The US Open Cup final match is tonight at 8pm…Orlando City FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC.
In true Cup fashion, this match has already delivered on the highly unusual David vs. Goliath story. Unusual in the US soccer world anyway. I’ve written before about what’s so unique and intriguing about the Open Cup — the only consequential opportunity for amateur teams to compete against the pros — but it’s not often that one of those lower league teams makes it to the finals. So first, hats off to Sacramento RFC who took out MLS clubs like LA Galaxy and Sporting KC on the road to tonight’s match.
But there’s even more that’s of interest about the outcome of this match. Sacramento plays in the United Soccer League (USL), which is like the overly aggressive just-won’t-die, broke cousin of the MLS. They don’t have the money, but they do apparently have the grit. So which league is really better?
That’s not quite like a AAA baseball team playing the Yankees because the MLS is not on the level of MLB, but it’s more similar than not. And I have to say it again, what makes this final Cup match so important is only that it’s happening in the US. Every year in European futbol lower division teams get a chance to move up and professional teams have to fear being demoted. The very real threat of being beaten from below is a constant reminder of the limits of the almighty dollar (sorry, Man City fans).
It’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of the MLS. So I understand why, with all the incredible European league games and even the Champions league in full swing, you’d have a hard time tuning in to watch 90+ minutes of even a final match among American teams, but for anyone who cares about American futbol writ large, who isn’t from Orlando, you should definitely give a damn about the outcome of this match.