Chester, Pa. – D.C. United’s search for their fourth U.S. Open Cup title came to a soggy end on Tuesday evening, as the Black-and-Red allowed a pair of second-half goals en route to a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union.
If you’re a casual fan, you’ve either never heard of the Open Cup or maybe have fuzzy memories of it from 2013, when United claimed the USOC title while simultaneously putting together the worst season in MLS history.
The tournament is the oldest continuously operating soccer competition in the United States, among the oldest in the world. It pits teams from all walks of the American soccer landscape against each other. Any club—so long as it’s affiliated with U.S. Soccer—can compete, whether an amateur, a lower-division professional club, or an MLS squad. Much like the NCAA basketball tournaments, the Open Cup’s charm lies in the potential for upsets, which can sometimes be massive. Every year, without fail, several MLS clubs fall to much weaker opposition.
The Open Cup, of course, is played during the MLS season—when clubs like D.C. United are already stretched thin by a busy summer schedule and injury concerns. With the ultimate goal for most clubs being a playoff berth and eventually an MLS Cup championship, the competition has lost much of its luster, and top-flight teams typically march out B or even C sides for these games, saving their first-choice players for league play.
Case and point: United’s round of 16 encounter with Philly last night came smack dab in the middle of their busiest road stretch of the year. Just days after battling to a 0-0 draw in Toronto, D.C. traveled to Philly for the match and will leave at noon today for Seattle, where they’ll take on the Sounders on Friday evening.
D.C.’s reserve-heavy lineup—featuring still-developing players like Jalen Robinson and Luke Mishu—were instant underdogs to Philly, who used most of their first-choice starting XI. Much as D.C. were in 2013, the Union are mired in a sub-par campaign and clearly view the Open Cup as an opportunity to salvage some joy from an otherwise forgettable year.
The match got off to an eventful start—just 15 minutes in, a powerful summer storm rolled through the area, and multiple lightning strikes postponed the match for some 45 minutes. The smattering of fans that showed for the match scattered, taking refuge under the stands or on the concourses. Union supporters danced, chanted and drank under the southern end of the stadium, making for a raucous scene.
Just ten minutes after play resumed, United would be handed an early gift: Union danger man C.J. Sapong was issued a questionable red card after a 50-50 challenge with D.C. defender Kofi Opare—a booking that nearly everyone in attendance (including myself) questioned.
In the 28th minute, D.C. capitalized: Jairo Arrieta found himself well-positioned to clean up a deflected Miguel Aguilar cross, smashing it home for the opener. Up a man with 60 minutes remaining, United likely should’ve preserved the result, reserve lineup aside.
But that wouldn’t happen. An inspired Union side came storming back, first nabbing their equalizer in the 56th-minute—an Eric Ayuk strike from ten yards out—and then the game-winner, a 79th-minute tally by second half substitute Fabinho.
The loss helps clear United’s summer and fall docket of non-league games, but the club is still involved in another extra-curricular tournament—CONCACAF Champions League. Group play in the tournament begins will begin in August and September, and United will have to find a way, once again, to balance the rigors of league play with an outside competition—hopefully with a bit more success this time.
