Seven years ago Galaxy and Sounders also met in Open Cup quarterfinals

Pete Vagenas (left, now a Sounder) battled in the 2003 US Open Cup match between the USL Sounders and LA Galaxy at Qwest Field. Viet Nguyen (#12) is the Seattle attacker. (George Holland)

Tonight, 7:00 PM, Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, WA. (Sold Out, Internet Video Broacast via SoundersFC.com)

Something feels vaguely familiar about tonight's Sounders-Galaxy Open Cup match. The match takes place on 7/7, but my mind is flashing back to 7 years ago, and 2003. Carlos Ruiz, Colbi Jones, Lexi Lalas, Pete Vagenas and head coach Sigi Schmid are about to lead the MLS LA Galaxy into a USOC war against the upstart USL Sounders, with local heroes like Darren Sawatzky, Scott Jenkins, Jason Farrell, Zach Scott and head coach Brian Schmetzer. We've got the photos to prove it.

That night the locals were thrilled when over 7,000 fans came to Qwest, but no so happy afterwards as LA won it, 5:1. Remember "The Fish?" He scored a hat trick on the night. Farrell netted Seattle's lone marker. Ruiz would later return to Qwest Field in an FC Dallas kit and deliver an overtime USOC knock-out to Seattle, along with some very unprofessional behavior.

See a few more 2003 Sounders-Galaxy photos in the small gallery below.

Now, back to the present...
 
Repeating: A Difficult Feat
Repeating as champion is difficult, as history has shown. No club in the Open Cup's professional era (since 1994) has accomplished the feat, although five have made it back to the Final. In 2009, Seattle defeated the 2008 cup winner, D.C. United, in the Final. The last club to successfully defend its championship was the New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1982-83. The Open Cup is the longest running team tournament championship in the U.S., dating back to 1914. It is open to both amateur and professional clubs who can qualify.
 
Cup History in Seattle
A Seattle team is vying to make the Open Cup semifinals for the fourth year in a row. Sounders FC won the title in 2009 and the USL-1 Sounders reached that stage in both 2007 (against FC Dallas) and 2008 (Charleston). Prior to the Sounders FC victory last year, the only Seattle club to qualify for an Open Cup final was the amateur Mitre Eagles in 1987. The Eagles fell to Club Espana of Washington, D.C., on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

While the NASL Sounders did not participate in the Open Cup, the A-League Sounders competed on an annual basis, beginning in 1995. They lost to El Paso in the semifinals that season, and also advanced to the final four in 1996.
 
Starfire is Surefire
The stadium ground at Starfire Sports Complex has proven to be a touchstone for Sounders FC, with the Rave Green winning each of its four cup related games there in 2009. Capacity crowds of increasing sizes backed Seattle to play-in wins over Real Salt Lake (4-1) and Colorado (1-0), followed by tournament victories over Kansas City (1-0) and Houston (2-1 after extra time). A new FieldTurf surface was installed at the stadium last month. 
 
Back-to-Back, Again
Sounders FC and the Galaxy will be facing off in Open Cup play just three days after meeting in an MLS fixture at The Home Depot Center. It's reminiscent of two Cup fixtures in 2009. Seattle played Colorado three days after drawing, 2-2, against the Rapids away. And in the Cup semifinal, Seattle hosted Houston 10 days following a 2-1 home win.

A Shootout First
When it comes to Open Cup play, Sounders FC is nearly a sure shot. Seattle converted four of its five attempts to win the tiebreaker at Portland in a third round game last week. Nathan Sturgis, Steve Zakuani, Fredy Montero and Zach Scott all hit the mark while Kasey Keller stopped two Timbers' shots. It was the first such shootout for Sounders FC. The only penalty kick scored in a competitive match also came in Open Cup play in 2009. Seattle is 0-3 in kicks from the spot in MLS matches.

About L.A. Galaxy
The L.A. Galaxy defeated AC St. Louis, 2-0, in an Open Cup third round match at The Home Depot Center last week. Chris Klein and Juninho found the back of the net as the club made it to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006. The Galaxy lineup for that match featured eight changes to the regular MLS starting lineup, notably Josh Saunders started in goal and Eddie Lewis wore the captain's armband. Donovan and Buddle were not available for selection and Omar Gonzalez did not enter the game. On the MLS side, the Galaxy owns the best record (11-1-3) and sits nine points ahead of all other clubs. It didn't take long for World Cup hero Landon Donovan and U.S. teammate Edson Buddle to connect for a goal, scoring in the 19th minute of their first match back.

See also: Is this the night for Terry Boss?