After only three rounds, I think we can be optimistic about the Colorado Rapids' chances of winning the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The Rapids just need to push past Sporting Kansas City this upcoming Tuesday, then it's just two more games until the finals. As it is, half of the MLS teams are already defeated in the Open Cup tournament. The Rapids will know to be on their toes against lower division teams that were not seen nearly enough as threats by their higher division opponents.

However, even if the Rapids do win, the Open Cup is viewed by many as a lesser competition than the MLS Cup. (The third most important American cup, essentially.) The Rapids currently rank fourth in the Western Conference, and as long as they stay at fifth place ranking or above, they'll make the playoffs. Still, we're only two fifths through the season at this point and it's been incredibly up and down for them, so there's still time for anything to happen.

So what if the Rapids do an amazing job in the US Open Cup, but underperform when it comes to the MLS cup and miss the playoffs entirely? Would you still consider them to have had a successful season if this happens?