Hey, remember that? Yeah, I was a little slack in updating our pickem game results after the final. It's possible that I only just recovered from celebrating Osvaldo Alonso's cherry-on-top goal. But there's no time like the offseason. . wait, what's that? The season still isn't over yet? Whatever.

Anyway, we had pointed out that the final would determine the winner of the game. bmvaughn used canny selections of lower division teams to race out to an early lead but then had to hold on while players who picked MLS teams started picking up points. And given the understandable love of the Seattle Sounders in these parts, when the Electricity Yellow kept winning those points piled up fast. In the end a Seattle loss in the final would mean that he'd held on just enough to win in a tiebreaker, but the reality of Threeattle gave the points title to our very own author and general Linkmeister Dizzo. If there were a prize (and maybe there will be? I dunno), he'd be ineligible for being an insider, since we at Sounder at Heart headquarters actually knew about the Sounders' victory beforehand.

So the official winner is agtk who used a concise 5-team roster that included both the eventual winners Seattle as well as the Richmond Kickers — the only lower division team in this year's competition to make it to the Quarterfinals. Congrats! We're looking forward to doing something along these lines again next year.

The final standings are below the cut, so it's harder to see that I tied for last place.

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Fredy Montero joins Nate Jaqua (10), Kasey Keller (09) and Pat Noonan (07, with Revolution) as current Seattle Sounders who earned the Player of the Tournament award from TheCup.US and North American Soccer Reporters. Montero helped the Sounders to their historical third straight US Open Cups by hitting game winners in the quarters, the semis and the Final. While those were his only three goals they were enough to have him finish the tourney tied for second in goal scoring, first among MLS players.

In this possible preview of MLS MVP voting Montero's offensive production is readily recognizable by those from a distance. He now has 16 goals (8 winners) and 10 assists (3 winners) in all competitions while playing in 81% of of possible minutes. While other players around the league may contribute more, none are doing so in such a strong numerical fashion on a team that has performed so well.

Former Sounder Chris Eylander also earned the Player of the Tournament in 2008 with the USL side that made it to the semifinals. Montero was the MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2009.

The Player of the Round (and still to be announced Player of Tournament) is voted on by mostly the same group that votes for MLS' Player of Week/Month awards. Today TheCup.US announced that Seattle Sounders defensive midfielder Osvaldo Alonso was the Player of the Round for the US Open Cup Final.

Alonso was challenged for the award by teammates Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

As the first player to in the MLS era to make the Final four straight years the award doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it is still generally rare for a more defensive minded outfield player to take home individual recognition. When Osvaldo placed that exclamation point on the end of the game dribbling through the Chicago Fire defense and slotting home a goal that allowed Seattle fans to erupt in joy not just from a goal, but the winning of a championship he likely vaulted to the forefront of voters' minds.

One of the fun things about the Seattle Sounders and this winning the US Open Cup for three straight years is that it is almost certain that a Sounder will also be the 4th straight Player of the Tournament. The award is handed out by TheCup.US through voting by the North American Soccer Reporters (a kind of guild or association of some the soccer writers in the US and Canada). The previous Sounders winnners are Chris Eylander, Sebastien Le Toux Kasey Keller and Nate Jaqua. In the 2011 Open Cup Mike Fucito was the Player of the Round for Round Three. It would seem a certainty that a Sounder will get the Player of Round for the Final.

But who should be the Player of the Tournament? Fredy Montero had 3 goals, each the game winner in successive rounds. Osvaldo Alonso had the dagger in the final, played in every match and is the defensive stalwart for the team. Kasey Keller, American Legend, shut out FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire with 5 saves.

If you had a vote who would it be for?

There's a little problem with our format here of providing a quick recap and then a post that is just the data, an attempt to remove the emotion and review the game based on that alone. When a team makes history the emotion is a major part of it. The rush from the glory of victory is still there. Maybe it is an artifact of the highlights, but clearly the Seattle Sounders deserved this win. There were so many opportunities for Mike Fucito to tally the first goal. Silly things like posts, keepers and defenders kept getting in his way. This season though it is appropriate that Fredy Montero scored the first goal. For Osvaldo Alonso to continue his growth as more than just a defensive midfielder and turn time wasting into the dagger still brings joy. Dominance is fun.

The only place where the Chicago Fire put up any significant statistical advantage is in pass completion, blocks and saves. There's a reason why Sean Johnson has a call from the USMNT. He is capable of incredible saves and though young did a fair job commanding that back line. Fucito and Montero combined for 13 shots. While only credited for one each on goal, several of those were blocked. In fact non-keepers got in the way of 9 total shots. That backline prevented a real blowout. That battle for the 50/50 balls opened up those rapid multi-layered counter-attacks.

While the quotes continue to demonstrate how amazing the night was, there is the concerning news that Alvaro Fernandez has a concussion. Aside from that news the quote sheet is full of praise for the other players on the team and the fans of Seattle. Frank Klopas is gracious in defeat and credits the defense of Seattle for a strong performance.

Three US Open Cups in a row. Three straight appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League. To be king you must own that which you rule. Seattle's kingdom is merely the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. All comers are welcome in 2012 - amateur or DP laden MLS side. Be ready to come to our lands.

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Three straight U.S. Open Cups. Just let that sink in. The Seattle Sounders, a three-year-old MLS franchise, have now won more Open Cup titles than all but seven clubs in the tournament's 98-year-history after dispatching the Chicago Fire 2-0 on Tuesday in front of a record crowd of 35,615. 

The Sounders are now just one of four teams to ever win three straight, but the first since Greek Americans AA, who managed the feat from 1967-69. Whether or not every MLS team takes this tournament as seriously as the Sounders, there's simply no denying the enormity of this accomplishment. 

No. 3 was easily their most dominant performance, if not necessarily the prettiest. The Sounders out shot the Chicago Fire 27-8 and clearly had the better opportunities. But until Fredy Montero scored his 16th goal of the season in the 78th minute, it was a very tense game.

Montero appeared to have given the Sounders the lead in the closing moments of the first half, but his shot rang off the post and Mike Fucito failed to control the rebound. Fucito nearly scored in the 53rd minute, but his flick past goalkeeper Sean Johnson also hit the post.

As much as the Sounders seemed to be controlling the game at that point, I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge doubt was starting to creep in at that point. The Fire were looking dangerous, especially on corners, and a goal against the run of play would not have been the biggest surprise.

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It is easy to get the sense that Tuesday night's US Open Cup Final is an important match for the Seattle Sounders. If you follow their various social media platforms you've been flooded with tweets, Facebook posts, contests, videos and more. On the radio they started purchasing advertising weeks ago. The Supporters Groups have swelled to a state of excitement that cannot be contained. The march to the match will be massive and led by Cups. Here, we've gone a bit nuts with coverage as well with 6 posts in the last 3 days, not to mention other news, fanshots, etc.

At some point it comes down to the game - to the men taking the field for the Chicago Fire, or those wearing the Rave Green of the Sounders this is their opportunity for silverware. For the hundred or so traveling Fire fans tonight is their opportunity to return to glory of years past. For the tens of thousands in the greens and blues this is another chapter in a history that is both short and long.

History will be made in the Pews of Royal Brougham Park. Ideally it will be a history with a little Northwest flavor in it.

The game is on FoxSoccer (national) and 97.3FM with Arlo White on the call at 7:00 PM

Pre Match Build-up: Projected Lineup | Three Questions| Scouting Report | Our Day of Faith
Opposing SBN Site is Hot Time In Old Town

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Previewing this match it is clear that the Chicago Fire are a different team than they were during the last meeting. Both teams certainly have injury concerns to key players, but the facet of the game that will be most effected is different. One can consider that there are four portions of any game, in ways these are what determined the old three band nomenclature of formations. There's the attacking third (Offense), the central third (Possession), the defensive third (Defense) and set-pieces. If we work on these assumptions we can break the game into tactical segments and see which team is favored.

The Sounders offense is clearly powered by Fredy Montero and those who move around him. The man that most signifies the success is the break-out performance of Alvaro Fernandez. There are certainly others who get on the scoresheet by design, but Fernandez' goals show how the Sounders use off-ball movement and technical ability to create. Trying to limit the offense will be a Chicago defense that is led by a very young keeper in Sean Johnson and a backline anchored by Cory Gibbs. They are fast, but inexperienced and the aggressive wingers tend to get forward leaving the back open to attack from wide angles.

In the central third Seattle uses a mix of extraordinary defense and rapid flank attacks. But the Fire tend to sit at least two midfielders back with an intent to absorb pressure and spark their attacks through the center or left. Seattle is the more likely team to skip the midfield. With Logan Pause and Pavel Pardo sitting back this should free more space for Osvaldo Alonso to join Mauro Rosales (if healthy) transitioning from possession into assault on the goal.

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