All that's left, to imbue these contests with extra-athletic import, is patriotism, and the hostility that seems to go with it.
The competition that began in August, with clubs such as Billingham Synthonia and Glossop North End contesting the extra preliminary round, travels by the inexorable logic of knockout to the greatest names and arenas of football.
Their seventh FA Cup success was even more of a narrow squeak than Michael Owen's mugging of Arsenal in 2001, with Steven Gerrard equalising in the 90th minute to send a pulsating contest into extra time.
The match four years ago came down to a couple chances on either side that pushed the contest to extra time, but if the Americans can dominate possession like they did last time around, they will create ample opportunities to pull ahead.
Wigan winger Joe Burgess scored a stunning length-of-the-field try in the last minute of normal time to help take the contest to extra time.
Even after that equaliser United created such mayhem in the Uefa Cup holders' area that it might easily have brought the goal needed to steer this contest to extra-time.
A minute into the second period, Stein equalised again, but Yazalde then broke Ronnie McKinnon's leg – he'd miss the rest of the season – and then a late Manuel Pedro Gomes goal sent the contest into extra-time.
Having tried his recipe, I suspect the secret ingredient that made actually won him the contest was the extra egg he adds.
But they have so much depth these days that it should still be quite a contest, given an extra edge by the determination of Stuart's successor as Australia coach Tim Sheens to right the wrongs of 2008 in England and Ireland later this year.
As a result, the Cup trustees issued more specific rules on how the trophy should be defended and awarded: The Cup is automatically awarded to the team that wins the title of the previous Cup champion's league, without the need for any other special extra contest.
