Can they do that? Yes, sure they can. But what about the league matches for the involved teams that weekend? Do you postpone them? What about the fans who bought tickets for those matches?
can they adjust the dates little bit? Don't they do that all the time? I thought that's what they this when we had all those big Euro clubs, and MLS clubs played them on weekends? by the way, I'm not talking about this year if that was your interpretation. In the future...
a) What dates? b) No, MLS games don't get moved "all the time". It happens occassionally, with opening a date for a big Euro club among the top reasons. However, that's generally done with months of notice, more time than is between the USOC semi-finals and final.
When the USOC final can bring in as much money as a friendly with Real Madrid, it will get as much scheduling accomodation as a friendly with Real Madrid.
I thought it was mainly driven by SUM/MLS. and even SUM/MLS don't get that much profit after 80% cut for the big boys, and all the cost associated with inviting them. It was more for the purpose of MLS exposure and promotion. I think USSF at least get big chuck of $ from USOC.
That would assume that the tournament makes any money. After the USSF pays $180,000 in prize money, I don't know how much is left. Attendance is almost always tiny; only one game is televised.
a weekend game would be great. people can come from all around. take united for example. a look a the RFK parking lot shows cars from of course Va, and MD, and DC. Some of those cars come from Richmond 100 miles away. you can see WVA, PA and DEL as well. If the game was on the weekend, I would drive the 100 miles to be there. I can't do it on a wednesday night. due to work, and huge back issues from a car accident. I have to assume othe MLs have the same deal, lots of attendance from far away on the weekend, not mid week Hell MLs should embrace this, after all it is called the LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP.
What would everyone think about a predetermined neutral site final? There is plenty of time between the semis and the final to make travel arrangements. Each club gets an equal allotment of tickets.
I was at RFK last night. Great athmosphere! especially the last 7 minutes after Simm's goal. It was mad house. US Open Cup final on a weekend should be bigger than MLS Cup final on a neutral site.
I believe it would be. I noticed Engand's FA Cup is on weekends. I think USSF should enforce weekend games at least for final and semi-finals.
The tournament stretches into the beginning of september, which means college and professional football season. If it were concluded in mid or late august, you might get televising of the semis and the final and might have more flexibility in scheduling a stadium on a weekend. England's FA Cup is often played in Wembley which is the national stadium. It is not a "day's drive" from any western conference city to DC to watch a final at RFK. And unless the tickets are given away like they were to sounders fans this year for the MLS Cup, a netural site game likely wont draw. There are a lot of things that could be done to improve the tournament - no one contests that. From raising the purse, to more televised games, to weekend games, to anything you might suggest. The difficulty is that right now, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is not a priority for most teams. If MLS maintains the direct jump for the champion to the play-in of the CCL and the CCL continues to improve, the value of the championship will also increase, and teams will likely compete harder. When the team looks and plays like it cares, more fans care. I agree with you that weekend games are a big deal, but in order to make that happen, more teams need scheduling control in their own SSS, and the tournament needs to finish earlier. A title sponsor to help raise the purse wouldn't hurt as $180,000 split 24 ways ($7,500 if the players get every penny, which I dont belive they do) isnt enough. It also doesnt make sense to me that MLS teams must play their way into the tournament. The most visible, largest drawing teams in America, battle it out to see which 8 of them get to play in the tournament?? Its not just one thing. Its a couple, or a bunch of things. And the USSF, MLS, and FSC would have to make a concerted effort to change it, and right now, they have other problems.
Once every pro club has their own stadium, then I could see the schedule stretch out a bit for the US Open Cup on weekends. But if they still decide to keep it on weeknights, then it's out of our hands once again.
Our NBA games are played in 18,000 -20,000 seat arenas. Should English top league basketball games be played in the same size arenas?
His point was - and is a good one - that weekend games have better attendances than weekday games. By relegating USOC to weekdays, even for the final rounds, it is seen as less important than it ought to be.
and my point is that soccer is a minor sport here, like basketball is in the UK. They can move games around in England because both the FA cup final and league game draw well. While drawing better- most US OPEN CUP Finals will not draw more than a league game on a weekend ( I know this year drew well, but lets look at 5 years not 1). Furthermore, moving a soccer league game to likely a weeknight on short notice for 2 teams will have a negative effect on their attendence.
Disagree, most USOC final will draw better than regular league games. Most USOC final most likely between two MLS clubs in the coming editions like last year. If it's on weekend, it would be anything but even better than last year (20K on weekday). Even if it happens to be between MLS vs USL/NASL, MLS side will probably win bidding, and the final will draw as good as MLS regular season game if not better. It's a final, it's major Cup, get berth to CCL. Also, I would add MLS in US is much better than any baseball league in UK.
sadly this is true. i blame the owners for not caring enough to force this Cup into importance. if owners were to market this game as important, then you'd see more crowds of 17,000+ (on a weeknight). who bids for the Cup Final to be 1pm on a Tuesday?!
In your dilusional work- yes in reality - no Based on what do you think most US Open cup Finals will draw better? Thie one has some bad blood between 2 teams that drew the goat of DC fans show they showed up in Droves. 2004 -8,800 2005- 10,000 2006 -8,100 2007 -10,600 2008- 8,200 (IN DC) I think this is more the reality. Lets say you move it to a weekend and add 50% to attendence. That still gets you up to about 13K. Now, take 2 games off an MLS Saturday, and move them to a Wed with about 3 weeks notice. Instead of getting about 15,000, they are likely to to draw 8-9K. So to pick up an extra 4K fans for the MLS cup, you cost 2 MLS teams home gates of about 6K. And please don't use the arguement "there is a CCL berth" while you and I care, a vast majority of fans do not, and are not going to show up cause they could play in CCL. I am basing this based on CCL matches