In the round of sixteen, it's not unusual for MLS sides to face off against an occasional upstart from USL or even lower divisions. The Lamar Hunt Open Cup is notable in encouraging hopeful teams in the wide universe of American soccer to take a run at glory. In this 2017 campaign, the FC Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire match in the round of 16 was a bright moment supporting that concept. After defeating the Columbus Crew in an earlier round, Cincinnati stepped onto the field against one of MLS's hottest sides. Chicago Fire are running hot in the MLS table atop the Eastern division. And they met their match in the Cincinnati team led by keeper Mitch Hildebrandt. The game went to PKs and the Cincinnati side came out the victors. The win puts them up against the other Cinderella team, Miami FC. And at least one non-MLS team will advance to the next round after.
I think this is a great tradition. Worthy of our staunch support. Soccer like many other sports has been enriched by the successes of unheralded champions. If that ever stops, the game will suffer.
