Sporting KC in search of another trophy while Union seeks first
Philadelphia is looking for its first major trophy as the club faces 2012 champion Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday.
CHAs far as MLS stadiums go, PPL Park is underrated. From its beautiful view of the Delaware River, to the memorable backdrop provided by the Commodore Barry Bridge, down to the energetic atmosphere delivered by the Philadelphia Union supporters group, the Sons of Ben, PPL Park has just about everything you need to provide a great atmosphere for football matches.
One thing the stadium doesn't have is a trophy case, mainly because the team hasn't won anything yet to put in one.
Union will be hoping to change that on Wednesday night as it faces off against a Sporting Kansas City side that very much resembles the type of club the Union are trying to model itself on.
"They’re a very good team in our league, a team that has a proud history of winning trophies," Union coach Jim Curtin said of Sporting KC. "They have a head coach in Peter Vermes as a young coach myself aspires to be like to build something the way he has in Kansas City."
Winner of the U.S. Open Cup in 2012 and the MLS Cup in 2013, Sporting KC enters as the prohibitive favorite in Wednesday's final despite being the visiting team, and despite the fact the match will mark Philadelphia's second straight trip to the final.
"You know what a Kansas City team looks like?" Curtin said. "They’re going to fight, scratch and claw for everything. Peter Vermes won’t allow anything less than that. They’re very disciplined and it’ll be a very difficult challenge Wednesday, but one we’ll be up for."
Sporting KC enters the match in a bit of a slump. Though the club did register a draw against the Seattle Sounders in league play despite playing a reserve side on Sunday, Sporting KC has managed just one win in eight league matches (1-5-2), while Union enters the final with a 3-2-3 record during that same stretch.
Also working in Union's favor will be a considerable home-field edge from what is expected to be a sold out PPL Park, which should be buzzing as fans try to urge their team on to its first major trophy.
"We understand the environment that we're going into," Vermes said. "We understand that we're away from home. We understand that there are a lot of things that aren't in our favor, and we have to be smart about that. At the same time, we also know it's not easy to win a final at home because of the expectation that comes with being in front of your home crowd and everything else. That's a big part of this."
Sporting KC won the U.S. Open Cup on its home turf in 2012, and on Wednesday night it will be facing off against one of the very players who helped lift that trophy three years ago. Forward C.J. Sapong was a key figure on that title-winning team, but on Wednesday he will beUnion's key target forward as he looks to continue an impressive first season in Philadelphia.
"We understand that (Sapong) is playing with a lot of confidence, and he's definitely a handful up top," Sporting KC defender Matt Besler said. "We're going to have to really be locked in to get a result against him."
Wednesday night won't be about reunions though, but rather about one team seeking its first major trophy, and another looking to recapture a feeling it hasn't experienced in almost two years.