File that one away. Of course, planning when you're going to play the match after the one you're about to play in a knockout competition is bad karma. But besides that, does this make the Revs even for the Champions Cup thing?
Some day, the mainstream media will notice the inches-from-glory stories created by this unique (in the U.S.) tournament, just as they do in the other countries when teams from far lower divisions get their shot at the big time. I remember so many stories from the English FA Cup and the Scottish Cup, like grocery store workers taking on Machester United, Cardiff City beating Leeds. There was one story on SkySports about a much smaller Rangers team playing Glasgow Rangers. They profiled a guy from the former who worked as a janitor at his job, getting ready for the match between "Wee Rangers" and "Big Rangers." Of course in America, we have the Rhinos' accomplishment.
When the fans start to notice in great numbers, the mainstream media will notice. Even then, it will still be a soccer tournament. Exact same situation in another sport, it would be American sports folklore already.
the goverment should force the media to cover more soccer and especially the USOC the problem is how to get the goverment's awareness
Gotta agree about the Rhinos looking too far ahead. The Fire Reserves have looked pretty darn tough against most teams they've played this year. The biggest problem right now thats preventing the Open Cup from becoming bigger is USSoccer letting the MLS teams play first round games at home. If they would force MLS teams to go on the road and play teams like Rochester, Portland, Syracuse, Des Moines, Utah, etc, some of these Open Cup matches would become huge events. And on top of that, the home field advantage could allow a few more of these lower seeded teams to advance. Admittedly, I cheer for the Crew every year, but beyond them, I have no desire to see the semifinals composed of 4 MLS teams, or the quarters with 6 or 7 out of 8.
Speaking of looking too far ahead, does anyone have any thoughts on how the tournament should work next year? Assuming we get an extra 2 MLS teams (thats still a big assumption at this point), we should have a few different options. The 8 MLS teams that made the playoffs could join in the round of 16 (like this year), and the 2 new teams could join the 2 non-playoff teams in the previous round. All 12 MLS teams could join in the round of 32, along with 10 A-League teams and 10 winners from the previous round. Any thoughts on how you'd like next year's cup to work?
Portland or Utah will get to host San Jose in the fourth round. If Minnesota beats the Rapids Reserve they'll be hosting the LA Galaxy at the Metrodome. There are only two A-league clubs (Rochester & Syracuse) that will not host an MLS team if they make the fourth round.
On the other hand, sending the MLS teams on the road all of the time makes it more difficult to get MLS fans to care about the tournament.
Lower-division teams play at home against MLS teams at least 50% of the time. The fact that every single semifinalist since 2000 has been an MLS team is due to the fact that MLS teams are just better.
yeah, but every once in a while an upset occurs...like SJ last year and Chicago the year before. Giant killers don't go very far in the FA Cup either, but it's fun while it lasts. Look at Fresno last season. They got some decent coverage in the local player while on their run.
Better than spending however many thousands of dollars it costs to open up RFK or Giants Stadium based on what your return is going to be. Often when MLS teams are at home, they take the game somewhere else in their metro area (the Fire has played in Naperville---even when they didn't play their league games there---and Wheaton, DC has played in Germantown, and Kansas City has played in a suburb), bringing the game to more people who might not have seen it before.
Just because CFR beat, um, New Hampshire, doesn't mean Rochester should needlessly worry. A cursory check of the rosters will show that Rochester has a very veteran team with quite a bit of MLS experience. IF they don't underachieve, this is a winnable game. Of course, neither should they look forward to next round until CFR have been dealt with. That having been said, in 1999, when the Rhinos won it all, their first game in the USOC, which was the scariest because they WERE looking forward to the next round, was the 2-1 defeat of the New York Freedoms of the PDL. Those guys came out and scored the first goal and Frontier went cold until the Rhinos went ahead late. I remember Craig Demmin not playing and that was big cause the Rhinos were not deep at defense. I was standing next to the owner, this Greek guy with a MASSIVE cigar, he was swearing the fix was in after Rochester went up. The ref was Urs Maier.
Like you say, MLS teams can find another venue and still get a home game. Even if the pairings are chosen rather than drawn randomly, I'd like to see the home team chosen randomly. I just think one of several reasons that the later rounds don't get much excitement is that often the MLS fans, who are the fans the USSF needs to support the semifinals and finals in almost every case, haven't been able to follow their teams through the tournament. All of a sudden their team is hosting a semifinal, and the more-than-casual fan has no idea how they got there. This isn't the case every time, but it happens. Not that, as a San Jose fan, I know anything about the Open Cup semifinals.
Why don't people in the states care about the Open Cup? Even the main website doesn't even talk about it! There are no sites to talk about it! i would like to get more info on the cup, and better stil WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! lol cheers
we're all agree the USOC doesn't get enough media coverage the way it is worth the question is how it could be changed and unfortunately i can't see a way either than a goverment's interference since the media prefer to show every lousy almost meaningless boring say D-rays baseball game it is up to the goverment(which represents the public) to promote this tournament and to start a soccer tradition in this huge country and since US soccer doesn't have any FA like in England or Israel for example,it should be a goverment campaign to promote soccer and especially the USOC the sad part is,that even the hardcore soccer fans in MLS intend to underestimate the cup it is only A -League and divisions below fans that seems to have passion with the USOC
Don't know if you've noticed but (a) the Devil Rays just won 12 straight before Thursday (b) even they average twice as much as a US Open Cup match. And, no, that's not the role of government. Maybe in your part of the world, but not here. Next.
(a) well,good for them every once in a while i do take a look at the MLB standings to see by how many games the beloved yanx are leading but really baseball is exciting only in the playoffs starting october (b) that's because they are having the media's exposure which the USOC haven't so what r u suggesting?? to give it all up?? but ur correct on one thing,in my state and in many other countries,the goverments do interfere with local sports and that's only for the best interest on the country
Kenn,you don't have to be a proffessor to understand your system to promote soccer-SUCKS and the media is not helping either by:"who says we're not a soccer nation" crap your obviously not a soccer nation but you can be if you'll promote it right and what knowledge i don't have FCOL?? i only know there's not enough publicity for soccer in this country and that's why almost nobody(perhaps besides nuts like moi) gives a shyte on the most entertaining soccer tournament there is-the USOC if it doesn't bothering you-there's you are not really a soccer fan maybe a GREAT commentator but a fan? nah,and that's why i don't understand why ur bothering to write in this forum what you don't understand(or don't want to) is that it's the media job to promote soccer and if it doesn't do it's job,then it is the goverment's one to force them like it went at Japan 3 years ago