Sporting Kansas City will look to write another glorious chapter in club history on Wednesday when the New York Red Bulls visit Children’s Mercy Park for the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, slated for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
In our 21-day Countdown to Cup, SportingKC.com is highlighting the most relevant storylines, historical narratives and statistical trends surrounding the Open Cup Final, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship.
First things first, just to be clear: the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup does not formally award a tournament MVP honor at the conclusion of every final.
But what if such an honor did exist? Who would be in the running for 2017 Open Cup most valuable player?
A big part of that answer lies in who delivers a standout performance Wednesday night when Sporting Kansas City and the New York Red Bulls lock horns at Children's Mercy Park. Nonetheless, a handful of worthy candidates have emerged over the course of the previous four rounds.
With all due respect to the likes of FC Cincinnati's Mitch Hildebrandt, Miami FC's Stefano Pinho, San Jose's Danny Hoesen and a host of others, we will limit our candidates to only members of Sporting KC or RBNY. Without further ado, let's jump into it.
New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long
The versatile defender has started all four matches for the Red Bulls en route to the final, contributing to a pair of shutouts while featuring as both an outside back and a center back in multiple formations deployed by head coach Jesse Marsch. The year 2017 has been an absolute success story for long, who entered the season without a single MLS appearance but has become a pivotal cog along the New York backline, starting 32 of 33 matches in all competitions.
Long will be tested on Wednesday evening, to be sure, but if the Red Bulls end up lifting their first Open Cup title, he will have been a big reason why.
New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips
Look no further than the prolific striker's heroic contributions in the quarterfinals and semifinals. His 87th-minute strike downed the New England Revolution, while his game-tying and game-winning headers against FC Cincinnati — both of which were absolutely superb — vaulted New York into the final. Wright-Phillips' MLS scoring pedigree is unquestioned, and this year he has translated his predatory scoring instincts into the Open Cup.
It's also worth mentioning that a goal on Wednesday would give Wright-Phillips a share of the U.S. Open Cup Golden Boot. He's sitting on three goals now and has plenty of experience scoring against Sporting KC, bagging six in the head-to-head series in 2014.
Sporting Kansas City forward Gerso
Sporting Kansas City's leading goal scorer has found the back of the net twice in Open Cup competition, sparking a 4-0 rout of Minnesota United FC on June 14 before sealing a 2-0 win in Houston two weeks later. The dynamic winger has also started all four matches in the tournament, and adding a third goal to his name on Wednesday would make him hard to ignore as one of Sporting KC's best players in the 2017 competition.
On a related note, Gerso has scored eight of his nine goals this season at Children's Mercy Park. That bodes well for the Bissau-Guinean heading into the final.
Sporting Kansas City defender Ike Opara
Opara has been nothing short of immense for Sporting Kansas City throughout the season. It comes as no surprise that the club has three losses and 13 shutouts in the 27 matches he has played across all competitions. The center back has started all four Open Cup matches — aiding in three clean sheets — while also scoring game-winning goals against Minnesota and Houston. Opara suffered a horrific head injury in extra time of an epic quarterfinal clash with FC Dallas, but returned four weeks later to go 120 minutes in the semifinals versus San Jose.
As a bona fide MLS Defender of the Year candidate, Opara must also be considered one of the 2017 Open Cup's best performers. His daunting mission on Wednesday will be to silence Wright-Phillips and company while remaining an offensive threat on set pieces.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia
Like Opara, goalkeeper Tim Melia is amidst his best season as a professional. His Open Cup record since 2012 is nothing short of remarkable: 10-0-2 with five shutouts, and now on the verge of his second crown. Melia posted clean sheets in each of his first three Open Cup appearances this summer, notably making six saves in a quarterfinal triumph over FC Dallas, before stopping two penalties in a victorious shootout against the Earthquakes to propel his side into the final.
As the current favorite to land MLS Goalkeeper of the Year accolades, Melia has the chance to put a huge feather in his cap on Wednesday. His consistency throughout 2017 would suggest he's up to the task.
