It was as convincing a U.S. Open Cup victory as any team could have mustered. Playing at BBVA Compass Stadium, the Philadelphia Union never looked like a serious threat to the Houston Dynamo, who won 3-0 on a brace by Mauro Manotas.



It was a big victory for a team that has done much with few resources. But it was too bad that it played out before so few spectators. A cup final at a non-neutral site and drawing an announced crowd of just over 16,000 fans, albeit on a weeknight, is one sign of a feeble tournament. (The stadium’s capacity is 22,000.)



If there were that many people in the stands, they hadn’t made it into the building by the time the home team scored their opening goal in the fourth minute.



This is not a problem specific to Houston but rather indicative of a tournament that is largely ignored. This year’s installment came and went with as heavy a shrug as any in recent memory. The final was the only match of the...