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From: USSoccerPlayers Newsletter <newsletter@...>
Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 11:53:54 AM
Subject: The USSoccerPlayers Newsletter USSoccerPlayers - June 9th, 2009

TV

No games today, but USOpenCup.com will keep you updated on tonight's US Open Cup First Round.

First Round Proper

By J Hutcherson -- It's US Open Cup First Round Tuesday. meaning a bunch of regional games that most Major League Soccer fans will likely ignore. Why? Under-promotion and significant lack of interest.

This isn't going to be a bit on how to fix the US Open Cup. Aside from USL die-hards and friends and family, Round 1 should be about expectation. Can one of the amateur teams actually get through? Will we see another run through Major League Soccer competition courtesy of an unknown club?

All of that will wait a round or two before really being worth the time of the generally interested. Fair enough, especially since this is a limited exercise in keeping the embarrassment to a minimum. Losing to an amateur team is bad enough in principle. It doesn't need the added insult of actual interest.

Relative to scale, it might be better to have drawn a team in your own league. At least then it's just another game. USL-1 doesn't get that particular favor. They've got half of tonight's 18 games, and by default all of them become should-wins. Especially considering only Portland is on the road playing a PDL team. It's a little easier to explain a slip further down the United Soccer Leagues.

Still, why not give over a moment to what passes for Cup romance USA edition.

The USL-1's Minnesota Thunder is playing a team named after an area code that qualified out of the Nebraska amateur region. 402 get to bring it at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

In the battle of grandiose bordering on pretentious club names, USL-2's Real Maryland faces Aegean Hawks FC.  In a state full of royal place names, Real plays in a city named after a creek and a county named after a general.  On the other side of the ball, we're going to go ahead and safely assume there's no recently discovered sea conveniently located out by the airport in Northern Virgina. 

The Western Mass Pioneers are hosting Emigrantes Das Ilhas. That club name is Portuguese for "Immigrants of the Islands," in particular Cape Verde off the West Coast of Africa.

Miami gets Lynch's FC, a team named for a Jacksonville, Florida bar fooling no one with that picture of Old Trafford in the banner on one of their websites. They're also missing a player who opted to sign with Bundesliga club VfL Bochum. Seriously.

Are we sufficiently charmed yet?

Real price gouge awaits the faithful -- from The Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby: "It's a big-time event and there's a price that you'd pay, just like to see Madonna."

Soccer coach already has fan base -- from The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jorge Castillo: And the fans are ecstatic with the selection.

Wizards enjoy their day off -- from The Kansas City Star's Ryan Young: There are, of course, different ways to do that.

Now that jocks can talk to us directly, the press is boxed out -- from ESPN The Magazine's Bill Simmons: You get the idea.

Toronto FC defence takes another hit -- from The Toronto Star's Daniel Girard: But a lack of depth almost guarantees Velez and Harmse will start at the back on Saturday.

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