The U.S. Open Cup, the American version of the storied FA Cup, makes its annual appearance Tuesday night with the 3-8-2 Galaxy in action on the other side of the country against the minor league 0-4-5 Carolina Railhawks (there’s a couple of records to set pulses racing) and Chivas USA closer to home in Ventura County to play the PDL Fusion in a 7 p.m. game at Ventura College.

Travis Bowen, younger brother of Chivas USA’s Tristan – who watched the Fusion game Saturday – scored a second-half hat trick as the Fusion recorded their fifth consecutive victory Saturday with a 4-1 win against the Southern California Seahorses, incidentally.

You can stream the Galaxy game here at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Here’s a video preview:

No column from me today due to the Memorial Day holiday and I’m going to enjoy a little staycation the next few days, so expect minimal blogging.