Sporting KC could get a huge haul from US Open Cup defense
If Sporting KC is able to keep the US Open Cup title for another year, the club will receive a nice prize check.
When Sporting KC begins its quest to win a fifth US Open Cup in June, there will be more motivation for the club’s players and staff than just the chance to win the tournament in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.
The 105th US Open Cup is already in action, but MLS clubs with successful regular-season records don’t get involved in the tournament until the fourth round. The first three rounds of matches are played by teams at lower levels. Sporting will look to defend its title beginning on June 6 against Real Salt Lake as one of the 20 MLS franchises in the tournament. The match is set to begin at 9 p.m. CT at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
According to a press release from the team, the winner of the tournament this year will receive $300,000 in prize money. That’s a 20 percent increase over 2017’s $250,000. The runner-up will get a check for $100,000, representing a 33 percent uptick from last year. Sporting’s chances look good, currently sitting atop the MLS Western Conference standings. There is some history between these two clubs in the US Open Cup that bodes well for Sporting.
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June 6, 2018 will be the third time that Sporting has faced Real Salt Lake in US Open Cup matches. Real Salt Lake got a 2-1 decision in 2007’s qualifying and Sporting dispatched Real 3-1 in the 2015 semifinals. Sporting should be heavily favored to at least reach the round of 16 despite playing on Real’s home pitch based on their MLS standings. Real currently occupies ninth place in the Western Conference.
On top of the prize money, Sporting will gain another distinction if it takes home another US Open Cup in 2018. While the Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders currently match Sporting’s count with four US Open cup titles of their own, no other MLS franchise has yet won five. It’s only fitting.
Not only would it further cement Kansas City as the capital of football in the United States, but the tournament itself is named for an individual with strong Kansas City ties. Lamar Hunt was one of the pioneers of football in the United States and helped establish the game on a professional level not only in Kansas City but around North America.
A slogan that Sporting has been using in its marketing this season is, “For Glory. For City.” With over a quarter of a million dollars in prize money on the line, “For Money” could be added to that slogan.