First of all, go ahead and bookmark this site right here: CLICK ME!It's an invaluable resource for anybody who cares about US soccer in general, and the US Open Cup in particular.
And if you don't care about the US Open Cup ... what the hell is wrong with you? It's one of the world's oldest tournaments, features huge upsets pretty much ever year, and is a breeding ground for future MLS stars. Yeah, the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield may get your juices flowing a little more, but a cup's a cup. Anybody should be ecstatic to win one.
And it looks like, in 2013, the Sounders will have two shots to get back to the mountain top.
Not only are the big boy Sounders automatically drawn into the competition (along with the other 15 US-based MLS teams), but the Sounders U-23s have earned themselves a spot as well. There's no official announcement as of yet (US Soccer tends to take its time with USOC-related stuff), but according to TheCup.us' sources, Seattle's U-23s are in it by virtue of a first-place finish in the PDL's Northwest Division.
Second in the Northwest Division, by the way? That'd be the Portland Timbers U-23s, who are in the Cup (announcement pending!) for the second straight year.
So it looks like we could have two separate cases of fratricide, should the brackets work out just so. And should Cal FC not crash the party this time around.
EDIT: And our good friends at SounderAtHeart just sent us this:
So yeah, US Soccer may not have confirmed yet. But this one sure looks like it's good to go.
