It was a cool, crisp night just south of Philadelphia on Tuesday, one that was made for soccer.
The best team in Major League Soccer, the Seattle Sounders, were taking on the hometown Union under the bright lights of PPL Park, but this was no ordinary regular season game. No, the stakes were much higher this particular night – the team knew it and the fans knew it.
Both teams were fighting for one of the United States’ most prized soccer honors, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. To the casual soccer fan, it might be unfamiliar, or fail to even carry the same weight as some other famed tournaments, but soccer purists know its rich history and why players pine to win it. The knockout-style tournament is for American soccer clubs and is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the country – and the third oldest continual soccer tournament in the world.
While Lamar Hunt is best known for coining the phrase “Super Bowl” and owning the Kansas City Chiefs, he was also an avid soccer supporter. So much so, that in 1999 the US Open Cup officially adopted his name to its title, in honor of the National Soccer Hall of Famer, whose family still operates two MLS teams, the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas. Sure, the U.S. Open Cup comes with a $250,000 bonus to the winner and $60,000 to the runner-up – however, it’s not about that.
The cup has been handed off to some of the country’s best players, from Billy Gonsalves to Alexi Lalas, as well as the best clubs. The first team to win the tournament was the Brooklyn Field Club, back in 1914, when the award was called the National Challenge Cup. Since that time, no team has won the championship more than Bethlehem Steel F.C. and Maccabi Los Angeles, both of which had five.
But recently, it’s been all the Seattle Sounders – and last night was no different.
Entering the US Open Cup Finals match against Philadelphia, Seattle had claimed the trophy three of the previous six years and were heavily favored to do so once again. On the other side of things, it was the Union’s first trip to the Finals – in fact, it was the clubs first shot at a championship. This city was no stranger to the US Open Cup, however. Nine US Open Cup Finals had been played in Philadelphia, the last of which took place 51 years ago. 10 if you count Bethlehem, located 50 miles west of the city.
The Union came out on fire and appeared determined to mark their place in history. Maurice Edu kicked off the scoring in the 38th minute, giving Philadelphia an early 1-0 lead. As the ball passed by Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, the stadium exploded, shaking the press box and suite area.
However, it was short-lived.
The Sounders came out in the second half and proved why they’re a dominant club. Within just two minutes, Seattle found the back of the net, off the foot of Chad Barrett. After several near-misses by both sides, the match headed to extra time, where United States Men’s National Team captain – and hero – Clint Dempsey beat Union goaltender Zac MacMath. The Sounders would add one more before the final whistle, ensuring their fourth US Open Cup in franchise history.
“[It feels] good,” Dempsey explained. “It’s my first US Open Cup. For us, this season, we talked about trying to win the US Open Cup, trying to win the Supporters Shield, trying to win the MLS Cup. It’s one step and we’ve got two more things we want to accomplish – but it feels good!”
If the Sounders can win all three, it would be the first team to ever accomplish the feat.
“[Winning the U.S. Open Cup as captain] is not something I’ve ever thought about,” Sounders captain Brad Evans admitted. “You could put the armband on any of our starting 11 and everybody is going to respect that player and listen, that’s a testament of a good team… but it’s definitely an honor.”
As the Sounders were presented with their prize, it was the Union who earned the applause from those who remained in the stands. But it was short-lived as Seattle took the stage and began to celebrate, as about 500 of their supporters joined in from the stands. Once the formal ceremonies were through, the Sounders cheers echoed around the halls as the team approached the locker room.
“It was a man’s game tonight,” Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtain said in a postgame interview. “I didn’t want to be one of those teams that does the old, get your medal and leave, or even worse, leave before you get your medal. Just to be respectful that it was a good game… Seattle is the champion.”
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports and a movie quote extraordinaire. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
