Fourth-round pairings announced

It would be cool to watch Galaxy lose in PK's versus a USL-2 club. I hope that game's on the tube.

 

Why do we have SSS again?

Columbus Crew (if they host) won't be at CCC. The LA Galaxy - Chivas potential matchup is listed as being at "TBD" instead of Home Depot Center.

It's one thing for a team in an NFL stadium not to host, but a team in a SSS should play there if you want the tournament to seem important.

 

I have no problem with the "smaller" team hosting if that's what's decided, but in this case Columbus would be the host.

In my opinion this makes the tournament seem unimportant, even though any USOC game should be more important then a regular season MLS match.

 

I completely agree and thats why I think its cheap that Des Moines (if they make it to the 4th round) won't get to host KC. The Menace will have defeated 3 teams from leagues above them and to not finally get the reward of hosting an MLS side is pretty weak.

 

I see your argument, but I think it detracts from the tournament.

New England plays at Gillette, so their venue is oversized anyway, so I don't mind that as much. Same with Kansas City and Colorado.

 

I'm not sure why teams with SSS don't use them for USOC matches. I do know why those that pay rent don't - cost is crazy-nutz.

We have been told that if Dallas makes it past Aug. 3, the remaining USOC matches for our team will be at PHP.

Bottom line - right now, the USOC is still in a "whatever is cost-effective" situation. Until it has a sponsor and enough money to help defray travel costs, etc., you're going to see similar situations in terms of venue.

 

That's my point. 5 MLS teams could play at home. 3 of those (NE, KC, COL) play in NFL stadiums. 2 (CLB, LAG/CHV) play in soccer stadiums owned by MLS owners.

I can understand the NFL teams moving the game because of rent involved and the expected attendance. I don't like the SSS teams moving the game because you should play the most important games at your own stadium. If you want to play an exhibition somewhere else, fine. But these are critical games, they should be played in your house if you're the host in my opinion.

 

especialy when US Soccer pays for a portion of the away travel.

cant find the pdf (its at ussoccer.com somewhere) and its bookmarked on my other computer but I think its somewhere around $5,000 per team plus per diem for initial rounds and $10,000 plus per diem in later rounds.

mikey

 

I think MLS is going to have to turn some more corners first before the Fed can really start marketing the USOC. Right now, at best, the final is somewhat successful.

The sad fact is that even when an MLS team comes to town for these lower division teams, how big is the attendace?

Once MLS gets a higher profile, it will pull the tournament up with it. That is just going to take time. Part of that is the continued SSS development. Once you have most teams in SSS and those venues have great events, that will become something others will want to see. Also, as the level of play in MLS improves, that will also raise expectations and interest.

But it isn't something the Fed can just do on their own.

 

Actually, I believe the Revs have played a couple past Open Cup matches at Lusitano Stadium, against teams other than the Pioneers.

As for Chivas-Galaxy not being at HDC, that would be the ultimate "Super Clasico", trying to eliminate your rival from a cup competition. If the Galaxy and Chivas fans can't account for a 5-figure attendance for that game, then they are pathetic.

On a side note, I have to do some research on this, but the Chivas-Charlotte game may be the furthest distance-wise game between two teams in the cup since 1995.

 

Gals vs. Chivas is "at TBD"? Wouldn't the Home Depot Center be a good place for this one?

Or is there some possibility of something weird for this one, like have it in Fresno or San Diego, for example?

 

Ok, using MapQuest to calculate distance, here are the farthest road trips in the US Open Cup since 1995. Chivas-Charlotte don't top the list, but they're up there.

Miles - Year & Round - Home Club - Away Club
2,986.26 - 2001 Final - New England Revolution at Los Angeles Galaxy
2,927.40 - 2001 1st Rd. - Olympia Stamford (Conn.) at Seattle Sounders Select
2,878.16 - 2000 3rd Rd. - San Jose Earthquakes at Richmond Kickers
2,820.67 - 1997 Semi - San Francisco Bay Seals at DC United
2,473.33 - 1999 2nd Rd. - Orange County Zodiac at Carolina Dynamo
2,429.48 - 2005 3rd Rd. - CD Chivas USA at Charlotte Eagles
2,246.39 - 1999 QF - Los Angeles Galaxy at Columbus Crew
2,006.14 - 2001 2nd Rd. - Los Angeles Galaxy at Nashville Metros

 

Not that it changes the distance, but that San Jose/Richmond game was out west, not in Richmond.

 

found the USOC handbook online here the link

http://www.ussoccer-data.com/docfile/2005OpenCupHandbook.pdf

the info about travel payment for away teams in on page 30.

Lots of other "Gee Wiz" stuff in their as well.

Mikey

 

Good eye gsterp, and now that you mention it, there were a few others that I had reversed. As you said, doesn't change the milage, but it does let you know which team had eat all the miles.

Miles - Year & Round - Home Club - Away Club
2,986.26 - 2001 Final - New England Revolution at Los Angeles Galaxy
2,927.40 - 2001 1st Rd. - Olympia Stamford (Conn.) at Seattle Sounders Select
2,878.16 - 2000 3rd Rd. - Richmond Kickers at San Jose Earthquakes
2,820.67 - 1997 Semi - San Francisco Bay Seals at DC United
2,473.33 - 1999 2nd Rd. - Carolina Dynamo at Orange County Zodiac
2,429.48 - 2005 3rd Rd. - CD Chivas USA at Charlotte Eagles
2,246.39 - 1999 QF - Columbus Crew at Los Angeles Galaxy
2,006.14 - 2001 2nd Rd. - Nashville Metros at Los Angeles Galaxy

 

I think it's usually the lower division team's biggest draw of the year, IIRC...

MutinyGirl is right about the economics of opening even an SSS for an Open Cup match. In 2003, the Galaxy hosted Fresno to a crowd of maybe 500. The announced crowd was about 5K, as it was part of the team's season ticket package.

I imagine the cost of even a skeleton crew for the Vick that night was more than it would have cost to rent and staff Titan Stadium, where Open Cup matches against lower division teams (IOW, somone 90% of Galaxy fans had never heard of) in the past have drawn in the 1-4K range.

The tournament has to be a bigger deal itself before this corrects itself.

 

First off, the X-Games start at HDC the next day, so this match, if it happens, ain't happening at Victoria Street.

Second, the concept of a cup competition is alien to most people that go to MLS matches, and the marketing hasn't been coming from either the teams (at the MLS level) or the Fed itself to change that.

Also, notice that when Goats Lite hosted the Galaxy in Classico II that it wasn't a sell out. The first one was on the strength of the Galaxy's ticket sales staff. If that office isn't involved in promoting a Classico Cup tie (and they usually aren't to the extent they would be for playoffs or even a friendly of their own) then throwing out words like "pathetic" is a little off base. Not to mention that ChivasUSA doesn't really have much of a fan base yet to begin with.

Of course I could be wrong that potential match could sell out Titan Stadium...

 

Well, that explains that. The X-Games will draw alot more $$$ than a weeknight cup game, for sure. Can't blame them there.

I recall the Galaxy playing a home cup game last year as well at Fullerton instead of HDC, for similiar reasons. Not sure if it was the X-Games last year, but it was some kind of weeklong event.

There must be a question about Fullerton's availability too then, because usually that's always been the automatic second choice whenever the Galaxy have had to switch stadiums.