The US Open Cup hasn’t yet earned the same sort of respect and prestige associated with some of the football world’s oldest knockout competitions, such as the FA Cup and the Copa del Rey.
But it is becoming more popular with US football fans. And it offers a perfect opportunity for teams that are unlikely to be in MLS play-off contention to gain some glory.
The oldest football competition in the US, the Open Cup, also known as the Lamar Hunt Cup, has often been won by teams that failed to reach the play-offs. Last year’s winners, Houston Dynamo, were the latest to tread this path, lifting the Hunt Cup despite finishing ninth in the Western Conference. And this time round, it is the likes of Orlando City who have the chance to get their hands on the silverware, as they prepare to take on New York City FC in Thursday’s quarter final.
Both teams have something in common, having entered MLS in the same year – 2015. But other than that, their histories have taken very different directions. NYCFC have been regular play-off contenders, finishing in the top three in the East for three seasons in a row, while Orlando have struggled to even make the play-offs, never bettering their 2015 performance, when they finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and fourteenth overall.
This season appears to be following a similar pattern for Orlando. Under James O’Connor, who took over midway through the 2018 season, they’ve continued to play pleasant football, but have rarely threatened to break out of the lower reaches of MLS. They have won six out of nineteen so far, and those wins have been spaced out throughout the campaign.
And yet, on their day, they can compete with the better teams. Last time out they managed a creditable 2-2 draw against the MLS East leaders Philadelphia. And in their opening game of the 2019 campaign, they held Thursday’s opponents to another 2-2 draw.
Still, it is a surprise to find them as slight favourites for this game, at least, based on what we’ve seen so far this season. BetCris rate Orlando as +131 favourites, with New York City rated as a +162 shot and the draw pencilled in at +250.
New York City boss Dominic Torrent, who took over from Patrick Vieira midway through last season, has kept the team in contention at the top end of the table, despite the absence this year of the retired David Villa. They go into this game six points off the top spot in the East, but with four games in hand. But crucially, there is reason to believe that Thursday’s encounter with Orlando is not the main priority for Torrent’s side.
This weekend, City will be taking on rivals New York Red Bulls, who are also in contention in the East, and it would be no surprise if they rested key personnel ahead of their trip to Orlando. With no realistic play-off hopes to keep them focused on their MLS commitments, the Open Cup offers a welcome diversion for the home side, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them edge out their more illustrious visitors and reach the semi-finals.
