Undeniably, soccer is a game of timing and rhythm.

In professional and amateur soccer in America, one of the most strategically challenging times of every season comes during the U.S. Open Cup weeks. First, teams are playing on short rest, playing league matches on the weekends both before and after their Wednesday U.S. Open Cup match. Second, the U.S. Open Cup coincides with early summer, when temperatures begin to swell, especially in the South, making conditioning an important factor. And finally, coaches begin micro-managing rest for their players, rarely playing any match at full strength.

The past two weeks for North Carolina FC is a prime example of the challenges the U.S. Open Cup creates, as well as the consequences for managerial decisions. In the weekend NASL match in Jacksonville, prior to playing Charlotte Independence in the U.S. Open Cup, NCFC put out a line-up mostly consisting of back-ups. The strategy to rest players prior to the U.S. Open Cup match resulted in a crushing loss to the Jacksonville Armada, dropping the team from second place to third.

Had NCFC won, they could have been one point out of first place. Was it worth it? Well, a few days later, NCFC put out a strong line-up against Charlotte Independence, and waltzed their way to an easy 4:1 victory, earning the right to play Houston Dynamo of MLS in the Fourth Round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Where the elation of surviving and advancing in U.S. Open Cup is a special moment for any team and fan alike, the consequence of playing physically and emotionally tired a few days later is a formula for failure.

When the New York Cosmos came to WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday, they were prepared to push the pace after having over a week of rest. As if playing a rested Cosmos team was not enough, the Cosmos were well motivated by only trailing NCFC by one point in the Spring standings. Piling on the pressure, the unrelenting Sunday afternoon heat was a cruel added weight for NCFC to bear.

Overmatched and worn down, NCFC constantly played on their back foot during their first half. It was not until the second half, when some merciful clouds rolled in to relive the exhausted Oaks, when NCFC started to rejuvenate and create threatening chances. The effort was too little too late, and NCFC suffered another loss, dropping further to fourth place in the NASL.

In the end, going all-in with the U.S. Open Cup match against Charlotte may have come at the expense of two league losses, dropping NCFC from second to fourth in two weeks. Looking ahead, the Oaks will face an identical dilemma, when they travel up to New York to take on the Cosmos yet again this upcoming weekend. This time, the away Cosmos match will precede a Wednesday night U.S. Open Cup showdown with the Houston Dynamo.

With a chance to take on and take down an MLS squad, NCFC might be forced to play a subpar roster against the Cosmos, potentially extending their NASL losing streak to three. Regardless of how the U.S. Open Cup match goes, NCFC has another quick turnaround to play host to Indy Eleven the following Saturday.

Clearly, while the U.S. Open Cup is a special tournament for all teams involved, it can wreak havoc on balancing a league schedule. May and June are, quite simply, brutal.

Personally, as an NCFC supporter, it is tough to decide what I value more: the NASL season or the U.S. Open Cup. Where we are yet to ever see our Railhawks/NCFC hoist an NASL championship trophy, and doing so would be such a moment of glory, the U.S. Open Cup just means more. Do not forget: winning the U.S. Open Cup not only sees your team taking down MLS teams, but it also gives a lower-division team their only possible bid into the CONCACAF Champions League. Having the opportunity to play against the CONCACAF elite for a season would be a special experience, and who knows… the Club World Cup?

Where Real Madrid is a long way from studying NCFC game tape, you should always let a dreamer dream.