The end of an era for all MLS First Teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in men's professional soccer in the United States and has been for over 100 years. Currently, approximately 100 clubs from professional leagues such as USL League One, USL League Two, USL Championship, Major League Soccer, National Independent Soccer Association MLS Next Pro, and many amateur clubs through their respective leagues. Since 1996, MLS teams have dominated the competition since the league began play, and no lower division team, other than the Rochester Rhinos in 1999, has ever won the tournament. Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship) was the recent lower-division team to reach the final last year before losing to Orlando City. Recently, Houston Dynamo won their second Open Cup title after defeating Inter Miami in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Final.

On Friday, MLS announced that all MLS First Teams will not compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for 2024. Instead, MLS Next Pro teams will partake in the nation's oldest tournament. MLS will reassess its first teams' involvement after the 2024 season to determine whether this change will become the new standard for participation.

The US Open Cup allows smaller teams the chance to dream big and showcase their players on a bigger stage. I don't think MLS will ever come around to understanding why promotion/relegation wouldn't kill their values (or certainly doesn't have to, there are all sorts of formats). But with the Cup, at least that "beat the big dog" mechanism still existed.

Honestly, I don't like where the league is going, but that's not the point. If a league is not sanctioned by its federation within its regional federation, then it can affect or flat-out block players from other leagues that are sanctioned by FIFA. It would also make players not want to sign with MLS because it might stop them from transferring up to a top 5 European league. The sanctioning of USSF, CONCACAF, and FIFA do mean a whole lot.

Watch this video from 5 years ago with a rant from Taylor Twellman:

I completely agree with Twellman. I am a BIG fan of USOC regionalization for every league/level below MLS. The goal should be to make travel costs as minimal as possible for those smaller league teams, and they should most of the time have hosting priority unless they play in a venue they don’t control or is genuinely not at a semi-professional level. I’m also a fan of de-regionalizing the MLS teams whenever they enter the tournament. We see so many repeat matchups like Cascadia (as mentioned here), the Northeastern 5 teams, Atlanta/ORL, Texas teams, etc.

In an ideal world, we would just have the MLS teams have the option of playing their reserve team whenever they’re due to play in the USOC. Most if not all teams would do this until the quarters or semis. But it seems that the MLSPA will shoot that down and is probably a non-starter for them.

This is a classic hardball negotiating tactic that MLS is using to withdraw their senior teams from the tournament. There will be changes that come from this I can guarantee it, the USSF isn’t going to just sit by and let the money leave the tournament. I hope it’s just a short one or two-year absence from MLS teams and we get some changes that MLS & MLSPA have been shouting for for several years now.

The only unfortunate thing is I doubt the changes will include any of the things that Twellman (and I) want in this video. The only way those things happen is if MLS teams get the option to play their 2/NextPro teams.

With all the forced nonsense that Don Garber has been peddling (Leagues Cup being the most recent example), I’m not surprised by this. The fact is, the crowds don’t turn up for USOC matches; but what I am surprised by, is how quickly Garber is just abandoning the USOC and messaging it as “development”. 

People need to be strongly considering supporting Lower Division Teams from the USL Championship and USL League One, and the many across the country no matter the level, distance, or notoriety (as if it should even matter anymore). Support clubs who actually respect and value their supporters, community, and, of course, the Open Cup, literally our country's oldest tradition in the sport. Clearly, the league does not care about any of those things.

If I were Commissioner I simply wouldn't have gotten in this position to begin with, but if I had to stick with the Leagues Cup, I'd a) shorten the ridiculous playoffs and b) shorten the regular season a bit. 28 games is necessary for all in-conference teams to play two games, but it is possible for the out-of-conference games. I'd do that until the contract is up and then re-evaluate. Pour whatever remaining money into USOC--improve the streams, promote the events, etc.

In Conclusion, this is the absolute worst, most disgraceful decision I have ever seen the league make in the decade that I have been watching. What the hell are they thinking?

This makes a mockery of US Soccer history.