Champs don't get in?

I like the US Open Cup, like the history behind it and the whole process of how the tournament is played, how it's open to any club and all that good stuff. I think MLS should give it a bit more respect and maybe set aside some weekends for only Open Cup matches. I realize that is a pipe dream - they schedule six league games for a World Cup qualifying weekend, so no chance of stepping aside for the USOC.

But one thing I do find a bit odd is that the defending Open Cup champions aren't guaranteed of defending their USOC title. Such is the case for DC United, the 08 USOC champs.

DC is hosting FC Dallas in a USOC match tonight. It's actually a play-in game, so this isn't even techincally part of the tournament. If FC Dallas wins, then DC is out and won't participate in the tourney this year.

Just seems a little odd that the champ isn't automatically entered into the following year's tournament. It'd be great for the defending champ to be in the tourney; would make it a bit more interesting and would seem like it'd be a perk of being the champion.

I'm not necessarily complaining, just found it odd. I suppose if you consider that the World Cup champion isn't guaranteed entry into the subsequent World Cup isn't guaranteed entry into the tournament the next season, then it doesn't seem so odd, right?

Knocked out

The Galaxy won't contend for the US Open Cup title this year after getting knocked out of the tournament before it even started by Colorado again.

A year ago, Colorado beat the Galaxy in a play-in match last year and did so again last night in a 4-2 penalty-kick shootout win.

Here's some video from the post-game press conferences - Colorado's Gary Smith and the Galaxy's Bruce Arena.

The Rapids went down a man in the 36th minute but still managed to hold the Galaxy scoreless for the remainder of regulation and the 30-minute extra time session.

Galaxy versus... yawn... the Rapids

The Galaxy will play the Colorado Rapids in a US Open Cup play-in game on April 7 at Home Depot Center.

A year ago, the teams played a snoozer of a game in their USOC play-in match. Can't lie and admit that I'm particularly excited about the prospect of Colorado coming here again and stinking up the joint again and still having a chance of winning.

Neither David Beckham nor Landon Donovan were in the country when that game was played, and who knows if they will be around for this game either. It's a week after the United States' third qualifier (vs. T&T in Nashville on April 1) so presumably Donovan will be around. Who knows about Beckham. Probably neither would play much anyway, since it's a play-in game and everything anyway.