Tonight Columbus meets the Sounders in the 97th US Open Cup final. Both teams are looking for their second Open Cup win, the Crew won in 2002, and of course the Sounders won last year in DC. I was following the game through a combination of text messages and refreshes on Jose’s Seattle Times blog game thread on my phone in SeaTac I had to switch off with about 5 minutes left to play and never got the result until I met my brother in Heathrow 9 hours later.
This year I will be sitting in the stadium, a far better place to be.
A lot of people in Seattle seem to think this is a foregone conclusion after Seattle took apart Columbus 4-0 at their place a few weeks ago in the league. This is Sigi’s old team, they are very good and very much a potential play off opponent.
Columbus will be motivated, and can Robert Warzycha deny his old boss, or will the Sounders become the first team in 28 years to retain the cup. What ever happens some history will be made tonight when the game is played in front of the biggest crowd the cup has ever seen.
Winning a trophy at home is rare in the world of football, tonight Seattle and Columbus will add another chapter to their story. I believe Seattle are good enough, I don’t doubt the crowd will be fired up for what could be a great night of football.