This is why they call the tournament the U.S. Open Cup.
The Cleveland City Stars, a minor league team from the USL Second Division, visits Toyota Park Tuesday to play a third round match in the 2008 U.S. Open Cup tournament against the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, the highest level of soccer in the U.S. The tournament is "open'' to all teams, professional and amateur, affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation.
While the tournament does slot Major League Soccer teams in the later rounds, allowing the minor league and amateur clubs to slug it out for positions in the third round, eventually the successful lower-level teams find themselves pitted against the top-level pros for the right to advance. Such is the case with the Fire playing the Cleveland Stars.
In the first round, the Stars defeated the Michigan Bucks of the PDL, a team that has had some Open Cup success in the past. In the second round, the Stars upset a USL-1 team, the Minnesota Thunder, 2-0, in Blaine, Minn. to advance to the game against the Fire.
"It means a lot to our team," said Stars coach Martin Rennie, who coached at the semi-professional level in Scotland after playing in both the U.S. and Europe. "This is only the second year our franchise has existed. We are trying to build a reputation of being a well-organized team, and this is helping us do that. It is an exciting opportunity."
The City Stars are in second place in the USL2 with a record of 6-2-5 and are 3-2-2 in road games this season. The two Cleveland goals against Minnesota were scored by former Fire forward Floyd Franks, who is looking forward to seeing some old friends when he joins the Stars in their game against the Fire Tuesday.
"It feels good to know I get to come back here and see some old friends and play against them," said Franks, who played in 16 games (two starts) for the Fire in 2006 and 2007 and was on their preseason roster this season. "I'm not mad at them (for releasing him). Being with Cleveland is opening some doors and gives me the freedom to pursue other goals I have. Playing my old team, it's not like I see it as a chance to show them I should be here, but it is a unique situation."
The tournament is similar to other cup competitions played in both Europe and South America, although perhaps without the same cache. Still, the players know what they are involved in.
"I think they understand the opportunity they have," Rennie said. "A lot of them have a chance to showcase what they can do. It gives them a chance to show that."
Unfortunately for Cleveland, it is playing the one club in MLS that has proven to take the Open Cup as seriously as it takes league play. The Fire have won the Open Cup four times in their 10 years of existence, including in 1998 when the team was just formed.
"I've been here since then, and we have always taken it seriously," said Fire coach Denis Hamlett, who is in his first year as head coach but had been an assistant with the team since 1998. "It's another opportunity to raise a trophy and be called a champion.
"It's a chance for guys to put some more money in their pockets," Hamlett said. "Also, now the Open Cup winner gets a qualifying spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next year, which is another good thing that comes out of it."
The Fire had a play-in game against the Columbus Crew a couple of weeks ago in Peoria and won 3-2 on an overtime penalty kick goal by Andy Herron.
Hamlett played a mix of veterans and reserves in that game, but he had No. 1 goalkeeper Jon Busch between the posts and used central defender Bakary Soumare in front of him.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
