OT: Michigan Bucks upset Chicago Fire in US Open Cup

Submitted by Jon06 on

The Michigan Bucks, an amateur fourth(?)-tier soccer team that plays in Pontiac, upset the visiting Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time last night, advancing to the fourth of seven rounds of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. In so doing, the Bucks became the first amateur team to notch 2 wins against MLS competition, 12 years after having become the first amateur team to notch a single win against the same.

Their fourth round game is also in Pontiac, where they'll take on the third-tier Dayton Dutch Lions at 7:30 this coming Tuesday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Yo_Blue

May 30th, 2012 at 8:21 AM ^

And worse yet, you had to make a snarky comment?  Move along.

 

The Bucks have had a history of advancing the careers of Michigan soccer players (I think there are two on the team this year along with several Spartys).  It is a big deal to beat an MLS team and the Bucks have done it twice in their history.

Tater

May 30th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ^

If you hate soccer so much, why did you bother to click on the thread, what alone make a snarky comment?  

Here's a bottom line for you: anyone who goes into the arena of competition, no matter what sport, is worthy of your respect until he or she proves otherwise.

JHendo

May 30th, 2012 at 8:42 AM ^

I learned a long time ago (in the days where negging someone actually meant something) not to question the existence of a soccer thread on the thread itself.  While I too think the fact that 2 of the first 3 threads of the day are soccer related (yet not actually U o M soccer related) is not a good sign as well, this is the time of year when (almost) any new forum topic with good intentions is welcome.

Roachgoblue

May 30th, 2012 at 9:42 AM ^

The Lamar Hunt US Open trophy is awesome. Go young bucks! Detroit homeless softball could win the Lamda Lamda Lamda trophy and my year would be complete! Jk I hope the bucks do well, but we are reaching here. It its soccer (I played since 4th grade and am married to a Brazilian, so I get it) but it is soccer, so heads up.

Jon06

May 30th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^

It's pretty similar. It's a 7-round, 64-team tournament, with some rules for qualifying and MLS teams entering in the 3rd round. In the FA cup, according to Wikipedia, there are hundreds of teams that play in 6 qualifying rounds before getting to 128-team tournament of 8 'proper' rounds, where EPL teams join in the 3rd proper round. The US Open Cup is single-elimination with extra time (and presumably penalty kicks, but I don't know) settling draws, while the FA Cup plays a second game at the visiting team's venue before going to extra time and then kicks.

But yeah, same idea.

Jon06

May 30th, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^

3rd string goalie, mostly 2nd stringers at other positions. They played only 2 starters, and they were still much better than the Bucks on a player-by-player basis.

But it's still a big deal for a fourth-tier amateur team to take out a bunch of players fielded from a top flight team's roster. The Bucks were one of three amateur teams to make the 3rd round, and the other 4th tier team in the 3rd round lost. The remaining amateur team, 5th tier Cal FC, upset a 3rd tier team in round 1 and a 4th tier team in round 2, but have to make it past the Portland Timbers of the MLS tonight to join the Bucks in round 4.

ken725

May 30th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^

CAL FC is a team put together one month prior to the tournament by Eric Wynalda.  If this CAL FC team makes it far in this tournament, hopefully people will see how bad our player rating system is.  I think Eric Wynalda is trying to make a point here, but unfortunately I don't think people will take notice. 

ken725

May 30th, 2012 at 10:34 PM ^

Not really a link of the ratings, but talks about the makeup of the team.

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/post/_/id/16827/winning-just…

One example:

One player from CAL FC is an El Salvador national who played in the game vs. the USMNT u23 that knocked us out of Olympic qualifying.  Somehow he was deemed by the MLS GM to not be good enough to play in the MLS.

The following is just my opinion:

We put too much into measurables or athleticism in the US.  This is great when you talk about potential in basetball, football or maybe even baseball.  That is what I was talking about when it comes to player ratings.  I think we make the mistake of over-valuing bigger faster players over players that might be smaller, but posses superior technical and tactical skills.  

GRBluefan

May 30th, 2012 at 11:28 AM ^

only one who finds the name 'Chicago Fire' to be extremely offensive? I can only imagine how it makes those who lived through the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 feel.

 

It's not like you see Pompeii calling its Serie F team the Volcano.

 

/s

JohnnyV123

May 30th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^

Very cool! Too bad this is a competition I've never heard of (and I am a soccer fan) and the Fire didn't even care to play their best players to move on in it.

If this was the FA Cup and we were in England and one of the Premier League teams got upset this would be the huge sports story of the day.

rockediny

May 30th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^

Soccer is the only sport that gets this much hate. I don't know why, but this is very surprising coming from Mgoblog. You will never see me on a baseball or hockey thread disrespecting these sports. I think it's kinda immature to go on a thread about a sport you don't like and hate on it.