For all the forethought, all the attempts to divine the future, Jim Curtin addressed the media Monday, 50-some-odd hours before the U.S. Open Cup final would return to PPL Park, and the name of his starting goalkeeper was conspicuously absent.
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In January of 2011, Sporting Kansas City drafted the young forward out of James Madison with the tenth overall pick. For all that has transpired, what other team could await Sapong in the final of the U.S. Open Cup than the one he spent his first four professional seasons with? Curtin said. “They’re going to fight, scratch and claw for everything”.
On form and recent reputation, Sporting should go into Wednesday’s final as favorites, though there’s perhaps just a sense around this year’s competition that this is Philadelphia’s year.
“On the precipice of the Open Cup, it just seemed like there were a few guys who needed it. And a few guys are banged up, to be frank”.
In Saturday’s 1-1 draw at New England, Curtin rested a number of the starters including Maurice Edu, Le Toux, Vincent Nogueira and Ray Gaddis. If Besler can contain Sapong, the Union’s attack could be in for a long night. His introspective nature uncovers the odd symmetries others need to be reminded of, and this particular one leaps off the page. Sporting KC has scored 13 goals in their four Open Cup games, while the Union has only tallied four goals in as many games.
KC on the road in MLS: 3-8-4.
How they got here: The Union’s Open Cup run began in tense, dramatic fashion against the USL’s Rochester Rhinos.
Sapong doesn’t recall many specifics from the meeting with the Union, a 2-0 SKC win.
McCarthy has played very well through the U.S. Open Cup while Blake had a club record 10 saves against the Revolution on Saturday.
While the Union will be competing in the championship match for the second consecutive season, Sporting will be making its second final appearance in the last four years. On the way, he played every minute of the team’s first three matches, before coming on as a stoppage time substitute in the club’s 3-1 win against the LA Galaxy. Earlier this season, I parked my auto to attend a game at the stadium and ended up walking alongside the pallbearers of a coffin bearing the legend “Nick Sakiewicz – serial franchise killer”. “Definitely a benchmark in my career”.
A win by Sporting KC gives them a CCL berth for 2016.
An arrest for reckless driving and driving under the influence led to his entry into MLS’ Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program in May, precipitating a three-game suspension.
Then there’s the Canadian Championship, which is only open to the three Canadian teams as well as a couple of lower-division clubs north of the 48th, and is way more fun than most Americans realize.
But Sapong piloted his season off the rocks.
Philly returned home for the semifinal, and Sebastien Le Toux’s second half goal provided the difference on their way to tonight.
The main contentious decision that Union fans are discussing ahead of Wednesday night is who should start in net: John McCarthy or Andre Blake.
First is the CONCACAF Champions League, which has proved a hell of a steep hill to climb over the past eight years.
For someone so fond of elucidating the “poetic justice” of it all, confronting his former squad in the biggest game of the season seems to be the scriptwriters’ preferred ending. “Through that adversity and through having to be more self-aware of my actions, how I affect people around them, it’s a lot of growth on and off the field. They’re very disciplined and it’ll be a very hard challenge Wednesday, but one we’ll be up for”.
2) Sapong gets better of former teammates.
“Coaches make decisions to win games”, Curtin said. We’re very focused, ready to go, excited for the match. But it’s what his team accomplished in 2012 that he said set a “benchmark” for him. We understand that there are a lot of things that aren’t in our favor, and we have to be smart about that. “We’re going to have to really be locked in to get a result against him”.
With one day’s less rest, Vermes took a similar approach to Sunday’s home match against Seattle.
In distilling the morals gleaned from his past, Sapong strikes a common credo that has resonated throughout this cup run.
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Score prediction:I honestly think this game belongs to the Union. Unless you’re a (Andrea) Pirlo or something like that and you’ve been in 20 of them, I don’t think you’re going to get too used to playing in them.
