Oh by the way, the Open Cup final was last night.[r]

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by the cup, Sep 29, 2005.

  1. mpruitt

    mpruitt Member

    Feb 11, 2002
    E. Somerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Must be an echo in here. Somehow I don't think the Open Cup as it currently stands is so grand when you basically have only handful of first division teams taking the competition seriously. So in essence you have the two best teams in the US who happen to talk the Cup seriously and perhaps a lower division team that goes on a run gunning for title of Best Team that Happens to Care.
     
  2. aosthed

    aosthed Member

    Jul 16, 2004
    40º30' N 111º52' W
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Is there any league in the world where every game is taken as seriously as a cup final?
     
  3. aosthed

    aosthed Member

    Jul 16, 2004
    40º30' N 111º52' W
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    What are the NFL playoffs and Superbowl OTHER than a single-elimination "cup" - they don't call it that - but what's the difference?...

    I think American fans understand the format - particulary in the NFL, NCAA Basketball, and the World Cup (when it was here). It really isn't that archaic or obtuse...

    The only nuances is how to seed the brackets of the cup between NFL Playoffs, NCAA Basketball tournament, and the World Cup.
     
  4. mpruitt

    mpruitt Member

    Feb 11, 2002
    E. Somerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    The notion of a secondary regular season competition has always been beyond me.
     
  5. gherter

    gherter Member

    Sep 16, 2002
    Leesburg, Virginia
    That telecast was rough and low budget. GolTV had trouble with the microphones serveral times. At one point the sideline guy had trouble interrupting the announcers to tell them that Ronnie O'Brien was limping pretty badly and might get replaced very soon. They couldn't hear him at all.

    They had an hour long pregame, too. I give them bonus points for that. The had mic trouble there, too, when they couldn't get sound from one of the FC Dallas interviewees (the team manager, I think).

    The game itself was very good, though. I watched it, although on TiVo the next day. No biggie there, I do that with a lot of games. On the East coast it was on at 11 PM, that is pretty late to get an audience. I'm sure few people over here watched it.

    As for the US Open Cup, I love the idea. A cup that brings the USL-1 and MLS is a great idea. I like the other team being in it, but they don't add much for the non-fanatic soccer fans.

    I just wish they had some of them on TV. Personally, I would think at least one game per round starting in the third (all USL-1 teams and four MLS teams) round would make a lot of sense for FSC. That could have given us:

    3rd round: Seattle/Portland, Minn/RSL, Va Beach/Rochester
    4th round: LA Gals/Chivas, Chic/Revs, Portland/S Jose, Rapids/Minn
    QFinals: LA/San Jose, Dallas/DCU
    SFinals: Both matches: LA Gals/Minn and Dallas/Chic

    One of those games each round would have been good on FSC. Hopefully, they can get a sponsor to make that happen soon. That is what this tournament needs.
     
  6. Femfa

    Femfa New Member

    Jun 3, 2002
    Los Angeles
    As far as attendance, what I think is funny is that in LA, they have to say a certain number to keep the politicians happy. What actually happens is another matter.

    For example, against Real madrid, the team opened up the grass hill, set up chairs, had full club and restaurant seating, and yet only 27,000 was the listed attendance.

    The city only allows them that much (to announce). The HDC can hold more, and they can sell the tickets for it, but they can't announce it. So whenever the number of tickets is EXACTLY the limit the team is allowed for whatever reason, it's usually more people present, but the team isn't allowed to say so.

    It was probably 10, 987 tickets sold, or something like that. But the fans there cared about the match, both from the Galaxy and Dallas.
     
  7. 352gialloblu

    352gialloblu New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    England
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I love the USOC, and fully intended to watch the final (even though I hate both teams involved), but somehow on that Wednesday night I completely forgot. I think I may have checked the listings on FSC (assuming they would have it) and saw nothing, so I figured it wasn't on TV at all. But then I may not have checked late enough, either (silly west coast times). This may be the only week where I wouldn't have noticed it on MLSnet, but honestly, it isn't very visible, and that's a real shame.
     
  8. Ghosting

    Ghosting Member+

    Aug 20, 2004
    Pendleton, OR
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I too love the USOC. I have not followed it for a long time (maybe 6 years or so), but got to see the LA v NE final in person a few years ago, and try to catch the final on-line every year. The reason I like it is the same reason that it should be promoted. The players play HARD in the games (at least the final), so often you get pretty exciting soccer. I think that US soccer fans would like it more if:

    a) they understood it better (meaning there would need to be more promotion... just like MLS)

    b) you could see more games. Couldn't the MLS stream more games? Even if it was just the semis and maybe the quarters?

    I'd love to see some of the games with non-MLS teams
     
  9. USRufnex

    USRufnex Red Card

    Tulsa Athletic / Sheffield United
    United States
    Jul 15, 2000
    Tulsa, OK
    Club:
    --other--
    The Open Cup isn't about satisfying MLS fans.

    It's a tourney open to ALL teams which is why Rochester's able to draw over 11K on a weeknight for the game a few weeks back against the Fire.

    And for my .02, the Open Cup should be about outreach. As long as MLS has less than 15 teams in its league, I think it's very important MLS teams treat this tourney seriously. It's important to expose MLS soccer to fans in non-MLS cities... I'd rather see a packed Lusitano Stadium than 3-4k at Soldier Field, RFK, CCS, etc. Of course, the games aren't going to mean as much (at least for the near future) for MLS teams than it does for PDL, USL2 and USL1.

    The Open Cup may never approach the popularity of March Madness, but I think the idea behind it should be similar. Rarely ever do smaller college basketball teams get to the Final Four, let alone compete for the championship. Just getting to the Sweet Sixteen or even a second round game can be HUGE to a "mid-major" or small conference team.

    So it goes with the PDL and second division teams. Hey, Minnesota got to the semis this year and Rochester was only a penalty kick away from getting there as well.

    And even if crowds for the open cup's semi's and finals are smaller than the better marketed regular season, some of the BEST games with some of the most vocal fans have been for those games (Small but loud crowds for SJ vs. LA, Dallas vs. Chicago, LA vs. Minnesota, LA vs. Dallas).
     
  10. mpruitt

    mpruitt Member

    Feb 11, 2002
    E. Somerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Hey if I was a fan of a USL team than the Open Cup might be great, but I don't have to be and I'm not so hey...

    I'm curious as to what kind of outreach you're talking about? Are fans of the Western Mass Pioneers unaware of the Revoltuion? I don't think so? Why would MLS need to outreach to cities and towns where they're unlikely to ever expand to and who's fans are probably already very aware of the league?
     
  11. USRufnex

    USRufnex Red Card

    Tulsa Athletic / Sheffield United
    United States
    Jul 15, 2000
    Tulsa, OK
    Club:
    --other--
    Not a problem. Boston fans don't have to necessarily give a wit about the Open Cup. another USRufnex NASL reference... The NASL ignored the open cup. But the NASL had 20 teams in 1975 and 24 teams when it supposedly "overexpanded" in 1978, which translates to double the media markets and double the "national footprint" of MLS.

    As for Western Mass, although I'm sure those fans know the Revs exist, how many of these people make the trip to Foxboro? Or follow the team on TV? Maybe after seeing the Fire play at Lusitano, they'd be more likely to follow the MLS and the Revs.

    It's debatable right now if there's much "outreach" for MLS playing some of these games before really small crowds in substandard venues... and I'm sure you could argue that this factor can make MLS look minor league itself.

    I just like the idea of a single elimination tourney in which fans in non-MLS cities can watch their locals play MLS teams and see more soccer coverage in their newspapers than the usual MLS standings with no box scores situated somewhere between stats for Arena football, Arena 2 and WNBA. And I'd also appreciate more of an effort by the MLS clubs to take their show "on the road." I know it isn't easy to schedule these games last minute, but I'd like to see some marketing for the Crew to play one of their home open cup matches in Dayton, for example, or the Revs in Hartford or Storrs.

    Or maybe look forward to a future someday in which soccer is popular enough where these games could be played at neutral venues-- a "southwest regional" in Albuquerque, San Diego or Phoenix... a "southeast regional" drawing fans in Memphis, Birmingham or Orlando... a "northeast regional" in Philly or Pittsburgh... a "northwest regional" in Tacoma or Sacramento...

    Hey, a guy can still dream on this site, can't he...?
     
  12. Crazy Eights

    Crazy Eights New Member

    Sep 28, 2005
    The Greater American Soccer fan has trouble with the "concurrent" format. Let's face it... this is not how we were raised.

    So switch the focus... Make the event have meaning. The winner gets a ticket to Copa or some other International Tournament...

    Bottom line is to make it an event for the Soccer faithful. We know that the USOC will be hard pressed to attract the casual. But the final had better be able to attract the fan.

    I went to the Cup final at the HDC. The crowd was great... but there was no "Event." Other than the good and true fans in the seats... there was NOTHING on the concourse or around the stadium to help make it an Event. There were only two booths open selling the same ol' boring Galaxy stuff and 3 food stands open. The rest of the concourse area around the stadium was empty... and dark. They didn't even have lights on! There was nothing to indicate that this was an "Event." The hell with the casual fan... this NICHE of the NICHE should at least make the true fan feel something or cause great word of mouth.

    But alas... Nothing.

    I'm a true fan with Galaxy season tickets, have traveled this great land to see the USMNT and even got lucky and scored USA TST-7 World Cup tickets... but unless they make it a special time at the stadium... I doubt I'll ever again want to attend a USOC Final... and for sure not travel to one.

    Of course... my letters to Dan Flynn and Don Garber will go unanswered...
     
  13. Mountainia

    Mountainia Member

    Jun 19, 2002
    Section 207, Row 7
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you don't like it, that's fine. The USOC is not for the MLS, nor run by the MLS. It is a cup with a very long tradition in this country, and will likely be played whether or not MLS teams join in. They don't have to, but they are invilted since they are organized teams inside the US. And I'm glad that they do.

    Plus, don't underestimate the value of the cash prize to the lower-paid players on MLS rosters. A few thousand bucks ain't chump change to those making 30K or less.
     

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