A dominant Seattle Sounders crew is in Philadelphia to face a resurgent Union squad within the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ultimate. ASN’s Brooke Tunstall spoke to gamers on each groups about tonight’s match.
BY
Brooke Tunstall
Posted
September 16, 2014
1:42 PM
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THE TWO FINALISTS in tonight’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ultimate (7:30pm ET; Gol TV) present a research in contrasts.
The Philadelphia Union bought off to a sluggish begin in 2014—only one win and eight factors via 11 video games—and the membership was nonetheless floundering after firing head coach John Hackworth when it entered Open Cup play in mid-June. However the crew gutted out some wins over decrease division competitors and have used that momentum to show its season round. The Union host tonight’s ultimate driving a four-game unbeaten streak and are tied with Columbus for the fifth and ultimate playoff spot within the Jap Convention.
The Sounders, in the meantime, bought off to a sizzling begin and have been at or close to the highest of the Western Convention all season. The membership at the moment has the most effective file within the league and is seeking to grow to be the primary MLS crew to win a treble—claiming the Open Cup, Supporter’s Protect for the league’s finest common season file, and MLS Cup in the identical season.
Tonight’s contest marks the Sounders’ fifth look within the Open Cup ultimate because it joined MLS in 2009, whereas that is the primary ultimate of any form for the Union, which joined the league in 2010.
“This is a great opportunity for our organization, our fans, and us as players to get a chance to play in the team’s first-ever final,” stated midfielder Amobi Okugo, who has been with the Union since its first sport. “It’s very exciting to be able to play this final before our fans and have this chance to make history for them.”
Whereas Sounders gamers are keenly conscious of the historic potentialities, for now their sole focus is on lifting a trophy tonight.
“One trophy at a time,” Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso said. “Now it’s the Open Cup and after that we can focus on MLS and the other trophies. I’m here to focus on the Open Cup and the game (tonight).”
For Alonso, that is his sixth time enjoying within the Open Cup ultimate in simply seven professional seasons in america after defecting from Cuba. He started his profession right here in 2008 with the USL’s Charleston Battery and led that crew on a Cinderella run over a number of MLS groups earlier than it fell to D.C. United within the ultimate. Alonso joined the Sounders the next 12 months and has since performed in 4 extra finals, hoisting the cup 3 times.
“This is my sixth final,” he stated. “I’m happy to be here one more time in the final and hope (tonight) we can lift the trophy for Seattle.”
The Sounders superior to the Open Cup ultimate with a straightforward win over novice facet PSA Elite; bought previous the San Jose Earthquakes in penalty kicks; then had comparatively straightforward wins over the Portland Timbers and Chicago Hearth. Against this, the Union wanted extra-time to get previous the USL Professional’s Harrisburg’s Metropolis Islanders and NASL’s New York Cosmos; then it shut out New England earlier than going to Dallas and advancing to the ultimate on penalty kicks.
However in surviving and advancing, as Jim Valvano as soon as stated, the Union additionally discovered learn how to win.
“Definitely, it helped us (in league games). Our first couple of games in the Cup were overtime games and we had to put everything into them just to come away with a win,” stated veteran Conor Casey, who shall be enjoying in his first Open Cup ultimate.
“We weren’t getting results in the league,” he continued. “We just had a coaching change. So we were able to get confidence from those results and then go and get some wins in the league. The game against New England here and the game in Dallas in the Open Cup gave the team a lot of confidence.”
F.C. Dallas hadn’t misplaced since Might—a stretch of eight league video games and 4 cup video games—when it hosted the Union within the Open Cup semifinals final month, which made advancing extra particular for the Union.
“When we went down to Dallas they were playing really well,” stated Okugo. “They were unbeaten in like 10 in a row or something and the game was really hot. So to go down in those circumstances and come back with a—well, we didn’t win but we won on PKs. That gives you a lot of confidence.”
If their prior regular-season matchup is an indicator, tonight’s sport needs to be shut. Enjoying at residence on Might 10, the Sounders wanted a late purpose from Chad Marshall to defeat Philadelphia 2-1.
“They’re such a tough team,” stated Casey. “They’re so dangerous going forward. They have athleticism and experience, skill and size. You see why they have the most points in the league. It’s going to be tough to play against a good team playing well. But, we’re up for it and we and our team in general is quite a bit better (then when they played in the regular season). And with our fans, hopefully that makes a difference.”
For one Sounder, enjoying within the ultimate holds a novel high quality due to whom the match is now named after. The late Lamar Hunt owned, an authentic investor in MLS with Columbus, Kansas Metropolis, and finally Dallas, additionally owned the Dallas Sidekicks within the authentic North American Soccer League. Among the many gamers he signed within the early Seventies was a goalkeeper from Blackpool in England named Kenny Cooper.
Cooper was an All-NASL goalkeeper earlier than turning into knowledgeable coach within the indoor circuit. His son, after all, is Kenny, Jr., now a ahead with the Sounders and seeking to play within the Open Cup ultimate for the primary time.
“For me personally to be part of a competition that has Lamar Hunt’s name on the trophy is very special,” the youthful Cooper stated at a press convention yesterday. “Lamar brought my father here to the States back in the ’70s, and he played his entire career for Lamar. … It would be very special for me to lift that trophy, and hopefully I’ll get that chance.”
Brooke Tunstall is an American Soccer Now contributing editor and ASN 100 panelist. You possibly can observe him on Twitter.
