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SKC wins bidding to host Open Cup final

LSP (Getty)

If Kansas City can get past the Philadelphia Union, then the U.S. Open Cup final is coming to Livestrong Sporting Park.

Sporting Kansas City has won the blind bidding to host the final, which means the club will host the match Aug. 7 or 8 if it defeats the Union in Wednesday's semifinal at PPL Park.

The Seattle Sounders finished second in the bidding, so CenturyLink field will host the event for the third-straight year if Seattle defeats Chivas USA in the other semifinal Wednesday and Kansas City is eliminated by Philadelphia. The Union finished third, so a final between Chivas and Philadelphia will be held at PPL Park.

According Joshua Mayers of The Seattle Times, Seattle actually tied Kansas City for the winning bid but lost the hosting rights on a coin flip.

The Sounders are pursuing their fourth-consecutive U.S. Open Cup title. Kansas City has won once, while Philadelphia and Chivas have never claimed the crown.

What do you think of Kansas City winning home-field advantage? Surprised to see the Sounders outbid by SKC? Which team should be the favorite to win it all?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Not sure what state you’re in, but your scenario is actually not true. I hope your legal malpractice insurance is up to date.

    I doubt there was any conspiracy, but a coin flip seems like a bad way to solve a “tie.” Why not tell them it was a tie, and ask them each to sweeten the pot? And why does it need to be secret anyway? What’s wrong with publishing how much the winning bid was for? The whole thing smells like a poorly-run operation.

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  2. Seriously. I could write my will, tell someone I wrote my will, and they sign it months later and a court of law will recognize that as good enough even if the person didn’t read a single word of the will. What flies as witnessed is actually a very low standard.

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  3. This remains a ridiculous way to determine who hosts. We have it backwards. The open cup final should be at a neutral pre-determined site like the Super Bowl. The MLS Cup Final should be two legged home-and-away.

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  4. I think you get points based off of different aspects of the bid. It’s not simply that they tied their monetary bid.

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  5. They tied their bids? Hasn’t anyone ever watched the Price is Right? You don’t bid a round number — you throw $1 on the end, so there’s no tie bid.

    …..Unless BOTH teams employed the Price is Right strategy!! CYA — end your bid with $2.

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  6. 4-0 was lucky? Union have scored 12 goals in the last 4 games. This is a different team.

    Seattle game is far from a done deal also.

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  7. CONSPIRACY!! Seriously though have a little faith, I’m sure it was done in front of reps from both teams or something along those lines.

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  8. USSF decided they didn’t want to stage the game at 1 or 2 pm in the middle of the week. Seems incredibly logical for attendance and TV.

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  9. No not revisionist history, Seattle outbid DC and US soccer came up with a reason not to honor the top bid because guess who is on the US soccer board? Guess? Soccer is corrupt from Fifa down and this is just another example.

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  10. Typical revisionist history from Seattle. The 2009 final went to DC because Seattle could only host the game in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon because the Mariners had a game that night. Third fiddle in your own stadium, even behind a team that doesn’t play there, but hey it must be a conspiracy!

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  11. The key to this article is that KC has to get past Philly.. the team who just beat KC 4-0 in Philly. the same team that just beat LA on the road. This will not be easy for Sporting. That being said, KC will be better in the CCL then Philly, so I would prefer them to win.

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  12. This just in: nailed it. Adrian Hanauer says USSF told him Seattle and KC’s bids were “tied,” so they settled it with…

    …wait for it…

    …a secret “coin flip.”

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  13. they didn’t outbid Seattle. Adrian H. is saying he was told by US Soccer it was a tie but of course that is a billion to one chance. They said they flipped a coin to decide but of course nobody was there to see it.

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  14. Word is that the bids by Seattle and KC were a tie so US Cup flipped a coin and gave it to KC. And I believe they flipped a coin.

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  15. I didn’t really realize how this bidding process was going to work, or care, but now that it’s played out it’s actually a really cool way of deciding where the final is. Well done MLS.

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  16. Everything they’ve done so far is pointing to SKC going for the cup 100%. Ownership want CCL soccer played in KC and the Open Cup is the easiest way there.

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  17. the fact that the bids are kept secret means we may never know if they were given the game because they bid more money or because US soccer wants it in KC. Remember they did that when DC wanted the game against Seattle at home even though Seattle bid more money. Until everything is transparent it is all suspect.

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  18. As a Seattle fan I would be dissapointed not to watch it at home, but I am glad to see someone else step up and out bid them.
    If Seattle were able to win it in KC it would be great because then 2 of the 4 would have been won on the road.

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  19. I think with the crowds KC has been drawing to their USOC matches, a large bid was likely.

    Did they really outbid Seattle, though, or just get close enough that the USSF would rather have them host? Not sure.

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  20. I was completely expecting this once it was announced that Philly outbid KC for the semi-final game. SKC was clearly holding back cash in hopes of submitting a bid worth more than Seattle for the finals.

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