2008 U.S. Open (and Coffee Pot) Cup Final Preview

By: Daryl | September 3rd, 2008

The U.S. Open Cup makes me sad. Sad because the majority of MLS teams don’t take it seriously enough. It’s a problem that’s been blogged to death but never solved. One recent advance was to grant the winners a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, which works for me, but apparently not for the MLS teams.

Despite its odd unpopularity, this is a trophy that answers most of the problems soccer fans have with MLS and American soccer in general:

For example, American soccer is perceived as having no tradition. American professional leagues have been stop-start and unconnected, but the Open Cup stretches back – without a break – all the way to 1914. That’s 94 years of history right there (and the trophy itself is awesome hardware, look at the size of that thing, poor Tony Sanneh can barely lift it.)

American soccer also (rightly) gets bashed for the lack of a promotion/relegation setup. There’s no social mobility for the teams. But the U.S. Open Cup gives USL teams and lower (theoretically any affiliated American amateur club can get into the competition, like the FA Cup) the chance to compete against MLS teams. Which is exactly what’s happening in tonight’s final.

And in many ways it’s the perfect Open Cup final:

USL 1 team Charleston Battery face DC United for the trophy tonight at RFK Stadium. It’s only the second time a non-MLS team has made the final since MLS began (Rochester (Raging) Rhinos won it in 1999). So we have an underdog going for glory.

DC United on the other hand are one of the few MLS teams to take this trophy seriously. They’ve fielded strong lineups in every round and essentially been out to win it. Which makes a change.

There’s even a sub-plot: The Coffee Pot Cup. In 1999, the Battery pulled off an upset by beating DC United 4-3 at home after extra time in this same competition. The DC players were apparently so pissed with the defeat that they trashed the visitors dressing room, breaking two coffee pots and ripping off the shower heads. And so an MLS-USL rivalry was born, and whenever the two sides meet (in a friendly or in the Open Cup) the supporters of the winning team drink from a coffee pot that’s been filled with beer by the losing fans.

I swear I’m not making this up. It’s a great example of how US Soccer and its fans are developing a solid supporter culture of (mostly) friendly rivalry, and how these things usually stem from controversy followed by humour, as opposed to stemming from pre-conceived corporate ideas.

If the Battery can beat DC United in the US Open Cup Final and in DC’s own RFK Stadium (the venue by luck of the draw) it will be just about the ultimate Coffee Pot Cup victory possible.

American viewers can watch on Fox Soccer Channel, kick off is 7:30pm Eastern.