US Open Cup Final Preview

The U.S. Open Cup is a unique tournament, pitting professional superstars against pub league amateurs in a one-off, single elimination tournament. In this year's edition (following preliminary qualifiers), 12 MLS sides, 14 minor league professional sides, 8 college summer league qualifiers, and 8 amateur champions partook, leaving Chicago Fire and Los Angeles Galaxy to do battle for the Dewar Trophy, the longest continuously-awarded trophy in the United States, stretching back to 1914. Along the way, MLS sides survived scares in hostile minor-league grounds, and CD Chivas USA earned the dubious honor of being the first MLS team to lose to an amateur team, when they drew Roma FC 0-0 and lost on penalty kicks.

How they got here
Chicago defeated: Kansas City (MLS) 2-0, New England (MLS) 2-1, DC United (MLS) 3-0
Los Angeles defeated: Roma FC (Amateur) 2-0, Colorado (MLS) 3-1 aet, Houston (MLS) 3-1

In league play, Fire are the hottest team in the league, only losing once twice since the All-Star break nearly two months ago. The Fire beat LA 2-1 on Saturday to win the season series (the two sides tied 1-1 in LA in April.) Los Angeles's fortunes are decidedly reversed. Last season's double winners sit in the Western Conference basement, with an 11th trip to the playoffs all but mathematically impossible with 3 matches to go. So with the history behind us, who will have the impact on the game?

Los Angeles: Landon Donovan. Donovan is the center of his team. The offense revolves around him, he scored on SAturday in a 2-1 loss, and without him, LA would likely be much worse than their record shows. However, Landon has a history of mailing it in in big games (World Cup, playoffs, etc.) For LA to win, Donovan has to have a great game, and I think he has to score, because Galaxy don't have a lot of weapons to work with.

Chicago: Matt Pickens. Pickens has started in net for all of Chicago's Open Cup games and has keyed the Fire's stretch run following regular starter Zach Thornton's injury. There is now a goalkeeper controversy in Chicago, where stability between the posts has reigned since 1998. His GAA has been 0.625 in that time, and he'll be tested again tonight.

Intangible stat: Only one team in the MLS era has won the Open Cup Final on the road (The 2003 Chicago Fire won at New York), and the Fire have never lost a home Open Cup game in club history.

My pick: Fire 2-0.

MLS Weekend Picks

Alright, I don't really feel like doing these because I've got a lot to do today, but ever since I discovered that I have international readers (Gutentag, Deutschland!), I feel a strange obligation. So here we go. I have a more or less 50-50 record so far, but now that we know how teams are playing down the stretch, I'm starting over at 0-0. If I'm one off, ie) picking a Colorado win, and Colorado tie, then I'm giving myself a point, in the true nature of ties. Six league matches on tap this weekend, so let's go.

Columbus Crew: Houston Dynamo
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

Columbus is done. Stick a fork in them. They're 7 points back with 6 matches to go, so while this is technically being billed as a "must-win" game for the Crew, I think Houston needs this more than Columbus do, because Dynamo is cold as shit. Columbus has actually won more of their last 5 matches than Houston has. This has all the makings of a 1-1 snoozefest.


My pick: Tie





DC United: Red Bull New York
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, DC

Leave it to Red Bull to make a "rivalry" game completely meaningless. By losing 2-0 at home against New England midweek, New York has more or less put themselves out of the playoff picture. They're 1 point back of Kansas City, but I have little reason to think that RBNY can turn it around with a record of 1-3-1 in their last 5. DC already has the Atlantic Cup rivalry wrapped up with a record against Red Bull this season of 2-0-2. DC may be a shadow of their first half self, going 2-3-6 since the All-Star Break. DCU is also holding a reunion of the 1996 MLS Cup Championship United team that was MLS's first Cup Champion, so I would imagine the players and fans would get up for that. United can also clinch first place in the East, and home field advantage throughout the Cup Playoffs with a win.


My Pick: United





New England Revolution: Kansas City Wizards
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

Another battle of two teams fighting for playoff position who really look like they don't want to go. Both have been only slightly above average in their last few outings. NE: 3-1-1, KC: 2-1-2. KC holds fourth position and is the largest argument for a reduced playoff field, as they are 4 games under .500 with 4 matches to go. I'm picking New England, but only because I think their midweek win buoyed them.

My Pick: New England (dumbass blogspot wouldn't let me upload my stupid picture....prehaps an omen for KC?)

FC Dallas: Real Salt Lake
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX

FCD can clinch a playoff berth with a win. Real needs a win to keep pace with Colorado and Chivas USA. Real has had some luck against FCD, snatching a win last week at Rice-Eccles, but have lost in their previous trip to Frisco. Dallas has the talent, but Real needs it more.


My pick: Tie





Chicago Fire: Los Angeles Galaxy
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL

Landon Donovan sets competitive foot on the pitch at Harlem Bridge for the first time after faking an injury so his lack of talent wouldn't be exposed by a far superior Chelsea team at the All-Star game. The MLS All-Stars obliged him by showing that they could win without him. Chicago is the hottest team in the league, having gone 9-1-1 in their last 11 matches (including Open Cup). Expect reserve sides for the Fire since a playoff spot is more or less locked up (9 points clear of the drop with 4 matches to go), and the US Open Cup Final against the Gals is Wednesday. Now, LA would field a reserve side, but they need to win to make the playoffs (6 points back) I like the Gals to win Saturday, but the Fire to take the rematch in the Final on Wednesday.



My Pick: Galaxy (maybe a tie)




CD Chivas USA: Colorado Rapids
Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
As of late, Chivas is the hottest team in the league (3-1-1 over last 5). While Colorado only got past Chicago last week because of a Jimmy Curtin own goal in the 3rd minute. I like Chivas....to win. I hate those racist bastards.



My Pick: Chivas USA

Midweek Pick

Red Bull New York: New England Revolution
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

I'm going to go one step further here. With New England in third place, only three points up on Red Bull in fifth, I'm going to say that if either team loses this game, they likely won't make the playoffs in a tight Eastern Conference race. New York will be too far behind, and New England will have been playing too poorly down the stretch. That being said, I think New England is already playing too cold, and is in too great freefall to turn it around. They're the coldest team in MLS right now. I like Red Bull, 1-0.

Alternates?

If there's one thing that adidas botched in their MLS contract this season was to not allow third or change kits (Chivas being an exception). However, when the red/white Fire play the red/white FC Dallas, or next season, the red/white Toronto FC, it can lead to confusion, as such, I've designed a few concepts for next season's change shirt, combined with my wish that the Fire include more blue.

Weekend Picks

My picks for Saturday
Columbus Crew @ Red Bull New York
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ



My Pick: TIE





FC Dallas @ Real Salt Lake
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT



My Pick: RSL



Colorado Rapids @ Los Angeles Galaxy
Home Depot Center, Carson, CA


My Pick: Galaxy 2-1





My picks for Sunday
DC United @ Chicago Fire
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL


My Pick: Fire




CD Chivas USA @ Houston Dynamo
Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX


My Pick: Chivas

Midweek Predictions again, finally

OK, so it's been a while since I made predictions (Week 7 I think), but as we sit here in week 25, I think it's time to start up again as the road to the playoffs heats up. Every club is still alive for a berth in the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs, which will start at the end of October.

Colorado Rapids: Chicago Fire
Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, CO

Chicago won the first meeting 1-0 in Bridgeview, but has not won in Colorado in 5 years. With the Fire riding an 8-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1, 4-0-1 in League Play), the Rapids need this game a lot more than the Fire do. Chicago has a 4-point cusion in 2nd place in the East, and can clinch a playoff berth this week with a Columbus win and a win against Colorado and DC on Sunday. I'm not sure I can see Fire dropping this one, but wouldn't be surprised. I'm calling a 1-0 win.

Prediction: Fire

FC Dallas:Chivas USA
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX

The final meeting of the season between C-USA and FCD could go either way as both teams are playing well and have split their season series 1-1-1. Chivas has had a slightly better series of results in league play recently, and are coming off last week's draw in Carson. I'm leaning towards a tie, but I'm going to pick Dallas to lock up a playoff spot at home.

Prediction: FCD

New England Revolution: DC United
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

United looked like a juggernaut in the beginning of the season, steamrolling teams and with their sights set on a domestic treble. Now, United is looking very beatable. While United have already clinched a playoff spot, they are only 2-2-5 since the All-Star break. New England on the other hand, is in the playoff fight of their life with 6 games to play. New England almost always turns it on late in the season, so I'm calling a 2-1 win for the Revs.

MLS approves ads on front of jerseys.

According to reports, MLS has authorized placement of advertisements for shirt sponsors on the front of jerseys. While this may mean no change to Red Bull New York, who already engages in this practice, what could it hold for the rest of the league? Surprisingly, I think that this move could be carried out in a pretty sharp and classy manner. So while taking some time out of my work day, here's what I've come up with.

FC Dallas looks somewhat snazzy in a simplified RadioShack shirt sponsor. After 4 titles and an unprecedented run of success, sticking with one look their entire franchise history, I can't see DC adding a shirt sponsor in the near future.
Los Angeles with Budweiser.


New England switches from Sierra Mist to Pepsi because frankly, I couldn't find the new Sierra Mist logo in a way that would look tasteful. For Real, I thought about adding Jack Daniels as a joke, but ended up going with Benq Siemens, Real Madrid's sponsor.

Honda has been the Fire's shirt sponsor for years. While Chivas USA has never had a shirt sponsor, Chivas de Guadalajara is sponsored by Mexican sweets manufacturer Bimbo.

Shell of America is based in Houston, so I chose them for Houston's shirt sponsor. Sprint is based in Overland Park, Kansas, home of the Wizards' new stadium.

Despite the move to Commerce City, Invesco would make a classy sponsor for the Rapids. As for Columbus, the only answer seems to be a hardware store for "America's Hardest Working Team." Not to mention their stadium could use some home improvements.