Thursday, May 14, 2015

US Open Cup, Americana

The 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup started in earnest last night. Each year we are seeing the availability of the games in the early rounds grow - and right along side is my hunger for early round games. There is something overwhelmingly American about the US Open Cup. Everybody in. Everybody has a chance. Nowhere else in US sports does this exist. I tend to think of this as more the future and not a forgotten relic of the past. A living, breathing Unicorn.

Last night I found myself jumping between a games played indoors in Pontiac, Michigan, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. New Jersey. Ventura County. Western Massachusetts, Reading, Pennsylvania. Each venue offered window into the heart and soul of, not just soccer in this country, but of the United States herself. Combine that with the very nature of the event and you have my favorite goddamn event of the year.

2nd Round kicks off May 20th. Recently affiliated-with-MLS (trying-to-set-up-minor-league-but-over-my-dead-body) teams from United Soccer League join the party. A week after that (May 27th) is when the NASL jumps in before MLS tries to crash the party.

Wiki keeps good track of all the results. Last year Columbus faced the Indy Eleven in Akron, in what was my favorite match of the year. These games actually matter. They are awesome. Did I mention this is my favorite thing? It is. Get in on it before Adam Silver and the NBA do their own version and destroy all the fun.

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