Eggs on Faces: The 2024 US Open Cup

*Author’s Note: Please ignore the tense changes. I wrote this over two days and I was going to publish this yesterday. Thank you for your understanding.*

Initially, I was planning on putting a short blurb about tonight’s US Open Cup match in my preview of this weekend’s game against the Philadelphia Union (keep your eyes out for that one). But as I thought about it on my drive home from Providence Park, I realized I would be doing the Cup a disservice; just like the top decision-makers within Major League Soccer. I didn’t do a preview for this game, but I can kind of kill two birds with one stone in this piece. So enjoy, because I’m very angry.

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Barack Obama likes to say “Let me be clear,” and he’s a pretty smart man. Like Obama, I would like to clarify why I’m angry. El Farolito SC is a club with history. Back in 1993, way before I was born, El Farolito lifted the US Open Cup under a different name. Calling them a “taco stand” or a “burrito truck” is very rude (even though it is true). They are now an amateur club filled with adult players, and they were drawn against Portland Timbers 2 for this round of the Cup. Timbers 2 has some talented players, but they’re all very young. This was a serious test for them, and they didn’t give up the fight. 

I’m not going to do a blow-by-blow of the highlights, but I am going to shine a light on some of the T2 players who really impressed me. Noah Santos got repeatedly hacked to bits while facing players twice his age. When he was able to get on the ball, he showed some incredible ball skills. He’s the top prospect in the academy for a reason. His growth is definitely something to watch over the coming years.

One player who routinely trains with the first team is Blake Pope. Tonight, he had the left side of defense on lock. I thought he fared very well against older and more experienced competition. Carver Miller made some incredible saves, and both goals that passed by him were free headers that he had no chance of saving. Max Eisenberg was a bright spot off the bench. Braxton Najib entered the game late on, and impressed me with his bravery on the ball. Keesean Ferdinand looks like the next T2 player to break into the first team. Not only did he score T2’s lone goal, he did a great job of carrying the ball forward from deep. Kyle Linhares is one of this year’s SuperDraft picks, and he showed a lot of good ball-carrying ability despite missing a last-minute chance that could’ve tied the game. All in all, it was a solid showing from T2 tonight, considering the opponent.

Poor Harvey Neville. He looked comfortable but collected his second yellow card 8 minutes into the second half. Just something to learn from. It’s not solely his fault that T2 lost, but playing a man down against grown men certainly didn’t help their cause.

I watched this game from Section 96, aka the giant “N” in “PORTLAND.” This meant that I was next to the lone traveling supporter. 

This man was dedicated. Not only did he catch a flight up to Portland for the game, he spent an ungodly amount of time painting tifo for his club. He sang his heart out for the majority of the 90 minutes. This is what the Cup is all about. Any team who enters has a shot to win it. It’s a wonderful spectacle that every MLS team should be a part of. This is why I’m angry.

T2 weren’t the only MLS NEXTPRO team to lose to an amateur side tonight. Austin FC 2 and Chattanooga SC (Nashville’s affiliate) also lost their games. This is more embarrassing to MLS than any Cal FC or Hollywood United disaster. US Open Cup is a legitimate trophy, and one that the entire country takes pride in competing for. Sending out reserve teams to play against grown men is a gigantic embarrassment. But, unfortunately, MLS executives and owners don’t care. These games aren’t part of the Apple deal, and the clubs won’t see any money from them aside from ticket sales. I could go into a giant rant about how money isn’t everything, but nothing I say or do could change the minds of the higher-ups. They carry the most responsibility for tonight’s loss, and the T2 players/coaches will have to deal with a loss from a game they never had to play. The Open Cup winner gets an automatic berth in CONCACAF Champions Cup, and without a majority of senior teams competing only a select few can earn the opportunity to compete in North America’s biggest club competition. Tonight, MLS lost. They lost on several metaphorical own goals that were completely preventable. I hope that these games get brought up to them for months and years on end so they feel as badly as the academy players that they sent out to play against grown men. Congratulations to El Farolito. T2, keep your heads up. MLS higher-ups, go to hell. Soccer in this country deserves better.

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