Sporting Kansas City will look to write another glorious chapter in club history on Wednesday when the New York Red Bulls visit Children’s Mercy Park for the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, slated for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
In our 21-day Countdown to Cup, SportingKC.com is highlighting the most relevant storylines, historical narratives and statistical trends surrounding the Open Cup Final, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship.
This installment of the daily countdown examines what winning the Open Cup would mean for both finalists.
The tangible rewards for winning the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup are clearly defined. Either Sporting Kansas City or the New York Red Bulls will receive the shiny trophy pictured above, $250,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.
But the ramifications of lifting the title on Wednesday would encompass far more than that for both teams, albeit in different ways. The Red Bulls, for example, are seeking their first Open Cup championship ever, while Sporting Kansas City are within touching distance of their third title in six years. In the space below, we begin with the visitors before moving on to the hosts.
New York Red Bulls
A victory on Wednesday would give the Red Bulls their first domestic cup title in the club's 22-year history. That alone would give New York and its fan base something to savor long into the offseason.
An Open Cup win would also deliver a strong statement in the Eastern Conference. An ultra-competitive landscape has developed out east over the last several months, with Toronto FC, New York City FC, Chicago Fire and Atlanta United FC reeling in big-name players and scoring goals by the bunches.
All along, the Red Bulls have quietly gone about their business and remain on pace to secure their eighth straight playoff appearance. Since 2013, New York has as many trophies as Toronto, NYCFC, Chicago and Atlanta combined. Adding an Open Cup to the mix would offer a reminder that, amongst their noisier neighbors, the Red Bulls boast championship DNA that few other teams in the East possess.
Marsch is the Man
The list of all-time Red Bulls head coaches includes some huge names, including Bob Bradley, Bruce Arena and current Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio. But only Marsch and Mike Petke have won a major trophy while in charge of the club. Petke claimed the 2013 Supporters' Shield before Marsch landed the same honor two years later.
With a second piece of silverware up for grabs, Marsch now has the opportunity to cement his status as the franchise's most successful head coach. The 43-year-old has built a team that consistently fights for top spot in the East and predicates itself on a positive, pressing style of play. Another championship would only add to his success story.
Terrific Trio
Since the start of 2015, forward Bradley Wright-Phillips and midfielder Sacha Kljestan have combined for a whopping 74 goals and 62 assists in MLS competition. On the opposite side of the field, goalkeeper Luis Robles is an absolute iron man with well over 150 straight MLS starts. As one of the league's most reliable trios, Wright-Phillips, Kljestan and Robles can add to their Red Bulls legacy with another trophy, having won the Supporters' Shield in their first season together two years ago.
Sporting Kansas City
Yes, we're using the "D" word. In any professional sports context, winning three championships over six seasons constitutes that label. Sporting KC can now become the third Open Cup dynasty to emerge during the MLS era, following the Chicago Fire (four titles from 1998-2006) and Seattle Sounders FC (four titles from 2009-2014).
Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes has built quite the resume as a player and a coach. The former U.S. international and World Cup veteran was Kansas City's defensive stalwart during the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield double-winning campaign in 2000. Nine years later, he began his current tenure as the club's head coach.
Since then, no one has played a greater role in Sporting KC's meteoric ascension. Vermes has already become just the third coach with multiple U.S. Open Cup titles and an MLS Cup trophy to his name, joining Bradley and Sigi Schmid. By winning another Open Cup, he would further separate himself as one of the true elites in American soccer.
No Other Club
Winning the Open Cup next Wednesday would make Sporting Kansas City the only MLS club with four major trophies since 2012. Sporting KC and Seattle are currently the only teams with three major championships over the last six seasons.
Since rebranding and moving to their new home in 2011, Sporting Kansas City has earned the reputation as a bona fide contender in MLS. Painting the wall in the northwest corner of Children's Mercy Park once again would be a true testament to the club's title-winning ambitions.
