Some people will say we don't deserve it. They're wrong. Some people will say we're wasting a spot in the 2014-15 Concacaf Champions League. Forget them. Some people will say this trophy doesn't count. They're probably just Metros fans.
The long and short of it is that D.C. United are the champions of American soccer, the only team that can claim to have won the 100th Lamar Hunt United States Open Cup. Nobody else gets that. Just us. Only United.
Lewis Neal has scored three goals for D.C. United, and all of them were big. But tonight's goal won us a trophy, and that makes it his best. Even better than the goal that originally turned him (now permanently) into all-caps LEWIS NEAL.
The highlights really don't do some players justice. The center back pairing of Dejan Jakovic and Ethan White were incredible, stepping up to make big plays against an outstanding Real Salt Lake attack. The RSL defense kicked Chris Pontius more times than they kicked the ball, but Partyboy kept running at them. DeRo didn't get onto the scoresheet but was instrumental in creating Neal's goal and in relieving pressure as an outlet for the defense all game long.
It wasn't a perfect performance, but it was a championship performance. And here's the video to prove it.
More from B&RU:
- Real Salt Lake vs. D.C. United - 100th United States Open Cup Final TV schedule, preview, projected lineup, prediction, and live thread
- D.C. United's road to the 2013 U.S. Open Cup Final - How did we get here?
- D.C. United Scouting Report, US Open Cup Final Edition: Real Salt Lake
- Fantasy Focus: Rising to another Lovel
- Filibuster Podcast: 50th Episode US Open Cup Extravaganza