And then there were 8.

It is time for a little bit of reflection on last night's events.


Tuesday was as MLSNet.com put it: Open Cup Madness!



We are very happy to see the success of this year's Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

It seems interest and coverage is the highest it has been since Bethlehem Steel F.C. notched it's 5th title way back in 1926.

No we were not alive then, and chances are neither were you but you've gotta love the enthusiasm with which everyone from MLS to the fans of USL 2 division sides are bringing to this tournament. It's about time our national Cup was treated this way and embraced for the nearly 100 year tradition that it is.

TECHNOLOGY A DRIVER

For the first time, at any given time for most of last night one could watch no less than 3 (and sometimes 4) matches live online thanks to USLLive, MLSNet broadcasting FC Dallas and peer-to-peer TV technology employed by USL-2 side Cleveland City.

USOpenCup.com as always provided excellent game commentary and an updated scoreboard and bracket. USL2 side Cleveland City ran a very busy chat room for their match at Chicago and many were glued to their monitors as the "Anything-Can-Happen" Cup got underway with clubs from America's top flight.

Soccer blogs such as SoccerByIves and Soccer Insider ran open discussions on the US Open Cup with entertaining debate and banter from fans.

Journalists such as Steve Goff of the Washington Post and Milton Kent of the Baltimore Sun gave the tournament print and online edition coverage in their respective newspapers.

Radio in the cities of Rochester NY, Washington, DC, Frisco, Texas and others gave radio play by play.

Excellent well-rounded coverage for a tournament which just a few years ago was mostly ignored, seldom publicized and hard to follow.