Tonight, in front of 30,000 fans at Qwest Field in Seattle, the Crew and the Sounder will face off for the oldest continually awarded trophy in American sports.  The backdrop provides the game gravity it rarely possesses.  The two finalists are quality MLS teams in the midst of playoff seasons, and it should always matter when a title is up for grabs.  Yes, the game is on a Tuesday night in a time slot that will make it difficult for some of the country to commit to watching it all; nevertheless, the Open Cup Final needs a bit of hype in the hours before the game.


Even if you're not a fan of the two teams involved, there are reasons to watch this game tonight.  The Sounders are attempting to be the first repeat champions since 1983.  The Crew are looking for their second Open Cup title, having won it in 2002.  The game will likely smash the single-game attendance record for the tournament.  This is two of the league's better teams facing off for one of the four trophies that MLS teams are eligible to win.  Parity and playoffs mean there's a more important knockout tournament to come, but that doesn't mean these teams don't want this title.  American soccer has few enough big moments.  This one deserves some love.


In that spirit, we're pushing a hashtag to be used in the buildup to the game tonight: #TheFinal.  Rather than make the focus the two teams involved, it makes sense to put emphasis on the fact that this is a FINAL of what should be one of the hallmark competitions of American soccer. The tag is also a nod to the excellent work of covering and promoting the tournament done by the people at TheCup.us.


If you hate the Sounders, their fans, their colors, the way they cut their hair, etc., etc., WATCH.

If you hate the Crew, their wacky logo, the Nordecke or anything else they do, WATCH.

If you love American soccer, even just a little bit, do your part and WATCH.


Here's your primer for tonight's big game:

Preview with facts and figures from thecrew.com.

From Shawn Mitchell, a story on the Crew's raw nerves heading into the game

"The field is for Seattle," Schelotto said. "The stadium is for Seattle. Everything is for Seattle. But that does not matter. We have the final. We have 90 minutes to win a trophy. Nothing is more important."

Sounders fan Aaron Campeau on why this means so much

TheCup.us with a preview of their own

Sigi says there should be focus on the history

"You have to create the history again and the interest in it because it has kind of waned in the last few years," coach Sigi Schmid said. "I think U.S. Soccer, along with MLS, are probably the two organizations that need to get that done. ... I think there's enough history there."

Tonight, Sounders fans are treating the Open Cup like it's a big deal.  Certainly Crew fans will watch intently, cheering their beloved club to victory.  It's up to the rest of us to give this tournament and this Final the respect it deserves by paying just a little attention.


I implore you to watch, and to convince others to watch.  You can start by tweeting that you'll be doing so and spreading the word on the #TheFinal hashtag.


If that tag gets off the ground at all, I'll be back to put up a box to track it.


Let's see how we're doing, shall we?





Hmm...mostly Sounders fans latching on to my nonsense. I guess Crew fans don't dig it.