Petke plays down rivalry aspect of game that might not actually happen

Mike Petke is nonplussed by the potential of a Red Bulls-Cosmos Open Cup match up.

And he made those thoughts abundantly clear to the Red Bulls' media corps this afternoon...

"If you guys want to create a rivalry, that's one thing. We haven't faced the Cosmos," Petke said. "How can you have a rivalry when it's a team not in your league that you haven't faced?

"I mean, then you may want to throw the Brooklyn Italians in there. They are a New York team as well. We are just talking about the Cosmos here."

Much like Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese back in February, Petke doesn't seem interested in making anything more out of a potential fourth round match-up than we already are here.

But there's an important point to make here, and it's more than just a procedural one: The Red Bulls-Cosmos game June 14 at Shuart Stadium on Hempstead, Long Island is not set in stone.

While it's a big ask to expect the Brooklyn Italians, a team of amateurs, to beat the NASL's richest team, it's still entirely possible. Wild things have happened in the Open Cup, the only chance overlooked, underpaid minor leaguers get the chance to go toe-to-toe with their top-tier counterparts and prove they're every bit equals.

Since we're fans, naturally we're chomping at the bit for a game like this, but don't let that lead you to believe May 28 at St. John's is a formality. It's a long shot, but it won't be a walk in the park.