I'm here to rail on the US Open Cup, again. If you've listened to the podcast, or followed this blog for any considerable length of time, you know that I am extremely frustrated with the state of the US Open Cup. A tournament with history and romance that receives little respect from the upper echelons of American soccer, the Open Cup represents the elephant in the room, a significant problem that no one with any sway really wants to address.

Last night, in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, three MLS sides took care of business and will play in the semi-finals. The lone USL winner, the Rochester Rhinos, beat a USL-2 team, the Wilmington Hammerheads, the earn a berth in the semis.

Only two of the four matches were available via some broadcast outlet; the all-USL affair, and the Houston-Charleston match which took place at the Battery's home ground. Fans of Seattle, Kansas City, DC United, Harrisburg, as well as interested neutrals, were shut out, left to track those matches on the internet or through text updates. If if wasn't for USL Live, run by a league whose teams put much more effort into the Open Cup than their MLS counterparts, the tournament wouldn't be broadcast at all.

What a sad situation for the venerable Cup.

I often lament MLS clubs not taking the tournament as seriously as they should; but with the lack of interest involved, and the fixture congestion that so many clubs already face, it's difficult to really blame them. Should I be angry with MLS teams for playing reserve lineups when MLS and USSF are making it clear that the Open Cup doesn't really matter?

Perhaps I should direct my anger elsewhere.

Without consistent broadcasts of the games, the US Open Cup is destined to languish in near-obscurity. While a TV contract is unlikely, I see no reason that US Soccer can't do a better job of disseminating matches over the internet. A camera or two, a reasonably well-spoken play-by-play man, and an internet connection is all it would take. Even if the expense is fairly significant, the exposure possible is well worth the dollars spent. In the modern world of streaming video and YouTube clips, the highlights alone make streaming the games live a winning proposition.

So where is it? Where's "USOpenCupLive.com"? Where's an effort on the part of the tournament organizers to take full advantage of the technology available and raise the profile of the Open Cup, even if only a little?

Instead of working to increase interest in the Open Cup, it appears as though things are headed in the opposite direction. Only hardcore soccer fans are aware of Open Cup match days, and even then it's not a guarantee that following the action will be easy. When the tournament gets down to the later rounds, and games are played at MLS venues, it's as if they take place in a black hole; seeing them anyway other than live and in person is impossible. Add that pesky alternate-venue situation, and it's no wonder so many choose to ignore America's oldest soccer competition. So many of the actions of MLS and US Soccer scream "Let's just get this thing over with" that any enthusiasm on the part of the fans is extinguished by the sheer pointlessness of it all.

"Going through the motions" is the phrase that comes to mind.

MLS, and American soccer as a whole, needs a strong domestic Cup competition. Domestic cups resonant with fans around the world because they represent the sport at its purest; no matter who you are or where you come from, you have a chance to play for a trophy that truly means something. Magic things happen in these tournaments. Players secure legacies or create legends with timely goals or epic performances against better competition. When properly presented, a domestic cup has all the makings of sports at its most compelling.

Jut not here. I've said before, but I think it bears repeating: if the Open Cup is going to continue to receive scant attention, little support, and zero respect from too many of the clubs involved, then it may be time to scrap the tournament. Revamp it, repackage it, overhaul it; do something to make it a worthwhile effort for both teams and fans alike.

Or just broadcast the damn games.