They say that to the victor go the spoils, and a couple of Sounders' spoils of victory from the U.S. Open Cup are -- of course -- the cup itself ... and probable entry into the next CONCACAF Champions League.

Since that obviously will be a new competition for this franchise, here's a little background on CONCACAF Champions League from Wikipedia.

Here's the official CONCACAF Champions League site.

And here's a look at this season's D.C. United schedule ... just to give an idea of how Champions League impacts and intertwines with the MLS regular season and other competitions ... including U.S. Open Cup.

As for the cup itself, the Sounders are still making plans to show off their first trophy. They haven't yet decided on where it will be permanently kept. However, they are giving some thought to touring it around a bit. And you can pretty well count on it being displayed somehow at the Sounders next home game: Sept. 19 vs. Chivas USA.

We're down to the final day and hours before the Sounders play in the U.S. Open Cup final at D.C. United.

The game in only on FSC -- not FSN but FSC, the Fox Soccer Channel. So, heads up. But if you don't have that channel as part of your cable or dish package, the GoSounders.com website has created this ever-growing list of public places where you can watch the game. Included is Doyle's in Tacoma.

Meanwhile, here's an early preview of the match:

SEATTLE SOUDNERS FC
AT D.C. UNITED
4:30 p.m. Wednesday, RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
TV: Fox Soccer Channel.
Radio: 1210 AM (Spanish broadcast only).

Head-to-head: The teams played to a 3-3 draw at Qwest Field on June 16, when Seattle gave up a two-goal second-half lead.

U.S Open Cup: This is the oldest soccer tournament in the United States, created in 1914 as the National Challenge Cup. Similar to England’s famed FA Cup, it is open to professional and amateur clubs through all levels of the United States Soccer Federation. … The Sounders reached the final with wins over Real Salt Lake, Colorado, USL-1 Portland, Kansas City and Houston. United defeated FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, USL-2 Ocean City, USL-2 Harrisburg and USL-1 Rochester. … If the game is tied at the end of regulation, there will be 30 minutes of overtime. If the tie remains, the winner will be determined by penalty kicks.

Notes: Seattle is playing for its first trophy in club history. United has more trophies than any other MLS team: five MLS Cups, four Supporters Shields, one InterAmerican Cup, and two U.S. Open Cups. DCU is the defending Open Cup champion. … Seattle defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado is ineligible after receiving a red card in the cup semifinal against Houston. Defender Tyrone Marshall (hamstring) is out, Taylor Graham (ankle) is questionable, Brad Evans (shin) and Stephen King (hamstring) are probable. … This is United’s ninth match in 32 days as the club is mixing league, Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League games.

Next: Seattle returns to league play at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12, back at RFK against D.C. United.

Things were different at Sounders practice this morning as several hundred youth soccer summer campers watched from the the Qwest Field stands.

After training -- which included a short reserve game against the PDL Seattle Wolves -- the players addressed the crowd, saying a little something about themselves. Then the players handed out postcard-sized autographed pictures of themselves.

Here are some of the things the Sounders' told the crowd:

Taylor Graham: His favorite annimals are giraffes and sasquach.

Sanna Nyassi: "I love to sleep, man."

Fredy Montero (in English): "Hi everybody. I like Seattle. I like Sounders. I like dance."

Freddie Ljungberg: From Sweden and likes snowboarding.

Tyson Wahl: Favorite TV show is "The Bachelorette."

Stephen King: Plays guitar and belonged to a high school band.

Steve Zakuani: Likes playing Guitar Hero.

Sigi Schmid: Kasey Keller's favorite show is "Dancing with the Stars."

Afterward Schmid said everyone had a good time and that the organization probably made some new fans today.

“The players took their time signing autographs and giving out their autograph cards and stuff," he said. "It’s a connection that you will always remember. Sometimes you don’t know what that moment is. But, for a lot of kids, maybe that moment was today or at camp when they met a player. It’s a moment that just gets them and they fall in love with soccer. That doesn’t mean they are going to become a pro player but might mean they become a soccer fan or they work in the sport in some capacity. It definitely gives them the passion for the sport. The more people we can give that passion to the better it is.”

He also said it was valuable to get some playing time for his reserves.

“It was good," Schmid said. "Having some people watching training always gets the guys a little more motivated. We wish we could’ve made it a little bit shorter but we had a certain workload we had in mind. We wanted to get the reserve guys who have not been playing in a lot of games at least 45 minutes of something that seemed a lot more game-like than they have faced and play somebody different. It was great having all of the campers out here. I think the success of the Sounders camps this year and the kids are just another aspect of what the Sounders are trying to do in this community.”

Seattle has survived as the USA bid committee has cut its field to 27 cities still in the running to host games if FIFA awards the 2018 or 2022 World Cup to this country.

Both Qwest Field and Husky Stadium remain among the contending venues.

More information here.

Freddie Ljungberg worked out lightly and apart from the team again today, and coach Sigi Schmid said he won't play in tomorrow's game against the Revolution. There was also some implication he probably won't play Sunday in Houston either.

However, if there was good news it was word that tests trying to find the cause of Ljungberg's recent head/memory/vision problems came back negative.

And while that seems to eliminate certain grim possibilities, no one yet seems sure what is causing the problems. (Or at least no one is saying.) Everyone seems certain it's not migraines this time. And Schmid implied it might simply be diet or some other random factor that might have changed since Ljungberg's move to the Northwest.

To be continued, I suppose.

Meanwhile, Schmid also mentioned that Stephen King probably won't play due to hamstring. Meanwhile, reserve keeper Terry Boss has suffered a concussion and is unavailable. With Chris Eylander not yet ready to come off the injured list, the Sounders have again acquired Ben Dragavon from the MLS keeper pool, and he'll be in reserve for the Revs.

The Sounders press guide calls Olympia Kasey Keller's hometown. The News Tribune has always said Lacey.

I belatedly asked Keller his preference today and he said ... Olympia. Keller said he grew up there and didn't move to Lacey until he was 15.

Therefore, it'll be Olympia from now on.

Brothers, Ciaran O’Brien and Leighton O’Brien team up in Montreal.

The O’Brien family has an exceptional soccer history. Another chapter to their soccer legacy has begun Montreal.

In an exclusive TacomaFC.com interview, Ciaran commented about playing with his older brother, “It should be exciting, playing alongside him for the first time in a professional game is something I have always wanted to do”.

For the full interview and story, CLICK HERE

It's game day. And a big game day at that. The Sounders have suffered consecutive 4-0 losses to teams as diverse as the San Jose Earthquakes and FC Barcelona ... and there is no shortage of teams in striking distance from behind in the league standings.

One of the teams not too far behind is tonight's opponent: Real Salt Lake.

I'm taking some time off this weekend, but the game is previewed by Gail Wood, focusing mostly on Raphael Cox, formerly of UW and Tacoma's Stadium High, and now with RSL. Here's that story.

And here's a pretty interesting look at RSL from the Deseret News in Utah.

This is going to be the first game that I'm not going to be able to see in person or even on TV, so I won't be able to blog. But I'll try to create a new entry later today so that you guys can gather to discuss the game as usual ... or ,for that matter, to tell me what I missed.

Just got this release from MLS regarding the former Tacoma Stars star:

The Major League Soccer Disciplinary committee fined Chivas USA head coach Preki Radosavljevic $1,000 for inappropriate conduct directed toward match officials immediately following Chivas USA’s 3-1 U.S. Open Cup loss to the Charleston Battery on June 30.

As one of the League’s official Charities of Choice, the US Soccer Foundation is the recipient of all player fines at the end of each season. Those fines are added to the Foundation’s Annual Grants Pool from which the Board of Directors awards grants to soccer clubs and organizations that serve economically disadvantaged children in urban areas. To learn more about the Foundation, please visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

Just minutes after the Sounders 4-0 loss at San Jose on Sunday, veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller was asked about this week's international friendly against FC Barcelona.

“I’d like to say it’s going to be a nice game Wednesday against Barcelona, but for me that game is a pain in the (butt),” Keller said. “It’s all right: We’ll go do a professional job, have a good game against Barcelona and be ready to play the next weekend.”

I've written more about this for the Tuesday paper, because Keller never said anything quite like that in the days leading up to the Chelsea game. But things were different then.

Simply as a matter of timing, the Chelsea game came during a bye week in the MLS schedule -- therefore a week before and a week after league games.

For another thing, the Sounders were feeling a better about themselves back then. They entered that Chelsea game on a three-game league winning streak, and a six-game non-losing streak.

Now, in the two league games since the 2-0 loss to Chelsea, the Sounders haven’t scored a goal while going 0-1-1.

So, Keller believes his team had better devote full concentration to its return to regular-season play Saturday at Salt Lake.

“I could care less about Wednesday, to be honest,” Keller said. “Yeah, it’s a great occasion for the fans, and for the guys. For me, personally, I would much rather have a good hard week of training and get ready for the league game. For the fans, for the ownership group, for some of the guys, it’s a fantastic experience and atmosphere. I think we just have to go into that game like it’s a hard training session. Hopefully, we don’t get any injuries and we come out of it ready for next weekend.”

On the other hand, Barcelona’s visit seems to have excited Northwest soccer fans even more than Chelsea’s. While there were almost 2,000 unsold seats for the Blues 2-0 win over the Sounders, the last of the Barcelona tickets disappeared last week.

Today, the Sounders put out a release advising fans to arrive early (the gates of Qwest Field will open two hours before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff) and to consider mass transit.

FC Barcelona is coming off an unprecidented treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League -- and all three massive pieces of hardware were on display today as Barca held a press conference in downtown Seattle.

With Barcelona about to play a Wednesday friendly against the Sounders as part of their preparation for a new season, former Sounders and Tacoma Stars coach Alan Hinton asked FCB manager Pep Guardiola what he can do for an encore.

“I don’t know,” Guardiola said. “We’re gooing to try day by day, game by game. Try to not forget last season but remember the reason why (we did so well).”

Also during the press conference, Barca star Thierry Henry was asked about the rumors that he had been contacted last year by the Sounders about coming to MLS as their designated player. Henry responded with what was apparently a joke that, yes, the rumors must have been true because here he was in Seattle.

In a follow up question, Henry did not close to door to ever joining MLS, but he said his current attentions are with his current team.

And finally, Tacoma glass artist Dale Chihuly -- unfailing referred to in news releases as Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly -- unveiled a commemorative piece of art in celebration of Barcelona’s visit. The glass work, which features the Barcelona crest, will be auctioned online at www.MLSnet.com through Aug. 31. Proceeds will be split evenly between UNICEF and the FC Barcelona Foundation.

Portland appears another step closer to MLS membership and participating in the Heritage Cup and renewing its regular rivalry with the Sounders.

All of this because the city approved renovation of PGE Park into an MLS-quality soccer-specific stadium.

Here's a report from the Oregonian, which is pretty thick on the financing side, but you can survive it if you skim a bit, and the bottom line seems to be good news for the Timbers.