The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is one of the longest-running tournaments in the world of sports. Now in its 102nd year, the Open Cup is in full swing with Real Salt Lake hosting the Portland Timbers in the Round of 16 Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.
RSL is approaching the match, while it comes at a hectic point in the schedule amidst a stretch of six games in 19 days, with an eye on making another deep run in the tournament.
“It’s a tournament we’re taking extremely seriously. Four more wins and we have a trophy,” Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jeff Cassar said on Monday in an appearance on The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700. “So it’s the quickest way into the Champions League, to win a trophy and we’re taking it very seriously.”
Salt Lake got through its first match in the tournament with a 2-1 win over Sounders FC 2 earlier in June, coming from a 1-0 first-half deficit before taking control of the match in the second half and rolling to the victory over the USL club. That set up a meeting with RSL’s opponent in the semifinal of the 2013 Open Cup, as Portland outlasted Seattle’s MLS club 3-1 in an extra-time affair, putting an end to Sounders FC’s unbeaten reign at its Starfire practice facility.
Now with the proposition of facing the Timbers with a shot at the quarterfinals on the line, Cassar is set to put the club’s best foot forward with the goal of winning the tournament in mind.
“We’re going to put out a team that we feel extremely confident that we can win this game and then we’re going to field a team on Saturday that a lot of guys are going to have to turn around and play long minutes with so many injuries and international call-ups, but I’m confident in our players,” Cassar said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. for the match on Wednesday, coming as the second match in a double-header after Real Monarchs SLC takes on Sacramento Republic FC at 5 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.
For the full interview, click here.
