Dear Seattle, it's been quite a year for you all up there. After all, an expansion team is not supposed to do what you all did. I have to give you "props' big-time! Seriously, out of the box the Seattle fans came out and supported a well-designed and well-staffed team, hammering all MLS attendance records.

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There were some around the Sounders message boards and blogs that thought I underrated the USL players. At the end of the year though, none were starters. But one fell from being a starter (though likely just due to the health of other players) and another worked his way up from token nod to the past to becoming a key player on the club during the last third of the season.

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National Soccer Hall of Fame Press Release:
ONEONTA, NY (November 2, 2009) – Two FIFA Women's World Cup champions, two men from the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, five North American Soccer League alumni, and a 7-time winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the 1920s and 1930s are featured on the Election 2010 Veteran Player Ballot the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. Click to continue reading...

Robbie Findley - MLS Player of the Week

Conference Semifinals Begin

Finally, after seven months of play the real contest for Major League Soccer bragging rights begins on Thursday night in Seattle. Who would have thought that Seattle, the newest team in the league, would be playing post-season?

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After 28 regular season Major League Soccer matches, two international exhibitions and a run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller still feels pretty good. Not bad for a 39-year-old.
Mullitude? Click to continue reading...

Big Story
What is it acceptable for fans to chant at football matches? I (hope!) we can all agree there are clearly some things that should always be out of bounds anywhere in the world, such as racist chanting/abuse, and some countries (hello, Italy and Spain) have more work to do than others.

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There was a huge line just before the gates opened tonight at Arrowhead.
CD Guadalajara (Chivas) topped archrivals Club America 2-1 Wednesday night in front of a raucous crowd of 26,119 in the Clasico Bud Light at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. America opened the scoring in the 53rd minute before two late strikes propelled Chivas to a dramatic 2-1 win. Click to continue reading...

The United States is sometimes derided for its lack of football culture and traditions. For at least one night, the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup filled that void admirably as Seattle Sounders F.C. defeated D.C. United 2-1 in the 96th edition of the oldest competition in American football.
Spurred by a war of words between the two team's front offices, the game drew more interest than the U. Click to continue reading...

It's been an eventful year for the Seattle Sounders who are the newest team added to the MLS this season. They came on strong early on and made a name for themselves. Being sponsored by XBOX help increase their popularity as well. But now they can add U.S. Open Cup winners to their rap sheet.

Seattle Sounders captain (18) Kasey Keller raises the trophy after the Lamar Hunt U.

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Sounders victory lap saluting their travelling supporters.
View from the Press Box,
By Ben Canada
Congratulations to the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winners, Seattle Sounders FC, this is the first piece of silverware for the club playing its first year of existence as an organization in MLS. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
Seattle went on the road to DC and captured the US Open Cup! Congratulations to the Sounders! (Even though as a Minnesota Thunder fan it burns my fingers just to type those words.)
LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
The game for the Cup!
FINAL
Match & Score:
-Wed Sep 2
DC United 1-2 Seattle Sounders FC - DCU goal by Clyde Simms. Click to continue reading...

Second half goals by Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque decided the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship, as the Seattle Sounders held on to beat DC United 2-1 in the final match at RFK Stadium Wednesday night. It is the first trophy for the expansion franchise and sends them to next year's CONCACAF Champions League. Click to continue reading...

Second half goals by Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque decided the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship, as the Seattle Sounders held on to beat DC United 2-1 in the final match at RFK Stadium Wednesday night. It is the first trophy for the expansion franchise and sends them to next year's CONCACAF Champions League.

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The expansion Seattle Sounders have added a trophy to an already remarkable first MLS season, winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory over D.C. United at RFK Stadium. With the win the Sounders -- who got their goals from Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque -- become only the second expansion franchise to win the U.

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This is actually the hardest sports post I have ever had to write. It is so difficult to focus on the words that are appropriate. Early tomorrow morning Sounders FC will land at Boeing Field as Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Champions. Throughout the day they will be on radio, they will be on TV. Tomorrow night [. Click to continue reading...

The longest running soccer competition in the United States is the Open Cup which allows teams from Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues to challenge for the Lamar Hunt Trophy. The 2009 Final took place at RFK Stadium with DC United challenging the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday September 2, 2009.

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STARTERS
Huge shout out to Brian & Stephanie Pederson on their wedding! Brian is a member of the PDL team Rochester Thunder, and a very cool guy! Congrats!
-We nicknamed Brian "The Farmer" years ago, but its all been in good fun, and he embraced us as fans!
LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
Final Match:
-Wed Sep 2
DC United v Seattle Sounders FC
Venue: RFK Stadium - Washington DC
dN
Jose Romero of the Seattle Times on the feud between the teams on who should host the final. Click to continue reading...

There has been much written about this year's Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, probably more than about any US Open Cup in the modern era. Unlike some johnny come lately sites who just discovered the tournament was worth their attention TheCup.us has spent years documenting every twist and turn of the pursuit of the Dewar Trophy. Click to continue reading...

US Open cup week, DC United at home vs Seattle Sounders. The defending champ vs a semi finalist from last year, at RFK stadium Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm on Fox soccer channel.
The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Lamar Hunt an American hero to us soccer fans.
Watch the game fans. DC will repeat, as the Champs again. Click to continue reading...

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has diminished in value of the years.
 With the creation of the Superliga and Concacaf Champions League the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open cup may just be less coveted.
Wednesday night when DC United takes on the Seattle Sounders one has to wonder if the right venue was chosen for this match. Click to continue reading...

It was a rough night for those who follow MLS with every baited breath and look for moments that can help with the growth and credibility of the league.
It was shocking to see how poor Columbus was at Estadio Azul in a 5-0 loss to the 'Cementeros'. Â Not to mention that a former FC Dallas reject Ramon Nunez led the way in the first eight minutes setting up a goal and then scoring from long range. Click to continue reading...

Duane Rollins takes the Columbus Crew fans to task for not giving more support to the best club in MLS. While I agree little has been done to market some of the subsidiary competitions, in this case the CONCACAF Champions League, it seems to me there is a demographic issue that can't be avoided. Greater Seattle has a population of just under three million, Toronto 4. Click to continue reading...

DC United continued the media blitz continues unabated as the club took out full page ads in every paper in Washington, DC. No one can accuse DC United of being cheap or not taking the Open Cup seriously. Whether this media campaign results in a large turnout however, remains to be seen.
For his part Kevin Payne is rallying the troops and in response to widespread criticism from the Pacific Northwest that DC United might fall under 10,000 in attendance for the game. Click to continue reading...

Would you believe it: how about an expensive marketing campaign focused on the history of a club and the sport, promoting an actual competitive domestic match in American soccer.

So much of this "summer of soccer" in the U.S. has been huff and puff about games that don't matter (aside from the $$$), with the series of high-profile friendlies sweeping the nation featuring Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea et al.

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The Forecast tips its hat to Seattle and D.C. United for their efforts to drum up interest in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before proceeding to the Week Nineteen slate. Click to continue reading...

Once upon a time, there was a website called USOpenCup.com that was dedicated to bringing attention to the best tournament that nobody knows about, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It was so comprehensive, so well-researched, and so professional that most of the people who visited didn't realize it wasn't run by US Soccer, [. Click to continue reading...

OK, that headline isn't true. Not exactly. Only a significant portion of next year's U.S. Open Cup matches are likely to be played in our nation's capital. Today's topic is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a little humdinger of a tournament that I talk up whenever I get the chance. All good domestic soccer fans know about [. Click to continue reading...

From www.usopencup.com:

Since 2003, USOpenCup.com has been the only place fans have gone to get in-depth information about one of the best kept secrets in not just in American Soccer, but in American Sports: the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. While the site is not affiliated with theUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF) in any way, it has always been approached professionally, in an effort to fill the void in media coverage for this great tournament.

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STARTERS
The US National Players Assoc talks to Oguchi Onyewu on the day he is introduced by his new club AC Milan.
LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
It's going to be DC United defending their US Open Cup crown against Seattle in the final.
dN
Semifinals Matches:
-Tue Jul 21
DC United 2-1 Rochester Rhinos - DCU goals by Jaime Moreno(PK) & Boyzzz Khumalo. Click to continue reading...

If you thought the Dynamo were meant to win Tuesday night's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal - and why not? Ade Akinbiyi scored one, after all - I'm pretty sure that all changed as you watched the second half...

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US Open Cup.com 07/22/09

Seattle Sounders, D.C. United to meet in Open Cup Final
United will aim for back-to-back titles at RFK Stadium on September 2

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals
Rochester (USL-1) 1:2 D.C. United
Houston (MLS) 1:2 (aet) Seattle (MLS)

Regardless of the result of the 2009 U.

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US Open Cup.com 07/22/09

Seattle Sounders, D.C. United to meet in Open Cup Final
United will aim for back-to-back titles at RFK Stadium on September 2

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals
Rochester (USL-1) 1:2 D.C. United
Houston (MLS) 1:2 (aet) Seattle (MLS)

Regardless of the result of the 2009 U.

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The Dynamo are in Tukwila, Wash., tonight to take on the Seattle Sounders in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal. The Dynamo should have two key players return to action today. If you haven't already, find out who should...

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STARTERS
While David Beckman may tell us all it's Sunshine, Puppies and Roses in LA, he tells the AC Milan website something slightly different: DAVID BECKHAM: "I hope to come back to Milan. They stayed in my heart and sincerely I am confident we can see each other again in November. Click to continue reading...

The US Open Cup Semifinals are tonight!
You can of course follow along at MLSR partner www.USOpenCup.com and follow them on Twitter.
The following match preview and video comes courtesy of RhinosSoccer.com and DCUnited.com respectively:
(Rochester, NY). Click to continue reading...