It must be said, this was a rather disappointing week for the A-League in the Open Cup. A lot of people had tipped Hershey and Charleston to topple their MLS opposition in the quarterfinals but it wasn't to be. Milwaukee was also widely thought to have had an excellent chance for the upset but managed to lose in the most agonizing and arbitrary manner- penalties. D.C. United soundly defeated the Wildcats with, of all players, Chris Albright playing a large role for the MLS club. As far as New England's win over Charleston I think I echo the sentiments of many around the league who like to think things could have been very different if this match had been staged at Blackbaud.
A lot of things could've happened that would've made the A-League look much better in the Open Cup this week but, unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. Things did go the way of the Riverhounds and Kickers, though, as each beat A-League opposition to move on in the tournament. The 'Hounds upended the home-standing El Paso Patriots 2-1 while Richmond knocked off the upstart Connecticut Wolves by the same score.
I know there had to be many fans out there besides me that were hoping to see the Wolves win against Richmond to continue their "Little Engine that could" routine but travelling to Richmond after last week was likely too much for this team. They've hit a noticeably shaky patch since a promising start to the season and I think many around the league are holding their breath waiting for the possible collapse.
The toughest moment in Charleston's disappointing loss had to be an Alan Woods clearance that saved the Revs from overtime. Woods, you'll remember, was nicked from the Coppertops in the buildup to this season. So for those counting out there that's two outstanding, by A-League standards, defenders that the Battery have lost this year (Scott Cannon being the other man). The fact that the Battery had to travel to Foxboro also rubbed some the wrong way considering that in the past the lower seed in these rounds of the tournament has been the host.
Hershey and their fans were likely just as upset by this same thing occurring yet in quite different circumstances. The Wildcats were left at the mercy of D.C. United as they were given the option to host their match. Instead, United took their act on the road to Richmond and while some would claim a chance for cost effectiveness it smacks of opportunism. D.C. did not want to play on "the road" at Hershey, which happens to be turning itself into one of the premier A-League venues in the land.
The other A-League clubs either played against each other or were handed tough home losses. Milwaukee certainly had chances to down the Earthquakes but were unable to seize their limited chances. Ironically, neither could San Jose as the match went to overtime then into penalty kicks.
Now, I know we have a clogged schedule as it is but not nearly as bad as in, say, England or Spain or the rest of the world where soccer is played year round. This is why I think if we forced ourselves into it we could accomplish a nine or ten month schedule and afford the time to have replays in cup matches instead of a lottery that showcases skills that can be learned by even the most humble of bench players. I'm not demanding replays, though, I would go for extra golden goal periods with two extra substitutions allowed per period or something else that involves the skill and flow of the game. Anything but this ridiculous drill that gives every soccer fan fits, after all I don't know about you but at World Cup 1994 or Women's World Cup 1999 I developed a few interesting murmurs thanks to that thing.
You'll have to excuse that brief rant for another one since the point I was originally driving at is the manner in which the A-League has been a little inconvenienced this year in the Open Cup. By all rights maybe Charleston should have hosted New England, maybe Hershey should have hosted D.C. United, and maybe, just maybe, Hershey, Rochester, El Paso, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Richmond, Milwaukee, and others shouldn't have had to play against fellow A-League squads in the last two rounds of the Cup. Personally I always stick around for the Open Cup because it's fun seeing the match-ups you don't normally get in a meaningful game.
Part of the beauty of this tournament has been the ability to give the little guys more of a chance against their more or less upwardly mobile neighbors. It's kind of like giving the local pick up team a chance to play the regional "select" squad except everyone's usually got some snappy threads not just the gracious team from an upper level.
It's obvious that some teams, and I'm not naming any teams even though some reside inside the Beltway and the Foxboro area, have gotten to the point where they want to limit any and all chances of being upset by supposedly inferior teams. This has less to do with the players on these teams, it would appear, than their image conscious management.
Kudos to the management of clubs like the Metrostars who took their visit to Blackbaud in stride even though they walked out 4-1 losers and some of them were a bit more sore about it than others. At least they took the chance in coming down and perhaps gaining some respect and maybe a handful of new fans even though they lost. You see the sport here is still in the stages of building its fan-base. There's little real point in playing a match in front of 1200 fans when there could be five or six thousand watching. Besides, I think we all know that if it actually cost Kraft money to open up Foxboro for this match we're watching it in Charleston.
It may sound like sour grapes to some and I'm sure it does but the big appeal of this tournament is the same thing that keeps basketball fans tuning in to the NCAA Tournament year after year in massive numbers. It's the chance to see something special, the underdog beating the ubermensch, Cinderella slipping into the Glass Slipper, or just the opportunity to see a game or a team that they wouldn't likely see in normal circumstances. The point is this there's an inherent integrity to this Open Cup tournament but the longer it heads on a course that makes it a virtual MLS invitational the more it loses some of its charm and character. The lower division teams are as much a part of the show as anyone and they need to be afforded some of the same opportunities of their upper league brethren.
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