The Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in North American soccer. It predates Major League Soccer by 82 years, the CONCACAF Champions Cup by 48 and the World Cup—the biggest trophy in all of soccer—by 16. Anyone who says American soccer has no history simply hasn’t checked in on the U. S. Open Cup.
Open to amateur and professional teams across the United States, the U. S. Open Cup is one of the few tournaments that unites the various levels of the U. S. Soccer pyramid. High-flying MLS teams like Inter Miami face off against hard-scrabble lower-division sides like Union Omaha and South Georgia Tormenta FC. This year’s edition saw second-division Indy Eleven of Indianapolis advance all the way to the semifinal round—a strong showing that added credence to Indianapolis’s purported bid for an MLS franchise.
The final, though, is set to be contested by two MLS Western Conference powerhouses: Los Angeles FC and Sporting Kansas City. Both enter this match down on their luck after a poorer-than-expected end to their MLS campaigns, but both could redeem their season—and make U. S. Open Cup history—with a win.
LAFC enters this match with home field advantage. It’s never won the U.S. Open Cup and would lift the trophy for the first time if it beats Kansas City at home. With recent MLS results looking shaky, LAFC needs the confidence boost that a first-time victory would bring, but it’s trying its best to not get overwhelmed by the occasion.
“Nothing matters prior to this and Wednesday (the final) has nothing to do with what happens after,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said in a press conference, via mlssoccer.com. “It’s just one night where we’re going to come together and give it our best.”
Key to LAFC’s attack is World Cup winner Olivier Giroud. He arrived during the summer to much fanfare and is settling into his role as a mentor as well as a scorer.
“To be honest with you, I’ve been impressed by the intensity of the game,” Giroud told the Guardian of his first few weeks in the States. “There is really this desire to always go forward and score goals. It’s nice for strikers and for the fans. And there’s quality. There are great players.”
Giroud already scored in one trophy match this season as he got his debut LAFC goal against Columbus in the Leagues Cup final. Columbus fought back to win the game in the end, but Giroud’s killer instinct could be the difference maker as he and LAFC suit up for another final.
Kansas City, meanwhile, can make another kind of history if it wins. It’s got four U. S. Open Cup titles to its name and will tie the all-time record—set by Bethlehem Steel in 1926 and Maccabee Los Angeles in 1981—if it takes home a fifth.
“Our goal will be to control the game and to find maybe the right balance in the game between defending and attacking; that’s going to be key for us,” said Kansas City midfielder Erik Thommy, via mlssoccer.com. “Of course we are the underdog. We are playing away, they have the home advantage.”
LAFC and Sporting Kansas City will contest the 109th U. S. Open Cup on Wednesday, September 25 at 10:30pm ET. A new chapter of American soccer history will be written no matter which team takes home the prize.
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