A pair of former U.S. Men’s National Team playing legends will go head-to-head in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Steve Cherundolo’s LAFC take aim at a first Open Cup crown and, as hosts, they’ll be favorites when Peter Vermes’ Sporting Kansas City come to town with hopes of salvaging a rough year with some historic silverware.
While SKC were recently knocked out of contention for the 2024 MLS playoffs, it should be noted they’ve never been beaten in an Open Cup Final. They’ve gone a perfect four-for-four since winning their first title in 2004 (as the Kansas City Wizards) and now have a chance to become the first team in the Modern Era – and the first from MLS – to win five Open Cup crowns.
Read on to see what both coaches are thinking on the cusp of the September 25th Final from BMO Stadium in LA Stadium (LIVE and FREE on APPLE TV)
It’s never easy to reach a U.S. Open Cup Final – there are always bumps in the road. Can you talk a bit about the challenges you’ve faced in reaching this 2024 decider?
Steve Cherundolo (Los Angeles Football Club): The road to the Final is long. It’s difficult and full of surprises. Going into the competition, I don’t believe that any team can say they are going to win the competition, there’s just too much unpredictability and time for things to turn sour. The mindset we took was to take it round for round and to field as strong as a team we deemed necessary to advance into the next round.
Peter Vermes (Sporting Kansas City): We played a couple of teams that were lower division [Div. III Union Omaha, Div. II FC Tulsa and Div. II Indy Eleven in the Semifinal]. And those are always the David and Goliath type games. You can really slip up if you’re not approaching those games with the right mindset. You've got to be careful about giving the opposition any confidence that makes them feel like, ‘hey, what we're doing is working or we can can nick this.’ And we did that.
In the context of your season so far, what would it mean to win an Open Cup right now?
SC: Winning any trophy is special for every team, but this would be a first [Open Cup] for LAFC. The first U.S. Open Cup victory for the club, and firsts are always special.
PV: Very rarely do you get chances to play in Finals or play for trophies. And when you do, you can't miss the opportunity. I've always been really clear with our teams over the years when we've been in different Finals – that you've got to understand that this could be the one and only time you ever get there and you have to take advantage of it when it comes around.
What makes your team a difficult opponent in a Final?
SC: I think we have a good balance of intensity, tactical discipline, football and athleticism. These traits have led us to many Finals [Two in MLS Cup and one in the Concacaf Champions Cup] and a couple of trophies [one MLS Cup and two Supporters’ Shields] over the past two and a half seasons.
PV: There are many moments where we’ve had periods of brilliance. With the ball, creating chances, even defending at times. But there've been a lot of games where we also missed on something – didn't score or gave up silly goals. So we can say: when we're on, we can really play with anybody. But when we're not, then we show those holes. In a Final, you have to be switched on because it’s that one roll of the ball – that one second – that can kill your dream.
Can you talk a little bit about your opponent in the Open Cup Final?
SC: I have seen a resurgence of Sporting KC over the past few weeks, they are staying healthy and finding more consistency in their performances. Sporting Kansas City have always been – and certainly still is – a club that wants to and can score goals, whether that’s at home or away. I expect a competitive and tight Final.
PV: LAFC’s an Incredible team. They've got a great roster and that’s obvious. They're going to feel compelled to bring the game to us, being at home. I think these are the games where you have to have bravery and a real commitment. You have to show courage in really important moments of those games.
The game will be played at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles – how will that influence things?
SC: Playing at home can be an advantage for us if we play with intensity. And if we attack. These are the moments our fans are looking for. And they always reciprocate in energy and song.
PV: What our mentality has to be is that we're not going to play at their place – in LA. We're actually going to play a Final. There's a big difference between just going to play a regular season game at their place and vice versa. That's really got to be our perspective and our mentality. And we have to give it all.
No matter the winner, history will be made. LAFC could win a first Open Cup and Sporting KC can become the first MLS team to win a fifth. Does that enter your mind at all?
SC: For LAFC, continuing to grow as a club while adding trophies is key. The infrastructure, fanbase and city deserve nothing less.
PV: Those things aren't really ever on my mind, at least at this point in my career. I just don't really think about them. I truly am about the present when I'm coaching. Maybe later, after it’s all over, that’s something to think about. But not now.
What’s the most important thing to get right in the days leading up to a Final?
SC: Ideally, we remain healthy and can prepare our starting XI plus options off the bench for the full three days leading into the Final. Mental and physical freshness is very important for our group to be successful.
PV: Guys are going to feel the stress of being in a Final. That’s natural. You’ve got to find a way to relieve that pressure. You got here because of the things that you've done really well. We're not all of a sudden going to change who we are overnight. We’ve got to be us. My job is to try to relieve the pressure but also to make sure the guys know what to expect in all situations. They shouldn’t be in a place where they're struggling to get solutions. I want to keep it light. But I also want to keep it focussed.
Fontela is editor-in-chief of usopencup.com. Follow him at @jonahfontela on X/Twitter.