It is as if, in the middle of their season, both the Seahawks and the Mariners were to add a branch league, that did not count in their own division, and that could include any team, any semi-pro sand lot crew, any after-work collection of former college players that were still competitive: show your credentials, grab your gear and let us play. By the quarterfinals, of course, many of the Mud Hens have been winnowed out but often not all. For MLS clubs, it can be an opportunity to play and watch the play of some reserves but on another level, it is pure soccer and pure passion for soccer and democratic to boot.