US Open Cup Redux

I've said before and I'll say again: One of my favorite sporting events in the country is the U.S. Open Cup. Even more than the NCAA basketball tournament, the Open Cup is the ultimate test of sporting dominance in the US. It's comprised of teams from every level of U.S. Soccer from amateur beer-league sides to MLS champions, and they all have to play each other.

For the first year in a long time, though, I'm nervous about our first game. We have to go and play the Mid-Michigan Bucks in Michigan... and this team is still trying to get its head out of its ass offensively. There's no reason that the Bucks should score on us, as we have a good defense. But we have NO forwards of note. Jason Garey and Kei Kamara are both forwards of the US model, which means they run around trying to set up the perfect shot instead of being strong off the ball and being in the right place at the right time. If it goes to PKs, which I think it will, then they have as good a chance against Noah Palmer as we will against whoever their keeper is.

So, yeah. I'm nervous. But perhaps a loss in the Open Cup is exactly what our boys will need to galvanize them to turn things around. Let's put it this way... it can't get too much worse.