Tonight, nothing else matters but the two teams who will face off on the field.
After weeks of build-up, plenty of back-and-forth between Seattle and DC, marketing campaigns, fan stunts, trash talk, and general chatter, tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, at RFK Stadium, D.C. United will take on Seattle Sounders FC in the U.S. Open Cup final for a chance to win its 13th major trophy. The newcomers from Seattle are hoping to secure their first-ever title as an MLS squad.
This is the fun part, no?
If you're in the DC area, you should be at RFK. If you're outside the area, you can watch the game tonight on Fox Soccer Channel.
There are a ton of story lines to follow, and a ton of articles out there you should read before making your way to RFK's Lot 8 this afternoon (yes, we expect you to skip out early on work). Let's get started:
- United, Sounders Add Heat to U.S. Open Cup final - by Steve Goff (Washington Post)
- Home field squabble adds spice to Open Cup final - by Joseph White (AP)
- Morale riding high into final - by John Haydon (Washington Times)
- United spat with Seattle not likely to make U.S. Open Cup matter - by Craig Stouffer (Washington Examiner)
- United eager to host Open Cup - by Charlie Boehm (dcunited.com)
- Sounders FC playing for US Open Cup trophy - by Jose Romero (Seattle Times)
- All-MLS showdown in U.S. Open Cup final - by Steve Davis (espn.com)
- Pride, title at stake as Seattle and DC clash in Open Cup - by Kyle McCarthy (goal.com)
- Video: Access United: Special U.S. Open Cup edition
So, after everything over the last few weeks, what are your expectations for tonight's game? Who do you want to see in the starting lineup? We'll take your score predictions in the comments section below and pick one correct guess to win a 2009 Team Media Guide autographed by the United player of your choice.
See you at RFK.
