US Open Cup: Pub v. Pulpit

Chances are that if you turn to your local newspaper’s sports coverage today there will be nary a word about the first round of the US Open Cup. A competition dating back to 1914, the US Open Cup largely exists in obscurity, at least in the first few rounds until the MLS teams enter the fray when it then usually garners a couple of paragraphs worth of attention.

The lack of media coverage and interest is a shame because like a lot of domestic cup competitions some of the best stories and the most excitement come from the opening rounds where teams from the amateur ranks take on teams from the United Soccer League First and Second Divisions. Players who spend their working days holding down real jobs get to show their stuff against soccer players who earn salaries, albeit probably not as much as the guys with the real jobs.

One of the more intriguing first round matches this year features an amateur team from Jacksonville, Florida called Lynch’s Irish Pub. There isn’t much information floating around about the team itself, but they did beat last year’s darlings Dallas Roma FC 4-0 in qualifying. My Web searches have also revealed that if you are ever in Jacksonville and are in need of a Guinness apparently the pub is the place to go. Most of the players on the team, however, are not allowed to frequent it. The average age of the team is 20 years old.

Lynch’s Irish Pub’s opponent in the first round is the Charlotte Eagles. Playing in the USL Second Division, the Eagles are more than just a soccer team. They are a traveling group of Christian missionaries that features players from Zimbabwe, Eritrea, and Colombia.

A pub team versus and evangelical Christian team. That is what makes a competition like the US Open Cup so much fun.

The first round matches.

Some Related Stories:

Category: World Football