Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber and head coach Peter Vermes are not taking opponent Minnesota United FC lightly in tonight’s US Open Cup.
“It’s entirely unique opportunity that the sport has. You don’t see the Yankees facing off against a Triple-A baseball team. If they lost, it would be a major deal.”
Sporting KC Head Coach Peter Vermes
Every year as the fourth round of the US Open Cup kicks off there’s an expectation for an MLS team or two to be caught off-guard by lower-division contenders. Last season, New York City FC was stunned by the New York Cosmos in a shootout. These so-called “cupsets” are a unique part of an open tournament like the US Open Cup. Just last night Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy got pushed to the final minute by their opponents.
“It’s entirely unique opportunity that the sport has,” said Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes at the team’s hotel this morning. “You don’t see the Yankees facing off against a Triple-A baseball team. If they lost, it would be a major deal. I don’t think we highlight the history and the interesting side of the tournament. We’re constantly following teams and players in the NASL and USL. It’s a tournament that we take very seriously.”
Having won the tournament in 2012 and 2015, Sporting KC is no stranger to these potential trap games. In his sixth season in MLS, midfielder Benny Feilhaber doesn’t take tonight’s opponent lightly. “I actually know a few of the guys at Minnesota, and I know that they’re a tough team. Christian Ramirez is from my hometown as well, so during the offseason, I train with him and Kevin Venegas. They’ve got some really high-quality guys who should be in MLS this year and probably will be next year.
“This is going to be a tough game. A lot of challenges in the midfield that we’ll be facing. Luckily, with guys like Sonni Mustivar and Roger Espinoza playing behind me, I’ve got a couple of guys who are at the top of their games and really good at what they do. It’s going to be a great battle.”
While United’s stadium doesn’t even hold half the capacity of SKC’s Children’s Mercy Park, the scope doesn’t faze Feilhaber. “Smaller stadiums can bring a better environment. Our stadium is bigger and holds the environment well, but you go around MLS and see a lot of stadiums that are too big. When you get to a stadium with a lot of empty seats, it’s less of an atmosphere than some of these 9,000-seaters. You’re able to get the excitement, kind of a college-style atmosphere, and especially with an Open Cup match where Minnesota wants to beat an MLS team.”
The connections abound between the two sides. Sporting’s assistant coach (and head coach of USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers) Marc Dos Santos was the manager for Ottawa Fury’s miracle run in 2015. Winger Bernardo Añor is on loan to United from SKC (but will miss the match with an ankle injury) and Minnesota’s assistant coach, Ian Fuller, worked with the Sporting coaching staff when he was an assistant at Orlando and were their USL affiliate.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 CT at the NSC Stadium in Blaine, MN.
Also read:
The Minnesota Thunder were US Open Cup Giant Killers in 2005
Minnesota United Coaches and Players: USOC Match vs. Sporting KC Could be Wide-Open Affair
US Open Cup Match Preview: Minnesota United vs. Sporting Kansas City
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