It should be noted that SKC have never, ever lost an Open Cup Final. Played at home, or away – as in 2015 in Chester, Pennsylvania against the Philadelphia Union – the Kansans have never failed to lift American soccer’s oldest prize once earning a seat at the Final table.
It’s a fact that might concern LAFC, a young wonder-club built on merciless ambition but who’ve lost two of the one-off finals they’ve contested in the last two years (2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup) after winning the 2022 MLS title at home in some style.
Making Open Cup Lemonade out of 2024 Lemons
“This year you can feel how important it is,” said William Agada, the Nigeria-born KC dynamo, still with bitter memories of the ignominious loss to Division II Sacramento Republic in the 2022 Open Cup Semifinal. “The boys are stepping up. We’re excited about the Final. It’s big-time, man!”
This is a one-off game, like every game in the Open Cup, and that’s an arena where Sporting Kansas City thrive historically. It’s also where Coach Vermes, 15 years in the job, and a former hard-battling legend of the USMNT, can get about the business of motivating his troops.
“It's been a battle, and we’ve had some tough games along the way, but we've managed to get ourselves here,” said Russell, the skipper who, despite being a pro for closing in on two decades, has yet to lift a trophy. “Opportunities to win trophies don't come around often. You have to do everything you can when that opportunity arises.”
It’s not lost on Sporting KC’s players that, should they keep their winning streak in Open Cup Finals alive, they’d become the first MLS team to lift the most historic prize in American soccer for a fifth time.
“We all do this to win trophies,” added Thommy, no stranger to Cup Magic having helped upset FC Kaiserslautern with Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2020 German Cup (DFB-Pokal) before being upset in turn by Cinderella side 1. FC Saarbrücken in that same year’s Quarterfinal. “You put everything in and maybe you need a little luck. You have to run a few meters more all the time – to push yourself.
“We have the opportunity to turn our season around a little bit,” added Thommy, addressing the elephant in the room: SKC’s difficult year in league play where they’ve earned 28 points from 29 games and sit well outside of the playoff positions. “It’s not been the best season, obviously, but this is a chance for us to make something out of it.”
Opportunity on the Big Stage
“We’re always humble. But it doesn’t matter if we’re at the top of the league or the bottom of the league. On this day, we have the chance to go out and show what we have,” added Agada, who, like Thommy, knows the pride of Cup Glory, having lifted the Toto Cup in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv as a teenager. “We’re ready to go.”
A hungry opponent, playing for a trophy, a shining example that this season of suffering wasn’t just wasted time and effort – this is what LAFC will face at home on September 25th (LIVE and FREE on APPLE TV). It’s a dangerous prospect for the home side, no matter how much star-power they possess.
There’s one more thing Sporting KC are fighting for. Professional Pride. And it matters.
