D.C. United has won the right to host the U.S. Open championship match if it gets by USL-1 Rochester in its semifinal match Tuesday. That means if United and Seattle both advance, the Sounders would visit RFK Stadium on Sept. 2.

However, if Seattle advances but Rochester defeats D.C., then the Sounders would host the final on Sept. 1.

D.C.'s apparently high bid seems surprising. Just last week Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said he would like to give his side home field advantage if it's that close to winning the first trophy in franchise history. Beyond that, United drew fewer than 9,000 fans the last time it hosted an Open Cup final. I would have assumed that the Sounders -- with more than a month to promote the game -- could have drawn two or three times that many fans ... that both clubs would have bid accordingly.

All this means that Sounders fans should not only be rooting for the rave green next week, but also for the Rhinos.

Here's the official release.

Here's the information from SoundersFC.com.

adidas is hosting the ultimate Chelsea FC Fan Fest on Friday, July 17 from 4:00pm to 6:30pm, at Qwest Field in preparation for the team’s match against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, July 18. By attending the event, fans can gain access to the Chelsea team practice at Qwest Field.

The first 500 fans to arrive will receive Chelsea FC scarves and everyone in attendance will have access to Chelsea’s practice session at 5 p.m. Attendees can enter to win Chelsea FC jerseys and several lucky fans will win ticket packages to the nearly sold-out Sounders vs. Chelsea match.

Fans may enter the stadium through gates on the north end of Qwest Field.

The Sounders trained this morning on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, working on an artificial turf field surrounded by a few hundred fans and curious employees.

The shift from their normal training venues was simply a nod to Microsoft as the jersey sponsor (Xbox).

The players said they enjoyed the break from the routine and especially playing in front of a crowd. Although midfielder Freddie Ljungberg said he had never seen anything like it during the decade he spent in the English Premier League.

"For me it's a little bit weird, but it's nice," he said. "They do a lot for us, and if we can give something back to the company and the community to be honest I think it's great. So much people show up just for the practice, I think it's amazing."

Ljungberg twisted his ankle late in the work. He said it hurts him to walk but expects he will be able to tape it up and play Saturday against Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the Sounders announced they have released forward Jarrod Smith.

Smith, 25, had been taken from Toronto in the expansion draft, but has been on disabled list since March 5. He went through whas was called successful surgert kast week to repair a torn right hamstring tendon. He watched the practice at Microsoft today -- crutches at his side -- and will continue his rehab with the team, which retains his MLS rights.

David Beckham is expected to make his MLS season debut tonight as the LA Galaxy visits New York. The game will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel starting at 5 p.m.

Here's a preview from the MLS website.

Seattle Sounders FC will likely get its first look at Beckham on Aug. 15 in their regular season road game at the Home Depot Center.