U.S. Open Cup Primer

As rather saucily proclaimed yesterday, I don’t do previews (at least not unless someone introduces money to the equation, at which point that’s technically betting – something for which I’m always game). But with the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (LHUSOC) resuming tonight with the quarterfinals – and given that tournament’s desperate, desperate need for exposure – I’m going to go halfway and chuck out a slew of previews written by others that I could (easily) find.

If you’re going for general information, you can’t beat the official U.S. Open Cup site; go there and you’ll get pretty much everything you need – not least links to where these games will air on the Web (I’m angling for the FC Dallas v. Charleston game; we’ll see how that goes). Also, Luis Bueno did his (better) bit for this cause by pimping the LHUSOC in the Press-Enterprise. Good on ya, Luis. Turning now to specifics…

Carolina Railhawks v. Richmond Kickers
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Carolina Railhawks site preview
Richmond Kickers site preview

Seattle Sounders v. Colorado Rapids
Seattle Times
Seattle Sounders Site Preview
Colorado Rapids Site Preview

For some reason, the Denver-area mainstream media isn’t interested in this one…maybe they know what’s coming and want to keep it on the down-low? Oh, and check out Pablo Mastroeni modeling Rapids’ gear next to the Colorado preview; dude looks like he’s ticked you didn’t give him spare change.

Charleston Battery v. FC Dallas (Now this one got covered)
Charleston Post and Courier
Dallas Morning News (just a blurb, but a good one)
FC Dallas Site Preview
Charleston Battery Site Preview
3rd Degree has a buttload of links
FC Dallas Blog

That last source made the curious decision to 1) provide a list of the players who traveled, but to 2) identify them only by first names or nicknames. A little tough on the newbies, isn’t that?

All right. That’s it for today. I’ll root around for the goods on the New England Revolution v. Harrisburg City Islanders tomorrow. Enjoy the games tonight if you catch them…and, if you do, feel free to add first-hand accounts of the action to the post I do tomorrow on the results. We’re in this together, people; I need you to be my eyes.