter Shield. KC, who was 2nd, and Portland, who was 3rd, never did it. RSL did win four games in a row in June. It is not an easy thing to do. The MLS playoffs are the shortest route to the CCL. Admittedly a little tougher now that they got rid of the MLS Cup loser automatically qualifying. Still, be in the top three of your conference and you only have to win 3 out of 5 games to get in. Admittedly, they have to be the right 3 but last year KC qualified for the CCL by outright winning 2 of their 5 playoff games. The Open Cup games do go to PKs so by that standard they won 3 of 5. So that is six teams that can do it out of a league of 19. Almost a third of the league has a chance to do it every year. Be in the top 5 of your conference and you have to win 4 out of 6 in the playoffs. Still easier than winning four games in a row. Especially when you realize that Open Cup games are in the middle of the regular season. At least with playoff games that's all you are playing at the time. I will maintain the MLS playoffs are the easiest route to the CCL. That may change with more teams in the league and the new qualifying rules but it is hard to see how the Open Cup is not harder.