It hasn’t been the most exciting first pro season for Russell Cicerone fans, as the former UB star has cut his teeth with Portland Timbers 2, the USL affiliate to the MLS franchise of the same name.
Timbers 2 are one of the worst teams in the USL and Russ has generally been used as a second-half sub so far.
Enter the US Open Cup, a yearly tournament on par with the FA Cup in England. With a tiered system that lets amateur and lower-tier sides duke it out for a few weeks before the MLS teams join, it’s a quietly great tournament.