[Crew/R] '17 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the 5th Round Bomb

I don't count conference championships because they don't prove whether a manager can win MLS Cup (the real goal). Ask Steve Nicol.

How about this then, name the last manager who took more than 4 years to win MLS Cup without winning the SS or Open Cup first?

If a manager can't win any of those in 4 years, he isn't good enough. Look, it up. Four years is enough time to decide if the guy has it, or doesn't. I'm talking MLS here. Had he won the Open Cup, I'd give him another year. But he didn't.

 

I like GGG and do not consider winning a semi final being a trophy to take seriously. I think the achievement of reaching and hosting MLS Cup is being diminished by those that don't like GGG

 

Part of it is probably numbers. As the conferences grow, winning the conference may be a bigger deal. But back when this league was 10 teams then 12 teams, then 10 teams again, who cares if you win your conference of 5-6 teams. It wasn't until 2 years ago that there were even 10 teams in each conference. Now that we're going to be pushing 14-15 teams in each conference in the coming years, maybe it will be a bigger deal.

Or maybe that importance is already built into the cake and no matter how big the league gets, that won't change.

 

I don't not like him. I was all for giving him this season to see if he can move this team significantly forward. That hasn't happened.

Now, after a couple weeks of reflection on that MLS Cup run, I did start to think we were a little more lucky than good. I felt like we got outplayed by Montreal despite winning. I only saw one of the two games against NYRB, but the second game they didn't look great.

So I tend to downplay that a little bit. I will give him credit that this team went on a great run that season. And, unlike many, I don't attribute that run to being Kei willing this team (I'm don't see Kei as that transformative player, I see him as benefiting from a number of players on the team just having career seasons at the same time).

I just haven't seen enough, or much of anything, since then to say that I think Gregg can turn this team in to a consistent contender.

I will say, Pipa seemed to come out of the gate rejuvenated. I thought that was a bit of a feather in Gregg's cap, that he seemingly called that one correctly. Lately Pipa's either come back down to earth, and/or he just doesn't have enough help on this team. Either way, I don't think that bodes well for Gregg.

And I'm very excited about moving forward with Steffen and Artur as part of the club. Outside of that, I'm not sure what else Gregg has done to make me want him to still be our coach.

 

I never said it was a "championship". But it is a trophy. Or MLS would not issue it. And tradition?? We really don't have that yet.

But Salt Lake City seems to claim it....



As does Terrible Football Club

 

What does Kgilbert like more... Being a contrarian or Gladbach?

 

H

I am not arguing that point.

 

Funny you should mention that.... His third cousin, Wolfgang Contrarian, was in the Gladbach youth system for several years but never made it to the full team. Had a goal and an assist in the 4th Round of the 1978 U-16 Youth Club Cup.

 

So we can agree that while Ggg might win trophies, he can't win anything that gets us to champions league.

For those of us that base importance off of champions league qualification or MLS Cup only, he isn't good. For those of us that like all trophies and participation awards, he's A ok.

 

May be already posted but FC Cincy vs Chicago will be on Espn2. I've seen billboards all over Cincy touting the game.
I have to admit I'm impressed with the enthusiasm generated down there. I think it can only be good for the Crew as all the more Ohioans know what MLS is and are curious about it. Much less away supporters. I'll watch for sure.

 

I'm kinda wondering how much coverage ESPiN has given to the Open Cup in the past.

 

If even ESPN is giving Cincy pub with national tv push, I can't see how they don't get into MLS.

 

I don't count the Eastern Conference trophy or cup or whatever it is because it get you nothing. No guarantee of Champions league and no extra money. Hell it does not even effect Garber bucks or draft order or any of the five other orders in the MLS.

 

I'll-defined stadium plan, most likely hinging on public money. TV market smaller than even Columbus or Salt Lake. Mere hours away from another team, in the Midwest, in a league seemingly obsessed with increasing its "national footprint."

If Cincy is one of the four, I will gladly buy you a steak dinner.

 

Would that be a filet???

 

We got 1,064 people at our open cup home game last year. They got 30,160. There is an appetite.

 

Perhaps from Jack Ruby's fine establishment!?

 

It's Jeff Ruby, as I recall. Jack was the guy who shot Lee Harvey Oswald....

 

Come for the steak (or filet), stay for the band.

 

Too soon.

 

You are correct, even after I typed it I was questioning myself!!

Jeff though makes some Damn good steaks!!

 

Win : Loser::MLS Cup : Proud Runners Up

 

Cincy attendance is 32,287.